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Featured on “Sweet Nothings”, “Drown Me” is a haunting and alluring single by Bomethius. The dark piano ballad is a stirring anthem to Bomethius’ own manic strain of indifference. Through his artistic delivery and sound, Bomethius is able to highlight some not so pleasant, sometimes depressing topics and make them bearable. “Drown Me” is a piece that perfectly represents his alter ego, Bomethius, because of this he’s able to be vulnerable and connect with his fans on another level. Bomethius is the solo project of Dallas-based multi-instrumentalist and singer- songwriter Jonathan Hodges. A capable pianist, guitarist, and vocalist, Hodges has also studied the violin since he was 3 years old. Hodges graduated from Southern Methodist University in 2019 with a bachelor of music degree in violin performance. Exploring a range of styles from blues and jazz to minimalism and chamber rock, the album “Sweet Nothings” is Bomethius’ third album to date His strongest and most mature effort to date, “Sweet Nothings” is metaphorical and musical brilliance. Check out “Drown Me” here and read more with Bomethius below! Song Artwork by: David Gail Smith Hey Bomethius! Welcome to BuzzMusic! Can you tell us more about your upbringing and how you got started in music? Hello! Thanks for having me! A lot of people ask about my name, so I should probably start with that. My mom was pretty intense growing up — I was classically educated, and we started school when I was about two years old. I think we had been reading through the more accessible Greek myths when she suddenly just started calling me Bomethius. I like to say that it's somewhere between Prometheus (stealing fire from the gods and then being tortured for eternity) and Boethius (The Consolation of Philosophy), but it's actually just my childhood nickname. I started studying the violin when I was 3 years old, and my parents made it pretty clear that whether I enjoyed it or not I had to play until I was 18. I have to admit I didn't really like it very much. Violin requires intense concentration, and sometimes a mind-numbing degree of precise repetition that I simply didn't have the patience for. It makes instruments like guitar and piano very attractive by comparison because there's a certain amount of instant gratification that is simply not present for the first 10+ years of learning the violin — unless you're a prodigy or something. I think that's why I started writing songs. I remember about two weeks before going to college I had been hanging out with my friend Nate Zivin. We were messing around with a bunch of weird synths he had recently acquired, and then next thing we knew we were writing and recording songs. We finished an album together in those two weeks before I left, but once I got to college I didn't have much luck finding the time or the people to pursue recording. I never had money for equipment, and I didn't really know anything about the recording process, so I just resigned myself to recording voice memo sketches of ideas on my phone and hoping I'd get another chance some day. I transferred schools halfway through my undergrad, and I happened to discover that the garageband app on my iPhone was actually pretty good. I was able to record almost all of my first solo album, Gender is a Fluid on my phone — which was kind of insane. I managed to pick up some better equipment by the time I started working on the Bomethius albums, but not really that much better. Armed with a usb mic, and garageband (on my computer) I recorded the first two Bomethius records Intimatitudes and As Roses almost exclusively in my bathroom. Now with the new record, Sweet Nothings, I've graduated to a legitimate phantom powered condenser mic, but the budget is obviously still pretty low. The project is really quite vulnerable for me because I write, perform, record, mix, and master almost everything myself. The progression of the albums, in terms of the Bomethius story arc, is autobiographically informed, but you can also hear me growing up with each subsequent release — in terms of the quality of sound, craft, performance, intonation, etc. I got my degree in violin performance this past May, but with few exceptions I rarely feature the violin in my own recorded work. Growing up I listened to a lot of Andrew Bird, and there's no way I can discount his influence on me, but I quickly grew tired of people comparing us. I think I wanted to prove that I could create compelling music without the one instrument I actually sort of know how to play, but I also think I needed to establish a voice and a sound for myself before introducing the violin. We love your track “Drown Me,” it’s very awakening. What emotions did you channel in order to write this song? Thanks! Last summer I went up to New York for a music resort job, and that's where I wrote "Drown Me." I didn't have any of my recording equipment up there, so I had a lot of time to craft the songs I wrote there. I'm pretty impatient with my ideas, and I tend to record songs within a day or two of writing them... so this was a good lesson in really taking the time to get it right. I spent a lot of time on the chord progression for this song, and worked a bit with Patrick Lenz (an incredible composer) on the functionality of #9ths, crazy key changes, and stuff like that. I was separated from my girlfriend for the entirety of that summer, and then over the course of the same summer my immediate family moved from Dallas to Minnesota. I'm the oldest of 6 kids, and I've always been pretty close with a lot of my siblings, so realizing that I'd be returning to Dallas financially independent with no one but my girlfriend was kind of a lot to take in. I've always been a pretty polarizing person so I'm accustomed to alienation, but I've also almost always had my family. Realizing you're on your own, having to take responsibility for yourself and your actions, and determining who you give your time to makes you think hard about what and who is important to you. Sweet Nothings, the record "Drown Me" is off of, deals with the aftermath of losing one's concept of home — it revels in the process of attempting to rebuild. A lot of my music is generally perceived as being cynical and dark, but I'm actually an optimist deep down — I'm just wary of naivety. "Drown Me" is an attempt at channeling and capturing genuine hope, but I think it only works because it isn't naive. Can you dive into the meaning behind your lyricism in “Drown Me”? Sure! The premise for the opening line //"Drown me in my own glass of water "// comes from a joke I'd recently developed with my brother Charles. My whole life I've had great difficulty drinking water (or really any fluid) out of glasses. It's almost a daily occurrence that I accidentally get water down the "wrong pipe" or just plain spill the contents of the glass all over myself. Additionally, almost all of my siblings (myself included) are incapable of expressing laughter passively. If something is really funny to us we throw our heads back, flail wildly about, and stomp to and fro. The point being that Charles and I have decided that we'll probably die when our bodies are too frail and aged to recover from our reactions to things. One day, in a few decades, I'll be drinking some water, but then I'll start to choke on the water, and Charles will be laughing so hard at my inability to drink water that he'll break his neck from all the uncontrollable nonsense he's accustomed to doing when he laughs and then we'll die in the same room over nothing more than a glass of water — choking on our own laughter as we go. The next line //"This town is just like the others. Can’t you see the icebergs from their tips?"// comes from the fact that I've moved around the country a fair bit. I grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, spent my teenage years in Austin, Texas, started college in Seattle, Washington, and then finished my degree in Dallas, Texas... But for all my moving it seems to me that I'm just as miserable here as I am anywhere else. The "icebergs," are the deceptions that attempt (often with success) to sink the proverbial Titanic of our culture — various forms of media, porn, drugs, etc. The internet has virtually rendered our geography meaningless insofar as we are able to hurt more people anonymously in less time than ever before. //"If you stop searching like Hugh Hefner Because you think you've found the answer You’ll have little left to sell And you're definitely going to hell"// I paint Hugh Hefner as the modern image of what a self-satisfied person looks like — a person who is perfectly at home in themselves. It occurs to me that if you don't live your life yearning for something beyond yourself, then there's very little chance that you're a redeeming person. //"We’re always leaving Leaving home And rollin away from our loaned stones On this plain of never ending bones"// The final verse describes the constant movement of people in and out of my life. Either I've moved away, or they have; we've forgotten about each other, or they've died. In the midst of that kind of upheaval you have to decide where home really is, and what it means to you. //"I want to stay with you. I want to stay with you. I want to stay with you."// I end by professing my love for another. Essentially saying, I'll go wherever, as long as you're coming too. Do you have any musical influences that inspire your music? How so? Absolutely! I like to say that there is no such thing as groundbreaking innovation — there is only fantastic synthesis. I attempt to synthesize Elliott Smith, Andrew Bird, Brian Wilson, Randy Newman, Muse, Tom Waits, Gregory Alan Isakov, and maybe a bit of Buddy Holly in my work, but not sonically so much. Sure the nods are definitely there, but I think I synthesize the feelings I get from them more than their approaches to composition. My approach to composition is very much my own. I have a series on the Bomethius Youtube Channel called "Learning My Own Songs" where I walk my listeners through my songs and then perform them unplugged with just my guitar or keyboard, and I'm often puzzled by the bizarre forms some of my songs tend to follow. I think I get bored too easily. I've also tended to write a lot of my songs as I'm recording them — something I moved away from on this record. Even still, I tend to find that the scratch recordings I have of my writing sessions typically capture more emotionally moving performances than the final product. Pure feeling is hard to replicate. Scratch recordings aren't concerned with phrasing, counting, or the larger instrumentation etc. they are only about the moment. I think I live for moments of pure feeling. I don't think there's a single artist that captures pure feeling throughout their entire catalogue, but there are definitely artists who strike gold here and there. I think the song "Marie" is a great example of Randy Newman striking gold on a record that is already pretty golden. He almost sounds drunk the way he sings it, ya know? That's a next level performance. Not ever having been formally taught to sing or play guitar or piano, I'm often terrified that people will see that I don't really know what I'm doing. I only ever received instruction on an instrument that reminds me of my inferiority every time I pick it up, so I have trouble really putting myself out there on my performances. My musical influences inspire me to put myself out there; not to fear, but rather to embrace imperfection. What’s next for Bomethius? Hopefully a lot! Probably the saddest thing about being an artist who is intent upon growth is the realization that if you continue creating, whatever you are presently working on you’ll eventually tell people not to listen to — because it isn't as good as what you're working on now. I'm almost always working on a few different recording projects at a time, and right now I'm about halfway through writing the next two Bomethius albums. One will be co-written by my uncle Dave, and the other will pick up the Bomethius narrative in a completely new light. I'm calling Sweet Nothings the final entry in my first trio of albums (which includes Intimatitudes and As Roses before it), so the project with Dave will be a great segue to better things. Dave brings an element of seriousness, and unapologetic absurdity that works really well within the Bomethius narrative, so in many ways this project is quite freeing. We'll be drawing on his musical influences more, and he'll be writing the majority of the lyrics. I'm also working on a book that's written from the perspective of Bomethius, as an attempt to push and explore the boundaries of the character more. I want Bomethius to be the musical equivalent of Kierkegaard, but I suppose you can't accomplish a task that ridiculous unless there's a few hundred pages of superfluous writing to go along with it. Keep up with Bomethius through social media! Instagram: www.instagram.com/bomethius Facebook: www.facebook.com/Bomethius #BuzzMusic

Selena Polutnik who goes by the stage name of Selena Victoria is a PoP singer/songwriter stemming all the way from a working-class family making her the first to chase such a dream in her hometown of Hamilton, Ontario. Selena got her start by being gifted with the talent of music since she was a young girl. From singing at Charity events to working with household names like Ray Lyell & Teresa Cirillo, Selena continued writing & began producing her own songs with major producers in Toronto. Selena Victoria released her single titled “Never Be The One” and this engaging single will draw in major traction! The pop-driven & melodic single are catchy and fun with a passionate romantic touch to the lyricism. The vibes are cute with a outgoing and magical element. You’re completely immersed in the music and captivated by Selena Victoria’s inviting and attractive vocal resonance. There’s no doubt “Never Be The One” will become a hit-making record that will have the youth impressed and the older crowd intrigued. Selena Victoria can become an easily marketable mainstream talent and her music is equally as glistening as her sound! Listen to "Never Be The One" here Connect with Selena Victoria on social media www.instagram.com/selenavictoriaofficial

Kayla Avitabile has a voice that is so incredibly raw and uncommon. We're exasperated at the quality of tone Kayla is able to steadily maintain throughout all of her tracks, especially so in her latest EP "Shadows & Fate". As a singer/songwriter/guitarist (what can't she do?!) Kayla impresses listeners with her degree and element of diversity as a musician. We can feel the amount of honesty in her tracks, ultimately knowing they aren't fabricated in the slightest. Kayla Avitabile is the type of alternative/indie artist you want to be listening to (we've been listening for quite some time already), and her last track off of "Shadows & Fate" is the gateway to blessing your ears with soul and passion. The tone in Kayla's recent release "Streetcar" is predominantly on the melancholic side. Kayla's honesty and pure vocalism is one of the first elements to the track you'll recognize. There are some songs you just listen to, and are really able to appreciate the genuine talent that artist has.Kayla Avitabile is one of the artists that you just listen to, and automatically appreciate the talent she possesses within the dynamics of her vocals. It's almost surprising the degree to which Kayla is able to reach within her vocal delivery, and yet, we need to stop being surprising by the blatant capabilities of young artists. "Streetcar" is the track you want to be listening to when in the most reminiscent and soulful mood. "Streetcar" is that track you need to be listening to when you feel ​lugubrious. Check out "Streetcar" here, as well as our interview with Kayla Avitabile below! Hey Kayla! Please introduce yourself as an artist to our readers! To everyone out there who doesn’t know my music, I would describe myself as an indie-alternative artist. I draw influence from female rock legends like Alanis Morissette and Stevie Nicks. My voice is often described as soulful and my lyrics, thoughtful. I would also say content is not shy of political implications. While curating “Streetcar”, did you come across any creative blocks? If you ever come across creative blocks with creating your sound, how do you typically surpass them? Lyrics are really important to me, and I often spend a lot of time making sure that they convey the meaning I’m trying to get across. I wrote this song based on the play and later film, A Streetcar Named Desire which details an abusive relationship. With this song, I felt that it would be interesting to come from the “bad guy” rather than the “good guy” perspective and the complicated feelings surrounding these type of relationships. Therefore, trying to keep my point of view clear was sometimes a challenge as well as creating a changing melody rather than sticking to the typical verse chorus structure. Whenever I run into roadblocks I sometimes find it best to just come back to the song later or just realize that maybe I shouldn’t over analyze too much. What are performances like? How would you describe the atmosphere of your shows? Performances for me are often acoustic sets in the bar and restaurant scene and the occasional music festival. The atmosphere is often more relaxed. My gigs often have that singer-songwriter vibe where I preface my songs with either an anecdote or essentially the meaning of the song. Think coffee house vibe minus the folk and replaced with acoustic alt rock. "Streetcar" had an incredible lyrical presence to the track. What would you say was the most impactful lyric in the track? This is hard to say considering the most impactful lyric could be different to every person. I guess that lyric for me would be, “No right, no wrong. Morality’s just a word,” because I feel like that is the core of the entire song. With so much injustice, not just in this context of the play and the abusive relationship, but society at large, people will always try to justify terrible things. The lyric adds to this sort of nihilist approach to the song which sometimes comes across in my music (which for the most part is incredibly angsty). Congratulations on your 2018 nominee for Best New Album! We absolutely loved "Shadows & Fate" and the strong atmosphere it produced for us as listeners. Do you have any other singles in the mix? I have released one single post-Shadows & Fate which plays in the credits of a documentary series done by my university television station (TUTV). I wrote the song “Play the Game” for the episode “Confidence” on The Athena Project which you can find on the Tufts Univeristy Television YouTube channel. I have other music written and more in the works which could mean a possible recording session this winter. Connect with Kayla Avitabile on social media www.instagram.com/kayla.avitabile #BuzzMusic

Independent rapper and lyricist Rumz is making waves in the music scene out of Toronto, Canada. Being born and raised in London, England, Rumz is influenced by many in the grime scene in the UK but has also grown to appreciate the growing rap scene in Toronto. At only 19years old, authentic artist Rumz has released a few singles already and has much more coming this year! “Live It Up” is a smooth hip-hop track that has an overall theme of exactly what the title insists. It’s all about turning up and having a good time. “Live It Up” is the perfect club banger this summer! The trap beat fuses perfectly with the hard-hitting hip-hop bass. Rumz is all about spreading the good vibes as we weaves through his retrospective outlook on life. His versatility and creativity shine through the speaker as his lyricism and melodious verses take us on a journey. Rumz makes crisp music and writes thriving verses that his fans can relate and vibe to. Rumz is THE artist to watch. With a track like “Live It Up” and other new releases putting him on the map in a big way, we can’t wait to see what he delivers next! Check out “Live It Up” here and read more below in our exclusive interview with Rumz. Hi Rumz! Welcome to BuzzMusic! Can you start by telling our readers more about yourself and how you got started making music? I was born and raised in London, England and moved to Canada at the age of 13. The transition from one country to the next was challenging at times but overall a good experience. Music helped me a lot during that transition period and I was memorizing lyrics from alot of songs I was listening to at the time. The thing that got me into making music was the time when I had rapped some lyrics I had memorized and had people in my elementary class convinced that I was a rapper. Then I actually tried doing it myself with an instrumental and a pen and paper myself and realized I could do it. Over time I just got better and better and used it as therapy for something's going on at the time and It became apart of myself that I enjoy. What influences did you have growing up that pushed you in the direction of making your own music? I've been around music a lot my life as my dad use to make music and at 10 years old I was playing the keyboard. Being from England, Grime was a big part of my life as my brother listened to a lot of grime artists such as Dot Rotten, Chip, Wiley, Kano, and many more. Growing up, I appreciated grime and hip hop a lot more than I did and became intrigued with the UK music scene. Moving to Toronto and seeing the music scene in Toronto, I wanted to be different from most. Having my accent and being from England helped me to have a unique sound. What was your writing process like for “Live It Up”? What inspired this track? I started writing live it up using another beat and the vibe I got from it was like a celebratory, party vibe, but it wasn't what I totally envisioned in my head for the song to sound. So I was able to find something to help bring the song to the sound I wanted. In the writing process for live it up, I was constantly thinking about how the beat made me feel and "live it up" were the words that kept coming to me. The inspiration for this song came from just wanting to create something that would be good especially for the summer time or anytime anyone is having fun. I wanted it to be song that if you heard it at a party you'd vibe and have a good time to. Do you have any upcoming shows you’d like to talk about? Currently I do not have any shows planned but I do have some other things planned for my music. What’s net for you Rumz? I am in the process of creating my first mixtape and having visuals for some songs. I am also looking to perform at places in the near future so that I can be able to add a face to my name. Keep up with Rumz through social media! www.instagram.com/callmerumz #BuzzMusic

Vealy is a pop and soul singer/songwriter born and raised in the Philippines. She has been singing since before she could read! She moved to the United States in 2013 at age 17. She became a registered nurse at age 20, and worked in the ER for an entire year while juggling her music career on the side. Eventually, she mustered the courage to quit nursing and follow her heart. Now here she is in Los Angeles, a full-time musician— writing original music, performing in local shows, even busking sometimes with her keyboard on Melrose Ave. “Oh Strangeland” is a retrospective track that focuses on Vealy’s inner thoughts and feelings. The uncertainty and mystery that comes with not knowing what the future will bring us adds an alluring topic for the heartfelt ballad. Vealy weaves through optimistic and angelic vocals. Her vocalism and strength come blasting through the speakers as her powerhouse vocals take control. The thunderous bass fused with the raw and emotive lyricism make this a track that demands to be heard. We love Vealy’s overall sound and breathtaking new track! I highly recommend you check it out and keep up with Vealy and all her future musical endeavors! Listen to “Oh Strangeland” here and read more below in our exclusive interview with Vealy! Hey Vealy! Welcome to BuzzMusic! How long have you been involved in the music industry? Hi BuzzMusic! Thank you for having me! I’m a big newbie in the music industry. I’ve been in it only since January 2019, so about 7 months now! How did you get started? I got started by just getting myself in it! Music has always been a part of my life. I grew up in the Philippines, and so I sang whenever, wherever I could.. in school, church, and karaoke parties (obviously). I also learned to play the piano pretty early on because my family liked singing church hymns, so I had to learn how to read notes and sing at the same time. However, when I got to the United States at age 17, I initially started my “adult” life as a nurse. I did that for a year, until I said.. “okay, nursing is not your calling… You need to sing”. So in January 2019, I quit my nursing job and moved to Los Angeles to become a full-time singer/songwriter. We love your track “Oh Strangeland”!! Can you tell us the meaning behind the lyrics and what you hope your fans take away from this song? Oh Strangeland is my story, but it also reminds me of Santiago, the traveler from The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. To dream is one part… everyone can dream, however, to take action is the second step after dreaming. I took action, I left people I knew, my hometown, a stable job for something that I love. I know it sounds like a fairytale— it is a cool life, I love it, but it’s definitely not easy. I certainly have to make sure I have enough money to pay rent for the next month, I for sure doubt myself multiple times if I’ve made the right choice of leaving everything, and I for sure just want answers from some greater being— but that’s now how life works. There’s no growth without struggle. You won’t know what might work without ever trying. You have to find out for yourself, but it takes courage.. and a lot of it. From an artist perspective, what’s your favorite part of “Oh Strangeland”? Why? I worked with Phil from Visionquest Sound, an amazing producer who helped me take my song to a whole new level. I’ve learned many valuable tricks I could use in the next few tracks I’ll be working on. One of the things I really liked is the lush vocal layers we added to construct “Oh Strangeland” ’s world. We added a lot a lot! Haha. Do you have any upcoming events you’d like to tell our readers about? I plan to up my busking game either on Melrose Ave or DTLA! Also, I will be performing at the Panana Night Market some time in September! What’s next for Vealy career-wise? I will be getting a serious vocal coach, it’ll be a lot of learning and training from here on out!! Also, we’ll be filming the music video for Oh Strangeland, and I’ll finish producing some more songs that have been living in my journal for awhile! Keep up with Vealy through social media Instagram:  www.instagram.com/iamvealy Facebook: www.facebook.com/iamvealy #BuzzMusic

Lachlan Grant Splendor is a roots/rock music artist producing songs entailing messages of aspiration to inspire love and passion for the unique qualities of each person’s authentic individual color. Hailing from New Zealand, the globe trekking artist has picked up a diverse array of influences to his original sound. Lachlan’s songs deal with introspection, inspiration and the awakening of one’s higher consciousness. Taking cues from folk and roots rock, Lachlan draws further inspiration from a mix of artists including Neil Young and Billy Bragg. His brand new album titled “The Choice Is Yours” begins with an upbeat and alluring roots intro called “Believe in Possibilities” the acoustics lead into Lachlan’s hypnotic and dark vocals. This track is all about being aware of ourselves and what we put out into the world. It’s about looking at our emotions and adjusting the way we think and react to certain situations. The next track is the namesake of the album “The Choice Is Yours”. In this track, Lachlan takes a more somber route.  Focusing on the main theme that insisted by the title, our lives are dependent on the choices we make. If we focus on negativity, we will receive it right back and vice versa. The next track is titled “Father’s Second Son” Lachlan Grant Splendor showcases his intense finger pick styling. The retrospective track gives us a vulnerable look inside of Lachlan’s emotional mind. The track talks about everyone's fear of falling into the background. We all need to absorb the same mindset as Lachlan Grant Splendor when it comes to getting motivated to change our situations. “Dependent Happiness” is a melancholic track about somebody who’s not around anymore. It’s about the grief that happens when you lose someone and rebuilding yourself after that lose. We love the emotive lyricism fused with pummeling riffs and a catchy melody. Lachlan changes the tone of the album up a bit with the next track “Pristine”, it’s a light-hearted track with an upbeat and vibrant energy! Blessed with a pure and flawless acoustic guitar solo, “Pristine” is definitely one of my favorites! “Desperate Love” is not the heart wrenching love ballad you’d think from the title. Although it is slightly haunting, “Desperate Love” is formed in the way of a story about “Jack and Sally”, two people in search of true love. “Evolving Sounds” is a track laced with spectacular arrangements of acoustics and heart-melting vocals. It explodes into a catchy folk tune and we’re loving it! Another motivational anthem and encouraging track about going your own path, beating your own drum and ultimately making your own choices. “Sustain” is a psychedelic track that further takes on no the inspiring journey that is “The Choice Is Yours”. Again using storytelling elements, Lachlan teaches us valuable lessons and awakens one’s higher consciousness. “Keep The Dream Alive” is a track that really focuses on rebuilding and not regretting anything you’ve done it life. We need to learn to change our mindset and know life everything in life is meant to be. “Collective” is a track that highlights Lachlan’s vocal range and unique tone. Authentic to the core, Lachlan Grant Splendor continues to motivate and inspire the better person inside of all of us. As the album approaches conclusion, “Wearing Warmth” is the second-last track. The introductory guitar feels like a winding road and it weaves through a smooth melody. It becomes more upbeat and develops its overall soulful and high energy vibe. As the twelfth and last track on the album “The Choice Is Yours”, “Dark Night Moon Light” exudes a raw and pure energy. As a reflection on the universe, its vast and atmospheric sound takes us through to the end of an incredible album. With elements of folk, roots, rock and soul mixed with contemporary rhythms and a powerful sound, “The Choice Is Yours” is a hard hitting album that will make any listener reevaluate their outlook on the world and themselves. Lachlan Grant Splendor is able to relate to their listeners on so many levels. Through his meaningful lyricism and finely-calibrated instrumentals, Lachlan establishes true connections with his fans. Check out “The Choice Is Yours” here and read more with Lachlan in our interview below! Hello Lachlan! Welcome to BuzzMusic! What was your upbringing like? When did you start creating music? Greetings and gratitude! I feel my upbringing was successful. Having had the opportunity to discover a passion for music during my younger years has influenced the direction of my lifestyle from adolescence onwards. In 2007, I began recording my guitar and voice. Hearing myself play back through the speakers revealed endless possibilities of creativity. I was embedded on a path of discovering myself through music. What overall theme does your album “The Choice Is Yours” have? Knowledge, wisdom and discovering the true self within. It’s a conceptual album inspired by introspection, inspiration and higher conscious awakening. The intention of this album is to remind people that they have a choice to be co creators of their reality and further inspire them to embrace authenticity free from judgement. From an artist’s perspective, what’s your favorite track? Why? I initially wrote ‘Evolving Souls’ as a journal entry to remember happiness while drifting in the lows of displacement. Later that evening I was exploring an open guitar tuning and finger style picking what are now the main progressions in the song. After realizing the lyrics from my journal fit so naturally, I commenced to sing and found the melody. It was like the spirits were literally speaking through me. I simply love this song because it came organically. It still reminds me that I am worthy, resilient, creative, and deeply connected to the source of all energy. Are all of the songs on “The Choice Is Yours” based on life experiences? Yes and if not, inspired by. This album was written from a viewpoint of reflection portraying medicinal messages used for self healing along the journey towards understanding. What’s your writing process like? Although many of my songs have started as lyrical ideas, I find these messages and concepts useful in dictating the direction of the music. I will often come up with a guitar riff or chord progression, align with lyrics from my notebook and evolve the song from there. Stay connected with Lachlan through his socials! www.instagram.com/lachlangrantsplendor www.facebook.com/lachlangrantsplendor #BuzzMusic

Ben Jammin was raised in Charleston, West Virginia, who initially began making music for all the bad reasons and never the good until the day he found God. With a newfound love, he released his single titled “Feeling Me” and we loved every aspect of this track. Ben Jammin embodies the true element of smooth and sensual R&B alongside a intricate production. This groovy record had a unique vocal articulation by Ben Jammin. He showcases his special and individualistic delivery that can’t be compared to any other artist. However, it flowed fluently with the song, almost intertwining with one another as a whole. The lyricism showcased a sense of romanticism that the youth will digest perfectly. In the season of summer, new flings and old flings emerge! Creating endless vibes of companionship and fun. With a song like “Feeling Me”, we can’t help but admire how Ben Jammin was able to deliver us a record that we can relate too and vibe out with. Check out "Feeling Me" here! Keep up with Ben Jammin through his socials! www.instagram.com/benjamminwv www.facebook.com/benjamnwv #BuzzMusic

Residing in Los Angeles, ShyBoy’s upbeat club music focuses on empowering the LGBTQ+ community and beyond. His seductive sound and alluring tracks make him the one to watch! ShyBoy’s new single “Backroom” evokes dimly lit dance floors of a different kind.“Backroom” is a sexy new single from ShyBoy, the danceable track bounces through dynamic layers of electronic music while remaining consistently contemporary and addictive. ShyBoy’s vocals range is phenomenal and we can’t get enough! We love his diverse tones and overall positive energy! He takes his listeners on a mind bending musical journey and allows them to escape to the other-worldly soundscape he creates. Described by The GATE as "timelessly fun with vocals that are slick, rich, and addictive” and by Popmuzik as a “delicious gay disco anthem,” we cab’t get enough! The song’s accompanying music video (directed by Michael Bodie) - which features a cast of characters intertwined in a sultry, pansexual setting that celebrates the evolution of LGBTQ+ leather and kink subculture - was premiered by World of Wonder on their WOW Presents Plus streaming service and described by the WOW Report as a “gritty masterpiece." I highly recommend you check out “Backroom” here and read more with ShyBoy below! Welcome to BuzzMusic! Can you start by telling us more about your upbringing and how you got started making music? I was born and raised in Michigan. I loved music and started to develop creatively at a young age. I could hear songs in my head. Gifts from the universe. The more I listened to my inner voice, the stronger the need to create music and the more my talents emerged. I’m really happy I followed that instinct. Your vocal register is amazing! Have you had any professional training? I was in choirs and musical productions all throughout high school. At the time, I was doing it because it was fun and it held my interest. What I didn’t realize back then was that it was a training ground for me, and I was clocking hours that would serve as a strong foundation for my music career. We love your spicy new track “Backroom”! Can you dive into the meaning of the lyrics? I wanted to come up with something that really complimented the vibe of the track. After considering different types of stories to tell, I ultimately decided that it was best to keep the words simple. It’s really a song about sexual freedom and sexual connection, and how they intersect in dark corners and backrooms of clubs and bars. It was very exciting to create a music video for it, and to be able to tell a story of pansexuality, leather, and kink in sexy LGBTQ spaces. Who are your musical influences? Why? Prince, mostly. I was immediately enchanted and entranced by everything he put out while I was growing up. His music shaped my outlook on artistic evolution and helped me to remain open to creative change. What’s next for you, ShyBoy? I’m working on new songs and a new live show with my collaborators and producers Jeff Hoeppner and Mark Nubar. My next single, “U Can Get It,” picks up where “Backroom” leaves off, and we have numerous other singles and videos to follow. Keep up with ShyBoy through his socials! www.instagram.com/djshyboy www.facebook.com/djshyboy #BuzzMusic

St.Louis, Missouri native Black Kenn is a talented, independent artist making a name for himself. Growing up, Black Kenn dreamed of being a pro basketball player, he fully threw himself into the sport but soon realized his true passion was music. Linking up with his best friend, Gustoo as the producer, Black Kenn the artist was born. Freestyling and rapping became second nature to him. Like his gift of basketball, he dedicated himself day in and day out to his music growing and evolving over time. Black Kenn is rising to fame quickly with his authentic fusion of trap and hip-hop flavors. “Time Zone” is a dope new track by rapper and gifted lyricist, Black Kenn. The track is all about the struggles of being out on the road on tour, and trying to get home to the one you love. “Time Zone” showcases Black Kenn’s flawless flow and expert lyricism. He’s able to blend vulnerability with a contemporary trap sound. The song is a hip-hop anthem all about loyalty, love and trust. Black Kenn admirably curates relatable tracks for his fans to vibe to. The undertones of synths and the rhythmic textures fuse brilliantly to create this hot new track. I highly recommend you check out “Time Zone” and Black Kenn’s entire new album “The Book Of Kenn”. The album was produced by DolanBeatz which is a platinum plaque producer responsible for producing “ New Patek “ by Lil Uzi Vert. Listen to “Time Zone” here and read more with Black Kenn below! Welcome back to BuzzMusic! How did you know that music was your ultimate passion as opposed to basketball? Well I’ve always been a big fan of music, just never saw it as my thing. My brother Gustoo started producing and asked me to freestyle to his beats, this is all around the same time that I got kicked off the basketball team at school too so I was like why not? I still didn’t feel like that was my lane though. It was really Gustoo that saw something in me way before I did, and was telling me I should take it serious. It wasn’t til within this last year or so that I noticed I had a real love for music. What’s your track “Time Zone” all about? Is this song based on your real life experiences? Yes, this is most def based on a true story haha. I’ve had women tell me I suck at texting and how terrible I am at communicating, but they don’t understand that when I’m out of town I’m really out here working. So I made this song to let em know I ain’t forgot about ya love 📷, also I feel like this song shows growth in my music and gives the listener a different flavor of Black Kenn than what they’re used to. What do you hope your listeners take away from your music? Hopefully they take away that the music is unique and original. I just wanna make good music people can connect to in some type of way. What can your listeners expect from your album “The Book Of Kenn”? Expect nothing. Appreciate everything. What's next for Black Kenn? More music of course, ‘Nightmare On Gustoo Street 2’ is coming in the fall. Also be on the look out for more visuals and hopefully more shows too! Black Kenn Worldwide! Keep up with Black Kenn through social media! www.instagram.com/black.kenn #BuzzMusic

5AM BEATZ is a bedroom producer from Boyle Heights, California who started producing music on and off around 3 to 4 years ago. 5AM BEATZ released his record titled “Oldshit” featuring the artist Ezilu. The production of the song created the foundation for Ezilu and the verses to provide a cohesive delivery. The beat had a nice fusion of old-school with lo-fi hip-hop. This smooth connection between the multiple subgenres of hip-hop made this record more digestible for all lovers of rap. 5AM BEATZ is a unique producer who brings his imagination into his music. The beat was cool and kickback with clean execution. This gave the rapper a significant amount of room to add his individual style to the track, making this song an elemental hit. “Oldshit” is perfect for you lovers of hip-hop who sometimes want to listen to smooth-sailing beats and a relaxing delivery. It’s a vibe for the lyricists, and it feels never-ending! Listen to "Oldshit" here and get to know more about 5AM BEATZ below! Hey 5AM BEATZ. Knowing you began your career in your bedroom recently, what motivated you to pursue music? When I first started making music I didn’t think I was going anywhere with it.  But once I started to gain more & more knowledge of my craft, I came to realize that the outcome of sitting behind my laptop was far more exhilarating than not even trying. The motivation for me to pursue music is the process in which each & every track has to go through in order to become that final beat. As a producer, how do you usually draw inspiration for your songs? Inspiration for me really comes random most times. It can be from taking a walk outside, & taking in the environment around me,  to even just sitting behind my laptop messing around with different sounds & samples. I don’t have a specific way to gather inspiration for any of my songs. What was the inspiration for “Oldshit”? The beat itself came to me on just a spark of different ideas I was throwing around in my “DAW” (digital audio workstation). It was originally just a beat itself. But for a while Iv been wanting to have my homie Ezilu on a track. So this was one of the beats I showed him & something just clicked. “Oldshit” was a mixture of two different ideas. One was how he acted in his high school days & the second idea was how mine & his sounds transformed from back in the day to now. He really did show the main focus of the whole track in a 2-3 minute song. What are some main challenges you face and how do you usually overcome them? Some challenges I face is my daily life would be writers block & not having the right knowledge to further myself in music. Writers block can have me in a daze for quite sometime. Most times I just go back through my older music & try to mess around with the sounds a little bit. That sometimes sparks motivation to come up with different ideas or to even start ideas. Even making a simple kick, snare, & hihat pattern will have some ideas flowing through my head. By watching videos online to reading e books about production helps me better my craft. Seeing people in the field doing what I’m doing extends my knowledge in a profound way. I’m always trying to learn newer things about music to better understand the DAW I’m working on or the equipment I have at hand. What’s next for you 5AM BEATZ? The next step for me is to try work with talented artists to get my name out there. I just want to grow my knowledge about the people in the industry to the production equipment I have at my disposal. Also I’m always working on new music so keep an eye out for that don’t know when exactly but just know new music will be on the way! Connect with 5AM BEATZ on social media www.instagram.com/_5ambeatz www.mobile.twitter.com/_5AMBEATZ