RECENT ARTICLES

On January 27th, 1997, Michigan-based band, The Verve Pipe, released its third single from their second studio LP, Villains. That song, “The Freshmen,” was a stone cold hit. The track, which has garnered some 18-million YouTube views to date, peaked at number-five on the Billboard Hot 100 and helped Villains earn Platinum status. “The Freshmen,” which was written by the band’s front man, Brian Vander Ark, tells the story of a rather devastating love triangle. It also boasts some very quotable lyrics, which, as luck would have it, Vander Ark was able to pluck from the world around him. We caught up with the musician to talk about how he started writing, how his years in the army influenced his work, what “The Freshmen” did for his career and much more.

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The first song on Heart’s debut 1975 LP, Dreamboat Annie, is the epic, “Crazy On You.” The song, which begins with an acoustic riff that sounds like it’s being plucked by five or six hands (not just by one of guitarist, Nancy Wilson’s) leads into one of the most stalwart guitar licks of all time. Borne out of fits of passion amidst troubled political times (see: War, Vietnam), the track describes the desire to forget everything happening outside one’s windows and succumb to passion. With this song as the band’s introduction to new fans, it’s no wonder that Heart would later make the Rock ‘N’ Roll Hall of Fame. We caught up with Nancy to ask her about the song’s origins, the time Eminem sampled it and much more.

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In April of 2001, songwriter, John Ondrasik (aka Five for Fighting), released the now-U.S. Gold-certified song, “Superman (It’s Not Easy).” The song, which peaked at No. 14 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, saw regular rotation on pop radio stations and MTV, alike.

But the track had a second life after the tragic 9/11 attacks when it became an anthem of healing throughout the nation’s recovery. “Superman” played to honor first responders, firefighters, police and many more for seemingly moths on end. We caught up with the author of that seminal song to ask Ondrasik about he first came to music and songwriting, how he wrote the track (and how long it shockingly took him!), what impact the song had on his career and much more.

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Berlin-based Swiss musician, Sophie Hunger, doesn’t fit in any traditional sonic box. Or, rather, she’s such an adept and skilled player that she’s capable of hopping from music box to music box at will, creating songs in various genres from electronic to rock ‘n’ roll to industrial and others. Hunger’s latest release was the song (and video) for the track, “Alpha Venon,” and the 37-year-old Hunger will release her latest LP, Halluzinationen, on Friday, August 28th. We caught up with Hunger to talk with her about her diverse sonic interests, the staggering number of languages she speaks, how she first fell in love with music, her varied traveling schedule around Europe, her new studio LP and much more.

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On May 8th, 1992, Sir Mix A Lot (born Anthony Ray) officially put booties on the map. That was the day the Seattle-based rapper released his now-timeless hit, “Baby Got Back.” The single, which appeared on his record, Mack Daddy, was the second-best selling song in the U.S. that year and hit number-one on Billboard in July (more on this moment later), spending five weeks at the top.

While the song is titillating and salacious, if you ask Mix, he’ll tell you that there was a sincere, socially progressive message behind the track, too. It wasn’t just about the allure of a rotund posterior. No, it was also about bringing different body shapes and silhouettes into popular culture. Women with curves, women with big butts – these are attributes to celebrate, not shun from magazine covers, movies and television screens. So, Mix made a song about it and that song has lasted ever since on throwback hip-hop stations and in karaoke bars, alike.

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Fans of underground rap music likely know the individual names, Slug (from Atmosphere) and Murs. But they also likely know the two together in their duo project, Felt. Together, Slug and Murs have released four Felt records, including their latest, Felt 4 U, which was produced by longtime Atmosphere beat-maker, Ant (born Anthony Davis). In the past, the two have dedicated records to Christina Ricci, Lisa Bonet and Rosie Perez. The 12-track Felt 4 U incorporates the signature synergy Slug and Murs offer their listeners. The highly skilled emcees bounce between punch lines, setting the other up like volleyball players set teammates up for spikes. The first Felt record came out in 2002 and now the most recent has dropped some eighteen years later. In between, Slug and Murs have sold thousands of albums, independently and together, become parents, married.

A lot can transpire in nearly two decades. But the two bring their best on their latest collaboration. Hits include the energetic “Freeze Tag,” pensive “Sticks & Stones” and sweet “Barboleta.” We caught up with both Slug and Murs to talk about the relationship, “reasoning,” Christina Ricci, vaccinations, fatherhood, MLS soccer and more.

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Seattle producer and songwriter, Alda Agustiano (aka Chong the Nomad), creates some of the most unique musical soundscapes on planet earth. She is one of those rare artists who, upon playing one of her songs, you know exactly who it is if you’ve been previously introduced. Agustiano, who has produced work for Singapore Airlines and other prominent businesses, is poised to release her next record, the 2020 EP, A Long Walk. The record is the follow-up to her successful 2018 debut, Love Memo. To both celebrate and preview that release, American Songwriter Magazine is proud to premiere the latest single from Agustiano, which features the famed Emerald City songwriter, Ben Gibbard, of Death Cab for Cutie. The track, “Provider,” came together after the two shared a stage last year. We caught up with Agustiano to talk about her new EP, working with Gibbard and much more.

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The phrase “a mystery wrapped in an enigma” comes to mind when considering both the music and visage of New Zealand-based performer, Jonathan Bree. The songwriter and front man, who rose to popularity with the 2017 track, “You’re So Cool,” which features Bree in a very blank, very interesting mask-costume, twists a hole in your psyche and won’t leave. His songs are like coffee in the morning with a touch of both sugar and cream. They’re smooth and warm with a kiss of the bittersweet. In the end, though, Bree’s songs energize in their own inimitable manner. We caught up with the musician, who released his latest record, After the Curtains Close, in July, to talk about when he first donned the mask that has become so permanent a part of his aesthetic, how he first fell in love with music, how he landed on his baritone croon and much more.

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On February 7th, 1968, Bell Records released the swelling, sweeping ballad, “Angel of the Morning,” recorded by the stunning vocalist, Merrilee Rush. The track, which was written by Chip Taylor, hit #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and, over 50 years later, has amassed more than three million YouTube views. Since its release, a number of artists have covered “Angel of the Morning,” but it’s Rush’s version that hit the airwaves first and has since survived the test of time. We caught up with the powerful-voiced performer to talk about the song’s release, how she came to sing the empowering lyric, what it’s like to be partially responsible for a timeless hit, how it affected her career and much more.

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By now, you’ve likely heard the music of the Portland-via-Alaska-based band, Portugal. the Man. The group has a number of hits, but their most ubiquitous is, “Feel It Still,” which seemed to run the world for months on end in 2017. To date, the song’s video has racked up nearly 300 million YouTube views. But what you might not have heard is the poignancy and urgency with which the band’s front man, John Baldwin Gourley, speaks about very real and very serious problems – namely, those that have to do with the treatment of indigenous people and the general welfare of the human race.

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