Deni Vassileva Visits Section 36 Music!

Photo: DEYSIAVU

Section 36 Music has another visitor! Deni Vassileva is part of Little Red who just released an incredible single "Paint The Town Blue". If you haven't streamed that one yet, go do so now. I was so excited that Deni was willing to visit with us to discuss the single, and a bit more. I'm sure you'll love what she had to say.

So, let's see what happens when Deni Vassileva visits Section 36 Music!

I really loved your latest single, “Paint the Town Blue”. What can you tell me about it? 

Unlike our first two singles, and the ones coming in the near future, “Paint the Town Blue” was more of a joy project. I loved Ashnikko’s song when it first came out last year in the soundtrack of Arcane and I kept wondering what it would sound like if she had made it metal. I brought the idea to Al, he got inspired, and overnight he had written most of the instrumentals. Once I recorded some vocals on it, we thought our version was too fun not to release. We had to make space for it in the release schedule and it’s been a really great energetic one to play live. 

Do you see more studio work in your future?
We are currently hard at work on two separate EP’s, one of which I am hoping to release before the end of the year. Little Red started out as only me, my voice, and what some people would call “baddie-core” metal, but it’s become more than that. Our next two EP’s will show a greater variety of what Al and I can do creatively. Our listeners can expect harder breakdowns, a more authentic metalcore sound, ethereal ballads, and even better synth production. 

You’re a graduate of Berklee College of Music. What is the biggest thing Berklee did for your career? 

Aside from introducing me to Al, who has been my dream creative outlet, Berklee taught me a lot about handling the industry. My amazing professors in the business department really opened my eyes to how horrible this field is set up to be, but more importantly they gave me the building blocks to deal with it. I think it’s so important to acknowledge how difficult it is to find your place in music without being disheartened and creatively drained. Coming out of Berklee, I feel a lot more confident in my abilities to manage Little Red, book our performances, find relevant opportunities, collaborations, sources of funding, all to help us make our dream a success.

 

Who or what would you say are your greatest musical influences?

Photo: DEYSIAVU

I’d say the music we are writing right now and our inspiration for it is coming from Bring Me The Horizon, Spiritbox, Architects, and I Prevail, to name a few. We both love a heavy song, and the bands that inspire me, specifically, tend to be ones that push the boundaries of the metal genre. Whether that be by having different style clean and distorted vocals, an EDM breakdown, or a unique song structure - one where you get surprised when the breakdown hits - I like bands that experiment with it all. 

What would you say is your largest challenge with your music career?
My largest challenge at the moment is balancing my education, writing and recording time, and business. Al and I handle everything Little Red-related together, which means that both of us take on a lot of necessary, and otherwise costly, jobs. We have also both agreed that the band is our priority. However, I am starting a Masters program and he has a full time job. It is difficult to remember to prioritize our creative work in our current realities. I am just hoping that the frustration that music is not our full time and only job will just fuel more energy right into our music and stage performance. 

Photo: DEYSIAVU

What are your immediate musical goals?
Our immediate musical goals are taking on as many gigs as possible and finishing our currently started EPs. After a year of writing and releasing music remotely, Al and I are finally based in the same place (London, England), and we are ready to hit the ground running. My goals for the next year are to build up our audience from live performances and collaborate with more bands in the scene with us. Longterm? I can’t wait to make it big enough to return to Boston and play a gig with my friends from Berklee, however long that takes.

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Hopefully she'll be able to do that soon!

As always, I want to thank Deni 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, Deni, and good luck reaching your goals!

 

Giselle Manto Visits Section 36 Music!

Section 36 Music has another visitor! Giselle Manto was long overdue for a visit with us. If you're not familiar with her recent singles, "Waters New" and "Aruba", you need to go check them out right now. I was incredibly excited that Giselle wanted to visit with us to discuss the songs, her goals, and more. I'm sure you'll love what she had to say.

So, let's see what happens when Giselle Manto visits Section 36 Music!

I really loved your latest single, with Natalie Del Carmen, “Waters New”. What can you tell me about it?

Natalie and I were roommates during college and we went through a lot together growing up and seeing what the world is like after college. Waters New represents trying to have fun with simple things and always feeling like you’re chasing something but at the end of the day it’s the people around you that matter most. 

The way we wrote this song was also very interesting and fast and I think shows our relationship really well. Natalie was showing me her beautiful baritone guitar in a drop D tuning and teaching me how she plays with drop D (something I usually don’t play in). I wrote the verse super quick and then handed her the guitar and said can you help me write a chorus and it came spilling out of her and the song came about in less than a day basically. Natalie and I are always in sync. I love her dearly. We have always had a special connection not only as friends but in music too our voices blend so well and we’d say that sometimes we can’t tell who’s singing what. 

It had a different feel to me than your solo work. How would you say it compares to a song like your single, “Aruba”?

Waters New and Aruba are extremely different and I think that’s something I really like about my writing. I don’t like to stick to one genre. As a producer, I think it’s really important to explore different styles. They are very guitar heavy songs cause I usually write with guitar first and then build on top. And they both have a positive meaning to them. Aruba is a breakup song, but it’s also a song about appreciating the past. For example, that lyric in the second first that says “I’m happy every time I reminisce”.

You’re a graduate of Berklee College of Music. What is the biggest thing Berklee did for your career?

Berklee gave me a good group of people to work with and also taught me a lot of practical things about vocals, harmonies and having an ear to mix a production. I think one of the biggest things I take from Berklee is not to compare yourself with other people.  Comparison is thief of joy. Being around so many talented people from all over the world at Berklee was certainly intimidating, very beautiful, inspiring and I think it was a great community to learn from.

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

I love a lot of the Renaissance Disney era. Currently, I have been listening to ‘He’s a Tramp’ from Lady and the Tramp, so I would probably cover that one. I love jazz.

What would you say is the biggest challenge with your music career?

The biggest challenge has always been social media for me. Marketing/administrative/publishing/dealing with royalties. Making music is really just 5% of making music. And being consistent too, is hard online. 

What are your immediate musical goals?

To be frank, my immediate music goals are to get more streams, release more music, and find people who genuinely enjoy what I make. I have a lot more songs coming out this year and next year and a lot of different genres and possibly different languages so please stay tuned and connected

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I know I definitely enjoy the music she makes!

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

As she suggests, 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, Giselle! Looking forward to helping you reach your goals!

Anika Locke Visits Section 36 Music!

Section 36 Music has another visitor! Anika Locke is fresh off the release of her amazing EP, "cool or whatever". If you haven't streamed it yet, you should do it now. I was thrilled Anika wanted to visit with us to discuss the EP, and a bit more. I'm sure you'll love what she had to say.

So, let's see what happens when Anika Locke visits Section 36 Music!

I absolutely love your new EP, “cool or whatever”. What can you tell me about it?

Thank you! Cool or whatever is so special to me because it is not only my first project and release, but also a collection of my own stories that I now get to share. Each song is a snapshot of my own experiences, that I feel are even more relatable because they are the things I don’t always say out loud. 

My favorite thing about the whole project is that the title sums up the attitude of the project. It’s posing as nonchalant and fun, but underneath there’s a lot of vulnerability and honesty. My overall goal was that I really wanted this project to feel like hanging out with me in real life, both genuine and fun. 

Do you have a favorite memory from the recording process?

It’s so difficult to choose a favorite memory of recording, because I truly loved it all. It was my first time in a studio, and experiencing the creative energy in the room was incredibly exciting (we were all dancing when we heard the rough drafts back for the first time). I do think one of the best memories definitely was working on “don’t wanna be lame,” especially for the vocal layering at the end. It started as a bit of an experimental idea, but the first time we played it back we instantly knew that it was exactly what we were going for, and it was so inspiring to me because I fell in love with the process of taking the songs and trying out every idea to shape them into the final versions that exist now. 

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

Berklee felt like the right choice for me because it is a place where my love for music and community are combined. I found out about Berklee about 4 years ago, and at the time I was only posting my songs to TikTok. Finding Berklee was really the first time I seriously began to consider pursuing music professionally. I knew I’d grow the most in an environment where everyone is creating and inspiring each other, and I definitely feel that it’s the perfect place to challenge myself, meet so many other talented people, and take my music to the next level. 

What Disney song would you most want to cover?

This is such a great question because my favorite Disney movie as a kid was Beauty and the Beast, so its title track would be amazing to cover. 

What is the most challenging part of your music career?

I think the most challenging part of my music career is finding balance - between the creative process and also everything else that comes with it. Writing and performing is the most natural to me, but as an emerging artist it has definitely been a journey to trust myself as an artist, learn the business side, and self- motivate. I’ve had to learn how to stay consistent and not let doubt creep in, even when things move slower than I’d like. It’s definitely a challenge, but it also pushes me every day to grow as both an artist and a person. 

What are your immediate musical goals?

Play some shows! 

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Hopefully she'll play plenty of shows and you all can attend!

As always, I want to thank Anika 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, Anika, and good luck reaching your goals!

Ale Gil Visits Section 36 Music!

Section 36 Music has another visitor! Changing things up a bit today. Ale Gil is a music podcaster who is the founder and host of "Coffee and Records" a podcast that combines her passions for music and mental health. I was thrilled that Ale wanted to visit with us to discuss the podcast, her goals, and more. I'm sure you'll love what she had to say.

So, let's see what happens when Ale Gil visits Section 36 Music!

What made you decide to start your podcast, “Coffee and Records”?

Over the past two years I have been struggling a lot with mental health and with finding my purpose within the music industry. I began noticing that I was not the only one feeling this way, so I thought it would be a great idea to start a platform that can help people navigate their careers while taking care of their mental health. As a Berklee student, I believe I am surrounded by the next generation of the music industry where every single person has a unique story to tell and advice to share. By having these genuine conversations, we can learn about the struggles and successes in someone's life which can encourage deeper connections and can make us feel more understood and less alone. 

Do you have any favorite parts of the recording process?

My favourite part is definitely recording interviews. I am so grateful each time I get to sit down with a person and have a meaningful conversation that can be shared with the world. Everytime I finish an interview, I feel deeply connected with the person and so happy I get to learn new things!

How do you select your podcast topics and guests?

I generally start by going through a list of people I know around Berklee that I deeply admire and want to know more about. From there, I brainstorm some questions and the topics discussed come naturally. 

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

Berklee seemed the right place for me because here I can embrace my passion for music and learn the tools I need to help others within the industry. Music has helped me deal with many hardships in life and so I knew that I needed to study somewhere that could equip me with the knowledge I need in order to be able to provide that help to others. 

What would you say are your biggest podcasting challenges?

In my opinion, the biggest challenge I found when it comes to podcasting is being able to expand the target audience in a way I can reach a great amount of listeners. I do believe that it takes time for any business to be recognized by many, but it is definitely a lot of hard work. 

Do you have any immediate podcasting goals?

Yes! As for right now I am really looking forward to interviewing a lot of interesting people and bringing some new elements into my podcast apart from our interviews! I am excited to soon be sharing all the great things I have planned for the following months!

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I can't wait to see those new episodes!

As always, I want to thank Ale 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 podcast on Instagram and Instagram to make sure you don't miss a thing. 

Thanks again, Ale! Good luck reaching your goals!

Nicole Ash Makes 36 Decisions!

Photo: Sube Films

Nicole Ash is back! I know you love her music, including her recent single "Seeing Signs". I'm sure you loved learning more about her in her "36 Favorite Things" post. Now we get to hear from her again in a little game of "Would you Rather?"

Nicole was nice enough to make 36 decisions for us so we could learn a bit more about the artist behind the music. Let's see how it goes.

Which would she prefer...

Brooklyn or Golden Gate Bridge? Golden Gate

Red Sox or Yankees? Red Sox!

Disney or Pixar? Disney

Tank top or tee shirt? Either, but usually T-shirt

French fries or onion rings? Fries

Ice cream or iced coffee? Coffee for sure

Cake or Pie? Pie... unless it's cheesecake

Breakfast or Dinner? Breakfast

Pizza party or pool party? Why not both?? But Would go with pool party

Formal attire or Casual wear? Casual

Beach vacation or Mountain retreat? Beach

Too hot or too cold? Too hot

Going to a water park or amusement park? Amusement

Adventure travel or Relaxing vacation? Both! I love exploring and getting time to relax

Night out or Night in? Night in

Concerts or Movie nights? Concerts!

Playing video games or reading books? Video games

Football or baseball? Football

Hiking or Rock climbing? Hiking

Fiction or Non-fiction? Both

Driver or passenger? Passenger

Pizza or tacos? Pizza, but love both!

Asia or Europe? Europe, but want to visit Asia!

Sunbathing or swimming? Swimming

Tattoo or piercing? Tattoo

Animation or Live-action? Animation

Superheroes or Princesses? Princesses

Unicorn or dragon? Dragon

Shopping in-store or buying things online? Online

Sending text messages or calling people? Calling

Podcasts or YouTube videos? I listen to a lot of both

Getting lost in the jungle or in a vast city? City

Fruits or vegetables? Veggies

Ability to read other people's minds or ability to fly? Fly

Puzzle or Crossword? Puzzle

Host a party, or attend a party? Attend

That was fun!

As always, I want to thank Nicole for taking the time to do this with us. It's always nice to be able to learn a bit more about a favorite artist.

Be sure to listen to Nicole and follow along with her to see what she's up to. I would definitely follow her on Instagram, and/or Spotify. In fact, go do both right now! 

Thanks again Nicole!