Life on the road has been Lauren Ruth Ward’s reality for some time now. Even more so this week as she’ll make the quick transition from opener to headliner within 24 hours time. Come April 24th she’ll be up and down the west coast showcasing her powerful, soulful driven rock and roll. You can get tickets right here, and then go on to learn more about Lauren Ruth Ward. From her other hair raising talents to her love of yesteryear to what’s next.

Kendra: Last year the world received your debut, “Well, Hell” and I think that pretty much summarized how so many, especially in the states, felt about the current state of the world. For you personally, where did that sentiment arise from?

Lauren Ruth Ward: “Well Hell” is a song I wrote a year before Trump became president, although I do agree it was fitting based off how most of us felt after the election. I want people to believe their own interpretation but my statement is implying that Hell isn’t real. Like ooh yeah “scary hell” better watch out! Wink wink.

Kendra: Since then, you’ve played with everyone from country icon Keith Urban to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. How do you feel you’ve been able to capture these varying audiences so well?

Lauren Ruth Ward: I don’t try to think about how the audience differs. I go into every show the exact same; mentally prepare (sometimes I meditate), physically prepare by warming up my voice and body. And then we do a hands-on and just do our best.

Kendra: We have to talk about your other talent as a hairstylist. For nearly a decade you’ve been doing hair. Are there any similarities in how you approach someone’s hair to how you approach crafting new material?

Lauren Ruth Ward: I love this question. My brain goes into creative mode when working on a client and writing a song but they are different creative modes. I feel my two passions are most similar because both of them allow me to connect with people on a personal level. Sharing stories and feelings brings me closer to my clients and fans. which is very cathartic for me.

Kendra: Speaking of which, have you been working on any new material recently that may see the light of day before the end of the year?

Lauren Ruth Ward: Absolutely. We’ve been releasing a track every five weeks. The third one, hungry barber, was just released a couple of weeks ago. On deck, we have three music videos and five more tracks so far. Eduardo and I have a couple more ideas cooking that will materialize in between tours when we are home to record.

Kendra: More tributes perhaps? Your sound is a distinct throwback to the natural talents of the ‘70s and you’ve even done a couple of homages to artists from that time. What is it about that era that speaks so beautifully to the creation of sound for you?

Lauren Ruth Ward: I’m definitely a huge fan of the ‘60s and ‘70s classic rock. First time I sang in fifth grade, My voice came out very R&B and continued to. I was listening to a lot of pop at that time as well as classic rock but was having fun emulating the vocal runs I was hearing on the radio. I still feel like that’s my voice. Since discovering my vibrato, I can hear why I am compared to vocalists from the classic rock era. I think Eddie‘s guitar tones really seal the deal. Before I met him it was just me and my acoustic guitar so it was naturally “folk.” I still write and sing from the same place I just know more of what my voice can do. I’ve never tried to be a genre. I like to think we are our own version of rock.

http://soundcloud.com/laurenruthward/pullstring

Kendra: You’re about to hit the west coast at the end of April. Do you feel any extra pressure when your name is the top spot on the marquees?

Lauren Ruth Ward: I feel honored and get very excited to give everyone what I have to give. Sounds extremely cheesy but it’s the truth.

Kendra: Also, will those heading out to any of these west coast dates hear anything off Happy Birthday Jim?

Lauren Ruth Ward: We, unfortunately, I have not practiced any of the Happy Birthday Jim album. Just been focusing on teaching the band the new tunes. Like I said before, we have so many new songs and we just want to play them. I’ll usually only do a cover if we have a crazy long set like an hour plus or if something we know just really fits the bill. We did eight covers at our residency at the Echo/Echoplex a year ago. That’s because I felt like nobody wanted to hear the same set for weeks in a row hah. That was so much fun. We could’ve been hired to play a wedding by the end of that residency. Sidenote: people have been asking us to play something off the Jim album. What’s your favorite song on there?

Kendra: Personally? Gotta go with “Soul Kitchen!” What’s next for you once that tour wraps up?

Lauren Ruth Ward: Recording s couple new songs, shooting another music video, cutting hair, visit my fiancé for our anniversary, you know..back to the same beautiful life I had before tour.

The post Lauren Ruth Ward Heats Up Out West appeared first on ZO Magazine.

With a sound that’ll take listeners back to the heyday of the genre, KAotik is ready to take on the world of hip-hop in a whole new way with his latest release, Got Lyrics. But before you hit play, read what he had to say about his music, career, and more.

Kendra: What changed for you junior year of high school that made you start pursuing music?

KAotik: I was into sports, specifically basketball, and I lost my desire for it after I got cut from tryouts. After that, I became more and more interested in hip-hop and began to write a whole lot more.

Kendra: While you’re an east coast guy born and raised, your sound is more decade based. I got a heavy dose of the ’80s and ’90s influence overall. Do you often pull your inspo from nostalgia instead of locale?

KAotik: I think my inspiration at one point, previously came from what was happening musically then. Now I can say it comes from the true pioneers of hip-hop from the ‘80s and ‘90s.

Kendra: That’s at least what I felt when listening through Got Lyrics? It’s safe to say you’re a bit of an overachiever when it comes to delivering music. 30 tracks deep? Why not break it down into a half dozen EPs or a few albums, why all at once?

KAotik: Yeah, I agree with you, I do have a hefty amount of tracks on Got Lyrics, but it’s to entertain my listeners for a lengthy amount of time. Also, I had a whole load of material available that I wanted to put out at that specific time.

Kendra: On the lengthy record you’ve got some freestyles in the mix. Is the art form of freestyling lost on emcees today?

KAotik: First of all I believe there are two types of freestyles, there’s the written type and then there’s the coming off the top of the head type. Got Lyrics has written freestyles. Though I am not bad when it comes to coming off the top of the head, I prefer written freestyles. The art form of freestyling isn’t lost on emcees today. There are a plethora of emcees that still use the art. You just have to do the research and find out who.

Kendra: Do I ever dare ask if there is more on the way for 2019, or are you focusing everything on Got Lyrics? and possible touring this year?

KAotik: There’s more material I have available so in the future I might release a new project in 2019. You just have to be on the lookout on my website for any new releases. Now as for Got Lyrics, I’m focusing on promoting it as much as I can. But as for touring, there’s a possibility I might go towards that route depending on my time situation.

The post KAotik Delivers a Healthy Dose of Hip-Hop appeared first on ZO Magazine.

Kendra: First of all, how’ve you been since your days in Lilac Daze and how did Mess come to be?

Evan: Hectic, but great! After Lilac Daze went on hiatus I joined a couple other groups in my hometown and released a couple EPs; however, I have a habit of over-obligating myself to things so I ended up quitting a couple projects. School, work, my senior internship, and playing in multiple bands proved to be too big of a feat for me to conquer. After taking a break and reorganizing my life (seriously) I really started focusing on forming a new band in which I had more of a role in the songwriting again. I started writing songs with Erik (who lived in Baltimore; just 50 minutes from Frederick). Eventually, we asked Will to join in on bass, Mike on drums, and I moved to Baltimore.

Kendra: Did you take a lot of what you’d learned as a part of that band and put it into Mess and the debut?

Evan: The main thing I learned from that band was to appreciate what comes your way. That band really taught me the importance of not setting unrealistic/idealistic goals for a band. Whenever I had set lofty goals in previous bands it led to me taking it way too seriously and looking at music as more of a business, which is ultimately pretty damn lame.

Kendra: A lot of the debut seems to revolve around the end, death. So was that a theme agreed upon before you guys started working or did it come about naturally?

Erik: It’s weird to write lyrics. They sorta simultaneously spring both from the language of the music and what’s important to you at that time. So, yes! Maybe from those two places, a loose theme emerged? I’d say the record is more about movement though, the movement of things around all sorts of “death,” then maybe THE GREAT BIG DEATH lurking around there somewhere and how we approach it, experience it, and perhaps what comes after it or follows you there. I dunno.

Kendra: If you had to compare Tree to a place in Maryland, where would it be and why?

Erik: Dang, maybe a field somewhere? There are lots of fields here. Or maybe a river. Lots of those as well. There is a waterfall that exists in Baltimore. Maybe there with some friends or just alone. That’d work just fine.

Kendra: You guys have a handful of shows coming up throughout February out east. Heading west this year or is it still too early to tell?

Mess: We hope to go everywhere! Please let us know if you’d like to play together/hang out sometime!

The post Make a Clean Run For Baltimore’s Mess appeared first on ZO Magazine.