Tuesday, March 31, 2020

Interview with Alanzo


Hey Alonzo! So excited to be chatting with you! Can you tell us a little something about yourself?

Hey! Excited to chat with you as well. Thank you for having me. A little about myself? Hmmm. I’d say I’m just a small-town boy with big dreams and a lot of talent. I come from humble beginnings and I’ve overcome many obstacles however I’ve never stopped chasing my dream. Now I pride myself in inspiring others to fight for their own. 

What inspired you to pursue music? 

 Music has really always been a part of my life. I’d say my biggest inspiration was Michael Jackson and through him discovering the power that music can have. This power inspires me because I know the good that can be done through it. A good that will last far beyond my life. Music is power because music is universal and music is forever. How would you describe your musical style? I’d say I’m a fusion of genres. A little Rock, A lot of soul, and a touch of pop. Rock Pop Soul is what we call it. 

What artists do you look up to right now? 

BeyoncĂ© & Fantasia are my top 2 at the moment. Both at 2 different levels of success but they both possess that power that I speak of. 

What would you say is your most braggable moment

Definitely being the first lead singer approved by the Prince Estate to sing on the 4 U Prince Tour

What has been the greatest lesson you have learned from a mistake? 

My greatest lesson has been not to act out of emotion. Impulsive decision making is dangerous. I now consciously try to work hard not to make permanent decisions from temporary emotions. 

Why do you think social media is so important for artists today?

It’s important because it gives us access to people and our fans without anyone’s permission. It’s the one tool that artist have to become successful on their own. FREE Exposure. 

How has this whole music career experience been? 

My career has been a journey for sure. I’ve had ups and downs. I’ve toured, I’ve been told no, I’ve lost major opportunities when it wasn’t my fault but I have ALWAYS kept fighting and I refuse to give up. I truly can’t see myself doing anything else. Its definitely been the most exciting part of my life. I never know what’s going to happen or what the future brings but it gives me something to work hard for and something to believe in. A life with a reason to wake up is a life worth living. My dream to have a successful music career is the driving force of my life. 

Do you have any advice for aspiring music artists? 

Even when you’re taking baby steps you are still moving forward. DO IT even when you’re afraid. This is a business. If you want to be successful in this business STUDY the business and study your craft. There’s underlining science to people’s success. 

Thank you for your time! 

Thank you! I do not take these opportunities for granted. Sending everyone love and limitless positivity during this trying time. Please follow me on Instagram @StoryOfAlonzo Press: bsquaredmgmt@gmail.com

End of Interview

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Andy Michaels Releases Memorable Single


Surrounded by a vibrant melding of string play organized into a perfect harmony, we find the lead vocal of Andy Michaels ready to seduce anyone it comes into contact with in “Darling It Hurts,” his latest single from the album Incendiary Heart. Like its parent album, “Darling It Hurts” is a product of surrealism without question, but at the same time, it also provides us ample evidence of the complex compositional wit that Andy Michaels possesses when he’s in the studio. 

 This Perth, Australia-based powerhouse has been creating a lot of buzz across the Pacific in the last year, and if you want to know why, I would probably point you to the video for this track before anything else. Despite its grandest feature being the potently emotional soundtrack, the video for this song provokes a reaction made all the more intense by the intimate visual landscape it presents us with (which, I might add, is perfectly synched with the lyrical narrative of this composition). Michaels may not have set out to craft his best song yet when he recorded this single, but nevertheless, I think that’s exactly what he’s done here. 


The equalization of both vocals in this track is very streamlined, but I don’t think I would describe it as being pop-influenced outside of its polished cosmetic front. The instrumental side of “Darling It Hurts” is debatably just as smooth, apart from the raised textures on the rustic string parts shaping the rhythm of the song from the background, but whether it’s the content of the verses or the substance of the harmony that Michaels is leading here, there’s something about the lyrics in this single that feels just a bit more captivating than anything else in the track does. 

I love the way that the strings were arranged as to reduce the tension created by the duet’s melodic ascent, and to some extent, I think that the relationship between these two elements in “Darling It Hurts” actually tells us a vivid story all by itself. There’s no hiding how much talent this Aussie is working with in this track, and in my opinion, its seamless construction alone makes Incendiary Heart worth picking up this spring. 


If you haven’t seen the music video for “Darling It Hurts” or browsed through the tracklist of the album it was cut from, now is the time to get yourself introduced to the latest works of Andy Michaels, who by all accounts is taking the underground world by storm this year. Michaels is facing some of the toughest competition that we’ve seen among indie artists in well over a generation, but if he keeps the attitude that he’s brought to this most recent release, I think he’s going to see his momentum continue to grow both at home and abroad over the course of 2020. 

 As I previously noted, I believe this to be his best work yet, and according to the critical consensus I’m hearing on the international circuit, I’m far from alone. 

Scottie Carlito