Self Released Songs

Producers can fit into a lot of molds and wear many hats, but composers who also produce music like Bayonne are on another level. Mixing elaborately written, arranged and performed soundscapes; Bayonne is an artist like no other and his live shows are on another level. With new music coming next year we chatted with him about his early years and so much more

Songwriters are essential if you're starting a music project. Over time you'll notice that most bands are driven by one person's vision. Ask any record producer and they'll tell you that the key to a good song begins with great songwriting. Over the years we've gotten to know Sergio Trevino through his band Buxton. We've relished in his side project Guess Genes with Case DeMaster of Get A Life and we've adored his project Ancient Cat Society with Austin Sepulvado of Buxton and Hailey Lynch of Dollie Barnes. We sat down with him to discuss how he became a musician, how he writes songs and when we can expect a new album from Ancient Cat Society. As a bonus, he reveals a new project, Rodeo Art coming soon.

For years, Mikey Drag has ushered in the sixties side of rock n' roll and beyond. Part owner of Wallflower Records and the lead singer of Flower Graves, his dedication to bringing garage riffs to the masses is unparalleled. We spoke to him about growing up in Texas, his band's new album and what we can expect from Flower Graves before the year ends.

The drive to succeed is something that decides who makes music a career and who’s doing it for a hobby. Through years of hard work Mario Rodriguez took his band Tax The Wolf to new places. He and his wife started Bang Bangz and took it even further. And his world of production, publishing and engineering as Wonky Power Records has seen his vision come full circle with a drive that’s unparalleled.

The best bands are constantly changing and ever-evolving in front of you. While some bands take a turn in direction that's like a ninety degree angle, others slowly dissipate a new sound into what they're already doing. The latter is what Houston's Velveteen Echo has achieved. Between two E.P.'s they went from a shoegaze tone to a more indie rock direction without losing their overall affect in the process. Now in the midst of writing their debut full length set for a TBA release, we spoke to lead singer and principal songwriter Lauren Massa about how they began, where the band's name comes from and what we can expect from them in the near future.

In hip hop, things changed as frequently as they began. While some rappers were innovators, their sound was often copped by bigger acts who weren't as inventive. La Porte's B L A C K I E has been treading his own path since 2005 and standing five years ahead of the mainstream hip hop world. Where his use of grime, punk and noise was revolutionary when he drooped his self-titled E.P. fifteen years ago, the producer has continued to innovate and stands ahead of the rest of the rap industry. With work on a new album coming soon, we talked to the rapper about how he got his start, where his stage name came from and what's next in his career.

Austin is a landscape of music, there's no denying it. But when you dig deep into who lives in the Texas capitol, you'll find it's a melting pot of artists from all over. What's most exciting is that because there are nuggets of industry there, musicians can live a life based around music and creativity. One of the most creative voices comes from Houston born and Austin transplant Nick Diaz. Performing under the name Buenos Diaz he's done everything from record with Grammy winners to touring as the guitarist for Alejandro Escovedo. Of course his guitar skills and songwriting are as top notch as they come, and with a new EP coming some time this year, we decided to chat with him about how it all began and more.

Country music used to be a genre by immigrants and people of the land. Then the major label music industry co-opted it and turned it into a glossy and manufactured version of itself. To steer clear of that, we sat down with Country artist Luba Dvorak. Aside from making pristine honky tonk tunes, Dvorak isn't the norm in today's shiny country landscape, though his sound is as universal as the songs hill people sang on porches over seventy years ago.

John Allen Stephens is a record producer from Houston, Texas as well as an accomplished artist in his own right. Producer for acts like ATTXLA, Tee Vee and The Suffers, Stephens has one of the most unique ears for music. Especially with pop tones and arrangements. His debut full length RADIOCLUB.LP is one of the most engaging solo albums you'll hear in a long while, and his production style gives artists a way to achieve their perfect sound through his expertise.

We sit down with El Lago, a band from Galveston, Texas who’s latest EP Pyramid is a tour de force, mixing swells of pedals with post punk tones.