If Holo were a more agro-punk or hardcore band of the Dead Kennedys, Minor Threat or Bad Religion variety, I might suspect that naming their track “Gone” was a nod to the optical imaging apparatus patent registered to Holo-Gone LLC back in December 2002. A swipe at the dawning age of out-of-control tech, or something. But the self-described “indie-punk” trio from Los Angeles isn’t that kind of band. Overall, their DNA has less Offspring, and more Yellowcard, Jimmy Eat World and Green Day. That’s why you shouldn’t hope they're actually an elaborate parody of the Holo Holo beverage company, in an attempt to discredit the makers of heart disease-inducing carbonation and sugar products. Don’t expect a grand statement or a revolution. Yet, this just might be the right thing to listen to after you discover your truck wasn’t actually stolen, you just forgot where you parked. Sometimes things aren’t as bad as you think. Holo is more suburbs and sprinkler systems, less urban wasteland and protests. Overall their new album is more O.C. than Echo Park, more San Diego than Venice. With songs like “Put Me Away” and “Hello” we have straight-up pop-punk positivity. Lyrics are relationship-based and kinda sweet, despite the gruff vocals. With the single “Gone” we’re offered one of the least pop-punk tracks of the whole World’s Worst album. Yet, despite the troubling subject matter (we’re treated to the words “I’m so far gone,” and “I’m a mess. I’m a wreck.”) the pop-rock is still relatively uplifting somehow (“I will not be the reason you drink away another night,” we hear). Certainly, the group could trace its roots to Blink 182 and the Used, but is more heavily indebted to Vampire Weekend and Rise Against. Not all music has to be caustic, you know. Listen to "Gone" here and get to know Holo better in our interview below! What does holo mean to you? Holo means the world to us. This is what we want to do for the rest of our lives and we are hoping it works out What are you doing to turn up the heat for East LA venues (Echo Park, Silverlake, Highland Park)? Last year we had played around 5 shows per month in preparation for our album release Which artists would you say are your most significant influences? There are so many artists that we like but to name a few there are bands like: have mercy/ foxing/ movements/ mom jeans. Why is “fun” such an important modus operandi for your live performance approach? In a live performance energy is everything. One of the things We look forward to the most is to go absolutely crazy at a show on the weekend after a long week Is there a message behind your music, or what do you hope fans will take away from what you’re doing? Each song has its own message and they stress how it’s important to keep realism despite all of the emotion that comes your way. -the goal is for fans to find something they relate to all while keeping things perfectly honest Connect with Holo on social media: Instagram Youtube #BuzzMusic

Ned and the Dirt released their sensational and atmospheric single titled “Toothache”. The ear-piercing and riveting chords from the guitar and the strikingly electrifying vocalist fuses together to create a combination of jam-packed articulations and stringed instruments. For me personally, it could be difficult to interpret and dissect the lyrics behind music so bewitching due to the dazzling abduction into the entire realm of the music. However, although it could be difficult to decode the meaning behind the music, it’s intriguing and has the ability to engage with your senses. “Toothache” is one of those special songs that allows you to become mesmerized and 100% in tuned with the music! Ned and the Dirt is a 4 piece garage Rock/pop band. Their edginess and grit is what makes them a unique force to be reckoned with. Their band is actually quite diverse from many other artists and bands. With members diverging from different areas on the map which includes South Carolina, New Hampshire, California, and New Zealand. Ned and the Dirt is a diverse and well rounded solidified group of artists. Listen to "Toothache" by "Ned and the Dirt" on February 15th on all streaming platforms and get to know them in our interview below! We talk about the bands career, new single & more! Can you give us a brief history of your musical career and how you all met? I started Ned and the Dirt in South Carolina six years ago and while The Dirt is a totally different cast than the one that began the journey, Ned and the Dirt has become an iteration of itself that is more representative of its name than ever before. I was introduced to Chris Clark (NATD Bass Player) through a mutual friend of ours from Chris' home state of New Hampshire, and now he has been with NATD for 3 years. Ethan Arlook (NATD Drummer) joined through he and Chris' mutual connection to Berklee School of Music a year and a half ago and Cassie Gaffaney (NATD Guitar Player) became a part of NATD through our friendship that began when NATD and her band, Young Winona (previously known as Santa Barbara), went on a mini tour out to Arizona together. How did you come up with your stage name? Is there a meaning behind it? Ned and the Dirt got its name as a sneaky/narcissistic way for me to fit my entire name into the band name. See, “Dirt”is how people from my home state of South Carolina have mispronounced my last name (Durrett) throughout my childhood, so I repurposed that into a band name. Since, however, it's become a fitting embodiment for the grit, attitude and bare-all type of honesty that we bring to our songs and performances. Do you guys write your own music? Who contributes to what? Absolutely. Our songs are 100% created in house. I write all of the songs' lyrics , main vocal melodies and guitar melodies, but that only gets them so far. I bring them to the band once the songs are mostly written, and then we collectively arrange them and put finishing touches on them. That last big step in the process of getting the whole band's input on the songs is incredibly important; without it the songs wouldn't be able to sniff how interesting and compelling they've become with everyones hands on them. Each song is a total band effort. Your new single Toothache is such a vibe! Can you tell us a bit about it? Thanks! It's the first single from and the second track on our upcoming album “Saw It Coming”. I think the vibe for “Toothache” and frankly most of our new record is “Don't care, turn it up 'til it doesn't hurt anymore,”so that made it the perfect song to announce that our new release is on the way. Where did the inspiration behind the song come from? “Toothache” is me giving the middle finger to depression. It had been knocking me around for a couple of years without me even realizing it, and my way of fighting back in the moment in which I found myself writing “Toothache” was to tell it that it's nothing more than a stupid nag. The whole song is an effort to take back the power from a terrible thing that's gripped, myself and so many people that I love, and I hope it helps others make that effort too. What’s next for you? Our new album “Saw It Coming”is going to be released one song per month for the next 9 months, so make sure you stay tuned to our Spotify, Instagram and Youtube because we'll have bonus material coming out with each song that's released. We're also going to be playing shows all over the Western US for all of March, and we're headlining Frozen Dead Guy Days in Nederland, CO on March 9th, so get your tickets to that 'cause it's going to be one hell of a show. Connect with Ned and the Dirt on social media: Facebook Instagram Twitter #BuzzMusic

Carbonated released their single titled “Empathy”. One of the unique characteristics of this song was the whole funky psychedelic element. The synthesizers i heard were magnificent and I personally isn’t the most familiar with this specific subgenre of rock music however “Empathy” plays as a good ‘first impression’ record that helps me get a good idea of the genre as a whole. It instantly begins with multi-colorful instrumental before carbonated idiosyncratic vocals transitions in. their voice is quite unique. It’s obviously distinguishable and doesn’t seem to be a cardboard copy of any other artist that’s in the industry today. However, that individualistic trait makes them more of a pop out band in my opinion. They show off their dynamic voice in different parts of the song, allowing melodramatic belts to progress the hit forward. The five piece, indie band from toronto canada who met in 2017 is here to stay and we don’t see them going anywhere! Listen to "Empathy" here and get to know .carbonated. more in our interview below! Hello all! Care to introduce yourselves to our readers? Hi, we’re .carbonated. – a psychedelic indie pop band expressing the sonic interpretation & appreciation of pineapple from Toronto, Canada. .carbonated. has five members: - Lobes: vocals, guitar and synths - Jamie: guitar, synths and vocals - Michaël: percussion - Shaheeny: synths and guitar - Kohje: bass and vocals Can you give us a brief history of your musical careers? Everyone in the band (except Jamie) isn’t from Toronto. Lobes is from Ottawa; Michaël is from Montreal; & Shaheeny and Kojhe emigrated from Iran and Venezuela, respectively, about 10 years ago. None of us had ever met before .carbonated. How did you come up with your band name? Is there a meaning behind it? Oh wow, that’s a long story! It took us FOREVER to find a name we all loved and that hadn’t been used before. We initially had picked the name “Gross Domestic Happiness” but after a few weeks we hated it and had to go back to the drawing board. We finally landed on .carbonated. and haven’t looked back! Is there meaning behind it? Some in the band would say ‘no – it’s just a name we dig’ while others might say that the name signifies how we are trying to evolve pop music into something more than it currently is and that the name ‘.carbonated.’ represents that aspiration. Do you write your own music? Can you tell us a bit about your writing styles and how you combine everyones to create your sound? Yes, all our music is 100% written by us. Jamie and Lobes write the lyrics. Sometimes songs will come about from a band member bringing an idea to practice and we jam on it to flesh out the arrangement/parts. Other times we will send ideas (as little sound recordings) over WhatsApp to see if they resonant with other members and whether we should continue producing that idea into a finished song. Creating our sound is grounded on the notion of ‘what serves the song best” and “what can we do to make the song sound better”. We have a philosophy of ‘there are no bad ideas until we play them’ so we try out all ideas to see what works best for the song. Oh, and we eats lots of pineapple for inspiration for our sound! We’re really into your new song Empathy! Can you tell us a bit about it? Awww shucks, thank you so much for your kind praise! Empathy came about and was put together so fast by us – everything just fell into place immediately. One day at practice we were about to go outside for a break and Shaheeny just started playing that opening synth riff of Empathy and we all literally stopped dead in our tracks and looked at him and shouted “What the hell is that?!?!” We know it’s cliché when artists say they wrote a song in 15mins but yeah – that song was created in around 15mins. Where did the inspiration behind Empathy come from? The inspiration for Empathy happened about three years ago. Lobes had just gone through a very painful break-up with his long-term girlfriend and was struggling hard. It was also around the time that Donald Trump was elected; Black Lives Matter was gaining ground as part of the national conversation on equality and systemic racism as well as First Nations reconciliation in Canada. On top of these moments there was also the beginnings of the #MeToo movement. Lobes was trying to figure out how these cultural and societal winds of change affected him – he was trying to understand these other people’s points of view; people who didn’t have the same background as him and life events as him – and how he could help and be more understanding of their causes. And being an ally, listening and utilizing and growing his empathy was how he thought he could do this. Who are some of your musical influences that have influenced you as a band? We have so many influences – Tame Impala; LCD; Radiohead; Washed Out; The War on Drugs; Beach House; Kanye; Jenny Lewis; Mars Volta; Ratatat; Gorillaz; Neil Young; Joy Division. What’s next for .carbonated.? Our goal for 2019 is to open for an established band in Toronto. We have four shows coming up in the Spring in Toronto and we want to play as much as possible in 2019. We continue to write and record new music as well as further develop our video projections for our live shows. Oh and we hope to get a pineapple/pineapple pizza sponsorship too. Connect with .carbonated.: Facebook Instagram Twitter Website #BuzzMusic

The Data Waves are an interesting group of individuals who make as equally interesting music. Their sound is a brash concoction of instrumental funk which will surely have something for the music lover and enthusiast. Their EP titled “Lady In Red” hosts five tracks each tinkering with various music genres, while showcasing their musical abilities and artistic vision. The EP is kind of like a sample platter to the band where it starts of with a track titled, “Sun Salute” which gives the listener a kind of throwback funk while providing a new age twist to it. It is a very upbeat song that will get you moving along with their next track titled “Move on Up”. The third track called “Cameo” gives some leisurely played jazz piano while picking up the momentum into the fourth track. The punchy and thick bassline of “Autumn Breeze” is beautifully accompanied by a saxophone solo which gives it a slight angst giving a contrasting mood compared to the last three tracks. The final track is titled, “Drunk Funk” which seems to reflect someone who is indeed drunk. Hurried piano playing, slurs and notes bumping into each other give you some leeway into the more smooth section of the song painting a picture of this “Drunk Funk”. The band has a natural talent of using instrumental funk to tell stories and bring the listener into their music. A solid blend of hip hop, jazz, blues, rock and gospel will get you reeling in for more! Listen to "Lady In Red" here and get to know The Data Waves in our interview below! What is the meaning and inspiration behind the EP’s titled, “Lady in Red”? Shravan Raghuram, drums: The EP’s title is the original name of the art piece, but we specifically selected it for its color scheme and design. To us, it seemed like a callback to some of our favorite jazz fusion records from the early 1970’s such as Sextant Herbie Hancock, Abraxas by Santana and Bitches Brew by Miles Davis. Joey Parker, keys: The name itself only relates to the image we used as a cover. However, the image itself stood out because of its contrast in color. The lady in red calls for one's attention, but the space around her is equally beautiful. Aditya Kashyap, bass: Matthew Lesniak was the artist behind our album cover. His talent with collages and many other mediums made him an obvious choice for us, plus he's a great friend of mine. I love how iconic the lady in red is. You can check out more of his art on Instagram (@jayjaymattjay). What was the most challenging track to compose as a whole and why? Joey: Surprisingly, "Sun Salute" was the more challenging of the two originals to compose. With "Drunk Funk", there was built-in variation, and its structure inspired some improvised sections that became permanent. The repetitive nature of "Sun Salute" made improvised variation more challenging, so it took longer to work out a definitive structure. Even this recording was somewhat impromptu, despite having a predetermined sequence of events. What is the inspiration behind the track “Drunk Funk”? Joey: "Drunk Funk" was the fortunate collision of one idea from guitarist Sammy Gessesse and another from myself. When jamming together one day, Sammy started playing the riff now heard in the introduction and throughout the first section. After jamming for a while, Sammy stopped and said, "I feel like this needs another section." I had separately thought of another progression that was contrasting in feeling, and when the two sections were put together, the seeds of a title track were planted. As soon as the band played the track together, it organically developed, including an amazing bass/drum feature from Aditya and drummer Seth Graham, and a beautifully rhythmic solo from saxophonist Kevin King. "Drunk Funk" is a testament to the collaborative nature of the band's compositional process. The title comes from the band's history playing funk music at crowded Urbana basement parties. What was the composing process of “Cameo”? Joey: "Cameo" is not an original, but the process of arranging it for the band was very intuitive. Aditya proposed the cover, and inspired the band with his crunchy bass effects. From there, the band filled in the rest of the sound, doing their best to replicate the feeling of the original track while injecting their own individual sounds. Aditya: The song is originally by a great English band called Childhood.  I knew the song would fit our band well, and it helped us break new sonic ground and expand our sound. Shravan: "Cameo" was an interesting choice for us due to its genre; since it is more of a smooth pop song than what we are used to covering, it allowed us to experiment with our sound and style. The track provided a nice contrast to the upbeat funk that usually dominates our live sets. As a band, how do each of you communicate your creative input into each track? Joey: One or two members work from a simple groove to a chord progression to a fully developed song with a defined structure. As soon as the band begins rehearsing, something new always pops out. An important part of our composition comes from the unexpected. As we improvise, we find what works best and run with it. Over time, new sections and a structure gradually form, until the whole band is satisfied. Everyone's opinion is valued equally for every song, while giving respect to the person who composed it. Shravan: The goal for our work with covers is to fully capture the feeling and vibe of the original song, while using solos and improvisation to make our version unique and different. This sort of format works really well for us because of our ability to improvise and explore new sounds while still keeping the song intact. Regarding our creative process, each of us are able to compose our own individual parts, and we each also provide suggestions and alternatives to each other in order to achieve the best possible sound. Connect with The Data Waves on social media: Instagram Facebook Soundcloud #BuzzMusic

Xeno is from West Palm Beach, Florida. He’s a 18 year old artist who has been making music for three years. Xeno produces, writes and engineers most of his own music. Let’s check in to his latest track “Side Effects”. I am blown away by the piano melody that opens the track. Then the 808 drops and you are immediately drawn into the production. His rap flow is diverse; he can rap fast and then slow it down and make it melodic. It reminds me of a lyrical hip-hop track. You can tell he’s got a story he is telling and there’s aggression in the choice of rapping but the tempo and production work smooths it out and makes it a vibe. Young hearted but his sound is mature and refined. The choice of artwork speaks volumes without even speaking. It’s so simple yet so strong and powerful. Curious to know the story behind it and the true meaning behind this really sick track. Listen to "Side Effects" by "Xeno" here. Care to introduce yourself to our readers? My name is Xeno. Can you give us a brief history of your musical career? My father and brother have always been into creating music and they always kept me around, it was bound to rub off on me but I thought I didn’t have what it takes then suddenly one day it hit me around 3 years ago and never let up since. How did you come up with your name? Is there a meaning behind it? Xeno stems from the Greek word Xenos which means strange which was perfect because when I enter the public eye I’ll be like nothing they’ve ever seen. Do you write your own music? Can you tell us a bit about your writing style? I produce and engineer most of my tracks , I write every word. I like to exercise lyricism while making sure the message is still coherent. Making sure my punchlines hit hard. It’s almost like a sport and trust that I’m planning to win every time. We’re really into your new song Side Effects! Can you tell us a bit about it? Side effects is speaking about all the side effects of a G, I mean in the presence of one you can walk into a club with like three girls who are obsessed with you and leave with none, it’s like that sometimes. Where did the inspiration behind the song come from? The song comes from all the haters and the people who watch with envy that don’t want to see your success, this song shows my hunger and that I’m not stopping until I get what’s mine. These are all side effects of a G. Any upcoming shows? For someone who hasn’t seen you live yet, how would you describe your performance? I’m definitely planning to perform soon there are none lines up at the moment but I can assure you that very soon the world will hear about it. The energy I bring is unmatched, I have to live up to Xeno so I’m definitely putting on a show like you've never seen. What’s next for you? Next I plan to work, never become complacent, and always remain humble, but I promise I’m going to make some noise! I’m working on building my following now. Connect with Xeno on social media: Instagram #BuzzMusic

Here we have funky jazz with intention. You’ve decided to head out on a mid-evening ramble in a part of the city you don’t normally visit. And you feel pretty alright about everything, despite all the swirling chaos (not to mention cement gridlock). It’s a cool evening, after all, emphasis on cool. So put on a sport coat and disappear into a world of lamp-lit streets. Marton Juhasz has got all the ingredients to keep things flowing in his new single "Stino": warm trumpets are like a cocktail for your insides, a trombone that’s thick but not muddy, piano chords — full blown but not too all-over-the-place — and solos that are, like, totally out of control but never unhinged. I don't think people will appreciate how difficult it is to create music with this level of technicality, especially given how experimental it is. Juhasz has played with big names like Lionel Loueke, Byron Wallen, Wolfgang Muthspiel and Gilad Hekselman, and it sure seems like he's managed to internalize their approaches. I love how long it took me to realize I wasn’t listening to words, but just this (almost) never-ending soul scatting. Sometimes it seems like three or four different instruments are laughing together, where one bubbles over from a chuckle to an outburst and the other pulls back. It’s like you just listened to an intriguing NPR podcast and now you can turn your attention to making a positive step forward in your own life. Listen to "Stino" here. Connect with Marton Juhasz on social media: Facebook: www.facebook.com/martonjuhaszmusic Instagram: www.instagram.com/martonjuhaszmusic

The five members of Urban Fu$e hail from places all over the world. They are truly a reflection of diverse cultures and different approaches to music fused into one single sound. A strong dance beat is the hallmark of UF no matter the genre: hiphop/rap, dance hall, K-pop, Latin. Urban Fu$e does it all! They chose the name Urban Fu$e because of the multicultural fusion of their music. Also because they consider themselves to be fuses that will spark the musical revolution that is to come. The members of Urban Fu$e come from Abuja, Nigeria; Nassau, Bahamas; Nashville, Tennessee; San Francisco, California; and London, England. This group has a thing going on here! We are not sure how this is even possible. To be from so many different places and to still be able to fuse a sound that is so unique and catchy. To capture each members sound and culture and to literally fuse it to create this very amazing song. And the video gives you confirmation that there is some sort of girl power going on and we love it! Dance all night long on repeat anywhere and at anytime. This is really one of those songs. Kudos to this multicultural flare embodied in a musical group. Connect with Urban Fu$e on social media: Instagram #BuzzMusic

A quick note on an intoxicating term: The Scots spell it whisky, whereas the Irish use whiskey. Apparently, both Scottish and American distillers purify the liquid twice; for the Irish it’s three times. That’s the difference. Strong stuff in any event. The US goes with whiskey, while Canadians spell it whisky. Jacob Bihun, an Ontario, Canada recording artist from Toronto and Kitchener-Waterloo, went with the “h.” So you know he’s trying to cross over south of the border. And we hope he does. Last night, an old roommate from Southern Ontario appeared to me in a dream. It’s odd because I never usually think of the guy, unless Facebook surfaces his profile randomly. But now that I’ve had a good look at Bihun’s face — which looks strikingly similar to that of my former house mate — I know why. They both have short cropped hair and cowboy muscles. They both like music that’s ideal for twirling with a lovely lass on a hardwood floor. Everything makes sense now. It was, for sure, a premonition of being exposed to this incredible song, “Whiskey and Smokes.” Referencing King Street (which is “where devils roam,” of course) in the song, is a powerful device. You know, on the one hand, some of his listeners — those from the K-W world of things — won’t be able to help themselves from imagining nights out along Waterloo Regional Road 15 — aka King Street. That’s a route which splits the twin cities into east and west partitions. Maybe you’ve been out for a night of gambling and want to pursue devious film projects in a sloppy state, while contemplating the influence of the tech devices developed in the city on global communications infrastructure. Hypothetically, I mean. But there will be another contingent of his listener base who will remember nights out at yuppie bars along the theatre district of Canada’s largest city, Toronto. We’re talking sharp dressed individuals with slick hair shooting spirits and dancing properly, in tableaux that would fit well in a Jameson commercial. Either way, it’s easy to imagine the deals with Beelzebub that have occurred along crooked secrets before the evening is up. In both cases you can imagine a song like this, on the Paper Flowers album, would be a top choice for the iPod of revellers. Why? Because we’re talking Southern music with a smile. It’s sunny side up, easy breezy and effortless. You’re running away from regrets in a world framed by a gospel mindset. The dreamy echo is good times in action, while references to a personal judgement day keeps things on the level. You can’t help wondering about that black dress. This is an anthem, make no doubt about it. It sounds fantastic, in a tarnished spirit kind of way. And of course, the organ in the background at the end is simply the icing on the cake. It’s a final dance with the devil that sounds like a dip in the ocean. You know he’s going to feel drenched and alone tomorrow, with a pounding headache to boot. But that’s not this song. This song is glorious. File under bar music dreaming of an alternate life on the beach. Listen to "Whiskey and Smokes" by Jacob Bihun here and get to know Jacob in our interview below! Hi Jacob! Care to introduce yourself? My name is Jacob Bihun. I'd like to consider myself your new favourite artist. I've been doing my own solo career for a couple years now and recently I've partnered with Canadian Daydream to bring it to the next level. I like my whiskey on the rocks, my music soulful and loud, and reading a thought provoking book every now and then. Why make a song about darkness that feels so good? I think a famous guy by the name of Carl Jung put it best: "If a tree wants to reach to the heavens, it's roots have to reach to hell". I think a lot of my latest tracks and this new single (and its album) really try and bring that concept to life in an impressionistic aspect. If someone wants to know who they really are, they've got to explore how awful they can be. How have you enjoyed your creative journey so far? Its been long, I can tell you that much. There have definitely been a lot of ups and a lot of downs but doing all of that and seeing where I am today? Definitely worth it, and I'm ready for more. What was it like to perform alongside Juno award winner Shawn Kellerman and Nashville recording artist Joshua David? Having the opportunity to open for those guys was unreal. Killer musicians to be around and I definitely learned a lot from that performance. I'd love to play with them again. I have to ask, which King Street were you referring to in the song, and why did you want to reference that? King Street is the party street of my university town of Waterloo, Ontario. I think for a lot of people here its a place where you go to forget about problems and at the same time find yourself on a little adventure that you really don't know how is going to end. I thought it fit the song perfectly. What’s one crazy story you have involving both whiskey and smokes from your performance life so far? There's definitely a night life that comes in to play while being a musician, that's for sure. Those two vices of mine really became more of a lifestyle. To be honest if I had any stories worth telling I probably don't remember them too well. Why is it such a good idea for underage children to become heavy drinkers and smokers? No comment on that, other than I think everyone has got to figure that out for themselves. What was the idea behind the Paper Flowers EP? Unfortunately my girlfriend of a year and a bit who I knew for quite some time prior broke up with me abruptly. Sure enough a few other things put me in a bit of a hole emotionally and the idea of doing an album was already on the table. That's when I called Canadian daydream up and decided that I was going to make the next jump in my career. The album in its entirety is really an impressionist take on the ideas of relationships and the emotions that one feels when losing that relationship. I think there are a lot of people that can relate to that. For me personally its something that I felt like I needed to do, and needed to say. Connect with Jacob Bihun on social media: Instagram: www.instagram.com/jacobbihun Facebook: www.facebook.com/jacobbihunmusic Webite: www.jacobbihunmusic.com #BuzzMusic

Jamie Alonge is an alt-pop voice from Los Angeles who races out of the gate at full speed. He’s come a long way from single-digit years affixed to outlaw country and breakdance culture. Raised on a steady diet of southern music, classic rock and Motown, he soon took on the wider world. That meant writing and performing all over LA as a front man. A turn as a Denver business owner gave him a new vantage point, particularly when his childhood best friend, one of his business partners, took his own life. Luckily he experienced a transformative period after meeting Aaron Running-Hawk, an Oglala Lakota Sioux. Running-Hawk opened up the worlds of peyote and sweat-lodge ceremonies in Colorado and South Dakota for him. Interactions with the Dalai Lama and a world champion martial artist also left their mark. So when Alonge returned home, he converted his garage into a studio, and began a daily songwriting practice. He focuses on flow — not overthinking things — and tries to bring an idea to the point of completion as quickly as possible. He experienced an explosion of creativity, which is plain as day when listening to “Unfinished Business.” This song has EDM elements creeping in, plenty of pop crispness, and is laid out with wistful bluesy interjections. The production is more mainstream than classic rock, more party than ashram, and contains a delightful mix of creativity and straight-ahead hit sauce. I need to hear this while driving to work in the morning! Listen to "Unfinished Business" by Jamie Alonge here and get to know more about him in our interview below! What do you do to prepare yourself for inspiration? I set aside 15 min to 1 hour every single day to create a musical piece. Anything can be used as a jump off point: a sound I record on my phone of a bird chirping, a photo, or the very first sound I dial up on my synth. My philosophy is quantity over quality for these sessions. I'm not focused at all on whether what I create is "good" or not. It's about just letting anything pour out. My only requirements are that each piece contains a beginning, middle and end. This way I don't get stuck in "loop-itis." At the end of the week I listen back to everything and decide what I'd like to take forward to a finished song. And how do you make sure you’re translating the ideas in your head into reality just the way you first heard them? I don't. I feel that is virtually impossible to do and you can waste so much time trying to do so. You can spend hours or days on just trying to find a perfect snare drum sound. This takes you out of your joy and flow, and can cause you to ruin a song and lose the original vibe that inspired you in the first place. When I have an idea in my head that I want to capture, instead of asking myself, "Is this right or good or perfect?", I ask myself, "Does it work?" This is a binary question that gives me a quick yes or no answer enabling me move on, and waste less time striving for perfection. This detachment style of writing and production has changed my life and left me stress-free and creating more songs instead of the controlling, perfectionism school of thought that tends to have limited amounts of finished songs. How do you know when a song is finished? I use another unorthodox technique of "listening as a fan" instead of listening as the creator. When listening back to my song, I first get into a different headspace. I clear my mind and pretend that I'm the biggest fan of Jamie Alonge. It's weird, but this totally detaches me from all the details that I was consumed in as I was creating the song. This is vital because as the creator/producer there will always be things that need tweaking and once again, you can get lost in these tweaks and actually ruin the song and waste days and weeks over things that no one but yourself will ever know. So I take on the mindset of the fan by clearing my mind and pretending that I'm someone else. At the end of listening only once, I write down all the things that jumped out at me that could use adjustments. I prioritize the adjustments that make the biggest impact on the listener and go about fixing things until, "It works" not, "is it perfect?" I then listen again as the "fan" and repeat this process of writing down what jumps out at me and fixing it. After a few rounds of this, nothing jumps out at me as the "fan" and the song is finished. It's a process of letting go rather than control. What was the inspiration for “Unfinished Business”? The first line popped into my head, "I've got Unfinished Business, coming to settle the score." Around December 2017, I had taken a step back from performing live to build a home studio in my garage and jump into learning production as well as this unorthodox style of thinking about bulk songwriting. I found a producer coach that had to break me down to build me back up. I was very much the old way of thinking about songwriting: over-analytical, waiting for inspiration to strike and just writing on guitar only. Once I started going through this new process of approaching production and writing, it gave me a fire in my belly to come back stronger and finally be a prolific songwriter that can showcase multiple influences. I hope it inspires other to handle their unfinished business, as well all have some. Favorite lyric from "Unfinished Business"? Why? "I gotta go through the process, now I'm causing a scene. I'm cuttin' all of my losses, you won't even recognize me." I'm a new person, a new artist. I've literally transformed every aspect of the way I write and think about writing. I went from acoustic singer-songwriter "coffee shop" style to an alternative rock-soul / digital vibe. I went from over-thinking to detachment. I went from writing 5-10 songs per year to 50 songs a year. What do you do to make sure the city doesn’t distract you from your artistic goals? I'm born and raised here. I grew up in Fox Hills near LAX, then Granada Hills in the valley. I went to college in Valencia. I've lived in Santa Monica, NoHo, WeHo, Los Feliz, South Pasadena and now Glassell Park/Mount Washington. L.A. doesn't distract me because I know what it is and isn't, better than most. I think the biggest distractions of the day are cell phones, social media and television. I employ a technique of only checking my cell phone/socials 1-3 times per day. Also, I do it AFTER my morning routines of practicing Qigong and writing music. It's very important to take advantage of your brain power and use it for creation BEFORE you get sucked into those things. They will fatigue you. Who are a few of your musical influences who have help share your career in the music industry? My early influences were a mixture of outlaw-country like Charlie Daniels and David Allen Coe as well as old school rap. My step dad had me singing and playing the country and folk music with him at night, while I was break dancing with my friends during the day. Because of this there's always an element of that rootsy soul to my singing mixed with a funky groove of some sort. I'm inspired by producer artists like Dr. Dre, Pharrell, Will.i.am and The Black Keys as well as funky, soulful 90's Alt-Rock like Incubus, RHCP, Sublime and Rage. I don't listen to a lot of current music. I've always tended to be inspired by the classics because of the substance and meaning behind the songs. Connect with Jaime Alonge on social media: Facebook Instagram Youtube Website #BuzzMusic

Kelpi is a creature of the pond in the forest or, North Vancouver BC. She is a fallen faerie who has turned into a musician who cannot settle into one distinct sound. Influenced by the lyrics of ancient myth and by the music of nature, she draws upon her own deeply personal experiences to create bittersweet stories that she calls “songs”. Kelpi hopes to keep her music organic like water and woods emulating a sense of calm and restlessness. Tuning into the song “Crystal Ball” which is out on Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music. This girl sounds so delicate and we mean that in the best way possible. To have such a delicate sound is hard to accomplish and to stand out still! The strings, that have a banjo undertone, are all that is needed in this pleasant tune. There is something so mysterious and hypnotizing about this song. Almost like you get caught in a trance of her lyrics and the sounds. Something we would call, a beautiful entrapment. The mystery and delicacy of this song is something so different, it is in a class of its own. I am looking forward to hearing the entire album to really see what Kelpie is about. Listen to "Crystal Ball" by Kelpi here. Hi Kelpi! Care to introduce yourself to our readers? Sure, I’m a Canadian singer-songwriter from North Vancouver BC going by the moniker of Kelpi. I’m not quite sure how to describe my genre, but I think it’s somewhere adjacent to soft rock and neo-folk. Can you give us a brief history of your musical career? I started writing songs when I was five or six because I wanted to be like Avril Lavigne, and I never really stopped. Growing up I took piano lessons and later dabbled in teaching myself various instruments including guitar. I didn’t start recording my songs until I was about 16, but it’s been a steady curve of improvement since then. I finally gathered the courage to put my music out into the world in the summer of 2018, and I’m genuinely shocked that it was well-received! How did you come up with your name? Is there a meaning behind it? There’s a bit of a story. My friends and I were very much into mythical creatures when we were kids. The kelpie is a Scottish myth, and is often described as a shape-shifting water spirit (usually appearing as a horse). It became my nickname for a few years, because it sounds like my name (Kelly). When I was thinking of a stage name, it was the first thing to come to mind - I stylized it without the “e” and all lowercase because there are already a few musicians out there with the same name. I also have a connection to horses, but that’s a long story! Do you write your own music? Can you tell us a bit about your writing style? I do write my own music, and I record and produce all of it too! My writing style varies a lot - sometimes I come up with the music first, and then add a melody and lyrics. Sometimes it’s the opposite! And every once in a while, I’ll dream something. The first line of my song Lapis Lazuli came to me in my sleep, and the rest of the song was born when I woke up. We're big fans of your new single Crystal Ball! Can you tell us a bit about it? Thank you! Crystal Ball is the second track on my debut album The Witching Hour, and its a mellow song that makes me think of cool breeze on a summer afternoon. I had a lot of fun recording it. Where did the inspiration behind "Crystal Ball" come from? The inspiration was, generally speaking, the sting of unrequited love. It’s about the struggle of trying to move on from a person, being unable to, and resigning oneself to sticking around no matter how much it hurts. What are three things you’d love your fans to know about you? 1) I LOVE birds. 2) Even though my music is very calm and sweet, I actually listen to a lot of punk, like the Dwarves and X Ray Spex. 3) I’m also a tap dancer! What’s next for Kelpi? I’ll be releasing my single Tony Stark within the next few months, and I’m working hard on a new album! Connect with Kelpi on social media: Facebook Instagram Twitter Bandcamp #BuzzMusic