RECENT ARTICLES

John Ondrasik, aka Five for Fighting, released his hit song, “100 Years,” on November 24th, 2003. The track, which followed the artist’s 2001 mega hit, “Superman (It’s Not Easy),” solidified Five for Fighting in the American cannon. The track, which follows the course of a life from birth to old age, hit number-28 on the Billboard charts and has since earned U.S. platinum-status. “100 Years,” which boasts some 50-million YouTube views to date, came as the result of a great deal of work and craft for Ondrasik. We caught up with the songwriter and asked him about the song’s origin, how he became so skilled on the piano, what he loves most about the song when considering it today and much more.

Atlanta-based artist, Summer Walker, is all about the process of making music. Attention from journalists? Eh, whatever. Accolades and fame? Sure. She’ll take it if she has to, but she doesn’t strive for it. Instead, what Walker wants is the freedom to continue to make more music, to invest in the muse and simply write. Which is why her 2019 LP, Over It, is so aptly titled. Walker, who’s worked many odd jobs to support herself (including stripper, while also teaching herself guitar in off hours), has put in the time and made the sacrifices. Walker has also seen what a life without music at its center may lead to and she wants none of it for herself. Instead, she’ll continue to coyly and expertly write her songs, perform on massive stages (digitally and in-person, when allowed) and grow her passion. We caught up with the creative mind to ask her how she came to love music, how she found her band mates and why she always seems so in-charge.

On May 29th, the inimitable and larger-than-life artist, Lady Gaga, released her sixth studio album, the 16-track epic, dance-infused, Chromatica (selling 274,000 copies in the first week). The record, which hit number-one on the U.S.Billboard 200, as well as the top spot on more than a dozen other charts, displays Gaga’s knack for bridging deep ideas with pop sensibilities. Gaga has the uncanny, almost superhuman ability to produce a song that can fill up a sweaty dance floor at 3 am with heart-pounding sound (see the new single, “Rain on Me”) while at the same time, if you examine her verses, she will have your heart welling up with emotion.

Joe Talbot, front man for the British rock ‘n’ roll band, IDLES, has seen some shit. He’s a recovering addict and, in this capacity, looks to empathy as both a tool and a guiding light for progress throughout his life, internally and professionally. Talbot, who started IDLES in 2009, will see the release of his group’s latest LP, Ultra Mono, on September 25th. The album, which features bombastic and brilliant songs like, “War” and “Grounds” is a testament to the power of empathy. On it, IDLES brings their signature musical muscle while also proffering ideas of consent, self-love and recovery. We caught up with Talbot, who was on his way from one interview to the next, to talk about the new record, how empathy shapes his day-to-day life and how music saved him from self-destruction.

On January 27th, 1997, Michigan-based band, The Verve Pipe, released its third single from their second studio LP, Villains. That song, “The Freshmen,” was a stone cold hit. The track, which has garnered some 18-million YouTube views to date, peaked at number-five on the Billboard Hot 100 and helped Villains earn Platinum status. “The Freshmen,” which was written by the band’s front man, Brian Vander Ark, tells the story of a rather devastating love triangle. It also boasts some very quotable lyrics, which, as luck would have it, Vander Ark was able to pluck from the world around him. We caught up with the musician to talk about how he started writing, how his years in the army influenced his work, what “The Freshmen” did for his career and much more.

The first song on Heart’s debut 1975 LP, Dreamboat Annie, is the epic, “Crazy On You.” The song, which begins with an acoustic riff that sounds like it’s being plucked by five or six hands (not just by one of guitarist, Nancy Wilson’s) leads into one of the most stalwart guitar licks of all time. Borne out of fits of passion amidst troubled political times (see: War, Vietnam), the track describes the desire to forget everything happening outside one’s windows and succumb to passion. With this song as the band’s introduction to new fans, it’s no wonder that Heart would later make the Rock ‘N’ Roll Hall of Fame. We caught up with Nancy to ask her about the song’s origins, the time Eminem sampled it and much more.

In April of 2001, songwriter, John Ondrasik (aka Five for Fighting), released the now-U.S. Gold-certified song, “Superman (It’s Not Easy).” The song, which peaked at No. 14 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, saw regular rotation on pop radio stations and MTV, alike.

But the track had a second life after the tragic 9/11 attacks when it became an anthem of healing throughout the nation’s recovery. “Superman” played to honor first responders, firefighters, police and many more for seemingly moths on end. We caught up with the author of that seminal song to ask Ondrasik about he first came to music and songwriting, how he wrote the track (and how long it shockingly took him!), what impact the song had on his career and much more.

Berlin-based Swiss musician, Sophie Hunger, doesn’t fit in any traditional sonic box. Or, rather, she’s such an adept and skilled player that she’s capable of hopping from music box to music box at will, creating songs in various genres from electronic to rock ‘n’ roll to industrial and others. Hunger’s latest release was the song (and video) for the track, “Alpha Venon,” and the 37-year-old Hunger will release her latest LP, Halluzinationen, on Friday, August 28th. We caught up with Hunger to talk with her about her diverse sonic interests, the staggering number of languages she speaks, how she first fell in love with music, her varied traveling schedule around Europe, her new studio LP and much more.