JAMES BAY CHARMS IN OPENING SPOT ON THE LUMINEERS BRIGHTSIDE WORLD TOUR AT THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL
Indie Folk act The Lumineers (“Ho Hey”, “Cleopatra”) brought their Brightside World Tour to The Hollywood Bowl last Friday (September 15th), playing a dazzling sold-out show with special guest and opener James Bay (“Let It Go”, “Hold Back The River”). It was the second time The Lumineers were playing the Hollywood Bowl, so this was a special night for them. The last time The Lumineers played here in 2016, they had just released their debut Grammy-nominated album. So, tonight was big for them and their fans. It was also a significant night for their special guest and opener, James Bay. An accomplished artist in his own right, he had many of his fans turn out for the gig. One of those fans who attended was me. It is always great to see music fans turn up early to support the opener. I would love to see more of this happen for smaller upcoming artists. The Bowl was starting to fill up quickly with people running in just as James Bay had begun to play his first song, the Pop Rock Stomper, “Best Fake Smile” from his debut, ‘Chaos and the Calm’. Bay's striking guitar melodies echoed throughout the canyons of the gorgeously lit arena. Even though I had been to the Hollywood Bowl once before, the current view I had with my seat in the garden box section allowed me to see the stunning bowl shape everyone talked about so much. I finally understood what everyone was talking about. It was also the first time I had seen James in concert since 2018 with the ‘Electric Light’ era. I could see how much has changed and grown since then, a clear and clean melding of the best parts of all his album eras. It was also great to hear how fantastic his current tour band lineup sounds with Bay. The drummer adds a hard-hitting and soulful element into the mix. James' guitar solos in the set are distinct, precise, and have a purpose. Overall, his opening set seemed to delight his and Lumineers fans alike. Other song highlights were “When We Were On Fire”, the emotional “Let It Go”, and “Hold Back The River”, where the crowd sang along. We even got to hear an unreleased track titled, “All My Broken Pieces”, which he played before his latest single, “Goodbye Never Felt So Bad”.
James Bay | Let It Go (Live at The Hollywood Bowl)
The unreleased track and his current singles note his seamless shift towards a new musical direction. The newer sounds are much more mellow and assured, leaning towards a poppier folk, towards a similar musical vein like The Lumineers. Although, his progression seems like a natural ark that his music would take. I cannot help but attribute some of this progression to him recently becoming a father and husband as you mature quickly. Many of the attendees were families and couples who were enjoying a night out on a Friday. Headliners The Lumineers, whom much of this crowd was waiting for, and in all honesty, quite patiently, walked onstage to Rihanna's “Desperado” and the audience's loud applause. Besides the intriguing walkout track, the band had a lot of energy, starting with some of their biggest hits like “Hey Ho”, “Stubborn Love”, and “Angela”. I had not heard of this before bands or artists performing their big hits and crowd faves first. This setlist was an interesting choice by The Lumineers. Frontman and Lead singer Wesley Schultz's anecdotal stage banter was also notable and affable. The Brightside Tour was a fun and incredibly joyful night, and when laid out in all of its dazzling folk rock glory, a massive triumph for their fans. If you were new to The Lumineers or fans of the opener, James Bay, it was a night of inspired fun, seeing into the luminescent and nostalgic world of The Lumineers. You can check out some of my snapshots from the gig below, no pro camera this time!
Thank you to Republic Records for inviting me out, and don’t forget to check out James Bay’s new single “Goodbye Never Felt So Bad” which is out now on all DSPs.
INTERVIEW WITH… GERMAN-BASED SINGER-SONGWRITER M.BYRD TALKS DEBUT ALBUM + MORE
INTERVIEW WITH… GERMAN SINGER + MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST M. BYRD
Photo credit: Miriam Marlene
M. Byrd is a German-based singer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter whose stark, inspired, and confessional pop-inspired folk-rock music. The artist is turning heads and opening ears with his intense and contemplative sound, which marks his debut album, The Seed. A body of work that is out now and happens to be a deeply personal collection of songs for him, as it was also a healing process for him. For the listener, M. Byrd hopes the aptly named record plants a seed and encourages the listeners’ evolution or growth in some way, as it did for him. I got to interview M. Byrd about his debut record and much more. You can read his answers below.
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: Let's start with learning a bit about your background. Did music always have a role in your life? Did you always know you wanted to pursue this path professionally?
M. BYRD: My grandfather collected jazz records, so I early on became interested in swing music by e.g. Duke Ellington. Music had always played a huge role when I grew up in a small town - it presented me with a new language that would always be a companion.
I never made a conscious choice to pursue music professionally, it was more of an accident that we made some songs that people responded to. I think, even if I changed career paths you’d still find me in the studio experimenting - it’s just such a big part of my life
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: How has your year been so far both professionally and personally?
M. BYRD: It’s been a wild ride so far - I didn’t get to spend a lot of time at one spot and have been traveling back and forth in Europe playing shows or recording. This makes it possible for me to visit a lot of friends that I otherwise wouldn’t see too often and I am very grateful to combine these things!
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: You just released your debut album, The Seed. What’s a typical creative and writing process like for you? And was it any different to record this record?
M. BYRD: I like to start with a very rough voice memo. My voice memos really are like little, grainy, old photographs that I take during my travels. When I start working on one of these days’ ideas, I like to have people in the room, that see the same potential in these little ideas as I do - everything from there is an open field of experimentation, and whatever instruments work best at that moment.
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: Was there a track on The Seed that you found particularly challenging to craft? One that came together quite easily?
M. BYRD: Pyrrhula was quite challenging because it’s played completely live and not on a grid or anything that could lead my timing. I recorded a loooot of versions of this until I stuck with one of the initial takes.
Flood came together quite easily - I remember the process as a fun day of playing with sounds and structure.
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: I did some digging and discovered that you played bass in a band called, Ilgen-Nur. Was there anything from that time playing and touring that you brought with you into this current solo project?
M. BYRD: Well, Ilgen is a super talented writer - she has a calm but very sharp sense of observation, which really inspires me. Also, the end everybody really encouraged me to release my own songs!
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: The visuals to your songs really emphasize the emotion felt in your music. Is that something you were keen to get across?
M. BYRD: Absolutely! Glad you recognized.
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: Who are some of your biggest artistic influences?
M. BYRD: That changes a lot. I’ve lately been digging Daniel Norgren’s music, in case you haven’t heard it. It’s all recorded to tape and sounds super analogue. On the other hand, I am also digging into Cocteau Twins’ discography a lot. Oh, and there’s a lot of Japanese ambient music out there (e.g. Haruomi Hosono) that I’ve been listening to.
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: Lastly, what is next up on the horizon for M. Byrd?
M. BYRD: EU Tour in September and October! Come to the shows and say hi if you read this interview :-)!
M. Byrd’s “The Seed” is out so stream now
PHOTO GALLERY: OSHEAGA MUSIC FESTIVAL IN MONTREAL
Osheaga Festival kicked off its three-day jaunt to the delight of fans on August 4th, last Friday. The festival was held at Parc-Jean-Drapeau in Montreal and featured incredible performances from a wide range of different genres and artists like Rina Sawayana, Gabriels, Soccer Mommy, Cults, Carly Rae Jepsen, Baby Keem, Kendrick Lamar, Tom Odell, Rema, Bille Eilish, Fletcher, Sofi Tukker, Lil Yachty, and many many more.
You can view a photo gallery of some selects from the festival below from photographer Sophie Bouquillon.
All photos by photographer Sophie Bouquillon
INDIE POP ROCK ARTIST NIKITA LEV TELLS US HER MOST INFLUENTIAL TUNES
INDIE POP ROCK ARTIST NIKITA LEV TELLS US HER MOST INFLUENTIAL TUNES
Nineteen-year-old multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter Nikita Lev is just getting started with already 200 songs written under her belt. The New York-bred artist's take on Indie Folk has an earnestness and confidence beyond her years. Nikita's latest singles, Like I Care and Elegance, are out now and evoke nostalgia and early Lana Del Rey. Lev provided The Reclusive Blogger with a playlist of her favorite and most influential songs and artists, which you can listen to below.
PHOTO GALLERY: 15th ANNUAL STAGECOACH MUSIC FESTIVAL
PHOTO GALLERY: 15th ANNUAL STAGECOACH MUSIC FESTIVAL
This past weekend after Coachella wrapped its two weekend stinct in Indio, CA. Stagecoach Music Festival rolled into town and took over to continue the party in the California desert. While the annual country music event is only one weekend, it still brought a pretty star packed lineup of country stars, icons, boundary pushers, genre blenders, and a bit of diversity. This year headliners were Luke Bryan, Kane Brown, and Chris Stapleton, each turned out incredibly massive crowds for their main stage shows. Artists and fan favorites like Breland, Jon Pardi, Elle King, Lainey Wilson, Priscilla Block, and Bailey Zimmerman also performed and had everyone singing along. Nikki Lane (A Stagecoach Veteran), along with band Old Dominion, Ryan Bingham, Keb Mo, and Valerie June, to name a few, were some who brought a more Alternative or Bluesy sound. DJs Diplo & Dillion Francis, plus Rapper Nelly brought party vibes to Stagecoach, while Rock icons ZZ Top and Bryan Adams still held their own. This year was the festival’s 15th year and anniversary.
You can view a ton of photos from the festival from incredible photographers in a slideshow gallery below courtesy of Stagecoach.
WHO: HEADLINERS: Luke Bryan, Kane Brown, and Chris Stapleton. Jon Pardi, Old Dominion, Brooks & Dunn, Riley Green, Gabby Barrett, Parker McCollum, ZZ Top, Bryan Adams, Tyler Childers, Elle King, Niko Moon, Turnpike Troubadours, Breland, Nelly, Diplo, Melissa Etheridge, Morgan Wade, Lainey Wilson, Priscilla Block, Ryan Bingham, Sammy Kershaw, Marty Stuart, Parmalee, Ian Munsick, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Bailey Zimmerman, Nate Smith, Kameron Marlowe, Luke Grimes, Jackson Dean, Nikki Lane, Valerie June, Trixie Mattel, Corey Kent, Warren Zeiders, Seaforth, Lily Rose, Sierra Ferrell, Drake Milligan, American Aquarium, Restless Road, Flamin' Groovies, The Last Bandoleros, Keb' Mo', Nick Shoulders, Jaime Wyatt.
WHAT: Stagecoach Music Festival
WHEN: April 28 - 30, 2023
WHERE: Empire Polo Fields, Indio, CA
PHOTO CREDITS: Are listed on each photo and courtesy of Stagecoach
PHOEBE BRIDGERS CAPTIVATES CLOSING OUT HER TWO NIGHT GREEK THEATER STINT ON A HIGH
Singer-songwriter Phoebe Bridgers, who sold out both nights at The Greek Theater, even brought along a few special guests. Which included her label signing, Charlie Hickey and guitarist Blake Mills among others.
Indie Folk phenom Phoebe Bridgers closed out the final night of her two sold-out headlining shows last Friday to much acclaim. Bridgers, riding high from Grammy nominations and critical acclaim from her second album “Punisher”. The singer-songwriter brought the “Reunion” tour to L.A. to the delight of fans. Playing through a well fleshed out set of Folk-Pop soundscapes in seventeen songs. She also had a surprise opener in store. None other than The 1975 frontman Matty Healy. He came out to do a intimate acoustic set in support of Phoebe. The best part was their duet. Their voices on that song blended quite exquisitely.
As much as the crowd and I were surprised to see Matty Healy as the opener that night. I might’ve been the only one caught off guard by Phoebe and her band walking out to “I Gotta Feeling” by the Black Eyed Peas. I later discovered she was referencing a memory from High School. When she made and gave a mixtape to a high school crush. Somehow this song choice just made sense, it was very “Phoebe”. They somehow easily segued into “Motion Sickness”. A track that lyrically is full of anger and sadness among so much else. “Motion Sickness” was also one of the few tracks she performed from her debut record “Stranger in the Alps”. Most of the setlist included songs from her Emo meets Folk-Pop second act, “Punisher”. Songs like the beautifully quirky “Moon Song” or the pensive “Garden Song” rang out like soft lullabies. While the menacing “Punisher” cut through the silence. Bridgers ended on with the amusing sarcasm of her Bo Burnham encore cover of “That Funny Feeling”. Simply letting the music speak for itself that night with exception of a few well placed quips throughout her set. Phoebe led her orchestral leaning band of skulls (still sporting those infamous glow in dark skull onesies I mentioned earlier) in quite the autumnal rallying cry in the canyons. A true storyteller at heart her songs are not party jams (no, “Kyoto” doesn’t count but it’s still a bop”). Yet, the crowd stayed on their feet the entire time enjoying the overall atmosphere. An audience that that was truly happy to sing along to Phoebe that night and to have the hometown bestie back. You can check out my full photo gallery from the show below. To stream “Punisher” go here.
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