Kathana Visits Section 36!

Section 36 Music has another visitor! Kathana is a wonderful singer, and I was so glad she was willing to visit with us and discuss her music, her future goals, and more. I’m sure you’ll love everything she has to say.

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

I really enjoyed your single “Daisy Lane” What can you tell me about it?

The song was inspired by my sister who struggles with depression. I wanted to capture the thoughts and feelings someone might have when dealing with any mental health issue, starting with struggle in the verses, then dreaming of an alternate world without depression in the chorus. I really wanted it to be a fun song that you can lose yourself in, and to help people zone out or just enjoy some upbeat music if they’re feeling down. 

You were also able to collaborate with Martlin on the recent single “It’s All You”. What was that like to put together?

Martlin sent me the arrangement after I agreed to sing on the track. The arrangement sounded big, adventurous and inspiring, which sparked the idea for the story. It made me think of the challenges that come with pursuing a creative career. But it felt so uplifting that I got a feeling of hope. So I wanted to share the idea with anyone pursuing their passion that it doesn’t matter if we aren’t doing what society expects of us. 

Who/what would you consider to be your biggest musical influences?

Personal experiences and people in general are some of my biggest influences. I’m fascinated by people and their relationships. It’s like a form of art in itself. The stories of people growing, changing, and discovering themselves is inspiring. This also includes romance and even romanticizing life by taking things slow and being mindful and appreciative. The messiness of life is inspiring too. I like to write when I’m feeling anxious, sad, or upset. Writing is a way to work through those feelings. The messy bits really inspire me the most. Walking outside always helps as well. Taking a nature walk before a writing session always helps me open up my imagination and find the energy to create. 

You studied at Berklee College of Music. What's the biggest thing that has done for your career?

Studying at Berklee has given me a lot of great songwriting experience. For my first couple years, I was writing a song every single week. That helped me develop a flow and almost a kind of muscle memory for the songwriting process. This has made it easy to collaborate with other artists, and I feel like I have gotten much better at telling a story and building on it. 

Other than COVID, what would you say is your biggest career challenge?

My biggest challenge is overcoming my own mental health struggles. At times it can be hard to find the motivation to work on music and especially to apply myself and get out there so people hear my music. 

What are your immediate career goals?

My main goal right now is to release more music and start selling merchandise. Getting into a consistent creative routine will be a motivating accomplishment. 

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Those sound like great goals. I hope she reaches them!

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

I know you’ll all want to follow along with Kathana to see what she's up to. The best way is to follow her online on Instagram, and visit her website. They’re great ways to make sure you don't miss a thing! You're also, obviously, going to want to visit her Spotify page so you can listen to all her music yourself.

You can also visit her Section 36 Music page. There you'll find more links, music samples, and pictures. It's a great way to enjoy everything Kathana has to offer all in one place.

Thanks again Kathana, and good luck reaching your goals!

"Unspoken" by Katrina Gustafson (January 28, 2021 Release)

“Unspoken" is the new album from the amazing singer Katrina Gustafson!

Go listen to it now!

Katrina was nice enough to tell us about the first single from the album, "Good Boys Finish Last", during her recent interview with Section 36 Music. Here's what she had to say...

"I wrote this song to highlight the little parts of a relationship that we forget to appreciate such as dancing like fools in public like no ones watching, unconditionally loving all versions of ourselves, and the realization that after all this time the people of the past don’t matter because it lead to this moment. The title is a bit ironic because it seems like it’s not a good thing when actually, it resembles your final match in life because after all, the last person you date is the person you share wedding rings with!"

She also previewed songs on the album a little for us when she said...

"They include stories of a girls night out, overcoming an emotionally abusive relationship, the struggles of being female, getting over someone but not wanting to let go, two people falling in love, the butterflies of a first date, the friend zone and so much more!"

Fans of Katrina's music, like I am, are going to fall in love with this album immediately. Every song will make you want to hear the next one. Be sure to listen to it for yourself.

You can find “Unspoken" just about everywhere you usually get your music like Apple and Spotify. So, there's no reason you won't be able to find it.…which I highly suggest you do.

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If you want to learn more about Katrina, check out her Section 36 profile page. It has samples of her music, links to where you can find her, and more.

You can also hop directly to her interview right here on Section 36 Music.

Be sure to give “Unspoken" a listen!

Diana Flynn Visits Section 36 Music!

Photo by Jeremy Willis

Section 36 Music has another visitor! Diana Flynn is a talented singer and songwriter, and I was so glad she wanted to visit with us and discuss her music, her future goals, and more. I’m sure you’ll love everything she has to say.

So, let's see what happens when Diana Flynn visits Section 36 Music!

You’re currently working on the tracks for your debut EP. When can we expect to hear it?

I’m hoping during the year 2021, but with this pandemic who knows! 

What has the experience of creating the EP been like?

An emotional rollercoaster for sure. I started the project at the end of 2018 when my priorities were very different from where they are now. My co-writing process often looked like throwing a big pity party and crying a lot. 

The EP was supposed to be released in 2020. I had flights booked to record it in Nashville + Chicago, but then the pandemic happened and changed it all.

After that, I unknowingly let OCD take over every one of my decisions. I dropped music, canceled the project, and became someone else entirely in an effort to fix intrusive thoughts. It was so bad. I had no idea OCD could make anyone’s life crumble that fast. Thankfully after a lot of treatment, I can look back on those days and laugh thinking, what was I doing trying to become a private investigator and living in church?!

I’m just so incredibly happy to be myself again and bring this music to life after that jarring experience. I absolutely love writing about things that are raw on my heart, and I’m so glad I came out of that situation to really appreciate what I do so much more. The EP will definitely be different than I had planned because I’m no longer that sad girl. 

Who/what would you consider to be your biggest musical influences?

Avril Lavigne, Brandi Carlile, and John Mayer. Three

Photo by
Chris Mendoza

completely different artists but I’ve come to realize my favorite artists are people who truly feel what they are performing, do music for the joy of it, and don’t change who they are for anyone else. That’s what inspires me the most.

Your YouTube channel is full of your wonderful cover videos. What do you enjoy about creating those?

I like finding songs with lyrics I relate to and music that inspires my writing process, but other than that, not much honestly haha! 

Songwriting is where I feel my soul glow, so singing covers isn’t really my favorite thing! I just love writing about ridiculous experiences I get myself in and laughing with my co-writers about it. What I love most about music is being able to take a real-life situation and turn it into this magical piece that makes ordinary life come alive in this beautiful scene.

Other than COVID, what would you say is your biggest career challenge?

Photo by
The Nat Lens

I’d say my biggest career challenge would be music companies telling me who I am supposed to be. It bothered me a lot when people told me things like my experience having an eating disorder was “gold” and “going to be what sells my music”, or that having crippling OCD was a “superpower” and “fantastic for my brand” because these things do not define me, I never want them to, and they are not something to glamorize.  

When I was just starting out as an artist I truly took each opinion to heart and did whatever I could to be successful. People told me how to dress, what to sing, how to act, what makeup to wear, etc and I did it all. Then, when I started getting successful for this persona they built up, it felt horrible. Like people loved this version of me that I didn’t even recognize.

So now my main goal is to be as authentic to myself as possible and completely disregard what anyone else thinks or how many followers I lose. Part of growing as an artist and human has been understanding that my value is not tied to any number-- not my number of followers, not my weight, not how many comments I get-- none of it matters at ALL. I’m learning that as long as I like what I’m doing and the music that I’m making, then I’ve made it. 

What are your immediate career goals?

The past has taught me that no amount of success equates to

happiness. So now my only goal is to make music I love regardless of whether it's marketable or not, have fun working with genuine good-hearted people in the industry, and move to Nashville as soon as possible because I love being in the writer's rounds so much and I miss the people there!

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That sounds like a solid goal! 

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

I know you’ll all want to follow along with Diana to see what she's up to. The best way is to follow her online on Instagram, and visit her website. They’re great ways to make sure you don't miss a thing!

You can also visit her Section 36 Music page. There you'll find more links, music samples, and pictures. It's a great way to enjoy everything Diana has to offer all in one place.

Thanks again Diana, and good luck reaching your goals!

“Part of Me" by Brittany Rogers (Release date January 22, 2021)

“Part of Me" is the latest single from the incredible singer Brittany Rogers!

What is the song all about? Well here's what she had to say about it in the blurb…

"Part of Me is a song about evolving through beginnings and ends. Brittany wrote this song about 4 years ago; its message accounts to a choice we are faced with when love is extinguished. Can we make space for the respect and the love we deserve when that chapter closes? Is it possible to carry the best parts of the worst situations? “Part of Me” also initiated another beginning. It is the reason Brittany was accepted into Berklee College of Music. Akin to the ever-evolving human spirit, Part of Me was originally written at a slower BPM and an octave lower. This final version you hear today evolved during Brittany’s graduating project, commemorating the close of yet another chapter."

 
I love this song. Brittany's beautiful vocals combine with the music to make a magical combination. You're going to want to listen to this song on repeat the rest of the day.
 
You can find “Part of Me" just about everywhere you usually get your music like Spotify or Apple! So, there's no reason why you won't be able track it down…which I highly suggest you do.
 
As soon as possible.

Sheila del Bosque Visits Section 36!

Section 36 Music has another visitor! Sheila del Bosque is a talented flutist and composer, and I was so glad she was willing to visit with us and discuss her music, her future goals, and more. I’m sure you’ll love everything she has to say.

So, let's see what happens when Sheila del Bosque visits Section 36!

I really enjoyed your single “Si mi Isla Fuese Niño”. What can you tell me about it? 

This is a song I recorded live with my trio at BPC (Berklee Performance Center) for promotional purposes on the eve of playing in the Next Generation Jazz Festival 2019. It was a song I composed from the nostalgia of missing Cuba and having that idealistic vision of my country and its inner child. The translation of the song’s title is: “If my Island were a child”, and it’s a song about dreams and possibilities. What if my country were a child and where is that happy and dreamy child of my country, were questions I asked myself when I was composing this song. It’s a mix of the Cuban rhythmic elements, with some Jazz harmonies and simple and cantabiles melodies ending in that danceable moment when you feel that no matter what, life and love are the strongest reasons to celebrate, and that’s something that Cuba has to spare.

You’re currently attending Berklee College of Music. What’s the most important thing that is doing for your career?

Opening my tool bag for creativity and making me feel part of a

family where boundaries of countries, religion, or race don’t matter at all. I was born on an Island where the flow of diversity is not very common. I had the opportunity of traveling outside Cuba at the age of 19, taking my music to countries such as South Korea, Mexico, Germany, and the US, but the experience of visiting a country for a short time doesn’t compare with the experience of years nourishing yourself from such varied cultures and a college with a community as diverse as Berklee. I have changed my vision about music and I have started the path of finding my own voice.

As a composer, what do you enjoy about scoring for a film?

Bring life to an image, that’s just a magical experience. Music is a fundamental component of the image, and the support it provides to reinforce the content and the emotion that you want to convey is crucial. It is a job that takes a lot of effort, especially when you start in the industry, cause you start in projects without much budget, where you have to compose, orchestrate, play, mix and master all the music. But you learn a lot from all the process and the experience you gain working with directors and their visions of the world of images.

Who/what would you consider to be your biggest musical influences?

Finding something new and special to tell requires listening to a great number of musicians who have been a reference for different generations. My biggest influences are hard to say cause I listen constantly to a lot of music, but some special people to mention are Orlando Valle “Maraca”, Richard Egües, Chucho Valdés, Osaín del Monte, Hubert Laws, Bill Evans, Emmanuel Pahud, Tchaikovsky and Bach. These influences are so diverse and that’s the result of my music, a unique DNA code that creates my sonic world. 

Other than COVID, what would you say is your biggest career challenge?

I think the most important thing, even more in times of COVID, is not to lose the internal flame of creativity and the desire to be in constant motion. My challenge will always be to be in constant search and experimentation, to know how to reinvent myself, and more than anything, to be consequent with what I think and express in my music.

What are your immediate career goals?

For a long time, I have wanted to make an album with my compositions and some arrangements. The idea is to make an album with the flute as the protagonist from what I call the two shores, Cuba and the US. To make an album that brings together Latin American and American musicians. May the music be able to unite us in a single language that politics has separated so much. I also have a beautiful project to make a repertoire book for flutists about Cuban music. Unfortunately, in our country, Cuban popular music is not given enough importance in the study programs of the academy and I want to break with that little by little. Can’t wait to share more details soon about that but has been a musical dream for a while.

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Those sound like great goals. I can't wait to see what happens with them!

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

I know you’ll all want to follow along with Sheila to see what she's up to. The best way is to follow her online on Instagram, and visit her website. They’re great ways to make sure you don't miss a thing!

You can also visit her Section 36 Music page. There you'll find more links, music samples, and pictures. It's a great way to enjoy everything Sheila has to offer all in one place.

Thanks again Sheila, and good luck reaching your goals!

"Don't Say It Back" by Maya La Maya (January 22, 2021 Release)

“Don't Say It Back" is the latest single from the talented singer Maya La Maya!

And you’ll want to listen to it as soon as you can!

What is this song all about? Well, Maya was nice enough to answer a few questions for us about the song. Here's what she had to say...

What was the inspiration behind “Don’t Say It Back”

Don't Say It Back was inspired by my decision to move to the west coast. I was seeing someone at the time (this was like a year and a half ago) and was catching feelings. They were seeing other people and I was going to be leaving within the next two years so it didn't make sense to continue, but one night I let the L-word slip out... And within that panic Don't Say It Back was born.

I’m a big fan of your previous work. How would you compare DSIB to your other songs, like “Subtly”

Subtly was an amazing collaboration with Edward Smith, where we let the instrumentation of the song say a lot for us instead of filling the space with unnecessary lyrics. DSIB is a solo piece (with the production help of Edward Smith, Tucker Bickell, HAIKI, and SAMM) where the lyrics are as important as the track. It's very introspective and my favorite song that I've released with my team so far.

What was the writing and recording process like for this song?

The recording process was DIY or bust! Many incredible records have been recorded right in people's living rooms and DSIB is no exception. In the small apartment corners of Boston Tucker, Ed and I made do with what equipment we had, and I couldn't be happier with the result!

Now that you know what it's all about, get ready to find “Don't Say It Back" just about everywhere you usually get your music like Spotify! In fact, you should definitely pre save it today!

 

Right. Now!

 

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If you want to learn more about Maya La Maya, check out her Section 36 Music profile page. There you can find links to her full interview with Section 36 Music, her social media accounts, as well as more samples of her incredible singing.

 

You can also hop directly to her interview right here on Section 36 Music. That will give you an opportunity to learn more about this amazing singer.

 

Be sure to give “Don't Say It Back" a listen!

"Mr. President" by Binx (January 19, 2021 Release)

“Mr. President" is the latest single from the talented singer Binx!

And I can't say enough good things about it! The pop beat will grab you, and not let go. You'll want to have it on repeat all day.

You can find “Mr. President" just about everywhere you usually get your music like Apple and Spotify. So, there's no reason you won't be able to find it.…which I highly suggest you do.

As soon as possible!

Kate Cameron Visits Section 36!

Section 36 Music has another visitor! Kate Cameron is a talented singer, and I was so glad she was willing to visit with us and discuss her music, her future goals, and more. I’m sure you’ll love everything she has to say.

So, let's see what happens when Kate Cameron visits Section 36!

Your recent single “Beauty Shots” is simply wonderful. What can you tell me about it?

Thank you so much! Beauty Shots is definitely a left of center song but that’s why I love it so much. I actually created a whole other song 5 years ago with the hook that you can probably find somewhere on Soundcloud. But a couple of years ago I started working with Peter Shurkin who has really been a cool champion of my music. We were searching for an artist song for me that would stand out and the old demo of that song was enough to push forward with the rewrite and production process. I co-wrote and produced the song with Alden Witt and Peter who truly took the time to help me really input my ideas of production and lyrics. The song is cool to me because it displays a lot of different emotions and represents resilience. Even today I hear the song and create new meaning about it. Generally, the song is about trying to fit into a mold to impress someone, or at the least, be accepted. That connects into the music industry, relationships, and just overall life in general. 

 

Do you see more studio work in your future?

Absolutely! I LOVE to sing and do studio work. Balancing time

and money is key because being an independent musician is not cheap! I am always trying to connect with songwriters and producers who understand my sound and who I can work well with. With that said, I’m currently working on a cover project to showcase my voice on another level that I have not done before with my original music. I am also working on a couple singles of original music with different producers trying to find what works best for me! 

 

I really enjoyed the music video for your previous single “Backseat of a Taxi”. What was it like to put that together?

Thank you so much! I really love that video too. I was 24 when I filmed it and that was a really important year for me. I learned a lot about my sound, my personal strengths, and my emotional intelligence while going in and out of a few career changes and relationships at the time. Believe it or not, I edited it all on my own. I actually almost went to college for video production and I still love to dabble in it to this day. My best friend, (and awesome singer) Britt Hill, helped me film it. We used my jeep headlights and flashlights to create lighting and just made sure we caught the sunset. It was actually filmed outside of my apartment in East Nashville at the time as well as the pedestrian bridge at night! I’ve always loved city lights, and sunsets and I think it was really cool how the video came together with those images. 

 

You’re a graduate of Berklee College of Music. What’s the most important thing that did for your career?

Berklee solidified my persona in so many ways. I graduated over 5 years ago but yet there are so many lessons I learned from my teachers and classmates that I still think about and ponder over today. The level of creativity at that school is insane. To be honest I really did not fit in… at all... and it felt like a lot of my peers took advantage of that which was hard at times. While I was there, I often questioned if I should have just gone to a normal college and got the chance to go to sporting events and campus parties because that’s definitely something I never got to do. With that said, I matured so much at Berklee as a singer, songwriter, and overall musician. I could talk for days on end about my time there but the one thing that stands out the most to me to this day was a lesson I got from Livingston Taylor’s (James Taylor’s brother) performance class. He took me aside after class one day and let me know that he sees my talent in ways my classmates don’t. He told me that's what makes me unique. It really helped me with my confidence at a time when I really needed it. Adding a bit of tough love, he also told me I was going to have to get used to not fitting in because I never would. To this day, he was right.

 

Other than COVID, what would you say is your biggest career challenge?

Definitely getting people to take me seriously as a musician and songwriter has always been a challenge. I don’t exactly know why but I do know people don’t expect me to sound like I do. I see people struggling to pinpoint who to compare me to when they hear my music. I’m 5’9, I’m blonde, I’m from a beach town outside Boston and my hobbies outside of music are just like any other twenty-something girl who you would never know was into music. My favorite artists are John Mayer and Bruno Mars (but also Eric Church & Miranda Lambert). Explaining that to a country music industry person is tricky, lol. But when people see me play out at a cover gig they usually get it because I just love music. I sing what I feel and sometimes that feeling changes depending on the day!

 

What are your immediate career goals?

Right now I would love to write music that is truly me. I still love to co-write for others but there is nothing like having a collection of songs that you know are yours and not a lot of other people could cut. I feel like if anything, that’s something I can do well. On a marketing level, I would love to connect with more content creators such as yourself on a personal level. I want to try and get a bit old school with my marketing techniques and really connect with local radio DJs, concert promoters, and industry folks. Social media can feel a bit like an assembly line these days so if I can find a way to break that mold that would be really cool. 

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Those sound like great goals. I hope she reaches them!

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

I know you’ll all want to follow along with Kate to see what she's up to. The best way is to follow her online on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. They’re great ways to make sure you don't miss a thing!

You can also visit her Section 36 Music page. There you'll find more links, music samples, and pictures. It's a great way to enjoy everything Kate has to offer all in one place.

Thanks again Kate, and good luck reaching your goals!