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The Nashville based pop artist Madison Slicker or otherwise known as Amava has a sound that’s easily best described as being music you can easily dance to in the dark. Drawing influences from icons that include Charli XCX, Lua Lipa, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lorde, Amava can create a compelling experience in her music. This is evidently true in her latest banging release “Fever Dream”, we felt tucked away deep into Amava’s thoughts instantly while listening. The catchy songwriting in “Fever Dream” has us completely mesmerized, by the time the second chorus hits we couldn’t help but sing along. The contrast that Amava has between each section has a delicate balance that allows for each to hit you differently, the first verse is really calm, kinda moody, but then explodes into a vibing chorus that can send any dance floor into a craze. Amava’s storytelling of a person sending her into a vivid dream is something that we’re sure that everyone can relate to, this is complemented by the modern hi-fi production, snazzy vocal chops, and moving grooves. Since hearing “Fever Dream", we can’t wait to hear what else Amava is writing up. Listen to "Fever Dream" here. Welcome to BuzzMusic Amava! We can’t get enough of your latest release “Fever Dream”! What was your initial inspiration behind this song? Is there a deep message in there that you wanted people to resonate with? Hi, thank you so much! The inspiration for “Fever Dream” came from an actual fever dream I had when I was sick with the flu over the summer of 2019. Kind of tongue in cheek, but I started to think about the juxtaposition of feeling terrible during this period of time where everything is supposed to be great. I was going through these bouts of misery (both physical and mental) in a time where it was beautiful outside and everyone around me was so, so happy and I just wasn’t. When I first started to write it, I was writing these sad lyrics and pulling from that feeling of longing to go back to better times in a relationship but through the scope of the pressure, we can feel when everything around us is going great. It’s like the breakup song that I wrote to July and how you can be miserable even in the best of times.  We’re loving the modern aesthetic you took with this one, how did you come up with the production in the song? Did you face any challenges during the creation? This song was an interesting one because I wrote it initially over an acoustic guitar and piano. I was kind of starting it as a ballad actually, but I pretty much ditched that idea immediately. I knew I wanted to create that “miserable yet happy” feeling throughout the entire song and a ballad was just leaning into the misery way too much. I finished it over a pop demo that someone made for me and it was 100% better as an upbeat song. When starting to produce the track, it actually went through about 4 different versions of the song before I felt like we settled on the right one. I’m not a producer but I (usually) have a pretty good grasp of what I like when listening to something and each version that we did wasn’t matching the feeling I had created in my head. It was finally combining a bunch of ideas from all of them and then pretty much built around the super lush vocal when it was 100% perfect. Every producer on it really did an amazing job, they really boosted it into what it is now and took the idea that I had in my head and brought it to fruition.  We are in love with your vocal performance in “Fever Dream”, how did you come to that final performance? Did some parts of it come alive during the recording? As I said before, I had started it as a ballad so it was this super sad sounding vocal when I would just play it on piano but as I started to write over more upbeat versions I knew it worked way better. I wanted the vocal production to sound very dreamy and even hypnotic in some areas to kind of recreate that feeling of a fever dream. There’s that super rhythmic hook at the end of the chorus (“I miss our, I miss our fever dream”) and I knew I wanted that to sound as hypnotic and syncopated as possible. I think I also kept saying in the mixing sessions that “the vocal has to sound like a fever dream,” which I’m sure made absolutely no sense to anyone but it came out exactly how I imagined. I also usually control the lighting in the vocal booth to match the song and this was for sure a red sounding song.  Your music can easily send anyone into a dance craze, is this something that you think about while your writing or does it come down the line? Did that perspective come from your idols? What makes them an idol for you? My favorite music to listen to is upbeat pop music, so I definitely write that most of the time without thinking about it. Most of my songs are started by myself on my piano and then I’ll either take it into writing sessions or finish it myself. Pretty much 100% of the songs I write are started with words or a small idea first. I pretty much always play the piano in a sad, sappy way so most songs sound like a ballad initially and I slow down all these melodies to really try and work through them. Once I get things down, I then start to speed it up and if it works then I’ll keep writing from there. Melodies are always something I’m striving to get better at so I really like to put them together in a process. I usually have an overflow of words going at all times and I usually just mumble things over some piano until something comes out that I like. I usually gravitate towards the more upbeat songs on the albums I listen to so I usually fall in line with trying to write what I would listen to. I am a HUGE lover of lyrics so I really love artists and writers where I can tell they really put their heart into the words. What can we expect to see next from you? My goals for 2020 have definitely changed because of quarantine and the limitations of that. I’m really pushing myself to write better and better songs. I have a summer release coming up and I really love the song I currently have planned for that. The song is very special to me and I really want to create some cool content around it and really push some new ideas with that release. I would love to get back out to live shows in the fall or winter if that is a possibility. I’m really focusing on becoming a better artist in all ways with the current free time that I have and I want to push myself as hard as possible. instagram.com/itsamava twitter.com/itsamava facebook.com/itsamava #BUZZMUSIC

Geri D'Fyniz hails from Chicago, IL, where he predominantly focuses on creating contemporary Hip/Hop music. Geri D'Fyniz has the main vision of aiding others with empowering messages and ideologies. This vision is honed into the very music he produces today, but also throughout his life as an artist. Geri D'Fyniz has his goals in mind and has been smoothly executing them throughout the course of his artistic career thus far. In recent times, Geri D'Fyniz has been able to construct a purely wavy single for listeners to simply bask in, titled "Watch Me Ghost". "Watch Me Ghost" has that natural and almost Egyptian-like feel to it with the chosen production. The track immediately sets listeners up for what to expect with its bustling introductory rhythm, which only holds itself consistent for the entirety of the track. The fast-paced tempo doesn't let up at any moment throughout this energy-packed single, and Geri D'Fyniz takes full advantage of the projected ambiance. Regardless of the intended message, "Watch Me Ghost" was designed to make listeners move and groove. This is where Geri D'Fyniz exploits the best parts of the song and gets the upper hand on morphing the addicting melody of "Watch Me Ghost". The agenda of "Watch Me Ghost" is put down pretty clearly by Geri D'Fyniz, and the artist gives listeners an easy opportunity to decode the songs overall purpose. All in all, "Watch Me Ghost" is a hyped track that Geri D'Fyniz had no problem surging his passion into. Discover Geri D'Fyniz in his latest single "Watch Me Ghost" here. twitter.com/Th3Melan8dGawd instagram.com/Th3Melan8dGawd facebook.com/GeriDFyniz #BUZZMUSIC

Hi, Davey Myssle! Welcome to BuzzMusic! Wow, what a dynamic release! Could you talk to us about what went into the songwriting and production of "Leave the Lights On"? I'm glad you like it! :) So this actually started out as a remix I did for a friend of mine. He and Holly had a song together and at the time the original track was very uptempo. When I received the vocal stems, I noticed how different the song came across with no music, especially with Holly's voice. So I grabbed my guitar and started fiddling around with chords and I realized how dark it sounded when slowed down. And that's how the production started! I added a blend of piano and pads along with light ambient sounds to create this ethereal space. When I showed my friend the final mix, we were both like "Damn, that's a record!" And decided my version of the song should be the one released as my first single We are loving the dynamic between your’s and Holly’s vocals! How did the two of you come to meet? How were the parts chosen for each singer? I actually did not sing at all on this song, that's all Holly! She has incredible range in the lower octaves. I did some ad-libs during the drop but that's about it lol. I do intend to use my vocals more on future releases though. I met Holly a while back through a mutual friend. We co-wrote a few times, she's an incredible writer and singer! It’s so great to hear you have been working on your skills whenever possible. What were some of the challenges you faced along the way and how did you overcome them? "Leave the Lights On" to me is being completely comfortable and transparent with someone. This particular song is about someone you're intimate with, but I think it can apply anywhere. If you trust someone there should be no reason to keep them in the dark ;) How did you create the various elements of the song (the drums, bass in the drop, and moody pads). Were these sounds made before the song was written or did these sounds come after the recording? So all the production was made post song. The vocals were recorded and produced by Sheux-Bear and he sent the stems to me. I like to start with a blank canvas, so I'm not using "go-to's" or sounds I've created in the past. I do love organic instruments tho, so I always start with the guitar or keys. Once I had a basic arrangement laid out in Pro Tools I started with the drop. Producers will think I'm crazy, but to create the drop I used the Soundtoys Tremolator and basic automated eq filtering for the LFO's while utilizing panning to alter the width of the polys while the chord rang out. Since I didn't have Serum at the time and knew nothing about LFO automation, I split the chords into separate tracks and used different LFO settings in the Tremolator to make it imitate automation. I used Onminsphere for most of this record. I like how dark their sounds are. The drop snare has a few layers to it, even a water drop sound I made with my mouth if you listen closely lol. Finding the right blend of piano and pads in the verses was tough but with trial and error, I think I nailed it. The Bass drop I believe was two Moog basses layered, one being raised an octave up. And also at the end of the record, you can hear tree frogs I recorded on my phone while at a friend's house. They were so loud! Oh yeah, the breathing was me in the intro too. So ad-libs and breathing was all me lol What can we expect to see from you throughout 2020? As a businessman, I'm working with A.D.D. Marketing (Artistic Development and Design) on building my company, The Upstate Sound. We are a team of 5 music producers providing Beat leases, Sample packs, Mix and Mastering services, and more! As an artist, I intend to start releasing more music. I've gotten to a point where I trust myself fully to make the right decisions producing a record. And I have a lot of songs to write and produce >:) I am a perfectionist, but I understand the difference between utilizing it as a skill and using it as an excuse for insecurity as Gary Vee puts it. The trick to making good music is to trust yourself :) and to trust yourself that you can do it again and again and again. Be sure to listen to "Leave the Lights On" here. instagram.com/daveymyssle twitter.com/DaveyMyssle facebook.com/daveymyssle #BUZZMUSIC

Welcome to BuzzMusic Jon Davis! We are loving your banging new tune "Easy"! What was the production and songwriting process like for it? "Easy" was a really fun song to write. It started out as a ballad but evolved during the writing process. I sketched out the chords on the piano mapping out the concept for the song, but it took a dramatic turn when I ran it through the production software on my laptop. Up to that point, I had written a lot of music that had a very adult contemporary feel, and I wanted to branch out of it. I took the piano progression and ran it through a synthesizer plugin that arpeggiated the chords (bounced the chords around) and gave it a really fresh commercial feel. The only surviving element from the original was the pre-chorus, "I wanna love you like we were young" everything else underwent an enormous shift from my contemporary sound to a pop contemporary hybrid, and that was a very exciting leap for me as an artist. I think as a writer, one of the most challenging things to overcome in the early stages was the eclipsing need to communicate an enormous, profound, and earth-shattering message which can be an enormous distraction from writing what you feel and letting the entire piece of music communicate its own message. What ended up coming out was the first real blend of my classical training and something I would actually bop to or blast driving up the coast in LA. We are loving the power in your vocal here, it's incredibly dynamic and moving. How has your classical training influenced your writing and performance of "Easy"? The majority of the people around me in my immediate circle would consider me a writer who can sing, but I've always considered myself a singer who can write. The funny thing about my identity as a writer is it completely arose out of necessity and not necessarily because I believed at the time I had a profound message to communicate to the world. I loved to sing and just didn't hear any pop music by male vocalists that I could actually sing, or that I could really connect with. As a baritone with a partial tenor range, I wanted to find a way to incorporate a Josh Groban style in a more commercial way, and there really wasn't anything like that at the time. I think that's generally how unique ideas emerge; not out of a desire to be different or unique, but a desire to be included and represented ultimately leading to an unintentional filling of a vacancy. Over time I've found I have quite a bit to say in my music. I'm a very emotional person but I've always struggled to express that aspect of my personality and found that passionate, and emotive lyrics and vocal really helped me to express myself. All of those things combined allowed me to stumble into "Easy" - My classical training, and my love of commercial pop. I also grew up singing choral music and played the cello which definitely has had a heavy influence on my love of melodic music. My choral background inspires a love or dynamic harmonies, which you don't hear much of in "Easy" but you will hear more of in other songs being released in the coming months. It's really exciting to work with C-Ray, what was that like? How did you get to work with him? Do you have any interesting stories? C-Ray was so much fun to work with. Right before we started working together I was really at my breaking point. I had been working on my music for nearly two years. I knew a good number of people from my early days in acting but was really discouraged at how little I'd been able to accomplish in music. C-Ray and I were introduced by my first commercial agent Raynard Pearson. I hadn't spoken to him in years, come to find out he had been watching my music development on Instagram and had begun talking to C-Ray about me setting the stage for a potential partnership. Chris is very creative, but what I really loved about working with him was his meticulously detailed nature. Creative professions tend to have a reputation for being very unstructured, but I found both Chris and I were very aligned in our organization and diligence which made the entire process of working together very smooth. He also has a phenomenal way of hearing the "soul" of a song. I already had very structured cohesive ideas when we started working together, but he would listen to only the top line of the vocal without any surrounding instrumentation and it was really impressive and fascinating to hear what he heard. The process allowed me to dramatically elevate my music. "Easy" was particularly exciting because the song was such an active representation of its own musical evolution from the original piano ballad to the final product. Your sound is quite unique. There are a lot of interesting moments throughout the record. What inspires you to create the music you make? Do you have any idols you look up to? I touched on this a bit in question number 2, but my biggest inspiration was to create music that I could actually sing, which made me feel good, and that was vocally inspiring. My biggest music idol has always been Whitney Houston. When I write, I don't write for any particular audience, I write what makes me feel good, and I hope and assume that whoever needs to hear it will hear it one way or another. I write what I care about, what I feel strongly about, and what I feel like people need to hear at any given moment. Not every song is "Easy" some are grittier, some are sexier, some are more somber but I believe music is meant to be an honest expression of the heart and its emotions - the good, the bad, and the ugly. I believe that if I'm inspired to write it must come from a space that connects me with others who feel the same way, and that's really the healing/unifying power of music. What can we expect to see from you throughout 2020? Well...! 2020 is off to an interesting start but what better time than the present for new music! I have a few more songs coming out in the coming months and each has a very unique personality. I expect to touch a few hearts and move a few bodies, even if it's in a quarantine dance party in your living room ;) Listen to "Easy" here. facebook.com/officialjondavismusic instagram.com/officialjondavis twitter.com/jondavissings #BUZZMUSIC

From Chattanooga Tennessee, Brad Jones writes and performs hip hop songs under the name JONES. At a young age, he looked to music as an escape from many childhood struggles. He shows his fans that he’s able to persevere through the hard times and, through his music, is able to share that strength with his army “The Ones.” He has been working tirelessly to create new music and has just released a single called “Fired Up” to be soon followed by a tribute to his fans called “The Ones.” “Fired Up” has an introduction of fast-paced guitar plucking that acts as a “drum roll” for what is about to start. JONES does not hold back with his vocals; he kicks off with rapid-fire lyrics from the very beginning. The background guitar melody switches to electronic sounds, and a trap beat remains consistent throughout the entirety of “Fired Up”. JONES has a fast rapping style comparable to the likes of legendary rappers Eminem and Busta Rhymes. The backtrack continues to build, creating a motivational effect. Moments before the beat hits hard during the chorus, JONES highlights his slower vocals by cutting the beat. The passionate, high energy chorus begins soon after and “Fired Up” anyone who listens. Lyrically, JONES has made “Fired Up” a song about self-confidence, power, and motivation. For anyone looking for a song that immediately takes you to the next level – JONES has created a flaming track that is “Fired Up.” Listen to "Fired Up" here. instagram.com/jones_raps twitter.com/BradJon facebook.com/jonesrap #BUZZMUSIC

LA’s very own R&B queen Alexya graces BuzzMusic once again, this time delving into her life-changing songwriting process with her single “Sick of Love Songs”, and how she deals with adversity. After being asked where she found inspiration to write another love song that was wittily titled “Sick of Love Songs”, Alexya explains how it was all a fast-moving process. After experiencing the universal mourning of Kobe Bryant’s death, and personally morning over a friend who recently lost their life, Alexya was thrown into an emotional fire and came out stronger than ever in the end. Not to mention Alexya’s deep industry background being apart of the Fabulous Girls, managed by Master P. Recalling how he would take care of business and get tasks done, Alexya felt compelled to face adversity with force and do what she loves most, making music. She stops at nothing to give her audience a sense of freedom and relief, channeling the deep meaning of the Spanish word “chignon/a”. She effortlessly captures the intellect, determination, and fresh vibe which she intents to portray. As each song reflects Alexya’s different and unique experiences, it’s hard to ignore her timeless talent and sophisticated manner towards how she runs a musical career. Listen to “Sick of Love Songs” here. instagram.com/alexyagarcia #BUZZMUSIC

Jamaican R&B artist Aisha Hayles has been a long time coming to her debut single since becoming obsessed with music as a toddler. Currently, Aisha is currently in her 3rd year of a Bachelors's degree in music performance and is signed to L.B. Music Productions. Recently, Aisha has released her debut single “No More” featuring Demi and it is a perfect representation of what Aisha is capable of. “No More” is full of deep organic vibes, with a little flair of spontaneous. We were blown away by the first pre-chorus of “No More” when the strings came in and Aisha’s vocals began stacking we were suddenly pulled into this dream of hers. The strong powerful vibes that are going on in “No More” tell us about Aisha telling someone that she isn’t the crazy one and that they have to go, it has a driving push that is fully supported by Aisha’s hooky lyrics “Baby tell me, do you really think I’m crazy?”. Demi’s vocal performance perfectly compliments Aisha’s, creating a dynamic duet of a performance that sings out and touches your soul. “No More” is an incredibly strong debut single from Aisha and we can’t wait to hear what is coming with her debut album ‘Confessions of the Heart’. You can find the debut release “No More”, here. Hey there Aisha Hayes! Welcome to BuzzMusic! We’re loving your debut release “No More”, how does it feel to finally have music out there? How long have you been working on this song? So relieved...This was something that I always wanted to do but kept putting it off because of fear and not having the right team to support me. Looking back, I don't know what I was so afraid of because it's just an amazing feeling seeing your hard work pay off. The team and I have been working on this song for almost 3 weeks. Your songwriting is superb here, what was the inspiration behind the songwriting? At what stage was the additional instrumentation done? How did you choose what instruments would be here? Thank you but I can't take all of the credit. Even though it was a team effort it was actually written by Clane Matthew. He wrote from what he thinks is the female perspective of what a girl would say to a guy who has been continuously hurting her and I think he was on point. I guess he did his homework. Haha. The instrumental was made by the label and sent over to me. Clane saw it fit for my debut release to be RnB. Although I never really did that genre before, he pushed me and motivated me to try it. He wanted the feel of the song to be mysterious, smooth, and a bit playful at the same time. He wanted people to say “who’sAishaHayles? Where did she come from?! And how can I get more of her?!” And that’s exactly what he did in the instrumental when he had the label send it over to me. After I laid my vocals down on the track, he listened and listened until he found more sounds that would complement my voice. He basically started with the same instrumental you hear but without the strings that build-up to the chorus. After a couple of hours, he decided that the strings would be a good, and epic buildup for what’s to come in the chorus. After that, when all my vocals were down, he felt it was too empty right before the chorus dropped. Although the strings were there, he said it still needed something more to push it. After searching and listening through his files, Clane found the perfect sound. He used an FM Builder, which gave like a wobbly sound effect. He added some reverb to it, spread it through the mix, and then panned it back and forth in the left and right ear of the headphones. After that, he put everything together including Demi’s part and placed the FM Builder at other parts throughout the song, and then it was a masterpiece. It was a really cool and fascinating experience to watch him work! Thank you so much. Working with Demi was awesome. Our voices complimented each other well And we were all on the same page which made the process more fun and easier. This is what Demi had to say about our collaboration: “I would say my experience was cool. Aisha’s singing comes way more effortless to her than it does for me. Everyone from Clane toAishaand I were all on the same page for the most part while getting the song done. Which I think made the song turn out great!” We’re loving the duet type performance between you and Demi! What was it like to record together? How did you two come to meet? Who wrote Demi’s part in the song? Demi and I met through Clane. We were there one day working on this track and he was like "what do you think about featuring a male artist on your song?" I didn't tell him this but I was a bit iffy because this is my first single, but as soon as I heard Demi's voice I was like "Yeeesssss" our voice will go well together. And the rest is history. Demi was the one who wrote his verse. It was a smooth transition because Clane and I are old friends. It’s exciting to be signed to a record label, what was it like to join L.B. Music Productions? How do you think joining the label has helped the growth of your career? Do you have any goals that you are aiming to achieve? Joining the label has given me the push-start to my career that I've always wanted. They have done so much for the little time I've been with them. Moreover, they have shown me that they are not just a label, they are family.  My goal right now is to continue to make quality and relatable music that the fans will love. What can we expect to see from you throughout 2020? For 2020, I'm hoping to release more music and do more collaborations. As a matter of fact, I'm currently working on my first album titled "Confessions of the Heart." I'm really excited about this project and I can't wait to share it with my current and future fans. facebook.com/AishaHaylesMusic instagram.com/aishahaylesmusic #BUZZMUSIC

Eclectic Electric/Hip Hop artist Toño is here to show listeners what a true mix of style can produce. Toño is the kind of artist you can't really categorize into one specific genre. He stems his influence from a variety of genre styles, when once combined, generates this eccentric and vibrant energy. Toño is a bright artist, and you can feel this vitality surging off of him as he delivers his vocal performance in each single. One of those recent singles, "See Me Again!" brought about that same fervor from Toño, and he made absolutely sure that listeners wouldn't become apathetic with this one. The energy of Toño's "See Me Again!" hits you immediately upon listening, and it truly never dissipates throughout the song. "See Me Again!" is very fast-paced and integrates an array of electric synths to accentuate that vigorous rhythm. We also caught onto the many contrasting instrumentals Toño used within the track, and we felt that this decision really amplified the eclectic feel the song was able to bring about. As for the lyrical content of "See Me Again!", Toño kept it simple and party-appropriate, which really allowed for that tireless production to shine through. In essence, "See Me Again!" is definitely a dance-along type of track, so you may want to add this Toño song to your motivating or get ready playlist. Discover "See Me Again!" by Toño here. Instagram.com/tonotherapper twitter.com/tonotherapper #BUZZMUSIC

Dom Jones is an LA-based artist and creative entrepreneur of Dom Empire where she weaves her passion for music, media, and social justice through various projects. Since winning the International Songwriting Competition in 2014, Dom Jones graduated with a dual major in Songwriting and Music Business from Berkley and has since had her latest single “Crazytown” featured in the Grammy U Conference and for good reason.  “Crazytown” is a beautifully ethereal masterpiece of an experience. We felt like we were floating through a calm river as the song carried through, there are a lot of fantastic elements that all attribute to this flowing experience. Some of these would be the enchantingly breathy vocal pads, the delicate piano, soft drums, silky strings, and of Dom Jones' amazing vocal performance that sweeps down to the heart. “Crazytown” touches on the subject of self-love and trying to rediscover yourself, this is beautifully complemented by Dom’s amazing songwriting and arranging. We can’t wait to hear more from Dom and as well as her upcoming second book. Listen to "Crazytown" here. Welcome to BuzzMusic Dom Jones! We are touched by your latest release “Crazytown”, was there anything, in particular, that had inspired the songwriting? Is there a personal message in this release? Thank you so much! The song represents a phase in my life that I think many people experience. It's about feeling that if you can just be more of this or that, the light will miraculously go off in the head of the person you love and they will finally change. It's a story of losing yourself bit by bit until you're almost gone, and then the journey of returning to yourself through the greatest love of all: self-love. Toxic relationships are real, are painful, but are not insurmountable, and are not without crucial lessons. I learned my lessons, I left, I hurt, I struggled, but eventually, I healed. We can’t get enough of your airy vocal pads, how were those created? What about the rest of the base track? How were the strings and piano done? I actually recorded the background vocals in Logic in my apartment in Boston, while attending my last year of Berklee. I added heavy reverb and a good amount of delay, and then my fantastic engineer, Will Holland of Chillhouse Studios, took the mixing and mastering the rest of the way after I sent him the stems for the whole track. I composed the chords that you hear as well and reached out to my friend, Eric Fells, an incredible pianist (who also scored the music video), and you hear him replaying my idea on the final track. He also added the strings as well. There is a deep underlining message of loving yourself here, how do you want the listeners to respond and react to this song? Do you have a specific audience in mind? I want everyone to remember that love is a verb. We have to actively call love into our lives by the way we treat ourselves, others, and the way we allow ourselves to be treated. Audre Lorde said, "Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” In this relentless year, we're having, I want listeners to remember that Crazytown doesn't just have to be the inside of a doomed romantic relationship - it can be a toxic work environment, an unhealthy friendship, a habit that you just can't seem to break. Whatever it is... GET OUT OF CRAZYTOWN. As far as the audience, I definitely think that this song will resonate well with women. We are asked to endure, to be patient, to be quiet, and whether we do or don't, we are painted as the weak gender. Every woman has a deep and abiding strength within her - the question that we need to ask is are we creating social environments for that strength to shine? Since winning the International Songwriting Competition, how do you think your songwriting has evolved from then to “Crazytown”? What about yourself as an artist? Wow, well I won ISC before I attended Berklee College of Music, so it has evolved quite a lot. I think that the songwriting department at Berklee, under the tutelage of the Chair, Bonnie Hayes, and great professors such as Paula Gallitano, Melissa Ferrick, and Swagg Arcelious, gave me the skills to uplift my gift. There are so many naturally gifted singers, writers, and musicians, and they rely on that natural ability without taking it any further. I went to Berklee specifically to avoid that. My professors pushed me to learn the science of music and apply it to the art, to try different song forms, to write real bridges! Berklee is also where I accepted and called out myself as a multi-hyphenate: A singer, a songwriter, an emcee (I also rap), and a burgeoning producer. The assumption in the industry, when you see a woman, is that she's a singer and that's all she is: a vessel to be handled. That's part of why I double majored in Songwriting AND Music Business. I'm God's vessel... but I'm the captain of my own ship, and I run my business like the leader I know I am. What can we expect to see from you throughout 2020? There are lots in store for 2020, even in this tumultuous time. I've started a cool series on my socials called "Rap Snax," where I do a quick rap verse over a fun beat every Monday, I talk about music culture on my Did Dom Dig? series (also on socials), and I've got more music coming - "Crazytown" was just the start. We launched a Patreon page for fans who'd like to support my work on a monthly basis, and I will have exclusive content being released there (patreon.com/domempire). I'm also looking forward to continuing to write for and collaborate with other artists, and while I can't give concrete release dates for that work, there will be more Dom Jones in your ear, whether it's from my voice or someone else. instagram.com/iamdomjones youtube.com/iamdomjones facebook.com/domjonesmusic #BUZZMUSiC

Fintan McKahey is a West Cork based eclectic Pop artist who’s music is proudly created in his home studio. Continuing his family's musical legacy, Fintan McKahey set out to create music that deeply connects with people. Since starting his career, Fintan McKahey has released an EP that gained the praise of multiple radio shows and tours with a full band experience that has opened for icons that include Cry Monster Cry, Junior Brother, Leo Stannard, and many more. Recently Fintan McKahey released his mellow new single “Platinum” and this release is all about the deep vibes. Fintan McKahey's enchanting voice quickly takes the spotlight and tells us the story of not giving yourself up for anything, the incredibly chill delivery in Fintan McKahey’s performance gives an almost mysterious atmosphere to this message. “Platinum” features a dreamy electric guitar, lo-fi electronic drums playing a halftime groove, and Fintan McKahey’s honest raw vocals that quickly sweep the hearts. Since listening to this release we are hooked onto the beautiful worlds that is created in the music and we can’t wait to hear what else Fintan will be delivering. You can find Fintan McKahey’s release “Platinum” here. Welcome to BuzzMusic Fintan McKahey! We are completely lost in the world you created in “Platinum”, what was it like for you to come up with the concept behind the release? Was it written on that guitar riff that repeats throughout the song? You and me both, haha. My girlfriend is a photographer / visual artist & often asks me to create soundscapes/atmospheres for footage that she’s working on. ‘Platinum’ was born doing just that. I had originally written and recorded the main body of instrumentation to pair with these dreamy visuals that she had created. It’s such a nice way to work when you have so much influence & direction to be working off from the get-go. I knew once I had finished this soundscape that it had the potential to become more a defined song, but for some reason, I didn’t end up coming back to it for a long long time. I guess life just got in the way and it got lost in the midst of things. Other than the huge hiatus between initiation & completion, everything about making this song seemed to flow quite seamlessly which is unusual for me, as I typically spend months working on a single track. There is almost a mysterious vibe happening in this release, what was the original mood you had wanted to create in this song? What does the song mean to you? I remember when I eventually revisited the soundscape with the intention of refining it into a more song-like arrangement. I think I had the house to myself that weekend… As soon as I had opened up the session I was thinking “why the hell didn’t I get back to this earlier?!” Something about the beat and atmosphere of it was just sitting right with me. I knew the style I wanted for the vocals & so began by playing around with different lyrical phrases. The lines “Indian medicine & Voodoo sedatives” came out and I just thought they sounded awesome. This, in turn, is what led the entire lyrical theme of the song, which quickly became an observation of societal structures and thinking outside the box. I gather it may be quite hard to understand, as the lyrics aren’t so obvious in terms of a narrative, but that’s how it's supposed to be. I always like to leave an element of mystery in my lyrics, and try to let the listener connect the dots between the imagery that I have laid out for them. It’s a lot more fun if a song makes you think, wouldn’t you say so? Having grown up in a musical family and then creating music in your bedroom, did you ever face any challenges in trying to create music? How has growing up in a musical family influenced the music that you are creating? Luckily I grew up in an environment where music was extremely present and so it was certainly a lot easier for me than most people to fall into it music as a career. My Dad is a drummer and would’ve always been showing me new sounds and talking about music so I guess, I’ve never really known any different. Of course, everybody faces difficulties from time to time as an artist. It’s not easy to constantly stay creative & motivated (especially when you’re receiving very little financial turn around from the art). Some days you’re just not feeling it, and you have to learn to accept that & not let it get you down. Yesterday, for instance, I was in the studio for about 3 hours just fighting myself, nothing sounded good to my ears and I just couldn’t get into it. But then I took a little break, did some exercise outside & when I got back in there, thankfully something shifted and the next 3 hours were golden. You just have to persevere and try and keep that balance. Nobody said it was gonna be easy. With your live shows having a full band, do you have any live only versions of songs? What was it like to open for some of the icons that you have played for? Did you ever feel nervous? I work more or less 100% of the time in the studio on my own. It’s just how I like to work, and I think it always will be. I mean sure, I’m all for getting in guests for collaborations, etc but for the most part, the studio is my private time haha. In recent years the songs have taken on a more full-band arrangement and are a bit more full-bodied in terms of instrumentation, so in the effort to keep continuity throughout the studio & live performances, I’ve managed to find myself a top-notch band. I'm so lucky to have such talented musicians that are willing to work with me, as they all bring so much creativity and great ideas to the table. Of course, the full band sound is different from the studio, and it definitely has a bigger feel, but I think this is what's needed for a live experience. I am really considering doing some full-band recordings this year and perhaps putting together an EP of full-band versions of some tracks so stay tuned for that. What was it like to open for some of the icons that you have played for? Did you ever feel nervous? Oh, 100%. I don’t know if the nerves ever stop fully. No matter how many times you get on a stage, its still that same gut-wrenching feeling beforehand every single time. Especially if it’s quite a big artist. In my experience, the bigger the stage, the bigger the nerves. I remember the first time that I opened for ‘The 4 Of Us’ … It was in this amazing venue in Cork City called St. Lukes. I hadn’t been playing much at the time, and suddenly got a call asking if I wanted to play support that weekend, and of course, I agreed instantly. Stepping onto that stage was seriously daunting. Looking out into the vastness of that church and hearing the sound reverberating with such immense power across the whole building. There’s no other feeling like it. It’s like a perfect mixture of nausea and bliss, and it lasts way after the show. It’s awesome. facebook.com/McKahey twitter.com/FintanMcKahey instagram.com/fintanmckahey #BUZZMUSIC