Bringin' it Backwards

We had the pleasure of interviewing Bert Keely over Zoom video! Echoing the '60s psychedelic happenings around Stanford University, Bert Keely has woven two remarkable careers - as a pioneering Silicon Valley computer engineer and a wonderfully versatile guitarist. During the dotcom boom, the band he co-created - the Flying Other Brothers - made some phenomenal music, worth a new listen and now collected in the new limited-edition box set Circle Back! A 20-year retrospective featuring the Flying Other Brothers, Circle Back! includes three full-length albums Skywriting, Bert's Brew, and Alive and Grateful with special guests on select tracks, including Bob Weir of The Grateful Dead, guitarist G.E. Smith, and producer T Bone Burnett. At the start of the dotcom boom in the late '90s, Keely and his bandmates were at the epicenter of tech innovations that dramatically changed the world. While Bert worked closely with Bill Gates at Microsoft (1998 - 2008) and led the company's team to engineer the first Tablet PC prototype (LINK: Gates' 2000 keynote with Keely), Keely is also known by insiders as the engineer who convinced Steve Jobs to develop the iPad. His Silicon Valley tech community was swept up in the vast potential good of the Internet. Now more than a decade after their last flights, on tour and especially on San Francisco's live music scene, this band of techies virtually reunites on Circle Back! to celebrate the best of the Flying Other Brothers. Founding Flying Other Brothers band members Roger McNamee (venture capitalist), Giles McNamee (investment banker), Bill Bennett (marketing/PR strategist), Tony Bove (technology author), Larry Marcus (venture capitalist), and Keely were techies to the core, fond of the Grateful Dead who had also formed in the neighborhoods around Stanford. Keely's only time seeing Garcia live was at the Keystone in '78 with the Jerry Garcia Band; it was in the same room (previously known as The Big Beat) that the Grateful Dead played their first Acid Test under that name. In '78, Keely was a junior at Stanford studying engineering under professor Bob McKim who had conducted what became known as "engineering acid tests" to understand the creative potential of psychedelics. The next year Keely came to release his solo debut album of psychedelic folk, Take Me Home, in '79. For Keely and the Flying Other Brothers, music and technology were always a weave. The scene at Stanford proved to be fertile ground for Bert's burgeoning careers in both engineering and music. Circle Back! Box Set -- Featuring The Flying Other Brothers: Circle Back! gives an inside look into the songwriting that made the Flying Other Brothers an extraordinary collective who recorded four albums of high energy music with producers such as Jack Casady (52-Week High), Stacy Parrish (Secondary), and Shauna Hall of 4 Non Blondes (IPO). Circle Back! carries their music/tech wave into 2021 with three new albums: Skywriting, Bert's Brew, and Alive and Grateful. Across the box set, Bert Keely's riveting guitar shares the spotlight with pedal steel solos by Barry Sless and electric solos by G.E. Smith, as well as standout rhythm guitar work by Bob Weir and Roger & Giles McNamee. The Flying Other Brothers lived for the moment. Listening to Circle Back! is an invitation to ponder how things have changed in twenty years, and to try to imagine changes that lie ahead. We want to hear from you! Please email [email protected]. www.BringinitBackwards.com #podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #bertkeely #zoom Listen & Subscribe to BiB Follow our podcast on Instagram and Twitter! Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bringin-it-backwards--4972373/support. https://bringinitbackwards.com/

We had the pleasure of interviewing Kyla Carter over Zoom video! Rising star Kyla Carter's talent runs deep whether she is acting, singing, dancing, or performing on Broadway. Kyla is currently starring as 'CJ Suki' in the new DreamWorks animated series "TrollsTopia" streaming on Hulu and Peacock. She can also be seen starring as the same character in the Netflix series "Trolls The Beat Goes On". Kyla's single "Because You're You" from Season 4 of the Netflix series soundtrack has become a hit with Trolls fans and beyond, garnering over 28K-streams on YouTube alone. As a singer/songwriter herself, Kyla recently released an original song "Average Puzzle Piece". True to Kyla's nature, the sweet song has messages encouraging self-love and building self-confidence. While Kyla's latest single "Half Full Half Empty" takes a deeper dive into her uncanny lyrical ability, relaying a feeling many can relate to over the course of this pandemic. Kyla will next be releasing the emotional, pop power ballad "3AM" on June 18th (similar to the likings of Olivia Rodrigo). Kyla was born and raised in Long Island, New York – where she took inspiration to become a performer from her icon Shirley Temple. She began her acting career at 5-years old when she was cast as 'Hattie the Witch' in the Nickelodeon animated series "Wallykazam!" and 'Young Nora Durst' in the HBO drama series "The Leftovers." With her passion for theatre arts, she began her Broadway career at 8-years old playing 'Gretl von Trapp' in "The Sound of Music" (2015-2017), under three-time Tony Winner Jack O'Brien. She then went on to play 'Susan Waverly' in the Broadway production of "White Christmas" (2018-2019). Overall, Kyla spent 18-months touring the U.S. and Canada, performed over 500 shows, visited 50 cities and 26 states, and never missed a day of work or school on the road. Outside of Broadway, Kyla's professional acting credits thus far include work for ABC, HBO, Nickelodeon, PBS, Netflix, Hulu, Peacock and NBCUniversal. Kyla can next be seen singing and acting in the video/book series "Junga the Dancing Yeti Meets Heidi," in which she voices the lovable leading role of 'Heidi'. The character is a bright 6-year-old girl who values her family, friends, always likes to do the right thing, and along the way shares anti-bullying messages. Kyla co-wrote and provided the music for two songs in the upcoming YouTube/audiobook series – expected to release on May 25th. When Kyla is not acting, she spends time writing her own original music, performing popular cover songs on her YouTube Channel, dancing, and modeling. During the pandemic, Kyla began her own podcast 'Kyla's Korner' The podcast was featured weekly on 'The Mark White Show' airing on Radio Alabama's KIX 96.3 FM/100.3 FM, and is still available on Kyla's Instagram and Facebook pages. Kyla's mission is to spread positivity and kindness to her community. She shares encouraging and motivational messages to her listeners with her motto being: 'Live life sunny side up!' She is an advocate for spreading sunshine and positivity wherever she goes. Kyla is truly an inspiration and positive role model for other young girls and boys during these unprecedented times. We want to hear from you! Please email [email protected]. www.BringinitBackwards.com #podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #KaylaCarter #zoom Listen & Subscribe to BiB Follow our podcast on Instagram and Twitter! Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bringin-it-backwards--4972373/support. https://bringinitbackwards.com/

We had the pleasure of interviewing Adrian Marcel over Zoom video! Platinum r&b recording artist Adrian Marcel released his first single of the year, "I Gotchu". Produced by 2Tall and Hightone and written by Adrian Marcel, Sonny B and Ryn Nicole, the track keeps Adrian's signature sound with elements of both modern and classic r&b, and all of the makings of a Summer lover's anthem. The lyric video is also out today. An official video for the track will debut later this month. "From a man's perspective, 'I Gotchu' is a very masculine take on vulnerability, assuring his woman that he will ride for her, protect her, and stay by her side, through the good, bad, and ugly," says Adrian about the single. "This song's for everyone that has experienced love at any and every level. It speaks on the sides of love that not everyone on the outside looking in sees. This song describes these experiences using unconventional & edgy metaphors. Love doesn't always mean romance, yet if it's real, it's worth dying for in most cases," he continues. Adrian is gearing up for more music coming out later this Fall and has been keeping his calendar busy. He recently performed the national anthem at the San Francisco Giants game and headlined a sold out show at The New Parish in Oakland, CA. With almost 10 years in the music business and known for his buttery vocals and authentic r&b sound combined with a charming yet rugged appeal, Adrian has created a lane in the genre that differentiates him from his peers. His musical role models include Ginuwine, Al Green, D'Angelo, Maxwell and more. Adrian has had a string of success with his 7 Days of Weak mixtape presented by Raphael Saadiq in 2013 and his first RIAA-certified platinum hit single, "2AM" (81 million + views on YouTube) featuring Sage the Gemini in 2014. We want to hear from you! Please email [email protected]. www.BringinitBackwards.com #podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #AdrianMarcel #zoom Listen & Subscribe to BiB Follow our podcast on Instagram and Twitter! Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bringin-it-backwards--4972373/support. https://bringinitbackwards.com/

We had the pleasure of interviewing Charles Spearin over Zoom video! Can you think of a more perfect lyric that captures the pandemic experience? Multi-instrumentalist and composer Charles Spearin, known for his work in Broken Social Scene, Do Make Say Think, and so much more music that has soundtracked the past two decades, insists he's not much of a lyricist. In fact, his new solo album, My City of Starlings, is a largely instrumental collection of beautifully textured songs that glide between avant-garde, art rock and electronic soundscapes. But it's no surprise that Spearin's virtuosity extends to every detail of his songwriting, from the burnished brass of "Vireos in Bellwoods" to the celestial "Three Voices (Braided Carefully)" to the words and ambient melodies of the title track, which captures both the haziness but also the glimmers of hope of the time we've just lived through. My City of Starlings isn't a "pandemic record," exactly – while Spearin found himself with extra time once touring came to a standstill, some of the compositions that found their way onto the album had been taking shape since 2017, while others were born from a more recent song-a-day writing and recording club of fellow musicians from around the world. Like so many of us, Spearin came to see his city in a whole new light during the endless walks taken through its streets over the past year and a half, partly thanks to an increased interest in birding but also a whole new appreciation for the wonders of the natural world – an inspiration that comes through clearly in the album's expansive sonic palette. Some of those strolls with fellow musicians, not to mention Spearin's wide artistic social scene, led to the many collaborations on My City of Starlings, which features a long list of Toronto's best jazz, pop, rock and experimental-music performers (including BSS bandmates Brendan Canning and Kevin Drew). Describing the recording process as akin to painting a picture with many layers, Spearin recalls how each guest brought their own unique brushstrokes to the compositions. From the first track to be released from the album, the percussion-driven "Portrait of The Artist As A Thursday" (accompanied by a video from animator Jared Sales that runs as a 12-hour loop) to the catchy shuffle riff of "Rutting Season" through to the spoken-sung Arabic poetry on "When Tigers Used to Smoke," My City of Starlings is as eclectic and accomplished as Spearin himself. When he's not busy with BSS or DMST, the multiple Juno Award winner has toured with Feist and the late Gord Downie and is also known for his production and soundtrack work. During the pandemic, he has been working on a musical about Canada's private sponsorship program for refugees with co-writers Robin Dann from the band Bernice (who appears on Starlings' track "Three Voices"), actor and playwright Mariel Marshall, and Esmaeel Abufaker, a Syrian musician who came to Canada as a refugee in 2016. In 2009, Spearin released The Happiness Project, a solo album which used snippets of his neighbours' musings on contentment set to music, which won a Juno for Best Contemporary Jazz Album. Unexpected and indelible – much like the way the birds his album is named for are known to mimic sounds from their surroundings in their own distinct calls, My City of Starlings reveals yet another facet of Charles Spearin's uniquely observant artistry. We want to hear from you! Please email [email protected]. www.BringinitBackwards.com #podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #CharlesSpearin #BrokenSocialScene #DoMakeSayThink #zoom Listen & Subscribe to BiB Follow our podcast on Instagram and Twitter! Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bringin-it-backwards--4972373/support. https://bringinitbackwards.com/

We had the pleasure of interviewing Big Mother Gig over Zoom video! Milwaukee-bred/LA-based indie rock band Big Mother Gig are pleased to present the brand new music video for "That Day," the latest single to be lifted from the band's recently released full-length album, Gusto (order). For this particular song, home videos and photographs taken from three generations of frontman Richard Jankovich's family seemed to be only way to tell this story about a specific life event, trauma and how it can be passed down over several generations. "The song details real childhood events that deeply affected my Dad and which I believe impacted me," he says. "It makes me wonder: 'will those events also, in turn, maybe in a watered down way, also affect my daughter?' There have been studies that show that trauma gets encoded in DNA and can be passed down. That idea fascinates and terrifies me. The video ends with my daughter and my Dad who have their own bond. Not a dry eye in the house..." Watch the music video for "That Day" via Glide Magazine HERE and on YouTube HERE. A celebration of sobriety, Gusto is first and foremost a recovery record. "I celebrated my first year of sobriety alone over a stormy Spring weekend in a desert cabin with some recording gear," Jankovich recalls. "The album just flowed out of me–13 songs over three days. I wrote from morning until night and it was cathartic." Addressing family, marriage, addiction, anger, serotonin, despair and, ultimately, hope, Gusto is a wide-ranging, emotional journey that focuses on second chances. Stream the album in full on Spotify HERE. Previous Gusto singles "The Underdog feat Leah Wellbaum (Slothrust)" and "The Doctor Will See You Now" were premiered by Stereogum and American Songwriter, respectively, and have received support at commercial and non-commercial radio including SiriusXM and NPR stations. Gusto's singles have received editorial/official playlisting from Spotify, Apple and Amazon (as well as NPR "New Music Friday") and have already amassed 250K views/streams. The band just signed with Madison House booking (Stone Foxes, String Cheese Incident, SSION, The Beths), and expect to announce tour dates soon. Written by music vet Richard Jankovich and performed by Michael Datz, Albert Kurniawan, Micah Lopez as well as Jankovich, Gusto, the forthcoming album from LA's Big Mother Gig, was originally going to be titled For Those About To Rock Bottom, a sarcastic reference to a rock band learning to sober up. Continuing with this creative thread, Big Mother Gig recorded the album that would go on to be mixed by Dan Long (Local Natives, Spiral Stairs) and mastered by the legendary Howie Weinberg (Nirvana, Spoon, The White Stripes). While the focus is on Gusto, the Milwaukee-bred/LA-based band's legacy has come into view with two of its Nineties songs trending. "Beckers Note" is featured in hundreds of TikTok videos with over 4M views, while "This Picture" is featured in the critically acclaimed movie Pink Skies Ahead (Jessica Barden, Marcia Gay Harden, dir. Kelly Oxford), which premiered on MTV on May 8 alongside songs by Dinosaur Jr, Smashing Pumpkins and more. Previously, the band released their 2018 LP, No More Questions, while wrapping a West Coast tour opening for Gin Blossoms. The LP featured Dicky Barrett (Mighty Mighty Bosstones) and Britta Phillips (Luna) on vocals. It was praised by Brooklyn Vegan, NPR/The Current, Paste, The Big Takeover, Alternative Press, Under The Radar, No Depression and more. The band also hosted a six-episode web-series and their music video for "Obliterate" starred Sons Of Anarchy/Mayans actor Michael Ornstein. Since reforming in 2016, Big Mother Gig has performed with Gin Blossoms, Soccer Mommy, The Posies, Luna, Peelander-Z, Alvarez Kings, The Yawpers and more. We want to hear from you! Please email [email protected]. www.BringinitBackwards.com #podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #BigMotherGig #zoom Listen & Subscribe to BiB Follow our podcast on Instagram and Twitter! Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bringin-it-backwards--4972373/support. https://bringinitbackwards.com/

We had the pleasure of interviewing SAINT PHNX over Zoom video! Siblings share harmony in its purest form. Their connection runs as deep as blood—and maybe even deeper. A brotherly bond drives the music of SAINT PHNX. The Glasgow duo of Stevie and Alan Jukes feel everything twice as hard together. Those mutual feelings inform the pair's skyscraping alternative pop uplifted by towering hooks, eloquent songcraft, and energetic instrumentation. After gathering tens of millions of streams, touring with some of the biggest bands in the world, and receiving acclaim from Clash, Alternative Press, and more, the group welcomes everyone into their family on a series of 2021 singles for Atlantic Records. Stevie and Alan discovered music together. Their late father introduced them to Michael Jackson, The Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie, Bob Dylan, and U2. Among countless found memories, they recall camping trips where pops grabbed an acoustic guitar and sang with friends. Throughout high school, Stevie and Alan played in separate bands before finally joining forces… They developed a local following under the name Vigo Thieves and even realized an ambition to play Scotland's biggest festival, T In The Park, not one, but three times. Along the way, they hustled hard, performed countless gigs, and even touched down on U.S. soil to write in Las Vegas. Reborn as SAINT PHNX in 2016, the duo served up their single "KING" and eventually garnered over 19 million Spotify streams and counting. In between touring with Yungblud and opening for everyone from Lewis Capaldi to Imagine Dragons, they unveiled their independent full-length debut, DDMN, in 2020. In the middle of their international rise, their dad was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis, which is a terminal lung condition. The boys had initially encouraged him to move to a warmer client, but he chose to stay in Glasgow, bought land in the Tinto Hills, and built a house. He turned the room above the garage into a studio where Stevie and Alan wrote, recorded, and remained close to him. During this time, they recorded "Happy Place" as dad cheered them on. When their father was sent to intensive care, they were called in to say goodbye and played him the song. Now, "Happy Place" tells this story on the grandest scale possible. Over delicately plucked acoustic guitar, the first lyric resounds, "Over the hills and far away, looking out for a better day. When it seems like there's no escape, take me to my happy place." As the beat kicks in, the song builds towards a nostalgic stadium-size chant. "One day, I came into the house, and my dad was sitting on the couch," says Stevie. "He was looking out of the window at the beautiful hills. He had peace of mind in the house he created. It was his happy place. Our happy place is making music in the studio he built for us. After this Pandemic, everybody needs that. We want you to find yours." Ultimately, SAINT PHNX might just bring you there. We want to hear from you! Please email [email protected]. www.BringinitBackwards.com #podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #SaintPhnx #zoom Listen & Subscribe to BiB Follow our podcast on Instagram and Twitter! Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bringin-it-backwards--4972373/support. https://bringinitbackwards.com/

We had the pleasure of interviewing Alexander Nate over Zoom video! Virginia-based singer, songwriter and music video director, Alexander Nate, is turning the pages of his own story into a cinematic visual, with the release of "Save This Dance For Me." When it comes to Alexander's music, he's always digging deeper, focusing on writing in an autobiographical style about personal, but relatable, moments in life. Alexander's main focus has always been to create a catalogue of in-depth music, as a visual and emotional experience, that introduces fans to a world they can immerse themselves in. Coming fresh off the release of "bluejay," which began telling the story of his current relationship and how they found each other, we're now moving on to the next chapter with "Save This Dance For Me." An inspiring, romantic number about nostalgia and love, Alexander states; "It's about the time I met her, asking her to save this dance for me before the end of the night. Hold on to every moment." He elaborates; "Moving into the second verse I'm expressing to her, if things become hard, if you remember anything from the time we have together, could you save THIS dance for me?" With his powerful vocals piercing through your ears in the best way possible, Alexander sings "Put both your hands on my shoulder. If it all fades away in the morning, and you save one memory. Could you save this dance for me? Born and raised in Virginia, Alexander Nate's signature sound combines Motown influences with modern pop elements to create a smooth sound that dances between Soul and R&B. "My mom would always play old-school legends around the house when I was young. Sam Cooke. Nina Simone... My mom is from Ethiopia, so when I grew up—a lot of Ethiopians were [listening to the same music]. Songs from Al Green, all those. So when she came to America, those songs were what she was listening to and played for me growing up" he tells DJBooth. With over 2M streams across all platforms, Alexander's vocals are the center. of attention on all of his tracks, simultaneously smooth and raspy, fitting perfectly over powerful 808s and light instrumentals. Alexander's releases have been highly anticipated by his growing base of dedicated fans following the success of his EP RedCanaryin 2018; which RESPECTMagazinereferred to as an EP "... that paints a vivid picture about love lost, family, and hopes for a lost soul." Alexander states "While my previous project reflected the stories of my past, "bluejay" and "Save This Dance For Me" have both allowed me to depict what's been going on with me in the present. The ups and the downs, learning who to trust, and navigating through love. It's been therapeutic.. like catching up with a friend you haven't spoken to in a while" We want to hear from you! Please email [email protected]. www.BringinitBackwards.com #podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #AlexanderNate #zoom Listen & Subscribe to BiB Follow our podcast on Instagram and Twitter! Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bringin-it-backwards--4972373/support. https://bringinitbackwards.com/

We had the pleasure of interviewing Foghat over Zoom video! Foghat celebrates their 50th anniversary this year, and their live performances show why the band is still around and why they will be able to keep on rockin' as long as they want to play! Their music is timeless, and touring is part of their DNA. Foghat's live show is as intense as ever with the incredible energy and musicianship that one would expect and hope for from a seasoned band with such a long musical history and they are bringing their fans along for the ride. These guys just love to play! And now, after 1-1/2 years off due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, they are more than ready to get out there and rock again, with many shows booked for the second half of 2021! Foghat fans are everywhere and their audience consists of all ages. From the young who play Guitar Hero III and know all the lyrics to "Slow Ride," to the Dazed & Confused generation of 30-40 somethings and the "boomers" who bought Foghat's first vinyl or 8-track! Looking out at the audience and seeing all generations rockin' to Foghat is very gratifying to the band. According to lead singer Charlie Huhn, "The band just wants to make sure that after every show, they are all convinced that they just got rocked, from the second we start the first song to the end of the show." Formed in 1971 when Lonesome Dave Peverett & Roger Earl left the British blues-rock band, Savoy Brown, Foghat has earned eight Gold records, one Platinum record and one Double-Platinum record. They continue to release new music every few years and have never stopped touring and recording although there have been several ups and downs and changes over the years. They sadly lost Lonesome Dave Peverett in 2000 and Rod Price in 2005, but Roger Earl keeps banging and kicking to keep Foghat's musical legacy going. If Foghat had only given us "Slow Ride," the band's place in rock history would be secure. But the band is so much more than that. As stated by Roger Earl, "we are still a 'work in progress,' writing and recording and plan to be until the day we depart this earth." The band has started work on yet another Blues/Rock Studio Album to be released in 2022)! So, stay tuned, you cannot keep these boys down! We want to hear from you! Please email [email protected]. www.BringinitBackwards.com #podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #FOGHAT #SlowRide #zoom Listen & Subscribe to BiB Follow our podcast on Instagram and Twitter! Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bringin-it-backwards--4972373/support. https://bringinitbackwards.com/

We had the pleasure of interviewing The Murlocs over Zoom audio! With their lineup including two members of the globally beloved King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard (Kenny-Smith and bassist Cook Craig), The Murlocs recorded at Button Pushers Studio in Melbourne with producer Tim Dunn, dreaming up a prismatic sound that pinballs from sunshine-pop to blues-punk to wide-eyed psychedelia. Naming John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band and Harry Nilsson's Lennon-produced Pussy Cats among their key reference points, the band adorned their songs with many unexpected details: woozy Wurlitzer melodies, Brian May-esque guitar harmonies, playful atmospheric elements like the whoosh of summer rain, caught by a microphone dragged into the street mid-storm. The result is an album both exuberant and heavy-hearted, a dynamic that wholly fulfills Kenny-Smith's mission of "always aspiring to write songs that have a bit of twisted positivity to them." We want to hear from you! Please email [email protected]. www.BringinitBackwards.com #podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #zoom #TheMurlocs #KingGizzardandthelizardWizards #kinggizard Listen & Subscribe to BiB Follow our podcast on Instagram and Twitter! Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bringin-it-backwards--4972373/support. https://bringinitbackwards.com/

We had the pleasure of interviewing Alex Orange Drink over Zoom video! Brooklyn-based songwriter Alex Orange Drink, the solo moniker for Alex Zarou Levine of The So So Glos, is excited to present "Oxytocin (Luv Buzz)," the second track to be lifted from the Friday, September 17 release of his sophomore album titled Everything Is Broken, Maybe That's O.K. (pre-order). On the upcoming album, Alex explores personal subjects, including grappling with a rare and life-threatening disorder, heartbreak, never-ending teenage angst, and broken political systems. Half of the album was recorded before the pandemic in a party-like atmosphere – with basic tracking captured live among friends, family and lovers – while the other half was completed by a heartbroken protagonist reflecting in isolation. Alex Zarou Levine has been writing music and lyrics since youth in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. Most notably with his brothers in D.I.Y. punk outfit The So So Glos. There's dark subtext to his lyrics, which are often laced into bright, hooky outsider anthems. During a period in which his band went on hiatus and local DIY venue (and home base) Shea Stadium shuttered, Alex Orange Drink was born. The new solo project took its name "orange drink" as a nod to the medication Alex depends on to treat a rare metabolic disease, Homocystinuria. As with his work in The So So Glos, by flipping a slang term from the ordinary to a new identity, Alex once again exhibited a gift for spinning a negative force into something positive. On his sophomore record, Everything Is Broken, Maybe That's O.K., a permanent state of teenage angst manifests itself through even more hushed tones and sugar-coated sweetness than his debut, resulting in a more complex, vivid soundscape. There is something eerily medical about this collection of songs – two contrasting songs about grappling with a life-threatening disorder ("Homocystinuria Pt. 1" & "Pt. 2"), three songs about chemical addictions triggered by love ("Oxytocin," "It's Only Drugz," "I L.U.V. I.O.U."), plenty of references to the intersection of technology and mental health ("Clickbait, Click Me"), and a closing track that implies that a cure may be found in a return to the natural world ("The Sun Is Only Shining"). Lyrically, Alex delves even further into brave personal territory, continuing to explore his own individual crises and life story in a world that's even more disjointed and damaged than before. Collaborating again with producer Adam Reich (who was behind the board for an impressive list of classics from Brooklyn's D.I.Y. scene), dark subject matter is transformed into positive energy, enriching the music more than any of Alex's previous recordings. If the most cohesive and fulfilling music of Alex's career is the outcome of everything being broken, then maybe that's O.K. . We want to hear from you! Please email [email protected]. www.BringinitBackwards.com #podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #AlexOrangeDrink #TheSoSoGlos #zoom Listen & Subscribe to BiB Follow our podcast on Instagram and Twitter! Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bringin-it-backwards--4972373/support. https://bringinitbackwards.com/