Category: New music

Music, New blog post, New music

Q&A With Cautious Clay!

by Blondie and the BeatLeave a Comment on Q&A With Cautious Clay!

Over the past year we’ve seen this Ohio native gain traction in the music scene. Complex said, “There’s something special about him, and he keeps revealing new layers to his creativity that continue to pull us in.” He even earned a guest appearance on John Mayer’s Instagram livestream show called Current Mood. Cautious Clay‘s latest release is a 6-track EP titled Table of Context.

Context feels honest and stays aligned with his other discography. Vocal harmonies and soulful melodies line each song like pouring honey in hot tea. “Settler’s Paradise” feels the most R&B while “Honest Enough” sounds like the standout song off the EP (in my opinion). The desk on the cover of the EP is the actual desk Cautious has written all of his music, it literally serves as his table of context.

Check out my short and sweet Q&A below:

“Honest Enough” feels raw and real. What inspired this track?

“My past relationships, or my last long term relationship inspired it. It felt like, in many ways, I was trying to keep it together without it necessarily being what was the best for both of us at the time. I’m almost telling myself that I was trying to be honest enough when in fact it wasn’t that way. I was trying to make excuses for something that wasn’t really working.”

How has your life changed in the past year due to the uphill success of your music? 

“Occasionally getting recognized!”

What inspired you to include so many background vocals and harmonies in your music?

“I just love harmony and I think it’s really interesting sounding. I guess it’s my background in jazz and instrumental music.”

What does the rest of 2019 look like for you? 
“A lot of interesting touring, music videos and some cool collaborations.”
To learn more about Cautious Clay, click here!
Learn more about me!
-Abbey
Music, New blog post, New music

Who You Need: Gia Woods

by Blondie and the Beat2 Comments on Who You Need: Gia Woods

WHO: Gia Woods

WHERE: Los Angeles, CA

GENRE: Pop

TOP SONGS: “Heart Won’t Forget” and “Only a Girl”

Gia Woods is making her own rules, as we hear on her track “Jump The Fence.” She sings with a raspy sweetness, “I’ma jump the fence, won’t second guess, cause the way ya got me feelin’s, got me feeling dangerous.” Her sultry attitude draws you in at the start of every song. Her latest single, “New Girlfriend” features a light/groovier beat, read more below to find out the inspiration behind it!

What do you want people to feel while listening to “Jump the Fence”?  

“I want people to trust their own intuition more. I think a lot of times people get in their own way by always needing outside reassurance or acceptance. This is about overcoming that and doing whatever it is that makes you the most happy!”

What can fans expect from your debut EP? 

“I’m really focused on releasing tons of new music. So lots of singles and eventually an album or EP. But definitely new music every month! So you’ll have to stay tuned to find out!”

What’s your opinion on LGBTQ representation in music? 

“I like the fact that it is becoming way more widely accepted than any other time, and that so many talented artists have been brave enough to be open and vulnerable through their art. But I also just hope that people don’t treat sexuality as a new fad.”

Who are some of your current musical influences? 

“I’m always listening to different genres. But especially been listening to a lot of 80s and 90s music!”

Explain new single, “New Girlfriend” and how that song came to be? 

“This was an outside song that I had heard through my A&R. I fell in love with the topline as soon as I heard it, and I knew exactly how to make it my own so I booked a day with the writers and we tweaked the lyrics. Then I spent some time referencing production ideas with the producer and it all came together super naturally. It was an honor to work with people I truly respect! This is one of my favorite records that I was lucky enough to make mine.”

Learn more about Gia Woods, here!

 

Learn more about me!

-Abbey

Music, New blog post, New music

On Repeat: “Girl” by Maren Morris

by Blondie and the Beat1 Comment on On Repeat: “Girl” by Maren Morris

“Man, this shit’s unflatterin'” are the opening lyrics of Maren Morris’ most powerful single to date. “GIRL” is an ode to women everywhere with a simple message “love each other and love yourself.”

The fact that Morris even opened with the word “unflattering” is a statement in itself. Women everywhere feel that word on a personal level, and maybe even feel like it weighs them down at times. Maren discussed “GIRL” and how it started out with a different vision when she first wrote it, saying, “The inspiration really came from a tift I was having with a friend of mine who’s also in the music industry, and is a woman, and we’re actually very similar…I started this song as almost like a plea to this other woman, like, “Can we please just get our shit together and be cool?” And then, like an hour into the write…I had this realization that, no, I’m not writing this to her, I’m writing this to me, and that sucked realizing that because it was honestly me looking in the mirror and being like, ‘No, this is all your shit. It’s not hers. It’s your insecurity, your bullshit, your complexes.'”

Morris does a spectacular job at switching between an inner monologue and what’s actually on the outside. Straying from a twangy cliche country song, “GIRL” features a poignant electric guitar that plays repetitively throughout the song leaving its mark on you even after it’s over.

I firmly believe everything in Morris’ career has led to this moment. A moment where genres are blown down by the powerful message that this song carries and the way it can so easily resonate with any woman who hears it. Beautiful is an understatement.

Thank you, Maren