Bringin' it Backwards

Practicing social distancing, we interviewed ONR on Zoom! Please share while we are #togetherathome 🏠 ONR is singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and self-taught producer born Robert Shields who was raised in rural isolation on a sheep farm in the Scottish Highlands. Despite that – or, even, because of it – his songs have an instant, deep, wide-ranging and international connectivity. Big voice, big melodies, big emotional impact, all created by an artist who, growing up, had little to distract him other than his own imagination and aspirations. For much of his childhood, there wasn't much in front of Shields apart from sheep and some more sheep. Much of his childhood on was spent in a cold, damp, stone farmhouse on cliffs overlooking the North Sea. At least music was inside him. "I loved where I was from, but I also wanted to break out of it and connect with other people." Music did that – if only, at first, in his head and heart. It's why, a decade or later, his lyrics would pulse and glow with a yearning for escapism and a desire to stretch out and touch, to compensate for the isolation of his upbringing. And it's why, back in his adolescence, he filled his lonely hours by reaching music the only way he could: by teaching himself piano, bashing out tunes, or versions of tunes, on a battered instrument, missing half its keys, that he found discarded in the family shed. The first CD he owned was Travis's third album, 2001's The Invisible Band, a few years after it was released. Beyond that, he loved the big singer-songwriters: David Bowie, a lifelong hero, Kate Bush, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen. Then Radiohead and Coldplay and Arcade Fire, then back through The Cure and Joy Division. Inspired – not to mention bored on the farm – Shields began writing and performing his own songs aged 12 or 13, encouraged by his parents, who recognized and embraced his musicality. "They'd ferry me round pubs on the Black Isle in my early teens. I'd play in a little place called Crofters every weekend, me and a Casio keyboard. Covers mostly, all the classics, from Tom Jones to Bryan Adams!" he laughs, "but I'd sneak in a few of my own for the more discerning punters. But in all honesty, it gives you a clear understanding of how audiences work. Or don't work! You play enough hostile or indifferent audiences, it helps you with writing: you have an idea of what people like. What kind of melodies or structures work." While still at school he had his first break: he won a songwriting competition, judged by Coldplay's Chris Martin which opened a lot of doors. He was offered a place at the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts, founded by Sir Paul McCartney, which he turned down. Soon after, he caught the attention of a Scottish manager part-based in Los Angeles. He loved what he heard and invited the youngster over to California. "I was 16 or 17 when I flew to LA. I'd never been out of the country. It was equal parts thrilling and terrifying." While there, Shields received some label offers, which he turned down. "I wasn't ready, not personally, not musically." He wanted to push on with his own music. All he wanted to do now was play live. He went back to Scotland, formed a band and toured in a Ford Transit van. "We played dozens and dozens of shows all over Europe. I was still shy but I wanted to improve as a frontman. And I really enjoyed it. I was determined, as I had been from school, to be in music in any way." Away from touring, he wrote for film and TV, wrote and produced for other local artists, and wrote for himself. Finally, in 2016, he was ready for the next step. Shields had, after many roads and miles, figured out who he was as a songwriter. Making music that was, at last, true to him, of which he was proud, felt like an honor. So, he became ONR. He got back in touch with his music manager acquaintance and played him some of his new songs. They released two of them, "Jericho" and "American Gods", and not long after, --- 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/

Continuing with practicing social distancing, we interviewed Allie X on the phone! Allie X will be hosting her Billboard Live At-Home concert on Billboard's Facebook page on Thursday morning (March 26 at 10 am PST) to raise money for Meals on Wheels America, a nonprofit that provides nutrition and helps to eliminate isolation to the elderly. "Somewhere amidst the outer reaches of iconoclastic pop darling Allie X's mind, you'll find the limits of a surreal hamlet inspired by the East Coast's infamous playground of the pedigreed, Cape Cod. That said, it doesn't take long for all the overbearing, Americana-worshipping idyll to melt into a gloomy, grandiose fantasy world of Allie's creation. A distinct departure from her previous effort — the irreverent, observational Super Sunset — this new writing is an intimate, healing journey focused inwards. Told through the perspective of characters rooted in Allie's own reluctant reflections upon her teenage alienation, it's an invitation to recontextualize the banality of our shared suburban coming-of-age angst via wry romanticization and darkly-dreamlike production. To rethink ostracization and ennui as a vehicle to unite, rather than isolate, all of the anxiety-ridden outsiders. "I was waiting for the right moment and place and maturity level where I could comfortably and accurately put these feelings into song," Allie says, before adding, "This sort of margin in time and space helped me dive in and explore some repressed feelings." Interestingly enough, her new work was created within the span of a few, whirlwind weeks a literal world away from the hook-driven writing rooms of Los Angeles. Thanks to the help of like-minded Swedish producer Oscar Görres and co-writer James Alan Ghaleb, lead single "Fresh Laundry" unfurled into a gaudily melancholic, whimsical encapsulation of the surreal world Allie always dreamed of belonging to. Meanwhile, tracks like "Regulars" explores the struggle of a fish-out-of water forced to adhere to the conventional, while the Troye Sivan duet, "Love Me Wrong" expounds upon these feelings — turning it toward the often fraught relationships with our family that we eventually end up internalizing. A carefully constructed meditation on universal themes of identity and belonging, most importantly, this new work is also a declaration of the autonomy we have when it comes to redefining ourselves and our place in the world. And though Allie herself may still on a journey toward reconciling with her past, by allowing herself to continue exploring the margins of contemporary pop, she's ended up finding herself, at last, a little bit closer to home." https://alliex.com/ We want to hear from you! Please email Tera@BringinitBackwards.com www.BringinitBackwards.com www.americansongwriter.com/american-songwriter-podcast-network/bringin-it-backwards-podcast/ --- 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/

We had an opportunity to interview WENS via Zoom! "I grew up in a bubble. A beautifully tragic beach town filled with cars more expensive than my parents' yearly salary, limitless credit cards, moms with plastic surgery, and slightly broken families with privilege beyond anything I could understand. Obviously, I was lucky to be able to grow up in such a nice community, but I struggled with always feeling like I missed the mark. Whether it was my house being the smallest out of my friends, my skin being a little darker than my friends, my parents being a little more private than my friends, the type of clothes I wore, or even seeing my future completely different than how my friends saw theirs. So I started writing. I wrote songs before I could even process any of my emotions. It was my way of expressing my feelings without talking. Because I sort of hate talking. About myself at least. Most times I wrote to escape my reality and other times I wrote to face my harsh realities. I ended up falling in love with writing because I finally felt I found something that made me feel a little more grounded to the Earth. Some people ask me why I've gotten certain tattoos and I realize it's the same reason I write songs. They remind me of a time in my life. A feeling that I had that will never die. Because moments are fleeting unless you document them through art. I definitely get a little scared the feeling music gives me might wear off, and sometimes it does, but I always find myself circling back to it when I need it the most. " https://www.whateverwens.com/ We want to hear from you! Please email Tera@BringinitBackwards.com www.BringinitBackwards.com www.americansongwriter.com/american-songwriter-podcast-network/bringin-it-backwards-podcast/ --- 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/

Practicing social distancing, Sean Ulbs of The Eiffels (@theeiffels) and I interviewed John-Robert (@johnrobert) over Zoom! Please share while we are #togetherathome 🏠 "When you grow up in a town of 1,000 residents, you make your own fun. Backyard football. BB guns. Trawling the train tracks. Pushing flaming sofas off of forgotten bridges. You can only walk around Walmart so many times with your couple of good friends punning about products before you put all your restless youthful energy into becoming a prodigious music talent. At least, such was the case for John-Robert of Edinburg, Virginia, who started slaying local open mikes a cap- pella at age 9 and is now, at 18, launching his career as a proper pop upstart/outsider. On first listen, his is an intimate folk- and soul-driven sound powered by lithe voice, inventive guitar, and real heart. And that's all true, but the perspective is ever so askew—perfectly pleasant bops pushed sideways by sudden distortion, odd effects or the man's wild and often dark imagination. He still lives there in the Shenandoah Valley, working out of his very minimal studio in his fami- ly's basement, which he moved into after one too many nights falling asleep at his desk in the bedroom he shared with his brothers upstairs. John-Robert is the oldest of four kids raised by a pharmacist mother and a mostly stay-at-home father. "Mostly" because dad did home deliveries for mom's drug store, which meant the children came with. He also took them on random drives, getting lost on purpose so they could explore the land. That's where our hero found his voice: in a tan minivan on a backroad, howling along to Styx. Naturally, piano lessons and choir followed. Then came cafés, county fairs, and national anthems. But in his heart, the boy knew none of it was cool. So on his 12th birthday, John-Robert got what he wanted most in the world: a guitar. Scarce evidence remains of the career before the career: a teen and his acoustic axe, wearing a Beatles or Hendrix tee as he faithfully covered Coldplay, the Kooks, and countless others to a growing YouTube audience. School was weird—kids assumed the "music guy" was pretentious when he was just embarrassed to be following a crazy dream in a small town. Either way, John- Robert's favorite part of the day was going home so he could teach himself finger-picking, or try to hit a higher note than he did the day before. He got a looping pedal and the covers became more ambitious in turn: Chance the Rapper, Alt-J, Hippo Campus. He'd lose himself arranging full songs on the spot, or tracking his voice until he had a chorus of wailing banshees. Software came next, and with it the dopamine rush of building his own songs in GarageBand and Logic. Along the way some things happened. John-Robert started watching music documentaries and reading positive psychology books, developed an unnatural obsession with Swedish Fish, and began hanging out at college campuses—as you do. He also developed a knack for writing vivid stories about the intricacies of friendship and love three minutes at a time. The first songs you'll hear of his will be spare, penned mostly before he knew anyone would want to listen. But John- Robert became an ace producer with an unexpected hand during his time in the basement as well, working with a laptop and two monitors on his folks' old kitchen table, covered with a red checkered tablecloth so he doesn't scratch it. He graduated a year early and was awarded with a scholarship to Berklee. Music school was calling, but making music sounded like more fun." We want to hear from you! Please email Tera@BringinitBackwards.com www.BringinitBackwards.com www.americansongwriter.com/american-songwriter-podcast-network/bringin-it-backwards-podcast/ #podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #foryou #foryoupage #musictherapy #music #johnrobert @johnrobert #warner #togetherathome #zoom --- 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/

We had the opportunity to interview Luca Fogale at the Observatory North Park! "The honesty in Luca's voice is impossible to ignore, elevating songs rooted in the folk tradition to soulful hymns about the human condition. With influences from Joni Mitchell to Bob Dylan, Luca's reflective and sometimes melancholic songwriting pulls the listener into a deeply hypnotic meditation on redemption and transcendence. Based in western Canada, Luca has opened for Dermot Kennedy, Serena Ryder, Hayden, and Frazey Ford, and he has toured in Canada, the US, Australia and Japan. Luca's music has been featured on Grey's Anatomy, NCIS: Los Angeles, and Station 19, and his catalogue has over 18 million streams between Spotify and Apple Music. 2020 will see the arrival of Luca's much anticipated second full-length album, beginning with singles "Half-Saved," "Unfolding," and "Another Way Around."" Catalogue: Safety (LP) - 2016 I Don't Want To Lose You (Single) - 2017 What I Came Here For (Single) - 2018 Half-Saved (Single) - 2019 Unfolding (Single) - 2019 Another Way Around (Single) - 2019 https://www.lucafogale.com/ We want to hear from you! Please email Tera@BringinitBackwards.com www.BringinitBackwards.com www.americansongwriter.com/american-songwriter-podcast-network/bringin-it-backwards-podcast/ @lucafogale #observatorynorthpark #observatorysd #podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #foryou #foryoupage #canada #lucafogale #canadianmusic #musictherapy #music --- 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/

We had the opportunity to interview 8mm. Meet the Artists Juliette & Sean "Massive Attack meet June and Johnny Cash at a rave with David Lynch." Founded by Grammy-nominated producer/mixer multi-instrumentalist Sean Beavan (Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson, No Doubt, A Perfect Circle) and his multi-talented wife, Juliette Beavan, 8mm (pron. "eight millimeter"), were one of the first bands to embrace DIY and strategic licensing. They quickly became championed by luminaries such as Nic Harcourt, Geoff Boucher, Kevin Bronson, Jason Pettigrew and Antiquiet. One of the most licensed bands in the industry ("Underworld: Awakening", "Dirty Little Liars", "Mistresses", "Grey's Anatomy", "Nip Tuck", "Nikita", "One Tree Hill", "Shark", "Cold Case", "Moonlight", "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" etc.), their powerful live performances and intriguing videos have earned them an ever-increasing hardcore following. Together, 8MM, have licensed 80% of their catalog to film and television including: I, Frankenstein, The Flash, Grey's Anatomy, Mr. & Mrs. Smith Soundtrack, Kings, You're The Worst, Being Human, One Tree Hill, Lost Girl, Underworld:Awakening Soundtrack, Pretty Little Liars, and so many more. As a music composition team, Juliette Beavan and Sean Beavan, credits include: JUNE - horror, feature DEATH VALLEY - thriller, feature Lion's Den - thriller, short The Cleansing Hour - horror, short SIX - horror, short Don't Kill It - horror, feature It Girl - documentary, feature and the list continues... We want to hear from you! Please email Tera@BringinitBackwards.com www.BringinitBackwards.com www.americansongwriter.com/american-songwriter-podcast-network/bringin-it-backwards-podcast/ --- 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/

We had the opportunity to interview @gladesmusic at the @hardrocksd all the way from Australia! Current Spotify GLADES song Plays: Do Right at 73.6 million Off Limits at 7.1 million Drive at 42.6 million Nervous Energy at 5.4 million Bio from Spotify: "Sydney based alternative-pop trio GLADES combines atmospheric synthscapes, reverb-laden guitars, with complex electronic pop beats. Multi-instrumentalists Cameron Robertson and Joseph Wenceslao formed their musical bond writing and producing artists from home, later adding vocalist, Karina Wykes to form Glades. The trio met during their high school years. GLADES write and produce their music internally as a unit. They now work closely with their management team 'Saiko Management' who were responsible for the breakout success of Lorde. Their second single, 'Drive' released on January 26, 2016, secured a 'Pigeons and Planes' blog premiere and quickly gained momentum online. With the help of actor & tastemaker Chloe Grace Mortez, the song peaked at #4 on Hype Machine's Popular charts. 'Drive' also has great success on Spotify, with over 30 million streams to date (with no label support). Drive peaked at #16 on Global Viral charts, #10 on the US Viral charts, and #4 on the Australian Viral charts. GLADES have also gained strong hometown radio play on Triple J, with their single 'Speechless' securing high rotation. Their debut EP titled 'This is What It's Like' was released on October 21, 2016, which saw a music video premiere with Nylon Magazine and a single release with V Magazine." Band Members: Karina Wykes, Cam Robertson & Joey Wenceslao We want to hear from you! Please email Tera@BringinitBackwards.com www.BringinitBackwards.com www.americansongwriter.com/american-songwriter-podcast-network/bringin-it-backwards-podcast/ #hardrock #hardrockhotel #hardrocksandiego #podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #glades #gladesmusic ##australia --- 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/

We had the opportunity to interview J.I. the Prince of N.Y.! J.I. is an 18-year-old rapper from Brooklyn who should most definitely be on your radar. Known for his melodic flow, infectious charisma, and powerfully honest lyrics, J.I. has drawn a devoted fanbase that includes over 1 million followers on Instagram. Last year he earned buzz with Hood Life Krisis Vol. 1 — a seven-track project featuring his soulful but hard-hitting single "Need Me" (now at over 11 million streams on Spotify). He later shared the video for "Love Won't Change" and his follow up mixtape, Hood Life Krisis Vol. 2. You may recognize J.I. as a former contestant on The Rap Game – four years later, he's signed to Interscope and is racking up millions of views on each video he posts. Known for his effortless freestyles and his hilarious personality (check out his Genius interview, which went viral on twitter), and being extremely driven, has a lot going for him. He also recently did a freestyle for XXL – check it out! Born to a family of Puerto Rican descent, J.I got his start freestyling at the age of 11. Within a few years he began posting his freestyles on Instagram, and soon caught the attention of legendary rapper/producer/executive Jermaine Dupri. Naming iconic artists like Tupac Shakur, Big Pun., and DMX among his influences, he dropped his debut single "No Static" in 2016. By the end of that year, the then-15-year-old had garnered more than 500,000 views on his YouTube channel, which now boasts over 81.9 million views and 459K subscribers. We want to hear from you! Please email Tera@BringinitBackwards.com www.BringinitBackwards.com www.americansongwriter.com/american-songwriter-podcast-network/bringin-it-backwards-podcast/ --- 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/

We had the opportunity to interview Johnny 3 Tears of Hollywood Undead! "California's own Hollywood Undead will be releasing their much-anticipated sixth full-length studio album, New Empire, Vol. 1, on Friday, February 14 via Dove & Grenade Media/BMG. Produced by Matt Good (Sleeping With Sirens, Asking Alexandria), the record is comprised of nine high-energy tracks that showcase the band embracing a heavier, hard-rock sound with this effort. You may also recognize guest vocals from Kellin Quinn (Sleeping With Sirens) on "Upside Down," and Good Charlotte's Benji Madden on "Second Chances." In other exciting news, Hollywood Undead recently crossed 1 billion total global streams across their catalog." https://www.hollywoodundead.com/ https://www.bringinitbackwards.com/ Hello@BringinitBackwards.com Credits: Theme Song: Scott Russo & Design: Oscar Rodriguez & Photo Credit: Darren Craig American Songwriter Podcast Network: https://americansongwriter.com/american-songwriter-podcast-network/bringin-it-backwards-podcast/ --- 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/

We had the opportunity to interview Andrew McMahon at the Music Box with co-host Sean Ulbs of The Eiffels! Andrew talks about how he grew up, got into music, his music career progression, cancer, and gorilla marketing! "The Dear Jack Foundation provides impactful programming that directly benefits adolescents and young adults diagnosed with cancer in order to improve quality of life and create positive health outcomes from treatment to survivorship for patients and their families." https://www.andrewmcmahon.com/ https://www.dearjackfoundation.org/ Please email Tera@BringinitBackwards.com www.BringinitBackwards.com www.americansongwriter.com/american-songwriter-podcast-network/bringin-it-backwards-podcast/ CREDITS: Theme Song: Scott Russo Design: Oscar Rodriguez --- 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/