Bob Dylan: Getty Images Bob Dylan is often called the greatest songwriter in history. Whether or not that is an evaluation that can be made,
Denny Doherty, Mama Cass Elliott, Michelle Phillips and John Phillips Photograph: RB/Redferns The Mamas & the Papas were a defining voice, or set of voices,
Photo at Murmrr by Emilio Herce The Murmrr Theater seats about 700, but Sarah Beth Tomberlin (known by the mononym Tomberlin) and her band stand
In a world where we are prone to be more disconnected from the music we consume than ever…
British rock is not going anywhere but up, and The Sherlocks are here to show you why. With anthemic alt-rock choruses, they are a festival
Belters Only, whose name needs no explanation, is made up of Bissett and RobbieG. They stem from the same club in Dublin, and both have been in the house music scene for over a decade.
Loose Buttons released their debut album, Something Better, right before COVID-19. With the world unraveling, the band used lockdown to learn and grow.
Action Bronson. A rapper, writer, chef, and television presenter. He chats with us his paintings, his past, and his album, Only For Dolphins.
The world can be full of so much pain and suffering that we can’t control. Maybe music can be a cure. That’s what hip-hop orchestra Ensemble Mik Nawooj aims to do: alleviate suffering with music.
Beginning a new band is no easy feat under normal circumstances, let alone starting one mere months before being thrown into a global pandemic. This
While he works on his debut album, FRONTRUNNER spoke with Yuno about his latest single, “January’s Somebody”, self-production, how he took music from his bedroom to the stage, and more.
Whilst beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, Vincent Van Gogh himself described his piece The Night Café as his ugliest painting ever.
Originally from the quaint village of Silverdale in the North of England, the duo Aquilo stumbled upon fame after years of playing in rivalling rock bands. With the release of their debut single, “Calling Me”, people started to really listen.
From their student house in Brighton to some of the UK’s biggest stages, including the likes of Glastonbury and Reading & Leeds, The Magic Gang
This interview, much like Zein’s music, brims with a humble energy that comes hand in hand with being true to oneself. Zein Gowie is a
Nobody likes fickle friends who are temperamental and inconstant, but it’s a different story when it comes to euphoric indie-pop band Fickle Friends. There’s nothing fickle
If you can’t make up your mind on whether to listen to Nancy Sinatra or Nirvana: lovechild Black Honey demands to be heard. With their retro film-inspired aesthetic, the British quartet transports you to the movie set of their world.
Nubya Garcia is an internationally renowned saxophonist, composer and bandleader. She speaks to FRONTRUNNER about her latest album, Source, the discipline it takes to honour your talent, and appreciating your “bubbles of goodness.”
Scotland boasts having one of the best music scenes in the world, and has been home to countless great rock bands like Franz Ferdinand and
Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Michl has a reflective sound that you can’t help but soak in. With every listen, you stumble on a beautiful lyric that you can’t believe you missed.
London-based singer Sinéad Harnett is an R&B gem that everyone should discover. For our Spring 2020 Cover Feature: Harnett speaks to FRONTRUNNER.
Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter Kathleen gives poetry a heartbeat. Her sophomore EP Kathleen II pulls you in with folk guitar chords and melancholy melodies.
A little bit rock, a little bit indie, lots and lots of smashed expectations. Sixteen years, five albums and countless successes later, California-based band Delta Spirit charges forward.
London-based singer Raissa talks about her latest EP HEROGIRL, inclusivity, and the importance of traveling in building her process.
When trying to find the words to describe Terra Lightfoot, the best word I can think of is “badass”. In a world where we don’t
Do you ever feel like life is a movie and we’re all just trying to find the perfect song for the important moments? Khai Dreams’
British singer/songwriter Samm Henshaw has one of those rich voices that reminds you of dessert.
We were introduced to Tayla Parx in the film Hairspray (2007), when “Little Inez Stubbs” sang and danced her way into our hearts. The Dallas singer is now all grown up.
Sometimes the softest, quietest of dreams can transform into the most promising realities. And in an age where success is often measured by relentless comparison
Scottish musician and performer, Peter Cat debuts his LP, ‘The Saccharine Underground’ on the 6th of November. FRONTRUNNER was kindly given a listen of the
Lucky Chops is a band full of badass brass players, who rose to international fame as they were captured busking on the New York City Subway.
Meet the Juno Award-winning pop group Dizzy, featuring lead singer Kate Munshaw and trio Alex, Mackenzie and Charlie Spencer.
An exclusive interview with London Philharmonic Orchestra guest conductor and classical music trailblazer Karina Canellakis.
Alexander Giannascoli is better known by his stage name, Alex G. His music is often characterized as indie rock with a lo-fi or “bedroom pop”
Once in a while, an artist arrives who may not realize their own skill and insight. 19-year-old singer/songwriter/poet Arlo Parks is one of those artists.
Kojey Radical’s art is craftily contagious. The British Ghanian rapper, artist, dancer and director shares his trials and successes with FRONTRUNNER.
Jehnny Beth is a musician, singer-songwriter and actress. She’s half of the French lo-fi duo John & Jehn and frontwoman for the English rock band, Savages.
FRONTRUNNER goes running with Norwegian singer-songwriter Sondre Lerche, where he describes the unexpected pleasures of bootleg albums and ambient music.
Rap is two things: a fire beat and an MC with something to say. Rap veteran Cormega brings that simplicity back, using intricate rhymes to do it.
FRONTRUNNER meets guitarist/producer/vocalist Matt Sweeney, who has collaborated with the likes of Johnny Cash, Neil Diamond, Will Oldham and Iggy Pop.
¿Téo? is a Colombiano music artist associated with his brother Moises Arias and Jaden Smith via their clothing brand/creative collective, MSFTS Republic.
Ansley Simpson is a member of the Aldverville First Nations. The Toronto based Anishinaabe singer-songwriter is known for her lilting vocal performances.
Shawnee is a two-spirit Mohawk singer-songwriter that uses her soulful music as medicine and to inspire social change.
Orange County based-rapper Elijah Bank$y drips with soulful beats and clever similes. His album 50*40*90 blasts a New York vibe with music visuals to match.
Christina Schneider, in her world of brilliantly disruptive fringe-pop music, has taken on a handful of monikers. Now, she is known as Locate S,1.
Elisabeth Corrin Maurus, known as LISSIE, is a musician with authentic and genuine talent. Type “Lissie” into YouTube and you will likely be equally moved by her solo performances of her songs with acoustic guitar and vocals as those with her full band in a studio.
New York virtuoso Spencer. is living, breathing, beat-making proof that achieving your dreams starts with the ability and willingness to take risks.
Dustin O’Halloran is an accomplished composer with a scoring discography featured in films such as The Hate U Give, Lion, Marie Antoinette, and more.
“The more you do something, the more freedom you feel to go outside the lines,” says Hop Along’s Frances Quinlan.
In the words of producer and member Jonathan Stewart, “Great folk stories… are the ones that come from a real place, for better or worse.”
Barbados has blessed us with a lot. Flying fish, Rihanna, beautiful beaches, and (on my personal list), Haleek Maul. Born in Brooklyn but raised in Barbados, Haleek is introducing the world to his trap-infused sound that has a Barbados twist and twang.
It’s easy to make sense of the fact that Madison McFerrin seems so comfortable on stage–she comes from a family full of performers. There are a lot of things about her that could hook you the first time you see her onstage.
Joe Champion, lead singer of Uh Oh, asks, “In such a gross and weird world, what can we do to make each other feel less alone when it’s natural to drift apart?”
Nilüfer Yanya released her genre-bending debut LP Miss Universe in late March 2019, and the month prior she set out for a whole year’s worth
“I use singing in different languages as a raw representation of my roots. It’s who I am. My background isn’t linear,” says Miami-born singer-songwriter Naïka.
Throughout a long series of pinch-me moments, Sports Team has remained true to their uni-band roots. Night after night, they’re doing the impossible: filling arenas and stadiums with the energy of a tightly packed frat party.
BENEE’s quirkily titled STELLA & STEVE EP beams with dreamy grooves that complement the more sugary sweet pop of FIRE ON MARZZ.
“Everything natural moves and changes and grows and develops,” says Galvin. “So why shouldn’t songs?”
“There’s so many faces to Blackness. There’s so many different colors to Blackness. The message is straightforward: you need to know your worth.”
A Stolen Jars song is a delightful thing to swim in: an indie pop sound so thoroughly arranged it engulfs you.
“I can’t be expected to be just one thing. There’s so many parts of me.”
AJ Haynes is the lead singer and songwriter for the Louisiana-based band Seratones, whose first album is an infusion of Southern blues rock and punk.
“Pop music has always been this animal that I can’t wrap my head around… if it’s done right, it’s the essence of music.” – Lennon Kloser, a.k.a Kid Bloom
Rising rock star Ian Ferguson’s tunes blend Southern sounds with rock and roll. His latest album, State of Gold, melts harmonies with a nostalgic Nashville vibe.
I had read that duendita believed God was within, and that a prayer between her and God could be the same as a conversation between her and a loved one. As I watched the man with the locs sway to the music, I thought that perhaps this is what duendita’s music is about.
MoMA PS1’s Warm Up is an annual summer music festival that lifts up the voices of innovative and underrepresented artists. One of the many artists who took the stage–or, dare we say, owned the stage–this year was Channel Tres.
Swedish singer-songwriter KLARA finds strength in simplicity with her music; it is intentionally sparse and envelops the listener in a sighing, meditative mood. Even her visual accompaniments match this bare aesthetic.
“Our focus was on writing songs and enjoying the process while making sure we were challenging ourselves to grow as songwriters. We had to shed the skin of the first record and understand the new mental and emotional state we were in,” says Brooklyn-based Plastic Picnic.
Low Tide splashes with a West Coast funk and embodies the energy of a summer dance party.
Wolfelt is the electronic project of Quenton Clarke. When he isn’t writing and performing original songs, Clarke works as a music therapist for a hospice company in Maryland.
It was hard to imagine that the creation of the first two instalments in a triptych of records by Erland Cooper, which so perfectly captures the essence of the Orkney Islands’ (Scotland) wildlife, was created in a bustling environment such as London’s East End.
FRONTRUNNER speaks with Tyler Ramsey about his new album and the important relationship between quiet and creativity. He also told us about his favorite guitars, the satisfying flexibility of solo touring, and his friendship with Carl Broemel of My Morning Jacket.
The cello is the most like the human voice, in range (from bass to soprano), the rich timbres–and it feels like you’re dancing with it when you play it. Meet the Portland Cello Project.
While some artists are pushing social norms, LA-based rapper and producer Vritra is ramming them with chill monotonic rhymes pillared by unconventional beats.
Musically, Erin Rae’s new album subtly blends Country elements with those of Indie rock and folk, and skilfully parallels warm evenings, sunsets, and June-bugs of her lyrics.
For his latest LP Carnival: The Sound of a People, Etienne Charles goes to the direct source of his sound to explore the invigorating sounds
When you listen to Barrie you may feel like you’re slow dancing at a lightly-lit dance in a Stranger Things episode. Or perhaps roaming the
When people get up, move and dance around at our shows, I feel like the name Ritual Talk really springs to life.
Caroline told us about her songwriting inspirations and gushed about her beloved pet cat. What kinds of things were you grappling with while writing
Ahead of a sold out show at Music Hall of Williamsburg on March 1, Kerry gave us some insight into what makes the band tick:
Beechwood members Gordon Lawrence, Sid Simons, and Eric Carney seem to exude the raw downtown energy that old-school New Yorkers claim died decades ago.
When New York’s Miles Francis released his first solo EP, Swimmers, in February of this year, he had already played the drums in several noteworthy ensembles. In addition to being a former member of Afrobeat group Antibalas, he has also toured with Arcade Fire’s Will Butler and performed on stage with Angelique Kidjo, Amber Mark, Sharon Jones, and more.
The narrative sets the tone for a new adventure that the band will undertake during the course of LP3’s release.
We have always loved trying to pull from as many different sounds that we like in the hopes of always making something that feels fresh to us
Women Dancing Immortal was written almost unedited in one sitting, but that’s rare for me. Usually it’s work, and usually there’s a bunch of garbage attached to the stuff I need, and I have to write the garbage first to get to it.
When you listen to the music of The Little Miss, it can feel like you’ve entered a time warp to a “simpler” time.
A natural muse, Allie has a breezy West Coast energy and a cool combination of fortitude and fragility that leaves you wanting more.
Their long-awaited full-length album 6666 comes out on October 12, and this summer they have released three singles from the album, most recently the dynamic and hilarious “Dork Court.”
I think King of Crown City definitely shows my love for vintage styles like funk, soul, R&B and jazz. I grew up listening to everything under the sun.
Yeah! I can write a song about anything, and it kind of depends on the mood you’re in and the people you’re around.
“The Notes/Arrived,” which will close the album, starts abruptly with jazzy violin-plucking and then transforms into wistful, intimate piano that builds among cymbals and brass to a grandiose, ceremonious ending.
The name “TIN” couldn’t have been more perfect when I realized it actually meant one thing in English and another in Vietnamese. It mirrors the duality of my identity by being both Vietnamese and American.
You can only get better by doing, and your peers can be your best motivators. Also, inspiration comes much more easily when you’re creating with other people. Be generous with your time, and look for ways to contribute to the creative community.
All of the sonic possibilities of the guitar opened up to me, and I began looking for different ways I could play multiple parts on the guitar at once.
I kind of stumbled on the name RESONANCE from its double meaning: sonically it’s a characteristic in music, as well as harkening back to places and emotions felt about something.
The world is a wonderful, joyous, inspiring, brutal, unfair, damaged, beautiful place. It’s replete with unending hope and never-ending suffering.
J Bengoy’s music is the kind of sunshine that makes you a little tired. It’s a solo ice-cream outing because you just need to leave the house.
Brooklyn musician Juliet Quick’s poetic storytelling has always found a cozy home among textured string instruments, ever since her first releases two years ago under the name Juliet K.
San Francisco musical collective Sis was born out of the artistic restlessness of singer and composer Jenny Gillespie Mason, a self-proclaimed “former folkie” who decided she wanted to record new music on a OP-1 synth.
It’s unfortunate to feel so deeply sometimes, but it’s worth it when I can write about it and learn more about myself for the greater good.
I truly believe that a band should have a driver; someone has to be at the helm establishing an aesthetic.
With a musical presence that captivates, the lyrics and musicality of pianist and singer Natti Vogel are unique, unmatchably creative and stylistically comedic. His music
Frances Rose represents feminism, non-conformist identity, brutal honesty, and most important: love.
Well all those songs came out of so much frustration and anger I was feeling at the time towards many systems that we live with today. We have an education systems that pressures very young kids (and their parents) to go to the “best schools” then charge $200k+ to attend with basically negative guarantees of opportunities when you finish…
I typically have a melody in mind when crafting my lyrics, as the message is more impactful if both the words and music come from a deep, personal place.
Painstaking, but rewarding. Charles Sekel interviewed on the music of First Blush.
Living in Kansas was a hinderance at first, but being so separated from what I thought
was the “place to be” in music pushed me to meet some people outside my sphere and get out
of my comfort zone. The dynamic is so much different when you’re collaborating in person
versus online. In person, picking up someone’s style, vibe, charisma, etc. is almost
instantaneous.
My favorite thing is when you write a song and you don’t realize what it’s about yet and then in hindsight you realize you were processing something you were going through at the time.
The real magic comes out when we finally have a chance to sit down and knock out the recording.
JD King is many things. He’s a multi-instrumentalist (he taught himself how to play the bass, saxophone, and flute at a young age), a photographer, producer, a sartorial vision from another era.
Most of my lyrics come from dreams and memories. For the EP, I went on a journey into the depths of my soul, pulled out pieces, and arranged them into these lyrical stories. Sometimes lyrics come first, sometimes music.
Indie-pop quartet Sure Sure makes music out of their home in Los Angeles, where their bedrooms regularly double as their studio. When inspiration kicks in, as was the case with their song Koreatown, they flesh it out on the spot, hitting us with hit after hit in a seemingly effortless progression.
I’ve never considered myself a singer to be honest, but lately I’m coming to terms with the fact that I am a singer and not just a music producer.
There are such extremes of living here and there are always new resources popping up and mediums and venues that keep you working. There is such an immediacy to this city.
they possess a sprightly vibe, yet it’s unmistakably and curiously entangled with a hardcore, no-bullshit fervor.
The lyrics tend to start with something I’ve experienced, recently or a while ago, but there’s usually a healthy amount of abstraction thrown in.
Porches is Aaron Maine, a New York City transplant by way of Westchester. The songwriter lives with his musician girlfriend, Greta Kline (aka Frankie Cosmos), and each contributes to the other’s musical projects.
It’s a festival run without capitalistic motives, a welcome change in the bloated festival landscape and one of the reasons it’s been nicknamed “the anti-festival.”
..dozens of pink two-liter water bottles hung above turntables on a raised stage. They bobbed and swayed throughout the day, hovering like an aquatic crown to the talented DJs and producers that helmed the decks..
It’s profound. It’s witty. It’s silly. It’s all of the above. The B Boys—Andrew Kerr, Brendon Avalos, and Britton Walker — are self-described jokesters, but they take their music pretty seriously.
This is the third or fourth iteration. You watch an old music video now and literally I’m the only person in it that’s still in the band. On a personal level it’s kind of strange, but people are listening to the music..
This is what I wanna do. This is what I want to pursue. This is what I want to perfect. It took a lot of steps, a lot of setbacks, a lot of growing, and a lot practice to get where I’m at. And I’m still trying to get better.
I had this really inspiring night here in the studio and basically wrote seven songs in an hour and a half, but it took me two years to extract them and rewrite them and perfect them and put them into album form.
It’s not like there’s a billion fans that are into what we’re doing. It’s not that kind of thing. It just felt right to do. The climate definitely felt right as far as getting back out there
What is this feeling inside of me that I want to share, to explore, and to work on? For me it was about, after working in advertising for a number of years, how do people buy into bullshit?
Sometimes it happens right in the room, right in the moment. Sometimes the final product sounds nothing like where the first idea started.
It definitely feels like this really positive, collaborative experience where we’re all on the same page.
We’re coming from a punk background but we don’t want to limit ourselves in any ways. We’ve learned to express ourselves in a certain way, but we want to broaden the palate infinitely.
I wouldn’t say it’s a departure, but it’s definitely an evolution. Because of all these influences, all these different styles that I’ve played and listened to, my songbook reflects that in every way.
There’s this human quality, when you work with a specific group of people, you’re setting this album in a place and a time.
There’s a lot of consecutive, consistent tracking, trying to create an energy. There’s more instrumentation.
There’s a lot of people making good music. I think you’ve gotta be a good live band too. You’ve gotta go play live shows and win people over.
It’s definitely engaged us with people that we didn’t expect to actually ever listen to our music. It’s been interesting what that’s created.
I started pretty quickly learning about how the internet music industry stuff works and getting sad…I do miss the time when I knew nothing, because it was much more enjoyable.
Songwriting is less of a practice for me and more of a condition. It’s just something that I have to do. Sometimes it just stops me in my tracks and makes me sit down.
When I have a vision for something or an idea, I start to see all aspects of it: what it should look like, sound like, feel like, etc. It’s hard for me to isolate one art form from another.
DJ Dhundee is a talented DJ. He wears many hats: an educator, podcast producer, promoter, and Creative Director.
Brendan Jay Sullivan is a music producer, writer, and DJ known to his club going followers as DJ VH1. Lady Gaga and Lady Starlight were Sullivan’s go-go dancers for two years, before they began incorporating Gaga’s music into their dance-rock show.
Wisconsin born poet and songwriter, brings his own flavor of Roots, Folk, and Country that defies genres. This man can deliver a song and turn a memorable phrase.
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