My Music Magazine "Mashup"

Here's a music magazine I made all by myself, using Adobe InDesign.
All interviews are original.

:)


Cover

Feature Article

Interviews

Josh Massey setting to release debut album (Exclusive Interview)

His debut EP ‘Streetlights’ peaked #75 in the iTunes Singer-Songwriter charts and now 19 year-old Josh Massey is ready to release his first album on big streaming services SoundCloud and Spotify.

With Michael Jackson, Ed Sheeran and James Bay as his biggest influences, Josh started writing music and putting song covers on YouTube at the age of 15. Now he is ready to release his first studio album, full of acoustic and powerful ballads, mainly written and produced by him.

  

The new album takes inspiration from a wide range of music genres and has an individual and distinctive sound. Just like in his latest EP, the upcoming songs are inspired from his personal experiences. They are honest, emotional and heartwarming. “It is a mini collection of certain points of my life from the last 2 years. The inspiration ranged from feeling very lost and confused to feeling in love or being rejected. It is a bit different from the current popular music. The industry today is very messy. Most songs on the charts are meaningless, while there is a whole lot of talent that is overshadowed.”

 The album showcases Josh’s potential, his love for slow-tempo music and his impressive guitar skills. “This album reminds me of why I wanted to be an artist in the first place. I decided I wanted to be a singer on the night I saw Ed Sheeran in concert. Watching him on stage, just with his guitar and the loop pedal. I was so blown away how he can do so little, yet do so much. I was so inspired! When I went home I wanted to learn how to play guitar and everything went from there really.”

Josh has already performed in more than a 100 music venues including Barfly, Paradise and The Hippodrome with Saint Raymond, to support the new album and is also planning to embark on a small European tour.

Check Josh out on iTunes, Spotify and SoundCloud for more music.

Davy Knowles is back with new album and documentary film (Exclusive Interview)

Former Back Door Slam frontman Davy Knowles has returned to London and is about to release a series of new blues recordings, as well as the anticipated music film documentary ‘Island Bound’.

After a relentless four-year tour regime across the USA, in support of Jeff Beck, The Who, Kid Rock, Lynyrd Skynyrd and many more, Davy Knowles is setting to release the follow-up of his 2014 hit album ‘The Outsider’.

Davy is returning back to his classic blues roots and his recognizable style, but he is also exploring different music genres and areas with vivid folk elements in his songs. “My upcoming music is guitar driven blues and rock. Blues is the music I first fell in love with and I have always connected deeply with it. There is definitely inspiration from folk music on this new album however.”

In this album, he is experimenting with several different musical instruments and is providing a variety of melodic blues sounds and tunes. “With this album, I attempted to play the mandolin and acoustic, classic and electric guitars. Playing instruments is what I enjoy doing the most. Singing was not my main passion. It just came later, when no-one else in the band I was in wanted to do it.”

Davy has also revealed that his new album will include some tribute songs to his late father, who has influenced his musical career from the beginning.

“I was inspired to pick up the guitar and learn how to play by my dad. I invited him to play with me on stage on a gig I did in Philadelphia last year. A few weeks later he passed away, so that memory has very much become a treasured one.”

The Manx-born singer will also release in 2016 the musical documentary ‘Island Bound’, in which he analyses and demonstrates, along with artists Richard Thompson and Martin Simpson, how the Celtic and European folk music was firstly preserved and passed down through generations, evolving into bluegrass, country and americana, and ultimately influencing the blues and rock music of today.

“I am very excited about this documentary and for what’s to come next. I hope people enjoy what I have created the past few years. I only wish for longevity in my career, I have no dreams of grandeur. Being a pop-star has never particularly interested me.  Just to be making a living and growing as a musician is all I have ever wanted.”

For more information visit Davy’s official website www.davyknowles.com, and follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

Sasha McVeigh: Q&A with Britain's most exciting young country artist

At only 22 Sasha McVeigh has become a regular name in the country music scene, with her hit album ‘I Stand Alone’ and her energetic performances in the biggest music festivals in Nashville and all around the world.

The Hereford-born singer took some time out of her busy schedule to give to MashUp an exclusive interview about her fantastic journey, her career highlights and her future plans.

Can you please tell us a few things about you and introduce yourself to our readers?

My name is Sasha McVeigh and I'm a British singer/songwriter from the rural part of Herefordshire. I've been singing for as long as I can remember. It’s always been my biggest passion. I'm also a huge Disney fan, so if you follow me on Instagram, you'll see a lot of photos of me dressing up as the movies’ characters.

So when and how did you decide that you wanted to be a musician?

I decided to pursue music professionally when I finished Sixth Form College in 2012. I had been writing, playing and performing since I was a kid, but I never took the professional step until then. My Nana passed away on Christmas of 2011 and it really made me re-evaluate a lot of things. I was planning on going to university, but I stopped and realised that all I wanted to do was follow my music dreams and university would have been settling. My parents supported me 100% which I'm hugely grateful for and a couple months after I finished college I flew to Nashville and the journey began.

So how has this journey been so far? Has it been easy or hard?

It has definitely been an incredible ride! I have loved every minute of it and I have come a lot further than I ever expected to. But at the same time it has been hard, because it is very ‘costly’ to become an artist today. My parents have sacrificed everything to help me achieve this dream and fund my projects. It is so sad that because I am not a millionaire, I struggle to do what I love the most.

Did your parents help you record and fund your debut album ‘I Stand Alone’?

Yes of course they did. They have done everything they possibly could and this album is a family effort. Also, the fans helped me raise money for this album on Kickstarter. Some people donated a lot of money and I felt so happy and emotional that they believed in me and wanted me to make my own records.

So how did it feel to record your very own album?

It’s a dream came true! It’s something that I have always wanted to do and I got to record it with a full band of musicians. Before, I only played acoustic songs, because that reflected what I did in my live shows. Of course I’ve still kept a bit of an acoustic sound in this album, because that’s kind of who I am. There were so many talented and award-nominated musicians involved in this album and most of it was recorded in Nashville. I couldn’t have asked for a better team of people to work with.

In a few words, how would you describe your music?

I write all of my own music and it's definitely a combination of country, pop, folk with some R&B overtones. All my songs are written from personal experiences and are usually entirely true stories. I just prefer to write that way and my fans seem to really understand what I'm saying, which is amazing. 

Do you play most of the musical instruments in your songs then?

Yes, I have been playing keyboard since I was ten, but I only started playing the guitar three years ago and now it has become like another limb. I don't go anywhere without my Martin guitar, named 'Dean', or my Taylor guitar, named 'Elizabeth'. I recently picked up the banjo too!

What was the feedback you received from the fans? Do you find people recognise you more now?

I have received such amazing feedback and comments from the fans, it’s overwhelming! It is extremely touching that people can relate to my songs and sing them back to me at my live shows. It totally freaks me out when people recognise me on the street, because I’m just me and it’s so odd when they say ‘hello’ or ask for a picture. But I love meeting new people!

Who were your main musical inspirations for this album?

My biggest musical inspirations are probably Elvis Presley, Zac Brown Band, John Denver, Taylor Swift and just Motown music in general. They are all artists and genres I've been listening to either since I was a little girl or since I started song-writing at the age of 12. Their influence is obvious on my album. But honestly, I listen to all different genres, I love Adele, Amy Winehouse, Michael Bolton, The Script, the composer Alan Menken, Elton John, to name a few. 

And if you could collaborate with any artist, who would it be?

Ah! That's such a tough question, because I'd like to collaborate with so many different artists for different reasons. But, if I had to narrow it down, I'd say Alan Menken, because he's composed some of the most incredible scores and pieces for Disney movies, or the Zac Brown Band, because they're my favourite country act on the circuit right now.

What would you say has been the highlight of your career so far, your best music memory?

If I had to pick just one, it was probably when I was invited, by The Academy of Country Music, to perform at the ACM Awards Kick-Off Concert in Las Vegas. My name and face was on a 100ft billboard on the Las Vegas strip - it was insane!! The ACM Awards are like the Oscars of country music and it was such an honour to be invited by the Academy to perform for them, especially when I'm an unsigned artist. That was one of the greatest nights of my life!

What are your thoughts on the music industry today and the current artists?

For a time, everyone was worried that the music industry being driven into the ground, but I think when you look at the quality of music being produced both last year and already this year, I don't think we have anything to worry about. There is so much talent out there. As for the shift in digital and physical sales, I think that just shows the change in times. iTunes, GooglePlay and other online streaming platforms are bound to be more popular now than physical albums, because it's easier for people to download the songs or stream them on their phones rather than listening to the CD only when they have a player around.

Before we end this interview tell us what would be the ultimate dream for your music career?

To get to a level where I can perform wherever I want and wherever the fans want me to go. It's a very expensive to hire venues and sometimes you can't perform in all the cities you want, because there simply isn't enough budget for it. I'd love to not be restricted by that and be able to go directly to the fans. The point is, artists are nothing without their fans. I love hearing from my fans and communicating with them, we're like a big family. So to be able to have no limitations on performing for them, that's the dream.

Finally Sasha, where can we find you performing?

I have been on a UK tour since March and now I am heading to Europe for more shows. All the dates can be found on my website (SashaMcVeighMusic.com). I am so excited to get back on the road again and especially in Europe, because the fans out there are so enthusiastic. I'll be heading back out to the USA to tour in the summer. There's a lot to look forward to this year including releasing some new music which I'm thrilled about. I can't wait to get started!

Has Adele changed the music industry?

A review on the best-selling artist of the 2010s

In the century of commercialisation, where music equals vulgarity, coarse language and repeated electronic beats, and music videos have become a synonym to nudity and provocative dancing, there comes British singer Adele to prove that there is still hope for real, quality music in this industry.

Adele Adkins, who in 2008 graduated from the BRIT School for Performing Arts & Technology, in Croydon – along with singers Leona Lewis and Jessie J – has already, at only 28, broken several records.

 

Her album 21 sold more than 35 million copies worldwide, becoming the best-selling album of the 21^st century. She also became the first artist to ever sell three million albums in the UK in one calendar year and was recently named the most successful British female artist of the past century. But records in the music world are not what make Adele a “different” type of artist.

 

In 2017 it almost comes as no surprise to hear that even A-list singers use auto-tune to sing digitalised songs with cheap productions.

Adele, on the other hand, only uses real instruments on her records and usually sings with only the help of a background piano (Someone Like You) or a background acoustic guitar (Daydreamer).

Every single song from her studio albums 19, 21 and 25 is written by her (except Make You Feel My Love, which is a Bob Dylan cover) and as she admits, all the lyrics come from personal experiences. That easily explains why her voice sounds so genuine and full of emotion.

She has succeeded in differentiating herself from her peers, with music that does not sound like anyone else’s at this time. Who else sounds like Adele?

As the iHeartMedia president, John Sykes, said “[Adele] is an artist who comes around once every generation. There may not be a voice more precious to the music industry than Adele’s today.”

 

Unlike the majority of singers today, she does not use her image – or rather her body – to sell records. She does not wear extremely short skirts, shorts and bralets – which cover as much as a swimsuit – and does not dance like a wild maniac on stage. She also does not tend to get naked at any possible chance and call that “confidence”, “feminism” or “girl power”. On the contrary, she prefers to wear simple black lace dresses, leggings and flat shoes. She never tries to shock and she does not seem to care about gaining publicity.

Many people would say that the main reason Adele does not choose to show much skin is because her physique does not match that of a stereotypical modern pop star (basically she is normal and does not starve herself to death for fame). I say the reason is that Adele respects herself and her body too. She does not need to have an oversexualised image to attract attention, simply because she can still be gorgeous and radiant with clothes on, and simply because it is all about her music, her voice and her talent.

Her music video for Hello, which was filmed in a sepia tone at a small house in the woods, became the most viewed video (27. 7 million views) on YouTube within 24 hours, knocking Taylor Swift’s Bad Blood off the top. The video has over 1 billion views today!

More recently in the US, her latest album 25 became the fastest-selling album in one week, with 2.4 million sales, a record which was previously held by NSYNC for 15 years.

She has truly become unstoppable.

It feels like Adele has something special that is missing from the music industry today; elegance and class. Surprisingly though, she is a very approachable person. You would think she would speak the Queen’s English with the poshest accent possible, but once she opens her mouth you would be stunned by her heavy cockney accent. You would swear that Adele’s speaking and singing voices are coming from two different people.

She might be a mega global star, but at the same time she looks like your lovely auntie that you want to hug or your funny friend that you go for a pint in the local pub with.

She is also very British in the way she talks and in the way she sings and acts – unlike most English performers today who lose their identity and try to ‘Americanise’ themselves, their style, their attitude and their music.

Adele usually likes to take off her shoes and sing bare feet on a little carpet when she is on stage. She always talks to the audience, says a little story behind the songs and also has a laugh. Just simple and human, like everybody else.

Her songs are about real events and real people. And that is why her fans can relate to her.  

But no matter her audience’s age, Adele has managed with her music to make people feel pain and heartbreak, even if they have never been in love.

On a YouTube video of her live performance of “When We Were Young”, one fan writes: “I miss you my imaginary ex-lover.” That sums it up.

I would go as far to say that we are witnessing a music legend that will still be playing in our CD players and on our radio stations for many more years to come. And I am looking forward to hearing what story Ms. Adkins will talk about next.