PopRocks

Pollyanna is a four piece New Jersey band consisting of power-pop, loud rock, bubble grunge, and punk influences. Earlier this year, they released a deluxe edition of their EP Sugar Coat with a fresh perspective under their new label, I Surrender Records. We caught up to chat about how Jill and Dan met when they were in just first grade, to starting a band at 13, to their most recent success. Since this interview, they released their latest single “Slut” off their debut full length album called “Slime” out on June 17. 

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L E A is an LA-based alternative pop artist who has intertwined the boldness of punk with the beachiness of pop. Inspired by artists such as Mayday Parade, Charlotte Sands, Secondhand Serenade, L E A considers her sound colorful, extroverted, aggressive, and blunt. I talked with L E A about her experience of growing up in Point Pleasant, New Jersey, moving to LA, and how that inspired her debut EP “Jersey Boy”

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LiL MiK_e is a Phoenix-based pop-punk artist who brings a fresh new sound to the alternative scene. His debut album “Memories” was released in December of 2019, and led to collectively over 2 million streams on Spotify. Last month, LiL MiK_e released his sophomore album, Sellout. This album is about him leaving his old self behind and evolving into his new self and new sound. We caught up with LiL MiK_e to talk about both of these albums and the new music we’ll hear from him this year. 

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Range Life is the passion project of seasoned New Jersey musician Mike Chiarappa. Mike released his debut full length album in October called “when it all gets old”. The album’s themes span from fun songs about drinking beer to songs about friends dealing with addiction. I first met Mike years ago with his band The Stolen, and I was happy I was able to catch up with him again before his show in Brooklyn.

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Courtney Govan is a queer independent pop singer from San Diego, California. Courtney is known for her first hit single “Serotonin” that went viral on tiktok and landed her on Spotify Editorial playlists like Fresh Finds and Fresh Finds: Pop. Courtney uses her own life experiences to connect with her listeners on a deeper level. She uses her music as a way to lift up the voices of those who feel unheard and unseen. Her humanistic and introspective approach to songwriting brings a refreshing twist to today’s pop music. Courtney’s ultimate goal in her career is to help everyone who comes across her music to feel, seen, safe, and unstoppable in the skin they are in. We chatted about “Serotonin”, her single “Mistake”, and also the viral video on TikTok of the two of us!

We chatted with KTJ & CARLY, a duo, who write, produce, and perform all their music. They frequently combine influences of EDM and soulful pop into masterful storytelling performances. Over the past year, they've experienced incredible growth off the success of their debut EP, "Identity." We got to talk about their song "Rollercoaster," where we see a different, softer side of KTJ & CARLY. Deeply emotional and mature, the track explores the intense ups and downs of loving someone unconditionally, despite the damage they might do to you in the long run. They also perform "Rollercoaster" live on air!

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Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify

Start the Week Over is a New York based power-pop band. Formed in the spring of 2019, friends Bobby Gioiosa (vocals, guitar), Matt Wikstrom (guitar, keys), Stephen Sorris (drums), Cooper Gould (guitar, keys, mandolin), and Amanda Pasqualini (bass) started to write songs and play open mics while growing their local following. In March of 2020, STWO released their debut “Wonderland EP”, blending their punk roots with well-crafted pop-rock ambitions. The band was separated during the pandemic, but continued to write and record new music over Discord. They kicked off 2021 with the release of “Up Tonight,” “Keepaway,” “Sex In Berlin,” and their upcoming single “Losing Control”

Brooklyn-based indie dance duo Supertaste is comprised of DJ’s Hundreds Thousands and Slug Father. When the pandemic hit, the guys decided that when all else fails, head into the woods to make a disco record. Supertaste packed up their Brooklyn recording studio and road tripped to a cabin in Bristol, Tennessee, to produce their Super Classic EP, which they described as 'Bon Iver, but make it disco.’ We talked with them about this experience and what we can expect to hear on their forthcoming sophomore EP, Super Classic. For more episodes, check out our website www.poprocksbk.com/

Gatlin is an indie pop singer-songwriter who combines instinctual humanity with daring vulnerability to craft musical moments of meaning and melody. Gatlin’s music brims with confessional lyricism and emotional storytelling. Her debut EP Sugarcoated is one of my personal favorite releases from 2020. I was able to catch up with Gatlin to talk about her writing process for this EP and some of the inspirations behind her songs. Gatlin also shared about what we can expect from her new music, starting with the release of her upcoming single “What If I Love You” out April 8. Check out our website for more https://www.poprocksbk.com/

Artwork by Kim Kyne

Theme by Nick Throop

Background music: Gatlin - Talking to Myself

Lisa Remar is a New York City native who has always loved music. Her passion for song-writing, producing and singing lives in her songs. Characterized by her soulful vocals and her unique sonic sensibility - Lisa’s music takes the listener to a familiar place they’ve never been before. Similar to her music, Lisa’s style also draws influence from various backgrounds, and is representative of her biracial heritage. We caught up with Lisa to chat about her new EP “Still Good” and she also performed two songs live on air. Check out poprocksbk.com for more!