Kinda Cool Magazine: Issue 09

issue 09

BEARS IN TREES

discuss creating connections with fans growing from the past with

JETTY BONES

DE’WAYNE

on blending and redefining genres

revitalizing the past + exploring the future with

RICKY MONTGOMERY

Editor-in-Chief Mary Perez Art Director Rebekah Witt Cover photo courtesy of Alondra Buccio

Contributors Mia Andrea, Polina Bakgof, Ravyn Cavanaugh, Gianna Cicchetti, Meg Clemmensen, JenaRose Dahlstrom, Lexie Dopwell, Emily Ellis, Ashley Gallegos, Sophie Harris, Adrienne Joelle, Caitlin Joy, Emily Lantzy, Cailley Leader, Faith Logue, Vic Maltese, Katie Marks, Jessica Matilszki, Lexi Matuson, Caitlyn McGonigal, Natalie Melendez, McKenzie Moore, Emilia Rangel, Emily Richardson, Piper Rosas, Cris Rulli, Ibbi Schwartz, Leeann Spangler, Mallory Thompson, Chelsea Tiso, Devyn Vaughan, Hannah Wayland, Mickayla Whitt, Emily Wilson, Tanya Wright, Anna Xu, Emily Young

A special thank you to our Patreon supporters, Jaidyn and Teriann!

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contents

40 issue 09 • march 2021

4 ���������������������������������� UNDISCOVERED

24 ������������������������������������������DE'WAYNE

6 �������������������������������������������Jetty Bones

32 ���������������������������������� Top 20 of 2020

14 ������������������������������������������������������� NIVA

40 ����������������������������Ricky Montgomery

16 ���������������������������������������Bears In Trees

50 ���������������������������������Remote (Deluxe)

23 ������������������������������������������ DEMIDEVIL

52 ������������ Young Artists in the Industry

UNDISCOVERED Since the beginning of KCM, our team has worked to highlight some of our favorite artists, big or small. One of our favorite parts of this magazine is bringing light to talented musicians that we believe are the next big thing. Given that many artists rely on touring and physical sales to make any sort of income, the pandemic has greatly affected their ability to continue pursuing music professionally.

Even the tiniest actions, such as adding their songs to playlists or following them on social media, can be extremely impactful for these artists. In honor of February being Black History Month, our team chose to celebrate by dedicating our entire Undiscovered section to some of our favorite Black artists. So, without further ado, we are absolutely thrilled to present some of our favorite rising artists!

Words by Caitlyn McGonigal, Adrienne Joelle, and Rebekah Witt

KAYSHAWN Hailing from Charleston, South Carolina, Kayshawn has forged a path in the pop realm that’s been characterized by dreamy instrumentals, relatable lyrics, and intricate storytelling. Though still relatively new to the scene, Kayshawn’s proven to be a force to be reckoned with. His debut single, “Save Your Love,” has been streamed over half a million times on Spotify alone since its release in 2018. With the release of his latest track, “Heartbreak Hotel (Reimagined),” Kayshawn takes the listener on a journey as he recalls themes of heartbreak, moving on, and letting go. As Kayshawn weaves intricate imagery into his lyrics, he’s begun to craft a universe in his music that fans find themselves excited to get lost in. It’s safe to say that he’s off to an incredibly strong start, and what he has planned for the future will only further his success.

Photo by Blakely Lovett

@kayshawnmccoy

SWIMMING WITH BEARS Austin, Texas-based quartet Swimming With Bears seamlessly bridges the gap between indie rock and alt-pop. With infectiously catchy instrumentals and lyrics that are impossible not to sing along to, the group has carved out a corner of the scene that’s familiar but innovative all the same. Their self-titled 2019 EP showcases the band’s versatility in just four songs through its powerful vocals, clever lyrics, and intricate production. The group’s latest release, “Crystal Punch,” proves that they’re capable of evolving their sound in a way that’s exciting for old and new fans alike to engage with. Bringing back the classic indie rock sound of the early 2010s in a way that’s never heard before is no easy task, but it’s one Swimming With Bears has succeeded at with ease. They’ll undoubtedly be at the forefront of the alt-rock scene in the near future. @swimmingwithbears @swimwithbears

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Photo by Ismael Quintanilla III

YUNO Soothing reverb and dream pop drums are nothing new for Jacksonville, Florida artist Yuno. His eclectic style incorporates elements of pop, rock, R&B, and hip hop smoothly. Despite being achieved from the comfort of his bedroom, each work of his is polished to perfection to share. A lot of his music embodies an easy, carefree state of mind, and it’s no doubt that his soft vocals will take you there. This is true for track “No Going Back,” which has amassed over 26 million streams on Spotify. Yet, his latest single “Somebody” is a guitar-driven, punk song that leaves Yuno reminiscing on his past life, capturing parallels between his present and past self. This goes to show that there are no boundaries for what Yuno can and cannot do: he is a true artist no matter the genre, and his music should be heard. @yvnx

@yvno

Photo by Jordanna Koffsky

HANNAH JADAGU Hannah Jadagu’s indie-pop music is the product of growing up in a small town, just outside of Dallas, Texas, with an iPhone and GarageBand. The 18 year old singer/songwriter/producer just released her single “Think Too Much” and is preparing to release her fully self-produced debut EP later this spring, all while working through her first year at New York University.

“Think Too Much” is a charming combination of soft instrumentals with vulnerable lyrics. Jadagu has described the song as a “special anthem for conquering fears and doubts.” With the hook “I think too much, it’s all in your head,” plus the laid-back beats behind it, it’s hard to not relax.

Jadagu just signed to Sub Pop Records last month and is just getting started in her already promising music career.

Photo by Ebru Yildiz

@hangrammm

@hannahjadagu

MILOE Minnesota-based artist Bobby Kabeya, more commonly known by his stage name Miloe, is already making waves in the indie rock scene at only 19 years old. His latest EP, Greenhouse, has upbeat melodies and catchy lyrics that perfectly represent the warm, bubbly feeling of summer.

Miloe spent the first 8 years of his life in Congo and draws inspiration from the African music he grew up around, along with influence from his musical parents, who met at their church choir. Greenhouse was partially produced by Hippo Campus members Jake Luppen and Nathan Stocker, explaining its similarities to Hippo Campus’ music. A standout track on the EP is single “Winona,” an upbeat love song with lyrics referencing a girlfriend that resembles Winona Ryder. Outside of the EP, he is featured on Cavetown’s song “Let Me Feel Low,” and was meant to open for Beach Bunny’s tour before it was canceled due to the pandemic. Miloe has a bright future ahead of him and you don’t want to miss it.

Photo by Emma Quale

@miloemusic

the UNDISCOVERED playlist

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JETTY BONES pushes back the past

She’s a few well-received EPs into her career, but Kelc Galluzzo, aka Jetty Bones, will soon be exploring new territory with the release of her very first LP. Push Back is a response to coping with her own mental health and trauma. It serves as her most diverse, progressive piece yet, as it assists in healing her own demons and hopefully providing comfort to her fans. In the middle of such an intense climate with the lack of live music or connective opportunities, many of the themes Galluzzo delves into have been widely felt by those in isolation from the people and things they love. During our conversation, Galluzzo didn’t hold back any of the emotions or experiences inspiring her musical themes. She makes it clear that she’d rather the world know her struggles than to shelter her inner demons from reaching her public persona. This record is a means of further humanizing herself, she states, as we discuss recent changes in her musical genres, label, and background concepts bringing substance to her upcoming LP. Throughout its eleven tracks, Galluzzo speaks to very specific places she’s been as a means to move on from those mindsets. Though she admits she’s always learning, growing, and adapting, quarantine seems to have given her the opportunity to become the most evolved version of herself yet. Without further ado, please be introduced to the mastermind at work behind Jetty Bones.

Interview by Meg Clemmensen Photos courtesy of Lindsey Byrnes For starters - your first full-length record is coming out soon! How are you feeling about that?

I thought I would be a little bit more nervous than I am. I’m definitely touching on some new genres on this record, so any kind of sound change is always nerve-wracking. The response to the new single has been so good and everyone has been so supportive that now I’m excited. I’m just really, really excited!

And you’ve been making music for a while now, so everyone has been waiting for this!

Yes! I think that it does make the genre shift a little more interesting, because this is the first time in any band that I’ve been in that I get to create a complete full-length package and product and idea sonically, lyrically, visually, everything. It’s super exciting! It’s like I get to have my first kid, and all the others were just practise!

When I was listening to the pre-release, I definitely noticed the genre difference. It sounds similar to what you explored on your last EP with dipping into a few pop and rock subgenres. Did you intend for that to happen?

When I started this project several years ago, I kind of had it in my head that I wanted to be able to put out any song that sounded like any genre at any given time, and people would say “Oh, it’s different, but that’s Jetty Bones.” I think because of the bands we were touring with and the music that I was listening to, I put myself into a box, so when I was writing poppier songs, I would rush them off and say “I can’t use this.” With the Hyphen EP, I wanted to test some stuff. I had some songs that said things that I felt were important and people needed to hear, so I put those songs out there. Because the fanbase responded so well to those, I really think it empowered me to feel confident with this next album.

Especially when you’re working for yourself, it’s the best time to dabble in genre, right? So you

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know you’re never going to be held back by that.

I think it’s definitely a good thing to start that experimentation early on.

Right! I also think something that played into it a lot is that when I started this project, I’d been collaborating with different friends, bands, and artists the whole time. This record was the first one where I really wrote most of it and then took it to a producer and went to the studio by myself, so the outside influence is far less on this record. The longer I’ve been in what is technically a solo project, the more I’ve been able to develop what my music sounds like without outside influence.

Absolutely! Your songs have a history of being ultra-personal in speaking about mental health and traumas. How is that theme reciprocated in Push Back?

I think that a really important aspect of this record is that the last two releases for me have been a trauma recovery journey. I’ve been very open about the abusive relationship I was in, and now I’m done. I’m not writing about what happened to me anymore; I’m writing about the stuff that I already struggled with. It seems a little contradictory that me writing an album that deals so much with my mental health and struggles with thoughts of suicide, anxiety, and depression is a forward step for me, but I’m writing about things I’ve struggled with my whole life, things that I’ve always been passionate about connecting with people about and erasing the stigma surrounding them. I feel like my abusive relationship was kind of a distraction from that. Writing about these things that are more personal and the things that happened in my head feels like progress to me, even though they’re so vulnerable and the record is so dark if you listen to it. I think people are going to think of it as a step backwards - you get it because you’ve heard the record!

I do! And sometimes the best way to move forward is just talking openly about it. The press release I have in front of me actually mentions how the record is like two versions of yourself coming together and coexisting. Was that concept intentional?

It was not intentional at the beginning. As I started pulling the songs together that I liked the most and figuring out what the general theme of the record was, which is essentially just the general theme of

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what I’ve been struggling with, I was having a really hard time coming to terms with the public perception of me versus who I felt like I was. Generally, people do that when the public’s perception is bad. Mine was the complete opposite! You can call it imposter syndrome, you can just call it having poor mental health and low self-esteem. I wasn’t taking care of myself, so being someone who is such an advocate for survivors and just being adamant about your mental health when I wasn’t doing that at all just made me feel like such a fraud. There’s a lot of stuff on the record that talks about feeling like I’m a total

phony or tricking people. It is scary to think about how people are going to interpret that aspect of it, but for me, it was just trying to accept that I’m actually capable of doing something good and that maybe I am making a difference, maybe I do have something to say. I’m still working through it, and I realize that the more interviews I do, the more I’m going to have to figure out more about myself at the same time.

With the world being in lockdown for a little while now, are these songs you decided to share a product of this idea of being by yourself and being isolated?

I actually recorded this record in January of 2020! So I already had it ready. However, I do think that quarantine and being in isolation and really being disconnected from that community we’ve built around our live shows and around the fans that we have... I was never tapping back into the person that people saw me as. I kind of just stopped using the internet, and a lot of people went through some not-good feelings last year, but I think in a weird way, it was good because I had to just be with myself and figure my shit out, which I’m not sure if I would’ve done if we were still on tour. I think I would’ve just been hiding behind a merch table and then crying by myself in the van.

By going through that and finally getting these songs out, do you feel like you’re going to be in a healthier place whenever tour happens again?

I think so. I think that my biggest goal with this record is that it starts from the perspective of how I thought people were seeing me, the perspective of the person that people want me to be. Then it brings people all the way down to me at my absolute worst so people might not like the sound, and they

might not like some of the things that I’m saying on this record, but the whole point of it is to humanize myself — because I’m a human. I absolutely do not have my shit together, I don’t have anything figured out, and I’m probably feeling emotionally worse than pretty much everybody else on any given day. I don’t want the narrative of who I am to be somebody who is a guiding light and has it figured out. I want it to be someone who is just trying really hard, just like everyone else is.

And I feel like most of your music is very humanizing, so I feel like the album is really similar, just from a growth approach.

Yes, that makes sense!

I guess I haven’t thought about it from that perspective. I think maybe the thing that makes this record different to me is that I’m writing about things I struggle with on a daily basis instead of putting out a record that, by the time it comes out, I’ve figured out how to move beyond a certain issue.

Can you tell me about one song on the record that you’re most excited and/or anxious for people to hear?

Ooh, let’s see. Excited and anxious are two very different ways.

Really? Sometimes, it’s the same, you never know!

Right! You know why this question is hard to answer? Because they all sound so different like they fit together as a record, but individually, the songs all sound pretty different, so I have a different reason that I’m excited for everyone to hear each song. Like, there’s a song that has Eric from Heart Attack Man, who I’m great friends with, and I think when people hear that or notice that, they’re gonna freak out and be excited. So that’s fun! But then “Bad Trick,” the second-to-last song on the record, sonically, I love

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the way that song sounds. If I didn’t write it, I would still listen to it. “Ravine” sounds like an Adele song.

There are different reasons, so I guess the answer is that I’m most excited for people to hear whatever song on the record ends up meaning the most to them.

Definitely! You mentioned the Heart Attack Man feature - I think that one is going to be a fan favorite for sure!

When we announced the tracklist, I saw one person be like “Excuse me... Eric... Egan... from Heart Attack Man? On the Jetty Bones record? What is happening?” It got no retweets so I was like, “I’ll just save it for release day!”

This is your first release under your recent signing to Rise Records, correct? How has that been treating you?

Correct! It’s been going great! I absolutely love everybody at the label; there are actually people who came to work for the label that I’ve known for a long time around the same time we were signing, so it was just like dream things coming together. My favorite part about being signed to Rise Records is that there are a lot of people who only listen to metal music who seem very confused as to why I’m on the label, so every once in a while, someone will say something along the lines of “This is not a Rise band; this is not metalcore... why do I like this?”

Diversity in a label is a good thing, I think, and working with Rise is definitely a step towards a bigger reach.

I was working with Take This To Heart before, and Joe, who owns that label, his big saying is “Helping smaller bands get to a better place.” He does a really amazing job with that.

What song on the new record do you think is going to sound the best live once concerts make a comeback? Do you have any ideas for performances?

Yes! I have something that we’re already figuring out, and I don’t want to give away the secret so we have the shock factor of how we bring these songs to life. I definitely think the song “Nothing” is going to be the most fun live. We’re gonna be dancing. I’m gonna be singing like Cher just spit me out of her mouth. I can’t wait [because] that’s gonna be the most fun one live.

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While you’ve been in quarantine, waiting for things to go back to normal, have you picked up any of the quarantine hobbies everyone’s been talking about, like baking or crafting?

No, I’m boring! I’ve basically been working three different jobs this entire quarantine, trying to make sure that I don’t fall behind and that I’m still able to tour. Touring and selling merch is really what pays the bills when you’re in a band! I’ve basically been working a day job nonstop. But, I’m a pretty crafty, jack-of-all-trades person as it is, so I’ve had a lot of opportunities to give advice or help other friends who are starting stuff like that, so that’s been a fun aspect of it. Basically, I’m just very boring!

I can imagine it’s been difficult for all artists right now. Do you think that releasing Push Back will help get things going again?

Yeah, it’s going to be kind of a double-edged sword.

I’m very fortunate that I’m working with a team that’s keeping me moving and rolling and will have something for me to do after the record is out, but through my worst depressive periods of 2020, this record coming out at some point and being around for that was kind of what was pulling me forward. I’m very much of an “Okay, what’s next” person, and I need to really make sure I have something that’s next.

Not to get so emo so fast, but hopefully we’re headed in the right direction with the new vaccine, and some people actually taking it seriously. At least we’ll have something to talk about!

When we’re able to go back to shows, it’s not going to be something that’s taken for granted, that’s for sure.

You know how there are always those kids who went to shows every weekend, but then they grew up and got a job so they just stopped going to shows for a while? And then they just never did it again? I’m really afraid that when shows come back, a lot of people will just be like “Yeah, I don’t do that anymore.”

I don’t know! I feel like a lot of people miss it even more than they did before.

I’m sorry, I’m not trying to be such a negative Nancy!

I think the way that my brain works is that I have to imagine the worst-case scenario or what could go wrong so I’m not totally blindsided when it does. Like I’m always preparing myself for the worst, but that makes it difficult to enjoy the good when it actually swoops in.

I get it. I don’t think shows will be a problem though. Everyone I’ve seen on Twitter and Instagram is itching to go back to that scene. I know, personally, I miss it a lot too!

I think I believe you!

So one thing I wanted to ask about - and it might not even be something you’ve consciously noticed before - but I feel like just in general, you have a very colorful public persona. Everything from your album covers, your vinyl variants, and even your hair - it’s just all so bright and vibrant.

Is that a piece of branding you sought out intentionally?

I don’t know! I’m very bad at branding; I’ve never set out to be like “This is what I’m gonna do and this is what I’m gonna look like.” I’ve always just wanted to be whatever I am and hope people can get on board with it. I do think that there’s a very specific persona that surrounds me and this whole project that has to do with positivity, and I think that brightness and things being colorful kind of ties into that. That might even be part of my world disconnect because I am very glittery and dolled up and everything is bright, colorful, and happy, but when I come home, I don’t wear makeup and I pretty much just wear all black every day and don’t talk to anybody. I think the projection of what I put out there is meant to demonstrate the kindness and empathy of love that you can show others, even when you’re struggling with something that looks the exact opposite. I think that’s a good way to put it. Nobody’s ever asked me that!

Tell me about one moment in your career that you’ve felt the proudest, most accomplished, or just happy with what you’ve done so far.

Oh, I can tell you exactly when it was. We were playing a show in Boston on the Knuckle Puck tour, and there were these amazing young women that were at the show, running around and having a blast. I thought they were there for Knuckle Puck, but I found out they were there to see me.

They connected with my music and trauma I’d experienced, and they had amazing stories to tell.

After I talked to them, I ran back to the green room and grabbed our bassist, and I looked at them and I said, “This is the first time in my life where if I could go back, and go through everything that happened to me, I would. It was worth it. This was worth it.”

I feel like meeting the people who connect with your lyrics would be a very rewarding part of

what you do.

This band gets momentum and then it stops like I’ll disappear. I think that I’m subconsciously selfsabotaging the momentum that we get because I don’t want to lose that, which sounds weird. I’ve been thinking and reflecting on that this year, about why I get so anxious about very simple tasks that would be very good for this project. It’s because there’s nothing in the world that means more to me than the conversations that I have at the merch table. Every single person who talks to me and tells me that they needed this and I made them not feel alone anymore, they don’t realize that them saying that to me alleviates the isolation that I experience too. Connection is a two-way street, and I think a lot of show-goers don’t realize that they’re offering that same connection to the artist that they’re thanking. I miss that.

We’ve already talked about this a little bit, but let’s get something officially on the record for anyone reading this. After the album is out, what will you be working on next?

As soon as the record is out, my job is to be better at engaging with people. Everything I’ve wanted to start or do, I haven’t been able to because the record’s not out yet. I’m always writing and working on creative ideas, but my immediate goal after this is just to find ways to reconnect with people because I can’t physically be there with people. Getting out of your own way is a process.

Push Back is available everywhere come February 26, and you can pre-order physical copies of the album directly through Rise Records. While dabbling in alt-pop, pop rock, and pop punk, Galluzzo lets go of her past — both her traumas outside of her music, as well as any previous genre labels and setbacks she came across while initially developing her band. The record is a true collective of life in its rawest, most unbearable form, as portrayed through the beauty of music that takes its form in whichever way feels right. Galluzzo may be worried about the ultimate reception, but she isn’t willing to spend her life feeling like she has to fit into a mold provided by the music industry that tells her how she should look and sound. She’ll do what she wants by whatever means necessary. Galluzzo was an absolutely lovely person to speak to with some amazing stories to share, and I highly recommend anyone who hasn’t hopped on board with Jetty Bones to start listening now. Follow the band on social media at @ jettybones, and stay in touch with their channels for new music and announcements.

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holding the door open:

HOW NIVA SUPPORTED VENUES DURING THE YEAR OF COVID-19 Words by Mia Andrea Live concerts and performing arts events have been absent for a year now, and the venues that once hosted dedicated artists and fans weekly had to adapt to the nonstop obstacles.

As numerous members of the music community struggled to navigate the pandemic’s challenges, the National Independent Venues Association (NIVA) — an organization dedicated to preserving the live music industry — created the Save Our Stages (SOS) Act. This act provided an opportunity for economic recovery and a solution to a world without live music, and at the time of the SOS Act’s creation, NIVA reported that 90% of independent venues were at risk of permanently shutting down. The music industry was relying on its community like never before.

Fans listened to the industry’s cries for support. They banded together to donate and attend livestream events. One example is the #SOSFest, a weekend-long series of virtual performances from popular artists, including Foo Fighters, Phoebe Bridgers, and Miley Cyrus, all of which were hosted at venues across the United States with NIVA membership. The festival raised nearly $2 million for NIVA’s relief fund, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the passionate rallies from fans, artists and partners.

Throughout NIVA’s journey to success, I personally made an effort to support the organization as much as I was able. I bought merchandise from my favorite local venue — the Crescent Ballroom in my hometown of Phoenix, Arizona — to support their employees and joined the virtual crowds for livestream concerts,

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including the #SOSFest. Concerts were my escape and reliable method of socialization; I felt a strong desire to contribute to the survival of the venues responsible for some of my happiest memories. More than ever before, I felt a stronger connection to the music industry and the individual roles that make up the venues I hold close to my heart. I knew the dedicated music community would keep the industry alive, despite the lack of a physical, communal space to celebrate in.

Some clubs and venues were lucky enough to continue functioning over the last year while others bid farewell to their fans forever. The Satellite in Los Angeles, California hosted some of indie-rock’s most popular artists over its 25 years in business, but it was forced to close after running out of solutions that would keep its doors open. Other venues like Chain Reaction in Anaheim, California and the 9:30 Club in DC still stand on the fine line between survival and closure, hoping to make it to another day without shutting down.

In December 2020, the SOS Act passed as a part of US Congress’ COVID-19 relief bill, ultimately providing the optimism fans craved for the future of live music. But NIVA’s mission of preserving the industry’s ecosystem remains, especially as independent venues attempt to recover from the pandemic’s effects and return to normal. Venues require creative solutions and attention from their community members to keep their doors open, and it's especially up to the fans to recognize how important they can be while supporting.

FINDING ELYSIUM debut single

MIRROR" MIRROR

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keeping safe with

BEARS IN TREES Bears In Trees are a four-piece alternative band from England. Recently, the group signed to Counter Intuitive Records and released an EP entitled Keep Me Safe. I had the chance to meet with them over Zoom and talk to them a little bit about their music and themselves.

Interview by Mickayla Whitt Photos courtesy of Emma Birdsall I really just want to ask how everything is going with you guys with the pandemic. I know it’s hitting the music industry pretty bad, and I wanted to see how all of you are holding up?

Callum Litchfield: Yeah we’ve been handling it quite well. We’ve always been really focused on our social media; online presence has always been important to us. So trying to keep it up over lockdown just meant we had to do things individually rather than as a group. Recently, we’ve been able to kinda get together like we are today, as long as we’re following social distancing. It took a while to kind of get into it, obviously. Before, we were coming in a couple of times a week and working together. Some things we had to work out new ways of working, and I guess taking on more roles that we wouldn’t normally do. It took time, but yeah, we got there.

Nick Peters: I feel like we’re a lot stronger as a unit, and I think we all understand what we have to do to make this band work. The annoying things are stuff like our tour being canceled and postponed a few times. It’s frustrating, but as Callum said, we’ve always had an internet scene, like our community is all online anyway.

Speaking of online presence, I’ve seen you guys have blown up on TikTok. Would you say that having such a big internet presence like the one you have on TikTok helps you connect with your fanbase better?

NP: Yeah, definitely. I think we’ve always prided ourselves on being open and transparent and interacting with people as much as possible. TikTok helped over the pandemic. We have a Discord

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server, and we were doing a weekly game night with everyone on the server. It was really nice. We would kind of chill out and hang out there.

George Berry: I think it gave us more time to kind of focus on TikTok and Discord and things like that and put more of the effort in, which people really appreciate.

CL: Especially over lockdown. We did these weekly game nights with the same people every week who would come. If you’re in the middle of a US state and six hours away from everyone else, you can kind of come to this Discord server and have a little community there. I think, over lockdown, it really helped to create that community which people kind of needed, and it’s nice to be a part of that.

You guys just signed to Counter Intuitive Records, following bands like Mom Jeans and Origami Angel. How does it feel getting signed to a label that has had such well known and successful bands in the past few years?

Iain Gillespie: I freaked out. I freaked out when we got the email. I was like, ‘Noooo,’ because there are some of my favorite bands on there, and like it’s crazy honestly. It was so, so crazy to me.

CL: It’s such a surreal experience. We often get asked like how has it changed being signed, and physically, not that much has changed. Obviously, Counter Intuitive is in Boston, and we haven’t actually met. We didn’t even sign the contract in the same room; we all did it separately on email. Nothing has actually changed. Sometimes you’re sitting on a bus, and you’re like ‘oh, I’m in a signed band!’

On December 11th, you released your first label EP, Keep Me Safe. What are the feelings

surrounding a label-backed EP as opposed to your previous EPs?

of the tunnel. Can you guys talk a little bit more about the inspiration and vibes behind the EP?

NP: I guess, in terms of recording and writing, nothing has changed because the label came on board after we finished recording. But Counter Intuitive has changed it a bit; we’re getting vinyl for our first time, which is hella exciting. [We] can't wait for that.

NP: After releasing I Want To Feel Chaotic, we recorded Keep Me Safe at the same time didn’t order them. I Want to Feel Chaotic is more about coming to terms with all the dark parts of yourself. We wanted the second part to be about putting yourself back together, getting better, and moving forward. It’s definitely got more happy, upbeat tracks, but I think we always have to try and tackle those harder issues and darker parts as well. Especially with the new single that’s coming out, I think that’s a really mature song.

IG: They’ve been able to push it and get it in the right places and to the right people.

CL: A lot of behind the scenes support. As much as we can try to do it ourselves, they’ve helped give us that little step and even more support.

NP: What I think is quite nice is this is the end of the era for Keep Me Safe, but it also feels like the end of our beginnings, everything that’s happened in the last few years. I think it’s quite powerful — it’s almost the last step of everything we’ve done on our own and the first step of everything we’re going to be doing going forward. It’s quite nice that it’s going to be promoted by a label as well.

The EP has a very happy, upbeat vibe, and it’s supposed to be about finding the light at the end

CL: Our songs sound happy and have these bright melodies, and [Nick] said our lyrics are quite important in trying to tackle these subjects. He was saying that moments in life don’t come at you as purely sad or purely happy or purely awful or elation. You kind of have these moments when you’re both happy and sad. Somehow, our music kind of represents the moments in life that come at you in all shapes and sizes through having happy melodies with more in-depth lyrics.

NP: You always have an emotional breakdown the

kindacoolmagazine.com • 17

EP. Yeah, that’s pretty accurate.

CL: The EP as a whole creates this vision of Bears in Trees at that moment in time. Each song gives you something different.

NP: Yeah, we create a world or a snapshot of our lives during those periods of time. I think that’s always going to come across with every song.

Earlier, you mentioned that you had a tour that was planned, and I know it’s hard to make new plans with everything that’s happening.

What are your feelings about getting to play more live shows in the future and getting to actually play for an audience?

day before the best day of your life.

So you guys always call yourselves a ‘dirtbag boy band,’ so would you guys say that describes your genre than actually putting yourself under a label and sticking with one genre?

NP: I think it does. The thing is the genres that work for us especially are restrictive, and they kind of force you in or out of certain scenes. There’s a lot of elitists that are like, “No, you’re not this” or “No, you’re not that,” and we’re just trying to do what we want to do and have fun. I think your ‘local dirtbag boy band’ shows we’re doing it all ourselves; we’re just trying to have fun and make music. Maybe we’re not the cleanest, shiniest people in the world, but we’re definitely just having a good time.

IG: The first time we played live, we had like 15 thousand monthly listeners? We were much smaller, and every time we played, it was getting bigger and bigger and bigger and more crazy seeing people we’ve never met singing our songs back at us. We had a tour planned, and it’s now a bigger tour that’s going to be happening a little bit later in the future. Just thinking about it is crazy.

GB: I think it’s going to be a big surprise for us.

We’ve not toured or played live for so long it could be quite different.

NP: And like Iain said, the tour got upgraded during the pandemic because it sold out already, which was really exciting. We sold out everything so quickly [that] they were like “Well, we’ve got to give you bigger stages.”

CL: One of them is now a 500 cap venue which is insane.

Is there a song from the EP that you guys think represents what you guys are trying to achieve as a band?

NP: We’ve gone from like 50 cap to 500 cap.

CL: I wanna say “Laugh/Cry.”

NP: Just having anyone, even our friends singing back at us, is so heartwarming and exciting and crazy cool. Every time you see a stranger doing it, it’s even more so.

NP: I wanna say “Ibuprofen.”

GB: I was gonna say “It Gets Better.”

IG: Then I’ll say “Seaside!”

NP: Each person is picking a different song from the

18 • kinda cool.

CL: I don't even think I can picture it.

IG: Obviously a lot of the songs we haven’t played live yet. We don’t know how they’re going to work live; we still have to work that out, whether they’ll work well live at all.

GB: Well, now you’re scaring me.

Every time I see you guys promoting yourself, I see stuff like “For fans of The Front Bottoms” and bands similar to them. However, you guys have your own unique sound. Is there something about you guys that you feel makes you guys unique?

CL: We once got a message on Instagram from a fan, and it said “I really want to start a band but can’t find anyone who likes the same music as me.” What I found interesting about that was that they were trying to find someone who liked the same music so they could form a band and create the same music they liked, but whereas while we all like the same bands, we also have such different music tastes.

IG: Wildly different.

CL: Somehow they come together to form this sound, which represents itself in Bears in Trees. I think that’s why it’s so hard for us to pick a genre.

We didn’t come together and were like, “We’re going to be the best indie-pop band ever.” We just came together and thought “We’re four friends: let’s write some music and see where that gets us.”

GB: I think that’s the key. Like we mentioned, we were all friends before it all, and it was like four friends who just wanted to have a bit of fun and make music.

CL: How about The Wombats and Walk the Moon with us?

NP: That'd be a pretty sick tour.

CL: What I can say is it would be good.

Was there anything about the EP or just about the upcoming years you’d like to say to your fans?

NP: I think 2021 is going to be a good year.

GB: I think we’re excited for it, and everyone else should be as well.

CL: We’re so incredibly lucky to come out of a year like 2020 that’s been so difficult for so many bands and people losing their jobs. We came out of it being able to release an EP signed to a record label. We’re so lucky and happy to be where we are, and we can't wait for everything to come next year and the years after. A massive thank you to everyone who has been there from the beginning or those who joined because they saw us on their For You Page.

2021 is going to be great.

Bears in Trees is quickly on the way to becoming everyone’s new favorite band. Make sure to check out their new EP Keep Me Safe and keep your eyes peeled for the future!

NP: We wanted to make music before we made any specific type of music. We hadn’t even listened to each other's music taste before making music with each other. I think all of our different experiences and stuff coming together makes unique stuff.

I personally have to know: what’s your dream tour lineup?

NP: We talk about this a lot. We just don’t know.

CL: Well okay so, when we first started and became Bears in Trees, I was like, “We need to do The Bear Tour.” It’d be Bears in Trees, Eliza and the Bear, Bears Den, throw in Beartooth. That’s probably the best answer we can give you.

GB: We all would want different things.

kindacoolmagazine.com • 19

Twin XL • February 2020

by Mallory Thompson

by Jessica Matilszki

Rainbow Kitten Surprise • September 2019

by Leeann Spangler

The Regrettes • October 2019

ASHNIKKO’S debut album: the DEMIDEVIL on your shoulder Words by Cailley Leader Delivering DEMIDEVIL was not an easy feat for pig-tailed enigma Ashnikko, also known as Ashton Nicole Casey. After being set to release in October 2020, the album was pushed back to February 2021, but copies of the album were sent to fans accidentally in January, and she consequently released the album to the public a month earlier than she planned. The chaos didn’t deter Ashnikko though, and her debut album delivers old-school nostalgia and new-school empowerment on a pink and blue platter.

The album begins with her single “Daisy,” a banger based on a fictional character of Casey’s creation. Daisy, portrayed by Casey, dons latex bodysuits and platform heels while destroying the patriarchy. A lot is riding on the first track of an album because it’s the first thing you hear, and “Daisy” does not disappoint. With an extremely catchy beat and lyrics like “I’m crazy, but you like that / I bite back,” Daisy succeeds at being a perfect introduction to the rest of the album.

“Toxic,” “Little Boy,” and “Cry” featuring Grimes all embody a recurring theme on DEMIDEVIL: being in control of who you surround yourself with and dealing with other people’s toxicity.

“Deal With It” featuring Kelis delivers a dynamic duo I never knew I needed. “Slumber Party” featuring Princess Nokia is an absolute favorite of mine,

a super cheesy 90’s bop that pokes fun at sapphic stereotypes. “Drunk With My Friends” is a typical party banger, the heavy bass accompanying catchy lyrics about a time Casey was living in Berlin and partying with friends.

The best song on the album just might be “L8r Boi,” a flipped version of Avril Lavigne’s iconic hit “Sk8r Boi.” Like most people who grew up in the 90s/00s, Casey grew up an Avril fan but hoped to change the tune of Lavigne’s hit into one that was female-empowered, citing the lyrics as “a bit problematic.” In Casey’s version, the skater boy isn’t the prize, and the girl in the story is perfectly content without him: “Five years from now, in her beautiful home / Somebody else is making her moan / Skater boy is alone with his hand on his balls / Still punching holes through his basement walls.” While Ashnikko is typically known for her confident and sassy bangers, “Good While It Lasted” is a vulnerable, serious track dealing with a bad breakup. On the complete opposite of the spectrum comes “Clitoris: The Musical!,” a jest at men’s inability to please women. The song perfectly embodies the aura of a cheesy musical track while hilariously tackling the uneducated heterosexual male species. Although it completely differs from the tone of the other nine tracks on DEMIDEVIL, “Clitoris” is a perfect end to the best thing 2021 has given us so far, ending with a brightly sung “I’m bored, I’m bored / I’m so damn bored of you.” kindacoolmagazine.com • 23

DE'WAYNE knows something you don' t know

De’wayne Jackson, known as his stage name DE’WAYNE, is an artist from Houston, Texas. Notable for his blending of genres and taking inspiration from legends like Kurt Cobain and Tupac, his songs combine rap, pop-punk, metal, and rock to create unique and refreshing sounds that make you want to get up and dance. He has plenty of popular songs, like “Adios” which features Chase Atlantic, and his music video for his song “Family Tree” has racked up hundreds of thousands of views. DE’WAYNE has made a name for himself touring with popular Houston band Waterparks twice, and now he is starting his new chapter of trying to get his name out there to do headline tours when it is safe to do so. I chatted with DE’WAYNE about his new single called “I Know Something” and about life in a pandemic as a small musician, as well as the fact that he can’t do the splits.

Interview by Faith Logue Photos courtesy of Matthew Hoodhood, Jake Tillis, and Joe Mischo You had just come off your successful tour with Waterparks when suddenly the world shut down, so how have you been dealing with the pandemic as a smaller musician?

It was good to be coming off the US and then the UK tour. I was feeling like I was finally getting moving. The thing that happened when the pandemic hit was that I got my record deal. I didn’t have a record deal before that, so getting my deal and being able to work on music constantly was life-changing. It was crazy because the week LA decided to shut down was when I got my record deal, so it was really insane, but really good timing for me to get into my art and get creative. I used everything I learned from the tour and brought it back into the studio. It was a beautiful thing for me.

Speaking of the Waterparks tour, how did you feel about the fans wanting you to be on that tour?

It felt good because at the time, I didn’t have the confidence nor the fans to have that, so to see that was just beautiful. It felt like people 24 • kinda cool.

respected me and liked me because I was Awsten’s friend so I wanted to prove to them that I could put on a fucking great show and have great music. That tour gave me that opportunity and to see that in the position I was in at the time was great that people wanted me.

Before I go into talking about your new music, I want to acknowledge that February is Black History Month, and I want to take a moment and ask you: what black artists have inspired you to write music and have given you the courage to blur the lines between genres?

That’s a great question! All of these interviews I have been doing haven’t asked me about that, so I appreciate that. There are so many, but the writer James Baldwin has given me a lot of inspiration. He was a poet who wrote books during his time. He would be with Malcolm X or Martin Luther King, which are two different things, but he was able to blur those lines with that. His words are insane and inspiring to me. Also, of course, Jimi Hendrix. I have him tattooed on my leg, which I don’t talk about a lot, because when you are Black and you make rock and roll, you can’t talk about Jimi too much. After all, he is just a legend, but he is someone who inspired me. I would say those two mainly. I love a lot of Black artists, but I love a lot more Black politicians and people from

kindacoolmagazine.com • 25

the past, like Malcolm X and Fred Hampton. My song “National Anthem” is me being inspired by Hampton and Malcolm X; it was more of those political leaders that touched my heart more so than the artists at times.

Your most recent single, “I Know Something,” is very energetic and sounds like the lovechild of metal and rap. Could you explain your thought process when you write songs using multiple genres in one?

Do you go into it thinking of certain things, or is it organic?

It is very organic for me. I know a lot of people try to do it, and I have a lot of fun doing it. I am just a student of rock and roll music. Iggy Pop is someone of importance to me, as well as artists like The Ramones and Lou Reed.

I listened to these things, and I have studied them for about five or six years now. I grew up with hip-hop music, and I just kind of tell my producers that we are going to do this and believe in ourselves. We are blessed to be able to put those together, and I think it’s awesome.

I don’t plan to stop anytime soon.

Speaking of the song, I saw a lyric that says, “Middle finger, high circle, do the money dance,” and I immediately thought of the circle as being your fanbase. Is this what you meant? And if so, how has the circle influenced your life and the way you create your art?

100% it was about that. The circle has influenced my life in a lot of ways, and it is cool to have people that feel like a family and community. It is something I just started in my room. I wanted to get people together and not have them just be fans but be a family where we get together and talk. We can just talk daily about our issues and things. It has influenced me a lot and given me a lot of strength. I want to grow it so big, and I think we have the potential to. I want to keep the community going! If I was just talking and singing into a mic, it would be cool, but nobody would be listening, so I am happy to have the fans.

In your other more recent single, “RadioActive,” you mention being a young Kurt Cobain and not wanting to be erased — is Cobain someone of great influence to you?

26 • kinda cool.

Kurt Cobain is a big influence on me. He’s just really good and raw and wasn’t scared to write songs. I know it’s the new age of social media and people love anything that’s hot, and he wrote really good pop songs and I hope people can understand that is what I am trying to do. I know I look the way I do, I may yell at people, I do these things, but at the end of the day, I want you to be singing the song. Cobain gives me a lot of confidence to do that and not be afraid to want to put yourself out in that way. As far as not being erased, I am alluding to the fact that I want to be here, and I don’t want to just be here in the moment. I want to write songs that people can connect to from here to 30 years later. I am hoping to do that, and I am working my ass off to do that.

Your single photo from “Radio-Active” features you in the bathtub with a gold radio covering you, and someone was making a connection between that and Tupac’s bathtub photoshoot shot by David LaChapelle. Were you inspired by that photoshoot?

Oh, yeah, 100% — the funny thing is no one asks me about that. It was an ode to Tupac with the radio covering me and such. He was a great artist and a great hip hop artist, but he also was a beautiful man and beautiful in that photoshoot.

I just wanted to get in there and get that energy he had. I speak a lot of that in my songs and with my fans about being beautiful and confident and free, and the single cover allowed me to do that.

I think it is one of the most beautiful photos ever taken, and I think we caught people off guard.

You posted a new photo of you doing what looks like the splits and captioned it with the lyrics, “I know something you don’t know.” Is this a hint that a new era is coming for you?

I can’t do the splits yet. The thing for me is that I know a lot of these bands do these eras, but I don’t have a different era. I just want to keep making great songs and give them DE’WAYNE. I don’t plan to change myself. I am just being completely myself and just delivering new songs that people can connect to. If there’s anything new that’s coming, it’s the fact we never are not dropping songs — things are about to get crazy. If anything, I am alluding to that: we are here to stay, with new music and new features kindacoolmagazine.com • 27

coming. I love that photo a lot, and a little shawty I got a crush on said, “I almost put that as my screensaver,” so I knew I did well.

Do you plan on releasing another EP, or are you planning on the release of your first album?

I can’t say all the way what is going to happen, but there will be no EPs. I want to put out a really good body of work. We are going to be putting out more songs, no short songs. I want to be able to put out a whole record very soon.

I am working with a lot of friends, and I am on some albums coming out that I am excited about. We are dropping a song every month until whenever.

“I Know Something” just came out, and I think we are dropping two songs in March, then April, May, June. I don’t plan on stopping, and I am very excited. More future things are coming. I just got a commercial agent so I am doing auditions now, and I just had my first auditions this week and I am excited about them. If you see it in the future, I just don’t want it to surprise you.

Are there plans for a full headline tour once it is safe to do so again?

Of course, people tell me to go back out with Waterparks. Awsten told me a year ago that he loved me and all, but as I grow, I can’t keep opening for people. If we do a support tour, it is going to be a co-headline, but everything else, I am trying to headline. I don’t care if there are 50 people there, and we are trying to headline in 28 • kinda cool.

Europe in the UK, only direct support. I am trying to completely headline. I just want to do an hour DE’WAYNE show instead of a 30-minute show because I can’t explain myself through the songs in that amount of time, though people still get it.

I think an hour show will allow us to make that impact.

Lastly, what can people do to help support small artists like yourself during this time of uncertainty?

That’s a hard question, but honestly just listening to the music. For artists like me, that is all we care about: the transaction through the heart.

Someone buying merch or donations is cool too, and I appreciate those people.

For other artists and me included, we just need people to listen and check it out. If you can buy merch, that is awesome, especially to artists shipping it out themselves and designing it. I think the connection with the music is the most important thing right now. We are all sitting down and looking at our phones, trying to meditate and breathe, and I think if you have an artist you can connect with, that is the most important thing right now. Especially if they talk back to you in a DM or via a tweet, that is the most important thing.

You can find DE’WAYNE on Instagram (@ yeahdewayne) and Twitter (@idewaynejackson).

You can stream his new single on all streaming services, and check out his website to see all of his new merch and tours!

by Ravyn Cavanaugh

Have Mercy • February 2020

Public • January 2020

by Sophie Harris

by Emily Young

Tiny Moving Parts• September 2019

TOP

20 OF 2020

2020 may not have been the year we had imagined, but it sure was a good year for music. Although we would have loved to celebrate new albums by seeing our favorite artists perform them live, it was great to be able to hear so many amazing records come out and brighten an otherwise bleak year. For our first issue of 2021, we wanted to revisit some albums from the last year to celebrate some of our favorite releases!

Whether it be pop, rock, R&B, or indie, there were so many records that stood out to us this year, making it extremely difficult to narrow down our list. After compiling a list of everything we loved this year, it took several rounds of voting to come down to 20 albums in order, with number one being our choice for our ultimate top record of 2020. From there, KCM team members selected albums from the list to write about individually, creating a piece that reflected our entire team.

We are so excited to share our top 20 picks of 2020. Whether your favorite album made our list or you find something you haven’t heard before, we hope that you enjoy our reflections on all of the incredible records we selected. What were your top records from 2020? Share your picks with us on social media at @kindacoolmag!

20. TICKETS TO MY DOWNFALL - MACHINE GUN KELLY

By Emily Richardson

After teaming up with Blink-182’s Travis Barker, Machine Gun Kelly took a complete genre change with Tickets To My Downfall, giving us one of the best pop punk albums of 2020.

Tickets To My Downfall follows his previous primarily rap-oriented albums, such as Hotel Diablo and BINGE, but MGK still has a few rap features, such as “my ex’s best friend” featuring blackbear, and “all I know” featuring Trippie Redd. Songs such as “forget me too” (featuring Halsey), “bloody valentine,” and “can’t look back” are the punk bangers we never knew we needed from MGK. Although changing everything from genres to hair color, one thing has always remained the same about MGK: his honest and vulnerable songwriting. MGK has made some career-defining accomplishments since releasing Tickets To My Downfall, such as being the musical guest on Saturday Night Live. With only a spotlight and a guitar, he made the live television debut of one of the most personal songs on the album, “Lonely.” The song follows MGK as he struggles with missing his father and aunt, both of whom had recently passed away. It is one of the best and saddest songs on the record, featuring gut-wrenching lyrics such as “The last time I saw you, I cried, I wish you had more time left. The last time I heard you, they held the phone and you took your last breath.”

Machine Gun Kelly and frequent collaborator Mod Sun even took Tickets To My Downfall and made it into a musical film entitled “Downfalls High,” which they wrote and directed themselves. “Downfalls High” follows two teenagers who fall in love while navigating the chaos that is high school life. Between the scenes (which feature actors such as Chase Hudson and Sydney Sweeney), Kelly is shown performing each song from Tickets To My Downfall alongside drummer Travis Barker.

Another very personal song on Tickets To My Downfall is “play this when I’m gone,” a song that MGK wrote for his daughter, Casie, reminding her how much he loves her and that she will never be alone, even if he is gone. Tickets To My Downfall is truly one of the best albums to capture the sadness that 2020 held, consisting of lyrics such as “I’m running low on serotonin in these empty moments”, “If I was a painter, I’d be a depressionist,” and “The headlines say the world is over, what ever happened to a fairy tale ending?” From performing at the American Music Awards, New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, and Saturday Night Live, to having both “bloody valentine” and “my ex’s best friend” perform well on the charts and mainstream radio, it is obvious that things are only up from here for Machine Gun Kelly.

32 • kinda cool.

19. NO GOOD LEFT TO GIVE - MOVEMENTS

By Mary Perez

The follow-up to their timeless debut, Feel Something, Southern California rock band Movements released their second record in 2020. A record with hard-hitting lyricism and catchy melodies, fans are patiently waiting for the day they can sing along to the songs live. From the dark gloominess in opening track “In My Blood” to the winding rhythm of “Skin to Skin,” Movements are never truly tethered to one sound, exploring a wide range of sonic directions without straying from the sound fans know and love. There is a beautiful rawness to the stories that they weave throughout their songs, such as the heartbreak within “Seneca,” the comforting nature of “Santiago Peak,” or the vulnerability in “Moonlight Lines.” No Good Left to Give illuminates the captivating nature of Movements’ discography, capturing listeners in its intimate storytelling and mesmerizing melodies.

18. NOTES ON A CONDITIONAL FORM - THE 1975

By Caitlyn McGonigal

After several pushbacks of the album release, May of 2020 finally saw the release of The 1975’s fourth record, Notes On A Conditional Form. The eclectic tracklisting pulled inspiration from early 2000’s pop-rock, laidback country, reggae, and house music. While The 1975 are no stranger to self-production, the influence of drummer George Daniel’s production style is more apparent here than in any other of the band’s albums.

Notes On A Conditional Form marked a turning point for The 1975, where they chose to return to their Drive Like I Do beginnings while pairing them with what music inspires them today. The album signified the end of what the band called the “Music For Cars” era and paid homage to their prior releases by incorporating instrumental and lyrical elements of some of their earlier songs. While The 1975 may be leaving their signature indie-rock sound in the past, it will undoubtedly be exciting to watch what direction they choose to take their sound in next.

17. HOW I'M FEELING NOW - CHARLI XCX

By Gianna Cicchetti

How I’m Feeling Now was one of the first big albums to come out of the pandemic. After just having released an album in September 2019, Charli XCX decided to write her quarantine album that came out in May, and it’s already one of the highlights of her career so far. The album surrounds her feelings towards the pandemic, especially in the initial stages of it, and those feelings are so clear throughout each track.

On each album, Charli continues to combine typical, mainstream pop with futuristic elements that put her within the “hyperpop” sphere, which makes her one of the most exciting artists in pop music right now.

Songs like “anthems,” “visions,” and “detonate” are highlights of the record for me; these and so many of the other tracks have been stuck in my head for months. This relatable, forward-thinking record was the burst of energy we needed this year, which is why How I’m Feeling Now made it on our year-end list.

16. POSITIONS - ARIANA GRANDE

By Faith Logue

Ariana Grande has released a new album, her third in the past two years, which is very impressive. This album, titled positions, features 14 powerful tracks, which, in the first week of its release, dominated the charts head to toe. There are many notable favorites emerging from the album, with “positions” and “34+35” being the two most popular. Other songs like “pov” and “my hair” are fan favorites, due to the overwhelming emotional vocals and Grande’s experimentation with other genres besides pop, a genre that has dominated almost all of her albums. Most of her songs on this album are very soulful and have touches of R&B; however, she still has her signature pop touch. The pandemic did not stop Grande from producing her album and going to the studio, which she frequently was photographed going to wearing a mask.

Positions is my favorite album of the year due to the fact that I don’t skip any songs while listening to it, and I feel that a lot of the songs are relatable to people in love, such as her song “off the table.” Grande pours so much emotion and spark into her work, and positions is another example of that. I believe this will be her most successful era so far in her music career, and this album most certainly had an impact on all of us due to it being listed on this year’s top albums.

15. SAWAYAMA - RINA SAWAYAMA

By Ashley Gallegos

Once stating that she wasn’t sure what she wanted her music to sound like, it seems as though Rina Sawayama has got her artistry down quite quickly and in a way that has us begging for even more new music. On SAWAYAMA, Rina displays lyrics us listeners wish we had written, key changes, backup vocals acting as the supportive friend that will make whatever is on their mind known, and countless production effects that take us into a world she created for whoever will allow themselves to fully be a part of it. Sawayama creates narratives around hypocrisy, dynamics in certain relationships, self-love, and yes, even capitalism. Not only does she have a strong sense of character and the ability to be more vulnerable in terms of songwriting than she did in her older music, but she is now also making music that makes us want to put on the best little mesh numbers of ours and visit the same places we spend too many Friday nights frequenting. In “STFU!,” she questions if someone has ever thought about taping their mouth shut because she has… many times. If that is not the perfect song to have playing in the background as you walk up to the bar and order the same drink you always get, I don’t know what is. She harmonizes with her laugh which, in my book, definitely belongs in a list highlighting top music moments of 2020.

Here’s the thing, if you want to look at it in terms of just critiquing the technical acuity of it all, SAWAYAMA has some of the core elements sonically and technically not only from the pop music we grew up on, but also the pop music that is currently taking streaming services and radio by the horns. Even though the influence of older and current pop music is there, she uses her artistry to make it into her own by fusing together themes and production tools that make it all feel seamlessly futuristic, nostalgic, heartfelt, melodramatic, and even humorous all at the same time. Surely with every listen to the album, there is a pool of details to discover, but it works. It’s as though listeners are sitting back in an empty auditorium, watching everything unfold on a stage so grand. Listeners can imagine her moving through a set she has created, finding moments to relish in every corner, creating a space so well put together that listeners don’t need to bother to create a visualization that these songs will surely conjure up.

She does it all for you. Rina takes charge in every aspect she can and has no issue with making that sentiment loud. She ends her self-titled album with “Snakeskin,” a song that initially acts as a requiem but slowly finds itself becoming a unity of bells, faint sirens, harmonies, and more that serves as a heavy but melodic transition into another world that only she will know about. In the meantime, she will let us listeners run through every second that the music pierces through our headphones and speakers, discovering new secrets and movements from her work as we wait for her next record.

14. KID KROW - CONAN GRAY

By Rebekah Witt

Although it feels like a lifetime ago, Conan Gray released his debut album, Kid Krow, just under a year ago on March 20th, 2020. Coming out just at the start of a global pandemic, many fans, new and old alike, devoured the collection of indie-pop songs as just a small distraction to what had begun in the world.

The album opens with the soft and slow “Comfort Crowd,” Gray singing about the relatable feeling of being lonely. “Maniac,” the first single on the album to hit the charts, was one that attracted the attention of many new listeners. It discusses a common theme of young love and break-ups found across the album, next to “Checkmate” and the more melancholic “The Cut That Always Bleeds” and “Fight or Flight.”

Gray manages to use his raw emotion to shine and put the feelings so many of us feel into perfectly assembled words.

His ability to be vulnerable and write songs the younger generation relate to so heavily led to the explosion of the single “Heather” on TikTok. This track features another common theme on the album, unrequited love. The idea of being in love with someone who is in love with someone else hits home for everyone, and it almost immediately took off as the sad song of the moment. The penultimate song on the album, “Little League,” brings back feelings of nostalgia to a simpler time of being young and naive. Kid Krow closes with the emotional “The Story,” a personal track illustrating moments throughout Gray’s life. It discusses that while the world isn’t “pretty” or “sweet,” he is hopeful that things will work out, “It’s not the end of the story.”

Conan Gray created a beautiful coming-of-age record, depicting love, heartbreak, nostalgia, and hope that aided countless fans in a time that seemed bleak. Kid Krow was able to make us feel less alone in a time that felt so lonely. It’s a huge feat for someone so young to debut something so perceptive and relevant, and it’s a sign that better things will come.

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13. FUTURE NOSTALGIA - DUA LIPA

By Ashley Gallegos

Opening Future Nostalgia is the lyric “You want a timeless song, I want to change the game,” which immediately sets the pace and ferocity of the album. As Dua sings about someone dying to figure her out, maybe ears perk up and immediately wonder if it could be a past partner, a past listener, or even both. Whether or not the songs seem to use a formula, she addresses listeners and possibly even critics with a said assurance of herself, her music, and perhaps even their own personal needs and wants from it all. It almost makes me feel guilty for writing about it. Her backup vocals confirm everything she is singing about, making it more demanding but not in a needs-to-be-listened-to kind of way. Frankly, it feels as though she just makes sure whoever is listening knows where she stands and it’s good enough to leave it at that.

It’s a collection of songs that feel as though they could be random notes one has written in the notes app of their phone at 2 in the morning, and maybe that’s what makes them all so addicting. Surely, we all have written down, or should I say, poured out endless thoughts about something or someone in the notes app. Okay, maybe not nearly as graceful or cleverly-written as the songs off this album or even using the same outlet, but there’s a collective experience in expressing, or at least wanting to express, a mountain of thoughts eating away at our insides. All of this is great, yes, but what makes Future Nostalgia even more refreshing is the fact that some of these songs would have been the perfect pop anthems we would hear numerous times during a night out. They’re a movement-inducing balance between expression, intentionality, purging, and excitement. She sings with an ease that makes some jealous while playfully gliding from lyric to lyric, notably in songs like “Pretty Please,” “Levitating,” “Break My Heart,” “Don’t Start Now,” and “Boys Will Be Boys.” While she has stated that with a sophomore album comes stress and anxiety, it’s evident that she is entering a new chapter in both her artistry and personal life. It’s daunting, it’s reflective, it’s unknown, it’s exciting, it’s future nostalgia.

12. USE ME - PVRIS

By Emily Richardson

Three years following their sophomore album, All We Know of Heaven, All We Need of Hell, Massachusetts-native band PVRIS released their powerful third record, Use Me. With lead singles “Death of Me” and “Hallucinations,” PVRIS made it very obvious that they were not messing around with this record. Although the release date had to be pushed back a few times due to the COVID-19 pandemic and social injustices, Use Me was very much worth the wait.

Lynn’s vulnerable, cutting-edge lyrics such as “You’re free as a bird while I carry the burden for you”, and “Somewhere in the bitter and the sweet dream, do you think of me standing in the summer haze?,” just remind us how, time and time again, PVRIS never fail to put out a good record. Use Me was also the first album to feature a collaboration for PVRIS, as 070 Shake is featured on the hauntingly beautiful title track, “Use Me.” Frontwoman Lynn Gunn has a way of making you want to dance to sad songs, as you slowly begin to realize that you can’t help but dance while singing lyrics such as “It feels good to be alive, but I hate my life.” From the songs that make you want to scream the lyrics at the top of your lungs, (“Dead Weight,” “Gimme a Minute”) to the songs that you can sing after a break-up (“Wish You Well,” “January Rain,” “Loveless,”) PVRIS’ Use Me has a song for everyone!

11. WOMEN IN MUSIC PT. III - HAIM

By Mary Perez

HAIM’s latest album, Women In Music Pt. III, is the sisters’ collection of tales of hardships they experienced throughout their lives. Whether it be Este’s Type 1 diabetes, the passing of Alana’s best friend, or Danielle’s post-tour depression with roots in her partner’s cancer diagnosis, the record is an intimate look into the reality of the women’s lives, illuminating the highs and lows of life. Mixing a variety of styles, HAIM’s sound is more defined than ever before, combining decades and genres in a way that still feels new and exciting. There is a particular warmth to the record, as songs such as “FUBT” or “Another Try” give listeners a piece of HAIM with each painfully honest lyric. Extremely cohesive, there is never a moment where listeners are left wondering if a song should have been left off or produced differently. Each song shines in its own way and makes your heart ache just the tiniest bit more. An album so incredibly fluid in its themes and sonic directions, Women In Music Pt. III rightfully received a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year, and “The Steps” earned a nomination for Best Rock Performance. Without a doubt, HAIM’s third record is a strong release, highlighting their versatility and ability to combine such a wide range of influences to create their distinctive pop-rock sound.

10. UNGODLY HOUR - CHLOE X HALLE

By Mia Andrea

Chloe x Halle, the dynamic sister duo, brought a classy and fun life to the pop-R&B scene with Ungodly Hour.

This album contains a range of confidence-inducing, danceable tracks like “Do It,” “Tipsy,” and “Busy Boy,” but doesn’t fear moments of vulnerability. Listeners get a glimpse inside the sisters’ inner thoughts during “Wonder What She Thinks of Me” and the piano-led interlude “Overwhelmed” — drama and reflection guide the lyrics of these two mellow tracks with elegant falsetto harmonies. As this pair sings about relationships and self-love, it’s easy for the audience to get lost in the music and find relatability or even an escape. And especially with a tracklist influenced by Beyonce’s mentorship, Ungodly Hour was destined for greatness from the very beginning.

As someone who never thought of myself as a fan of pop music prior to 2020, I couldn’t be happier to have discovered this simultaneously beautiful and fun record. Each song on Ungodly Hour is infectious with replay value, and I can always depend on it for a muchneeded smile.

9. PETALS FOR ARMOR - HAYLEY WILLIAMS

By Polina Bakgof

In 2020, the lead singer of Paramore finally let us discover her other side that is more vulnerable and soft, welcoming listeners into the fragile world of Petals for Armor. The record unfolds a story of hurting and healing, following William’s path to recovery. It discovers themes of self-hatred and self-love, despair and empowerment, grief and forgiveness. Much of the work off the album was influenced by the artist’s recent divorce.

Williams challenged her own abilities and created something completely different from her previous artwork— an album that incorporates elements of experimental pop, indie and gentle art pop. From the haunting, anxiety-inducing sound of “Simmer,” to the groovy, upbeat dynamic of “Pure Love” and unobvious production choices on “Creepin’,” this record manages to always captivate the listener’s attention. The closing track, “Crystal Clear,” concludes William’s repentance and confessions. Petals for Armor is a living proof that one is capable of resisting the world and blooming.

8. HEARTBREAK WEATHER - NIALL HORAN

By Emilia Rangel

Coming off strong from his debut album, Niall Horan released his sophomore album in March of 2020.

Heartbreak Weather is a mix of ballads and upbeat songs that explain the hardships of breakups. Horan explains the struggles of a heartbreak and how it is difficult to remove any nostalgia coming from the relationship. Coming out as one of the singles, “Put a Little Love on Me” explains how, even though both partners are broken-up, Horan still cares for his past relationship, despite the hardships. This song explains his expression of wanting to just come back to the person and be together again. One of the more upbeat songs on his tracklist, “Black and White” has been said to be a fan favorite. “Black and White” perfectly explains a first love and teenage romance, and Horan defines it as wanting to be with the same person for the rest of his life. This year was tough, but as he released this album, it really changed lots of perspectives on relationships and how hard it can be to genuinely love someone when there is no self-love.

7. PLASTIC HEARTS - MILEY CYRUS

By Sophie Harris

Last August, Miley Cyrus released the first single from her long-anticipated rock album, Plastic Hearts.

“Midnight Sky” was soon followed by covers of Blondie’s “Heart of Glass” and The Cranberries’ “Zombie” from the Save Our Stages festival. Both covers, along with “Midnight Sky” and its similarities to Stevie Nicks’s “Edge of Seventeen” excited listeners like me who grew up on both Hannah Montana and Fleetwood Mac. Plastic Hearts exceeded expectations. It debuted at number 1 on Billboard’s Rock charts, beating out AC/DC, and it featured 80s rock icons Billy Idol and Joan Jett on “Night Crawling” and “Bad Karma,” respectively. Those weren’t Cyrus’s only parallels to older rock anthems, however. The beginning verses of “Hate Me” have a similar chord progression to The Beatles’ “A Day in the Life.” Less subtly, the opening of the title track, “Plastic Hearts,” immediately hooks the listener with “Sympathy for the Devil” inspired bongo drums. “Gimme What I Want” has an industrial style feel equivalent to Nine Inch Nails. And after the initial success of “Midnight Sky,” Cyrus remixed the track with Stevie Nicks to create “Edge of Midnight.” Even if you’ve never listened to Miley Cyrus before, I urge you to give Plastic Hearts a listen if you appreciate rock music from the past and the present.

6. MANIC - HALSEY

By Natalie Melendez

Halsey released her much-anticipated third studio album, Manic, at the beginning of 2020, before the year took a sharp turn. Yet — despite the trials and tribulations of 2020 — Manic shined like a gem and made it through the other end, becoming one of the few records released this year to become platinum certified. Perhaps the most notable aspect of Manic is its inability to be tied down to a single genre. Songs like “You should be sad” are reminiscent of country while “3am” carries modern rock influences and “Without Me” is your classic jump-around-theroom post-breakup pop song. But what ties the album together so perfectly is its unmistakable vulnerability. Halsey pours her soul into every word and melody, each song telling a story from the heart. Manic will make you scream and cry and reminisce on your youth in the most heartwrenching yet beautiful way, and it’ll leave you humming along to every song, even when the album is over — I know I sure did.

5. WAKE UP SUNSHINE - ALL TIME LOW

By Mickayla Whitt

With over 15 years under their belt and seven albums, All Time Low held nothing back with their eighth album, Wake Up, Sunshine. This album proves ambitious with two features from blackbear and The Band CAMINO. This album perfectly showcases the growth of All Time Low while still holding onto their pop punk roots in songs like “Some Kind of Disaster” and “Getaway Green.” The second track, “Sleeping In,” provides a bit of nostalgic feeling all while giving carefree vibes which we all know we needed in 2020. The laidback tracks “Glitter & Crimson” and “Basement Noise” pull the album to a soft, comforting moment. This album provided a lot of private dance sessions and a bit of brightness to the year.

4. DREAMLAND - COIN

By Mia Andrea

After unofficially claiming the year 2020 as their own with the song “Don’t Cry, 2020” on their sophomore album How Will You Know If You Never Try, it was only fitting how COIN kicked off the new decade with their third album, Dreamland. Amid the non-stop touring and writing prior to global COVID-19 closures, the band produced some of their strongest and most vulnerable songs to date, some of which were even teased long before the album’s full release. Some of my favorite songs — the ethereal “Youuu” and incredibly energetic “Into My Arms” — could only be heard at a live COIN show more than a year ago, but now these doses of alternativepop perfection are available for everyone to blast through their speakers.

Each single from this album matches the infectious energy found in a therapeutic, latenight drive; there’s a different song for everyone, and that’s the beauty of Dreamland. Not only is the cohesiveness of the album found in the subtle, fading transitions between songs such as “Youuu” and “Valentine,” but “Lately III” also continues the trilogy of songs that began with COIN’s self-titled debut in 2015. Similar to the original “Lately,” the third addition is personal and has moments of excitement that interrupt otherwise mellow sounds. COIN is always true to themselves, and this value is extremely evident throughout Dreamland’s series of songs.

Dreamland was a comforting album for any COIN fan in 2020. I personally lost count of the amount of times I replayed “Let It All Out (10:05)” throughout the year — this introspective song allowed its audience to take a breath at the end of the album and release any emotions bottled inside. As frontman Chase Lawrence sings about an unexplainable feeling of losing touch with the world around him, the final verse — which follows a choir-filled build-up and a release that resembles exhaling — asks, “Jesus, are you listening?” During this line, the vocals are distorted and briefly cut out, and although Lawrence described the technical occurrence as an accident, it’s beautiful how this moment in the song hits the hardest. It’s a symbol of the heavy emotion carried throughout the song and ultimately creates a satisfying closing to the album’s journey.

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3. EVERMORE - TAYLOR SWIFT

By Lexie Dopwell

Out of every curveball that 2020 threw our way, Taylor Swift dropping a surprise album was admittedly something that had never crossed my mind once – let alone twice. However, just when we all seemed to finally have recovered from the shock dealt by the surprise July release of folklore, Swift decided to turn the world upside down once more – this time with the release of her ninth studio album, evermore. “To put it plainly, we just couldn't stop writing songs,” she stated in one of her tweets accompanying the album announcement. (She wasn’t kidding by any means, either – if you haven’t been keeping track, evermore marked the release of her third album in less than two years!)

Christening the latter as the ‘sister record’ to its predecessor, evermore displays Swift at her absolute greatest. As someone who considered folklore to be her magnum opus the first time I heard it, I found myself eating my words as I was instantly blown away by evermore upon my first listen. It felt as if Swift’s decision to release the album mere days before her 31st birthday made perfect sense. While folklore had been an album that felt like latespring rainstorms and salty summer breezes, evermore felt like the deepest of winters and wind-chapped cheeks.

And though she had reunited with her past team of folklore collaborators for evermore, evermore felt so much different than her previous album – darker, somehow.

Though the two albums truly are sisters, with folklore being the eldest, the comparison of the two is probably best described as folklore being the bubblier and more outgoing one, whereas the younger evermore is the broodier, yet seemingly more mature one. However, even though folklore had its share of mature content, (so much so, in fact, that it even became Swift’s first release that was marked as explicit!) evermore in particular seems to shine a spotlight on adulthood and the intricacies that surround it. From the heartbreaking “champagne problems,” which tells the story of a proposal gone wrong, to the bold “no body, no crime” (featuring longtime pals of Swift, the allgirl rock band HAIM), which sounds as if it were taken straight out of the pages of a thriller novel, evermore is both everything folklore was, and then some. Full of stories that Swift knows how to tell best, but this time, it’s as if she was completely sure of the sound that she wanted to go for, which I strongly believe made it all the more better – and definitely the perfect ending to my 2020.

2. FOLKLORE - TAYLOR SWIFT

By Lexi Matuson

The year 2020 was full of surprises and it’s safe to say that nobody –– not even Taylor Swift herself –– saw folklore coming. The initial release of the record is sixteen tracks (with one bonus track released later), and it’s a journey of interwoven stories from beginning to end. At her Tiny Desk concert for her previous album, Lover, Swift said she started her songwriting career by “grabbing inspiration from character dynamics,” and that’s evident throughout this record. Swift asked herself, “What would happen if I was ever happy?” when it comes to her incredible songs penned from personal heartbreak and experiences. On this record, Swift certifies herself as a timeless artist and songwriter, writing from perspectives of a plethora of characters throughout the record.

When I first listen to an album, I sit on my bathroom floor with my laptop and big headphones at midnight and listen in the order of the tracklist. This time, I had less than twenty four hours to prepare my mental state (and that definitely wasn’t enough). Per tradition, I had “claimed” two songs: “illicit affairs” and “mad woman”. Something about the titles gravitated me towards them. It’s safe to say that I was not prepared for either track. I absolutely uglycried to “illicit affairs” upon my first listen. The song perfectly captures the feeling of not being good enough, having to be hidden away because of someone else’s shame and still wanting them at the end of the day.

The entire album is a sonic masterpiece, thanks to Taylor herself, Aaron Dessner of The National, and frequent collaborator Jack Antonoff. If I could list the entire album as a highlight, I would. Picking a few tracks that are mustlistens, “mirrorball,” “august,” “exile,” “this is me trying,” “peace,” and bonus track “the lakes” are essential. This record turned those who found Taylor Swift overrated into fans and brought Swift five more Grammy nominations, bringing her the most Song of the Year nominations of any female songwriter and the second most Album of the Year nominations of any female artist. Taylor Swift has taken a disastrous year and shown that beautiful things can come out of unfortunate circumstances.

1. PUNISHER - PHOEBE BRIDGERS

By Gianna Cicchetti

This year was incredibly rough, but despite that, Phoebe Bridgers put out her fantastic sophomore album, Punisher, and has gained more recognition (and Grammy nominations!) because of it. Coming out several months into the pandemic and during the height of the Black Lives Matter protests, Punisher provided the musical escape we needed to cope with what was going on around us. The record built upon the incredible songwriting Bridgers showed on her debut, Stranger in the Alps, and took it to another level. It’s not difficult to fall in love with Bridgers and her music, so of course KCM chose Punisher as our favorite album of 2020.

There has always been an eerie energy within Bridgers’ music, and that continues on this record. The atmosphere of the record is part of what makes Punisher so enjoyable, and it all starts with “DVD Menu,” an introductory track that is reminiscent of an actual DVD menu instrumental. This vibe is carried throughout the entire record, from subtly haunting tracks like “Halloween” and “Savior Complex” to the chaotic finale of “I Know The End.”

I think what I personally love most about Bridgers’ music is how the stories she tells are often so dark and haunting, yet her soft vocal delivery and the humor within her lyrics (see the ‘I hate your mom’ moment on “ICU”) makes it seem like those words are coming from a friend. There’s a duality to her music: it makes many people (including myself) want to cry, yet it gives off such a warm feeling that makes us keep returning. Take “Garden Song'' as an example: she describes burying a horrible skinhead neighbor in the yard, and as a result, there’s a beautifully growing garden. This song, a first exposure to what Punisher would be like, is dark, yet it gives off an odd sense of peace as Bridgers sings ‘Everything’s growing in our garden / You don’t have to know that it’s haunted / The doctor put her hands over my liver / She told me my resentment’s getting smaller.’ Another song that feels similar to this is “Kyoto,” an upbeat single from the record that sounds like it won’t be as sad as it actually is. This change of pace from Bridgers’ typical songs describes imposter syndrome in the most epic way possible, with horns and soaring vocals carrying it.

There are plenty of gut-wrenching moments on this album, such as Bridgers’ tribute to her favorite singer, Elliott Smith, on the title track “Punisher.” However, the most heartbreaking song comes in the form of “Moon Song.” You really feel the emotions Bridgers is describing with her very passionate vocals, especially during the outro. I have to note that the ‘you’re holding me like water in your hands’ lyric gets me every single time. Another standout track that hits hard is “Chinese Satellite.” In this song, Bridgers is desperate to find something to believe in, which is something many can relate to, especially during this tough year. The song’s higher energy moments bring a nice contrast to the tracks that surround it. “Chinese Satellite” feels different from many of Bridgers’ other songs, but in a great way.

I’m just going to say it: “Graceland Too” made me sob on first listen. This song feels so comforting, with elements of fiddle and banjo and harmonies from fellow Boygenius members, Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus. It is such a special moment on the album as Phoebe sings a love song to someone who has had a hard time loving themselves. It’s hard not to think about your own friends when hearing this song, especially as she discusses eating saltines with her friend on the floor and realizing she would do anything for them.

This wouldn’t be a good discussion of Punisher without mentioning the closing track, “I Know The End.” This song is perfect for driving in the dead of night, with its dramatic ending that creeps up on you as the song progresses. I love the apocalyptic elements of this song, including the screaming throughout and the instruments that all come together at the end. It’s the best way to end an album, and it has to be one of Bridgers’ best songs of her career.

Punisher has been a perfect 40 minute escape from all of the hell 2020 has brought our way. These songs only get more precious with time, since there is so much to appreciate within each and every one. This record is an emotional rollercoaster and has instantly become an all-time favorite of mine, and I know others feel the same way about it.

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RICKY MONTGOMERY: going viral (on TikTok) during a pandemic Interview by Rebekah Witt Photos courtesy of Alondra Buccio & Angela Ricciardi

In 2016, indie-pop California native Ricky Montgomery released his debut album, Montgomery Ricky. After moving on to other projects, starting The Honeysticks, and a yearlong hiatus from music, he found recognition through TikTok. There, his songs “Mr. Loverman” and “Line Without a Hook” went viral and took on a new life of their own. Against all odds and seemingly overnight, 2020 brought him success, and in the middle of a global pandemic no less. In this day and age, where an app controls the charts and live music can’t exist, Montgomery used his familiarity in social media to his advantage. He has explored several platforms on the internet in the past, between Vine comedy, Youtube sketches, and ultimately TikTok. This explosion in popularity has led to him jumping back into creating solo music, signing to Warner Records, and turning music into his full-time career.

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So 2020 has been your biggest year yet, and it all happened in a time when a majority of the music industry has been shut down. How has the current state of the industry, between TikTok and the inability to tour, changed your perspective on your career in music?

I think it’s been mostly validating because for the most part, I’ve been kind of betting on digital and social media being the future for artists for a long time. From Vine, I started doing that in like 2013. And so for me, it makes all the sense in the world. I think it’s been really surprising in the way that it has kind of expedited a lot of trends that were beginning to occur, like you first saw artists doing Twitch and stuff in like 2018/2019. You kind of saw the divergence occurring when Drake did his Fortnite stream, [and] I remember it being kind of a big moment of when that really began to occur more directly and more obviously. It really expedited a lot of things. I don’t know, I feel a lot of survivor’s guilt because I didn’t really expect the artists that already had some social media foundation established would just kind of suck up all the oxygen in the room. But I think that’s kind of what’s occurred. And yeah, so... I have very mixed feelings, but I feel mostly good.

With the rise of “Mr. Loverman” and “Line Without a Hook” on TikTok, specifically in the LGBTQ+ community, how do you feel about fans’ responses and their new meanings to the songs?

It’s been really surprising seeing where the songs have resonated, but it definitely has made me realize some things that I was touching on in my own life. In “Mr. Loverman,” that song’s from not my personal perspective, but from a family member’s perspective. It’s been really illuminating, seeing who has been touched by the songs. Sometimes people misinterpret it, like a lot of people just think that I’m gay now, which I’m not. That’s been kind of weird, being associated with these meanings. Because the songs go, and at a certain point, you kind of lose control over them. And so people place their own meanings on the songs and it’s been crazy to live through that experience for the first time. But it’s all good stuff, all very positive, so it’s exciting.

Like you said, your internet presence grew from doing comedy and music content on Vine. What has been your experience going from Vine to TikTok, where you focus almost exclusively on music now?

Yeah, it’s been a lot different. On Vine, I was kind of figuring out who I was. Now I know who I am, so now I’m just trying to kind of build onto [that]. I’ve come to TikTok with the songs already having done

well, and I kind of rode that wave. I’ve been kind of trying to just navigate that moment. We had two songs. People were having their own reactions to the songs, and I was just trying to put myself in front of them at the same time like, “Hey, I wrote them.”

They had their own interpretations of the songs, so I had to navigate not trying to work against their perceptions of me but live at peace with them. That was kind of a learning and growing experience, but it felt very natural. Having already experienced it with a social media video platform, I felt very at an advantage. I think that’s part of why it’s been maybe a larger moment for me than some other folks who have TikTok songs.

If you were speaking to someone who only knows “Mr. Loverman” and “Line Without a Hook,” what song of yours would you recommend them to listen to next?

I would recommend you to listen to the whole album.

I’ve been really lucky in that people have taken to the whole album and not just one particular song.

So I would say that, but also a band called The Honeysticks, which I’ve been making music with for the last four years. A lot of newer stuff is actually under that name and not through my solo name. So I would say that. Maybe start with “Out Like a Light.”

Do you have a personal favorite out of one of your songs, whether it be The Honeysticks or your solo music?

“Out Like a Light 2,” I think.

So your last solo release, Montgomery Ricky, came out in 2016, and you’ve recently been talking about working on new solo music. How has your writing style evolved since then?

Well, it’s all by myself now, which is a lot different because I’ve been writing with the band for so long.

Before that, I was working with one producer, Jon Heisserer, for such a long time. Everything is over Zoom now. I’m doing a lot of writing sessions with people, which may or may not see the light of day in product form. But yeah, it’s been weird adapting to the Zoom era of the music industry because it’s a lot of stuff like this, where you’re just with one other artist who has a following. And you’re like, “Okay, should we like, play guitar at each other for a little while?” It does not feel natural at all, and I can’t wait for it to end. I guess it’s kind of a cool way for me, as a person with some kind of social anxiety, to kind of prime myself for a career in music because I can have this buffer for the next year or so before I have to meet people in person. It’s just been weird. I don’t know, it’s not good. Hopefully, it ends soon.

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How do you feel about Montgomery Ricky now, nearly five years after it’s been released?

It’s definitely weird to have songs that are five years old blow up for the first time in a significant way and kind of overshadow all the newer stuff you’ve been making. It’s positive because I love those songs. I put so much effort into that album — I did a whole Kickstarter around it and dropped out of college to focus on it. So it’s been really rewarding to have that. And obviously, now I have so much more opportunity. Because of the album, I ended up getting signed. It’s given me the ability to focus on it as a career but also so much more. I feel like I’ve gone beyond those songs in a personal way now. It’s weird to tread old territory and old experiences and old traumas and have to present them as if they’re still happening to me right now when they’re just not.

So it’s a weird dynamic, but it’s mostly good.

You mentioned you were just signed to Warner Records. Congratulations, by the way! What have you learned from the record deal so far, after being independent for so long?

To tell you everything I’ve learned would take way too long. I don’t know what to focus on necessarily.

I guess I’ve learned mostly that I’m really happy that I wasn’t a teenager when this happened to me because it’s just so overwhelming. To be in a bidding war is like the most stressful thing I’ve ever had to experience. You go through 10 calls a day, every

single day, every day of your week, you have no time to sit and write or do anything else, just take calls.

You have to have the same conversations over and over again. [You have to] not put too much interest into [a] conversation... It’s this whole negotiation that you just go through for a month. So it was a really stressful process, but we came out of it with a great deal. It would have been very easy to get myself into a bad contract in those moments. I see a lot of people in music differently now because I kind of understand what their deals are like and why they’re doing certain things. It’s given me a lot more empathy for other artists of all sizes, I think.

Like you mentioned before, after the release of Montgomery Ricky, you started The Honeysticks and began focusing on releasing music as a band. How has it been pivoting from solo to band, to solo again?

Nauseating. Yeah, it’s super dizzying. It’s a weird dynamic because I still am doing The Honeysticks.

I’m trying to figure out how to do both at the same time, and dedicate the same energy to them. That’s an ongoing learning experience. But mostly, it’s just all of this happening: having two projects and it being COVID is what’s really making it hard, because I can’t jam with them or go on tour with them. There are no logical blocks of time that I can dedicate to The Honeysticks versus the solo. The logistical side is the hardest part, and that’s the part I spend the most time on. It’s been cool to see old music do well

because I put a lot of effort into it before and it didn’t necessarily work as well as I wanted it to. It was a bit of an ego thing for a while like, “Okay, I’m gonna keep my chin up and move on to the next project.” I go back to one of my earlier answers: it’s like trying to feel passionate about your old stuff again and decide what parts of the stuff that you were doing in the project before are worth keeping in this context.

I don’t know, I feel like I have two sides of my brain now that I’m trying to kind of navigate between.

How much does your writing style between The Honeysticks and your solo music differ?

Well, up until really recently, I was writing most of the songs with Caleb [Hurst] in The Honeysticks or by myself. Caleb is no longer in that band, so we were already working new writing dynamics into the project. Then this happens, so it’s been a really weird learning process. I’ve been writing a lot with Ben [Russin], the bass player in that band, which has been different. I’ve only been riding solo again for the last six months, so I don’t know what it’s like yet, truly. I’m still trying to figure it out. I’ve been trying to schedule three days out of my week where I just write songs, and then my calls are on Mondays and Fridays. I’m trying to schedule actual routines into my week now and trying to be like an actual professional songwriter. And that’s been very hard.

The Honeysticks stuff is just kind of another thing I’m trying to organize. It’s an ongoing learning process.

Since Montgomery Ricky came out so long ago, how will your new music be different compared to that?

Well, I’ll be working with a lot more people who are a lot more experienced than I am so hopefully it’ll sound a lot cooler and a lot more polished.

Hopefully, I keep a lot of the things that people liked from the old stuff but place them at a later point in my life. The production will be a lot more intentional and a lot more exploratory.

Who are some of your musical influences?

Radiohead, Gorillaz, Beck. I’ve been listening to a lot of Joni Mitchell lately. I’ve been listening to a lot of old songwriters [like] James Taylor, Don McLean.

I like a lot of old singer/songwriter types, I like a lot of art pop, art rock bands, and I like a lot of hip hop. Love MF DOOM, [who] recently passed, rest in peace. Kendrick [Lamar], of course. I could go on, but those are my main genres of consumption.

Who are some of your current favorite artists outside of that? Are there any from TikTok that you’ve found?

Yeah, I like spill tab a lot. They had a big song on TikTok recently, “cotton candy.” David Marinelli is great, he’s their producer. mxmtoon, chloe moriondo, Frances Forever. Lots of folks. Adam

kindacoolmagazine.com • 45

Melchor, a recent Warner signee as well, I think is really amazing. The producer of his last song, Elie [Rizk], is great. Yeah, those are a few.

On that topic a little bit, you’re about to release a new version of “Line Without a Hook” featuring mxmtoon, and then later, “Mr. Loverman” featuring chloe moriondo. What were the processes of collaborating with them like?

It’s been cool. It’s unfortunate [that] we’ve only been able to work over Zoom. It was a little disappointing that I had to do the first major-label projects that I’ve ever done through Zoom calls. But they’re awesome, and I love the process. It was great to be able to work with exciting artists who are doing big things for the first time [so] that was really cool. I’ve never done any big collabs before, so it’s been great, and I think that they sound really good. Doing a feature was always a thing that I was kind of unsure about because it feels not super exciting, not new material, just putting a feature and a verse on an old song.

But it was actually a fun process, going back into the mixes and rediscovering the songs with new people.

The Honeysticks were supposed to set off on their first cross country tour with Greer last year, and of course, it was canceled due to the pandemic. With the uncertainty of how this year may go, are you hoping to tour later this year or maybe next year?

We’ll see what happens. I mean, touring hopefully will be back in 2021 at the end of the year, but I really hope that people don’t rush it like they’re rushing everything in the world right now. Bookings are happening right now, holds are being placed for the end of 2021. We’re doing it, other people are doing it. Tours are being booked. We will definitely be touring in 2022 as a certainty. With The Honeysticks, I hope to do it as well. We’re going to see what the future holds as far as touring goes because it’s going to be a lot of solo stuff. But The Honeysticks guys will be on the solo tour. So it’s going to be the same people that you’re going to be seeing live, but just what branding is gonna be on it. Hopefully 2021 but definitely 2022, and from then on into the future forever, for a long time.

Is there a place or city, or a dream venue that you’re excited to tour in the future?

Oh yeah. Okay, so me personally, the only venue that I actively am excited to kind of conquer is The Pageant in St. Louis. It’s a 1000 cap venue in St. Louis, Missouri, where I went to high school, middle school, and college. That was the big venue that I would see all the bands that I was excited about at.

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There were others, but that was like the cool venue to me. It was kind of like The Fonda in LA, like that size. So that’s it for me. Anything else is really cool, but that’s the one that I truly, in my heart, want to play and want to sell out. That’s going to be a big moment.

Which songs are you excited to perform live?

There’s a lot of unreleased stuff that I’m excited to play. I’m excited to finally take this album on the road, [as] I’ve never toured it before. All the old songs that are resonating right now, the whole album, which again, people seem to be resonating with the whole thing, thankfully. That’s the goal.

Everything!

What keeps you inspired during the pandemic?

That’s a good question. What keeps anyone inspired during the pandemic? I don’t know. For me personally, I think, a sense of challenging myself to meet the moment of the TikTok songs and everything. It’s like a sophomore moment, it’s like, “Okay, had round one.” It worked eventually. We had the TikTok songs do well, now I have to put out the next project. The challenge of trying to outdo the last thing is what’s inspiring for me, personally. But in a general sense, in my daily life, I have a girlfriend who I live with, who, thankfully, things have been going really well with the whole time. The home that I’m building right now is what’s inspiring for me.

We have three pets, who we take care of every day, who we love. Yeah, like discovering my relationship.

We moved into an apartment together right before COVID hit, and so it could have gone really badly, I’m sure it did for a lot of new couples. But it worked really well for us. So that’s been very inspiring for me.

What are you looking forward to doing next?

Putting out a new album, and going through that whole process of from start to finish with a label, with actual resources. Creating a vision and seeing it to finality and completion. I’m really excited for that journey.

With all his energy focused on creating new music and a group of passionate fans behind him, you can expect much more to come from Ricky Montgomery.

Keep an eye out for new music on the horizon, and future tours when it’s safe to do so. In the meantime, check out “Line Without a Hook” featuring mxmtoon and “Mr. Loverman” featuring chloe moriondo, both out now!

kindacoolmagazine.com • 47

Greyson Chance • January 2020

by Lexi Matuson

by Emilia Rangel

PRETTYMUCH • August 2019

being

REMOTE with

WALLOWS Words by Faith Logue On February 19, 2021, Wallows released a deluxe version of their EP, Remote, which features three new songs. The title is very fitting for the times we are all going through in the pandemic. I find it so interesting when bands are making songs that have to do with the pandemic because it is something that every single one of us can relate to right now.

Wallows don’t fail to impress with this album.

The first track, “Virtual Aerobics,” is a title that is, of course, very fitting to this time. I find Dylan Minnette’s vocals on this track are very good and the song as a whole is something that I felt like they haven’t made before. The lyrics, “Doing some virtual aerobics / Hey, watch my grapevine and my sidekick,” made me think of the pandemic and how it affects even how we exercise. There’s another lyric that stood out to me, “There’s no color in San Francisco,” because they reference California in past Wallows songs, specifically in the song “Pictures of Girls,” where they reference Hollywood. California holds an important place in the band’s hearts, so it is only fitting they start the EP off with lyrics like that.

The next track, “Dig What You Dug,” is my favorite track on Remote. Not only does the previous track transition flawlessly into this one, but I also found myself jumping up and down to this song. This song reminds me a bit of their older song “1980s Horror Film” because of the background keyboard in the beginning. This song is very happy-go-lucky, and my favorite part of it has to be the chorus just because it is so catchy. The chorus, which says, “I love the way you say my name / Say it again,” sounds trippy in a way; as the line “say it again” repeats multiple times, the vocals of Braeden Lemasters sound almost haunting as heavy guitar riffs drown him out. The ending of the song is also very unique because the title of the song is repeated by someone named Albert Hammond Jr. It is a phrase that is an inside joke with the band, yet the phrase is so catchy it will certainly be in my head.

Following that track comes “Nobody Gets Me (Like You),” which again transitions flawlessly from the previous track. This song is also very trippy like the previous one. The chorus makes me feel happy

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inside because it is a positive message of loving someone so dearly who just understands you. As the song goes on, the guitar riffs seem to become overpowering over these vocals, and Lemasters and Minnette’s vocals are almost like a whisper in the background of the chaos. I feel like this may symbolize how the girl they refer to in the song and the other person, who I assume is Lemasters, are drowning out the noise around them to just focus on each other.

Next up is the track “Coastlines,” which addresses the idea of long-distance relationships, which many people are experiencing because of lockdowns. Minnette speaks of his long-distance relationship with Regrettes’ singer Lydia Night because of their touring schedules and Minnette’s acting. I can relate to this song because I have tried making long-distance relationships work, but it’s hard when you overthink everything and can’t physically see someone to determine how they feel. The lyrics that hit me the hardest are, “I don’t wanna think about it if, I’m really wastin’ all of your time / I don’t wanna think about it when we’re on different coastlines.”

These relatable lyrics made me think about how hard it feels to talk to this person because you don’t want to feel like it is one-sided. Despite how sad the lyrics are, the song is very upbeat, and I think this is my second favorite track because of how much I can relate to it and how heavy the lyrics are.

The fifth track is called “Talk Like That,” which also deals with the idea of long-distance and the difficulty in interpreting things over text. Like the rest of the album, The song is very upbeat, but unlike their old songs, the layering of the vocals on almost every song makes me feel like I am floating. The lyric “Imply one thing and I’ll think about it for days” is a reoccurring theme throughout the album of how difficult this time is and how overthinking ruins a lot of things. The song relatively sounds the same throughout, with the same guitar and keyboards happening, until you get to the bridge. The bridge of the song has the lyrics, “Just wait ‘til we’re together, love / I’ll tell you everything I’m thinking of,” and at this point, the song shifts from bubbly and happy to a much darker tone. The guitars and drums pick up speed, and Minnette’s vocals slow down, making it kinda feel like I am going through a tunnel with the wind in my ears. None of the previous songs have this sudden change in pace, so it was very interesting to hear that.

The next track, “Wish Me Luck,” is a relaxing song that serves as a break in the album. Every track so far has been very upbeat, and this song is sort of a cool down after a climax, such as the buildup from “Talk Like That.” This track sounds very much like a love ballad out of the 80s. It has a groovy sound through the use of keyboards and guitars, making me feel that I’ve been put into a time machine. This song is about the scary feeling that comes with opening up to someone, a feeling that we have all probably felt.

The lyrics are very powerful by saying “I don’t wanna

lose myself to all my insecurities / If I told you all of them, who would it hurt more, you or me?” because when someone opens up to you, you almost feel like you caused them to feel this way, almost like opening up hurts you and the other person. When analyzing the lyrics, it made me sad because I can relate so much, but that’s what music is supposed to do to you. Wallows do a great job of taking their own experiences and putting them into songs, and they do an even better job of allowing people to relate as well.

“On Time” is another sad and slow song, something I will definitely be adding to my chill playlist. This song has vocals by Cole Preston, this being his first leading vocal song on the album. This is a new song added to the deluxe version, and it is evident they wanted to keep the second half of the record more laidback. This song makes me feel like I am floating in the sky and is about falling out of love. The lyrics that hit the hardest to me are “Oh, my love, I can’t explain away my grief / Three words, they don’t mean anything to me.” I haven’t really felt love yet, but I know the heaviness of those words can make or break a relationship.

“Quarterback” is another new song added to Remote. Also voiced

by Preston, he delivers vocals that are underrated in the band, and I think he should be the lead vocal in more songs.

“Quarterback” has a music video accompanied with it, and the vibes of the video feel like I am watching an old retro home movie. The song holds retro roots with its synthesizers and heavy reverb. The lyrics that really stick out to me are, “But now summer’s gone / I’m alone wishing for your call, startin’ to freak.” I think the vibes of summer ending and school beginning are one of the worst feelings, and these lyrics emphasize sort of the summer flings that usually don’t hold up once fall starts.

The next track, “Another Story,” is the second shortest Wallows song, the first one being “Underneath the Streetlights in the Winter Outside Your House” from 2018. There is so much said in this song despite its length. There are still heavy synthesizers that take up almost 30 seconds of the song in the beginning. There are some different vocal effects on Lemasters’ voice that add to the gloomy tone of the song. The song is rumored to be about his ex-girlfriend, which makes sense with the

lyrics “And I'm not ashamed of what I'll miss / I know I used the word ‘forever’ / I promise I think we'll be better.” Remembering the good times and the times ahead is what is important to him during this hard breakup, and the shortness of the song gives enough clues to what he feels he needed to say.

The final two tracks are “OK” and the remix to “OK.” The original track was released almost a year ago, shortly after lockdown started, and it is only fitting they include it on the album. I really like the song because it brings me back to the older music Wallows have put out. The lyric “Can we get up and try to feel okay again?” is deeply relatable because there it’s okay not to feel okay, but Wallows use this idea of not being okay as a positive message.

It is a sense of unity in the song that we are all in this together and going to get through the tough times together. The remixed version of the track is much shorter than the original and includes the vocals of Remi Wolf.

In the beginning verse of the remixed track, I like how Minnette’s vocals are sped up, then slowed down to express the meaning of the song. Wolf’s vocals add a missing element that I feel was not in the original, the addition of the higher harmonies.

The remixed version is much faster, and when alternating between the two, one can only feel like the original is too slow and that the remixed version feels like the correct speed. Either way, “OK” is a track that gives me hope, and I think it is a good way to end the album because in these dire times, we may not all be okay, but we are going to come together and try to be okay, which is all that matters.

The deluxe version of Remote added something that was needed to the songs that were on the original EP and helped the album transition well. It is almost like the pandemic itself: going from being happy in lockdown, which we thought was temporary, but as time goes on, it gets sadder and sadder, which is how I feel the album is structured.

I think that this album is very good and brings me back to simpler times with its heavy synthesizers and good vibes. There are no skips on the album, and I think the only true way to listen to this album is to start from the beginning to the end to make sure the story is told well. I hope Wallows continue down the path they are on now, with the mix of heavy songs and upbeat ones, because it works well.

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DRIVING DIGITAL: helping young artists rise to global stardom Words by Mallory Thompson

We’re almost 3 months into 2021, and “Driver’s License” by Olivia Rodrigo has broken yet another record. She has also recently turned 18, and what a fantastic year it has been for her. After just 5 weeks since the initial release, her song has taken the world by storm.

Today’s record has been added to a list of many. “Driver’s License” became the fastest song to surpass 400 million streams in Spotify’s history. The song has currently been #1 on the Billboard Top 100 for 5 weeks and has broken records on Spotify, Apple, and Amazon Music.

The power of this song and its global reach can be accounted entirely to digital promotion. I’ve never seen a song do so well in its first 5 weeks, and the Internet is the biggest driving factor.

The song gained traction on the social app TikTok when users speculated that the song was about Rodrigo’s former co-star, Joshua Bassett. In a matter of days, the entire app was convinced of a love triangle between Olivia, Josh, and his rumored girlfriend, singer/actress Sabrina Carpenter. Now, this discussion isn’t entirely about the drama surrounding the song, but it’s no question that young artists are driving a huge reach in the music industry. As previously mentioned, Rodrigo is newly 18 and currently driving

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the largest global song. I would attribute this growth entirely to the reach of social media and digital promotion. Now more than ever, young artists have been given a platform through the digital space, to pave a new way to success.

Think about it: there are so many artists now under 20 who are finding success through digital means. The Kid Laroi went from making a song about popular TikToker Addison Rae to having his song “Without You” chart in the Top 100 songs on Billboard.

The opportunities to succeed using digital platforms bring up an entirely new focus for the music industry. Now more than ever, fans and listeners are connected and streaming constantly.

The other day, I was listening to a Spotify Yearly Streaming event where they discussed the impact of streaming on the world’s top artists. From prominent playlist positions to just the accessibility of music, there are so many more opportunities for artists to get in front of new fans and the people who are most likely to consume their music. One of my favourite artists, Billie Eilish, was mentioned during this event, along with her brother, singer/ producer Finneas O’Connell.

Billie Eilish is a great example of a singer under 20 that gained success and dominated the music industry after her digital growth. Eilish originally gained

traction after her song “Ocean Eyes” went viral on SoundCloud. After finding prominent success, she continued releasing catchy music that got better and better. In addition to her sound, her music was different. It opened up the ears of listeners and captured them. They held onto her immense talent and continued wanting more. The age of digital is a fastmoving, never-stopping wave of what’s next. To catch attention, you need to do something different and be great. Once you achieve a song that catches attention and holds onto audiences, then comes the creation of moments.

Prominent streaming sites like Apple Music and Spotify are continually updating their popular playlists with music that is globally trending.

These playlists can then reach hundreds of thousands of users per day. By placing these songs, streaming sites are creating moments for listeners to find music. These platforms are incredibly powerful and help to build up artists and their followings.

But let’s not forget the platforms that drive these streams as mentioned before, TikTok has been a primary driver of music over the past almost 2 years. In

a yearly review by TikTok in 2020, it was said that over 70 artists that went viral achieved record deals. This platform is housing the next generation of listeners, creators, and conversations. Every day, millions of videos are created, and among them are talented artists and creatives.

Another example of an artist who thrived off of TikTok is Lyn Lapid. In October 2020, Lyn posted a TikTok about a record producer who told her she’d never make it in the industry.

Instead of sulking about it, she turned it into a story and a viral song. Now her song “Producer Man” has been streamed over 11 million times on Spotify and ended up giving her a record deal under Universal Music Group.

It’s wild to think about the impact of digital in 2021.

When you think about it, artists today have some of the greatest tools to capture audiences and hold onto them.

Every day, new songs are released, giving new artists a chance to thrive. Who would have known that just 5 weeks ago, a song an 18-year-old girl wrote would be the top global track in the world? Anything is possible. All it takes is one song and the right people to listen to it.

Echosmith • March 2020

by Tanya Wright

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