The Test Press

It often takes bands a while to find their footing and to sound cohesive. When I heard this episode’s guests play, I had assumed they were a band for a long time: their timing was impeccable, their on-stage chemistry was undeniable, and the songs just plain ripped. During this interview, I found out bloodsugar (not a typo, the band’s name is stylized as all lower case) is, I believe, the youngest...

We've had a lot of incredibly talented guests on this show, but so far, no one has been a contestant on an international competition (unless they were really holding out on me), until now. Luke Black represented his home country of Serbia in the international smash hit music competition Eurovision with his song "Samo mi se spava", where he added countless diehard fans (fans of the European competi...

It sounds counterintuitive, but it can be difficult to incorporate highly technical musicianship into popular music. There seems to be diminishing returns with virtuosity after a certain point, in terms of getting people to listen. At a certain skill level, most people struggle to relate to it, and it can become almost burdensome to listen to. My guests on this episode not only serve as an excepti...

I’ve always felt that screenwriters and musicians were kindred spirts. As such, it’s no surprise that we are massive fans of each others’ work: I’ve never known a musician that isn’t also a film and/or TV junkie, and I’ve never met a writer that won’t gush about their favorite records. My guest this week is no exception: I initially bonded with my good friend and screenwriter Jesse Harris (of Marv...

One of the most beneficial strengths a musician can have is versatility. The more things an artist can do, the more places they have to pull from to create. Keyser takes this to the extreme; they are a (deep breath in) singer, songwriter, producer, guitarist, teacher, LGBTQ+ advocate, picky eater (who loves sweets), and those are just the titles we got to. One might expect a Berklee College of Mus...

With pop trending towards louder, more bombastic and “in your face” styles, pop fans with slightly more reserved taste may feel left out. Liv Cartier seeks to fill that void. Growing up in Liverpool, U.K, she was drawn to music from an early age, but took a while to find her sound. Finally, she settled on her current sonic expression, which she describes herself as “pop on a comedown”: lush, strin...

It can take years for an artist to form an identity to present to the world. They may go back and forth from the drawing board to the stage of their local open mic, only to scrap a name or image after one performance and start again. In the time it takes a lot of creatives take to find their first form, Cayley Spivey is on her second. Not long after writing her first real song at 15, she assembled...

“Honesty” is a buzzword many ascribe to their music. I might say it’s been weaponized at this point. Every musician wants to assure their listeners they are getting the artist’s unfiltered thoughts and feelings straight with no chaser. However, a lot of music falls short of this lofty goal, the listener unable to shake the feeling that something is being held back, or that there is a veneer lain o...

Music, at its core, is a sonic expression of human emotion. Be it sadness, elation, or yearning, it’s a transmission to us from the artist, of how they were feeling when they made it, or at a certain point in time. Most music can convey the intended emotions, and some music can even transport us to the artist’s world for a moment. But, at least in my experience, few artists can truly make you FEEL...

It’s imperative, in modern times, for musicians to be a jack of all trades. With ever shrinking revenue from traditional avenues, we’re being pushed to do more and more to keep our careers afloat. This is a challenge that Josephine was made for: she’s a producer, singer, songwriter, polyglot, disruptive entrepreneur, amateur carpenter, and literally too many other things to list. While she maintai...

Indie rock is a crowded field these days. It’s difficult to cut through the noise; the literally thousands of new indie tracks uploaded each day. Social media, the tool artists rely on to reach new fans and break their music, is overrun with peers trying to accomplish the same goal. While it’s genuinely sad people’s hard work gets reduced to 3 second sound-bites, there quite literally isn’t enough...

Alex Ray has already lived multiple, vastly different (and successful) lives. After graduating Valedictorian of her law school and working in the “Big Law” system, she decided to upend it all and pursue music and content creation full time. After just a couple of years, she’s already cultivated a dedicated community on YouTube, been taken on by a manager to assist with her music career, and releas...

It's no secret that The Test Press are fans of elite lyricists. So, this week was extra special, as indie rock/alt-country singer-songwriter and self proclaimed Maxxinista June Swoon graces the guest chair before she hits the road for her upcoming "Can't Grow Flowers on a Rolling Stone" Tour in June and July.  In the interview, she confesses her love for being "esoteric", explaining her tende...

This episode, Brylan sits down with Izzy T, a pop-rock singer-songwriter from the UK, known for her hard-hitting yet meaningful tunes that masterfully blend pop, hard rock, blues, and hip-hop to create powerful tunes often centered around female empowerment. Izzy discusses how overcoming bullying in her childhood lead her to become the powerful artist, activist, and woman she is today. The pair al...

This week, Brylan dives into the mysterious craft of film scoring with multi-award winning composer Lindsay Young, who elevates films with her unique blend of hard hitting yet emotional scores. They discuss her approach to finding the perfect sounds for a filmmaker's visuals, her favorite scores that inspire her, and even how Jack Black inadvertently helped her find her way to the art form. Also,...

How would you get by with No Money & No Friends? Brylan sits down with LA Pop-Rock star and secret Taylor Swift fan Halo Kitsch to find out, and discuss Halo’s unique brand of introspective, smart, yet relentlessly catchy tunes. Halo reveals the early influences that shaped her trademark sound and how she pulls from her own life, struggles, and hopes & fears to craft her songs, with a deep...

Brylan sits down with composer, pianist, teacher, and Chinese food enthusiast Natalie Brice to talk about her critically acclaimed musical "White Rose: The Musical", currently playing from now till April 13th at the Marylebone Theatre in London, England. White Rose tells the story of a group of student activists in 1940s Germany who distribute literature challenging the Reich's propaganda. In the...

On this episode of the pod, host Brylan May chats with Los Angeles based indie/noise rock band Impulse Bangs! Tune in to hear them discuss the creative process, musical influences, and some highlights from their catalogue, including the recently released album "Best Supporting Actress". Also, the band squirm in their seats facing the choice of either answering some VERY uncomfortable questions or...

Host Brylan May sits down with Oliver Chavez, lead guitarist of indie rock band The Framers and lone mastermind behind the post-hardcore/spoken word project Your Albino Shadow. The pair discuss Oli's beginnings as a guitarist and songwriter, their mutual love of My Chemical Romance, and the two records Oliver worked on last year; "I'm Feeling Fine!" by The Framers and "What Resembles a Grave But I...