Samuel Jack [unedited] Music Review

Posted on June 25, 2020February 23, 2023 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 #goodvibesonly, #ilivefor, 2019, 2020, alternative, Indie Rock, Singer/Songwriter, UK, ukmusicLeave a comment

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)

Zilla with Her Eyes Shut [unedited] Music Review

Posted on June 23, 2020February 23, 2023 Posted in #ilivefor, 2020, alternative, Alternative pop, Backstory, electronic, Europe, Facebook, Future Star, Good Vibes Only, House, Indie, indie music, indie music playlist, indie playlist, indie pop playlist, Inspirational person, Instagram, Interview, Music, Psyche, Recording Label, Soundcloud, Spotify, UK, UncategorizedTagged #goodvibesonly, #ilivefor, 2019, 2020, AccidentalRecords, alternative, alternativepop, Atmospheric, EDM, InedependentMusicPromotions, UK, ukmusic, Uncategorized, zillawithhereyesshutLeave a comment

Zilla with Her Eyes Shut (Accidental Records) — *Zilla with Her Eyes Shut*
*(source:* *Accidental Records*)

I was told for years that I always talked in my sleep, and most of the time the things I would say were the most bizarre things ever. I was always interested to hear what I said, so I downloaded an app that records what you say in your sleep. I had it for years, and caught a lot of funny moments.

But then one night I had a horrifying nightmare…

I never heard myself scream like I did in that recording, it was like I saw something that would effect my life in the worst way possible. I cried as I heard myself crying in fear, and I shut the recording off immediately.

I deleted that app after I captured that, and I haven’t downloaded since… And I probably won’t ever again.

Zilla with her Eyes Shut’s song Sleepwalker is about her own sleep talking and her own adventures with sleepwalking.

“Based around the artist’s own sleepwalking adventures and even featuring her own ‘sleeptalking’, the track takes on an almost dub vibe at times, laced with heavy beats, deft vocal work and a penchant for the strange. It does well to delve into the singer’s fears as she opens up about anything and everything these night terrors can bring out in her: ‘I’m scared of who I might become if I never wake.'” ~(Vinyl Chapters)

Zilla’s musical path begun by learning classical music with a piano teacher in Paris, France. She quickly discovered her true passion was to make music, “I’d always been into painting as a kid and writing poems but piano hit me really hard. That day I knew I had found my passion,” she tells me.

In the beginning, she was only learning and playing classical piano, wanting to learn as much melodies and compositions. “There’s something surreal about playing someone else’s piece to the point where it becomes part of you and the experience never leaves you, it’s like biting a piece of the composer’s memory and intentions and adding it to your psyche,” she says.

She naturally progressed into writing music, because that “is what songs do, they travel with you, get you through pain and joy and they compliment your psyche,” she says.

Her music is about what happens whenever she dreams, what she calls her “creative gifts” that come up when she’s asleep. These things that come about in her dreams more often than not could be related to whatever trauma she endured in her childhood.

The music she creates lacks a description, and defies any boundaries of a specific topic. “I’m inspired by so many things, moments of the day, sounds around me, people’s accents, there is flow everywhere. I like to call it surrealist pop because I layer unexpected vocals with unexpected sounds of unexpected objects,” she explains. She equally values a fan base that likes to be surprised, but is unclear if this has been achieved.

“Instead of denying my trauma, I tend to embrace it through music and even celebrate it. There’s no other way to get over it for me. I recorded myself sleeping talking and sleepwalking. We used objects that are related to the songs as instruments.”
~Zilla with her Eyes Shut (4/20/2020)

I am absolutely inspired by Zilla’s music and songwriting, especially since I can relate to having such vivid dreams and nightmares myself. The fact that she finds her dreams to be a source of musical inspiration is very unique, and makes me want to explore this on my own.

Whisper Whisper was written “when I was about 10 I started hearing whispers when I played the piano, it was really scary until I turned the whisper into my imaginary friend that would help me go through sh*t,” she says. It’s really cool to see that Zilla could take a really scary scenerio and make it into a very unique song that looks on the bright side.

If you’re a fan of Billie Eilish and Bjork, then Zilla’s music is definitely a must listen to. Her style of music is definitely a mix of those two artists, but more.

There definitely is a storyline in each song, it’s just a matter of time until the whole story is told. But not everyone needs to know everything about everyone… But I hope this article can provide more clarity to her story.

“Although the inspiration is my trauma, it’s so important that it is not a self pitying song, the trauma made me strong because I accepted it and turned it into something else. It’s an explosion of innocence and control.”
~Zilla

At the moment, Zilla is working on songs that take a brand new approach. She wants to maintain a sense of surprise for her listeners, but is not to compelled to release any more music at the moment.

I would like to thank CEO of Independent Music Promotions Inc., James Moore, for connecting me with Zilla. I would also like Zilla for answering my questions and also staying in touch through Instagram.

You can follow Independent Music Promotions on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. You can stream their playlists on Spotify, SoundCloud, and Youtube. Also, you can follow Zilla’s record label (Accidental Records) on Facebook, and Twitter. Stream Accidental Records on Spotify, Bandcamp, and SoundCloud.

You can follow Zilla with her Eyes Shut on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. You can also stream her music on Spotify, and Bandcamp.

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

*Zilla with Her Eyes Shut [self-titled album] (2020)*

Overall: 4.7/5

Zilla with her Eyes Shut: 4.7/5

Top Song: Sleepwalker (2020)

Worry Party [unedited] Music Review

Posted on May 31, 2020May 31, 2020 Posted in #ilivefor, 2020, alternative, ambient, Artist Bio, Chill, Chill Rock, Edits, Electronic Rock, Europe, Facebook, Guitar, Indie, indie music, indie music playlist, indie playlist, Instagram, Instrumental, Interview, Music, Singer, Soft Rock, Soundcloud, Spotify, UKTagged #goodvibesonly, #ilivefor, 2020, alternative, UK, Worry PartyLeave a comment

Hi all, it’s me John. I was going to post this article on the 18th, but some reality slapped me in the face with a surge of overwhelming anxiety caused by significant life changes this week.

I knew that I needed to start writing bit by bit, so as a result this intro is going to be kind of like a very small monologue or an editorial… Or whatever you want to f^^king call it.

This week has been very challenging, it’s pretty overwhelming at times.

Eliyya Lane gave me some great advice, she told me to avoid labels because that’s when my mind will start obsessing over problems I don’t have. Instead of labeling, try to “embrace it.” And although I haven’t gotten to that point, I am working on getting to that point. I hope passing this advice on helps at least 1 person who reads this!

When it comes to coping with these things, I immediately and almost unconsciously turn to music. Chill music was the one primary genre that helped a lot, such as chill pop, electronic pop, and soft rock.

To easily transition into this article, I will say Worry Party is the same kind of artist that really calmed me down. A mix of Worry Party, ODESZA, Kygo, ayokay, and other lounge/chill music is exactly what can help. Although I am still working on more coping strategies, this music definitely is a step in the right direction.

The lead songwriter for Worry Party started writing poetry when they were young because they “had a terrible stammer and found it to be such a necessary and rewarding means of expressing myself artistically.”

Respecting grammar structures and rules, they expanded on musical scales and such. “I got asked to sing in a band when I started college, and since then music has been the main way I’ve been able to enjoy art and make friends,” they said.

Almost every song by Worry Party is inspired by people in general. “Either a relationship with a family member, friend or girlfriend, and how I’ve dealt with it, or just how we try to make sense of the world,” they tell me.

“We have a small, very friendly fan base that’s slowly growing. We try and create genuine relationships, so the fans we do have are the kind that regularly keep in touch, and come to see us play. I thinks that’s what’s most important.”
~ Unknown Worry Party member (4/18/2020)

I should start talking about Worry Party’s music by saying I really enjoy Crimewave’s remix of Traveller. That remix is very catchy and I like how they virtually took the original song and transformed it into an electronic/tropical pop song. Very unique!

When I asked about what Traveller was about they said it’s about “repeating cycles of behaviour, and wondering if it’s time to change, or if that’s simply not possible because some actions are born from such an essential part of your nature, and what makes you you.”

One thing that really stands out about Worry Party aren’t actually their music, in my opinion their influences set them apart than other chill musicians. They’ve said to be influenced by bands such as Modest Mouse and Death Cab for Cutie. While DCfC do have some elements of chill rock, MM’s genre definitely is not in any way a bit chill.

I asked them in what ways do these influences inspire their music, and they said “I grew up on a lot of Saddle Creek, so listening to bands like Cursive and Bright Eyes, but also bands like The Faint. The lyric and the story was always the most important thing to me, and continues to be. I loved electronic music, and albums like The Postal Service’s Give Up and Bright Eyes’ Digital Ash let me know that those worlds are allowed to cross over.”

“The Blood Brothers, MGMT, Bayonne, The Movielife, Jon Hopkins, Four Tet, Cursive, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Shura, Majical Cloudz and Purity Ring to name a few have all been huge influences. I feel I’m starting to find my place in the world where they all come together in a way that makes sense, and that makes me happy.”
~ Worry Party

Worry Party says that for the future they have “no agenda. Providing it’s fun, we enjoy it, and it’s genuine, we’ll work on it. Our songs will always be linked by similar lyrical content and philosophy.”

However, right now they are working on a song called Toy Story. The song is named after their guitarist remarking that one of the piano chords sounded like something Randy Newman would produce. Even if that song’s name changes, to the band it will be known as Toy Story. “It’s a super simple song that we wrote together as a band, and we all just love it,” they say.

Prior to the coronavirus, the band has already been writing a lot and planning to schedule more gigs to share their music. That obviously is no longer in the workers for the time being, but they have been releasing instrumental release of The Reef this month. There will be another instrumental EP next month called Magenta Carta.

I would like to thank Anna from Decent Music PR for getting me connected with Worry Party, these guys are pretty talented and I am very happy to include them into the Unedited Music Community!

You can follow Worry Party on Facebook and Instagram, and you can follow Decent Music on Facebook and Instagram as well. Additionally, you can stream Worry Party’s music on Spotify and SoundCloud.

You can follow Unedited Music Blog on Facebook (@uneditedmb) and Instagram (@unedited_music_blog), and you can listen to past musicians reviewed on Spotify and SoundCloud.

Have a wonderful week, and stay safe and stay home. Enjoy being home all the time, because who knows we might all will be wishing we were at home when we all go back to work at some point next year.

Overall: 4.7/5

The Reef: 4/5

Souvenirs: 4.8/5

Nancy Boy: 4.5/5

Top Song: Traveller- Crimewave Remix (2020)

In Earnest [unedited] Music Review

Posted on April 15, 2020April 15, 2020 Posted in #ilivefor, 2020, alternative, Alternative pop, Facebook, Future Star, Good Vibes Only, Indie, indie music, indie music playlist, indie playlist, indie pop playlist, Indie Rock, Inspirational person, Instagram, Interview, Music, UK, UKViral50Tagged #ilivefor, 2020, alternative, Alternative Rock, UKLeave a comment

*Sarah, Toby, and Thomas (photo taken by* *Soundcastle*)

Nowadays it feels like I can’t slow down and relax, if I do I just feel so… Useless.

I decided to do this blog not only for my love for music, but also my fear of feeling absolutely worthless. The only way I feel like I have done something productive everyday, is if I helped someone at least once. I’m not the kind of person who can eat, sleep, sh*t, and repeat… That’s just not how I work.

Worthlessness is empty, and I sometimes felt worthless before I found what I do now. Correction, before I found what I love.

In Earnest touches upon something I can certainly relate to as well, I find when I’m home alone I get very lonely and dying for someone to just be there. Loneliness is something everyone has to deal with. This is especially true with all this quaratine stuff.

That’s exactly why my family and I got a dog, and apparently I am not alone cause Sarah feels the same about her dog. “I absolutely worship dogs (I prefer them to people!),” she says.

All three of the band members had musical families and grew up listening to their parental influences. Sarah says, “for me personally, my Dad has been a drummer on the local music scene for over 40 years – I grew up listening to him play instruments around the house and tuning his drums on a Saturday morning.” She was dragged along with his band’s gigs from a very young age as well.

“I am someone who you could describe as ‘feeling things a little too much’ as I suffer from anxiety and depression, so any emotion that I am experiencing is always quite intense,” says Sarah. She uses these influences as a driving force behind her songwriting. “I like to be honest and open in my songwriting so sometimes I put it fairly bluntly,” she adds.

In Earnest is a really new project and only just got out the starting blocks with it! Their previous band ‘Carousel’, strung together a good crowd. “I guess I’m hoping that we’ll go one step further with In Earnest where we inspire people and encourage them to talk about mental health, which is our main aim,” says Sarah.

“Don’t you know too much already?
I’ll only hurt you if you let me
Call me friend but keep me closer (call me back).”
–when the party’s over by Billie Eilish

Sarah says that she is “a very socially awkward person, so I am awful at networking at gigs!” And to be fair, everyone is our age… Even Billie Eilish.

However, Sarah also says she’s probably a better songwriter cause of her mental struggles. She says, “it allows me to tap into more intense emotions and I can write music around that.” She also appreciates other musicians and creative people around her who are talking about their struggles as well. “It’s great that we can help each other and increase the awareness around mental illness,” she says.

“‘Put Me Under’ is a stream-of-consciousness about the loneliness surrounding depression and anxiety. My mental illness means that I can’t have a ‘normal’ job and it forces me to be self-employed, so I’m now a dog-sitter! The job does come with it’s own challenges – being away from home and in someone else’s house while they are on holiday. The song also touches upon the fact that mental health problems are invisible illnesses, but I just love that dogs don’t judge you at all and help to comfort you in those bad times.”
-Sarah (3/19/2020)

I’m really loving the fact that In Earnest are advocating such an important subject. Too many musicians have died because they were either lost in their own emotions or held their emotions too long to get help for them. It is vital that we as people to be there for each other. Just the same for fans of musicians who struggle mentally, the same people who are stuck at home in their own minds praying for all this COVID-19 stuff to end already.

If you live with a mental illness, then you know what I mean. #istayhome and #ilivefor these people who want to be touring instead of at home.

“When I choke, when I choke
When I choke, would you try and help me breathe?
Can you love, can you love
Can you love the version of me?”
–Version of Me by Sasha Sloan

I am sure everyone who gives In Earnest a chance will love their music just as much as we love the version of Sasha Sloan. But where’s that debut album…?

Well… that’ll come with time. But for now they are planning to release two sets of songs written by Tom and Sarah seperately. Sarah’s song is really experimental, because it tries to “capture my feelings as a soundscape and is bluntly about how debilitating depression can be.” Tom’s song is more intense, and portrays a feeling of being hit with intense emotion.

‘Come Upstairs’ is scheduled for their second release in July 2020. It is written from Tom’s perspective as he looks after Sarah while she struggles. It’s about desperation and sacrifice and doing anything you can to keep the one you love alive.

They also really want to tour! But that’s going to have to wait not only cause of the pandemic, but also cause they know they need to build a bite more of an audience who would want to see them perform live.

I assume no one cares, but I am so sorry for the delay of this article. It was supposed be posted at the latest of Monday… But that didn’t happen so it had to wait till today. ANYWAYS, I hope it was worth the wait!!

You can follow In Earnest on Facebook and Instagram, as well as listen to their debut single on Spotify (link to be fixed hopefully prior to the release) this Friday!

You can follow Unedited on Instagram (@unedited_music_blog) and Facebook (@uneditedmb), and listen to previous songs reviewed on Spotify.

Version of Me by Sasha Sloan and when the party is over by Billie Eilish were pulled from my greatest depressing Spotify playlist called happily depressed! Go check it out!!

Have a fantastic rest of the week, #staythefuckhome and remember to say #ilivefor someone at the beginning of the day!!!

*Put Me Under by In Earnest (4/17/2020)*

Overall: 5/5

Put Me Under: 5/5

Izzy Thomas [unedited] Music Review

Posted on April 6, 2020April 6, 2020 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 2020, alternative, Alternative Rock, Indie Rock, Instagram, Izzy Thomas, Music, New Music, Pop, Pop Music, Reading, Singer/Songwriter, UKLeave 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)

The Roques [unedited] Music Review

Posted on May 4, 2019 Posted in 2019 Pop Music, alternative, Rock, Spotify, UKTagged alternative, Alternative Rock, Indie Rock, Music, The Roques, UKLeave a comment

According to vocalist Brandyn Mahmood, the Roques top song on Spotify (Fear Me) is about “anger and desire all conveyed in controlled tones from each member of the band”. He expands on this by saying “The lyrics tell so many stories at once: ‘crying through your eyes you start to bleed. Lying face to face in the dark; let me take you back to the start.’ It ultimately shows that blend between attitude and passion that we’ve been aiming for within our music recently”. These factors are consistent themes in whatever The Roques seem to make. These guys are truly something else, and clearly many other Spotify and Facebook users agree with this statement.

In the beginning, the guys all went to the same school and all had the same passion. First, rhythm guitarist Theo and bass guitarist Cammy made a few demos together. Then, lead guitarist Jamie added a guitar riffs to one of Theo & Cammy’s demo and went on to work together. That was the beginning of a few of the Roques instrumental roots. Jamie and Brandyn were playing ever since Jamie was 16, so that filled in the vocal section of the five piece. Jamie saw drummer Blair playing the drums throughout their school years. Like the naturality of what brought them together, a lot of elements naturally influence what they write about. They generally all share the same musical taste, but it’s personal experiences, emotions, and the inspirations they draw from other bands is what drives their songwriting. “We’re always looking to be open-minded though, so who knows what may influence us most in our music in the near future” Brandyn tells me. After starting to play together about a year ago, the five have grown a strong hometown support in Dundee. But now since they are releasing more material sooner and faster, their audience have expanded and “hopefully that will keep continuing to grow with the more we continue to do as a band” Blair hopes.

“We think (Addicted) best captures our performance styles as individuals in the band out of our released material to date. Pounding drum beats, driving bass and rhythm guitar lines, transcendent lead guitar work and captivating, pulsating vocals all blend together to form ‘Addicted’. It’s full of drive and energy throughout and we’re looking forward to playing it live in the very near future.”

-Blair Nicol (drummer for the Rogues) 4.30.2019

The comparison of Arctic Monkeys and the Roques can be connected to their pulsating mix of Pop and Rock… But why are they so good? I believe this question can be answered by recognizing their acceptance of experimenting with sounds that are never something that they are not. In other words, they are just straight-up talented musicians who know exactly what they want to do with whatever they make. What Do You See? and Fear Me are both fantastic and creative tracks, and so is Addicted. They are also well written, which I give Brandyn credit for making. Not a lot of bad things can be said about good music, and this is exactly what the Rogues are releasing… Good music.

“Since starting out as a band last year, we’ve dipped into a lot of different genres/influences within our material such as Indie, psychedelic rock, darker indie rock etc. Importantly, we want to show that our music is unique to ourselves as a band and not a copy or remake of music that has been heard before so in terms of the direction we want to head in, I think it’s just a case of continuing to be ourselves within our music and not setting limitations on ourselves as a band and seeing where our future music naturally takes us.”

-Theo Middleton (Rythm Guitarist)

Cammy is looking forward to the Roques next releases, which he tells me that they’re hoping to have a debut EP recorded and released by the end of 2019. “We’ll also have a variety of gigs lined up throughout the rest of the year with our next one being a headline slot in Dundee on 10th May which we’re very excited for” Cammy tells me.

I would like to thank Brandyn Mahmood (vocalist), Theo Middleton (rhythm guitarist), Jamie Wilde (lead guitarist), Cammy Duncan (bass guitarist), and Blair Nicol (drummer) for reaching out to me for a review. If you like what you hear then keep up to date with their progress going forward on Unedited’s page on Facebook and Instagram. Additionally, please go like and follow their Facebook page and listen to their music on Spotify! Have a good night everyone!

thumbnail_59C9A1EBCA4C423FA5BC5716C844517B — Addicted (2019) by The Roques

Overall: 5/5

Addicted: 5/5

Fear Me: 5/5

What Do You See?: 5/5

Top Song: Addicted (2019)

Sarah May [unedited] Music Review

Posted on April 6, 2019April 6, 2019 Posted in Indie RockTagged Music, Pop, Sarah May, Singer/Songwriter, UKLeave a comment

Sarah May on YouTube

Since the day Sarah May emailed me for a review, it has been a pleasure to talk to her. I have learned a lot more of her writing process and general things about her through what she has talked to me about. As a writer, it makes this review not only easier to write but also helps me write about more than just what I think about her music.

I am pretty sure it is safe for me to say that mostly all musicians get inspired to make music the same way, and that is they just feel like that’s their meaning of life. Sarah adds, “there have been times when I’ve suddenly just stopped making it and I guess the inspiration to pick it up again is just that I love music so much, creating it and listening to it. It just takes you away from reality sometimes.” Typically, when something that triggers a “very strong emotion” is when Sarah gets influenced to write her songs. “It is a way of telling my story in a melodic way, rather than just ranting about it to anyone who will listen,” she tells me. She has a very diverse fan base she tells me, and she has a hard time knowing what she wants her target audience to be most of the time. “I have some very dedicated followers, who have supported me for years, and have always encouraged me to continue doing music, when I, myself, have wanted to give up,” says Sarah.

“Song writing helps me release and reveal a vulnerability that I am otherwise too guarded to often express in other (healthy) ways.”

-Sarah May (12/9/2018)

Sarah tells me that she has “a lot of talented friends” who she has been fortunate to collaborate with, and most of these musicians have had a lot of success in the industry. As a musician, she is very raw with her writing. In this way she is a lot like Kelly Clarkson, as to say she really doesn’t hold anything back during her writing process. I don’t prefer to listen to this kind of music usually because it makes me uncomfortable regardless of what is said. However, I am happy that musicians like Sarah feel comfortable being so vulnerable and open, it is certainly something I don’t think I would ever feel okay with doing. With that said, Sarah seems to have a different approach that as a casual songwriter I really am intrigued by. “The point of (Because I Turned You Down) is actually to ruffle a few feathers!… I have been performing Because I Turned You Down for many years now, so I’m aware of how shocking and uncomfortable that may feel to people -and I’m sorry to say- particularly guys. And I guess that is the whole point of it, to highlight how uncomfortable it is to be put in this kind of situation!,” Sarah remarks. The idea of making the listener feel something in one way or another seems to be a theme throughout most of Sarah’s songs, and this is mostly because all of her songs are unfortunate things that have happened to her in life. Another example is the song Nothing to You, which is about a guy Sarah was seeing for a few months but then he stopped talking to her in general. She wrote the song to mend what had happened, but also to reflect on how much she hated this continuous pattern in her life. This song, is meant to raise awareness to how frustrating this pattern is in modern day dating. Oops and Fly seem to be emotion provoking as well, but I have yet to learn more about the songs. Either way I believe this description I have provided is a good summary of her music.

“I’ve come a long way both personally and in my musical career, so I just want to continue doing what I am doing.”

-Sarah

Sarah wants to devote herself more into her music, “I feel like in the past I was always finding other distractions and excuses to stray away from it, probably because it can be quite painful and downright terrifying to completely immerse myself into it,” she tells me. As far as I know at the moment, I am not sure when the next single or production is to come out for Sarah. I will keep everyone updated on social media however!

I would like to sincerely thank Sarah for the continued communication, it really helps me keep up with her musical journey! I would appreciate if my readers like my Facebook page for updates, and for you guys to subscribe to her YouTube and Facebook pages too!!! Have a nice night!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

JAY_7526 (4)_InPixio_InPixio — Nothing to You *(2018) by Sarah May*

Overall: 4.3/5

Fly: 4.5/5

Oops: 4/5

Because I Turned You Down: 4/5

Nothing To You: 4.5/5

Top Song: Nothing to You (2018)

Come the Spring [unedited] Music Review

Posted on April 4, 2019April 4, 2019 Posted in Rock, SpotifyTagged alternative, Alternative Rock, Indie Rock, Music, UK1 Comment

It’s not too often that you find bands like Come The Spring who are so passionate about their work even with a small fan base. Rather it be Sam Caddock belting out ardent lyrics, or Simon Goodrick and David Gamage setting the hard rock background for Sam… They know exactly what message they want to say, and exactly how to say it. They have produced a sound that has evolved over time, and are still improving that sound. These guys are truly something special, because of all this.

Come the Spring tell me that they are inspired by “old stuff!” They were all in bands for a while and all played in the hardcore scene prior to creating this band. They are inspired by basically everything, “I think as writers we’re influenced by everything we hear whether we like it or not. I can hear a beat in an advert and want to crowbar it in to a track we’re working on” David tells me.

“They say if you admit it, then it’s easy to accept…”

–13 Months

First things first, these guys are bold and raw… And I really like that! But they haven’t always been like that, they were at one point just like any other rock band… One-dimensional. Their debut album was Seven for a Secret (2013), Sam’s voice was miles from what it sounds like today. But this album didn’t suck either way… Yes, they were still exploring how they wanted to sound… But it wasn’t that bad. Compared to Echoes, Seven for a Secret relied more on vocals for the song’s beat and the vocals sounded more dominating then the background. In other words, the vocals seemed to slightly overpower the instrumental section of some of the songs. Two years later they came out with Revive, which sounds more like a screamo album. Discluding the last two songs, Sam’s voice sounds like he’s screaming more than singing aggressively. Maps and Home, Sick and Tired are my highlights from this album. Then there’s Echoes from last year, and what an album it is. I absolutely love their sound in this album, it’s a progressive landmark. My highlights for this album are 13 Months, Better Now, and For What It’s Worth. The band’s favorite songs change constantly, but during the time of the interview Brighton and the Blues or 24 were their favorites.

“Emotionally charged in every aspect of their musicality… massive talent, delivered with high quality, well-produced tracks.”

-Post Punk Press

At the moment, I am not sure where David and the band are at on their journey. One thing is sure, they still are loving every minute of what they are doing. They are probably continuing to write and perform. They could be releasing new music any day now, so please please stay tuned!

I would like to thank Pete Baldwin from Ambicon Music and David Gamage for the request to review Come the Spring, what a band they’ve got! I will certainly be spreading CTS’s name around social media and the UMB network, so if you like what you hear please follow them any way you can! And of course follow Unedited’s Facebook page for future updates!!

For What’s It’s Worth *(2018)* *by Come The Spring*

Overall: 4.5/5

Echoes: 5/5

Revive: 4/5

Seven for a Secret: 4.5/5

Top Song: 13 Months (2018)

Glass Peaks [unedited] Music Review

Posted on March 14, 2019May 31, 2019 Posted in RockTagged Alternative Rock, Glass Peaks, Indie Rock, Music, UKLeave a comment

Glass Peaks
(Original UMB Review)

https://open.spotify.com/artist/0ZsGh2oWN3ogufnBgS0JWp?si=CgAOfPgXSx2OEMyC9msHkg

Imagine a band with the sound of The Howl & The Hum, Only Shadows, and a little Radiohead. Then, imagine Edgar Allan Poe writing songs. Now mix the two together, and what do you get… Glass Peaks of course! Let’s look into these dark masterminds’ collection, spanning all the way back from 2017…W

At around 11 years old Alf (songwriter) learned how to play the piano with future intentions to write his own songs. The piano didn’t prove to be as much help as the guitar with these intentions, which he learned to play a few years later. “My dad then brought home a copy of ‘Hail To The Thief‘ by Radiohead from work and it blew my mind. I think that was when I decided I really wanted to make music”, Alf tells me. Jake (guitarist) was obsessed with BB King and Jimi Hendrix when he first picked up the guitar, but he started and continues to play because of bands like the Arctic Monkeys and the Foals. I unfortunately could not get these questions to Grant (drummer). These two did tell me that they also struggle to write about something that’s either not rememberable or emotional. GP’s fan base are made up of people who connect with their music on a personal level and/or love the boy’s music.

“I started writing a tune at 11.30pm in a friends garden recently because they have this awesome tree that looks like it could be straight off the beach in Malibu, except they live in a freezing, grey part of South East London – I really enjoyed the irony in that imagery.”
Alf

It is extremely hard for me to say which song I like on all levels, so I decided I would answer that question according to the reason each song is my favorite. I will start with the fascinatingly written song and just so happens to be the most recent song, Misery. According to their album teaser on Facebook tells me that the song was influenced by Psycho‘s character Paul Sheldon. These teasers also portray the darkness behind each line written, and the raw emotion driven in each word sung. This is also Alf’s favorite song, “if I’m ever really pissed off about anything in particular, I usually let it all out in the aggression of that track. Playing it live is a nice way to relieve tension!”. Hold Me Closer is my favorite song that reminds me of their influences, the song is like a good mix of the Foals vocals and Radiohead background. This Foals and Radiohead mix is a great combo, and it’s something that Glass Peaks have seem to master (especially in this song). I’m Okay is my first single I heard by GP, and it showed me the intriguing style. It also is a song unlike I ever heard lyrically, exploring the darkness behind discovering who you are (this is not the actual meaning to the song, this is my interpretation). The last song that I will talk about is Speak and Spell, which I appreciate how all ends of the band connect in this song. In most of the songs either it is the vocals slightly overwhelming the background or vice versa, but in this song they both seem to equal each other. This reason is why it is my favorite Glass Peaks song that is now streaming.

What is the most meaningful song you’re either working on or have already released?
Interview Question

“For me personally, it’s a track entitled ‘I Never Really Left’ that we’re currently demoing. I wrote the lyrics in about 20 minutes in my lunch break at work. They just fell out of me. I had so much to say about something really shitty that I was going through at the time and writing that tune was like a source of intense therapy for me. It’s also one of my favourites to play live despite the subject matter being quite upsetting/difficult to sing about sometimes. “
Alf

“It has to be ‘I’m Okay’, it’s such a belter. I and Alf sat on my bed after we went from a 4 piece to a 3 piece and just wrote everything we felt on a bit of paper, and we just tried to be as honest as we could. If you ever see us play that song live, you can hear the emotion in our voices at the end.”
Jake|

The boys are experimenting with electronic ideas for the future which they’re eager to put into their sound, it’s something they want to expand on their rock roots. In other words, they want “to sound as much like Radiohead as we can, without getting caught out” Jake summarizes. They are planning to release more music then they did last year, which was due to improving their live performances. Jake aims to get 5 tracks out this year, and this includes the release of Misery.

I would like to thank Alf and Jake for taking their time to answer these questions, their answers were awesome. I would like to thank the boys for remaining awesome, and I am extremely excited to see what tracks are coming in the future! Now go listen to their music and like them on Facebook!!

Overall: 4.5/5

Misery: 5/5

(Don’t) Ask Me to Dance: 4/5

Hold Me Closer: 5/5

I’m Okay: 5/5

Speak and Spell: 5/5

Top Song: Speak and Spell (2017)

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Being [unedited] Music Review

Posted on February 21, 2019November 14, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Alternative Rock, Atmospheric, Being, Chill, Haunting, UKLeave a comment

Being
Original UMB Review
[unedited]

Within a tone of darkness, Being seems to have a lot of room for a deep understanding of things a lot of musicians struggle portraying in other genres. “We write songs from a very authentic place, looking retrospectively at real-life events that are often uncomfortable to talk about,” they tell me. Their vocals are unlike any other I have heard, and are meant to be very raw and authentic. Rage is a perfect depiction of what Being is trying to symbolize, and I believe they’ve successfully done this within their music video.

To the two who form Being, music is a form of natural self-expression that has turned into a necessary part of their lives. “It’s a part of who we are and always will be,” they explain to me. After announcing their debut album shortly following our interview in November 2017, the two have played a show in Iceland in March 2018 as well as shows across the UK. Other events that happened after our interview was the release of Rage’s music video, which came out on 11/17/2019.

“We don’t consciously have a genre in mind when we write so we find it hard to define ourselves in a specific genre, we just make music that’s genuine to us. Once after a show once we got described as ‘dark but interesting’ and we think that’s a very good description of what we do.”
Being (11/3/2017)

Every band has a very unique element and/or voice, and that’s usually what makes the most profound musicians go far in the music industry. Being are grateful to depict to their listeners and fans their dark tone. They are content to release personable and minimalistic music, such as Over which has a very intense feel to it’s music video. “It’s written from the perspective of suffering from a long term illness which I’m now fully recovered from”, one of the two tells me (name possibly will be released ASAP). Happy Miserable (their debut album) is exactly what they were going for, raw and provoking. Rage and Tempers are my highlights, however, the other tracks (Don’t and Run for Your Life) are great too. Following this album release, Healthy was released on May 7th of 2018. Healthy is another raw track with the same minimal beat as Rage, as well as provoking thoughts of what is actually healthy within the lyrics such as “I love/ To hate you”.

This year has seem to bring a new sound to their creations, including You Saw Me which has become my new favorite (with Rage being a close second). These tracks (You Saw Me, For the Taking, and Brittle) were all recently released in the last 6 months, has a new element added to their sound. This component is an acoustic guitar. Rather it is distorted (like in You Saw Me, and Brittle), or simplistically strummed (like in For the Taking)… The guitar ultimately fits Being’s puzzle, and actually makes their music more intriguing to listen to.

“We feel our songs are honest moments of reflection and melancholy and the musical ambience underneath the vocals compliment the emotions and the atmosphere of the songs well.”

There is no doubt that Being has certainly pulled me into their music as I write this review, they seem to challenge people to think and somewhat meditate while listening. Being are dedicated to continue to explore new sounds, travel with their music, and potentially gain a bigger audience. However, right now I guess Being and I are content to produce for themselves and others who are willing to explore our work. Which you can’t help but to admire.

I would like to thank these guys for reaching out, and I want to say thank you to whoever reads and/or listens to their music. I hope you enjoy both productions. These guys are beyond intriguing to me, so I will gladly be updating this article with more reviews of future tracks in the future!