Anjelia Pelay Q&A

Your name: 

Anjelia Pelay.

Where are you from? 

Jersey born, now residing in California.

Who else is in your band? 

When we do full band shows and also on the album:

Steve Poloni on slide guitar/electric 

Ben Feltner on bass

Brian Blake on acoustic guitar

Corey Coverstone on drums

Hayley Deakers on back up-vocals

And myself on lead vocals, piano, and some banjo.

How would you describe yourselves and your music?

Country, Southern rock, California country.

Who are your main influences musically? 

The music I was raised on definitely influenced me the most: Johnny Cash, June Carter, Buddy Miller, Eric Clapton, The Beatles, Joni Mitchell..to name a few. As I was growing up, I always loved The Dixie Chicks and today I’m digging Miranda Lambert and The Band Perry like no other, but the classics I grew up with will always hold the number one spot for me.

What do you hope to achieve in music?

When I see the tears from my fans and friends after I perform a song I've written that truly resonates with them - I know I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing. 

I want to reach that person who wakes up one day and feels like its not worth it anymore. I don't need to be famous, it has never been about that. It's about that person who's had a horrible day and when they hear your song..for a few minutes there's hope. It's like, for a few minutes the worlds not such a horrible place any more.

For a long time, I believed songwriting was just my way of pouring my heart out, but it became apparent that my songs and story resonated with others..and that's when I knew this is right, and that it means everything.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why? 

There's always new and exciting things constantly coming up, so this is a hard question! Last year we performed at the Official Oscars After Party in Hollywood before Billy Ray Cyrus. I'm also about to open for John Carter Cash, which is a very exciting for me considering how much I was influenced by his parents, Johnny and June, from a musical standpoint.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

Almost becoming one of the Pussycat Dolls. I love them..but I'm a singer/songwriter not a sexy perfect Pussycat Doll. lol

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?  

My song The Heart Decides, which is the title track off the upcoming album. The lyrics explain me to a T, and can be relatable to any person that is a free spirit. One that doesn't follow the status quo or conform to what others tell them to do. A lot of people have lost respect for the individual who doesn't conform, this song is kind of like the anthem for them, for those "rolling stones". ; )

Where can we listen to it? 

That song is on the upcoming album but has not yet been released! But I've decided to put a link to The Heart Decides as an exclusive for the readers of this site to listen to it. 

EXCLUSIVE - "The Heart Decides" - It is a private link that will only be up for a limited time, so listen while you can!

The debut single, however, "Kiss My Ass" is available on iTunes and soundcloud, and various other country music blogs/sites.

Where can we find out more about your music?

Website: anjeliapelay.com

iTunes single link: "KISS MY ASS" on iTunes

Twitter: twitter.com/anjelia

Facebook: facebook.com/anjelia and facebook.com/anjelia.music

Anything else you’d like to say about your music that I forgot to ask?

What's most important to me, is that you hear it.   

The only reason I make music, much like the artist who paints, is for others to see and hear what I'm trying to say. So torrent it, rip it, buy it, donate to it, stream it, whatever!  I just want you to listen, if you like it, don't forget me, because I'd love to see you live, as I truly love to connect with my fans and share our experiences together more than anything else.

Don't forget me, because I won't forget you :)

Bad Mary Q&A

Your name: 
Amanda Mac (vox). 

Where are you from?: 
We are from New York.

Name of band: 
Bad Mary.

Who else is in your band? 
Bill Mac (drums), David Henderson (guitar) and Mike Staub (bass/vox).

How would you describe yourselves and your music?: 
We are energetic just like our music. We write songs that represent us in that way. We love a big live show, and we love the special brand of punk we play that's a bit old-school, a bit new school, and just a touch insane. Our songs should make you want to sing, dance, and flip someone off. There's a real taunting power to our music that we want to be fun while still saying something that embraces our punk attitude. Seeing Bad Mary live is the definitive experience, but we're also super proud of our album, Better Days. It was a real personal achievement for everyone in the band to put out a full album.

Who are your main influences musically? 
Blondie, The Ramones, No Doubt, Green Day, Rancid, The Clash.

What do you hope to achieve in music? 
We would love to get management and get more people to hear our music. Touring and performing are at the top of our list. We want to be able to play our music for many people, and have a great time with them as well. We also just want to continue writing, and produce more music.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why? 
Releasing a full-length album is a pretty big highlight! Especially when it's music that the band writes, records, and produces themselves. Though headlining shows at great venues is always a blast. The first time our audience knew the words to our songs and sang along was one of the coolest experiences I think we ever had. Just looking out into the Aether and hearing your lyrics sung back at you is pretty special.

And what’s the moment you want to forget? 
We once played a competition where during the sound check we were informed that our band was too loud and needed to turn our volume down a little bit. After we had played our set, the judges of the competition each informed us that they would have liked to have heard us more, that our set needed more volume and to be louder. It was quite disconcerting...as we always play quite loud.

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why? 
Ninja, it's got all the best parts of our band. It's loud, it's got great drive, amazing drums, a cool guitar solo, and Amanda kills the transition between the verses and choruses. It also has just a bit of our "screw off" attitude that makes us who we are. We love playing it live, and it's just a little wacky. 

Where can we listen to it?: 
soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/bad-mary  
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/bad-mary/id716114268 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/badmaryband

Where can we find out more about your music?
Site: badmary.com
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/badmaryband
twitter: https://twitter.com/BadMaryBand
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/bad-mary/id716114268

Anything else you’d like to say about your music that I forgot to ask? 
If you're looking for some good punk music, with a great stage show, and non-stop energy, we're the band for you!

New video from The Kindling

DARK alt-folk band The Kindling have offered up the video for new single Television Static Dreams.

The track is taken from the London outfit's record By Morning, which is set for self-release on March 31st.

The album was recorded to tape over the summer of 2014 at Cowshed Studio in North London.

You can watch the video for Television Static Dreams below and for more visit facebook.com/thekindling

My Favourite Runner Up release video for Never Again

POP punk quartet My Favourite Runner Up have put out their new single Never Again.

It is the second track to be taken from the Welsh band's 2014 album Crossroads.

MFRU also begin their UK tour tomorrow (Monday) in Manchester, followed by shows in Derby, Birmingham, Leicester, Norwich, Tywyn and London.

You can watch the video for Never Again below and for more head to facebook.com/myfavouriterunnerup

New single from stickybackplastics

ALT-blues outfit stickybackplastics have released new track Psycho Dreamer ahead of their second EP Reptile Smile, out on March 27th.

The York band have also undergone a line-up change with bassist Max Watt joining at the end of 2014 - having worked with drummer Dom Smith on his arts and culture publication Soundsphere.

Of the new EP, guitarist Roz Walker said: "Most of these new tracks examine the duality of human nature - hence the title Reptile Smile - and this idea that people can show themselves to be really positive or comforting on the outside, but inside their minds sometimes they are trying to control you and use you for their own benefit.

"For us, this EP examines people - or demons in our lives that have had a similar effect on us, and exorcises them."

Stickybackplastics have big plans for the year with more shows and a third EP towards the end of the year.

In the meantime, have a listen to Psycho Dreamer below and visit facebook.com/stickybackplasticsofficial for more details.

Smile And Burn join Man Overboard in UK

Picture by Max Thelfall

SMILE And Burn are to join pop punk heroes Man Overboard on their UK tour starting next month.

The English-speaking rock band from Berlin, Germany, have built a big reputation in Europe since their 2009 debut album Flight Attempt Of The Kiwi and its follow-up We Didn't Even Fight Yet in 2012.

The latest offering from the five-piece is Action Action - released last October.

Their tour with Man Overboard - along with Moose Blood and Roam - begins in Kingston on April 23rd ahead of dates in London, Cardiff, Bristol, Leicester, Wolverhampton, Newcastle, Glasgow, Manchester, Liverpool and finishes in Leeds on May 4th.

You can watch the video for the title track from Action Action below and for more on the band head to smileandburn.com

This Fabulous Beast Q&A

Your name: 
Ryan Richardson.

Where are you from? 
Originally from Mesa, Arizona, but have been living in New York City since 2006.

Name of band: 
This Fabulous Beast.

Who else is in your band?
Phil Gold on drums and Alex Hornbake on bass.

How would you describe yourselves and your music? 
Fun. Upbeat. Unafraid of genre-jumping. Not complicated. 

Who are your main influences musically? 
The Beatles, Beach Boys, The Kinks, The Who, Roy Orbison, David Bowie, Buddy Holly, etc.

What do you hope to achieve in music? 
Just to never run out of ideas and always keep doing this. To keep writing and creating. And to not be afraid to try new things. 

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why? 
I've been playing in bands for 20 years now. I've had highs and lows, but mostly of my own accord. The key (to me) is to never expect anything to come of this, but continue doing it because you love it. 

And what’s the moment you want to forget? 
I want to remember everything. The bad shows. The bad songs. The bad lyrics. I hope to never forget any of it.

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why? 
Maudlin Paupin' Man. Simple. Direct. Fun. It's the type of tune I'm best at. 

Where can we listen to it? 

http://thisfabulousbeast.bandcamp.com/track/maudlin-paupin-man


Where can we find out more about your music? 

You can find us on iTunes, Spotify, Bandcamp, Soundcloud. And on Twitter we're @thisfabbeast. Facebook is no longer band-friendly. The posts from your page only reach a small percentage of people that "like" your page now... so I prefer not to use it. 

Anything else you’d like to say about your music that I forgot to ask? 
Whether it comes to simple songs or complex songs, the key is that you enjoy writing and playing them. You need to be proud of your material even if others think it's not cool or hip. Who cares. People's tastes in music change all the time. I just keep doing what I do and don't let others influence my decisions in any way, shape, or form.

Eternal Fox Q&A

Your name: 

Michael Fox.

Where are you from?

Hailing all the way from Oxford.

Artist name:

Eternal Fox.

How would you describe yourselves and your music? 

I think me and my music surprise each other because it changes genre from time to time because I feel like if I kept releasing the same sound people would get bored as well as myself. Also the music mainly a way to express myself in a weird and wonderful way. I also think now that I've changed my artist name away from Mikeey I can really stick to my roots and remember to be myself and have a fresh clean start!

Who are your main influences musically?

I have so many inspirations in the music industry, but when doing pop my inspirations come from Marina and the Diamonds, Shamir Bailey and Sia. In an indie sense of influence Lana Del Rey, Gabriella Cilmi, Clare Maguire and Tom O'dell. In a rock genre my major influences are Marilyn Manson, Against Me! and Placebo. My rap influences are Kanye West, ASAP ROCKY, Azealia Banks, DEV and Brooke Candy.

What do you hope to achieve in music?

I just want to release music and occasionally make enough money from it to make videos and more music and that's all I want.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?

My highlight must have been being able to feature in a music video by Candy Says. I think this is my main highlight because it's getting my face out there and I can always look back on it to keep me rooted and stay true to myself.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

I want to forget all these name changes and old music which I really never connected to.

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?

Well in fact I actually haven't released any music under this name yet but if I have to choose a song it would be "Model, Maybe Actor".

Where can we listen to it?

https://soundcloud.com/iammikeey/model-maybe-actor

Where can we find out more about your music?

My main archive is Twitter follow me there www.twitter.com/@mikeey_fox

Anything else you’d like to say about your music that I forgot to ask?

Keep an eye out for the new music under my refreshed name and prepare for the ride!

New video from The Coolness

ELECTRO rockers The Coolness have unveiled a video for their track Take It Off.

But the boys themselves do a better job of talking themselves up, so here they go: "After being locked inside an organic coffee shop for four years, outrageous East London mid-fi pop genius The Coolness, is set to unveil a brand new gonzo-style music video, for classic pro-striptease anthem ‘Take It Off’.

"The video features Mr C's Dad (of Shamen fame) dressed as a life-size dog eating baked beans and watching porn, followed by an armed robbery and a drink/drugs fuelled zoophilia DILF orgy."

The band did offer the exclusive to the release to the highest bidder, but RealSoundsOK could only muster pocket fluff, a half-chewed wine gum and a button - so you can watch a teaser below.

They did do a Q&A with RealSoundsOK almost a year ago which you can read here and find links to all their other stuff.

Album coming from Gaunt Story

GAUNT Story will release new album Nothing Holds You Like A Song on April 27th.

It is the third album by multi-instrumentalist Rob Ashworth and the first international release under fledgling label Leise Laute Records.

You can listen to the single Seas Of Life - out now - below and for more on the artist visit facebook.com/gauntstory