Tag: q&a

Music, New blog post

Q&A With Hayden Scott!

by Blondie and the BeatLeave a Comment on Q&A With Hayden Scott!

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, Music News, New blog post

Q&A with Sam Mazza!

by Blondie and the Beat1 Comment on Q&A with Sam Mazza!

(Image via facebook.com/rebelheartspodcast/)

As an avid Paramore fan who follows various fan accounts, shares/retweets videos and art by fans, it finally came to my attention that Sam Mazza exists and she might be my new best friend. Being a HUGE Paramore fan and also a HUGE music lover, Sam decided to start a podcast called “Rebel Hearts” where she focuses on women in music. MY CUP OF TEA!

Sam describes this podcast saying, “I have taken on sexism, issues in the LGBTQA+ community, and pretty much everything in between, while also playing music by bands that are either lesser known, underground, or just really good. I wanted to create something I didn’t see yet, something that made people feel included while also educating the best I could, and showing off some great music I hope will maybe help someone discover their new favorite band.”

I reached out to Sam asking her about the inspiration behind this podcast, her love for music (and Paramore), and more!

First of all, tell me about how your love for music began and what inspired you to focus on women in music?

“I was involved in a project in early 2017 centered around feminism. As the project went on, I realized I knew nothing while my business partner steered the ship and I felt lost and frustrated. It lasted a few months, after that I decided to take what I learned from that project and apply it to something I loved and was confident about. I saw the movie “The Runaways” and went out and bought the book it was based on which was singer Cherie Currie’s memoir “Neon Angel” and just fell in love with the idea of women who weren’t afraid to be aggressive and go against what people thought women could do. I then saw the Kathleen Hanna documentary “The Punk Singer” on Netflix that really opened up a lot for me and the podcast was solidified after that.”

How your podcast began (inspirations, necessary steps, etc.)

“Well the name came from a line in the script for the movie “(500) Days of Summer” where director Marc Webb wrote “pretty girls with Rebel Hearts are in high demand” which I was getting tattooed a few years ago but didn’t have enough money and the guy who was going to do it made fun of it and was not respectful about doing it what so ever… lol. I liked doing it [the podcast] which is something I didn’t realize I would, and I just kind of figured it out as I went along. Women in this industry inspire me everyday and it makes me so proud to be a woman when I see bands like Bully, Punch (R.I.P.) or Gouge Away just up there with these killer aggressive vocals and taking names.”

The rise of the self-love movement and how you feel the music scene has impacted that

“Well first of all: can’t relate. Second, I think with certain albums and songs coming out about mental health, it’s opened up a conversation for people to either talk about their issues or seek help and in turn has helped them love themselves or at least like themselves a little bit more. Being honest with your audience helps them feel included and part of it, and I think that’s all anyone wants to feel.”

Your love of Paramore, why and how?

“Paramore was a band that fell into my lap while I was still devoted to Panic! At the Disco and at the time, other than Avril Lavigne, I personally didn’t see a girl up there on a stage just killing it. I know we’ve had plenty to look up to, but I was growing up in the early 2000’s and I was pretty sheltered from a lot of things, so seeing Hayley head banging and playing music in a band was kind of like how some people probably felt when they saw The Runaways or Blondie or No Doubt. I just felt ‘here is someone close to my age doing something I didn’t think girls could do. How do I get their entire discography?’

That was in 2006, I’m 25 now and I don’t think my love for them has lessened, but I definitely just see them more as people I can talk to or be friends with and I think that’s a new kind of love I have for them now. I used to love them in a way where they were people I would never meet or get to know and it felt empty, now after years of shows and meeting them, I feel less empty and the love feels real. That’s probably why they’ve been able to stay relevant for so long, and to me I respect the hell out of it.”

What’s your goal for the next 5 years for you, your podcast, music, etc.

“I have so many unrealistic goals that keep ending up being just over fictionalize anxiety dreams that all I want in the next 5 years is to still be doing something I enjoy and continue to educate myself and help others be exposed to wonderful things such as bands they’ve never heard of or information that might be helpful for them.”

Check out the official Rebel Hearts store to buy cool merch, here!

Music, New blog post, New music, New Music Friday

Q&A with Alice Gray

by Blondie and the BeatLeave a Comment on Q&A with Alice Gray

Alice Gray is one to watch. With one single under her belt and a striking new collab titled “Front Row” just released, 2018 is her year to shine. I spoke with the pop singer about her inspirations, come-up to music, and plans for the rest of the year.

alice gray
image via facebook.com/imalicegray

“Front Row” is such a romantic fun song. How did this collab come about? And do you hope to do more EDM/Pop tracks like this in the future?

“I met VALNTN only this past fall when my friend and mixing engineer, Andi Inadomi, asked me to join their session. We had a fun time and wrote a great song so we continued writing together. Val and 5ALVO had produced the instrumental for ‘Front Row’ almost a year ago and had many song writers take a crack at top line, but nothing stuck so he asked me to try my hand at it. I brought in my trustee songwriting collaborator Stephen Conley who co-wrote ‘Pink Cadillac’ to add his magic and the three of us wrote and cut vocals for ‘Front Row’ over the course of one session. It was my first experience recording ‘gang vocals,’ – hysterical.”

Who are you currently listening to a lot? And why? 

“I have a fascination with Francis and the Lights. I saw his video for “Friends” when he released his album Farewell, Starlite! and I was immediately drawn to his uninhibited dance moves and mysterious demeanor. He’s even better onstage! 

I will forever love my dream pop ladies Lana and Lorde. My new favorite is SZA – she has no filter and writes in a non-formulaic way that is very inspiring to me. It’s easy to get caught up writing a formulaic pop song.”

Has music always been your passion? 

“It has. I sang ‘Part of Your World’ from the Little Mermaid constantly as a child. My mom gave me a tape recorder that I’d carry around- singing into it, playing it back, and listening with pure joy. I had a little trio band in elementary school called the GAP Girls (acronym of all our last names and we all wore GAP sweatshirts A LOT) I’d write songs and choreograph these strange little dances to go with them that we’d perform for our teachers on the school lawn at recess.

However, I became very shy in middle school and stopped singing. I’d wait until I knew for sure no one was around to sing. I’d write these angsty little love songs on pads of paper all around the house. I was the go-to playlist girl- I’d spend hours on Limewire downloading bootleg music and burning CD’s for my friends. When I got my first MacBook in High school I started making songs on garage band, but I wouldn’t show anyone. Instead I pursued my other, more introverted love; drawing and painting. It wasn’t until I was about to graduate with a degree in fine arts that I needed to get over my fear and took a songwriting class. That class changed my life.”

Tell me about “Pink Cadillac” and where the inspiration came from

“‘Pink Cadillac’ is a complicated song to explain. I walked into my first session with Stephen Conley and told him I wanted to write a song inspired by Angelyne, the infamous woman that drives around Hollywood in her pink corvette. I’d seen her around my neighborhood a lot so I looked her up and watched a little documentary on her. I found her to be both fascinating and fearless, but also sad and I wanted to use this really unique imagery in a song. We came up with a scenario that reflected what I was going through at the time, but colored it in Angelyne’s world. I ended up having a meeting with Angelyne to discuss her making an appearance in the music video. She loves ‘Pink Cadillac’ and agreed to be in it, but as an independent artist I didn’t have the funds to create the music video I envision for that song. I plan to change that very soon.”

What’re your plans for 2018? Is there an EP or full length album on the way? And if so, how is the process coming along? 

“2018 is going to be a big one. I’ve got a bunch of songs lined up, brand collaborations, in pre-production for a music video and starting to play a lot of shows. I have more than 5 songs lined up, enough to make an album, but we are going to give them each their own day in the sun and release them month by month as singles. When I create my first album, I want to go about it very purposefully and craft songs that are meant to be released together as a single piece of art.”