Kevin Garrett

This week, we sat down with Kevin Garrett (@kevinogarrett), a singer-songwriter from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is a Grammy award nominated artist, a multi-instrumentalist, and someone who makes some of the most intimate, powerful sounds I’ve heard. He’s also a funny guy, even though he’ll probably tell you that he’s not, and he made an appearance on the comedy production series ‘Funny or Die,’ back in 2017.

He just dropped an album called ‘HOAX,’ which stands for Hell of a Heartbreak. I listened to it straight through while I was walking to and from Trader Joe’s a couple of weeks ago. I went to Trader Joe’s for some eggs and chicken and ended up leaving with 6 bottles of merlot and 10 tissue boxes. That’s the power of Kevin Garrett. I was probably still a couple of bottles short.

In this conversation, we spoke about Kevin’s early memories of Pittsburgh, his approach to songwriting, meeting Beyonce, the inspirations behind HOAX, and more. Recently, I was lucky enough to be invited to watch Kevin perform a few songs off of HOAX at Rockwood Music Hall in NYC. In his own words during the performance, Kevin said, there will be “no hits tonight,” only new stuff. Well, I think time will definitely bring multiple hits out of this album, and I’m truly grateful for the sounds he’s brought into this world. So without further ado, here is our deep and wide-ranging conversation with Kevin Garrett.

Yoste

Welcome to another installment of ‘Off The Record’ where the artists themselves speak about pivotal moments, share experiences, and answer questions about the things that matter most. This time, Yoste (@soundsofyoste), a producer and songwriter from Brisbane Australia, talks to us a bit about his approach to songwriting and applying emotion to the actual song structure. In his bio, Yoste writes “I’ve struggled for years with a severe sense of listlessness and general lack of purpose. I still do in fact. It’s something I now recognize in many of the people around me, both young and old. It’s damn fascinating to write about.” Well, I can say Yoste, you are damn fascinating to listen to as well, both your words and the music.

SLANG

Welcome to our latest installment of our 'Off The Record' series where the artists themselves tell stories, share experience, and answer questions about the moments that matter. In this episode, SLANG, a rapper/songwriter/producer from the outskirts of London, opens up about some of the darkest times he's been through, the anger that built up inside, and a conversation in a cafe that changed his life.

Sam Dameshek (photographer)

In this episode of OffStage Spotlight, we spoke to photographer and content creator Sam Dameshek (@samdameshek). Offstage Spotlight is a series where we highlight those in the industry that make an impact outside of the spotlight. Sam has shot superstars like Shawn Mendes, Bazzi, Miley Cyrus, Madison Beer, Post Malone, and more. At only 15 years old, he started to get tapped by corporations like Pac Sun, Aeropostale, and Tommy Hilfiger to take photos for their campaigns that would ultimately represent these global companies. Now 4 years later, Sam has cemented himself as one of the most in-demand photographers in the entertainment industry.

From an outside perspective, it might seem like Sam has the perfect life of photographing beautiful people, hanging around rockstars, and living the absolute dream. But the path to his current level has not always been smooth. Jealousy from others, anxiety, and the normal struggles of adolescence all played a part in Sam’s story as he entered the spotlight as a sophomore in high school. His bio says he failed photography class in high school, but we’ll get into that later. A photo can say much more than words ever could, and there’s a lot more to Sam than just the man behind the camera. And none of this would have happened if he hadn’t first picked up the camera and taken photos of some friends who were skating and surfing. So, without further ado, here is our deep conversation with Sam Dameshek.

Citizen Cope

For this episode, we sat down with the legendary songwriter/producer Citizen Cope otherwise known as Clarence Greenwood. The first time I heard Citizen Cope, I was 12 years old and watching the movie Coach Carter. At the time, I didn’t know who Citizen Cope was, but I knew that his song made me feel connected to players in the movie. Now when I listen to his music as a slightly more mature adult, I also feel a deeper sense of connection to myself. His production and lyrics foster a certain sense of introspection paired with observations of everything that’s going on in the world. As Cope explains in an interview with Billboard, “I think everybody feels like there are elements in this world that are not so fuzzy and warm, and we see the harshness in the reality of life. Life is not an easy thing, but we need to look for a commonality of love and empathy that can conquer even the worse situations.”

It’s been about 7 years since Citizen Cope released a full-length project. He just put out his latest album called Heroin and Helicopters and you should probably listen to it. It’s really fucking good. The title of the album derives from a conversation that Cope had with Carlos Santana at the Fillmore in San Francisco. Santana told him to stay away from the two H’s - Heroin and Helicopters. Music artists haven’t had good track records from either of those. And it makes for a hell of an album title. In this conversation, Cope and I talk about the connection between poetry and songwriting, Cope scalping tickets as a teenager in DC learning street economics, eating steaks with Matthew McConaughey, and dealing with stage fright. Even if you aren’t interested in songwriting and production, or maybe you’re not a fan of Citizen Cope, I encourage you to listen to the entirety of the conversation. We talk about a lot of things common to the human experience and things that anyone can apply to a struggle that they’re going through. And you’ll probably turn into a Cope fan by the end. Without further ado, here is our deep and extensive conversation with Citizen Cope.

Justin Fleischer (Documentarian for Logic, Creative Director of Elysium)

This time, we sat down with the man, the myth, the legend Justin Fleischer (@jflei). He is the documentarian for Logic and the creative director of Logic’s label Elysium, and he has done a lot. Justin has been a public school teacher, he’s shot videos for Iron Solomon, including some in the abandoned tunnels in the Westside highway, he was the director of visual production at hot new hip hop, and now he works with Logic to create some of the most eye-catching, dynamic, and honest content in the game. On this episode, Justin talks about his decision to leave teaching, shooting the Everybody documentary with Logic, what makes a good director, and more. Even if you aren’t a director or content creator, I encourage you to listen to this episode. I believe everyone should have a creative outlet, whether they make a living off of it or not, and Justin takes us through what it’s like to be in those beginning stages when you’re experimenting, failing, making adjustments, and trying to find your lane. And Justin would tell you that he still endures those same cycles even today. So without further ado, here is our wide-ranging conversation with Justin Fleischer.

Call Me Loop

Welcome to our first installment of the 'Off The Record' series where the artists themselves tell stories, talk about experiences, and answer questions about the things that matter most all while having some fun. This week, Call Me Loop answers questions that deal with anxiety, her tips for the "casual hookup," her best purchase under $100, calming nerves before a show, and more. She just dropped her latest EP, Drama, which you can stream now wherever you listen to music.

A R I Z O N A

This week, we sat down with A R I Z O N A, the band not the state. A R I Z O N A would want me to tell you that they’re just three normal guys, Zach, Nate, and David, who make music as a medium to connect with people. All three grew up in New Jersey, and as you’ll soon learn, there is a very important distinction between North Jersey and The Southern part of the state.

Early on, Zach, Nate, and David broke into the industry as songwriters and producers, making music for other artists, a more of a behind the scenes day-to-day. Somewhere along that line, the guys hit a low point in production and were considering getting full-time jobs outside of music. In the depths of that dark place, they made a song called ‘Let Me Touch Your Fire.’ They didn’t mean for it to turn into anything, but the people responded and all of a sudden they found themselves on the other side of the glass. In Zach’s words “we got home and decided to make something with no bounds, requirements, goals, or marks. We just wanted to create for the sake of creating.”

In this episode, the band dives into mentality behind their creative process, how they dug themselves out of that dark place, building a makeshift studio in a Toyota Corolla, Touring with Panic! at the Disco, the realities of being full-time music artists, and more. So Let us touch your fire with this episode as we take you into the story behind the music.

The Spotlight Effect

In this installment of the Self-Care Series, we address the Spotlight effect. We started the self-care series in honor of the late Mac Miller to discuss issues related to physical, mental, and emotional well-being, and The Spotlight Effect is something that none of us humans can escape. But you can better equip yourself to handle the situations when the spotlight strikes. The Spotlight Effect is a phenomenon in which people tend to believe they are noticed more than they really are. By recognizing this effect and becoming aware when it is happening to you, you can disarm it and become more free in the moment. So without further ado let’s shed that spotlight.

Why Gender Matters with Dr. Leonard Sax

For this week’s episode and the latest installment of the Self Care Series, I sat down with Dr. Leonard Sax to discuss his book Why Gender Matters: What Parents and Teachers need to know about the science of Sex Differences. We started the Self Care series in honor of the late Mac Miller to address issues related to physical, mental, and social well-being. Understanding the differences between boys and girls, men and women, is paramount to self-care and your relationships with others. A little bit of background info on Dr. Sax: He graduated MIT at the age of 19, earned his Ph.D. and MD in psychology from University of Pennsylvania, and for 19 years he was a practicing family physician in Maryland. Dr. Sax has spoken on the issues of child and adolescent development throughout the US, Bermuda, Canada, England, and numerous other countries, and he has visited over 400 schools since 2001.

Now, what makes understanding gender differences so important? We live in a society where, according to Dr. Sax, “the lack of awareness of gender differences has had the unintended result of reinforcing gender stereotypes.” For example, did you know that for the average boy to hear you as well as the average girl, you have to speak about 8 decibels higher, which is equivalent to 3 clicks on the car radio? Or that on average, girls’ visual systems are better at picking up color, detail, and texture than boys? And boys are better at picking up on speed and direction? There are concrete differences between boys and girls, and there are millions of ways to be male and female. Gender differences do not equate to gender inequalities. We should be celebrating these differences and better understanding them, rather than pretending like they don’t exist.

Even if you have no interest in gender differences, I encourage you to listen to this conversation to broaden your perspective because these issues affect everyone, including me and you. And yes, people may disagree with some things said in this episode, and I want that. I encourage you to reach out to me and Dr. Sax with any thoughts you have on this episode. Both of our emails will be in the description of this podcast, along with a link to Dr. Sax’s book Why Gender Matters. No matter how difficult, politically incorrect, or polarizing a certain topic may be, the goal should always be to have a conversation grounded in facts.

Sol

This week, we sat down with the Seattle-based rapper Sol. During his time at the University of Washington, he was awarded the Bonderman Scholarship which allowed Sol to travel to 10 countries in 10 months. One of the requirements of this trip was that he had to go alone. At the time, Sol sat at #1 on the iTunes Hip Hop charts and #4 globally after the release of Yours Truly, then decided to drop off the map. When most would look to do anything to capitalize financially and socially on an album’s success, Sol saw it more important to find himself.

In this episode, Sol talks about the impact of this ten-month journey, how he actually started as a painter before music, his relationship with Macklemore, a pivotal conversation with his Aunt, studying under Seattle Legend Isaac Meek, and the creative process behind his most recent album that just dropped March 1st, Soon Enough. Even if you aren’t an avid listener to Sol or music in general, I highly recommend you listen through this conversation. This talk was more than music. Sol drops some unique insight on crafting the vision of an independent artist, understanding different cultures, and why your definition of success should not be defined by the mainstream. Without further ado, here is our wide-ranging conversation with Sol.

machineheart

This week, we sat down with machineheart, a band based out of LA with strong ties to Tacoma, Washington. They gained popularity with covers of Katy Perry and The 1975, eventually breaking into Spotify’s Viral with their original song ‘Circles’ featuring Vancouver-based electronic artist Vanic. On the heels of their debut album, People Change, we discuss how the band came together, the toxicity of social media, Post Malone, the creative process, and more. This episode was recorded backstage during soundcheck at The Gramercy Theatre in NYC, so my apologies for any annoying guitars, drums, and clanking going on in the background. Personally, I think all of the noise adds to the aesthetic of the podcast. Definitely planned it that way.

MakeYouKnowLove

This week, we sat down with Michael and Anthony Hannides, otherwise known as MakeYouKnowLove (@makeyouknowlove). They are brothers from the UK, multi-platinum songwriters, and practicers of martial arts. Just to give you a snapshot of their resume, Anthony and Michael co-wrote and produced Zayn’s smash hit Pillowtalk which went #1 in 75 countries, as well as many other songs on Zayn’s debut album Mind of Mine and Zayn’s follow up project Icarus Falls. They also co-wrote Kiss Me by Rita Ora which appeared on the Fifty Shades Darker Soundtrack, as well as worked with artists like Jay Sean, Alesha Dixon, Conor Maynard, and McLean.

Back in 2005, Anthony and Michael sang in the group 4-Tune which made an impressive run to the finals on X-Factor, which we will get into more later. After touring for a couple years playing 4-Tune gigs, Anthony and Michael took that money to create their own makeshift studio. At first, they made music using a cupboard with curtains as the vocal booth. Working, eating, and sleeping out of the same place, they barely made any money for the first three years in the studio. As Michael and Anthony say, “A song’s success isn’t what makes us happy - writing the song itself, that’s the happiness.”

With that mindset, the songs they’ve created have reached nearly 3 billion streams to date, and they have now released their own project called MakeYouKnowLove. I learned a lot from this conversation, including insights into fitness, meditation, and what it takes to make a living as a creator. Even if you have zero interest in music and songwriting, this conversation will broaden your perspective, and hopefully, leave you with some tools and messages that can apply to your everyday life.

Cautious Clay

On this week’s episode of Auxoro: The Voice of Music, we sat down with Cautious Clay. He released his debut EP, Blood Type, in February of 2018, but the journey started long before. Cautious Clay grew up in Cleveland and was surrounded by the jazz community. He plays the flute and saxophone among other things, a true multi-instrumentalist. At George Washington University, he started making beats and posting remixes to SoundCloud. It was there, that Finneas, Billie Eilish’s brother, saw one of these remixes and reached out to Cautious Clay. Cautious Clay, Blackbear, and Astonomyy ended up being part of the first remix package of ‘Ocean Eyes’ by Billie Eilish back in 2015.

Since then, Cautious Clay has made a lot of music, worked multiple day jobs, and recently quit those day jobs to pursue music full time. In October of 2018, NPR tapped Cautious Clay to perform for their coveted tiny desk concert series. Even if you don’t listen to Cautious Clay, or aren’t an avid music listener in general, this episode has a lot of insight into the overall process of creativity, the effect of religion on upbringing, competition, and other topics that span beyond music.

Jim Weider || The Weight Band

This week, we sat down with the legendary Jim Weider. Jim was born and raised in Woodstock, NY and from 1985-2000 he was the lead guitarist for the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame Inductees The Band. His first ever show with The Band was a Crosby, Stills, and Nash reunion in Dallas Texas in front of over 30,000 people. Talk about baptism by fire. Throughout Jim’s career, he has jammed with Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones, Scotty Moore of Elvis Presley’s original band, played with The Grateful Dead at Soldier field and rocked the stage at The Berlin Wall Concert in front of over 300,000. No single concert has ever been bigger in attendance.

In 2013, The Weight Band formed when two former members of The Band, Jim Weider and Randy Ciarlante, decided to continue The Band’s rich musical tradition. The Weight Band keeps the Woodstock spirit of The Band alive. In 2018, The Weight Band released an original album titled ‘World Gone Mad,’ a commentary on today’s divisive political climate and the hardship of American Life. In this conversation, Jim and I get into growing up in Woodstock, his time with The Band, jamming with Rock n Roll icons, the psychedelic culture, and more.

Kevin Hart And The State Of Comedy

In the latest episode of the Self Care Series, host Zach Grossfeld explores the recent controversy with Kevin Hart and The Oscars Committee, Hart's jokes on homosexuality, and the current state of comedy. We started the Self Care Series in honor of the late Mac Miller as a way to explore mental, physical, and emotional well-being. Comedy can be the ultimate cure for pulling through the darkest of times, and laughter combines all three aspects of Self Care: the physical, the mental, and the emotional. Should certain topics be off limits for comics? Who decides what we can and cannot find funny? How does laughter tie into morality? We are only one voice in a sea of opinions and we would love to hear your thoughts on a force that connects us all: comedy.

LVRN (Love Renaissance)

Welcome to the first installment of our Offstage Spotlight series where we speak to those in the music industry who make their living off of the main stage. These people include label executives, managers, booking agents, light technicians, and others who play essential roles in the music world.

This week, we sat down with the founders of LVRN, a label and collective located in the heart of the city of Atlanta. LVRN has developed and signed multi-platinum artists like 6lack and D.R.A.M. while staying true to their creative visions. What started as an idea between five friends at Georgia State evolved into a collective powerhouse in the birthplace of the trap. On this episode, we discuss the origins of LVRN, sleeping in Uhauls, the Anti-Tour, partnering with Interscope Records, working with artists like 6lack and D.R.A.M., and more.

R.LUM.R

On this week's episode of Auxoro: The Voice Of Music, we sat down with R.LUM.R. A man of many influences, he has explored sounds from Porter Robinson and Linkin Park to Fleet Foxes and Anita Baker. As R.LUM.R says, “No one exists who is not the sum of all of their influences.” And the journey of his artistry and influences is apparent in the music that he makes. What started on six strings has evolved into a beautiful synergy of the organic, the electronic and the soul. In this episode, we discuss the power of empathy, the cloak of genre, Super Rich Kids, the isolation of tour life, and more.

XXXTENTACION's Legacy

In the latest episode of our Self Care Series, we explore the XXXTENTACION's legacy. We started the Self Care Series in honor of the late Mac Miller as a way to explore mental, physical, and emotional well-being. Struggling with his own inner demons, XXXTENTACION left behind a legacy or beauty, abuse, and violence. This episode was recorded the week after XXXTENTACION's murder and dives into the question of how he should be remembered. Host Zach Grossfeld addresses the not so black and white meaning of XXXTENTACION's life, death, and legacy. This is only one perspective and it is not meant to serve as a final answer, but rather ignite a discussion on how X should, and will be memorialized.

shallou

This week, we sat down with shallou, an electronic producer located in LA, who’s originally from the Greater DC area. shallou is currently on tour until the beginning of January and puts on a show that transports you into his own creative world. His latest EP, Souls, showcases a powerful yet emotional blend of the organic and electronic. Icelandic adventures, inspiration from artists like Porter Robinson, childhood car rides with his Dad, and other elements have all shaped the world of shallou. In his own words, “I just want to make people’s lives more pleasant.” On this episode, we get into the inspiration behind Souls, the revolution of the music industry, the behind the scenes work necessary to produce a live show, and more.