Hollywood Rejects: An Interview with GUPPY

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by Annie Fell
Photo by Nydia Hartono

What’s a recent film school grad to do when Hollywood rejects you? Become a rock n’ roll star, of course. Even Patti Smith once sang, “So you wanna be a rock n’ roll star? / Well listen now to what I say / Buy yourself an electric guitar and take some time to learn how to play” (well, technically The Byrds sang it first, but I digress). Maybe it was that simple when you could live in a squat on Bowery or the Sunset Strip, but considering we live in a time when the cost of living on this earth is unmanageable for most people and the job market is shit, being a contemporary rock n’ roll star takes a lot more elbow grease.

Just ask GUPPY, the L.A.-based, Boston-birthed band that consists of multimedia artists/recent Emerson grads/all-around hustlers Julia Lebow (vocals and guitar), Gabi Cohen (drums), and Marc Babcock (bass). Described by Out Magazine as the “gayer Green Day,” the band has existed for less than a year but is already making waves with their DIY debut EP In The Garage, which came out last month. Their sound is loud and dirty and completely devoid of pretense. In The Garage is equal parts goofiness and wit with an irresistible vulnerability at the heart of it.

We chatted with GUPPY about visual art, their talented cat, and the trials and tribulations of making a living as a rock n’ roll star.

Allston Pudding: All of you went to film school and Julia has been involved in stand up and comedy troupes—how has this influenced your musicianship?

Julia Lebow: It’s definitely influenced my songwriting and performance style a lot. I kinda turned to music during a time when comedy started to feel less safe just because of personal reasons within the community plus the world itself was kinda crumbling in a really ubiquitous way so it didn’t really feel great to make jokes. But music and songwriting let me be vulnerable but still maintain my sense of humor in a way that didn’t feel like I was lying to myself. I’ve since gone back to doing comedy stuff and that vulnerability has helped me a lot there too. I think both creative worlds kinda bolster each other for me and help me be creative + not get too caught up in my ego in either.

Marc Babcock: Film school was no doubt an influence on my musicianship. I love movies and studying screenwriting while at Emerson taught me to be a better storyteller and writer in general. Also, I was in the production Flapjack where I played bass and I also played drums in the stage play of American Idiot. Gotta give a huge shout out to the Emerson Hip Hop Society which was a collective that would get together every week and freestyle or share new music. Those meetings helped keep my mind fresh and helped me with improvisation in music a ton. 

Gabi Cohen: I think going to film school and spending so much time doing creative projects taught me how to communicate feelings without just explicitly saying something outright. Doing film, you learn how to create a feeling through tone or colors or lights, and I think seeing that you can do that visually opened me up to the idea of doing that with sound and drums too. It also opened me up and taught me how to collaborate with other people on things that feel intimate. I like working by myself a lot, but having to work with other people forced me to learn how to effectively communicate my thoughts and feelings. That’s been really valuable in learning how to play with a band and write music.

AP: Do you feel like your work in visual media arts taps into the same part of your creative brains as writing music, or does it feel like a totally different thing?

MB: I think being in a creative setting and creating in any way definitely exercises the same part of the brain. Both music and visual media arts are such collaborative mediums and that feeling of group think and being on the same page is a huge component of both art forms. Music has always held a special place for me more so than anything else.

JL: Yeah I just love storytelling, and both music and visual art allow me to do that in a collaborative way both on my own and with the people I love.  

GC: I think for me, the visual media stuff I do is more personal. Writing music is definitely personal too, but working with other people to communicate a feeling is different than sitting in front of a computer with your own thoughts. But I think the time spent working on personal work and on collaborative GUPPY stuff influences each other.   

AP: Do you consider yourselves a Boston band in any way? What does it mean to be a Boston band and/or an L.A band?

JL: I mean we all spent a considerable amount of time in Boston so it definitely informs who we are as people. I wouldn’t say we are a Boston band just because we aren’t in the thicc of that community, but we all really admire the spirit of that DIY scene and it informs the kind of music and scene we want to promote here. In L.A. everyone feels so disconnected, so cultivating a community can be hard, but there’s such a need for DIY and bedroom art in a capitalistic L.A. landscape.

AP: What does rock n roll mean to you?

MB: It’s a hard thing to define. It’s whatever you want it to be I guess. To me though it’s that feeling of being at a live show and just yelling and screaming and dancing just not giving a fuck. It’s telling the world that they can’t stop you. 

JL: Rock n’ Roll to me means expressing my feelings in a totally unchecked way and unashamed way.

GC: Yeah, pretty much just doing what you want, having fun with it, and not being embarrassed to do so. 

AP: The theme has come up in your song “Hollywood Rejection” but I was wondering how you navigate the intersection of your Showbiz Careers and your work in DIY? Do they influence each other?

MB: I just accepted a job as a gym teacher at the YMCA and have been working here and there on some sets but now I’m just hopping into the music grind. Both take hard work and a lot of dreaming though so we are just out here working hard and putting in our time, just having fun. 

JL: Yeah my showbiz career is mostly rooted in post work and freelance gigs which means weird but flexible hours. This helps a lot in allowing me to pursue different creative pursuits while still bringing home that BACON. Also it means that like most people in L.A. I’ve encountered a lot of frustration and fear surrounding my own financial security and purpose in the world which definitely informs my songwriting.

GC: Most of the stuff I’ve been doing in terms of “showbiz” is all freelance and working sets every now and then. I guess the intersection of “showbiz” and DIY for us is just the fact that we ultimately do have to navigate Hollywood and Los Angeles scene. It’s balancing whatever career goals and images we have to have in order to live and thrive out here with the attitude of our music and how we want to actually express ourselves.

AP: Julia, I’m obsessed with your Therapy Dog EP from last year. How do you transition from writing for a solo project to writing for a band (i.e. an immediate audience)?

JL: Hehe thank you. It’s been a really natural transition in that it kinda all just happened over time without me ever really having to think about it. I started to get more ambitious with the stuff I wanted to do with sound so I knew I would need more people to help me achieve these ideas and expand on them.I definitely feel like my time in collaborative comedy settings like writers rooms made it easy for me to start working with other people creatively and approach them with my ideas and ask for feedback. Plus, Marc and Gabi are actually two of my closest friends plus true creative talents in their own right, so it was kinda a no brainer in terms of who I wanted to work with. 

AP: As you mentioned in your Out interview, some of you only started playing music within the past year or so—what drove you to start?

GC: I just started playing drums in March because I was hanging out at Julia and Marc’s house a lot. People were always hanging out in the garage and jamming together, and one day Julia just asked me if I could sit behind the kit and try it out. I can get kind of obsessive when I’m learning a new skill, so for the next month I went over every day when I had a spare minute to practice. It really just came from a desire to hang out with my friends and do something fun. I never thought I would get to play in a band or record an album or anything, so it wasn’t that hard to convince me to try it out.

JL: I’ve been playing guitar for almost 11 years now, but I only started songwriting a year ago. One day it just kinda clicked that I could manipulate my guitar and create a story in that way. Honestly I think I was just bored at the time, and every time I get bored I end up with a new skill or hobby. Most are much less useful than this one.

AP: You guys blend a lot of distinct styles, like bedroom pop and ‘90s punk—is this a conscious choice or just a natural fusion of your influences? Is there anyone you’re consciously trying to emulate?

JL: I think we only really discuss style and influences after the fact. Going into it we just have an idea of what the chords, lyrics, and pacing are and we go from there. We really just do a lot of trial and error and see what sticks.

GC: Yeah, exactly. We just bring whatever we have in our heads, which a lot of the time is music we grew up listening to, and bang it all together until it sounds sick.

AP: What’s next for GUPPY?

MB: More music, more shows and more shreds coming soon to an earhole near you.

GC: LOTS of shredding. 

JL: We got a music video in the works.  We’re also gonna be doing a performance on a cable access channel that’ll be posted on the ~internet~ in about 2 weeks. Other than that we’re just focusing on performing as much as possible and writing our next album.

AP: If your cat, Toni Hawk, had opposable thumbs, would he be in the band? If so, what instrument would he play?

JL: We are teaching him to play theremin right now. No opposable thumbs needed.

 

Annie Fell is a New York City-based bad girl, business bitch, and elusive chanteuse. You can follow her on twitter @zitremedies

REVIEW: Bayside w/ Potty Mouth at Paradise Rock Club (9/10)

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By Aaron Peipert

On Sunday September 10th, Long Island American Rock band Bayside played at Paradise Rock Club, along with former Massachusetts’ own Potty Mouth. Currently on tour for the 10th anniversary of their acclaimed 2007 release, The Walking Wounded, Bayside is a veteran act with an extremely loyal fan base. This claim is backed by Potty Mouth’s front person Abby Weens, who commented from the stage that Bayside has, “the best fans.”

And while Bayside may have “the best fans,” Potty Mouth was not a disappointing opening act. With the sound of Hole meets Josie and the Pussycats, the band expertly juxtaposed danger, as the group rocked out with fuzzed out guitar riffs. And with the release of their super catchy 2016 single, “Smash Hit,” it’s probably safe to assume that Potty Mouth will release a very strong and memorable full length album in the near future. Following Potty Mouth’s performance, bassist Nick Ghanbarian made a point to mention that Bayside hand selects the acts they tour with, and that they love exposing their audience to new music they believe in.

Bayside played a fantastic set, leading the crowd in an all-out sing along for every single song. This was no surprise, as out of their seven full length releases, The Walking Wounded is definitely the fan favorite. Written and recorded in 2005 following a tragic accident that resulted in the death of the band’s drummer, John Holohan, and the injury of Ghanbarian, Bayside chose to move forward and release the album, which would go on to define the rest of their career. Breaking out of their New York punk-influenced brand of rock, the band explored new influences like show tunes, and added waltz time signatures to their music. These changes helped to defy and redefine their music, resulting in the sound fans now most identify Bayside with.

At the end of the night, the 18-year-old band sounded fresh as ever, from Jack O’ Shea’s ripping guitar licks and Anthony Raneri’s Smoking Popes meets Fiddler on the Roof vocal stylings, to their hard hitting rhythm section. After feverishly slaying through the entirety of The Walking Wounded, Bayside blessed the crowd with an encore that seemed like an entire second set; playing deep cut fan favorites as well as newer tracks from the band’s ever growing catalog.

INTERVIEW: Liars Discuss New Album, Lineup Changes

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By Harry Gustafson
Liars

Photo by Zen Sekizawa

What do you do when you find yourself trying to make an album without the aid of your longtime creative partner? Angus Andrew, who has worked under the moniker Liars with others since the early 2000s, found himself in this position after the recent amicable departure of longtime collaborator Aaron Hemphill. Talking to us, Andrew discussed moving to rural Australia, using visual aids to create music, and not letting computers dictate his songwriting process. Bolstered by a new lineup, Liars play the Sinclair on 9/18. 

Allston Pudding: Congratulations on the new album! You were faced with some challenges going into this with the recent lineup changes. Did that affect how you created the album?

Angus Andrew: I mean, not really. I was always used to writing music alone, but certainly it was a big sadness to swallow. I was always so used to sending the material I’d made to Aaron [Hemphill] for his opinion, so it was difficult for me not having someone to send it to, you know? But at the same time, it was quite exhilarating to also just release the music of my design without any kind of discussion. It was kind of exciting.

AP: Do you feel this album comes from a more isolated place, compared to 2014’s Mess, which was a lot dancier? 

Andrew: Yeah, that’s right. Mess was a lot dancier. This was a sadder record, much more personal. It comes from the gut, really. The difference, also, with Mess is we made it in Los Angeles, and somehow it’s very — I don’t know — rigid or city-like in my mind. This one I made out in the forest in Australia, and it feels a lot more organic.

AP: So TFCF stands for “Theme From Crying Fountain?”

Andrew: That’s right, yeah.

AP: Where does this image of the crying fountain come from, and how does it work for this album?

Andrew: Well, I saw myself as the crying fountain. The music was really cataloguing or describing the collapse of mine and Aaron’s creative relationship. We’re still very close as friends, but it was clear as I began to work on the record that our creative relationship had ran its course. So I was very sad about that. The music is kind of the theme for that collapse.

AP: In anticipation for the album, you released a series of YouTube videos that spelled out “Theme From Crying Fountain.” Where were those images from?

Andrew: I shot the videos from around where I was making the record, down there out in the bush. Generally, when I make music I really like to give it all sort of a visual language as soon as possible, because it helps me understand what I’ve made. So I would go out into the bush and shoot footage and put it to the music, and those ended up being the pieces for the album.

AP: In tying with these themes, the album has an interesting cover, featuring you alone in a wedding dress. Does this extend from the idea of separation from your former bandmates? 

Andrew: Yeah, exactly. I had always felt that being in a band was like being married, so definitely on this record, it felt like I was left alone in my wedding dress, you know? It was one of those creative decisions which is really frightening. It’s not an easy thing to swallow. But generally, I feel like the creative decisions that keep me up at night are the right ones, and this one kept me up several nights, so I went with it.

AP: Recording the music for the album, was that you alone recording? You have some new live members; were they recording with you as well?

Andrew: No. Before I moved to Australia, I went into a studio in Los Angeles and I recorded myself playing a bunch of instruments, just kind of really randomly. And then I took all those files with me out into the bush and I sampled all those sounds and created the music that way. But then, now I’m playing with a live band, and they’re from New York. So I went there, and we began rehearsal, and that’s where we’re at now.

AP: Who are they? Have you known them for awhile or played with them before? Or is it a completely new experience?

Andrew: No, I hadn’t. I was put in touch with them through a friend and my management. They’re two twin brothers who play in another band called Bambara. I had never met them before, but they were very excited to play with me. So I flew to New York and I met them, and the first time we rehearsed, we played like, 20 live songs, some of which I’d never played before, from past records. Some songs which were too difficult technically to get out live, they were able to play. So, it was pretty exciting. And we started to tackle the new record. It was all quite amazing. We’ve done a European tour so far and now we’re just about to start the American leg.

AP: Do you feel this new energy performing live?

Andrew: That’s right, yeah. Like I said, some of the songs were tracks that I’d written for albums in the past that had never been performed before. So it was pretty amazing for me, getting to perform some of those. It was exactly like a whole breath of fresh air. It’s been really exciting. They’re amazingly talented musicians, so I’m really lucky. 

AP: For the last few albums you’ve made, you’ve used a lot more electronic experimentation. With your sampling efforts, is that a trend you’re trying to continue? Who are some contemporary artists who are influencing that?

Andrew: Well, you’re right. The last few albums have been computer-based, and it’s a really sort of new and exciting way for me to make music. With this one, I wanted to still use the computer, but not have the computer dictate as much how things came together. Often, when you’re using a computer, you can put things in time and into a grid and all that sort of stuff. But […] I wanted things to sound more like the environment that I was working in […] There’s a bunch of artists that I’m interested in, who use a computer but don’t let it sound too formulaic. I think one who’s now good is Andy Stott from the UK. I like his music a lot.

I don’t know what is in the cards for the future. I’ve never been in a group where we jammed. I’ve never stood in a room with other musicians and played music that way. I’m kind of wondering if that would be an interesting thing for me to do, now that I’ve met these two twins, who are good at music, I wonder if I should try playing like that.

AP: So this is a time in your career where you’re open to trying a lot of new things and trying things differently?

Andrew: Yeah, I mean I generally feel that way every time I make a record. I want to start in a fresh way and utilize a way of working or a set of tools that I’ve never picked up before. It’s surprising, but I’m still learning and I still find that there’s a lot of new ways for me to tackle writing songs or making albums that I haven’t tried before. So basically I try to do that with each project, so it feels fresh and I sort of feel like a kid at a candy store.

AP: You’re playing the Sinclair [on Monday 9/18]?

Andrew: I’ll take your word for it.

AP: How have your past experiences in Boston been? Do you like playing the area? 

Andrew: Good, good. We used to play in Boston quite a bit. There was a band called Tunnel of Love. They were one of my favorite bands back in the early 2000s. We used to play a place called… TT the Bear’s?

AP: Oh, yes, sadly TT’s has closed down.

Andrew: Oh, okay. 

AP: Is there anywhere on the tour, is there anywhere in particular you’re really looking forward to playing or exploring if you have time?

Andrew: Well, I play tonight in Detroit. I’m a big fan of Detroit and I have a lot of friends there. It’s a city that’s gone through a lot of turmoil, but that kind of is the recipe for a good future, in my mind. So I’m excited to wander around the streets of Detroit. 

 

 

The Last of the Spare Room Sessions: “Leaving” by Saccharine

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by Jackie Swisshelm

Fitz Ross Productions, the local label responsible for dozens of Spare Room Sessions with Boston’s best independent artists, has one last sesh before capping their lens for good. With Saccharine’s aptly named tune “Leaving,” Fitz Ross says farewell.

Beautifully shot in Allston’s Ringer Park in collaboration with Sound It Out Films, this dreamlike vid has a way of asserting intimacy in even the most public, outdoor spaces. On cameras, Brandon Hafetz, Eric Walker, and Kit Castagne capture every small detail that pulls in the viewer– a bug crawling up a cable, one yellow leaf floating out of reach– while producer Toni Tiemann and engineers Zach Cadman and Connor Eichinger tie in the soft sounds of Kevin King’s voice, the plucking of silver strings, and the sharpness of Saccharine lyrics. View the video below.

Fitz Ross founder and executive director Brandon Hafetz has spearheaded the documentation of some of Boston’s most beloved, including Soft Fangs, Anjimile, Dent, Honeysuckle, Bent Knee… the list goes on. Along with thirty-plus sessions and thousands of hours editing, Hafetz and the crew also organized Fitz Fest in 2015 and 2016, a multi-day/multi-venue fest that showcased bands like daephne, Black Beach, and Horse Jumper of Love. And as anyone who’s ever tried to make money in the indie music business knows, these are labors of love, passion projects, a way to champion artists we believe in.

“The end of Fitz Ross is incredibly bitter sweet for myself and the rest of our extended ‘Fitz-Fam’, as we call it,” says Hafetz. “I’m eternally grateful for the dedicated efforts that were contributed by our team of volunteers and interns, for every band who trusted us to capture their art in a way they’d be excited about, and for every person that took the time to check out our sessions or attend a Fitz Fest.”

So what’s next? Hafetz says he’ll be working on music with Oh Malô in Brooklyn, as well as “an exciting new project that has some major ties to the Boston music scene,” which he’s hoping to announce by year’s end. As for the intersection of Boston’s film and music scenes, keep a lookout for photos taken by Kit Castagne, concert posters designed by Dylan Sylvester, videos shot by Sam Harchik or Eric Walker, animations created by Brett McLoughlin, or light shows designed by The Murdock Manor.

To see more of Saccharine, catch them at O’Brien’s this Sunday with Ripped Genes, and Red Mill, or at this FREE & ALL AGES show on October 22nd with Gauntly and The Aux at Winter Hill Brewing Company.

Listen to Kwaku’s Newest Song, “Medicine”

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By Cara DiFabio

Dating, rejection and all the feels that they come with can be a hard pill to swallow. Especially if what you did in a previous relationship comes back to bite you. 

In his latest song, Boston-based artist Kwaku tells a story of his new love interest that plays games with him and toys with his feelings, similarly to how he’s behaved in the past. Hence, he gets a taste of his own medicine.  

Though the lyrics allude to pain and heartbreak, they’re contrasted by the bouncy electronic beat, demonstrating that rejection doesn’t always have to be as miserable as we often make it out to be. The track, produced by Shadowkey, Spenser Edmund, and American Antagonist, features a mixture of singing and rapping by Kwaku. It’s heavily influenced by EDM, but manages to carve its own little niche in the genre with its hip hop influences.  

Over the summer, Kwaku released the music video for his song, “OMW,” so we’re hoping he drops a video for “Medicine” in the near future.

Hear Kwaku get a taste of his own medicine below. 

SHOW PREVIEW: Liars Bring New Lineup to Sinclair

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By Harry Gustafson
Liars

Photo by Vernon Maxwell

Since the early 2000s, Liars have established themselves as a group that push the boundaries of indie noise experimentation, even going so far as making a drastic, but wonderful switch to more electronic vibes since 2011’s WIXIW. In the last few years, however, the band has seen its fair share of departures; most recently, founding member Aaron Hemphill left the group, albeit amicably. This left Angus Andrew, the band’s lone-remaining member, in a bit of a limbo.

This uncertainty translates into Liars’ newest album, TFCF, an introspective exploration into the creative process that was released at the end of August. Backed by a new live band and newfound creative energy, Liars will storm the Sinclair in Cambridge on Monday, September 18th with support from Bambara. In the meantime, listen to new track “Cred Woes” below one and keep an eye out this weekend for Allston Pudding’s interview with Angus Andrew! 

TICKET GIVEAWAY: Jay Som (The Sinclair 9/19)

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By Allston Pudding

Okay hear us out: 2017 has been a terrible year politically and environmentally, but boy have there been some great albums so far. At the top of those lists could be all three artists on this show: Jay Som, Stef Chura, and Soccer Mommy. All three play beautiful pop tunes to help ease the every day pain of existence on this planet, and we can’t wait for Tuesday when they come to The Sinclair. You could join us even by entering our ticket giveaway below! We’ll be giving away a pair of tickets to one lucky person who will be contacted Monday if they have won.

Just thinking about how Jay Som’s Melina Duterte plays every instrument on her perfect 2017 record Everybody Works makes everyone feel like they should be accomplishing more with their lives. But instead we’ll listen to “The Bus Song” on the way to work and think about how we wish we could be petting “1 Billion Dogs” instead.

Stef Chura’s Messes crept in quietly at the beginning of the year but quickly showed her mastery as a weird fuzz pop songwriter. She’s been catching on some incredible tours this year including this one, a small headlining tour (that came to ONCE not too long ago!), and shows with our favorites Sad13.


Soccer Mommy is self-proclaimed “chill but kinda sad” and honestly same, but Sophie Allison has perfected it. Enough so to catch the attention of The New York Times recently in this great piece about women and non-binary folks taking over guitar rock (thank the Lorde they did)

So that’s it! A great show, so what more could you ask for? Probably to go for free:

Jay Som, Stef Chura, and Soccer Mommy
Tuesday August 19, 2017

The Sinclair
52 Church St.
Cambridge, MA 02138

doors 8pm | 18+ | $13 adv/$15 dos
Facebook event | Tickets

SHOW PREVIEW: Protomartyr, John Maus, Blau Blau 9/14

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By Jenny Usovicz

Before coat-check weather really sets and makes concert-going an altogether uncomfortable experience, mosey on down to the Middle East in Cambridge.

Today Protomartyr will play the Middle East Downstairs with John Maus and locals Blau Blau. The show is to promote Protomartyr’s upcoming album Relatives In Descent out 9/29 and John Maus’ Screen Memories out 10/27.

Here are all the reasons you should go to this show:

-Celebrate getting through most of the work week.

-It’s! Still! Warm! Outside! You! Could! Walk! Home! After!

-Most-likely the last time Protomartyr will be playing a set list of mostly songs from The Agent Intellect album from 2015. 

-Protomartyr and John Maus might play new ~exclusive~ songs since they both have new albums coming out. From the few singles Protomartyr has teased off of Relatives In Descent it appears the new release will be just as punchy and unrelenting as their last.

-John Maus’ last album was five years ago, who knows what he’s been cooking up since then? This single is dreamy synth-pop heaven. 

-You haven’t seen Blau Blau yet and need to amend that, 2/3 of Mini Dresses, come on!

-It’s at the Middle East Downstairs, so you can stretch out a bit more than crowded upstairs gigs.

-If I was throwing a Halloween party Protomartyr, John Maus, and Blau Blau would definitely be on my spooky playlist.

-Netflix will still be there tomorrow.

 

See Protomartyr, John Maus, and Blau Blau on Thursday September 14 at the Middle East Downstairs, Cambridge MA, 8:00 PM, $20, 18+.  

 

PREMIERE: “Money Dreaming” – King Fiya

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By Cliff Notez

Right on the edge of the city of Boston lies a city that, more often than not, gets lumped into the same category as the city of Boston itself.

Boston, already a city within Hip Hop Culture, has not received the notoriety it deserves and sometimes overshadows the identity of a city like Cambridge that has its own identity and culture that is just as noteworthy. Rapper and Cambridge Native, King Fiya, is determined to make sure this city doesn’t get forgotten.

His debut album, Money Dreaming,  serves as another staple of identity to the many diverse voices that are living just across the bridge. After some success with his first two singles, “Dour” and “All In,” Fiya gives us his first full-length project serving as a narration for the untold story of Cambridge, Massachusetts. “This album represents for Cambridge, the people who really lived there, and grew up there. Outside of the perception of just being a university town. There are people who live there that aren’t necessarily of that, yet we have to see it all the time and just wonder how we can get our own piece of the pie.” 

King Fiya brings up a great point. Not only does Cambridge live, slightly, in the shadows of the city of Boston, but it is definitely a city that is having its original community hidden, by way of gentrification, by major universities like Harvard and MIT. Fiya has seen this city’s transformation time and time again over his 20+ years developing his artistic vision. Money Dreaming is an excellent testimony of that growth within the city, and within Fiya emerging as one of its premiere emcees. 

When asked about what he wanted people to take away from this project Fiya said, “I want people to get from this about me that I’m a versatile artist that isn’t afraid to try different styles without sacrificing quality. That Cambridge has niggas who grew up hard like everywhere else face the same struggles and have the same aspirations.” With songs like “The Movement,” which delves into this idea that Fiya presents. “I lost a lot but I’m still moving…I get it all angles, just said a prayer for all of my angels, I came prepared for all of the danger.”Fiya is your average Cambridge dude, the only difference is, this isn’t the university Cambridge that you’re used to. This is Cambridge, raw, uncut, and unedited, and with fluent delivery, knocking beats, and witty/well-crafted lyrics. King Fiya urges us to take a listen. 

Check out the title track and music video for “Money Dreaming” below and make sure you take the time to check out the project in its entirety. Be on the look out for King Fiya to continue to push the border of Cambridge further into Boston and hopefully the rest of the world. 

PHOTOS: Sheer Mag w/ Haram and Lost Balloons at The Sinclair (8/31)

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by Sarah Wilson
 

This August, Philly five-piece Sheer Mag brought their unmistakable 70’s-tinged rock to The Sinclair in support of their debut full-length album, Need To Feel Your Love. Light on banter but heavy on riffs, vocalist Tina Halladay commanded the stage as the band powered through most of the album’s tracks, along with favorites pulled from their three earlier EPs.

Support for the show included Haram, a New York-based hardcore outfit whose lyrics are entirely in Arabic, and Lost Balloons, who kicked the night off with breezy, psych-pop tunes from their recently released album, Hey Summer.