MELA also known as Megan Elise Kelly, hails from the East Coast as a indie-pop Singer and Songwriter. Megan is well known for her writing in film, advertisements and television. After releasing a few singles under Megan Elise Kelly, her team helped her decide that a new name was needed for her solo career. And from there birthed MELA. MELA’s sounds are reminiscent of Dgny, Verite, and even Lykke Li. This indie-pop singer has surely proven that her vocals and lyrics are some that will not be bypassed. When I saw the name of the song, I immediately passed judgement. This is a track stating exactly what is says, “I Tried”. And I was right! But what I was not ready for was MELA’s vocals. She sounds like an angel. Her range and tone sets her apart from others in her genre. The production of the song alone gives you an array of instruments that work simultaneously work together to enhance her already beautiful voice. I can feel and hear the pain, the growth, and finally moving on from her past. “I Tried” gave me an inspirational story with a wonderful melody to back it. 3 thumbs up! Listen to "I Tried" here and get to know MELA in our interview below! Hey MELA! Care to introduce yourself to our readers? Absolutely! First of all, thank you for taking the time to talk to me! My name is Megan, but on stage I go by MELA. I am an indie pop musician and songwriter from New York City. When did you realize you wanted to write music and why? Well, I started taking violin lessons right around my 5th birthday, and I’ve loved music ever since. Around 7th or 8th grade I realized that I wanted to sing, and I started writing songs, but I couldn’t accompany myself with just the violin, so I taught myself guitar and drums. Music has always been the best release for me. Sometimes I feel like I am better at communicating my thoughts and feelings through music. Now, I write songs for TV/Ads and Film, as well as for myself. The MELA project is personal and only for me, and anyone who wants to listen, of course! What would you say the writing difference would be in Music vs Ads/Film? When writing a song specifically for Ads/Film, you have to consider several factors. What is happening in the scene? What kind of emotion are we trying to get the audience to feel? What is the call to action? What kind of lyrics will help accentuate the visual elements? It’s an incredibly fun and rewarding challenge, but when I write music just for me….it’s less about thinking, and a lot more about feeling. “I Tried” carries a lot of past pains and even growth. What would say drives you the most in your writing? Without even consciously realizing it when it’s happening, I think my song writing is really driven by relatability. I know when I hear music that I can relate to, it has this incredible power to change my mood, and maybe even my mindset. Relatable music is the soundtrack to our lives, and it’s my ultimate goal to write songs that people can connect with; and make their own. ‘I Tried’ is about finding strength in a dark time, and then using it to empower yourself to move on. It’s about acknowledging the journey we have to go on sometimes just to be okay with exactly where we are today. What can we expect to hear or see from you in this year? This year is going to be big for the Melateam! I am working on a 5 song EP that will come out in March, and I am currently setting up a series of live shows. Can’t wait to hit the stage and play this new music live for everyone. Follow on Spotify or Instagram for updates! @itsmelamusic Connect with MELA on social media: Instagram: www.instagram.com/itsmelamusic Facebook- www.facebook.com/itsmelamusic

Tissa Rahim is a singer/songwriter from Vancouver, Canada who weaves together her effortless talent of R&B and Soul genres with a multi-generational affinity for Persian music as she debuts a rousing solo project after years of sharing the stage with her band! Tissa decided to break free and spread her wings. The release of the sultry single of hers “Lift A Finger” is a playlist adder for sure. The soulful vibe reminds me of an aesthetic singers like Sabrina Claudio, and Sinead Harnett would produce. I’m personally a fan of music like this. She elevates you into a different atmosphere and fabricates a sense of belonging within the song. Tissa's vocals are a soothing R&B temperamental soul and is delicately projected with warmth. Her voice is like silk. It’s absolutely relaxing and she knows the exact type of music that complements her sound well. Artists must know what type of music fits their vocal style and categorize themselves accordingly. Tissa knows her brand, her artistry, and has her own individual image that can carry her extremely far if she continues to produce iconic vibe songs like “Lift A Finger”. I would definitely lay down and listen to this single in my earbuds before bed when I just want to catch a vibe. I’m sure this song will translate well across many different listeners as well! Listen to “Lift A Finger” here and get to know Tissa Rahim in out interview below! Hi Tissa, care to introduce yourself to our readers? I am a singer/songwriter/producer from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. My music falls into the R&B and soul genres with some indie and hip-hop influences, combined with a multi-generational affinity for Persian music. I was born and raised in Vienna, Austria to a family full of Persian musicians and grew up very musically inclined. Most of my songs can be categorized as either sad or sassy, or somewhere along the spectrum of the two. How has it been performing with the band? Any memorable moments? I was with the band from 2008-2012, and started up my solo career in 2016. With this band we were able to record an album and join a 40-city North American tour supporting the band 100 Monkeys, who's member, Jackson Rathbone (of Twilight Fame) also produced our album. During that time we got to perform at some iconic venues, including the House of Blues in New Orleans and the Gramercy Theatre in New York. Because of my work with this band I was also named one of 24 Magazine’s “Top 24 under 24". Do you have any challenges you’re worried about facing as an independent artist, separate from a band!? The main challenge as an independent artist is that you can't separate roles and responsibilities as you could for a band; you are in charge of every aspect of your artistry. This can also be seen as beneficial as you get to execute your vision for who you want to be as an artist. Of course you can eventually hire various people such as managers and publicists, but laying down the groundwork, I believe, is usually done by the artist themselves. What’s your artist meaning behind “Lift A Finger” ? Lift A Finger is about a woman realizing that she deserves more than what she has been given. Through valuing herself and gaining self-confidence, she is no longer afraid to demand what she wants. This theme is applied both at the intimate partner level and a societal level. The song embodies self-liberation and coming for what is owed to her. Do you have any musical influences? If so who and why!? I have many musical influences drawing from different genres including r&b, soul (both modern and Motown), hip-hop and indie music, I would say my main influences both for vocal performance and musical style are Lauryn Hill, Amy Winehouse, Erykah Badu, Jorja Smith and Etta James. You have some upcoming performances and single releases! Which are you most excited for? 2019 is gonna be a year filled with new original music. On January 21st I have my single, Lift a Finger, coming out, produced by Unkle Ricky and Gabe. Sx. I am also recording a music video for this single to be released a few months after the single release which I am excited about. I have finished production on four additional songs, including collaborations with Mexican artists Jam Martinezmx and Cxsinensis, Ontario producer Okee.Brand and Vancouver's own Francis Arevalo and Braden Rangno, and have started working on a four-song EP to be released later this year. I am quite excited about all of my upcoming performances which you can find on my social media page and website; one particular venue I have always wanted to perform at in Vancouver is the quintessential Fortune Sound Club; I will be performing there March 4th. Connect with Tissa Rahim on social media: tissarahim.bandzoogle.com instagram.com/iamtissarahim facebook.com/iamtissarahim

Hip hop artist Lightweight Literate was born and raised in the suburbs of a small town called Yuba City, CA. Lightweight’s music reflects a “silver spoon” upbringing contrary to the average rapper. Many artists pride themselves on the struggle, but Lightweight Literate finds pride in the support of his loving family and fans. Lightweight Literate primarily delivers melodic choruses and aggressive verses. It is evident with each new track he is constantly striving to improve his craft and expand his fan base. Lightweight appears to have a continuing trend of paying homage to his heroes with each project name. In 2018, Lightweight Literate dropped his debut mixtape BLONDJAMESBOND and only four months later he released his newest mixtape WHITEWILLSMITH. You can hear the artist’s growth in the short time between projects. There have been rumors of an upcoming mixtape LLNOTCOOLJ but this has not been confirmed! The first song on his tape, “WhiteWillSmith” was the perfect introduction to the tape. It highlighted the whole vibe for the mixtape and ironically it was titled exactly like the project. You absolutely felt his presence throughout the entire song. He was able to deliver a strong aggressive nature with witty lyrics and an addicting hook. It felt more like a “I'm coming” type of song where he’s letting us know that this project is going to create waves! After “WhiteWillSmith” the next song that transitions in is called “Squad Deep” and lightweight gives us no break from his hard-hitting lyrics and banging beat where i can envision myself listening to this single on 10 on my radio. One of my favorite noticeable qualities about the song had to be his flow. The way he was able to effortlessly deliver his bars without missing a beat and sustaining perfect breathe control was a stand out characteristic. The next single off this project, “First Label” was completely different from the two songs prior, lightweight literate showcases his singing ability a little bit more with a trap, hip-hop sounding beat. His raspiness when he sings became more clear and it was pleasant to hear because it’s one of his special unique traits. The next song, “Gazuntite” was one of my personal favorites. The dark, hazy, and melodic trap beat completely captured my attention. Of course, Lightweight Literate was still able to switch his flow and style to become fitting to the song, and create a more personable effect. Of course, he sticks to his brand and his artistry. The next song to transition in and ”Me” begins with his hook of lightweight singing in a different language. Again, he showcases a little more versatility and shows that he is a multifaceted artist and can deliver pretty much anything and twist it into his own swag. The next single “Ripped Pages” was another one of my personal favorites. His humming in the beginning with a soothing and canorous tune was relaxing and showed the more subtle and vulnerable side to him. “Ripped Pages” gave the melancholic sprinkle to the progressive and belligerent mixtape which was a good addition to brand himself as a more well-rounded rapper. You can’t really expect what’s next from him. The next song “Rmb” still keeps the laidback and chilled vibe going while his flow becomes more uptempo and enterprising. “Hatchet” was extremely deep to me. It kind of highlighted the life story of lightweight literate and felt more like he was allowing us to read his personal life diary, connecting with his listeners, and separating himself from his artistry and demonstrated the person whose behind the image. He strips away the layers of the whole “Rap Star” and you can become a little bit more understanding on his character and drive for success. It was enchantingly dope and if you weren’t a fan then, you become a fan by now. The next song “All The Way” keeps the momentum of his diversity with an old school boombox beat. The song reminded me of a time period where hip-hop was first born. While listening to this single i begin to realize that lightweight literate is an artist who can appeal to a variety of listeners, and become a digestible artist to any scene of rap lovers. Rap music seems to have became sub categorized and lightweight literate does a little bit of everything with each song in “WhiteWillSmith”. The final and closing song of the tape, “Brother” was an interesting song to me. Just like “Hatchet” it seems like there was an underlying message underneath the single and serves a personable purpose to the artist. Lightweight literate undergoes many different styles throughout the mixtape from his bold rap mannerism, intellectual lyrics, and melodic vocals. He fuses together every element he showcased in one closing song to the diverse and transcending mixtape that showed us why he’s the next rising artist on the rise. Not a rapper, not a singer, but a creator of an art form that we all share a love for. Listen to the album here and get to know Lightweight Literate in our interview below! Connect with Lightweight Literate on social media: Facebook: www.facebook.com/lightweightl Instagram: www.www.instagram.com/lightweight Twitter: www.twitter.com/LightweightLit

Emerging with a positive mainstream vibe of hip-hop that draws creative energy from elements of pop, classic R&B, and dance music – and everyone from his iconic childhood influences, to his family relatives The Emotions – the multi-talented Chicago born, Minnesota based artist NoTrace came up with his sly moniker one day in a freestyle. He’s a quiet and reserved “Empath” by nature but when NoTrace gets on the mic, he’s a master storyteller; rapping, rhyming and putting together tracks that brace the heart and galvanize the spirit. After months of being in the studio with some of pop and hip hops talented producers, NoTrace has released the first single, “Layers” from his debut EP “Vibrations”. NoTrace sets himself apart from the hip-hop masses by stressing the importance of strong relationships and family. "A lot of these songs were written and tracked during the time I had just become a new father. I’m a stay at home dad, so it was my first time making music as a father, and with my son present.” NoTRace recently released “Layers” and I can ensure you that I will be adding this single to my personal playlist. The most noticeable trait of NoTrace to me was his realness and his authentic nature. But my favorite characteristic to his artistry was his gritty rap voice and raspy vocals that adds a rough texture to his single, making it more aggressive even if it wasn’t meant to be an aggressive record. NoTrace knows how to lyrically deliver bars if he wanted to show us a laidback side to him, but he also knows how to hit the hard-hitting and bold approach to rap music with a trap beat that bangs on your stereo and gets the party clubbing! His versatility shows, and it makes him a little bit more magnifying than before. Being nomadic new fan of his, I decided to listen to more of his newer releases including the bright, and delightful tune “Layers”. “Layers” absolutely proves my theory of NoTrace being an all-around, diverse artist who has the capability of presenting many different sides to his brand. The hit record has a flavorable presence that fuses a mixture of bubblegum pop and urban rap. NoTrace took this song and styled it into an idiosyncratic jam that breaks down the typical stigma and perception of the hip-hop culture! Listen to "Layers" here and get to know NoTrace in our interview below! Hi there, can you introduce yourself to our readers? My name is NoTrace and I am an independent Minnesota Hip Hop/Rap artist. How did your environment and upbringing impact your music and artistry? Music is in my family, from my dad to all my uncles and aunts. So it was something always around, but I really turned to music when I was going through a lot of issues at the time with being homeless in my teens, and my parents split, and dad becoming ill. I wanted to use music as a way to support my family and hopefully bring us back together, but it was also a way to cope with the issues I had to deal with. How did you come up with the name “NoTrace” ? It was a good friend that came up with NoTrace, I was freestyle rapping to him one day, and I came up with a dope rhyme about leaving NoTrace and he suggested I use it as a name, and the rest is history. How do you find inspiration for your songwriting? My inspiration is life and the people in my life, it’s also something that I need to do to feel balanced. I try to draw inspiration from the good and bad times, and hopefully I can create something that people feel connected to. In your own words, how would you describe the impact your music makes on others? My music, especially the music I'm putting out this year, has a positive impact on others because that is what I put into my music. Even though some songs may be sad, I still try and leave something in there they can use as inspiration to get through whatever they are going through. At the end of the day I'm a story teller, my music tells a story that people can relate to and have . It's a different sound and a different vibe than what we're hearing in Hip Hop today. What’s the legacy you hope to leave behind? I hope to leave a legacy of great music. It's important that the next generation understand the importance of strong relationships and that positivity and hard work are important in life. Music connects people from all over the world. It's connected me with some of the most important and influential people in my life and I hope my music continues to create relationships, support and opportunities for generations to come. Instagram: www.instagram.com/notrace3/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/NoTraceFanPage Twitter: www.twitter.com/NoTrace3

Mashawi, a Toronto native, is not new to the music industry by any means. He is one that always stands out from the crowd never one to be labeled by society. This celebrity stylist has always been surrounded by fashion and music. Mashawi grew up in a family full of musicians which influenced his pursuit in performing in school, for talent shows, and even him auditioning for Canadian Idol. Mashawi’s break from the music world came right after high school. During this time he discovered where he belonged through traveling, the college life, and most recently, becoming a celebrity stylist. But he is ready to make a come back like no other. Mashawi is ready to give his audience a hit with his new single “Run Up”. "Run Up" is definitely a statement song. The message behind the single is encouraging those to do things the way you want and telling your haters like hey “Run Up” but you can get it! It’s your diehard f**k your haters kind of single. It definitely has a trap/hiphop bounce giving it the flexibility of being a dance song. There’s high keys throughout this song that gives an eerie but house feel. Definitely a great production choice. It ends with a solid come down taking away the heavy trap beat and ending with the high keys only. This single is one Mashawi is telling everyone “Hey, I am here and I am not going anywhere!” and that is what I love about it. Don’t be afraid to be you and do exactly what you want to do. Listen to "Run Up" here and connect with Mashawi on social media below! Website: www.mashawimusic.com Social Media: @mashawimusic

Lichtermeer released their single titled “Water”, a song that’s about a person who has a love for the liquid and sea, however they also have a fear of it. There’s only specific part where Lichtermeer sings and that’s when he says “lalala.. discard your fear”, the rest of the piece is fully instrumental however. Instrumentalists in my opinion has an interesting challenge they must excel in and that’s captivating a listener attention without any vocals or lyrics. Which means it adds more pressure on the instrumentalist to find a way to project their song meaning, story, or message in the sounds they produced. “Water” is a detailed piece. The beginning of the song has the atmospheric approach through the fx sounds Lichtermeer delivers. It’s neither delightful nor dwell-some but more so insensible. It has a strong chilling factor to it when he does indeed sings his two lines. In my opinion, it holds as a powerful line on its own because it really allow us to explore other meanings to the song. For me, I was able to picture myself cleansing all my negative subconscious thoughts and replacing them with positivity. I was able to in-tune myself with my goals, dreams, and life itself just by allowing myself to become as a unit with “Water”. The super dope part about this single is the transition. Around 3:10, it turns into a vintage video game sounding dance record. Completely shifting your whole mood and vibe. Lichtermeer gave us diversity, self-reflections, and grooves with “Water”. Listen to "Water" here and get to know Lichtermeer in our interview below! Hi there, care to introduce yourself to our readers? Sure! I'm Valentin Mayr, 24 years old and musician from Berlin. The word musician is still the best fitting but I'm actually also a composer and producer. On stage I play mostly drums and all kinds of pianos, keyboard and synths. Drums is what I studied, but at the moment the keyboardplaying, composing and producing dominates my life as a musician haha. What’s the most challenging aspect for you as an instrumentalist? When I play together with other musicians it's definately the most challenging thing to understand each others ideas and intentions musically. Sometimes someone has a big imagination behind an idea that he or she plays, and that imagination is what you need to get as well, or at least the feeling of it. The most challenging thing when I'm producing is to get through that weird mudd of software technique you need to handle. When did you begin making music? What encouraged you to begin? I started playing drums when I was six. My father is a professionell musician as well and my mother also does music. So I grew up in a family where everyone makes music. I even had a band with my brother for some years, a metal band haha. So I guess all that influences encouraged me to begin. Later when I was twelve, I started playing piano and also got more into composing and the whole creative process. Do you have a love for nature? Oh yeah I do! I love being in the nature, I also grew up on the countryside where it was just forest and fields around. You even hear it on the album! There are moments where I worked with nature sounds. "Days In Vis" has some bird sounds and djungle vibes, "Water" comes up with some sea breeze and the "ParaDies" trilogy creates some sunny moments where you hear little rivers and the forest with its birds. How do you channel your outside influences into your music? The whole album is a reflection of some of my own experiences, memories and dreams. All outside influences that have an effect on me are connected to what I feel and what I put into the music. That's how the most songs started, with an emotion. And then I would aim to play for that mood. Do you have any other talents you’d like us to know about? Soccer. I love soccer, haha. And also other kinds of sport like ping pong, volleyball or badminton. #BuzzMusic

Airbag released their single “Start Again”, a soft melody with tons of emotional conviction. The riveting strings from both the acoustic and electric guitar, chord progressive refrains from the instrumentals create the perfect mood and setting for the song. As I was watching the music video released, it was interesting for me to interpret the sudden change in the characters emotions and face expressions when the lyrics transitioned from the depressing verse to the uplifting and positively stimulating hook that was projected with a memorable melody you won’t forget! “Waking up with fear, you might not be here. Waking up to find, I'm still behind” what I interpreted from the powerful lyrics is that someone is fighting with battles within themselves or a battle with their happiness and it’s being projected onto their loved one. Their loved one however is fed up possibly and wants to leave, but they’re making a promise to change not only for their loved one but for themselves as well. It’s highly relatable as we’ve all had low moments in our lives and sometimes our negative mindsets can transfer onto not only ourselves but other people as well. Listen to “Start Again” here and get to know Airbag in our interview below! How did airbag form? Where did you guys meet! Airbag is band formed by two brothers Petko Slavov and Nikolay Slavov. Growing up we discovered we both love the music coming out of our parents hi fi. Our dad’s guitar gave us chance to learn two chords and try to write our first original song with them. Where do you find much of your songwriting inspiration from? Just looking at people, observing theirs and our own life’s. It might be a book or even an overheard conversation. Any musical influences? If so who and why? We guess we have to start with The Beatles, Their compilation album 1962-66 was as a cassette in our family player for years. Later on with passing years we went from funk and jazzy music to now more indie and alternative. Still trying to find the formula of making music being groovy with melody and emotion. What’s your artist perspective on your single “Start Again”? We hope that the song riches more people and they get to know us as a band. Out of all the music you’ve released, which is your personal favorite and why? Out of two albums we had released I guess “Her Voice” from the first and “View Of Life” from the last one would be our preferred to play live. How is “Start Again” different from the music you've released in the past? The latest single “Start again” we think it will be a direction we are aiming for, because it has kind of real duo feel, harmonies of our two vocals, a pinch of melancholy and memorable chorus. Connect with Airbag on social media: Facebook: www.facebook.com/airbagband

Cenzina is an emerging Vancouver based artist & singer/songwriter delivering powerful smokey vocals to intimate lyrics and songwriting. Her alternative melodic style is inspired by a range of genres from Jhene Aiko's poetic storytelling and Neo-Soul/ R&B vibes, to alternative indie bands such as M83 and The Shins, to classics like The Beatles. Cenzina's new single “Airplane Mode” instantly caught my immediate attention because Cenzina has such a unique and beautiful voice. I really do personally enjoy listening to special, atypical singing voices that can be distinguished from a crowd of singers. I’ve never heard Cenzina’s voice before and I was slightly distracted by the chilling and riveting sound her vocals produced yet I became abducted into the song and hypnotized by the aesthetic of “Airplane Mode”. Her strategic lyricism, and detailed backtrack instrumental sets an atmosphere highly unique to past songs i’ve listened too. “Airplane Mode” gives me the romanticism within the substantial lyrics, metaphorically providing a nomadic feeling. The meaning behind the song may not be apparent on the surface, however it’s nice to sometimes think about the song on a different plane, and attempt to decipher the meaning behind it. Cenzina is an intellectual artist who I think has a bright future in the industry. Listen to “Airplane Mode” here and get to know Cenzina in our interview below! Hi there, care to introduce yourself to our readers? My name is Cenzina, I’m a singer/ songwriter from Vancouver, Canada. I grew up in Mississauga, Ontario, playing classical piano and writing music since I was young. Emoting through poetry and music has always been a way for me to express myself. Even after I quit lessons in my adolescence I continued to write, make music and play by ear. I picked up the guitar while backpacking in New Zealand and fell in love with it there. Shortly after returning home to the suburbs in Ontario I’d packed up again and headed to B.C., where my music really took off. After playing for some friends at a party I was invited to open for a friend and artist Somethin’ Like That’s EP release tour. On his tour I met artist and producer Teon Gibbs who reached out and went on to record and co produce my first single and then EP Atmosphere. That’s where it really all started. How’s the music scene in Vancouver? Ever wanted to travel anywhere else? If so where and why? The Vancouver music scene is quickly growing! There is a lot of talent in this city, tons of great venues and many opportunities for artists to network and perform. Toronto is next on my radar! Last year I was so busy working on my EP I didn’t get a chance to visit home. I’ve actually never done a show there! I will head back this year and do few shows in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area), maybe a do little Canada wide tour, we’ll see! Travelling is a big love of mine so over the next couple years I’ll definitely be making plans to travel on a bigger scale. I’d like to spend some time in the States (L.A. and N.Y. are top of the list of course), Mexico, The UK , and I’d love to go back and spend a few months touring and writing in New Zealand. That country is just so stunning. Who are some of your favorite artists today? Jhene Aiko is a huge influence of mine. I love how beautiful her vocals and melodies are. Her songwriting is honest and lyrically poetic; she’s a born storyteller. I’m also a huge Beatles fan. There’s something really special about that era, their message, and the music that came of it. Jefferson Airplane’s White Rabbit is another on my frequently played list. Some other favourites of mine include alternative bands like Alt-J and The Shins, female power houses like Kehlani, Lana Del Ray, SZA, Jesse Reyez, and of course some Hip Hop. What is Hip Hop right now without some Kendrick, and little Kid Cudi? What’s the meaning behind “Airplane Mode”? Airplane mode is a dreamy interlude following a busy year of creation and production of a rather raw and heart filled EP Atmosphere. Airplane Mode takes off on a chill tone, highlighting the need to disconnect from the distractions and noise of apps, technology and shallow social environments, seeking space for whatever feels authentic and free. For me, that place is usually writing or singing. It’s about knowing yourself, staying on your own wavelength, and being able to roll with whatever life give’s you rather than swim against the waves. What are some challenges you sometimes face in producing a song? I personally love recording and the process involved in turning raw, acoustic songs into full tracks, hiccups and all. However there are definitely some challenges involved in producing music. These include time and money crunches involved with studio time and collaborating with other artists. Musician’s tend to have busy schedules (and be all over the place) which can make it a challenge to sync up when there’s multiple people involved. Another challenge, the biggest really, is knowing when it’s “done”. When you are working on a piece of music it is always evolving. Knowing when a song or album has reached its final evolution is an art in and of itself. If you can visualize a video to “Airplane Mode” what would you envision? Any plans to release a music video? A music video for Airplane Mode is in the works! It will be simple and dreamy just like the song. I won’t say more than that - you’ll have to stay posted for that one! Connect with Cenzina on social media: Instagram: www.instagram.com/mariacenzina

Amy Lerie is a French pop/country/singer-songwriter who started her career when she was 18 years old and was given her first guitar. Songwriting has always been in her life. She wrote poems about love, life, her personal experiences and transferred them into songs. Amy released her first EP in 2015 in London produced by Maxime Obadia. "He understood me and he took what I had in my head and put out in a different level while staying faithful to who I am – he's that good !" After several concerts in Paris and London, she decided to move her dream forward and went to Nashville in 2017 for a couple of months. Amy Lerie recently released her single “Once In A Blue Moon”, a ballad about love and what we assume, a personable single to the artist! Amy has a relaxing and soothing voice. It flows fluently across a slowed down emotional song while also showing potential of delivering them highly energetic and dynamic country rock hits. We like that you can see the full potential in her artistry. Amy proves with “Once In A Blue Moon” that she can convey emotion, become vulnerable, and serenade us a tune with full sentimental conviction. Now you wonder, can she get us to dance? Can she switch into the fierce and ear piercing vocal belts on a jamming tune? We're certain that she has that capability! “Once In A Blue Moon” really carries a melody from start to finish that we can become immensely engrossed by. Listen to “Once In A Blue Moon” here and get to know Amy Lerie in our interview below! Hi Amy, can you tell our readers a little about yourself! Sure! First of all, thank you for having me! Well, I'm a French singer-songwriter based in Paris and travelling from London to Nashville. Started writing songs and playing the guitar 13 years ago but did my first performance when i was 10 with a Spice Girls hit! In 2011 I got my first big gig with my band - also played local open mics in Paris. My first EP 'Torn' is out on itunes - recorded in 2015 by an amazing french producer based in London. After one 3-month trip in Nashville in 2017, I met co-writers - among them, one producer with whom I m doing my second EP 'Higher' right now! Exciting things to come ! Do you recall the emotions you felt when you picked up your first guitar? Yes! The first emotion I got when I opened my 20th birthday present was excitement! Like, I screamed my lungs out! Then after the excitement, comes the frustration of trying and failing to play some chords! But i never stopped! Three hours per day of self-taught guitar lesson and after a few months i got to accompany myself during my writing times! If you can describe yourself in 3 adjectives what would it be and why? The first one would be 'funny' - If i wasn't a songwriter, I'd love to be a stand up comedian! Then, I would say 'persistant' - I had so many lives before (math teacher, nanny, HR assistant in a law firm) and I could have stayed in one of them - i mean, stable job with monthly paycheck - but i always wanted to be a singer-songwriter, so I saved money to do my EP, to travel to Nashville and stay a few months there. That's what I'm the most proud of. Not giving up on my dream. And one of the things that helps me through my writing process is being 'compassionate or empathetic'. That's how i can try to understand someone's feeling if not mine, and writing a song about it. Do you find any challenges in trying to connect with a listener or has this always been something that is an easy bond? Nowadays, it's harder to be heard. Because almost everything is available for free, so your songs can be lost in the process unless you have a publishing deal or a record deal. But once someone hears a song that they can relate to, they are trying to know the artist behind. And so, that's how the relationship between them starts. It's not an easy bond. It's the first step. What’s the meaning behind “Once In A Blue Moon” ? So, in life, you have defining moments. Like, when you realize the person you're dating is the one you want to spend your life with. Or, when a friend is coming to see you at the hospital as much as they can, you realize what you mean to them. So i wanted to tell a story about one guy reminiscing two striking times he knew his love was the one(the time he saw her for the first time, and the time she gave birth) I didn't write this song with someone i knew in my mind, but I heard a lot of stories like that from my entourage. Have you performed live yet? If so, how do you get rid of the nerves! Yes, i have performed live! The last one was in December at the Bluebird Café, Nashville. I'm not that stressed before going on stage - i would say, the minute I sing my first word, I'm good. And i use a lot of jokes in-between songs - that's how i get rid of the nerves i guess. Any exciting plans for 2019? Yes! Yes! First, I just finished recording my second EP and I will do an EP release concert before the summer I think. And, I'm playing in a French musical next fall in Paris - almost 40 dates of performance, so I'm definitely excited about this one! Connect with Amy Lerie on social media: www.amyleriemusic.com www.facebook.com/RealAmyLerie www.twitter.com/valraza2 www.instagram.com/amy_lerie

Greenhouse is a four-piece alternative-rock outfit based in Hartford, CT. With influences ranging from reggae, vibes of Sublime and to the funky feel of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Greenhouse produces a tone with much familiarity for us to vibe to. The band recently released their newest single titled “One Thing” The melodic groove begins with a stylistic guitar and rhythmic drum arrangement. Their vocals has this canorous delivery that we love. I like how “One Thing” reminds me of a timeless bop that’s almost hard to forget like the music Maroon 5 manufactures. Maroon 5 has a way of executing an exciting love bop, a dwell-some single, in an upbeat and memorable manner, the same way Greenhouse was able to properly project with their single “One Thing”. You can’t really categorize this song into one particular genre of music because it’s fused with a lot of elements of various different styles of music like reggae and pop. We love the slight island flare to “One Thing” because it sprinkles artistic flavor and flare! Listen to “One Thing” here and get to know Greenhouse in our interview below! Hey there, care to introduce yourselves to our readers? Absolutely! We are GreenHouse (capital G and capital H – there’s a lot of other Greenhouses out there) hailing from Hartford, CT. Sean Lemkey is our lead singer and plays guitar, Greg Ganci is our lead guitarist and also does vocals, Nick Delaney plays bass and is also on vocals, and Ben Wahlberg is our drummer and percussionist. How did Greenhouse form and what was the inspiration behind the name? So there is a long history of all of us playing together in different capacities since about 2013, but this project started in early 2016 when Sean and Greg were jamming together a bit on some old 311 and Sublime songs. Nick and Ben soon joined, and we just started playing songs we grew up on, sort of in the reggae/rock realm. It only took about 2 or 3 rehearsals to start writing some original music, which we turned into tracks that you can hear today! It was kind of awesome because even though the 4 of us never played together as a quartet, we all kind of knew each other’s style and played off one another really well because we had all played with each other in some capacity on other projects. I think Ben and Sean were the only two that hadn’t played together before our first rehearsal, but they’re both so good it didn’t matter, sounded awesome. The name exists because we started rehearsing in a friend’s Greenhouse. It was an oasis. Literally, like a 3 acre plot of land in nearby Bloomfield, CT where we could make as much noise as possible and stay as long as we wanted. Sean, Nick and Greg live together now and built a semi-studio/practice space in the basement of their house, so that’s where the everything goes down now, but shout out to Jim Shepard, the legend who made the GH our second home. What’s the legacy you hope your band leave behind? I think as a band our philosophy is to create the best product we possibly can according to us. We love the folks that come to our shows and listen to our music and we want to keep them happy –that’s definitely a huge focus - but our primary drive is to stay true to our sound because we all believe we found something special. We are constantly writing new tunes and jamming on things we come up with at rehearsals, but what’s great is that we even look to build on songs that we’ve had for over 2 years now. When you are constantly improving and adding to your arsenal, that’s a great indicator of progress, so I think the legacy is predicated on that philosophy. 4 guys who loved to play music and stayed true to themselves. What emotion do you think your music generally evokes into your listeners? That’s a great question. Our songs are very diverse and don’t necessarily follow a central theme, but at the same time, you can tell it’s a GreenHouse track if you have heard our sound. Especially during our live shows, we play with a lot of energy and are upbeat throughout all of our sets, and we really like to engage with our audience, so I don’t really know if one emotion can capture it. Gun to our head, I think our sound is full-spirited, fun and energetic, while at the same time having a laid-back, chilled-out undertone. Does that make sense? Let’s go with it. Out of all your musical influences, who has impacted the band most on your music and why? You could ask all 4 of us this question and we would likely give you 4 different answers. Our musical tastes are on a gigantic, never-ending spectrum and we keep adding new sub-genres to our Spotify playlists all the time. That said as a band, I think we draw off of groups like 311 and Sublime because that is kind of where it all started, but after a while it sort of shifted to bands like Red Hot Chili Peppers and Maroon 5. We added a kind of pop-meets-straight-ahead rock element to our original music that parallels the latter two, so I think those bands have really influenced the way we come up with certain arrangements, riffs, lines etc. We’ve gotten to the point where we come to a loose arrangement of a new tune or a cool little riff that turns into something and say something like “man that really sounds like a RHCP song” which is probably a huge diss to them, and toolish of us, but it’s kinda true haha. Have you performed live yet? If so, what’s the most exciting part about it! Any upcoming live performances? Yes we’ve been performing live for a while now. We had a big 2017, and an even bigger 2018 and are so pumped for what 2019 has in store for us. We try to arrange strings of about 6-8 shows every season, so we have a sort of consistent schedule and allows us opportunities to have a break and write new material (which we always are doing anyway). We’ve been all over the Northeast, including New York City, at places like Pianos, Arlene’s Grocery and Rockwood Music Hall. We also try to stick to our roots and get back to the beach as often as possible, so lots of shows on the Rhode Island shore and Block Island. Then of course in our home state, between Hartford and New Haven, we’ve been just about everywhere that has live music, including our EP release show (our EP is entitled ‘Wave’ – find it on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, iTunes or anywhere else) that we just recently had on 12/8/18 at the infamous Arch Street Tavern in downtown Hartford. The most exciting part about playing out is definitely the fan response. When you see people vibing to a song YOU wrote with your best friends, and they are singing the words back to you from the crowd, wearing your band’s name, stickers or pins on their shirt, dancing ferociously, whatever – there is really no better feeling. Being in the studio is awesome, but engaging with people who come to your shows is an ultimate high. We are actually in the midst of a little Winter Tour right now, we are 3 shows in of a 7 stop run, and we are actually playing a very renowned establishment by the name of Toad’s Place in New Haven, CT on 1/17/19 which we are very excited about. A lot of very high-profile acts have been on that main stage and we really looking forward to it. Going to be a blast! Beyond that, we are putting together a little something this summer that gets us past New York, hopefully a bit further down the East Coast so we hope to check in with you guys again soon –in the meantime follow us on Instagram/Twittter @greenhousetunes, on facebook (facebook.com/greenhousetunes) and our website greenhousetunes.com. #BuzzMusic