Born into a family of hermits, and then living through a period in history where socializing in person was pretty much off the table – it’s been hard for me to get back into that headspace. However, I was glad to know I wasn’t alone in this as singer-songwriter Josienne Clarke admitted it hasn’t been easy for her as well. It was just one part of the back-and-forth we shared as Clarke opened up about how Taylor Swift inspired April 2023’s ‘Onliness,’ the patriarchy in creative spaces, and more! 

Kendra: Being a freelance writer comes with a lot of stress but at the same time, I love the freedom of sort of just doing my own thing without anyone hovering over me. When you decided to step out on your own, start your own label, and just do you – do you remember the first instance in which you felt that level of creative freedom for yourself?

Josienne Clarke: Being able to release whatever style of music I like in whatever format – whether it’s an EP, album, double album, etc whenever I want feels like a huge liberation. I don’t have the pressure of having to release something at least every 18 months, but also if I’ve got more material to share with the world I can simply share it. 

I realized this pretty much the moment I left my contract, and began by releasing a Bandcamp-only digital release of 53 demos and unused song ideas (‘Historical Record vol.1&2;) that I had sitting on my hard drive. It was both a great opportunity to share my BTS creative process directly with my fans and a pure profit revenue stream from them to me with no middle men. 

Kendra: As far as being a woman in a creative field, it’s rough. I feel like we have to always go above and beyond – and even when we do, it can still feel like it’s not enough compared to some of our male counterparts who are doing the bare minimum, and thriving. As someone who’s faced this, what advice do you have to artists out there who feel like their hard work will continue to go unappreciated because of their gender, race, sexuality, etc.? 

Josienne Clarke: The music industry seems to think of itself as modern, forward-thinking, and yet it’s built on a pretty standard patriarchal framework. Basically, when you hear about someone who made several million out of music last year, it’s most commonly going to be a white man from a privileged background. I think some people within it don’t realize that they still make certain assumptions like, for example, in my case, that in a band the male(s) will be the main creative force, that they will have composed all the music. I’ve often felt as a female you have to make it so clear what work you’ve done in order to gain the credit for it. Time and again it will be attributed to the nearest man, beware! 

Kendra: This goes hand in hand with what Taylor Swift also went through when she basically had to sit and re-record her old music and drop “Taylor’s Versions,” which is something you were inspired by, and how ‘Onliness’ started to shape up. Was this the first time you were moved by Swift’s career choices? 

Josienne Clarke: It was inspiring to watch such a famous musician, one with huge contracts with vast legal stipulations, find a way around that to reclaim her art. It felt like if Tay-Tay can do it, then I must be able to! 

She’s also an artist who’s changed musically over the years, never bowing to the notion that she must stick to country music roots, always mixing in new musical references with each record. I also find that inspiring her lack of genre boundaries. As someone who got quickly pigeonholed as an exclusively “folk” musician, I like the idea that I can let my music be whatever flavour and shape it feels right with each song or release. 

Kendra: Let’s talk more about ‘Onliness.’ Your latest LP dropped not too long ago in April and was heavily motivated by solitude. This was overtly present over the past few years and something I sometimes find myself missing about the depths of 2020. Even after all we’ve been through, do you still find moments where you’re celebrating your alone time? 

Josienne Clarke: For me, the first spark of a creative idea is a private, singular experience, I don’t know, and have never known, how to share that bit. Song ideas need to be sat with alone before any collaboration can happen. I’ve always worked this way and I think I always will.  

I’ve always been someone who valued my personal space, and I think for that reason I found enforced solitude less difficult than some people. It comes more naturally to me. It’s been so nice to get back out and see people and be involved in real live events again but I have to say I found the shift back into talking to people hard. Like I’d forgotten all the normal social rules and the things you’re supposed to say! 

Kendra: You noted how the title for the album reflects your songwriting; a balance of positivity and sadness. With that as the sort of basis of your pen, I’d love to know what artists or even authors you admired before you realized songwriting was something in your wheelhouse? 

Josienne Clarke: When asked about songwriting and starting out I always mention Don McLean, my parents had his records along with Gordon Lightfoot, Janis Ian, James Taylor, etc., so I guess that’s where it all began for me. 

McLean has such a lyrical approach to melody, but whatever he’s doing, be it an upbeat banger like American Pie or Vincent, there is always this sweet, naive melancholy hanging in the background. A yearning sense of longing or nostalgia as the backdrop to anything he sings. 

I remember noticing this and being moved by it from such a young age, maybe as early as nine or 10 years old. So it’s not a surprise that I grew up reading the entire works of Thomas Hardy and the poetry of Sylvia Plath. When I write, I’m sort of attempting to channel those artists, but also trying to save myself from their fate, looking for the light to counter all the beautiful melancholy. 

Kendra: Now it’s time for a side note – with it being May, I always think of the end of the school year and all those memories of field trips, parties, and yearbooks. With that, I’d love to know what your fondest end-of-the-school-year memory was? 

Josienne Clarke: Oh well, I don’t know that I have one, sorry, I never really got on well with the whole school thing and I have long since buried all that. I’ve always been a solo traveler – much better suited to navigating life along my own wonky path, away from the structure of mainstream education!  

Kendra: Lastly, with ‘Onliness’ out now, what else can fans expect as we continue towards summer? 

Josienne Clarke: This summer is all about the best bits of the creative process, finishing writing the songs, shining them up, and making the arrangements. Choosing instruments and sounds, deciding on the production aesthetic, and then taking them into the studio to record! 

The post One on One with Josienne Clarke appeared first on ZO Magazine.

Sometimes you’ve got to look back at what you’ve done and say, hey – what can I do to evolve that? That’s exactly what Scottish rockers We Were Promised Jetpacks did when it came to their December 9th release, ‘A Complete One-Eighty.’ They took some former releases and reworked a few, but also threw in a couple of other musical gems that are sure to brighten everyone’s playlists as we wrap up the year. We talked about how they landed on the idea for this record, David Bowie, and more in this new back-and-forth exchange. 

Kendra: Darren, you said that being away from the road gave y’all a “renewed desire” to play again. Do you think that was true for most musicians who were sitting at home with the rest of the world for a couple of years? 

We Were Promised Jetpacks: Absolutely. The reward of being in a band for us is getting to travel and play for the people who care about our band. Having almost two years without playing a show was the longest break we’ve had since we started playing shows in 2004. We were extremely grateful to still be able to book tours and to be able to hit the road as hard as we did when it became possible again. 

Kendra: Since heading back to the aforementioned road, what’s been the one thing you didn’t realize you missed about touring until you were out there again? 

We Were Promised Jetpacks: I certainly missed the laughs that you have with your friends on the road. It wasn’t like I forgot that happened but I certainly forgot how much I loved it. It’s like a weird social experiment – stick 6 people in a van for 6 weeks at a time, traveling hours a day, barely getting any sleep and all missing the comforts of home. But you become one big tight-knit unit – picking each other up with humour whenever it is needed.

Kendra: It was during that time that you said the idea for ‘A Complete One-Eighty’ came to mind. What made you want to go back in on some older songs and rework/remix them? 

We Were Promised Jetpacks: It’s reworkings and remixes from songs from our latest album ‘Enjoy The View.’ We wrote and recorded that album entirely during the first nine months of the pandemic and we’d never played any of the songs live before recording – which is the first time that it has ever worked out like that for us. So we thought after touring the songs for a bit it would be fun to have a go at doing them differently. It was also a fun opportunity for us to record with and spend more time with Andy Monaghan – who plays guitar and keys with us live. 

Kendra: Do you think it takes an extra level of creativity and sort of humbleness to go in and redo something you’ve already written and recorded? 

We Were Promised Jetpacks: It takes an open mind and a willingness to do things differently and have a bit of fun. We tried to take our traditional instruments sparingly and experiment with other sounds…perhaps showing us a possible path forward for the band. 

Kendra: What band or artist would you love to do what you all did, and redo a previous release? 

We Were Promised Jetpacks: The Blue Nile. I’m not sure what I’d like to hear them do but I want to hear more, more, and more!

Kendra: Now 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? 

We Were Promised Jetpacks: David Bowie. To be honest I only really started listening to him more regularly once he passed away! What an idiot. He’s just got so many tunes in so many different styles with so many unbelievable musicians. And the whole not telling anyone that he was ill and the last album he released…I just thought it was a heck of a way to go. I became obsessed. 

Kendra: Lastly, with ‘A Complete One-Eighty’ out on December 9th and a fall tour already behind you at that point, what are your plans heading into the new year?

We Were Promised Jetpacks: We did a lot of touring this year so in the immediate future all I’m looking forward to doing is hanging out with my wife and dog as much as I can!

The post Reworking with We Were Promised Jetpacks appeared first on ZO Magazine.

Having always been interested in drag, Scarlet Skylar Rae decided it was time to finally live out that dream. Today, she’s not only a queen but a queen who can sing her heart out – and does. From Pride festivals to the club scene, she loves a stage just as much as she loves being a huge activist in the LGBTQ+ community. We talked about her latest single “Same Old Me,” local LGBTQ+ issues, and more in this back and forth.

Kendra: You say Scarlet Skylar Rae was created for this, and I know a lot of Queens relate to that sentiment. They say who they are in drag allows someone new to emerge, like a whole new side of their personality. Did you sing before Scarlet Skylar Rae came about, or did she inspire you to find your voice?

Scarlet Skylar Rae: I originally started performing as a folk singer many years ago playing across Scotland, but after I came out as gay, I found it a bit trickier to get booked for shows from some organisers so I gave up!

I had always wanted to try Drag. Growing up in a small town in Scotland, there was no drag scene at all! I remember watching ‘Rupaul’s Drag Race’ with friends for the first time and I decided to give drag a try with their help!

Drag is like a blank canvas where you can recreate yourself as someone new! It reignited my passion and allowed me to create new music, try out new styles, and build my own drag scene. Scarlet Skylar Rae reignited my spirit and helped me find my voice along the way!

Kendra: How do you feel you’ve grown as an artist from the first time you sang live to now?

Scarlet Skylar Rae: I’ve definitely grown a lot as an artist! Musically, I love to be more experimental and try out different genres. Obviously, some turn out better than others!

The amazing thing about drag is it’s about the show. So, compared to years ago, when it was just me with an acoustic guitar, I’ve really enjoyed going for more ambitious shows be it through; concept costumes, setting fire to guitars, bursting out of coffins, crowd surfing! The shows are much more exciting and, of course, things never go to plan but that’s half the fun! In the last couple of years, I’ve gone from small shows to large Pride festivals, to even an Australia tour, so definitely been enjoying growing as an artist!

Kendra: Now you have your latest single out, “Same Old Me.” You go deep with this one as it unravels what it’s like to face not only your own mental health but the trauma you’ve been through. Was this a cathartic song to write?

Scarlet Skylar Rae: “Same Old Me” was definitely a tough song to write. I went through a pretty tough time after I was spiked on a night out on holiday and was essentially kidnapped and sexually assaulted.

I’m usually an upbeat, super positive person, but this incident totally floored me. I became distant and detached and for weeks. I didn’t have much sleep kept on waking up from reliving the little I remembered in my dreams and having 3 am conversations with myself

I’ve got incredible friends, and one gave me a pep talk I will always remember. The last line of it was “It’s not what happened to you, it’s what you do about it”

So, I proceeded to put all my energy into recording this song and making it as good as I possibly could. In a way, it was the best self-therapy I could ask for. I created a rough demo on the piano, using the 3 am conversations to myself as inspiration and the orchestration just really came to me. I let all that anger, sadness, and madness pour into the song.

Prior to the incident, I had an amazing run of shows but unfortunately had to cancel a few planned events. I used that time to work day and night on the song. Essentially, it was very much a cathartic process in writing the song. I debuted the song a few months later at my hometown’s Pride Festival. It was an incredible day in which I was invited to introduce Sir Ian McKellen and later performed the song, surrounded by friends.

Kendra: Thank you so much for sharing your story with us. Is there more new music on the horizon after “Same Old Me?”

Scarlet Skylar Rae: Yes! I’m working on a couple of funk and acoustic tracks at the moment, which should be released later in the year.

Kendra: You’re very active in the LGBTQ+ community. What are some local issues you’d like to call attention to?

Scarlet Skylar Rae: The campaigns for the LGBTQ+ community currently in the UK is the Gender Recognition Act reform and the campaign for the addition of non-binary people to the equalities act. For those who don’t know, the Gender Recognition Act reform would allow Trans people to self-identify their gender, rather than the lengthy process that is currently in place. The self-identification reform is already in place in Scandinavian Countries and works perfectly fine!

However, even though the consultation process shows 70% of people are in favour of legalising allowing trans people to self-identify, the government is going to throw out the bill. Unfortunately, there are TERFS and transphobes in all political parties and I think it’s shocking that politicians won’t let people be who they are.

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?

Scarlet Skylar Rae: I’ve got a few online Pride events coming up which I’ll be performing at with Miss Transgender UK, Aria Welsh. I’ve been busy recording too while we are all locked up inside! A song that always gets me through when the world is a mess is “Proud” by Heather Small because each day it’s always good to ask yourself, “What have you done today to make you feel proud?”

The post Scarlet Skylar Rae: Prideful Melodies appeared first on ZO Magazine.

From The Jackson 5 to the Jonas Brothers, teaming up with your brothers has always been a good idea when it comes to music. JR Green has followed suit. Jacob and Rory Green came at the end of their six siblings. Bonding over being the youngest of the pack made their bond a little stronger than most. Over time they grew from siblings to friends to bandmates as they took an alternative route to making folk music their own. We talked family, music and where they’re sound is compared to their 2015 EP, Bring The Witch Doctor.

Kendra: Being in a group with your sibling is a universal thing that’s common throughout every country when it comes to music. So how important is the family dynamic in Scotland as a whole? Like do you have regular family get-togethers, or are you just people who share a bloodline?

JR Green: Obviously I can’t speak for every family in Scotland. On the whole, family is very important here in The Highlands. Despite the fact that, at times, they drive us insane, they have helped make us the men we are today so for this reason family is very important to us.

Kendra: When you started showing an interest in music did your family kind of lean towards a more traditional path or are the arts encouraged there?

JR Green: Traditional music and folk music were always played to us by our parents. Where we live traditional music is king. We were never really forced to like anything. It was just the music that we grew up listening to and were surrounded by. So it’s only natural that it should have such a special place in our hearts.

Kendra: Now, how does Bring the Witch Doctor compare the music you’re making now?

JR Green: We were still quite young when we wrote the songs on Bring The Witch Doctor. I think it’s fair to say there’s a lot more angst in there than there is now. When you’re younger it’s the little things that have the most impact on you. Every tiny poignancy or injustice genuinely breaks your heart and that shows in the music we made. That can be quite a beautiful thing, but I think we’d feel a bit daft if we’re still singing about things like teenage heartbreak or getting smashed. So I’d like to think the music we’re making now has a lot more depth to it, is a bit less literal and obvious and hopefully more meaningful and worthwhile than the music on the first EP.

JR Green’s Favorite Place in Scotland: Strontian

Kendra: Any lessons learned from then to now that you’ve incorporated into your songwriting and execution of “Technicolor Native?”

JR Green: We’ve learned to never rush or force our songwriting because we’ll always end up with something that isn’t as eloquent as we are capable of creating.

Kendra: The year’s almost up. Yeah, I cannot believe it either! Any big music based plans before 2017 is over and done?

JR Green: We are currently recording our first album which we are incredibly excited about. It’s been a long time in the making. We finally feel like we have a body of work that we would feel proud to call our debut album. It won’t be released before the end of the year. Hopefully, we’ll have a fair bit of the recording side of things finished before 2017 is out.

The post JR Green: The Technicolour Scotland Natives appeared first on ZO Magazine.

Kendra: Have you always been a music person?

A Cunning Man: I’ve been singing and writing vocals in bands for around 12 years now. I was never musical at school but discovered my love for it in early adulthood. I think it was Brave New World by Iron Maiden that really switched me on to how amazing music could be. At the end of high school I formed a heavy metal band with like minded friends and it all progressed from there. I’ve since returned to education to work on attaining a music degree.

Kendra: Where did the idea for A Cunning Man come from anyway?

A Cunning Man: The one man band trope is actually quite common within “Extreme Metal” and I wanted a moniker to reflect the fact that it was just me. Cunning folk were the healers and problem solvers of their day, treading a fine line between witch and priest. The lyrics on Practical Applications Of Theurgy explore some Occult topics and so I also wanted the name to convey this.

“Honorius & The Choral Forecast”

Kendra: On a broader scale, how does Scottish Metal differ from metal from the US?

A Cunning Man: Geography means less and less as internet access has become more commonplace. Musicians are able to pick and choose what influences they want to adopt on a global scale.

That being said, The Extreme Metal scene within Scotland and probably the UK as well, is more in line with that of our European neighbours. In particular, Scotland shares some idiosyncrasies with Scandinavia and Iceland. I think a purveying sense of bleakness and exhaustion is a common factor here. It’s probably the drench weather…

Kendra: Back to your sound, your latest release has song titles that sound straight out of Lord of the Rings. Did that series influence you at all?

A Cunning Man: I’m not particularly influenced by Tolkien, although there are certainly some High Fantasy elements involved in the concept. The first word of each song title is actually the name of different Occult texts from the Renaissance Period. I wanted the EP title to sound a bit like a compendium of magical techniques with each chapter addressing the contents of a different Grimoire. I’m considering keeping the naming conventions going for the next release too.

Kendra: If not, where did you draw the inspiration for when it came to this album?

A Cunning Man: The actual texts themselves were an interesting source of inspiration, there’s also more than a little Lovecraft involved. The cover art, which portrays the antagonist of the tale is a good example of that. I didn’t want the spiritualism portrayed to be too “Hollywood” but rather more gritty and dark.

Kendra: Will you be touring sooner than later in support of this release?

A Cunning Man: I haven’t quite worked out the logistics of bringing A Cunning Man to the stage just yet. I have plenty of friends who could fulfill the instrumental roles required though. I may consider the prospect after the next release but for now A Cunning Man is a studio only project.

Kendra: What about the coming months of 2017, anything planned so far?

A Cunning Man: At current I’m very much involved with promoting Practical Applications Of Theurgy. I’ve already started work on the second EP though which can be expected in the early Summer months. The sound is slightly different this time round as I’m discovering what elements I want to change and what I want to keep. Hopefully my compositional skills are also improving, so expect something more complex.

Kendra: Lastly, here at ZO we’re all about the arts. With that I wanted to ask you to either draw or submit a piece of art that you feel best represents your sound?

A Cunning Man: The photo I’m currently using as my header image, which was taken by my good friend Stuart Campbell.

The post The Practical Applications of A Cunning Man appeared first on ZO Magazine.