Bringin' it Backwards

Together with American Songwriter, we had the pleasure of interviewing The Deep West over Zoom video! Los Angeles' soulful, pop/indie duo The Deep West released their debut EP California Flowers on February 5th, 2021. Composed of brothers Adam and Joey Chavez, The Deep West capture moments that speak to the times we live in. Their lyrics, melodies and the visual representations of their art convey messages of love, self-discovery and acceptance with vocals that ascend to grand and soothing choruses that remind us what it is to be human. Their first two releases, "Giving Up" and "Dominoes" are genuine works of artistic expression that explore the human condition. The EP leads with the powerful single, "Giving Up." "Music almost broke us," Adam and Joey said. "[Giving Up] is about the moment we chose to keep it together and keep going, even though nobody really cared if we did or didn't." Adam and Joey didn't lose sight of the music that moved them. As they continued to chase their dream and press on in the face of adversity, they birthed a track filled with messages of hope, self-discovery and happiness found. The second track and forthcoming single & video "Otherside" is a song about that nagging voice inside us all that is never satisfied. "Some people would say this is the voice of achievement and discovery, and maybe it is that, but at the end of the day you'll be left wanting more…" The song is undoubtedly upbeat with a wandering storyline, "This is how we see the 'protagonist' of the song," say Adam and Joey, "... blown by the wind--never settled." The third track "Biggest Mistake" is about the dark feelings and thoughts toward someone you once loved at the end of a relationship. "The more you love someone the more fuel there is to hate them after it's gone to pieces. This song is about making a lemonade out of regrets [and] taking ownership of your own mistakes…" On the fourth track the EP takes a turn towards love and joy. "Prayer" is the proposal of Joey Chavez to the love of his life before they lived happily ever after. Rounding out the EP is "Wildfire" - a song about sex when you're deeply in love, as opposed to bored or promiscuous sex. "[It's about] the synchronization that hovers many levels above the act itself. Finding one entire person fully intoxicating and captivating all of the hours in between each intimate encounter." The EP concludes with "Dominoes," the Bill Withers inspired track of hope, love and understanding. "We wanted to write a song that spoke truth to power--hopefully without camp or pretense… to create a song that starts to tear down expectations between people, in hopes that it creates a chain reaction that contributes to the betterment of the world." We want to hear from you! Please email Tera@BringinitBackwards.com. www.BringinitBackwards.com #podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #foryou #foryoupage #stayhome #togetherathome #zoom #aspn #americansongwriter #americansongwriterpodcastnetwork Listen & Subscribe to BiB Follow our podcast on Instagram and Twitter! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bringinbackpod/support Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bringin-it-backwards--4972373/support. https://bringinitbackwards.com/

Together with American Songwriter, we had the pleasure of interviewing Ricky Ross of Deacon Blue over Zoom video! DEACON BLUE recently released Riding on the Tide of Love, which features eight brand new songs, via earMUSIC. The record is a lockdown-recorded companion to the 2020-released City of Love. Deacon Blue have shared the lyric video for the title track. Watch + listen here. The song is a declaration of love in a time of adversity — the one thing that gets us all through difficult times. Though the lyrics might be dark in parts, the signature harmonies of Ricky Ross and Lorraine McIntosh leave us with an upbeat and hopeful message: the tide of love will keep us afloat. "But I'm living / And I'm breathing / And I'm real / And I'm sliding / And I'm clinging / But you're here / And I'm riding on the tide of love!" "After City of Love was finished, I looked through songs which might have been on the album," shares Ross. "I realized too late how perfectly 'Riding on the Tide of Love' would have fit on the record. These things sometimes happen when you're in the middle of a creative project. However, as fate would have it, we realized that this was a better song for the year we've just been through. It's about optimism in the face of a bad series of events. The world keeps turning and love is still our best and only way out." Riding on the Tide of Love springs from a fertile time in the band's career and serves to extend that rich vein of creative form. "This album is a continuation of City of Love, a companion [record] that we recorded piece by piece, going into the studio one-by-one to record our individual parts. But despite being apart, it's brought us all together, and we hope it will bring you together, too. It was made with love by us, for you, to help with the ride. Until we see you again, with love from Deacon Blue." A limited colored vinyl edition + signed print will be available exclusively on the Deacon Blue Shop here. We want to hear from you! Please email Tera@BringinitBackwards.com. www.BringinitBackwards.com #podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #foryou #foryoupage #stayhome #togetherathome #zoom #aspn #americansongwriter #americansongwriterpodcastnetwork Listen & Subscribe to BiB Follow our podcast on Instagram and Twitter! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bringinbackpod/support Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bringin-it-backwards--4972373/support. https://bringinitbackwards.com/

Together with American Songwriter, we had the pleasure of interviewing Jillette Johnson over Zoom video! The hard-won optimism of Jillette Johnson's It's a Beautiful Day and I Love You couldn't have come without tremendous upheaval. " It's a Beautiful Day and I Love You carries harmonic and emotional heft in the vein of Patty Griffin's Flaming Red or Joni Mitchell's Court and Spark. There's an open-heartedness in the Nashville-based Johnson's songs, the kind of deeply experienced inner peace that results from a journey through vulnerability, pain, and struggle to gratitude, forgiveness, and, ultimately, acceptance. Johnson's a rare gem in Nashville, having written the entirety of It's a Beautiful Day and I Love You alone, running contrary to the common Music City practice of co-writing. She did, however, find herself drawn to the city's creative adage of "three chords and the truth" — though in Johnson's case, it's more like a dozen chords, especially on the harmonically elegant title track. Despite its cheery title, It's a Beautiful Day and I Love You does bear its share of heaviness: the woozy, self-destructiveness of "I Shouldn't Go Anywhere"; the encounter with the thief of joy in "Jealous"; the helpless feelings that surround an acquaintance's suicide in "Angelo." "Songs are painful, and suffering is inherent to life," Johnson acknowledges. "Part of my journey has been understanding and accepting that, then doing what I can to find joy." That joy shines through in the rolling folk-pop guitar patterns of "Annie," a song of gratitude to the ex who taught her husband "to love with his whole heart." It's embedded in the mildly macabre humor of "Graveyard Boyfriend," the lyrics of which are offset with a buoyant '70s-style pop melody. It's even present in "What Would Jesus Do," where the irreverent hook — "What would Jesus do? I don't know, but I know he wouldn't do it my way" — masks a meditation on acceptance. That song's bite is balanced somewhat by "Forgive Her," which begins by paraphrasing Jesus and winds up doing exactly what he would do. At 15, Johnson's best friends were her producer, her engineer, and her manager — all men in their 40s. "I was going out drinking with 40-year-old men and coming home at 2 in the morning on a regular basis." Johnson soon learned first-hand about the prevalence of entertainment- industry predators and saw her parents nearly lose their house as her would-be manager skipped town with the money they had invested in her career. Later, Johnson signed a deal that resulted in two albums, 2013's Water in a Whale and 2017's All I Ever See in You Is Me, the latter of which was produced by fellow Nashvillian Dave Cobb. She began touring 200+ days each year, earning slots at Bonnaroo, SXSW, and Firefly that helped lead to TV appearances on VH1 and Rachel Ray, along with accolades from outlets ranging from Billboard, Rolling Stone Country, and Paste to Marie Claire, ELLE, and Cosmopolitan. Even as she built a promising foundation for her career, company acquisitions and executive shuffling left Johnson in a volatile, ever-changing environment. "This chapter of my life has been about quiet, stillness, gratitude, deepening relationships, and not running away," she says. "And this record has a lot to do with learning how to be in one place and how to feel freedom in that." We want to hear from you! Please email Tera@BringinitBackwards.com. www.BringinitBackwards.com #podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #foryou #foryoupage #stayhome #togetherathome #zoom #aspn #americansongwriter #americansongwriterpodcastnetwork Listen & Subscribe to BiB Follow our podcast on Instagram and Twitter! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bringinbackpod/support Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bringin-it-backwards--4972373/support. https://bringinitbackwards.com/

Together with American Songwriter, we had the pleasure of interviewing Saving Vice over Zoom video! Saving Vice are an independent American metalcore band from Vermont founded by guitarist Robbie Litchfield. Litchfield added vocalist Chase Papariello to the band first and then vocalist Tyler Small shortly thereafter. It wasn't until later on that the band included the final pieces of their lineup, drummer Sammy Whelton and bassist Kenjamin Smiertelny. Since their official start in 2017, Saving Vice have shared the stage with many impressive acts and played on multiple festivals such as Warped Tour, iMatter Festival and Heavy Fest. The group's high energy live performance, catchy choruses, and hard-hitting riffs aided by the chemistry created by the vocalist duo helped them make their mark on the New England music scene and beyond. The sound, energy and personality Saving Vice have brought to the current heavy music scene is both refreshing and nostalgic. Their sound is reminiscent of classic, 2009 metalcore balanced with the modern genre trend. Emotional and melodic, yet unapologetically brutal and dark. Saving Vice commemorated their one year anniversary of their debut record 'Hello There' with the release of a brand new music video for the track "Nerve Damage" and even brought back some older merch designs. We want to hear from you! Please email Tera@BringinitBackwards.com. www.BringinitBackwards.com #podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #foryou #foryoupage #stayhome #togetherathome #zoom #aspn #americansongwriter #americansongwriterpodcastnetwork Listen & Subscribe to BiB Follow our podcast on Instagram and Twitter! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bringinbackpod/support Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bringin-it-backwards--4972373/support. https://bringinitbackwards.com/

Together with American Songwriter, we had the pleasure of interviewing Quinn Sullivan over Zoom video! Quinn Sullivan recently released his new single and music video "All Around The World," 21-year-old singer, songwriter, and guitarist Quinn Sullivan celebrates a new chapter of his already impressive career, which has seen him tour the world and collaborate with rock's biggest legends. Now, having developed genuinely jaw-dropping skills as a guitar player, Sullivan's more recent work has been with pen and paper, as he lets the abundant skills of his youth blossom and steer him into new directions of artistry and creativity. It's the next step for the ambitious musician with a constant view towards the future, marking Sullivan's evolution into the singer-songwriter genre while still effectively highlighting his guitar mastery. "Matured and owning his words…Sullivan returns more as a singer-songwriter than just a prodigy guitarist," said American Songwriter, in an exclusive premiere. "Sullivan has refocused his craft to songwriting." "I want to stay true to where I come from, and go from there," says Sullivan. "The artists that inspire me to do that are always hungry for the new. They never repeat themselves. They just grow and become more unique -- and that's what I aim to do as an artist." Recorded in Los Angeles with producer/collaborator Oliver Leiber, "All Around The World" will be included on Sullivan's next full-length album, slated for release later this year. The new music adds potent new arrows to a quiver already brimming with sure-shots, and it showcases the kind of forward motion that separates the artists from the mere players. "I want people to understand who I am as an artist," explains Quinn. "I think my audience will appreciate the fact that the guitar is still a huge part of who I am, and I can truthfully say all the songs are coming from a very honest place." A rare artist who's always sounded older than his years, Sullivan has been touring the world since he was 11-years-old, playing storied venues such as Madison Square Garden, the Hollywood Bowl and RFK Stadium in Washington D.C., as well as India's Mahindra Blues Festival, Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival, and three Montreux Jazz Festivals. Quinn has shared the stage with his hero and mentor Buddy Guy, as well as Carlos Santana on several occasions. Quinn's performance experience includes appearances on leading national television programs Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and CBS This Morning, to name a few. But as he moves into this new chapter, Sullivan's constant credo has been growth and learning. "Obviously, as you get older you learn and experience more," Sullivan says. "Throughout the years I've gotten to learn and be around so many amazing, accomplished musicians and people in the music industry, and that's shaped me into who I am now. I've been at this my whole life. It feels like yesterday I was 12 and on tour with Buddy. Back then I never would have thought I'd be here now, releasing my fourth album. It's really pretty amazing." We want to hear from you! Please email Tera@BringinitBackwards.com. www.BringinitBackwards.com #podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #foryou #foryoupage #stayhome #togetherathome #zoom #aspn #americansongwriter #americansongwriterpodcastnetwork Listen & Subscribe to BiB Follow our podcast on Instagram and Twitter! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bringinbackpod/support Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bringin-it-backwards--4972373/support. https://bringinitbackwards.com/

Together with American Songwriter and Sean Ulbs of The Eiffels, we had the pleasure of interviewing Clerel over Zoom video! Clerel Djamen nurtured his taste for melody in his native Cameroon, where he was raised on church hymns and french radio. Early on, he developed a habit of singing his favorite songs to himself as a way to "listen" to them whenever he desired. Following a family move to the United States, Djamen attended university in Ohio, where he picked up the acoustic guitar and began honing his hitherto unexplored singing talent. Djamen's time stateside left an indelible mark, as he discovered the world of soul music during a visit to Memphis' famed Stax Records museum; this experience would prove instrumental in his artistic journey. Soon after completion of his degree, Djamen relocated to Montreal, Canada, where he made his stage debut, equipped with his voice and acoustic guitar. Word about his captivating voice soon spread around town and beyond, inspiring Djamen to channel his musical influences into his own original compositions. These efforts led to an EP, Songs from Under a Guava Tree, co-produced with Kento Kataoka and released in 2019. Djamen released a digital 45, My Anthem / Talking About Love, at the end of a busy 2020 which saw him appear on The Late Show. We want to hear from you! Please email Tera@BringinitBackwards.com. www.BringinitBackwards.com #podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #foryou #foryoupage #stayhome #togetherathome #zoom #aspn #americansongwriter #americansongwriterpodcastnetwork Listen & Subscribe to BiB Follow our podcast on Instagram and Twitter! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bringinbackpod/support Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bringin-it-backwards--4972373/support. https://bringinitbackwards.com/

Together with American Songwriter, we had the pleasure of interviewing Good Boy Daisy over Zoom audio! Good Boy Daisy have officially announced their debut single "Grey", premiering now ahead of it's release tomorrow exclusively with FLOOD Magazine. Produced by Nick Anderson (The Wrecks), the song mixes pop hooks with alt-rock riffs for a bold, catchy debut that is sure to put Good Boy Daisy on the map with an edgy punch. "Grey" is available now. "We are very excited to be releasing our first single," says the duo. "It's everything we hoped it would be and more. Big energy, heartfelt lyrics, and it truly exemplifies our 'no rules' approach." For identical twins Hallie and Dylinn Mayes, starting a band together was the only thing that made sense. When the two discovered music was their calling, they formed Good Boy Daisy, an alt-pop duo with plenty of rock influence. Raised on a steady diet of '90s grunge, the sisters inherited a lot of their early music taste from their father but as they began to thumb through vinyl at their local record stores, their favorite artists grew beyond Alice In Chains and Soundgarden to include more modern indie favorites such as alt-J and Matchbox Twenty. And somehow as they grew older, their music interests became even more intertwined. The duo are going for it every way they can; along with future song releases on the horizon, they're more than ready to tour and play for crowds again. "We really shine when we play live," says Hallie. "We're excited to show everyone how fun our concerts can be." We want to hear from you! Please email Tera@BringinitBackwards.com. www.BringinitBackwards.com #podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #foryou #foryoupage #stayhome #togetherathome #zoom #aspn #americansongwriter #americansongwriterpodcastnetwork Listen & Subscribe to BiB Follow our podcast on Instagram and Twitter! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bringinbackpod/support Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bringin-it-backwards--4972373/support. https://bringinitbackwards.com/

Together with American Songwriter, we had the pleasure of interviewing telco over Zoom video! "telco" is the NYC based solo project of Pennsylvania native and musician Michael Gilbride. The alternative rock / indie pop project began from the confines of Gilbride's apartment as a collection of demos that eventually evolved into the project's debut EP, "My Name Is Not Kaiser", which was released on September 4th. The project's debut single, "Say Hello" (featured on Spotify's "Fresh Finds: Rock" playlist; Unxigned's "Song of the Year: 2020") examined the push and pull between the conflicting desire to be alone and the desire to share your life with someone you love. The project's new single, "Minus Nine", takes those same themes and places them in a completely new sonic environment that is both open and optimistic, marking a clear shift in sound from the EP era. We want to hear from you! Please email Tera@BringinitBackwards.com. www.BringinitBackwards.com #podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #foryou #foryoupage #stayhome #togetherathome #zoom #aspn #americansongwriter #americansongwriterpodcastnetwork Listen & Subscribe to BiB Follow our podcast on Instagram and Twitter! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bringinbackpod/support Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bringin-it-backwards--4972373/support. https://bringinitbackwards.com/

Together with American Songwriter, we had the pleasure of interviewing Guy Blakeslee over Zoom video! Guy Blakeslee shares "Sometimes," the latest single from his gorgeous and dramatic upcoming solo album Postcards From The Edge, out February 5, 2021 via his own Entrance Records. The album is the latest from the guitar-wielding frontman of psych-legends The Entrance Band-- a wandering soul who has spent the better part of his musical life on the road--and was recorded in New Orleans at the house studio of Preservation Hall Jazz Band. The enchanting "Sometimes" video was filmed by Lael Neale, and follows the album's lead single and title track "Postcards From The Edge." read more about Guy and the new album via American Songwriter. "A few Summers ago, my life had come crashing down. You could say I had destroyed it," notes Guy. "Abandoning all illusions of security and leaping off the uncertain edge, I landed in a tiny windowless room overflowing with my broken musical instruments. A chance encounter with a friend of a friend led me to a cat-sitting gig in an Old Hollywood apartment where Man Ray and Orson Welles had once lived. When I wasn't chasing the devious felines up and down many flights of ancient stairs I would lose myself for hours at the well worn piano, where I could feel my former identity slipping away." "A sudden windfall of unexpected money appeared and days later I was on a plane to Spain to meet my Belgian friends," Blakeslee adds. "Floating on my back in a Spanish swimming pool, in a moment of weightlessness and surrender, I pondered with relaxed clarity my strange fortune - after risking everything without a plan, I had arrived in that perfect stay of unknowing, of beginning anew. I had answered the call of destiny and was reincarnated as the FOOL in the Tarot, wandering into the present without a care in the world. Just like in the Tarot, the journey I was undertaking would lead me through the deepest shadows of despair and to exalted heights of ecstasy, but I was not thinking about the future. In the weeks that followed, as I walked the empty streets of Brussels late at night, singing to the rhythm of my own echoing footsteps, the song 'Sometimes' was born." In addition to his work with The Entrance Band, Guy has released solo albums under the ENTRANCE moniker via Fat Possum, Thrill Jockey & more. He has typically used his own name to release his most experimental and confounding records and Postcards From The Edge is no exception. The album was recorded with and produced by Enrique Tena Padilla (Oh Sees, Wand) and features appearances from singers Lael Neale, Hale May, Rachel Fannan and drummer Derek James (The Entrance Band). Postcards From The Edge is electrified by the spirit of sonic experimentation, and the fervent desire to chart a map into unknown territory. Across the record's seven tracks, Blakeslee's questing lyrics teem with stormy emotion, his plaintive voice finding succor in richly-textured melodies that soar over lushly-produced soundscapes, always on the verge of collapse. We want to hear from you! Please email Tera@BringinitBackwards.com. www.BringinitBackwards.com #podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #foryou #foryoupage #stayhome #togetherathome #zoom #aspn #americansongwriter #americansongwriterpodcastnetwork Listen & Subscribe to BiB Follow our podcast on Instagram and Twitter! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bringinbackpod/support Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bringin-it-backwards--4972373/support. https://bringinitbackwards.com/

Together with American Songwriter, we had the pleasure of interviewing Runkus over Zoom video! Jamaica's ​RUNKUS​ takes listeners into his world on the new album ​IN:SIDE, ​​an immersive meditation on life, love and technology in the age of quarantines and lockdowns. The 10-track LP, which features appearances from ​Tarrus Riley​, ​Naomi Cowan​, ​Royal Blu​, Jesse Royal​, ​Kabaka Pyramid ​and ​Munga Honorable​, hits streaming platforms today via L.A. record label ​Delicious Vinyl Island​ and the artist's own ​Runkus Music​ imprint. Blending the cultural gravitas of roots reggae and dancehall with the energy of trap and the intricate wordplay of classic hip-hop, ​Runkus ​is known for making music with a global, yet unmistakably Jamaican, perspective. When a 24-hour lockdown was imposed on his hometown of Portmore in April—with no one allowed to leave or enter— he hunkered down to create the most provocative and challenging work of his career, recording a new song each day. "It was one of those apocalyptic moments in life," the artist says of the frantic paranoia that enveloped his community during the shutdown. "Youknow when you watch a movie and you see everybody just fret? It was really like that. My thing was fightor flight: Would I panic too, stress and get depressed? Or make music?"IN:SIDE ​captures this moment, reflecting the anxieties of life in the age of isolation, along with the hopeful promise of a better future. "TAN A YUH YAAD" (Which takes its title from the Jamaican slang phrase used by Prime Minister Andrew Holness during the Portmore lockdown) and "THE MASK:2ND WAVE" explores the realities of this new world, creating a timely soundtrack for these unprecedented times. With "5Gs," selected as one of the best reggae/dancehall singles of 2020 by LargeUp.com and Pandora, Ruckus aligns with top Jamaican lyricists Jesse Royal, Kabaka Pyramid, Royal Blu and Munga Honorableto deliver a blistering commentary on technology and the spread of information. "EVERYBODY GOINGLIVE" (featuring Naomi Cowan) and "QUARANTINE SLIDE" engage themes of escapism, commenting on topics like social media obsession and interrupted love, while Jamaican music great Tarrus Riley joinsRunkus on the jazzy, soulful closing track "MAKE IT BREATHE". IN:SIDE​ is supported by ​IN:SIDE​​ Portmore, ​a mini-doc filmed during the project's recording, as well as videos for ​"$$$"​, ​"5Gs"​ and ​"QUARANTINE SLIDE"​. We want to hear from you! Please email Tera@BringinitBackwards.com. www.BringinitBackwards.com #podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #foryou #foryoupage #stayhome #togetherathome #zoom #aspn #americansongwriter #americansongwriterpodcastnetwork Listen & Subscribe to BiB Follow our podcast on Instagram and Twitter! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bringinbackpod/support Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bringin-it-backwards--4972373/support. https://bringinitbackwards.com/