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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

Sirius is an artist whom is forming his own sounds in Hip-Hop and R&B is focused on mixing and creating fresh new sounds that are catchy and filled with emotion. Born and raised in Oshawa, Canada and travelling back and forth to Toronto, Canada to further a career in music and acting, Sirius always had a vision and a vision he’s been determined to execute. From being on stage as Young Simba at the Princess of Wales Theatre and being in multiple shows including the Cheetah Girls, he continues to build upon his career in the industry to become a top tier performer, songwriter and artist. Sirius recently released his single titled “Art of War” and we were impressed by his lyricism and stylistic delivery. One lyric that stood out to us the most was “I was born in the booth”. That single lyric itself highlighted the entire song for me and showed us not only the meaning behind the song but a more genuine connection with the artist. I love it when rappers rap about how dedicated and passionate they are about their craft and making it in the game because it shows a more authentic side to rap other than the whole fabricated image most rappers like to put up. In our opinion it’s strategic to come out the game with a sense of hunger and drive and allow that genuine starvation to win, be present in the music you release because it adds an element of aggressiveness and undisputed character to your artistry and Sirius is an example of that specific bonafide inanition! Listen to "Art Of War" here and get to know Sirius in our interview below. Hi Sirius, care to introduce yourself to our readers? Don't mind if I do, I'm an Artist outside of Toronto, in a city called Oshawa. I am 28 years old born and raised in Canada. I am in love with music like most, but more recently than ever. The past year I have been blessed to stay focused on creating and developing my own music. Finding my own sound to share within Hip-Hop and R&B. I have had many opportunities which have helped me grow in the past. From performing on stage at the Princess of Wales Theatre as Young Simba in the Lion King Production when I was a young kid, which was the moment I knew I would want to create and perform my own music later in life. So here we are. Is Sirius your birth name or is it a stage name you’ve selected? If it’s a stage name, what’s the reason behind it? Well my name is Kyle, and Sirius is my stage name. It has developed over time through many stages and finally landed on the name Sirius. Reasons behind the name vary from a producer letting me know to keep it simple, as well from my handle on social media. SiriusHours. An anagram which I created to represent the Goddess Isis and The Sky God Horus along with the star Sirius. The brightest star in our night sky. I feel like I can carry myself with that, knowing that it will help me be my best. Shine my brightest. Do you recall your first time performing on stage? How nervous were you? Is it easier for you to perform live now? My first time performing was in front of 2,000 people when I was 11, as Young Simba. Downtown Toronto at the Princess of Wales Theatre. My first show a majority of people I knew came to see me that night. Ever since then I haven't really been as nervous since that moment. I now look forward to performing as it's so rewarding to have a crowd enjoy the show. I still get nerves but as soon as I step on stage, everything will stop for a split second. Realizing only after the set is complete that you wish you still had a couple songs left. What are some challenges you face as a rapper when performing live? Performing live, my biggest challenge is my breathing technique. I rarely use a backing track. So performing live without one you really need to be on point or the crowd will notice when you fall off. Having a proper breathing technique for your music is crucial to keep on top of the song and not miss a pocket or note. I keep a diligent routine when I rehearse my set before I perform a show so I can sound my best. What’s your artist interpretation of “Art of War”? Art of War is one of those song representing my perspective on life. Learning and observing how to move correctly. With everything going on in the world, it can always seem to work against you at a level not expected. There is always a struggle to overcome, so when you have to get out of a situation it can feel pointless. So I write to motivate myself and prove to others my capabilities. From a writing stand point this song means a lot. As I am speaking to others who blindly try to keep me down, but it will not stop my drive to keep building as an artist. I got an empire in my sights. If you can collaborate with any current rapper in the industry who would you select and why? If I could collaborate with any Rapper in the industry, I would love to have an opportunity to work with Asher Roth. To keep it simple and enjoy the process, I think he would be a go to for many reasons. He has fun and would bring out the best writing anyone could offer. Asher is so talented with constructing rhymes and delivery. Plus he really does seem like one of the most humble artists out there. Connect with Sirius on social media: Instagram: www.instagram.com/siriushours Twitter: www.twitter.com/siriushours Facebook: www.facebook.com/siriushours

Xander Nelson was born in the spring of 1994 in the small seaside city of Portland, Maine. He picked up the electric guitar at the end of the 6th grade, in a new effort to get girls to like him. Ironically, he ended up falling in love with the instrument instead which turned out to become beneficial for him later on in life. Upon returning home from Berklee College of Music, he met fellow Berklee alumni and guitarist Manny Urgiles, long-time DJ turned bassist Kristian Terison and industry veteran and drummer Chuck Martin. Xander Nelson released the debut EP "A Dull Roar" in April 2017 and hit the ground running. After receiving extensive radio play on the single “You Got A Problem,” sharing the stage with Grammy nominees, and playing some of Maine’s biggest music festivals, Xander and his band released the follow-up EP “See You On The Other Side” in October 2018. Determined to break out and armed with the big guitar hooks rock music has been missing, this indie quartet shows no signs of slowing down. Their newest single "See You On The Other Side" begins with emotional conviction and intriguing melodies by the vocalist. After we become serenaded in the beginning of the song, the fast-pace and electrifying instruments chaotically fuses together and transitions in, that’s when the party begins! "See You On The Other Side" has this strikingly electric element about the song we love. I like the tune of the hook. The melodies and chord progression while projecting sentimental emotions in a more upbeat mannerism becomes exhilarating and that’s what the hook displays. The band has a sense of unison and you can tell they know how to deliver a highly energetic performance. It’s rare we hear music and think “they will be exciting to see live” and that’s the exact thought we've developed from listening to “See You On The Other Side”. Listen to "See You On The Other Side" here and get to know Xander Nelson in our interview below! Hey there, care to introduce yourself for our readers? We’re Xander Nelson, an indie pop-rock band from way up north in Portland, ME. Named for my own damn self, Xander, the lead singer, guitarist and principal songwriter, the band also consists of Manny Urgiles on guitar, Chuck Martin on drums, and Kristian Terison on Bass. We’re been gigging in the Portland area for a couple years now, and are starting to branch out into other places in New England, like Boston and Burlington. We’ve just self-released our second EP “See You On The Other Side,” and are planning on hitting the road in the summer! Between “You Got A Problem” and “See You On The Other Side” which has been your personal favorite thus far? If I absolutely had to choose, I would say “See You On The Other Side.” While “Problem” holds very special place in my heart, and is seriously fun to play live, “See You” is faster, bouncier, and more in-your-face. It also shows off a bit more of the band’s dynamic range, with both a big guitar solo and beds of layered vocal harmonies. What’s the biggest misconception people have of rock music in your opinion? The biggest misconception most people have about rock music is that it has to be all doom-and-gloom all the time. Whenever anyone says ‘rock,’ the first images that come to mind are an excess of leather, long hair unconvincingly dyed jet-black, and unresolved commitment issues from a bad breakup 15 years ago. However, like any genre, rock is so much more than its stereotypes. Sure, it can be bratty and brash, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be clever and fun, too. How do you plan on breaking apart from the overcrowded music industry? In short: authenticity. There’s no way around all the hard work and relationship building that it takes to make it in the music industry, and a little luck never hurts… But on top of that, it seems like every band needs some sort of gimmick nowadays. Be it a particular look, attitude off stage, or super-specific sound that it’s impossible to break away from. Speaking as a music listener, I’m pretty goddamn tired of all that. So, we’re going to stick out by rebelling against it, and just being ourselves. What’s the meaning behind “See You On The Other Side”? “See You On The Other Side” is a slightly more polite way of giving the finger to anyone who ever doubted you, or told you that you should just give up. For me, that pertains specifically to music, but I’m sure anyone pursuing their passion has had at least a few of those moments in their journey. It’s my own way of saying “I’m sorry you think that. Now watch me go out there and do it anyway.” How impacting is rock music to you? Rock music has been more than just impactful in my life – it’s the reason I’m the person that I am today. I grew up with it, met all my closest friends through playing it, went to Berklee College of Music for it, and work with it every day in my jobs as a local radio DJ and a guitar/voice instructor. It matches the beat of my soul, and is far and away the best reason to wake up every morning. Connect with Xander Nelson on social media: Facebook: www.facebook.com/XanderNelsonMusic Instagram: www.instagram.com/xandernelsonmusic Twitter: www.twitter.com/XanderNMusic

Midnight Wagon was formed in 2016 by bassist Trevor Speight and drummer Torrey Voisin. Originally formed as a joke band, the two conceptualized an album they called "Love is Brown." Months later, guitarist Ian Garrett was brought on board to help with the project. It was eventually scrapped and the group went on a short hiatus. The band later regrouped and took a different approach to their image. Midnight Wagon released their single “American Spirit” from their debut album titled “Deep Yellow” and I can thank this band for delivering us a hit we can add to our playlists! Midnight Wagon wastes no time at all as "American Spirit" begins with an outlandish, chaotic, and brashful energetic introduction with a tempo too insane to attempt! I’ve always had this perception of rock music that it’s equipped with beautiful melodies and chords yet projected in a bold approach. “American Spirit” projects the anarchic expression rock music exudes and I love that. What’s neat about this song is they didn’t just stick with the over the top sound the entire song, they eventually slow it down and give moments of extremely well delivered subtle melodies. "American Spirit" holds your attention from beginning to end due to the enormous amount of energy it has. This song is BuzzMusic approved! Listen to “American Spirit” here and get to know Midnight Wagon in our interview below! Hi Midnight Wagon! Care to introduce yourselves to our readers? What’s up gamers. We are a three-piece Alternative and Indie Rock band formed in April 2016 by bassist Trevor Speight and drummer Torrey Voisin, with lead vocalist and guitarist Ian Garrett joining later that year. We specialize in Alt-Rock revivalism, and we began production on our debut album, Deep Yellow, in January of 2018, releasing it one year later on January 4th. We also have a YouTube channel on which we regularly share behind-the-scenes vlogs, sketches, and other music related content.  Also, we always tell the truth and are never dishonest ever. Where did you guys meet? To be honest, we don’t remember how we all met. Something to do with a Disney Channel audition in San Antonio Texas for Good Luck Charlie, we think. But, yeah, while we were practicing our lines and waiting, like, three hours before audition we started talking about music and our favorite bands and artists and the rest was history. Obviously, none of us made it onto Disney Channel, but we’re not stopping ‘til we reach that yellow brick road, baby. How did you formulate the name “Midnight Wagon” any inspiration behind it? So we came up with a really sick movie script called Space ‘Rillaz, short for Space Gorillas, which basically steals the plot from Harry and the Hendersons but instead of a Sasquatch named Harry it’s three Hip-Hop loving Gorillaz from planet Kongulon. They love to kick it and spit freestyles. There’s the level headed leader Grand Master Fuzzy, the shy nerdy one and his name is Chuck G, and finally there’s the goofy ‘Rilla, SpaceRillaPurrp. Still a WIP but expect it to be on Netflix pretty soon. If you could describe your musical style in 3 adjectives what would you describe it as and why? Fun, Funky, Fresh. ‘Cause we F-ing rock. How do you hope to impact your fans with your music? We hope that our fans listen to our music and are like “Wow, this is surprisingly not as bad as I was expecting.” Impacting them in that way would be super cool. What’s the meaning behind “American Spirit” ? what atmosphere do you envision while listening! Over the summer of 2018, we observed a romantic relationship between two close friends that was so remarkably odd that it was impossible not to write about. There’s another song on our album that’s about another aspect of their relationship, but we’re letting listeners guess which it is. For the atmosphere of the song, we wanted it to be, like, sad, but like, rock n’ roll sad, you know what we mean?  Like, when your cat dies, but like, it was the cat that you didn’t really like because she was mean, but still you had her for, like, a long time so you’re still kind of sad but at the same time you’re, like, glad that she’s dead, you know? Or, like, the kind of atmosphere you might get listening to whale sounds in, like, a sensory deprivation tank. What’s your favorite part about creating music? All of it.  We especially love working in the studio and trying out new ideas. We feel like it’s where we’re all most comfortable making music because making music at a public park or a restaurant would be mega uncomfortable. If you could collaborate with any other artist of your choice who would you select and why? Ariana Grande for sure.  She’s our favorite artist and definitely our biggest musical influence.  We’re sure that definitely comes through on our most recent album. Connect with Midnight Wagon on social media: Instagram: www.instagram.com/midnightwagonofficial Twitter: www.twitter.com/MidnightWagon