MAGAZINE
N THE MOVE
SUMMER EDITION 2019 - #25
THE NEW WAVE OF POP
FLETCHER Quinn Lewis, MAX, Barry Moore and Charlotte
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In the current music industry where radios, TV and streaming platforms are the big players deciding to spread the word about an artist (or not), it becomes more and more difficult for new artists to get their music heard if they don’t meet some criteria. It takes time, it takes patience, it takes talent but above all it takes a lot of hard work. At On The Move Magazine, we give a particular attention to talent no matter where you come from, your musical genre, the amount of followers/views/fans you have got. We don’t talk quantity, we talk quality. We talk quality because we love music with the big M. We carefully choose the artists you’ll discover in this magazine to introduce you to «la crème de la crème». You’ll find big names, you’ll find unknown names. You’ll love what you’ll listen to, or maybe you will hate it but at least, you’ll give our artists a chance. Because at the end of the day, every success story began with a chance given. »
Pamela Charbit founder of On The Move
EDITORIAL
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REWIND
ZOOM ON...
CHILDCARE & Mossa Wild
32 Our best albums of May
INTERVIEW MAX ,
brighter than ever
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COVER STORY FLETCHER, the anti-popstar
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SUMMARY INTERVIEW
QUINN LEWIS,
the new pop heartthrob you need
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INTERVIEW
CHARLOTTE,
your new favorite British sensation
36 INTERVIEW: Barry Moore The shows of the month Anne-Marie & Lewis Capaldi
On The Move Mag : Meeting the team
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REWIN EVERYTHING YOU MISSED AND NEED TO KNOW
music videoS OF THE MONTH
They brought the bounce back! Only a few months after releasing their fifth album LM5, the world most famous girlband is already back with a brand new single. Dollhouse, Barbie-like outfit, extravagant makeup and looks, the Little Mix girls brought the word «femme» to the next level. An already iconic music video for this summer pop anthem!
LITTLE MIX BOUNCE BACK
MILEY CYRUS IS BACK! The Disney generation is back in full force! After the Jonas Brothers and their smashing hit «Sucker» it is now time for Miley Cyrus to bring back some sassiness in the business. First part of a bigger project, «She Is Coming - EP» is a collection of bold and unapologetic tracks, mixing together pop rhythms and urban style. You’ve been warned, Miley Cyrus is coming. Better than ever.
SAVE THE DATE
THE JONAS BROTHERS HIT THE ROAD
otm playlist 5 SECONDS OF SUMMER - EASIER HALSEY - NIGHTMARE MILEY CYRUS - MOTHER’S DAUGHTER LOIC NOTTET - 29 MATT WILLS - JUST US MARK RONSON FEAT CAMILA CABELLO FIND U AGAIN
If, like plenty of fans, you were too young to attend one of the band’s shows back in the days, it is now your time to shine. And for the first time in a decade, the trio is going to cross the pond and hit the European roads. As part of their «Happiness Begins Tour», following the release of their new album «Happiness Begins» on June 7th, they’ll make a stop in England before to Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Spain and France. Who’s ready to sing their heart out to «S.O.S» and «Burnin’ Up»? We are!
IT HAPPENED 5 YEARS AGO 5 SECONDS OF SUMMER WAS BORN Yes, we know, the band formed in 2011. But they did release their debut album, «5 Seconds Of Summer» in 2014. Introduced by «She Looks So Perfect», the album was filled with rock anthems and mature tracks for their young age, it quickly became a fan’s favorite. If now the boys went for a darker and edgy sound, we’re still loving this very first era!
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MAX MAX has got pop running through his veins. From his first steps in Broadway to his debuts on Nickelodeon, from his rise to fame thanks to Youtube to the massive success of his track « Lights Down Low », it seems like the 27 year-old singer-songwriter lived multiple lives already. Max Schneider swimmed through these waters with some constant thoughts: passion and optimism. A state of mind that could have been crushed when a problem on his vocal chords put his voice to rest for several months last year. But MAX is now coming back more solar than ever with the single « Love Me Less » and an upcoming album. On a promotion tour in Paris, he answered our questions. As his voice still needed to be handled gently, he carefully chose his words, expressing the bare essential with an extra generosity running through his eyes and gestures. A special and inspiring talk.
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n The Move: Hi MAX! You’re here to promote your brand new single «Love Me Less» which is sort of a sequel to «Lights Down Low». Can you tell us the story behind the track? MAX: Yes, I wrote it after I was married to my wife for about a year and I wrote it about an ex who wasn’t very happy with our breakup. So, she threatened to try to get my wife deported from America, because she is English and she was in the country. It was just not a nice thing. So, I hoped that my wife wouldn’t love me less. I hoped that she would love me more from the baggage that I had brought to the relationship, all my insecurities etc. It is also a way to tell my listeners: «I’m a public figure but I’ve got my flaws, my ghosts, my history».
MAX: It came from just stories that I pieced together from past relationships, things those people wanted to change about me. It is all kind of represented through this one character Jane, and then finding the right person represented by Emily who accepts you for who you are. It really all came from real life. On The Move: Was it hard to shoot and keep that pokerface all along? MAX: I laughed a lot (laughs). There’s a lot of bloopers to see! On The Move: Where are you with the album at the moment?
On The Move: This song is as personal as «Lights Down Low» was. With the success that this track got, do you now look at the song differently?
MAX: I’m probably, you know, 70% there. Just fine tuning everything, writing more stories, but it is so close and yet, sometimes, the very end feels the hardest!
MAX: It’s always mine, and very personal, but it’s beautiful that it’s now everyone’s!
On The Move: This record is produced by Roget Chahayed (who collaborated with Travis Scott, Khalid, Calvin Harris, Halsey…). How this collaboration came about and what’s the greatest thing he brought to the record?
« THIS UPCOMING ALBUM IS ABOUT MAKING the most out of whatever situation life gives you » On The Move: You’ve tweeted a few weeks back: «I’ve been waiting for so long to have a clear and committed vision for this next era and music. It finally hit me.» What is this vision exactly? What’s the spirit of your upcoming album?
MAX: Ahmad and Roget have done like 80% of the songs. I went on tour with Ahmad a few years ago, that’s how we met and we became best friends. For the upcoming record, they really brought a new energy and new instrumentals that I had never had before! On The Move: You have met fans in Paris, London, Berlin, and Amsterdam to have them listen to some of your upcoming tracks. Why is it important to you at this point?
MAX: It’s energetic, it’s yellow, it’s bright, it’s electrifying! It makes the most out of whatever situation life gives you.
MAX: I like playing the music early because it influences how I finish it. I see how people react and feel. They influence it as much as my life influences it.
On The Move: This era is not just about the music but also the visuals and the yellow color running through it all. Why is it important for you to see your art as a whole?
On The Move: You are really close to your fans and never miss an occasion to communicate with them or meet them. You are really transparent about your life. Do you feel like it ever had its setbacks to be that open?
MAX: I think every aspect of what brings music to life represents the story that it came from so the sound, the visuals, they all matter so much and must come together.
MAX: I think that, once you commit to something, you commit to it and I love sharing the honesty with them and they share their honesty with me. I think there are dark sides to everything but you except those for what’s even better.
On The Move: We can measure that in your music video for «Love Me Less». Where did the overall idea come from?
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On The Move: You went through a rough path last year, when you were discovered a polyp on your vocal chord that imposed you to go silent for months. But you seem to take the positive out of any situation. Which lesson did you draw from that rough time? MAX: Definitely appreciate every day! On The Move: You initially caught the attention of the public through your numerous covers on Youtube, produced by Kurt Schneider. Looking back at it now, what do you feel are the pros and cons of starting a career that way? MAX: Well, you establish your style which is positive. But on the negative, it’s hard to break out and introduce your own music after it. I think now people do see past the covers, which is awesome, but it definitely took some time. On The Move: We guess there will be a tour after this album. Do you already have an idea of how your music will be translated to the stage? MAX: I’ve been brainstorming it and I’m excited to make it very representative of the theme I’ve been creating with the yellow, the energy, the style so... It’s gonna be very exciting!
On The Move: Are there artists that maybe you saw on stage and who inspired you? MAX: Of course. Bruno Mars, Miguel, Justin Timberlake! On The Move: Who are your favorite artists at the moment? MAX: I love Khalid, he is a very nice person! I love Brendon Urie, and I really love Lizzo, I love the message she’s sending out to the world.
« I hope this music influences PEOPLE to feel a bit happier and to find themselves » On The Move: Talking about messages, what is the one you want to broadcast through your upcoming music? MAX: I hope the message is that people find as much joy as they can find even in the darkest points of their life. Even if it seems like they can’t get out of bed, I hope this music influences them to feel a bit happier and to find themselves.
INTERVIEW BY CORALINE BLAISE PHOTOS by THOMAS DAEFFLER
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ZOOM ON... With the power of the internet and social media, aspiring musicians now have a powerful platform in their hands to create music and make themselves heard. And the public, on the other side, is one click away from discovering an infinity of talented young artists... Each month, the team of On The Move chooses some of them to showcase and support their careers, bound to take off in the near future!
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CHILDCARE Your wellness advocates Music is more than just sound and that’s what the London-based band CHILDCARE is embracing with each and every song they write. Because music is able to make you feel a wide range of emotions and enhance your life, you should definitely get to know CHILDCARE for your own personal benefits.
There can’t be a more appropriate or logical name for this band coming from London, England and formed in 2016 by lead-singer and songwriter Ed Cares. Ed was a male nanny in London and was simultaneously writing music on his own when one day one of the kids he was taking care of heard him humming a song he had written and encouraged him to pursue a music career and form a band. Who wouldn’t listen to a kid’s advice, right? After enlisting local musicians Emma Topolski (bass, vocals), Rich Le Gate (guitar), and Glyn Daniels (drums), CHILDCARE was born and up until recently that’s who the band was. After Glyn Daniels’ departure, a new drummer named David Dyson was introduced. CHILDCARE released their 4-track EP “Made Simple” in 2017, immersing us in their not so simple musical universe. And that’s what we like about this band: they create a special atmosphere with each and every song where multiple genres intertwine. There are dual harmonies overlaying each other, edgy indie guitar riffs, and poppy melodies. In 2018 they released “Luckyucker”, a 5-track wonderful appetizer before their first album studio released this year in May and named “Wabi-Sabi”. This record will soothe your soul, we’re telling you.
It has endless charisma, catchy melodies, unusual arrangements and witty lyrics. Described as having “softcore-psych sort of vibes”, the album talks about everyday life matters such as breakups (“Getting Over You”), as well as today’s society serious issues such as male mental health (“Man Down”). You can also find interludes and spoken word bits, which we believe is a reference to meditation sessions, as we were all in this together, healing one song at a time. CHILDCARE has been getting more and more recognition in their home country, playing several festivals, getting support from BBC Radio 1 or even being the support act of fellow Londoners Bastille. They will also be playing Reading & Leeds Festival this year, and we clearly see 2019 as a bright year for CHILDCARE.
Listen if you are a fan ofFinding your inner peace through self-care
One song to listen to“Sugarcane”, an innovative delicious and addictive tune that’ll get you singing along and dancing in no time.
WordS by LUDIVINE DESUMEUR PHOTO: ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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MOSA WILD The wild riders of the alternative wave While many bands come and go, the brand new British quarter Mosa Wild starts their journey with a fresh breath of air that will get you hooked. The new generation of rock-alternative bands has arrived. After witnessing the quick rise of bands like Imagine Dragons, Flor or Lovelytheband, it’s Mosa Wild’s turn to take the industry by storm. Mosa Wild has all the ingredients needed to define the British music landscape and lead the new wave of young alternative bands trying to make their mark into the current music landscape.
After releasing their first track “Smoke”, Mosa Wild continued shaping their own artistry while improving their individual musicianship to impress and inspire one another. If Jim taught himself to sing, the band learned how to be a band their own way, by experimenting, complementing each other and growing up together as musicians and humans.
Mosa Wild take what Britian has best to create their own sound and so far it’s a triumph!
Last march, the band unveiled their second track “Night” which shows a different side of the band and showcased at the same time the band’s ability to write powerful hooks along with a Rock N’Roll sonorous sonic styling. “This night is long, and my fire’s burning out. Help me be strong” is an indisputable anthem.
The quartet is comprised of Jim Rubaduka (Lead vocal/ guitar/keys), Alex Stevens (guitar), Edwin Ireland (bass) and Charlie Campbell (drums). The story began at school when Jim and Alex decided to make music together and formed a project named The Intermission Project while they were debating on whether to go to university or just make music. A year later, the two young artists met their two other bandmates Charlie and Edwin and ended the Intermission Project for something different. Mosa Wild is born. “I remember Jim supporting a band and I didn’t know he could sing or play guitar. But the two songs he played were absolute bangers.” says Alex. The frontman taught himself how to sing. At home he and his brother would make mixtapes in their joint bedroom while recording songs off the radio. “I remember making a mixtape for a crush when I was about eight years-old.” What was on the tape? “Do you know Babyface?” he laughs.
Produced by Jim Abbiss who’s worked on iconic albums such as Arctic Monkey’s Whatever People Say and Adele’s 19, “Night” and its guitar riffs is an incredible stand out and gives the tone of the band’s forthcoming EP “Talking In Circles” coming out August 2nd, while building a special momentum. After opening for Maggie Roggers and LANY in the UK, the band intoxicating music flavor is ready to expand - and we can’t wait to hear more.
Listen if you are a fan ofImagine Dragons, half•alive, Nothing But Thieves
One song to listen to“Night” will rock your summer.
WordS by pam charbit PHOTO: ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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FLETCHER Coming from New Jersey, Cari Elise Fletcher -simply known as Fletcherintroduced us to her sound with the EP « Finding Fletcher » in 2016. Led by the powerful and combative « War Paint », it displayed 6 tracks of honest and nuanced pop. In 2019, the 25 year-old American singer songwriter promises to cross a new step in her career in the form of a second – even rougher – EP. The excellent « Undrunk » serves as an introduction to this collection of tracks (including « If You’re Gonna Lie » and « About You ») which captures a singular and particularly intimate moment of her life. Behind her undeniable charisma and pop-star aura hides in fact a generous and very determined, down to earth young woman, while advocating transparency.
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n The Move: Hi Fletcher! Thanks for having us. We know you started singing at a very young age. So, what would be one of your first memories related to music? Fletcher: I started with piano lessons first. My piano teacher was making fun of me and he told my parents that it was taking me way too long to learn « Mary Had a Little Lamb » on the piano. There was the recital coming up and he said : « We should have her try singing, just not picking up the piano ». So, I ended up doing vocal lessons from that, and I started with classical training when I was about 5 years old. So from a very young age, music was there. It’s been like a very big part of my life.
« music is the one way that, I think, I can say anything and everything » On The Move: You later studied music at the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at NYU (New York University). At which point in your life did you feel like you could make a career out of it? Fletcher: I don’t know if I ever had a specific moment when I told myself I could do this. From a really young age, it was just the only thing that I felt like made sense, and the only thing that I was really passionate about and that I really loved. I think from as long as I can remember, it was when I learned what the music industry was. When I was around the end of middle school, going in to high, I was about 14 years old and I was like: «Ok, people have careers out of this!» So, that was just my goal from that point on, I wanna sing and write and make music for the rest of my life. On The Move: You released « Undrunk » at the beginning of this year. It’s a very personal track, about a past relationship. Are there some topics that could be too personal to be put in a song for you? Or do you feel like there is no limit and no taboo? Fletcher: I think it’s so funny that music is the one way that, I think, I can say anything and everything. I feel like I say things in my music that I wouldn’t be able to say properly. The fact that I put like a melody to it and some pretty lyrics, and then some people sing it too, it is such a funny concept. « Undrunk » is a song that I wrote about a situation, a relationship that I never got any closure from. It is sort of all the things that I wanted to say to that person and it’s just like a page torn from my diary. No, I don’t really think there is anything that’s like too taboo or something
that I wouldn’t say with music because I think that now more than ever, people are just seeking for sincerity and realness. At least, in terms of the artists that I love and look up to, it’s the people that are just being real about their lives. So, yeah, the more real that we are, the better of a place the world will be. On The Move: « Undrunk » is all about how you wish you could have un-do things with that person. You sing « Wish I could un-love/un-call/un-fuck you ». Do you really wish you could erase it all or did this relationship make you grow? Fletcher: Having « Undrunk » out and it being such a vulnerable real song, it was something I was a little bit nervous about. The idea of vulnerability is something I’ve been really uncomfortable with my entire life. And I’ve always been like a people pleaser, and I don’t like to make other people feel uncomfortable and so, with this song, I knew that I was definitely pushing some boundaries in that way. But I mean, I’m also from New Jersey and I have no filter. I have kind of a potty mouth and putting out this song was scary for me but it also was incredibly freeing, and helped me move past that point of my life. Because now it doesn’t feel like mine anymore, I’ve shared it with the world and it could be somebody else’s story now too. On The Move: What are the main differences between your first EP « Finding Fletcher » (2016) and the upcoming one, which « Undrunk » will be featured in? Fletcher: I mean, the consistency is there because it’s me, it’s the same artist and something that I have always done with my music is really to try to paint a picture and tell a story and to just drop someone into a feeling, into a moment. A very specific feeling and moment. I think this next body of work is just way more honest than the last one. And I think « Undrunk » is just a really good tip of the iceberg representation and foundation for who Fletcher is both as a person and an artist, to think forward. On The Move: Does the EP format suits you for now or do you wish you could release a more important body of work? Fletcher: I think we live in such an interesting time now with the era of streaming and digital and I think my favorite artists are the artists that are just putting out content as they want to. Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish and artists that are just sort of constantly present. I do at some point want to put out an album but I think for the time being, people are just getting to know me and I just want to keep giving them music and songs and put out a body of work when people care to have a body of work from me.
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On The Move: Is the EP finished now or is it still a work in progress? Fletcher: All the songs are done, yeah. This whole EP is about one person, the same person that « Undrunk » is about. It’s about having my heart broken for the first time by my first love. Heartbreak is such an emotional rollercoaster and each song is sort of a moment in time along that emotional roller-coaster. Like I said, I just really wanna drop something into a very specific scene. I don’t have a date for the EP, it’s gonna be this summer. And every single is just another chapter to the story. This next EP is all about one era of my life so I’m excited to put it out and for it to be kind of a final closure of that situation. On The Move: Your song « I Believe You », which came out a year ago, was written regarding the #MeToo movement. Why did you feel like you needed to turn that into a song? Fletcher: I’m really fortunate that I get to work with so many amazing female collaborators. It’s really important to me to surround myself with powerful, strong and intelligent women. I’m so lucky that I get to work with so many of those. Regarding that song, I was in a studio with a co-writer that day and she was sharing her experiences about sexual assault and abuse and what she had been through. I had been in that setting many times before and it sort of hit me that we had to write about this. I never wanted it to come across as me capitalizing off of a movement or a moment in time. It was just because the #MeToo movement has been talked about right now but those things are happening for as long as time has been a thing. It was really important for me to be able to give those women a voice and a platform in a way that they haven’t had in the past. On The Move: Who are the female figures that have been important for you, musically or personally? Fletcher: There have been so many women. From people I worked with… I was an intern for a long time for a management company and for a publishing company that were both run by very strong women. People that I looked up to and that I saw as role models. My mom is a strong female figure in my life. My friends, women that I grew up with, and just like other artists that I think are really strong representations and female figures. There are so many but the ones that are all unapologetically using their voices and being themselves and sharing their stories. On The Move: You said in another interview : « I wanna be the artist that I really needed as a little girl ». Who’s this artist then? Can you describe her?
Fletcher: I think she’s somebody that’s just a human being. I think growing up, we looked at all these female pop stars that were just so glitzy and glamorous and filtered and perfect, and they were really good dancers. Those were all things I didn’t align with and didn’t see myself as because I was like : « I love music and I love to write and I have a perspective and a voice but I don’t identify with this. » I feel very much like the anti-pop star. And also just being a queer woman, that wasn’t represented in any way when I was growing up. So, just to see somebody that was just like herself, being a human being in the process and being really honest about the fact that life is not fucking perfect, and neither am I.
« I feel very much like the anti-pop star » On The Move: What’s your use of social media in that perspective? Fletcher: It is an important thing. The people that have been loving my music are so funny, and are so like on the pulse of what’s happening in culture. I feel like I’m finding out new jokes and new things through them all the time. I love that! I love that interaction. Just hearing people’s reactions to « Undrunk » and the music and their own stories… This has been the coolest thing for me. I mean people are tweeting me that I’m here in Paris, telling me « we wanna see you, where are you ? » though I’ve never been here before. The fact that there is even like one person in the city that likes my music is so fucking cool. On The Move: You recently toured with LANY around America and Canada. How did you feel about it? Is it hard to sing to an audience that isn’t here for you in the first place? Fletcher: Totally. That’s like my biggest struggle and fear, being an opener and walking out to a crowd that is not there to see you. It feels like you kinda have to win them over in a way. And I’ve been an opener before for Bastille – which I’m a huge fan of – and X Ambassadors. It is a scary, nervewracking thing because they are not there to see you. So there’s a sense of extra added bit of pressure to be like « I really have to deliver it, I hope these people like me ». But that’s just it with anything. As human beings, you want people to like you, you know, you just want to be liked and… I mean at least, I do. I will never compromise who I am for that but at the same time it’s definitely a real thing.
INTERVIEW BY CORALINE BLAISE PHOTOS BY DAVID FITT
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QUINN LEWIS It’s time for us to introduce you to another promising pop artist that is set to work his way up in the industry in no time. Originally from Brisbane, Australia but relocated in Nashville while splitting his time between the “country town” and Los Angeles, the 22-year-old singer-songwriter sat with the team to discuss everything music, from his inspirations to future endeavors. Meet Quinn Lewis.
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n The Move: How are you Quinn? Happy to be back in LA? Quinn Lewis: I’m very good, thank you. Life is very good. This split time between Nashville and LA makes me love both places even more because it’s always a different atmosphere. On The Move: Do you feel like there’s a difference in the music scene between LA and Nashville? Quinn Lewis: Definitely. I feel like LA sets the trends. No one’s chasing anything here but I think songwriting wise you can’t be chasing. Sorry, I probably sound like a crazy person (laugh). Songwriting wise there are rules and trends that people stick to in LA that they don’t in Nashville. I think more so than ever, I write to titles in LA, like “this is a word that nobody said” or “this is a phrase that somebody said before”. In Nashville we might not have the title the entire session. It’s just a story. I love that part of the songwriting because it’s dangerous and scary, because you have to merge the two worlds but in Nashville it could be the catchiest thing ever, and if it’s not the story, then the writers in the room will be like no. In LA if it’s the catchiest thing ever and it makes no sense, people will be like “SICK!” (laugh), which is good and bad for different artists. I guess you have to choose. On The Move: I feel like artists in Nashville have more knowledge when it comes to music theory and all, but people in LA are more creative and not afraid to think out of the box… Quinn Lewis: Definitely! There’s a guy in town who records guitars on iPhones because they sound better and then he gets it to stereo. In Nashville it would be like “no, that’s not the rule. You’re going in a room and sit this way and you do this.” That’s just a production thing but it’s very symbolic of how the world works, writing wise. I love both. In Nashville, the pop there is gonna break and it’s gonna be a place in the city and I want that so badly but everyone thinks they are doing it now, like “we are doing it now, we are setting the trend now”. I try to surround myself with people who are like «we are not doing it yet, we love what we are doing but we know that you have to come out to LA and bring some stuff back». I think the coolest thing about Nashville is being surrounded by people who know what LA is doing, let’s take some of that and doing that here. On The Move: Tell me more about your writing process because I feel like all the tracks you have so far are heavily inspired by your personal experiences.
Quinn Lewis: Definitely. When I started writing and really diving in it, it was when I was in Nashville. I write everyday If I can. It’s weird for me if I go one week and a half without writing. I was like «let’s write a lot and write whatever comes to mind, and you write everything down and someone will find it and you’ll have cuts for days…» and then I got to a point where I was like this thing isn’t good because I don’t care about it. It was a very eyeopening thing for me, if I’m not being honest with what I’m saying, then what’s the point. My thing is I’m trying to figure out why I freak out in a relationship or why I messed up in a friend group so when I go into a writing room it’s my form of therapy to talk about it with people. For my songs specifically I’m trying so hard to understand why I feel this way and then once I get into a song I’m like that’s why, that makes sense now.
« For my songs specifically, I ’ m t ry i n g s o h a r d t o understand why I feel this way » On The Move: In terms of influences, who are the artists you look up to? Quinn Lewis: I think looking at Ryan Tedder and Pharrell made me realize that people did more than one thing in the industry. Looking at Ryan Tedder and checking out which song he wrote for who and which song he produced for who while also being the head of One Republic is crazy. That’s the first time I was like “Oh, I should be doing more than one thing”. That’s why I downloaded Logic and started doing stuff with Garage Band. I look at Frank Ocean, The 1975 and Sam Smith who are album artists and put themselves in the stage of life and share that stage of life and then kind of step away from it. I’m really inspired by the projects they put out and looking through the way the projects work together. The dream would be to have a body of work like one of those artists and also do the Ryan Tedder thing. On The Move: Let’s break down together some of your songs, shall we? Quinn Lewis: Let’s do this! On The Move: First song… “How you’ve been” Quinn Lewis: So, I bumped into my ex and it’s the first
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time I wasn’t jealous or was thinking something like “Oh, I wish we were still together”. She’s also an artist and we’ve always had this subconscious back and forth and it was the first time where I really wanted to know what she was up to, how things are but I don’t really care on the hot streams level, I just want to know how you’ve been. We had that song for ages and a year to the day when we wrote it, we get an email from R3HAB who said he loved the song and wanted to put it out. I was freaking out (laugh). On The Move: Next one: your first major label release “Hanging On” Quinn Lewis: Same kind of situation. I was in this fling and I realized she loved the control she had over me, like she would text and I’d be there. But also I realized that it’s not going where I think it should go, and I found out later that there was someone else for her. I just wanted to write stuff that actually happened. For example the line: “Forgot my watch at your apartment, a lot of time I know you won’t get back”, well, I really left my watch at her apartment (laugh). Same kind of thing, I was working through why I was hanging on to it, and giving her the power. It was more like “don’t keep me there, it’s not fair”. Writing that song was one of those sessions where we didn’t have it all day and then we probably got the entire song in the last thirty minutes. I love those kind of moments.
On The Move: “Weekend love”? Quinn Lewis: I care really deep between stages, and I was not doing the best thing saying to someone “don’t do that to me” but I realized that I was the one doing it. I just didn’t want to be stuck in that phase of going out in the weekend and not seeing each other outside of that. On The Move: What are you working on at the moment? Quinn Lewis: I’m working on a lot of music, new ones and songs I’ve had in a while. It’s very exciting and I’m very passionate about it. I’ve been going through the catalogue of the songs that I’ve been writing and fighting for the stuff that is the most honest and the things that I feel to my core and that I can talk about for hours. I have to get people to tell me to shut up about the music (laugh). On The Move: You’ve opened for Kevin Garrett, which was a dream come true for you, what do you want to achieve now? Quinn Lewis: Oh man, it’s hard. Hmm… opening for The 1975 would be dope! Or even do my own US or Australian tour would be amazing!
INTERVIEW BY PAM CHARBIT PHOTOS BY Jonathan Benbaruk
« I’ve been fighting for the sONGS that ARE the most honest » On The Move: Next one… “Pushing All My Friends Away” Quinn Lewis: I tried to write that song maybe five or six times in different writers’ rooms, and I wrote down “Pushing All My Friends Away” in my notes, on my phone. I brought it up so many times to people and they were like: “that’s cool, let’s workshop the title and the concept, let’s do something else.” And I was like no, I know exactly what I want it to be. The first time I’ve ever wrote with Jason Rabitt - who produced the song - I had a very strategic meeting in my head in the music business and what’s the next step was supposed to be, and he was like «let’s write something that we’re both passionate about and don’t care what people would say or think». I was going through my notes and I asked for his opinion about the title and he loved the idea. He was really pushing me to follow the idea I had.
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OUR BEST ALBUMS
OF MAY Every week of the year, a bunch of records are thrown into the world, portraying the singular influences, universes and sounds of artists. Do you get lost in the numerous releases? On The Move is here to help. This month, as always, we’ve opened our ears and dove into what matters most: music! Whatever genre suits you, you’ll find something new to discover... Here are our favourite albums released in May.
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She made us sing at the top of our lungs with the unforgettable “Call Me Maybe” and is now back with a fourth studio album. Carly Rae Jepsen offers 15 brand new tracks, including quite a few singles. The catchy “Party For One” was quickly followed by “Now That I Found You” and “Too Much”, mixing pop and electro music, “No Drug Like Me” and the funky “Julien”. Staying true to herself, the Canadian popstar’s lyrics mostly tackle love and the feelings you can experience when you finally find it. With syncopated rhythms and old school vibes, “Dedicated” sounds like a genuine time travel. While “Everything He Needs” features samples of Harry Nilsson’s “He Needs Me” from the 1980 film Popeye, “Automatically In Love” happens to be inspired by Mariah Carey. The tracklist also includes “Feels Right”, a collaboration with the band Electric Guest. This opus shows an impressive consistency. Disco and 80s vibes, funk, synth-pop… If you plan on driving with the windows down in the sun, you know what to listen to!
Top 3 tracks: Too Much, Want You In My Room, For Sure
Carly Rae Jepsen - Dedicated
He’s come a long way since his great success “Let Her Go” and we are happy to listen to his brand-new body of work. There is no doubt that you will be seduced by its soft and soothing ten tracks. Far from the traditional pop songs’ structure, the Brighton-based singer-songwriter created a little gem of folk pop music. You will discover a few surprising tracks without any chorus such as “Restless Wind”, “Moon On The Water” or “Winter Coats”. Passenger takes us on a peaceful journey with an autumnal aesthetic and an assortment of ballads that sound just like lullabies. As for the lyrics, they are sublimated by a perfect match between violins and guitars. “Only Time” then evokes the time that is necessary to recover from the end of a relationship whereas “Where The Lights Hang Low” happens to be as descriptive as a tale. And to top it all, the profits of this 11th album will be donated to the homeless charity Shelter UK. Feel free to join the adventure!
Top 3 tracks: Paper Cut, Chinese Burn, Where The Lights Hang Low, Rosie
Passenger - Sometimes It’s Something, Sometimes It’s Nothing At All Since the release of his debut single “Bruises” in 2017, Lewis Capaldi has come a long way. In 2018, he was the opening act for Sam Smith’s European tour and a couple of Niall Horan’s gigs. Then, in 2019, he was on the road with Bastille, Nina Nesbitt and finally on his own. After numerous beautiful singles and two brilliant EPs entitled “Bloom” and “Breach”, Lewis Capaldi’s debut album was long-awaited and we’re not disappointed. With “Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent”, the young Scottish artist shares his irresistible sense of humor, his moving lyrics, his fondness for sad songs and his powerful voice thanks to twelve tracks including seven new songs. From the honesty of “Maybe”, which tackles Lewis Capaldi’s own insecurities, to the beautiful rhythm of “Forever”, the singer-songwriter remains perfectly true to his musical universe and we can’t wait to listen to these tunes live!
Top 3 tracks: Bruises, Someone You Loved, Forever
LEWIS CAPALDI DIVINELY UNINSPIRED TO A HELLISH EXTENT
The rapper is not planning on slowing down anytime soon. After unveiling his fourth record “Young Sinatra IV” last September, his New-York Times bestselling novel “Supermarket” and its soundtrack released last March, the Marylandborn MC shakes your world again with “Confession Of A Dangerous Mind”. In this new project, he showcases once again his versatility, juggling between slow jams with the opening track “Confession of a Dangerous Mind” and rapid-fire flow contained in “Homicide” featuring the one and only rap God - Eminem - known for his speed raps. Logic addresses social media and the negative aspect of it in a couple of songs such as “Wannabe” and “Clickbait”. If he’s got many features with heavy hitters of rap like Wiz Khalifa, Gucci Mane and G-Eazy, the one we didn’t expect is certainly Will Smith on “Don’t Be Afraid To Be Different”. The track smells like old school New-York Hip-Hop and we’re all in for it! With “Pardon My Ego”, “Icy”, and “Still Brain”, the 29 year-old talks about the lifestyle a successful rap career has afforded him while still making sure his own dad appears on a track. We didn’t expect anything less from Logic!
Top 3 tracks: Homicide, Don’t Be Afraid To Be Different, Limitless
Logic - Confession of a Dangerous Mind The world discovered him with his album “Chaos And The Calm”, including “Hold Back The River” and “Let It Go”. Three years later, in 2018, James Bay showed another facet of his music in “Electric Light”, containing his catchy single “Pink Lemonade”. Today, the British guitarist is back with a new 4-track EP, tackling love and heartbreaks. Starting with “Peer Pressure”, we have the pleasure to appreciate this beautiful duet with the talented Julia Michaels, their voices perfectly intertwining with great complicity. Apart from his unquestionable guitarist skills, you’ll also be amazed by his chest voice and sweet falsettos, especially on the two sublime ballads of the opus. The nostalgic “Bad” will seduce you with its deep lyrics: “the more I think about you, the more I keep the ghost alive” whereas the emotional “Break My Heart Right” will soothe you with its piano melody. Finally, “Rescue” appears like the EP’s upbeat song and conveys a more positive message, with gospel choirs giving even more power to the track. All in all, we promise “Oh My Messy Mind” will blow your mind!
Top 3 tracks: Break My Heart Right, Peer Pressure, Rescue
James Bay - ‘Oh My Messy Mind’ EP
After two EPs and several tours in their home country (one alongside Bastille!), Londoners CHILDCARE finally released their debut album. “WabiSabi” is clearly a wellness and spiritual journey (the album’s name is a reference to a Japanese concept praising singularity (and the world’s beautiful imperfection) so get ready for a ride into your inner peace. The band’s debut album is very well structured with its interludes opening and ending the record flawlessly and setting the peaceful atmosphere. Gathering older tracks with new unheard ones, CHILDCARE is addressing important topics on rock-psychedelic melodies and catchy choruses with a tiny touch of tropical and poppy influences. The band perfectly delivers a male/female dynamic as in “Man Down”, an important song about toxic masculinity. The whole album feels fresh, inviting and warm and there’s no doubt you’ll be hearing about CHILDCARE in the next months or years!
Top 3 tracks: Omega Grey, Sugarcane, Cooking in Each Other’s Juices
CHILDCARE - WABI-SABI 35
BARRY MOORE You must already have in mind the irresistible ritornello of « Hey Now » but most certainly don’t know much about its author…On The Move is here to introduce him! A few months back, the Irish singer and songwriter Barry Moore released his debut EP « Lost Boys » with the talents of Maxim Nucci – also known as Yodelice - at the production. Sat with our team, he talked about his journey, the making of its latest tracks and the ambitions carried in his upcoming album. Let’s meet a solar artist, to which we wish a beaming future!
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n The Move: Hi Barry! The public doesn’t know you very well, yet. Can you talk a bit about how you first got interested in music? Barry Moore: So, it would have been from a very early age because coming from an Irish family, music is kind of everywhere, all the time. Everybody plays it and my father was a guitarist so, from a very early age, I was exposed to that and I was listening to all his vinyls and albums so then, we made the transition to streaming and downloading together. I moved a lot when I was a kid, from Ireland to California then back to Ireland then to Spain and to London then to France now. And all along the way, I always did music. Whether it was in the streets, in the bars, or just for me at home. Then, I came here for a job, working for a music streaming platform named Qobuz, a French one. It was then that I kind of got an opportunity to cross paths with Maxim Nucci at his studio. That’s where it all kind of changed, the direction of my life. I was in a career with a « Bac +6 » (second year of postgrad studies), now we’re moving at a really really quick pace towards something that I thought was never gonna be possible! So, it’s cool where we’re at, right now.
« ‘HEY NOW’ and ITS VIDEO ARE LIKE A 360° introduction » On The Move: Your single « Hey Now » has been out for a few months now. What’s the story behind it? Barry Moore: It’s kind of at the same time an introspective look at my life and where I came from and also kind of the harsh reality of life living in, not necessarily just my hometown, but in industrial towns like this in England, America, Ireland that are kind of stuck a little bit in the past. Everything is a bit raw and unfiltered kind of like in Trainspotting. A town full of « scumbags » once could say, I consider myself as a geeky one. I think the glasses help me because otherwise I’ve got the both sides like the harsh reality dude but I’m not hard on people, you know what I mean. I’m hard on myself but not on others. In general, the song kind of told basically my life and we filmed the music video in a factory that I worked in. The bars, all of the people that you see are either family members or friends, there is no extras or actors. So we actually went to Ireland and asked all of the local people, the local barman : « Can we use your bar ? Can we use this and that ? » I got my best friend
to punch me in the face, he had to do it 12 times. He was very happy to do it after 20 years of being friends with me. An opportunity to punch me a few times, for everything that happened before (laugh). After 3 or 4, he thought I didn’t deserve more so I wasn’t maybe as bad as I thought. On The Move: So, it was kind of an introduction for the public saying « Here I am and where I come from » ? Barry Moore: Exactly. We have a lot of songs at the moment but we picked the song that we thought was going to be the one that will get in to people’s heads quick and attract attention. And then we picked the images on the video to go with it, to really do a 360° introduction. We had a lot of questions about the yellow vests at some point… On The Move: Because this song arrives in France at a time where it echoes with our current social issues… Barry Moore: Yes, it’s pure coincidence because I mean, I’m not very politically involved, more from a societal perspective it concerns me but even thought it can intertwine, I prefer not to go onto things like that. But that was just actually because in my factory, where I worked, you had to wear that yellow jacket, it was a big factory and you could get injured if you didn’t have one, you know. And it was also very convenient to be seen, but in general, yeah, it is more a reference to my upbringing in Drogheda. On The Move: You’re working on the production with Maxim Nucci (known in the music industry as Yodelice) in the Spookland Records label. Is there one specific lesson you learned from him? Barry Moore: Hum stop… At one point, you have to stop asking yourself questions and doubting yourself. When you work on an album, you work with a producer, maybe other songwriters and sound engineers. There are so many people involved in the process, everybody is gonna have a little bit of frustration at the end because it’s not 100 % controlled by yourself you know. The one thing I learned from Max is to stop asking myself questions and that « Less is more ». Because when I was doing my productions and bringing them to him, my skeletons and examples of songs, he found that I was overdoing it. The basic melodies were there but he asked « Why did you add 3 guitars there? And 4 drums here?» He stripped it
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back and added kind of a layer of post-production that brought it into more of an electro-pop urban area whereas as we were when I met him three years ago. I was very much Ed Sheeran first album folk guitar and singing, you know. But he saw something in my music that could occupy a bigger sound space. That’s the direction we took then! On The Move: That’s how your tracks work very well both acoustically and on their studio versions. Barry Moore: But all the tracks work, we can adapt it both ways. I suppose the evolution that we’ve done between – because this is a second or third list of tracks for an EP that we’ve had because we keep changing and chopping things and reproducing things. The first album Ed Sheeran put out – I think « + » - was very stripped back and this is before he met his producer, his Pharrell. Yodelice, if you want, that’s my Pharrell (laugh). As he brought me from this specific sound – which had the main ingredients – but he brought it up to the next level. So, I definitely couldn’t have done it alone. And I’ve learned alone in this process as well. On The Move: You’ve just talked about the selection of tracks featured in your debut EP « Lost Boys » . So, what can we expect from this body of work? Why did you choose this four among others? Barry Moore: We kinda go back to the reason why we picked « Hey Now » and the way that we clipped the video. These four songs probably give enough of a taste of a few directions because we got some songs that are more reggae, some songs that are more Rock’N’roll, some songs that are more rap, some songs that could be even ballads you know. We didn’t wanna do an EP of four tracks that were completely different because then, nobody could have a real idea of who I am and what was coming then, later. We tried to pick four tracks that stayed quite in the same universe so that we can give a consistent view of what it is first. But on the album, I think we’re gonna let ourselves go a bit crazier. And you know, pick some crazy songs that just wouldn’t have made sense for the EP. But hopefully if things go well for the EP, we can allow ourselves to do things a bit more crazily and carefree. On The Move: We must say our favorite track on the EP is « The Little Things », because its structure isn’t exactly the usual radio-friendly one. We especially like the last part after around 2:40, which is very hybrid and kind of futuristic. A lot of elements mingle. Can you talk a bit about its making?
Barry Moore: That would be where Maxim Nucci and Julien Martinez really brought their contribution, in that area. The basic melody was there, the lyrics were there, the structure was there, brought by myself but this ending, we did not have it. We started doing tests with voice distortion and stuff like that. We had been hoping for something that really goes from a ballad into something quite electro – that could actually be « mis en scène ». That makes it a bit more realistic for the festivals and big concerts. It wouldn’t have been something that I would have been able to do myself. My original song finishes at 2:40 you know, but then, working with these guys was great. We could spend hours changing one thing or we could change 10 things in a minute. I had my doubts about how we were working at those little things at the time but now, it’s actually one of my favorite songs. It’s also one of the only introspective ballads that we have. So, it provides a bit of relief among those big tracks, as well.
« on the album, I think ME AND MY TEAM Are gonna let ourselves go a bit crazier » On The Move: You had a life that was constantly moving, as you explained it earlier. The cultures and musical fields are different from here to there. Did it impact your own sound in a way? Barry Moore: I started writing a few songs in Spanish when I was living in Spain, and in French as well. I think more than influencing directly my musical tastes, it more introduced me to new music and new groups that I didn’t understand the language before so I wouldn’t have been interested in. We can talk about an artist saying « this is the french Bob Dylan, and this is the Spanish one » and that created a reference in my head. I suppose in every country that I went to, I performed in the streets so it gave me a good insight into the people and the way they appreciate music. In London for example, in Camden, you would think it’s the most perfect place to go and play music whereas it’s more considered a social good that’s provided by artists. If you go to Camden, there are streets performances so you’re not going to make a big buzz or earn your salary for the week. Whereas in small towns like Salamanca in Spain, you can spend an hour
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and completely clean up, you know. So you just get to see, I suppose, the side of people in different cultures and towns, how open they are or how they interact with each other. It probably gives you a globalized view of how they relate to music, or not. On The Move: Talking about performances, you’ve opened for Jain in the past months, in venues all over France. Is it hard to win over a crowd in such venues compared to your street gigs? Barry Moore: It is actually quite similar to busking. When you open a concert you know, people are not there for you, they don’t expect you, they are not waiting for you. In one way, it might be hard to get their attention out to begin with. But in another way, it can be quite exciting that if you actually make an impact then you know you are going in the right direction. And Jain’s fans are just music lovers, they love a good time, they love music, they represent all generations so it’s not like playing concerts for a heavy metal band where you need to play the right genre of music. They’re just open to everything so even though it’s considered « ok, it’s right, you’re doing Zeniths straight away ! » I’m like « yeah, but they were really nice Zeniths » because Jain attracts very great crowds. In that way, we were very lucky!
« In my head, it’s always the next track that’s gonna be the best »
On The Move: What can we expect from you in the following months? Barry Moore: So, we had this EP released and the tour with Jain. This summer is more about festival stages. Musilac, Jazz à Montreux, Europavox, Aluna Festival and others. So most of them are my own act, so it’s the first time that I’m not opening, I’m playing 45-50 minute sets with my musicians, that’s for me, you know. So that’s a new experience as well. At the moment, there are only 4 songs on the EP and we have to do a set of 9-10 tracks so we test unheard materials. We have 6 extras, a cover or 2 as well and then 3 or 4 tracks that will hopefully come out with the album. I hope we’ll also be able to clip a new track in the near future, to be decided which track. Then, hopefully, we’ll be back with a full album in October. We wanted to release at list 4 tracks now, because we got a good response from « Hey Now » and we’re having a lot of promo and a lot of gigs at the moment so, we knew that we had to provide something to the people that are following us at the moment. It’s a taster, it can be frustrating to have just 4 songs, it’s frustrating for me. I’m like « Ok you’ve heard that, but just wait ‘till you hear the next one, the next one is gonna be great ! » But in that way as well, that’s part of the creative process. In my head, it’s always the next one that’s gonna be the best. It’s the hardest part to synthetize definitely, because we have a lot of material at the moment, we could make 3 albums you know!
On The Move: Did Jain give you some advice? Barry Moore: At the beginning yeah, and she still does. We actually talk quite a lot now, I started doing concerts with her back in 2017. Back at the time yeah, her and her musicians – she was on stage with musicians at the time – plenty of people in the team and everybody was always there to help because I was completely lost, I didn’t know where the ears were, where the cables were and stuff like that. So, she was very nice from the beginning. All of her team was very nice and helpful from the beginning so in that way, even though it was a baptism of fire, it went very well thanks to them. I was surrounded by the right people, I guess.
INTERVIEW BY CORALINE BLAISE PHOTOS BY NAYZM HERMOUCHE
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CHARLOTTE Discovered by worldwide hitmaker Toby Gad, writer of ‘All of Me’ (John Legend), ‘If I Were A Boy’ (Beyonce), ‘Big Girls Don’t Cry’ (Fergie) and more, CHARLOTTE unique voice and timeless sound is going to make you swoon. The young British singer spent her early teens performing in pubs until her family moved to Singapore when she was 14 years old – isolated from her friends and the life she knew, she started to write and sing every day, finding therapy in her music to cope with these inner struggles as a teenager. Let’s sit with the artist to find more about her journey.
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n The Move: Hi Charlotte, we are happy to have you here. For those who don’t know you yet, could you tell us about yourself and how you started making music? CHARLOTTE: My name is Charlotte, I’m from East Yorkshire in England. I’ve been singing and performing pretty much my whole life, writing tunes since I was like 6. I don’t know when I started performing. I was one of those kids that would like get up on stage and put on a show in the living room or wherever to whoever. I continued to do it pretty much my whole life and grabbed opportunities where I could get them. I guess my career in the industry started when I was 17. I met my manager in the UK and that kind of changed the course of my life. I’m not from London so where I’m from is not really connected to the music industry, it’s quite far so there wasn’t much going on. My knowledge of the industry was also pretty slim. I had no idea how you would start a career and become an official artist. The only thing I knew was that I wrote songs that were like therapy for myself. When I met my manager he started putting me in sessions with producers and that kind of decided the course of what I am doing now. I loved it and I wrote for other artists and now I have my own songs out so it’s been a long time coming.
« It would just feel false to me if I wrote something that wasn’t true » On The Move: You said you wrote for different artists before releasing your own project, what do you think is the main difference between writing for others and writing songs to release under your own name? CHARLOTTE: For me, in terms of deciding whether a song is for me or whether it’s for another artist, it’s about the subject. The songs I’m releasing under my name are about my life and it’s completely biographical because that’s the reason I do music. It would just feel false to me if I wrote something that wasn’t true. In terms of the process, when I write for another artist in the room, it’s about helping them. It’s kind of a social situation when you want
to help your friend and offer advice and help them go through something. So it’s not what I want, it’s about getting the best thing for someone else. It’s two different things but it helps me as an artist because I’d say something that I wouldn’t normally say or work in a genre that isn’t mine and it helps me abroad my own horizons. On The Move: Since you were talking about writing for others and your own music being inspired by your life, would you let someone else write for you? CHARLOTTE: I would hate to say never because there’s a handful of songs written by other people that I feel are about my own life and I wish I wrote them so I guess you never know. If someone pitches a song to me and I felt like it was just about me then maybe I would take it. I enjoy the creative process and I love writing so for now I don’t feel the need to take songs written by others. On The Move: Your debut single was named “I Tell Lies”. What can you tell us about it? CHARLOTTE: I never felt at school that I was a typical girl. I didn’t really know how to express my emotions to other people. I used to spend time listening to people’s problems but never speak about my own. Just very unhealthy. Most of my mates at school were guys. I was the little clown. I hope I was funny (laugh), I hope I am funny. Even if it’s who I am, it’s my personality that makes me not too dimensional. I never let that vulnerable side of me being shown so I got trapped into being the class clown. If I went out on an evening with my mates, I felt like I had to perform and be that character. When I was going through phases, when I felt down or you know, I didn’t know how to be that person. That’s what the song is about. I knew from the moment we finished it that it had to be the first single I’d put out. It was important for me to tell my friends and my family and everyone in general. I also have younger sisters and I could see history repeating itself, doing similar things and not knowing how to communicate their emotions so I feel like I have to be a little bit more responsible for them. I want to be an example for them so I felt like I needed to open up a bit.
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On The Move: How did they react to this? CHARLOTTE: They loved the song (laugh). I mean they are like 14 so they’re still figuring out life and I don’t know if they sat down with the lyrics and be like “Right, it’s a lesson to be learned!” (laugh) but if I heard a song like this when I was their age or younger, I’d felt comforted that people are feeling that way and I’m not the only one so maybe I should like talking about it more.
« The songs included in my debut EP are the most vulnerable, honest and scary songs I’ve written » On The Move: Your EP “Nowhere To Hide” came out last month. Where does the name come from? CHARLOTTE: There are four songs on the EP and I chose the name because the songs included are the most vulnerable and honest and scary songs I’ve written at the time. It’s just confessional. I have so much music ready to go beside the EP. On The Move: Who are the artists you are inspired by? CHARLOTTE: The first music I connected to was soul music because my grandparents were soul singers. They were a duo. My grandma played saxophone and sang and my grandpa lead vocals. I used to watch them every summer because they lived in Spain and I would go to see them tour around Europe. The setlist was like Tina Turner, Aretha Franklin, Sam Cooke… amazing soul music! That’s the first stuff that I became aware of. I was so naturally drawn to it anyway. Then growing up, I fell in love with British alternative music, and more recently I’d say Sam Fender in the UK. I’m a big fan. Lewis Capaldi also. I love Bon Iver, I’d listen to that for the rest of my life (laugh). My music influences are quite broad that’s why I find it difficult to define what my music even is. INTERVIEW BY PAM CHARBIT PHOTOS BY Jonathan Benbaruk
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ARE THEY WORTH
SEEING LIVE ?
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ANNE-MARIE W
ith two sold-out gigs on May 18th and 19th, AnneMarie delighted her Parisian fans thanks to her fabulous scenic presence, her outspokenness and her legendary humor. We attended the first show and it was sensational! During the whole European leg of the “Speak Your Mind Tour 2019”, Lennon Stella has the honor of opening the ball and what a pleasure it is to discover her on stage! In 2018, she pursued her artistic rise by collaborating with DJ Jonas Blue and Liam Payne on the track «Polaroid» and released her first EP, «Love, me» at the end of the year. Through a dozen songs, including an acoustic version of «Polaroid», the successful «La Di Da» and the impertinent «Bitch», the audience discovers a graceful and charismatic artist. Lennon Stella is definitely finding her place in the spotlight as she will, after Anne-Marie’s tour, tour the United States with The Chainsmokers and 5 Seconds Of Summer. Then, let’s make noise for the queen of the night: AnneMarie! As soon as the first notes of «Bad Girlfriend» resound, it is with an incredible energy that the young woman appears on stage. As for the fans, they immediately come forward and sing in unison the lyrics of this rhythmic track full of derision. What better way to set the tone for the evening? Next, the British artist sings «Cry», the track that opens her album «Speak Your Mind», and then «Do It Right» - a single released in 2015 on SoundCloud. As the room turns red, Anne-Marie asks the audience to jump with her during the chorus and there’s no need to say it twice! After only three songs, the atmosphere is already electric
Live from Paris, France and the complicity between the singer and her audience is obvious. Anne-Marie then goes on with a much softer track: «Heavy». When we met her in 2017, she had described this single as a title evoking the «feeling you have when you are in a relationship and it changes». With its impressive number of notes, the chorus attests to the singer-songwriter’s great vocal skills, yet she seems to sing as she breathes. Once again, the audience joins her to create a very special, intimate moment. Now it’s time for «Perfect To Me», Anne-Marie’s latest solo music video. Before starting to sing, the artist sits on stage and watches with her fans a video shown on the screens. In the latter, anonymous people, Mabel, James Arthur, Shawn Mendes and Ed Sheeran appear in turn to share messages of tolerance. A touching moment that the singer takes very seriously. «Perfect To Me» really has a positive impact and we love it! There is another moment with a symbolic impact during the show, this is «Trigger». This time, Anne-Marie herself insists on the meaning of the lyrics before starting her performance. The song may evoke a destructive relationship in which the singer wants to put an end to violence but, with everything that is happening in the world nowadays, it can also be interpreted in a more literal way: «Put the gun down, do the right thing / That won’t fix it any quicker / We don’t have to pull the trigger». These words are particularly meaningful in the Parisian venue Le Bataclan. Indeed, some fans even wave the symbol that was created after the terrorist attack of the 13th of November 2015, and it is shown on the screens the following evening.
After this very special moment, Anne-Marie sings «Ciao Adios «, one of the most famous singles of her career. Once again, the artist’s outspokenness as well as the irresistible rhythm of the song create a moment of symbiosis with the audience. Then, she performs «Can I Get Your Number» and «Don’t Leave Me Alone», an effective collaboration with David Guetta. During this one, the room turns blue and transforms into a real dance floor! Modern, fresh and catchy, Anne-Marie’s pop blends perfectly with the French DJ’s universe. The singer then tells an anecdote before singing «Alarm», a track that actually was a way to let off steam for her after a great disappointment in love. Indeed, Anne-Marie wrote this tune in Ibiza, after discovering her long-time boyfriend had cheated on her. She then warns that, when she sings these lyrics, she cannot help but let all the anger she felt explode. As if to support her, the fans shout and chant the chorus with power. Although evoking the same theme, the next song is much gentler and is called «Then». The room is then plunged into darkness and only Anne-Marie is illuminated by a follow spot. Sitting on a stool in the center of the stage, the performer sings with emotion and even sheds a few tears. A moving moment during which the audience, hung onto the artist’s every word, is quieter. Whether it is in a state of joy or sadness, Anne-Marie is an extremely sincere artist and we admire that!
Then comes «Rockabye», a song released in 2016 that celebrates single mothers and for which the singer has worked with Clean Bandit and Sean Paul. However, the Jamaican rapper is not in Paris to perform with AnneMarie... but every problem has a solution! The young woman simply gives a microphone to some members of the audience and, after a very funny little strong pressure on them, the first notes resound and the atmosphere is at its height. To everyone’s surprise, Anne-Marie takes a break in the middle of the song to chat with her fans and thank them. Declarations can’t wait! She confides she really enjoys the evening and would even like to start the show all over again. Without a second thought, the fans then start singing «Bad Girlfriend», the first track of the setlist. An unexpected and funny moment that provokes big smiles among the audience as well as on stage! Well, like artist, like fans. Once the performance is over, Anne-Marie closes the show with two singles that are now massive hits: «2002» and «Friends», featuring Marshmello. For the latter, the singer decides to mark the occasion and gives in to the desire to bring fans on stage. As a result, ten people are given the chance to hug the singer before singing and dancing with her. The humorous lyrics of «Friends» then resound in a very special way. Pure happiness! As usual, Anne-Marie gets everybody to agree thanks to a show that is just like her!
WORDS AND PHOTOS BY COLINE GAILLARD
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LEWIS CAPALDI D
oes Lewis Capaldi still need an introduction? After celebrating several weeks as no.1 in the UK Charts with his breakthrough hit “Someone You Loved” released last year, the 22-year-old artist unveiled last month his debut album “Divinely Uninspired to A Hellish Extent” that became the UK’s fastest-selling album of 2019 and the least we can say is that it’s very well-deserved. If you’ve been following On The Move Magazine for a while, you might remember that we introduced you to his debut EP “Bloom” in 2017. If the four songs on this EP weren’t enough, “Divinely Uninspired to A Hellish Extent” will certainly satisfy your appetite with tracks that will touch the deepest part of your soul. If Lewis is known for his raw and powerful vocals and deep and emotional songs he’s also known to be one of the funniest guys in the music industry. If you have the pleasure to follow him on Instagram, you will delightfully find out that he’s as funny online as he is in person. After selling out the Troubadour last year, the artist sold out The Fonda this time and the last thing that we can say is that both fans and artists came out to support this rising superstar. Lewis decided to make a proper entrance by opening his set with “Here Comes The Money” by Shane McMahon before starting the evening with his 2018 single “Grace”. From the very first minutes, Lewis Capaldi displayed his incredible and untouchable vocals and brought the public into his own world. We got the privilege to hear “Forever”, which is one of our favorite tracks of the record. The emotion was palpable, the silence almost religious and in front of our eyes, the future of pop music was shining.
Live from Los Angeles, USA
The artist - who’s fairly new in the industry - already figured out something that some artists take years to understand: how to communicate with a crowd. He mastered the art like a pro, cracking jokes, telling personal stories and teasing the public creating a meaningful connection with his audience. Here comes “Hollywood” and the hit “Bruises” which was a turning point in the artist’s career and which is a song that we can’t get tired of listening to, especially live. The public knew the lyrics by heart, and sang with him in a beautiful harmony. We witnessed most of Capaldi’s tracks from his debut album, from “Rush” and “Don’t Get Me Wrong” to his latest single “Hold Me While You Wait”. We hope you knew this song before going to the show because as the artist said jokingly: “if you didn’t know the song before, you’re dead to me!” After telling stories about his parents who attended the show, making sure everyone knew his name, cracking jokes about being dumped and Tinder and sweeping off the entire crowd off their feet, Lewis Capaldi ended the show with the global hit “Someone You Loved” and made a point in listening to the crowd singing the words as one person. The United Kingdom graced us with so many talented artists that we can’t count, the only thing we’re sure of is that you don’t know how talented Lewis Capaldi is until you see him live.
WORDS AND PHOTOS BY PAM CHARBIT
OTM TEAM founder, editorial director I spend most of my time apologizing to my favorite streaming platform for ripping off their «add to playlist» button. When i’m not looking for new artists to talk to you about I drown myself in a sea containing a mix of old R&B and punk-rock sound. Sometimes I go to concert venues more often than I go to bed and I listen to music even when I sleep. I’ll be probably deaf in 40 years but knowing you’ll discover new artists through this mag makes everything worthwhile.
PAM
CORALINE
graphic designer, co-editorial director Writing about architecture and urban planning by day, writing about music by night. Getting the best of both worlds. I am in love with matter, melodies and words. Drunk with british indie-rock and pop-folk. I guess my wildest dream would be designing and building a gig venue, for which I would decide the opening line-up. In the meantime, I am the curly girl with too much hair, front row. If not at a gig , I’m probably spending the night building this magazine for you.
LéNAELLE
LUDIVINE
COLINE
déborah
HALEY
Khaty
writer If it were possible, I would probably live in a concert venue! Gigs are, without any hesitation, the events I appreciate the most. Addicted to pop music, tattoos, Youtube, The Greatest Showman original soundtrack, TV shows and Disney movies, I always love to discover new artists and talk about them with my friends. Professionally speaking , my biggest dream would be to have a fashion or music-related job. I guess I just need art to be part of my life!
writer A few words about me? In the future I would love to work as a community manager or a web journalist but for now I am just an ordinary student who has always loved writing and wouldn’t consider living without music. I am quite shy in my everyday life but surprisingly become the most sociable person when attending concerts, which I could do every single day. Other than that, I love travelling, making videos, tattoos, cheesecake and think that a whole crowd singing is the most beautiful thing in the world!
writer Meet the youngest of the crew ! A spiring music journalist and communication student, I spend most of my free time surrounded by books and hot chocolate. Basically obsessed with british pop music and indie artists, if you’re looking for me you’ll probably find me singing my heart out at a concert. if i could turn back time, i’d definitely pop to the Panic! At The Disco show in Chicago in 2008.
writer An aspiring entertainment reporter, I am constantly caught between covering the world of pop culture and reading about it. After graduating from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, I moved to Los Angeles to embed myself in the heart of the entertainment industry. If I’m not watching a movie, at a concert or reading the latest celebrity news article, I probably am at the beach.
writer Who am I, in a nutshell? I am a daydreamer, a traveler at heart, a concert addict and I see beauty in everything. Music is my escape route and my best friend. People say that have an eclectic taste in music which is true although you’ll see me mostly at rock shows. Fun fact: I actually own a guitar since I was 4 and I still don’t know how to play. I am also the girl that’s like «Hey you gotta listen to this!» and 2 hours later we’re still on YouTube... Oops!
writer I listen to music from morning till dawn. Literally. Working in a speaker store has its perks. My playlist consists mainly of Soul, R&B and Hip-Hop (Western and Eastern: I don’t discriminate)! When I am not immersed in music, I am probably reading or watching some baking videos, because let’s be honest food is life!
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