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Kodi James is a new Los Angeles based queer pop artist. His music takes inspiration from classic icons of the 70's & 80's with a modern and timeless flare. His debut single “Elizabeth Taylor” is making waves in the music scene because of the authenticity and originality that bleeds through the speakers. In every facet of his project, James prioritizes diversity and representation. Music has always been at the center of Kodi's life. He began singing in his father's church at age 5 and went to college on a near full-ride scholarship for Musical Theatre. Once at university, Kodi quickly realized his passion for pop music and moved to Los Angeles to pursue his project in which he aspires to breakthrough the industry and create music that caters to the queers, queens and everyone in between. “Elizabeth Taylor” builds up well and leads with a fine melodic development towards what is a quickly recognisable and effective hook. Kodi James’ gives a slightly retro-pop-like aura, which works well to take the song away from simple pop and over into more alternative territory. Though the instrumentation is decidedly retro, the vocal helps drive the song through to it’s refreshingly contemporary fullness. In terms of the chord progressions and the riffs, the way the track builds up, everything has been well produced so as to reinforce the underlying passion and turmoil at the song’s core. “Elizabeth Taylor” is a notably catchy tune, one that intrigues well and begs for you to listen at least once or twice more after that initial introduction. The strong melody draws you over and the story-line holds you captive once you’re there. Listen to “Elizabeth Taylor” here and read more with Kodi James below! Hey Kodi! Welcome to BuzzMusic! How did you get started in the music industry? Thank you! I discovered my passion for pop music about four years ago while at college majoring in musical theatre. My brother, who's a producer, was already in Los Angeles. So I quickly moved down here and we began working together. It's been a long creative development process, and I'm so happy and proud to finally have some content out. Was there a specific event/person in your life that made you get into music/ start recording your material? I grew up singing in church, school choirs, community theatre, etc. But what really triggered an interest in recording my own material was when I started getting booked for solo gigs. I found it so rewarding to tell my own story on stage rather than constantly portraying a character in someone else's show. Who are you musical influences and how do they help shape your sound? Growing up in the performing arts will always play a key role in shaping my sound and persona, but some major influencers and inspirations would have to be Cher, Dolly, Elton John, Ella Fitzgerald, ABBA, Kim Petras, Allie X, Muna, and Jack Antonoff. Quite and eclectic bunch, but there are different aspects about each one of them that inspire who I am as an artist. And while that may not be blatantly clear with "Elizabeth Taylor", you'll definitely notice it with my forthcoming singles. What does “Elizabeth Taylor” mean to you? What do you want your listeners to take away from it? There are a few messages within this song and video. The song intentionally challenges gender norms, visually and lyrically, and I hope that it resonates with the queer community specifically. There's also an arch and a storyline that we really tried to exemplify within the video of one realizing their self worth - realizing that we are all, in our own way, queens like Elizabeth Taylor. On a personal level, this project is like a first born child to me. I was so nervous putting it out into the world, but the reception has been so unbelievably heartwarming and encouraging. Can you tell us what’s up next for you? We’d love to hear more I do have a series of singles and videos in the works and will hopefully have my next song/video out within a couple of months. But in the immediate future, I will be performing a full set at DTLA Proud on 8/24 at 4:30PM in Pershing Square! Tickets and more information at DTLAProud.org Connect with Kodi James on social media www.instagram.com/kodijamesmusic www.twitter.com/kodijamesmusic

Nick Pro and Habibi HusH hail out of Providence, Rhode Island, the smallest state with the some of the dopest music. The powerhouse dup has been producing and making music together for eight years and just started dropping their hard-hitting tracks as recently as last year. The newest release from the hip-hop duo titled “Halo” was produced by The Most High K.I.D. & The Track Burnaz. The lyrics and Nick Pro and Habibi HusH’s performance throughout both introduce them as driving with a desire to gather wealth and live the high life. The very title concept of the track being a fitting representation of this. “Halo” has a strong beat, those riffs offer up a slightly nostalgic vibe while the synths chosen have a mildly retro style about them, though the vocal rhythm and the references within undoubtedly tip their hats to the hip hop sound of today. There’s a melodic pop backbone to the track that helps make it a little more widely accessible, still that rap confidence drives through. It’s a simple release with a good bounce to it. Listen to “Halo” here! Connect with Nick Pro and Habibi HusH on social media www.instagram.com/nickpromusic www.twitter.com/nickpromusic www.twitter.com/habibihush

Hailing from Scarborough, Canada, Waves is a talented MS and recording artist making his launch into the music scene. His explosive launch titled “Thrill Of It”, is a powerful song, the soundscape is brilliant and there’s a certain originality to the dissonant nature of the riff. The crisp quality of the production means that the whole thing creates immersive chaos when you listen loud and that’s without the use of a heavy beat. It’s interesting to listen to this, there’s a weight and power to the whole thing, but it’s not like something we’re used to. Waves’ vocals drive with such intention, alongside of this quickly compelling and fairly addictive ambiance. Waves always keeps things real, it’s a quality you can rely upon him for. This track lays that quality bare amidst a surprisingly haunting and impossible to ignore beat. Definitely worth a listen or two! Check out “Thrill Of It” here and read more with Waves in his exclusive chat with BuzzMusic team below! Hey Waves! How did you get started making music? Can you tell us a little about the Canadian music scene? I've been recording music for over 10 years now. I've always had a passion for music in every sense of the word. Got in trouble for messing with Pops' turntable more times than I can remember. My brother was a radio host and dj and my aunt and uncle were recording artist so I was always around it. I was introduced to my engineer in 09' and it's been a grind ever since.  The music scene is crazy in Toronto. It has been for a long time before Drake and he was the first to take it to that next level. Beyond him I grew up on Choclair, Kardinal Offishall, Baby Blue Soundcrew tapes, Dream Warriors and more. Right now the game is so saturated with guys coming out now that have been on the scene for years. That being said it's a full time grind to make a relevant sound while staying true to who you are and standing out. Toronto don't play when it comes to the whole "we the north" phrase. We're hungry and have been on the back burner for so long that you almost have to take it personal when you're writing, recording, or just spitting. There's so much talent here in all walks of music and we have a lot of new and emerging artists consistently giving their all. Tell us what you want your listeners to take away from “Thrill Of It". Thrill of it is that catchy song with hard flows and meaning in a typical Waves fashion. Coming out with my upcoming project, Vices and Virtues, it really exemplifies the idea of just that. I want listeners to relate. We all have vices that we grip onto for the rush or the thrill, so I want it to be as relatable as possible to ANYONE struggling or anyone who's struggled with coping. We're all guilty so it sheds light on that topic. I want listeners engaged from the first line and to want to hear how the story progresses and end it on a positive vibe. Do you think having diverse influences adds a unique flare to your sound? How so? As mentioned before I've been around music of all sorts my whole life. I'd wake up to Beres Hammond and go to sleep listening to Pac. I'd have mixes with DMX and Marvin Gaye. Latin music, Ska music, R&B, you name it and I had it influence me growing which leaves me with a very particular ear. I feel like music lacks a lot of dimensions these days and I always try to implement all flavors when I'm cooking. As of late I've been in a creative space where I can really drive that point home and sprinkle some of this and that here and there. That freedom and arsenal of references has left the sky as the limit for me recently (check out my R&B track "Around" on my soundcloud) When you’re not making beats, what do you do? When it's not music I'm kicking it with a close knit circle, the family. I also moonlight as the CEO of NEWIS (Nothing's Ever What It Seems), a thought provoking brand bringing light to the effect of societal norms. I'm always trying to get involved in my community through philanthropy. Music. When I'm not making it I'm studying it. Searching for new songs from oldies and trying to find some hidden gems in the new. What inspired you to keep making music everyday? I have a new take on music having lost 2 of my closest peers in one year. A lot of people don't know but I took a hiatus from the booth for years to work on myself to ensure that I'd have more to talk about when I came back. There's so many people that can't go a day without new music and actually need music to survive. I feel like my ancestors would turn in their graves if I wasn't making good use of my talents so I stay at it. Music brought me through my lowest of lows so I know how powerful it can be to the listener. I made a pact with my 2 homies that passed, R. I. E. P., to make use of my talent and I vow to never turn my back on it. Connect with Waves on social media www.instagram.com/waves.newis

Tevin Charles, better known for his professional name Yungsurfgod, is a 24 year old artist out of Cambridge, Massachusetts. He started taking rap seriously about two years ago and is a member of the 5-piece emerging rap group “86”. With a passion for art Yungsurfgod has his heart set on becoming an art director/coordinator one day. He wants to help connect humans together through the arts, whether its music, dance, film, or photography etc. “Surfy Tarantino” is a track that follows its own rules, adhering to a desire to express a certain sentiment, this pours through in both the soundscape and the lyrics. The track leads with a heavy and alluring vibe, a hopeful bounce of prolific lyricism and grit. You get the smooth and smart sound of the artist’s leading voice, rhythmically flawless yet humble and quietly confident enough to get you listening in a natural and likable way. There’s honesty in the lyrics combined with a notably minimalist backdrop, means the performance manages to connect well. “Surfy Tarantino” is a fairly refreshing alternative to modern hip-hop. A smooth track with a simple yet recognizable hook, and a likable groove on the track as a whole. Listen to “Surfy Tarantino” here and read more in our exclusive interview with Yungsurfgod below! Welcome to BuzzMusic Yungsurfgod! How long have you been making music? 3 years now What does the project “Surfy Tarantino” represent for you? Being comfortable in my own skin. And establishing my mood towards haters. What’s your main aspiration going forwards in 2019 as an artist? To remain an indie Artist. And create more global international buzz, for my aspiration to tour Europe with my Artist group. 86 Ent. I also wanted to venture more on the talent scout & creative side, and play somewhat of A DJ Khaled/Akon role What are your thoughts on the current hip hop landscape? Independent artist are winning & the influx of young talented musicians/artist is Beautiful. I think artist groups like dreamvile and YBN will continue influence positive growth in hiphop. And last but not least the women artist are on the takeover and I love it. Especially Doja Cat, I think she's the female version of me, personality wise. What are the main values you want to represent as a rapper? I don't consider myself a rapper, I'm an artist, I love art. I shoot, and edits videos, i started a podcast. I record/mix music for others. But I would say the values most important to me are, having fun with Music/Art and being able to Express myself freely Connect with “Surfy Tarantino” on social media www.instagram.com/Yungsurfgod www.twitter.com/surfy_86

Based in Los Angeles, the talented Johnny Crown is making savory beats to excel in this game. Armed with lyricism you just need to hear and an irresistible blend of dope beats and powerful hooks, Johnny Crown combines vintage hip-hop soul, poetic lyrics, & a message. Crown has just released 3 music videos for  “I.V.Y P.A.R.K”, “On My Mama” and “Breadwinners”, directed by Ivan Palacio. All 3 tracks are off of his afro-beat LP “Coolest Prince in the Jungle”, which was released in 2018. “I.V.Y.P.A.R.K.” is a dope release from powerhouse artist Johnny Crown. The song’s inherently loving nature is outright the main takeaway from the experience. “I.V.Y.P.A.R.K.” is a notably colorful and upbeat ambiance. The melody is simple enough to be memorable and likable among a broader audience, yet it’s not overly familiar or reminiscent of anything else currently. Walking that line is crucial, maintaining originality whilst appealing to a contemporary audience with comforting flickers of recognizability. Johnny Crown does it well, and both the producer and the artist seem to be on the same wavelength with this release, which helps it create the perfect mood as well as connect on a deeper and more lasting level. The simple appreciation of a song like this, lyrically and in the general vibe it presents within the room, is something that can always find a place within music. Johnny Crown’s openness and honesty, as well as his wholesomeness in this particular case, all leads you to form a positive and respectful opinion of him as a creator. Hopefully there’s plenty more music to come “I V Y P A R K, I value your Power, I value your Awe, I value your Royalty, I value Your kingdom, I V Y P A R K” Listen to “I.V.Y.P.A.R.K.” here and keep scrolling to read more with Johnny Crown! Hi Johnny Crown! In your own words, what’s the concept behind “I.V.Y.P.A.R.K.”, and why did you decide to create a song around that? The concept behind The song is Giving the black woman her power back . I feel that a lot of other rappers have degraded the black woman by calling her so many deragatory names which she is not . My mother is black and she raised me right and That is the lense I see through. The caring the nurturing the creator . IVY trees are symbols of Mother Nature and so I wanted to combine the 2 to personify the powerful love that they forever have in our lives. I really don’t feel artists do this at all so I really wanted to make sure I honor them . What do you hope people take away from this release? I hope that people start to embrace and respect and verbalize love to not just black women , but everyone around them because the overall vibe of the song is to generate love and reverence for everyone and everywhere. Who or what would you say inspires or influences you the most musically? Musically I will say My inspiration are Fela Kuti , Bob Marley ,Marvin Gaye ,Sade, Michael Jackson ,Prince,2pac,Jayz ,Beyoncé . I am also inspired by various movements and Eras. I feel that every artist should do the justice of telling the story of their era and not just blindly write and perform selfishly . These artists I mentioned tackled that effortlessly. What are your main aspirations as an artist right now? I will love to tour nationwide and internationally and also to make a couple of movies that I have wrote . What’s something about you that most people don’t know? A lot of people don’t know that even tho I was born in Brooklyn I have lived in many places for months at a time around the world from London to India to Japan to Egypt and Nigeria . I really feel that traveling is something everybody should try to do in there lifetimes . Seeing the world and the people and embracing different cultures will change your life for the better forever! Connect with Johnny Crown on social media www.instagram.com/_johnnycrown www.twitter.com/_johnnycrown

Youth Yamada is a singer/songwriter and instrumentalist born in Philadelphia and raised in Japan. With his left-handed guitar, harmonica and accompanied by the subtle clapping sounds of the Khartal, Youth Yamada plays soulful folk music straight from the heart. His songs are hypnotically catchy, upbeat and gives his audience melodies that are unforgettable. From the very first listen, the vibe and the mood created by “Summer Wasting” has a very positive feel to it; the music is smooth, optimistic and uplifting, in a gentle and easy to understand manner. The lyrics are very poetic, powerful and unique imagery, a real streak of originality and intrigue. Musically, Youth Yamada has so much to offer. His creativity really shines through with some completely fresh and unexpected chords progressions; it’s peacefully chaotic in it’s expression, and it creates the kind of mood that is difficult to pinpoint, but that feels emotional and real. “Summer Wasting” is a really great song, and a nice step up in mood, just at the right time. Check out “Summer Wasting” here and read more with Youth Yamada in our interview below! Hey Youth Yamada! Welcome to BuzzMusic. For those who don’t know, how would you describe your sound and your approach to songwriting? My favorite is all the 60’s music&cultures, and earlier Jazz. So I’ve been listening to them a lot, and write about my life in NYC or just imaginary stories. Who or what would you say inspires you the most, creatively? Picasso, Hokusai, and All the creatures on the Earth Can you dive into the lyrics of your latest release “Summer Wasting”? Even though it’s about Summer, it came with the personal regrettable feeling. And wondering how I’ve spent my life. What do you hope listeners take away from this song? Just hope they can see themselves more from their personal experiences. What was the songwriting process like for this, and do you ever worry about disclosing too much...or is it better to just go with the flow when writing? Go with the flow is the best way for the artists, because you need some time to digest your experiences and so on. But I don’t know if it’s any good for the listeners. Connect with Youth Yamada on social media www.instagram.com/youth_yamada

Joey Karma is a talented recording artist, producer and young father residing in Northern Ontario, Canada. The mixes between his West Indie roots and European descent made it easy for him to understand the emotional side of various genres. Joey Karma later co-created a local hip-hop platform for artists from all over Ontario. He assists in guiding, developing and motivating up and coming artists to reach their full potential. Karma is currently focused in his home studio working on his debut album, while raising his kids and working with clients. He still opens his schedule to film music videos or for upcoming project ventures of clients and close friends alike. “Monsters In My Attic” aims higher than ever, leading with a quickly engaging soundscape and concept, a smooth and colorful backdrop and a beat that perfectly accompanies the lyrical depth that follows. The simplicity of the genre thrives here because the bars and the set-up are so well executed. There’s a consistent sense of intention to the song, lyrically and in the passion you can hear throughout the vocals. Whether rapped or sung, the delivery captivates and satisfies. Joey Karma represents a level of structural complexity, subtly but effectively holding your interest and affection way past the two minute mark. There’s character in this leading voice, but there’s also a sense of honesty to this humble and introspective approach. “Monsters In My Attic” leads with realness, purity, a simple connection to the art form and a clear awareness of what works and what compels an audience. Listen to “Monsters in My Attic” here and read more with Joey Karma below. Hey Joey Karma! How does your earlier music compare to your recent release “Monsters In My Attic”? My earlier music released was more of a showcase on what I can do with my sound. The difference is on how confident I now am to show a new sound to the world. Tell us what you want your listeners to take away from “Monsters In My Attic” Monsters In My Attic is to give confidence to those who might think they can't be honestly open about their issues whatever that might entail. Hopefully people feel good when they listen to it. Do you think having diverse influences adds a unique flare to your sound? How so? When you are able to be identified as a certain type you become more identifiable in the bigger scheme of things and at the moment Hip-Hop has never had a sound like mine. Being from a diverse country really opens your eyes to all inquiries. When you’re not making beats, what do you do? I actually don't make beats. I mix and produce other artists music within my city and sometimes take raw files via the internet for more international clients. I have been more focused on my sound and touring Canada. What inspired you to keep making music everyday? Everyday I remember what it's like to be told no, you can't do that and then realize how long I have been involved on making hip-hop recognizable in my city that giving up was never an option. I have children to create a path for and they are all artistic, means the world to me that they always do what they love, for me that is music. Connect with Joey Karma on social media www.instagram.com/thereal_joeykarma

Markel Smith, better known for his professional name MS866, was born and raised in Raleigh, NC where folk, country, and rap music is most abundant. As a lover of music, Markel wanted to step outside of the aesthetic and show the world that it's not just folk, country or rap coming from Raleigh. Producing trap music for five years, MS866 is now specializing his craft with Hard Dance, an EDM Genre. MS866’s “Corenight” (VIP Mix) brings through a gorgeously high energy dance vibe. Fusing the warmth of EDM synths with a positivity, the soundscape of escapism lights up the room with ease. MS866’s way with sound design and composition is quickly effective, this track is hard-hitting and showcases a passionate and simultaneously professional approach to music production. There’s a touch of nostalgia to the style, “Corenight” (VIP Mix) is a notably timeless sort of track. It works as well now as it would have 10-20 years ago and indeed as it will in 10-20 more years. There are as many crisp and clean elements as there are those that link back to the dawn of the genre. MS866 has built a recognizable sound for himself and makes sure there’s enough about this song to grab your attention from afar. Absolutely worth a listen and I look forward to a longer playlist from MS866! Check out “Corenight” (VIP Mix) here and read more with MS866 below! Welcome to BuzzMusic MS866! What do you hope your listeners take away from “Corenight (VIP Mix)”? I hope that my music will be able to make a lot of people dance in a wild form. Where no rules apply and EDM can be represented in its wildest state. I also hope my music will be discovered and I will be the icon of EDM in North Carolina, or at least in Raleigh. How do you go about crafting a five-minute plus instrumental? What are the main qualities you try to capture? I make mixes mainly by crafting most sounds made with Sawtooth and square waveforms, and has been reinforced with a hard kicking bass drum to incorporate dance. Tell us a bit about what your live show is like! Where would be your dream venue to perform? I have yet to do any shows since I am more focused on creating content and pushing it out there through the internet. After which and I feel that I am ready, I will be doing live shows. For a dream venue, I prefer for now Red Hat Amphitheater. But that's just for now. What have been the main changes you’ve noticed in the music industry within the time you’ve been making music? The main changes I've noticed in the music industry is what is promotion tactics, and the costs to do so. Those costs and tactics require time, patience, and dedication. Because competition is tough and you have to make yourself very valuable and different among other producers and artists. What’s your creation process like? My creation process includes many hours of just being outside for inspiration. You'd be surprised at what could actually come to mind when you're doing absolutely nothing but listening to the sounds of what's around you. Once I would have the idea, I would go through the process of opening up my DAW and creating the sounds first. Then aligning the drum machine so I can have all of that along with a lot more creativity. What’s next for you? My next step is learning how to DJ. Mixing my tracks for a live show is what I feel would help benefit me for a great future. As well as making connections in Raleigh, NC and establishing an online presence. Connect with MS866 on social media www.instagram.com/ms866official www.twitter.com/ms866official

Blending pop rock with the tradition of storytelling, EJ reintroduces the concept of the singer songwriter by packing an emotional punch and leaving you on the edge of your seat. Her dynamic vocals pair the energy of pop punk with intimacy of a writer’s round, walking the fine line between two different worlds and marking her originality with each vocal run. EJ just finished a successful crowdfunding campaign for her new album, and the lead single “Rising Tides, Crashing Skies” is available wherever you stream your music now. “Rising Tides, Crashing Skies” is a brilliantly upbeat and deeply thoughtful pop-punk song, one that subtly leans towards country-pop with its fast-paced power-chords and often contagious nature of the leading melody. EJ Carey appears immediately connected to the subject matter at hand, you can hear this in both the lyrics and the emotional, energetic manner in which they’re presented. The intensity and realness really grabs you, and takes you on the full journey of  “Rising Tides, Crashing Skies”. It’s a powerful song, enveloping you in the concept and the beautifully melodic chaos of the moment, with professionally arranged guitar-work and a mighty drum-line. Topping it all off perfectly is the grit and urgency of EJ Carey’s drenching you in these reflections on life, effectively prompting you to consider every lyric. EJ Carey expertly form connections with her listener. Check out  “Rising Tides, Crashing Skies” here! Keep scrolling to read more with EJ Carey! Hey EJ! For those who don’t know, how would you describe your sound and your approach to songwriting? If pop punk graduated from the garage and went on to write radio-ready songs but stopped in Nashville on the way, you'd get a song written by me. Everything I do is definitively pop, from the vocals to the hooks, but I grew up listening to a lot of pop punk titans like Fall Out Boy, Blink 182, and Motion City Soundtrack. It's super clear in my writing that I'm a former Warped Tour attendee, but I'm also heavily dedicated to the tradition of storytelling and setting the scene, which is something you see more in country music.  My approach to songwriting, ever since I was a kid, is that it all has to come out at once. Usually the first line will strike me, and then the rest just pours out. If the entire song doesn't come out all at once (within like 5 minutes or so), it's probably a song I won't end up recording or playing out. I'm super particular about my lyrics, too, and I try not to change too much after the fact. We love your new track  “Rising Tides, Crashing Skies”. What inspired this song? Thanks so much! The title actually comes from an episode of a show on Cartoon Network called Steven Universe. The first time I watched the episode, I thought, "wow, this would make a sick song title." It took something dramatic happening in my life for me to write the song, but it's one of the songs I am most proud of, so I'm definitely not mad about it! Your voice is so authentic and powerful! How long have you been singing? Have you have any vocal training? Thank you! I've been singing and knew I wanted to be a for-real singer since I was five, but my parents/others didn't take me seriously until I was about eight or nine years old. I've been a studio bug since then, spending my high school summers learning how to mix and get my vocals just right behind the mic and recording my last album on weekends between my internships in college. I took lessons as part of my major at Berklee College of Music, and I've been taking vocal lessons again ever since I started gigging more extensively with Brent Barlow out here in Somerville. Taking training is always the key to longevity in your voice, and for anyone on the fence about it, I'd tell you to just dive in! What challenges have you faced as an upcoming artist? How do you overcome those challenges? My biggest challenge in all honesty has been getting out of my own way. I was extremely shy as a kid, and it took many, many years for me to realize that I had to step out of my own shell in order to pursue the thing I love the most. So here I am, stepping out of the shell for good! What’s next for you through 2019? Recording my next album! I just finished a successful crowdfunding campaign to get my next album going, and I'll be spending the fall and beginning part of the winter in the studio getting all my songs in order. I'm EXTREMELY excited to be going on this adventure, and I'm aiming to release the album in Sping 2020. Connect with EJ Carey on social media www.instagram.com/ejcareymusic www.twitter.com/ejcareymusic

Joshua Kuhr Lee is a 21 year old producer/artist hailing from Nashville, Tennessee.  Growing up in Fairfax, Virginia, Joshua began learning classical music at the age of 9. He was playing the cello in many orchestras throughout my K-12 years. He then started to get into producing and writing hip-hop and indie pop in his high school days. Moving to Nashville assisted Kuhr in fine tuning his style into a more gentle approach, thus creating more of a Lofi-chill vibe with many different elements of indie, alternative, hip hop, and ambient. He doesn’t bother with describing himself as one genre, but rather creates what comes to his mind. Kuhr’s brand new album “Spam & Eggs” is a pleasantly lofi blend of hip-hop, indie-chill and R&B. The 5-track project transcends genres and truly highlight Kuhr’s tone and style as a well-rounded artist. The EP has every bit of character and identity you might hope for when seeking out unique, creatively free music. From the offset, “Superior” pours a number of striking elements into the room around you. The title intrigues, the mood of the music accompanies this well, and the artist’s leading voice and lyrics work hard to further draw your attention as well as keeping a certain air of mystery alive. “Brighter Days” showcases the purely instrumental side of the artist’s work with a fitting soundscape that makes a lot of sense and sticks to the musical threads that were created in the opener. It’s a simple, even minimalist piece, spacious and hypnotic, gradually increasing in intensity but only so much so as to give the track a sense of movement. The mood remains constant throughout. “Spam” draws you in with its authentic twang initially. The leading voice is placed fairly distantly within the mix, snippets of instrumentation light up the outer edges like a quiet siren. The song pours lyrics through in a sort of stream-of-consciousness manner. The verses feel like a diary reading as the song is incredibly personal and honest. This song offers a moment of personal connection that’s well-received at this point within the project. “&” offers a beautiful ambiance with melodic instrumentation. The music has a feeling of rising intensity about it, the leading vocal floats alongside of this in a fairly calm and steady way. The lyrics again seem very revealing and deeply considerate, there’s something robotic and electronic about the music but there’s undoubtedly something very human about the lyrical side of things; that contrast adds further to the intrigue of the project. “Eggs” brings the album to a close in familiar yet rather melancholy way. By this point, the quirky or characterful sound of the music is overtaken by this overwhelming sense that a lot of deep thought and heart has gone into the making of this project. The reverb, the muffled audio, the hip-hop beats, everything is mellow and points in the direction of story-telling, but a single listen is far from enough to really take on those stories. It’s worth listening in depth to consider who is behind all of this. Adding authenticity to art in this way is always appealing and always holds a level of value. This final song is something of a highlight but it works the best when experienced at the peak of the whole EP. I highly recommend you check out “Spam & Eggs” here and read more with Kuhr below! Hey Kuhr! Welcome to BuzzMusic and congrats on the release of “Spam & Eggs”! What does this album mean to you? Thank you so much. I wrote this album when I moved into my first apartment, looking back on my old self and where I was at the moment. Time really does fly by and you're changing all the while, but it doesn't have to be a scary thing. I had a new perspective on my individuality, living by myself. The title Spam & Eggs is a reference to a common breakfast my parents made for me as a kid, and now as a young adult on my own, its a kind of comfort food that not only I make for myself, but for someone I love. This I kind of used as a representation of me growing up and appreciating the little things that I might have taken for granted before. What do you hope your listeners take away from it? Growing up is a process and you have to be patient with yourself. Sometimes when it feels like the choices you make are the most difficult for you, they're actually better off for you in the long run. Appreciate every day even if its something small for you to look forward to. Who are your musical influences? How do they inspire your sound? My songs on this EP were definitely more structured than most of my past songs and growing up on John Mayer really helped with my understanding of song structure. Chance The Rapper and Smino have helped me find a distinction in my voice and not be afraid to use a wide vocabulary. Listening to Billie Eilish's 'Don't Smile At Me' helped majorly with where I wanted to take it with production - from the soothing ukulele to the bouncy bass. Clairo's lo-fi bedroom pop sound helped with my style for creating melodies as well as the simplicity of drums. Finally, Saib and Jazzinuf are two different producers that have helped me with refining my lo-fi sound. They don't just make lo-fi beats but also full-on instrumentals that have beautiful depth. I think out of all my musical influences, these two producers inspired me most during the making of this EP. How did you come to create “Spam & Eggs”? "Spam" was the first one I worked on. I started with my ukulele trying to find a catchy chord progression. I don't remember how long it took to find it, but when I did, I was writing lyrics to it right away. I referenced Spam & Eggs in the song 'Spam' before I even knew I was going to create an EP, much less the name of the EP. I almost wanted to call it 'Big Red Heart' but once I started working on more of the songs of the EP, I wanted the name to be more cohesive with the theme. I tested 'Spam' out by posting a little video of me singing on Instagram, and it did pretty well. I wanted to make something that was out of my comfort zone, not my usual style of R&B and Hip Hop, and I feel this EP is the first project that I've made that I am truly proud to be behind. What would you say is the most distinctive characteristic or trait of this new music? I think the most distinctive part of my music is my voice. I captured a mellow, but haunting effect with how I sang it, as well the way I mixed it. There was no use of any auto-tune or any pitch correction because I felt that would only take away the rawness in my voice, and I enjoy a more organic sound. Mixing my vocals took the longest, however. It's the one thing I really want to perfect because I think in my music it takes most importance. I had fun experimenting with the vocals throughout the EP, with effects and reverb, and I am happy with how it turned out. Though it was hard work, I enjoyed every aspect in the making of 'Spam & Eggs. Connect with Kuhr on social media www.instagram.com/joshuakuhrlee www.twitter.com/JoshuaKuhrLee