NOCON are an art-punk duo brought to you by Jamie Timony (These New South Whales + I OH YOU-signed Mossy) and Jake O’Brien. Their self-described “no-punk” project takes its name from an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm in which Jerry Seinfeld refers to Larry David as a “nocon”—the opposite of an icon.
Today they’ve revealed debut single ‘AGAG’ (short for ‘Any Goal’s a Gaol)’, a skuzzy punk number inspired by the likes of Death Grips and The Garden. On their inspiration behind the track, Timony explains “AGAG speaks to the idea of striving towards goals and questioning the value of things we regard as important.”
Listen to ‘AGAG’ on Spotify, Apple Music, Bandcamp, Soundcloud or triple j Unearthed now.
“the track kicks off with a disjoined and distorted slink – a drawn-out guitar mewl and simple drum machine snap that breaks out into a meaty and gritty sonic churn. Distorted YouTube samples and staunch vocals from the pair are added into the mix, creating a caustic blend of sound – as if disparate parts are rubbed together in order to get the friction scrape on tape. Packing in at just over two minutes, it’s an impressive debut that perfectly encapsulates the duo’s knack for crafting engaging and purposefully unpolished noise.” – Weirdo Wasteland said in their premiere of the track.
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Metalcore band The Ghost Inside will release their fifth studio album on June 5 via Epitaph Records. The self-titled album arrives as the follow-up to the band’s 2014 release Dear Youth, which debuted #63 on the Billboard 2000, and will be the first release since their tragic bus accident in 2015. The road to recovery has been extensive both mentally and physically but all things considered, they’ve shown a positive and inspiring attitude through the entire process of recovery. They will not stop fighting to do what they love and are excited to return.
Today, the band shares the first single off the forthcoming record “Aftermath.” According to bassist Jim Riley, “We went into the writing process knowing full well that every song and every lyric would be influenced by what we’ve been through, but we tried our best for them to be relatable to everyone. With Aftermath we let it be much more personal – this one is us telling OUR story. So when it was time to choose a first song to share with the world, it felt right for it to be Aftermath. It allows anyone that listens into our world, but it also lets us put final punctuation on that chapter of our lives. Aftermath is a total catharsis for us. We let it all out in the song so that it’s not bottled up inside us anymore and we can heal and move on, since after all, the beat goes on.”
Created with producer Will Putney (Every Time I Die, The Amity Affliction, Knocked Loose) and longtime friend/collaborator Jeremy McKinnon of A Day To Remember, The Ghost Inside is 11 songs of determination, deep resolve, reflection, and newfound hope.
The band had worked on material for their fifth album prior to the accident that claimed the lives of their driver, the lives of everyone in the other vehicle, and resulted in multiple injuries for all of the band members. Jonathan Vigil (vocals) suffered from a fractured back, ligament damage, and two broken ankles. Zach Johnson (guitar) has since had 13 surgeries for a femur injury. Andrew Tkaczyk (drums) ultimately lost his leg. The band collectively came to see the ordeal as a moment to put their inspirational lyrics to the test. Songs that were once more philosophical in origin had become autobiographical.
The accident will always be a defining moment for The Ghost Inside, but never what defines them. The album taps into the raw emotional things they’ve been through, but the songs are not about reliving the worst day of their lives. “This isn’t about what happened to us,” Riley insists. “We won’t get lost in that one day. This is about our journey, our growth, and who we are.”
The ultimate victory for The Ghost Inside is their triumphant new self-titled album.
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Where are you currently based?
Beautiful Brisbane.
How did you first start playing music?
I got a guitar when I was 16 and worked my way through a Cat Stevens song book. Then started writing my own stuff.
How are you getting through Iso?
Haha it’s a bit loose at our place. I have a day job where I normally work from home, but now I also have a 5-year-old doing home learning and a husband who is trying to teach from home too. It is definately not what I thought the year would look like, but we are lucky to live in a lovely place, with lovely neighbours.
Your new album ‘Hiatus’ is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting?
‘Hiatus’ is a collection of songs that have been written over a few years. We spent a few months travelling, particularly in Italy and Bali, and most of the songs were started then. I’m a bit of a people watcher so I love telling those stories. And having a baby definitely influenced a couple. We have incorporated sound worlds from artists we love like James Vincent McMorrow, Iron and Wine, Bon Iver, Sufjan Stevens, Lisa Hannigan, Glen Hansard and Angus and Julia Stone.
How did you go about writing the music for Hiatus?
I really enjoy the craft of songwriting. I love telling stories that connect with people and make them think. The song ‘Our Lady of the Highway’ is a reflection of seeing highway prostitution in Italy and diving into news articles about who these women are. It ended up being two stories: hers, where she is doing what she needs to but won’t let it define her, and mine: we become what we drive past; we shouldn’t.
The song “This is forever” is a personal one. It tells the love story of a cousin and his widow. It’s about grief and love and good times and the worst of times. I was pretty happy with it but Pennay kept saying very annoying things like: “It’s great, I just don’t think it has a chorus.” After collecting my ego from the floor I wrote what I think is the best chorus I’ve written, so I guess he was right.
I wrote “Little eyelashes” as a lullaby for my son. It tries to capture what I hope for him. Thankfully he likes it.
It is amazing how songs written in a totally different context seem very relevant right now. “So, where does that leave me” is about the end of something significant. “This is not free” is a statement on how undervalued the arts are and what a bleak world we would live in without artists. I think that is particularly relevant now as the creative industries are in free-fall. “Heading home” and “Juniper trees” are about finding peace being at home.
A number of the songs were either finished or started while I was doing an online songwriting challenge with the I Heart Songwriting club. Having a weekly assignment really helped me keep the creative thoughts flowing.
Where and when did you record/produce and who with?
The only song we didn’t record at home was “Someday”, which was recorded as part of QUT’s Indie100 project with the wonderful producer Paul Pilsneniks.
All the rest was performed, engineered, produced, mixed and (in most cases) mastered by my husband/producer Andrew Pennay and I in our home studio.
How did you approach the recording sessions?
We approached recording this album differently to anything else we have done. I write on guitar. We would record the guitar and vocals as a guide to get the song structure, then essentially get rid of the guitar and build the song from scratch. There was a lot of trail and error to find the right sound for each song. We just focused on how we wanted each song to sound so that it captured the intent of the lyrics. We included elements from our travels like a (very effected) Balinese Gamelan recorded on a walk in rural Bali in “Heading home” or a car on gravel at the start of “Our Lady of the Highway”.
Most nights we put put the small person to bed and then head into our home studio and try different instruments and sounds. Most of the songs sound very different to when they were written.
What programs/instruments did you use?
We recorded it all at home so used ProTools and lots of plugins. Everything is just the two of us: all the instruments, production, engineering, videos. There are very few real drums on the album, mostly due to necessity rather than intention. I always thought we’d get real drums in the end, but we really liked the mix of electronic drums with organic snare, toms, home-made percussion. There’s a ring on a wine glass on one song. A honey jar filled with the right mix of rice and baking paper.
Pennay is a keyboard player so this album has a lot more keyboards, organs, synths etc. than our previous work. Often I would go to bed and Pennay would work into the night. When I’d listen to what he had done in the morning sometimes he’d put a string quartet on something, or a double drum kit! One morning he had added an analogue synth to the song “So, where does that leave me” and it blew me away. I loved the rawness it brought to the track and I can’t imagine the song without it now.
Towards the final stages of mixing we called in the big guns in a few music friends to get their advice on a few of the tracks, but no one had heard the entire album when it was released.
What did you find most challenging whilst creating Hiatus?
We recorded the whole album in the evenings after the small human went to bed, so the most challenging thing was probably finding time, energy and persistence to get it done. It took a year-and-a-half in the end.
You have a live show on May 8 at 8pm via the Live on Mars Facebook Page, how will you prepare for this show and what can we expect?
Firstly, we are watching a few livestream shows and talking to people who have done them to figure out the best sound. At this stage it will probably be a striped down version of a few songs. We can’t do full band with the two of us anyway, so it will be fun to reinterpret or pair back so tracks. The dog will also probably bark in the middle of it.
What do you like doing away from music?
Hanging out with my small human and dog. At the moment we are doing a lot of wandering around the neighbourhood, bush walking, putting on unrehearsed and unscripted shows in the lounge room and reading. I also really like good TV, so I have been watching way too much lately!
Who are you listening to at the moment?
I’m watching a few great livestream concerts where the artists are either getting paid directly or raising money for great charities. Glen Hansard did a gorgeous solo show from his home to celebrate his 50th birthday.
Other than that, I’m really enjoying the new Laura Marling album, Thelma Plum, new Bon Iver and Calexico & Iron and Wine. Holy Holy, pretty much anything that Sarah Aarons has written, Grand Salvo, Darren Hanlon, Gillian Welch, Jason Isbell, Sufjan Stevens, Taylor, and the Teeny Tiny Stevies are all pretty much on high rotation in our house.
Your Bad Guy cover is out now, please tell us the story behind the track:
We love covering songs in unexpected ways. Pennay came up with a version of Bad Guy in a major key and we rolled with it. We wanted to do something fun using a mix of the instruments we used on ‘Hiatus’ so it’s a mix of folk and electro sounds. We call it folktronica. All instruments are by him, apart from my vocals. He has also made it into a game (on our website) where you can mix your own version and make it as folky or electro as you want.
How did the concept for the video come about and who did you work with during the filming/editing?
It was really Pennay’s idea. We just had to work with what we had available to us. We made the video at home on the first Saturday night we went into covid lock-down. We had one camera, a black background, a fan, a spinning chair and that was about it. I edited it (from the same room) the next day and we uploaded it that night. It’s meant to be fun. We didn’t want to overthink it.
What’s planned for 2020?
I guess we will see? If 2020 has taught me anything, it’s that we need to expect the unexpected!
I will be promoting ‘Hiatus’ as much as possible. Connecting with friends and family online. Hopefully doing good work in my day job (raising money and sharing stories of those much less fortunate than us). Writing. Growing veggies. Spending time with my family.
Favourite food and place to hangout?
Most weekends (in normal times) you can find us loitering around the West End or Northey Street Markets in Brisbane. At the moment, we are enjoying loitering outside our house in the afternoon and waiving at the neighbourhood going for their afternoon walk/ride.
“New York funk-soul duo Lion Babe ignite a funky, psychedelic dance party…” – ROLLING STONE
“Jillian Hervey’s strong, soulful vocals shine through, accompanied by the production influence of Lucas Goodman, who plays with genre intersection without falling too deep into the experimental world of alternative R&B. Lion Babe created a feel-good record that is certain to make the listener move.” – ASSOCIATED PRESS
Untitled Group and Oxford Art Factory present Lion Babe’s virtual tour “Around The World, At Home”. The New York based duo who were recently in Australia for New Year’s Eve performing at Beyond The Valley, Wildlands and Origin Fields festivals, will be performing a series of live performances from their studio, with their Australian leg being streamed live from Oxford Art Factory’s Instagram page (@theoxfordartfactory) on May 4th at 7pm AEST.
“Excited to announce our Virtual Tour along with exclusive merch! We started this year in Australia and although we are coming back in different circumstances, we’re thrilled to reconnect and play a show,” explains Lion Babe.
The virtual run is set to include a sneak peek at new music, as well as a virtual meet- and-greet hosted on the same, respective channels one week prior to each performance and will feature an opening performance by Danish, Grammy-nominated artist Kwamie Liv.
The Australian meet and greet will take place at Oxford Art Factory’s instagram page on April 27 at 7pm AEST.
After turning heads with their debut single ‘Treat Me Like Fire’, the duo have gone on to collaborate with the likes of Disclosure, Pharrell and Childish Gambino. The New York duo of Jillian Hervey and Lucas Goodman released their debut LP ‘Begin’ in 2016. Their latest album ‘Cosmic Wind’ released in 2019, offered stand out singles ‘Western World’ which featured hip-hop legend Raekwon, and the disco-infused bop “The Wave” featuring Leikeli47.
For more information, go to lionbabe.com.
“When you walk by someone on the street, do you wonder what their life is like and what they’re thinking? Do you catch yourself making up your own scenarios about who they are? That’s how “Joshua Tree” was conceived. Me perceiving you, and the grass is always greener.” – Jacob Asher
Where are you currently based?
Sydney, Australia.
How did you first start playing music?
I wrote my first song when I was about two, and although it was incoherent, that is the earliest documentation of me dabbling in music! I don’t remember ever making a conscious decision to pursue music. It feels like it was appointed to me and I had no say in the matter!
What have you been working on recently?
I’ve been working on tracks for my project and really fine-tuning my sound. I’ve been remotely collaborating for my project with other artists too, like ANGE and Charlotte Adelle from Sydney, and SKYE from Melbourne who are all my friends, which has been super cool. I’ve also been doing some virtual writing and producing for other people’s projects, which is one of my favourite things to do. It’s always an honour when someone invites me onboard with their art.
Your new single ‘How Come You Don’t Pick Up Your Phone’ is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting for this track?
If I’m writing for my own project I can only ever draw from personal experience, so every song is deeply embedded within events and realisations I’ve lived through. I found myself relying on other people to create a sense of worth (through the experience of desperately waiting to hear back from someone), and I wanted to explore this without straight up saying the conclusion I had come to. So the track is still in that pathetic space where you’re glued to your screen, and any semblance of self awareness hasn’t been achieved just yet! I was listening to heaps of 90s hip hop and R&B at the time, and I didn’t realise it but it was totally bleeding into my production and writing style: real angular, sassy hooks, big synth bass, that boom bap style beat… it all subconsciously ended up there!
How did you go about writing the track?
As the title would suggest, I was waiting for someone to hit me back! But I didn’t end up only writing about one particular experience, rather, I ended up noticing a pattern in the scenarios I was finding myself in. The song started with the hook, so the chorus was done first. I was hearing the chords and beat in my head. I knew I had the chromatic movement in the chords so when it got time to write the verses, I wanted to keep it pretty simple. The chorus explores this desperation I was talking about earlier but in the verses I go into more depth about why I was feeling this way and my own part in my negative feelings. The song was done pretty quickly and it stayed virtually in its original form, minus some production finessing!
Where and when did you record/produce and who with?
The song was written between Sydney and Melbourne, with the chorus popping in my head when I was alone in my hotel room on a writing trip. Once I got home I finished up the verses and produced the track up, a few months later re-doing the vocals and polishing the production. It was about a year ago when I was 17. I wrote and produced the track myself, but got heaps of feedback from friends in the industry.
How did you approach the recording sessions?
Honestly, I wasn’t putting too much pressure on the song, so it was pretty chill! I did them all by myself so I had no expectation to impress – I could mess up as much as I needed to. The rest of the instruments I tracked in my little home studio when I wrote the song or at like 1am when I was finessing the track.
What programs/instruments do you use to create music and record?
I produce on and have pledged my allegiance to Ableton, which is the first DAW I learned. I’ve played piano since I was 8 and picked up guitar at around 12, so those two instruments almost definitely make a cameo in my tracks. As of late I’ve been trying to get better at playing real groovy bass lines, so working on my bass skills is something I’ve been doing heaps. The drum programming is also obviously a super important part of my songs, if that can be referred to as an ‘instrument’ in and of itself!
How did you get into recording/production?
Like I mentioned before, music was always non-negotiable for me, and I always just thought everyone produced their own demos, so I think around the age 15 I decided I’d better start learning. It was kind of just troubleshooting and making track after track for a couple years until I felt decently confident, and now it’s a massive part of what I do!
You’re also working with hiphop singer Nardean, please tell us about this experience so far:
Nardean is a queen. Queen Nardean. We met at KLP’s Ricochet Songs writing camp in Newcastle, although we’re both from Western Sydney and we don’t live too far away from eachother! We’ve done a couple songs together and I’ve produced a couple of hers and it feels like a match made in heaven. Definitely super keen for what we’ve been working on to drop.
What do you like to do away from music?
If I’m honest, music occupies most of my time. But if I’m having some forced downtime, I love cooking vegan stuff and reading self help and non-fiction. In isolation I’ve also taken to doing yoga in the morning and playing dumb online games with my friends over zoom. So I’m loving that!
Who are you listening to at the moment?
I’m still digesting Thundercat’s new album and Mac Miller’s latest albums. They’re two of my favourite artists and I seriously love everything they do. I adore a body of work and so I’m really taking my time with these releases. In terms of local artists, I’ve really been digging 18YOMAN and Vetta Borne at the moment, I think their grooves and subtle complexities are really sick. And I’ve always loved Milan Ring!
What’s planned for 2020?
I definitely think that now is more important than ever to create, and the worst thing we could do right now is to shut ourselves out from new releases and artistic magic. So keeping busy writing and producing, both for my own project and for other artists, and taking the time to really get everything perfect! I’m working on my debut EP at the minute and that’s going to take a lot of heart and soul until it feels intimately right, but I hope you can expect that from me this year!
Favourite food and place to hangout?
My favourite cuisine as of late is Mexican food, literally in any way shape or form. But I also love boujee chocolate and somewhat niche fruits like passionfruit and grapefruit. In terms of places to hang out, I love (and miss) just wandering around the inner suburbs of Sydney, finding cool parks and bars in places like Newtown and Enmore. That’s also where a lot of gigs were! But I also love chilling out in the botanical gardens and around the Rocks, because its super cool and tranquil and also right next to my uni. But right now, my room and home studio are treating me well!
Pre-Save/Pre-Order Album HERE
Tune in to YouTube.com/MichaelFranti
#StayHome #StayHuman #WithMe
Premiered April 23 @ 10am AEST
Global Artist and Activist Set to Join Earth Day Live
Friday April 24 @ 11.30am AEST
and Together We Breathe Hope Virtual Concert
Saturday April 25 @ 10.00am AEST
UBUD, Bali – Kicking-off the announcement of new music with a stunning new music video for lead song “I’m On Your Side” filmed in 48 hours while in quarantine, musician and global artist Michael Franti shares first new music of 2020 along with so many ways to celebrate community while physically distancing.
“There is no better time for music that helps us laugh, cry, rage, soothe, dance and sing through the sea of emotions boiling inside each of us. How beautiful that we can come together today of all days, on Earth Day. While we may be physically distancing, socially I love how we’re coming together,” he shares, announcing his forthcoming 11th studio album, Work Hard And Be Nice, set for release on June 19, 2020 on Thirty Tigers (through Cooking Vinyl Australia) with lead songs – “How We Living” and the propitious “I’m On Your Side” out today along with the pre-order/pre-save. See the music video for “I’m On Your Side,” HERE. Directed by Franti, the video made its debut last night at 11:59 p.m., paying homage to the fan favorite collaboration with Sonna Rele.
“I wrote ‘I’m On Your Side’ to share the message that despite the labels we put on each other to divide us into different groups and force us to choose sides, like political ideologies, gender, race, religion, sexuality and economic standing, we have a lot more in common than we do in difference. We all ‘stay awake at night wondering if we’ll be all right,’ or sit ‘…at the kitchen table counting up the bills to pay.’”
Adding “And in each of those situations where we start to feel hopelessness creeping in, when we feel most alone in the battle, I want the listener to know, I feel it too. I’m there with you in spirit, without judgment, in solidarity and ‘I’m On Your Side.’”
Today Franti also released “How We Living” about taking the time to celebrate the fun side of life. “The inspiration for this song was really the break that all of us need and deserve from the chaos of our daily grind, and in gratitude for all the joy that life brings us despite all the hurt in the world. It’s also a gentle reminder that ‘If you’re looking for the problems in this world, you’re gonna find ‘em, all you’ve gotta do is look out the door. But if you’re looking for that good stuff, it’s already up inside you, all you’ve gotta do is just let it show.’”
The 17-song album, available to pre-save and pre-order now, started off as an idea: That it’s important in this time of division in the world to Work Hard And Be Nice To People.
“Before there was a song and an album by the title, I had a discussion with our band and crew that our mantra on tour was going to be ‘work hard and be nice to people.’ We then made a t-shirt, and it very quickly became our top-seller! It was so popular that I decided to write a song about the concept,” Franti reveals. “Every song on the album is about the power of optimism to get us through our darkest moments and find the light in our loves, lives and for the planet.”
“I collaborated with many different incredible songwriters and it was amazing to hear how all of them understood completely the idea of how important it is for people to have ease of heart in these troubled times,” he continues, “The need for emotions to be able to pass effortlessly as they arise. Music helps with that, and sometimes it brings out feelings we never even knew existed. As I set out making the record, I hoped that it would move people’s hearts and bodies and inspire people to take on the great challenges the world faces today, with courage, love and bold optimism!”
No one could have imagined the world looking like it does today with citizens around the world in self-quarantine, however as we listen to the songs on Work Hard And Be Nice, they speak to how we get through the greatest ups and downs of our lives with our body, mind and soul still in one piece.
“Today, we are being called to connect with the hearts of others to literally bring about the healing of the planet,” Franti reflects. “There is no higher calling, and I hope this music helps people know that they are not alone in the effort. Each person’s role makes a difference, and we will create billions of small victories that all add up…together!”
The award-winning film “Stay Human,” directed by Franti and coined by Woody Harrelson as “the film every human needs to watch right now,” had its YouTube premiere, partnered with Levi’s®, Thursday April 23 10am AEST with a Q&A and acoustic performance with Franti via Instagram immediately following the screening. Watch the trailer HERE. Following the screening, the film will be available for viewing for 24 hours.
In continued celebration of Earth Day and the announcement of Work Hard And Be Nice, Franti will join Earth Day Live (Friday, April 24 at 11:30 a.m. AEST), and will also join Together We Breathe Hope, a free virtual concert benefiting the National Jewish Health COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund (Saturday, April 25 10am EST).
Work Hard And Be Nice Track Listing is as follows:
- I Got You (Michael Franti & Chris Stevens)
- Sun and Moon (Michael Franti & Chris Stevens)
- Good Shit Happens (Michael Franti & Cappy Franti)
- I Can Still Feel You (Michael Franti & Carl Young)
- Start Small Think Big (Michael Franti, Chris Stevens. Brett Warren & Brad Warren)
- How We Living (Michael Franti & Tim Myers)
- Breaking Down The Door (Michael Franti & Tim Myers)
- The Friends Song (Michael Franti & Daniel Lubwama Kigozi)
- Lay It All Down (Michael Franti, Chris Stevens & James Yeary)
- P.S. I Love You (Michael Franti)
- Work Hard And Be Nice (Michael Franti & Jonathan Singleton)
- Is It Worth A Penny To You (Michael Franti & Carl Young)
- Walking Into The Sun (Michael Franti & Carl Young)
- All My Friends (Michael Franti & Tim Myers)
- I’m On Your Side (Michael Franti & Sean McConnell)
- Daycation (Michael Franti & Nathan Chapman)
- Watching The World Go By With You (Michael Franti & Carl Young)
RECORDED IN: Nashville, TN; San Francisco, CA; Los Angeles, CA
MASTERED BY: Chris Gehringer at Sterling Sound; Assisted by Will Quinnell
MIXED BY: Mario Borgatta, Dave Clauss, David Cook of Splash of Soda, Jeff Juliano at The Compound, Tim Myers, & Chris Stevens
PRODUCED BY: Michael Franti, Chris Stevens, Tim Myers, Nathan Chapman, & Sean McConnell
About Michael Franti
Michael Franti is a globally recognized musician, humanitarian, activist, and award-winning filmmaker revered for his high-energy live shows, inspiring music, devotion to health and wellness, worldwide philanthropic efforts and the power of optimism. Throughout his multi-decade career, Franti has earned Billboard No. 1’s with triumphantly hopeful hits “Sound of Sunshine” and “Say Hey (I Love You),” five Top 30 Hot AC singles, eight Top 25 AAA Singles and three Billboard Top 5 Rock Albums. In January 2019, Franti released his self-directed documentary “Stay Human,” which won an array of awards at film festivals worldwide and influenced his writing for his most recent album Stay Human Vol. II (Thirty Tigers), which debuted at No. 1 on both the Americana and Independent Album charts and received critical acclaim from USA Today, Billboard, Associated Press and Paste.
Michael Franti & Spearhead continue to foster their community both on and off stage with a wish granting non-profit, Do It For The Love, founded by Franti and his wife, Sara. Do It For The Love brings those with life threatening illnesses, veterans, and children with severe challenges to concerts worldwide, fulfilling over 3,300 wishes and touching the lives of over 12,000 people to date. Franti also owns SOULSHINE Bali, a 32-room top-rated yoga retreat hotel located in Ubud, Bali. Amidst touring, Michael Franti & Spearhead have been in recording studios in Nashville, Los Angeles, and San Francisco working with A-list writers and producers on their most diverse record yet, Work Hard And Be Nice, set for release June 19, 2020.
For more information, visit MichaelFranti.com or follow on Instagram and Twitter @MichaelFranti and Facebook.com/MichaelFranti.
April 22 2020 (US) – Today, Nahko And Medicine For The People release their new song “Honor The Earth.” In honor of Earth Day, “Honor The Earth” pays tribute to the Great Law Treaty at Lake Onondaga, which led to the creation of the Iroquois Confederacy. Based on principles of peace and formed consensus, “Honor The Earth” is from the band’s forthcoming album, Take Your Power Back, out May 15th on Medicine Tribe Records/SideOneDummy Records (through Cooking Vinyl Australia) and Executive Produced by cut&dry and Dan Fratoni.
Earlier today, Nahko debuted the song live in partnership with the non-profit Honor The Earth, which fights for Indigenous environmental justice and awareness, on the organization’s Instagram. Prior to the performance, Nahko hosted a Reddit AMA to answer fan questions about his new album, his passion for environmentalism and indigenous rights, and more.
Donate to the Honor The Earth foundation here:
http://www.honorearth.org
“I’m incredibly proud of this song, as it’s been with me for many years now. I encourage you all to read about The Great Law of Peace from which I drew inspiration. This is definitely an anthem message for Earth Day! Honor the Earth, the Mother comes first, live in a good way for Her!” – Nahko
Nahko also participated in Earth Day’s 50th anniversary initiative today with a special performance of the song airing in their global Earth Day digital package. Additional participants include global calls to action from Prince Albert, Pope Francis, Andrea Boccelli and more. “In the midst of a global pandemic, Earth Day Live aims to spur collective action to protect our communities and our planet, through performances, conversations, and training sessions curated by climate activists,” the organizers told Rolling Stone.
For more information on the 50th anniversary of Earth Day and this year’s initiative visit Earth Day’s website here: https://www.earthday.org/campaign/digital-earth-day
Take Your Power Back has earned early praise from Billboard and American Songwriter, who called the music “spiritually driven” and “uplifting.”
Nahko recently launched Medicine Tribe Television, an interview series with friends and collaborators airing live on Nahko’s Instagram every Tuesday and Thursday at 3 PM PT/6 PM ET. He has already hosted conversations with Shailene Woodley, Aaron Rodgers, Aubrey Marcus and more. This week’s first guest was Marianne Williamson, who joined Nahko for a discussion about spirituality in the time of Coronavirus. More guests will be announced soon. Tune into Medicine Tribe TV here: https://www.instagram.com/nahkobear
BUY/STREAM “HONOR THE EARTH” HERE
PRE-ORDER ‘TAKE YOUR POWER BACK’ NOW HERE
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As announced via Radio X in the UK this morning, fans who missed out on tickets to DMA’S sold out O2 Academy Brixton, London show on 6 March 2020 will soon be able to watch the concert in full via a stream on the band’s Facebook and YouTube.
This momentous event saw the Sydney band play to a sold-out crowd of nearly 5,000 ecstatic punters at the iconic South London venue – with tickets to the concert selling out in less than 24 hours. Due to the overwhelming support from fans worldwide, the band have decided to share the one-off experience with all who missed out on tickets or want to relive the glory, from the comfort of their own homes. Australian fans can stream the show at 6am AEST or 9pm AEST on Thursday 30 April.
Today, the band have shared another teaser of the online event, with the live version of their fastest streaming single to date, ‘Silver’ filmed live at O2 Academy Brixton.
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“Yibby’s energy and enthusiasm are innate – spitting bars with a confidence beyond his years without so much as breaking a sweat.” – FBi Radio
“Yibby brought it in a big way on Poke. His tone is becoming more and more recognizable in the burgeoning Australian hip-hop community.” – Tommy Faith, triple j Unearthed
After a breakout 12 months of releases, YIBBY returns with his first release for 2020 with laid back in name and nature new single ‘No Sweat’ which premiered on Home & Hosed last night.
Once again the Ethiopian-born, South Sydney-raised rapper has teamed up with dynamic producing duo Clockwork Odyssey to create a funk riddled track full of swirling synths and a bouncing beat, as a bed for YIBBY’s signature animated flow. YIBBY explains the content saying “No Sweat is about not stressing while going through adversity or dealing with things and still celebrating the wins.”
Forever a melting pot of genres, YIBBY’s music always comes accompanied with coming of age tales and food for thought bars. His debut single ‘Woah’ came in late 2018 signalling the start of a rapid fire first year for the now 20-year-old which consisted of the Lost In Translation EP and a hard-hitting team up with fellow up-and-comer Raj Mahal.
Quickly gaining recognition from fans and media, last year he came in at #14 on FBi Radio’s Most Played Artists of 2019. He also left his mark on triple j’s Bars of Steel and FBi Radio’s Independent Play series whilst garnering fans from Sniffers, Tone Deaf, Life Without Andy, Purple Sneakers and more. Single ‘Folk’, pulled from his debut EP, was added to spot rotation on triple j, as well as full adds on triple j Unearthed, FBi Radio, SYN Radio, 4ZZZ and EDGE Radio, and spins on Beats Radio 1.
On the live circuit he’s cut his teeth supporting Winston Surfshirt, Boo Seeka, Drapht, Arno Faraji, Milan Ring and Kuren as well as performing a show-stopping set at Bad Friday Festival.
YIBBY
‘No Sweat’
OUT NOW
“The Sydney hip-hop/RnB singer continues his run of fine form.” – Life Without Andy
“Okkaido has fast tracked himself as a name to watch.” – It’s Hip Hop Music
Infectiously melding hip hop, funk and R&B, Sydney-based crooner Okkaido delivers on his new single ‘No Filter ft. Sunee BOI’.
Driven by a boom-bap beat and flourishing with moments of hip hop, funk, electro and R&B, ‘No Filter’s message is right there in the title. Combating the constant dribble of inexperienced content on social platforms – ever more present in this new world – the track hopes for a more filtered online presence. Okkaido elaborates “I had always had the idea to make a song about social media, making it humorous and shine light on how ridiculous it has become. An expert in the modern age seems to be determined by the following you can acquire rather than the validity of your credentials.”
Engrossed in poetry and armed with writing intricacies, Okkaido debuted less than 12 months ago with single ‘Amanda Who’ which has since amassed almost 250,000 Spotify streams. Then came follow ups ‘Red Whine’ and ‘Flies’ catching the eye of tastemaker Life Without Andy and helping him secure his first support slot opening for Steven.
With a deluge of music planned for release this year there’s no better time to get acquainted with Okkaido.
OKKAIDO
‘No Filter’
OUT NOW
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Image: Mitchell Wojcik
Leg warmers, Frank Iero on the telly, and that feeling of impending doom…
Don’t call it a comeback because rumours of the demise of FRANK IERO AND THE FUTURE VIOLENTS have been greatly exaggerated. The band returns in stealth-like fashion to secretly drop the grand finale of their forays into celluloid activity with their new ‘Medicine Square Garden‘ video under the very smokescreen of 4/20 itself. Being the last video from Iero’s ecstatically received solo record Barriers, ‘Medicine Square Garden’ caps the evolutionary series of movements that began with the ‘Young and Doomed‘ video almost a year ago. This soon morphed into the opulent energy of ‘Great Party‘ before taking an introspective career-spanning On paper, the concept of a band paying tribute to the cultural iconography of their youth set to the soundtrack of the interplanetary, future soul, city punk groove ‘Medicine Square Garden’ radiates may sound like a wonderful trip down memory lane: Palmer to Parker Jr, Aliens to Dancing Girls, Aviators to Keytars, complete with a lovingly tender, tear-inducing tribute to the greatest metal band of all time. In typical Iero fashion, it isn’t. As it turns out, Elm Street is still a nightmare, The Flash can’t dance, and at the end of a tough weekend with Bernie, it all comes Back To The Future Violents.
“It was apparent to me early on while writing Barriers that ‘Medicine Square Garden’ was its most important track,” says Frank. “It was the cornerstone upon which the rest of the record and band was formed. If we lost the battle on that song, the rest didn’t stand a chance. ‘Medicine Square Garden’ pushed the most boundaries, scratched the most itches, and terrified me far beyond any other song I had written. So when we crossed off every box in Chicago at Electrical Audio and listened back with smiles knowing we had accomplished our goals, a new objective soon emerged: Get the label to see our favourite song as a single, and let us make the video of my dreams.” “‘Medicine Square Garden’ is not your typical single. It’s a five and a half minute attempt at answering the question, ‘What if Prince wrote a Sleep song?'” Frank elaborates further on the song itself, “Oh and if that’s not batshit enough for you, I already had the video in my head. So armed with crudely drawn set designs and a typed-up description of a witchy calisthenics workout meets a Robert Palmer alien massacre, I submitted my pitch to the label. This was my vision from the beginning and no one told me I was crazy. What a world.” To coincide with the reveal of the ‘Medicine Square Garden’ video, UNFD will also be releasing a special limited edition blood red vinyl variant of Barriers through its online store. In conclusion, the world thought they knew Frank Iero and what he was up to – but they don’t. No one really does. Is this the beginning or is it the end? Knowing Frank, it’s probably both. |
Until recently the band were in the final stages of recording what is to be the band’s fourth studio album, giving themselves a break and some space at the end of March to see if inspiration would strike at the final hour before heading on their (now-postponed) tour.
All details for how to be in the clip can be found on this link:
www.heavyweather.video
‘Live In Life’ followed 2019 standalone single ‘Falling Asleep At The Wheel’, a collaboration with US punk-hip hop start Vic Mensa, which was premiered by Zane Lowe on Beats 1 and live at this year’s Splendour in the Grass to a packed Amphitheatre at sunset. The single received high rotation airplay on triple j and incredible playlisting across Spotify & Apple Music.
2019 also saw The Rubens travel to North America, UK & Europe for headline tours, perform and release their MTV Unplugged Live In Melbourne album, launch their Chucka Buckas initiative + bunker down to write and focus on new music.
2018 proved to be a landmark year for The Rubens, which saw the release of their third album LO LA RU, including hits ‘Never Ever feat. Sarah’ (2 x Platinum), ‘Million Man’ (Gold) and ‘God Forgot’, a mammoth headline tour across Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Europe and supporting P!NK on her massive 42-date sell out arena tour of Australia and New Zealand.
And in more great news, ‘God Forgot’ has just been nominated for Most Performed Alternative Work at this year’s APRA Music Awards. The ceremony will be streamed live on May 26.
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