Emerging from a string of confrontations with mortality, life choices, and the slow leakage of youthful possibility, I See Hawks in L.A. will released their latest album, Live and Never Learn, on June 6th. While many of the album's tracks directly address the band’s personal struggles, others reflect their longtime interest in ecology and conservation using instrumentation including B3, fiddle, and accordion to heighten the impact of the story songs. Recently, member Rob Waller answered his Essential 8 where he spoke about his musical mentors, shared the story behind Live and Never Learn, and more.

Did you have a musical mentor? If so, who was it and how did they influence you?
I’d say my bandmates Paul Lacques and Paul Marshall have both really influenced me and acted as my mentors over the years. They’re both a bit older and have had more experience and success as musicians and songwriters than I have.  So I’ve tried to watch and listen to them where I could. Paul Lacques influenced me as both a songwriter and an artist. He really fights for his vision and fearlessly puts it out into the world.  I admire that. Paul Marshall influenced me as both a professional and a family man.  He’s has managed to be a successful musician, husband, and father of three. With a wife and three kids of my own, I’ve studied his approach closely. 

With any particular song, was there an “a-ha” moment when you knew the song was completed and perfect?
With “My Parka Saved Me” it all pretty much came right at once and we knew it was done. Victoria Jacobs (drums) was telling us a story about getting in a car accident in High School.  It was clearly a great story and I just started playing along and singing her narration as she said it. Then Paul and Paul chimed in with back up vocals and it felt like we had something unique right there. It’s pretty much just as we created it in that moment in the rehearsal studio. 

What’s the story behind your album’s title?
After almost 20 years as a band who “never made it big” (so to speak) “Live and Never Learn” seemed like an appropriate title.  It’s a bit tongue-in-cheek and a bit bitter, but also sort of a proud declaration that we’re still doing what we love to do and have had just enough success to keep it going as we’ve imagined it. 

Why did you chose to anchor the album with the songs you did?
The album starts off with “Ballad for the Trees” a gentle rocker that’s possibly the most topical song on the record. The song reflects on the massive distraction and distortion of digital life while ecologically the planet heads towards crisis. The album ends with “Stop Me” a reflection on the ends of things, impermanence, and also the drive to keep going. ​

Bicontinental singer-songwriter, fiddler, and guitarist Lucia Comnes fourth release Held In The Arms is a collection of 13 original songs, centered around the theme of ‘things that nurture.’ Currently residing in Italy, but raised in the San Francisco Bay area, Comnes started her professional career as a vocalist with Oakland-based women’s Balkan/Eastern European a cappella group Kitka, while simultaneously delving deep into Irish music studying in the U.S. and Ireland. 

Along the way she’s also had the pleasure of accompanying Joan Baez on fiddle, collaborating with the T Sisters, Paul Brady, Tim Grimm, Seamus Begley, Liam O'Maonlai, fronting her own Irish band, studying spoken Gaelic and sean-nos, or “old-style” singing, as well as pursuing many other musical and personal endeavors. Comnes’ stateside and global musical exploration has only enriched and brought her closer to American roots music, all of which she honors on her latest release by weaving together folk, blues, country, early rock & roll, indie and bluegrass influences. Here, Comnes answers her Essential 8 and shares the story behind Held In The Arms, names her dream venues and collaborators, and much more!

Is there a story behind your album’s title?
Yes. I wanted to put out an album of songs that transmit joy on the theme of ‘things that nurture’. One of the phrases that kept popping up in the song lyrics over and over was the image of being held in the arms - of love, of nature, of a mother, of a friend. So that became the album title. The album is meant to be like a big hug to the listener. 

Where do you draw inspiration from when writing?
From the people in my life, from sensorial experience (what I see, touch, smell, taste and hear), from kinesthetic memory (what my body feels), from other great writers (like Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell) and from deep within.

What’s the best advice you have ever gotten from another musician?
Keep writing and don’t do the math.

What’s the best advice to give to a musician just starting out?
Keep writing and don’t do the math. Music is an art and a business but you can’t treat it like a normal business especially in the beginning. You can show up and be professional and that will open doors but if you look only at the numbers it won’t make any sense, and it may never make sense. But if you are like me and most artists, the true calling is to create...so as long as you are doing your part as a creator, you will find a way to keep moving forward. It’s easy to get distracted or disappointed when you feel like you are investing so much (time, energy and money) in your music and not seeing financial return, but you have to factor in the other returns that aren’t necessarily reflected in the numbers. For example, what you are learning, the feedback you get from the audience, the people you are meeting and collaborating with, the experiences you are having thanks to your music and the body of work you are creating. Those are what matter most. 

Fresh off the two-month long Born Ready Tour, Steve Moakler is readying the release of his new album, Born Ready, on June 15th. Inspired by the troubadour's home away from home - the road - Born Ready is a twelve song collection of moments in a journey, encouraging the listener to keep striving to get to where they want to be, just like Moakler himself. Ahead of the album's release, the singer-songwriter kindly took the time to chat about the project, working with Luke Laird, and more.

With Born Ready being your 5th record, did you approach anything differently this time around?
We did. I made this record with Luke [Laird] who produced Steel Town and we brought in Joe Clemens who has played electric guitar for me the last couple years. During pre-production, we spent a lot of time working out the songs, finding the grooves, and talking about the colors we wanted to use to paint the songs. With Joe involved, we devoted a lot time to the lead guitar parts and solos which affected the end result in a great way.
Other than that, I think we were able to push the boundaries a bit with this album, with some songs being more country, others having an arena rock feel, and others being a bit of a throwback.

You mentioned you worked with Luke again, the two of you have a solid working relationship.
Luke and I jive personally and creatively, and I love working with him. I am so proud of how Steel Town turned out that working with him again was an easy choice to make. Being that it was our second time together, we were able to improve upon what we did on the previous record. We were able to approach this project and say, ‘What could we do better than we did last time?’ and we all understood what that meant.
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There are twelve tracks on the record, eleven of which were co-written with varied songwriters. Were they written recently, pulled from awhile back, or something different?
There are three songs on the record that were written before Steel Town: “Crazy Does,” “Chesney,” and “Hard Not To Love It.” Whether it’s the lyrical content or musical feel, I like every track to have an individual identity within a project and I felt like they were stepping on the toes of a couple of the other songs on the last record, so they didn’t make it….but, I feel like they have that identity on this one. 
​Honestly, I was on the road so much, I didn’t have a lot of time to write. My publisher was nervous (laughing) about having the songs because we had a plan for when we were putting this record out, but thank God for that last rush of inspiration. We got some important songs in the last couple minutes of the 4th quarter (laughing).

Hailing from Australia’s Gold Coast, Calan Mai (nee Jordan Lawrence) made his debut with an acoustic demo of “We’ve Got Love” in 2014. With virtually no promotion, the track soon found its way into rotation on Triple J, BBC Radio 6, and a number of college radio stations in the U.S. Having recently teamed up with producer Chris Coady, Mai released the fully realized, dynamically arranged version of “We’ve Got Love” which showcases his nuanced songcraft. The melodically light track is balanced by a heavier lyricism that while personal, offers a message of love and acceptance. Recently, Calan Mai graciously took the time to chat about the track, how Blink-182 shaped his sound, and the feeling of unconditional love despite chaos.

You were inspired by a Zeppelin loving friend to make the foray into music. So, how did you find your way from that style to the folk-pop sound you embody now?
I started guitar when I was thirteen and spent my time learning to play “Seven Nation Army” and Led Zeppelin, like every kid does. At fourteen, I joined a band that played pop-punk covers from Green Day and Blink-182, a band that really spurred me along in the very beginning.
 
I remember early on sitting down and trying to put a song together in the pop-punk style of Blink-182. I got excited because I realized that’s how it was done and that I could do it myself. Although what I write about is quite different than what Tom DeLonge sings about, in terms of chord progression, if you remove the distorted guitars and slow down the pace, there is not big a difference at all between what I do and what they do. A lot of what I learned about songwriting I learned through them.
 
I’m not sure how exactly I got from there to here, maybe someone kind of instantly goes to folk when they sit alone with an acoustic guitar, I don’t know, but by the time I was fifteen I was writing these more folky songs. At my school, there was a teacher who would put together a compilation of songs by the students and we would all try to get on it. I had written this song, “Before I Depart” which she chose to put on it, and unbeknownst to me, she sent the song away to an Australian-wide children’s songwriting competition - and I won. That was a total surprise and brought me to the point where I realized that I might be better at this than I thought. My mom encouraged me further, wanting me to send the song to radio stations, but I didn’t let her because I didn’t like it, which is just naturally what you do – you make something, hate it, and then immediately want make something better.

Raw and reflective, Reuben Bidez's upcoming EP, Something to Say, holds a mirror to the machines that make the world tick. Throughout the six tracks, it's clear that Bidez has not only found his voice, but is not afraid of expressing it - something he does beautifully via transporting, emotive vocals, compelling lyricism, and memorable melodies. Here, Bidez answers his Essential 8 where he touches on processing experiences through songwriting and shares advice from Thad Cockrell, as well as his favorite road food, must have albums, and more.

Where do you draw inspiration from when writing? 
I've found that I use writing as a way of processing my experiences.  I don't think I've ever written a song that I truly loved that didn't come out of some personal experience.  This is why I believe meeting new people and traveling to new places is so important to develop as a songwriter.  Get out of your bubble!

What’s the best advice you have ever gotten from another musician?
Thad Cockrell encouraged me to not be so precious with every song.  He said that being precious holds back the song from becoming what it really needs to become.  Like a child that you coddle for too long.  It's hard though when parts of yourself are in each song.  But, as Thad reassured me, there will always be more songs.

What’s your favorite/”go-to” food on the road?
If I'm in the southeast, I alternate between Chick-fil-A and Zaxbys.  I'm from the south, so I'm a sucker for fried chicken.  If I'm in the west, I always look for the closest In-And-Out burger.  People sometimes hate on it saying it's nothing special, but I've never had a bad burger from them.  Also, it's what I ate almost exclusively while I recorded Something To Say in Dallas, TX.

A gumbo of New Orleans influenced blues, blue-eyed soul, funk, and folk, Mama Juke is a four-part-harmony freight train just a-hummin' down the rails. Playing originals as well as a crowd-pleasing repertoire of covers, the boys have played gigs for audiences of all types all over New York City, including several residencies. On June 9th, Mama Juke will be playing the Northside Festival and in advance of their appearance, member Jon Wert kindly took the time to speak about Live at Unit J, dream collaborators, touring Japan, and share some excellent touring tips. 

Is there a story behind your album’s title?
It's pretty self-explanatory, "Live at Unit J."  Unit J is a loft space/DIY music venue in Bushwick where Eli used to live.  He, together with other creative/performer roommates was instrumental at setting up the place, making connections, hosting shows and turning it into the scene that it has become.  It's been the epicenter for so much art and music that has happened over the past few years among many of our friends and colleagues in NYC.  We felt that this simple title was the right debut live album for the band because it pays homage to our home-base that has nurtured us and many others.  We wanted the album to not only capture the feeling of a typical live Mama Juke show but also to showcase the feeling of being at a concert/party at Unit J.   

When/where do you do your best writing?
Sometimes on the road, free from the everyday stresses of life and inspired by new places and people.  But really we're all of the mindset that, at least for us, it really just requires a dedication and scheduling of time to sit down for however long, no matter what's going on, and just try to write.  Often it's difficult, often nothing great comes from it, but the act of trying to switch on that composition mode at will, and just the experience of trying to write over and over again, builds up your skills as a writer over time just like practicing an instrument does.  Sometimes it's important to have some kind of inspiration that helps you get something good, but in general we're just trying to get better at creating our own inspiration when we need it.    

Do you have any touring tips?
Start planning as early as possible, ideally about 6 months out or longer.  Make a spreadsheet with all the details you can think of to help you be organized, a column with each date in your potential timeframe and all other details to follow (venue, city, contact info, backline, social media, etc.)  Also plan your budget.  Try to secure a few important gigs throughout (i.e. gigs that pay well to help finance the tour) in the places you want to go and then work to fill in dates around that.  And then really it's about getting busy contacting people.  It gets easier as you develop relationships with venues/bookers, but it's still difficult to get a hold of people, pitch your project, and actually confirm a gig.  I'd recommend trying to schedule time everyday to work on this, maybe 30 minutes everyday to makes some calls, send some emails, make follow-up calls (extremely important), and keep fleshing out that spreadsheet.  It also helps to get in touch with any friends you have in the places you are traveling to for help with lodging and booking advice.  

And then once the time to head out has come, have fun!

Americana rock band No Dry County are set to release their new album, Panhandle Music, this year. An album that tells the story of the people within this landscape, from their deepest despairs to their highest hopes; their illusions and expectations set the stage and tell their bittersweet stories of a place they can’t save and never truly escape.  Here, No Dry County's Tour Manager and Songwriter Art Portillo answers his Essential 8 and talks Panhandle Music, chicken wings, and more.

Is there a story behind your albums title?
Panhandle Music is a term our guitar player, Bristen, brought to us to help answer the question “what kind of music do y’all play?” We come from the Panhandle of Texas, where there’s so many different types of music, and it’s our way of mixing them all together. 

With any particular song, was there an “a-ha” moment when you knew the song was completed or perfect?
"Manic and Mundane," is a song Trent and I wrote together, the only song I’ve ever been a part or writing. I didn’t know they planned to cut it for the album, I don’t think they did either. But due to Hurricane Harvey hitting south Texas while we were in the studio and there being some power outage issues, Trent fooling around playing it on the piano the guys all liked it. I didn’t know until I heard a rough cut and at that point I had the “I guess it didn’t suck” moment. 

How do you kill long hours in the van?
I’m the first one to fall asleep! I go directly to the back seat of the van and mind my own business. If i stay real quiet, they won’t ask me to drive! If I’m awake I watch the WWE network. 

What’s your favorite “go-to” food on the road? 
Chicken Wings, I never pass up the chance to eat wings. 

Breaking the mold from the classic dazzle and glam, Lacey Caroline embraces her "down to earth" style, trading the sundresses for roughed up flannels and the big bows for a dirty ball cap.  She embodies the "American Dream" of a hometown girl with the grit and the guts to fight to the top of country music.  And while Lacey may have grown her roots in the Garden State of New Jersey, but she comes with a voice and heart as big as Texas.

Since 14 when she first started penning songs, Lacey's goal in music has always been to give the gift of stories and music to other people.   "If I can give the sense of relief and expression to someone else through a song, I've done my job.  I write songs about things I feel and have lived, but we all live through so many similar experiences.  I want to give someone a way to say what they were feeling, but maybe they didn't have the words," Lacey says in a recent interview. Here, Lacey answers her Essential 8 and talks songwriting, Wendy's, her professional bucket list, and more.

Why did you choose to anchor the album with the songs you did?
I grew up listening to a lot of rock music; really driving and highly energetic songs.  I always find myself writing songs that are fun, upbeat, and energetic, and that’s what I wanted the album to reflect.  I also pride myself in having a very fun and high energy live show, so I wanted songs that would be fun for the band and the crowd to rock out on together!

Where do you draw inspiration from when writing?
I’m a word/story person.  I can be inspired by someone randomly saying something, seeing something happen in the world, or just having a word stick out in my mind in an odd or different way.  A song can be born by almost anything!

When/where do you do your best writing?
Always at night. It’s like clockwork.  My best/favorite songs I’ve ever written have been started between 10 pm- 2am.  Probably because I’m so tired from the day, that my creative inhibitors shut down and I’m able to let my creativity flow more freely.

On July 27, 2018 Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter/guitar player/multi-instrumentalist YVETTE LANDRY will release her latest project, LOUISIANA LOVIN',  a collaboration with RODDIE ROMERO. "My idea was that when you listened to the CD, it would bring you back to a time where dance halls and Juke Joints in Louisiana were the place to be. And after putting in a hard day’s work, one could forget all of their troubles and dance the night away…Once we laid down the tracks, I decided to give this new collaboration a name. Rather than just releasing the album as ‘Yvette Landry,”’ I felt this group was special. They had an old school feel… Louisiana Swamp Pop at it’s finest. I decided on, ‘The Jukes.’ “  In advance of the release, Landry kindly took the time to answer her Essential 8 where she spoke about the album, musical mentors, favorite venues, and more. 

​Did you have a musical mentor? If so, who was it and how did they influence you?  
Wow…that’s a loaded question!  I come from a musical family.  As a matter of fact, I can go back seven generations on my father’s, mother’s side of the family and find musicians there.  My father sang, and aunt was a music teacher and plays piano.  My grandmother played banjo and guitar and the rest of her 11 brothers and sisters all either sang or played instruments.  My father’s dad played drums and his 12 brothers and sisters also played.  Each family had a “family band.”  Their style of music was more “Dixieland.”  At some point in the 1920’s or 1930’s the two bands combined to form the “Bill Landry Orchestra.”  Although I never got to see them play in person, I was able to listen to a few of my great-uncles when they came to visit.  They’d sit at the piano and pound out tunes and sing.  Also, family reunions were filled with music.  I was also able to get my hands on a recording that they made in the 1960’s.

Although my style of music is nothing like what they were playing during their heyday, I do feel their influence when I play.  From what I remember hearing in person, on the recording, and talking to people who remember them playing, their music was real.  It was organic, soulful, emotional, danceable and fun.  I’m pretty sure that it is their early influence that set the tone for what I would later be playing, writing and recording.

With any particular song, was there an “a-ha” moment when you knew the song was completed and perfect?   
As a matter of fact, yes, there was a moment.  We went in to record, Daddy, Daddy.  The band did not have a rehearsal prior to the session – nor had we all played together.  So we sort of played around with the tune to find the groove that I was looking for.  After a just a few minutes, we said, “let’s give it a try.”  I told everyone that I’d just do scratch vocals to keep them on track—especially since I’d never really sung that type of song before.  After we recorded the song, that first take, we all knew that that was the one.  We used the first take and the scratch vocals.  AND, it was the second track that we laid down.  That pretty much set the tone for the rest of the record.

Homesick Blues was another “a-ha” moment, but I’ll save that story for later!

Is there a story behind your album’s title?
I started writing songs at the end of 2008.  My Dad, Lindsey Landry, had cancer at the time, and I’d write songs and perform them for him.  He’d always tell me I needed to record the songs and I’d always tell him, “No Way!  I don’t have a clue what I’m doing!”  He died in the Fall of 2009 and I knew I needed to record my songs.
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This particular album is songs that I knew he loved.  He loved Louisiana Swamp Pop music.  So when I started to think of album titles, I thought, Louisiana Lovin’. I also liked the fact that the album initials were “L.L.” which was our nickname for my Dad.