Category: Blues

Nick Kingswell [unedited] Music Review

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Nick Kingswell

LPR Agency

@jocronin65

According to Oxford Dictionary, homesickness is a “feeling of longing for one’s home during a period of absence from it”. The actual word was used often in the 1940s, but it is a more popular word used today.

According to an article by The Guardian, 1 in every 30 people (a total of 258 million people) were living outside their country of birth in 2017. By 2050, it was projected that there will be 405 million migrants.

An article by IESE Business School (University of Navarra), suggested that homesickness was present in all 45 people involve with a 2012 study done by Hack-Polay.

It’s well-known that homesickness is a part of readjusting to a new place, but it’s how people choose to adjust that is important to overcoming it.

Often people in my mental health career field tell me to take care of myself. If you’re feeling homesick, do some self-care as well. Keep your body healthy, and keep your mind happy.

At an early age Nick Kingswell learned how to play the guitar from a music teacher. The first song he learned to play was the House of the Rising Sun, and then from there he fell in love with music in general.

Today, Nick has an encouraging and supportive fan base spanning the world. They always show a lot of support for each new release that he produces.

A music teacher came to my school when I was 7 and said to bring whichever instrument you have at home and I’ll teach you how to play it. My mum had an old guitar in the corner… He taught me House of The Rising Sun and the rest is history. 

Nick Kingswell (8/14/2020)

I find Nick’s music as a collection perfect for fans of Ben Howard and early Ed Sheeran. It’s music that’s very chill but also very honest and vulnerability. His new song Homesick touches on the challenges of living in a different time zone then your loved ones.

“Homesick is inspired by my move to the UK from Australia and constantly battling the time difference when trying to reach family back home. Feeling Homesick can be tough but it isn’t constant, it seems to come and go,” said Nick Kingswell.

As a songwriter, I certainly have a big appreciation for musicians who choose to be vulnerable like Nick is. While writing songs can be very therapeutic, it’s when they are produced and released to the public that can be very scary for many.

Some of my favorite songs of Nick’s are Homesick, I Didn’t Try, Swim, Everest, and Undertow. Lastly, I just wanted to say, like I did about Tia Gostelow, Aussie music in my opinion is some of the best out there. I feel like every time I hear music from an Australian music I almost always say that.

(Moving to London from Australia) was liberating and I encourage anyone reading this to drop the safety net and go for it! So many amazing things wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t left Australia.

Nick Kingswell

After recently coming out with There’s No Cure and Homesick, Nick is looking forward to releasing a new album called Brontide on October 23rd. The album was made with James Bunton in Canada, and was recorded partly at Abbey Road. “Never in a million years did I imagine my music would end up where it has!”, says Nick.

For more information on more releases in the future, make sure you follow all the links below to get updated on his future!

I would like to thank Nick Kingswell for waiting for this article, and I would also like to thank Lydia Reed (LPR Agency) for connecting me with Nick in August.

Nick Kingswell links:

LPR Agency links:

Unedited Music Blog links:

Have a wonderful week, and remember to respect others and stay safe. If you feel sick then stay home, and if you go into public please remember to wear a mask. I know that I personally have been going out with my friends in Boston a lot more, but I often have to remind myself that the world is still in a pandemic.

Homesick by Nick Kingswell (2020)

Overall: 4.8/5

There’s No Cure: 5/5

Homesick: 4.7/5

I Didn’t Try: 5/5

Never Lost: 4.7/5

Everest: 5/5

Undertow: 5/5

Swim: 5/5

Top Song: Swim (2017)

Elliot Lee Review: Bubble Gum Pop

Posted on Posted in #ilivefor, 2020, alternative, Alternative pop, Artist Bio, Backstory, Blues, Change Campaign, dark pop, dream pop, dreampop, electronic, Emo Pop, Facebook, Future Star, Good Vibes Only, Guitar, Indie, indie music, indie music playlist, indie playlist, Indie pop, indie pop playlist, Inspirational person, Instagram, Interview, Music, New York City, Pop, Pop Music, Pop Rock, Soundcloud, Spotify, USATagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

Elliot Lee

Shore Fire Media

@jocronin65

Photo taken by Shervin Lainz

Editorial

This month I have focused on musicians who are passionate about mental health. If I could give a megaphone to them, they’d all speak strongly in these subjects that they believe in.

The first week I wrote about Sarabean. Sarah is a 16-year-old musician from Florida, and has been open about her struggle with depression and loneliness in her music. She wants to make music that other people her age and/or are lonely too, and let them know they are not alone.

The second week I wrote about Trish Discord. After Trish graduated from college with a degree in psychology, she integrated her love in psychology and music by making songs that talk about mental disorders. She did this by writing about what people with a certain mental diagnosis go through both symptomatically and emotionally. She did this as a way to raise awareness for those disorders.

Last week I wrote about Seepeoples. After Will Bradford and the band decided to halt their music journey in 2011, Will went into rehab because he was struggling with addiction. When he came out of rehab and decided to return from Seepeople’s hiatus, the band continued to be a voice for their fans who have very different opinions and views than most of the society. The band stood for something that others are afraid to stand for, just like how so many who struggle with mental health are afraid to stand up for themselves.

This week I am writing about Elliot Lee. Elliot stands for a lot. She stands for mental health, stigmas, and much more. If you browse through her Instagram, she has been very vocal about standing with the Black Lives Matter movement too. Her music is for the masses as she says in her song Dirt, and if I could give the megaphone to anyone of these musicians I’ve mentioned above.

I wouldn’t hesitate to give it to her.

Table of Contents

  • Editorial
  • Who is Elliot Lee?
  • Inspiration Behind Elliot Lee’s Music
  • What’s Next for Elliot Lee?
  • Thank You Notes
  • Conclusion

Who is Elliot Lee?

Music has always been a huge part of Elliot‘s life for as far back as she can remember. “My earliest memory is of laying in a red flyer wagon & listening to music on my portable CD player while my mom pulled me around the parking lot on a warm, humid night in Hawaii,” she tells me.

As a child she had to move on from many homes and friends who were her people/things to lean on. At one point she found it hard to open up to people and kept everything bottled up inside her. According to American Songwriter, Elliot said that “I started listening to music that really spoke to me and I realized that I could use music as an outlet for myself”. As a result, she pulled out her ukulele and put her thoughts and feelings on paper as she played various chords.

Today Elliot doesn’t only have music to help her with her baggage, she also has fan base that is like a family. “It feels like life put us through so much & one of our rewards for surviving so long is this comfortable little community of fellow misfits, a place where we can finally feel understood & safe. That’s what it is for me, at least. I hope others feel the same,” Elliot says about her fan base.

(At one point) I went through a really dark time in my life, music felt like the only friend I could turn to. I started using songwriting as a means of venting & coping with my experiences. Since then, creating music has kind of become a survival tactic for me.

Elliot Lee (8/5/2020)

Inspiration Behind Elliot Lee’s Music

There are many people in society that struggle to keep a smile on their face without masking their emotions. There are also many people in society who don’t struggle to keep a smile on their face without masking their emotions. But what music does for everyone rather they like it or not is so powerful. Music finds that happy medium.

Elliot explains that Upside Down is “a deep dive into what it feels like to go through hardships & continually struggle to get out of bed while grappling with all the ‘what if’s’. What if l didn’t care so much about others’ opinions? What if l didn’t always feel inadequate? If I didn’t struggle with all of this, maybe 8 would be strong enough to lead my bubblegum soldiers to the top of the world, but for now I’m content with keeping them company down here. :)”

Music like hers is why so many people like myself consider music as an essential piece of their life, if there was no music then there is no coping strategies, no meaning to life, no purpose to share our thoughts or opinions, etc. This is why I admire her so much, and even the word “admires” doesn’t do the justice of how much her music means to me and so many others.

Four years ago I saw so few reasons to live. I felt like my voice wasn’t worth being heard, so I kept everything behind a closed door. But since finding this outlet, I’ve been able to help people, and that alone is my new reason to live…. I want people to hear my music & know that they deserve to be heard too.

Elliot Lee

What’s Next for Elliot Lee?

Elliot wants to continue making music that allows her listeners to have a safe space, but she also wants to try new things as well. “I sort of just plan to go in whatever direction feels fun & true to who I am as a person!” she says.

But for now, the pandemic is quite literally putting a pause to everything. She wants to meet her fans, but right now she’ll have to wait. However, that is not stopping her from writing and other creative things.

I implore everyone who enjoy her work as much as I do to click on the links below, and keep an eye on them for more content in the future!

Thank You Notes

Not to make Elliot feel bad, but this article literally took over a year to prepare. The reason why it took so long was because Elliot had a lot of moving pieces happening within that year. Long story short, I eventually tracked her down through her record label (Photo Finish Records). Who may I say are very nice and professional people! At the end of the day, everyone including myself is happy, and I wouldn’t of had it any other way.

Elliot Lee’s links:

Photo Finish Records:

Unedited Music Blog’s Links:

Conclusion

Have a wonderful week, and remember to respect other people and to stay safe. If you feel sick then stay home until a doctor or medical professional clears you. If you have to go into public also remember to wear a mask.

GoodBadUgly by Elliot Lee (2020)

Samuel Jack [unedited] Music Review

Posted on Posted in #ilivefor, 2020, Artist Bio, Backstory, Blues, Britpop, Europe, Facebook, Future Star, Good Vibes Only, Guitar, Indie, indie music, indie music playlist, indie playlist, Indie pop, indie pop playlist, Inspirational person, Instagram, Interview, Music, Pop, Pop Music, Pop Rock, Rock, Singer, Soundcloud, Spotify, UK, UKViral50, YoutubeTagged , , , , , , , , Leave a comment
Samuel Jack (2020)

Sometimes all you need to hear are those 4 words, it’s gonna be alright, to remember that there’s still hope. I feel like people can easily fall into that dark mindset that nothing will change. Like there will never be a vaccine, and there will never be justice for the lives that are senselessly taken away.

But that’s not true, and it’s gonna be alright because human’s can always adjust and justice doesn’t get pushed aside when the world is enraged.

Sam didn’t originally write this song for what the world is going through, but the timing to release this to the world could never be better.

Gonna Be Alright is about Sam celebrating how far he’s come, from struggling with mental health problems and coming out on the other side as a better person.

Sam was always surrounded by great music, including his parents who were avid music listeners. He was also raised on blues, soul, and gospel in his town. “It wasn’t until my later years in school that I married that with my love for poetry,” he says.

With a steady growth, right now listeners from across the world are finding Samuel’s music. The fan base he has now is very loyal, and for this he is thankful. “It’s so nice to be able to share the journey with them,” he tells me.

“Been stuck on you forever,

The scars start to fade.

I might look a little like ya,

But there’s nothing else the same.”

~Mama Don’t Know Better (2017) by Samuel Jack

Samuel is the ultimate product of a musician who successfully molds all the music he was brought up listening to and music he is inspired by. The best part of this mold is how unique it is, and that is a soulful and jazzy collection of music made by one of the most honest writers you’ll find in today’s music industry.

There really isn’t a lot to not like, and that’s because he knows what he is doing and rather than be driven by passion or experience… Who really gives an s**t? Good music is good music even if the person who made it has no idea what they’re doing!

Honesty is what drives this musician, and he even says that other artists should be driven by this factor as well. “Embrace how you feel and love with all of your heart,” he remarks.

Some of my favorite songs (apart from Gonna Be Alright) are Closer, In My Head, Let You Go, Feels Like Summer, Stone Cold, and the list is long, so I’ll unfortunately have to stop there because I don’t want to make this block too long lol.

“When I’m black and I’m blue and losing my mind,

Waiting for the sunlight, sunlight.

To tell me that I’m gonna be alright.”

~Gonna Be Alright (2020), Samuel Jack

Like I said previously, Samuel’s biggest part to what he does is built on honesty and “my music will always be a cathartic experience for me,” he tells me. 

As of right now, there will be a Volume 2 of Empty Pockets Crowded Heart, but… I have no idea when that album will come out. I wouldn’t be surprised if, like he did for Vol. 1, there will be a few singles released prior to the next album… But don’t take my word for it…

For now, it seems like Samuel’s really working on improving himself as a person and is probably doing a lot of writing during that process. I hope everyone does the same more or less, and I say everyone because no one is perfect.

When everything’s back to normal or if I get more information on plans for the future I’ll be sure to send them out via social media so keep your eyes out for something by him!

I would like to thank Joseph Shillabeer for introducing me to Samuel Jack, he’s quite an amazing musician. I would also like to thank Samuel for answering my questions, and really hope to keep in touch!

You can follow Samuel Jack on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. You can stream his music on Spotify, SoundCloud, and YouTube.

You can follow Unedited Music Blog on Facebook, and Instagram. You can stream our playlists on Spotify, and SoundCloud.

Have a wonderful week ahead, stay safe and don’t forget your mask when you go out in public! Remember that Black Lives Matter, and treat everyone the way you would want to be treated!

Empty Pockets Crowded Heart (2020) by Samuel Jack

Overall: 4.9/5

Empty Pockets Crowded Heart: 5/5

It Don’t Have to Change: 5/5

In My Head: 5/5

We Are the Future: 4.9/5

Fighting Fires: 5/5

Feels like Summer: 5/5

Perfect: 4.5/5

Lovin’ Heart: 5/5

Big City Heart: 5/5

Fire and Ice: 5/5

Surrender: 5/5

Top Song: Gonna be Alright (2020)

Izzy Thomas [unedited] Music Review

Posted on Posted in 2020, alternative, Alternative pop, Artist Bio, Blues, Classic Rock, Facebook, Future Star, Guitar, Guns N' Roses, Indie, indie music, indie music playlist, indie playlist, Indie pop, Indie Rock, Instagram, Interview, Music, Pop, Pop Music, Pop Rock, Rock, Singer, Spotify, UK, UKViral50Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment
Photo taken of Izzy Thomas by Dorota Szostek Photography
Izzy Thomas (taken by Dorota Szostek Photography)

“‘But I don’t want to go among mad people,’ Alice remarked. ‘Oh you can’t help that,’ said the Cat. ‘We’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad.’ ‘How do you know I’m mad?’ said Alice. ‘You must must be,’ said the Cat, ‘or you wouldn’t have come here.'” Alice In Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. Stress is something that can cause a whole lot of emotions depression, anxiety, compulsive behavior, mood swings, and… It can drive you mad. Izzy Thomas is talking about a man who is driving her mad by denying they aren’t falling in love with her in her song Mad.

As a child, Izzy learned to write poetry at a young age and then merged her poetry into songs. It was at that point when she wanted to put a melody to her songs. These songs were heavily influenced by rock and pop legends like Lenny Kravitz and Michael Jackson.

Nowadays, Izzy finds influences in everything around her. “Whether it’s things that are going on in my own life, or someone’s close to me, if it inspires me then I create,” she says.

She tells me her ever growing fan base are extremely loyal to her, and she would even consider her friends. “They’re cool as hell!”

“I was pretty hung up on someone who did the typical, ‘I’m starting to like you, I’m scared, I’m going to pull away now!’ move. It was so annoying! A lot of people are so emotionally unavailable these days, i think if we all grew the f**k up, the whole love thing would be so much easier!”

– Izzy Thomas talking about Mad (3/18/2020)

I really enjoy listening to Izzy’s music, and I can certainly hear influences in her music such as Lenny K and Michael J. Her powerful voice really goes well with her rock and pop sound. A weird little observation I have is that if you listen to each song after the next, for instance Mad then Trouble… The two songs really transition well into each other.

One message Izzy has for her fans, is to “empower each other, lift each other up. Nobody is your competition, apart from you.” This is a powerful thing to say, especially with a pandemic affecting a lot of people worldwide that is also definitely causing a sense of panic at the sametime.

“I have a new song called ‘Everybody Wants Something From Me’. I wrote that after having a panic attack haha! Big cities can be pretty overwhelming places.”

-Izzy Thomas talking about her favorite song that she’s working on

A favorite new song that Izzy is working on is called Everybody Wants Something From Me, which is about how overwhelming big cities can be. She says that she wrote after having a panic attack. She really likes the direction she is currently taking, and this song will continue that trend. However, she wants to build her sound so she can make it stronger, “with out-of-the-box ideas” she says.

After the world has come back to normal and everyone stops talking about COVID-19, Izzy is hopeful to reschedule her tour that she was on. She was meant to be supporting Marisa and the Moths alongside Finding Kate this month, but of course that was cancelled due to the current pandemic. She is also holding off her new releases until this state of emergency is over, and she really hopes she doesn’t have to wait too long.

She tells me that, “In a couple of months I’ll definitely be giving my fans a new song. In the meantime, they will be able to support me directly, and watch new videos/live streams/behind the scenes stuff via my Patreon page at Izzy Thomas Official.”

Would like to thank Lydia Reed from LPR Agency for connecting me with Izzy Thomas and other amazing musicians. You can follow Izzy on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to her music on SoundCloud, Youtube, and Spotify. You can follow Unedited Music Blog on Facebook (@uneditedmb) and Instagram (@unedited_music_blog), and listen to other musicians reviewed by us on our Spotify playlist. Have a nice week! Stay home and don’t be stupid!

Mad by Izzy Thomas (2020)
Mad by Izzy Thomas (2020)

Overall: 5/5

Mad: 5/5

Trouble: 5/5

Top Song: Mad (2020)

Taxi Joe [unedited]

Posted on Posted in Blues, Indie Rock, Pop, Taxi Joe, UKLeave a comment
Taxi Joe
Taxi Joe
Band photos
Interview & Review

          “Quality band, need more exposure (they’ve already got the anthems and the talent). (They) always put on a great live show, (and I definitely) recommend people (to) see them if you get the chance” says Dan Truss from London, England. I agree with Dan, it’s quite a shock that Taxi Joe hasn’t been exposed to as many people as their quality deserves. With four songs released in the matter of the 2 years, Taxi Joe definitely are seriously invested in their music. 
        Based in South East London, Joe Acres (singer) Louis Morgan (drummer) and Northern  Italian Devid Dell’Aiera (bassist) have been playing music since 2005. In 2012, the guys had the pleasure to support Peter Green (Fleetwood Mac) on his UK tour. The guys went on to play shows across the UK and Italy. Most recently they performed a “special one-off unplugged performance in New York City”. 2018 has been treating them pretty well, with shows at the first Camden Rocks festival in London, they also played the final date of NambuccaPalooza festival (London, UK), and returned to the London O2 Arena. The guys are influenced by genres such as Blues, Soul, Pop, and Rock, and “their songs lead the sound, telling stories about modern city life with defiant optimism” (Facebook bio).
        “Of course, there’s stuff in life that wants to hurt you or hold you down but it’s not going to stop us because we’re still going to love it, regardless. That’s what this band does, that’s what we’re about.’” Joe Acres (Facebook bio).
        What really grabbed me about TJ was their eclectic collection of songs, one that sounds like a Band of Horses song (Get You Back (2017)) to absolutely original songs like The Way I Want to Go (2018) and recently released song Fire (2018). I should also say that Joe’s voice can certainly seem to sound like musicians such as Alex Turner (Arctic Monkeys), Rivers Cuomo (Weezer), and Josh Franceschi (You Me at Six). The way Joe also occasionally throws in blues-like guitar riffs such as the one in Get You Back show off their blues roots. For the future, I would like to hear more of that influence just so they can decipher themselves from the rest of the bands in the rock/pop genre. Either way, the band seems to have a pretty dedicated fan base, Joe says that they are “literally the best people alive with the best taste. It’s weird as well because when we first started our audience tended to be teenage girls but now it seems to be kind of everyone.”

         Fire is literally what the song title says it is, it is fire! The catchy lyrics, a cool wah-wah bar on the guitar riff, and blues-influenced bass and drum beats are definitely there along with the rock and pop roots. In other words, this song is exactly what Taxi Joe aims to sound like. It’s a really cool thing to hear the evolution of each song leading up to Fire, and I can’t wait to see where they go from here. And  I really hope more people come along to join the bandwagon.    

        “At the moment I love the song, Like Me Now. It’s a newer one but we’ll be releasing it in the next 6 months or so” Joe tells me. The guys are definitely working on more releases, but with a show on the 26th of September and a Battle of the Bands (heat 2) coming up on October 25th they certainly have a lot of shows to look forward to as well. The result of all these releases and shows are “to sell (their music) in large amounts to a lot of people” Joe says.
           Joe and the guys definitely look like they have a lot more up their sleeves, and I am looking forward to their future. I would like to thank Taxi Joe’s manager Aaron Truss for reaching out to me and of course the lead singer Joe Acres for answering my questions. As a humorous but also serious musicians, I am definitely hopeful that they will not be going anywhere but upwards from here on out. 

A Little Bit of Something Else (2018)
Facebook- Photos
Overall: ★★★★★
Fire: ★★★★★
Little Bit of Something Else: ★★★★★
The Way I Want to Go: ★★★★★
Get You Back: ★★★★★
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