Jack Swing are back with their second EP, released back in September. This EP combines three great tracks to create something that is definitely worth watching out for. I thought it would be a good opportunity to catch up with Isaiah from the band.

For those out there who haven’t heard of Jack Swing before, can you tell us a bit about yourself?

Absolutely. Jack Swing is a rock band from Pittsburgh PA that consists of Isaiah Ross (vocals/guitar), Rowdy Kanarek (bass), and Alex Nelson (drums). We are best buds, live together, and started officially in 2016. We enjoy movies, kung fu, anime, badminton, and one of us is extremely into cheese. Stylistically we’ve heard we’re a bit all over the place but I’d say we’re rooted in rock and frequently touch upon other things such as funk, soul, ect. 

Where did the journey into music begin for the band?

We’ve been playing together musically for a long time.  When I was about 14 I (Isaiah) asked Rowdy for bass lessons. At the time I was a rapper and my act and Rowdy’s band, The Incredibly Suave (who Alex drummed for at the time) would tend to share stages. After a while of doing these lessons with Rowdy I realized how much I love rock music and how much I needed to actively be in a band. All three of us played in numerous projects over the years both together and separately. After coming out of a tough emotional time I realized that none of my current projects were satisfying the things I needed from music. At this point I started Jack Swing and though we have had some lineup changes things have come full circle and currently the band is myself and the two people I’ve personally jammed with the longest.

Where does the name Jack Swing come from?

When I initially attempted to start this project I wanted its name to serve the same purpose as how I saw the names of my musical heroes (Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, ect). Unforgettable names yet powerful titles that have stood the test of time. New Jack Swing was something I heard a lot growing up, I suppose on some level that stuck with me. I went with that because it felt right in that regard and it’s felt right thus far. 

You recently released your latest EP Get What’s Mine For You. What does this song mean to you as a band?

As a band with this entire EP we really wanted to capture the energy of us playing together at the time as our previous drummer (Jonathan Lightfoot) was leaving the band as well as Isaiah Small (keys) was moving from Pittsburgh to Minnesota. This song represents that unique and special energy and all the memories that come with that. To me personally, this song represents doing whatever necessary to get the things from life that you want and deserve. We all have parts of ourselves that we’ve sacrificed as we’ve grown older. This song represents the energy of choosing to get those things out of life that you may have given up on in the past. Getting these things out of life that you deserve for yourself. 

Did you have any help with the recording and producing process?

Absolutely. We recorded the EP at The Church Recording Studio in Pittsburgh PA. The EP was recorded and mixed by Dave Hidek and mastered by Garrett Haines out of Treelady Studios. 

The music video looks like it was a lot of fun to make. What and who were involved in making it?

This video was a true blast to make. Some aspects were definitely easier than others, for example Alex is a big fan of rotisserie chicken so that passion definitely comes across in the video. Fake ghost-riding on a 90 degree day in a tracksuit on the other hand… A lot of very talented hands went into the creation of this video, I like to refer to them as the dream team. The dream team consists of the following: 

Anthony Peduzzi – Director 

Director of Photography: Raffaele DiLullo 

Production Design: Shannon Dailey

Swing/Set Dresser/ Transportation Captain: Max Cianci 

What were some of the biggest hurdles that you had to overcome when making your music, and how did you deal with them?

For me I think it was more the realization that the hurdles would be nonstop, and to not let them slow you down when they do happen. With any craft, troubleshooting is just as important as any other aspect, making music is no different. In music and life in general few things go according to plan, the best you can do is learn how to roll with whatever comes and keep moving towards your goals.  

Before the world went mad, did you have any opportunities to play any shows?

Live shows were definitely a huge part of Jack Swing’s existence pre-covid. As a band that was known for our live shows, making the adjustment was tough. Fortunately by living together we were able to immerse ourselves in different aspects of the music. But normally, we are very active in the live show regard. 

Are there any plans to get back on the road when it is safe?

Without a doubt. As soon as it seems genuinely safe we plan to hit the road harder than ever, until then there is always more tightening up to do. 

What is next for Jack Swing?

During quarantine we have written our debut album and currently are in the process of completing demos for it. We plan on getting back into the studio to work on it as soon as possible and ideally by the time it’s finished getting back on the road may be an option (fingers crossed). Otherwise we will keep writing and working on making music that we can stand by. 

Where can we find out more about you?

You can find us on any of our social media @jackswingpgh (facebook, Instagram, Twitter). As well as on all streaming platforms.  

Anything you would like to tell us?

A huge goal with our music is putting out light in a time where it’s hard to find any. Check us out and we hope you like what you hear. Keep an eye out for our full-length and check out our new EP and the video in the meantime! 

I’d like to thank Isaiah and the band for taking the time to answer my questions and wish them the best of luck for the future, and I hope to catch Jack Swing at a show at some point.

You may notice things have been a little quiet around here recently. I recently had an email sent to my inbox, asking if I wanted to do an interview for a charity project. Of course I said yes!

Billy Graziadei, from the NYC band Biohazard, has been spearheading a new project recently, and we caught up with him about it.

Billy has been helping with CRU SOX, an initiative which means you can buy a great quality pair of socks, while also helping give something back to those in need.

Can you tell us a bit about how the whole idea of CRU SOX came about?

I’ve always been into helping others from an early age. In every aspect of my life I will extend myself to share a helping hand, my knowledge and experience with anyone in need. My Mother was a Nurse (and an amazing singer) so maybe it came from her. I teamed up with a couple from Arizona and set forth on creating a sock company based on the philosophy of giving back. When you buy one pair of socks, we donate 1 pair to someone in need. When you buy two pairs, we donate 3 and when you buy 3 pairs, we donate 5 pairs to someone not so lucky to be able to afford a new pair of dope socks!

Are you working with any other organisations to help further your cause?

I have a whole list of organizations I work with. Currently planning a annual Thanksgiving Day meal giveaway in Los Angeles paired with a new clean pair of socks. Working with Greetings with Gratitude for a holiday donation run in December. That organization is run by George Lynch of the Dokken, Lynch Mobb, etc. He’s a great dude and an amazing guitarist!

Are there any other famous names that are helping you along the way, or any others that you are hoping to get on board?

I brought a few friends on board, you may know Shifty from Crazy Town and Zoli from Ignite. Have had some great support from Al from Dropkick Murphy’s also! Everyone loves the idea of giving back.

How has the ongoing COVID-19 situation affected the mission that you and CRU SOX are furthering?

For me as an artist, I thrive in chaos so I look at life as a series of challenges rather than problems. There’s always an escape and an opportunity!

What can ordinary people, like myself, do day to day to help the homeless community (other than buy a pair of CRU SOX)?

Just do your part, of course buy a pair of socks but just do your part.

Other than your amazing charity efforts, what have you been up to over the last year?

I lost my Mother to Cancer when I was really young and any foundation benefiting that research is close to my heart! I would say all of the mental health, physical and substance abuse areas mean a lot to me also.

What lies next for Billy Graziadei?

I’m constantly creating, albeit new ideas for an awesome giveback company like Crusox or new music, a new band, etc. I set my realistic goals and go after them. With
years of success with my first band Biohazard, I started a band with Cypress Hill singer Sendog and we are currently working on our second release from our band Powerflo. I also have my sophomore release from my solo band BillyBio due out in early 2021. Assuming the music world opens back up and I can tour again!

Thank you for your time!

You can keep up with Billy at @BillyBiohazard everywhere on social media.

You can find CRU SOX here.

I’d like to thank Billy for his time and wish him and his project the best for the future.

Although it may have been a few months since the release of their single, I thought it would be a good opportunity to catch up with one of the Aaron’s from TIDES about their killer single Silver Lining. Since the release of Silver Lining, the band have also gone on to release another single, Broken Record, now available across all streaming platforms.

Tell us a bit about the band. Where are you from and how did you all meet?

Tides is a Lincoln based 5 piece band. Aaron, Adam and Aaron are from Lincoln while Oz comes from Sheffield and Chloé, originally from France before moving to Lincoln. 

Adam and Chloé were on their way down the A1 to Stansted airport at 4am when they decided that they wanted to form a new band with a music style closer to what they like. They then sent messages to some musicians they thought would fit the bill, this included Aaron Hall. Oz Joined the band shortly after, as well as Aaron Smith who is actually our third but final bassist.

What made you want to use the band name Tides?

We are lucky enough to have an amazingly well spoken guy in our band, aka Oz, who came up with an arm-long list of potential names for the band. We ended up settling for Tides, short but striking. 

If you had to sum up your style in three words, what would you say?

It is a hard one… Eclectic – intricate – beef-riff 

Tell us a bit about your latest single Silver Lining. What does this song mean to you?

Silver Lining is the expression of overcoming hardships. We believe it is important to realise that, even in the darkest times, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

This song describes the journey into reaching that better place through self-acceptance, self-love but also through making peace with the past.

Is this a hint at more new music to come?

We currently have three tracks out, SILVER LINING / WATCH IT BURN / BROKEN RECORD, available on all music platforms. With COVID and the current restrictions, we’ll take advantage of the time off to sit in the studio to work on some recordings for more releases in the next few months!

Who produced this? Have you worked with them before? How was it working with them?

All of our songs so far were produced by Martyn Bewick, who is also the owner of the Lincoln music studio Playing Aloud. He has been working with most of the band members on different projects, we trust him with our music as he is a great musician on top of being a great producer, and the results never disappoint.

You were supposed to be touring at the moment. Is this being rescheduled for another time?

Absolutely, we were supposed to play a number of gigs across the Midlands but also in Brighton on the opening day of Pride. It’s a shame we had to cancel so many shows but we are not letting this bring us down. We managed to play our debut gig at the Jolly Brewer in Lincoln on the 29th, it was an amazing show, we were really happy with the response of the audience and the overall atmosphere while respecting the social distancing guidelines. It gives hope for potential future gigs despite the pandemic. 

Where can we hope to catch you?

For the time being we don’t have any official dates. We don’t want to go on stage unless we can assure that it would be 100% safe for the audience and the acts. We’re currently making research on how to combine the new government guidelines and live events so we can hopefully get to play again very soon and safely.

What advice would you give to those looking to make music?

Find the right people, not only to play music but to take the music where you want it to be. As musicians in Tides, we trust each other’s abilities which allows us to experiment and improve ourselves constantly but also, when we’re not making it, we know we’re on the same wavelength when it comes to our approach on promoting our music. It’s all about musicianship and communication, we keep our egos out of the mix and we talk openly about what we expect from each other.

Where do you hope to be, this time next year?

Hopefully, this time next year, we will have a few gigs on our schedule! It would be amazing to do a tour of England next year. Also, Chloé being French, we would love to organise a few gigs on the coast of Brittany in the summer, so that we can introduce our music to our French audience in other ways than on local radio stations.

Where can we find out more about you?

You can follow our progression through our social media, we are on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. We recently launched a Newsletter for those who really don’t want to miss anything. When it comes to our music, as we said earlier, you can find us on your usual music platforms such as Spotify, Deezer, Amazon Music, Apple Music as well as Bandcamp and SoundCloud. 

Anything you would like to tell us?

Thank you for the opportunity to share a bit more about ourselves and our music! Keep on being awesome!

I’d like to thank the band for taking the time to answer my questions, and wish them all the best for the future. I hope to catch them on the road soon!

After the release of her debut single, I thought it would be a good opportunity to catch up with REX about all things music.

Tell us a bit about yourself. Where are you from and where did music start for you?

I am an alternative pop / rock artist from Hampshire. Writing and making music is fuel for my soul, I can’t remember a time where songwriting hasn’t been a part of everyday life for me. Music started at the age of 12, my mum plays piano so there was always a piano in the house. I used to come home from school and learn all my favorite pop songs on the piano and accompany myself…not very well. I had a music teacher who encouraged us to create music all the time in class, anything and everything we wanted. This encouraged me at home to start writing my own music on the piano.  From here my confidence grew and I have been performing and writing ever since. 

You recently released your latest single, Bad Influence. What does this single mean to you?

This single is about enjoying life, not getting too caught up in a relationship with someone. I think it’s easy to have a connection with someone and immediately start thinking what if… but why not just chill, have a good time and enjoy the moment. 

Who produced this? Have you worked with them before?

I work with a producer called Oberon, we are a writing and production team. We are working together on all the music that is coming in the future, he fully understands my vision for the music which helps to make a great team.

Did you have any other help in the writing and recording process?

No other help, just me and Oberon! Too many cooks.. 

You seem to sing towards a person in this latest single. Is this an actual person or more of an idea of one?

It was towards a specific person yeah.. we won’t name names haha!

Before the world went mad, did you play many live shows? Are there any plans to play any again?

The band and I have been playing shows for years, performing live is my favorite thing to do! A few weeks before lock down we had a couple of gigs lined up, such a shame we didn’t get to play them but when we can we will be back with a BANG! 

What would you say is the biggest hurdle to overcome when making music, and what advice would you give to people trying to make their own stuff?

I think the most difficult part is making sure you are present when making music. Making sure that you are not in your own head second guessing what you are making, staying true to yourself as an artist and not letting the world dictate the music you make. My advice would be don’t worry about the numbers, streams or current trends. Be who you are and let that show in your music. 

What lies next for Rex?

LOTS haha, we have music lined up to be released this year and next year! The dream is a tour, hopefully we can in 2021 if Corona bores off!! 

Anything you would like to tell us?

I’m so excited about all the music that is coming, this is just the start of the journey! I can’t wait for more people to hear the music and become a part of this unique experience 🙂 

Well you’ve read the interview, so why not go check out the music? This is one to look out for over the next year, and another I cannot wait to see live ASAP. I’d like to thank Rex for taking the time to answer my questions and wish her all the best for the future.