Who’re two or three of your favourite up-and-coming artists proper now?

Lauren Hicks: I’ve been a giant fan of Ezra Glatt and assume he presents nice expertise going into the people scene. With distinctive fingerstyle guitar and lyrics—Glatt has a way of timelessness that parallels to the likes of Nick Drake or Gordon Lightfoot. His music is a wonderful portrayal of nature, human nature, and every little thing in between.

I’ve additionally had Flatland Cavalry on repeat. They’ve grown fairly massive over the past couple of years, however I undoubtedly assume they need to nonetheless be looking out. There’s one thing about that mixture of acoustic guitar and fiddle that all the time retains me listening.

Lastly, Antoine Bradford has all the time been a favourite of mine. He’s a flexible artist in each the RnB and gospel scene—and I’m excited to see extra of his music sooner or later.

What’s one thing you’ve realized from working as a music journalist?

Lauren Hicks: Being a youthful and newly skilled author, I can get a bit nervous earlier than doing an interview. Right here I’m, sitting in my faculty dorm—making an attempt to get all my papers collectively and ensure I researched every little thing correctly. On the opposite facet of my display screen is a music artist—and although every interview appears to be like completely different—the one commonality I’ve observed is a robust sense gratefulness inside all of the artists. It’s the type of demeanor that makes all my nerves fade away from the primary few phrases spoken. Irrespective of their background, style, or stance within the trade—every artist has proven nice gratitude for his or her half in it. That’s a wonderful factor to have in widespread as a result of although objectives and character might look completely different, gratitude is what retains them going. Whether or not it’s gratitude for his or her listeners, their music, themselves or a mix of all of them. It’s a nice privilege to listen to that being expressed and to see it being mirrored.

What’re your favourite moments masking music? Might be from interviews, opinions, in-person occasions/reveals, something.

Lauren Hicks: One of many coolest issues concerning the trade is that there are connections in every single place. My first interview started with a buddy of a buddy from highschool.

That interview then result in a music supervisor out of Australia reaching out to me and connecting me with one in every of his artists. It was loopy how one individual led to a different—and extra alternatives may come up from it. That was one in every of my favourite moments as a result of it jogged my memory of the alternatives that writing can convey and the connections it builds.

Should you may ask one query to any artist or band, who would it not be and what would you ask?

Lauren Hicks: If I had the possibility earlier than he handed, I might have requested John Prine what his favourite life “Souvenirs” have been. Whether or not it’s a ‘comfortable enchilada’ or ‘tilt-a-whirl’ or an individual or a spot! Why have been they price remembering and carrying with you — whether or not by way of music or not?

What are you most wanting ahead to this yr, music-wise?

Lauren Hicks: I feel that the music scene is consistently shifting, so it’s exhausting to foretell what is going to occur. Although there’ll all the time be front-running genres and music kinds, the inspiration of music creation all the time returns to its ancestors. How that manifests utterly will depend on the artist or band — but it surely’s actually cool to see the linearity and timelessness of music being carried by way of. I feel that many artists are taking a stand in representing this and even going towards the grain.

Both means, there’ll all the time be good music and good folks to share it with and delightful locations to get pleasure from it at. Good music will all the time be there even when it’s tougher to search out—and that’s an ideal present! To me, there’ll all the time be one thing to stay up for.

Are you able to please clarify why you selected the highest 5 songs in your playlist?

Lauren Hicks:

• “That’s The Method That the World Goes Spherical” by John Prine: I discovered this track after I noticed Adam Melchor did a canopy of it—calling it the “Pleased Enchilada” track. It’s one in every of my favorites as a result of my first thought after I heard it was “it’s like being a child”. I quickly came upon that Prine supposed it to be by way of the lens of a kid. I assumed that was one of many coolest issues—to have the ability to talk a sure perspective and feeling by way of the music’s sound—even with seemingly nonsensical lyrics. It’s commentary on life, the place you possibly can simply look proper at it and chortle.
• “Distinction Maker” by NeedToBreathe: I’ve lots of respect for Bear RineHart in how he can communicate multitudes to folks from completely different beliefs and backgrounds. This track is a primary instance of portray an image that may communicate to non-public delight and understanding goal. It’s the query of what human worth means in making a distinction—and finally what that’s linked to. It’s stunning writing and a poetic approach to communicate to folks.
• “Roll Me Away” by Bob Seger: This track is simply enjoyable. It’s the type of track you take heed to together with your home windows down and never have a care on the planet. It’s the type of track the place I’ll yell out the window as a result of I simply really feel so joyful and grateful to be alive. Whether or not it’s the track you wish to run away to or take a look at your automotive’s transmission—it’s an ideal hear both means.
• “Pink Moon” by Nick Drake: The instrumentals on this track! The piano! Oh my. I really like the best way that Nick Drake’s voice sounds—however the instrumentals on this track actually add to it. The guitar and piano are like an orchestra for his vocal cords. It truly is one thing else.
• “Nonetheless Beating” by Mac Demarco: It was a kind of moments the place you hear the primary few seconds of a track, and also you immediately fall in love with it. On the ripe age of 14, I used to be opened as much as an entire new world of music…and it began with this track. The remaining is historical past!

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