Author: Admin

Sometimes the most meaningful songs come from moments when the future is still uncertain. For QUINTESSE, “On My Way” began with a deeply personal story about Victoria, whose years of setbacks never stopped her from pursuing an important goal. What started as a song written specifically for her gradually became something much bigger, speaking to anyone who has ever been doubted, underestimated, or made to question whether they should keep going. There is a quiet strength running through the song. Rather than presenting success as something that happens overnight, QUINTESSE captures the uncertainty, frustration and determination that often come before…

There is something refreshing about hearing a young artist approach music without trying to sound older than she is. Fronted by 14-year-old singer and songwriter Alice Ventura, Boise-area indie rock band Afternoon Sister brings together indie rock and dream pop on Reset E.P., a five-song project that feels thoughtful, atmospheric and surprisingly emotionally aware. Released through North Corona Records, the EP moves between heavier guitar-driven moments and quieter, more reflective passages. “Don’t Cross Yer Fingers,” “Ache,” “Night Drive,” “Reset,” and “I Guess It Is Goodbye” each have their own personality, but they still feel connected, as though they are different…

For Stefano Jeff Blues, music has never been simply about playing an instrument or fitting into a particular genre. A pianist, guitarist and composer from Bologna, his musical journey began with an unexpected fascination with the piano and grew through the influence of artists such as Keith Jarrett and Eric Clapton. Eventually, the piano and guitar became two sides of the same musical language, with the blues providing the connection between them. That relationship with the blues has remained central to his work, but Stefano does not treat it as a formula. For him, the blues is a way of…

Some musical ideas begin with a story, a memory or a particular place. For Martin Lloyd Howard, it is often the other way around. The music comes first, and the story reveals itself along the way. Howard’s relationship with the guitar began as a teenager, inspired by the likes of Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple and a desire to play like Jimmy Page. What started with folk guitar lessons soon took an unexpected turn when he heard another student perform “Romanza,” opening the door to classical guitar and a style of playing that would continue to influence him decades later.…

For some artists, music is something they discover and never really lose, even when life takes them in another direction. For Chet Nordy, that connection began early, with childhood memories of riding in the backseat while his parents played rock and roll. By his early teens, he was already teaching himself guitar, eventually becoming the bassist for A Silver Lining before stepping away from music to build a business and support his family. Six years later, the music called him back. Now recording and writing as Chet Nordy, Dave Nordstrom has found a new way to balance life as a…

Who are we when the titles, responsibilities and expectations that have followed us through life are stripped away? It is a question that can take years to answer, and for Toby S. Reeves, it becomes the emotional center of “The Real Me,” a deeply personal country song about looking beyond the person life expects us to be and confronting the person we really are. There is something especially powerful about hearing an artist turn years of lived experience into a song without trying to hide behind it. Reeves does exactly that on “The Real Me,” drawing from his Indiana and…

Some songs have a way of outliving the moment in which they were created. For Hamish, “Singing In My Soul” is one of those songs. First recorded in 1999 at Hatfield Court, the track began in an intimate, almost bohemian setting surrounded by local musicians, but its journey would eventually take it far beyond that old drawing room. More than two decades later, it remains a song people remember, request, and choose for deeply personal occasions. Produced by Les Penning, whose musical experience and sharp ear played an important role in shaping the recordings, “Singing In My Soul” emerged from…

For BR33Z WORLD, music is not simply a way to describe what has happened in his life. It is a way of making sense of it, taking experiences that could have remained scars and turning them into stories, sound and purpose. That idea sits at the center of “Black Heart,” the first chapter of a planned three-album journey that moves through pain, survival and betrayal. The title itself carries much more weight than simply suggesting emotional hardness. For BR33Z WORLD, “Black Heart” represents the darkest parts of his story, including pain, betrayal, relationships, loyalty and the experiences that can change…

For John Korbel, music was never really something he left behind. Even during the years when he was no longer making music professionally, songwriting remained part of his life, quietly waiting for the right moment to return. That moment came in 2017, after a period of personal change gave him the time and space to reconnect with recording. What followed was not simply a return to an old passion, but the beginning of a different chapter, one shaped by years of experience, a deeper understanding of himself, and a willingness to write without the restrictions he may have felt earlier…

Some songs are created with a story already in mind. Others discover their story as the music takes shape. For Andrew Shabazz, “Happy Flight (Slowed)” belongs to the second kind. What started as an attempt to create a funky, old-school soul instrumental gradually became connected to one of the most meaningful chapters of his life. Inspired by the journey to meet his wife during a long-distance relationship and the flight that eventually brought her home to stay, the track carries a personal story of love, change, anticipation and faith. Yet Shabazz did not begin the song intending to write a…