RECENT ARTICLES

For many, the best show on television right now is the new Marvel series X-Men ’97. The cartoon, which just aired its season finale this week on Disney+, was already trending on X in a matter of hours. The original X-Men animated series first aired in the early 1990s and the new offering is a continuation. But while much of the ’97 series has remained the same, some of it has been updated. One of those updates is the show’s theme song, written by the musical group The Newton Brothers.

It takes a lot to be yourself. Paradoxically, it’s not something that comes easily to many. You have to find yourself first. We grow up beholden to a life of outside expectations. Inescapable diversions. It’s a dog-eat-dog world, as they say. But there always remains a chance for self-realization. A crack in the mirror through which we can see our true selves on the other side—as we’re meant to be, as we want to be, deep down. 

When asked what he’s focusing on today, Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee says more than anything else, he’s just trying to be better. For the notorious music icon who seems to have lived as many lives as he has hit records, the purpose of life as he sees it now is to exist in the moment and be better than he was before, whether that was last year or last decade. For Lee, whose band released its newest single “Dogs of War” today (April 26) along with a new music video, the hope is to push ahead with a little more grace than he had previously.

When you’re young, says 76-year-old singer/songwriter T Bone Burnett, everything in life is a mystery. As you get older, things get clearer and simpler. Nevertheless, for Burnett, who has worked with the likes of Bob Dylan, Robert Plant, and Brandi Carlile throughout his illustrious career, even at a young age he says he was “audio-oriented.” He knew early on that he loved sound more than anything. More than painting, more than mathematics. That much was clear.

Lenny Kravitz‘s brand new single, “Human,” begins with a rattle. And either by choice or by divine intervention (or maybe both), it’s the perfect opening. The rattle, if considering the new track philosophically, can be thought of as a soul-stirring awakening. The jolt of bones, the spark of a spirit inside. A rattle, too, is almost always a person’s first toy, doubling also as our first musical instrument.

When you’re a rock legend, chances are you have some harrowing experiences to share. Pearl Jam’s lead guitarist Mike McCready not only has stories to tell but also is ready to tell them in a new way. The Seattle-born artist has been playing his instrument since he was 12 years old, starting around 1979. From there, he saw the rise of the Pacific Northwest grunge rock scene and witnessed some of his closest friends and musical cohorts die as the result of fame and drug abuse. He’s since come out the other side, surviving his own health issues and struggles with addiction, to become a Rock & Roll Hall of Famer. Now, McCready says, he’s working on a script and soundtrack for a new rock opera that will tell the stories of his city and display the range of emotions many encountered on their paths to fame.  

Taking a mental health break in Arizona’s Santa Catalina Mountains a couple years ago may have saved actor/pop star Kevin Quinn’s life. At least, his creative one. For Quinn, 26, who auditioned for American Idol just two weeks after his 15th birthday and rose to fame thanks to his work as an actor on the Disney Channel, it was a chance to get out of the public spotlight and change and reframe his future.

While checked into a facility in Arizona, Quinn says he was able to wake up free of professional responsibility, go for jogs, take in the air and witness the majesty of the mountains. Now, that recent refresh has helped him write his new EP Real Me, which is out Friday (January 19).

For the Japanese-born Renaissance man Yoshiki, risk is an essential aspect of his creativity. The piano player, kimono designer (highlighted at Paris Fashion Week), Golden Globes theme composer — and more — knows that to achieve anything, to make any kind of unique mark, one needs to find new ground. Explore new territory, both inwardly and outwardly. That’s the recipe, if there is one, to success. And Yoshiki is continuing to test that important maxim. This fall, he made his directorial debut with the music documentary, Yoshiki: Under The Sky, which also features the likes of St. Vincent and the Chainsmokers. He then held performances in honor of the doc in New York, L.A., London and Tokyo in a matter of days. There will be no resting on laurels.

On Friday (November 10), when the recent Grammy nominees were announced, Americana star Allison Russell was out for a jog. And that was a good thing, she says, because if she had been hyper-aware of the nominations, she may have driven herself mad with anticipation.

Of course, Russell, whose debut solo album, Outside Child, was also nominated for multiple Grammy awards two years ago, and who has garnered other nominations since then, is no stranger to accolades these days. Even if there was a time earlier in her life when she never thought she’d see it.

For Eric Burton, the lead singer of the Austin, Texas-born soul rock band the Black Pumas, writing songs is like praying. This idea makes sense given that Burton first fell in love with music in church as a young person. But in another way, for the celestially talented singer, making music is as personal as it can get. While that can mean his life can be fodder for content, more accurately for Burton, it’s about connecting to that granular thing called self.

In today’s era of constant stimuli, digitally or otherwise, there can be an immense push for individuals to be followers, whether on social media, as sports fans, or as consumers of celebrity culture. But the real job—and this is something Burton knows keenly—is to connect with yourself in a clear and specific, even laser-like manner. How do you feel about a given subject? And then, how do you feel about how you feel about it? For Burton, being closely and deeply connected to himself is the impetus for his songs. And all of this can be felt and heard on his band’s new LP, Chronicles of a Diamond, out Friday (October 27).

Les Claypool remembers being 14 years old and in algebra class. Behind him was another guy, a friend who often had guitar magazines. Claypool’s compatriot would thumb through the pages and show him pictures. That same classmate used to sell Claypool weed, too, as a matter of fact. For Claypool, who was first exposed to music by his mother’s records (including Abbey Road) and the AM radio, the rock rags were an early source of contemporary music exposure. “Claypool, check it out,” his friend would say. “This is the guitar I’m going to get, man!”

The guy also wanted Claypool to sing in his band since he was known to hum Led Zeppelin and other rock tunes under his breath. But Claypool didn’t join the guy’s band. Instead, he found another band that needed a bass player, not a singer. It wasn’t the last time Claypool would miss out on being in a project that included his classmate—Kirk Hammett. Later, Claypool would try out for Metallica, but it wasn’t a musical fit. Nevertheless, Claypool has enjoyed an acclaimed career in the art form. It’s one that’s celebrated in a new box set of solo music, Adverse Yaw: The Prawn Song Years Box Set, out February 9.

To many, songwriter and performer Valerie June is a source of light. But the job, even for June, is not easy. She says she tends to wake up in the morning feeling grumpy. Then there is the possibility for sadness or depression when considering the wars abroad, hate at home, and the crumbling stability of the environment. But that’s why June loves the word “practice.” In order to stay light in times of darkness or up when the heaviness wants to get her down, June keeps to her practice of mindfulness— whether it’s writing music or poetry, collaborating with others, or reminding herself that she is enough. Heck, even Bob Dylan is a fan of June. So, she must be doing something right! All of this is woven into her new book, Light Beams: A Workbook for Being Your Badass Self, a mindfulness tome that is out now on the heels of June’s latest musical releases.

Growing up, Jenny Lewis wanted to be a rapper. Born into a musical family, with parents who were musicians and vaudeville performers, Lewis found music early on. “[It] was the family hustle,” she tells American Songwriter.

Lewis was discovered at three years old by a talent agent who saw her in a restaurant. Then, it was Lewis’ charisma and acting ability that became the family hustle. But at ten years old, she began writing raps and then poetry. She liked words and lyrics. She got a Casio keyboard next and started plunking away on that. As a teenager, she got an acoustic guitar and learned a few chords from a Beatles songbook.

Today, Lewis is a beloved indie rocker and she’s currently on tour with her group The Postal Service, which is celebrating the 20th anniversary of their iconic LP, Give Up. For Lewis, who recently played Madison Square Garden as part of the trek, the tour is the culmination of a life of work.