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The Drive Home — Where Do You Belong? EP Release Party — May 30, 2026 Almost Made the Mixtape & The Drive Home performing at "Hyrule Castle" to celebrate the release of The Drive Home's new EP, Where Do You Belong? | Photography by LJ Portnoy (@ljportnoy) Article contributed by Leo Lad & LJ Portnoy. Photography by LJ Portnoy. A Backyard Called Hyrule Castle Nestled in a picturesque neighborhood of an outer city in metro Detroit was the backyard of a home. It was a place for a multitude of occasions, one of them being an EP release party. Affectionately dubbed "Hyrule Castle," a reference to the Legend of Zelda franchise, this was our venue for the night. The aroma of burgers and hot dogs, provided by the family of The Drive Home's lead singer, Zelda, drifted over a crowd that had come BYOB. On a mid-70s, slightly sunny day, a small sea of lawn chairs was the perfect setting for a Midwest emo show. Many people in the crowd were close friends of the bands; some were even neighbors. One thing was for certain: it did not get more local or indie than this. The early-afternoon crowd catches the supporting acts, including local favorites, Evergreen, Car Crash Rhetoric, and Almost Made the Mixtape. | Photography by LJ Portnoy (@ljportnoy) The crowd got a bit rowdy at points, starting to mosh, and someone even jumped up to "crowd-surf" — an impressive feat when the crowd itself was probably no more than 45 people packed together. Warming Up the Yard: Evergreen and Car Crash Rhetoric The night ran on house-show time. Doors were called for 4, but it was closer to 6 when Evergreen kicked things off — and by then the lawn chairs were full, and everyone was more than ready for live music. The two-piece opened the show with something that felt new, different, and refreshing, and the backyard greeted them warmly. Evergreen, a local two-piece band, kicked off the house party. | Photography by LJ Portnoy (@ljportnoy) Car Crash Rhetoric took the second slot and left with a few new fans. They won the backyard over fast, the kind of set that pulls people up out of their lawn chairs and a little closer to the front by the time it's over. Car Crash Rhetoric, from Bay City, supported the show, playing one of their first shows on the SE side of MI. | Photography by LJ Portnoy (@ljportnoy) Originally from Bay City, the band was playing one of their first shows on the southeast side of the state, something we only learned later, catching up with one of the members after the set. They made it count. (Leo had a blast, and yes, we walked away with a shirt from their merch table.) A Mosh Pit in the Backyard The crowd got rowdy and started a mini mosh pit in the center of the party - an impressive feat for a house show. | Photography by LJ Portnoy (@ljportnoy) Then came Almost Made the Mixtape, and the energy tipped over. They danced, they jumped, and the crowd went right with them — a full-on mosh pit, in a backyard. How cool is that? Almost Made the Mixtape continued the show, dancing, jumping, and singing the night away. | Photography by LJ Portnoy (@ljportnoy) Before their set wrapped, the two Seans of The Drive Home — Zelda and Daly — climbed up to join the Mixtape for their signature cover of Mayday Parade's "Jamie All Over." It was the moment of the night, and a favorite of ours. Almost Made the Mixtape featuring the Seans of The Drive Home, performing a fan favorite cover | Photography by LJ Portnoy (@ljportnoy) There was something so immediate about it, so purely fun: hometown friends belting a song that landed straight in the elder-emo soul. The Drive Home Kicks it Up, in the Backyard The backyard of neighbors, friends, family, all coming together for The Drive Home to celebrate, their EP release party. | Photography by LJ Portnoy (@ljportnoy) By the time The Drive Home took their corner of the yard, the crowd had swelled to 60, maybe 70 people, all primed for a good time. The power trio of Zelda on vocals and guitar, Sean Daly on bass, and Austin West on drums, hit a few early mic and feedback gremlins, but once they settled into their groove, so did the music. Zelda, from The Drive Home | Photography by LJ Portnoy (@ljportnoy) Zelda's voice is the real deal, and the songs are catchy, danceable, mosh-friendly, all-out jams. The band played through the entirety of the new EP, "Where Do You Belong?", plus a few others, and, if you're reading the signs, a hint of what's coming next. (Zelda may have let slip that the band is already deep into EP number two.) "Where Do You Belong?" The record itself earned the party. "Off The Deep End" remains a standout, with "Expectations" close behind — a track clever enough to fold the band's own name right into its closing line. The Drive Home hits every note as they performed for a backyard filled with fans, friends, and family | Photography by LJ Portnoy (@ljportnoy) Across the EP, the songs pull from the kind of material that doesn't pretend to have everything figured out: addiction, failed relationships, the slow work of spiritual rebuilding. Coming Home If there was a throughline to the whole night, it was gratitude. Zelda was full of shout-outs — to his mom-ager, to the family who set up the food and drinks and ran the whole event, to every band on the bill, and to everyone who came together to make it happen. It was the kind of thank-you list you can only give when the room is full of people you actually know. Impressively, the crowd hoisted up a fan for crowd surfing | Photography by LJ Portnoy (@ljportnoy) By the time the last note rang out over Hyrule Castle, the burgers were long gone and the sun was dipping behind the houses. Nobody seemed in a hurry to leave. For a band built on hooks about coming home, it was hard to imagine a more fitting place to let a new record loose. We left with two copies of "Where Do You Belong?" and an armful of Drive Home merch — and, fittingly, with this show closing out a weekend that had been wall-to-wall music for us. Coming off Breakaway just one day earlier, the backyard offered something a festival can't: a moment of quiet. A beat to sit back, take stock, and feel genuinely satisfied with everything the last few days had brought.

Benny Blanco is tied to big names in music and major record breaking songs but how did he become one of the most popular producers? Article Contributed by Monica Soriano Benny Blanco at the pre-Grammy show via Gilbert Flores for Getty Images Influenced by Cassette Tapes It happens often that incredibly successful musicians were introduced to music at an early age, for Benny it was as early as 6 years old by cassette tapes that contained music by Nas and All-4-One. Benny Blanco spent his childhood at the center of music settings, sometimes commuting between Virginia and New York, which eventually led him to his career as a producer. Before he became a household name himself he worked under a big name producer and partook in some of the biggest hits at that time. While under a mentorship, Benny Blanco received credits for producing and writing in some of pop culture’s biggest songs such as Kesha’s “Tik Tok” and Katy Perry’s “California Girls”. He eventually continued on his own path and worked on songs like Maroon 5’s “Payphone” featuring Wiz Khalifa and “Moves Like Jagger” featuring Christina Aguilera, both of which had heavy radio play. To think it all began with cassette tapes and the decision to start learning how to make beats. Collaborations with The Biggest Artists & Personal Projects As of today, Benny Blanco has produced (and also written) for some of the biggest artists including Halsey, Justin Bieber, Snoop Dogg, The Weeknd, Ariana Grande and SZA just to name a few. Through the many collaborations, Blanco has received 11 Grammy Award nominations. Memorable songs that Benny has partook in are “Señorita” by Shawn Mendes and Camilla Cabello, “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran and “Circus” by Britney Spears. Benny Blanco has spent time in the business side of the music industry through different record label endeavors but he has also taken the plunge into releasing music under his name, as an artist. He brought his artistic vision to life with projects such as ‘Friends Keep Secrets’ and ‘I Said I Love You First…’ in collaboration with wife Selena Gomez. Now, he gets to present himself as an artist just like he wanted when he was younger. Even though Benny Blanco has almost 2 decades of hits and experience in the music industry, he still has a long career ahead of him. We are excited to see how he continues accumulating hit songs and big name collaborators. Benny is always open during interviews about his work thus leaving bits of knowledge and stories for future producers.

Confetti cannons, wrecking-ball breakdowns, and a stripped-down singalong, Electric Callboy closed out North America with the most ridiculous, most sincere party in the room. Electric Callboy in Boston, MA | Photography by Michael Riley Article Contributed by Michael Riley. Revisions by LJ Portnoy, Editor-in-Chief Ever heard of electronicore? If you haven't, picture metalcore and EDM slammed together at full speed. If you have, then you already know Electric Callboy. The German six-piece closed out their North American run in Boston, and the room showed up exactly the way you'd hope, half the crowd dressed for a metal show, the other half dressed for a rave, nobody sure which one they were about to get. Neither were we. That was the fun of it. Electric Callboy's Two-Genre Wrecking Ball Electric Callboy in Boston, MA | Photography by Michael Riley The lights dropped. Smoke rolled across the stage. Phones went up. And Electric Callboy walked out in matching fits and detonated the night with Tanzneid and Still Waiting. Four-on-the-floor bass thumping through the floorboards, confetti cannons going off in every direction, for the first thirty seconds, you're convinced you wandered into a rave. Then the breakdown lands like a wrecking ball, and the whole floor folds into a pit. Two genres that have no business working together are working perfectly. A masterclass, honestly. No Shame, All Spandex What sets them apart is that they're not afraid to be ridiculous. They pull the aesthetics straight out of their music videos and drop them into the live show. A few songs in, they vanished, then reappeared head-to-toe in '80s workout, hair-metal glory for Hypa Hypa and Pump It. It sits right on the line between "this is hilarious" and "wait, this is actually kind of brilliant," and they know it. Electric Callboy in Boston, MA | Photography by Michael Riley The Campfire But the moment that stuck wasn't the confetti or the costume changes. Halfway through, the band came down off the stage and onto the floor to play stripped-back versions of Fckboi and Cascada's Everytime We Touch. The crowd folded in around them like a campfire. Phone lights up where lighters used to be, everyone singing at the top of their lungs. Electric Callboy in Boston, MA | Photography by Michael Riley For a few minutes it stopped feeling like a rock show and started feeling like a room full of people who'd known each other forever, like you knew Nico, Dan and Kevin, instead of watching them from a distance. It felt human. And that says everything about how Electric Callboy sees the people who show up for them. Back to the Chaos Electric Callboy fans in Boston, MA | Photography by Michael Riley Then it was the regularly scheduled programming: heavy basslines, breakdowns, more outfit changes, a room that never stopped moving. They closed on We Got The Moves and left the floor wrecked in the best way. Electric Callboy aren't just party boys. They're craftsmen who happen to throw the best party in the room, and we'd be hard-pressed to name anyone blending EDM and metalcore with this much precision, or this much heart.

Article and Photos Contributed by Ernesto Raul Aguilar Lords of Acid performing at 191 Toole in Tucson, AZ on the Cheeky Freaky Tour. Photo by Ernesto Raul Aguilar (IG: @blacksheepimagery) The walls of 191 Toole pulsed with industrial beats, electro chaos, and unapologetic theatrics as The Cheeky Freaky Tour stormed through Tucson. Headlined by legendary provocateurs Lords of Acid and backed by an eclectic lineup that ranged from glam-pop spectacle to dark wave intensity, the night evolved into a nonstop celebration of dance music, underground culture, and pure performance excess. Opening the night was Mz Neon, whose short but effective set immediately pulled the early crowd toward the barricade. After kicking things off with “Hyena,” she encouraged everyone hanging back to move forward, and the audience responded almost instantly. Tracks like “Straight to Hell” and “One of One” carried a confident electro-pop edge, while the live debut of “Sex Bomb,” set to appear on a future 2026 release, felt polished and energetic despite being brand new material. The performance established the tone for the evening early on: interactive, playful, and built for movement. Tony & The Kiki performing at 191 Toole in Tucson, AZ on the Cheeky Freaky Tour. Photo by Ernesto Raul Aguilar (IG: @blacksheepimagery) Tony & The Kiki followed and quickly became the standout performance of the night. The New York artist delivered a set that blended glam theatrics, dance-pop energy, and commanding vocals into something that felt larger than an opening slot. “B.N.T. (Bitch Not Today)” and “Holy XTC” hit hard with the crowd, while a cover of Tiffany’s “I Think We’re Alone Now” became one of the more memorable moments of the evening. Watching Tony perform felt like seeing a future headliner in real time. There was a massive vocal range and confidence paired with the kind of choreography and movement that brought to mind classic pop divas. By the end of “The Drifter,” it was obvious the crowd had fully bought in. Tony & The Kiki performing at 191 Toole in Tucson, AZ on the Cheeky Freaky Tour. Photo by Ernesto Raul Aguilar (IG: @blacksheepimagery) Princess Superstar then shifted the venue deeper into electro territory. A longtime fixture in dance and club culture, she brought pure party energy to Tucson. Opening with “Perfect (Exceeder)” immediately elevated the room into late-night rave mode. Princess Superstar performing at 191 Toole in Tucson, AZ on the Cheeky Freaky Tour. Photo by Ernesto Raul Aguilar (IG: @blacksheepimagery) Songs like “Licky” and “Bad Babysitter” kept the momentum going with pulsing beats and irreverent charisma. If there were a sixth Spice Girl dedicated entirely to nightlife chaos and electro-club culture, it would probably be Princess Superstar. Her set felt fun, self-aware, and completely committed to keeping the audience dancing. Dead On A Sunday performing at 191 Toole in Tucson, AZ on the Cheeky Freaky Tour. Photo by Ernesto Raul Aguilar (IG: @blacksheepimagery) Dead On A Sunday provided one of the more stylistically unique performances of the evening. Blending goth, emo, punk, dark wave, and rock influences together, the band added a darker atmosphere before the headliner took over. Their taped intro featuring “Ring of Fire” created an unexpected setup before moving into originals like “Bury Us,” “Dance Like Hell,” and “Anyone.” The cover of “Goodbye Horses” fit perfectly within their aesthetic and drew a strong reaction from the crowd. Their sound carried a moody intensity while still maintaining enough energy to keep the room engaged late into the night. By the time Lords of Acid hit the stage, 191 Toole had fully transformed into organized chaos. The legendary electronic-industrial group delivered exactly the kind of spectacle fans came expecting. From the opening run of “Scrood Bi U,” “Do What You Wanna Do,” and “Lover,” the crowd was locked in. The band balanced heavy industrial grooves with absurd humor and nonstop crowd interaction throughout the set. Lords of Acid performing at 191 Toole in Tucson, AZ on the Cheeky Freaky Tour. Photo by Ernesto Raul Aguilar (IG: @blacksheepimagery) “Rubber Doll” became one of the night’s defining moments as inflatable blow-up dolls were launched into the audience and crowd surfed across the venue. Later, lead singer Carla Harvey jumped into the audience itself, piggyback riding a crew member while singing and dancing directly among fans. It perfectly captured the spirit of the night: outrageous, playful, and entirely committed to audience participation. The collaboration with Tony & The Kiki on “El Mundo Esta Loco” added another high point to an already packed setlist, while classics like “Pussy,” “The Crablouse,” and the encore performance of “I Sit on Acid” reminded everyone why Lords of Acid remain icons within industrial and electronic music culture decades into their career. Lords of Acid performing at 191 Toole in Tucson, AZ on the Cheeky Freaky Tour. Photo by Ernesto Raul Aguilar (IG: @blacksheepimagery) The Cheeky Freaky Tour delivered exactly what its name promised. It was loud, sweaty, theatrical, and completely unafraid to lean into excess. At 191 Toole, every artist contributed something different to the experience, but together they created one of the most entertaining nights Tucson has seen this year.

Em Beihold at Music Hall of Williamsburg - Brooklyn, NY| Photography by Fernando Flores (@fernandofloresphotography) Article and Photos Contributed by Fernando Flores On May 27, the Music Hall of Williamsburg was full of energy from the second the night started, and honestly, the entire performance was carried so well by Em Beihold herself. The crowd was clearly excited to see her, and you could feel it throughout the entire venue. Everybody was singing along, cheering loudly after every song, and matching Em’s energy the entire night. It never felt dull for even a second. Voices in a World That Has Gone Silent Janani K. Jha at Music Hall of Williamsburg - Brooklyn, NY| Photography by Fernando Flores (@fernandofloresphotography) Before Em came out, the opener, Janani K. Jha, did an amazing job setting the tone for the night. Not only was the singing beautiful, but there was also a strong message throughout the performance about racial equality and unity. The songs felt meaningful and personal. The crowd was really listening and connecting with it. It added a lot more depth to the night than just being another concert. The vocals were honestly incredible too, and it made the transition into Em’s set feel smooth and exciting. Look at Em’ Go! Em Beihold at Music Hall of Williamsburg - Brooklyn, NY| Photography by Fernando Flores (@fernandofloresphotography) When Em finally took the stage, the room completely lit up. Her stage presence was one of the strongest parts of the night. She moved around constantly, interacted with the crowd naturally, and genuinely looked happy to be there. A lot of artists can sing well live, but Em brought personality and emotion into every part of the performance, which made everything feel more personal. One of the best moments of the night came when Em invited Journeyy onto the stage. Journeyy, who took the stage on America’s Got Talent at just 9 years old, joined Em in singing one of her most popular songs, “Unicorn.” The crowd absolutely loved it. It was one of those moments where the entire venue just felt united and happy together. Seeing Em give that spotlight to Journeyy also showed how supportive and genuine she is as an artist. A Truly Strong Dynamic Between Em Beihold and Her Fans Em Beihold at Music Hall of Williamsburg - Brooklyn, NY| Photography by Fernando Flores (@fernandofloresphotography) As the night went on, the emotions in the room only got stronger. Both Em and the crowd were fully invested in the performance emotionally, especially during the song “Won’t Let Go.” During that moment, the crowd orchestrated together to make sure Em knew she had fans there who truly cared about her. You could visibly see how much it meant to her. Em became teary-eyed during the performance, and truly, it was one of the most heartfelt moments of the night. Instead of feeling awkward or overly dramatic, it felt real and human, which made the connection between her and the audience even stronger. Overall, the performance was very enjoyable, and Em really brought a lot to the table throughout the entire night. Between her energetic movements on stage, her strong vocals, the emotional moments with the crowd, and the overall atmosphere inside Music Hall of Williamsburg, the concert felt memorable from start to finish. It was the type of performance where you leave the venue still thinking about it hours later. It showed exactly why so many people connect with Em Beihold as both a performer and a person.

HAYLA glistens in the sunshine, making her stage debut at Breakaway Music Festival in Columbus, OH on May 29, 2026 | Photography by LJ Portnoy (@ljportnoy) Article Contributed by LJ Portnoy and Leo Lad HAYLA played a sun-drenched main stage at one of the country’s loudest EDM festivals. Loud and Clear Crowd heating up for HAYLA's set | Photography by LJ Portnoy (@ljportnoy) We heard HAYLA before we ever saw her. We’d left the house around 9:30 a.m. on a rare day off, pointed the car south, and rolled into Columbus a little after 2 p.m. As we walked up to Historic Crew Stadium, her voice came drifting through the festival gates during soundcheck. No stage in view, no crowd yet, just that voice cutting clean across the lot. We hadn’t even gotten our wristbands on, and she’d already stopped us in our tracks. It set the tone for the entire day. Welcome to the 4-B’s Breakaway has a particular kind of gravity. There were two stages at the venue, with headliners like KYGO, GRiZ, Disco Lines, and Crankdat, and a sea of people who had very clearly decided that any Friday-night responsibilities were a problem for tomorrow. Packed Audience for HAYLA's set | Photography by LJ Portnoy (@ljportnoy) The crowd skewed early-twenties to thirties (with the occasional seasoned festival head sprinkled in), quirky for the sake of being quirky, and gloriously committed to the bit. Greasy food-truck everything, alcohol vendors handing out swag, more Breakaway merch than any one person could reasonably carry home. We started referring to it as the 4-B’s: beats, booze, buttcheeks, and body glitter. Front row of the VIP pit for HAYLA"s set | Photography by LJ Portnoy (@ljportnoy) The energy was electric in the most literal sense. It’s impossible not to get swept up when you’re standing in a field with thousands of people who are all, genuinely, thrilled to be exactly where they are. Backstage in a Shipping Container: Hanging with HAYLA HAYLA poses for a portrait | Photo by Jeremiah S. Benosa (IG - @jeeerh_) The day had already taken a turn for us before we arrived. Somewhere on the drive down, word came through that HAYLA’s team could give us a few minutes before her set, so the back half of the trip turned into a crash prep session, mapping out everything we wanted to ask about this current chapter of her artistry. Backstage, we were escorted to a fully decked-out shipping container Breakaway had built specifically for artist interviews and told she’d be over in 15 or 20 minutes. She arrived right on schedule with her tour manager, and she greeted the whole room and shook every hand. Then she clocked me from our earlier Zoom call and lit up with recognition. That small moment did something. It’s one thing to be warm to a room of strangers; it’s another to remember the people you’ve already worked with, in the middle of a festival day, an hour out from a main-stage set. It humanized her instantly. LJ Portnoy sits down with HAYLA - Photo by Jeremiah S. Benosa (IG - @jeeerh_) We talked about her latest singles, including “Heal,” which we covered when it dropped, and “Enough,” the new one that leans all the way into the cinematic, emotionally raw storytelling she’s been building toward. Mostly, we talked about what’s next: her new album DARK, out July 31, an eleven-track collection that marks a real pivot away from the dance-floor anthems that made her name and toward something moodier, more personal, and entirely her own. She has a captivating way of actually seeing you when she talks; eye contact that tells you she’s present, taking the whole thing in rather than letting the day autoplay around her. You can hear it in her answers. (The full interview is coming soon! Keep an eye out.) Left to Right - Leo Lad, LJ Portnoy, HAYLA | Photo by Jeremiah S. Benosa (IG - @jeeerh_) When HAYLA Hit the Stage By 6:30 p.m., we were about to hit the pit as she took the main stage. The production was good, but I genuinely couldn’t tell you half of what was happening behind her. Between her vocals and her sheer presence, I stopped noticing everything else around me. This is a singer who has shared stages and tracks with deadmau5, Kx5, John Summit, Sub Focus, and Illenium, who made her EDC Las Vegas main-stage debut just weeks ago, and live, unfiltered, she’s even more than the features suggest. HAYLA performs live during the Breakaway Music Festival, in Columbus, OH | Photography by LJ Portnoy (@ljportnoy) Here’s the thing that stuck with us: the contrast. HAYLA is as bubbly, as kind, as visibly excited to be there as anyone in that crowd. But the second she sings, her voice and her presence cut through the beats in this hauntingly beautiful way, a strange, gorgeous juxtaposition between the radiant person and the storm of a voice. HAYLA performs live during the Breakaway Music Festival, in Columbus, OH | Photography by LJ Portnoy (@ljportnoy) It’s the DARK era in miniature: light and dark holding hands on a festival main stage. Shooting it from the pit, that’s exactly what kept pulling the lens back to her, not the rig, not the lights, just her. Capture Everything, and Pack SPF We caught most of Serene Dion that day too, but we tapped out before the night fully ramped up. We were unglamorously defeated by sunburn, having shown up with zero sunscreen and even less foresight. Major reminder for festivals - Capture everything and pack SPF. The Breakaway Music Festival, in Columbus, OH | Photography by LJ Portnoy (@ljportnoy) Still, we got what we came for the moment that voice came through the gates at 2 p.m. HAYLA is operating on a different frequency right now, and DARK is going to be a moment. We’re glad we got to be there for the moments right before. Watch out, this next era is all hers.

The soulful songstress Bailey Hyneman shared with us the songwriting process for “Better Days”, musical collaborations she would love and more. Article Contributed by Monica Soriano Bailey Hyneman photographed by Lulu Shing It is not often that one can stumble across a song that states “not all bad days have silver linings” but feel a sense of joy while listening to it. “Better Days” by Bailey Hyneman portrays life perfectly, allowing a bad day to be a bad day but knowing that’s all it is. We had the lovely opportunity to interview Bailey and learn about her as an artist and person. “It Felt Like Purpose” We asked Bailey if there was a specific moment she realized she wanted to become a musician and to our surprise she stated that it was at the age of 4 when she knew. She went on to say “I was in the back seat of the car singing along to “The Little Mermaid” sound track. It was the part when Ursula is taking Ariel's voice - the ‘ahhhhs’, and I remember how good it felt to sing along to that. I think I sang it over and over.” She said that at that moment she knew “....there was nothing else I wanted to do in my life but sing. From then on there was no question what path I would try to take in my life. I think it felt like purpose - which I realize is a really wild thing to feel at such a young age.” Bailey Hyneman photographed by Lulu Shing Hyneman’s journey is filled with personal experiences and musical inspirations that shaped her to be the artist she is today. Because Bailey grew up in a household where artists like Al Green and The Manhattans were on rotation we had to ask her what her dream collaborations are. She said “I would LOVE to collaborate with Al Green, John Legend, and Alicia Keys. They are top top top for me. An absolute dream.” She let us know she was going to start manifesting it and continued “And Cleo Sol. I just love her. Kojey Radical is also someone I would love to hop on a song with! I have really loved his work for a long time and think that would be so cool.” “New York Challenges You To Dig Deep” The Memphis born singer made her way over to New York City. Since New York is a popular hub for artists we had to ask about this change musically and personally. Bailey stated that “Memphis to New York is definitely different. Luckily I had a few stops along the way. I went to Berklee College of Music in Boston right out of high school, and for someone from the south who has never lived in a big city, Boston was the perfect landing spot. It was small enough, but had that fast city feel. I learned to use the train, I discovered new cuisine, it was great. Then I spent quite a bit of time in Nashville and from there NYC.” She proceeded “I am very much influenced energetically by the environment around me, and while I enjoy the slower paces of Memphis and Nashville on occasion, I really need that push of city life to keep me moving and inspired! Knowing that made the transition feel like a breath of fresh air rather than a challenge.” Bailey Hyneman photographed by Lulu Shing We had to ask if New York inspired her musically differently than Memphis and she responded “New York has allowed me to explore more parts of myself. Being in Memphis gave me a great musical foundation, but living in New York challenges you to dig deep and encourages you to get out of the confines of self imposed margins!” “Better Days” Was Really Therapeutic “Better Days” not only has Bailey’s beautiful voice but also lyrics that will grab the listeners attention and make one reflect. This was a personal song for Bailey, knowing that, we had to ask what the writing process was like. She explained how the song came about. “This was really personal. It was also the first time I didn’t have anyone helping lead the direction. Meaning, I didn’t have a producer working on it. I wrote it during a time when my identity was shifting, the world around me was changing, and I needed to earn my own trust - in so many ways. So it was really therapeutic.” She continued with “I enjoyed being in charge, and it also helped me see where I may lack and do need to lean on people. Luckily, I have incredible musicians and friends around me who helped guide me. Like my friend Jovan, he gave extensive and really detailed notes - something that would typically be expected of a producer or someone who would benefit from giving those notes - but he did it out of the kindness of his heart, because he is a really exceptional friend, and cared about me and the song. The actual writing of the song felt pretty simple, it was pushing myself to finish it and believing in my vision that taught me the most.” New Music & Hopes for Listeners We brought up her release of the AGAIN EP last year and asked about a possible new EP or Album release this year. Bailey went ahead and confirmed for us that there will be a new EP stating “I am working on it now. Slowly, but surely. By the end of the year there will be a new EP and I am really excited. It will be a sort of new-ish sound. New explorations. Same me, just expanded and explored more.” It made us excited to hear that she will be expanding her horizons sonically. Lastly, we wondered what she hoped listeners would take away while diving into her music. Hyneman said “I hope people just feel good, or feel seen, or feel connected. I hope they feel hope, I hope they feel that they have a place to go and be who they need to be when they listen.” An honest sentiment from someone who includes fragments of her heart and life into her music. Bailey Hyneman photographed by Lulu Shing We enjoyed learning about Bailey’s journey in New York and her songwriting process for “Better Days”. We look forward to hearing her voice reach people everywhere and follow her career as it reaches new heights!

Article Contributed by Monica Soriano On May 16, 2026, a celebration of Japanese music took place at The Rosebowl in Pasadena, Ca. Thousands of people gathered to watch music acts such as Hana, 10-Feet, Chanmina, Man With A Mission, Atarashii Gakko!, Yuki Chiba and Ado! The lines wrapped around the venue and many fans were wearing merchandise from previously attended concerts of the act they were most excited for. Vendors surrounded the grassy fields with options such as matcha, onigiri, noodles, dumplings and much more. The merch lines were lengthy with some attendees lining up for over 3 hours. The SVIP section provided the best viewing for the music lovers and the VIP section was to the left side of the stage and had easy access to restrooms, charging stations and also provided a good view of the stage. While the stage for GA was further out and varied depending on what area one was at, the small hills at The Rosebowl provided great views and room to sit on blankets. The sky was cloudy therefore it wasn’t too hot and the sound was loud enough to know what act was on stage while standing on the lines for food. For a first year event, the schedule for the acts was precise and The Rosebowl proved to be perfect for Zipangu. The many acts varied in genres and visual styles. There was a girl group, bands with live instruments and a mysterious artist that doesn’t show her face but draws a big enough crowd to headline. Each artist had their own interactions with the public and truly enamoured new viewers. First up was a DJ set by Teddy Loid, perfect to get the arriving fans a good welcome. After Teddy, the members of girl group Hana took the stage. HANA The 7 member girl group opened the event with charisma and eye-catching choreography. Hana at Zipangu Music Festival in Los Angeles, CA. Photography by Viola Kam Hana performed songs such as “All In”, “My Body”, “Bad Girl”, “Blue Jeans”, “Rose” and more. Their wardrobe was fun and colorful with a spunky element of T-shirt made skirts and layering. Hana was truly a wonderful kickoff following Teddy’s DJ set as they provided a lighthearted atmosphere. Since there was no MC and the acts were being presented through a video clip on screen, their communication with the audience helped set the tone. In about 30ish minutes Chika, Naoko, Jisoo, Yuri, Momoka, Koharu and Mahina filled the stage with confidence, excitement, choreography and a full on performance rich in vibrance. Hana at Zipangu Music Festival in Los Angeles, CA. Photography by Viola Kam 10-FEET The band, which debuted in 1997, was full of energy at Zipangu. 10-FEET performing at Zipangu Music Festival in Los Angeles, CA. Photography by Ryo Kawakami The rock trio consisting of Takuma Mitamura, Naoki Inoue and Kouichi Nakaoka are seasoned in the music scene and gave a performance that reflected just that gained experience. They appeared playing live instruments in normal t-shirts allowing for a focus to be directed to their delivery filling the ambiance with high intensity. They performed songs such as “Spurt Syndromer”, “Dave Road”, “Dai Zero-kan”, “River” and many others. The band would take moments to speak with the audience about their enjoyment being in Los Angeles and their musical inspirations. A wonderful rock performance. 10-FEET performing at Zipangu Music Festival in Los Angeles, CA. Photography by Ryo Kawakami CHANMINA The Rapper/Singer performed a set filled with great vigor. Someone who surprised many was Chanmina, her inner rockstar energy truly shined through on the stage. She performed a 40 minute set which included songs like “Bijin”, “Picky”, “Forgive Me”, “I’m Not Ok” amongst many others and ending her set with “Work Hard”. Her engagement with the cameras throughout her performance gave fun angles for those further out and her commentary while speaking to the audience was undeniably charismatic. A fun moment during her set was when a bit of sunshine peaked through the outcast sky and she said hello to it. The contrast between her bubbly personality and her alternative performing style was refreshing. MAN WITH A MISSION The 5 member band who wear wolf masks on stage to hide their identities had the crowd jumping and fully engaged. Man With A Mission performing at Zipangu Music Festival in Los Angeles, CA. Photography by Ryo Kawakami Man With A Mission’s set was a sight to remember, the audience had their arms high and jumping. There were some who took their own wolf masks to the show and were there to see this set specifically. Tokyo Tanaka, Jean-Ken Johnny, Kamikaze Boy, Dj Santa Monica and Spear Rib are the names of the members behind the masks, they interacted with the audience in such a way that was positively infectious. Man With A Mission performing at Zipangu Music Festival in Los Angeles, CA. Photography by Ryo Kawakami The band had no photo, no video and no binoculars sign up during their set which may be part of the reason why people felt free enough to raise their arms and fully engage with the music. MWAM performed songs like “Raise your flag”, an AC/DC cover of “Thunderstruck” “database” featuring Takuma Mitamura of band 10-Feet, “Against the Kings and Gods” among others. ATARASHII GAKKO! The all girl quartet has mastered the art of visually stunning choreography. Atarashii Gakko! began their set while still daylight out and ended their set with a dark sky. The high energy performance and tightly synched choreography was so mesmerising that the shift from day to night was not a focus. What made their choreography stunning was the delivery from Mizyu,Rin, Suzuka and Kanon. All the girls seemed immersed in their on stage persona while performing and had an intense sharpness to them that was a joy to watch. Some songs from their set included “Go Wild”, new song “Chanka Chanka”, “Arigato”, "Pineapple Kryptonite” and the song which made fans go wild “Tokyo Calling”. Towards the end of their set Suzuka launched herself to crowd surf. It was an epic way to leave behind a memorable performance for those fans in the front rows. Yuki Chiba The performer who ran down the pathway to say hello to the audience. Yuki Chiba performing at Zipangu Music Festival in Los Angeles, CA. Photography by Ryo Kawakami Rapper Yuki Chiba’s performance had moments that were fun and others that were touching. His set started upbeat then turned into a somber setting with lights from cellphones and lightsticks lighting up the event. He had an emotionally charged performance of “Moraimono” before picking back up. Songs in his set included “Omote”, “Shinpai Muyou”, and “Annyeonghaseyo” among others. Yuki Chiba performing at Zipangu Music Festival in Los Angeles, CA. Photography by Ryo Kawakami During “Team Tomodachi” Yuki took the liberty of running around the stage and beyond through the pathways wherever he could reach people. His high energy stunned fans and commentary about living in and loving Los Angeles was rather endearing. Ado The mysterious singer with a voice that can echo beyond The Rosebowl. Ado performing at Zipangu Music Festival in Los Angeles, CA. Photography by Viola Kam Ado is known for her powerful voice, of course, but she is also known for the mystery that surrounds her identity. She performs in a semi enclosed box on stage which helps shield her face along with bright lights and visuals on the screen behind her and strobe lights flickering. Before her set began, there were signs that appeared on screen that photos, videos and binoculars were not allowed for the duration on her set, this is to help prevent any leaks of her appearance and respect her privacy. Many of the event goers were wearing either Ado concert merch from previous shows or character shirts/merch from ‘One Piece’ since she lent her singing voice to the main character Uta. Some of the songs she performed were “Odo”, “Gira Gira”, “Kira”, “Value”, “Tot Musica”, a cover of Miki Matsubara’s “Stay With Me” and “New Genesis”. It’s not often that an artist is full of energy and willingly confines themselves into a limited space for their performances but that was the case for Zipangu’s headlining act.The impression that remained was that Ado’s voice is simply splendid. She could have stood there singing and the crowd would have still adored her. The imagery added a nice touch, her silhouette let us know she was there but her voice was powerful beyond belief. The entirety of her set was entertaining, leaving many in awe. Ado performing at Zipangu Music Festival in Los Angeles, CA. Photography by Viola Kam Zipangu was an incredible experience filled with talented performers and a fun crowd. Some of the artists made their U.S. debut at Zipangu, there was much excitement felt from the stage and their expressions delivered said enthusiasm with sincerity. The artists Zipangu selected to perform during this event represented the rich, vibrant and diverse music scene in Japan. We hope Zipangu returns for a second year in 2027 to bring more music to Los Angeles, Ca.

Photography by Ivan S. Why artists are being asked to be everything, everywhere, all at once — and why smaller artists need us now more than ever. Article Contributed by LJ Portnoy, Editor-in-Chief Visibility Has Become Survival Somewhere between soundcheck and stage time, musicians became full-time content creators. Before the show even starts, the work has already begun. Artists are filming TikToks backstage, posting setlist teasers, editing recap videos in the green room, replying to comments in the van, promoting merch drops between tour stops, livestreaming late into the night, uploading YouTube shorts the next morning, and documenting nearly every moment of the process in real time. And for many artists, especially smaller independent ones, this is no longer optional. Visibility has become survival. Open TikTok for five minutes and you’ll see it immediately. Hundreds, if not thousands, of micro artists all fighting to stay afloat in an endless sea of content. They post constantly. They reply constantly. They livestream. They post stories. They tease unreleased songs. They build communities. They become marketers, editors, videographers, designers, managers, and personalities all while still somehow trying to remain musicians at the center of it all. Because if they stop posting, even briefly, they risk disappearing. Not intentionally. Not maliciously. But algorithmically. Or else – their fans go cold. The listeners who once loved their music don’t necessarily abandon them on purpose. Instead, attention shifts. Algorithms cycle. New content appears. Feeds refresh endlessly. Audiences are swept into the next sound, the next trend, the next artist placed directly in front of them. Attention is fluid now. Temporary. Disposable. And that creates an exhausting reality for creatives: remain visible at all times, or risk becoming irrelevant. Creativity Was Never Meant to Be Constant Content Photography by Cottonbro Studio The difficult part is that creativity rarely thrives under constant surveillance. Creativity often comes from strange combinations, wandering thoughts, failed experiments, boredom, and quiet observation. It comes from sitting with ideas long enough for them to become something unexpected. It comes from privacy. From trial and error. From creating badly before creating brilliantly. But algorithms reward something entirely different. They reward speed. Consistency. Immediacy. Repetition. Visibility. Which means artists are increasingly pressured to constantly produce instead of becoming. And maybe that’s one of the biggest emotional costs of modern music culture. Musicians today are expected to share every step of the process while they are still figuring themselves out. Songs are teased before they’re finished. Personalities become part of the product. Authenticity becomes branding. Even vulnerability can begin feeling performative when every emotional moment is expected to become content. When every moment must be captured, when does experimentation get to stay private? When are artists allowed to disappear for a while and simply learn? To fail quietly? To evolve without an audience watching in real time? And perhaps more importantly, how many musicians are burning out before they ever truly get the chance to make it? Easier to Be Discovered, Harder to Be Heard Yungblud | Photography by @ljportnoy At the same time, this era of music is also undeniably beautiful. It has never been easier for artists to be discovered. Fans no longer need to stumble upon a local band by accident or wait for a physical CD to circulate through their friend group. Artists can now upload music instantly, connect directly with listeners across the world, and build passionate communities completely independently. Entire niche scenes are thriving because of this accessibility. Music has become more personalized than ever before. We’ve watched that happen firsthand while building SoundCheck Mag. Artists like Sombr, Leon Thomas, and Yungblud felt like the kinds of artists people discovered and immediately couldn’t stop talking about. The rise was undeniable. You could feel the momentum building in real time. Others are still in the middle of that climb right now. Artists like HAYLA, Livingston, and Bilmuri are building intensely dedicated communities while continuing to shape and evolve their sound in front of audiences who are growing alongside them. HAYLA | Photography by @ljportnoy And then there are the artists helping define local scenes entirely. Artists like Former Critics, Alex Ray, Milahroy, and Anthony Winters are telling their stories to anyone willing to listen, building community show by show, song by song, proving that some of the most important music movements still begin in small rooms long before the rest of the industry catches up. Former Critics | Photography by @ljportnoy Genres no longer fit neatly into boxes. Songs can exist across countless moods, aesthetics, and micro-scenes simultaneously. Artists are blending influences in ways that would have been nearly impossible to categorize a decade ago. That freedom is exciting. But it’s also overwhelming. When there’s a flavor of music for everyone, how do listeners even begin finding what they’re looking for? How do smaller artists break through when they’re competing not just against major labels, but against infinite content at all times? Your Next Favorite Artist Probably Isn’t Charting Yet That’s why intentional discovery matters now more than ever. Anthony Winters | | Photography by @ljportnoy Not just listening to the latest number one hit on repeat because an algorithm handed it to you, but actively searching for artists who are still building something. Staying for the opener. Giving the smaller band a chance. Clicking on the artist with 4,000 monthly listeners instead of 4 million. Letting yourself fall into a new scene, a new voice, a new sound you may have never discovered otherwise. Because your next favorite artist probably isn’t sitting at the top of the charts yet. They’re likely somewhere in the middle of posting their fifth video of the day, answering fan comments at 1 AM, driving overnight to the next city, and trying desperately to balance creativity with visibility in an industry that increasingly demands both. Beyond the Barricade and Behind the Music That’s part of why spaces dedicated to music discovery still matter so deeply. Not as gatekeepers, but as curators. As people willing to dig through the noise because they genuinely believe incredible artists deserve to be heard before the rest of the world catches up. At SoundCheck Mag, that’s always been part of our DNA. From Underground Radar to our Spotlight features, monthly playlists, interviews, and live coverage, we’ve always believed music culture lives far beyond the biggest names on a festival poster. It exists in crowded small venues, in opening sets, in artists still finding their sound, and in the communities forming around them in real time. We take our readers beyond the barricade and behind the music because somewhere out there is someone’s next favorite artist just waiting to be discovered. And maybe now more than ever, they need listeners willing to truly hear them. ✨

She’s the songwriter behind Grammy Award winning songs and a voice within this industry striving for real change. Autumn Rowe posing in press photo via Spirit Music Group Article Contributed by Monica Soriano It is always admirable to see artists, songwriters or producers spread their knowledge and guide the new generation. Autumn Rowe is a bright example of not only expanding one’s skills but using every bit of knowledge to move everyone forward and advocate for a better tomorrow. The talented songwriter is proof that the music industry, while it still needs improvements, provides opportunities to those who dare take the plunge. It’s Always Been About Music Autumn Rowe’s journey began in New York where she was born, she was surrounded by music and thus began her journey. Since she was young her path always revolved around music. From her Junior High days enrolling in a gifted and talented program to performing in different choirs or creating a band, she worked her way to where she is today. Songs That Will Live Forever Rowe’s name is in the credits of many beloved songs including “Swagger Jagger” by Cher Lloyd, “Salt” by Ava Max and “Room for 2” by Dua Lipa. Her work in 5 tracks from Job Batiste’s album ‘We Are’ earned her a Grammy Award. The album was highly praised and moved many people. “Happiness” by Alexis Jordan was also penned by Autumn Rowe very early on in her career and it made its way to the FIFA Women’s World Cup as its official song in 2011. The amount of artists she has collaborated with throughout the years is admirable, from Miley Cyrus and Jesse McCartney to Kylie Minogue and a young post-Disney Channel Zendaya. The Multi-Hyphenate Artist Some songwriters are artists, others dive into producing and a few become vocal coaches. Autumn Rowe does all of it, she in addition, has made a name for herself as a DJ. Her stage name is AFTR PRTY and her sets have made it all the way to Europe. Rowe has vocal coached artists such as Fifth Harmony and Grace VanderWaal. Advocacy for Songwriters, Women in Music and Her Message Rowe advocates strongly for fairness in the music industry. She serves on the board of SONA (Songwriters of North America), she co-founded a songwriter fund during the pandemic to help aid financially struggling songwriters and continuously advocates for women by speaking at events. This is only a small description of the work she has done, her efforts have reached broader places. Part of the last sentence in the about section of her website reads as follows “ in a world where not all musicians can survive, there can be no music in the world.” That is a sentiment proven by her actions. Autumn Rowe has been using her voice and platform to bring forth issues that are important to people within this industry. Without people like her to advocate for women, fair compensation and lend her time to mentor other songwriters and musicians, the change we want would be further away. Rowe’s efforts are appreciated and she should be celebrated for them. We will be sure to keep up with her as she continues to spread her knowledge and provide the world with more music.

Article Contributed by Monica Soriano It seems that artists don’t always have the monthly listeners that are equivalent to their talent. This is the case for Josceppi. ‘Chämeleon’ is a wonderful piece of storytelling that has the potential to grab the attention of many new listeners. While starting the listening journey it was clear that this was intentionally crafted and Josceppi as an artist has a clear direction. The alternative pop rock meets classic rockstar feel is a delight to the ears. The standouts from the album are “DIVA QÜEEN”, “Wälk Away” and “After It All” but our favorite song has to be “HEART TO BURN”. A Rockstar in 2026 Just when the listening experience becomes settled in a classic sound, the interludes pop in as a reminder that this was in fact released in 2026. Not bad or good, just part of the album's experience and the way Josceppi is choosing to tell this story. The instrumentation is a strong highlight from beginning to end and his voice not only is able to communicate emotion but also deliver the songs in a way that puzzles every piece in harmony. The Perfect Introduction ‘Chämeleon’ sits at just 31 minutes of listening time and serves as a perfect introduction to Josceppi’s musicality. It is also accompanied by a music video and live performance for “DIVA QÜEEN”, as well as a visualizer for “FÄST AS I CAN”. It seems almost unfair that not all artists get the same reach equally but with quality music and consistency, fans eventually get to discover a new world. We hope this riveting album lands in the ears of those who will appreciate Josceppi’s full rockstar capabilities.

Charlie Puth performs in Detroit MI at the Fox Theater (Photo by @ljportnoy) Whatever's Clever! World Tour | Fox Theatre, Detroit, MI | May 19, 2026 Article Contributed by LJ Portnoy, Leo Lad & Rachel Catherine Some concerts give you a setlist. Some give you a moment. On Tuesday night at the Fox Theatre, Charlie Puth gave Detroit both, and somewhere in the middle of it, he stopped everything for a kid with a poster and a four-month-old piano habit. Daniel Seavy Just Has It Daniel Seavey opened the night, and he made sure nobody stayed in their seat. His set was fun, interactive, and genuinely alive; the kind of performance that feels unscripted even when it isn't. He's an all-around musician, weaving live looping and multiple instruments into his set in a way that's as impressive as it is infectious. He closed things out by jumping into the crowd, which felt like the most natural ending possible. There's a realness to him that's hard to manufacture. He just has it. Then Charlie Puth Took the Stage, and Detroit Lost Its Mind Charlie Puth performs in Detroit MI at the Fox Theater (Photo by @ljportnoy) He's funny. He's warm. He mentioned Detroit, and he meant it. Somewhere early in the set, it became clear that this wasn't just a pop show or a jazz showcase or a greatest hits victory lap. It was all three, wrapped around something more sincere than any of those things. Two Pianos, One Gripe Charlie Puth performs in Detroit MI at the Fox Theater (Photo by @ljportnoy) The stage setup was immersive; fog, hypnotic lighting, bouncy visuals that kept your eyes moving all night. Worth noting: Charlie worked not one but two pianos throughout the set, each with different settings and programmables, rotating between them in a way that let him face the audience from different angles. It's a clever fix for an artist whose instrument could otherwise keep him locked in one place all night. And it worked. But if we're being fully transparent, and we always are, there was a part of us that kept waiting for the moment he'd step off the stage entirely, come down to the floor, let the crowd reach him. That never quite happened, and it was honestly our only gripe of the night. Though we'll admit: when you've been to enough shows where the artist ends up three rows deep in the audience, you start to expect it. That might be on us as much as anything. "The World Needs Your Music" Charlie Puth performs in Detroit MI at the Fox Theater (Photo by @ljportnoy) Charlie Puth genuinely wants more people to make music. That sounds like a cliché until you're standing in a room of thousands and he stops mid-show to say it as he means it. If you have any interest in music at all, the world needs you to pursue it. It needs your music. You need it. We're paraphrasing. But the feeling wasn't paraphrasable. If you make music yourself, that kind of moment lands somewhere a setlist alone never could. Stop Everything But the moment that really got us, and we mean really got us, was that kid with the poster. We couldn't read it from where we were standing, but Charlie could, and what it said was something to the effect of: today was my first recital. Four months of piano. First show. Charlie Puth stopped everything. Not a quick acknowledgment, not a wave, not a "that's so sweet" before moving on. He stopped the show. Four, five minutes minimum, just talking to this kid, grabbing the poster, noticing the sheet music taped to the back of it, signing the whole thing. He apologized to the crowd for pausing, but the way he said it made clear he wasn't actually sorry. This kid deserved the pause. He could see something in him, and he wasn't going to let that go because five thousand other people were waiting. That choice to slow down. We're still thinking about it. Attention, Detroit Charlie Puth performs in Detroit MI at the Fox Theater (Photo by @ljportnoy) "Attention" hit like a freight train. Everybody on their feet, everybody singing, and when it ended, the crowd just wouldn't let it go. Minutes went by, the applause got louder, mid-show, not even the closer. It was pure Detroit energy saying yes, we know exactly who you are, and we are so glad you're here. Later in the set, Charlie and one of his backup singers locked into an extended back-and-forth, trading runs, completely in the pocket, just feeling it out. Those are the moments that remind you that live music can't be replicated. You had to be there. A Small Piece of Yourself Charlie Puth performs in Detroit MI at the Fox Theater (Photo by @ljportnoy) Before "Cry," he talked about what it actually means to make something. That sometimes you don't know why you're compelled to create. You just are. And then one day it clicks, and you realize you made it so that someone else might understand a small, specific piece of you. Honestly? The most human thing we've heard an artist say from a stage in a long time. Charlie Puth (in our opinion) is the Mozart, or maybe even the Beethoven, of this generation; the ear, the range, the genuine fluency across everything music can be. Seeing it live, up close, in a room full of people of every age, all singing every word. That confirmed it for us. If he ever comes to your city, you go. No debate. You go. The Whatever's Clever World Tour continues through summer 2026.

Seafret didn't rush Fear of Emotion. They couldn't have even if they'd wanted to. Seafret's fear of emotion album cover Article Contributed by LJ Portnoy, Editor-in-Chief Most viral moments come with a clock attached. You blow up, the timeline compresses, and suddenly you're scrambling to feed the algorithm something new before the window closes. But when Atlantis found its second life on TikTok nearly eight years after its release, quietly accumulating streams until it crossed a billion plays, the clock that usually starts ticking just... didn't. That's the thing nobody talks about when the Atlantis story gets told. Yes, Jack's niece texted him to get a TikTok account because his song was everywhere. Yes, they logged on to find thousands of videos with it playing underneath. But what mattered most for the record that would follow wasn't the scale of the moment or the new audience it brought. It was the strange, unexpected silence it created around whatever came next. "It filled up so much of our space on the internet," Harry told us. "We could just sit back while that was happening and create this new record and make sure that it was something we truly loved." Jack put it more directly: "It took the rush away." That's the real gift Atlantis gave them. Not validation, not label leverage, not a bigger room to play. Time. The internet was so busy with the old song that nobody was demanding the new one, which meant that for the first time in their career, Jack and Harry got to make a record entirely on their own terms, at their own pace, without anyone waiting at the door. The Long Way Around Fear of Emotion is their fourth album, and the first one built without any external pressure shaping the timeline. They wrote a pile of songs, chose the ones that actually meant something to them personally, and built the record from that shortlist. "It was the first time we've done that," Harry said, and you can hear it in the result. The album has a cohesion and emotional weight that feels deliberate in a way that's hard to manufacture when you're rushing. When it came to the production, they went back to Steve Robinson and Sam Miller, the team behind their debut, which in itself says something about where their heads were. Given the freedom to work with anyone, they chose the room they trusted most. "It felt like almost like going back home," Harry said, "all new songs, but with familiar faces." Full Circle, Several Times Over Photography by Nat Michele But the real full-circle story belongs to Jack, and it's the kind of thing you genuinely couldn't write. When he was younger, his mum told him he could sing and he didn't believe her, so he learned a James Morrison song on an iPod, Please Don't Stop the Rain, and took it to an open mic night to test the theory. Harry's dad happened to be there that night, made the introduction, and Seafret began. Years later, they were in the studio with Steve Robinson when he mentioned he'd double-booked the week — James Morrison was coming in on Wednesday, did they want to stick around? They wrote a song together in a single day, a track called Driftwood that ended up on the album and found its way onto the radio. "It's just been like a full crazy, full circle moment," Jack said, which is about as understated as you can get about something that unlikely. KT Tunstall has her own version of that story. She'd caught Seafret at Sundance early in their career, came up to them afterward to tell them she loved what she'd heard, and they'd stayed loosely in touch across the years that followed. When she asked to be on the record, they had five hours together in the studio. They wrote Five More Seconds and called it done. Given all the freedom in the world, Seafret kept coming back. To their roots, to their people, to the emotional honesty that's been the foundation of everything they've made. The album sounds like what happens when a band stops trying to outrun themselves and just lets the work be what it actually is. What the Songs Are Actually About The title of the record lives in the chorus of the opening track — "this isn't love, this is fear of emotional death" — a line that wasn't written to be a thesis statement but ended up naming the feeling that runs through the whole thing. They listened back through the album and realized it had captured something they'd been circling around without quite saying out loud. That feeling, broadly, is the aftermath of loving the wrong way or staying past the point where love still makes sense. Songs like Guilty, Stand By You, and Wasted On You don't reach for gentle metaphors or comfortable distance — the imagery is chemical chains, criminal acts, the kind of language that earns what it's asking you to carry. When we asked Jack about how far is too far, he said the line is relatability. "If you lay it on too much, it just becomes unbelievable," he said. "You home in on the emotion of the song, and that's the line." A lot of what's underneath this record came from something close to home. A family member went through a major breakup, a betrayal, and the emotion from that seeped into the writing without Jack fully planning for it. "It's always been a bit of an outlet for us," he said. "Once you've played, you just feel lighter. Like you've dealt with it somehow." The most loaded track for him is Stand By You, written closest to those events and too tightly wound around them to come from anywhere else when he's on stage performing it. For Harry, the song he'd point a new listener toward first is Love in Reverse — stripped back, acoustic, Jack's vocal right up front, and as close to a mission statement as anything on the record. The rest of the album, he said, is an expanded version of that same core. How It Actually Gets Made The songwriting process that produced all of it has been more or less the same since they were seventeen. Harry writes the music. Jack writes lyrics to fit it. They've worked that way since before they knew how to call it a process, since the first night Jack heard Harry playing and thought, I think I can write a song to this. There's a YouTube comment that Harry surfaced during our conversation that pretty much covers the end result: who hurts Seafret? Which is both funny and exactly right. When we called their music "happy heartbreak," they took it without hesitation, because that's genuinely what it is. Two upbeat people making music that carries real weight, not as a contradiction but as a release. "Sometimes you step back and think, where did that come from?" Harry said. "Why am I so happy, and that song is so sad?" The weight has to go somewhere, and for them it's always gone into the songs. What It Feels Like Live Ask Seafret about touring and something in the conversation shifts. They'd played Five More Seconds and Signal Fire at a festival in Romania before the album had even dropped, slotting two brand new songs into a set full of tracks they'd performed a hundred times, and Harry said they both came offstage and immediately wanted to go back out. There's a particular energy that comes with playing something fresh in a big room, and the new material apparently has more of it than anything they've brought out before. The fans who've found them through Atlantis, Harry noted, tend to show up the same way the long-timers do — emotionally connected to the music, not just algorithmically adjacent to a trending sound. "The rooms would feel different" if that weren't the case, he said, and the vulnerability in the songs requires a certain kind of audience to actually work. They've been lucky with the one they've got. Tour Poster for Seafret’s 10 Years of Tell Me It’s Real From Tea Lights to Washing Lines The Brazil story is the one that stays with you, though. First time they ever played Rio, fans had made their own Seafret shirts and hung them on washing lines down the street. Lined up, screaming as the car pulled up. Jack said he went looking around for the boss, because surely this couldn't be for him. That gap between where they started — a pub open mic with no microphone, tea lights on the tables, playing into a quiet room — and where they are now is enormous, and they seem to know it. What's Next The Tell Me It's Real 10-year anniversary is coming, with vinyl and a full UK and European tour that opens May 21 in Glasgow and runs through June 9 in Cologne. Fear of Emotion is out now on all streaming platforms. As for goals, they don't really set them. "The goal is just to create something that we love and we're proud of," Jack said, "and we've been lucky that that has connected with people." If they can make four more albums they love as much as the four they've already made, they said, that would be enough. Maybe a couple more viral moments along the way. Whatever the platform is in ten years, Harry joked, someone will probably tell them to get an account. Start with Love in Reverse. Let it do what it does. Then go back to the beginning and work your way through. Fear of Emotion is available on all streaming platforms. The Tell Me It's Real anniversary tour runs May 21 through June 9 across the UK and Europe.

A portrait of Blake Mills - Photography by Jacob Blickenstaff An in-depth look at Blake Mills and his journey, filled with in-depth music exploration and incredible collaborations. Article Contributed by Monica Soriano Blake Mills is an artist himself and for others. Whether he provides precision as a session guitarist or lends his skills as a producer, he can always be found using his talents to create beloved pieces of music. From California to The World Blake Mills has traveled around due to his music career, but he began that journey in California, where he was born and raised. His journey began at a young age, when he formed a band with Taylor Goldsmith, which lasted a few years before he continued his own journey in music. Mills began touring as a guitarist for several artists, including Julian Casablancas and Band of Horses, before beginning his producing journey. Working with Legends Mills’ work in music led him to collaborate with artists such as Pink, Lana Del Rey, Fiona Apple, Ed Sheeran, and many more. His approach to music and collaborative history makes his story a fascinating one to follow. The number of artists from varying genres that he has toured with or worked with as a songwriter, producer, session musician, or engineer is what many dream about. He worked with beloved artists such as The Killers, Dixie Chicks, Norah Jones, Phoebe Bridgers, and Bob Dylan. Throughout his career, Mills has obtained many Grammy nominations and won 2 of those. At the 58th Annual Grammy Awards, he received a Grammy for his work with Alabama Shakes on their project ‘Sound & Color,' in the category of Best Alternative Music Album. His 2nd win was during the 68th Annual Grammy Awards for his and Pino Palladino’s album ‘That Wasn’t A Dream’ in the category Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical. A Journey That Led To Producing Blake isn’t just a guitarist or producer but also a session musician, engineer, and songwriter. He has released his own music, which is highly praised by the industry and fans. His personal projects include several albums communicating his own sound, which resonates with people. His ability to be multi-faceted in this industry for artists and himself is a balance many strive for. In a recent red carpet interview at the Grammys, Blake expressed his surprise at the nominations and excitement to return home after the event and see his then 10-month-old daughter. Congratulations to Blake Mills on his wins both in the music industry and within his personal life.

Boys Like Girls performing at the House of Blues in Anaheim, CA. Photography by Vaneza Gutiérrez Wyckoff (@vanezasnaps on IG). With booming sing-alongs, flickering box TVs, and emotional callbacks to their earliest records, Boys Like Girls delivered the ultimate pop-rock time machine. Article & Photos by Vaneza Gutiérrez Wyckoff For any emo/rock-adjacent teenager growing up in the late 00s, the opening notes of “The Great Escape” bring back memories of dial-up internet noises, coding a MySpace profile with HTML, running around the mall after school and on weekends… And this is exactly what screaming the words back to Boys Like Girls takes the listener back to. Yes, reminiscing on the 00s is particularly in right now, but not all nostalgia-based shows feel like they’re fueled by kerosene, adrenaline pumping through Millennial veins, and, as so eloquently put by Martin Johnson in the lyrics, “scream[ed] loud at the top of our lungs” in the same way the Soundtrack Of Your Life tour does. Opening the evening was Arrows in Action, whose bright, energetic set immediately won over the crowd. Frontman Victor Viramontes-Pattinson brought endless charisma to the stage, hair flying dramatically beneath the stage fans as the band ripped through fan favorites like “Cheekbone” and “Light Like You.” Fun moments like breaking into the Macarena mid-song and weaving a touch of High School Musical into the set only added to the playful atmosphere. Following them was I Dont Know How, But They Found Me (also known as iDKHOW), whose eccentric, almost whimsical performance shifted the tone of the night into something moodier and theatrical. Frontman Dallon Weekes effortlessly hit soaring high notes while leading the crowd through catchy staples like “Choke” and “Leave Me Alone,” proving exactly why the band has developed such a devoted following. By the time Boys Like Girls took the stage, the room had reached a full boil. Boys Like Girls performing at the House of Blues in Anaheim, CA. Photography by Vaneza Gutiérrez Wyckoff (@vanezasnaps on IG). The band structured the night around their first two albums, beginning with their sophomore record, Love Drunk, before diving headfirst into their self-titled debut, Boys Like Girls. The crowd bounced relentlessly to “Love Drunk” as the original music video flickered across the multitude of stacked 00s-style box TVs decorating the stage, while “Two Is Better Than One” transformed the venue into a glowing sea of phone lights and shouted lyrics. Kicking off the second act was “The Great Escape,” during which the crowd roared every single word back at Martin Johnson so loudly that, at times, his own vocals were nearly drowned out entirely. That same electricity carried through the remainder of the self-titled album, with the audience screaming along to “Five Minutes to Midnight” and “Hero/Heroine” before shifting into something softer and more emotional during “On Top Of The World” and “Holiday.” The production itself felt carefully designed to transport the audience back into the mid-2000s. Static-filled televisions, nostalgic visuals, thick smoke filling the air, and rapidly flashing lights made the stage feel like a living scrapbook of the era. Rather than coming across as gimmicky, however, the aesthetic choices amplified the emotional core of the night: a celebration of the music that shaped an entire generation of listeners. Boys Like Girls performing at the House of Blues in Anaheim, CA. Photography by Vaneza Gutiérrez Wyckoff (@vanezasnaps on IG). Martin Johnson remains one of the most captivating frontmen of the scene, balancing humor, vulnerability, and effortless rockstar charisma throughout the night. Whether sprinting across the stage, throwing the microphone toward the audience for entire choruses, or pausing to soak in the deafening crowd reactions, he carried the kind of confidence that only comes from knowing exactly what these songs mean to people. And that is what makes the Soundtrack Of Your Life tour feel so special. It is not simply nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake. It is about reconnecting with the version of yourself that first found comfort, confidence, and identity in these songs - even if that meant sacrificing your parents' computer to the Limewire gods. For a few hours, the crowd was no longer worried about adulthood or the endless noise of the outside world. They were teenagers again, screaming lyrics with their entire chest, hearts pounding alongside the drums, desperately trying to hold onto the moment just a little longer.

Article Contributed by Rebecca McDevitt Photos Contributed by LJ Portnoy & Rebecca McDevitt There's something refreshingly unguarded about Anthony Winters. He doesn't perform with the confidence he doesn't have, or hedge his answers. He isn't afraid to tell you that Justin Bieber is one of his biggest inspirations. He means it, and he'll tell you twice if he has to. Anthony Winters photographed in Philadelphia, PA. Photo by Rebecca McDevitt (IG: @rebeccajeanlimitedphotography) The Delaware County, Pennsylvania-raised singer-songwriter sat down with SoundCheck to talk about his debut EP, his stage name origin story, and what Stranger Things has to do with his music. One thing became clear pretty quickly: Anthony Winters leads with instinct and backs it up with craft. "Stranger Things Made Me Do It" His debut EP, What We Can't Change, almost had a different name. The original title was Choosing What We Can't Change, until a friend heard it and suggested it might flow better without the first word. "I sat with it, and I was like, you know what, it still means the same thing," Anthony says. "It just immediately stuck." The concept behind it runs deeper than the title. "We're never going to be able to change the things that we've done or the things that have happened to us," he explains. "But you can grow from them and use them as fuel for whatever you're doing. It's really about who you can become after all of that." Anthony Winters photographed in Philadelphia, PA. Photo by LJ Portnoy (IG: @ljportnoy) Fittingly, the EP itself became something different than what it was supposed to be. These five songs were originally early stages of a larger album Anthony is still working on, but as the writing progressed and the sound started shifting, he realized they belonged together on their own. "When I listened to all the demos, these songs are like stories," he says. "They're one small little family that I want to keep in the same body of work. I didn't want to put them in an album when you listen to it and then all of a sudden you think, this is great, but then another song sounds nothing like it." The last piece to fall into place was "Stuck in the Middle," one of the most recently-written songs on the record, which arrived almost by accident when a friend sent over a demo that just happened to fit. The rest, he says, came in pairs. "’Rocks at Your Window’ and ‘MID JULY’ were back to-back. We wrote ‘Rocks at Your Window’, then went back in the studio and wrote ‘MID JULY’. They're kind of like brother and sister songs. And then, ‘End of the World’ came, and I was like, OK, these all have to go together in some way, shape, or form." Ask him which one's his favorite and he laughs. "That's like asking a parent which child is their favorite." But press him and he'll give you an honest answer. "’Rocks at Your Window’ is probably it. That was the one that really opened the door to everything. ‘MID JULY’ is a crowd favorite. Everybody likes ‘MID JULY’. But the one that's really started growing on me was “Set Me On Fire.” I feel that one hasn't got enough love yet on my end at least. The more I listen to it, that one kind of just hits me a little differently." The Song Paints The Picture When Anthony walked into the studio with producer, Victor to write "Rocks at Your Window," the entire creative brief was essentially: Stranger Things. "All I said was like I want something like Stranger Things. Something like Stranger Things vibes. Just something like 80s or synth-heavy. And that's what came out of it." The goal was to capture something specific: summer nights, fireworks, the carnival. "I want it to feel like summer and fireworks or like the carnival or just having that summer night." Anthony Winters performing at 118 North in Wayne, PA. (IG: @rebeccajeanlimitedphotography) That visual, almost cinematic approach is central to how Anthony writes. He describes himself as a visual writer at heart, someone who hears music and immediately starts translating it into images, into scenes. "I feel like I'm a visual writer at heart and when I listen to music, I put it to images or scenes in a movie." He keeps a running note on his phone full of one-liners and loose ideas, but most of the writing happens in the room, in real-time. "I want the song or like the sounds to kind of trigger an emotion and that's when I start to write. The song kind of paints the picture for me. And I'm just searching for it at that point." It's a process that, he admits, isn't so different from what a photographer is doing on the other side of the stage. "When you hear the first ten seconds of a song with no lyrics at all, you'd be like, oh my god, I remember at the roller rink or whatever when I was listening to that song. And it could paint this whole picture for you. I think photography works the same way. You can look at a photo and feel something the photographer didn't even consciously put there." Antonio Who? One thing that didn't just happen was the name. Anthony Winters is not the name on his birth certificate. That name is Anthony Sciarrino, or more accurately, Antonino Sciarrino, a detail he mentions with a grin and notes he's never shared in an interview before. "I've actually never said that in an interview before. You heard it here first." His father is from Sicily, which explains the very Italian real name. The stage name, though, is its own story. Anthony Winters photographed in Philadelphia, PA. Photo by LJ Portnoy (IG: @ljportnoy) Before Anthony Winters, there was A.N.T., a name that worked until it really didn't. "Searching up A.N.T. was like impossible. Ant Farm would come up, like ants, like insects." He'd had a cover rack up over three million streams on Spotify, but the traffic was going to the producer, not to him. "I started to notice everybody who found the song was going to Ty, who produced the song, and they weren't really finding me through it." So he started the search for something new, opening a running note in his phone where friends could drop ideas whenever. It took over a year. The answer ended up being closer to home than he expected. Winters is his mother's maiden name. "I wanted to still be me and feel like it's real. I didn't want to just be like, I don't know, stop sign or whatever." A friend who had gone through her own name change gave him the advice that finally got him there: "You're not going to feel like it's you until you feel like it's you. You just have to kind of force yourself to be like, no, this is who I am now." The MilkBoy Bathroom Heard It First The moment he made it official was at local venue, Milk Boy. He ran offstage, changed his Instagram handle in the bathroom, and came back out as Anthony Winters. Nobody in the crowd knew it was coming. "I changed my Instagram handle in the bathroom of MilkBoy. I ran off the stage and I went, Anthony Winters. That was the last A.N.T. show that I'm doing." Anthony Winters photographed in Philadelphia, PA. Photo by Rebecca McDevitt (IG: @rebeccajeanlimitedphotography) For Now, That's Enough With a debut EP behind him and an album still taking shape, Anthony Winters is somewhere in that particular stretch of an artist's early career where everything feels like it's just starting to click. He's not chasing a sound so much as following one, letting the music tell him where it needs to go and trusting himself enough to keep up. Anthony Winters photographed in Philadelphia, PA. Photo by LJ Portnoy (IG: @ljportnoy) He seems genuinely at ease with all of it. With the uncertainty, the in-between, the songs that haven't gotten their moment yet. "You never know what's really going to hit and what's not. I've heard Ed Sheeran talk about how he hated “Shape of You.” He didn't even want to put that song out. And it was the biggest song ever. So, you never know what's really going to hit. I just want to write because I love it, not because I'm chasing something." For now, that seems like more than enough of a plan. Watch the full SoundCheck Session with Anthony Winters here:

Yungblud performs live in Sterling Heights, MI, at the Michigan Lotto Amphitheater on May 1, 2026 | Photography by @ljportnoy LIVE REVIEW · YUNGBLUD - MICHIGAN LOTTERY AMPHITHEATER AT FREEDOM HILL · STERLING HEIGHTS, MI By LJ Portnoy & Leo Lad · SoundCheck Mag The IDOLS World Tour started here. Twenty-four North American dates kicked off in a sold-out Sterling Heights amphitheater on a Friday night in May, where the temperature dropped from fifty to the thirties before YUNGBLUD ever hit the stage. By the time the lights went down, the amphitheater was speckled with snow. The crowd did not care. They did not move. They did not leave. If anything, the cold seemed to make them louder. The Room Before the Room Yungblud performs live in Sterling Heights, MI, at the Michigan Lotto Amphitheater on May 1, 2026 | Photography by @ljportnoy The venue buzz was its own show. Antsy, electric chatter across the amphitheater. The merch stand line wrapped the waywalk before the show even kicked off, fans walking out in YUNGBLUD hoodies they didn’t know they needed an hour ago. The crowd skewed a little older than expected (parents, plenty of them, plus a generation above that), and the gender split leaned slightly toward women, but the unifying thread wasn’t age. It was style. Monochrome black. Pink accents pulled from his old stylistic era. Split-dyed hair in pink, blonde, blue, green, and yellow. Piercings, tattoos, leather jackets layered over flannels layered over hoodies because Michigan in May still requires a puffer if the wind picks up. Long hair on men, short hair on women. The androgynous YUNGBLUD blueprint, mirrored back at him by 7,200 people. A genre cocktail, too. Grunge, punk, a dash of emo, a hint of country, something else underneath that you couldn’t quite name. The kind of fanbase that has outgrown being called a subculture and just calls itself the room. Return to Dust Set the Tone The Los Angeles four-piece opened the night and earned the room fast. Instrument-forward, guitar-wailing, drums steady enough to demand attention before the vocals even arrived. Their lead singer’s voice carried a similar texture to YUNGBLUD’s, which made the pairing feel intentional rather than incidental. One of the band members (the bassist, we think) spent the entire set in motion, jumping, flipping his hair, dancing across the stage like the cold was a personal challenge. A good opener does two things: it warms the room, and it doesn’t try to steal the show. Return to Dust did both. Nine Minutes of “Hello Heaven, Hello” Yungblud performs live in Sterling Heights, MI, at the Michigan Lotto Amphitheater on May 1, 2026 | Photography by @ljportnoy The photographers were briefed before the show: the first song would run roughly nine minutes. Photo pit access opened after the confetti hit during the opening number. Plan accordingly. That song is “Hello Heaven, Hello,” the epic opening track from his 2025 album IDOLS, and it is built like a cathedral. When YUNGBLUD walked out and the confetti cannons fired into a snow flurry that was still falling over Sterling Heights, the crowd did something that only the most devoted fanbases do. They went feral. Yungblud performs live in Sterling Heights, MI at the Michigan Lottery Amphitheater on May 1, 2026 | Photography by @ljportnoy It was, hands down, one of the loudest crowd reactions either of us has ever heard at a Michigan show. Not surprising. YUNGBLUD has a cult following, and his fans are some of the most dedicated we have ever stood next to. They sing every word. They hold up signs they spent the afternoon making. They scream because they need to, not because they’re supposed to. The Showmanship YUNGBLUD Provides Yungblud performs live in Sterling Heights, MI, at the Michigan Lottery Amphitheater on May 1, 2026 | Photography by @ljportnoy Here is where YUNGBLUD separates from the pack. He is a rockstar to the hundredth degree. Not just a singer. Not just a frontman. A full-bodied, full-throttle performer who treats the stage as a starting point and the venue as the actual stage. He does not stand still. He moves from one wing to the other constantly, wiggling his hips with that flirty edge he’s known for, throwing guitar picks into the front rows, throwing a water bottle into the crowd not once but twice. He also spent roughly ninety percent of the set shirtless. In Michigan. In May. While it was snowing. The crowd in front of him was layered in puffers and flannels and leather jackets stacked over hoodies, and YUNGBLUD was on stage in nothing but his pants, sweating through a snow flurry like the weather was simply not invited to the conversation. The contrast did half the work of the show. The other half was him. “Let me see those hands in the fooking air,” he said, and they were already up. “Is Michigan fucking crazy?” he asked, and the answer was screamed back at decibels the weather could not absorb. Yungblud performs live in Sterling Heights, MI at the Michigan Lottery Amphitheater on May 1, 2026 | Photography by @ljportnoy He worked Michigan into the patter constantly. Call-and-response on the third song with the crowd finishing the lines for him. A speech midway through that the room hung on. Then, in the kind of moment that becomes the story you tell about a show for years, he left the stage entirely. Walked through the pit. Walked into the 100s zone. Did backbends in the middle of his own audience. Asked someone in the front for a lighter and lit a cigarette while still performing. True rockstar behavior, in the best possible sense of that phrase. What It Felt Like Yungblud performs live in Sterling Heights, MI, at the Michigan Lottery Amphitheater on May 1, 2026 | Photography by @ljportnoy The energy of the venue was, genuinely, out of this world. We have covered a lot of shows in Michigan. We have stood in a lot of pits in a lot of weather. This one was different. It was bitter outside. Snow was falling in May. The wind cut through every layer the puffer-coated crowd had stacked on. And none of it mattered, because YUNGBLUD was on a stage in Sterling Heights kicking off the biggest tour of his career, and the people in front of him had decided the cold was not going to win. Sterling Heights came out to play. YUNGBLUD came out to detonate. The IDOLS World Tour is officially in motion, and if night one is any indication, every city after this one is in for it.

Photos and Article Contributed By Ernesto Raul Aguilar On the second night at a packed House of Blues in Chicago, opening artist Sundots took the stage. From the outset, the room was shoulder-to-shoulder and fully engaged, less a passive early crowd and more a group that had arrived with intent. Sundots performing at House of Blues in Chicago, IL. Photo by Ernesto Raul Aguilar (@blacksheepimagery on IG.) That connection made itself clear almost immediately. Between songs, shouts of “I love you” rang out from different corners of the floor, not as a one-off moment but as an ongoing exchange the band returned in kind. It created a feedback loop of energy that tightened the room even further, turning what could have been a standard opening set into something communal and participatory. Musically, Sundots leaned into their strengths: clean, melodic guitar work, steady rhythmic pacing, and choruses that landed with clarity. There was no sense of overreach. They let the songs carry, and the audience met them there. The set moved with intention, balancing brighter, up-tempo stretches with more reflective passages without losing the crowd’s attention. What stood out wasn’t a single peak, but the consistency of engagement. In a venue that size, early sets often feel transitional, but Sundots bypassed that entirely. By the time their set closed, what they built didn’t feel like a prelude. It felt like an experience that set the tone for the night. Sundots performing at House of Blues in Chicago, IL. Photo by Ernesto Raul Aguilar (@blacksheepimagery on IG.) For an opening slot, it was a performance defined less by introduction and more by affirmation: the band knows its audience, and on this night, that audience gave just as much back. That momentum carried straight into Panchiko’s set, which held a sense of full-circle significance. A band whose origins trace back to an internet rediscovery, with early recordings resurfacing online years after their initial release, now stood in front of a packed room. Panchiko performing at House of Blues in Chicago, IL. Photo by Ernesto Raul Aguilar (@blacksheepimagery on IG.) They opened with “Stabilisers for Big Boys,” immediately establishing an immersive tone that held steady throughout the set. The pacing felt intentional and assured, drawing the audience inward and keeping them there. “Ginkgo” stood out for its textured build and emotional clarity, resonating with a crowd that remained fully locked in. The connection continued into “Gwen Everest,” which added lift while maintaining the performance’s cohesive atmosphere. When “D>E>A>T>H>M>E>T>A>L” arrived, it landed as a true culmination, recognizable, impactful, and fully aligned with the energy in the room. The response was immediate and unified, reflecting both the song’s legacy and the band’s continued evolution. Panchiko performing at House of Blues in Chicago, IL. Photo by Ernesto Raul Aguilar (@blacksheepimagery on IG.) Throughout the set, Panchiko demonstrated a refined understanding of how to translate their story into a live setting. What once lived in obscurity has taken on a fully realized form, and in a packed House of Blues, that trajectory felt complete, artist and audience meeting at exactly the right moment. By the end of the night, what stood out wasn’t just the performances, but the consistency of connection in the room. From Sundots’ opening moments to Panchiko’s final notes, the energy never reset or dipped. It carried, built, and held. The result was a room that stayed fully engaged from start to finish, a rare kind of alignment that gave the entire show its weight.

People I've Met, perform in NYC at the iconic Mercury Lounge, for their album release party on May 2nd, 2026 | Photography by @fernandofloresphotography Inside People I’ve Met’s EP Release Show at NYC’s Iconic Mercury Lounge Photos and Article Contributed by Fernando Flores. There's something about seeing a band at the right moment. Before things get too big and the room gets too crowded, it makes the show feel more personal. And at a venue like Mercury Lounge that has helped launch names like Lady Gaga, nights as intimate as these might be a famous piece of history later. Tonight, People I’ve Met feel like they are right on the edge of glory days. A Slow Burn to Stardom People I've Met, perform in NYC at the iconic Mercury Lounge, for their album release party on May 2nd, 2026 | Photography by @fernandofloresphotography The alt-rock trio consisting of Moses Martin, Andy Suster, and Orlando Wiltshire is emerging strong, building something intentional, and choosing to first perform it live in such an infamous venue. Before getting where they are now, their story starts in the middle school jazz ensemble in Los Angeles. An unlikely beginning, but one that explains a lot. As the year went by, the band reunited on the East Coast for college, where their sound began to sharpen. The slow boil of gradual development carries into their debut EP Bunny, released May 1, 2026. The project didn't arrive all at once. And unfolded over time. “Promise” Came first in December 2025, followed by “For Hire” in January, then “Loving One” in March. Each track added another layer, giving a sense of direction without fully revealing the whole picture. Now, with Bunny, that picture feels more complete. The two new tracks, “Bastards” and “I Want It I Want It” round out the release, pushing their sound further without losing that sense of openness. Moses Martin has described their goal as creating music that feels like a world you can step into. It's an ambitious idea, but it comes through. The songs take their time. They stretch. They leave space where other bands might fill it. People I've Met, perform in NYC at the iconic Mercury Lounge, for their album release party on May 2nd, 2026 | Photography by @fernandofloresphotography Tonight’s show at Mercury Lounge is all about the celebration of the release of the new EP Bunny. Fans line up full of excitement and giddy knowing that they are going to be amongst the first to listen to People I’ve Met perform the new EP live. Who wouldn’t be ecstatic! Openers Bring The Power One by one the venue filled up with fans from all around. Moments before the first performer steps on the stage, the fans are already filling the venue with good vibes and strong energy. Rose Paradise, who waits not one second in showing us her extreme talents. She captures the attention of every person in the venue with her deep soulful melodies. The crowd ever so mesmerized by her music sways to the melody and not once turns away from her incredible performance. Up next, Nudey steps on stage with complete raw energy and amazing vocals. They bring the indie rock scene to Mercury Lounge. One can tell the amount of love and effort they put into their music and performances. All around the venue crowds of new and old fans just vibe out with their music. Every second kept the audience hooked with the talent Nudey clearly has. Anticipation Peaks for The Main Attraction! People I've Met, perform in NYC at the iconic Mercury Lounge, for their album release party on May 2nd, 2026 | Photography by @fernandofloresphotography Once the opening acts finish the crowd is even more excited to see People I’ve Met Premiere their new EP live. Suddenly, a roar fills the crowd as People I’ve Met hits the stage. From the first nodes, there's a quiet confidence in the room period it doesn't hit all at once. It builds slowly, almost patiently, like the band knows exactly where they're going even if the audience is still catching up. What stands out most is how unguarded everything feels. There's no sense of over-polishing, no attempt to smooth out every edge. It gives the music a kind of restlessness like it is still evolving even as it's being performed. Hearing songs from Bunny live shifts them slightly. Tracks that feel distant on record become more immediate in a room this size. You feel the changes in tempo, the pauses and the tension. The standout moment was when Orlando played the starting notes of Bastard from their new EP. Although the song just came out, it was a quick fan favorite. The whole room starts dancing and completely vibing with the upbeat hypnotic tempo of Orlando’s drums. The moment felt so magical that the room filled with a completely different type of energy throughout the entirety of the song. The dynamic between the three of them is part of what makes it work. Suster’s bass holds things together without drawing too much attention. Wiltshire’s drumming moves between restraint and intensity, guiding the pace without overpowering it. And Martin stays at the center of it all, moving between distance and vulnerability. Each one of them brings their own flair to the band and to their performances. They have the capability to easily become fan favorites of a crowd that might be just hearing about them now. Future Outlook for People I've Met So, it's easy to see where this is heading. Festival slots Reading and Leeds are already lined up, and the rooms will only get bigger from here. But tonight isn't about that. Not really. Tonight is about proximity and celebration. About catching a band at its root before everything expands. People I've Met, perform in NYC at the iconic Mercury Lounge, for their album release party on May 2nd, 2026 | Photography by @fernandofloresphotography Walking out, there's a lingering feeling that’s hard to pin down. Not just that the music was good but that you witnessed something at the right time. With the Bunny out now, People I’ve Met feel like they're stepping into something new. Still evolving but moving forward with intention. It’s refreshing to see talent like this. Not something that’s recycled but a band that brings their unique flair to the table. People I’ve Met is sure to become a quick fan favorite, another big name in the Mercury Lounge Hall of Fame.

Article and Photos Contributed by Madison Cozzens Logan Madsen of West 22nd performing at Beachland Ballroom, Cleveland. Photography by Madison Cozzens (@coz_artphoto on IG.) West 22nd made a stop at Beachland Ballroom in Cleveland on the tail end of their ‘to be or not to be” tour. The group was originally going to play at the 148-capacity Beachland Tavern, but due to high demand, they moved to the larger stage. Despite the cold and rainy spring weather in Cleveland, Beachland was warm and inviting. The crowd was buzzing with excitement and was ready to make some memories. Dipsea Flowers Sets the Tone Dipsea Flower performing at Beachland Ballroom, Cleveland. Photography by Madison Cozzens (@coz_artphoto on IG.) The LA-based indie quartet Dipsea Flower was the perfect opener for the evening. The group, consisting of Ari Rosenberg (vocals, guitar), Marley Striem (bass), Trevor Hurvitz (guitar), and Andy Baker (drums), met in college and released their first single, “Hummingbird,” in 2023. Their blend of vintage California rock, folk, and modern indie energized the crowd and got them ready for the main act. At the halfway point of their performance, Dipsea Flower performed an acoustic set of their song “Burnouts”. No mics, no drums; just guitar and the crowd clapping to keep the beat. The acoustic production matched the vibe and lyrics of the song and left the crowd with a memorable performance. Dipsea Flower announced to the crowd that they were releasing a new song at midnight. New and old fans alike had something to look forward to after the show that night. The song “Painted Pictures” combines folksy tunes with an upbeat indie beat. West 22nd Brings the Energy The group began their set with the song “Laugh it Off”, the opening guitar riff letting fans know the fun was about to begin. The crowd screamed as lead singer, Logan Madsen, took the stage and began to sing. Madsen’s energy was infectious, moving around the stage and playing with the mic stand. At many points during the show, he took a step back and gave the crowd the opportunity to sing the lyrics. The ballroom filling with the collective voices of everyone singing their hearts out. The group played “Virginia Highlands” and “Sunburns,” two of their most popular songs. The surfer-rock guitar riffs and high energy took the venue somewhere sunny and filled with good vibes West 22nd describes themselves as carousel rock, spinning through genre, emotion, and energy without ever losing its center. It’s a term they coined to capture the controlled chaos of their music: sometimes dizzying, sometimes grounding, always unforgettable. West 22nd delivered, taking fans through a trip filled with happiness, heartbreak, and everything in between. Fans enjoying the West 22nd show at Beachland Ballroom, Cleveland. Photography by Madison Cozzens (@coz_artphoto on IG.) During the show, West 22nd slowed things down and turned off the lights. Fans immediately knew what to do, picking up their phones and turning on their flashlights. The stage began to brighten as the flashlights filled the crowd all the way to the back of the room. Madsen began to sing a love ballad as fans swayed back and forth, soaking in the lyrics. It was a moment of calm during the high-energy indie-rock show, giving everyone a moment to bring their emotions to the surface. Logan Madsen of West 22nd performing at Beachland Ballroom, Cleveland. Photography by Madison Cozzens (@coz_artphoto on IG.) West 22nd is comprised of Logan Madsen (lead vocalist), Gabe Acevedo (rhythm guitarist), Jeremy Ancheta (lead guitarist), Jet Beck (bassist), and Tyler Kerch (drums). The group was formed while the band members were students at UT Austin. West 22nd performing at Beachland Ballroom, Cleveland. Photography by Madison Cozzens (@coz_artphoto on IG.) West 22nd made a name for themselves in 2024 when they were the first group made up of current UT students in the Austin City Limits Festival lineup. Even before their ACL debut, they were playing gigs across the city and the country while continuing their studies in school. Their show still feels like a local college performance, authentic and enthusiastic, connecting with their fans. West 22nd will only continue to grow, with their catchy melodies, fun riffs, and loyal fan base. We can't wait to see their next moves.

BTS Stars in the behind-the-scenes photoshoot for 'ARIRANG' link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwxn0Sd36Tg Article contributed by Monica Soriano BTS is known as the act that paved the way for K-pop to reach mainstream audiences, and after years of absence, they're back and ready to hit the stage. At the height of their international success, the band BTS abruptly announced their hiatus to enlist in South Korea’s mandatory military service. This was almost 4 years ago. Recently, they have made their official comeback, releasing a new album, tour dates, and selling out lightsticks around the world. Beyond The K Pop Label With their worldwide popularity and extreme success, the band from South Korea has surpassed the label of a K-pop boy band. Their success is bigger than K-pop. They are internationally loved and praised for their music. While they will always be tied to the world of K-pop, they have far exceeded what was dreamt of in the past for Idols. Back To Their Roots: Arirang On March 20, 2026 BTS released their comeback album Arirang, which was well received by the critics. BTS previously hinted that the album would be them going back to their roots. While many people interpreted this to mean it would be a heavily Korean language album with nods to their Korean upbringing; upon listening it was clear that their roots meant their Hip Hop beginnings. There are wonderful moments celebrating Korean culture, people and music woven intentionally into the album with heavy hip-hop elements reminiscent of their early post debut years. BTS Stars in the behind-the-scenes photoshoot for 'ARIRANG' link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwxn0Sd36Tg In 2014, RM, J-hope, Suga, Jin, Jimin, Jung Kook and V premiered their reality show American Hustle Life in which they spent time in Los Angeles, CA learning about Hip Hop. 11 years later the group returned to Los Angeles after completing their military service to work on their new album. Their career has been filled with both success and pauses. After their pop centered releases such as “Dynamite”, “Butter” and “Permission to Dance”, BTS returned to the time in which they roamed the streets of Hollywood in hopes to fill a show. Without their Hip Hop beginnings BTS wouldn’t be BTS. Creating an album like Arirang after achieving mainstream pop success is true appreciation for their early days. BTS WORLDWIDE: Their Anticipated Tour As their world tour is approaching, BTS has had a couple performances giving Army an idea of what to expect during their shows. On March 21, 2026, the band held a comeback concert in Seoul, South Korea. It was filled with excitement and filmed for Netflix to be accessible to fans everywhere. Days later, the group appeared in New York City’s Pier 17 for a Spotify x BTS: SWIMSIDE live performance and Q&A. During their tour, the group will have performances in Japan, Australia, Mexico, United States and many many more locations. This tour is expected to be full of energy, a mixture of their most popular songs and their introduction of Arirang. The only thing left to do is wait for the tour to officially start to see how they present themselves after the 4 year hiatus. Army Sells Out Lightsticks, Merch & More BTS Stars in the behind-the-scenes photoshoot for 'ARIRANG' link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwxn0Sd36Tg There are videos circulating online of empty shelves due to the demand for BTS albums and Army Bombs. With a fanbase as large as Army it is no wonder that the excitement for this comeback is all over social media. Army truly knows how to show support and say they’ve been waiting and they are ready for this new era. We are looking forward to keeping up with BTS and all their upcoming performances and releases. Welcome back RM, J-hope, Suga, Jin, Jimin, Jung Kook and V!

Jai’Len gives us a glimpse into her musical influences, her growth and details about how ‘Serial Romantic’ came to be. Article Contributed by Monica Soriano Since the release of her last project ‘Southern Delicacy’ in 2023, many fans were anticipating Jai’Len’s return. Now, years later, she is back with a fully conceptualized debut album. Recently, Jai’Len Josey shared some of her thoughts and experiences with us in regards to ‘Serial Romantic’ and her musical growth. Photo Contributed by 1824 / UMG Upon hearing her speak, we immediately felt her charisma fill her surroundings. Her R&B sound is mixed with different genres and influences which are noticeable throughout her work. The singer-songwriter told us that her influences in music range from Chaka Khan and Michael Jackson to Luther and Beyonce. She gave credit to her mom for always having great artists such as Donny Hathaway and Aretha Franklin playing in the house. This view into her inspirations makes perfect sense when diving into her discography. Personal & Musical Growth for Jai’Len Her debut album ‘Serial Romantic’ is full of personal experiences and relatability. When asked about her album’s storytelling and what this means to her she said “The album is about being selfish after being selfless for so long…… i feel like being a serial romantic means all of the trials that you go through different relationships and through different experiences with whether it’s with family or people or whoever you give heart to. Knowing that at the end of the day, you can’t pour into somebody’s cup if you don’t have anything to pour.” It simply gave us an idea of how she approached this subject matter in a real and more mature way; Jai’Len was only 23 during her ‘Southern Delicacy’ era and now she is 27. She stated her biggest change since her last project has been “maturity in my mental health……in ‘Southern Delicacy’ I was younger and just nervous and anxious .....I had to overcome truly just being in my head.” If anyone has ever wondered where Jai’Len Josey gets her inspiration from currently, she expressed "I've been drawing inspiration from the feeling that I get when I’m in my jeep by myself at 6am going to the gym. I think that that is an experience in itself where it’s like you really have to force yourself to get up out of bed and just go….I relate that to my music because the experiences that you have when you’re by yourself, the most personal, are the ones you truly don’t get to speak about and I really thought I needed to speak about them in music right now.” She went on to say that her music now is about liberation. Her songwriting process is often layered with wonder to which Jai’Len said “I love a good metaphor” and “I’m a big fan of grammar” so she uses those to her advantage. More Color To Her Music Jai’Len spoke about working with producer Tricky Stewart and how he helped bring this project together. She said that she personally appreciates high energy music and Tricky was able to “add a little silk to this…put a different color palette here.” Their different approach to music blended beautifully within this album and it’s great to hear her speak with optimism about their collaboration. Lastly, since this project is such a special piece of work we had to ask her if there was a moment while creating this album that was memorable or impactful for her. To this she said “My mom is a big critic, you know, my mom worked in the industry ….. I was unsure but then after I saw her expression, I think seeing my mom actually have nothing but great things to say about it.…..I really feel like that has been the best moment. Just knowing that I did something that my mom really really loves.” ‘Serial Romantic’ is full of life, heart, feelings and color. We are excited for this new era Jai’Len has embarked on and can’t wait to see what the future holds for the talented singer.

The multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Ichiko Aoba captivated the audience with her angelic voice. Article Contributed by Monica Soriano On Friday April 24, 2026 Japanese singer Ichiko Aoba presented herself accompanied by string orchestra group 12 Ensemble and composer Taro Umebayashi to an audience at The Walt Disney Concert Hall. We were in attendance at this performance. While arriving we were greeted with friendly staff that was accommodating and easily guided us to find our seat. The Disney Concert Hall is utterly beautiful with 360° seating that expands vertically. As seats were filling up, it was announced that no photography or videography would be allowed during the presentation. It became clear later on why this was important. A Quiet & Mesmerized Audience The lights dimmed and Ichiko Aoba made her entrance. She had a shiny long silver dress with poet style sleeves that beautifully stood out in the dark room. Without saying a word she picked up her acoustic guitar and began her set. From the very first song, the audience was silent, captivated and fully submerged in her voice. After a couple songs she was joined by 12 Ensemble members and Taro Umebayashi. She introduced herself and continued the show. Her music is a blend of folk, classical and ambient among others that truly resonates with audiences. It was almost completely silent in the room but with applause at the end of each song. Many artists would normally want their fans to be loud and lively but during an interview with Derrick Gee she stated that many audience members in fact fall asleep at her shows; she seemed rather welcoming to the idea that her voice allows people to doze off. This experience made perfect sense why no videos or photos were allowed, this show was whimsical and very peaceful. The set design and lighting accompanied the songs in alignment, often switching colors, producing smoke or creating a stunning atmosphere of flashing lights that filled the entire room. A True Multi-Instrumentalist and Vocalist Throughout the show Ichiko switched between acoustic guitar, electric guitar and an electric piano synthesizer. Her ability to create a space that seems far away from the city is admirable. She performed for just under 2 hours and our favorite songs included “FLAG”, “Hagupit”, “惑星の泪” (Wakusei No Namida) and of course “Asleep Among Endives.” At the end she thanked Taro Umebayashi and the 12 Ensemble members individually. While she sat for the entirety of her show, the very last song she performed standing. After everyone exited the stage, there was a hope and voices encouraging an encore. It wasn’t long before Ichiko Aoba joyfully skipped back to the stage and performed 2 more songs, one being a gorgeous french version of “Seabed Eden.” She thanked everyone else including lighting and both U.S. and Japanese Staff, bowed alongside the performers onstage and waved goodbye with a smile. We’re Just Glad To Have Experienced This Tour Overall, sitting in and soaking Ichiko Aoba’s talent was a wonderful and unique experience. 12 Ensemble was a great choice to accompany her, hearing each and every instrument live and form a mesmerizing performance is unforgettable. The Walt Disney Concert Hall was a perfect choice for this specific show and provided a beautiful sound. Ichiko Aoba is continuing her North American tour and we are glad to have witnessed her talent live. We will be keeping up with her and her future shows/music.

Almost Here’s 20th anniversary tour shone as a living, breathing love letter to the 2000s. Article & Photos by Vaneza Gutiérrez Wyckoff There are shows that feel like concerts, and then there are shows that feel like stepping through a wormhole in time. The Academy Is…’s Almost Here 20th Anniversary tour landed firmly in the latter, pulling the crowd headfirst into the glittering, angst-laced heartbeat of the mid-2000s and refusing to let go. The Academy Is… performing at Emo's in Austin, TX. Photography by Vaneza Gutiérrez Wyckoff (@vanezasnaps on IG). Setting the tone for the night was Jon Walker, delivering a scaled-down, solo set armed with nothing but an electric guitar and a quiet confidence that felt almost conspiratorial. He serenaded the crowd with original songs, such as “Sun and Moon” and “Fairytale” before leaning fully into the spirit of nostalgia that hovered over the room like a familiar melody you hadn’t realized you missed. Closing his set with covers of Fall Out Boy’s “Tell That Mick He Just Made My List of Things to Do Today,” The Young Vein’s “Take A Vacation!,” and Panic! At The Disco’s “Nine In The Afternoon,” Walker didn’t just warm up the crowd, he rewound them. Each chorus felt like flipping through an old yearbook, each lyric a scribbled note in the margins. By the time his set ended, the audience wasn’t just ready for The Academy Is… they were submerged in the 00s, positively buzzing for what was to come. Jon Walker performing at Emo's in Austin, TX. Photography by Vaneza Gutiérrez Wyckoff (@vanezasnaps on IG). And then came the main event. Taking the stage with the kind of electricity that doesn’t dim with time, The Academy Is… launched into Almost Here in its entirety, celebrating two decades since its release with a performance that felt anything but dated. Instead, it pulsed with the urgency and vitality of a band that knows exactly what these songs mean, both to themselves and to the crowd rejoicing in front of them. From the opening notes, it was clear this wasn’t just a playthrough of a familiar album - it was so much more. The crowd screamed every word back at the stage with unwavering intensity, their voices colliding into a chorus that blurred the line between the band onstage and audience. It didn’t matter if the song was one that had soundtracked their teenage years or one that had only been out for a matter of weeks, the enthusiasm never wavered. Each lyric was delivered like it still had something to prove, like it still mattered just as much now as it did then. Woven between the Almost Here tracklist were fan favorites like “About A Girl,” “LAX to O’Hare,” and “We’ve Got A Big Mess On Our Hands,” each one landing like a familiar punch to the chest in the best possible way. And then, seamlessly, the band bridged past and present with songs from their recently released and long-awaited album Almost There. Tracks like “L Train,” “2005,” and “Miracle” didn’t feel like newcomers trying to earn their place. Instead, they slotted into the set with a natural ease, as if they had always belonged in this world. The Academy Is… performing at Emo's in Austin, TX. Photography by Vaneza Gutiérrez Wyckoff (@vanezasnaps on IG). At the center of it all shone William Beckett, whose vocals were as sharp and controlled as ever. His stage presence was magnetic, his energy infectious, constantly reaching out and pulling the crowd along with him. There was a sense of familiarity in the way he moved, in the way he egged the audience on with the same vigor that defined the band’s early days, but it never felt like a reenactment. Joined by most of the original band, it felt lived-in, fully realized, and undeniably present. What made the night even more striking was the crowd itself, a kaleidoscope of eras colliding in real time. There were elder emos clad in outfits as black as their hearts, longtime fans in local sports jerseys and jeans, and younger attendees channeling the spirit of 00s scene kids with colorful, teased hair and friendship bracelets stacked all the way up their arms. It was a visual reminder that this music didn’t just belong to one moment in time. It had stretched, evolved, and found new life in every person singing along. In a world that moves quickly, often leaving its past behind without a second thought, The Academy Is… proved that some things don’t fade. They transform, they deepen, they gather new meaning with every passing year. The Academy Is… performing at Emo's in Austin, TX. Photography by Vaneza Gutiérrez Wyckoff (@vanezasnaps on IG). For one night, Almost Here wasn’t just an album celebrating its 20th anniversary. It was a living, breathing time capsule, one that invited everyone in the room to remember who they were, who they are, and maybe, just maybe, who they’ve been all along.