ReetoxA
ReeToxA Written during the isolation of COVID lockdowns, Reetoxa’s ambitious double album Soliloquy explores obsession, reflection, and artistic endurance through cinematic songwriting, deeply personal storytelling, and an uncompromising creative vision. 1. The creation of Soliloquy sounds deeply personal and intense, especially considering it was written and compiled during the isolation of COVID lockdowns. How did that period shape the emotional direction and overall vision of the album? it started off innocently enough but soon I was going mad trying to write the greatest Australian album of all time. 2. Jason, you mentioned revisiting your entire life’s work while writing this record, even pushing yourself to dangerous limits physically and mentally. Looking back now, what did the process teach you about yourself as both an artist and a person? It taught me how to finish songs straight away, quickly and thoroughly. It made me realise not many people would be able to do this, that I was truely an artist. 3. The album features an incredible lineup of musicians, including Kit Riley, Peter Marin, James Ryan, Jessica McPherson-Riley, Terry Hart, and even a Budapest orchestra on several tracks. How did these collaborations help bring the cinematic scope of Soliloquy to life? Although I had amazing musicians we were on a budget and tight time frame. Their professionalism was unparalleled and they blew me away with what they achieved. I’ll be eternity grateful to them. 4. The name “Soliloquy” itself comes from Shakespearean inspiration and the idea of expressing inner thoughts openly. Do you feel this double album is the truest representation yet of your inner voice and personal experiences? I keep finding left over songs from the soliloquy sessions on my phone and there is a diary full of the original 1997 version of soliloquy. Maybe one day I will create a box set but I think financially and mentally the soliloquy of 26 tracks is the best I could do. 5. In an era dominated by playlists and short attention spans, Soliloquy is described as an album meant to be experienced from beginning to end like a journey. Was it important for you to create something immersive and timeless rather than chasing modern music trends? It amazes me how people have taken soliloquy on as music lovers. I asked my socials for the second single idea and got 12 responses. In reality people may just add one or two songs To A playlist but naively I hope they listen to the whole album. I believe it’s worth it. 6. After such a long and challenging journey—from the project’s beginnings in 1997 to finally releasing this ambitious double album—what do you hope listeners will feel or discover when they sit down with headphones and fully experience Soliloquy? To my great astonishment people relive their lives listening to the album not my experiences. Seeing people’s interpretations blows my mind. reetoxa Official: TikTok, Instagram | Linktree
Social Treble
Social Treble Blending cyber-prog ambition with immersive audiovisual storytelling, Social Treble crafts a dystopian world where cinematic sound design, personal experience, and technological paranoia collide in the haunting experience of Crowded Silence. 1. Crowded Silence feels more like a cinematic deconstruction than a traditional song. What inspired you to build the project as a precise 224.57- second “decommissioning sequence” instead of following a conventional album or single format? See. All the songs, that I have released as Social Treble, will be a part of an album which will be released eventually. But the main objective of Social Treble is not just releasing music but to give viewers immersive in-depth audio-visual experiences that are based on real-life experiences. The channel will eventually have audio and video essays too. So, as of now, I am just releasing music with conceptual videos to establish the channel’s identity. 2. The world of the Analog Ghost and the SOMA Network is incredibly detailed and unsettling. How much of this dystopian narrative reflects your thoughts on today’s surveillance culture, algorithmic labor, and digital identity? To be honest, the concept of the video is completely based on a personal experience which was reimagined in a futuristic world to create impact and also to make people aware of what really goes on behind the scenes in the corporate world and society in general, albeit in a reimagined way. I have lived the concepts myself in my life. What viewers/listeners need to understand is that whatever concept is conveyed through the music or videos or audio/video essays on the Social Treble channel actually comes from a Big Tech insider’s perspective. Yes, I am the insider who has been through every concept that you see on the channel and will continue to see. And that is why I can never disclose who I really am and what I actually do in real life. 3. You describe the protagonist’s rebellion not as destruction, but as “reading the system more carefully than the system reads him.” Why was it important for you to frame resistance through intelligence and interpretation rather than violence? I feel that rebellion, in the traditional sense of violence and destruction, is almost always not the right path to get what you want or need when you face a dire situation. Rebellion almost always leads to utter destruction which is not good for anyone. On a personal level, I have always stayed within the system to either change the system or escape from it if things went south. And how did I do it? By simply knowing every line of every policy and law there is. And believe me or not, every policy, every compliance document and every law have multiple loopholes. History has told us that these loopholes have always been exploited by bad actors for dire purposes. But what about the good actors? Why can’t they actually read through and understand everything to save themselves from exploitation? The message implied by the visuals, story and audio of “Crowded Silence” is: “Do your due diligence. Read and understand everything when it comes to papers or contracts that you sign. Because you never know when this knowledge will come in handy and you will need to use this knowledge to defend yourself.” 4. The binaural 3D audio approach plays a central role in the experience of Crowded Silence. How did spatial sound design help you translate the feeling of walking unseen through a hyper-monitored city? See. The binaural 3D audio is designed to create a very immersive experience and actually defines and syncs with the structure of the instrumental itself. It is essential to convey the emotions through the sound. The way I see it, spatial audio is absolutely necessary for this project because I can’t convey the feelings and emotions, and create the intended audio-visual experience otherwise. The music that I create of Social Treble is never meant for passive listening. So, this type of a sound design is an absolute necessity. 5. Musically, the project blends progressive rock, industrial textures, cinematic electronics, and ambient post-rock. How did artists like Nine Inch Nails, Steven Wilson, Vangelis, and God Is An Astronaut influence the emotional architecture of the record? I have always been drawn to music that makes people think. And music from artists like Steven Wilson/Porcupine Tree, Nine Inch Nails (along with the cinematic works of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross), Vangelis, God Is an Astronaut, etc, is something that I am naturally drawn to. But to understand why I am drawn to such artists, you will need to understand how all of this came to be. When it comes to inspirations for making music myself, I have always been inclined towards Progressive Rock/Metal, Psychedelic Rock, IDM, Cinematic Soundtracks and Industrial Rock/Metal, and you will see all these influences in the music of Social Treble. My go-to artists for my own creativity would be Steven Wilson for compositional style and overall sound, Mikael Akerfeldt for his guitar playing, Nick Drake for instrumental tuning, Trent Reznor for industrial grit in music, Ray Manzarek for keyboard and piano playing, and Gustavo Santaolalla for cinematic scoring and sound design. But if I had to name the deepest roots, there are three albums that changed my whole worldview and my life in the process, at very different stages. Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of The Moon” was the first Western album I discovered, at the age of 9. Nick Drake’s “Pink Moon” found me when I was a young adult studying in university. And Steven Wilson and Mikael Akerfeldt’s “Storm Corrosion” arrived when I had started my career as a professional. 6. Social Treble operates entirely independently, with you handling composition, production, mixing, mastering, and visuals alone. What are the creative freedoms — and challenges — of building such an immersive cyber- prog universe completely by yourself? The creative freedom is absolute and there are no challenges at all. And that is because doing everything by myself is an absolute necessity to
JUICE THA BLACK BEETHOVEN
JUICE THA BLACK BEETHOVEN Blending Blues, Gospel, classical sophistication, and powerful storytelling, JUICE THA BLACK BEETHOVEN reflects on his rich musical upbringing, creative evolution, and the inspiration behind his vibrant new single “BIG BOY DRAWERS.” 1. You come from a strong musical lineage and a background deeply rooted in Gospel, Blues, and R&B. How did growing up in that environment shape your identity as JUICE THA BLACK BEETHOVEN?This is a great question, but I must interject that both of my parents, Inez and Julius Sr., profoundly laid a rich treasure trove of other genres before me, including Classical Piano, Opera, Jazz, Afro-Cuban/Latin Jazz, Classical Guitar, and Church Music, including traditional hymns and sacred choral music. Just as an example, my Father loved opera, and he also loved the Blues. My mother loved classical piano music and Classical Spanish Guitar music, as well as Latin/Brazilian jazz artists like Sergio Mendes & Brasil ’66. So, on any given day in my house, you might hear excerpts from Act I of Puccini’s Tosca or La Bohème, followed by several songs by B.B. King or Bobby “Blue” Bland. Follow that with Arthur Rubinstein playing the Chopin Nocturnes or Franz Liszt’s Piano Concerto in E-flat, then some Andrés Segovia, finally concluding with the latest album by Sergio Mendes & Brasil ’66. Add church every Sunday from the time I was born until I graduated from college, and that’s my complete musical lineage. I hope that wasn’t too drawn out, but I needed to establish that my musical roots were definitely and firmly planted by my parents. To specifically answer your question, all of these genres prepared me to become JUICE THA BLACK BEETHOVEN. However, I didn’t know it back then, but I know it now. The reason that I fully embrace my musical upbringing today is because I want the world to know that when they hear a song by JUICE THA BLACK BEETHOVEN, they won’t know exactly what to expect. But what they WILL get is a well-written, musically satisfying song that tells a story and makes them cry, holler, scream, shout, laugh, think, or perhaps experience some combination of all those emotions. 2. With formal classical training and a career that spans multiple genres, how do you balance technical precision with the raw emotional feel that defines Blues music?I hope this doesn’t sound too “cut and dry,” but the short answer is this: I am a musical perfectionist. I absolutely demand my very best work at all times in every aspect of my creative body of work, lyrics, song structure, arrangements, musicianship, production, PERIOD! The other part of this answer lies in the fact that I am also a musical historian. As a former music teacher, I taught music history as a vital part of my teaching career. My personal philosophy about music, music performance, creativity, and artistry is that you must truly know the genre you’re presenting, and you must RESPECT that genre. So, technical precision, both musically and lyrically, MUST be fused together with the raw honesty of Blues music. And for me, it’s equally important that I tell a story. 3. Your songwriting gained major recognition when Gloria Gaynor recorded “STRIVE.” How did that moment influence your confidence and direction as a composer and artist?Oooh, this is an absolutely “delicious” question…LOL. Ms. Gaynor recorded my song “STRIVE” around 1983, and it was included on her CBS album I AM GLORIA GAYNOR. This was incredibly empowering and a tremendous confidence booster, as well as real validation as a songwriter, because I had been seriously writing songs and submitting them to record companies, music publishers, and producers since 1979, only to receive rejection after rejection after REJECTION! But during that entire period, I kept writing, kept studying songwriting, kept reading books about the music industry, and continued getting better and better at my craft. So, when I got the call from her manager, Linwood Simon, who managed Ms. Gaynor at that time, he expressed tremendous optimism about the song and believed it had the potential to become a monster hit. Well, it didn’t become a monster hit, but it WAS released as a single, it reached #84 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the Summer of 1984, AND it was played on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand. It was a wonderful experience, but it also taught me a great deal about both the music industry and life itself. But I kept on writing songs… JuiceThaBlackBeethoven · Big Boy Drawers (2) 4. Your latest single, “BIG BOY DRAWERS,” leans into humor and storytelling. What inspired the narrative behind the song, and how important is storytelling in your approach to Blues? The truth is, you never EVER know where or when the creative inspiration for a song will come from, nor exactly what inspires it. I actually started writing “BIG BOY DRAWERS” while waiting to board a plane at LAX Airport last November. I had just attended a music conference and left inspired to continue honing my craft. Also, I have always been somewhat of a “frustrated closet comedian” who never got his chance to be on stage, so I naturally try to inject humor, along with great storytelling, into my songs. Ultimately, I just want to be totally unique so that, once again, when you hear a song written by JUICE THA BLACK BEETHOVEN, you know you’re going to hear something different and memorable. I have always believed that songs, and especially song lyrics, should tell a story, hopefully one that listeners can personally relate to. 5. The track blends honky-tonk piano, Gospel harmonies, and a soulful groove. Can you walk us through your creative process when building such a rich and dynamic sound?Yet ANOTHER GREAT QUESTION, and thank you for this one, too! I firmly believe that every songwriter, whether it’s the late great Prince, Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Billy Joel, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Willie Nelson, Smokey Robinson, or JUICE THA BLACK BEETHOVEN, has his or her own unique creative process. For
Jeff Dwyer
Jeff Dwyer Veteran vocalist Jeff Dwyer reflects on love, gratitude, and life experience through his heartfelt rendition of Wind Beneath My Wings, blending timeless crooner elegance with intimate emotional storytelling. 1. Your rendition of “Wind Beneath My Wings” carries a very intimate and restrained emotional tone. What drew you to this song, and how did you approach making it your own?My wife of many years who always gave more to myself and my children always placing her career on hold. I wanted to convey an intimate conversation as if I was talking directly to my wife. 2. You’re often compared to classic crooners like Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett. How have these artists influenced your vocal style, and how do you balance honoring that tradition while expressing your own identity?Sinatra could make the song’s words his own which I try to do. Bennett had a first rate jazz persona and range that I try to emulate. Aside from the standards, I have tried to branch out in other genres such as songs by Laura Nyro and African American Gospel Music. 3. This stage of your career brings a voice shaped by life experience. How has your personal journey influenced the way you interpret lyrics today compared to earlier in your life?That’s easy. When I was young all I cared about was belting out the music. The songs words were not that important to me. Now the words shape the performance. 4. The arrangement of your version is subtle and jazz-leaning, allowing your voice to remain central. Can you tell us about the creative decisions behind the musical direction of this recording? As I mentioned above, I wanted this song to be an intimate conversation admitting that I never appreciated the sacrifices out of love my wife freely gave. To sit and ponder WOW this is what she did for me. 5. You’ve built a strong connection with a wide audience, including a significant following on social media. What does it mean to you to see your music resonate across different generations?It’s a honor and these songs that I perform have such meaning and guidance in how to live one’s life that is over in a twinkling of an eye. 6. Alongside the single, you released a performance video. How important is the visual element in conveying the emotion of a song like “Wind Beneath My Wings,” and what did you want viewers to feel when watching it?It was difficult to visualize this song without overpowering it. Did not want an overblown production but rather a man in the autumn of his life realizing and appreciating a unique gift that was given to him and trying in a small way to return that love. Home – Jeff Dwyer Sings
The Music Of Sound
The Music Of Sound Blending dream pop atmospheres with classical influences and multicultural perspectives, The Music Of Sound discuss their creative evolution, the meaning behind “Paradigm,” and the chemistry shaping their distinctive sound. 1. Your band brings together different generations and backgrounds—how does this unique dynamic influence your creative process and the chemistry behind your sound?NEIL: That’s a really interesting question. For me as the principal writer, I think it does make a significant difference. Firstly, I have consciously changed the sound and style of my songwriting to suit Sherin’s very pure, dreamy voice and Elena’s amazing flute playing with her trademark slow vibrato and clever use of dynamics. Also, because Sherin and I are involved in activities outside the band that are also focused on new music (like Fresh on the Net, Trust The Doc etc.), it is inevitable that we are going to respond to what is happening in music now but then also mix that with influences from the past which, in my case, means a very wide spectrum of music and epochs. By contrast, Sherin being so young and having grown up in such a different culture means almost all of it is new to her but then she can bring South Indian influences that are new to Elena and I. Elena and I are both from classical backgrounds too. All these things feed into our work. SHERIN: I think our differences actually make things feel more real and exciting. We all come from such different places, so everyone hears music in their own way. For me, I mostly go by feeling how the song connects emotionally and how I can bring that out through my voice. I think we just really listen to each other. There’s a lot of respect, and no one is trying to force a sound. It all comes together quite naturally, and that’s what makes it work. ELENA: Each of us having our own unique style and background is something that I believe sets us apart from other groups. Rather than just having the exact same stylistic features, we’re able to combine our influences to create our distinctive sound. Often at our gigs, me and Sherin are complimented on how my flute and her voice blend together but to be completely honest that cohesion is something that we haven’t really worked on. Our chemistry and tonal harmony is just a natural sound that we both create. 2. Sherin, your journey from South India to London is incredibly powerful—how has that personal experience shaped your voice, lyrics, and artistic identity?SHERIN: Growing up in South India, the way I listened to music was very different to now. I was mostly surrounded by Tamil and Indian music, so I naturally connected more to melody and emotion rather than analysing songs deeply. I didn’t really think about genres. I just listened to what felt good. Moving to London changed that a lot. I got exposed to so many different styles and sounds that I hadn’t really explored before. It made me more open and curious as a listener, and that’s definitely shaped how I sing now. I pay more attention now to how my voice fits into the song, instead of just singing along with it. Since I’m not the one writing the songs, my role is more about feeling and interpreting what Neil creates. I try to bring my own touch through my voice; keeping that emotional connection I’ve always had, but now with a wider range of influences behind it. 3. Neil, having founded the project years before the current lineup, how has the band’s evolution into an electro dream pop act changed your vision as a composer?NEIL: Well, the band started because I had been invited to perform as a solo artist on the BBC Introducing Stage at Latitude in 2017 and I wanted to do it as a band. At the time, I was composing contemporary classical music that used a lot of pre-recorded sound, not for sound effects like other people, but to create actual harmony from everyday sounds if I could derive a pitch from them so that the sounds of my environment became musical instruments playing alongside conventional ones. The original band was called Neil March & The Music Of Sound, a reference to that use of sound but also a pun on ‘The Sound Of Music’. We had flute, piano, cello, synth and electronics (i.e. the pre-recorded environmental sounds) and I conducted the band as a quintet playing the music because there were a lot of complex changes of time signature, tempo and rhythm which I needed to direct. Max Reinhardt, on Late Junction on BBC Radio 3, talked about how my music blended ‘avant-garde tendencies with pop sensibilities’. I loved that and had it as a quote on the website for a long time. Over the past couple of years, the sound has changed beyond recognition though. Even before Sherin joined the band, we had begun to move away from being so classical and more towards a Dream Pop and Synthwave influence and Florie had started singing as well as playing piano. Elena had already joined us by that time so she was also having an impact on what I could write for the flute. Then, when Florie left after having her second child and Sherin stepped in, it represented the perfect moment to take another step away from the old sound and towards a more pop-influenced style. Athough we are heavily influenced by Cocteau Twins, it isn’t obvious to others because there are no guitars. We take inspiration from a huge variety of sources that even we can’t always pinpoint but which may also include Beach House, Chromatics, Donna Summer, Julee Cruise, Keane, maybe a little of Khruangbin, Chvrches, Sun’s Signature, lots of flavours, even a bit of Abba about our harmonies! I definitely feel what we are doing now is more exciting to be part of than anything we have done previously. 4.
Teodora
Teodora This interview explores Teodora’s deeply emotional new single “The End Is Where It Started”, a cinematic reflection on loss, afterlife, and transformation, blending vulnerability, sound experimentation, and personal healing through music. 1. “The End Is Where It Started” explores the idea of life continuing beyond the body—what inspired you to approach such a profound and existential theme from this perspective? I’ve always felt drawn to the “unexplainable”. The fact that no one can really confirm or deny what happens after this life has ended makes it really easy to believe in what you want to believe. 6 years ago I lost my boyfriend, who really was the love of my life, and ever since I’ve been exploring what afterlife means to me. In this song I am the one experiencing the afterlife – therefore it is my soul that is singing, not me. 2. You describe the song as a voice that exists after physical death. How did you translate that concept emotionally and vocally in your performance?I really tried to deliver the vocals the way they sounded in my head as I was writing the song. Each lyric has its own emotion and delivery. The breathy vocals throughout the song, but especially in the beginning, represent the lack of strength, lack of breath, fear of the unknown and confusion, but in a weirdly calm way. I imagine going through that transition would be unlike anything you’ve ever experienced, so the hardest part of writing this song was staying on theme while trying to find something I’ve never experienced in myself. At first, I wanted to keep the whole song in that dreamy state where everywhere around you there’s chaos but you only feel that weird calmness. After some thought I decided to give it a human touch as well – which is why we also have lyrics like “This is not where I wanna be” and “My mind is blurry I’m trying to just keep running and running” sang in a more disturbed voice. 3. The track blends minimalism with cinematic intensity—what was your vision for the sound, and how did you shape the atmosphere in the studio? I love contradiction – especially in songwriting. I wanted to have these soft, breathy vocals singing “I am screaming loud, but you can’t hear” while there’s this bright guitar in the background. I am very lucky to have my best friend, Nemanja, as my producer. That always makes everything so much easier. He understands me, he understands what I want to do and he’s always down to explore new sounds and ways to do something. He thought of putting marching drums while I sing about running towards the light which just brought the songs to life (ironically). After that, we knew the last chorus has to be pure chaos and that’s what it is – musically, vocally and visually. The last part of the song is acceptance, but also it is just a quiet moment between me and my boyfriend. 4. The music video moves through stages like anger, stillness, and acceptance. How important was it for you to visually represent these emotional transitions? It was very important, but very hard to manage. In the video there’s the human connection to death represented as well as the divine. At first you don’t expect it to be as emotional as it is. When you see that human anger right next to the divine calmness, stillness and even happiness it just changes your perspective. It is all happening at once – and that is what makes it hit. Like – yes, it’s extremely painful going through the loss of a loved one, but I imagine that on the other side they are just having the best experience, no pain, no suffering, just that beautiful stillness I keep talking about. As I mentioned, it was hard to manage which scene contains which emotion and atmosphere without losing track of the main storyline. Luckily I have amazing, talented and capable friends that I absolutely couldn’t have done this without. Being an independent artist – the best thing you can have is supportive friends and family who will treat your projects like their own and I feel extremely lucky to have that. 5. Your work often carries a strong sense of vulnerability and philosophical depth. How does this release reflect your evolution as an artist?This theme is 100% something I wouldn’t have had the courage to explore in my songwriting a few years ago. I have always and will always be really open and honest in my music. The first thing I do when I have a realization of any kind or an emotion that feels over consuming at the moment is write a song about it. Sometimes it comes out as just the opposite – I would write an empowering song while feeling super insecure. This song kinda happened by accident. I started playing around with some samples and I really liked what I made. When I started mumbling something to it, my mind just turned off and I actually was the soul beyond the body saying things like “I can hear you when you’re calling, but my voice is going nowhere”. Needless to say, I was very happy that I unlocked this new chapter where I am able to say something without the fear of what it will bring. 6. With this single marking a new era for you, what can listeners expect next from Teodora in terms of sound and storytelling?This is the hardest question for me to answer. I am really big on being yourself in your art – always. We are always changing and evolving so it is hard to predict how you will grow sometimes. As far as the sound goes, I can say with certainty that there will be something for everyone. I grew up listening to all kinds of different music genres and all of them have impacted me in a way – so you can find
James White & The Wild Fire
James White & The Wild Fire James White & The Wild Fire return with an emotionally charged interview exploring heartbreak, recovery, and creative evolution behind their new EP, revealing how personal struggle shaped their most powerful work yet. 1. “Bonfire” was written in under thirty minutes after a sudden breakup—how did that raw immediacy shape both the songwriting and the final recording?Initially, it was one of the most natural songwriting flows I have ever had. The formation of the blueprint of the song came from a place of rage that stemmed from an immense sense of betrayal and hurt. My whole world had been ripped out from under me. The lyrics just came and with it the general flow of how the lyrics would sit. Considering most of our songs are fast paced bluegrass style songs, the guitar for Bonfire is just three chords, so the basis of the whole song was just immediately there. In the studio, and I can’t say how much of a dream it is to work with Tim Bond at Bookmatch Recording Studio, we laid down the basics. From there it was a case of pulling in each member of the band one by one to expand on the harmonies that Joe, Lee and Brooke nailed, Mike’s violin really took it to another level, and then trying to get the two guitar solos right! Everyone really played their part. 2. After nearly three years away, what drove the decision to return now, and how did that hiatus influence the sound and perspective of this new chapter?I genuinely never expected we would be gone so long… but times change. Some of us had got married, extended their families, changed jobs, moved house. All his grown up stuff that doesn’t impede so much when we were a bit younger! And there are no hard feelings there, but naturally it gets harder to get back to where we were when we started out back when we played our first show in 2020 and then the run we went on between 2021 and 2023. One of the biggest issues though was in the last couple of years we were playing I was nursing an injury that never resolved following breaking my wrist back in September 2021, I really felt I needed that sorted to be able to play without pain and without my wrist dislocating – especially when you are playing 160 beats per minute bluegrass influenced songs. So eventually I got that re-broken, pinned and sorted in September 2025, it genuinely took four years! But to make matters worse, around Summer 2023 I started getting odd symptoms… it turns out I have an autoimmune condition called psoriatic arthritis. I have spent the last two years trying to get that sorted and no treatment has worked as of yet, and at this point who knows if I can ever play guitar the way I did even as recently as December last year! With the EP being done, and with no end in sight for my autoimmune condition being adequately treated, I just made the decision to pull the trigger and get it out there. I just hope it is well received when it comes out. Whilst typing this our EP is currently sitting at Number 3 in the Amazon Country Album Chart in the UK behind Kacey Musgraves who released her album on Friday, and Number 7 in the Rock one, so it looks like it was a good decision to release the EP in the near future. And by the way, I love Kacey Musgraves. Slow Burn was one of my anthems a few years back! Going to your second point, the sound on the EP is a natural progression from where we left off in October 2023, Bonfire is the anomaly with it being more Americana Rock, but the rest are much more Psychedelic Newgrass, so for those who may well be a bit baffled at Bonfire can hopefully rest easy. I guess people will find that out when we release our second single off the EP on the 29th May, that one is my favourite off the EP and is called The Ballad of Jimmy Blanco. Funnily enough the EP track listing almost goes from newest to oldest in terms of when it was written. Bonfire was the oldest and that is the ending track! I wrote the tracks over a tumultuous couple of years and most of the tracks reflect that dark place I was in, although The Ballad of Jimmy Blanco is maybe a bit more up-lifting and is a “pick yourself up, James” song that I penned. Almost a “what would you say to a mate who is in your position” kind of thing. So I wouldn’t say the hiatus itself influenced the sound, more my own personal struggles. What elevated the EP to the next level was Mike Furse-Phillips joining on violin and Joe Bailey bringing his marching rhythm guitar and incredible harmonies. We were working on this EP secretly as early as 2023!3. The upcoming EP How To Replace Anxiety With A Broken Heart explores emotional upheaval—was there a conscious narrative arc you wanted listeners to follow from start to finish?Great question! So the intro track is a psychedelic, almost Fallout radio-style news reading that covers the topics of the EP, but the other four are full-blooded songs that drive the narrative and theme, but not chronologically. It is all about suffering, trying to pull yourself up from a pit of despair, the raw emotions you feel from being in such a bad place and the influence of being around the wrong people and the bad decisions you… well, I made along the way. It was why we picked Lysander Hayes by Sideline to be on the track, it just fitted so well. Our biggest thanks to the wonderful Milan Miller and Beth Husband for giving us permission to cover that! There is a whole other story around that I
MCGOKU305 SAN
MCGOKU305 SAN MCGOKU305 SAN shares the story behind “Baby Just Sit Down (And Relax),” a bold, self-produced pop track blending personal experience, emotional release, and vibrant dance-pop energy into an uplifting, independent statement. 1. Can you introduce your single “Baby Just Sit Down (And Relax)” and explain what it’s about? This song is about the relationship i was in with a rude girl who used to be a uber driver that went viral for pointing a gun at the customer she is my ex but she was not the type to chill she was just repugnant and Rude with a Nasty attitude. I made this song based on My Ex Jennifer she thought she was right about everything and she would not listen to me. All I would say to her is baby just sit down and relax And pay her no Mind i am a loving person, and i dumped her. 2. How would you describe the sound and style of this release, and what influenced your genre choices? The sound of this song is dance pop and hyperpop, along with dance pop and electropop music it is a fun pop song for all people. 3. What inspired you to create this track, and how did the idea first come to you? The idea came to me after I chanted Mantras and did my Sadhanas to Matangi and Saraswati in Vedic Hinduism they gave me this brainstorm of a song idea from making me have a Memory of something and turn it into a beautiful song and i am self-influenced to perform music because i used to do Japanese pop music (J-pop) a few years ago and i just wanted to return to my roots in pop music. 4. You mentioned the song is partly based on your personal life—what can you share about that inspiration behind it? I want the everybody who hears this song to enjoy and be inspired to make their own original music like me I am both a pop and rock and EDM singer. 5. What do you want listeners to feel or experience when they hear this song? I want the listeners to feel happy and get in pure direct joy when they hear me sing my song. 6. What makes “Baby Just Sit Down (And Relax)” stand out as an original release in your view? This song stands out as a original because i wrote it and produced it and composed it and mixed and mastered it and recorded it and copyrighted it myself I made it all by myself That is why it stands out from other Pop Songs. mcgoku305san Official: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook | Linktree
Be My Wife
Be My Wife Paris-based artist Be My Wife unveils a bold goth-pop vision, blending DIY spirit, cinematic storytelling, and raw emotion, as this interview explores creativity, identity, and an unconventional artistic journey deeply. 1. Be My Wife feels like a “Big Bang” moment in your creative journey—what shifted in 2023 that made this project finally take shape? Well, it all actually started towards the end of 2022 when I began working with a spiritual guide. I met with her because I was feeling clogged creatively and I needed some energy moved around. After some deep work together, she helped me realize that I could no longer expect opportunities to come to me… Instead, I needed to create these opportunities myself and embrace the uncomfortable. A few months later I met with the artist, Will Benedict, to discuss possible commercial collaborations. During our meeting he mentioned he was working on an absurd musical theatre performance to be set at the Bourse de Commerce in Paris. Without hesitation, I asked him if I could audition to be in it. I landed one of the main parts and in September 2023 we held two showings of his play, Pandemonium. I would say the moment I stepped into that spotlight; in front of a packed house; was the catalyst for Be My Wife. It felt correct. It felt cathartic. And above all, it was the most fun I had had in a really long time. Weeks later, I bought a synth and started writing the songs that became The Restless Pursuit To Deliver A Feeling. 2. Your work blends goth, pop, and DIY counterculture with cinematic storytelling—how do you balance these influences without losing cohesion? I believe these are all quite compatible with one another… except the pop approach and that’s what fascinates me. I’ve always been a fan of all things counterculture. The more obscure, the better. But I also appreciate a good earworm and am intrigued by what it takes to have a song pierce through the zeitgeist. Artists like Gary Numan and Depeche Mode did this before me so I can’t claim ownership of this mix of styles, but I do hope to give it my own twist. 3. Releasing two EPs as eight standalone singles with videos is ambitious—what inspired this non-traditional rollout? I’m generally quite strict with myself. I am also not coming from the music industry, so I felt the urge to tackle this project however felt right. I don’t have a label or a manager giving me their input or guidelines of what it takes to “make it’ these days. I also feel that any notion of a “proper approach” went out the window with the arrival of streaming services and influencer culture. So I took my own approach and decided to give each track its moment. The visual component was imperative and will continue to be a major part of Be My Wife. I come from a visual art background so sound and visuals will forever go hand in hand in everything I create. 4. Humor and heartbreak coexist in your music—how important is this duality to expressing your identity and queerness? Well, I’m a Gemini. And duality is something I’ve lived with and explored my entire life. I love the idea of being able to feel things deeply, but then also turn around and laugh about them. We live in a paradoxical world and Be My Wife aims to reflect some of these contradicitons. This duality is also how I’ve always approached my sexuality. I came up before queerness was excepted by the masses. I’m not saying things are easy for young queer kids today, but we’ve come a long way from how we had to deal with these matters in the 90s. So I learned how to embrace these opposing notions of how I wanted to behave and how I was expected to behave. Presumed notions of right and wrong… This dichotomy has always excited me. 5. Each track explores a distinct sonic and visual world—how do you approach collaboration with different directors and artists? I’m very privileged to have an impressive network of creatives that surrounds me. I work as a Creative / Image Director for Fashion campaigns and my job consists of overseeing the full development and creative production of these campaigns. For Be My Wife, I wanted to lose this controlling grasp and leave room for the reinterpretation of my songs by artists I respect. In all cases, I’ve shared the tracks / lyrics with the directors and let them come back to me with a concept. Of course, it’s a collaboration and open conversation, but I like exploring someone else’s visual interpretation of my songs. Often times, how others live the song helps shape the meaning of the song. 6. With a European and UK tour planned for 2026, how do you envision translating Be My Wife’s visual universe into a live experience? I’ve done a few live shows already where I explored layering different instruments over the existing tracks. As a one-man show, I felt the urge to play instruments over all the tracks.. almost as if I needed to prove that I could actually play live. That need to prove myself has slowly tapered off and I also noticed I wasn’t letting myself get transported by the tracks properly, so these upcoming lives will be much more performative and much less “musical”. I really just want to sing and make you feels things. I’m also hoping to make you dance. Please, if you come to my shows this summer, leave your phone in your bags / pockets and lose yourself while dancing with your eyes closed. That’s all I ask… HOME – BE MY WIFE
Tabitha Zu
Tabitha Zu Revisiting raw 90s energy, Tabitha Zu reflects on chaos, creativity, and rediscovery as “On Reality” resurfaces digitally, inviting new listeners into a timeless, unfiltered world of sound and self-expression today. 1. “On Reality” captures such a raw and immediate energy—how do you feel listening back to the track now, over 30 years after its original release?It’s been great actually — a bit of a trip. It all came about because people suddenly started messaging me asking if and when the tracks would be available digitally. I hadn’t really considered it before.It’s strange — the songs still feel incredibly fresh. I’m really enjoying diving back in and finally giving the material a chance to be seen and heard by many people for the first time. 2. The early ’90s UK alternative scene was incredibly vibrant and chaotic. How did that environment shape Tabitha Zu’s sound and identity at the time?Life in the band was pretty chaotic, to be honest. We were constantly out playing live — it was a blur of transit vans, soundchecks, and sleeping on floors and sofas. Lots of ridiculousness, and plenty of ups and downs.The sound came from that — it’s completely unselfconscious. We were just doing our thing. It felt like a travelling circus, with music at its heart. 3. Your live shows were known for their intensity, with over 150 performances in a single year—how important was the stage in defining the band compared to the studio?The studio barely got a look in. We only properly recorded two singles and their B-sides — the album never happened.There are a lot of live recordings out there though, which probably capture us more honestly. It’s something we might finally rectify. 4. Sharing stages with acts like Nirvana, Public Enemy, and Suede must have been unforgettable—are there any particular memories from that period that still stand out? So many. Playing Reading Festival in 1992 really stands out. We were on stage completely soaked and covered in mud — it had rained all night. My tent even got washed away with me in it.The stage actually had to close after we played because it was sinking into the mud. But afterwards, walking around and seeing people wearing our T-shirts — we’d sold out straight after the set — was such a buzz.The Strollercoaster tour was also legendary. Over 30 back-to-back shows with five bands, all sponsored by Tennents Beer — each band got a crate every night. It was messy and fun in equal measure. 5. The song balances fragility with noise in a really striking way. Was that contrast something you consciously aimed for, or did it come naturally through your songwriting and performances?From my perspective, there was nothing conscious about it at all. I’ve always been quite instinctive — probably even more so back then.I had a real love of reverb, delay, and chorus pedals, and I never wanted to tone anything down. The same went for how I looked. I wasn’t trying to be confrontational — it just felt right in my bones. 6. With “On Reality” finally reaching digital platforms, what do you hope a new generation of listeners takes away from the track—and from Tabitha Zu as a whole?I hope it sends the message that it’s okay to express yourself in your own way — that there’s freedom in being your genuine self.There are so many ways now to compare ourselves and feel like we’re not enough. I’d say don’t let fear of failure or rejection stop you from making the music or art you want to make. Lean into the unknown.Time is a strange thing — but music and art, once they’re out in the world, can be timeless. You never know what might connect, or when. https://www.instagram.com/missmaplebee/