Hollow Creek Talks About Their Single "Nightlife"!

Hollow Creek recently released their first single, "Nightlife". It's an amazing debut offering that you need to stream as soon as you can. Group members (Alexa Picillo, Jaxon Maciel, Curtis Colantonio, Logan Boucher, and Aidan Connell) were nice enough to answer a few questions for us about the group and this amazing release. I know it always makes me enjoy a song a little bit more the more I know about it. I bet you feel the same way!

Let's see what they had to say!

How did the group “Hollow Creek” come together?

Jaxon - It all first started with 2 guitarists and one drummer. Aidan Connell, Logan Boucher  and I. We all kind of played together but nothing serious. Then at True Music Studios Aidan got an opportunity to record with Alexa. They stayed in contact and ended up getting a band together with just Aidan, Logan, and Alexa. They played a few gigs together. I saw them playing at a festival one time and I mentioned to Aidan how his solos sounded empty without the rhythm guitar. Aidan referred me to Alexa and we talked a bit and then I went to band practice with them. A few months later we played at The Alchemy in Providence, RI and the sound guy mentioned that it would enhance our sound drastically if we had a bassist.  We ended up finding an exceptional bassist - Curtis Colantonio. That's how we all came together.

What do you want listeners to know about your single “Nightlife”?

Alexa -  I want to reach all types of people with this song. The people who connect to the lyrics on a personal level or the people who just simply love the guitar solos. This song is about wanting to be a better version of yourself, the one you only see in your dreams. I hope people can feel seen and realize they can make the change they want to see in their lives.

Do you have a favorite lyric from the song?

Curtis - A favorite lyric? My personal favorite would have to be the first lyric of the chorus, "I see her in the dark" which just sounds so badass with the sudden change from an upbeat, happy song, to a dark and gloomy one that comes in like a punch in the face. I think the imagery that comes from that lyric really MAKES the song. That part of the song is the funnest to play on bass as well. 

How did you come up with the cover artwork?

Alexa - The artwork for this song is a photo I took at one of my first ever gigs in Newport, RI. Little did I know I would be using this very photo for my band's debut single. Full circle moment for me. “ 

What was the biggest challenge when creating the song?

Logan - The largest challenge for me personally was the process of drumming to a metronome. The song has segments like the chorus which play in half time or slower compared to the main groove, which is a faster shuffle rhythm I created. In general, though, playing to a click track was a new experience to me, and I’m new to studio drumming which had a much different feel to live drumming, where the former needs to be tight and precise while the latter focuses on feel, groove, and keeping the band together with less rhythmic precision.

Do you have any favorite memories of the recording process?

Aidan - One of my favorite memories from the recording process was probably after we had finished recording. We had been there for about 5 hours and were all tired and hungry. Jaxon and I were sitting in the hallway waiting for the delivery guy to arrive. When he finally showed we ended up running through like 8 inches of snow to get it and yelling “he’s here!” The rest of the time was just spent talking, fooling around, and trying not to be too loud so we didn’t annoy our producer .

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I want to thank Hollow Creek for taking the time to share this look at their single with us. And special thanks to Alexa for helping arrange everything.

Be sure to follow Hollow Creek on Instagram, and Spotify to be sure you won't miss anything! You can also check out Alexa's solo interview here on Section 36 Music!

Thanks again Hollow Creek!

Victoria McDougall Visits Section 36 Music!

Victoria McDougall is the latest visitor to Section 36 Music! She is a talented singer who is fresh off the release of her second single. You'll want to give that one a listen as soon as you can. I was so excited she wanted to visit with us and discuss her music, challenges, and a bit more. I'm sure you'll love what she had to say.

So, let's see what happens when Victoria McDougall visits Section 36!

I really love your recent single, “Commonwealth”. What can you tell me about it? 

I wrote Commonwealth last year sitting on a bench outside my dorm building on Commonwealth Avenue during my first year of university. I was kind of just reflecting on life and how hard I had worked to get where I was. My first couple months of university were really pivotal for me as an individual, and I started to realize there’s not one distinct path I had to follow in life, and it felt so freeing. Then there was the other side of the coin, constantly comparing myself to the people around me and what they were all doing, that created this constant internal struggle for me. This song was my way to express the constant back and forth of “am I good enough? Is this the right place and path for me?”, but also how I knew deep down that I was exactly where I wanted to be and was where I was supposed to be. It’s about not letting yourself sweat the small stuff, and having faith that you can pursue your dreams amidst all the second guessing and doubts. 

Do you have a favorite memory from the recording process? 

I recorded this song back in my hometown on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia at Lakewind Sound Studios. It was an August afternoon, we had spent a couple hours recording, it was all going great. Then, after we were pretty much finished recording guitar and vocals, the producer, studio owner, my friend who was playing guitar on the track and I just sat in the studio for about an hour talking about Berklee, our aspirations for the future, and everything music related. There’s something so special about being able to connect with other musicians, and I will always cherish that whole day and the conversations we had. 

You are attending Berklee College of Music. What made Berklee the right choice for you? 

Attending Berklee was a hard choice for me. I’m from Canada, so it was a pretty big move, I knew I wouldn’t know a soul here, and I didn’t know if I was ready to make that big of a change in my life. A couple weeks before I had to make my decision, my parents and I decided to drive 13 hours and visit the school. I knew as soon as I got there it was the right place for me. I already felt a strong sense of community and passion oozing out of the place, but what really drew me in was the range of options at this school. They did a tabling event with all the different majors to choose from, and there were more than I had ever imagined. I never realized how many directions you could go with music, from film scoring to music business management, which is what I’m majoring in now! I’m someone who likes to try a bit of everything, so I knew it would be perfect for me. 

What do you enjoy most about performing on stage in front of an audience? 

The connection I have with an audience is the absolute best part of performing. When someone comes up to me after a performance saying it has made some sort of impact on them, I know my job is done. There was this gig I played at a bar over the summer, and the only people in there were this couple from a cruise ship that was in town. They were absolutely loving it, I played some of their requests and they sang along, they even got up to dance twice. It was a truly amazing experience, and goes to show it doesn’t matter if you're playing for 2 or 200 people, it matters the impact you make on them. 

If you could cover any Disney song, which one would you choose? Why? 

I would love to do a cover of “How Far I’ll Go” from Moana. Moana has been one of my favorite princess movies since it came out, and this song especially has always felt particularly special. The message of the song speaks so deeply to me, about feeling like there’s something bigger, that you have a calling that you just need to follow. It is also just such a beautiful song that I’ve always loved singing! 

What are your immediate musical goals? 

I definitely want to put out more music soon, I’m in the process of planning some releases for the summer. As of this semester, my goal is to work and write with as many artists as possible! I think working with other writers is one of the best things you can do to improve and expand your artistry, and it’s always so cool to create something that you would have never created on your own!

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I'm very excited about even more music! 

As always, I want to thank Victoria for visiting with us, and for sending along the pictures to accompany the interview. 

I'm sure you’ll all want to follow her and see what she has going on. I would follow her on Instagram and Spotify to make sure you don't miss a thing. 

Thanks again Victoria, and good luck reaching your goals!

Nicole Ash Releases "Never Finished"

Saving the heaviest and hardest-hitting tracks for the ‘Never Better’ EP release, Nicole Ash starts 2026 with an unexpected, screaming, rebellious anthem, “Alter Ego”. Right out of the gate, “Alter Ego” sets the tone for how frustrating a lifelong internal conflict can be delivering amplified energy. The highly relatable songwriting reveals a division between two worlds, where Nicole Ash often feels torn between “the creative, emotional, rebellious side of herself, and the more polished, business-driven version that shows up in professional spaces.”

Nicole shares, “The song isn’t about being authentic, but rather about self-protection. I’ve learned to show different parts of myself in different rooms because not every space feels safe for all of me.” 

The intensity of “Alter Ego” is infectious, carrying the listener through a darker, more intimate experience, with massive guitars, an angsty chorus, an unexpected screaming bridge, and gritty production. Lyrics like “be yourself, but not too much, ”reflect the pressure of being misunderstood and the instinct to hold back the pieces that matter the most.

“Alter Ego” explores a familiar push and pull between being a creator or artist, navigating dual identities while questioning if you’re ever fully understood.

The ‘Never Better’ EP comes to a close with “Better Off Alone.” Nicole Ash describes it as the most vulnerable song she’s released to date, writing it during a period of upheaval.

“Better Off Alone” touches on feelings of watching yourself slip away, feeling disconnected from what you love, and coming to terms with depression. Nicole recounts, “What usually connected me suddenly made me feel more distant from myself. This song became the moment I admitted I might be depressed...that maybe I really did feel better off alone.”

“Better Off Alone” suggests that not everything needs an immediate resolution. It’s an acceptance of where you are, even if there isn’t a clear path forward. The earlier releases from the ‘Never Better’ EP explored themes of love, confusion, anger, and longing, while the EP closes on the revelation of deeper, more internal struggles.

‘Never Better’ addresses the chaos and turmoil in between seasons of your life, as you grow, let go, and learn to honor every version of yourself, even the ones that feel unfinished.

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Nicole Ash is a solo artist originally from New Jersey and now based in North Carolina. She started her musical journey as a songwriter and guitarist, gaining recognition for her guitar covers on social media and her band, Wayne Avenue. Her social media following has now surpassed 85k followers, thanks to her signature energetic guitar covers and alluring performance personality. In 2022, Nicole took a bold step into singing with her solo project, a true testament to her dedication and artistic evolution.

Her influences of pop punk and alternative rock are evident in her music, particularly from artists such as Avril Lavigne, My Chemical Romance, Green Day, and Blink-182. Nicole is set to release her debut EP in 2025, a milestone in her journey, and hopes to inspire others with her mantra of relentlessly following her dreams.

Be sure to look for her other appearances on Section 36!

Sofia Devitt Talks About “Letter to Lydia”!

It's here! Today Sofia Devitt released her latest single, "Letter to Lydia". If you haven't streamed it yet, you really need to do that naw. As with every hit song, I find myself wanting to learn as much as I can about to release. Luckily, sofia was nice enough to answer some questions for us about "Letter to Lydia".

Let's see what she had to say!

What do you want listeners to know about “Letter to Lydia”?

"Letter to Lydia" is a song about a difficult situation that was made and recorded with so much fun and love. I hope listeners that relate to this song, or are going through a similar situation are able to dance and sing to it with their friends, just like my friends and I did in the studio!

What was the biggest challenge when creating the song?

The biggest challenge when creating this song was writing the bridge. The verses and choruses fell into place very naturally and quickly, but I struggled with writing a bridge that contrasted the feel of the previous sections. I wanted to say something new in the bridge, and I found it hard to land on an approach. I ended up taking a break from the song for a day, and picked up my guitar the following morning. All of a sudden the bridge came almost effortlessly, and the song clicked. The bridge actually ended up being one of my favorite things I've written!

Do you have any favorite memories of the recording process?

My favorite part of the recording process was the first day. As a foundation for the song, we recorded my vocals and acoustic guitar with Ruby DeGoursey on Bass and Julian Zerwekh-Reardon on electric guitar at the same time. I had never done a studio recording with instruments playing at the same time, and it was so much fun! I wanted to capture how this song felt live, and I feel like our chemistry as a band playing together is integral to that. Sometimes the recording process can be daunting and frustrating when you're recording alone and fixating on what you're playing. But this felt like a fun jam session with friends, and I think you can hear the chemistry between the instruments in the recorded version.

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I want to thank Sofia for taking the time to share this look at her single with us. 

Be sure to follow her on Instagram, and Spotify to be sure you won't miss anything! You'll also want to check out every other time Sofia has appeared here on Section 36 Music!

Thanks again Sofia Devitt!

Alicia Sutedja Visits Section 36 Music!

Alicia Sutedja is the latest visitor to Section 36! Alicia is a talented composer currently working on several interesting projects. She was nice enough to visit with us to discuss her work, inspirations, and challenges. I'm sure you'll love what she has to say.

So let's see what happens when Alicia Sutedja visits Section 36 Music!

As a composer, what do you enjoy most about creating a score?
What I enjoy most is the moment when everything starts to click — when the ideas in my head translate exactly the way I imagined them. Especially when there’s a strong melodic theme that really lands emotionally, it’s incredibly satisfying to hear all the elements come together and support the story in the right way.

You graduated from Berklee College of Music. What is the biggest thing Berklee did for your career?
The biggest thing Berklee gave me was community. The friendships and connections I made there have been invaluable, especially now that I’m based in Los Angeles where the industry is so saturated. Having peers in the same line of work who support each other, collaborate, and grow together has been a huge blessing.

You are currently working for Endless Noise. What sorts of projects do you get to work on there?
As a longtime fan of reality television, it’s been surreal to work on shows I grew up watching. At Endless Noise, I work on series like Below Deck, Below Deck Mediterranean, and Vanderpump Villa, as well as true-crime projects for HBO Max such as A Killer Among Friends. I also get exposure to the advertising world, which has been an exciting and creatively challenging experience.

Who or what would you say is your biggest musical inspiration?
Michael Giacchino. His ability to write emotionally resonant, memorable themes while still serving story and character has always been incredibly inspiring to me.

What would you say is your biggest career challenge?
One of my biggest ongoing challenges is managing deadlines while maintaining a healthy personal life. The nature of the job often means last-minute requests — like receiving a picture-locked trailer and needing to turn something around the same day. Learning how to balance those demands while still taking care of myself has been an important and evolving lesson.

What are your immediate musical goals?
My immediate goals are to continue building my work in reality television while maintaining a sustainable pace. I want to keep hustling creatively, but also make space for my personal life, my partner, my friends, and life outside of work.

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I know that work-life balance can definitely be a struggle for me as well!

As always, I want to thank Alicia for visiting with us, and for sending along the pictures to accompany the interview. 

I'm sure you’ll all want to follow her and see what she has going on. I would follow her on Instagram to make sure you don't miss a thing. 

Thanks again Alicia, and good luck reaching your goals!

Introducing "Never Better"!

If you remember the amazing recent single from Nicole Ash, "Stitch the Thread", then you know that was the third single off an upcoming EP. Well, that "upcoming" timeframe is now considerably shorter! Nicole will be releasing her first EP, "Never Better" in just one week! You definitely won't want to miss it.

In order to let us all learn a bit more about the release, Nicole was nice enough to answer a few questions for it. I hope you love everything she had to say as much as I did.

What do you want listeners to know about the EP?

"Never Better" is an ironic title for an EP that taps into nearly every emotion (love, confusion, anger, resentment, confused, hidden, greif, depression, etc.) that you feel in tumultuous times. It tells a story of losing yourself, even when you're not sure how to re-discover yourself. The final track "Better Off Alone" really locks in the uncertainty and is meant to leave the next chapter open for myself and the listener, showing that you don't need to have everything figured out to move forward.

How did you come up with the EP cover artwork?

I'm actually pretty into tarot and would practice reading the cards in my free time. I always loved the art and deeper meaning in it, especially with custom decks. I had the idea of each song being represented by its own card while not saying the title. It seemed like a really cool and unique way to represent the full collection of songs. The cards read "the city" "the grave" "the mask" "the needle" and "the ghost", showing an artistic glimpse into the story of the EP from the cover art. I asked an artist in my network to design the cards and knew they would be the focal point.

Do you have any favorite memories of the recording process?

One of my favorite memories was creating the music video for appreciating the good moments together, even when the friendship had ended. We ordered pizza, blew up balloons, and pulled out every nostalgic item we could find including an old TV, gaming consoles, and VHS tapes. It completely encapsulates the song, and was such a fun video to create with friends.

What was the biggest challenge with creating the EP?

The biggest challenge is probably releasing the final 2 songs. I have no problem writing incredibly vulnerable music, but these are my first releases truly diving into mental health and the uncertainty I tried to hide, even from myself. At the same time, these songs are the ones I feel like need to reach people the most because of the story behind them.

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Nicole Ash is a solo artist originally from New Jersey and now based in North Carolina. She started her musical journey as a songwriter and guitarist, gaining recognition for her guitar covers on social media and her band, Wayne Avenue. Her social media following has now surpassed 85k followers, thanks to her signature energetic guitar covers and alluring performance personality. In 2022, Nicole took a bold step into singing with her solo project, a true testament to her dedication and artistic evolution.

Her influences of pop punk and alternative rock are evident in her music, particularly from artists such as Avril Lavigne, My Chemical Romance, Green Day, and Blink-182. Nicole is set to release her debut EP in 2025, a milestone in her journey, and hopes to inspire others with her mantra of relentlessly following her dreams.

Be sure to look for her other appearances on Section 36!

Learning More About "The United States of SARIKA"

Last week, SARIKA was nice enough to answer a few questions for us about the creation of her latest EP,  "The United States of SARIKA". Today she has even more to say, as we dive into some of the specific details of the project. I knoe behind the Scenes is my favorite place to be, and I hope you'll agree.

Here's what she had to say!

How did you come up with the EP cover artwork?

The EP cover is from a photoshoot I did with makeup artist Jordyn Klegraefe and photographer Mayker Duran in Providence! Jordyn and I met on TikTok and knew we wanted to collaborate on a fun makeup look and shoot. I originally didn’t know what I was going to do with the photos, but I felt like it ended up being a perfect fit for this EP between the dramatic pose, the glittery makeup, and the purple lighting (the EP feels very purple to me because of the red + blue = purple metaphor in “Violet” plus the United States references throughout the project).

Do any of the songs on the EP stand out in your mind?

I can honestly say I love them all equally! Each song became my favorite when I finished it, and I think that is super special. 

Do you have any favorite memories of the recording process?

My engineer and I had a lot of fun recording the gang vocals in the bridge of “High School”! I also really liked receiving submissions from listeners for the boarding call at the beginning of “Passport”. It was really cool getting to involve listeners in the creation of the song in a way that I’ve never done before. 

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I want to thank SARIKA for taking the time to share this look at her EP with us. 

Be sure to follow her on Instagram, and Spotify to be sure you won't miss anything! You'll also want to check out every other time SARIKA has appeared here on Section 36 Music!

Thanks again SARIKA!