Writer's Brain September Round Up
These are some of my recent articles, music recommendations, shoutouts, and smaller musings.
Writer’s Writing:
I took last month off, so these are all the articles I published in July and August:
Meet Derrick Hodge, The Composer Orchestrating Hip-Hop's Symphony
I was especially excited to interview Derrick Hodge because he is merging traditional orchestras with pop music. After interviewing him backstage at Red Rocks I saw him conduct an orchestra at two different gigs: Stephen & Damian Marley, and Nas. I came up playing in the school concert band, so seeing orchestras in this setting is incredibly inspiring. Especially led by someone like Derrick who honors the craft with every fiber of his being.
Meet Odie Leigh, the rising folk star who ended up making a viral song on TikTok as a bet
The headline says it all. The only reason anyone knows the name Odie Leigh is because she joined in on a bet with her roommates.
They were both aspiring rappers and they made a bet about who could make a viral TikTok song first. They knew Odie could sing and play guitar, but they didn’t invite her into the bet because she didn’t have any interest in being a professional musician.
She joined out of spite anyway…and won. Soon she had amassed a considerable TikTok audience by posting videos of her singing and playing guitar. Now she is performing all over the world and just put out her debut album, Carrier Pigeon.
She made it to the big time by doing nothing but writing songs in the moment and posting them on the internet moments later. She didn’t have a manager or an agent or a producer or a fancy guitar. It was just her and her confidence.
In case anyone was wondering, that’s all you need.
Julien Baker on musical imagery, collaborative writing and scoring Orphan Black
This is my favorite piece I’ve ever written. Ever.
Thank you, Julien.
Introducing: INVT
If you weren’t already aware, Luca and Delbert are my BOYS. Chatted with them on my first night in London two years ago (kicking off the best time of my life), and two years later they are still shifting dance music back towards what matters.
Metaverse homes for music superfans
While I am interested in writing about more than music, music has allowed me to write about so many different topics. In this case, I wrote about AI and metaverse real estate. It all stems from Album Digs, which is run by Adam Kunz. Using AI, Adam designs virtual homes based on albums.
On Their First Album In 7 Years, Foster The People Explore A New State Of Mind
Honestly, the only song I knew from Foster the People was “Pumped Up Kicks,” but Mark Foster is such a talented and interesting guy, I may just be a fan now.
Writer’s Picks
These are some recent albums/artists that I’m thrilled to share. You can keep track of the new music I’m loving by following my 2024 Albums playlist on Spotify:
July/August’s Writer’s Picks are inspired by my friend Kristina. She recommended both of these albums to me, and they’re both awesome.
Madrugada - Industrial Silence
Madrugada is from Norway, and this album is their take on 90s alternative. Being born in the American bubble, I love hearing how bands from the far reaches of the Earth interepreted the biggest styles of the day. Imagine dark, heavy alt-rock with a healthy dose of twangy blues.
The Gun Club - Miami
Kristina told me that Jack White said The Gun Club should be taught in music history courses. I did some research and discovered they were the first band to really combine the blues and rockabilly with punk. It’s loud but it also swings.
Writer’s Friends
I know tons of people doing tons of cool stuff.
My friend Logan Sasser just wrote this in-depth feature on Denver’s music scene! It’s the bass capital of the world for a reason.
For the last couple years, my friend, DJ, producer, and Twitch star, Magda Halina has been running a dance music party in Orange County called Audisoul. Now the Audisoul crew is performing at Off The Grid Campout next month!
