Search this site

Like going on a roller coaster ride and taking slow deep breaths before the car drops, next thing you know, your arms are in the air, and you’re screaming at the top of your lungs. That is how I describe Jonathan Karkar’s new single, "Adrenaline Rush." Jonathan takes us on a ride from verse to chorus, beginning with a slow ascent and then dropping us when the chorus hits. We are screaming, and our arms are flailing in the air, but not because we’ve fallen from a great height. Instead, we’re shouting the lyrics at the tops of our lungs and dancing wildly while throwing our arms up in celebration. The melody is comprised of simple chords that, when played in succession, have an uncanny ability to make you happy. In fact, the simplicity of this song is what makes it great. Its poppy beat and vocals work together to create a mood that is ‘feel-good’ and not muddied by minor notes or ambient sound. Every chord is perfectly placed within the mix to achieve the desired emotional reaction from its listeners. This action is a testament to Jonathan’s production experience. Jonathan worked as a co-writer and co-producer on ‘Storm’ by Famba ft. Kyra Mastro; a song that is currently #4 on the Billboard Dance Charts. With his immense talent and production acumen, the sky's the limit for Jonathan Karkar, and we can't wait to see what's next. Read our exclusive interview with Jonathan Karkar here. Instagram

Hello Jonathan Karkar, welcome to Buzz Music and thank you for being here. You really brought the energy in your new single "Adrenaline Rush." What are some of your inspirations when it comes to songwriting and production? I'm very grateful. Inspiration can come from anywhere, at any time. The real trick is putting yourself in a mental and physical space conducive to creativity, and then inspiration just comes naturally. In terms of this song specifically, I had originally written the melody and structure with Kyra Mastro, and it was called "Cruise Ship Crush." It was supposed to be a song for Kyra, and we were going to reference the "Call Me Maybe" production, but after a few months, we decided it wasn't the right sound for her brand, so I took the melody and re-wrote the song to be about a spontaneous romance, made a dance/pop production out of it and voila! The production of this song seems calculated and purposeful. What have you learned from your many years of producing pop hits? The biggest thing I've learned from producing pop music is that productions are more about clever sonic changes than musical changes. Instead of being fancy with chords and harmony, you have to be fancy with your sound design. I've also found that working with material that's already there and remaining as minimalist as necessary is a great way to go in order to not clutter a production. Less is more. At least most of the time. "Adrenaline Rush," tells the story of ‘love at a first touch.’ How do you come up with themes to write about? When I write a song, 9 times out of 10, I'll have a melody that I'll mumble over and over again until syllables and vowels start coming out, which then inform some words, and then whatever words sound coolest with the melody is where I'll start, and then I'll try to write around that. This song is not a biographic story at all, it's complete fiction, but the first words that came for this song were "the adrenaline rush," followed by the rest of the chorus, and then I wrote the verses and bridge to fit those parameters. There is no doubt that you are an incredible producer and artist. What plans do you have in the future for both your solo project and working with other artists? Thank you so much; I really appreciate the compliment! I have some absolute fire in the kitchen right now with a bunch of different artists, I'm not too sure about release timelines for those projects, but some of these tunes are seriously competitive. In terms of my artistry - all these tunes I'm doing on my own are portfolio pieces to demonstrate my ability so that I can get more production work, honestly - that being said, I love doing it, and it's great having complete control over a project and being able to do whatever you want. Listen to "Adrenaline Rush" here and read our full review of the song here. Instagram

Five Star Friend’s new single "Maybe It’s True” from his debut album perfectly highlights his alternative Californian vibe. The lyrics incorporate themes of heartbreak and accepting lost love for what it is. The primary message is self-acceptance and the realization that it’s okay to think about lost love but not dwell on it. It’s easy to say that “Maybe It’s True” reflects his brand's minimalist theme. Perfectly backed with an easy-listening melodic hook with sublime instrumentation, Five Star Friend has created the ideal song for a warm sunny day. Five Star Friend is the moniker Virginia native Rob D. Turner uses. He takes his combination of genres with him to Connecticut, then to California. Landing his mixes rock, pop, alternative, and country, and forming a sound close to west coast groups like Weezer and Red Hot Chilli Peppers. After familiarizing himself with guitar (as well as 12 strings), he treated himself to a Fender Jag-Stang to help emphasize his crisp, layered harmonies. With his melodic baselines, he provides catchy and groovy rhythms that capture his minimal yet effective instrumentation/vocals. He recently released his debut album 'Five Star Friend” on February 14th, recorded in a garage, and it's nothing short of excellence. Read more in our full interview with Five Star Friend as he discusses "Maybe It's True". Instagram

Welcome to BuzzMusic, Five Star Friend! We’re incredibly excited to feature your song “Maybe It’s True” off your debut album. Could you share with us some inspirations you had for the album? I wanted to best capture what I was thinking, listening to and playing at that moment and go full steam ahead. There’s a little bit of pretty much everything that I like on this album - I wanted it to be varied. If for no other reason, it kept things interesting when I was recording! And it’s really cool to take stuff from one genre and apply it to another one. Especially when you wouldn’t think those two would fit. Like some of the lyrics - I thought they were working for one song, then I tried ‘em on another tune, and it just stuck. Some of my lyrics are about weird, fizzled-out relationships, feeling really good about the start of a weekend, or just driving and sitting in traffic going, “Why the hell am I doing this?” It’s all inspired by what I’m listening to at the moment, previous experiences that I made note of, and what made an impression on me. Your sound varies from easy listening alternative to a grungy-sounding rock. Who are some artists that have helped shape your sound? So one of the singles, “Maybe It’s True,” is taken from a whole bunch of rock/pop bands that I love. Especially the 90s/early 00s sound like The Lemonheads, Wilco, and Fountains of Wayne. And you gotta mix in a little Weezer/RHCP in there too. I love those albums that have both soft and hard rock sounds, like “There Is Nothing Left To Lose” by the Foo Fighters. Some of those tracks are pretty raucous; some are kinda delicate. That stark contrast makes it stand out even more to me. And you can’t really talk about this 90s alt-rock scene without mentioning Nirvana, so there’s the whole grunge side of the rock that I love too. Have you heard the baby lullaby version of “All Apologies”? Kurt wrote beautiful melodies! It’s insane to me. So they definitely shaped the sound of my song “Impish Inklings.” It was really fun to record a couple of instrumentals too, where I could explore some synth-y, pop-soul type of vibes. Get real lo-fi with it. Play around with the percussion and basslines too, give it a little Marvin/Stevie funky feel. It’s the hardest question you can ask, really, but it’s a combination of all this stuff with an extra spoonful of rock n’ roll on top. “Maybe It’s True” has a powerful message behind it; What’s your approach to putting your thoughts to lyrics? It’s funny because I’ve heard from a few friends what they think the message of the chorus to this song is, and I’m like, “Damn, I never really thought of it this way…” But I’m glad people are thinking about it. There are always different interpretations. The way the lyric process goes for me is a bit different. I usually jot stuff down on my phone or my notebook with little phrases, fragments and things like that. Then when I’m playing, I’ll try to think of some of those ideas and see if I can use them in something. Often times I’ll start humming and fill in the blanks with random words. Some of those words stick! It’s a good feeling coming up with a lyric that you never thought would work, but then when you hear it back, it makes sense. I think of it as a puzzle - fitting all the pieces together takes some trial and error. And then I go - does this sound good? Does it feel good? And so it begins all over again. You’ve mentioned your “Keep it Simple Stupid” approach. When do you know if a song needs a little more or is finished? I try to use this approach more often than not. And that’s the tough thing, knowing when a song needs more or when to let it breathe. It’s the big back-and-forth, and I have to hear it and feel it out. Different songs take on different styles, moods, and auras and knowing how to best get that “thing” that makes the tune pop out is what I strive for. A couple of other musicians came on board to help me out in the production process, and I got some great feedback from them. That was invaluable - my ears got so used to hearing something a certain way, so getting another perspective really helped me out. And that can sometimes open up something you never would’ve thought. But I never tried to over-complicate things, as hard as it was sometimes. I always came back to my mantra of “keep it simple stupid” and knew that it wasn’t going to let me down. Thank you for being here, Five Star Friend. Tell us, what is your next move? Do you have any news you'd like to share with us and your fans? So here’s where it gets interesting for me. The first thing for me is to keep playing and writing. Keep practicing and playing live as much as I can. Then I’ve got some demos that didn’t go on the album, but I know I should take another look at them. And, going back to the “keep it simple” approach, I may find that some of the demos work best as acoustic songs, but some may need more. Whatever they need, I plan on releasing them in the near future. I’ve got a lot of things in the works, and I’m excited about the outlook for 2020. Read our full song review of "Maybe It's True" here. Instagram

Hi Sooraj! Welcome to BuzzMusic! We adore the music video to "The Actor" over here; it perfectly captures the story of the song. Could you talk to us about how the video was created? Were there any influences on it? The video started off with the fact that I knew that it had to be set in Hollywood. It was a song written in and written about the "Hollywood life,” but I didn’t want it to follow a typical cliché. I like most of my music videos to have a definite script and story, and this was no exception. The director Jonas Gaida did an excellent job of bringing that vision to life. We shot the entire video in a day and kept refining the shots as we moved along - including putting in a little twist at the end! I’m also a pilot - and the opening shot of the Hollywood sign was shot from a small plane that I was flying. Your sound feels like the perfect combination of something that both The Beatles and John Mayer would do. Is this something that you tried to achieve, or did it come naturally? Is there anything specific about your influences that you try to breathe into your music? There’s no conscious decision per se to inject my influences into my music. It comes through very naturally. I’m a very audio-sensitive person - I learn through listening better than any other way. That way, most of what I listen to - including my biggest influences - get subconsciously entrenched into my playing and songwriting technique. We’re loving the storytelling of your lyrics! With its positive, honest messages and relatable themes, what is your thought process like when writing music? Do you try to relate them to your own life as it happens, or are you creating a story and writing to that? Every song is different. Sometimes I like to tell stories from the point of view of others. I take on the voice of characters and write from their perspective, but at the same time, draw from my own experiences and observations of the world around me. I love to just look around and observe. Of course, I want to relate them to my own life as much as possible, but most of it is just observations and learnings, and I try to put most of that into my songs. I’m a huge fan of writing from the point of view of inanimate objects. I literally talk to inanimate objects and imagine the various stories and emotions that they could tell me. For example, “The Actor” spawned as a conversation in my head with one of the empty stars on the Walk of Fame on Hollywood Boulevard! Knowing that you are a multi-instrumentalist, are there any instruments that you would like to learn to add to your music? Or do you have any goals that you are aiming to achieve? An instrument that I would love to learn is the saxophone! I love the sound of the saxophone so much - and it would fit in really well with my love for jazz and soul/R&B. What can we expect to see next from you, Sooraj? I’m in the process of shooting a few more music videos for some of the songs from my album “Here We Go.” And, of course, I’ve been continuing to write more songs! Listen to "The Actor" here and read our full review of the song here. Instagram

Sooraj is a multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter that creates storytelling music that features his ever-so-soft soothing voice, memorable memory writing, and polished production that draws influences from The Beatles and John Mayer. His favorite home to be at is on stage, singing his heart out and bringing joy to all those around him. His debut music video for "Nemesis" reached over 60,000 views on youtube, and his crowdsourced music video has over 150,000 views. Currently, Sooraj is studying vocal performance to fine-tune, even more, the magical sound he has. His latest release, "The Actor," is instantly something that makes you feel good and forget about your problems. It's fun, calm, soothing, groovy, and quite catchy - his influences of John Mayer and The Beatles shine brightly here, and it does not disappoint. Sooraj's storytelling in "The Actor" is expertly crafted to be woven through every element of the music, from its tight drums, funky jazz-like guitar, deep bassline, and Sooraj's soothing voice. A major highlight in the video and song is when the main guitar solo kicks in, and the video show Sooraj standing up to management and becoming more than just another role to play and moving on to being someone he wants to be. “I walk on the Hollywood Walk of Fame every day, and all I step on are pink stars on the boulevard. I thought to myself, is this the pinnacle of fame – to have a star on the boulevard and have people walk over you? That was what sparked the writing of this song.” - Sooraj Read our exclusive interview with Sooraj on "The Actor" here. Instagram

Sooraj is a singer, songwriter, instrumentalist, composer, and arranger from Mumbai, India, who released his highly anticipated album titled “Here We Go,” and it begins with a jazzy and groovy introduction with the single “One Last Dance.” “One Last Dance” has a funky flare with a fast-paced tempo and various of different transitions through the instrumental spectrum. I like how Sooraj starts the album off with a danceable tune that can get us in the mood and prepared for the next track. After dancing alongside to “One Last Dance”, “The Actor” plays. “The Actor” sounds like a cruise-like groove with a melodic introduction thanks to the strings and chords from the acoustic guitar and bass. Sooraj keeps his delicate voice intact to keep serenading us. After “The Actor," “Fairytale” begins with a more jingle-like intro. The guitar melody sets the tone and setting for the song to be more subtle than groovy. The aura and energy of the fairytale are actually delightful, although the tempo is slow, and the aesthetic can seem melancholic. Next, “Nemesis” kept the whole upbeat and bright vibe going with a striking hook that can become addicting for some. I like how Sooraj changes the speed throughout the song. It gives the single a more multifaceted appeal. The next song, “3am Conversations,” was the most fitting ballad to be included on the album. I say ‘ballad’ loosely because when you envision ballads, you tend to envision the emotional conviction of depressing lyrics and emoting sad sensations throughout the song; however, this ballad is more contentful. Just a natural comforting joy, the same comfort you receive during 3 am conversations with a companion--ironic, right? After the relaxing song transitions out, “Awake” transitions in. “Awake” immediately begins with its natural jazz roots being apparent. I like the whole aesthetic of the album so far. It’s highly positive and progressive, but it has catchy melodies and tunes, proven with “Awake." "Awake" has an eargasmic hook thanks to the melodic and canorous delivery Sooraj gives us. Mentally paint a vivid image of yourself on a cruise, enjoying the breeze from the ocean and eating expensive steak while listening to exquisite music. That’s the image Sooraj gives us during “Awake.” My favorite part in this song was when he carries his voice into a piercing high note. The beautiful whistle falsetto showcased his vocal dynamics and range. The next song, “City Beat,” begins with a military-sounding drum rhythm before the folk-like guitar acoustic matches the tempo. "City Beat" seemed to be the leading single on the album as it really drives forward the entire component. Sooraj album has been about nonstop images and painting various different settings for his listeners and City Beat propelled that forward. Sooraj includes two love-bop melodies, “Grow” and “Someone Who Cares,” to demonstrate his vulnerable side and show he has the ability to intune himself with his emotions and serenade us with authentic lyrics personalized to him but relatable to the world. The final track, “Infinities,” and the bonus track, “Afterlife,” was the perfect closer to the album. Both songs sort of felt like a reflective piece of memory. I think by this time of listening you’re indulged into the album so it was great to give us a song that evokes our imaginative thinking and get us remembering moments that were great in the past, just like he gave us moments that were great in each and every song on the album. Sooraj, what was your initial vision for the album? Before I released the album, I’d been writing and performing my own songs for a long time. It was only natural that I should see some of them put together and presented to the world. “Here We Go” is a culmination of five years’ worth of musical exploration, songwriting and discovery. I wanted to make something that I could pop on in the car or at home or wherever and say, “This sounds pretty good; I’d love to listen to more!” The album is essentially a snapshot of who I am as a person and as a musician. Did you find any challenges during the creation process? I think the most challenging part of the whole thing was the mix process, where we went down into the little details. I had literally one person - my friend Navneet Rao, who was the line producer and mixed and mastered the album - doing the whole mix and fine-tuning it to a point where both of us were happy. We went back and forth on so many things, and ultimately came out with a final product which we were happy with. He fell seriously ill, too, in the middle of the mix sessions, so the whole album release was pushed back by almost a month and a half. But I think the time spent on it was well worth it because it’s turned out just how I envisioned it. How do you determine which songs to be selected for the finalized album? Were there any you recorded that didn’t make the cut? Determining the songs was done in consultation with people who knew almost every song I’ve written and performed - my wonderful band here in LA, my amazing band back in India, my line producer Navneet Rao and a couple of my other friends. We recorded only after we made the final selection, but there were definitely one or two songs which were a wrench to let go of. But they might just be part of album number two, you never know. How do you manage to be versatile while sticking to your style? I think the key here is to be hummable but not annoyingly so. If you find yourself walking down the street humming something, that means that particular song has got you, no matter what the genre is. And I think that’s what works in my favour - that most genres do have their own way of being memorable, but if it’s something you can hum to, you can be as versatile as you like, and it’ll still be memorable while walking down the street. I try to put little melodic and rhythmic hooks into every song that I write, but not overuse them. About being versatile - I think that’s where my music production background helps because I’ve been doing work and listening to so many different styles of music so often that having songs that are different from each other, or even a “genre-bending” song, if you please, is something that I automatically enjoy. Any favorites off of the album? My personal favorite, and this has been backed by my band here in LA, is the second track, “The Actor.” This was a song written about Hollywood and my observations about people on the boulevard while walking to school and how everyone seems to just be playing a role in a script that’s not their own. The way the song grooves is literally my daily walking speed on Hollywood Blvd every day. And the band does a fantastic job of bringing the song alive — Phung with his steady groove, Igor backing him up on the bass, Kruttika with her soul/jazz-inspired electric piano and Kazuki with his beautifully melodic guitar solo. We all love playing that song the most, and I think it’s the one song that Nav and I spent the most time on while mixing.

Hello, Maya Rae! Congratulations on the release of "Freedom Fighter"! How does it feel to have this release out after all of the work that went into this particular song? It feels amazing to finally be able to share this music with everyone! This song is very special to my brother and me as we wrote it (and ended up recording it) while we were recording the album in Nashville last year. I’m just so eager to release the record because I’m super proud of the whole thing! Let's dive deeper into the significance of "Freedom Fighter" and what the song means for you. How would you describe the theme of this track, and do you feel that it was easily communicated to your listeners? The storyline of “Freedom Fighter” is really just made up. It’s a super descriptive piece, and I think it really takes listeners on a journey! It was such a fun song to write and record, and there’s a lot of attitude in it, which I think listeners will hear right off the bat. Your resumé is incredible! You've travelled and performed on various stages, honing in quite the fan base. Can you share more about your experience performing and how it has felt to perform in various festivals? I’ve been very lucky to play lots of shows in the past few years all around Canada. I started playing gigs when I was around 12 years old, so I’ve had a few years of practice and have definitely become much more comfortable on stage. Playing shows is one of my favorite aspects of the music business, and having new people come out and discover my music. Your voice is incredibly luscious and filled with all sorts of textures--it's quite the staple to your sound. Do you feel that this characteristic was crafted over time, or have you always felt that your vocal performance came naturally right from the start of your artistic career? Thank you! I definitely think that over time I’ve been able to develop my craft, and it will only keep developing over time. But I’ve been singing for as long as I can remember, so it’s really just been a matter of working my voice every day and developing it with time! Check out Maya Rae and her song "Freedom Fighter" here. Instagram

Linnéa is a recently emerging Alt/Pop artist here to showcase her recent single, "Romantic." Linnéa’s body of work as an artist has been influenced by personal experiences. Her music offers a wide-ranging performance. She is capable of becoming a highly diversified performer.  She incorporates a vast array of components related to several genres. We're always left impressed and wondering with Linnéa, which draws us, and our attention, in further. The production of Linnéa's "Romantic" feels bubbly and full of an enriched sense of spirit. As an emerging artist, Linnéa proves to be dynamic and focused on transforming the genres we expect.  Linnéa knows how to mesmerize and then shock, in that order, with "Romantic." The overall storyline is filled with an inspirational message about resilience in times of hardship.  The chorus of "Romantic" has a more aggressive vocal approach that feels completely enriching. Her music adapts to needs through an alternative and eclectic sound. We're anticipating more of this genre-bending music from Linnéa in the near future. You can discover Linnéa and her recent single "Romantic" here. Instagram

Based in Sweden, Linnéa is a singer/songwriter and eclectic pop recording artist. She found her love for singing and performing at the young age of 10 years old and has been developing her craft since then. Linnéa travelled to Los Angeles to record four songs with Greg Cortez at New Monkey Studio and “I Always Knew” is the first release from this project. Fusing creative production and gorgeously soulful yet delicate vocals, “I Always Knew” emerges as a surprisingly spacious and carefully designed single that paves its own way. Taking on the better parts of pop and intertwining them with a brilliantly interesting and unusual manner of sound design, Linnéa showcases a stand-out style throughout “I Always Knew” and offers up a refreshing twist on modern pop along the way. The vocal adds just enough to capture the hearts of pop fans, and the rest weaves its originality and its instrumental web around listeners for that alternative, dance-inspired edge. Underneath all of this, there’s a thoughtful and honest concept at the heart of the song and a personal storyline that meanders through its own sense of conflict and its own uncertainties. Subtle but powerful, a brilliant introduction to Linnéa and a fresh approach to creativity. Welcome to BuzzMusic Linnéa! You’re an incredibly talented artist! What do you hope your listeners take away from your brand new release, “I Always Knew”? What inspired this song? Answer: I always want to make sure that I tell a story through my music. ’I always knew’ is about that one special person that you love more than life itself. The one you would do anything for. I wanted to write about it in a happy way because love is beautiful, and we have to remember how amazing it is that we have the ability to love and be loved. I want to illuminate the greatness of that. “I Always Knew” blended so many elements together flawlessly. How do you go about crafting a track like this? What are the main qualities you try to capture? Answer: My producer, Greg Cortez, and I agreed on our sound right away. We wanted to go in the same direction and he just got me and my vision. Greg is extremely talented and I’m very humbled to be working with him. To me, music is all about telling a story and being true to yourself through the process. Don’t be scared to tell people the truth. I believe that things will just fall into place when you keep that in mind through the writing -and production process. What have been the main changes you’ve noticed in the music industry within the time you’ve been making music? Answer: That’s a tricky question. I guess social media is the biggest change compared to when I was 14 and did my first recordings. Back then I and my best friend Manda were the only people I knew that posted songs on YouTube but today, everybody does it. It’s harder to get noticed, but at the same time, there are a lot more opportunities as well. What's the most integral element to your music that you find is always integrated into every track you produce? Answer: The electronic yet very clean pop sound. Also, my lyrics will always tell you something that you can relate to. Thank you so much for chatting with us, it’s been a pleasure to feature “I Always Knew”. What can you tell us about your other upcoming tracks? Answer: I have three more songs from my project in LA that will be released later on. All of them have their own identity and elements but you’ll recognize the sound, for sure. I’m currently working with different producers and songwriters all over the world and I can’t wait to share it all with you! Instagram