by Jane Lambert

VIDEO VOYAGEUR: 3 Q’s WITH MARIO MATTIA

An improvisational pianist and composer, Mario Mattia lets instinct take the lead, creating music that takes shape in real time. In his new release “Parallax Field”, he gives us a closer look at the creative process behind that approach.

For most musicians, the process of creating a piece of music begins with an idea. There might be a melody, a chord sequence, a particular feeling or even a fragment of something that eventually develops into a finished composition. For Mario Mattia, the starting point is rather different. He sits at the piano without a predetermined structure, theme or destination, allowing the music to find its own direction as he plays. What emerges is impossible to plan in advance and, perhaps more importantly, impossible to recreate in exactly the same way.

An American pianist and composer with a background at New England Conservatory, Mario has built his musical practice around this freedom of expression. His improvisations move between lyrical, contemplative passages and more abstract explorations of harmony, texture and rhythm, often taking unexpected turns along the way. There is no fixed formula, only the instrument, the moment and the willingness to follow wherever the music leads.

His new video, “Parallax Field”, offers an opportunity to see this process at close quarters. Filmed during an uninterrupted piano improvisation, it brings the physical act of creating the music into focus, while four abstract images introduce an additional visual dimension. It is an invitation to look beyond the finished recording and consider the decisions, movements and moments of expression that make up a spontaneous performance.

We spoke to Mario about the thinking behind “Parallax Field”, his relationship with improvisation, and why he believes some of the most interesting musical discoveries happen when you have no idea what is coming next.

Tell us the story of this track. Why did you choose to visualize the song specifically in this way?

“Parallax Field” is an entirely spontaneous piano improvisation, created without a predetermined theme, structure, or musical destination. What unfolds is a reflection of my emotional and intellectual state at that particular moment, expressed through the instrument in real time.

I chose to film myself performing because I wanted listeners to experience something beyond the music itself: to witness the actual process of spontaneous creation. Seeing the hands move across the keyboard, the interplay of technical facility and lyrical expression, and the immediacy of musical decisions offers a perspective that listening alone cannot provide.

I also incorporated four abstract images at various points throughout the seven minute performance. These provide visual contrast, complement the character of the music, and introduce another dimension without distracting from the central experience of watching the improvisation unfold.

What was the inspiration behind this video? (Visual, storyline, etc.)

There was no specific external inspiration or preconceived storyline, either for the music or its visual presentation. In fact, that absence of preconception is fundamental to my approach to improvisation.

When I sit at the piano, I allow the music to develop organically, guided by what I’m feeling and thinking in that particular moment. The result is often a musical journey that I could neither anticipate nor reproduce exactly.

My visual approach follows much the same philosophy. Rather than attempting to illustrate a particular narrative, I selected abstract imagery that resonated with the music’s evolving character. The images suggest possibilities rather than dictate interpretations, leaving viewers free to discover their own associations.

Ultimately, I wanted the visual experience to preserve the freedom, immediacy, and unpredictability that characterize the music itself.

What was the process of making this video?

The process began with a live, uninterrupted improvisation at the piano. I filmed the performance using my iPhone with the Blackmagic Camera app, while simultaneously recording the music through my dedicated, high-quality audio recording system. The iPhone was used exclusively for the video, not the audio.

Afterward, I mastered the audio recording to preserve its dynamic range, tonal character, and expressive nuances. I then selected four abstract images that I felt complemented different moments in the improvisation, created the cover artwork, and assembled the visual elements.

Using DaVinci Resolve, I synchronized the mastered audio with the performance footage, incorporated the abstract imagery, and refined the transitions and overall presentation.

Although the production process involved considerable attention to detail, the underlying musical performance remained entirely spontaneous and unaltered. That distinction is important to me: the video is carefully produced, but the music itself is an unplanned, authentic expression of a single moment in time.

Watch “Parallax Field” here:

Connect with Mario Mattia on his Website

11.09.26

by Jane Lambert

VIDEO VOYAGEUR: 3 Q’s WITH SIREN

There is something darkly playful about SIREN’s latest release, “No More”. Exploring the complications of marriage, lifelong promises and the rather inconvenient matter of death, the song takes the familiar idea of “till death do us part” and gives it a decidedly different interpretation. Its accompanying music video, directed and edited by Wayne Joyner, takes the story into the afterlife, where unresolved relationship issues apparently have a habit of following you.

Featuring the band as skeletons, pumpkins and plenty of Halloween-inspired imagery, the video brings a healthy dose of dark humour to a song that is surprisingly uplifting musically. We caught up with SIREN to discuss the inspiration behind “No More”, the creative collaboration with Wayne Joyner, the making of the video and the ideas that brought this rather unusual love story to life.

1. Tell us the story of this song, why did you choose to visualize the song specifically in this way?

“No More” explores a Married couple questioning their vows and the meaning of “till death do us part” aspect. Wayne created the video and went straight to the afterlife and it really worked well for this song.

2. What was the inspiration behind this video? (visual, storyline, etc.)?

That was Wayne’s vision and He nailed it!!!

3. What was the process of making this video?

We went through about four drafts before it was completed. The band as skeletons, pumpkins and the smoking candle were all from input from Randy, Mike and I. We thought we might as well make a Halloween video. I believe it came out fantastic.

Watch the Official Music Video to “No More” here:

Connect with SIREN on the Website

11.04.26

by Jane Lambert

David Diaz Reconnects With His Creative Freedom on “Are We Gonna Talk?”

David Diaz’s latest single “Are We Gonna Talk?” is built around bright synths, an infectious rhythmic pulse and the kind of melodic immediacy that makes ’80s-inspired pop so enduring. Yet beneath that buoyant production lies a much more complicated story about disappointment, unanswered messages and the moment you realise a friendship may have run its course.

The song began with a falling out between Diaz and a close friend. Having repeatedly made himself available when the other person needed him, he eventually found himself asking for something relatively simple in return: time and company. When that never materialised, the frustration became impossible to ignore. One unanswered promise to call back, followed by weeks of silence, provided the unlikely starting point for a song that would eventually become one of his most immediately engaging releases.

Listen in:

Written and recorded on the very night of the incident, “Are We Gonna Talk?” captures the emotion before time had softened its edges. There is confusion, irritation and a growing recognition that sometimes another person’s silence tells you everything you need to know. Rather than getting lost in the details of one particular friendship, however, Diaz leaves room for listeners to bring their own experiences to the song. Its pronouns and phrasing allow the story to extend beyond friendship into the wider territory of relationships, family and the people we once expected to be there for us.

The track takes a very different route from its emotional subject matter. Driving drums, bright keyboard lines and a satisfyingly funky undercurrent give it a polished synth-pop character, drawing on the sounds of the 1980s while keeping its feet firmly in contemporary pop. Diaz’s affection for that era is genuine, extending beyond music into its films, visual culture and distinctive sense of atmosphere. The intention isn’t to recreate a particular moment in pop history but to take the elements he loves and make them his own.

Producer Luke Kondak proved an important part of that process, helping translate Diaz’s ideas into a fully realised arrangement. The production retains much of the original demo’s character, including the slightly gritty, distorted quality of the lead vocal. Layered harmonies and call-and-response passages add movement, while the contrast between the bright instrumental backdrop and the song’s more bruised lyrical perspective gives it much of its appeal.

There is also an interesting story behind the single’s accompanying visual campaign. Initially reluctant to make a music video, Diaz was persuaded by friends Kahlil Antonio and Abiesel Báez to take the concept in an altogether more theatrical direction. The result is an affectionate nod to B-movie slasher films, complete with a group of supposed David Diaz detractors, a scrapbook documenting their grievances and a masked figure determined to deal with the situation. The eventual revelation that the avenger is Diaz himself gives the video a knowingly ridiculous twist, turning the idea of removing toxic influences from your life into a wonderfully over-the-top horror-comedy premise.

It is an entertaining extension of the song’s themes, but there is a more significant change taking place behind the scenes. Are We Gonna Talk? marks Diaz’s first solo release since 2023, following a period in which he deliberately stepped away from the demands of regular releases and the expectation that an artist should constantly be generating content, chasing numbers and maintaining momentum. That time allowed him to reconsider what he wanted from music. He still wants people to hear his songs, but he is increasingly interested in the connection that can happen between an artist and a listener than in the pursuit of attention for its own sake.

That perspective gives the single an appealing sense of freedom. It is catchy, carefully produced and clearly designed to make an impression, but it also feels like the work of someone who has stopped worrying quite so much about what the industry expects. Even the original friendship that inspired the song has since been repaired, allowing Diaz to revisit the experience with a degree of distance and humour.

“Are We Gonna Talk?” succeeds because it brings together two seemingly opposing qualities: an immediately accessible pop sound and a story rooted in the uncomfortable realities of human relationships. David Diaz has turned a moment of personal frustration into something bright, playful and surprisingly universal.

More importantly, he seems to be enjoying the process again, and that enthusiasm comes through in every part of the record.

Website / Spotify / YouTube Music

09.14.26

by Jane Lambert

VIDEO VOYAGEUR: 3 Q’s WITH GEORGE COLLINS

There is something really infectious about a song that simply wants to make you feel good. With “Happiness Looks Good on You,” George Collins set out to do exactly that, deliberately stepping away from the more reflective and introspective territory that has characterised much of his songwriting to create a joyful, celebratory track steeped in vintage soul and Gospel influences.

Inspired by childhood memories of watching Soul Train, as well as a lifelong admiration for The Staple Singers, the song channels the warmth, optimism and irresistible spirit of classic soul. The accompanying video takes that nostalgia a step further, taking inspiration from Billy Joel’s wonderfully retro “Tell Her About It” and imagining Collins performing with a vintage soul band on a 1960’s television show.

Created in collaboration with visual artist Marta Vorontsova, the video brings together Collins’ love of classic music, his playful sense of humour and a distinctly old-school visual aesthetic. We caught up with George to talk about the inspiration behind “Happiness Looks Good on You,” the making of the video, his love of vintage soul and the process of bringing the two together.

Tell us the story of this track. Why did you choose to visualize it specifically in this way?

As I was reviewing my catalog and planning my latest album “New Ways of Getting Old,” I realized that many of my songs are reflective and introspective and that I had very few “happy” songs. This was surprising to me, as I am generally an upbeat and happy person! So I intentionally set out to write a happy song. From the outset, I knew that I wanted it to be a celebratory song with a vintage soul vibe and a Gospel choir. I used to watch the TV show “Soul Train” when I was young, and I loved the Staple Singers – I thought Pops Staples was the coolest old dude in the world! I listened to their music continuously while I was writing and recording “Happiness Looks Good on you.”

What was the inspiration behind this new video (visuals, storyline, etc.)?

I am a huge fan of Billy Joel, and he, like me, is also a huge fan of vintage music – as evidenced by his wonderful retro album, “An Innocent Man.” He has a video of a track from that album, “Tell Her About It,” in which he plays a singer backed by a soul band performing on The Ed Sullivan Show in the 1960s. I love that song and the video, and I wanted to do something similar for my song.

What was the process of making the video?

I have been working with an amazing visual artist, Marta Vorontsova, for several years – she has created many of my lyric videos, and her work is absolutely first rate. (https://www.instagram.com/_imagikali_/) So I sent her the track and my basic ideas and she got to work creating the video. It was an iterative, interactive process, and after a lot of back and forth we ended up with a video we could both be proud of – and that I sincerely hope my audience will enjoy!

09.09.26

by Jane Lambert

The Free States Let the Songs Do the Talking on “Love & Death”

There is something to be said for music that doesn’t immediately tell you what it is. In a world of genre tags, carefully curated aesthetics and songs apparently designed to make perfect sense within the first fifteen seconds, it is rather nice to encounter an album that seems perfectly happy to wander off and see what happens. No map or flashing neon sign saying this is the important bit, just a collection of ideas allowed to develop at their own pace. And that, in a nutshell, is rather what The Free States are doing on Love & Death.

The project of American songwriter Shaun Lyons, now based in Athens, Greece, The Free States has always been difficult to squeeze into one particular musical box, and frankly, why would you want to? There are traces of rock, soul, alternative music, experimental rhythms and a healthy appreciation of melody, but attempting to reduce all of that to a convenient label would miss the point. Lyons is interested in songs first.

“Definite” is a particularly good example. Built around the wonderfully human problem of being indecisive at a crucial moment in a relationship, it moves in 7/4, which is not generally the time signature one reaches for when trying to make uncertainty sound comfortable. But it works. There is an ease here that makes the unusual rhythm feel natural, while the song itself manages to be thoughtful.

Then there is the opening track “Most of All,” apparently born at three in the morning while Lyons’s electric guitar was lying beside him with the amplifier still switched on. Which is probably proof that sometimes the best songwriting advice is simply to leave the equipment where it is and see what happens. The song has a lovely sense of longing running through it, while strings, a refrain and a guitar solo give it a little more space and help distinguish Love & Death from the more guitar driven album that came before it.

Elsewhere, “Man the Baddies” brings considerably more muscle to the proceedings. What began around thoughts of war, friends being conscripted and the complicated question of what it actually means to move forward. It is energetic, rhythmically unusual and probably the heaviest thing The Free States have recorded, but there is no neatly packaged political statement waiting at the end of it. Lyons is more interested in the uncomfortable business of making decisions, which is rather more interesting than having the songwriter hand you a conclusion and ask you to tick a box.

Lyons has talked about songwriting as something that needs to happen before consciousness starts getting in the way, and there is freedom in that approach.

There is a similar freedom in the way the album was made. Recorded largely in Athens, with drums captured in several different rooms and vocals recorded together in another, Love & Death is clearly more interested in capturing a good performance than in constructing some immaculate sonic monument. Lyons makes much of the music himself, working with trusted collaborators when required, and there is something appealingly old fashioned about that. You have an idea, you make the record, you listen to it and you decide whether it works. Revolutionary stuff apparently.

Love & Death is an album that can groove, can rock and it can become rhythmically peculiar, it can pull back and allow a melody to carry the weight and it can occassionally make you wonder where on earth Lyons is taking you before realising that you rather like the journey. The Free States have remembered that the scenic route is where the interesting stuff happens.

Listen here:

09.02.26

by Jane Lambert

VIDEO VOYAGEUR: 3 Q’s WITH WINCHESTER 7 & THE RUNNERS

There is a particular kind of magic in music that sounds familiar as well as entirely its own. Winchester 7 & The Runners understands that balance instinctively, drawing on the energy of garage rock, the melodic instincts of classic songwriting and the sun soaked spirit of surf music, while placing the unlikely sound of an electric tenor ukulele right at the centre of it all.

This is a project that is playful without being lightweight, carefully crafted without losing its sense of spontaneity and firmly rooted in the belief that a great song should still be able to cut through the noise.

We caught up with Winchester 7 & The Runners for this exclusive interview to talk about the creative thinking behind the project, the making of the music video and the inspiration behind “The World From My Bed”, and what lies ahead for the band.

Watch the Official Music Video here:

1. Tell us the story of this track. Why did you choose to visualize it specifically in this way?

The song started innocently enough. My family was talking about how much of current events my teen daughter learns about on Tiktok and its often dubious accuracy. I thought how much of a change that represents to our communications and how, generally, weak people’s innate critical reasoning can be. So, I started writing from a perspective of a “it was this, now it’s that” sort of thing.

But, that sort of song starts to sound like cranky old man shouting at clouds pretty quickly whereas I was more interested in the contrast than suggesting that one was better than another. I don’t know if you’ve heard this, but older news media has made its share mistakes of too – like how Dungeons & Dragons is deadly or that time when Martians invaded.

Anyway, with all of that in mind, I latched onto the idea that rotting in bed is also, these days, not the same isolated thing it once was. And there I had the title with a bridge written from an imagined perspective of my daughter’s.

So, we set out to shoot a video that borrowed some of those themes in a time travelly sort of way.

2. What was the inspiration behind this new video (visuals, storyline, etc.)?

Something you may not have picked up on is that the trunk on the album cover for our EP No Worse For Wear which is also shown in the video – as an aside, that’s the actual trunk that my great grandfather brought over with him from Northern Italy when he immigrated to the US – was previously seen in a video for our song “The Golden Age”. One in the back catalogue.

Anyway, in that one, Jack opened the trunk and got out a device that he used to time travel back to the ’50s to visit my grandparents on a vacation of theirs to what appears to be Atlantic City, in an effort to escape COVID lockdown. Hey, it was a nice thought!

In reality, we were all stuck together for the bulk of it as travel restrictions happened right after we all got together to record.
So, at the end of “Waitin’ Here For You”, Jack finds his time machine again, after rummaging his way through the thing, and we all get a bit of a surprise. The video for “The World From My Bed” picks up from there with me (Win) shown stuck on a bed in some sort of time pocket with some surreal stuff happening just outside the window that I mostly ignore.

3. What was the process of making the video?

I wanted to create a video that built upon the prior video release for our song, “Waitin’ Here For You”. We shot the album cover while filming that video in the same session. We sat on the couch for some stills and then started to do our thing as the song played in a continuous shot.

“The World From My Bed” was shot right after that to keep some continuity.

The World is literally seen from my bed outside that time window, as I rot away with my uke, phone, and a good book. We then added some footage of feature vocalist Airinna Namara, who sings the bridge, in said window and got our video!

Keep up with Winchester 7 & The Runners on the Website