by Jane Lambert

VIDEO VOYAGEUR: 3 Q’S WITH REEYA BANERJEE

After a string of visually striking and concept driven singles, Reeya Banerjee brings things home both literally and figuratively with the music video for “Upstate Rust,” the fourth and final release ahead of her upcoming album This Place set for release on August 22nd, 2025.

Filmed at Lorien Sound in Brooklyn, the video captures Banerjee and her band The Merseyside Darby in their natural habitat – laughing, sweating and absolutely living inside the music.

Unlike the stylized visuals of her previous singles, this video opts for raw honesty and full band energy, spotlighting the chemistry, connection and joy that fuel Banerjee’s live performances.

It’s a fitting choice for a track that closes the album with heart and clarity.

We sat down with Reeya to talk about the story behind the song, and the decision to film a stripped down performance.

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

Upstate Rust is the closing track on my album This Place, and in many ways, it’s the emotional resolution.

It’s a song about leaving a place you’ve loved – not with regret, but with trust, love and a little bit of fear. It’s about grown-up decisions, emotional survival and believing that what you’ve built can last, even when the geography changes.

The three singles before this had quirky, stylized videos – animation, photo essays, rogue guerrilla no-permit filming in Grand Central.

With Upstate Rust, I wanted to do something totally different. I wanted to showcase my band, The Merseyside Darby, because this song feels like a full-band anthem. Even though they didn’t record it with me originally, they’ve learned it, owned it, and made it their own.

This video is a celebration of that live energy – of how much fun we have together in the room. It’s the first time we’re all on screen together, and it felt like the right way to bring this song to life.

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

The inspiration was really simple: let’s just show the band being the band. Upstate Rust is a big, reverb-heavy, U2-flavored banger, and it’s also my favorite song on the record. We wanted to show what it actually feels like to play it together – no gimmicks, no heavy storyline, just real joy and connection.

We shot the video at Lorien Sound in Brooklyn, which is a studio run by my lead guitarist James Rubino and his business partners Austin Birdy and Jack Quigley. Our rehearsal space is the live room at the studio, and Jack also directed the video. We pumped the master track through the PA and performed it together thirteen times – close-ups of everyone, wide shots of the room, no lip-sync fakery, just full-out playing.

Jack’s footage captured our chemistry and the joy we feel making music together. Luke Folger, our drummer (also my creative partner, co-writer, and the producer and composer for the record) is a beast on drums and has a smile that could light up a room. He’s a full-on beam of sunshine.

There’s a moment where I’m singing along with Daria Klotz, my bass player, and we’re just in the moment together. I’ve known her for ten years – we’ve sung in harmony together in so many bar bands and performances and other contexts, and it was lovely to capture that shared history on camera.

Sam Levine is our rhythm guitarist and the newest member of the band. He’s incredibly talented and smart, and a bit shy – but by the end of the shoot, he was rocking out and singing along, and it was just so endearing to watch him come into his own.

My favorite part is in the final chorus where James and I are literally jumping up and down together. We’ve also known each other for ten years – he’s my ride-or-die best friend. It felt like having a dance party with my little brother. Neither of us are spring chickens – we both have bad knees – so it was probably a terrible idea, but we couldn’t resist. At one point, James’s hat flew off mid-jump and he kicked it toward Sam, who had to duck to avoid being beaned in the face. We could not stop laughing. I’m almost sad that moment didn’t make the final cut.

3. What was the process of making the video?

This was honestly one of the most fun and relaxed shoots I’ve ever done. We met at Lorien Sound, and Jack set up a click track for Luke so we could stay locked in with the master. Then we ran the song thirteen times – two close-up takes for each band member, and three full-room passes to capture the in-between moments and the group dynamic.

The goal wasn’t perfection – it was connection. We weren’t trying to make a slick, overly produced performance video – but that said, what Jack delivered is the most polished of the four videos I’ve made to support the singles from This Place.

We wanted to show what it actually feels like to rehearse this song: sweaty, joyful, slightly chaotic, and deeply connected.

I think that comes through in the video.

Find out more about Reeya Banerjee on her Website

07.23.25

by Jane Lambert

Gun-Shy Butterfly Aren’t Here to Babysit Egos on “Manchild”

There’s a moment in “Manchild”, Gun-Shy Butterfly’s scathing new single, when the sarcasm curdles into something darker.

It’s the sound of the last straw breaking, the laugh you let out after being underestimated one too many times. It’s also the moment you realize this song is a reckoning of sorts.

Philadelphia based duo Julie Exter and Andrea Tarka White take no prisoners on this fuzzed-out, fire breathing alt-rock track that drips with wit, indignation and undeniable hooks.

What starts as a pointed eye-roll becomes a full on evisceration of entitled mediocrity, all set to a soundtrack that echoes the raw honesty of Hole and the punch of L7, with a melodic sensibility entirely their own.

But “Manchild” doesn’t just about calling out bad behavior—it’s about the emotional labor women are expected to do in response to it. The song’s brilliance lies in its refusal to smooth over that exhaustion. Instead, it puts it front and center, lets it roar and dares you to look away.

The lyrics are needle sharp here and they balance bitterness with clarity – there’s no vagueness and no metaphor to soften the blow. Just bold, clear language that hits like truth tends to – suddenly and without apology.

Production wise, it’s lean and loud. Every instrument has room to breathe, but it never lets up in intensity. The guitar tones snarl, the bass stalks just beneath the surface and Exter’s vocals command every inch of the mix.

“Manchild” then is a torch song for the pissed off and perpetually talked over. It’s a reminder that sometimes, the most powerful thing that you can do is tell the truth and crank the volume up while you do it.

About Gun-Shy Butterfly

Gun-Shy Butterfly is the Philadelphia based alt-rock duo of Julie Exter and Andrea Tarka White.

With a minimalist setup and a maximalist sound, the pair craft raw and riff-heavy anthems fueled by feminist fire and unfiltered emotion. Blending the grit of ’90s grunge with sharp lyrical wit, Gun-Shy Butterfly tackles everything from cultural exhaustion to personal reclamation. Always loud, always honest.

Their debut singles “Dark Side” and “Manchild” announce the arrival of a band unafraid to rage, reflect, and rip the volume right off.

Find out more on the Website

07.15.25

by Jane Lambert

The Sound of Getting Back Up – MASSEY’s “Comeback Morning”

“Comeback Morning” doesn’t beg for your attention. It doesn’t try to dazzle with clever production tricks or polished perfection. It feels more like that quiet, electric moment of survival.

MASSEY is not your typical frontman. He is more of a conjurer, someone who pulls whole arrangements out of thin air with nothing but his voice.

Listen here:

And the stellar line up of musicians on this one is no joke. Charlie Wooton’s bassline has weight, Oravetz and Groover on guitar keep it lean and expressive, and Doug Belote’s drums give the whole track its steady heartbeat. Then there is Lemmler’s Hammond organ – warm, wide and grounding and the 504 Horns who elevate it even further.

But more than any single performance, what sticks is the overall vibe.

“Comeback Morning” very much sounds like it was built on real trust between players, and on MASSEY’s belief in second chances. That message that “The comeback is always sweeter,” a phrase borrowed from his father, is the kind of line you believe because you can hear that MASSEY does.

It’s a big hearted, soul driven reminder that even after the darkest nights, the light still shows up and sometimes its in a song.

About MASSEY

MASSEY showed up like a spark — fully formed, voice first — when producer JoeBaby Michaels caught wind of something wild, soulful and unmistakably original.

At the center of it all is MASSEY who sings, hums, whistles and scats every idea into being. Think James Brown if he built the bones of the song from the air.

There’s something visceral about the way MASSEY approaches music. Songs begin as voice memos — grooves and hooks born of walks, dreams, gut feelings — and get fleshed out by a tight circle of trusted collaborators, especially his guitarist and writing partner Peter Oravetz. The result is music that feels lived in but alive, rooted in New Orleans funk and soul, laced with rock grit and retro R&B swing.

In just a handful of releases, MASSEY has already made noise. His first few singles have racked up over 600,000 views collectively, with each new track carving out more of his singular identity.

With his debut album Reason For Being dropping soon and a slate of live performances kicking off with NOLA JazzFest, MASSEY is stepping fully into the spotlight.

Keep up with MASSEY on his Website

07.10.25

by Jane Lambert

Debo Ray’s Self Titled Debut Shines with Bold Emotion and Limitless Sound

With her self-titled debut album, Debo Ray, the Boston based powerhouse vocalist delivers a soul baring statement of intent. And it is one that refuses to be boxed in by convention.

Known for her virtuosic collaborations and genre blending performances with artists like Terri Lyne Carrington, Esperanza Spalding, and the band Screaming Headless Torsos, Ray has now stepped fully into her own creative spotlight, and she brings with her a striking voice and a fearless approach to storytelling through sound.

Listen here:

From the opening track “Tell Me What You Want,” it’s clear that Debo Ray is not interested in playing it safe. The opener fuses classic R&B sensibilities with a whip smart rap verse, immediately signalling that Ray is here to challenge expectations.

She follows it up with tracks like “Feelin’ Lucky”, which swaps intensity for lightness, dipping into pop’s playful textures without ever losing her signature vocal presence.

Throughout this album there is an energy of total freedom, with each song like a different room in a beautifully lit house.

Drawing directly from her life experiences, tracks like “Gaslight” and “You Read Me Wrong” confront toxic relationships and emotional exhaustion with an unflinching honesty. “Take That”, which is the album’s final track, could have veered into cliché territory in lesser hands, but Ray has transformed it into a moving meditation on solitude and survival. Her vocals here are rich, sincere and even the simplest lines resonate.

One of the most striking things about Debo Ray though is how cohesive the project feels despite its stylistic elasticity. Whether its pulling from rock guitar rifts, jazz harmonies or gospel style vocal layerings, Debo connects each choice back to the core truth of each song.

The other thing to note here is that whether Ray is pulling from rock guitar riffs, jazz harmonies or gospel style vocal layering, she connects each choice back to the truth of the song. Her voice is a thrilling instrument in its own right, morphing from silky smooth phrasing to more gritty soul belts with a total command of her voice without ever losing warmth or clarity.

What makes this debut especially compelling is its balance. It contains joy and pain, vulnerability and confidence, and tradition and innovation all live comfortably side by side. It’s a full picture of who Debo Ray is as a musician and a person. She is complex, radiant and rooted in truth. As she herself has said, “After years of interpreting the music of others, I felt it was time to tell my own story.”

This album is that almost certainly telling that story. One of reclamation, celebration and a declaration of creative freedom.

Find out more about Debo Ray on her Website

Stream music on Spotify and Apple Music

07.01.25

by Jane Lambert

Layers of Light – George Collins Channels Gabriel on Latest Single “Open Up”

From the opening bars of George Collins’s “Open Up,” there is a sense that something deeper is at play. Not just another well crafted track from a thoughtful songwriter, but a deliberate reaching for something sacred.

And indeed, the song wears its Peter Gabriel influence proudly, especially the spectral fingerprints of Mercy Street , which was one of Gabriel’s most haunting and meditative works.

But Collins doesn’t merely mimic it. He reinterprets, he absorbs, and he builds his own quiet cathedral of sound.

At its core, “Open Up” is about vulnerability — that conscious, often exhausting decision to remain emotionally available as the years add both wisdom and weight.

The chorus is a mantra more than a hook, a repeated invitation inward and outward. It’s no coincidence that the track is driven by keyboards and layered vocals rather than Collins’ familiar guitar. This is definitely a songwriter stepping outside his comfort zone and embracing evolution.

That creative shift was made possible by the collaboration with award winning Canadian producer Rob Wells, who is known for work with some of the biggest names in pop.

And yet, instead of gloss, Wells helps shape the texture. Their work together feels cinematic but never overblown. Moody yes but also very much grounded in humanity.

George says about the song:

“Concerning the story behind “Open Up,” it was definitely intended to be a Peter Gabriel influenced track from the very beginning – he is one of my heroes.

For the new album, I also wanted to expand my songwriting beyond the guitar-based songs I’ve written all my life and tip my hat to other styles and genres that have influenced me over the years.

I had the title and the concept for the song, the chorus, as well as several guitar riffs kicking around in my head for years, but I knew I wanted “Open Up” to be a keyboard driven track with layered vocals, sonorous textures and exotic instrumentation, like Peter Gabriel’s “Mercy Street.”

As a guitarist with limited production skills, I knew I needed to collaborate on this song with an A-list keyboardist/producer to bring my incipient ideas to life.

I approached one of my Mentors, Rob Wells https://robwellsmusic.com/ an award-winning, multi-platinum selling Canadian songwriter and producer who has worked with Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, and dozens of other notables – and who happens to be one of the nicest guys in the world.”

Exotic instrumentation winds through “Open Up” without calling attention to itself, and the vocals stack shimmer like late afternoon light through stained glass.

You can hear how hard Collins has worked on the vocal performance, singing through the song again and again over two days in a Prague studio with no shortcuts taken. What’s striking though is how much heart is in the details. The production is refined, but the soul of the song comes through in Collins’ voice.

He is offering an important message not to harden – don’t retreat, stay open! Something that many of us could listen to.

“Open Up” is indeed one of those late career songs that is reaching forward into a new phase of creativity, with courage and grace.

Connect with George Collins:

Website / Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube

06.30.25

by Jane Lambert

Havilah Tower’s “Open Wide” Shines a Light on Quiet Courage

An emotional folk-pop reflection on the moment your life begins to shift.

Havilah Tower’s latest single Open Wide captures something elusive. That subtle turning point when you realize the life you’ve built no longer fits the shape of your heart.

Wrapped in a warm folk pop instrumentation, “Open Wide” is something of a softly unfolding meditation on self-honesty, transformation and the beauty of rediscovering what truly matters.

Built around a graceful acoustic guitar line and anchored by Havilah’s soulful and expressive vocals, the song opens like a journal entry. It’s private, deliberate and fully human. As she sings of a dream life slipping from her grasp, the listener is drawn into that universal threshold where illusion gives way to truth, not with drama, but with clarity. This is the sound of someone who is choosing alignment over image and heart over habit.

What takes “Open Wide” to the next level though is its arrangement – the cello swells, the ambient textures and the thoughtful percussion surrounds the lyrics without ever overwhelming them. Each instrumental choice seems to lean into the song’s emotional arc, and echoes the idea that shedding old narratives can work to make space for something more honest and grounded.

Lyrically, Havilah strikes a balance between a sense of vulnerability and control. Lines like “the dream that I had, it’s not what I thought” carry both disappointment and empowerment. There is maturity in her writing, as each verse is anchored in lived experience.

Listeners who are familiar with artist like Patty Griffin, Brandi Carlile or even the more introspective moments of Taylor Swift’s “Folklore” will feel at home here. But “Open Wide” is not derivative – it is distinctly Havilah.

What makes the track even more especially resonant is how it reframes letting go not as failure, but as a grace.

It’s a song for anyone who has ever paused in the middle of their own story and asked: “Is this still true for me?”

In that way, “Open Wide” becomes more than a single, but also an invitation. One that asks you to step into your life with your own eyes – and heart – fully open.

Keep up with Havilah Tower on her Website

Stream music on Spotify and Apple Music