by Jane Lambert

George Collins’ New Single Takes on Lost Opportunities

George Collins is no stranger to the music industry. Back in his younger years, before committing to the world of high finance, he played in local restaurants and bars in Charlottesville to pay his way through school. He even became a local staple. He also played in an eleven-piece Earth, Wind & Fire-esque band called Common Knowledge which included Carter Beauford and the late LeRoi Moore. Beauford and Moore later became founding members of The Dave Matthews Band. “While backstage with Carter and Dave during their most recent concert in Prague in 2019, I joked that I was in The Dave Matthews Band even before Dave Matthews,” Collins says with a good-natured laugh. “They both burst out laughing, and Dave clicked his beer bottle to mine and said, ‘If anyone ever asks me about that, I will back you up one hundred percent!’”

George is back and better than ever with his upcoming solo EP, It’s Been a Long Time. He just released the pop rock title song “It’s Been a Long Time.” It has a Tom Petty meets U2 in sound and energy with a hint of Fleetwood Mac. In “It’s Been a Long Time,” George showcases his songwriting with lyrics that spew emotion. It’s about a lost love and missed opportunities. It can be taken literally and metaphorically, the sign of a great songwriter.

He sings “Never knew love before, never met no one like you/And I’m always gonna wonder what might have been/World spinning circles now, but there’s one thing I know/It’s gonna be a long, long time till I love that way again.” It can connect with any listener and that’s what makes George Collins’ music so special.

His songs feature instantly hummable melodies; subtle but smart counterpoint; clever chord sequences; ace musicianship; and vocals that ooze soulful rock n’ roll longing. As a lyricist, Collins is a poet, a sage, a storyteller, and an empath. He covers the full-spectrum of emotions and the human experience, and he writes with cinematic detail, visceral vulnerability, and clever turns of phrase.

Listen here:

Find George Collins via:

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

05.17.22

by Jane Lambert

“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

05.10.22

by Jane Lambert

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:

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

04.28.22

by Jane Lambert

Angela Perry’s New Album is Beyond Beautiful

Angela Perry’s music shares the strength, heartache and joys of living life. Her melodies are invigorated with energy and honesty and her lyrics are beautifully crafted and meticulously written to be as open as possible. Her soulful voice takes her music to a higher lever as you can not only hear her passion for her craft, but for the meaning behind each song as well. Her songwriting gives a new perspective to the typical themes of nature and matters of the heart that we all know and love.

Angela newest folk and country rock album, 21 Dayz, boasts 9 stunning songs that showcase her Shania Twain and Bonnie Rait-esque vocals and her Joni Mitchell and James Taylor-like songwriting. She meticulously wrote each song to be as open and no-nonsense as possible. She doesn’t sugar-coat through any topics. For example, her song “Sister Cry” is about the disturbing amount of women who are murdered and go missing just for being their authentic selves. In fact, indigenous women are 10x more likely to get murdered or go missing. The lyrics of this song is juxtaposed with the more upbeat melody, implying our blind eye towards this. “’Sister Cry’ was written from the victim’s perspective as a plea to all of us ‘who look the other way.’ The word WHY in the song asks a question that can not seem to be answered not only by the victims but by us. They are crying for all who too blinded to see,” shares Angela.

Her song “Sunflower Child,” by far one of her best, is about strength, hope, and positivity. The sunflower is a resilient and adaptable flower as it can grow in any environment. She recently released the video for this song and dedicated it to the Ukrainian refugees. The song is about perseverance and standing tall against adversity, like a sunflower.

“Fallen” is another song that stands out. It’s more acoustic than the rest and represents everyone who has fallen from grace due to a decision they made. It hurts now, but time heals all wounds. The melody is both haunting and a little melancholic, though you can hear the hope in her voice as the song progresses. “The song was written underneath 150 year old cottonwood trees where the idea of time is so different from what we as humans feel,” shares Angela. “In the scheme of time, we are nothing more than just a speck and sometimes when we fail to see how things we view as significant are not. This song…reminds all of us that we are human and have human frailties and frustrations.”

Listen to the full album here:

Find Angela Perry via:

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

03.02.22

by Jane Lambert

This Video Will Not Be Eclipsed Behind Anything!

Annapurna “AP” Tobler is a multi-instrumentalist musician, singer, and songwriter based in San Jose, CA. Often described as a “grunge poet,” AP writes music with heavy riffs and complex themes, holding mental health topics as vital influences in their songwriting. AP aims to share their experiences with anxiety and depression by crafting songs rooted in grunge and alternative rock, with hopes that these thematic elements will speak to listeners who are going through similar experiences.

In their music video for new single, “Eclipse,” it showcases their talent and is reminiscent of how old music videos in the days of MTV were made and we are here for it! The vintage grunge rock music accompanies the Smashing Pumpkins-esque music video and really welds the both together. It highlights the importance of mental health especially being someone with anxiety and depression. AP is not only authentically genuine, but they are also relatable.

They state that, “The video for Eclipse was filmed as a family project. It is directed and filmed by my dad while my mom and brother assist with video artwork, concepts, and filming locations. Eclipse is about the struggle of not being able to let go of past trauma. The song explores deep, often distracting, feelings and we used disorienting and warping imagery to represent the struggle to gain clarity. Images of Blunt Force (B-side) are blended into the video to tie the stories together. The core imagery is based off the album cover and was shot close to my home in San Jose, CA. The video is more artistic and abstract and I hope it conveys a deeper meaning to the song.”

Watch “Eclipse” here:

AP’s musical journey began with the discovery of drums at the age of 8. They explored the sounds and composition of grunge, hard rock, metal, and jazz through their studies, adding guitar and bass to their instrument studies in the years that followed. AP has been gigging regularly since a young age, performing at high profile music events such as PASIC, Sweetwater Gearfest, and touring with the School of Rock AllStars. They drum professionally for local bands, and with the dynamic Street Drum Corps. Nirvana, Green Day, and Weezer are all significant influences and their versatility as a multi-instrumentalist has allowed them to compose and perform all tracks for their songs.

We look forward to hearing, and seeing, more from this multitalented artist!

You can find AP Tobler via:
Website // Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // YouTube // Spotify // Soundcloud

01.26.22

by Jane Lambert

AP Tobler’s New Music is Authentically Them

AP Tobler uses their own life as a guide for their music. Unlike many musicians out there, you can hear their passion and intimacy with the music, not just the words. We can hear their rawness and vulnerability in their work, allowing the listeners in and feeling along with them. AP Tobler is authentic and that’s what makes them, and their music, so amazing.

Their newest single, “Eclipse” was too big for a single song, so they gave us “Blunt Force,” the single that lives on the B-side. “Blunt Force” is the perfect companion piece to “Eclipse,” a grungy rock song that sounds like Nirvana meets Green Day. “Eclipse” This song is a personal one for AP that most people been through. It describes the way trauma affects our minds and bodies in the music. “Eclipse is about the mental block that comes with suffering a past trauma,” shares AP. “I wrote this song while I was replaying painful events in my head. I was sick of feeling upset over things that had happened years ago. When I write music about personal experiences, the lyrics and melody tend to come together very quickly. This is the case with Eclipse. I was actually on a phone call with friends and started feeling anxious. In the middle of the call, I opened my Notes app and started typing fragments of lyrics about how I was feeling.”

The companion piece, “Blunt Force,” is about a time in which a close friend to AP just left, suddenly and unexpectedly. There was no notice, they were just no longer friends with no explanation. This grunge song depicts this experience and the repercussions it had on AP. “After two years without resolution, I finally wrote a song to express the lingering emotions I was feeling,” says AP. “One night I picked up my guitar and wrote a cord progression that I liked. I started to write the lyrics and within 30 minutes I had a melody and lyrics to represent the emotions of this painful experience. I refined the song over a few sessions, adding layers to fill it out. The writing process was cathartic, as I had encapsulated this traumatic event into a song.”

Listen to “Eclipse” and the B-Side “Blunt Force” here: