Cutting Edge with Landon Sturdevant

In this episode, Xavier Weeks joins me from Bothell, Washington (not Kent, oops). At only 19 years old, with the assistance of his TikTok-famous song "TEAM" from 2019 and the four EPs that followed it, he is now one of the most streamed rappers in the history of Seattle (113m+ on Spotify) and a pioneer in the PNW underground scene. Regular listeners know that this is an interview I've been looking forward to for quite some time, so definitely give this amazing conversation a listen!

00:00 - Intro
00:50 - Xavier's experience growing up in Finland and the culture shock moving to Seattle
04:30 - Xavier's interests and passions prior to picking up a microphone
06:45 - When and why Xavier started in music, some of his inspirations, and the early days
11:50 - The timeline of how "TEAM", his smash hit that has nearly 74m streams on Spotify, originally took off, and how his life changed from that point forward
14:50 - How he emotionally responded to the rampant virality of his song
16:55 - How long it took to feel secure enough in his craft to openly advertise his music on all of his social media
19:44 - The times in his career where Xavier felt doubt, how he reframes and overcomes it, and how letting go of those feelings allows the creativity to flow better
21:28 - How Xavier went from a young kid having fun with music to really developing his artistry and finding his lane sonically
23:56 - Where his signature use of the angel number 111 comes from originally, and what the significance of it is for him
25:36 - Xavier Weeks' favorite song of his, and his favorite project out of the four EPs
28:55 - How his first live performance came into fruition and what the experience meant for him
31:40 - How Fwaygo's livestream led to Xavier performing Molly Water for Young Thug and getting high praise from him
33:08 - His relationship with his brother, Tristan, has developed and progressed over time, and how he's become Xavier's number one supporter
35:00 - His day-one friends that will ride or die for him
35:57 - Who Xavier Weeks is outside of his music career and his other passions
37:39 - What Xavier Weeks is going to be releasing next, when we can expect a full-length project, and what it will look/sound like
40:49 - What Xavier's big, long-term visions are in music
41:31 - His favorite aspect of the Seattle rap scene
42:58 - Where you can follow and support Xavier Weeks on his journey
44:12 - What makes Xavier Weeks cutting edge

How to Follow Xavier Weeks:
Instagram: @xavierweeks
TikTok: @xavierweeks111
 YouTube: Xavier Weeks
Listen to Xavier Weeks on all platforms!

How to Follow Cutting Edge:
Instagram: @cuttingedgeig
Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music!

How to Follow Landon Sturdevant:
Instagram: @landon_sturdevant
Snapchat: @ltsturdevant21
Email: [email protected]

Thanks Again For Listening, I'll See You On The Next One!

In this episode, Brenden Galluzzo joins me on call from over 3,000 miles away in Orlando, Florida, and spits free game from years of experience and a packed resume of high-profile influencers he's assisted. Starting from humble beginnings in partially failing to pursue website design, he speaks on his progression to producing brand deals and marketing for notable TikTok influencers, as well as focusing in on building a following for himself.

00:00 - Intro
01:02 - Brenden's humble beginnings in website building
08:35 - What he enjoys about growing up in Florida
09:35 - How Brenden's family contributed to him personally and career-wise
12:35 - When and how Brenden connected with Chasinn Loot and Kervo Dolo
21:57 - Misconceptions that businesses/creators have about social media that Brenden often sees
27:30 - People and/or companies that he's looking forward/aspiring to work with in the future
30:00 - The long-term trajectory for Brenden in the social media space
36:05 - How people can find the thing that fires them up in life, from the perspective of how Brenden did it
42:06 - The way Brenden would help someone reframe a big failure
45:15 - What the most rewarding aspect of Brenden's work is
49:58 - Where people can follow or otherwise support Brenden Galluzzo

How to Follow Brenden Galluzzo:
Instagram: @brendengalluzzo
TikTok: @brenden_galluzzo

How to Follow Cutting Edge:
Instagram: @cuttingedgeig
Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music!

How to Follow Landon Sturdevant:
Instagram: @landon_sturdevant
Snapchat: @ltsturdevant21
Email: [email protected]

Thanks Again For Listening, I'll See You On The Next One

In this episode, Quinn Mcinnis, better known by his social media handle Jang, joins me from his apartment all the way in Tempe, Arizona. Despite only being a third-year student at Arizona State University, he's already produced video edits and cover art for high-profile musicians and collectives like Lil Mosey, Internet Money, Xavier Weeks, Eslabon Armado, among many others. We discuss just about every topic under the sun, so definitely tune in!

00:00 - Intro
00:46 - Jang's humble beginnings in graphic design with Adobe Premiere and Minecraft.
07:48 - The people, videos, and artworks that he takes after stylistically in his own work.
12:52 - Jang's personal preferences in the design world (softwares, add-ons, etc...) and some of the early challenges he faced when turning it into a career.
15:46 - Very simple advice he would give to beginning graphic designers.
19:10 - What Jang's creative process typically consists of when producing a visual, particularly when it's for a high-profile client.
38:36 - How his family has made him the person he is, how his support system has brought him to where he is, and how burnout/taking on too much has affected the both of us.  
46:51 - Where Jang is going in design and visual arts long term and the clients he dreams of one day working with.
51:27 - Jang's perspective on Cactus Jack and how he would personally revamp it.  
54:51 - Cutting Edge revamp?? What Jang would suggest to take Cutting Edge's branding to the next level.  
59:33 - Why he chose ASU over many other elite design schools (and after transferring out of GCU)
1:07:40 - The things, people, and experiences in Arizona that Jang appreciates  
1:22:00 - Where you can follow and support Jang, and where the handle comes from
1:22:55 - What makes Jang cutting edge


How to Follow Jang:
Instagram: @jang
Twitter: @jangwyd
Website: www.jangofficial.com

How to Follow Cutting Edge:
Instagram: @cuttingedgeig
Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music!

How to Follow Landon Sturdevant:
Instagram: @landon_sturdevant
Snapchat: @ltsturdevant21
Email: [email protected]

Thanks Again For Listening, I'll See You On The Next One!

In this episode, Sophia Carter connects with me from right here in Bellingham to talk about the last eleven months. Formerly a college volleyball player at Western Washington University overtaken by four eating disorders, she is now almost a year into recovery and inspires thousands on social media through sharing her journey. She's amassed tens of millions of views on Instagram Reels and has over 17k followers and counting, with a goal of reaching 50k by December.

00:00 - Intro
00:50 - How Sophia’s battle with EDs started
02:30 - What it was like when she first started posting ED content
04:06 - What the transition was like into college and college sports amidst mental and physical health trials
05:34 - When she officially realized there was a problem
08:20 - The process of finding professional help, specifically in that niche
10:41 - How she came across her wonderful therapist, Samantha
11:23 - What helped her keep the faith when all hope seemed lost
12:49 - About her family and how they’ve contributed to her as a person and supported her journey
14:10 - How she pushes aside the negativity and hate that social media platforms come with
17:05 - Imposter Syndrome, what that’s like for her, and how she combats it
19:47 - Common ED misconceptions and what the facts are
21:44 - Practices of the last 11 months she’s adopted that have helped her stay on track in the recovery process
23:45 - What her friends have helped her with
25:28 - How to strive for big things even when struggling, mentally, physically, or externally
26:18 - How one learns to love themselves
29:31 - How to balance competitiveness with preservation
32:27 - What does the NCAA need to do better?
34:02 - Long term plans with her platform/college education 
34:47 - What she liked about college vball
38:30 - What makes Sophia Carter cutting edge

How to Follow Sophia Carter:
Instagram: @sophiaecarter
Email: [email protected]
TikTok: @sophiaecarter

How to Follow Cutting Edge:
Instagram: @cuttingedgeig
Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music!

How to Follow Landon Sturdevant:
Instagram: @landon_sturdevant
Email: [email protected]

Thanks Again For Listening, I'll See You On The Next One!

In this episode, Jayko joins me from the heart of Seattle to speak on his ascent to being one of the most highly accredited and renowned producers in the Seattle rap scene, despite having only produced since 2020 and going into his senior year of HS. Having releases with Xavier Weeks, Charlieonnafriday, Seddy Hendrix, Leesta, Lil Nexus, and Bernard Jabs, among others to his name, as well as receiving high praise from DC Youngfly and Geoff Ogunlesi, manager of Young Thug, there's no telling what the next few years have in store for him. 

00:00 - Intro
00:57 - How a quarantine hobby spurred a new (and potentially lucrative) life path
03:27 - Jayko's sonic influences
05:58 - How his supportive family dynamic helped him move towards his goals and passions, despite still being so young
07:58 - Jayko's first releases as a producer and the first artists who believed in him
09:44 - How he was able to network with the trailblazers of the Seattle scene, and over time, start to contribute to their legacy
13:53 - His long-term goals as a producer and what he hopes to accomplish in the space
19:30 - Advice/what he wished he knew when he first started making beats
22:15 - Jayko describes his self-doubts early on and how he persevered
27:20 - His favorite beats and why he likes them
29:12 - Jayko explains what differentiates a good beat from a great beat
32:27 - The big-time producers who Jayko looks up to and why he thinks they're great
37:50 - What makes him (and me??) cutting edge

How to Follow Jayko:
Instagram: @prodbyjayko
Twitter: @prodbyjayko
YouTube: Prod. by Jayko
Email: [email protected]

How to Follow Cutting Edge:
Instagram: @cuttingedgeig
Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music!

How to Follow Landon Sturdevant:
Instagram: @landon_sturdevant
Snapchat: @ltsturdevant21
Email: [email protected]

Thanks Again For Listening, I'll See You On The Next One!

There’s always Madness in March, but this year, brackets were obliterated by a little-known 15 seed from Jersey City, who became the lowest seeded team to make the Elite Eight in tournament history. Though many were shocked to see the name Saint Peter’s amongst basketball titans like Duke, UNC, and Kansas (and rightfully so), I think there’s a strong case to be made that this wasn’t just three consecutive flukes, and I explain it all in this episode.

Sources Used:
 David Cobb's CBS Sports Article: https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/dribble-handoff-will-mike-krzyzewski-change-his-mind-and-return-as-dukes-head-coach/?msclkid=e56f90a9b61f11ec8c4291f770753f27
CBS Sports Kentucky-Saint Peter's TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/foryou?feed_mode=v1&is_from_webapp=v1&item_id=7076582911784389930#/@cbssports/video/7076582911784389930
Shaheen Holloway Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaheen_Holloway


How to Follow Cutting Edge:
Instagram: @cuttingedgeig
Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music!

How to Follow Landon Sturdevant:
Instagram: @landon_sturdevant
Snapchat: @ltsturdevant21
Email: [email protected]

Thanks Again For Listening, I'll See You On The Next One

You've probably heard the name, you may even be familiar with some of his work, and might just like it, too- but did you know that he is worth $300m (twice as much as Drake), broke one of Michael Jackson's UK Chart records, and has even dated Taylor Swift? In this episode, I dive into the origins of one of the most prolific pop stars ever to stay so low profile and so under the radar.

Sources Used:
Calvin Harris Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calvin_Harris?msclkid=10cbee6bad3011ecaf99bab1f5de0f47#2006%E2%80%932008:_Career_beginnings_and_I_Created_Disco
The Richest Article: https://www.therichest.com/rich-powerful/heres-how-calvin-harris-became-the-richest-dj-in-the-world/?msclkid=8c991d28b06d11ec87101d13728fc32d
The Music Essentials: https://themusicessentials.com/editorials/calvin-harris-popular/?msclkid=5210b814b06811ec8840d7cd410acc2e
Kworb YouTube Stats: https://kworb.net/youtube/artist/calvinharris.html?msclkid=16297fcfb21811ec984f685a778d01fd

How to Follow Cutting Edge:
Instagram: @cuttingedgeig
Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music!

How to Follow Landon Sturdevant:
Instagram: @landon_sturdevant
Snapchat: @ltsturdevant21
Email: [email protected]

Thanks Again For Listening, I'll See You On The Next One!

In this episode, I catch up with Cameron Devereaux, known more widely by his stage name WAVHART, connecting with me all the way from Los Angeles. One of the most renowned musical minds coming from the gold mine of the underground Shoreline scene, WAVHART serves as a DJ, producer, remixer, singer, and songwriter, and is currently signed to the bass house collective Play Me, through which he's dropped five commercial releases. He walks us through everything from his start in music, his draw to the electronic genre, and how the COVID-19 pandemic triggered him to drop out of community college and chase his dreams.

00:00 – Intro
00:50 – WAVHART's origins in music, coming from a family of artists and being exposed to it from the moment he was born
03:10 – WAVHART's favorite and most influential artists, and the experience of going to his first ever rave briefly before the 2020 lockdowns
06:50 - His favorite songs to listen to and remix
08:40 - His tips for beginning producers
11:35 - Wavhart’s family dynamic, what growing up in a musical family is like, and how his cousin Royce David helped him flourish as a producer
16:25 - What Wavhart appreciates about the PNW, and how it compares to the LA life
21:45 - What he likes about the electronic dance community, and why he feels “EDM” is a lackluster term
28:20 - Timeline and story behind dropping out of SCC and moving to LA
34:00 - Wavhart’s day job at Guitar Center, bumping into Mac Dimarco and Getter, among others
39:00 - Wavhart’s crazy story of how Play Me discovered him, his new release through the label, and the inspiration behind the release
43:30 - His experience with Play Me, the significance of the label, and the artists he’s had the pleasure to work with
48:05 - Icon Collective and how it differs from a standard school, and even other standard music programs
55:00 - Where you can follow Wavhart on social media and support his journey
55:25 - What makes Wavhart cutting edge

How to Follow WAVHART:
Instagram: @wavhart
Snapchat: @ccdev1215
Email: [email protected]
Search & Stream WAVHART on All Platforms!
 
How to Follow Cutting Edge:
Instagram: @cuttingedgeig
Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music!

How to Follow Landon Sturdevant:
Instagram: @landon_sturdevant
Snapchat: @ltsturdevant21
Email: [email protected]

Thanks Again For Listening, I'll See You On The Next One!

"New year, new me!" and "___ is going to be my year!" are phrases you hear on an annual basis between late December and early January- but how often do those phrases come to life in the way people claim that they will? In this episode, I explored the reasons that a lot of resolutions fail, and present a few ways we can assure that ours won't, so 2022 can truly be our year.

Sources Used:
Gym Statistics - Trafft.com: https://trafft.com/gym-membership-statistics/#:~:text=January%20as%20Peak%20Gym%20Membership%20Month%20Statistics%20show,It%20is%20the%20highest%20point%20of%20gym%20application.

How to Follow Cutting Edge:
Instagram: @cuttingedgeig
Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music!

How to Follow Landon Sturdevant:
Instagram: @landon_sturdevant
Snapchat: @ltsturdevant21
Email: [email protected]

Thanks Again For Listening, I'll See You On The Next One!

In this episode, TikTok creator, musician, music critic, videographer, and current Marquette University student George Pareti joins us all the way from Evanston, IL to speak on his career to date. At only 18 years old, George has amassed a six-digit following across all platforms, and has incredible insights on networking, growing a following, using the internet as leverage towards whatever your heart desires.

00:00 - Intro
00:57 - How his start in videography led to shooting music videos, which led to doing cover art/deeper involvement in music
04:00 - Cole Bennett, his influence on George, his impact on George’s home state of Illinois, and music as a whole
04:52 - His biggest role models in all areas (YouTube, music, other creators)
06:40 - How George and his friends started on TikTok, where he now runs multiple accounts to explore the algorithm
11:23 - What inspired his involvement in music and what pushed him to try it for himself
19:45 - What motivates George to pick up so many projects and to keep going at them
22:55 - How much money did one TikTok reposted on Snapchat Spotlight make George??
24:30 - For the Youth, George’s underground music account on IG, and his artists to watch
25:30 - The unlikely story of how he came across Cutting Edge and how it led to this connection
27:50 - A significant challenge George faced on his journey to social media stardom and what kept him going
31:45 - What makes George Pareti cutting edge
33:00 - What he’s aspiring to create/manifest for 2022

How to Follow George Pareti:
Instagram: @georgepareti
For the Youth: @fortheyouthig
Videography Page: @filmsbygeorge
Primary TikTok: @georgepareti
Stream George Pareti on all  platforms!

How to Follow Landon Sturdevant:
Instagram: @landon_sturdevant
Snapchat: @ltsturdevant21
Email: [email protected]

How to Follow Cutting Edge:
Instagram: @cuttingedgeig
Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music!

Thanks Again For Listening, I’ll See You On The Next One!