'THE DICHOTOMY' / DAVID KUSHNER: REVIEW

August 30, 2024

by alyssa plotts

David Kushner's The Dichotomy marks his debut record, following the viral success of his track "Daylight," which has already achieved 2x RIAA platinum certification. Released through his label Miserable Music Group in partnership with Virgin Records, Kushner’s album introduces listeners to his deep, baritone voice and reflective songwriting. A native of Chicago, Kushner spent most of 2023 touring, including UK dates with Lewis Capaldi.

On the first listen, Kushner’s rich baritone is what stands out, but it’s his introspective lyrics that define this album. The Dichotomy is aptly named, as it explores contrasting human emotions. Kushner invites listeners into his self-reflection, looking at how our choices and relationships shape our experiences and can sometimes leave us feeling alone.

One standout track, "Humankind," spotlights the challenges within human connections. “I put my faith in a sinner's town, land of the free, chained to the ground, when I look for kindness now, humankind just lets me down,” reveals a sense of disappointment caused by others, exposing the pain of misplaced trust and the struggle to find a genuine connection.

Kushner’s vulnerability continues in "Skin and Bones," where he expresses the feeling of the uncertainty that can come with love. "I just need to see if your love's the truth or the spirit of deceit," he sings, echoing the recurring theme of doubt and emotional risk that weaves throughout the album.

The final track, "Daylight," is a fitting conclusion to The Dichotomy. Already a fan favorite on TikTok, it solidifies the album’s exploration of dualities — balancing love and hate, darkness and light. It’s an end to the record that leaves its listeners to reflect on their own emotions and experiences.

David Kushner's debut is a thoughtful introduction to his music and vocals, with emotional depth. The Dichotomy is a journey of self-discovery and vulnerability, making it an album worth experiencing from start to finish.

GRĀ: INTERVIEW

August 29, 2024

by kaylee pickens

If you’re looking for a new artist to obsess over, we’ve got just the one for you! With the release of new music on the horizon, this rising artist is diving into headfirst into his music. GRĀ, a 24-year-old singer-songwriter from a small town outside of San Antonio, TX, is raw and authentic in tracks like, “weather report,” “a funeral” and “Sold My Car.” Unclear had the pleasure to sit down with the newcomer to talk about the birth of his music, what new music will look like, and so much more. Like what you see? Be sure to give GRĀ a follow on Instagram (@musicbygra) for updates on new music! And don’t forget to stream GRĀ wherever you stream music.

What did the birth of your music look like?

GRĀ: “Manic and stressful, this music all came from a very difficult point of my life. I wasn’t planning on making music out of it at the moment, I had trapped myself in a cycle that I couldn’t seem to break. Around that time, I was leaving a lot behind in my life and felt like giving up writing music because it wasn’t fulfilling anymore. My wife, who was my girlfriend at the time, kept trying to inspire me to write myself. Don’t worry about it being music, just basically journal, so I did, and it helped me through all the panic. Over time I realized I did want to get back into making music and I already have these songs, so I got to work, and that’s what I’m releasing now, some songs I never thought I’d be sharing!”

How would you describe your music to someone who’s never heard it before?

GRĀ: “This is always such a hard question to answer for me because the blanket response is just pop, but it’s more than that, it has some subtle jazz inspiration, some brass and sax solos. With my latest release we have a string section, so I’m not sure. People always ask because it’s kind of a confusing sound. But jazzy-ish pop for now.”

What has been the biggest lesson in becoming a musician?

GRĀ: “That making music is just a quarter of what it means to be a musician. Being an independent artist I am my own PR, label, socials, street team, booking agent etc. Constantly having to learn and evolve to fit the needs of my next step!”

What’s been your favorite part of making music?

GRĀ: “It’s therapy, at least for this music I’ve been writing. These songs have helped me process so many different experiences I was having. Writing has always been a way for me to get things off my chest and out of my brain when I couldn’t in other ways. Also getting to collaborate with such amazing musicians like my brass, sax and string players! My wife Brooklyn is an amazing singer and has basically been a vocal coach for me as well as the backup vocalists on all the songs so far!”

How do you think you’ve grown as an artist in the last year?

GRĀ: “Well, last year I didn’t even have music out so quite a bit. I was still stressing about whether or not these songs are worth putting out there. Do I want to share these pieces of my life? Is this really the final mix I want? This past year has been the most growth I’ve ever experienced from my writing and recording process, trying to grasp all the other aspects it takes to be a solo independent artist. It’s also been the most fun I’ve had working on music.”

How would you describe your new music?

GRĀ: “My latest single is called ‘weekdays.’ It’s an emotional song. For me it’s just about realizing a year had passed in the blink of an eye since I said, ‘You know what? Maybe I will make music,’ and still hadn’t done anything. I was stagnating and trapped in a loop. The idea of the song is about what my younger self would think if he saw me giving up like this. He was so full of hope and dreams, I can’t let him down. It has some beautiful cinematic sounding strings that really take you to that place I was at.”

What music are you currently listening to?

GRĀ: “Well, it varies. I’ve been loving Charley Crockett’s new album $10 Cowboy, Childish Gambino’s new album and Sabrina Carpenter, but who isn’t listening to her right now? This is a topic I could talk about for hours. My number one hobby is just listening to albums constantly front to back. Some other notable albums I’ve been running up a lot lately is Idles’ latest, Twenty One Pilots’ latest (‘Midwest Indigo,’ specifically) and I consistently jam my 90’s hip-hop playlist!”

What does a typical day for you look like?

GRĀ: “Every morning, I wake up before the sun rises and get behind my recording set up. I’m just kidding, nothing special really. I wake up and spend the morning with my dog outside, try and relax and then about 3pm give or take, I randomly remember everything I was supposed to do that day and that I’m probably late for something and that’s my usual daily routine. Oh, and sometimes that stress of forgetting everything I should be doing triggers inspiration to write.”

What’s your favorite thing to do on your off days?

GRĀ: “Brooklyn and I are always on to some sort of adventure. Growing up in a small town that has nothing to do in it, you always gotta be creative at finding something to do or else you’ll go mad or get really old really fast. Right now, we have a summer bucket list we are knocking out!”

Anything new you’d like to share?

GRĀ: “My debut EP sold my car just dropped! I’m so excited to share more music, I’ve been working on so much lately!”

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GET READY FOR SEA.HEAR.NOW!

August 28, 2024

by julia finocchiaro

New Jersey’s annual beachside festival Sea.Hear.Now returns for its sixth installment on the Asbury Park boardwalk in just under three weeks, and with it will come performances by some incredible folk and rock performers, including The Gaslight Anthem, The Black Crowes, Trey Anastasio Band, The Revivalists, and more. Headliners include Noah Kahan and, of course, a three-hour-long set by New Jersey’s own Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, the group’s first appearance at the festival since its inaugural date in 2018.

When & Where

This year’s Sea.Hear.Now festival takes place the weekend of September 14 - 15th, with gates opening at noon and a 10:30 pm curfew each night. To get there, fans can utilize the New Jersey Transit Asbury Park station, which goes to New York City’s Penn Station via a transfer at Long Branch. However, this ride will take you around 2.5 hours, so we recommend finding accommodations closer to the festival rather than staying in the city. For fans who decide to stay nearby, the festival will have a dedicated rideshare area for drop offs/pickups from the festival.

Surfing? Art Galleries? Food?

Sea.Hear.Now isn’t just a music festival. This year (and for the past few years), the festival also hosts a professional surfing competition in the waters surrounding the festival grounds, making sure there’s always something to see in addition to just the music. One of the festival’s main producers is legendary rock photographer Danny Clinch, who has worked with Springsteen, Pearl Jam, and Foo Fighters, to name a few. His work will be displayed in the Transparent Clinch Gallery along with impromptu sets by some musicians. And of course we can’t forget about the food. With NYC to the north and Philly to the south, the festival promises delicious eats throughout the weekend.

Lineup

The full lineup and schedule for this year’s festival can be found on the Sea.Hear.Now website. This year’s lineup is packed with talent from household names to lots of smaller artists. Saturday’s highlights earlier in the day include Massachusetts rock band Guster and solo rock singer Grace Potter. On Sunday, make sure to catch high energy sets by The Aces and Larkin poe, as well as a soul-filled performance by folk and R&B singer Joy Oladokun.

Tickets & More

Tickets to this year’s festival are currently sold out, but fans can join the waitlist or view resale tickets on the Sea.Hear.Now website. Those coming with VIP tickets will get to enjoy front-of-stage viewing, VIP lounges, and express lanes for both entry and merchandise.

For anything we’ve missed, check out the festival’s comprehensive FAQ page here to get your questions answered.

We hope to see you in Asbury Park for this year’s festival!

DAYDREAMERS: INTERVIEW

August 17, 2024

by kendall nicole yakshe

New UK-based band daydreamers has a lot to say, and they’re just getting started — so listen up! A four-piece indie-rock power group, the band has already become wildly successful, gaining over 7 million Spotify streams on their single “Call Me Up,” which was only their second ever release. They have a multitude of big performances and festivals in the near future — Latitude, Reeding & Leeds, and a spot opening for Sea Girls on their European tour this fall. With more music rolling out very soon, daydreamers’ momentum is high, and they have every intent to keep it that way.

With the release of your new single “All I Ever Dream About,” you guys have done incredible in the music game with just three singles so far! Congratulations! Where did the four of you first meet, and what made you decide to start a band?

Riley: “Thanks! So we actually got together last year. I had written and produced a bunch of songs, such as ‘Call Me Up’ and ‘Beach House,’ and knew the guys through a mutual friend. Then as soon as we got into a room together and starting playing it just felt very right. Then we officially started the band in October!”

Can you tell us about “All I Ever Dream About” and how your musical process typically goes?

Riley: “I think the process is usually quite different each time when starting something — I’m always just on the look out for little ideas from everyday life, then I’ll tend to voice note a bunch of stuff. Then when I get to sit down with my laptop I build up tracks. Production and writing go hand in hand for me and you’re just searching for a little spark of inspiration, whether it’s a sound or a lyric or a chord progression. After I’ve arranged the song we then go track drums and record with the guys playing live, so it creates that authentic feeling of us all playing in a room together; which is what it’s all about.”

You guys are booked for music festivals such as Latitude and Reading & Leeds, as well as a spot opening for Sea Girls on a European tour this fall! Your career kickstarted with a massively successful live show in the UK. What was that like, and how are you feeling about your upcoming live performances?

Riley: “Absolutely mad! Playing live for us is everything for us, and the music lives on stage. I think when you go a bit of time without having an audience, when you get people connecting with what you do you just appreciate it so much. We just played Latitude festival, that one was so good. Me and Aurora ended up buying a couple tents and staying the weekend.”

Biggest musical influence for each one of you?

Riley: “For me the first one that comes to mind is Radiohead, all of their work is pretty inspiring for me.”

Marco: “So many, but the biggest were and are Pink Floyd, Michael Jackson, Toto, Journey guitarists as Michael Landau and Neal Schon.”

Aurora: “It kinda varies depending on the day and has changed along the years, but the most consistent ones would be ABBA, Michael Jackson, The Doors, Harry Styles, 5 Seconds of Summer.”

Jay: “Hard to narrow down to just one, but I’d say Dave Grohl. In particular Nirvana — Never mind, Foo Fighters — The Colour and the Shape and Queens of the Stone Age — Songs for the Deaf.”

What’s your guys’ dream venue to play in the future? It can be anywhere!

Riley: “Wembley Arena. It’s gotta be one of the big ones. Or headlining Glastonbury. Maybe I’ll throw Coachella in there also.”

What does your writing process look like as friends and as band members? How do you navigate friendship and business?

Riley: “Writing songs for me is a pretty personal thing usually. I’ve always struggled to write with other people for my own stuff — maybe it’s being a bit of a control freak. Not to say I won’t do it more in the future, but right now I tend to just get stuck into a Logic session and lose myself during the writing stage. Then get in with everybody later down the line to hone it. As far as friendship and business goes, we all work on a ‘best idea in the room’ basis, so I think when you separate your ego from your ideas everything works a lot better in general!”

Can you share anything about upcoming music releases?

Riley: “We’ve got a whole bunch of songs ready to release, our whole idea is to get as much music out as possible and never lose momentum. All of them we’re so excited about! Then hopefully we’ll be working towards the debut album…”

Each of you share your favorite thing about being in this band.

Riley: “Going through these experiences together is the thing I appreciate most. I think working in this industry has the potential to be pretty overwhelming, so having the guys to fall back on always reminds you not to take anything too seriously. Also festivals!”

Marco: “Spending time in general with the guys and playing beautiful music.”

Aurora: “I get to do what I love most in the world while going on adventures and creating memories with the best people.”

Jay: “My favorite thing is having the opportunity to play in front of bigger and bigger audiences and being able to share that experience as a band.”

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JESSIA: INTERVIEW

August 13, 2024

by martina rexrode

Canadian-born singer-songwriter JESSIA recently dropped her latest EP Okay With Every Part. After a short span of time filled with so much turmoil and change, she taps into those feelings with this project — a six song EP full of catchy, relatable lyrics and melodies. Along with the EP, JESSIA is also preparing to embark on her debut headline tour across Canada and into new places like New York! We talked to JESSIA about the EP, the upcoming tour, and where she found inspiration throughout the creative process.

Your EP was released last month! How are you feeling now that this project is out in the world?

JESSIA: “It feels so good to have Okay With Every Part out in the world! I love seeing all of the different videos people are creating with the songs. It’s so interesting to see how people are able to relate and find their own stories within the songs. It really builds up a sense of community!”

Does this release feel different than past releases in any way? How rewarding does it feel to put out an independent project?

JESSIA: “Yes, it definitely feels really different. I just have a small team working behind the scenes on this project, so every stream, billboard, or shoutout is because of the community we’ve built from the ground up.”

Can you tell our readers how you decided on the title Okay With Every Part?

JESSIA: “Last year was a really tough year for me. I was mad at myself for making what I perceived to be the ‘wrong decisions’ and for losing what I could have had. But, I look at my life now and I am SO happy with how things turned out. I feel so free! Now that I’m out of the storm, I’m able to look back and say that I really am ‘okay with every part.’ I would not be here or writing the music I am now had I not gone through all the craziness of the last year.”

Where did you find inspiration for this EP?

JESSIA: “This EP was inspired by my experience going from being signed to a record label to becoming an independent artist. I wanted to prove to both myself and other artists that you don’t need a label to be successful. That’s something that gave me a lot of fuel while creating this project. Stopping and giving up on my music career just wasn’t an option, so I wrote from the mindset that I would do whatever it took to get through that hard time in my life.”

Which song do you hope listeners latch onto most?

JESSIA: “‘Care About Me’ is a really special song to me, but it’s also a song about feeling a lot of pain and heartache… so, while it’s one of my favorites and I hope other people love it too, I’d also love for people to latch onto ‘Happy Without You.’ I feel like people have been sleeping on ‘Happy Without You’ — it’s the ultimate ‘I’m getting over you’ bop!”

You recently announced dates for your debut headline tour starting in October! What’s going through your mind as you think about this tour and performing your music for fans in places like New York and Toronto, maybe for the first time?

JESSIA: “I’ve played in Toronto a few times now and I feel like I’ve been able to cultivate such an incredible community of strong confident girlies there! It seriously feels like we’re all just friends now! I’ve never played in New York before so I’m really excited about that show! I’m stoked to cross that one off my bucket list!”

How have you grown as an artist within the last year? In what ways do you hope to grow through the rest of this year?

JESSIA: “I feel like I’ve grown a lot as an artist over the past year and I hope to just continue to grow. I feel like I have such a solid foundation now that I can experiment even more with my music and let myself be a little weirder!”

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