andPOP » Interviews

Jeremih Talks To Jenn About Birthday Sex

andPOP Staff — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:59:59 +0000

At andPOP we spend a lot of our time thinking about deep philosophical questions. What’s the meaning of life? If a tree falls in a forest and nobody is around, does it make a sound? If your Birthday falls on Valentine’s Day does that mean you get double Birthday Sex? Well the last question we found an answer from Jeremih, who is the expert on Birthday Sex. And good for Jenn as her Birthday is on Valentine’s Day. Watch to find out more.

Owl City Hates Owls But Loves Music

Ilan Mester — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:55:09 +0000

Breaking news: Adam Young, the artist behind the electronic/pop project Owl City reveals exclusively to andPOP that he he hates owls. In the Q&A, Young — whose single “Fireflies” continues to top charts, including the Billboard Hot 100 — dishes on a possible collaboration with Lights, insomnia, Canada and of course, his “intense dislike of owls” (sorry Owl Society).

“I really hate to pop your bubble, but I in fact have an intense dislike for owls,” admits Young. “I mean, honestly. Does anyone really like owls? They eat vermin and puke up nasty pellets. If I owned an owl I’d name it Toilet Face.”

While he may dislike owls, what he does love is music. Young, whose voice closely resembles that of Death Cab for Cutie frontman Benjamin Gibbard, describes his music like so: “It’s like a flock of sweaty sheep in gym clothes at Anytime Fitness relentlessly running on treadmills and eating powdered sugar donuts simultaneously while watching ‘Brady Bunch’ reruns on overhead TVs. It’s also like grass.”

The album “Ocean Eyes” may be his first major label release, but Owl City had already received millions of plays on MySpace before Young signed to Universal Republic. He says there are a few differences with this album compared to his previous work. “It’s bigger, wider, deeper. There’s more meat to it. I’m a vegetarian. Cool.”

Many of his songs reference the ocean but oddly enough, Young grew up in the ocean-less city of Owatonna, Minnesota. He says his obsession with the sea derived from seeing Lake Superior for the first time. “I’m from Minnesota and the Great Lakes are like the ocean in the Midwest. Totally inspiring to a bratty 8th grade babyface. I remember seeing Superior for the first time on a family vacation, my jaw literally unhinging and my mouth hanging open like a freshly opened can of tuna fish,” says Young. “Duluth, Minnesota, is a mighty nice place. I could live there and be happy.”

Aside from Owl City, Young has been working on another project, Port Blue. “Port Blue was the egg and Owl City was the chicken, or visa versa,” he explains. “Port Blue came first. That’s really my true love in art and music — experimental, instrumental, abstract music. Creating it makes me feel like a scientist and for a noob who got Ds in every science class he’s ever taken. It’s somewhat of a satisfying feeling. More Port Blue to come.”

It might come as a surprise (or it might not come as one at all) that many Owl City songs are products of sleepless nights and influenced by video games like “Race 64.” “Some of my tips for falling asleep revolve around the idea of peanut butter and ice cream meeting in my stomach and holding a wild seafood disco party,” Young tells andPOP.

Later this month, he’ll be heading to China and Japan. American fans can catch Owl City in December and then in January when Young goes on tour with Lights. When asked if he’s working on a collaboration with the Canadian synthpop singer, Young hinted to a possible one by responding to the question with “Hmmmmmmmm…”

After all the touring — which includes shows in the UK, France, Germany, and Australia (with Cobra Starship) — Young has a few things to do when he returns. “I plan on raking leaves after tour and smirking at the thought of throwing Baby Ruth chocolate bars into my neighbor’s uncovered outdoor hot tub”.

Spiral Beach on Side B – I Guess They’re ‘Ghoul Punk’

Dan Busheikin — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:59:09 +0000

The best way I can describe Spiral Beach’s music is “ghoul punk”. Yes, that’s ridiculous, but I stand by my claim. Considering how young the members of this band are, they have an impressively well-developed sound and style. Spiral Beach puts on one of the craziest live shows in Toronto, and their recent album “The Only Really Thing” is a great listen. Check out our interview and hop on the bandwagon.

Jason Derulo Ready To Show Pop Potential

Jeremy Singer — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:01:25 +0000

Jason Derulo gets giddy with excitement when discussing his feeling as artist with a hit debut single like Watcha Say.

Not because of the fame that tags along with it’s No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, or 750,000 sold copies, or invitation to join Lady Gaga on her Monster Ball Tour, but the anticipation, knowing that he has so much more potential to unleash.

And the industry doesn’t even realize it- yet.

“I’m just beginning man,” Derulo tells andPOP from Los Angeles. “It’s definitely an interesting feeling. It’s almost as if I feel like people have no idea of what I can offer as an artist, the impact that I can have.”

The Miami-born’s initiation into the music industry is looking promising thanks to Watcha Say- a watered-down upbeat version of Imogen Heap’s Hide and Seek- which has been on the chart for nine weeks now since it’s original no. 54 spot on August 30.

With a sense of humor, the 20-year-old jokes about possibly mimicking Will Ferrell’s character in Old School and going streaking through a quad to celebrate. The thought crosses his mind, “maybe butt naked for a mile,” he says.

But then again in all seriousness, the artist doesn’t feel like celebrating as if a one-hit wonder. He’s aware of all the eyes looking towards his Sophomore single and debut album, and to be honest, he’s eagerly looking towards them too- without hesitation.

“I am so excited,” he says with enthusiasm. His response is so convincing even from three time-zones away.

“The first single was just an appetizer to the main course. That’s the only way I can put it.”

Derulo says he’s had that passion and swagger since he wrote his first song at eight-years-old- as a kid who would admire musical greats like Michael Jackson and Madonna, and always have a knack to pen lyrics.

Eventually at 16, his portfolio would read writing tracks for industry big-hitters like Lil’ Wayne, Pitbull and Birdman- an experience that Derulo describes as “both incredible and nerve-racking.”

“It was a bit intimidating in the beginning,” recalls Derulo, “seeing these guys in person, the guys who you see on TV growing up. But once we started creating and writing the music, it was a blast.”

Chuckles Derulo, “and that kind of cred didn’t hurt while picking up the ladies.”

But he admits the imagination is endless when writing for himself.

“The sky’s the limit,” he says. “I can experiment, try and break barriers, and try and do off-the-wall different things.

“But I remember when I was writing for someone else, you can’t try and do anything different in that situation. I always had to gear it towards that person, and make their voice come out.”

What Derulo really wanted though, was to have his voice come out, and get a chance to display his ability as a solo performer. But the songwriter decided to further polish his raw talent through formal musical schooling at the New York American Musical and Dramatic Academy, where he studied everything from opera and theatre, to ballet and musical genres.

He remembers the long nights memorizing and learning songs at the piano by heart, the perfect standards he had to meet while singing in musical theatre, and also the endurance he learned while working on his dance skills.

But among many hardworking memories, he recalls vividly what he learned about Shakespeare as a writer, and how it helped define himself as a songwriter.

“I remember that in Shakespeare,” says Derulo, “every word is strategically placed to make sure it has a purpose. From that I’ve learned to stay away from having any filler lines in my work.

“All of my formal training helped tremendously.”

Now a bona-fide vessel of talent, Derulo’s discovery would come immediately after mega music producer J.R. Rotem (Britney Spears and Sean Kingston) flew him to Los Angeles to -originally- write music. However when Derulo decided to sing to his own lyrics that he created while in the studio, Rotem realized that the kid could write and sing, and decided to rush Derulo into a sound-booth the same day so the two of them could begin creating music.

“We recorded six songs in about three hours,” recalls Derulo. “That’s how amazing our energy levels were. We were at the exact same pace.”

Derulo compares the chemistry between him and Rotem to guys like Jackson and Quincy Jones. That connection got Derulo signed to Beluga Heights and Warner Bros. Records in 2009, a deal that had Derulo focusing on his debut self-titled album- due out in 2010.

“J.R. has great Pop sensibility,” says Derulo, who admires Rotem’s ability to view the industry as both a musician and a fan.

“As musicians we tend to get caught up with our work and our style or craft, but he’s also able to take the point of view as a fan, and hear the song from that perspective.”

The best part of the deal, according to the artist, is the leniency he was given to write all of his songs. While some artists would cringe at the thought of writing and recording over 300 tracks in eight months, Derulo laughs at the prospect.

“Difficult?” he asks chuckling. “I had the time of my life. I had my own studio, so it was amazing that I could be inside the entire day for hours working on my craft.

“What more could I ask for. I was able to come in and do what I love every single day. And I put my heart and soul into it.”

Although the songwriter did find some difficulty, but ironically it was while trying narrowing down those prospects to a CD selection. Yet, he understands and accepts the fact that “as a songwriter you may have certain connections to certain songs for different reasons. But you have to put that aside, you can’t choose a song because it was sentimental to you.”

With his debut record about to boast strong Pop roots, Derulo assures fans that it won’t just be watered down tracks like Watcha Say.

“It’ll emphasize each side of the Pop genre,” he says. Among his favorites are a tune that features Bitter Sweet Symphony by The Verve, and is dubbed “a singles anthem.”

“I think that there’s a lot of quality stuff on it that’s going to show my versatility and potential as an artist. I can’t wait.”

Emily Osment Hates VHS and Vinyl

Jordan Bortolotti — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:29:47 +0000

For those of you under 20 years of age, there used to be these crazy things called VHS and Vinyl. VHS were these tapes that played movies and all sorts of video, in machines hooked up to your TV. Vinyl were these big discs which contained music that you played on something called a record machine. Sadly as Emily told Jordan, her newest projects, Hannah Montana The Movie will not be available on VHS and her newest album will not be available on Vinyl. Ah well.

Iyaz and ‘Replay’ Climbing To The Top

Joelle Tomlinson — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 23:52:22 +0000

When Iyaz received a message in his MySpace inbox from Sean Kingston, he initially thought it was a joke and ignored him. But when Kingston didn’t stop pursuing the artist, Iyaz reconsidered.

“I ignored him for like a week,” chuckles Iyaz, 22, during an interview with andPOP. “Come on, that’s like Jay-Z messaging you and telling you that he’s interested. I just thought he was a fake or a knock-off, so I even gave him a bogus number at one point. He was in Japan at the time, and eventually I gave him my real number, and he flew me out to see him.”

The rest was history.

The two soul-infused artists clicked immediately, and within two weeks, Iyaz was subsequently signed to Kingston’s freshly-formed company, Time is Money Entertainment.

J.R. Rotem, the talented songwriter and producer behind most of Iyaz’s tracks, subsequently signed Iyaz through Time Is Money/Beluga Heights, which has a new label partnership with Warner Bros. Records.

In fact, Iyaz doesn’t even consider the label in business terms, rather just with affection. “It’s like being a part of a family. I don’t even consider it a label, I consider it my family. We love producing music together, performing together. It’s an amazing atmosphere, we have a lot of fun.” He even laughs that Kingston’s mom is just like his.

Iyaz, whose actual name is Keidran Jones, was born in the U.S. Virgin Islands but raised in the British Virgin Islands in Tortola. He attributes much of his musical passion and talent to the influence his home and family had on him as he grew up. Son of two extremely musical parents, the talent has apparently passed on to their children. He describes his sound as “reggae infused, with pop, and R&B. You never really know what you’re going to get. There’s that island sound as well.”

Iyaz, which essentially means “the man in charge,” has been singing since he can remember.

“My whole family was extremely musical,” Iyaz elaborates. “My mom sang, my dad sang, my sisters sang. I sang in church, and that’s where I grew as a musician and developed such a passion for the art. I was surrounded and influenced by the power of music daily.” While gospel is not Iyaz’s focus, his lyrics are pleasantly clean with a lot of emotional depth. His island-infused single, “Replay”, is one that appeals to all age groups, and its infectious melody is guaranteed to get stuck in your head after one listen.

“Replay” has recently moved to number two on the iTunes playlist, and is currently ranked 12th on the Billboard. While the success excites and pleases Iyaz, he says that performing his music for the fans is his favorite part of being a musical artist. “It’s all about that stage,” he says.

“It’s when you get out on that stage in front of thousands of people, and all I need to do is sing ‘Shawty’s like a melody in my head…’ and then I hear thousands of fans singing the rest of the verse back to me. That really gets to me. It’s so crazy.”

In fact, the prequel music video for the song is available (the real video will be released this month), and Iyaz’s pure voice and enthusiasm to the catchy song are evident in the production. The beach, background graffiti and Iyaz’s joyful presence all mesh together to create an atmosphere that has you dancing along with the video.

Like a lot of artists, Iyaz likes to sing about women. The Rotem-produced “Replay” is about the obsession people get when they like a girl, and a couple of the other tracks in his upcoming album delve into the world of romance as well. Unfortunately for the young artist, touring and recording have not left a lot of time for his own love life. “I’m usually going all day, and at the end of the day I’m always pretty tired. It’s all worth it though, of course.”

Iyaz’s pop-friendly productions are sure to be a big hit, as already proven by his early success with “Replay.”

To follow this up-and-coming artist, check him out at his MySpace or his Twitter account. His twitter account is IyazLive, and his MySpace page can be found at http://www.myspace.com/iyaz.

Parachute Talks To andPOP About The Mess They Made

andPOP Staff — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:48:48 +0000

So there we are having a nice conversation with the boys from Parachute about their recent success and their debut album Losing Sleep, and guess who crashes the party? Chris Rochon from andPOP Radio decides to sneak up on us and take over the interview. Nevertheless we had a good chat with the Parachute boys about music, being on the road, picking up women, and the TV show Friends.

A Striking Match: Kid Koala Recruits Wolfmother for Latest Project

Emma Renda — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:20:08 +0000

Turntables are becoming as much a part of a touring rock band these days as a guitar or the lead singer’s skinny blue jeans. But it’s still a novelty when someone actually knows how to use them.

Kid Koala is no rookie. After four solo albums all promoted with elaborate interactive tours, and opening slots for the likes of Radiohead, Bjork, RJD2, DJ Shadow and Beastie Boys (on their Hello Nasty tour, no less), the man knows his way around the booth.

By association, then, Kid Koala’s project called The Slew was a guaranteed success from the outset, despite the outlandish nature combining his fusion-jazz turntable leanings with a hard-rock rhythm section.

Making up The Slew is Wolfmother’s rhythm section (bassist Chris Ross and drummer Myles Heskett), as well as Koala’s frequent collaborator Dynomite Dan (Dylan Frombach), under the studio direction of Mario Caldato Jr. (who produces the Beastie Boys).

Koala (nee Eric San) spent the last four years in touch with Grammy-winning Australian rockers Wolfmother after meeting them at a gig in Montreal. As the blueprint for The Slew began taking shape (originally planned as a score for an as yet unreleased film by some unnamed industry friends), San pitched the idea to the rhythm section and before he knew it, they were coordinating a North American tour in between what San called Wolfmother’s “planetary non-stop world tour.”

“There’s an insta-vibe,” San tells andPOP after the first two shows in Vancouver and Montreal. “You walk in and think, ‘Oh cool, something’s going to happen here.’ So far the response has been pretty raucous, in a good way. There was a mosh pit going last night [in Montreal] – the first one of my career.”

It’s a more organic tour than San is used to though, as his elaborate live shows have become something of his calling card. For example, The Short Attention Span Theatre in support of his 2003 release Some of My Best Friends are DJS featured three DJs on 8 turntables and included a bingo tournament at intermission. (Yes, there was an intermission.)

The most remarkable part of this tour though is simply the volume.

“This is way louder. I play loud when I DJ,” says San. “That energy of playing off someone else who is also playing – on record you can react to what’s on the record but the record can’t react to you. We’ve had to adjust, use special spring-loaded turntables that are shockproof to all the rocking out and jumping around that’s going on. It’s a way more visceral, physical show.”

Because the tour had to come together in such a hurry, there was no chance to campaign “100%,” Kid Koala and The Slew’s debut album. Instead, Ninja Tune posted a full steam of the album – which was available on their website until Nov. 1, setting the tracklist straight since illegal and incomplete links floated around online all summer. That’s not to say that hard copies disappeared once the tour ended – “100%” will be available in CD or double vinyl LP format Nov. 24.

“Even if I’m watching my favourite band in the universe, if they choose that night to play all new material, I feel like, ‘Aw man, I wish had heard some of these tunes before,’” says San. “This is just facilitating more fun for the audience. It’s the DJ side of me. It was that simple really, an easy decision to make as far as making it available.”

But San rarely stops there when it comes to his releases. His debut album, “Carpal Tunnel Syndrome,” included a video game and a graphic novel – both of which he produced – and he continues to raise the bar with each record. Once the Slew wraps up the last leg of their international tour in Beijing, San will return to his solo work to finish up “Space Cadet,” a graphic novel with an accompanying soundtrack.

Last winter, San hosted a series of concerts in Montreal called Drawing To, that he says influenced this latest record ambition – that and his recent fatherhood. Manning the turntables, San provided a blend of chilled out jams, in no way danceable in the traditional DJ sense, instead encouraging his audience to bring their work or knitting or a paper and pen.

“It was a pre-emptive test to see if the audience could handle a night that was down-tempo and mellow,” says San. “Space Cadet is a book about isolation. We’re trying to see if we can get people to wear headphones and transmit the turntables to their headphones. It’s communal but everyone has to be in their own head too, which I think is the only way to bring the theme of that thing into context in a live situation that would make sense. Its truest to how the records were made.”

Although having a baby daughter around the house somewhat explains the quieter atmosphere, San has always leaned toward soothing sounds, surviving on a self-professed diet of Billie Holiday and Thelonius Monk.

It sounds like The Slew would be a stark departure from the smooth crafting Kid Koala fans are used to, and although the sound even just on record is louder and more aggressive, there is still that element of the original cool to the music. The album is laden with familiar Wolfmother-as-Led-Zeppelin guitar riffs, sluggish backbeats and scratched out soul vocals, a combination that would otherwise be jarring were it not for San’s electronic mastery.

Despite it being a collaborative effort, there is a reason San’s tag is the first part of the project: Kid Koala and The Slew is just another one of his crazy ideas.

“I’m not an artist that sells enough records that I can even pay rent off record sales,” says San. “If they buy tickets, that’s one thing. But musically, I didn’t get into music to make big fat radio singles or giant dancefloor anthems. I made music that I wanted to hear, whether its commercially viable or not. With The Slew, we just wanted to make a record we wanted to hear that we hadn’t heard yet, or at least not quite this way.”

Jesse Labelle – The Next John Mayer?

Jordan Bortolotti — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:47:10 +0000

Well saying he is the next John Mayer is a bit of an overstatement, but nevertheless Jesse is a talented guy. This artist has been grinding it out for a few years now (including some time busking around Europe) and the Toronto native is ready for his big label debut. We sat down for a drink with Jesse where he also was nice enough to give us a live performance.

Ko On Side B – He Likes Weed (That Direct Enough?)

Dan Busheikin — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 01:03:59 +0000

Ko is a particularly unique artist, with a particularly interesting story. Not only was he able to defeat his drug habits and turn his life around, but he has fulfilled his wildest musical dreams, creating his eclectic debut album “Let’s Blaze” and sharing the stage with hip-hop giants like De La Soul and Snoop Dogg. Oh, and Ko likes smoking a lot of weed.
If you like what you hear, be sure to check outhttp://www.ko-nation.com/