50mething
50mething This interview explores the music and message of 50mething, an independent artist who transforms powerful social and political events into songs, discussing inspiration, creative process, influences, and storytelling. 1. Your new release was inspired by the overturning of Roe v. Wade, a deeply emotional and political event. What made you decide to respond to this moment through music, and what message did you hope listeners would take from the song? I have covered social and political events in my music extensively. It seemed like the right thing to do from the very moment that first line came into my head. I suppose in writing the song, I was trying to show support and understanding to a demographic which has been constantly mistreated throughout history. The message would be why and how can this still be happening? It was released alongside SILENCE, a track dedicated to Sarah Everard who was murdered in the UK. Also, JUST BECAUSE, addressing the lack of education for women and girls in some parts of the world. 2. The opening line, “when I bleed, I know I’m safe,” is striking and powerful. Can you tell us about the writing process behind the lyrics and how you approached telling this story? From a male perspective it is difficult to mentally envisage all of the aspects of female sexual health. All the processes that occur or can happen. The first verse was written to encapsulate the relief of finding out there was no pregnancy. Whether the deed was or wasn’t consensual which is often the case. Following that, the possible failure of after the event medication and resounding advise from mother. The build up to the chorus uses the title of the track. An image of stone age man dragging a woman by the hair and then brought up to date with the emancipation era. Later in the song I touch on the feeling of loss and helplessness as clinics are closed down. As there is no where to go. Except backstreets. 3. You work as an independent artist and collaborate with professionals like Sefi Carmel and Daniela Rivera for mixing and mastering. How did these collaborations come about, and how did they help shape the final sound of the release? So starting out, I learnt from scratch, guitar work, keyboards, vocals, lyrics etc. To expect to add mixing and mastering at a proficient level was a tall order. After searching online I stumbled across the SOUNDBETTER platform which offers the services of professionals covering different aspects of music. At that stage the mix would have definitely needed a tidy up so the professional input has been invaluable. Now my mixes are a lot closer to the finished product. 4. You mentioned having a wide range of musical influences that blend into your own sound. Which artists or genres have most shaped your approach to songwriting and production? Prince and Stevie Wonder would be my standout influences. But classical, gypsy jazz, big band, swing to name but a few are in there too. The lyrics are very important. They have to make sense and have context. 5. Much of your music is recorded in your home studio with a DIY setup. What do you enjoy about the independence of recording at home, and how does that environment affect your creativity? All my music is recorded in a home set up. It’s good to have on tap and not have to go somewhere else. Sometimes I can leave recording for weeks and tracks often get left unfinished for some time to percolate. Waiting for that something! I don’t find sitting over the same song until its finished helps. Leave it and come back later. 6. Your music often focuses on storytelling and keeping important social issues in the public conversation. Looking back on your life experiences and artistic journey so far, what keeps you motivated to continue creating and speaking out through music? Current events are always around us. Even more so now. When something happens and it strikes a chord, I will almost certainly start a project. The devastation in Gaza, my fathers’ dementia diagnosis, death and loss. All things that could or will affect us at any time. When a news worthy situation emerges, people protest and riot and it can get out of hand. With music, it can soften the blow but still have weight. A track releasing soon about the death of George Floyd has a very light touch with almost a sense of resignation. If we could only learn to take a breath. Think before we react. Not shoot first and ask questions later. We would probably be nicer people. 50mething | political independent music
Night Wolf & Lois Powell
Night Wolf & Lois Powell Blending cinematic soundscapes with emotional storytelling, the latest collaboration between Lois and Night Wolf unfolds through their new single “Unstoppable,” a track exploring resilience, vulnerability, and the evolving chemistry behind their creative partnership. 1. “Unstoppable” is your third collaboration together. How has your creative chemistry evolved since your first project, and what feels different about this release?L.P: More confidence, I think stronger vocals in a way. I believe at this point Night Wolf has upgraded his studio quite a lot. We knew the drill a lot more. Friendly with his dog, cups of tea are given. Straight into the process this time. N.W: We have definitely been able to get to know how each works when creating music together. The first two songs we made I had wrote lyrics to and had already got ideas either half created or laid out already before Lois sang on them, this song was allowing Lois to fully open up on her own and find her own pattern to this song, we created this song from the ground up in an afternoon at my home studio and had the finished song the next day or so, it just flowed and was enjoyable to put together and build with. Lois was allowed more free reign on this project that some of the restrictions I had to place on her during the recording of my lyrics as It was an idea in my head I was trying to get out through Lois where as Unstoppable is truly me following Lois’s lead and creating the song around her vibe that day and lyrics. We have grown to know each other’s styles by this time and this will continue to improve as we work together in the future. 2. The track opens with a distorted acoustic guitar before unfolding into a cinematic trip-hop and alt-pop atmosphere. How did you shape that balance between grit and elegance in the production?L.P: My voice leans more towards elegance than grit I think, yet the subjects and emotions I talk about might be more gritty. NightWolf has this cool kind of style, I’m not sure how it was merged, but it works. N.W: I had heard this guitar riff through an idea Lois had sent me via voicenote, and instantly fell in love with an idea that came into my head when heard it so I already kind of had an idea of which direction I would want to take that alone, we then built the track together with each time we pushed further we would then mould around each other and progress the idea until we had a song structure, it just felt right to keep this a chilled vibe with a slightly darker undertone that is not going too far and has some light in tunnel. Lois’s voice works really well with this style of music and I enjoy creating it. 3. The lyrics feel resilient, but they’re filtered through what you’ve described as a “broken lens.” Lois, what inspired that emotional perspective, and how did you channel vulnerability without losing strength?L.P: This perspective was inspired by real life events. Feeling positive yet accepting broken truths. For channeling the music I was just saying what I feel, it feels good to express in song. I wouldn’t even describe this as vulnerable. This is so empowering compared to my other work. That I would find it most exposing/ vulnerable to share this thrilled side to myself. Since making the song I’ve definitely embraced this side of myself more and believe to have become more positive? 4. Night Wolf, your background in building story-driven soundscapes for major platforms like Netflix, Channel 4, Sky, MLB, and NFL gives the track a strong sync-ready feel. Did you approach “Unstoppable” with a visual narrative in mind from the beginning? N.W: I do not try and make music that will fit anything in particular, when creating music I do of course have in the back of mind that it could be used in something but do not allow that to dictate the creation process or genre, it really is all just about feeling , how the song is making me feel, the lyrics , how I felt before I even started making music all influence what I end up creating. Lois has a way of telling a story through her lyrics so I also of course took a lot of influence from the way it was feeling at the time we were recording. I do feel however that these songs we have worked on together would fit really well in some kind of James Bond film or such as the like. It certainly would be great to see our music together used in some visual projects that take the tracks to another level with visual story telling. We are also aiming to create our own music videos for each of our songs so keep your eyes peeled for that in the near future. If you would like to explore my back catalog and other collaborations then please vist my website – www.nightwolfuk.com 5. The arrangement grows patiently before delivering an almost pop-ballad lift at the end, with soaring strings and a vocal climax. Why was it important to save that emotional release for the closing moments?L.P: I suppose it could be an arrival to what’s been waiting at the beginning of the song. Spring. The climax being the simple message of how to carry yourself through all the seasons. The waiting and the enjoying! Just keep breathing. N.W: The song just naturally flowed this way whilst we were creating it together, each take we would push a little further to go louder , push harder , until we reached a climax and this came across on the recording, it just felt right to have that peak towards the end as the answer to the question that had been asked over and over before. It feels like a realisation moment, like
Antoin Gibson
Antoin Gibson Antoin Gibson discusses the creative vision behind Venom-laced Tears, exploring burnout, transformation, and dark-pop soundscapes while revealing how symbolism, science, and cinematic production shape a powerful new chapter. 1. Your new single Venom-laced Tears arrives after the raw vulnerability of Dead End. What inspired this shift from stripped-down emotional exposure to a more controlled and cinematic dark-pop sound? Dead End was written during the extreme end of burnout—it was a raw snapshot of an emotional experience that is completely unsustainable. When you hit that level of exhaustion, you either let it consume you, or you rebuild yourself. Venom-laced Tears represents the latter. It is the shift from being a passive victim of burnout to taking active, controlled ownership of your boundaries. The cinematic, dark-pop sound reflects that newfound control—it’s about taking tears that have outlived their emotional purpose and weaponizing them into something sharp. 2. The track explores the idea of collapse becoming a moment of recalibration rather than defeat. Can you tell us more about the emotional or personal experiences that influenced this theme? It comes down to recognizing when a coping mechanism has become toxic. I used my pharmacology background to explore this idea. In the track, I talk about ‘Shedding Skin Deep’ and how ‘Tear Drops of Venom Cleanse the Disease by Disintegrating you’. When the emotional release of crying no longer helps, those tears become toxic to your own system. Recalibration happens the moment you recognize that toxicity, treat it like venom, and use it to burn away the unstable state of being so you can actually heal. 3. Symbolism such as serpents, forbidden fruit, and ritualised transformation appears in the conceptual framing of the single. How do these images connect with the story you wanted to tell through Venom-laced Tears? Growing up in Belfast and attending a Catholic school, stories of the Garden of Eden and the serpent were hardwired into my brain as the ultimate symbols of temptation. But I also studied Pharmacology at Imperial College in London. I actually wrote a university paper on the evolutionary biology of snakes, looking at how shedding their skin and losing their limbs was a necessary evolutionary advantage, not a divine curse. In the track, the serpent represents painful but necessary biological evolution. You have to let a past version of yourself die—shed the ‘dead skin’ of your people-pleasing habits—just to survive. 4. Sonically, the song balances atmospheric production with restrained dynamics and your haunting vocal delivery. How did you approach the production process to create that tension between seduction and confrontation? The tension relies heavily on contrast. To capture that ‘serpentine’ feel, I actually weaponized something most pop producers try to hide: sibilance. I intentionally pushed the harsh ‘S’ and ‘Sh’ frequencies in the vocal mix so it physically hisses in your ear, mimicking a snake in your periphery. I also used spatial audio to make the synths slither from the left ear to the right, wrapping around the listener. Coming from a classical violin background, I love taking beautiful, organic sounds and mutating them with heavy distortion until they feel toxic. The seduction is in that organic familiarity, but the confrontation hits with the unrelenting sub-bass, designed to mimic the suffocating physical weight of burnout. 5. As the founder of Circum-Sŏnus, you often emphasize cinematic sound design and conceptual world-building. How does Venom-laced Tears fit into the larger artistic vision you are developing with this project? The label actually started as a joke. I scored on the extreme end of ‘outside-the-box’ thinking on a psychometric test, which was visually represented as a circle. I combined that with a pair of ‘Sonus’ speakers I owned, which coincidentally translates to ‘surrounding sound’ in Latin. That concept of ‘surrounding sound’ drives everything I do. When I write a track, I do it in one 10-15 minute sitting, seeing the entire finalized visual and atmospheric world simultaneously. I even use a specific producer tag—’Circum-Sŏnus Surrounds…’—which I sound-design for each track to act as an audio threshold, signaling to the listener that they are stepping out of reality and into this specific universe. 6. With this release marking another step in your evolving dark-pop aesthetic, what can listeners expect next from Antoin Gibson in terms of future music or conceptual projects? Venom-laced Tears is a crucial pivot point. It was intentionally released at the start of Spring to represent a cyclical rebirth. Right now, it exists as a bridge between the era of rebuilding myself from the ground up, and serving as the biting starting point for the massive plans I have mapped out for 2026. Listeners can expect the Circum-Sŏnus universe to keep expanding, with deeper narratives, heavier contrasts, and a lot more world-building. Antoin Gibson | Circum-Sonus Records
Chelle
Chelle Dublin’s rising pop voice Chelle blends Motown soul with sleek synth-pop energy. In this interview, she discusses her influences, early acclaim, new single “Ain’t Lovin’ You,” and the next chapter of her evolving sound. 1. You’re emerging from the vibrant music scene of Dublin with a sound that blends Motown soul and modern synth-pop. How did growing up there shape your musical identity? Dublin has this incredible, gritty authenticity that stays with you. Growing up here, you’re surrounded by storytelling—whether it’s a busker on Grafton Street or a session in a packed pub. I’ve always been drawn to the emotional honesty of Motown, but I love the neon, high-energy pulse of modern synth-pop. Dublin shaped me by teaching me that no matter how much “gloss” or synth you put on a track, the soul and the story have to be real. 2. Your debut single Kiss Me Again received strong praise and even an “Excellent” rating from Music Review World. What was your reaction to that early recognition? Honestly? I was floored. When Music Review World gave “Kiss Me Again” an “Excellent” rating, it felt like a massive exhale. I’m particularly proud that they highlighted the vocals. I try to stay “in the pocket”—keeping things laid back and polished, but never too perfect. I like leaving the vocal cracks in; those little moments of vulnerability are where the authenticity lives. 3. Critics have compared your vocal tone to a mix of Gwen Stefani and Debbie Harry of Blondie. How do you feel about those comparisons, and which artists have influenced your voice the most? Being mentioned in the same breath as Gwen Stefani and Debbie Harry is the ultimate compliment. They are the queens of blending “cool” with “power.”• Debbie Harry taught me about that effortless, chic delivery.• Gwen Stefani inspired me to embrace a bit of playfulness and edge.My own voice is a bit of a magpie—I’ve taken bits from the powerhouse soul singers of the 60s and mixed them with that 80s New Wave attitude. 4. Your new single Ain’t Lovin’ You is described as a defiant anthem of independence. What message did you want listeners to take away from this track? I wanted this track to be the song you scream-sing in the car after a breakup. It’s not a sad “lost love” song; it’s a celebration of reclamation. The message is simple: Your worth isn’t defined by who you’re with. It’s a defiant anthem for anyone who has finally decided to put themselves first. The response from the UK music press has been amazing, and seeing it resonate there has been such a highlight—it confirms that this message of independence is universal. 5. The club remix of Kiss Me Again by DJ Umut Baycu added a new dimension to the song. How important are remixes and collaborations in expanding your sound? Working with DJ Umut Baycu on the club remix of “Kiss Me Again” was a revelation. He is an incredible Turkish DJ with a huge following, and collaborating with him was such a seamless process. Collaborations are essential because they force you out of your comfort zone and introduce your voice to subcultures you might never have reached otherwise. I love how a remix can take a song from a personal headspace and turn it into a shared experience on a dance floor, all while keeping that slight reggae, chill vibe that feels so natural to me. 6. As you begin reaching audiences beyond Ireland, what are your goals for the next stage of your career, and what can fans expect from Chelle in the near future?Right now, the focus is entirely on the release of “Ain’t Lovin’ You.” I’m excited to see how it continues to grow as it reaches audiences beyond Ireland. I’ve actually just finished writing a new song called “Trouble”—it’s still in the early stages, and I haven’t even laid down my vocals yet, but the energy of the track is already so exciting. People can expect me to keep leaning into that pop-soul fusion and delivering music that feels honest, raw, and authentically me. https://www.instagram.com/chellekersh
L.O.U. & Big O
L.O.U. & Big O In this interview, L.O.U. & Big O discuss their new single “Rain Before Sunshine,” the powerful collaborations behind it, and the deeper themes shaping their upcoming 2026 album The Mystery of Mr. Y.N.M.A.S.. 1. “Rain Before Sunshine” brings together an incredible lineup—Frannie EL, Fashawn, Dray Taylor, Kria McKenzie, and Decksterror. How did this collaboration come about, and what was it like uniting all these voices on one track? I’ve already worked with Frannie El and Kria McKenzie in the past. I found Frannie El back in 2018 for a song that Big O and myself created called “Isolated”. We’ve been rocking with him ever since. First time rocking out with Kria is off of the “JOCAAM” album. I’ve worked with Decksterror also from P Rawbs “Time & Space album. We did the record “For The Gods”. It was definitely a pleasure working with Fashawn and Dray Taylor for the first time. Together we all created something magical and I have no problem working with any of them in the future. 2. This is the second single from your upcoming collaborative album The Mystery of Mr. Y.N.M.A.S.. How does “Rain Before Sunshine” represent the spirit or direction of the full project arriving in 2026? Every record in the album is based off of the lifestyle of this character. Childhood trauma to the things that you deal with as an adult. Every person that considers themselves a good person while experiencing the trials and tribulations throughout life will definitely find themselves in this character. 3. The title itself suggests contrast and hope. What message were you hoping to send about hardship and perseverance through this record? I think the title is pretty self-explanatory. In life, some kind of way there will you will always experience some rain before the sun comes out. It also depends on whatever transpired in your life that you choose to view as sunshine after you were hit by the rain. I’m not focused on what the world needs. 4. Feel-good hip-hop with substance can be rare in today’s landscape. Why do you think the world needs more music like this right now? I’m not concerned with the rest of the world, Only myself and this the type of music I enjoy making. I’m following my purpose in life and creating this kind of music for myself along with the people that like to listen to helps me fulfill that purpose. 5. The track speaks to the struggles that come with chasing purpose in life. How personal is this theme for you and the featured artists? I can’t speak on how personal this record is for the other artists other than what Fashawn and Dray Taylor said in their verses. What they displayed in their verses is possibly them expressing how personal the record is for them. As for myself it’s personal just like every other record on the album. Everything I speak is 100 percent truth and I put that in everything I put out. 6. With “Rain Before Sunshine” now available on Spotify and Bandcamp, what do you hope listeners take away after hearing it for the first time? The listeners enjoying the music itself is fine enough for me. Every listener will have their own interpretation on what they got from the music. https://www.instagram.com/loufromqueenz/ bigrodamous – Listen on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music – Linktree
SOLVIK
SOLVIK This interview explores SOLVIK’s atmospheric single “Between Tides,” diving into fleeting human connections, cinematic soundscapes, Nordic-inspired aesthetics, and the project’s unique focus on mood, anonymity, and emotional landscapes. 1. “Between Tides” captures a fleeting yet deeply intense connection between two people. What drew you to explore this fragile space between arrival and disappearance rather than telling a concrete story?“Between Tides” actually began with a very concrete moment. It was inspired by an encounter last fall – a connection that felt intense, almost suspended in time, and yet carried the quiet awareness that it might not last.But instead of telling that story directly, we chose to focus on the emotional state it created. The fragile awareness of presence and impermanence existing at the same time. For SOLVIK, the emotional climate is more important than the narrative detail. The personal experience becomes a starting point, but the song moves beyond it and opens into something more universal. 2. The production unfolds slowly, with restrained dynamics and a cinematic atmosphere. How did you approach translating that emotional “in-between” state into sound and arrangement?The process often begins visually for me. Before there is a melody or a lyric, there are images and colors. With “Between Tides” it was a muted palette – grey blue water, diffused light, wind moving across an open landscape. Those images created an emotional temperature.From there, a melodic fragment slowly emerged. The melody carries the color of the image, and only afterwards does language begin to form around it. The text is almost a response to the atmosphere rather than the starting point.In the production we tried to protect that initial visual feeling. The restrained dynamics, the spacious guitars, the minimal beats – all of it serves to preserve that sense of suspended movement. The arrangement unfolds slowly, like a landscape revealing itself in shifting light. 3. Nature imagery – tides, shifting light, wind – plays a central role in SOLVIK’s artistic identity. How does the Austro-Scandinavian sensibility influence the sonic and emotional landscape of this project?SOLVIK is rooted in an Austro-Scandinavian dialogue. There is a certain clarity and calmness in Nordic aesthetics that deeply resonates with the project. Space, light, seasons, and landscape are not decorative elements but emotional frameworks.The Scandinavian influence can be felt in the restraint, the transparency of the production, and the acceptance of melancholy as something quiet and dignified. At the same time, there is a Central European songwriting tradition underneath it – a sensitivity to melody and lyrical intimacy. The meeting of those two sensibilities shapes the project’s atmosphere. 4. SOLVIK focuses on presence rather than personality, even avoiding traditional artist imagery. What motivated this decision to step back from visibility and foreground atmosphere instead?In a time where visibility is often louder than substance, stepping back feels almost radical. SOLVIK is conceived as an artistic space rather than a persona. The focus is on mood, texture, and emotional landscapes, not on biography.By avoiding traditional artist imagery, the project becomes less about who is speaking and more about what is being felt. It invites listeners into an environment rather than presenting them with a figure to follow. The anonymity creates room for immersion. 5. You collaborate with different vocalists while maintaining a clear artistic authorship. How do you preserve continuity across releases while allowing each collaborator to bring something unique?The continuity lies in the framework. The harmonic language, the pacing, the production aesthetic – these elements form the core of SOLVIK. Within that framework, different voices can inhabit the space.Each vocalist brings a different shade of emotion, a different texture. Rather than blending them into a uniform identity, we allow those nuances to exist. The project remains coherent because the atmosphere and compositional approach stay consistent. 6. As the opening single, “Between Tides” sets the tone for what’s to come. What can listeners expect from future SOLVIK releases – will the project continue exploring fleeting emotional states, or are there new tides ahead?“Between Tides” opens the door into a world shaped by subtle shifts and quiet intensity. Future releases will continue exploring transitional states – moments of longing, distance, light, memory.At the same time, the emotional spectrum will widen. There will be warmer tones, perhaps slightly more organic textures, maybe even glimpses of hope breaking through the mist. But the core will remain the same: music that moves like water – patient, reflective, and shaped by unseen currents. SOLVIK | Instagram, TikTok | Linktree
Anna Weatherup
Anna Weatherup On Delusional, Anna Weatherup confronts her past with clarity and courage, revisiting formative moments from The Voice Australia to reclaim her voice through independence, reflection, and fearless artistic evolution. 1. Delusional feels like both a reflection and a reckoning, with songs written across different chapters of your life. How did it feel revisiting material that dates back to your time on The Voice Australia and bringing it into conversation with who you are today? It is definitely reflection but more so a reckoning. It’s nice to have a little more experience and wisdom now looking back to those days. Life is a journey and it feels great to look back and see how far I have come. 2. You made the bold decision to release Delusional exclusively on vinyl, CD, and Bandcamp months before it arrives on streaming platforms. What inspired you to prioritise that immersive, tangible listening experience in an era dominated by instant access? I wanted my listeners to once again experience that feeling of purposefully going out to get an album they want to hear and physically put it on a player and listen. I feel it connects the listener deeper to the music and artist than streaming. I love streaming too but I wanted the first listens to be ones of intention and purposeful. 3. The single “Let Them Sing” revisits your experience on national television and features artists including Sophie Phillis, Michelle Farrugia, Jenna Dearness-Dark, Goldheist, and Brookie Jillett. What did it mean to transform that complex chapter into a collaborative act of solidarity? It was like a full circle moment to collaborate with artists from my year on The Voice who experienced similar things to me and sing a song together. I personally felt so unheard back then so this was a cathartic exercise for me. 4. “Yes Ma’am Courage Is Grand” carries a defiant, almost anthem-like energy with its alt-country and 1960s Hammond organ textures. Was there a specific moment in your life that sparked that turning point from silence to strength? Age has so many benefits and one of them is becoming stronger within yourself. I have always been afraid to speak up but the older and more comfortable I become the easier it gets!! 5. The title track “Delusional” speaks about navigating difficult personalities and industry setbacks. How did you channel those challenges into empowerment rather than disillusionment? Whenever I go through tough life moment I tend to put pencil to paper and write about it. Not always as its happening as that can be tricky but there always comes a time I am ready to talk about it and purge. It has saved my life many times! 6. After the deeply personal journey of Crossing the Sea and now the fearless exploration of Delusional, what does artistic independence mean to you at this stage of your evolution? I am loving being an independent in 2026. There are so many ways to organically grow your audience and reach people. I get to follow my gut instincts and really connect! Don’t get me wrong, having a team behind me would be amazing but for now I am at it alone and having fun! Anna Weatherup
SERAh
SERAh In this interview, SERAh opens up about exploring toxic attachment, inner conflict, and emotional vulnerability, revealing how tension, contrast, and collaboration shape a track that transforms discomfort into empowerment. 1. What inspired you to dive into this vulnerable emotional space? All of my music explores the darker side of the human experience. This song specifically is about being in a toxic relationship and feeling stuck, logically knowing the other person is bad for you, but emotionally not wanting to leave. 2. How did you translate that internal conflict into the lyrics and production? Lyrically, I kept it intimate and restrained. Almost like late-night thoughts you are not proud of but still honest to yourself about. Production-wise, I left space in the verses so the tension could breathe. I did not want it to feel overly dramatic. The first drop has a call and response to it that I feel points to the inner conflict, whereas the second drop has a euphoric—almost triumphant vibe, as if the individual the song is about has made the choice to escape the vicious cycle they were in. 3. The contrast between fragile verses and powerful drop feels intentional. Walk us through that. It was intentional. The verses represent vulnerability and hesitation, while the drop represents the weight of the emotion underneath it. A lot of unhealthy relationships feel calm on the surface but overwhelming internally, and I wanted the structure to reflect that. The drop is not celebrating the situation, but rather expressing how consuming the feeling actually is. 4. Why is it important for you to highlight emotional discomfort and vulnerability? Because experiencing discomfort is part of what makes us human. A lot of music in my space leans toward surface-level emotions, which there is nothing wrong with that, but I think there is strength in confronting darker themes that are more nuanced. When you allow yourself to feel these complex emotions instead of avoiding them (toxic positivity), they lose some of their power over you. My music is not about staying in darkness, but instead about transforming it into something powerful and beautiful. 5. How did the collaboration with Odxttx come together? We connected through a mutual friend and are now in a collective together called PULSR. Listening to his music I know collaborating with him on a song was the move. 6. When listeners experience this live, what do you hope it sparks? My goal with all of my music is for people to recognize themselves in it, and relate on an emotional level. That moment when the music expands and you feel it in your chest. Sometimes realizing you are in denial is the first step toward change. If the song can create even a small shift like that for someone, that means everything to me. serah – KIFFIX Links
Radical Man
Radical Man In this interview, Radical Man unpacks the architectural precision and controlled chaos behind “Power Systems,” exploring rhythm as design, tension as momentum, and the balance between experimentation and accessibility. 1. “Power Systems” feels architecturally precise yet constantly on the verge of collapse. How did you approach building that rigid rhythmic framework, and at what point did you decide to let it destabilize? The initial framework was built with arpeggiators. Additional rhythmic and melodic lines were drawn in and were later broken up with automated subtraction. The first and second sections were contrasted by their instrumentation and melodic parts and for the middle breakdown, it felt like it was time for a left turn to a third section that could simulate a destructive moment where the first two sections might collide. 2. Your project is rooted in the tension between structure and chaos. Do you begin with strict rules for each composition, or does the friction emerge naturally as you experiment? There aren’t typically any self-imposed rules, sometimes I’ll get inspiration for a particular approach to begin with but for the most part I am following instincts as the track develops. 3. Instead of a traditional drop, “Power Systems” leans into repetition and controlled mutation. What draws you to evolution over climax in your arrangements? That seemed like the direction this particular song wanted to go. I wasn’t out to chase anything traditional, it was more of a process of seeing what direction things wanted to go and then framing it up at the end. bureaucracy records · Night Whip 4. There are clear echoes of IDM and leftfield traditions, reminiscent of artists like Clark, Daniel Avery, or even Radiohead’s Kid A era. How have these influences shaped your sonic language without defining it? I think that kind of electronic music has a lot of possibilities for exploration. I appreciate when the sounds and composition are more on the strange and psychedelic side of things but I also enjoy straight up pop. I think those artists walk an interesting line of being experimental while still being accessible. 5. You describe rhythm as architecture rather than genre. Can you expand on that idea? What does it mean to “design” a track structurally instead of stylistically? To neatly fit in a genre box there is typically a well defined rhythmic structure that already exists. I have taken to building tracks by experimenting with different approaches to rhythm and letting the genre its leaning towards emerge as things get put together. 6. Each Radical Man release explores a different configuration of controlled friction. Where does “Power Systems” sit within your broader artistic trajectory, and what new forms of tension are you interested in exploring next? I’d say that’s true of many of the tracks but not all of them as a rule. This track has a more quantized energy to it compared to the others as it was more programmed and the other songs are more performed with instruments and controllers. Though the end of Power Systems does have live recorded acoustic drums and slide guitar, it was mostly done on the grid with arpeggiators and programming. The tracks coming down the road probably have a more organic and performed sound to them, though I’m sure that some more rigid elements will emerge here and there. I guess as far as tension goes the convergence of making sounds that are weird yet accessible is a good zone to shoot for. https://www.instagram.com/_radical_man
Heddy Edwards
Heddy Edwards In this interview, Heddy Edwards reflects on grief, gratitude, and creative rebirth, revealing how “Cinematic Vision” became the emotional anchor of her debut EP and personal philosophy. 1. “Cinematic Vision” carries the powerful refrain, “the other side of hell is a heaven so delicate.” Can you take us back to the exact moment that line came to you, and why it became the emotional core of the EP? In 2024, my family and I were losing a loved one to terminal cancer. Aside from knowing we’d lose them, it was extremely hard to watch everyone I love have to know grief so intimately, too. During that time, my husband and I took our dogs, packed up the car, and went to help care for them for the last six weeks of their life. One stormy day, I was feeling particularly down, and my husband and I went to stop for gas. As he got out of the car, I sat there quietly listening to the rain fall. Suddenly, I was overcome with immense appreciation and gratitude for life and ordinary moments, enough that it moved me to tears—and I opened my notes app and wrote down a short poem that read “on the other side of hell / is a heaven so delicate / you put gas in the truck as / I watch the rail fall.” I closed out of it and didn’t think much of it until about six months later, after we had unfortunately lost our loved one. I was playing chords that felt reflective yet grounded, and looked through my notes app for anything I’d written down, and it struck me as being the missing piece for the chorus. It was then I realized it was the ‘thesis statement’ of the album. I knew instantly that it summed up everything I was trying to say on the rest of the album, and would hope to share with anyone going through a hard time. 2. You worked closely with Alan Day (Four Year Strong) and Jay Maas on this release. What did Alan bring to the production and instrumentation that helped translate such a personal song into a full, living arrangement?Alan is amazing. He is a vocalist and guitarist in a band called Four Year Strong, and I’ve been honored to get to work with him on five songs now—a previous song of mine called “black tunnel,” and the other four songs on my upcoming EP. He has a lexical knowledge of all genres of music, and because I have similar wide listening habits, I believe we were able to intuit each other’s ideas quickly, even from our first session together. And I don’t say this lightly, but I think he is a musical genius. He can pick up any instrument and improvise and it sounds incredible. He played every instrument on this song and the whole record—guitar, bass, keyboards, drums, you name it. Before I worked with him, I was producing myself with mostly samples and synth keys, and he singlehandedly helped me to bring more of an organic, rock-edged sound to my songs like I’d been wanting to. And that’s exactly what he did here, especially with the pre-chorus guitar riff he came up with, which added such an Americana flair to the song and transformed it into the slightly twangy roadtrip anthem I was hoping it could be. Not to mention his mixing, and Jay’s wonderful mastering, give such a nostalgic feel to the music. 3. The song draws from 90s and early-2000s pop-rock and alternative influences like Sheryl Crow, Aimee Mann, The Cardigans, and The Goo Goo Dolls. How do those influences show up in your songwriting and sonic choices on this track? I think this song, “Cinematic vision,” is one of the more classic or nostalgic-sounding songs I’ve written. The chords I was playing reminded me of the period of time where Sheryl Crow was producing Stevie Nicks’ music in the late 90s and early 00s—including for the soundtrack of one of my favorite films, called Practical Magic. I could tell as I was writing it that the song had a certain pop-rock grit to it, tinged with a bit of Americana. And the melody that came to me felt like it wanted to be my own take on a 90s soft rock radio track, which I have a fondness for, as a 90s kid. I love the electric guitar tone on Sheryl Crow’s “If It Makes You Happy,” and so many songs from The Cardigans’ Long Gone Before Daylight album, especially “You’re the Storm,” that lean more alternative rock or even slightly country-sounding. I also replayed Aimee Mann’s album Lost In Space to a pulp last summer, around the time I recorded my album. So these were all part of the references I gave Alan before our session. Then, for the softer parts like the verses, I wanted them to emit a similar energy to the Goo Goo Dolls in songs like “Name.” I was obsessed with the Goo Goo Dolls in high school, and I love how their songs always feel wistful, warm, and intimate. 4. Grief plays a central role in the story behind this release, but so does gratitude and light. How did writing this song help you process those emotions, and did it change the way you view ordinary moments in life? It absolutely did change the way I view ordinary moments. I am someone who has a plethora of mental health issues—I’ve been diagnosed with OCD, anxiety, and major depression. For a long time, it was difficult for me to feel joy even during life’s most exciting highs or doing the things I love most. When you’re unable to feel happiness during your favorite things, mundane days don’t seem to stand a chance. I have, frequently in the past, stayed up incredibly late to avoid starting another day, and then when it arrived the next morning, immediately tried to go back to sleep so it