Quick Hit Artist Interview: Dyllan

Dyllan at The Hi Hat

Interview with the artist. Enjoy:

How would you describe your sound? Dark Dreamy Pop.

What motivates you to write your music? Mostly heartbreak.

Quick Hit Artist Interview: Greg Felden

Greg Felden at The Echo

Interview with the artist. Enjoy:

When did you know you wanted to be a musician/singer? Great question. I played violin as a kid and loved it. I picked up the guitar as a teenager and definitely had a moment of thinking "Oh, I can do this and it's all I want to do with my time." That said, it'd sure be great if life were significantly longer so I could live out every passion I've ever had. There have been a lot.

What’s your favorite (own) song and what makes it the favorite? Don't make me choose from among my children. I kid. But honestly, it's usually the case that the most recent song I've finished is my favorite. I see that as a good thing. Hopefully it means I'm getting better over time. The latest is called "Little Things," and it isn't on the album I'm releasing. Hopefully it will be on the next. You'll have to stay tuned.

Quick Hit Band Interview: Repenter

Repenter at Harvard & Stone

Interview with the band. Enjoy:

What's the story behind how your band started? Repenter started from the meeting of like-minds, bleeding hearts, astronauts, that want and wanted desperately to make music that was honest and vulnerable to the core, and serious as a heart attack. And so we are. Clawing, relentless and always hungry to create no-bullshit rock n roll.

What are some of your favorite spots, locations, areas in Los Angeles? What make them your favorites? Anywhere that’s dark and makes a mean old fashioned. And at the beach walking alone along the water’s edge, seeing a real line where people end and nature is unconquerable. It’s a relief.

Quick Hit Band Interview: My Baby

My Baby at The Satellite

Interview with the band. Enjoy:

How would you describe your sound? It’s a sound informed by gospel and blues singing and playing fused with ancient folk melodies. Added to that is the rawness of seventies funk, African desert blues, Moroccan gnawa, Indian raga and a touch of EDM all played on guitars and drums without using computers or samples

I saw that you're from The Netherlands. What are some cool music venues that someone from Los Angeles might want to check out if they visited The Netherlands? If you are in Amsterdam you should definitely go to Paradiso, Skate café Noord and Tolhuistuin. The first is a legendary club the last two are more up to speed with the contemporary Indie and Urban sound. There are a lot of clubs in Amsterdam so it may take a while for someone to see them all.

Quick Hit Band Interview: Capyac

Capyac at The Echo

Interview with the band. Enjoy:

How would you describe your sound? Simply sloshy.

For the band and its future, how would you define success? Baby, make money!

Own Q&A: Why is avocado toast so expensive? We wish we knew.

Hotel Cafe: Mars Rodriguez with Me an Di

I get invited to catch sets by various musicians and bands that are new to me. I do my best to go when invited or ask that I get kept in the loop for any future sets. This is how I came across Mars Rodriguez. I’m not going to lie, what initially got me intrigued was the name: Mars. Then the fact that the set was at Hotel Cafe, which is one of the venues I like to hit up on occasion. What sold me 100% was that I decided to look up her music on YouTube. The first song I came across was “No Estas.” I was hooked with the rock beats and screaming vocals. As a solo live performer, Mars Rodriguez will hit you like a stick of dynamite, in a good way. One can tell she’s having a great time on stage and so did the audience, which demanded an encore. She obliged with a cover of Kinky’s “A Donde Van Los Muertos.”

Mars Rodriguez

Since I got to Hotel Cafe early, I got to catch Me an Di. There were some compelling duets there.

Me an Di

Quick Hit Artist Interview: Party Nails

Interview with the artist. Enjoy:

What is currently inspiring you in terms of your music? The music I am currently working on is really inspired by current events. There is a lot of sadness, anger, disconnection and masking of truth and feelings that I see going on, and I'm making music about all of that.

Editor note: the following question is a bit dated as this interview was first posted on Instagram a few months back, but still has some good thoughts.

At The Hi Hat, you mentioned that this was the final night of your tour. I also happened to notice that you're going out on tour again in June. What do you enjoy about going out on tour? And maybe even what you don't like about touring? I'm heading out on tour again at the end of June, this time with my friends PRXZM who are an electronic duo that I toured with last year. I really love touring. I love traveling, visiting people and making new friends along the way, getting closer to the people I'm traveling with, and of course playing music and spending time with fans is magical and deeply important to me. The hardest parts about touring for me are being away from my home life with my kitchen, my person, my bed, my space. But leaving makes coming home even sweeter.