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As the solstice has passed, it is officially summertime!! June calls for beach days, popsicles, and, of course, new music. Summer is always the season where so many incredible artists are releasing their latest EP’s and singles, so I curated this mix of new and old favorites just for you. Give these bands some love and remember to comment below which track is your new favorite. ((Make sure to click through to hear these songs on Spotify!!))                 
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From a young age, art + music were major parts of my life. My childhood was full of piano practices and painting lessons. Having parents who exposed me to all sorts of art shaped me into a person who appreciated talent and I started to look for it in hidden places. From unknown painters to budding musicians I decided to establish a series featuring the creators who I know and love and want you to love too!! Wanna help? Read about these amazing people, scope their work, and share their interviews with the artists in your life!! Today I have the privilege of sharing an interview with Lewis Bootle, an acoustic singer/songwriter from the UK. His music is mellow but full of soul as his sound is influenced by artists like Bob Dylan and Jack Johnson. His latest release “Cells” is a perfect example of Bootle’s range; this faster paced song nicely juxtaposes other tracks like “James Taylor” and “Confused” which offer the listener a much more relaxed vibe. Pop in some earbuds and check out Lew’s latest album, “Friction in the Funds” on Spotify as you read this stellar interview with the man behind the music.  How did you get your start in music? Hey, hey, music for me started with my grandad, he was a jazz drummer for the best part of his life, and he used to finger tap on surfaces creating rhythms, it was only a matter of time before I caught on. At what age were you inspired to learn to play the guitar, who or what prompted you to get started? I started playing guitar around age 11 when I went to secondary school, I was taught by a guy named Mr. Done and he’d teach me Spanish guitar, which I didn’t really enjoy at the time but it’s come in very handy as I’ve got older, scales, scales, scales. You’re currently touring Europe, what has that experience been like? In what ways is touring different than what you may have expected? Touring is amazing! It’s the best feeling taking your songs so far from home and seeing it work in the most different of situations. Myself and my friend Gecko tour a lot with a company called SOFAR which offer living room style shows all around the world, so we are given the amazing opportunity to turn up to a random city in a country of choice and play to an audience of intensive listeners, it’s absolutely ideal! If you could go on tour with any artist, living or dead, who would you choose? Joe Strummer, it’d get loose! If you were putting together a mixtape of your all time favorite songs, what tracks would you HAVE to include? Human Nature - MJ, Everybody Wants To Rule The World - Tears For Fears, Could You Be Loved - Bob Marley, Son Of A Preacher Man - Dusty Springfield, Skys The Limit - Biggie, Le Freak - CHIC, Boom Shake The Room - The Fresh Prince…. this list goes on and on and on, I won’t bore you. What kind of music did you listen to growing up? How do you think that influenced your sound? My mum had this sick 80’s / 90’s mixtape that she made, featuring loads of hip hop and disco, my dad would play country and folk music and my grandad would play jazz vinyls. So i guess they are the core roots of Lewis Bootle.  If you weren’t pursuing music what would you be doing? I’d be a professional falcon keeper or a water PH specialist at the London Aquarium. What time of day do you feel the most inspired? NIGHT! Which comes first: lyrics or composition? Ahhh, the trickiest of questions… I guess there’s no real answer here as each song takes form in a different way. Lyrics can come first or the other way round or perhaps at the same time. How do you define the difference between a hobby and a passion? Don’t let passion just become a hobby! Live dat shit! Are you more likely to write lyrics creatively or based on personal experience? Both! I usually take my own life events and then use some creative license. I don’t really like the idea of it being 100% true, I think people will always prefer a better story even if it isn’t true. What advice would you give to an aspiring musician? Watch what goes on around you, musically and socially, and work with other musicians. Help each other out! We’re all in the same boat.  You can learn more about Lewis Bootle on his website and be sure to check out and follow his Spotify page to be notified of new releases!! Make sure to like this post + share it if you'd like to see more features on amazing artists!!  © Annie Fay Meitchik. All Rights Reserved. All content on anniefay.com is my own or credit is given when applicable, please do not use any of my images before contacting me above or @ anniefaymeitchik@gmail.com. From a young age, art + music were major parts of my life. My childhood was full of piano practices and painting lessons. Having parents who exposed me to all sorts of art shaped me into a person who appreciated talent and I started to look for it in hidden places. From unknown painters to budding musicians I decided to establish a series featuring the creators who I know and love and want you to love too!! Wanna help? Read about these amazing people, scope their work, and share their interviews with the artists in your life!! Today I have the privilege of sharing an interview with DAISY, an alternative pop band based out of Arizona. Perfect for summer, songs like “Hear You” are simultaneously upbeat and mellow...ideal for summer drives along the coast. Pop in some earbuds and check out the group's latest EP, “Beauty of These” on Spotify as you read this stellar interview with the men behind the music.  How did you get your start in music? Anthony: My dad was always playing guitar and singing growing up. Usually anything from Clapton to John Mayer. He possessed me with the guitar/singing thing. Always playing when I was trying to sleep. Michael: My mom took me to a "Police" concert when I was 13. And my mom was always playing [John] Mayer records around my early teenage years. And my dad influenced me at a young age to start playing drums. Drums were my first instrument. Tyler: I started playing piano pretty young, but really delved deep into music when I was 13 playing in the metal scene until I moved out to Arizona and met these 3 dudes who took me in like family. Dylan: Music has always been a passion of my dad's so there was always music growing up around the house. My first concert my mom and dad ever took me to was Sting and it changed everything for me. You guys had the incredible opportunity to play a few tunes at SXSW this year, what was that experience like? Anthony: Madness. Like crazy scientist madness. The good kind. I fell in love with Austin, and being able to play our songs to people from all over the world was a humbling moment for us. Michael: It was really cool playing shows for the first time out of our home state. Playing in that environment of "Austin" was a really cool experience playing to musicians from all over the country. Playing to a different crowd other than phoenicians was also an interesting taste of just how small you are. Tyler: Absolutely amazing. Honestly one of the best weeks of my life, though we lost my George Forman somehow. Dylan: SXSW was an incredible experience. So many different styles of music and bands playing that festival. It's almost like you are apart of this huge family in downtown Austin with everyone else. Texas is great. Which musicians/bands do each of you personally admire the most? Anthony: U2, Imagine Dragons, Coldplay. Really any of those arena, atmospheric, larger than life groups where the music is real and from the heart. Michael: The Police, John Mayer, Andy Summers as a guitar player. Tyler: I’m probably the most unique when it comes to this but EDM producers like Armin van Buren, metal bands like Enter Shikari and System of a Down, and softer music like Ron Pope or Coldplay. Dylan: U2 has been one of my favorite bands for a very long time so I would say the biggest would be them. I appreciate all different types of drumming and try to learn and grow from each different style there is. What kind of music did you listen to growing up? Anthony: A lot of Classic Rock and 70s Funk. Thanks dad. Plus the obvious "Dad" favs like The Beatles, The Who, Zeppelin. Michael: Pop/Classic Rock/Alt Tyler: Mainly metal for me. Dylan: Pop/Alternative If you weren’t pursuing music what would you be doing? Anthony: I actually will be a Real Estate agent on the side so I can keep pursuing my music dream. Michael: Collecting cans on the street. Tyler: Probably pursuing a career in Aviation. Dylan: Music will always be in my life but I do hair on the side.  What time of day do you feel the most inspired? Anthony: Just based off of how it's gone in the past, late evenings are when I feel most creative. But it's always changing. Michael: It's never a certain time. Usually after I see a show or have been listening to music for awhile is when I'll feel very inspired to write. Tyler: Night time. Dylan: Night most definitely. Which comes first: lyrics or composition? Anthony: Being a singer, I'm always more attracted to the lyrical side of things, but they are both important. Music is beautiful in the sense that there are so many different things that make a good song. Not the lyrics alone, not the music alone. To us, the music has to exceed on all levels . Michael: Definitely composition. Sometimes lyrics have been written first and been added to the music that felt most right but most of the times it’s composition. Tyler: Depends on the song and who has the idea. Dylan: Composition. How do you define the difference between a hobby and a passion? Anthony: Hobbies come differently every day. Hobbies are fun. Hobbies are something that passes the time. A passion is the blood pumping in your veins. A passion is breathing the air that keeps you living. Music is my passion. Michael: A hobby would be something that comes and goes I feel like and a passion is something that you just can't stop. You think about all day every day and you can't live without it. Tyler: A hobby is something you do for fun a passion is something you would give everything for. Dylan: A passion will always be in your life, a hobby is just there and can change in a day to day basis. What motivates you to create music? Anthony: Everything. Playing live and performing is like stepping into Narnia or a different universe for a moment. It's kind of like being in a fishbowl but being able to swim in the ocean when we play live. Also, I usually can't say all the right things. I have a hard time exhibiting all the things I want to when I'm talking. Music is a language everyone knows and can truly feel. Michael: I think seeing the finished project and playing in front of a crowd and seeing them have fun. When you see true joy in someone's eyes from something that I created is a feeling that you just can't comprehend. You never know where that person is in there lives at the moment and for whatever reason you were able to make someone smile and just let that wall down, forget, and just have fun. Tyler: Seeing the crowd react the way they do to our music live. Dylan: Playing live is the best feeling in the world. Definitely its own kind of experience. What advice would you give to an aspiring musician? Anthony: Never stop doing it. The amount of effort you put into what you do, is what, generally, you will get in return. If it's as important as oxygen to you, you will find a way to breathe no matter what. Michael: Find someone that inspires you. My favorite artist is John Mayer and my favorite band is The Police. I know that whenever I see those guys play or listen to there music all I want to do is play and create. Tyler: Chase the dream. What is your favorite song of all time? Anthony: John Lennon's "Imagine". The world is in hard times, if we all loved and were able to be together as one people, than I feel we would be in a much better place. Tyler: “Live Love Burn Die” from Atreyu's “Lipgloss and Black” because in life you live, you love, you have a burning passion (mine being music) then you die.  You can learn more about DAISY on their website. They are playing at several venues in Los Angeles and Phoenix this summer, and it’s not too late to grab tickets!! Make sure to like this post and share it if you would like to see more features on amazing artists!! |