Hollow River

on to read easier and the pages from the middle were starting to fall out. I realized one of the things I love most about art is how you can totally fall in love with something and you get to take the best parts along with you in your everyday, which is a totally acceptable thing to do with a book but obviously a much more nuanced and sad thing when thinking about past friendships and relationships. Humanizing the book helped give depth to the narrative and the story behind the lyrics.

The production of the music video for Loved Me Like A Book sounds as if it were a very hands-on affair for you! Can you talk with our ever-inquisitive readers about how the music video was shot?

For sure! I had my band up to Canada for a week so that we could practice our live set (which RIPS) and we had gotten through the material faster than I was expecting to, so we took advantage of the opportunity and threw up some cameras. The whole thing took about 4 hours to film and then I edited all the footage on my Mac. Directing and editing film is not really my area of expertise but a couple google searches got me where I needed to go.

Who did the producing honors on Loved Me Like A Book?

I did. I had a really great team including my band as well as Henry Reinach who helped engineer the drums and the bass at Power Station in NYC, but we were all working towards my vision. So lucky to have such awesome and talented friends in my corner, couldn’t do this without them. The guitars were all recorded up in my studio in Canada and I did the vocals there and then I recorded the background vocals in mat apartment in Boston. I actually used to do a lot more producing songs for other people before the pandemic and then my focused shifted to working on my own material. We’ll see if I get a chance to get back into the working the next few years.

Word ‘round industry campfire has it that Loved Me Like A Book is but an appetizer for the main course, a full-fledged EP from you entitled We’re Going To Be OK which is set for release this October - Congrats again! Can you give fans a hint or three as to what they can look forward to with the newest EP?

Yes! The We’re Going To Be OK EP will officially be dropping on Halloween! It’s six songs themed around change, loss, and self reflection and I’ve been working on it for close to a year. I am so happy to finally be sharing these songs with everyone. Make sure to listen through to the end, the album closer includes a lot of lyrical Easter Eggs form the record.

In your humble opinion, what differentiates the We’re Going To Be OK EP from the Distinguished Competition on the 2023 music scene?

I think I bring an exciting blend of rap and early 2000’s pop punk that’s missing from the scene right now. We’ve seen rappers become Pop Punkers and younger pop punk bands with a modern sound collaborating with rappers but I don’t think there are many people doing it the way I am and saying things the way I say them. I spent a lot of time crafting an authentic voice that is uniquely my own.

I also think that seeing us live helps to put everything into perspective as the audience can see me rap and play the guitar at the same time.

On the heels of the October release of your new EP, what does your touring/ performing dance card look like?

Hometown show in Boston is getting organized soon and the band is hoping to get a string of shows up the east coast going for 2024 so we can show as many people the record as possible in person

2023 has been a busy year for you musically speaking. Has this been by design, or is this just the way the creative cards have fallen?

Design, really a lot of hard work from the last few years paying off all at the same time. The work has been nonstop the last year or two to make this happen as I am independent and don’t have a manger but I have a great team with my bandmates and engineers I work with to help make these tight deadlines the past year. The EP in October will be my third EP I drop in 2023!

Who inspires you musically?

So much! I have some mentors that are hugely inspiring, specifically my songwriting teacher George Woods. In terms of other bands there are a lot of great acts in the punk scene right now.

Magnolia Park keeps dropping banger after banger and EP after EP, their work ethic is totally inspiring and makes me want to try and work just as hard while keeping a high standard. I’m also really digging the latest Bearings record, I think the whole think is well written and has some great production choices.

You opted against finishing up your tenure at the Berklee College of Music in order to fully pursue your musical ambitions. What went into this decision and will you ever return to Berklee to complete that remaining semester?

There was a lot that went into this. I had said for a long time that I was not attending Berklee for the piece of paper, I was attending for the experience and to learn as much as I can. Being a musician isn’t like being a doctor, you don’t need a piece of paper proving your qualifications.

Your skills are your qualifications, and while school can be a great way to get those skills and build a creative community there is nothing magic about the piece of paper itself.

I was pursing a double major and was at a point where I had completed all my fourth year seminars for my programs - I had essentially done everything I cared about and came there to do and at the same time I felt that I had created something really special and something inside me told me that I needed to take a full swing on this NOW. Not in a year from now, I needed to take a risk on myself.

There were also some health concerns that went into the decision. Berklee requires you to be proficient in an instrument but I had put these classes on hold due to injuries. I had been over practicing that caused major health problems and stopped me from being able to complete the guitar classes I needed to. But I didn’t attend Berklee with the goal of being the best jazz guitar player of all time.

Maybe I’ll get the chance to finish off those classes someday, but I won’t be sad if I never get that chance. I learned so much while I was there and it was time for me to move on.

With the new EP We’re Going To Be OK, can an LP be very far off? Perhaps sometime in 2024?

No LP plans as of now. Right now I’m trying my best to build my trust with my audience and earn that right to do an LP and have people listen from front to back. For now EPs are a fun middle ground that I’m happy with.