

Bringin' it Backwards
Adam & Tera Lisicky
Bringin' It Backwards: podcast – giving driven musicians the invaluable insight they need to succeed in the music industry, by revealing how legendary musicians achieved stardom.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 7, 2022 • 42min
Interview with Garrett Nash
We had the pleasure of interviewing Garrett Nash over Zoom video! 6x RIAA platinum-certified Atlantic Records/Overall Recordings artist Garrett Nash has released his version of his favorite childhood song, "Stacy's Mom." Originally released by Fountains of Wayne, Nash has put his own spin on the 2000s hit. Listen to Nash's version of "Stacy's Mom" HERE. The nostalgic cover follows a pair of irresistible singles from Nash – the self-reflective, "Super Glue," and the touching ode to Nash's upbringing in Los Angeles, "Palm Trees." These recent tracks marked a new direction from the singer-songwriter formerly known as gnash. The name change reflects his remarkable growth as both an individual and artist over the past decade. Having won worldwide applause and triumphant popular success under his gnash moniker, Garrett Nash now takes a more matured, deeply personal approach to his genre-blurring brand of modern pop. gnash made his global breakthrough with 2016's multi-platform blockbuster hit single, "i hate u, i love u." The stripped-bare track reached the top 10 on Billboard's "Hot 100" – where it spent an impressive 39 weeks – and singles charts around the world, earning 6x RIAA platinum certification and more than 2B global streams. Furthermore, the "i hate u, i love u" companion video is an unadulterated blockbuster, now with over 640M individual views via YouTube alone. Along with his world-straddling popular success, gnash began receiving rapt attention from worldwide media, drawing critical acclaim from such top tier publications as the New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, Billboard, Vogue, and NYLON, to name but a few. 2019 saw gnash follow a series of EPs with his RIAA gold certified full-length debut album, we, drawing praise from such outlets as The Guardian for its "highly intimate confessionals about doubt, anxiety and insecurity…the combination of charming tunes and humbling insights are truly lovely." As charming and idiosyncratic on stage as in the studio, gnash traveled North America on a number of tours, including 2019's 40-date "the broken hearts club tour," while also finding time for high-profile TV performances on NBC's TODAY and Late Night with Seth Meyers. A strong advocate for mental health, gnash has long been open about his struggles, publicly acknowledging the benefits of therapy while also encouraging fans to find their own unique way to express themselves. We want to hear from you! Please email Tera@BringinitBackwards.com. www.BringinitBackwards.com #podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #GarrettNash #zoom Listen & Subscribe to BiB Follow our podcast on Instagram and Twitter! Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bringin-it-backwards--4972373/support. https://bringinitbackwards.com/

Dec 31, 2021 • 23min
Interview with Rolo Tomassi
Together with Sean Ulbs of the Eiffels, we had the pleasure of interviewing Rolo Tomassi over Zoom video! ROLO TOMASSI will release their huge, expansive and ambitious, brand new album 'Where Myth Becomes Memory' on February 4th, 2022 through MNRK. The band returned in August with the single 'Cloaked', their first new music since 2018's hugely acclaimed 'Time Will Die And Love Will Bury It'. ROLO TOMASSI have spent 17 years leading the pack rather than following and 'Where Myth Becomes Memory', sees them lead with more poise and determination than ever before. The new album serves as the final part in an unintended trilogy that began with 2015's 'Grievances' and continued with 2018's 'Time Will Die And Love Will Bury It', the most critically acclaimed album of the band's career to date. Every ROLO TOMASSI album shows signs of growth, but 'Where Myth Becomes Memory' serves as a culmination of a period of creativity that has exalted ROLO TOMASSI to their loftiest status so far as a band, with a singular vision where the most savage, unhinged sonics can co-exist harmoniously with epic cinematic elegance and grace. MORE ON ROLO TOMASSI: Formed in 2005 this quintet's early material blended hardcore with kitschy synths and nonsensical song structures. However, the group shaved off its more oddball qualities in favor of shoegaze and dream-pop on subsequent releases.This sound is beautifully demonstrated with Dillinger-style freak-outs that transition to lush soundscapes at a moment's notice. Anchored by the Spence siblings' complementary singing voices, the group perfectly blur the barrier between tranquility and destruction. They have worked with US super producer Diplo and performed on Channel 4 TV live with Biffy Clyro (watch that HERE), they have played the SXSW Festival, released an album through IPECAC after catching the ear of Mike Patton and their last album is on around 7 million streams on Spotify alone. This most recent album from 2018 'Time Will Die And love Will Bury It' was released to a flurry of praise an acclaim, landing it as the 2nd highest review score for the year on Metacritic (gaining a 92/100). Following previous tours and shows with the likes of Faith No More, Biffy Clyro, Dillinger Escape Plan, Architects, The Bronx and Gojira in 2019 (as main support), the band have established themselves as a live tour-de-force, now a headline prospect not only in their home territory of the UK and the EU, but also Australia, Japan, Russia and the USA. There is no band on Earth quite like ROLO TOMASSI We want to hear from you! Please email Tera@BringinitBackwards.com. www.BringinitBackwards.com #podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #RoloTomassi #TheEiffels #zoom Listen & Subscribe to BiB Follow our podcast on Instagram and Twitter! Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bringin-it-backwards--4972373/support. https://bringinitbackwards.com/

Dec 29, 2021 • 53min
Interview with Of Mice & Men
We had the pleasure of interviewing Of Mice & Men over Zoom video! OF MICE & MEN first emerged as part of a vanguard of subculture alongside their contemporaries and tour mates in Bring Me The Horizon, A Day To Remember, Pierce The Veil, Asking Alexandria, and Dance Gavin Dance; and as a staple of the Vans Warped Tour and international rock festivals. They took home the Best International Newcomer price at the 2013 Kerrang! Awards and were twice nominated as Artist Of The Year at the APMAs, where Manansala took home Best Guitarist. Across a half dozen studio albums, including career redefining fan-favorite masterpiece Earthandsky and the No. 1 Billboard Independent Album Restoring Force, the group's combination of crowd-moving breakdowns, staccato rhythms, and soaring melodic vocals bridged the gap from the underground to the world at large. Songs like "Would You Still be There" and "Unbreakable" catapulted OF MICE & MEN onto massive tours with Linkin Park and Rise Against (2015); Slipknot and Marilyn Manson (2016); and Five Finger Death Punch and In Flames (2017). At every turn, no matter what obstacles presented themselves, the four men at the OF MICE & MEN core since 2016 never lost sight of the strength of their connection to the audience or each other. They refocused and persevered at every turn, delivering massive anthems that work in the most intimate of punk clubs, the biggest of European festivals, and American rock radio formats alike. So, when the 2020 pandemic ground the touring business to a halt, Pauley, Manansala, Ashby, and Arteaga turned inward and resolved to take advantage of the year to create. They expanded their home-studio setups, wrote together online, and self-produced their new music. Pauley, already an experienced producer, handled all of the mixing and mastering duties himself. The band's renowned spirit of determination, aggression, and musical excellence has never been more evident than on TIMELESS, the first of three EPs set for release in 2021, a sort of trilogy culminating in OF MICE & MEN's seventh full-length album before the year's end. Conceived in collaboration over platforms like Twitch and Zoom, in the midst of the pandemic, the California quartet's new music is their most impressive and expansive, without sacrificing any heaviness. "Obsolete," "Timeless," and "Anchor" take a special place in the ever-evolving OM&M song canon. We want to hear from you! Please email Tera@BringinitBackwards.com. www.BringinitBackwards.com #podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #aaronpauley #ofmice&men #OM&M #Ofmiceandmen #zoom Listen & Subscribe to BiB Follow our podcast on Instagram and Twitter! Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bringin-it-backwards--4972373/support. https://bringinitbackwards.com/

Dec 29, 2021 • 41min
Interview with Spaceface
We had the pleasure of interviewing Spaceface over Zoom video! Spaceface is a self described "Retro Futurist Dream Rock" (but you can call them psychedelic-pop) band from Memphis, TN and Los Angeles, CA, active since 2012 and including members of The Flaming Lips and Pierced. Always eavesdropping on the Universe whispering its chaotic will, the groovy bunch harnesses the transcendent pulse of the spacetime continuum into catchy songs that whirl and twirl, bend and stretch, attract and propel. Their unique alloy of dream-pop, funk rock and post-disco, charged by the Sun, ultimately shines way past our collective bedtime, akin to a glow-in-the-dark Slime Science Lab kit. The psych outfit are now announcing Anemoia, a second full-length album that should please fans of Beck, Tame Impala and MGMT. The forthcoming long play is scheduled for release on January 28th, 2022 via Montreal-based Mothland. We want to hear from you! Please email Tera@BringinitBackwards.com. www.BringinitBackwards.com #podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #Spaceface #zoom Listen & Subscribe to BiB Follow our podcast on Instagram and Twitter! Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bringin-it-backwards--4972373/support. https://bringinitbackwards.com/

Dec 28, 2021 • 54min
Interview sad alex
We had the pleasure of interviewing sad alex over Zoom video! LA-based artist sad alex has unveiled her new EP, 'crydancing', out now on Red Bull Records. A "mixtape of mixed emotions" featuring seven tracks that showcase all sides of the rising singer-songwriter, 'crydancing' features a handful of recently released singles and several new tracks previously teased via Alex's TikTok page. Kicking off proceedings is 'until', driven by piano chords and electro-pop production, which finds sad alex reflecting on memories from previous lovers. Then there is the 'one that got away', a collaboration with mike. that details the feelings of regret and 'what if?' that comes with the potential of a past relationship that never fully came to fruition. Initially released to coincide with Valentine's Day, 'dating myself' is an up-tempo track that embraces the art of self-care, exploring the empowerment behind falling in love with yourself, while the playful 'ibtc (remix)' sees her team up with St Louis-born rapper MILES on a rework of her viral TikTok hit that saw millions of plays earlier this year. Next up are the enchanting 'come over' and infectious title track 'crydancing', the EP's two newest singles, before things are closed out with the delicate piano chords of 'california queen', a track that ensures things finish on a melancholic note. Her largest body of work to date, 'crydancing' is sad alex at her most candid and introspective. We want to hear from you! Please email Tera@BringinitBackwards.com. www.BringinitBackwards.com #podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #sadalex #zoom Listen & Subscribe to BiB Follow our podcast on Instagram and Twitter! Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bringin-it-backwards--4972373/support. https://bringinitbackwards.com/

Dec 27, 2021 • 1h 27min
Interview with Annihilator
We had the pleasure of interviewing Annihilator over Zoom video! ANNIHILATOR are a Canadian heavy metal/thrash metal band founded in Ottawa in 1984. They are the best-selling Canadian band in their genre, having sold more than three million albums worldwide. ANNIHILATOR are led by co-founding member Jeff Waters. The band has released 17 studio records and numerous live CDs, documentaries, acoustic sessions, compilations, and DVD offerings. Waters is the guitarist, vocalist, studio bassist, and writer for Annihilator, as well as a studio owner, producer, engineer, and mix and mastering engineer. Annihilator are known for killer live shows, lots of touring spanning more than 30 years, and pure, honest heavy metal meets thrash. Fans have been waiting years and it's finally happening: the much sought-after and previously unavailable Annihilator back catalog is getting a series of reissues via earMUSIC. In total, there are around 18 records to be released over the next few years, including the original 2007 version of the METAL album. METAL II has been given an incredible overhaul with the one and only Dave Lombardo (Dead Cross, ex-Slayer) killing on the drums and lead vocals "re- invented" by the great Stu Block (Into Eternity). Waters passed mixing duties over to legendary engineer Mike Fraser (AC/DC, Van Halen) and the album was re-mastered by Maor Appelbaum. The guest list on the album is huge with more than a dozen KILLER artists from bands like Lamb of God, Arch Enemy, Children of Bodom, Nevermore, In Flames, Trivium, Danko Jones, Anvil, The Haunted, and Lynam. It's one big metal party! The first single from this new recorded METAL II album is "DOWNRIGHT DOMINATE" (featuring Alexi Laiho)." Metal II is out February 18, 2022. Pre-order it here. It will be out on CD Digipak, 2LP Gatefold black limited and 2LP Gatefold transparent orange limited. We want to hear from you! Please email Tera@BringinitBackwards.com. www.BringinitBackwards.com #podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #Annihilator #zoom Listen & Subscribe to BiB Follow our podcast on Instagram and Twitter! Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bringin-it-backwards--4972373/support. https://bringinitbackwards.com/

Dec 25, 2021 • 26min
Interview with Justus Bennetts
We had the pleasure of interviewing Justus Bennetts over Zoom video! Raleigh, NC, Gen Z hybrid pop artist Justus Bennetts is bringing back relatable pop music that touches the youth. He's on the verge of a breakout with his bumping high school nostalgic "Cool Kids" which is performing well on TikTok and DSP platforms without the push. It's all DIY. It hit 34 NMF playlists on Spotify! Justus grew up in a single parent household surrounded by music and participating in choir. After he discovered bands like Green Day and Linkin Park, Justus become inspired to create his own music. His singles like the relationship tear-jerker "Nightstand" and the teenaged-summer-campy "Real Life Sux" and his biggest hit to date the spiteful "Bad Day" landed at number 9 on iTunes Alternative while amounting over 600K streams in less than 24 hours upon release. Not too shabby for a guy who started as a cars salesman that was rapping on the side. Not to mention his first official studio at 14-years-old was a laundry room that he lived in with two other kids. We want to hear from you! Please email Tera@BringinitBackwards.com. www.BringinitBackwards.com #podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #JustusBennetts #zoom Listen & Subscribe to BiB Follow our podcast on Instagram and Twitter! Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bringin-it-backwards--4972373/support. https://bringinitbackwards.com/

Dec 24, 2021 • 1h 1min
Interview with Jamestown Revival
We had the pleasure of interviewing Jamestown Revival over Zoom video! Jamestown Revival have made the quietest record of their career with Young Man, yet it may resonate the most. Recorded in their home state of Texas, it is their first project without electric guitars, with the emphasis instead on skillful songwriting, flawless harmony, and intricate fingerpicking. In addition, it's the first time that bandmates Jonathan Clay and Zach Chance have created an album with a producer -- in this case, Robert Ellis, a fellow Texan and a recording artist in his own right. Sonically the album draws on inspirations such as Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and The Doobie Brothers (particularly "Black Water"), yet there's also a dusty Western feel to Young Man, similar to a Guy Clark or Townes Van Zandt album where the detailed backdrop and acoustic arrangements convey the story as eloquently as the lyrics do.. Young Man opens with "Coyote," a plaintive ballad the duo wrote on their ranch near Huntsville, Texas, about an hour north of their hometown of Magnolia. With its lonesome tones and sly title character, it sets the tone for the album, pulling in listeners with blended voices and a narrative that befits a campfire setting. From there, songs like "Young Man," "Moving Man," "Northbound," and especially "These Days" further explore their restless frame of mind, due in no small part to the pandemic. Chance and Clay envision Young Man as a collection of songs that should be played all the way through, like reading a book. "We had the most amazing time recording this album. We laughed nonstop," Clay says. "When I listen to this album top to bottom, I'm really proud of what we did. I hope that this album transports people because it's like a time capsule. It takes us right back to that studio and to that couple of weeks. It felt like we were doing what we were meant to do." ABOUT JAMESTOWN REVIVAL: Jamestown Revival deliver skillful songwriting, flawless harmony, and intricate fingerpicking on their newest album, Young Man. The project is their first without electric guitars and their first to be recorded in a studio. Jonathan Clay and Zach Chance forged a musical bond as teenagers growing up in Magnolia, Texas. They draw musical inspiration from groups like Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and The Doobie Brothers, as well as songwriters such as Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt. With themes like coming of age and settling into an identity, Young Man is envisioned as a collection of songs that should be played all the way through. Sonically, the album evokes the experience of musicians huddled together, singing and playing without headphones or click tracks. Chance and Clay are joined on the Young Man sessions by producer Robert Ellis and the band's longtime rhythm section of bassist Nick Bearden and drummer Ed Benrock. We want to hear from you! Please email Tera@BringinitBackwards.com. www.BringinitBackwards.com #podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #JamestownRevival #zoom Listen & Subscribe to BiB Follow our podcast on Instagram and Twitter! Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bringin-it-backwards--4972373/support. https://bringinitbackwards.com/

Dec 23, 2021 • 30min
Interview with HARLOE
We had the pleasure of interviewing HARLOE over Zoom video! HARLOE's new single "Overthinking" ft. Nile Rodgers is primed for the dancefloor or a roller rink, with slick '70s basslines and buttery synths. In the song, HARLOE laments the confusing feeling of not knowing where the other person stands, and the emotional unraveling that happens as a result. The song itself came together during a serendipitous session with fellow Roc Nation producer Fred Ball (Jessie Reyez, RAYE, Little Mix) at the iconic Abbey Road Studios in London, where Nile Rodgers was also recording. HARLOE turned the volume all the way up on "Overthinking," hoping to get Rodgers' attention and sure enough, he walked in. What transpired after was Rodgers' addition of a singular funk guitar line and a suggestion to not overthink the lyrics. The chorus was simplified to "Overthinking, over you," and you'd be hard pressed not to catch yourself crooning along. Unlike many collaborations that are meticulously calculated based on streaming numbers or a desire to chase the charts, "Overthinking" came together from HARLOE's own persistence, and the result is nothing short of disco magic. "Overthinking" comes after the release of HARLOE's collaboration with Chicago rapper Mick Jenkins on "PWR RNGR." Layered with punchy bass lines and sensual electronics, "PWR RNGR" showcases how dauntless HARLOE can be when it comes to her artistry. Teaming up with Jeff Shum (Camila Cabello, Ella Mai, Demi Lovato) and Keith Askey (Earthgang, Syd), "PWR RNGR" instills a sense of confidence through bold instrumentals and empowering lyricism. Self-produced and co-written with Jesse Saint John (Charli XCX, Lizzo, Kim Petras), her previous single "Liquid Truth" is a promise to always be honest with a partner. On top of a syncopated bass drum beat and HARLOE's muscular keytar solo, she drops the saucy lyrics, "I left my panties and my soles out on the floor at your place, and if I got you I don't need em." HARLOE has never been one to shy away from the spotlight. Growing up in Queens, HARLOE was heavily influenced by her first-generation immigrant parents' records, New York buskers, and the latest hip-hop CDs. Years later, she aspired to be a musician herself and took matters into her own hands by posting singing videos on YouTube. Now based in LA, the self-made recording artist continues to make waves one release at a time. For HARLOE, this new chapter of music and her forthcoming EP is about letting go of expectations and limitations and just having a good time. It's a reflection of the songwriting community she's built around her, and her commitment to being 100% herself - a keytar slinging party-starting boss bitch. We want to hear from you! Please email Tera@BringinitBackwards.com. www.BringinitBackwards.com #podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #Harloe #zoom Listen & Subscribe to BiB Follow our podcast on Instagram and Twitter! Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bringin-it-backwards--4972373/support. https://bringinitbackwards.com/

Dec 22, 2021 • 38min
Interview with Logan Lynn
We had the pleasure of interviewing Logan Lynn over Zoom video! Logan Lynn is a songwriter, producer, filmmaker, television personality and activist who Billboard writes "has made a career out of crafting catchy, disorderly songs that almost all include big beats, fun melodies and cheeky lyrics". He has been producing and releasing music for the past two decades, and has albums and singles on Caroline Records, EMI Records, The Dandy Warhols' Beat The World Records, Greyday Records, Mohr Media, Banana Stand Records, his own label imprint Logan Lynn Music, and now (finally!), Kill Rock Stars. In 2018 Alternative Rockers Portugal. The Man partnered with Logan Lynn on infusing advocacy into their summer tour, engaging the crowds around music and mental health at each sold-out show. The following year it was announced that Lynn had officially joined the Portugal. The Man team in the role of PTM Foundation Director to help build the band's charitable foundation, which he launched in partnership with Portugal. The Man in 2019. Lynn also joined forces with tech company Top Level Design in 2019 to bring the .gay platform to market alongside George Takei, GLAAD, CenterLink, PFLAG National, Adam Lambert, Roxane Gay and other queer luminaries. That same year, he collaborated with Belgian Producer and Glitch Pop Godfather Styrofoam for Name Your Trouble, which appeared on the series finale of Emmy Award-winning series, EastSiders TV on Netflix — one of five Logan Lynn songs featured on the EastSiders Soundtrack. Lynn released his first live EP titled Unpeeled in 2020, on Portland's Banana Stand Records. He announced that he had been working on a new album with Producer Gino Mari during quarantine, and a new single titled "Rich and Beautiful" was released in October 2020 alongside a cover of Liz Phair's "Fuck and Run". That same month, "The Library" — a new web series starring Lynn — premiered alongside the global launch of the .gay platform. Logan signed with Kill Rock Stars in 2021, released a collaboration with fellow KRS artist Bitch as part of the label's 30th Anniversary singles club, and was named one of the OUT100 in the Performers of the Year category by Out Magazine. His 10th studio album, and first full-length release for the label, is titled "New Money" and comes out January 21st, 2022 on vinyl, CD, digital, and streaming. We want to hear from you! Please email Tera@BringinitBackwards.com. www.BringinitBackwards.com #podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #LoganLynn #zoom Listen & Subscribe to BiB Follow our podcast on Instagram and Twitter! Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bringin-it-backwards--4972373/support. https://bringinitbackwards.com/


