Author Archives: Roman Gokhman
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INTERVIEW: Evie Irie up to the challenge, raises the stakes for her second EP
Evie Irie, Courtesy. Just a few years ago, when Australian soul-pop singer-songwriter Evie Irie was still in high school, it wasn’t music but sports on her mind. While she was always creative as a child, and loved crafts and music, sports gave her what she thought was the best…
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Q&A: Dedric Clark of Social Animals on losing his ‘Best Years’ and finding new ones
Social Animals. Courtesy of Rise Records. When you’re desperate for paying work, you take anything available to you. That was the case for Duluth, Minnesota’s Social Animals, who had followed a motto to never say “no” to an offer. That’s how the quartet found itself with a gig at…
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INTERVIEW: Bruno Major learns ‘To Let a Good Thing Die’
Bruno Major, Courtesy. U.K. soul singer-songwriter Bruno Major was a week away from kicking off his biggest U.S. tour in March when the plug was pulled on the touring industry. The concerts were meant to be an introduction to his second album of jazzy slow-burners, To Let A Good…
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Q&A: Oakland’s Ultra Q drops quarantine EP, ponders future after shelter-in-place
Ultra Q, Courtesy: Andrew Diaz. Some bands can get by on streaming royalties for a while in the event of a catastrophic pandemic, but Oakland’s Ultra Q is not a “streaming band,” frontman and bandleader Jakob Armstrong said. Brothers Enzo and Chris Malaspina, Kevin Judd and Armstrong, the youngest son…
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INTRODUCING K.O.: DJ and visual artist Ko Lee steps into a new realm with “Sadderday”
K.O. (Ko Lee). Ko Lee is still new to writing and recording her original songs as K.O., but the Angeleno has been making art of the visual kind for several years, usually using herself as the subject. While she’s grown a massive online fanbase, Lee is quick to point…
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INTERVIEW: Lindsey Stirling learning to slow down in a pandemic, show love with her wallet
Lindsey Stirling, Courtesy. Lindsey Stirling is proud to show off the makeshift recording and video studio that she’s concocted for herself in her guestroom at her sister’s Missouri horse ranch. She’s sitting on her bed, to which she’s attached a tall standing shoe rack with her dog Luna’s leash.…
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SF Ballet streaming ballet set to M83’s ‘Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming’
San Francisco Ballet in Peck’s ‘Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming.’ Courtesy: Erik Tomasson. In 2018 San Francisco Ballet premiered a ballet set to sections of M83’s critically acclaimed double album, Hurry Up We’re Dreaming. Beginning Friday at 3 p.m., the production will be streamed for seven days on the company’s Facebook and YouTube pages,…
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Entertainment safety advocacy issues guidelines for the return of concerts
Kehlani performs at the Greek Amphitheater in Berkeley on June 23, 2017. The biggest question at the top of the minds of music fans, artists, club owners and the rest of the music industry is when concerts can resume. The answer is complicated because in many circumstances, it will…
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SWMRS’ Max Becker determined to return stronger after brain injury, pandemic
Max Becker of SWMRS performs at Live 105’s BFD 2017 at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View on June 10, 2017. Alessio Neri/STAFF. SWMRS’ Max Becker doesn’t remember undoing his seatbelt, but obviously he did on the fateful drive from Oakland to Denver, where the band was set to begin…
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The Wild West of album releases during the COVID-19 pandemic
Stacks of compact discs sit on spindles. Courtesy: Joe McNally/Getty Images. Lady Gaga did it. So did Alicia Keys, then Sam Smith, Rufus Wainwright, The Dixie Chicks and Alanis Morrissette. The 1975 did it twice; from February to March, and then to late May (as of now). All of…
