When we first met Cloud Cukkoo, I was instantly enamored with her “danceable depression,” and since then it seems like the rest of the world is starting to catch up. From playing shows with the likes of Sara Hartman to being featured on billboards in Berlin, Cloud Cukkoo has been here, there, and everywhere – so we were happy to get a chance to sit down with her once more to talk about her latest single, “Anna,” as well as Lizzo’s impact, the beauty of instrumentation, and so much more!

Kendra: Since we last spoke you’ve been doing so well. I always enjoy seeing new accolades coming from your direction. With that, how’ve you been since we last touched base?

Cloud Cukkoo: Thank you, so much has happened! When we spoke for the first time, I had just moved to Berlin. I relocated so I could meet new writers, find producers to produce with, and just experience life abroad. To be honest with you, I didn’t expect it to be so important for me. I realized how anxious I was before I moved – being alone in a new city without any friends, and having to figure out everything by yourself. 

Being that cliché small-town girl, I’m not sure if I’d ever even been in a metro station all alone, haha. But it’s been so good for me and I even thought about staying! In the future, I might move back, because it’s been so nice. I’ve met the most amazing and caring people and found a wonderful creative community that included me right away, called Osmosis. My friend Hannah would invite writers, and painters – you name it – over and host creative nights where Tai (our friend) would cook and everyone would work on their art and help each other. I think finding such a warm, cool group of people around me, made me feel so welcome in Berlin. I also met my amazing friend called Freia, who I’ve learned so much about and she has taught me so much about the city. 

Besides that, moving to Berlin really allowed me to work on my songs. I’d sit in the park and write my lyrics without feeling the pressure of having to finish everything so quickly. I started working with my producer Francis, who owns Tricone Studios in Funkhaus – an iconic old radio building in East Berlin. He’s amazing and really prioritizes the ideas I have about my music and pushes me to play every instrument myself (which is not always a good thing, you don’t wanna hear me on drums, haha). Right now we’re still working together remotely and I travel back and forth to work on new material with him. 

Kendra: So you’ve got your new single, “Anna,” inspired by a man you saw on the streets of Dublin. It reminded me a lot of what a modern-day Fleetwood Mac would sound like. Other than the man and his cup in hand, were there any musical inspirations you pulled from for this one? 

Cloud Cukkoo: Thank you for the compliment, I’m a huge Fleetwood Mac fan. It’s a song I’ve been working on for a long time. I started writing it when I was still in school at The Rock Academy in The Netherlands. I wrote it after we got an assignment to write a song about homelessness. After about four years (when I took the trip to Dublin) I rewrote it for the third time and it became the song it is right now. Since it has ‘traveled over time’ with me, I feel like it’s been inspired by a lot of artists and bands I’ve listened to over the years – Daughter, St. Vincent, Phoebe Bridgers, Clairo, for instance. It’s funny: the demo I created a few years ago sounds like this dark, never-ending soundscapy song, built on drums and a repetitive bass. The song right now is much more focused on storytelling and became quite poppy, with a lot more room to breathe. 

Kendra: When you see something like that and are moved to write, is it an instantaneous feeling or did you go home, remember it, and then have that spark of creativity? 

Cloud Cukkoo: Since I love to write with an instrument (so I can place my melodies with chords right away), I didn’t start writing immediately in Dublin. Normally I record ideas, melody lines, or lyrics on my phone, or write down ideas or lyrics in my notes. This time I remember thinking ‘Anna, I have to remember that name’. I think it was the weekend right after that trip we had a weekend (but in the country), with a big group of friends.

We were actually staying in a riding school/horse ranch and there was a piano in the community room. I remember everyone being hungover in bed, or on the couch. I sat down behind the piano and instantly played the chorus of the song. 

Kendra: Your music, as beautiful as you sound, does cover some darker aspects of our reality from homelessness to mental health. Do you feel like with art there is a responsibility to enact change on a larger scale rather than to just entertain? 

Cloud Cukkoo: Not only can music inspire, entertain or touch – it can also heal. I haven’t been doing my best lately after so much has happened in my life and I didn’t really take the time to take a breather. I find so much comfort and reassurance in listening to other musicians or artists going through the same thing. Music is a place where a lot of people are able to write about stuff they don’t know how to talk about. Apart from that, it doesn’t always have to come from a sad place. 

Lizzo’s music, for instance, has really empowered me as a fat woman. Seeing a plus-size person headlining major festivals, winning Grammys, being on magazine covers, and having such a warm and supportive community around them – it’s so empowering to the new generation of musicians and the ones who are already there. And look at Madonna, Lady Gaga, and Sam Smith – such important role models who are paving the way for other new, queer artists.

Kendra: You kicked off the year with “Anna.” Have you had any other instances in your life that have made your mind get to work on more new music since then? 

Cloud Cukkoo: Right now I’m mainly busy with focusing on live. Getting the perfect band together, making sure everyone blends and it sounds amazing together. Other than that, I’m traveling back and forth to Berlin to work on songs I’ve written during my time there. Being an independent artist also means you’re actually doing everything yourself – emailing, booking shows, social media, videos, etc. I’m trying not to complain, but lately, I’ve been drowned with ‘administrational’ work, so it’s been hard to get my mind to a creative space where I feel like I have the time to write. I really miss that about Berlin – I felt like I was allowing myself to be creative so much more. Luckily I’ve already set some dates where I’ll be in Berlin to work on songs and drafts and in the meantime, I’m going to write and produce new stuff in The Netherlands. 

Kendra: So time for a side note – with love in the air, I’d love to know what is the #1 song you’d put on a mixtape as part of a Valentine’s Day gift? 

Cloud Cukkoo: Such a fun question! I’ve been looking in my own playlist for this one, but funny enough I’m only finding sad songs and songs about heartbreak. I’d probably go for “Give Me All Your Love” by Alabama Shakes. Brittany Howard is such an amazing songwriter and inspiration to me, but I also find it super funny and beautiful at the same time that the song is so aggressive and full of emotion. 

Kendra: Lastly, with “Anna” out now, what else is in the works as we head towards the spring??
Cloud Cukkoo: New music! I can already tell you that the next single I’ll release is called “Cocaine Kisses.” It’s my favorite one so far! I arranged these super weirdly sounding, detuned keys and I love it so much. Can’t wait for that song to be released. Other than that I’ll start playing live again, with a brand new band. There’s a live video of ‘Anna’ coming out and I’m working on my debut EP. You can follow me on Instagram or subscribe to my fun, glittery newsletter on my site to be updated about everything.

The post Catching Up with Cloud Cukkoo appeared first on ZO Magazine.

“…ideas are living entities which float around the psychic realm and if one comes to us we can realize it or it will leave us again.”

Whether it’s an idea of a melody, it’s clear that Mynolia has this innate capability to capture and spin them into wonderful musical moments. All of which can be found on her debut EP, ‘All Things Heavy,’ out now. We talked about the record, loneliness, and more in this back-and-forth exchange. 

Kendra: Like you, I didn’t grow up with a real attachment to a cultural identity. Not because I was traveling like yourself, but more so because that just wasn’t something my family put a lot of stock into. Do you think that’s allowed you to create more from a base-level human perspective? 

Mynolia: I don’t know any different, so I can’t really say. But I feel like a fusion cuisine, with a bunch of weird flavours that aren’t claimed by any of the fused cultures. Maybe the other way to look at a lack of cultural identity is as an overload of them. That is what I noticed in my songs over time, that small pieces of all my homes make an appearance, while a theme in the lyrics is often the lack of home. Either way, I can’t say if it’s more base-line human to have no cultural identity or if it is so deeply human to have one, that it becomes the baseline. In the end, we are creatures who want to belong, and some of us just belong in the not-belonging.

Kendra: Being Berlin-based now, did you find yourself being inspired by anything local when writing and recording ‘All Things Heavy,’ be it a dish or a particular shop? 

Mynolia: After a decade in Berlin, I actually feel less based there than ever. I feel like I’ve been transitioning out of it for some time, but it has definitely affected me and my songwriting. In “Stall Stickers” I refer to a dark and low-ceilinged basement club, with stickers all over the bathrooms and people looking to shake off life’s monotony while going on hedonistic and exhausting benders. “White Noise” is about wet empty winter streets. I loved a few winters there but hated most. The grey really gets under my skin. 

As Beirut sang way back, “Berlin is so ugly in the morning light”, and I agree but I’ll admit it can also be beautiful and it has managed to maintain some of its DIY spirit and punk undercurrent, which is rare these days for major metropolises in my experience. No food has made it into my songs….yet.

Kendra: When you noted about this album, “My driving force is discomfort and connection, making room for the spectrum of emotions we all face, while laughing at it,” I was reminded of what a UK drag performer by the name of Scarlett Harlett said about life. To paraphrase, “If you don’t laugh, you’ll cry.” All of that said, do you think that ability to find humor amidst the darker times is somewhat of a superpower some of us have? 

Mynolia: I think everyone possesses the ability, but of course, it depends on our circumstances. I feel lucky to be able to laugh. Laugh at myself and humanity. It feels good to cackle in the face of doom and gloom. I just look to keep the balance between brooding, discussing, and debating the mysteries of life and our current cluster fuck of a world, and not forgetting that we are animated flesh sacks who came up with everything besides eating, shitting, and mating. Maybe that’s the real baseline human perspective.

Kendra: Speaking of superpowers, you may also have one for creating melodies. Which, have you ever been caught off guard and come up with a melody in an instance when perhaps you weren’t trying to? 

Mynolia: Well thank you. I like that theory written about most recently by Elizabeth Gilbert, that ideas are living entities which float around the psychic realm and if one comes to us we can realize it or it will leave us again. There’s no ownership there, which I like. I don’t have any cool stories of coming up with melodies, thinking back now I barely remember coming up with them at all, usually, it’s just a vivid dream that had me waking up exhausted with a new well to draw from for lyrics but I guess melodies hitch that ride, it usually shows up altogether, chords, picking pattern, melody, and lyrics.

Kendra: I do want to get into “White Noise” before we wrap up. The idea of loneliness, especially in recent years has been so prevalent in art all around. As we get further out from the pandemic, do you think that’ll change or will the hold social media has on us keep us in that lonely state?

Mynolia: Yeah it all feels pretty grim these days. And the claw grip of social media isn’t helping for sure. I want to believe that things are getting worse because they are going to get better. I hope we all overdose so hard on the mind-numbing side of tech consumption that our bodies start rejecting and expelling it like food poisoning. The loneliness might be built into us for a while though. I read that psychological studies done on Gen Z show more introverted, fragile, and lonely tendencies, but also higher levels of empathy than any recorded generation before. 

Muscles are built by strain and maybe we are just in that phase of getting buff in human connection, despite many old-world strategies attempting to keep people dulled and afraid. I don’t know if I’ll witness it, but I am optimistic there will be fundamental shifts in how we structure societies through hierarchies and law, etc. For now, just hug people more and grow your own veggies I guess.

Kendra: Time for a side note…with the holidays right around the corner, I’d love to know if you could be gifted with tickets to see any artist, living or not, live in concert – who would it be and why? 

Mynolia: Leonard Cohen and Lata Mangeshkar. I think I should get to go to two concerts because my birthday is the day after Christmas.

Kendra: Happy early birthday! Lastly, with ‘All Things Heavy’ out on December 2nd, what are your plans heading into the new year?

Mynolia: At the end of this year I’ll be sharing some projects made along with the album, but I’m off to lay low in the Ouachita mountains for the winter. Next year I’m heading to SXSW in March and touring Morocco before that. I have a pile of new songs I will be recording and some exciting collaborations coming up. Keep on creatin’ and livin’. That’s the plan.

The post All Things Mynolia  appeared first on ZO Magazine.

Kendra: Where did your musical journey begin?

Michael’s Statement: Born in Germany in the mid-70s, I discovered progressive rock bands at the age of five; Genesis, Rush, Pink Floyd, ELP, Yes, and King Crimson. I also lived in Africa and there are also some world music influences in my music. I love every kind of music that translates real emotions. I like good pop music, classical, heavy metal, jazz, and more. If it´s good and when it makes me feel something I tend to like it.

Kendra: It’s been a handful of years since you released an album. When everything was said and done on ‘Silent Creatures,’ what did you want to do more or less for the next album, and do you feel you accomplished those personal musical goals with 2022’s ‘ISOLATION?’

Michael’s Statement: A lot of things happened in the last few years worldwide. Musicians and artists have had to fear for their existence because of dumb political decisions. Yes, I also lived and still have worries about the future. 

I run a music school and because of covid, the school lost a lot of students. During lockdowns, I wrote and recorded the whole album, and it’s influenced by what happened all around the world. I also started a new project called “Audrey´s Dance” which is more of a kind of ambient progressive rock. The full album, ‘Ghost Town,’ was released on July 29th through all streaming services. I´m very happy with both projects because I can realize all ideas that come into my head.

Kendra: One of the tracks off ‘ISOLATION’ is “Human Reality.” It gives off this very 1970s, blacklight poster decor vibe. With that, if we were to create a blacklight poster based on this song – what imagery do you feel it’d have and why?

Michael’s Statement: You nailed it. It has really strong ‘70s vibes. I´m thinking about all those great bands from that time. You get this feeling because of the sound of the instruments you hear, Hammond organ, Mellotron, and 12-string guitar. That’s the sound of the ‘70s.

Kendra: A couple of other songs off the album caught my attention and those were “Aurora Borealis” and “Big Bang.” Are you someone who can get lost in documentaries about natural phenomena? 

Michael’s Statement: When I was around five I could drive myself crazy by thinking about the universe and that there is no end…still thinking about that today.

Kendra: Side note time – with some heading Back 2 School this month, I’d love to know your favorite field trip or just school memory. 

Michael’s Statement: At a young age I also lived in Yugoslavia, and loved fishing. That’s my favourite memory; being alone with nature.

Kendra: Lastly, with ‘ISOLATION’ out now, what else can we expect on the horizon as we head into the fall?

Michael’s Statement: Check the latest ‘Audrey’s Dance’ album too. I’m already working on new songs for both projects. I love to be in my studio. That means more will come soon.

The post The Truth In Between Michael’s Statement appeared first on ZO Magazine.

Kendra: Is there a particular artist, song, or album that got you hooked on making music?

Cloud Cukkoo: Growing up I listened to a lot of different artists, but because of ‘Take Me Out’ by Franz Ferdinand, ‘Torches’ by Foster The People, and ‘Beacon’ by Two Door Cinema Club, I really got into indie music. Still, I cannot seem to find other albums that take me back to high school like they did, even though I listened to many other albums at the time. I was in love with artists such as Lana Del Rey and Florence + The Machine. The way they used their voice, the way their drums sounded: it was a complete new world opening up to me. 

As soon as I started writing my own songs, I was super inspired by the band Daughter. For the first time, I got into reverb and delay pedals, experimented with soundscaping with my guitar, and tried to create a dreamy world in my music. Elena Tonra (Daughter) is an amazing songwriter and performer. Her songs can switch from super fragile to this massive wonderland within seconds. 

Funny story, my at-the-time boyfriend and I were both huge fans of Daughter and made our relationship official during one of their concerts. We’ve broken up, but he’s still my bitch (meaning drummer in my band). Ever since that time my style has really changed and developed, but in some ways, it still has some of the elements I once fell in love with during high school: the dynamics in the songs, catchy melodies, always seeking for new sounds and combining wanting to dance and cry at the same time.

Kendra: Right now you’re in Berlin, but you’re not from there – right? Did you relocate for musical reasons?

Cloud Cukkoo: Yes! I’m planning on staying at least half a year. My biggest reason to move was to write, produce and release new music over here. Berlin is more international, but also a beautifully raw city, with lots of creative people from all over the world, beautiful parks, nice places to hang out and so much history. 

I felt like changing my environment would really contribute to myself as an artist (and growth as a person, obviously), but I was also looking for new producers and songwriters to connect with. And so far it worked! I’ve already met so many amazing people and I’ve written new music in which I feel like moving to Berlin has already contributed. 

Moving, missing your loved ones, and surviving in a new, huge city (I’m from a super small village in the countryside of The Netherlands) – enough topics to write about. Plus, I can officially say that one of my new songs is co-written by Buns & Tootie, two super cute dogs that Matias (a producer from Sweden I’m working with) always brings during our writing sessions.

Kendra: You’ve noted that your music is “danceable depression” and for us dreamers who have an issue falling asleep. Which I can 100% relate to on so many levels. With that said, do you think that those of us failing to sleep are just creative night owls in a way?

Cloud Cukkoo: Yes, definitely. Sometimes it’s nice to be creative and have so many ideas, but it can also be hard. A lot of times I feel like my mind is racing and my body needs to keep up with it all the time. I think a lot of creative people are overthinkers and vice-versa. I’ve been trying to embrace that being sensitive and tending to overthink a lot are just extra gifts that come with creativity. If I wouldn’t think about everything so much, I wouldn’t be able to write the songs I write. And isn’t that also what art is about?

Kendra: Right now fans can hear what you’ve got going on with “The Game,” a song that again…is me. It captures the pain of feeling left out which I think is magnified today with social media. Do you feel that’s where a lot of those feelings for you arise as well? 

Cloud Cukkoo: “The Game” is actually a song I wrote about a woman who’s craving for danger and sensation in her life, who makes the wrong decision and spends the night with an (in her eyes) intriguing man. But obviously, everyone can interpret the lyrics in their own way. 

Feeling left out is indeed a theme I write and sing about often. For me, it doesn’t really come from social media, even though I’d really understand it when people do feel that way. I’ve been bullied a lot as a child, so I’ve been noticing that that is something that still resonates with me nowadays and that is what I write about: feeling rejected, feeling like you’re not good enough, or still being that misfit. 

When you’ve experienced people locking you out and bullying you, it makes sense that years later, you can still doubt yourself or feel like you’re not good enough. But! Writing about this topic has definitely made me realize that the problem wasn’t so much with me, but with the bullies. And yes, I’m probably still that misfit, but I’m proud of that now.

Kendra: You’ve got another new song out this July called, “Alice.” You wrote this one for a friend that touches on the homophobia of society and the struggles that come with being part of the LGBTQ+ community. I can only imagine what an emotional toll that song took on you to write. Where was your head at when you started working on “Alice?”

Cloud Cukkoo: One of my dear friends asked me to write a song about ‘Alice in Wonderland,’ since he’d been obsessed with the story ever since he was a little kid. ‘Alice in Wonderland’ (as we all know it) is supposed to be a dreamy and magical place, where one can forget about their worries, but in this song, it’s used as a metaphor for society – where things aren’t always easy. 

The boy in my story is expecting “trees of glitter, streets of gold” while finding his way through life, but falls down the rabbit hole and ends up in a homophobic place. ‘Alice’ in this case represents a way out – meaning believing in yourself, owning who you are, and trusting your heart. Of course, it’s rough to write a song like that, but it’s also reality. A lot of rough shit still happens every day, for literally no reason. I feel like I resonate so much with this topic because I’ve also been a victim of not being accepted by other people and for me, it felt like the ‘outcome’ was trusting my own vision and not changing myself for anyone else.

Kendra: Also, with Coachella still fresh on my mind and all these artists from today bringing out the likes of Shania Twain and Hayley Williams, I’d love to know what artist you’ve drawn inspiration from would you love to connect with if you had the chance to at a festival like that? 

Cloud Cukkoo: Well, I think Coachella is already a goal itself, haha! But singing with the iconic Stevie Nicks would be a dream. I’d also love to write or play a song with Phoebe Bridgers, sing a song with Matt Berninger of The National, or shake my ass off with Lizzo!

Kendra: Lastly, with “Alice” on the way this July – anything else you can share with us, perhaps tour plans?
Cloud Cukkoo: Since I’ve just moved, I’m focusing on writing and releasing for now. So there’s a lot of new music coming this year. I’m also working with directors and filmmakers over here in Berlin, so I’m really curious about the coming music videos. I’m hoping the people reading this are curious enough now to listen to the new music I’m releasing and might follow me on social media or subscribe to my newsletter.

The post Cloud Cukkoo: Nightowls in Wonderland appeared first on ZO Magazine.

Throwing a trio of darts on a map and having them land here and there, you’d have a chance of hitting where each of the three talented musicians that make up Mighty Oaks hails from. An international band, Mighty Oaks bring three-world views to the table on their fittingly-titled 2021 release, ‘Mexico.’ We talked to Claudio, one-third of the band, about what each of them brings to the table, what phase of the quarantine this record feels like, and more in this back and forth exchange.

Kendra: In a trio where members come from various places on the map, do you think that where each of you is from helped to influence not only the band’s overall style but also the band’s worth ethic as well?

Claudio: When we started the band, I think that the musical background of each member played some role in shaping the style and the idea of the band that each one has and depends, to some extent, on the culture in the places where each of us grew up. So yes, perhaps where we come from has influenced what we do and who we are as a band. But I think that’s inevitable for any three people coming together to do creative work. As if moving to a different country, learning a new language, and integrating into a new culture wasn’t enough of putting ourselves out of our comfort zone, I think that starting a band pushed our boundaries of personal and professional growth even further.

Kendra: So early last year y’all were out on the road touring and them bam! Everything came to a halt. In the first few weeks of the chaos that was 2020, did you ever consider that your time with music was done, or were you pushed to move forward with even more fervor than before?

Claudio: This pandemic has seen so many different phases so far that I almost can’t recollect every single one, it’s been a rollercoaster of shock, despair, hope, and resignation. I just know that taking away the live shows from a band like us, has been taking away the ground from beneath our feet. We hope that we’re going to be able to play shows and tour again soon. It’s the part we love the most, the main reason why we are a band. In the past years, we’ve toured almost constantly, and this still feels quite surreal.

The idea that for musicians it could have been over definitely crossed my mind in a moment of despair, but then you realize that music is too important for our culture and that you’re part of a huge system that involves all kinds of music professionals and you feel less alone in this. Our main reaction to the lockdown has been getting to write and record new music. We thought to ourselves, by the time this whole nightmare is over we need to be ready. And so we worked towards that.

Kendra: Possibly the latter because from the insanity came ‘Mexico.’ As we mentioned before, y’all are a very international band, but if you had to compare this record to a particular phase of COVID (Ex. bread baking, worrying, toilet paper hoarding, etc), which would it be and why?

Claudio: Haha, that’s an interesting association. I think it would compare the closest to “gardening” or somehow all those activities that some people turned to, that involve some sort of patience, craft, and slow growth and that while you do it, it takes your whole mind and focus.

Kendra: Because there are some elements of COVID on this album, and many others coming out this year. This isn’t shocking because big events often influence the art that follows. With you guys, your single “Mexico” sort of acts like an escape tool from reality. Other than writing songs like this, what was your go-to form of escapism last year?

Claudio: In ‘Mexico’ we play with the idea of “escapism”, a topic that has become such a huge part of our culture, in terms of traveling but also virtually through screens, think about Netflix and the whole mindless social media scroll: also a form of “escapism” if you will. I guess we all realized the hard way how the alternation of touring and life at home used to keep us sane and played a balancing role in our life, and since we stopped touring we started looking for new kinds of balance. As a band, music has been once again what saved us. Making music and looking forward to putting it out in the world. Personally, I find solace in reading and improvising on the piano.

Kendra: You also mentioned that “Mexico” was sort of inspired by the “me first” attitude we saw a lot of because of COVID. I think that was so poignant because it’s 100% true. In America especially, it was sad to see such high levels of selfishness in a time where we needed to be the complete opposite. Do you feel like humanity can recover from that particular dark side of COVID?

Claudio: A situation of emergency, like a pandemic, brings out the truth in people and societies. It showed that globalization is only superficial, that people are still living in a pretty small world in their mind, unable to grasp the interdependent consequences of their choices and behaviors. A lesson that comes from natural ecosystems. While I’m confident that we’re evolving towards a more responsible way of living, that solidarity is slowly penetrating our culture, I think it’s a slow process that will take longer than my generation will be able to see and requires constant effort from those who are pushing the boundaries of change.

Kendra: t’s getting a little easier with the vaccine rollouts, but it’s still kind of hard to have a definite answer when it comes to future plans given the current state of everything, but as far as what you can control when it comes to your career and creativity – what do you have planned in the coming months for yourself?

Claudio: We planned a European tour for Spring 2022. Our bet is that by then live shows will be allowed again. I can’t tell how much we’re looking forward to it and how we’re hoping that that’s going to be the case! Other than that, we’re going to take it step by step, like we’ve seen it’s the only way through this pandemic.

The post Planting the Seeds of Mighty Oaks appeared first on ZO Magazine.

Kendra: As someone who has been in music since cassettes were the end all be all to today when a global pandemic has changed live entertainment for the time being, how adaptable do you feel musicians have been with each new wave and hurdle that has come their way over the years?

Matt Boroff: I think the adaptive power of musicians and artists of all kinds comes from their ability to embrace adversity by integrating and reflecting it in the work itself. It’s like a judo move. Embracing that adversity can even lead to new avenues of expression that would’ve never been realized under different circumstances. Today’s situation is a sudden and difficult one, and it’s hard to say where it’ll lead for musicians like myself in the near future.

Right now, it seems like we’re using our latest technology as an alternative way of experiencing live music when we can’t be there physically. It certainly doesn’t compare to the real thing, but I think there’s going to be rapid improvements in that area. When the pandemic is in the rearview mirror, those improvements and innovations will remain, and I can imagine that they’re going to form a hybrid version of entertainment that’ll define the way we experience live-music in the mid-21st century.

Kendra: Speaking of cassettes, your single, “Let It Come Down,” was inspired by a spoken word tape you had back in 1995. How often did your mind wander back to that tape in the past 25 years, and when did you start getting the idea to craft this song?

Matt Boroff: I’ve thought about it often. I think I probably have an undiagnosed form of OCD or
something like it because I’ve always had layers of sounds, phrases of songs, and bits of dialogue playing on an endless loop in my mind. I’ve just accepted that they’re there and I treat them like friendly ghosts. The line “let it come down” from the William Burroughs poem ‘Apocalypse’ is one of those ghosts.

So, in a sense, writing “Let It Come Down” last year was just my way of making lemonade with lemons that William Burroughs gave me. You called yourself an “emotional weatherman” after recording ‘Beautiful Machine.’ With that, if you had to give us the forecast for this record – what would it be and why? Given its turbulent nature, I think ‘Beautiful Machine’ could be best summed up as hurricane season in the Caribbean.

Kendra: Listeners will be able to hear “Let It Come Down” on your January 2021 release, ‘Beautiful Machine,’ which you’ve compared to the hit Netflix series, ‘Black Mirror.’ I have to admit that I’ve only seen one singular episode and it freaked me out so much that I couldn’t go back. While ‘Beautiful Machine’ approaches and examines a new concept with each track, will this record also evoke fear in some?

Matt Boroff: Well, I guess that depends on the person. I mean, there’s a reason that so many people enjoy horror movies and roller coasters. They can be cathartic and exhilarating, which to someone like me, seems healthy. So, if you’re the kind of person that gets a rush from things like that, this album might even improve your health.

Kendra: I wouldn’t be shocked though as the year leading up to this record’s release was worse than even the scariest of film and television. Being an American living abroad, did you feel your physical distance was in any way an advantage on your mental health and well-being?

Matt Boroff: It’s complicated. I doubt I’m alone in feeling this way, but when you’re living abroad, you might end up becoming an unofficial representative or spokesperson for wherever you’re originally from. I feel this weird responsibility to keep myself as informed as I possibly can about what’s happening across the pond. By doing that, I can’t help but feel outraged and frustrated at what’s been taking place, and my sanity hasn’t been immune to any of it.

Kendra: 2020 definitely pushed people in various directions personally, financially, creatively. For you, how do you feel 2020 has shaped your creativity and drive moving forward?

Matt Boroff: A lot of my past work has brooded over lingering horrors on the horizon. Now, many of those horrors are here, and I feel like there’s no longer a need for me to overstate what’s obvious to everyone. I don’t see myself doing a one-eighty, but I feel like it’s the right time to include more life experiences from the other side of the emotional spectrum in my songs as well.

Kendra: Usually, this is where I ask people what they have planned in the coming months but with the world in a strange place right now, plans aren’t as concrete as they typically are. You can go ahead and let us know what you have tentatively planned but can you also share a song that never fails to get you through when the world around you feels like a mess?

Matt Boroff: I’m going to be doing some streaming shows from my rehearsal space soon. Following that, I’ll be releasing some live tracks and videos from those sessions. I don’t know if levitation is possible, but if it is, this song probably has something to do with it; Bernard Hermann “Thank God for the Rain” (from the ‘Taxi Driver’ soundtrack).

The post Matt Boroff: Press Play on the Beautiful Machine appeared first on ZO Magazine.

When Marius Veith of KID DAD said, “2020 was a test, a lesson, and an opportunity!” I felt that because it’s true. This year has been a whirlwind and for many of us, it’s far from over. Alas, Marius, and the rest of KID DAD haven’t let the year go to waste. With a new album out August 21st, they’re doing all they can to make the most of ‘In A Box,’ including giving back to those in need during these trying times. To find out more about the music and their mission, keep on keeping on with the following back and forth exchange. 

Kendra: The new album, ‘In A Box,’ actually is quite opposite of that because of your ability to grow bored quickly. When you said you wanted a varied sound on the record, was that more so when you toured, the live set would continue to deliver something new with each song?

Marius Vieth: We don’t really write songs envisioning a colorful live show primarily. It’s more like many different feelings create many different songs. I’d rather say that our emotions write songs, not us. We are just the machines who transport these feelings from our hearts to our brains and from our brains into our fingers and vocal cords. Yeah, we all love that there is a certain variety from song to song but we didn’t do that on purpose I guess haha!

Maybe that’s how your question can be answered: we knew about our messed up heads and feelings when forming this band, so we hoped to transfer these different feelings in the songs we wrote and still write.

Kendra: People got to hear a bit of what was to come from ‘In A Box’ thanks to “Limbo.” A song meant to represent someone feeling unsafe and abused. While you didn’t write it about this year, one could see the parallels between the song and how most of us are feeling in 2020. When you first heard the world was going to be shut down, what were your initial reactions as musicians?

Marius Vieth: It felt like a really bad nightmare. Of course, we weren’t able to move on normally as we would have liked to, but the real horror was to see how it takes lives and separates families. For us, this wasn’t a job crisis in the first place, but a global crisis “attacking” many human beings. We easily tend to forget how bad our situation is or was (even if being in a band is our childhood dream) seeing other people losing their lives and freedom. Of course, the story we tell in “Limbo” fits sadly/luckily, but, of course, we didn’t know how bad it would get while writing it!

Kendra: Doing your part to help out during this time, you guys started a campaign to raise awareness for child and domestic abuse being that those cases have surged this year. There are a lot of issues right now, what about abuse in particular made this one the cause you wanted to shine a light on?

Marius Vieth: Alongside the rise of COVID-19 statistics say that domestic violence – especially against children – rose, too. We hated to not be doing anything against so many cruel things happening every day and we knew we can’t do something against everything, so we decided that we want to help the purest and weakest ones: children. 

So we chose the topic of abuse because it is basically the essence of our album. We sing about psychological abuse from others or towards oneself. On this record we are searching for answers to questions no one speaks out. We are looking for inner freedom. Of course, this is something different than being abused physically but we felt that there is a connection between being lost and lonely inside oneself and fearful and hurt physically. That’s why we love making music videos, you can take feelings and emotions and transfer them into visible persons and actions.

Kendra: Thinking ahead to when the world opens back up, what are some local venues in Germany that you’re excited to get back to as musicians, and as fans?

Marius Vieth: Our favorite venues are definitely the Sputnik in Paderborn (it’s already open again, I guess) and the Wohlsein (also in Paderborn) but of course we can’t wait to tour all the venues that are open for hungry bands to sweat and scream in all around the country as soon as this is possible again!

Kendra: How do you feel 2020 has shaped your creativity and drive moving forward?

Marius Vieth: 2020 was a test, a lesson, and an opportunity! We had enough time to make plans and concepts while the world seemed to slow down a little bit, and reached another level in any possible way and our bond as a band has gotten stronger and stronger. We already wrote a ton of new songs for the next album and we can’t wait to add another two tons in the next couple of months. We’re very hyped for what’s to come!

Kendra: Usually, this is where I ask people what they have planned in the coming months but with the world in a strange place right now, plans aren’t as concrete as they typically are. You can go ahead and let us know what you have tentatively planned but can you also share a song that never fails to get you through when the world around you feels like a mess?

Marius Vieth: Of course haha! You’re right, totally agree. We will release our album and play as many shows as possible as soon as possible. We miss being on the road, meeting new people and making new friends so much. As long as we can’t play live we will prepare our live show, practice, make videos and look straight forward ’cause it has to get better!

Our secret band guilty pleasure song, that washes away every cloud above our heads, is “Wot” by Captain Sensible, which fits perfectly ’cause we are very sensible.

The post KID DAD: The Limbo Effect appeared first on ZO Magazine.

The post Say Nothing But Yes to Aime Simone appeared first on ZO Magazine.

Kendra: Was music something you wanted to do since you were a kid, or were you a musical late bloomer?

Harrieta: I knew I wanted to sing since I was very young, I used to sing at every opportunity at school, church, etc.

Kendra: When you decided you wanted to move from your native Uganda, was Germany your first choice? Was the move inspired by your music career?

Harrieta: Initially I moved to Cape Town in South Africa after high school to pursue studies in information technology, I needed a day job to support my music too; so me and my husband decided I would do a course in information technology and later use the job to support my music career. The decision to move to Germany came later and yes the motivation was partly the opportunity to further my music career.

Kendra: Thinking back to when you started, how do you think you’ve grown as an artist all-around?

Harrieta: It’s been quite a journey and still is. I take each day as it comes and make sure I do what I have to do to get better. Lots of practice, research, consultations with vocal and language experts, sound engineers, etc. I do this every single day and sure I have gotten much better.

Kendra: That growth can be heard in your latest single “No More Cages.” Where were you mentally when you started penning that?

Harrieta: “No More Cages” was my third single, yes it was a landmark for me symbolizing a breakthrough and total growth in my music career. I was reflecting deeply on my life’s journey and thought I would celebrate myself, give myself a pat on the shoulder for a terrific run I have had already. At the same time, I wanted others to be encouraged and challenged at the same time with my story in that song. I love it!

Kendra: Now, this single comes after the release of your 2020 EP, ‘Speak Your Mind.’ Is “No More Cages” a single that another EP is on the way?

Harrieta: Well, with the EP I felt that I had to put out more music soonest for my fans to get to know me more as I was and still am relatively new to the music industry. The next release is likely to be a single too as I want to challenge my previous one; so expect something even better coming soon!

Kendra: The world is shut down at the moment when it comes to live music, but as soon as things are safe and open – what venue are you excited to play at again?

Harrieta: It is difficult at the moment indeed, can’t wait to get back to the stage once things normalize. I might be around venues in Berlin, Amsterdam, Hamburg, and London for starters if the situation gets better.

Kendra: Usually, this is where I ask people what they have planned in the coming months but
with the world in a strange place right now, plans aren’t as concrete as they typically are. You can go ahead and let us know what you have tentatively planned but can you also share a song that never fails to get you through when the world around you feels like a mess?

Harrieta: My music world never shut down with the current situation, I have beautiful songs waiting in the queue, first off will be a single release called “I Got You” to be released probably in a month’s time from now…ah am sure the world will love it; and this is the kind of song that gets me going when the going gets tough!

The post Breaking Free with Harrieta appeared first on ZO Magazine.

Every one in awhile you come across someone that makes you wish you had more time. More time to book a tour inside their head because they come at you with such insight, that a few questions back and forth just doesn’t seem like enough. That’s the case with Barbara Panther. A feminist with African roots and a beautiful note about almost everything you toss her way. It was more than a pleasure to exchange words with this songstress and we at ZO cannot wait to hear what’s next from her.

Kendra: You mentioned your Rwandan roots. How have those played a role in how you approach not only your music but your everyday life?

Barbara Panther: I tend to call my music African futuristic pop. I like to mix electronics with natural sounds, technology with nature so to speak; the digital with the organic. In my everyday life, I try to stay as close as possible to my African roots even though I grew up in Europe.
Having been to Rwanda has completely changed my view of life.

To me Africa is like an oracle, speaking directly to your core, revealing your place in this life on earth. Stripping you of all that isn’t necessary anymore and making you understand the essentials. When I hear people complaining about small material things they want or they don’t have I roll my eyes and think to myself, “You should go visit Africa and see how you feel then.” I try not to complain too much and not want what I don’t have or need.

Kendra: Women, well some women, have only had the right to vote for a little over 100 years and in your latest single, “Feminine,” you speak of women and their power here on earth. With that, why do you feel our power in the U.S. has always been somewhat muted and ignored

Barbara Panther: The fear of losing power is deeply rooted in some men. They envy the fact a woman has the power to carry life and therefore, has a stronger connection with the earth and the universe in general. The ego of some men will go through great lengths to keep their power alive even if that means war and destruction and telling women they don’t have a voice, but times they are changing.

The earth as we know it and as I see it is female. She carries and creates life. She nurtures and feeds all that is. I believe it is time to reconnect to the mother of all mothers again because when she suffers, we suffer. We haven’t shown her a lot of respect. We have taken, borrowed, stolen, but haven’t given anything in return besides destruction and death. By reconnecting with the earth we reconnect with female energy and feminine vibration. It’s time to reset. Our lives have been dominated by male energy and as a result…well, look around you. So it is time for that to change, time to embrace and accept that to save this place we might need the help of a woman.

Kendra: Do you hope “Feminine” can also lead to people realizing the importance of the world around them?

Barbara Panther: When I wrote this track I wasn’t thinking about how other people would receive it. To me, it is my Ode to the earth, a personal love song, a letter, to tell her that I feel her pain, her power, her selflessness. A promise that I will try to do better in giving her the respect she deserves and restore what has been polluted…RESET!

When I wrote the song it was like looking into a crystal ball, straight into her womb into her ocean, the very place that birthed us the place we in return destroy. That is my observation and if with “Feminine” others understand what I see then that’s fine for me.

Kendra: Listeners can hear this song on your second album. What other themes came about while you were penning this record?

Barbara Panther: The universe, the animal kingdom, the human condition, the state of affairs.

Kendra: Right now you’re living between Berlin and New York City. Do you get different creative vibes depending on where you’re waking up that day?

Barbara Panther: Yes and no. Of course, each city has its own energy and vibration that makes me feel and react differently. Each vibration makes you observe and absorb things in their own unique way. But in the end, all that you experience ends up being filtered through your veins, your self. I guess the basis is always naked, you just dress up differently.

Kendra: Can you let the people know what you have going on in the coming months? Local shows? Touring?

Barbara Panther: I recorded a part for a musical and once the mastering is done will continue that project. I am in talks to go to Rwanda for shows and to make a documentary. As for my album, I hope that soon I will be able to come back to New York, and of course, here in Europe and share my new work.

The post Barbara Panther: An Unmatched Prowess appeared first on ZO Magazine.