Stopover is also in need of volunteers at the festival–you can sign up to volunteer here. You can purchase tickets here. You can also follow the Stopover festival on Instagram for updates.

Check out interviews that we’ve done with previous Stopover artists Honey Cutt and Tristen.

The post Savannah Stopover is Back this Year with Amazing Lineup appeared first on SCAD Radio.

So you’re from Orlando, right?

Kaley- Yeah, and I lived in Asheville, North Carolina for eight years.

You’re in Boston now, what caused the move?

Well, I had released an EP I recorded in Florida and I got signed to a label based out of the Northeast. I wanted to move up there to start my band and start touring.

Do you think the scene in Boston is any different from the south?

Oh, yeah. I mean, it’s much larger. I love the scene in Orlando. There’s really cool bands doing really cool things there. I think it’s much more competitive in bigger cities like Boston, especially ‘cause there’s a handful of music colleges so everyone’s pretty driven there.

Would you say the sound is any different?

Oh, totally. There’s definitely different pockets of the scene there. The Berklee kids are really talented and put together these eight piece bands with all different kinds of influences. It’s kind of all over the place.

What kind of music influences you?

I’ve always been influenced by good songwriters, especially women in music who I look up to. I’d say Karen O from The Yeah Yeah Yeahs. I love Michelle Zauner from Japanese Breakfast and lots of bands, especially bands who have a woman writing the songs.

I actually got to see you a couple years ago at Girls Rock Boston as one of the interns and I was wondering how you got involved with that and if you’ve done anything with them since. 

What! Are you serious? That’s awesome. I got involved because I had a few friends that were counselors there and my bassist at the time was actually a coach for that year. It was my only time playing it. I was really excited because I had been working at a school for the past three years in Boston… I got to invite some of my kindergartners that I worked with and got to sneak them into the performance which was really fun. That was really my only involvement with the program but it’s really cool. 

Where do you think your lyrical inspiration comes from? It seems really personal. 

I’ve always written music, since I was really young… I just write it to process my emotions. It’s just how I’m feeling. I’m not so much [of] a writer, I don’t typically refine the lyrics too much once they come out.

When you write music, do you come up with lyrics first or the music, or do they coincide?

It’s kind of random. As a songwriter, I do record all the parts and sometimes I have a bass riff, sometimes I have a guitar riff. Typically, I’m playing some chords on the guitar and singing when I feel inspired so I guess guitar and lyrics?

So you’ve been writing for a while, when did you start playing?

I joined band in school in sixth grade and played brass all the way through my junior year. Got my first stringed instrument in ninth grade and started writing and recording myself on my family’s home computer.

You have a new album coming out on March 13. Describe it in one sentence.

Exploratory, emotional, melodic rock songs. Yeah, I guess that’s what I’d call it.

Honey Cutt will be playing tomorrow, March 6th at El Rocko Lounge at 10PM. For more info on this Stopover performance, click here.

Check out Honey Cutt’s new single that just dropped today and more by clicking here!

The post Interviewing Honey Cutt Before Their Performance at Stopover appeared first on SCAD Radio.

Can you give us insight into what to expect from your upcoming gig at Stopover?

Tristen- It’s a four-piece rock and roll band, and, uh, yeah!

(laughs)

Let’s talk about your single, “Dream Within a Dream,” which is inspired by Edgar Allan Poe.

It’s not even inspired by an Edgar Allan Poe poem, it is a poem and there’s a couple lyrical changes that happened. I found that poem and thought it’d make a great song. I approached the band and started doing a blues jam and the song came out of it… I have this thing where sometimes I find a connection with a poem and I feel like I could write music to it. On my second album C A V E S, I chose this poem called “Winter Night” by Boris Pasternak. The tone is simple, but it felt like you were in a room with a candle lit. That’s an interesting thing, to be able to put a person in a location. I wanna do [Dylan Thomas’s] “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night,” these classic poems you feel forced to read in high school but then you turn 30 and you’re like “Oh, this is amazing!” Everybody kind of knows it, but to put it to music is cool because you can make it more memorable that way.

When you’re reading a poem, how do you know that this one is worthy of being made into a song?

I like when poems nail something universal, but also they find a unique way to do it. Joni Mitchell’s really good at bringing you to a location when you listen to her songs. In “A Case of You,” you feel like you’re the lonely girl at the bar who just got broken up with. The cool thing about “Dream Within a Dream” is that it’s an existential topic: this reality we create. It nails things you have to learn in life, no matter when you’re born. That’s what you feel when you read any great poetry… What makes it able to be a song, I guess you just have to be inspired to put it to song. “Dream Within a Dream” has something all of us have in common: that we’re all going to die. A lot of people are driven by fear, and what about the biggest fear of all? Everything is temporary, and I’m in this culture of capitalism and consumerism and status. None of it really makes me happy, even if you achieve it in some way. Trying to be somebody and realizing you’re nobody.

I get how these stories all tap into the human condition. In class this week, we were talking about Poe’s “Fall of the House of Usher.” It was pretty morbid, classic Poe, of course.

Right, he’s got that gothic style that becomes a movement. No matter where you go today, you can find a goth. It’s a style that’s really fun. We have an Edgar Allan Poe holiday every October 31st… I’ve read a bunch of his short stories, I think he’s one of the greats.

Let’s switch gears a little. You’re pretty active in displaying opinions on social media…

(laughs)

…If you could make one change to the music industry and how it operates, what would it be?

I would tell every single working artist and songwriter to see if they’re eligible for food stamps and free healthcare. I’d like streaming services to create a business model similar to video, like Netflix’s model, where you have access to certain movies at certain times but you don’t have access to an artist’s entire catalog… I feel that these companies take things like “content providers,” and one of the strategies for dehumanizing workers is declassifying them as workers. Instead of saying the artists and songwriters are “content providers,” they remove the label around the creation of that stuff that they’re selling. I’m going back to telling all artists to apply for benefits because the government is allowing these large companies not to pay any taxes and not to pay people minimum wage. Why don’t we just create a system where we’re getting free healthcare while we work for free?

For more on Tristen, click here. For more info on her performance at Savannah Stopover, click here. Be sure to check out SCAD Radio’s Stopover preview, too.

The post Interviewing Tristen, a Poe Fan Performing at Stopover appeared first on SCAD Radio.

For its tenth year, Savannah Stopover has been a weekend haven for the growing music scene in Savannah. Cushioned between the heavy metal AURA Fest and the traditional Savannah Music Festival, Stopover features a mix of up-and-coming rock, country, and pop artists. Often times, Stopover is a weekend stop for bands and artists before heading west to Austin, Texas’s South by Southwest festival. This year, the festival runs from Thursday, March 5^th through Saturday, the 7^th.

In addition to over 35 new acts this year, the festival is also featuring an evening with New West Records, a spotlight on rising female stars in Americana and Country music, a special 10-year opening night reception, and a 10-year photography exhibition.

Over the past 10 years, Stopover has featured the beginnings of many musical artist’s careers that have taken off. Grimes headlined in 2012, while Mac DeMarco was featured in the 2013 lineup. Athens-based indie pop band Of Montreal headlined the festival twice, in 2013 and again in 2018.

Among the touring artists and bands, there are also 8 local acts rounding up the 2020 lineup.

The post 10 Years Stopover Strong appeared first on SCAD Radio.

For those of you who aren’t in the know, Priests are an eclectic Punk-inspired outfit from Washington D.C. and for the past six years have put out some the best rock records in the American underground canon. As a result, they’ve garnered the attention of the biggest music publications in the country: Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, NPR and the usual crowd of pop culture aficionados. The group’s musical output has covered a wide range of different sounds, blending in elements of hardcore punk, noise, rockabilly, and even country. Lyrically, they’re whip smart, a lot of the subject material espousing an observational and often times comical tone. Although they don’t consider themselves a political band, they have a clear ethical philosophy they subscribe to. It’s safe to say Priests don’t care for capitalism. Or gender norms. Also, to date they are one of the most exciting live bands to watch. I would know as I was fortunate enough watch them from the entrance of the bar that I’m not old enough to enter. Their sets are a chemistry of urgency, tight instrumentation and vibrant costumes.

 So, in case it hasn’t already set in, these cats are really, really, cool and they’re preparing to drop an album this month, The Seduction of Kansas. Sonically, it promises to tread new territory. The singles thus far are radically different from the sharp guitar tracks of their former catalogue. They’re taut, refined, more pop oriented even.

“Obviously, we’ve grown as musicians” says Katie Alice Greer, the band’s vocalist. “Some of the oldest songs on Nothing Feels Natural were written six years ago at this point. Whereas the songs on The Seduction of Kansas, were maybe written a few weeks or a month before we went into the studio.”

About five minutes into the conversation, I’m forced to yell into the phone because the connection in the van is less than substantial (did I mention earlier that I lost my voice?). They spoke at length about how the process of writing and recording Kansas essentially became a coming-of-age chapter, accompanied by the usual laundry list of uncomfortable tropes such as relocating, separation, and of course, the anxiety of making new friends.

For instance, around the time they decided to regroup and write new material, their bassist, the dashing Tyler Mulitz, decided to take some time off to focus on another project, Flasher, an equally as exciting post-punk trio. The band also made the executive decision to migrate to Texas for the summer, and bring a new producer along, John Congleton. Congleton himself has quite the extended resume, having worked with everyone from Andrew Goddamned Jackson Jihad to Lana f*cking Del Rey. Yeah, I’d say that’s a lot of change. But don’t take my word for it.

“It was kind of scary. I mean, to move down to this place where we didn’t know anybody, in a studio where were totally unfamiliar and in a really different configuration of this band. Everything about this record was SO different for us.”

In spite of all these drastic changes, Priests acquired new coping skills, acclimated to their new climate, and beneath the evident pressure did not succumb to it, but instead emerged a new band. One with experience and refined observations about the world and themselves as individuals. This new state of being was achieved by as the members themselves stated “trying new things.” 

One of the “new things” the band is trying is to disassociate from the gratuitous number of labels constantly hurled their way. They’ve found the overuse of the term “DIY”, which stands for “Do It Yourself”, in conjunction with their own efforts to be the most egregious. In Priests eye’s, it’s evolved into something of a super-word. It’s primary function not to champion the spirit of artists who self-govern and sustain on their own terms, but more of a catchall phrase that suggests redundancy and way for corporations to commodify those philosophies and market them to the gullible youths. By the way, Priests never referred to anyone as gullible, that was all me, man.

They’re also trying to escape the perils of comparisons and band modifiers, like “Riot Grrrl” (the three ‘R’s are intentional). They’ve gone as far as writing up a document for press inquiries that feature basic facts about the band and a special request that they not be referred to as a Riot Grrrl act. “If you don’t take that agency over your narrative, obviously others tell your story for you in the way they think it ought to be told. That doesn’t need to happen. You can tell your own story.”

On the subject of comparisons, lead guitarist G.L. Jaguar certainly feels the band could make do without them. Especially the more outlandish claims. “I feel like a lot of people compare my guitar playing to Black Francis of The Pixies. But like, we sound nothing like The Pixies. The only thing we have in common is that we’re both short, fat, and bald. That’s just a really lazy analysis.”

“It’s like what I texted you earlier,” chimes in Greer, “at this point if you want to call us something, just call us a rock band.”

We also briefly discussed the bands wonderful vocabulary of cinema. Mr. Jaguar himself being quite the film buff. One film that they’ve unanimously agreed was made in poor taste was 2006’s Charlie Wilson’s War.  It’s the subject of the album’s second single “Good Time Charlie”, the lyrical portion dealing with the way in which Hollywood films glamorize and mythologize shifty figures like former congressman Charlie Wilson. Thematically, this album promises to dissect the culture of mythology that is so embedded in our DNA that we don’t even recognize how we’ve built a national identity on what essentially is the illusion of fables, so entrenched in the narrative of our own victory that we can’t recognize its deluding properties.

Critical examinations aside, Priests hope the new album will provide enough of a presence that it might galvanize you, the loyal listeners, into possibly making something as vital on your terms.  

“It would make me very happy if someone listens to it and wants to pick up an instrument. If they feel compelled to do so, or do something else. Like if they’re thinking ‘HOLY CRAP! I can do that!’ that would be satisfying.”

The post Priests: If Anything, Call Them a Rock Band- An Interview appeared first on SCAD Radio.

What: One of the largest music festivals in Georgia will be headlined by Tame Impala, who’s set to release a new album to perform come May. Other acts include indie stars Beck and Cage the Elephant, plus ‘80s legends Tears for Fears.

When: May 3-5

Where: Central Park, Atlanta

Who: Tame Impala, Beck, Father John Misty, Soccer Mommy, and more

What: Savannah’s best indie rock fest features big names like Deerhunter and singer/songwriter Lucy Dacus on its 2019 lineup. The specific venues will be announced in late January, so stay tuned to their website for more info!

When: March 7-9

Where: TBA

Who: Deerhunter, Lucy Dacus, The Joy Formidable, and more

What: Somewhat in tandem with Shaky Knees, Shaky Beats puts an EDM spin on the festival. Electronic hitmaker Martin Garrix leads a pack of skilled sound mixers to light up the stage.

When: May 10-11

Where: Central Park, Atlanta

Who: Martin Garrix, Rüfüs Du Sol, San Holo, and more

What: Savannah’s annual festival is devoted to jazz and orchestral music among many other genres over the course of its 2-week run.

When: March 28-April 13

Where: Various: venue list here

Who: Roby Lakatos, Sam Reider and the Human Hands, and more

What: I’m not sure if this is supposed to be a pun around the word “orifice”, but the fact that this is a metal concert probably confirms it. 12 hard rock and heavy metal bands will take the stage right here in Savannah.

When: February 16

Where: Ships of the Sea Museum Gardens, Savannah, GA

Who: Fit For an Autopsy, ZAO, Evergreen Terrace, and more

The post 2019 Georgia Music Festivals Preview appeared first on SCAD Radio.