Now Hear This: June 2025

Now Hear This is a monthly A&R column that provides you with exciting new sounds we discovered through the innovative new music platform Groover. BhramaBull Sounds like: Gritty street science from another era enhanced with a futuristic flow that would fit well on the Backwoodz Studioz roster. Describe your approach to music and how you […]

Jun 6, 2025 - 17:50

Now Hear This is a monthly A&R column that provides you with exciting new sounds we discovered through the innovative new music platform Groover.

BhramaBull

Sounds like: Gritty street science from another era enhanced with a futuristic flow that would fit well on the Backwoodz Studioz roster.

Lola Rice

Sounds like: Brilliant multi-layered guitar playing anchored by harmony-rich modern pop songwriting. If Taylor Swift played guitar like Bert Jansch.

Describe your approach to music and how you would explain your sound to others.

When it comes to songwriting, I wish I could say that I have a tried-and-true method of harnessing inspiration, but I’m such a type B person that it’s honestly a process of throwing sh*t at the wall and seeing what sticks. Sometimes I write a song in 20 minutes and sometimes it takes six months — the only “rule” I’ve found for songwriting is that it needs to come from an honest feeling. I always have a song completely written before I step foot in the studio to record it, because I want to make sure it can stand by itself on acoustic guitar rather than relying on production to bring a song to life.

I have a penchant for mellotron flutes, hard panned acoustic guitar doubles, and slap back delay on vocals, but I like experimenting with lots of different instruments to create a certain “Lola Rice” feeling. I’m reminded of that quote by the Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart when talking about obscenity: “I can’t define it, but I know it when I see it.” It’s like, this poignant nostalgia for a memory you can’t quite place. God, that sounds so pretentious, but it’s true. For instance I have a song coming out later this summer, and when I found the right guitar tones I suddenly felt as though I were attending a 60th high school reunion, and I knew I had found what I was looking for.

How did you come up with the name of your act?

It was on my birth certificate!

What are some artists and albums that have informed your creative direction?

When I was younger my parents listened to a ton of Beatles, Animals, Carole King, Joni Mitchell, etc., so that had a huge impact. Later on, Lana del Rey and Mitski were hugely influential as well. And, as cringy as it may sound now, Taylor Swift had a huge impact on me as a preteen — I learned to play every song on Fearless when I was 12 and I’d be lying if that didn’t have an impact on my songwriting as well.

What’s the most exciting thing happening in music right now?

It’s been inspiring to see more experimental artists like Mk.gee and Cameron Winter get appreciated despite being unconventional in their sound. I’m glad people still appreciate creative risk taking in music. Also seeing more queer women get their flowers in pop is pretty exciting and long overdue.

Where do you see the music world heading in the next five years?

These days I’m feeling pretty pessimistic. Small artists will probably have an even harder time as the industry is more and more consumed by big tech and AI squeezes the few opportunities that we have to make a living. I hope I’m wrong, though.

How is music helping you during these uncertain times?

This is a tough question to answer. I suppose it’s finding an artist community of kind and creative people, despite feeling so ashamed and disgusted with what’s happening with politics in my country. Community support is more important than ever and music is a great way to create that.

Riot for Romance

Sounds like: Maximum melodies from the intersection of shoegaze and power pop with emo overtones that will remind listeners of fun. and MCR.

Describe your approach to music and how you would explain your sound to others.

Our approach is to first tap into the emotion of each song idea. For my part, I try to ask what universal feeling this idea is giving. And when writing lyrics, I try to focus on not only a specific meaning they may have for me, but more importantly, I look at how the lyrics might relate to a broader relatable emotion. We share songwriting responsibilities and collectively work on each song from three states. Typically, we share ideas using the cloud and chat on video as needed. On some occasions, we fly to meet in person and work together more traditionally, as was the case with three of the songs from our latest LP. Most of the music is also recorded from our three locations as well. Ultimately, I believe a song takes on its own identity, so we tend to follow whichever way it’s leading us. We self-describe our sound as “a glorious racket of rock ‘n’ roll,” but more descriptively, I would say we brandish a mixture of alternative, shoegaze and post-punk vibes — some might add emo to that list as well.

How did you come up with the name of your act?

The name pays homage to the band No Knife and their song and album titled Riot For Romance!. Though we’re fans of No Knife, I wouldn’t say our style directly reflects theirs. Funny story, someone tagged the band on Instagram when our label, Steadfast Records, announced our EP in 2022. No Knife responded with approval, so that was cool.

What are some artists and albums that have informed your creative direction?

There are soooo many. I would say our music has been cited as giving off influences from Slowdive, Catherine Wheel, Echo and the Bunnymen, DIIV, Sunny Day Real Estate, the Smashing Pumpkins, Gleamer, and Glitterer. Fun facts: the band is divided into The Beatles versus the Beach Boys. We agree on Nirvana over Pearl Jam. Important camps in classic rock.

What’s the most exciting thing happening in music right now?

Wow. This is a tough one. There is always something exciting happening in music. The broad genre of rock seems less impactful in mainstream music these days, and I’d love to see the raw and visceral feeling of rock come back to the masses. I think it’s interesting how the current era of rock, punk, metal and alternative is pulling from the 90’s and early 00’s. Bands like Narrow Head and TNT Hotline are bringing the Deftones and Hum vibes for example. Turnstile has brought hardcore to a larger audience than I’ve previously seen as another example.

Where do you see the music world heading in the next five years?

I feel like music has been a pendulum. In the 60’s and 70’s, it seemed like music flourished with independent musicians and smaller labels releasing albums — some with one-hit-wonders — while major labels continued to take root. In the 80’s and 90’s, those major labels became the gatekeepers of music. Now, music is more equitable with the adoption of streaming. Every independent musician has a chance to be heard and every listener has the means to discover new music easily. However, this ability to discover music has created decision fatigue. People are overwhelmed attempting to discover new music. I think we’ll see some of that swing back with artists and labels finding better ways to reach new fans – maybe more quality over quantity.

How is music helping you during these uncertain times?

For the three of us, music has always been a source of relief and an ointment for a crazy and harsh world. It can build community and offer a way for people to connect on an emotional and sometimes spiritual level. For each of us, creating, playing, and listening to music is not only an escape from the stressors of these uncertain times but is life-filling.

Dwayna Litz

Sounds like: Rustic Dolly Parton vibes that give way to a muscular country-rock sound that feels as uplifting as the songs this Nashville original sings.

Describe your approach to music and how you would explain your sound to others.

I love writing and singing from my heart. I have a unique sound, and I love how it crosses genres, depending on production. I love so many types of music. I got to record with a full orchestra in NYC standards from the Great American Songbook, and my heart was in every note. Then, I did a piano vocal and guitar vocal compilation that was compared to Norah Jones. I can then sing mountain music filled with soul and get compared to Dolly Parton. I was raised in Tennessee, but I have spent most of my time in NYC as an adult, so it is all “me” as a city girl from the South. I moved to Nashville at only 17, as I had recorded three albums by then, and all I cared about during those young years on Music Row was a record deal. I would basically go any direction musically a producer wanted. I now know myself a lot better than those days—I know who I am and who I am not. As Lionel Richie said, “If it does not have soul, it does not have meaning,” and that is how I feel about the music I love. It all has to have soul. I always write and sing from my heart. I never do anything for commercial reasons. If my music gets out there to a vast audience and makes money, great, but even if not that many people hear it, it is all just as important to me in my authenticity as an artist. I used to have publishing deals where they wanted me to write for this artist and write something happy if I was feeling sad or write something sad if I was feeling happy. I hated that, and nothing came out of it that I loved. It is my songs that I have written from my heart that have the most meaning. I got to the place a long time ago where I only write from my heart.

How did you come up with the name of your act?

My dad’s name is Wayne, and I was named “Dwayna” after him. People ask, “Did your mother want a boy?” The answer is no, they knew it would be a girl, but she thought up the creative name. It is pronounced like “Dwayne” but with an “a” on the end. It has been a real conversation piece through the years! With a name like ‘Dwayna Litz” you gotta watch what you do, because people do not tend to forget you or ever meet another one!

What are some artists and albums that have informed your creative direction?

Dolly Parton truly is one amazing songwriter and singer. I have been inspired by her, as well as many black artists, as I love soul music. I also love Vince Gill. CeCe Winans inspired me a lot last year. I love to tell black people, “Everything about me is black but my skin when it comes to music.” I love my collaborations with black musicians and writers. My favorite sound is with black background singers. The mixture makes for something very unique.

What’s the most exciting thing happening in music right now?

My latest single that I love — that I am so happy you heard and loved! — “Stayin’ Gone,” which is getting played on Spotify rock stations all over the world, not just country. I Googled myself just yesterday to find that Google is now calling me a “pop” singer. I love that. I am flattered! But, if they could only hear my jazz album, they would call me a jazz singer, and they would call me definitely a country singer if they heard my mountain music album. I just love writing and singing from my heart, and I am thankful I am more than one thing.

Where do you see the music world heading in the next five years?

I hate to think about A.I. replacing talented humans, but I have faith that the human voice and the human capacity in creativity will come out a winner, no matter how popular artificial intelligence becomes in sound recordings. I have learned to appreciate a good mix, but to tell you the truth I sing it all and never use A.I. I also record with the best of musicians and nothing is canned or sequenced. I love nailing a vocal live with the musicians and getting the right vocal with us all feeling it at the same time. I have no plans for using A.I. I love the creative process with REAL musicians too much for anything artificial.

How is music helping you during these uncertain times?

Sometimes I have written my best music when it has felt like God is all I have through any hard time. I do not think I could live without writing about it all. Music helps me process all of my emotions and relationships. The times changing cannot take away from how music brings us all together. We are all not that different after all. I dream of the day when there is no racism or classism or discrimination and we can all show one another love without prejudice. I have written songs about that, too. It is wonderful how music unites us, no matter the genre! We all feel hurt. We all feel joy. We all FEEL and hopefully people will know I am feeling it all when they hear me sing, and we can be one in that feeling, from all over the world. Nothing can unite us all like music.

Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid

Sounds like: Crushing metal for uncertain times in the spirit of Dillinger Escape Plan and early Slipknot.

Describe your approach to music and how you would explain your sound to others.

We blend aggressive metalcore with electronic elements and cyberpunk aesthetics, creating what we call “Party Metal.” It’s high-energy, combining heavy riffs with digital textures to produce anthemic, chaotic tracks that make you move and think. Our music is both visceral and reflective, aiming to provide a sonic experience that resonates with the complexities of today’s world.

How did you come up with the name of your act?

“Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid” is a nod to the 1982 film noir parody starring Steve Martin. The film weaves classic cinema clips into a new narrative, much like how we integrate different musical elements into our sound. The name reflects a blend of homage and subversion. Taking familiar elements and twisting them into something new, while maintaining a warmth of familiarity.

What are some artists and albums that have informed your creative direction?

Our influences span a range of genres and artists. Bands like Electric Callboy and Ice Nine Kills inspire our fusion of metalcore with electronic and theatrical elements. Albums such as The Silver Scream by Ice Nine Kills and Rehab by Electric Callboy have been particularly impactful. We also draw from cyberpunk culture and dystopian themes to shape our sound and visuals.

What’s the most exciting thing happening in music right now?

The blurring of genre boundaries is incredibly exciting. More now than ever before, artists are unafraid to mix styles—metal with EDM, hip-hop with punk—and audiences are embracing the diversity. Experimentation and innovation are vital for the evolution of music.

Where do you see the music world heading in the next five years?

We anticipate a continued fusion of music with digital and virtual experiences. As technology advances, artists and bands will have new tools to create immersive and multi-sensory performances. We also expect a rise in decentralized platforms, giving artists more control and fostering direct connections with fans. What we’ve seen with creating music experiences using virtual reality, for example, has only scratched the surface of possibilities and imagination.

How is music helping you during these uncertain times?

Music is our outlet and our anchor. It’s a way to process the chaos around us and channel it into something creative and unifying. Through our music, we find connection, purpose, and the strength to confront challenges head-on.

Slimdog Productions

Sounds like: Beats oscillating between a traditional boom bap groove and the kind of floating keyboards you’d hear on a Brian Eno ambient album. Reminds me a lot of the chill-hop type “music to study to” beats that I hear on YouTube, but with more thump.

Describe your approach to music and how you would explain your sound to others.

I describe my sound as a smooth, laid back and chill vibe, sometimes with an R&B hip-hop feel. It’s sometimes a mix of one or all of the above. I will make beats when I am inspired. You can’t force the inspiration. Sometimes I will be sitting for hours, til the wee hours of the morning to finish one song. Sometimes I will work an hour, move to another track I started right afterwards.

How did you come up with the name of your act?

“Slimdog” is a nickname given to me many many moons ago by a dear family friend in high school. I liked the nickname so much, I kept it. Throughout college, that’s the name I went by, used it when I deejayed radio in college and college nights. Many people to this day from college don’t know what my real name is… Haha.

What are some artists and albums that have informed your creative direction?

I have a wide taste of music, thanks to my parents growing up. My creativity stems from Prince, The Time, Mint Condition, The Family … The Minneapolis Sound of the 80s…1999, What Time Is It, The Mint Factory … The sounds of that era in music still grooves me to this day.

What’s the most exciting thing happening in music right now?

The chance for independence as an artist without a label or going to a studio to make a great song or album. You have platforms now where you can get your music out to people. The flip side of that is that EVERYONE thinks they can do it. You have to have your own niche, originality to stand out. You can build your brand to where you can do it all on your own or to where you can get the attention of major labels. You can spend a minimal amount for a home studio, produce and make great music that sounds as good as the big studios.

Where do you see the music world heading in the next five years?

I think because of the wide variety of platforms, like Groover which I use a lot, where you can put out music, you get the chance to hear great independent music like never before. With AI now in the mix, we have to be careful where we don’t become dependent on it and become lazy. I would like to see streaming platforms give more to the artists as far as payouts. Artists are making them billions and many of us get chump change? Seeing independent artists do millions of listens monthly and not getting properly compensated is unfair for too long.

How is music helping you during these uncertain times?

I work for a major airline so music is a big part of what I do whether it is listening to music while flying to work or during sit time in the terminal to where I will make most of my beats on my layovers in cities. It’s a great escape. It’s pretty amazing when you go back after some time and listen to the work you did and wonder, “how did I do that?”

Being in different cities around the world, meeting different people and seeing different things…Music brings us all together. The love of it is the common denominator.

The Swift Kicks Verano

Sounds like: Raw passion with a beat; jazzy, late-night R&B that oscillates between soul and hip-hop in a style akin to a more Prince-ly Anderson.Paak.

Describe your approach to music and how you would explain your sound to others.

My sound is raw, futuristic with non-describable passion. I would label it more as an experience rather than any kind of description.

How did you come up with the name of your act?

I was watching a TV show and heard “Swift Kicks” on a very incredible episode while an actor was performing a monologue. Swift Kicks stuck to me and I added Verano at the end because it just worked. I felt something would be an even great addition and that was “The” at the beginning, making it a comic book / Superhero feel that completes my name to match my music and unique style, “The Swift Kicks Verano”. Also, I realized that Verano is summer in Spanish, then I was very pleased as it amplified my final decision.

Also, for the name Everywhere I go all the clubs and lounges/bars etc, they always kick me out within the first hour lmfao, so my presence is always “Swift” according to my family. You never know when I might disappear and go on about my own adventurous voyage. So, the Swift just works.

What are some artists and albums that have informed your creative direction?

Because the vision of my music is to be the very first Artist that is undefined, unfiltered and un pigeon cooped… in an ambiguous way. What makes it exciting is that there is no answer. It’s all up to your perception of my influences since I mastered every single genre of music including accents and every octave of any singer male or female including all women (Whitney Houston/ Mariah Carey/ Beyoncé included). What makes it all so exciting is that there is No ANSWER. I want to portray to the world that there need not be any influence on your influence on the world/art, as I have absorbed it all. So I would like to leave it to the listener to decide any influences that they may hear that applies to what they’ve listened to in their lifetime as I love every artist and all generations since the beginning of time exactly the same. I don’t believe in time or #’s but only FEELING. That is all I care about, and in the end my family of fans will understand this answer as I show you time and time again with each masterpiece I release. I want it to emulate my favorite style of movies which are “Thrillers”. I want my music to not just tug on your soul but to be unpredictable as well to keep you on your toes guessing what will happen next, whether it’s singing/rapping or acoustic raw instruments and just vocals.

However just to name a few artists that I admire EQUALLY the same, would be:

Of Course, #1 being JESUS CHRIS The greatest father and artist that leads me to every artist I am about to name to study.

But also, 2Pac, Frank Sinatra, Biggie, ELVIS, Master P, Third Eye Blind, blink-182, Michael Jackson, Prince, Boyz II Men, Immature, NeYo, R. Kelly, The Cure, Bone Thugs n Harmony, Trick Daddy, The 1975, Dru Hill, Britney Spear$, Christina Aguilera, Cam’Ron, Bob Marley, Whitney Houston, James Brown, Ja Rule, Jamie Foxx, Ginuwine, Tyrese, Empire Of The Sun, Wiz Khalifa, NSync, Backstreet Boys, 98 degrees, LFO, J. Holiday, Hank Williams, Lisa Loeb, Beenie Man, Garth Brooks, Oasis, The Diplomats, Cash Money Billionaires (Lil Wayne etc), Chaka Khan, Bob Marley, Fleet Foxes, Fleetwood Mac, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Billy Paul, The Sundays, The Cranberries, Drake, Playboi Carti, Future, Young Thug, Kodak Black, Famous Dex, The Weeknd, Justin Bieber, Trey Songz, Post Malone, 21 Savage etc. The list goes on and on. I literally listen and appreciate every single artist equally the same in no particular order. Including the ones on the subway / street corner / open mic nights / side of the road etc.

What’s the most exciting thing happening in music right now?

Everything is exciting in music now, not just one main theme or artist. It feels like every day there’s 111 new artists emerging each time I open my Spotify or referenced playlists with every genre included. So nothing ever seems to be redundant or boring, always something fresh to listen to, I’m not mad at it. Also, being that I love and enjoy every genre equally, I am always finding a new masterpiece to study and listen to including movie soundtracks and scenes of various types of movies (My Favorite Being Thrillers).

Where do you see the music world heading in the next five years?

I don’t know about anything in the next five years, or the next five minutes, all I have is the next three seconds also known as the present moment, I always and with discipline like to keep my mind there so I don’t get to overwhelmed in what everything is going on in this world , because there is a ton to consume especially with social media and can leave you in a paralyzed state almost sort of feel if you look into it all 24/7. I like to take it slow, one step at a time. The present moment and let God lead me to my next step of this incredible journey he has me on, NEVER worrying or paying attention to the destination, that means absolutely nothing to me. The Only Thing that impresses The Lord is your faith in him and your journey he has you on, not the destination. So I am a continuous and curious, dedicated, committed and persistent student of this game he has me on.

How is music helping you during these uncertain times?

I found that music is the only thing that keeps me going, it’s not even friends or family or lovers, as they tend to come and go and wash away as they see you on your path to greatness. I dont have one friend left or family member that has stuck with me through all of this since I started, so I really grew to love music with an obsessed fire and passion, and cut out the outside world. I will NEVER Complain, you won’t ever catch me complaining about anything. Music and Art/Cinema is so satisfying/gratifying/fulfilling to me I can only be in a constant state of gratefulness/gratitude.

Colibri

Sounds like: Tom Ze fronting Roxy Music in a post-punk daydream.

Describe your approach to music and how you would explain your sound to others.

Music is a dream state to us. In Brazilian culture, art has deep roots on spiritual manifestations. And we could certainly say that approaching music as a way to connect with our higher selves is very central in our music. We come together to dance, sing and perform in order to connect with each other and put forth our sonic ideas in a very democratic and experimental fashion. Working as a team to create a work of art is a very intimate process, and we share that with a lot of room for individuality. Many times, the ideas pop up on ordinary occasions and develop into a mantra that eventually becomes a song. Other times, the idea occupies such space and dimension that no activity could stop it from coming to life, and we do so as it pleases. We also have songs that pop up during rehearsals as jam sessions, like “The Roadhouse, pt. I and II”. After the meditations and creative exploring, we envision composition, recording and arrangement in a more objective way. Most of the songs and lyrics are written by Zé Neto (singer/guitarist), then the arrangement is collectively constructed alongside the band: Oliveira dos Santos (synth/guitar), Paulo Pitta (Saxophone) and Tiago Andrade (bass/mixing and mastering).

In the genre arena, we listen and play a lot of Psychedelic Rock, Alternative, Dream Pop/Shoegaze, Post Punk and Jazz. But it’s all about the mood and the setting for the story that our lyrics are telling… we like to keep our ears open to anything that delights them.

How did you come up with the name of your act?

Zé Neto: “It came around while driving through a colorful sunset on the North Coast of Bahia. I had just visited a dear friend and was heading home alone in the car. Then the name “Colibri” popped in my head. I felt like it had a good ring to it, so it stuck to my mind during the whole drive. A very short and peculiar type of name, but packed with meaning. The bird that carries this name is tremendously beautiful, the closest thing to a fairy I’ve ever seen in real life. Whenever I had the chance to see them perusing around some garden it was like a dream, and I just smiled profusely. Then I realized: my acoustic guitar is an Epiphone Hummingbird (another name for Colibri, meaning ‘Beija-Flor’ in Portuguese). Also, my favorite effect pedal is the ‘Hummingverb V2’ by MBS Efectos. It all came together to me as signs that it was the right name. We see it as a homage to nostalgia, sensibility and daintiness. For us, music is supposed to be magical, dreamy and exciting.”

What are some artists and albums that have informed your creative direction?

Low by David Bowie

It’s My Life by Talk Talk

O Milagre dos Peixes by Milton Nascimento

Paêbirú by Lula Côrtes & Zé Ramalho

Thembi by Pharaoh Sanders

You’re Dead! by Flying Lotus

Transfiguração by Cordel do Fogo Encantado

Pagina do Relampago Elétrico by Beto Guedes

7 by Beach House

Eto ne Lyubov by Kino

Artaud by Pescado Rabioso

Animals by Pink Floyd

Magical Mystery Tour by The Beatles

What’s the most exciting thing happening in music right now?

The multiple possibilities we have right now of producing music in hi-quality. When most of us started playing, recording was very restricted. You either had to invest a lot of money in studio hours with a producer you didn’t really get to know, or try your luck with home producing until you got it right (which was also expensive and only a few had the know-how). Nowadays, it’s possible to have some very good sounding audio interfaces at a reasonable price. There are even mixing engineers that work online, and streaming changed the game to a point where the medium is becoming something else entirely. In this environment, people create constantly and develop much faster with their ears and instruments. Most of the time is spent listening and creating, and distribution is much more accessible. Never have we ever seen so much space for personal expression and expansion of collectivity, that is certainly a big reason to feel excited. It’s a very diverse stage.

Where do you see the music world heading in the next five years?

The importance of human interaction in music will certainly be highlighted. No matter what comes ahead, we believe that art is about coming together. And music has a special relation to our human experience. Even though artificial intelligence is beginning to have an impact on the world of music business, a whole collective experience is still paramount for everyone – from the musicians in the studio to the audience. While technology and digital audio resources are crucial for the future of music, at least for us, the organic bits and imperfections tend to come out more and more, in an attempt to value this off the cuff energy in our studio recordings and live performances. This topic will certainly take much space in the debate around creativity and copyright for a while. We hope to see expression and creativity enhanced by AI, and not tarnished by it.

How is music helping you during these uncertain times?

In these times, music has been a shelter for freedom and common sense, but also our main tool to defend the vision of a fair future for all. The scenario we have in the world has become drastically different in a matter of 10 years, and we believe it impacts most of us drastically. Even though we have become more connected as a society through social media, now it seems that people are overall less accepting of diverse ideas. It’s jarring to see how the tech oligarchy has pivoted towards an extremist right-wing. We’ve been through that in Brazil with Bolsonaro, where a fear of the unknown feeds fascism and leads to corruption, lies and social unrest. So having a group of people who believe we can spend time dedicating ourselves to creativity and entertainment is a comforting and enriching exercise. It gives us assurance that our ideas can turn into reality with a certain amount of work, effort and opportunities. Often in music we have to compromise and accept different views in order to move forward, and that leads to a wider understanding. We give our best to communicate ideas of love and peace, but also our sharp world views, in the hopes that this message reaches like-minded individuals who want to be heard and to impact their communities in a positive sense.

Applied Communications

Sounds like: This music reminds me very much of the quirky ass Casio sampler pop I used to listen to in college during the mid-90s. If Grand Royal Records were still a thing, Applied Communications would be their marquee act in 2025.

Describe your approach to music and how you would explain your sound to others.

I try to make music that’s both fun and honest. Some of my lyrics are nonsense rhymes or fictional narratives, but most of them are really personal. The feelings embedded in those personal lyrics are often pretty raw and uncomfortable, so wrapping them up in a frantic, goofy, irreverent package reinforces the awkwardness and anxiety while also recontextualizing any darkness as absurdity.

On my sound — I really don’t know. I think the eternal dilemma every band faces when answering this question is not sounding pretentious while also not claiming a place in a world that they might not be seen to belong in. I’ve been using “experimental pop music” as shorthand recently, but my music isn’t really all that experimental. It’s just hard to love.

How did you come up with the name of your act?

I had an “Applied Communications” class in high school. It was supposed to center around student-directed reading, but I was surprised to find that we didn’t have to write about the books we were reading, do any kind of presentation, or take any sort of test. We just read at our desks in a stark communal silence that made me feel pretty anxious. I thought that was a funny match for the name of the class, so it stuck with me.

Over the last couple of decades, Applied Communications has become a common name for classes focused on practical communication skills – constructing arguments, making videos, etc. — which is 99% of what you see if you search for “Applied Communications.”

What are some artists and albums that have informed your creative direction?

I think I’ve always been chasing the wonder I felt when I first heard Odelay. The aesthetic of that record made me start caring about music. Later in life, other work made me appreciate the power of raw, weird catharsis – various Sentridoh tapes, the No New York compilation, Gary Wilson – which gave me another anchor point. At the same time, I mostly listen to bands like Tortoise, Stereolab, and Yo La Tengo – and their music could not be further from what I do.

What’s the most exciting thing happening in music right now?

There are endless extremely valid criticisms of the economics of digital music distribution. However, it’s awesome that random bands and artists can find listeners with relatively limited barriers to entry (at least compared to 20+ years ago). It’s still hard to earn a large audience’s attention, but it’s so much easier to put yourself out there and gain a small audience’s attention.

If you were self-releasing music in the 90s or 00s, you had to manufacture a CD (usually with a 1,000 unit minimum), convince a distributor to stock it, and find all the record stores in the country to convince them to order it from the distributor. And then to make sure people were interested enough to go and buy those CDs, you had to mail hundreds of free CDs to college radio stations and music review magazines/websites, then harass *those* people to embue your goofy project with credibility.

In 2025, it’s hard to get added to good playlists or develop social media traction – but so many of the historic barriers are now gone. You don’t need $5,000 to put out a weird EP. As a result, there are so many incredible voices who otherwise would never be heard that are connecting with strangers across the planet. That rules! (All that said, we of course still need to make it possible for artists to live economically stable lives, and it’s nauseating that a handful of rich tech CEOs are absorbing capital that could be making progress on that front.)

Where do you see the music world heading in the next five years?

I’ve noticed a profound niche-ification of music. There are so many strange micro-genres that delight thousands of people while repelling billions – and it’s amazing that this music now has the oxygen to exist and survive and make its listeners feel something.

But it’s also true that recommendation algorithms are probably responsible for this, and that those systems are balkanizing society writ large and, in the case of music, making genre cross-pollination and serendipitous discovery less likely.

I’d like to imagine we could land in a place where the pros of Spotify-style recommendation systems (e.g., helping people find their way to off-kilter music that would never achieve escape velocity in the broader culture) are sustained while some of the joy and surprise of the old world creeps back in.

I also think more guitars would be fun.

How is music helping you during these uncertain times?

I have a very sweet toddler (which is the main thing helping me through these uncertain times), and we listen to a lot of kids’ music together. It’s helped me rediscover music in a lot of ways — the simplicity, the invitation to the listener to engage and participate, the absence of any personal narrative. I’m really into it.

Pearl Matador

Sounds like: A cross between the grit of early Dinosaur Jr. and the fabulousness of Pet Shop Boys in the coolest way possible.

Describe your approach to music and how you would explain your sound to others.

When it comes to music, I think I operate in a pretty simple way: the worse I feel, the easier it is for me to make music. In those moments, all I need is an instrumental I made, or just my guitar, and things come to me naturally, instantly. I think I’ve always had that instinctive side. Either ideas just come to me, or I imagine full songs in my head when I’m bored. Those songs, most of the time, I consider them my best. Very few have been released, because I’m waiting to have the means to do something big with them. I don’t want to waste them.

The hardest part for me is writing lyrics. I hate talking in real life, and I feel like I’m completely unable to express any real emotion through speech — or even through my lyrics. So I just write stories instead. Because everything I really want to say, everything I feel, is in the music — not the words.

I’d describe my sound as raw, kind of punk rock, but with so many influences that I’m not even sure what genre I’m doing. That’s what I’m aiming for, anyway. I’m trying to do what Jimi Hendrix or some young underground punk band would’ve done if they had a sound card and the internet.

How did you come up with the name of your act?

To be completely honest, I have no idea how I ended up with this name. But now that I have it, I love it. I think what I like most is the idea that someone could be crazy enough to try and kill pearls… or lie about it.

What are some artists and albums that have informed your creative direction?

I feel like I grew up in an amazing era for discovering all kinds of new music. Tame Impala and The Strokes are definitely huge influences in what I do today. Nirvana, which is my favorite band, obviously. But I was also deeply influenced by rap, which was huge during my childhood and teenage years. Thanks to that, I discovered a lot of artists like XXXTentacion, Kendrick Lamar, Tyler, The Creator… all of them are incredibly creative in how they make music, and in their own way, they inspired me too.

I’m also a big fan of crooners — whether modern ones like Frank Ocean, or older ones like Etta James or Dinah Washington. I’m really open-minded when it comes to music. I like a lot of different things — as long as I get the chance to discover them.

Where do you see the music world heading in the next five years?

It might sound cliché, and it doesn’t just affect music but the whole art world: AI and its democratization will probably hurt a lot of small artists. People already tend to turn to nostalgic music and artists they already know.

In my opinion, with how far generative AIs like DALL·E have come, people will soon be able to create, endlessly, new songs from artists they already love. And that’s pretty catastrophic for musical diversity. But maybe, at the same time, this kind of uniformity will push a new generation of listeners to seek out — and create — more human, more organic music. And I hope I’ll still be around when that moment comes.

What’s the most exciting thing happening in music right now?

I don’t know… maybe Lana Del Rey coming back?

How is music helping you during these uncertain times?

Like the Doors song says — music has always been my special friend. It’s always helped me mentally, whether by listening to it or making it. And now I’m at that tragic point in my life where I have to choose between spending the next 40 years doing a job I hate or going all-in on music and trying to make a place for myself. So it helps me even more — and I hope it’ll keep helping me in the future.

LB Beistad

Sounds like: I love the production of this song, which reminds me a lot of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’s work on Halsey’s If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power, or Caroline Polachek’s 2019 album Pang.

Describe your approach to music and how you would explain your sound to others.

My approach is random and rarely planned. I’ll schedule studio days, of course, but when it comes to which song I’m gonna do, it’s usually random. Sometimes I’ll have all the instruments of an entire song recorded before I even have the lyrics figured out. I don’t like forcing things. I don’t really ever sit down with the intention of writing. Sometimes, it just happens. Sometimes, it doesn’t, and I love that.

How did you come up with the name of your act?

My full name is a mouthful. It’s just a shortened version of my name, and I’m one of four people with the last name Beistad in America (true story), so I figured it would be pretty hard to accidentally name myself after someone else, haha.

What are some artists and albums that have informed your creative direction?

My all-time favorite is Bjork, but I don’t really think you can hear that influence at all. I wish you could, but that just isn’t how my brain works. Vespertine is my favorite album of hers, but some of my other favorite albums that have influenced me the most are Demon Days by Gorillaz, Jubilee by Japanese Breakfast, and Strange Mercy by St. Vincent.

What’s the most exciting thing happening in music right now?

The fact that you can be a musician and reach a large audience without having a major label or corporation behind you. Yeah, social media is a flaming garbage heap, but it can also help you gain a following on your own terms. There can be a lot of power in having to rely completely on yourself.

Where do you see the music world heading in the next five years?

Oof. Big question. Because of the continuous frustration with streaming platforms and needing a damn subscription to access almost every type of media now, I think there’s gonna be a gradual return to physical music. Vinyl has already been back in full swing for years now, but I think CDs are gonna come back, too. Not only are they cheaper to buy, they’re way cheaper for artists to have made. Bring back boomboxes. I wanna see portable CD players.

How is music helping you during these uncertain times?

At the end of the day, music, and art in general, is something that has been with humans for thousands of years. It was one of our first ways to communicate and form connections outside of speech and social interactions. Politics, the stock market, and bored billionaires will come and go, but art remains a constant piece of the human experience and is far more valuable than the things I previously mentioned. It’s always important to remember that no one can take that away from you.

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