“You” Finds LJR at His Most Tender and Honest Yet
On June 21, D.C.-based pop-rock artist LJR released “You”, the fifth single from his forthcoming album “When the Sky Began to Fall”.
Common Trouble Processes Loss and Grief with ‘Into the Dream’
More to Watch ‘Songwriting is a therapy for me, and I would probably go insane without it.’ “Into the Dream” is the latest example of Dan Wolfe’s ability to create timeless, affecting compositions that are expansive and nuanced, as well as personal and universal. Dan Wolfe, lead songwriter for D.C.-based collective Common Trouble, describes “Into […]
Mia Celeste Talks New Album and Why ‘Love Is Universal’
Frederick, Maryland-based artist Mia Celeste has a voice that will stop you in your tracks. Drawing from her Latino roots, classical, and jazz, the 17-year-old pianist, singer-songwriter, and producer creates an enchanting world with her music that rises effortlessly above the surrounding landscape.
Read to learn more about Mia Celeste’s early influences, including the role of her father Jaime Paredes, an established poet, her vision for the future of women in music, and the most important message that she wants audiences to take away from her new EP, The Songs That I Wrote Just For You.
Marilyn Hucek Contemplates ‘Love and Loss’ with New EP
More to Watch On Nov. 24, rising D.C.-based singer-songwriter Marilyn Hucek released her latest EP, “Love and Loss.” The collection may be Hucek’s most personal yet, and she explains that listening to the songs is like reading from the pages of her diary. Marilyn Hucek – Photo Courtesy of Elisabeth Donaldson – Styling by […]
Witch Weather: ‘People Are Missing Close Connection’
Queer duo Witch Weather discuss new album and the influence of the DMV on their sound.
Philadelphia-based queer punks Witch Weather have a message for anyone who feels hopeless and worthless: you are not alone. With an irresistible sound that draws from 80’s goth and lo-fi grunge, the indie duo wears their heart on their sleeve, giving voice to complex emotions that many would opt to suppress in the recesses of their minds.
Join Alchemical Records as they connect with Witch Weather to discuss the band’s new self-titled album, their search for a sense of belonging as members of the queer community, the important element that keeps the duo’s creative bond strong, and the influence of the DMV on their sound.
Velu O — Career, Motherhood, New Podcast Empowering Latinas
Colombian American artist Velu O manages an ever-growing list of roles within the DMV, including vocalist for WAMMIE award-winning band DeSanguashington; vocalist for all-women cumbia collective, La Marvela; booking agent for SOROCHE; host of podcast Latinas Be Like Us, and Board member of Dia De Los Muertos Benefit Fest.
Read to learn about Velu O’s latest projects that involve launching a solo artist career and founding Latinas Be Like Us, a podcast created to “empower everyday Latina superheroes,” as well as the reason she believes that motherhood may have ushered in her best season yet.
Elijah Cruise Embraces His Shadow Self with ‘Vampire U’
Recent Articles On Oct. 27, Nashville-based alternative pop artist Elijah Cruise, a favorite at Alchemical Records, released his latest single, “Vampire U,” just in time for Halloween. Elijah Cruise – Photo Courtesy of Olivia Perdomo (@ifitisnt.olivia). In contrast with a society that pressures individuals to distance themselves from their shadow self, Cruise’s moody, seductive track […]
Hardcore Quintet Detachment Release Visceral Debut Album
Long Island hardcore quintet Detachment discuss their debut album, what it takes to make it as an independent artist, and memories of the D.C. area.
On Oct. 13, Long Island hardcore band Detachment released their debut album, Lack. The 10-track project, which features standout singles “Slug” and “BackBreaker,” delivers an immediate adrenaline rush from the very first blistering note to the last, creating a piercing lens under which to examine issues ranging from mental health to the search for meaning.
Join Alchemical Records as they connect with Detachment to discuss how Lack differs from the band’s previous work, the most important message behind the project, strategies the band uses to make their shows an experience that feels “worth it” for fans, and Detachment’s most memorable moments the D.C. area (one of which involves a guy falling off of a speaker at a festival).
aSanTIS: ‘You Are a Part of the Highest Form of Creation’
Flow-bending artist aSanTIS discusses art, culture, and whether sound can solve the world’s problems in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month.
My interview with Amy Santis aka aSanTIS began in the most unexpected way. The Maryland-based flow-bending artist and lyrical storyteller came prepared to engage in conversation around questions I had posed – and she also brought one or two of her own thoughtful prompts based on her curiosities around my view of learning.
This practice of taking in her surroundings deeply through observation and inquiry has come naturally to aSanTIS ever since she was a young child. In terms of her early starts in music, she notes that she began as a discerning listener. “Just listening to music from my mom, on the radio, just being a consumer in the world of sound. But I think mainly, my mom has always loved dancing and listening to music, so that was sort of like second nature. We play music at gatherings, we play music in the car, and these songs are sort of like diaries that take us into a specific place.”
Mustard Service On New Album: ‘Art Should Speak for Itself’
Mustard Service discuss their new album, Variety Pack, and upcoming DMV show.
It all began with an ambitious college dropout.
As a teenager, Marco Rivero, lead vocalist and guitarist of Miami-based zest pop five-piece Mustard Service, found himself on a journey of self-discovery, and initially, his quest led him down unfruitful and potentially destructive paths.
“When I was 18, I was kind of fucking up my life,” Rivero explained. “I hadn’t done my best in high school, didn’t care much for college, and I was doing too many drugs for an 18-year-old, so my parents decided to ship me off to another country not as a punishment, but as a way to try to give me new perspectives through which I would hopefully find a purpose or path in my life that didn’t end in rehab or jail.”
