Video Voyager: “Let the Healing Begin” by Sahffi Lynne

Sahffi Lynne is an international medicine musician and vocal coach, offering their music, meditations, ceremonies, and teachings as medicine to illuminate our connection as human beings.

They just released their music video for their moving single “Let the Healing Begin,” an acoustic folk-like song about using creative processes to heal from grief and pain. The video depicts this kind of healing by way of 3 separate forms of art. Sahffi is depicted writing a song, a woman is depicted painting, and a man is depicted dancing.

The video is a beautiful piece that complements the single perfectly. Everything about it, from the people to the setting to the action is stunning. Even as we watched it, it provided catharsis as a viewer, almost like we felt seen.

“My own experiences have shown me that with a combination of meditation, creativity, plant medicines, and professional support, one can truly heal trauma and reclaim their birthright of living in love. I am honored to carry the medicine of music to teach and guide those interested in doing the necessary work to connect with their true voice and purpose,” shares Sahffi.

We got a chance to speak with Sahffi about their song and video and dove into the specific artistic choices:

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

Actually, the interesting thing about this song is that it was completely channeled! I often hear music in the wind or hear melodies in the woods, yet this is the only time (so far!) that I watched my hand write the lyrics without a clue of what I was writing! I then picked up my guitar, and as I read the lyrics, the song just poured out of me. The message, “you can let the darkness win, or you can let the healing begin,” was so profound for me at that specific moment of my life. I was struggling to move forward after a bitter breakup, an illness that temporarily kept me from singing and working, and a subsequent move out of my home because of income lost. This song was a beautiful reminder for me that I had the choice to continue on in life or give up. The song gave me strength and truly helped to heal my heart!

I was talking with a friend after the album, “Pulse of Evolution,” came out in 2021. (“Let the Healing Begin” was released on that album.) I told her I’d love for more people to hear the song, as I hoped it would touch others as it did me. She reminded me that many people “consume with their eyes” these days (as she put it!), and her words planted a seed that a beautiful video needed to be created for this powerful song!

I am grateful so many others resonate with this song’s message of hope and strength, and I am proud the video represents and reflects the message of this song so beautifully.

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

The video originally was going to be an animation, yet the plans for that fell through. I didn’t know how I was going to make a video, yet a Facebook friend, Maranda Kosten, reached out saying she felt called to talk with me about how we could work together. I thought perhaps she would be interested in voice lessons, (which she did end up taking!), yet she mentioned she worked for Do Good Video Productions. Within a couple of weeks we were meeting with the team at Do Good, along with my director, Lucas de Britto, talking about making a video! I couldn’t believe how easy it was to have found such an amazing team of people as excited about this song and project as I was!

My last hurdle was funding, yet I was grateful that over 150+ of my community supporters donated to my birthday campaign to make it happen!

The storyline follows three artists (a dancer, a painter, and me, a musician), from their lowest point, through creation, and ultimately to their reconnection of their spirit. Throughout it all, they each have elders watching over them, encouraging them with their silent wisdom and strength. I love how the video shows the process of healing includes the movement of creation!

One fun fact: the video starts out in muted colors and becomes more vibrant by the end. The inspiration for that effect was “The Wizard of Oz!”

What was the process of making this video?

This project was a year in the making! It started with a seed of an idea, then quickly jumped to a crowd sourcing campaign. The IndieGoGo campaign was a huge success, with over 150+ of my supporters making contributions, and one angel investor matching the total! I am so grateful for the support I receive for my music!

With my community’s support, we started site visits to the location of the video, my dear friend’s private land in Pennsylvania lovingly called “Hawk’s Ridge.” Magically, the dates for the shoot in May worked for everyone involved, and we were grateful for beautiful weather that weekend!

Do Good Productions was wonderful to work with, offering a fantastic production and creative team, and the shoot went off without a hitch. In fact, we all mentioned how unusual it is to have everything fall into place so easily! My director, Lucas de Britto, was also the editor, and I am grateful for his sweet temperament and amazing talent.

Everything came together for a holiday 2023 release, and I am super proud of this community-supported project! I hope everyone will be touched by the song and story line of the video as I have been.

Connect with Sahffi Lynne via:

Website / Instagram / Facebook / YouTube / Spotify

The Dorons Share Their New Alternative Rock Album, ‘The Doronic Verses’

The 4 piece Providence, Rhode Island-based alternative rock band The Dorons, have just released their debut contemporary rock album, The Doronic Verses.

The Rosenfield family makes up The Dorons, features mom Janice on drums, dad Norman on lead guitar, older brother Aryeh on bass, and younger brother Yosef on lead vocals and guitar. The band came together back in 2017 when Aryeh, then a music major in college, had a senior recital and decided to recruit his family to play with him for the occasion. Mom and dad had retired as performing musicians, previously vets of the ’80s and ’90s Boston alt-rock scene. 

The music of the Dorons evokes contemporary folk-rock, singer-songwriter, and alt-rock styles with searing lead guitar playing, impassioned vocals, sage and sensitive lyrics, earworm hooks, and a stirring acoustic-rock foundation. Their songs also contain nuanced rhythm section interplay. The band’s evocative name is fascinatingly layered. It references the Doors and the bittersweet minor scale, the Dorian mode, plus it hilariously rhymes with “morons.” Additionally, the word “dor” in Hebrew means “generation,” which speaks to the multigenerational nature of the band.

The Doronic Verses is a tight 11-song album of carefully crafted contemporary rock, shaded with singer-songwriter intimacy, country flourishes, and blues-rock urgency. The acoustic-rocker song “This New Poison” is a freshly penned original written by Yosef and Janice, and it boasts a Greta Van Fleet-esque swagger, replete with smoldering bluesy lead guitar. The catchy pop rock tune “Not the Usual Fare” features acoustic guitar layered with chiming electric guitar, along with overlapping “call-and-response” backing vocals. “I wrote that song years ago about my brother, who was autistic, during a time when society and the medical profession didn’t understand the condition. He was a beautiful soul and loved music, and he ended up being institutionalized,” Janice says.

Connect with The Dorons via:

Website / Instagram / Facebook / Twitter / YouTube / Spotify

Video Premiere: The Flip Phones Debut Their Music Video for “Man Made Moon”

The Flip Phones are the folk rock duo making waves with their debut EP, Better in the Dark, now streaming.

They’ve just released the music video for their thought provoking single “Man Made Moon.” The intimate setting of the video, with Ryan and Lindsey performing for the viewer in a single shot, allows the viewer to really become enveloped in the song. The camera almost acts like the eyes of the viewer, going back and forth between the two. Because the camera never stops rolling and it’s just the one shot, it flows quite well with the atmosphere of the song.

They play with light in the video as well, fitting seeing as the song was initially inspired by a man made moon they read about. The camera being on the move the whole time also adds an interesting effect with shadow, some shots are more lit than others and some shots you can’t really see the artist’s faces. It’s actually quite brilliant in it’s simplicity.

We got the opportunity to speak with the folk rock duo about their video and the song:

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

“Man-Made Moon” was inspired by an article about an artificial moon meant to help illuminate cities and light up the night sky. It made us wonder: Is more light, specifically human-created light, really a good thing? Or should we sometimes embrace the darkness?

This song is the EP opener and lead single, and it asks the question “Are we better in the dark?” “Man-Made Moon” sets the stage for the lyrical themes throughout Better in the Dark, which explore topics such as humans vs. nature and darkness vs. light.

Given the subject matter of the song, we aimed to contrast the natural darkness of the filming location with the artificial lighting behind us to reflect the dark and light themes in the song.

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

The idea with this video was to capture the energy of our live performance in a studio environment while using light and dark textures to create the atmosphere. 

What was the process of making this video?

We made this video with Luke Justin Roberts from LJR Creative as part of his Amplify events, which provide the opportunity for local artists to shoot videos in music studios in the DC area. This video was filmed at Ivakota studio in DC and was shot in a single take with no post-production editing. Luke did a great job of working with us to capture the energy of the song while showcasing the change in vocalists on each verse before singing the choruses together.

Connect with The Flip Phones

Website / Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / YouTube / Spotify

The Flip Phones Release “Man-Made Moon” From Their Debut EP ‘Better In the Dark’

The folk rock duo The Flip Phones have released a new single, “Man-Made Moon,” from their EP Better in the Dark, streaming now. 

“Man-Made Moon” was inspired by an article about an artificial moon which was designed to help illuminate cities and light up the night sky. It is the lead single and opening to their debut EP, and gives a sense of what is to come with big lyrical themes, including topics such as humans versus nature, darkness versus light, and the mysteries of life. 

This track has a catchy indie rock rhythm, well crafted lyrics and captures the essence of The Flip Phones´ spirit. With light and catchy overtones, the song also has a slight nod to darkness with some melodica stylings. They tell stories from the world around us and help us to reflect on our own stories of life, loss and hope. 

Based in Arlington, VA, with Philadelphia roots, The Flip Phones have been writing and performing music together since 2008 and were previously known as the “GLEs”. The band includes Lindsey on keyboard, vocals, flute and melodica and Ryan on guitar and vocals. 

Their new EP, Better in the Dark, is a 6 song EP which explores adventuring and homecoming, and asks reflective questions in hopes that listeners will better understand the world around them. Better in the Dark charts the story of a young couple who first connect in the city, and then begin exploring the world together as they draw inspiration from their life experiences and people around them. 

“We finished these songs just as the world was descending into the uncertainty of the pandemic,” shares the duo. “But stories of resilience emerged amid the gloom, revealing splendor despite sorrow. Light and darkness are inextricably linked.”

Stay current with The Flip Phones on their Website and social media channels Instagram , Twitter and Facebook Stream music on YouTube and Spotify.

South Africa’s Bad Knights Share Their New Alternative Rock Album

Bad Knights are the South African alternative and soft rock band making waves with their poignant debut album Letters to Everybody.

Bad Knights draws upon life’s raw, messy, and beautiful tales that reveals what we can see in ourselves, that epitomize the human condition in all its brilliance and with all of its flaws. Any story worth telling has both its monsters and its miracles, its joys and its sorrows – a perfect dance between becoming and overcoming. “We long for stories that bring us hope, the ones that remind us that our dreams are powerful and that instill within us the courage to keep moving forward,” shares the band.

Letters to Everybody encapsulates the depth and complexity of human nature and our existence. Lead singer and dummer, Stig, delivers a soulful and Bruce Springsteen meets Eddie Vedder-esqe vocals over blues licks and rising organ choruses with droning synths and explosive drumbeats amid sparkles of angelic backup vocals.

In their debut 15 track first offering, that is as diverse in its genre as it is in its subject matter, Bad Knights presents something instantly gripping while remaining serious, mature, and refined in their expression. The tracks are thoughtfully worded, complex, and meticulously placed. Each component, instrument, and tone plays its role in bringing together a sound that keeps you hooked.

“I’ve played guitar for years, but have no formal music education really, couldn’t read music to save my life,” shares Stig. “I’ve seen more bars under broken neon lights in dodgy towns than I’ve seen bars on music score sheets. But I’ve always liked observing the world, sometimes writing about it, which naturally evolved into song-writing. Music, if anything, presented an avenue to explore a new form of storytelling.” His lack of any background in musical theory, allows for a more free-spirited, almost rebellious approach to song writing and gives Bad Knights it’s unusually unique, musical aura.

Connect with Bad Knights via:
Instagram / Spotify / Soundcloud

John Trescott Luis Shares His New Country Rock Song “MisUnderstandings”

John Trescott Luis really stepped into music through the side door! 

While setting aside a career in music, he went to work in Hollywood as a sound engineer for ABC where he worked on hundreds of sit-coms, soap operas, dramatic productions, NEWS shoots and Award shows.  He never stopped dreaming of the music that could be and perhaps may be once he was done with his “real job”.  He’s now focused on his long-desired music venture and doing so very successfully with 18k monthly listeners on Spotify.

His most recent single, “MisUnderstandings” is a Country Rock song that sounds like a mix of Tom Petty and Waylon Jennings. His voice has a Jackson Browne style with a sultry and soulful presentation.

During his first trip to Nashville to record songs with the new band, he was understandably nervous and privately hoped these world class players wouldn’t “laugh at this California guy’s songs”. They jumped in with “Stuck”, (the first song that he was to sing) and the band just nailed it. Everyone thought it was a hit, so they jammed ahead with the rest of the sessions feeling like a breeze. The nervousness was unfounded!

Back at his hotel room that night, he pulled out his guitar and started “messing with a few chords” and immediately came up with the opening for what would soon be “MisUnderstandings”.  “I’ve learned that I come up with my most original ideas when I just start playing without thinking, then grab a hold of the first ideas,” shares John.  After working on it, he builds the story of a guy and a girl up in a hotel room arguing about “nothing and everything” but realizing they are just MisUnderstandings.  “I could have searched all day, and not found, where you’re at”.  She’s Miss Understanding and he’s Mr. Understood.

Listening to his wide variety of music you can tell this is someone who has been experimenting with styles for some time and must love them all to create songs with this much depth like the Prog Rock Ballad “Fever Dreams” or the Blues Torch song “I Fell For Those Eyes” or perhaps the simplest yet most moving ballad “DayDream” which is very McCartney-esque…

It seems he is tackling Country/Americana now and after seeing the success of “Stuck”, we are sure “MisUnderstandings” will take him even higher.

John did mention that the next single is even more of a departure and even more of a musical risk…  We can’t wait to see what he comes up with next…

Connect with John Trescott Luis via:
Website / Facebook / YouTube / Spotify