Author: Blondie and the Beat

Music Journalist I write about all things MUSIC! Q&A's with artists, album/single reviews, band spotlights, and more!
Music, New music

Who You Need: Elohim

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Elohim.jpg
Image via elohimxelohim.com

WHO: Elohim

WHERE: Iowa

GENRE: Electronic/Alternative

TOP SONGS: “Sleepy Eyes” and “Love Is Alive”

Elohim by definition is “a name for God used frequently in the Hebrew bible”. Does this make Elohim a God? A lyricist God? A music God?

The singer/songwriter/producer split her album in half and decided to release them separately. The first part, BRAINDEAD was released this May in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month. Elohim exposed her battle with anxiety and how she copes on these seven songs. She describes the album as “a journey into the depths of my mind. The things I do to cope, medicate, and escape. My fears and my dreams while living in a distant reality.”

All money made from BRAINDEAD in the month of May will go towards various charities that support mental health.

Every song on this half album feels like another diary entry from Elohim’s journal. She’s incredibly honest with her internal feelings and struggles. “Pills” details her dependency on medication to help her live and make it through the day. With a somewhat sad undertone she lightly sings, “Take pills for the shakes, For the aches, for the chill of it, I take pills for my health, for myself, so I can live with it.” The song swiftly dives into a hypnotic interlude titled “meditation medication” giving listeners a peek into the voice inside someone’s head.

“running” and “tv” follow in her EDM footsteps. Both have electronic drops while choppy curated vocals hug every sound. “tv” details Elohim’s need for the television to help her cope with her mental state; something so many people can relate to. If you’re a fan of Elohim, you’ve heard her on the hypnotic “Love Is Alive” by Louis the Child or even the gorgeous “Sleepy Eyes” by newcomer, Whethan.

Elohim’s sweet voice offsets the harsh beats and sounds in a way we haven’t heard before in electronic/pop/alternative music. Not to mention, her message is honest and so important for people everywhere.

 

 

Learn more about me!

-Abbey 🙂

Music, New blog post

Q&A With Hayden Scott!

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Hayden Scott“Chapped lips and your timid heart” are the poetic lyrics on Hayden Scott’s 2018 release, “Summer Heat“. A song that popped up on one of my Discover playlists, which I immediately added to my library and continued to play on repeat for the rest of the day. There’s something unique about Scott’s voice; it’s deep yet gentle in such a unique way. He hugs the line between talking and singing as he tells stories you can’t help but feel passionate about.

His latest single, “White Sedan” feels like an extension of “Heat” in a way. The singer explained the new song on his Instagram, saying, “I had this deep desire to create something that could serve as a time capsule for my friends and I before we leave this town to claim our places in this world.”

I caught up with Hayden to discuss his plans for this year and musical inspirations:

At what age did you start working on music? How old are you now?

“I’m 21 now, and if my memory serves me correctly I started really writing in seventh grade. I was always a drawer, doodling all over my notebooks and schoolwork. I fell in love with words and painting pictures in that way, a few well thought-out words can spur loads of imagery in your mind. It wasn’t until high school that I really found my way into some form of production. I mostly just plinked around until I found my way around the programs.”

Do you have any fun hobbies?

“I like to drink wine and watch trashy British television with my friends, and when I’m not at school or working on career-related activities I’m either playing Bejeweled or thinking about how inconceivably small our galaxy is in comparison to the actual vastness of the universe.”

The lyrics on “Summer Heat” are so poetic. How did the writing process go for that song?

“In the full-scope narrative of the EP (coming this summer) Summer Heat sort of delves into more flippant and vapid feelings I experienced in finding my more grown-up self. It’s all very hit or miss, those first six months on your own. There’s a lot of ups and down in navigating emergent parts of life, and I think I found a way to speak eloquently about a truly awkward phase in my life. Puberty 2.0.”

Who has musically inspired you the most?

“Sonically speaking, Bon Iver and Peter Gabriel. Lyrically, Peter Gabriel, Solange, David Bowie, and Lorde.”

“White Sedan” feels euphoric. What inspired that track?

“It’s really just an ode to my friends and the city of Florence (Alabama). I wanted to immortalize us all in our current states, and now, my friends and I, we can all look back and hear this song and think of all our years here.”

Any plans for an EP or full-length album?

“DREAMDOGS EP, Summer 2019!!!! I think an album will follow soon after. The EP is virtually done at this point, so I’ve been trying to let myself write for freely and create new projects with less structure. A lot of my creative attention has been hyper focused on the EP and really fine- tuning everything there, so I’m moving into other songs now that feel linear with what’s on the EP.”

 

 

Learn more about me!

-Abbey 🙂

Music, New blog post, New music

Friday Favorites!

by Blondie and the BeatLeave a Comment on Friday Favorites!

Zane Lowe is my favorite interviewer. He allows artists to fully answer questions and he makes the whole interview feel more like a friendly conversation about the art of music and its impact on the artists themselves and the fans. If you don’t understand Billie Eilish, this interview might help:

 

News broke that Camila Cabello is going to star in the latest version of Cinderella! This will mark her acting debut, and the singer will have a big hand in the making of the soundtrack as well. The idea for this new adaptation came from late night host, James Corden.

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Image via billboard.com

 

Troye Sivan’s written homage to Ariana Grande as one of Time’s 100 most influential people is ADORABLE. Sivan is a true friend of the pop singer and this short beautiful dedication shows the world why Ariana is so impactful in music and our society.

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Image via wmagazine.com

 

Ahead of Earth Day on Monday, Lil Dicky released a fun and inspirational video as an ode to our Earth, featuring artists like Ariana Grande, Halsey, John Legend, Sia, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, Ed Sheeran, and so many more! Each artist plays a different animal in what feels like a short animated film. I don’t know what possessed Lil Dicky to make this but it’s pretty funny and cool. Check it out below:

 

In the wake of Beyonce’s film Homecoming on Netflix, the iconic singer released merch to go along with her visuals from her 2018 historic Coachella performance. Some new pieces include cropped hoodies, t-shirts, long sleeves, and more…AND new broke that Lemonade is hitting all streaming platforms Tuesday, April 23. FINALLY!!!!!!

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Image via thewrap.com

 

Lizzo’s new album, Cuz I Love You. THAT’S IT.

 

 

More info about me!

-Abbey