The season of festival live streams during quarantine definitely slowed down, but everyone’s itch for live music has not stopped. We’ve recently seen an increase again in virtual events, just in time for the end of summer. The most recent we’ve seen is Virtual Roo-Ality, presented by Bonnaroo.
This event is planned to take place on September 24-26th this year, and just like the festival itself, there will be something happening for everyone. It’s also streamed on youtube, and it’s free. So get pumped.
The full schedule is coming soon, but this is what we’ve gotten so far:
There’s a combination of prerecorded sets, from the Bonnaroo archives such as iconic performances from Beastie Boys, James Brown, The White Stripes, and more, as seen in the “From The Archives” section.
On top of those incredible performances, we’re getting live appearances by incredible artists such as Billy Strings, Boogie T.rio, Hayley Williams, and Tramples By Turtles. These will all be new sets and appearances, not pre-recorded just for our viewing and experiencing pleasure.
One of our favorites from Bonnaroo is the Sanctuary of Self Love curated by Hayley Williams. They are also bringing this to Virtual Roo-Ality with discussions on mental health, wellness, and diversity in creative industries. They’re also bringing in a few other surprises for viewers, to bring it more of an actual virtual festival feel instead of just live streaming sets.
You can catch it all for free, live streaming on Youtube September 24th-26th – and keep us updated on your fav sets! We’ll be watching too.
Heartbreaks, copious amounts of tequila, and love songs, we’ve been there.
This is exactly what Jack Gilinsky has brought us back to in his latest single, LoseSomebody.
He sings about the regret he feels in a past relationship and how he’s come to the realization that he ‘‘Had to lose somebody to miss somebody’’
My favorite part of this song is the bridge. Lyrically, he comes to terms that he is not able to let go and even goes to say that it is ‘ugly’ without the other person around.
These things they come and go
I just can’t let this one free
The only love I’ll know (Ooh-ooh, ooh-oh, ooh, ooh-ooh)
Without you I feel ugly
Jack’s catchy melodies in the chorus accompanied by iann dior’s feature makes this a sad song of the summer. Be sure to check out next time you’re in the mood for sad love songs.
Sydney pop-punk band Yours Truly is releasing their highly anticipated debut album Self Care this week, and we wanted to give you the inside scoop on the album, the writing process for the band, and our favorite tracks!
After massive success from their 2019 EP Afterglow (which has over 8.5 million streams), they were excited to jump back in and work on their first full length album.
“There was this almost electric feeling of excitement about getting to sit down and write our first record but also a huge feeling of anxiety at the same time,” comments vocalist Mikaila Delgado. “We didn’t want to release something and have people say that we’re actually not that good and weren’t worthy of all the success we were getting… it was like we all had imposter syndrome.”
The theme of the album is self care, and is focused on living, learning and the healing process that we’re all still trying to figure out.
“We very much felt like we were in the deep end. It was a huge learning curve, I had to grow up a lot in this time and hold myself together, often feeling so many emotions all stitched into me that I couldn’t comprehend. I definitely felt guilty about being sad when I should have been grateful for how fortunate I had been.”
Self Care is impressive from start to finish, with catchy beats, bold vocals and that classic pop-punk vibe. The album’s lead single Siamese Souls starts strong and punchy and sets up the mood for the album.
Vivid Dream reminds us of our favorite We The Kings or All Time Low song, while still retaining their signature sound. We couldn’t stop nodding our head to the beat. The album rounds out with a slower moment in the acoustic ballad Half Of Me, and finishes with Heartsleeve, where Mikaila sings, “Say I’m not the one who makes you feel the sun. Do you find yourself ashamed to come undone?”
“I wanted to wear my heart on my sleeve with the album and be completely transparent about how I felt, and now I realise that I pulled through and life really is a constant wheel of highs and lows. I’ve learnt to bask in the highs when they’re around.”
The cover art was designed by Sydney-based artist and photographer Georgia Moloney. It’s a cross-stitched human heart with flowers emerging from it, and arms wrapping around it like a hug.
“We really learnt and lived a lot in one year, and writing these songs allowed me to understand myself on a whole new level throughout it all,” Mikaila closes.
“The experience was a true form of self-care that ended with me feeling stronger, smarter, enlightened and positive after a rollercoaster of emotions. For me, this album was my version of soaking in vanilla candles and that comforting taste of chocolate and red wine under blankets. We hope it brings solace to whoever listens to it and can relate too.”
This album had us wishing that we were at a Yours Truly concert rocking out to all their new jams. Yours Truly have created a fabulous album, and we’re so excited for you guys to hear it soon!
If you’re looking for another fun livestream music festival for this weekend, look no farther than Abracadabra Fest, which will be streaming on Twitch from the Los Angeles Theatre.
You’re not going to want to miss it. Why? Because T-Pain is leading a live palm reading session. There’s also a Self Care section of the fest, and 100% of the proceeds will be donated to non-profits.
German metalcore band Eskimo Callboy is back with a whole lotta new! New EP, new singer, new chapter. And even a new tour next year. They’re latest single “Hypa Hypa” is their second most-streamed song of all time on Spotify, so you know “MMXX” is going to be a fan favorite. And for those unfamiliar with Roman numerals, MMXX means 2020. We’ll take this EP as a positive piece of this insane year!
“MMXX” leads off with “Hypa Hypa,” which is an incredible mix of EDM and metal. If you haven’t seen the music video, watching it is a must. The video and song are so much fun, you’ll be headbanging to it regardless if metal is your kind of music or not!
Photos provided by The Orchard
“Hate/Love” is a personal favorite off of the EP. It keeps up the dance vibes that “Hypa Hypa” lead off with, with just enough screaming. And as we move through the rest of the EP – “MC Thunder II,” “Monsieur Moustache,” and “Dramaqueen,” – the music gets more aggressive. It’s a well-done blend of going from lighter to heavier, somehow balancing these vastly different genres of electronic and metalcore.
The EP wraps up with “Prism,” which is a surprisingly pretty song. It’s not at all how I expected “MMXX” to end, but I do hope that the year of 2020 goes similarly: soft and sweet. Was that Eskimo Callboy’s intent with this EP, to reflect the moods of this year? Whether it was or not, you’re in for a ride when you take a listen to “MMXX!”
Progressive rock band Census presented us with their second single of the year just a few weeks ago. We got to discuss “Sunbeam,” the music video, and the song’s important story.
CSM: Your new single “Sunbeam” comes out today! How does it feel to follow up “Hydrangea” with this song?
CENSUS: We are more excited about this release than any we’ve done before. “Hydrangea” was a huge milestone for us as a band. In a way, it set the tone for both the sound and video quality fans can expect to see from a Census release. We think “Sunbeam” not only fulfills those expectations, but far exceeds them.
CSM: Both the song and music video are pretty emotionally intense. Only as much as you’d like to, what can you tell us about the inspiration and story of “Sunbeam?
CENSUS: “Sunbeam” is about a girl who deals with sexual abuse and battles depression and mental manipulation from her current partner. Ben wrote this song after having a late-night conversation with a friend who was going through some of the same things. He said it broke his heart, pissed him off, and he had to write about it.
CSM: What does the voiceover in the music video mean to you?
CENSUS: The voiceover sections were the brilliant mind of our videographer Joe Lane of Anointed Media. When we came to him with this song and message, we knew it had to be handled delicately. We wanted the biggest takeaway to be how common sexual assault actually is. In the beginning of the video, you hear a girl explaining to her therapist that not even her own parents were supportive of her sharing her sexual assault story. Many people are completely unaware of how common sexual assault is worldwide because victims are afraid to tell their stories. The video ends with the same girl explaining that she has chosen to overcome her trauma in order to give hope to others who are going through the same thing. We want victims to hear those words, understand that they’re not alone, and hopefully feel inspired to persevere.
CSM: I wanted to say thank you for including a resource for help at the end of the video. Do you wish that was a choice more artists made?
CENSUS: Music made for a good cause is still music made for a good cause. We think the video did a good job portraying how common and cyclical abuse truly is, but we also wanted to go ahead and include some resources that can help victims. It’s good for victims to understand that they’re not alone, but they’re more likely to seek help if they know it’s readily available.
CSM: Was the video for “Sunbeam” shot during the pandemic? If so, was it a challenge for you to decide how you were going to create this video?
CENSUS: It was shot during the pandemic! The biggest problem was just waiting for the right opportunity to come along for Joe to come shoot the video. Joe lives in Texas where COVID cases were particularly high, and the rest of us are in Arkansas. All the actors in the video are close friends and family to us, so once Joe was clear to come shoot, we knew the rest of us were safe as well.
CSM: What have you been doing to keep positivity and creativity flowing during this tough time for the music industry?
CENSUS: We’re just writing as much as we can. We had to cancel all of our tour dates just like every other band, but that’s just the way things have to be for now. We still talk with each other every day and get together as often as possible. We figure rather than moping around and waiting for shows to come back, if we just write as much new music as possible while we have the chance, it can’t be too big of a loss.
CSM: I’m truly, truly loving your music! Do you have anything more in store for us this year?
CENSUS: Thank you so much! We can say with full certainty that there are more new music and videos still to come in 2020.
CSM: Is there anything else you want us to know?
CENSUS: Our new song and video “Sunbeam” is available now on all streaming platforms! We love you guys and hope you are all staying safe out there.
San Diego holds a variety of talented individuals, and it’s clear that Sam aka Slush Puppy is one of them. With an already impressive discography of self-produced work, he continues to prove that his music is worth listening to.
Having completed high school and gained attention from prior releases, he’s still in the process of creating music and finding his own artistic sound. “I would put stuff out on Spotify to see how it would go, and it was music that I made for fun. Now I’ve figured out that music is something that I want to do as a career and take seriously.” – Sam
The music has definitely made an impact as Slush Puppy amassed over 100k on his recent single “I Don’t Like Ur Friends,” released late in June of this year, as well as featuring in fellow up and coming artist david hugo’s single “9teen,” which made an appearance on Lyrical Lemonade.
Teaming up with the TRST. Records team (a company founded by Amisha Sarkar), Slush Puppy is taking the next step in his career, and I’m very excited to hear more from him knowing he is in good hands. His newest single “Sunroof” is exactly what I needed to hear during this sad summer in quarantine as it portrays nostalgic feelings of old, happy memories in past times. If you’re thinking about pre-covid summers, immediately throw on this song in the car and drive around.
“Chillin with our hands out the sunroof / Screamin to the sound of The 1975”
I’ve had my fair share of wanting to fast forward to 2021, but we all need those moments to reminisce on those nostalgic summer experiences and “Sunroof” is the best anthem for that.
When I learned Mokita was releasing a new single, I thought I was going to be in for another dance party. Instead, “Down” is a ballad. But don’t let that turn you away! “Down” is a much-needed hug, especially in this time where our physical, mental, and emotional health are likely to be struggling.
“You’re gonna make it out / you’re gonna fly / you’re gonna find a way just give it time,” Mokita quietly sings in the chorus. Sometimes we need a pump-up song, sometimes we need a loud and strong anthem, but here Mokita reminds us that sometimes we need a soft reminder of our strength. He finishes the chorus with “I won’t let you down,” letting us know that there is someone to support us through our trying times.
“Down” is a sad song with a comforting message. It brings a nice change to the landscape of music that’s recently become full of happy songs with sad lyrics. Both are great, but maybe you’re like me and need a song like “Down” to soothe your heart in this moment. Go take a listen here.
If Priya Francis wasn’t on your radar before now, you certainly need to check out her music. The Melbourne-based singer-songwriter has a new single out today called “Jeans,” an alternative R&B ode to growing up and growing apart. We got to chat with Priya about the new song, her upcoming EP, and finding inspiration!
CROWDSURFER: How does it feel to have your second single of the year out?
PRIYA FRANCIS: I’m super excited to have the single out! It’s really different from a lot of my other releases, and I’ve been sitting on it for quite a while now. I think I first performed it live back in October last year, so it’s been a long few months finessing it and finalising all the little details to have it ready to put out there.
CS: Tell us about the story behind “Jeans.”
PF: The story behind “Jeans” kinda stems from a situation I was finding myself in often, where I was just losing touch with friends, not seeing or talking to certain friends for a long time without even realising it or without there being some sort of argument or blow-up, and I was in that spot with one of my best friends for a little while. A lot of the people around me were getting pretty upset with the situation but from the way I saw it, it was just her growing up and finding herself a lot quicker than the rest of us, and it wasn’t something I could get mad at her about. She’s still one of my best friends now, I may not speak to her every day or even every week but she’s still one of my favourite people ever, and I think a lot of other people can relate to that.
CS:One of my favorite lines is “but funnily enough I don’t mind / it’s strange to think I reckon we’re fine.” What made you want to write a song that’s different from what we usually hear – intense heartbreak or getting over someone – and instead about outgrowing relationships?
PF: I think like a lot of people, I struggle to write about things I haven’t personally experienced, so things like heartbreak or big heated arguments aren’t really something I can get into the right headspace for, but I’m super connected to my friends and my relationships with other people. Quite a few of my songs are about my friends or their experiences, and I think “Jeans” is just me wanting to try and put into words that feeling of growing apart from someone in a really peaceful way where you still care about them and love them.
CS:How does “Jeans” differ from the music you released last year?
PF: It’s a lot more direct in my opinion. I think the music I released last year definitely took a step in that direction, but “Jeans” is a lot more authentic for me in terms of storytelling. It’s also a lot less angry and upset, I think. Although it is talking about a subject that can be sad, it’s not as negative about it, it’s more open and understanding. In terms of the sound and vibe of the song, I love the energy in the track, and Jarrod Hambleton, who produced it, really listened to my references and ideas and pushed me to get some new sounds in there that have shaped this track hugely.
CS:Are “Jeans” and your last single “Butterflies” going to be part of your upcoming EP?
PF: I 100% want “Jeans” on there. I like the idea of “Butterflies” being its own little, humble stand-alone track as a single, but “Jeans” just fits the plan I have for the EP perfectly in terms of storytelling and sound.
CS:What can you tell us about the EP? What’s the sound, what’s the mood, does it have a release date?
PF: I don’t know a whole lot myself. All I have at the moment is the name, quite a few of the tracks, some that are still being picked, some that are being written super last minute and swapped in for others, but no release date at all. To be honest I was kinda very optimistically hoping it would be ready earlier this year, but I think I did a lot of new writing and growing in the time between first recording the demos and laying everything down properly that capturing the sound I want and the level of songwriting has been an ongoing process. Thankfully Jarrod is super understanding and deals with my random bursts of inspiration and demo dumps like a champ.
CS:What other artists do you draw inspiration from? And how are you using that inspiration in your music?
PF: I draw from a few artists who contrast each other. Kehlani is a huge inspiration for me in terms of how her music mixes storytelling and production, as well as how much she embodies that alternative/RnB pocket so naturally. She’s also just got a criminally under-appreciated voice. I have an ongoing obsession with Jon Bellion just because of how different his approach to songwriting and production is, and his lyrics are out of this world, so I always try and look back at lyrics and challenge myself to make them better. H.E.R, D’Angelo, Snoh Aalegra, and Lauryn Hill are probably the other artists I’m constantly referencing whenever I’m listening to new music for inspiration, things to learn or trying to implement sounds into my own stuff.
CS:I don’t know how things are in Melbourne, but what have you been doing to stay focused on your music throughout the pandemic?
PF: It’s pretty grim in Melbourne at the moment but we’re all doing what we can! I’ve been trying to get better at playing the guitar because I’m absolutely rubbish if I don’t have a capo with me, so learning some trickier chords and stuff like that which will just make my songwriting a bit easier. I’m being super pedantic about writing down literally every development that’s made music wise, whether that’s a new song I’ve sent over, notes for vocal production, a collaboration or just something I’m excited about. I also make an obscene amount of Spotify playlists so that’s always good for getting me inspired.
CS:It was also just your birthday! Did you do anything fun?
PF: It was! I mean, I did as much as I could in lockdown haha. I had dinner with my family and my little sister makes stupidly good brownies so we demolished a tray of those. I also had some drinks over Zoom with my best friends which is always a great time.
CS:Do you have anything else you want to tell everyone?
PF: Keep an eye out!! There’s definitely music on the way, whether it’s my own stuff or collaborations with a bunch of other talented musicians, I’m super keen for all the music that’s about to be out. Also stay safe and wear your masks!!!
It’s actually only 11pm from where I’m sitting now, eagerly waiting with thousands of others to watch the music video premiere of Miley Cyrus’s new single “Midnight Sky.” Regardless, we’re saying it’s midnight, and 12am is the perfect setting to listen to this song.
I was hoping that this single would be in the same vein as Cyrus’s last EP “SHE IS COMING,” but I’d put it more similar to “Nothing Breaks Like a Heart.” Which, honestly, I’m more than okay with! So let’s get into it.
The groovy video starts off with a proclamation that it was directed by Miley herself, and she had announced that ahead of time, too. I was expecting the same sort of boring, low-quality music videos we’ve been seeing put out by artists during the pandemic (and I can’t blame them,) but “Midnight Sky” is full of fun scenes, eye-catching props, and Miley’s bright red lipstick, so it fully kept my attention.
And the song itself? You’ll be at least mentally screaming “I don’t need to be loved by you” along with MC by the end! The lyrics are reminiscent of “Can’t Be Tamed” with lines like “I was born to run / I don’t belong to anyone,” as Miley sings to us about getting out of a relationship of many years. Fortunately, she reminds us that she’s good on her own.
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