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Hey DJ Shadex, welcome to BuzzMusic. Tell us about the inspiration and creative process behind this new single Hey nice to being here. Yeah, I just heard a clock in the house of my grandma. I thought then the noise I could indeed build into a track. This resulted in the track. We love "Home". It reminds us of a modern take on some very popular well-known songs. What has the biggest influence on you and the production of your music? The biggest influence is actually my dream to be one of the best musicians in the world, that spurs me on every day. Hearing the lyrics "My heart beats fast, when you walk away, I'll be lost, for another day", is this song about a person in particular or past experience? No, not at all. I just started writing and then these lines developed. I found the writing text that fits it well. How has this song challenged you as an artist compared to your previous works? The challenge was to make a song out of the clock noise, how do I bring the sound optimally into the song, but after many challenging hours it became the current end product and I think the track is very good. Thank you for chatting. We are super excited to hear more from you. What are the plans and goals for 2020 with this year quickly coming to an end? The goal for 2020 is that I can play my music on the radio, but of course, it would be cool to get into a record label. In 2020, I would also like to focus a bit of a new genre. instagram.com/dj_shadex #BuzzMusic

Erez Barnea uses his pain and experiences while serving in the Israel Defense Forces to combat his Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Writing and music production has become a therapeutic outlet post service. Born in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and raised in Israel, Erez states that music has always been a part of his life. At the young age of twelve, he bought his electric guitar which opened him up to learning and experimenting with various chords. Erez combines his favorite musicians and bands along with earlier influences from his parent's record collection to create an amazing musical journey. He draws inspiration from artists including; Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Pearl Jam. His recent single, “Better Man” is a song that will have your body swaying and thinking about that special someone in your life. The title is so perfect for Erez’s hardships and heroic story. Knowing how writing has become a regular part of his life has no doubt made him a better man. “Better Man”, is a classic acoustic love song. It's definitely a track you want to add to that special playlist of yours! We love this track so much, we seriously can't wait to see what's next for Erez. Listen to Erez Barnea here. Hi Erez and welcome to BuzzMusic! You have such a unique story with music. How did you get the idea to use songwriting as a means of therapy? I’ve served as a combat fighter in the IDF (Israeli Defense Force), a service that left its mark on me. At first, I kept it all to myself, but that changed. A year after I finished my service, my brothers in arms and I went on a group journey, provided by the non-profit “Bshvil”. This journey served as therapy for all of us and helped me open up. During that journey, I also discovered that writing helps me to express myself and hopefully will help other people deal with their pain Do you plan to incorporate electric guitar into your future productions? Hell yeah! I’m a rocker too! Better Man is actually the only fully acoustic song on my upcoming EP. The rest of them are more on the rock’n’roll side. What was the inspiration behind, “Better Man”? Better Man was written while my wife was pregnant with my baby boy Dylan (who is turning 2 months old of Friday 11.22!). My wife and I love each other but like every couple, we have had our ups and downs. During her pregnancy, I began to understand that I need to try harder and be better at everything. I wrote this song as a promise to my wife and our little Dylan, to be a better man. Do you perform at any live venues and if so where? I have performed all over the LA area, mostly in Hollywood (Whiskey a Go-Go, Viper Room, Hotel Café, The Study and more). My upcoming show is at The Kibitz Room and 1.7 at The Mint. There’s nothing more powerful than performing a song you wrote alone in your room and hearing the crowd sing the lyrics along with you! Thanks for being with us and giving us another Folk love song classic. What does the future for Erez Barnea look like? Any upcoming goals? My goal is to keep making music and to keep on rocking! I want to tour all across the US and then across the world! Another small goal, in case Dave Grohl is reading this, is to open up for the Foo Fighters! Thanks for having me and see you soon! instagram.com/iamerezb facebook.com/iamerezb twitter.com/iamerezb #BuzzMusic

Canadian rock and roll band The Webster Project is a 5-piece group from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Consisting of Mike Webster, Isabelle Forest, Dean Rigaux, Scott McNabb, and Edgar Ozollins this group combines the sounds of rock and bluegrass through the use of such instruments as mandolin and harmonica. The band truly defines the meaning of what being in a band is all about. All members contribute equally to the entire creative process from songwriting and song arrangement to the arrangement of vocal harmonies. They all feel the same passion and dedication to The Webster Project and take their music and each other seriously. Their debut EP Misunderstood was released this past summer along with an exciting and infrequent opportunity presenting itself. After receiving numerous requests from fans for a physical EP, The Webster Project partnered with Sunrise Records to sell their CD in stores. As a result, this led to in-store appearances at various Sunrise Records locations and multiple live shows. The group also released a music video this year for their track "Like I Loved You Then". Produced by Warren Nightingale of Playmaker Motion Productions, it features footage from one of their live shows at The Royal George Hotel in their hometown of Winnipeg. What’s next for The Webster Project? In the coming new year, the 5 piece plan to focus on releasing their first full-length album. Of this Mike Webster says "the challenge for us this time out, and this is a very fortunate situation to be in, will be deciding what songs will make it on the album. We have close to 50 to choose from so that will likely be the most daunting task". Listen to The Webster Projects’ music here! Thanks for joining us here at BuzzMusic! How did the partnership with Sunrise Records come about? Thank you for having us again! Our drummer Scott McNabb was visiting Sunrise Records last summer and struck up a conversation with the manager and discovered they were willing to stock our EP so we jumped at the chance. It opens the door for so many promotional opportunities. It's rare for there to be a demand for a physical product in today's market. Why do you think your listeners were so interested in a physical CD? I think there’s been a bit of a resurgence with regards to the way people digest music in the last few years. Our younger listeners are curious about the secrets and mysteries these discs, that come with incredible artwork, hold. For our older listeners, there’s definitely a sense of nostalgia, going to a show and buying the disc, putting it in the player on the way home after the show. How do you find songwriting as a band? Do you run into any issues with all 5 members being a part of the process? We’re extremely fortunate in that we all possess the “song first” mentality, meaning that we’re not concerned about what our individual part is in the song or how it serves us as players, but rather how what we’re playing contributes to, and enhances the song. Would you ever want to incorporate other instrumentation, similar to harmonicas and mandolins, in other songs? Definitely. As long as the songs call for such instrumentation. Both Dean and Scott play harmonica and I play mandolin so it’s something that’s always available to us. We have incorporated tenor sax and keyboards in the past. We’re open to anything really. Was Misunderstood self-produced or did you work with anyone outside of the band on creating and recording the EP? Misunderstood was engineered by students of Mid Ocean School Of Media Arts here in Winnipeg under the supervision of Carlos Vela. We then took the tracks to Darren Johnston for production, mixing and mastering. Darren has been in the business for 30 years and id extremely good at what he does. We were very satisfied with the whole experience. What's next for The Webster Project? 2020 will see The Webster Project hit the studio again. As we have close to 50 songs to choose from we’d like to see a full-length release this time around. Our bassist Edgar Ozollins has a studio in his house and that opens up a host of opportunities. We’ll keep you posted. Thank you so much for your time! thewebsterproject.com #BuzzMusic

Randomly assigned to the same band at Dace’s Rock ‘no’ More School of Music, the future of Tambo was born. The four were inseparable and soon began writing originals and performing at various gigs. Tambo consists of lead singer and lyricist Amanda Ades, guitarist Eric Anderson, bassist Jack Christensen, and drummer Alex Wilson. Naive to Maple Valley, Washington, the young and aspirating alternative rock and roll band is known for incorporating catchy classic rock inspired riffs, dream-pop tracks, and bluesy tunes! Their first EP was released in 2018, titled "Typhoon" and coming this December is their second EP, “Who’s Sorry Now?”. Beginning with a youthful and upbeat track with deep and soulful lyrics, the vocals in Tambo's latest single “Who’s Sorry Now?” is seasoned and demonstrates high-level training. This beautifully demonstrates the vocal range and soul in this song and prepares us for what is yet to come for the next EP! “Who’s Sorry Now?” is a groovy tune that many can enjoy, creating a dreamy mood. Although young at heart, Tambo is able to reflect the fun and entertaining sounds similar to Fleetwood Mac and Florence and the Machine. This fun, light-hearted tune will get you up and ready to start your day. The consistent and unifying sound throughout the track is engaging and the song ends beautifully with soft vocals and low-level tunes. We can't wait to see what Tambo has in store for us in 2020! Listen to Tambo here. Welcome to BuzzMusic Tambo! We know that fate brought you together but what inspired each of you to attend music school? Eric’s answer: What inspired me to attend music school was specifically to learn how to collaborate with other artists. Sure, I like playing songs, but I mostly enjoy performing with other people. Jack’s Answer: What inspired me to attend music school was actually me joining the band. I took a few lessons before so I had an understanding of the bass, but when Eric asked me to fill in for a gig, then a few more, then all of a sudden I was part of a band with people that were leagues ahead of me and I knew I had to step up my game and get some actual training. Amanda’s answer: I wanted to be the lead singer of a band! Learning how to write songs and performing for an audience was super compelling to me, and I wanted to collaborate with other like-minded creatives. Alex's answer: My drum teacher of 11-12 years recommended me to the school in order to join a group of people with similar talents. I wasn't too thrilled of the idea of putting myself out there to play in front of an audience with other people at first, but once I started getting to know everyone and became more comfortable with playing in a group it turned out to be one of the best decisions I've ever made. Who are your biggest musical influences that have helped to shape your career in music? Eric’s Anderson: When I was younger, I would listen to a lot of Billy Joel, The Beach Boys, The Beatles whenever my dad was on the wheel, but driving with my mom also gave me influence from bands like The Cure, Depeche Mode, and Pink Floyd. The music I find myself personally coming back to is the Foo Fighters, Pearl Jam, and Alice in Chains. However, I am currently finding myself get influenced by newer artists such as King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Mild High Club, and I Know Leopard. I don’t like to isolate what I listen to so I often find myself writing songs that sound like an accumulation of everything I have ever loved, but I’ve never found anything wrong with that. It’s great to live in an era with such a wonderful abundance of great music. Jack’s answer: I take influence from a lot of music. My brother was in a hardcore band so I grew up seeing him play and I take a lot of influence from that. And then as I grew and developed my own tastes I found a lot of enjoyment in the more "strange" bands like Primus, King Gizzard, Psychedelic Porn Crumpets, and Orb. I really enjoy the melodic chaos that you can start to find when you listen to this type of music and the groove of the odd time signatures was contagious for me. Amanda’s answer: When I first started singing in Tambo and covering songs, I listened to a lot of classic rock and grunge so bands like the Foo Fighters, Led Zepplin and Pearl Jam were always on my playlists as inspiration. But as I’ve continued to write lyrics and vocal melodies, my music taste and idols have changed. Being a woman in the rock n roll scene is rare to see, so I found myself looking for bands with female lead singers to find some representation and inspiration. So, now I'm a big fan of Florence and the Machine, Sidney Gish, Julia Jacklin, Mitski, Bikini Kill, Alabama Shakes and Lady Lamb. But overall I enjoy lyrically focused artists with powerful and unique voices. Alex's answer: Some of my biggest influences starting out were AC/DC, Metallica, and other similar bands. But as my music taste began to mature and my skill as a drummer continued to improve, I became more interested in bands like Rush, Pearl Jam, Van Halen and more. But rock wasn't my only inspiration. Funk artists like James Brown and Tower of Power taught me rhythm and dynamics. Out of all your released tracks, which one was the most difficult musically and lyrically to create and why? Eric’s answer: For me, writing Last Crusade was weird. I had originally written a song that was a bunch of neat riffs performed in exactly one minute but I lost the recording and could only remember a part of the whole thing. We ended up just slapping that riff onto the end of Last Crusade because I was too lazy to write a more “appropriate” ending. Plus, it’s a great song closer to live shows. Jack’s Answer: The hardest song, in my opinion, was Place to Rest. From our first EP, Typhoon, that one took the longest to actually shape into a final product. We recorded so many guitar tracks, backing tracks, little colors hidden in the background. I remember to record one of the guitar tracks we had 3 microphones on Eric’s amp, with three mattresses surrounding it topped with some foam. One of the mics was even held in tape by dental floss and duct tape because we couldn’t get a stand in the proper spot for the tone we were looking for. The lengths that we went through to make that song always makes me laugh. Amanda’s answer: Place to Rest was a complex song. I came up with a three-part vocal harmony for the intro and outro of the song and we had to record it over and over because I kept accidentally adding dissonance and it sounded like a car alarm/sirens going off. My process writing lyrics for the song was to word-vomit a story based off of what the mood the song put me in. To me, the instrumental track sounded like it would belong in the soundtrack to a post-apocalyptic action movie so I wrote the lyrics accordingly. Then I had to take lyric phrases from my story and make them fit into the instrumentation so it sounded good rhythmically and melodically. Alex's answer: I'm not sure which song gave me the most trouble to write. In most songs, there's always some rough parts where we won't know where to go with the song or how to transition from one great part to another. However, every song we've written I felt every note and beat fall into place so naturally. Most songs we've created have been created from some riff or beat that one of us starts and one by one we jump right on it and boom, we got our next song. What does Tambo stand for and how does the name reflect your vision and music? Amanda’s answer: It’s literally just the first half of the word “Tambourine.” We were like 16 and thought it was a funny word. Eric’s answer: I’ve found that tambourine can be heard in all the greatest songs in the world, most of the time being unnoticed. I thought it would be nice to praise the Tambo for all its done for the world. Jack’s answer: No clue, it was the name before I joined and every time I ask I get a new answer. Alex's answer: I'm not too sure. I came up with the name just to make a boring part of me playing the tambourine for 2 minutes in a song, just a little bit more fun and it just stuck around since. Thanks for chatting with us and delivering such a fun and energic EP. What’s next to come for the future of Tambo? Hopefully a tour of the PNW, so Oregon and Washington, maybe Canada if the stars align. Our next EP will be released on December 20th and is going to be called “Who’s Sorry Now?” twitter.com/tambo_live instagram.com/tambolive facebook.com/TamboLive #BuzzMusic

The uncommonly hypnotic rock trio, Hosemen is always searching for new inspiration for their wonderful hits! The band formed in 2005 and has been killing it ever since. However, we’re quite positive that 2020 might be the breakout year for this magnetic band. After more than a decade of dedication to songwriting and supporting the local music scene, Hosemen are finally ready to break out of the tri-state area with their full-length “Saturday Nite Conformity”. This 7 song album will potentially place Hosemen into a status they’ve dreamt and worked hard towards for more than 10 years. The project consists of seven diverse songs that you can catch a vibe to and indulge yourself in. Hosemen continues to defy the odds and impress us with their piercing sound and striking music. It’s like they keep getting better and better! You may think it’s difficult for a band from 2005 to grab your attention like the artists in 2015 however, Hosemen shows us that with age comes experience, and with experience comes quality! If the first album wasn’t enough for you (Which we can relate!) then you can be sure to be on the lookout for Hosemen’s second studio album that they are reportedly working on. Listen to Hosemen here. Welcome to back to BuzzMusic Hosemen! What a year it's been for you! Can you tell our readers what the band has been up to in 2019? In 2019 Hosemen recruited our newest member Michael Neidhardt and he is rad as fuck on the drums. Sometimes past members such as Wade Mcmanus or Anthony Realbuto will fill in as well which gives us 2 back up drummers to work with if Mike can't make it. He has a big boy job now which is rad for him. We have recently played multiple new venues in Connecticut and NYC and even played a few tight little house shows. Quinn and Brien are traveling to Portugal and Amsterdam at the end of November and hopefully passing out some material along the way. Hosemen recently went in the studio to track 6 new songs. Let’s talk about your killer album “Saturday Nite Conformity”. What was the main theme behind this project? Saturday Nite Conformity is an honest album one hundred percent of the way through. It was mainly the songs that we first wrote and fell in love with, even if we aren't in love with half of the songs too this day. The main theme was basically surrounding yourself with good people and remembering the troubles we once had and may still have but to continue thriving forward and staying positive. Death to all butt metal! Which song from “Saturday Nite Conformity” do you think best represents your band’s sound and artistry and why? I think I Surround represents us the best because it has a chunky bass line and comes in kicking ass! It was the first song we ever showed anyone and people loved it. We didn't release it as a single but in our minds it is! It is one of those songs that can just make us shine and show people what real talent we are. I think a nice fat bass line is what people need to hear sometimes. The guitar tones are also phenomenal on that track and were done in one take which makes it special! How would you detail the creative process behind the production of this album? We had Ritchie Corsello bust our ass for this album and he is working on our new album too. He is the Einstein behind it all and worked with us through and through to get the sounds not only that we wanted but sometimes what he wanted. In the end, we did want to sound a bit heavier but we were very happy with what we got. The creative process was basically smoking a lot of weed and slamming down beer to get the in the moment sound. Brien would also get butt naked when he recorded bass tracks just to lighten the mood up a little and have a good what the fuck kind of energy to the songs. We do have pictures to prove it! You have to take the studio seriously but also have fun at the same time! We hear you are working on your second studio album! Can you tell us a little about your new project? The new project consists of 6 masterpieces. They will all be released as singles because why the fuck not? What other bands can say every song is a single on an album? I bet none because every other band writes mediocre crap! I'm only half kidding by the way! So we just finished tracking drums and bass at the Carriage House Studios in North Stamford. Unfortunately, Brien did not record butt naked so it may not be as good as the first album but you will be the judge. We spent a day and a half recording live and Ritchie hated every song at first but after giving it a few days he came back and fell in love with some. As long as we are happy, fuck the producer anyways. It's our album not his but we do love him and he is our boyfriend. Wow, this is getting weird just like our new album will sound. Keep your fingers crossed 2020 it's CUMMING and we don't have a title for it yet. What is the legacy you hope to leave behind you Hosemen and what can we expect in the new year? Looking forward to hearing what's next! We will be known as the best band to come out of this shit hole we call Connecticut and eventually be the best band of 2020 in Vietnam. We are dreaming big and playing live with superb confidence. We don't miss a single note and we keep getting better and better so you better watch out! The new album is going to rock and it will go triple platinum in Syria. Watch our for our bass player Brien because he is a 9 out of 10 and you're the 1 he is missing! facebook.com/Hosemenband instagram.com/hosemenband #BuzzMusic

Hey Jordan, Welcome to BuzzMusic. How has 2019 been going for you so far and how has it impacted your career? Thank you so much! 2019 has been such a crazy year so far; I’m a senior this year at Belmont University, so it’s been a little bit stressful preparing for life after graduation. At the same time, though, I can’t wait to finally pursue a career in the music industry that I’m passionate about! In a nutshell, this year has definitely been one that has truly validated what I’m passionate about pursuing, which is something I’m very grateful for. Your vocals are so soulful and clearly well developed, have you received any formal training? I guess you can say I’ve had untraditional but formal training! I was heavily involved in multiple choirs throughout most of my life until I graduated high school, and I am so fortunate to have had directors with so much knowledge and experience to pass down. "If Only" is a very deep and emotional song. Can you tell us a little about the meaning behind it? This song has quite a few meanings actually; I have always been really insecure about my outward appearance, so “If Only” is partially about how I wish to see myself in the ways that the guy I wrote the song about sees me. At the same time, though, the tables turn a bit in the middle of the song, and I express how I love what he may be insecure about and how I appreciate the way he reminds me of my true worth. Have you faced any struggles along your journey or received any criticism about your music or lyrics? What inspires you to write such meaningful songs? I am so blessed to be surrounded by friends and family who support my aspirations. Going to Belmont, and especially being in Nashville, has also helped me immensely since I am surrounded by a community that shares a passion for music in some form. By being around those who love what they do so much, I always feel encouraged to just keep going and keep living what I love. My main goal, for every song that I write, is to be as real and authentic as possible. I feel like it’s so important, especially in this industry, to share nothing but the truth with the world. So much of the music industry seems to be fabricated, and I wanted to make my mark in the industry by being as real and transparent as possible. What do you have planned in the New Year Jordan? We are excited and look forward to hearing more of your music! Thank you so much for your support! There is a LOT planned for the New Year! I’m currently working on some new music that will soon be released, and I’ll keep performing with my band, Restless Few! It’s going to be a crazy year with graduation in addition to music and work, but I am so grateful for all of the opportunities I’ve been given and I can’t wait to see what 2020 brings! instagram.com/jordansmith.music facebook.com/JordanSmithMusicOFFICIAL twitter.com/jordan_smith28 jordansmithofficial.wixsite.com #BuzzMusic

Lot’s has happened in the past few years for this successful country singer and songwriter. Inspired by his own life events and experiences toward his music, Chris Strei has been compared to well-known music artists and bands such as Chris Stapleton, Doc Walker, and The Tragically Hip. Can you say wow?! Not only did he recently make his radio debut on Niagara's Country 89 station, but he has been blessed with appearances at Canadian Music Week and Hugh’s Room Live. With the release of his newest album Moonshine in July 2019, the first song “Love You Anyhow” gives you the ultimate country vibe to this album and song with such deep vocals that come straight from the purity of the heart. It’s no wonder that Chris cracked the Top 25 in The Spot, Canada’s Premier Singing Competition. His 10 song hit album was released to a sold-out venue at Riffs Music Lounge in Woodstock, Ontario and it gives you great dynamic touch on various topics and styles. Along with other music artists with a common theme of telling stories with a relatable point of view, Chris’s songs do the same. “Love You Anyhow” portrays a theme of planning to leave and wanting out, yet still being kept back and going nowhere which is something many of us may relate to in certain aspects of our life. With the catchy chorus and lyrics “Girl you know just how to let me down, but I still love you anyhow” Chris Strei depicts that it's not always easy to just move on from something as it very easily brings you back or keeps you in the same spot. Not only do we get to experience an incredible voice from Chris Strei, but also his ability to beautifully play the guitar. The perfect melodic combo that you look to find in country singers. This song will be a good addition to your country playlist so make sure you check it out. Listen to Chris Strei's “Love You Anyhow” here. Hey Chris, it's a pleasure to interview you here on BuzzMusic! So much has happened for you in the past few years. Can you enlighten us with some of the positive experiences and lessons you've learned along the way? Thank you for featuring me on BuzzMusic, this is so exciting! I've actually learned the majority of what I know just in the last couple of years. I've been studying audio equipment and music business for at least a decade, but I've really submerged myself into learning the legal side of rights and licenses, as well as how important radio trackers are. As far as experiences, the last couple of years have been amazing! I would be confident saying that I've not only helped me mature as an artist but even as a person. I've packed a lot into 2018 and 2019, but at the risk of hanging on one event, I like to root everything that's happening now, back to December 2017. I was given an invite to open for the Juno nominated band, The Trews. That was an incredible motivator that I didn't know I needed. From there, I started putting a lot more into artist development by attending songwriting workshops, joined the NSAI for a year, found some opportunities playing songwriters rounds and connecting with other songwriters who became co-writers, and attending conferences. I also started turning my point of view around when it came to rejection and started using it as a notification of things to work on with myself. One example was getting turned down to play guitar on someone's tour because I didn't have tour experience. I started planning a June 2018 tour from Ontario to Alberta. When I went back to Alberta in June 2019, I was blessed to play on the main stage of Lethbridge's Canada Day celebration, just 2 acts before the headline act. With such a passionate Country singing voice and music background, who have been some of your major influences growing up? How have they affected the growth of your music? My Grandma has turned out to be my first influence. She gets all the credit for my country music passion. I grew up with her country records playing. She also gets the credit for my "I'll do what I want, but I know when I shouldn't" attitude. Sometimes I do it anyway though haha. Until I truly committed to classify myself as a country artist, I was taking a lot of inspiration from Butch Walker, who has also gone a little bit folk in recent years. He seems to write from an autobiographical, yet relatable, place and that's been something that's worked very well for me over the last decade in rock bands. These days, I take a lot of influence from Chris Stapleton's honkytonk and blues style, High Valley's bluegrass elements, and I've recently started listening to a lot of Tyler Childers. Johnny Cash is a great person to listen to though, not even just his music, but his outlook on people in general. Although I agree with him and maintain a level of faith that the majority of people are genuinely good, I'm most inspired to write about being downtrodden and then put a liberating spin in the tone and lyrical context. Is the song "Love You Anyhow" about a particular individual or personal experience? What is the message you're trying to get across? "Love You Anyhow" is actually a very ironic release and a great example of what I was talking about at the end of the previous question. I wrote "Love You Anyhow" during a period of doubting if I should bother with pursuing a career path in music at all. The way things were going at that time in 2017, I felt like I was swimming against the current. I couldn't seem to find any opportunities in my hometown to propel myself forward if anything they were setting me back to a point where it felt like things were falling apart. I was still trying to figure things out and resisting what turned out to be life pushing me to venture off and explore the many surrounding cities in my region. Once I realized that's what I was doing to myself, I had my premise of, "It's not you or me, it's this place, let's go." I've now built myself some solid foundations and relationships in those surrounding towns that I was nervous to venture out to, but I will say that the gig opening for The Trews was in my hometown, and it was a great note to part ways and move on. My message is an underlying theme in most of my music. "Do what's best for you, take the high road doing it, and keep faith that it will always work out the way it's supposed to." Have you ever been criticized for your music? Do you take it into your own advantage? I think the worst I've heard is that a song isn't someone's cup of tea or that they just don't like country music. That's fair and I totally endorse that opinion. I do take a lot of pride in saying that no one has flat out said I have a bad song though (yet). I like to think that between me and Iain McNally, we've ended up with an album that can still appeal to the people who say they don't like country music. Ultimately, you can't please everyone, but you can impress them. So I aim to impress as many people as I can and take the criticism in the same way I do rejection. The people who already love what you do probably wouldn't mind if you better yourself for the people you haven't won over yet, the key is to develop and improve but not change. I hope that makes sense to the people reading. We appreciate your time and look forward to more music from you. As a music artist, what is the next goal for you while you continue to grow as a successful country singer and songwriter? Thank you for taking your time as well! I look forward to connecting with you in the future. At the moment, my fingers are crossed for a few radio submissions that have been sent out, and once 2020 comes around, I plan on releasing a bunch of acoustic versions of my songs starting with "Love You Anyhow", and to keep things interesting and fresh, I'm planning to start putting out a bunch of covers on ChrisStrei.com in 2020 as well. chrisstrei.com facebook.com/imchrisstrei instagram.com/imchrisstrei #BuzzMusic

The London based music duo, Stone Fruit, is undeniably creating game-changing sounds! Consisting of Valentini and Lef, thegroup writes, records, and produce their own music. They ave released their single titled “Defy The Time”, an atmospheric and emotionally moving song. What’s really neat about this song was how the production gave me a classic vibe that I’d hear in Sade’s music. I’d play this song on my radio during any activity that requires relaxation and peace. “Defy The Time” had a time-traveling arrangement that elevated you into a setting that you can vividly create with your imagination. Stone Fruit has the mellifluous vocals and quality resonance that you can’t help but love. You become super absorbed in “Defy The Time”. Not only were the lyrics well-written, but the passion was well-executed. You connect with this single due to its warm texture that invites you in. “Defy The Time” was an invigorating single that creates this perfect escape element for you to become lost within the music. “Defy The Time” has this special effect on its listener that will serve as memorable and unforgiving. The vocal delivery by Stone Fruit was soft yet dynamic. They didn’t need powerful belts and off the wall vocal arrangements for you to still feel the impact of the song. Instead, their soothing yet augmented presentation through their vocals gave you a more intricate and out of the ordinary experience that you will appreciate much more. You can listen to this elemental record, “Defy The Time” here. Welcome to BuzzMusic Stone Fruit! Talk to us about your upbringing. How has it been growing up and when did you come to find that music was your calling? Thanks for having us! We both grew up in north Greece and were involved in music activities from a young age. When we were 15-16 years old, we started performing in bands and this was the time that we truly started experiencing the soothing and at the same time exciting process of writing music and performing. We were both lucky to have the support of our families and as we were reaching adulthood, music became a more conscious career option. “Defy The Time” was a beautiful single. What are some influences in this record musically? We heard some classic sounds in both the vocal arrangement and instrumentation that we loved! Thanks! We always find this question difficult because we both have a very diverse taste in music and we get constantly inspired by different genres and an array of artists. Essentially, what you hear is an amalgamation of all those influences. However, ‘Defy the Time’ has been influenced by artists, such as NAO, Jessie Ware, and Tom Misch. What are some of the challenges you may have stumbled upon in the creative process for “Defy The Time” and how did you overcome it? Both of us, have worked with different people and artists over the years and although we have been blessed with effective collaborations, we are constantly amazed at how effortlessly and naturally we work together. The writing, arranging and eventually the production of new music is truly a fun process! The only difficulty we have is finding more time to spend in the studio. Luckily, we always find a way to overcome this! Being organized helps massively. The lyrics were highly poetically written in “Defy The Time”. What was the meaning behind the lyricism and how were you able to personally relate? We prefer not to give a “solution” or an explanation. This is not only to maintain the mystery but mainly give our listeners the freedom to draw upon their own life experiences to interpret the lyrics and find the link between their emotions and our music. This is when a true connection is created between the artist and the listener and that is our wish when we release a new song. However, it just so happens that the title of the song is related to your previous question. At this point in our lives, we need to find ways to ‘defy the time’ and work more on our project! Generally, time flies and it can take you by surprise so this song acts as a constant reminder that if you do not want to miss out, you need to actively try and catch the moment. What’s next for you in 2020 Stone Fruit? We currently have a lot of songs in the making so will keep releasing more new music. We hope to embark on our first tour soon in order to further grow our fanbase in London and all around the UK and Europe.Thanks for having us! instagram.com/stonefruituk facebook.com/stonefruituk stonefruituk.com #BuzzMusic

Swedish native, Andreas Stone has been playing the piano and singing since he was 6 years old. Continuously, developing his musical education- starting in secondary school and growing as a gospel folk pianist. This experience lead him to play throughout the afro American church in Chicago, USA. Additionally, completing a bachelor’s degree in music at the Malmo Musical University where he focused on pop/ rock courses. To date, Andreas’s music has sold more than 25 million copies worldwide and has been given 40 official Japanese and Korean number 1’s and 2’s as well as several Japanese Grammy’s. “If I Was Holding You”, is a heartfelt country song about friendship and love. Exploring the risks and barriers of trying to change perspectives. Andreas gracefully describes how intimidating it can be to let a friend know you see them as more without ruining what the bond you currently share, ultimately getting out of the ‘friendzone’. The song was created on a cold Swedish autumn day after Andreas reached out to his closest friend, Marty Dodson, asking him to collaborate on this passionate single. Together they created a song with traditional and modern elements. Beginning, light and melodic acoustics. A memorable fusion of pop and country as Andreas incorporates his soulful tenor vocals. The duo was inspired by; Rascal Flatts, Bryan White, and Lonestar while writing such an intimate and touching piece. Yet another inspirational piece by Stone and a real tear-jerker. Listen to "If I Was Holding You" here. Hi Andreas and welcome to BuzzMusic! Thank you for creating such an intimate piece. What made you reach out to Marty to collaborate on this song? Thank you so much for having me and thank you for your kind words. Well, I used to go a lot to Nashville between 2009 and 2015 but haven’t been there lately. But I’m gonna go there more often starting from 2020. Anyways, Marty is a good friend of mine and we have written lots of songs together. So it felt natural to reach out to him asking if he wanted to write lyrics for this song. I absolutely love writing lyrics myself too, but country lyrics are such a craft and very specific and Marty’s one of the best in my opinion. “If I Was Holding You”, is so emotionally stirring, was it written for anyone in particular or about a past experience? This song is written about a past experience yes. My first ”working sketch” was done in a period when I was very sad. A lost love story like so many others, haha. Out of all your pieces which has been the most challenging, musically and lyrically to create and why? Wow, this is a very tough question. I believe every genre and piece has its own challenges, both musically and lyrically. I don’t think any genre is easier or harder to do. Of course, genres based on a lot of acoustic/organic instruments with storytelling lyrics are challenging and demands a lot of its musicians. But a very simplistic EDM song can be equally challenging just because it’s minimalistic and that it can be super hard to find something that sticks out. But to try and answer your question I’d say that my last single ”Never Got To Say Goodbye” that I wrote with my dear friend Ricky Hanley was very demanding and challenging. Originally we wrote it when his father passed away, as a  dedication for him. Later it was cut by a big Korean group called EXO as a Christmas song entitled ”Miracles In December” that did very well. Then a few years later released my own version of it, I had a lot of expectations to live up to and also the fact that I wanted to make the song justice based on whom it was written for. Given your focus on pop and rock genres, what motivated you fuse country into this “If I Was Holding You”? I’ve always loved all genres. I grew up in Arlöv outside of Malmö, Sweden and was born in 1981. So when I was a kid, I listened to a lot of 80’s pop and rock stuff. Now when I’m closer to 40 I’ve come to notice that modern country very often sounds the same but without the 80s sounds, hahaha. But melodically and chordwise it’s often similar. Might be why?! Thanks for chatting with us. We are moved by your work, all of us at BuzzMusic are wondering what can we expect from you next? Thank you so much. I’m honored to be interviewed by you at BuzzMusic. Well, I’ve only just begun. I have so many dreams and goals ahead. I just love writing music. To sing and produce and hopefully touch people and if I’m really fortunate to leave a mark of my own. I will do my best to write as good songs as I can. What comes from the heart reaches the heart! instagram.com/andreasstone andreasstone.com #BuzzMusic

Phoebe Silva is an LA-based artist whose music comes from a place of authentic songwriting. Our team had the pleasure of hearing her new single titled “The Best Thing!” which is set to release on December 6. Tired of being easily influenced & jerked around, she wrote this authentic record that expresses her vulnerability & sentimental driven feelings. The meaning? “the best thing I got outta you was this song.” “The Best Thing!” begins with jazzy instrumentation that serves as the song foundation. You hear various instruments that help create the atmosphere of the song. Phoebe Silva takes a different approach when delivering this record. Instead of a cheeky pop song, “The Best Thing!” was fun, vibrant, and bold, yet the lyrics exuded the emotion Phoebe Silva intended for. Despite the vibes of “The Best Thing!” feeling energetic & bright, Phoebe Silva vocal delivery was killer. The sass, tone, & arrangements impressed us so immensely. Phoebe Silva delivered her voice with a piercing strike to her listener, emotionally convicting the lyrics with every powerful vocal belt. Phoebe Silva’s voice is so rich in texture that you feel the angst through the song. “The Best Thing!” was an empowering record that will motivate women all over to get out any toxic situation that’s detrimental to their emotions. Phoebe Silva gave us a well-executed & finely-calibrated record that we can sing over and over! Join Phoebe Silva for her release show for “The Best Thing!” on December 2nd at the Hi-Hat in LA! The evening will feature local favorites Brenda Carsey and Harry Katz & the Pistachios. Grab your tickets here Welcome to BuzzMusic Phoebe Silva! Mind talking to us a little about your background? What inspired you to pursue music? Hello! Thanks so much for having me! My music background literally started when I was born, my mom and grandmother were both Suzuki violin teachers. I started playing the violin when I was 3 years old. I started performing in community theater and taking voice lessons when I was 11 or 12. I studied violin and voice all throughout my childhood and earned a BFA in musical theater from the University of the Arts. I wanted to be on Broadway, it didn’t occur to me to write songs until I was in my late twenties, when I started teaching myself ukulele, mandolin, and guitar. My entire relationship with music changed when I started writing. It becomes something I chose on my own terms rather than following in the family footsteps, something I was very resistant to throughout my teens and early twenties. I fell head over heels in love with songwriting and gigging with bands around New York City, where I was living at the time. I don’t think I really found my authentic singing voice until I started singing my own songs, although I had been singing for 15 years. So I quit pursuing acting. Music made me so much happier and felt like a truer way of expressing myself. Your single “The Best Thing” was so dynamically powerful! What were some challenges you faced in the production and creative process of it? Thank you! I love this song. It was one of the first songs I wrote in LA when I was first thinking of pursuing music as a solo artist. It felt like a Declaration of Independence. I started writing songs with my ex-boyfriend about 6 years ago. I never thought I’d be able to be a songwriter on my own because I didn’t play guitar or piano or any chord-based instruments. But the melody and the lyrics were so clear in my head. I played enough ukulele to begin to write the chords and musical structure. I rely heavily on my guitarist friends to help me arrange my songs. I barely play guitar now, I’ve been teaching myself but I still don’t really know what chords I’m playing. All the music theory I took when I was a kid was lost on me since I only played a solo instrument (violin) and sang, so my ear is my strength. I also studied and now teach Suzuki method violin which is all based on ear training. Production-wise, it took me almost 2 years of performing “The Best Thing!” live to really feel like I understood how it should be arranged and produced. The arrangement is very collaborative for me. My friend Max Silver who produced the track is one of my favorite people to work with, our musical strengths complement each other’s really well. How would you detail the arrangements in “The Best Thing”? The track features rhythm guitar, lead guitar, keys, bass, drums, 3 part saxophone, 3 part backup vocals and tambourine. I wanted a big band kind of sound, and I wanted you to really hear all the instruments as if I was recording live, very old school. I love old music, I grew up on jazz standards and 50’s and 60’s Rock n'roll, Motown and girl-group harmonies. But I also love contemporary pop music. I wanted the track to have a throwback feel, but also I think the lyrics are more modern. I was listening to Connie Francis records recently thinking, man, it’s so heartbreaking how all these female-sung songs from that era are about being totally co-dependent on men. I love romanticism but I’d much rather write about romancing myself. Probably because I’ve been in so many toxic, co-dependent relationships with men who made me believe I needed their support in order to be creatively successful. Now I’m like, fuck that noise. I’m building up myself and all my friends. Also, the arrangement and recording of this track would not have been possible if I didn’t have such a rich network of talented friends and collaborators. I can’t play any of the instruments featured on this track the way they've played. My friends are completely incredible. I’m so so grateful for all the people who contributed to making this track. How do you hope for this single “The Best Thing” to resonate with your listeners? I hope people think it’s fun and empowering! I have a hard time not grooving along when I listen to it. I wanted to make a bright, clean, groovy, bluesy pop track. I definitely wanted it to have a commercial sound so it would be broadly appealing. The theme of breaking free from the expectations or attachment to someone who manipulates you because they can and because it makes them feel powerful... I think that’s really relatable to anyone. Ultimately the song is about self-empowerment, taking your insecurities and heartbreak and turning them into art. “The Best Thing” is really self-love. Now that the holidays are approaching us, what are you looking forward to in the upcoming year of 2020? I had a crazy year, man. I’ve worked really hard the last few years since I’ve been in LA to establish myself in the indie music community as a session player and collaborator, now with this track, I’m hoping to establish myself further as a solo artist as well. I am finishing up a second Single to be released in early 2020, as well as a music video for “The Best Thing!” And I have plans for recording tons more music next year! I love the music community in LA and am so grateful to be a part of it. Facebook.com/phoebesilvamusic Instagram.com/phoeborama #BuzzMusic