By Greg Ludwig
Passafire, 7/4/23, Bird & Betty's, Beach Haven, NJ (PHOTOS)
By Greg Ludwig
Bumpin Uglies, 6/18/23, Bird & Betty's, Beach Haven, NJ (PHOTOS)
By Greg Ludwig
Interview with Chelsea Carlson (Singer/Songwriter, Musician)
NJ’s Chelsea Carlson has been keeping busy during the pandemic as a multi-genre singer/songwriter, member of the Renaissance Faire-inspired trio Bardy Pardy, and as a music teacher giving virtual and in-person lessons to students K-12. On Friday, February 11, you can also see her perform live as she opens for the band The Wag at The Coffee House in Edison, NJ. Chelsea has a ton of new music coming out later this year, as both a solo artist and through Bardy Pardy. So how has she been able to juggle all these creative endeavors while remaining so upbeat?
Read moreInterview with Chill Smith
By Sonia Schnee | Posted Monday, December 9, 2019
In August of this year, South Jersey rapper, hip hop producer, and audio engineer Chill Smith released his latest album, Chillville, YO, followed by a music video for his single, "blas•phe•my.” He is an Asbury Music Award nominated artist who has been performing for at capacity crowds across New Jersey for the past decade. Check out our interview with Chill Smith, below, to learn more about the inspiration behind his music and his plans for the future.
What's your name, where are you from, where are you based now?
I go by Chill Smith. I was born and raised in Paterson, NJ. I currently live near Seaside.
How would you describe your sound?
I'd describe my sound as contemporary East Coast hip hop, heavy 808s, trap beats with an East Coast flow.
Who are your musical influences?
I have a bunch of influences, but my most current influences have been Royce Da 5'9", J. Cole, Drake, Kanye West and Kendrick Lamar.
congrats on the release of your album, Chillville, YO. What can you tell us about the inspiration behind some of the tracks on it? Tell us a bit about your creative process.
I suffer from anxiety. My anxiety either forces me to hide or just go. A friend of mine, Chris Rockwell, released a track everyday in January. I’ve seen the results he got, so I decided to try something similar. By the time I decided to do that I was working two jobs, so releasing a track everyday wouldn't have been feasible. I choose to do it every Friday. I just wanted to rap, I wanted to have fun, I didn't want to make the beats, just rap, record and mix. I wasn't expecting to make this album, I was just picking beats and recording. I didn't even write lyrics, I just turned on the microphone and went off emotions.
First Video off Chillville, YO. Shot By: Chris Rockwell. Edited By: Chill Smith
Is there anyone who you actively collaborate with or would like to collaborate with in the future?
I don't really like working with people when it comes to my own music. I have to be left alone in my own space, but I'm glad I collab’d with the ones on the album, especially Heather Hills. Heather Hills has a video on Twitter with about 160k views of her rapping her verse off “Pepto Bismol”, which organically is my most streamed song.
Second music video off Chillville, YO. Recorded and Edited by Chill Smith.
Also, congrats on the release of your new music video for "blas•phe•my." What was the music-video-making process like?
That video was spontaneous. I just said "fuck it." I shot it on my cell phone after seeing Joker for a second time. I had several ideas, but over-planning slows me down. It took me two days to record. Most of the shots are me in my car. For the shots on the roof, I used a $5 stand from 5 and Below. I danced on that roof without music, I couldn't even tell if I was in the shot. I used a stock app on my laptop to edit the video. I'm proud of it.
What has your personal journey been like so far? How’d you get to this point?
My personal journey as far my music career has been great! I've been across the country, I've gotten to meet and open up for some great artists I admire and respect like Pharoahe Monch and Joe Budden. I got here by constantly working and taking risks.
Do you have any words of advice for people who share a similar passion, or have maybe faced similar obstacles/challenges?
Use your resources, don't let money get in the way. Surround yourself with people who have the same goals, don't expect everyone to listen to your music, it's your job as an artist to make people want to listen.
Finally, what are some ways that fans can connect with you online?
My website is www.chillsmith.com and all my social media is @chillsmithchill.
Hopper Pond - “Cutting Ties” (Interview)
By Deaglan Howlett | Posted Sunday, October 13, 2019
Hopper Pond is a pop punk/emo group based out of Forked River, New Jersey. Earlier this year, the group released their debut EP, Cutting Ties. Since the release, Hopper Pond has been playing numerous shows throughout the state and beyond in support of the release. Cutting Ties is a high energy, ripper of a first release, and bassist/vocalist Steve Scholey was kind enough to answer some questions about the group and Cutting Ties. Thanks again, Steve!
Where are you based out of?
Hopper Pond is based out of Nicky's (vocals/guitar) house in Forked River NJ. We're all pretty much from close, surrounding towns. Chris's house is now our home venue, the calzone zone, so we're finally able to do stuff SUPER close to home, makes everything so easy, and I love bringing the scene to our small town to throw down!
How did you meet?
So Hopper Pond was formed in January of this year, actually. We started as a 3-piece, until we had the pleasure of adding Evan and Ry to the mix. We've all been in previous bands with each other before. Ryan (lead guitar) has been in almost every band of mine since middle school, and I've known Nicky since I started taking bass lessons in 5th grade. Honestly we're all best friends and the dynamic between us really shows it, on and off stage.
Who are your biggest influences?
Oof, we take influence from a pretty wide spectrum. Obviously, we all have a soft spot for the emo revival period. I feel like there was a point where I owned every piece of Modern Baseball merch available. Though, I do like to take a lot of influence from pop music. I just love it. T Swift? Amazing. We listen to everything we can. We just love finding new shit and showing each other, whether it be emo, rap, or hardcore.
How has your music evolved since you first formed Hopper Pond?
Well, the first song I wrote for us was “41-33.” Since then, I feel like we bounce around. We write a LOT of music in our free time. I feel like multiple days, I'll get a voice memo from Nick or Ryan with a new riff, or I'll send them a "banger one liner" or something. It's very obvious when I get on kicks of pop punk, or screamo. You can hear it in our music, like a timeline of what we've been listening to, who we've been taking influence from. From here, I don't know what we're gonna write. It's gonna be fun though.
What was the process like writing and recording Cutting Ties?
Writing Cutting Ties was honestly the most fun I've ever had with my friends. Every time we wrote a new song, we'd come up with an idea for it and scream about it for an hour, texting each other after how this is "our new best song, holy shit this is our new best song." We collaborate really nicely, because we're so comfortable and real with each other. On the recording side, Jacob Fishman should get an award. He fucking killed it, from start to finish. I've never worked with someone with so much knowledge, and I can't wait to work with him again. He does hate Bayside tho, which I do have a problem with.
Favorite song on Cutting Ties, and why?
“You Wouldn't Love Me in the Summer” is my favorite track on that record. It's just so energetic and fun to play live, and the lyrics are some of my favorites that we have released. One of my favorite parts of the set, definitely.
What can you expect at a Hopper Pond show?
A Hopper Pond show is definitely different. We may have a few things to say about Tom Brady, or stories from Nick's dishwashing job. We love to have fun and joke around on stage. I grew up a huge fan of Blink-182, and I always loved how you could have fun with them at shows. They acted like best friends, because they were. Our fans, to be honest, are fucking insane. They're what makes it fun. There's nothing like the feeling of someone screaming your lyrics back at you. Whether it's in a sweaty basement or a coffee shop, HP shows always pop off.
We have a BIG winter tour planned and just a lot happening coming up. New merch, new music, lots of shows, a lot of fun. We love our scene more than anything, it's like a big ol' friend group. Every band is so supportive and helped us come so far in such a short time, we appreciate it more than we could ever explain.
Interview with Alexis Pellegrino (Lex Rex and the Dragons)
By Sonia Schnee | Posted Friday, April 13, 2018
NJ's Alexis Pellegrino, aka Lex Rex (Lex Rex and the Dragons), just release a new music video for her song, "Ain't Nothin," from her EP Tides (you can listen to Tides on Spotify, iTunes, Tidal, Google Play, and Amazon). Check out our interview with Lex, below, to learn about her style, musical influences, and the inspiration behind her new EP.
What's your name, where are you from, where are you based now?
I am Alexis Pellegrino aka Lex Rex. I'm originally from Northern NJ. I am now based in Ocean County.
Tell us about your music. How would you describe your style or sound? Where do you record? Who are your influences, musically?
Last year, I released a Hip-Hop single. I don’t think people were expecting Tides to sound the way it does. I went from spitting bars to singing. It definitely put me out of my comfort zone for sure, but I’ve been writing pop music since I was in elementary school. I finally decided to go with it. I love writing melodies over some smooth synth or a nice beat.
I recorded Tides at Eight Sixteen/Traxx East Studio in South River, NJ. I absolutely love them there, they are like family.
My musical influences are pretty wide ranged (I’d like to think). Frank Ocean, MJ, Earth Wind and Fire, The Internet, Led Zeppelin, The Stones, Stevie Wonder, Madonna, The Weekend, Kanye West, The Stooges, Nirvana. Growing up my dad would play Disco/Motown/Jazz/R&B…. so I would like to think I started off on the right foot as a kid ;).
Congrats on the new music video!
Thank you! Because Tides has a throwback kind of feel, I’ve been figuring out ways to tie in retro design/film with modern day design/film. I love it, mostly because you learn a lot about how far we have come in design, technology, etc. from studying the past.
What's the meaning or inspiration behind some of your newest songs? How do you want people to feel when they listen to your music?
Honestly, the EP is about an Ex-lover. A friend told me that this is “The saddest happiest sounding EP they have ever heard.” The music is upbeat for the most part, but if you listen to the lyrics, they are rather deep/emotional/sad or coming from a place of hope for the future. I hope people connect with my music. I think there is a song for everyone on the EP, and I love how diverse it is. It was honestly very challenging but super rewarding to hear the finished product. I honestly wanted people to feel like there was hope for them even in a place of feeling worthless, low, and stuck in a bad place.
Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you get started with music? What's been your personal journey? Are there any artists, bands, or producers who you'd love to collaborate with one day?
I started getting into doing live music through dance/theater. I fell in love at an early age. Started dancing at age 3, and then it just took off from there!
Current bands or artists I’d love to collaborate with would be Frank Ocean/SZA. Both of them together would be ideal. I am heavy on the R&B, always.
What words of advice or encouragement would you give to someone who wants to follow a similar passion, or is maybe facing obstacles similar to what you've faced?
Keep doing YOU! NEVER give up and NEVER second guess yourself. Also, push yourself out of your comfort zone at least once a day, you’ll find you grow from stepping out of your own zone!
What's next on the horizon for you? Any upcoming shows, singles, music videos, or plans for the next album?
I will continue to release new music videos to go with the songs on the EP as well as some future live performance dates, TBA ;).
Finally, how can people find you online?
I am on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Youtube!
Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lexrexandthedragons/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LXRXNDTHDRGNS
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lexrexandthedragons/?hl=en
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsNZq756vBPGmbwSVAHwGiw?view_as=subscriber