Quick Hit Artist Interview: Discotelle

Discotelle at Junior High

Interview with the artist. Enjoy:

What is currently influencing your music? I'm currently influenced by my own broken brain, the state of the world, the sometimes overbearing California sunshine, and the nostalgia of a Tennessee summer. Musically, I would say we draw from Fleetwood Mac, Loretta Lynn, Van Halen, and Angel Olsen.

How do you go about combining lyrics and music? I don't normally write a song with the intention of it being about a specific moment or feeling. Normally I'll sit down with my guitar and let my brain go somewhere and the words follow. Then I'll take the skeleton song to my bandmates, Skyler and Duncan, and they beef it up instrumentally.

Quick Hit Artist Interview: Christina Apostolopoulos

Christina Apostolopoulos at
Junior High

Interview with the artist. Enjoy:

How would you describe your sound? My sound is mainly folk-inspired with a good dose of blues & jazz mixed in.

What motivates you to write your music? I'm a fairly shy person outside of performing, so being on stage singing my own songs feels like a place where I can safely speak my truth. When I sit down to write I think, what's on my heart right now? What do I to need say?

Own final thoughts: I'm half Greek (see: my last name), and have been starting to play a lot more Greek songs in my sets! It's been a fun challenge; I hope my Yia Yia and Papou would be proud.

U Start Here Benefit Show: Ariel Beesley with Somme and Foxx Bodies

Ariel Beesley headlined a benefit show for her U Start Here nonprofit, which is an "organization geared towards healing survivors of sexual assault through community." The night was at Junior High in Glendale, which is also a non-profit entity. 

Opening the night was Foxx Bodies. I previously caught this band in late 2019 at another non-profit location called Sunspace, which has now closed down due to the pandemic. The band sings the music with a beat poetry stance that has the backdrop of punk sounds.

Foxx Bodies

Next up was Somme who I also last saw in 2019. Her music has a wonderful mix of pop rock sounds. The guitar playing definitely gives it a rock sound while those vocals have pop qualities. The vocals are especially musical, hooking you in from the start.

Somme

Ariel Beesley was amped that the benefit show had sold out and it showed in her set. She twirled, kicked and sprawled on the floor as she sang her way through her set list where every song is well written and has the perfectly catchy hook. There was one amusing moment where she forgot how to start out her song, "Palm Springs." Ha ha, she only released that song back in late 2019. Anyways, she asked her guitarist who wasn't sure and then the drummer whispered something into her ear. She amusing admitted to the audience what was going on. After her set ended a few minutes before the 10 p.m. curfew that is imposed on the venue, she asked everyone to have fun dancing until closing time.

Ariel Beesley

Junior High: Christina Apostolopoulos, Discotelle, Ryan Pollie

I decided at the last moment on a Wednesday night that I'd take a walk from my Glendale apartment to Junior High. Junior High is a not-for-profit arts space that used to be in Hollywood, but recently moved to Glendale. This was my first journey out to the recently opened space. The space has a minimalist feel to it. Concrete floor. Ceiling to floor drapes that separate the rooms. White painted walls. All clean, bright and new.

I walked in and Christina Apostolopoulos was in the middle of her set. I was disappointment that I showed up so late. I previously only caught part of her set back at Echo Park Rising in 2019 (was off shooting multiple bands for Buzzbands) and was hoping to catch a full set this time around. It just wasn't meant to be. What I caught was enjoyable and maybe I will be able to catch a full set in the near future.

Christina Apostolopouls

Discotelle came on next with a folk sound that initially started out with a duo, but they added a cello at the end, which made the band's music sound all the sweeter. There was a brief fake out by the lead singer when she jumped into the middle of the floor early in the set. I thought she was about to turn her set into a dance party. 

Discotelle

Closing it out was Ryan Pollie. I last saw him at the Bootleg Theater where he played with a band that was called Los Angeles Police Department. His set was all smiles and barefoot. He was barefoot so that he could play a little drum set that was on the floor. For one song, he was supposed to use a harmonica, but had forgot to fit it over his head. To help mitigate the forgetfulness, the guitarist for Discotelle ran over and amusingly tried to place it over Pollie's head. It gave the audience a good laugh. 

Ryan Pollie

What did I notice: For Christina Apostolopoulos' set, most everyone was sitting down. For Discotelle's set, most everyone was standing. For Ryan Pollie's, most everyone was sitting. Okay, maybe I'm the only one finding that an amusing observation.

Quick Hit Artist Interview: Chris del Rosario

Chris del Rosario at Junior High

Interview with the artist. Enjoy:

How would you describe your sound? I'm an indie singer-songwriter, so acoustic guitar and vocals are the core of my sound and artistry. Because I've experimented outside of those two instruments, it pulls my sound in different directions and makes it harder for me to label. I want to say alternative / indie-folk is a close description - I'm inspired by the works of Radiohead, Fleet Foxes, Andrew Bird, and many other similar acts.

Other than Los Angeles, where could you see yourself living/playing music and why? I've been hearing a lot of good things about Portland. A friend of mine told me my work would be a good fit over there, and that I'd get along well with other people in the music community. Probably because I'm a little weird, and apparently in Portland there are tons of weirdos who admire the same stuff I do. I'll have to find out for myself one day.