Philadelphia fans! After two years of taking time off because of the pandemic, the annual Roots Picnic returns this year on June 4-5, 2022, at The Mann Center in Fairmount Park.

Headlined by no other than this past weekend’s Super Bowl performer, Mary J. Blige, will perform alongside The Roots themselves. Other artists performing include Kamasi Washington, Jazmine Sullivan, Summer Walker, Wizkid, Tierra Whack, Freddie Gibbs, DJ Jazzy Jeff with Rakim, and Robert Glasper Bilal.

DJ J Period is scheduled to make a “live mixtape” that will feature Black Thought, Rick Ross, and Benny the Butcher. A jam session will be hosted by the producer, Soulquarians, and will feature Keyshia Cole, SWV, and Musiq Soulchild.

Tickets for the event go on sale on Friday, February 18 at 10:00 a.m. ET. Get tickets here.

photo credit: NIA Primus

Written by Killian O’Neil

Everyone has a story to tell in multiple ways; some through acting, others through writing, and my favorite, the stories that are told through music.

Philadelphia musician, NIA, is no different from spinning her craft of telling a story with her lyrics. NIA is a smooth R&B artist that reminds me of something that would be playing in the late nineties. She was raised in Queens, New York, with her Trinidadian parents, but now resides in the City of Brotherly love, Philadelphia. She began to actively write songs for her brother and quickly fell in love with all facets of music, and by her junior year of high school, she was producing and singing.

Shortly after she got accepted to Shippensburg University, that is where she broke free of the cocoon and stepped into her truth of music. Sooner than later, NIA evolved into a Badass Openly Queer woman who was shaking things out of the status quo. Eventually, she started to play locally and embrace collaborations with other artists,  while she was at school and even started her own label during her senior year of college called Chilled Room Records.

I was lucky enough to speak with her and ask her a few questions.

“When you started writing at 5, did you know that music was what you wanted to do?” I asked.

“Definitely,” NIA began. “I don’t remember a day where I didn’t know that music was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. It has always been a part of me.” Another thing about NIA is that she is Queer, so I asked her if it was challenging for her to come out.

“Was it challenging for you to come out as a queer artist? Were you afraid that it would be more difficult as an artist?” I wondered.

“Not really, only because I was already out when I started to take music seriously. Interestingly enough though, it was very hard when I first began writing music. I wrote songs for my older brother because I didn’t think it would make sense for me to be singing songs about girls. This is something that I grew out of eventually, but in the beginning, it was a challenge. I was never afraid because life has always been harder for me. I was up for the challenge because I feel that it is important to represent people like me who often are not given a platform. When you’re born into a world that doesn’t expect you or really want you to become an influential human being, everything else is light-work in comparison; you build resilience.“

NIA has a bunch of influences such as Calypso, Sade, and Soca Music when it comes to her sound. She is pretty straightforward with the tunes that are in her earbuds.

“I know you have specific artists that are influences but are there any genres that have really impacted your sound?”

“Neo-Soul has been a huge influence for me since I was young. I always looked at Alternative R&B artists as the “children of neo-soul. I love Jazz too, it makes my soul feel calm and it motivates me to either move throughout the day or be still. Soca is another big influence for me. Other than ‘Games,’ there’s not really much of that influence within my past releases. Some of the newer tracks that I am preparing for release will have more of that though.”

After everything that has been learned thus far made me curious about what her routine is like. Every creative has an outlet and a way to express themselves and for NIA it’s songwriting to name just one. So I asked her what it looked like to a fly on the wall during her writing process.

“What is your writing process like? When I write, I’m not in a good place a lot of the time. This is why a lot of my music reflects on my emotional state or different situations that have led me to a dark place. I’ve been forcing myself to not fall into the ‘depression music’ trend too much though because my creativity is very fluid and that includes my writing. I remember how much I loved Luther Vandross as a kid but sometimes I would just feel stuck in a cycle with consistent love songs. At the end of the day though, that was what he wanted to represent and I appreciate his artistry so much more as an adult. Still yet, I don’t want anyone to feel that way with my music. A lot of it is also me just wanting to be in a place where I’m happy regardless of the circumstances that I’m faced with. I don’t want to be complacent in that mindset, and I don’t want my music to be either.”

Inclusive of going into a studio there is also another special craft of writing a new song, and what happens during those moments.

“What do you like to draw from when writing a song?”

“Honestly, anything I”m feeling. Either what I’m feeling or just whatever is heavy on my mind,” she says.

Unlike most artists, she has been breaking her back to lock in with music for years, even within her own family by writing for her brother. Shippensburg was next on the list of reasons how she was going about her career with music. It puzzled me because Ship isn’t known for their music program at all.

“What made you go to Shippensburg versus staying in Queens and focusing on music?”

“By the time I graduated high school, I had already been living in PA for years. I originally was going to go to the Art Institute of Philadelphia, but that ended up being too expensive and unreliable. I had to change course last minute and I really wanted to get out of my house so I just applied to Ship. My best friend Darlene was already enrolled there so it made it more comfortable to imagine being there. At the end of the day, the experience was needed and what I gained from the support of the English department is something that I will continue to be extremely grateful for.”

Being from Trinidad originally seeing if her storytelling magic had anything to do with her roots.

“Do you incorporate your roots from Trinidad into your music?” I asked.

“Sound-wise, not as much as I would like to. That’s really due to the fact that I am constantly working on upgrading my sound and technology. I don’t even wanna touch Soca until I know that I can do it the justice it deserves, though I do listen to it a lot and cannot wait until I have something ready for Carnival season.”

Being a musician is hard for many different reasons, especially in this day and age. Not only do you have to worry about your own sound getting out there, but you have to make sure you’re doing it in the right manner and platform. Being a musician can mean you have a shelf life, so I figured i would ask where she thought her career would be in 5 years.

“In five years, where would you like to see your career going?” I ask curiously.

“In five years, I would like to be so established that I can comfortably start a family. I would like to see the fruits of my labor working in the favor of my loved ones and my band.” NIA‘s response was what I think every artist should be these days as we live in an almost post-COVID world. It has affected every single artist and musician under the sun which has ultimately propelled them forward.

“Has the pandemic affected your creativity in more of a negative or positive way? Have you been able to write more and focus mainly on your music?”

“Definitely more positive than negative, which I feel fortunate to say. I moved to Philly in the midst of it and met some great people. I met my amazing business partner, Tito Orjih, my bandmates (Veronica Hudson, Joshua Solomon, Dre Hooper, Julius Philp, & Clayton Carothers), the folks over at Oscar’s Greenhouse (OJ Mountain & Kuya Daniel), and my current roommate, Lamont Speller, who is also my very good friend. I’ve met a lot of great people which helped me to build my network and, for the most part, feel a part of a community. I just feel fortunate to have gained more than I lost, I know not everyone can say that. I was able to focus more on my sound and brand and learn more about business. Looking back on it, the Universe was really guiding me.”

Although NIA now resides in Philadelphia, she is still working every day on new music inside of the studio. I wanted to find out when I’d be able to catch her for a show so I could witness this genius of songwriting for my own which lead me to my final question.

“Do you plan on touring at all or staying local? When can we expect to see you in the Philadelphia area?

“I definitely plan on touring, I am local right now, but as soon as the opportunity presents itself, we are hitting the road.”

If you get a chance to check out NIA, Do it. She is a perfect mixture of an R&B reboot that we all have been searching for since the early nineties.

Connect with NIA

Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Spotify | Apple Music

Philadelphia area-based singer/songwriter, Lisa Bouchelle’s single, “Jump In,” recently hit the Billboard charts back in September. The single comes from her recent album of the same name. “Jump In” initially premiered on the Adult Contemporary Indicator chart at #24 and has since moved up to #21.

Throughout her career, she has worked with artists like Bon Jovi, Bryan Adams, and Train. Her first national tour was touring with Meat Loaf. However, her musical career, like so many musicians, started with humble beginnings.

She started singing when she was four years old. She cites her father as one of her biggest influences, as she loved his voice as a child and would attempt to emulate his voice on car rides. Her family had her perform in a talent show and her grandmother dressed her up in red, white, and blue. Because she was so small, she was placed on a picnic table to sing. She ended up winning that talent show, but seeing how her singing brought her family together to talk, and not argue for a brief period of time, showed her the power of music.

“I knew, at that moment, that it was my calling, and I really never wanted to do anything else but music,” said Bouchelle.

From there, she went on to take singing lessons and began guitar lessons around the age of 12 or 13. It was around this time that she also began writing her own music and sending out music to producers.

“We didn’t have any connections in my family or any money in my family,” said Bouchelle. “It was really just me driving forward with this calling. It wasn’t an overnight success. It was always forward motion with my career and it has never stopped.”

As a teenager, she would perform in coffeehouses and make CDs. Producers saw that she had talent, but did not necessarily have money, so they helped her by bringing her into studios for free. A music writer came across one of her albums and saw potential so he took it to a music attorney. She signed a management agreement with him and began touring. Her first tour was opening for Blues Traveler in 2008 with no bus or van. 

From there, she toured with artists like Meat Loaf and started her cooking show, Rock Star Kitchen. She was even able to do charity work, including singing a duet with Bon Jovi. While all of these things were highlights, Bouchelle still finds pride in people just listening to her record and finding peace and hope in the music. She even finds great pride in being able to perform at places like Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia for those who cannot afford to go to shows or who cannot physically go to concerts. 

Bouchelle’s latest album, Jump In, was released on August 27 and consists of 13 tracks. Like many musicians, she and her team were impacted heavily by the COVID-19 pandemic and had to make adjustments. Bouchelle and her team could not perform live, so they put all of their creative energy into the album, Jump In, simply because there was no other outlet.

“As an artist, it was very hard,” said Bouchelle. “We did some Facebook Live [events], but we just didn’t have those live shows. I play so many that it was really heartbreaking, but we were able to put our creative energy into this record.”

At the beginning of the recording process of the album, it was initially a team of Bouchelle and two others in the studio to ensure COVID protocols, including being tested and limiting the number of people in the studio. They spent their time in the studio laying down the basics for the album with Bouchelle’s acoustic guitar to set the tone for the album. Because of the pandemic, their evenings were wide open so they spent time thinking about what they were working on once they left the studio.

“We would go home at night and I think we all had nothing else to do so we were kind of like, ‘What would I add to that song?’” said Bouchelle. “I think it made the album extra special because so much creative energy was put into it.”

As more and more people got vaccinated, they brought more people into the studio to perform on the album. G. Love, Mike Schmid (The Chainsmokers), Tommy Kessler (Blondie), Joel Hoekstra (Whitesnake and TSO), Hal B. Selzer (Joan Jett & The Blackhearts), Rob Hyman (The Hooters), Constantine Maroulis (American Idol), and many others.

Being on the Billboard Charts was a bucket list item for Bouchelle, as it really solidified the “forward motion” her career has been based on.

“We were rehearsing for a band [on] Facebook Live when my manager told me and I just started crying,” said Bouchelle. “It’s nice to know people are digging the music.”

While she has already had so much success in the industry, Bouchelle wants to keep going. She is currently working on a cookbook in conjunction with her TV show, Rock Star Kitchen. The show brings famous musicians into the kitchen to talk about food and recipes that either their families made or that they learned while on the road. Each artist will be contributing a recipe to the cookbook and they will talk about the recipe and why it is important to them.

“I think what’ll be interesting about the cookbook is what is interesting about the show in that people know these artists on stage and in big, glamorous situations. You get to really, no pun intended, boil it down to what they’re really about, how they grew up, what they eat, what they do behind the scenes,” said Bouchelle. 

Moving forward, Bouchelle cites wanting to collaborate with the likes of Neil Young and Lady Gaga. Her hopes for 2022 include going on tour and releasing the cookbook that she has been working on. She does not see an end to her career, and she has no intentions of ever retiring.

“This is my life’s blood,” said Bouchelle.

Connect with Lisa Bouchelle

Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Spotify | Apple Music

‘Digital Bonfire Remixed’ Album Artwork

Written by Teyquil Skelton

It was a rainy Tuesday afternoon, and the weather was not the greatest in the slightest bit. However, what was great about that day was getting a chance to speak with Philly’s own lovely music couple, Adam Laub and Bailey Walker of DECOUPLR.

Before getting into the interview, I asked how their day was going, amid the messy weather outside our gloomy windows, in separate locations of Philadelphia. Laub mentioned that he was just working all day as if he isn’t a mastermind audio engineer and producer by night. Walker is the voice of silk sounds and soothing raindrops that co-exists beautifully with the creativity of instrumental bliss that only Laub creates. It shows clearly and in full force in this powerhouse remix album, ‘Digital Bonfire Remixed,’ which is absolutely genius on so many levels.

I asked Laub what his process was from a production standpoint, and he told me that he starts out with samples/drum samples almost like shopping, in a sense.

“I keep trying stuff out until I find what I like and from there, the process begins,” Laub explains.

Once he finds his footing, he gets rid of samples and has carved out a pathway to begin creating something entirely original for the current track he’s working on. Laub works in the “Reason software,” so I guess it’s safe to say that his headquarters for inventing all things digital are now in place and ready to breathe life into the empty structure of the track that lies before him.

Laub comes from a background where he usually just made hip-hop and trip-hop beats that were sample-based, but with this new album, Laub wanted to use as few samples as possible and be more original this time around and use real instruments.

I told the duo that their sound reminds me of the band, Portishead, from the 90s that I miss a lot. I continued my thoughts by expressing that their sound stirs mystery with a deeper meaning and how Walker coincides with what Laub creates musically. It’s such a beautiful thing to witness if you’re into that type of approach.

Walker talked about the juxtaposition that Portishead did well with and that’s combining hip-hop/trip-hop and electronic with Beth Gibbons’ vocals. I must say so myself, it was a magical time.

Walker says that she’s using the work that Portishead possessed as a way of inspiration while working from the digital framework giving soul and warmth to Laub’s production style. I asked Walker if she was the only arranger during the process and if there were anyone else working with them on this project.

photo credit: DECOUPLR

“It’s only us working out the kinks of it, all while sharing in on the process together,” Walker explained.

As I switch back and forth with my questions, my follow-up landed on Laub and his thoughts on how he constructs his process with mixing. He mentions, the way he knows that a track is set and ready for mixing is when there is a stretch of good instrumentation across the frequency spectrum. He says whenever the audio hits your body with all that you’ve required in a track and it feels right, that’s when you know you got something.

Knowing that Walker and Laub are a couple, I was interested in discovering if there was something they were trying to convey through their music.

Laub mentions, “The original album ‘Digital Bonfire’ was written during the time of the pandemic and that the songs were written to let people know that it was okay to reach out if ever you were feeling alone or isolated. The ‘Digital Bonfire Remixed’ album was a follow-up in saying we did reach out and by that, they were speaking of other collaborators they wanted to work with musically but couldn’t because of a pandemic that held the world hostage for two years and still counting.”

I asked the duo then what was next for them. Are there any videos in the works, shows, other interviews, etc? Walker says that there are collaborations and that they’re on the ‘Digital Bonfire Remixed’ album.

As far as shows, the duo said that since it’s not 100% safe yet, gigs aren’t on the radar. However, they are looking to play in smaller venues that are outside in November. They’ve also begun working on their next album, but no timeline on when that will be released.

What is ready, is the ‘Digital Bonfire Remixed’ record that you can now purchase and checkout on all music streams and platforms. DECOUPLR brings the heat on this record and the flames are ablaze with each and every track displayed on this beautiful masterpiece.

Connect with DECOUPLR

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Soundcloud | Spotify

‘A Dream About Love’ Album Artwork

Written by Lauren Rosier

The Philadelphia alt-prog/post-hardcore rock band, Circa Survive, release a brand new EP, ‘A Dream About Love,’ out today via Rise Records. Additionally, alongside the EP, the band shared a visualizer for the track, “Sleep Well,” which features some really incredible time-lapse footage of the EP being created by the longtime collaborator, artist Esao Andrews.

Circa Survive has been a staple in the Philadelphia music scene for years now. With six full-length LPs and three EPs under their belt, they enter their 17th year together as a band and look to embark on a rescheduled tour (originally scheduled for 2020) to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their groundbreaking 2010 LP, Blue Sky Noise.

“We instantly went into scramble mode to figure out how to survive, no pun intended,” says guitarist and backing vocalist Colin Frangicetto. He flew home to Oregon at the start of the pandemic and has been mostly separated from his bandmates, Anthony Green (vocals), Brendan Eckstrom (lead guitar), Nick Beard (bass, backing vocals), and Steve Clifford (drums, percussion), throughout the majority of the pandemic.

I had been an original member of their first fan club, Creature Club, but since then the band has shifted to creating and sharing original content on Patreon. The band has been through a lot as, over the past three years or so, Green, still near Philadephia, has been struggling with his own personal survival. While he was tracking songs, he relapsed on heroin and overdosed. He entered rehab and after coming out, he began Narcotics Anonymous meetings daily.

In a press release, Green says, “When I was forced to be home, I didn’t get out of bed for months,” he says.

While the pandemic has caused some frustration, I feel it has also allowed us to reevaluate our lives, and determine what’s the most important to us.

The EP and single, produced by Will Yip (Turnstile, Quicksand, Turnover), are both sonic differences from their previous music, as the group continues to push their boundaries and grow beyond expectations.

Earlier this month, the five-piece unveiled the EP’s first single titled “Imposter Syndrome.” ‘A Dream About Love’ is the group’s first new project since 2017’s The Amulet, which debuted on the Billboard 200.

Circa Survive is set to perform at Chain Fest in Irvine, CA tomorrow, October, 23, following a 2022 North American headline tour. The tour begins January 7 and takes the band from West to East, with two SOLD OUT hometown shows in Philadelphia at Union Transfer.

Circa Survive – Blue Sky Noise Tour

Oct 23, 2021, Irvine, CA @ Chain Fest
Jan 07, 2022, Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom
Jan 08, 2022, Rochester, NY @ Anthology
Jan 09, 2022, Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues
Jan 11, 2022, Grand Rapids, MI @ Intersection
Jan 12, 2022, Indianapolis, IN @ Deluxe
Jan 14, 2022, St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
Jan 15, 2022, Chicago, IL @ Concord Music Hall
Jan 16, 2022, Minneapolis, MN @ The Lyric @ Skyway
Jan 18, 2022, Denver, CO @ Ogden
Jan 19, 2022, Salt Lake City, TA @ Depot
Jan 21, 2022, Boise, ID @ The Knitting Factory
Jan 22, 2022, Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
Jan 23, 2022, Seattle, WA @ The Showbox
Jan 25, 2022, San Francisco, CA @ The Regency
Jan 26, 2022, Santa Cruz, CA @ The Catalyst – SOLD OUT
Jan 28, 2022, San Diego, CA @ Observatory North Park
Jan 29, 2022, Las Vegas, NV @ Brooklyn Bowl
Jan 30, 2022, Tempe, AZ @ Marquee
Feb 01, 2022, Dallas, TX @ House of Blues
Feb 02, 2022, San Antonio, TX @ Vibes Event Center
Feb 03, 2022, Houston, TX @ House of Blues
Feb 05, 2022, Pensacola, FL @ Vinyl Music Hall
Feb 06, 2022, Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution
Feb 08, 2022 St Petersburg, FL @ Jannus
Feb 09, 2022, Orlando, FL @ House of Blues
Feb 11, 2022 Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
Feb 12, 2022, Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore
Feb 13, 2022, Richmond, VA @ The National
Feb 15, 2022, Nashville, TN @ Cannery Ballroom
Feb 16, 2022, Louisville, KY @ Mercury Ballroom
Feb 18, 2022, Cincinnati, OH @ Bogarts
Feb 19, 2022, Detroit, MI @ The Majestic
Feb 20, 2022, Toronto, ON @ Opera House
Feb 22, 2022, Montreal, QC @ Fairmont Theatre
Feb 23, 2022, Albany, NY @ Upstate Concert Hall
Feb 25, 2022, Boston, MA @ House of Blues
Feb 26, 2022, Hartford, CT @ The Webster
Feb 27, 2022, Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel – SOLD OUT
Mar 01, 2022 Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE
Mar 02, 2022, Baltimore, MD @ Rams Head Live
Mar 04, 2022, Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer – SOLD OUT
Mar 05, 2022, Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer – SOLD OUT

Connect with Circa Survive

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music

The Philadelphia-based, indie rock band, Mo Lowda and the Humble, share their incredible new single, “Snowbird,” out today.

“Snowbird” is an excellent indie rock that features an infectious, looping electric guitar riff while touching upon subjects of seasonal depression and having the support needed to pull through it.

“‘Snowbird’ was a fun one to work on,” frontman Jordan Caiola says. “Those driving acoustics that serves as the drive/backbone of the tune were one of the last things we added, oddly enough. The origin of the song was a simple voice memo from a few years back that really just had bass, drums, and that electric guitar riff, looping. Once we revisited it, the verses were written and that riff/hook finally had its place in the chorus. Lyrically, the song deals with themes of seasonal depression and having someone by your side to help you through it.”

The trio is currently on their 2021 Ready Coat Tour. The remaining dates are listed below.

2021 Ready Coat Tour

09-10-21: The Radio Room, Greenville, SC
09-11-21: The Lincoln, Raleigh, NC
09-12-21: Bristol Rhythm & Roots, Bristol, TN
09-15-21: The High Watt, Nashville, TN
09-16-21: The Grey Eagle, Asheville, NC
09-17-21: Venue on Main, Columbia, SC
09-18-21: Windjammer Beach Stage, Isle of Palms, SC
09-22-21: Aisle 5, Atlanta, GA
09-23-21: Georgia Theatre, Athens, GA
09-24-21: Lenny Boy Brewing, Charlotte, NC
09-25-21: The Broadberry, Richmond, VA
10-01-21: The Sultan Room, Brooklyn, NY
10-02-21: Thunderbird Cafe & Music Hall, Pittsburgh, PA
10-03-21: Natalie’s Music Hall & Kitchen, Columbus, OH
10-05-21: The Southgate House Revival, Newport, KY
10-07-21: Zanzibar, Louisville, KY
10-08-21: Subterranean, Chicago, IL
10-09-21: Appleton Beer Factory Night 1, Appleton, WI
10-10-21: Appleton Beer Factory Night 2, Appleton, WI
10-12-21: The Bur Oak, Madison, WI
10-13-21: Reverb Lounge, Omaha, NE
10-14-21: The Moxi, Greeley, CO
10-15-21: The Bluebird, Denver, CO
10-22-21: Three Links Deep Ellum, Dallas, TX
10-23-21: Antones, Dallas, TX
10-26-21: Red Dragon Listening Room, Baton Rouge, LA
10-27-21: Gasa Gasa, New Orleans, LA
11-18-21: Pearl Street Warehouse, Washington, D.C.
11-19-21: Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA

Take a listen to “Snowbird” below!

Connect with Mo Lowda and The Humble

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | Spotify | Apple Music

Philly-based Fried Monk (Lucas Kozinski) and beautiful-fortune (Jameel Farruk) are delivering the good vibes with their first single, “Planet B.”

After years of working together, the two artists are combining their projects, and delivering some popping indie electronic/hip-hop tracks for their forthcoming EP, Here As One, due out May 7th, 2021.

I have this Spotify playlist where I keep a list of my favorite tracks of 2021 thus far, and I had to add this song. It’s upbeat, catchy, and there are just good vibes. It’s ideal for that late spring/summertime weather.

Ironically, this track was only fully realized by the end of the first day that they had collaborated in the studio. After the two had laid out the structure of the EP’s opening track, “Patient Zero,” they immediately started on a beautiful, new electric guitar piece, and it quickly became their lead single.

“I’m overly curious about the sun. I’m borderline obsessed with it,” says Farruk. “As a solo artist, I can’t help myself from having referred to the sun over and over throughout my catalogue of songs.” Combining this fascination with the all too common experience of a bad breakup, Farruk dove into his personal history and called ‘Planet B,’ ‘a declaration of my acceptance of a life without her.'”

Connect with Fried Monk

Bandcamp | Instagram | Twitter

Connect with beautiful-fortune

Bandcamp | Instagram

photo credit: Lisa Lake

Written by Maria Arroyo

Louis Anthony deLise is absolutely humbled and honored to share his upcoming album, A Gift of Moments, which is set to hit all streaming platforms on April 16th!

The award-winning American composer, pianist, and percussionist, Dr. Louis Anthony deLise, is no stranger to the music industry, having successfully grounded himself in projects ranging from an arranger and conductor for Grammy-winner Patti LaBelle, and the band Halestorm, and arranged for Grammy-winner Peter Nero, to teaching at Boyer College of Music and Dance, and publishing his songwriting textbook, “The Professional Songwriter.”

“The title, A Gift of Moments, comes from something a friend wrote about her deceased husband,” deLise shares. “She described their too-short time together as, ‘a gift of moments.’ (Time with someone you love is always ‘too short,’ isn’t it?)

Since February 2020, (since I’ve been locked down at home with my patient and loving wife, Theresa), like the rest of us, I’ve been reminded each day of just how delicate life is. My friend’s comment about her lost love has gradually revealed itself as a worthy title for the collection of music I was creating during this time of lockdown. All of the pieces on A Gift of Moments are in some way about love: of a mate, of family, our way of life, and those beliefs we consider particular to us.”

Along with creating, composing, and arranging all of the songs on the album, Dr. deLise also engineered and mixed all of his work, with mastering completed by Peter Humphreys at Masterwork Recording. He also pulled in some incredibly talented musicians to bring these pieces to life, so a huge thank you to John McMurtery and Christine Hansen (flute, alto flute), Vivian Barton Dozor and Natasha Jaffe (cello), Igor Szwec and Gregory Teperman (violin), Ellen Trainer (viola), and Elizabeth deLise (acoustic guitar).

“The recordings on A Gift of Moments are personal to me: the music is from my heart. I performed and recorded most of it myself and wrote every note that others performed. The compositions are varied in style as they encompass musical gestures reflective of the many disparate musical traditions alive in my soul.

“With this unapologetically sensitive, perhaps even nostalgic, music of mine I intend to blur the arbitrary boundaries of genre classification, like classical or pop; ambient or orchestral. That’s all OK with me, too.”

Be sure to follow up with Dr. Anthony deLise and be ready for his beautifully crafted album, A Gift of Moments, available on all streaming platforms on April 16th!

A Gift of Moments tracklisting

A Gift of Moments
Always in My Heart
A Time for Peace
All Alone
Heart of An Angel
In the Before Times
Gentle Heart
A Song for My Children
Ripples On The Pond At the End of the Tunnel

Connect with Dr. Anthony deLise

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify

Ah, the pandemic. Lovely COVID-19. There have been endless songs written by musicians about the pandemic, but one local musician by the name of Dr. Druid a.k.a. Thomas Dolan wrote a love song titled “Love In The Time of Covid” about love during the pandemic.

Here’s what he had to say about it: “One of my favorite authors is Gabriel Garcia Marquez. He has a book called ‘Love In the Time of Chlorea’. I just retooled the title to match the times. I was also playing with the idea of life and the ‘love’ that creates it, will always keep popping up like weeds, no matter what we inflict upon ourselves, or the universe throws at us, at least so far, that’s been the case,” Dolan explained.

Dr. Druid‘s Farmacy will also be available on Spotify on March 26.

Take a look at the lyric video for his song, “Love In The Time of Covid” below.

Connect with Dr. Druid

Facebook | Bandcamp

The Macedonian-born, and Philadelphia-based artist, Fl!p, shares his brand new single, “Oh, And I Like You,” filled with R&B grooves and plenty of funk, is out now.

Also known as Filip Todorovski, Fl!p has tried to keep busy throughout quarantine as many artists have. Luckily, his online following has grown immensely through his online Twitch live stream concerts, where he’s been able to combine his two true loves: music and gaming. Users will tune in daily to the interactive show filled with vibey synths and a side of Minecraft. Some viewers will also make requests with their channel points to help off the set.

On his latest song, “Oh, And I Like You,” Fl!p explores genres including pop, rock, jazz, R&B, and dance, which helps him create a funky track that creates a deeper song with many layers and showcase his many influences from disco to house music.

“It started off as a jazz lick on a piano and slowly evolved into something bigger. At the time, I wrapped myself in disco and electronic songs, such as ‘RAM’ by Daft Punk; Chich’s ‘Good Times’; and Tuxedo’s ‘Tuxedo’; and was obsessing over the backbeat.”

Fl!p plans to release more new music this year with new singles arriving every month.

Connect with Fl!p

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