John Greska’s “Mamma Maybe” is an Intricate Story Inspired through History

John Greska has been intrigued by music since the second grade when he, like so many others, started playing piano. Since then, music has been a constant, from playing in the school bands to experimenting with Musecore. The young artist has never stopped chasing his dream of being a singer/songwriter and his latest single, “Mamma Maybe,” proves he’s got what it takes.

“Mamma Maybe” is an alternative folk and folktronica song that goes through a story of a fictional mother and son. He was inspired by the recent events in world history, at least since World War two. He became interested in Japanese history when he started learning the language and he realized that he doesn’t know anything about their history outside of the American point of view during the war. He thought about the people that grew up during that time and thought about what they would think about the world as it is today.

He takes the theme of change and allows us to grasp it. He recognizes and acknowledges that change is the key to becoming better humans, so that we don’t repeat history. As time goes on, ideas evolve with it and that can sometimes be hard for people to accept.

“The writing process was surprisingly difficult,” shares John. “Taking out the fact that I was trying to write about something extremely intricate and not really song-like, the actual music was super tricky. There were certain parts that had to sound happy and certain parts that had to sound ominous and the ending was rewritten three times. The ending of the song was the hardest part to find, because how do you end a story like this?”

Listen here:

Watch the video for “Mamma Maybe” here:

Connect with John via:
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“Give Some, Get Some” is the Rock Jam Tune of from Mitch Melodia

Mitch Melodia is the artist and mastermind behind the jam “band” Alpha Pegasi whose sound is rock and some pop mentality with a lot of chilled out Led Zeppelin as an influence. “Alpha Pegasi has a Tame Impala-ish approach in the studio and a Phish-ish mentality for live shows,” says Mitch. “Improvisation extending songs is a staple of every show but when recording, I keep it concise. It’s fun for me to play and arrange every instrument on record, but I’m also stoked for future collaborations with other musicians in the studio.”

His recently released alternative rock single “Give Some, Get Some” has a Red Hot Chili Peppers vibe with bluesy undertones. The melody is precise and method, giving the hook a permanent place in your head. Mitch started writing it in 2013 and has been tweaking and working the song ever since to finally be what it is today, a funky, danceable, and groove-filled jam song.

“With groovy and funky verses, a more rock-heavy and catchy chorus, and a couple of firey guitar solos, ‘Give Some, Get Some’ is one of my favorites on the first EP,” shares Mitch. He has musical solos, funky versus, rock chorus’s and was made for a live setting.

Listen here:

A main financial focus for Alpha Pegasi is to donate 5% of all profits to environmental and health-orientated organizations like San Diego EarthWorks. Mitch aspires to use his music and art as a vehicle to support environmental and health-improving causes, including mental-health practices. 

Connect with Mitch Melodia via:
Website // Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // YouTube // Spotify // Soundcloud

Natalie Fideler and Her Trio Release the Bluesy Rock Single “Three Man Army”

Natalie Fideler is the front-person of her self-titled power trio currently based in Minneapolis, MN. Having performed in several different ensembles over the years, the release of her debut album “Steak & Eggs” marks the beginning of her solo career. Her band consists of herself as the songwriter on guitar, keyboards, and lead vocals, Hailey Jacobsen on bass, and Leigh Underwood on drums.

The trio just released their newest single, “Three Man Army,” the title track of their next album of the same name. While their previous single, “Judas,” had more of an alternative rock sound and contemplated the Christian Religion and what that means to Natalie, “Three Man Army” is more fun. The song has a funk and blues element to it and is carried by Natalie’s vocals which are beautiful and passionate, giving off a softer Demi Lovato or a Hayley Williams vibe. 

“Three Man Army” utilizes the trumpet, giving the melody a catchy sound that makes you want to get up and dance. The song is the first one Natalie had ever written, way back when she was 14 years old. It’s Natalie speaking to a dear friend she had just had a falling out with (and herself in a symbolic way) trying to figure out who she is and who she wants to be. She sings “There’s plenty of people out there just like me/messed up, broken, incomplete,” giving a sense of empowerment and inner conflict.

“I eventually retired the song when I was in college thinking it ‘sounded too young’ and I was sick of it,” shares Natalie. “But one day many years later, I was doing a pandemic livestream concert from my living room and my fiance/drummer Leigh heard me play the song for the first time. Once I had finished the tune she said to me (verbatim because the stream is archived), ‘Question. Is there a reason that we’re not playing that one full band?! What’s wrong with you?! It’s a great song, it’s funky. Why aren’t we doing it full band?!’ I thankfully decided to bring the song back.” 

Listen here:

Connect with Natalie Fideler via:

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The Lyric Video of Michael Gutierrez-May’s Folk Single, “Imaginary Tomato,” is Wonderfully Stylized

The rising indie folk singer/songwriter, Michael Gutierrez-May, has been working to help the underground folk music scene for almost 30 years. While he’s promoted shows, booked coffeehouses, and supported underground artists, unfortunately, he didn’t do enough to support his own songwriting endeavors. But in 2009, he decided enough was enough and started focusing on his music.

He just debuted his lyric video for his much loved song “Imaginary Tomato” from his latest album, Drifting to the Right. The song has a Bruce Springsteen style in both Michael’s vocals and guitar style, but there’s also a hint of Johnny Cash in the style and storytelling. Michael utilizes his background as a mental health therepist to inform his songwriting, especially “Imaginary Tomato.”

“‘Imaginary Tomato’ is a fun video created by Kat Reinhert about political ranting on the home front,” says Michael. He takes on his own frustrations on the political standing of the United States and his anger towards the former President. The lyric video is quite animated. The lyrics are guided by a tomato, but the tomato is telling the story to the viewer. It dances around the screen, guiding your eyes to the words and direction the words go. It’s the most telling lyric video I’ve ever seen.

Watch here:

The song is “inspired by current events with the added thought not to take oneself too seriously,” shares Michael. “This song came quickly, not long after the tomato idea emerged from my subconscious. The message of the song is to embrace tolerance and openness, keep hope alive and also not to be afraid of throwing tomatoes at repressive authorities.”

Find and connect with Michael Gutierrez-May via:

Website // Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // YouTube // Spotify // Soundcloud

“One Last Kiss” is the Folk Pop Melody We Want

Emily + Shawn release a new single called “One Last Kiss” and we will play it one thousand times over! It’s a song that celebrates the freedom that comes with putting your foot down and just moving on. It’s reminiscent of the sounds of Gwen Stefani married with Sara Bareillis and The Lumineers, putting their own spin on folk-pop. “One Last Kiss” is infectious and hypnotic. You’ll find yourself singing along in no time.

“This song started out as a slow acoustic ballad, reflecting on our frustrations with the drag of the 9-5 workday. Making music is what we love, but our day jobs are a “necessary evil” in order to put food on the table while we shift our careers from typical corporate and government jobs into the music industry.”

Listen here:

The journey of Emily + Shawn started in college, where they met and fell in love with each other. While Emily began her career in music theater and took vocal lessons throughout high school and college, Shawn was writing and performing his own original music. In college, they were both in a cappella groups, where they started singing covers and making their own music together.

After college, Shawn moved out west for his day job, but he still performed regularly in and around the southern California scene. Once Shawn moved back east, he performed at the Bethlehem MusikFest and had a jingle he co-wrote used for a national Target ad campaign.

After they got married, they started making original music together – our sound and style combines Emily’s love for indie pop with Shawn’s love for classic folk & blues. We have performed in a variety of venues, from small cafes to crowds of over 5,000 people. In 2019, we began working with renowned vocal coach Wendy Parr, and our recently-recorded debut EP is produced by David Baron (Lumineers, Meghan Trainor, Shawn Mendes).

“We like the real stuff – the good stuff. The stuff that takes time and effort and attention to detail. Artisanship. Handwritten notes. Home made cocktails. Listening to records from start to finish. Finding and creating music that brings us in and takes us somewhere.”

Find Emily + Shawn via:
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Skylight Motion Picture’s Latest Cinematic Pop Album Reveals Their Depth of Sound

Skylight Motion Picture presents “Music from the Film”, a full cinematic pop album that will take you on a journey from start to finish. 

“Music From the Film” is an homage to much of the ‘bedroom pop’ music that shaped chief songwriter, Ezekiel James Hampton, in early adulthood. Despite this being a mostly electronically-produced album, listeners can expect more orchestral instruments such as piano, glockenspiels, woodwinds, and strings. The formula of building on infectious hooks with rich harmonies has not changed. All lyrics to the album revolve around two themes: moving forward after being emotionally unprepared for a broken heart and spiritual evolution born out of the ashes of religious culture.

Skylight Motion Picture states, “All lyrics to the album revolve around two themes: moving forward after being emotionally unprepared for a broken heart and spiritual evolution born out of the ashes of religious culture.” They are highly influenced by artists such as The Postal Service, Copeland, and The 1975, which is what gives them the hypnotic vocals and melodies.

This passionate, and charming record can be your soundtrack to life, from “Opening titles” all the way to “Roll Credits.”

Listen here:

Find Skylight Motion Picture via:

Website // Instagram // Facebook // YouTube // TikTok // Spotify // Soundcloud