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Marc Scibilia

Photo by Andy Hawkes

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Quarantine Diaries: Marc Scibilia quarantine-diaries-marc-scibilia-building-studio-listening-beastie-boys-his-daughter

Quarantine Diaries: Marc Scibilia Is Building A Studio & Listening To Beastie Boys With His Daughter

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As the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic continues to rock the music industry, the Recording Academy reached out to a few musicians to see how they were spending their days indoors
GRAMMYs
Jun 16, 2020 - 11:04 am

As the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic continues to rock the music industry, the Recording Academy reached out to a few musicians to see how they were spending their days indoors. Today, singer/songwriter Marc Scibilia shares his Quarantine Diary. 

[6 a.m.–8 a.m.] The first two hours of my morning I hang out with my 16-month-old daughter, Naomi. It was a little tough to get used to not diving into work when I wake up but I have really grown to love it. We listen to Beastie Boys' "Intergalactic" no less than 15 times every morning. She walks over to the record player and signals for more. I have tried so many other artists and songs but they do not work. I guess it's fitting since it was probably my favorite song as a kid.

[8 a.m.–10 a.m.] Our babysitter gets to the house and I start my work day. I run 1–3 miles, lift light weights and shower. I try to have a phone conversation with one of my friends… sadly most of them aren’t up, but Troy or Thad is a good bet. I read for about 20–30 minutes, I fill out a detailed plan of what I am going to accomplish in the day. I use a guideline my friend Donald Miller created (I would recommend it for any creative person who has trouble focusing their energy). 

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[10 a.m.–11 a.m.] I listen to what I was recording the day before—usually I have mixed feelings. Love some of it, hate some of it. I try to make some gut decisions and move on. If there are people that are helping me on things… players, mixers etc. I try to get them going early in the day so we can all be finished with stuff by the end of the day. Since we’ve been in quarantine for about three months and I’ve barely left my house, I’m relying mostly on emails, FaceTime, texts and voice notes for speed.

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[12 p.m.–2 p.m.] My current studio is in the basement of my house. It's 7.5 foot ceilings and no natural light, so I go down into the creative dungeon with some hesitancy at the beginning of every day. At this point, I finally start making music. Once a song is written, I usually start by capturing a scratch vocal and one instrument—whether that be guitar or piano—to map out the structure. After that, I try to understand the rhythm of the song by adding some drums. At this point, I let my imagination take me wherever it’ll go. There’s really no set of steps. It’s really about how I can best bring the song to life. One of my go-to instruments is the Moog 1 synthesizer (the first polyphonic synthesizer they’ve put out in like 30 years!)

[3 p.m.–5 p.m.] I am finishing building a studio in my backyard that has a ton of windows and 23 foot high ceilings but none of this record will be made there. This all comes from the basement. I’m not involved with the technical side of building the studio, in fact I’m probably a nuisance. I am involved in the vision of how I want it to work. Since I spend most of my time when I’m not touring, I like being very involved in the way the space feels on the creative side.

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[5 p.m.–7 p.m.] Since I have been finishing an album most of my time is music production and finishing recordings. If I’m making good progress in the day, I like to end the day with a game or two of FIFA online.

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Quarantine Diaries: Lindgren And Melanie Fontana Are Hosting An Open House, Cooking Blue Apron & Watching "Cake Wars"

If you wish to support our efforts to assist music professionals in need, learn more about the Recording Academy's and MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund.

If you are a member of the music industry in need of assistance, visit the MusiCares website.

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Election 2020: The Issues Affecting Musicians election-2020-artists-speak-out-issues-impacting-musicians-voting-season

Election 2020: Artists Speak Out On The Importance Of Copyright, Musicians' Rights And Relief Efforts This Voting Season

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GRAMMY.com spoke to a number of artists and musicians about some of the most pressing issues impacting the music community this election cycle
Crystal A. Frost
GRAMMYs
Nov 2, 2020 - 9:53 pm

This week, Americans will decide on the next president of the United States, and musicians across the country are among the hundreds of millions of lives that will be impacted by the outcome. In a recent article, which cited industry executives on both sides of the aisle, Billboard broke down what's at stake for musicians in this upcoming election cycle, underscoring copyright as the most important policy issue in the music business right now. Since the copyright industries collectively contribute more than $1 trillion dollars annually to the Gross Domestic Product, many members of the music community might therefore assume this to be the big-ticket issue that could help them decide between candidates. Unfortunately, though, it's not that simple. 

"While there is no shortage of issues that differentiate Trump and Biden, music is generally not one of them," Daryl Friedman, the Recording Academy's Chief Advocacy Officer, told Billboard. The fact is, both Joe Biden and Donald Trump share very similar views on copyright and have pro-music policies on their records, making it very difficult for undecided voters in the music community to choose a candidate based on copyright policy alone. 

Ahead of the 2020 Election, GRAMMY.com spoke to a number of artists and musicians about some of the most pressing issues impacting the music community this voting season.

https://twitter.com/GRAMMYAdvocacy/status/1308478685503258624

🗓 Early voting?
📬 Mail-in ballots?
📍Polling locations?

📲 Register, get your ballot, and learn more about #MusicVotes: https://t.co/NyyQsII7qD #VoteReady pic.twitter.com/amp0dhxCD5

— GRAMMY Advocacy (@GRAMMYAdvocacy) September 22, 2020

Pandemic Music Rights

Many musicians and industry professionals show tremendous concern over the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has directly impacted the music industry in drastic ways. In fact, when Vice Presidential candidate Kamala Harris took to Instagram Live with artists Miley Cyrus, Billie Eilish and Selena Gomez in October, the pandemic was central to their conversations. The inability to tour has proven particularly devastating for the careers of indie musicians, and the same goes for indie music venues, which are struggling to survive

Read: Sacred Spaces: Rufus Wainwright, YUNGBLUD, Keb' Mo' And Others Reflect On The Independent Venues And Clubs That Changed Their Lives

"The lack of a national strategy has not just meant live music venues across the country being shut down, but many having to shut their doors permanently," one Los Angeles music venue manager tells GRAMMY.com. "Many big venues will be fine, but what does that mean for small businesses?"

Tour Stop(ped): Honest Talk With Touring Artists

The Recording Academy has worked closely with lawmakers and policy makers, including in the Trump Administration, on relief efforts to support the music ecosystem, and it continues to advocate for a substantial relief package—inclusive of funding for musicians, venues, studios and other music small businesses affected by the pandemic.

According to Ruth Vitale, CEO of CreativeFuture, piracy has also worsened since the pandemic, as Americans find it increasingly more difficult to pay for streaming services. "In a time when few can work, piracy cuts into the already reduced legitimate revenue streams from our creations, exacerbating our economic challenges," she explains in a letter to Joe Biden last month.

Indie pop duo Flora Cash expresses similar concerns for the music industry amid the pandemic. "The music industry as a whole is in a really tough spot right now due to the situation around COVID-19, and some real help is going to be needed, especially for live music venues that have not been able to open for almost the entirety of 2020," they told GRAMMY.com in a joint statement. 

Music Rights

When asked what issues matter most to her this voting season, GRAMMY-nominated songwriter and R&B artist Victoria Monét addressed musicians' rights. "There are [policies in place] that don't reflect the way today's music is consumed or accurately accommodate creatives in general," she tells GRAMMY.com. "Among many other political issues, fair and equal pay for songwriters is very important to me." 

Monét's point is supported by many musicians who argue that the payout to artists, songwriters and producers from streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music is too low, especially given the significant role the copyright industry plays in our economy. 

"The core copyright industries are an important economic driver for our country, employing 5.7 million Americans and contributing more than $1.3 trillion to the Gross Domestic Product," CreativeFuture's Vitale shares in her October letter to Biden. "[This is] more than aerospace, agriculture, or pharmaceuticals."

Read: How ONE Musicfest Is Engaging Voters In 2020: "The Underlying Message Is To Get Folks To The Polls"

Musicians' rights are a hallmark of the Recording Academy's advocacy efforts. Just recently, Academy Trustee Yolanda Adams testified in front of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, and earlier in 2020, the Academy's Chair and Interim President/CEO Harvey Mason jr. spoke to the same committee about the importance of establishing a terrestrial radio performance right for artists. The Academy will continue to advocate for fair pay for artists and creators in a more inclusive and modern copyright system.

Fortunately, both candidates have expressed similarly strong views on the issue of copyright. In 2018, President Trump signed into law the Music Modernization Act (MMA)—the most significant update to music licensing in a generation, with significant support from the Recording Academy and its members. President Trump also recently signed the USMCA, which included a number of substantial pro-copyright modifications.  

And as Billboard recently reported, Vice President Biden has a long and verifiable track record in supporting pro-copyright policies, citing his eight years as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. "Look, piracy is outright theft," Biden said in 2011. "People are out there blatantly stealing from Americans - stealing their ideas and robbing us of America's creative energies. There's no reason why we should treat intellectual property any different than tangible property." (The Recording Academy honored Biden at the 2011 GRAMMYs on the Hill Awards in Washington, D.C.)

Delving further into the candidate's track records reveals that Joe Biden was behind the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, which was responsible for millions of dollars going back into the pockets of musicians and arts organizations that were impacted by the economic crash of 2009. "ARRA supplemented my income so that I could continue Chorus America," GRAMMY-winning choral conductor Peter Rutenberg tells GRAMMY.com. 

Despite widespread criticism of the Trump Administration's handling of the pandemic, they haven't left musicians completely empty-handed either. At the urging of the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act of 2020 , which was signed by President Trump, took steps to help musicians combat the economic challenges spurred by the pandemic by temporarily allowing gig workers to apply for unemployment assistance.

Funding The Arts

As for the classical community, one of the primary concerns for voters is the funding of the arts. "I am deeply concerned for the arts in America," Stephen Williamson, principal clarinetist for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, tells GRAMMY.com. "We are usually the first genre to be cut from schools and/or underfunded by the government."  "I sincerely hope that our country sees the need for the arts in the enrichment of the human spirit ... something that all people are truly craving in light of this pandemic." 

The Recording Academy annually submits testimony to the House of Representatives and Senate in support of additional funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). As part of Congress' response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Academy successfully advocated for the establishment of a $75 million supplemental fund for the NEA to help struggling creators as part of the CARES Act.

Your Voice Matters

From Black Lives Matter to the environment, the list of issues that matter to the music community is vast. Ultimately, Americans must decide for themselves what issues matter most and why. No matter who you support, musicians and music-lovers alike are encouraged to get to the polls on Election Day (Tuesday, Nov. 3) if you haven't yet cast your ballot via the #MusicVotes campaign. You can visit the Recording Academy's election page for voting resources and additional information to make your vote matter.

"It's important for everyone, not just musicians, to get out and vote," GRAMMY-nominated film composer Bruce Broughton tells GRAMMY.com. Broughton, who is known for such film scores as Tombstone, Young Sherlock Holmes and Moonwalker, believes there is more at stake in this election than ever before. "This year, the choice is big, and the repercussions of that choice will be bigger. I don't see anyone not being [affected] by whichever side wins this year."

Are You Ready To Vote? Design Your Voting Plan With #MusicVotes Campaign

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[From left]: Bartees Strange, Anjimile and Jordana Nye. Photos courtesy of Julia Leiby, Maren Celest & Grand Jury Music

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What's It Like To Release A Debut During COVID? bartees-strange-anjimile-more-what-its-release-debut-album-pandemic

Bartees Strange, Anjimile & More On What It's Like To Release A Debut Album In A Pandemic

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A variety of rising artists sit down to discuss the unusual and inopportune circumstances of releasing a debut record during COVID, and what it takes to make the best of an impossible situation
Mike Hilleary
GRAMMYs
Oct 27, 2020 - 1:36 pm

Video-chatting through her phone, Wichita-based singer/songwriter Jordana Nye shows me a tattoo she recently got on her right forearm. Written in small red ink is a single word: "numb." "I feel like I've just been kind of numb throughout the whole thing—like my tattoo," she says. Laughing at herself, almost as an aside, she quickly adds, "The decisions you make when you're in quarantine."

The "whole thing" Nye is referencing is of course the increasingly fragile state of the music industry as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, a global health crisis that has in just a few short months forced the closure of concert venues across the country, the cancelation of festivals and tours, and manifested an overwhelming sense of uncertainty for the untold number of musical artists that make recording and performing songs their livelihood. While established, high-profile acts such as Bruce Springsteen, Lady Gaga, and BTS are fully capable of releasing a new album in the middle of a volatile and complicated environment and experience little to no impact on their financial bottom line and cultural cachet, those like Nye, who only just made her first steps into the industry with the release of her debut album Classical Notions of Happiness in March, are finding themselves mentally and professionally hobbled at the exact moment they are trying to introduce themselves to the greater music listening community.

In addition to Nye (who has followed Classical Notions of Happiness with the EP Something to Say and has a second EP … To You scheduled for release in December), a variety of rising artists, including Christian Lee Hutson (Beginners), Anjimile (Giver Taker), Bartees Strange's Bartees Cox Jr. (Live Forever), and Nation of Language frontman Ian Devaney (introduction, Prescence) all sat down to discuss the unusual and inopportune circumstances of releasing a debut record during COVID, and what it takes to make the best of an impossible situation.

The Initial Shock

Jordana Nye: I kind of went through like the worst depression. I mean, you just gotta keep swimming. It's hard to sometimes. But you get medicine, get therapy, talk about stuff. That's what I did, and it helped a lot. I couldn't even do anything for maybe three months straight. It was the worst.

Ian Devaney: It was kind of disbelief, especially when I realized how long it would go on and I realized what that would do to small and mid-sized venues. I was like, even when we do come back from this, the landscape is just gonna be so totally different. What does this mean as far as these businesses as independent hubs in the community? But my brain also just zoomed out to the corporate consolidation of touring above the D.I.Y. level basically. Are the only people who are going to be able to keep their venues open the ones who aren't as artist-friendly?

Bartees Cox Jr.: After we released my EP Say Goodbye to Pretty Boy, it was crazy. We got invited to play this WNYC soundcheck live show thing on March 12. And then we also had a show in New York on March 13. And this was when the shit was really going down in New York. And we were there, we played the thing, and we were all like, "Dang, this looks like it's gonna get really serious." And then after the EP came out, my team and I were like, "Well, do we just not do anything for a year and a half? We have momentum now. We should just ride this and keep writing." And that was just it, let's just follow the wave. It's working right now. So why why stop, you know?

Read More: Anjimile Opens Up On 'Giver Taker,' Sobriety, Identifying As Trans & More

The Road Is Closed

Christian Lee Hutson: Just from my perspective, the thing that seems to help debut artists the most is supporting other artists on tour, and that element has been completely taken out of the picture. Having your name tied to whatever the act is you're opening for and getting a chance to be in front of new people that might not have heard you on whatever streaming playlist, that aspect is probably the most damaging.

Ian Devaney: I've always been someone who feels like Nation of Language captures more people through the live show. And so when it became clear that we weren't going to be touring for a long time, I was like, "Oh, I guess we're doomed. I guess we'll put these things out and maybe some people listen to them, and then it will just fade away and we'll get on with the next thing and wait. But I was very shocked and flattered that the record started doing much better than I ever thought. That was very exciting. I feel very grateful for that.

Bartees Cox Jr.: I'm glad that we put Live Forever out now, instead of right at the beginning of the pandemic, because I don't think people knew what the f**k was going on in March. I saw some bands, put some records out that were really good in February and January who had huge tours booked all summer. I feel like this really hit them in the chest. That just takes so much like gas and energy out of you.

Ian Devaney: We were three shows into a tour, when they were like, "OK, everyone has to go home." It wasn't just disbelief that a dangerous thing was happening, but disbelief from the whiplash of the fact that we were about to be on the road for a month. But now, I'm back in my apartment. There was confusion and then, yeah, just real sadness of not knowing when I'm gonna get to do this again.

Christian Lee Hutson: Doing my first real headline tour, that was supposed to happen. I was supposed to on it right now, actually. In June I was also going to tour with one of my favorite bands, The Magnetic Fields. I was excited to spend a month with them. Those are two things I feel like, "Oh, man, those would have been cool." And hopefully, in a world where we're safer, those things can still happen.

Read More: Bartees Strange On 'Live Forever' & Why "It Shouldn't Be Weird To See Black Rock Bands"

Ian Devaney: I was really looking forward to playing the Seattle show on our canceled tour. KEXP seemed like the first radio station that consistently was reaching out to us and playing us on a regular basis, and we kind of developed a close relationship with them. And to me they've always been sort of one of the gatekeepers of like, "Oh, I'm in this level now. KEXP knows about my band." And so, them just being excited for us to come and us getting the sense that people just driving around in their cars during the day were hearing our music—and that being such a strange thing to wrap our heads around—it felt like we were gonna show up and be like, "We've arrived."

Jordana Nye: I was going on my first tour. I felt unprepared. I was also really nervous. And then when the COVID stuff started, there was a surreal moment where I was like, "What? I was just about to do something that could impact my life in such a big way and now it's gone." I was told there was gonna be hotels.

Christian Lee Hutson: Not touring is a huge change in my life in general. I've been touring with other people or just on my own for the last 11 years in my life. So to not do it at the one time I've finally released an album and not be doing it feels hilarious.

Bartees Cox Jr.: I keep telling myself, "It's just delayed. You will get to play the record for years. It will always exist." It won't be the same, but I also think when shows open up, people are gonna be really hyped to go to shows. The bottom line is, it'll be okay. Again, I have no choice. It's hard to like dwell on that. I knew that would be the case, before I put it out.

Fiscal Feasibility

Anjimile: I would describe it as not an ideal time, but I also have never monetized like my music career in a major way. It's not like, "Oh, no, all this money I usually make is gone!" [Laughs.]

Christian Lee Hutson: My wife and I are both living on unemployment and savings right now and just kind of hold on as long as we can, just hoping that touring can come back before we're in a crippling amount of debt.

Ian Devaney: The unemployment insurance is currently supporting me. When we left for tour the restaurant I was working at I said, "I understand if you won't have a space to me when I get back," but they were like, "We I think we'll be able to work the schedule," and I thought, "Perfect." But then the reason we came back was because everything was shutting down. And so I got an email suggesting we should all file for an appointment, and we'll see what happens.

Jordana Nye: At least I have my job back in Wichita. I work at a brewing company called Norton's. They're super involved in live music and it's a great place. I was like a barback during the summer. And now I'm a dishwasher. It's humbling.

Team Building and Content Alternatives

Bartees Cox Jr.: I just feel sometimes [as a new artist] you're the only one that knows that you have something special, and you just gotta build around it. And then all of a sudden people just show up around you. You have a team and you have a plan. But you got to make the first step.

Anjimile: It definitely changed the scope and nature of the promotional cycle. When it became apparent that touring was not happening I was like, "OK, so I guess we'll have to get creative and do other things to generate and maintain interest in this record."

Christian Lee Hutson: I think everyone was just flying by the seat of their pants, like, "We'll do the best that we can do and we're just gonna do everything that we can as we think of it." Those were really the kind of conversations that were had. The funny thing about all of this is all you can do is throw your hands up and just do it, surrender yourself to it. And I feel like everyone has a label and Phoebe and me and my management, everyone has been pretty good at just being like, "Alright, we're just gonna roll with it."

Anjimile: I'm also working on building a team. I now have a booking agent. And I'm talking with managers for the first time and that's super exciting. I'm doing all these behind the scenes team building stuff.

Ian Devaney: We've actually, in the middle of the pandemic, gotten booking agents. And they were like, "This is weird, but we an tell people about the band for when things open back up. We can get your name into circulation of who's being considered for what." You can get the sense that they are ready to just throw us intensely on the road, and we are ready to do that as well.

Bartees Cox Jr.: Will Yip, who runs memory music, was just like, "This thing is super fresh. It's good no matter what. You got to just trust us." I was the most apprehensive because no one's ever cared about my music or anything I've ever done. So I was like, "Well, OK, if this is what you think, I trust you guys." And they were all just so passionate about it and they just worked so f**king hard. My publicist Jamie and manager Tim, they just really pushed the record really, really hard. Teams are so important. I didn't know how important they were until really this year, how much how much it helps to have a label and a manager and a publicist that love you and love your record, and are going to put in extra hours and go the extra mile. That was the difference-maker. I think that's why it didn't matter what was happening around us because yes, it's an election year, yes the world was literally ending, yeah there's a pandemic. But this record is f**king good. And it's not the first time a great record has come out when things are really bad.

Anjimile: I got hit up by a U.K. booking agency first, and they were like, "Hey, obviously, there's no touring happening right now, but we love your sound and we're looking into the future to see where you would fit in certain clubs, and we just want you on the team." The same thing happened with my new U.S. booking agent. She was like, "We've been following you for a couple years, seen your name everywhere. Booking doesn't really exists, but I want to work with you and get you on the team and we can talk about slowly building what a live Anjimile thing looks like."

Ian Devaney: I think part of it is letting fans know that we're not stopping. It often helps me emotionally invest in a band if I can believe that the band is really in it to keep moving. I don't know if that makes sense. People will email us or reach out through Bandcamp and things like that. And it's always just really nice to hear people's stories of how they've enjoyed the record.

Jordana Nye: My team taught me to just try to keep working and keep busy until we get a sense of what the hell is going to happen—and just release music because it's really all you can do. Anything you can do, you just have to do it.

Anjimile: I think the main idea for me is just galvanizing and continually engaging my social media presence. My social media numbers have climbed substantially as a result of this release, which is exciting. And not to sound like a f**king music industry business guy, but content is helpful, and so I'm just trying to create chill content without losing my mind. We're about to have a contest. We've got a video coming out. Hopefully people can sit at home and watch. I want to try and create content that folks can engage with at home. Part of our merch is boxers. We were like, "What about hats?" "Well, nobody's gonna see the hat." "What about fanny packs?" "Nobody's going anywhere." "OK. Boxers. People will be at home wearing them." We're just trying to be as creative as possible.

Jordana Nye: I've got some music video stuff in the works. There's a new one coming out that was filmed in my home of Wichita for "I Guess This is Life," and my best friend is in it with me. It's very, very sweet. And I can't wait for it to be out. But I'm also shooting a music video out here in L.A. for the track "Reason." It’s going to feature me walking an invisible dog on a leash. I'm f**king excited for that. I can't wait.

Ian Devaney: Our manager has been really kind of fantastic and diligent. In his mind there's still people who don't know the record. And so just because it came out in May, doesn't mean we're not going to keep working it as though everyone knows it, because they don't.

Mental Health Whiplash

Christian Lee Hutson: It's like, for debut artists, what do you have to compare it to?

Bartees Cox Jr.: I almost feel like more people are listening to music now than they were before, like really listening through albums, and really interacting with them.

Christian Lee Hutson: I think it would make me crazy to sit around and just be like, "Damn it, I spent all this time on this and of course when my record comes out, this is what happens." I mean, I'm actually kind of encouraged by the response to the album just in general, because I feel like it's such a weird time for music to come out and I'm happy that anyone has found it at all considering it's come out in the most turbulent year in recent memory. That aspect I feel positive about, like it was weirdly worth it, even though I'm not doing all of the things that I thought I would be doing a year ago.

Bartees Cox Jr.: I mean I've never had fans like I do now, and I'm doing all this during a pandemic.

Ian Devaney: In a strange way, I'm glad we're putting music out now. I feel like we are, as much as anyone can, engaging with the madness and sort of being defiant in the face of the madness and not giving up on trying to be creative and trying to dream big about what we can do in the future.

Anjimile: It feels surreal, but at the same time I've released music locally in Boston over the years. And nothing has ever come of that. And so releasing an album nationally with a label, I think my expectations were actually pretty low. Usually when I put out music nobody cares, you know? Why should they really care? And this time some people cared, and I was like, "Holy f**k." Even that that was beyond my expectations. And so I don't know, I'm just kind of trying to go with it. Because even though things feel weird, and at times, unfair and strange I don't know what is going to happen in the next three months, six months, nine months, right? I'm just cautiously cautiously optimistic about what will happen next. Because I do think that so far, things have actually happened right on time. Even though shit is really weird right now, and I don't know what's going to happen next, maybe something positive in my career will occur. Who knows?

Bartees Cox Jr.: I was talking to a friend about this. You look at these areas in music, or in America, like Vietnam War era music or these other big social phenomenon and the music that came from it, I think that one day people will look back on this quarantine pandemic era and think, "All these records came out during this weird ass time are interesting because of it."

What Comes Next

Bartees Cox Jr.: I was thinking that bigger artists that need bigger studios are gonna kind of be hamstrung by this where more D.I.Y. people can just be like, "Yeah, I'll write another record."

Jordana Nye: Going on tour, getting experienced would have helped my career a lot in way. But working on new music is also helping it.

Ian Devaney: For Nation of Language, we're planning on putting out a seven inch either like, December or January. So we've been working on two songs, as well as songs for the second record.

Anjimile: At this point, in the year, I have a lot of songs written, some which I think might be good. And so I'm just stacking up demos at the moment, trying to make sure I have like the juiciest tunes available.

Jordana Nye: I'm still just making music and content, and it kind of tells me that I can pretty much do anything that I set my mind to, which is comforting, especially in dire times when I feel like I'm not doing anything at all, and I feel like I'm a loser. People are digging the new stuff so I'm super excited for that, and makes me want to do more with different genres and just play around with them.

Bartees Cox Jr.: I'm gonna really take my time. I put out two records this year. I don't feel like I gotta like, hustle. I just gonna just keep working try to make some money and hold it down.

Christian Lee Hutson: I'm honestly just writing a lot and I am recording a lot of stuff at home. Early on in quarantine, I was just like, "Alright, in order to tell the days apart, I'm gonna record a different cover song for fun every day." So I did that for a while until I got bored of that. And now I'm just demoing and recording new stuff. It's the only thing I really know how to do. And I'm grateful that there's a lot of time to do it. Something I noticed observing other friends' album cycles in the pre-COVID world is the amount of time that they had to actually write and follow up their debuts is actually pretty slim, which I feel like I have a lot of time to accomplish that.

Capturing Los Angeles' COVID-Closed Venues

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Peppermint 

Photo: Magnus Hastings

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Quarantine Diaries: Peppermint quarantine-diaries-peppermint-releasing-best-sex-filming-girl-me-staying-touch-fans

Quarantine Diaries: Peppermint Is Releasing "Best Sex," Filming 'A Girl Like Me' & Staying In Touch With Fans

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As the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic continues to rock the music industry, GRAMMY.com reached out to a few musicians to see how they were spending their days indoors
GRAMMYs
Oct 2, 2020 - 1:11 pm

As the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic continues to rock the music industry, GRAMMY.com reached out to a few musicians to see how they were spending their days indoors. Today, actress, singer, reality star and activist Peppermint shares her Quarantine Diary. Her latest single "Best Sex" is out now. 

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[10 a.m.] It’s Day 2 of shooting my short film A Girl Like Me and I’m feeling so many emotions. Yesterday was a whirlwind of cast and crew arriving, filming the first few scenes in Jackie Robinson Park, moving into the Airbnb we rented for the remainder of the shoot, reviewing makeup/hair/wardrobe options and spending as much time as possible with my co-star Levi Smith to build chemistry. This album is a year and a half in the making and now that we’re creating a visual component, everything feels all the more intense.

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[10:45 a.m.] Cast and crew are meeting to discuss the scenes for today and, very importantly, to review safety protocols. It means the world to me to have a small team willing to come together and work on this project, so I have made it clear that we will be serious about everyone's health and well-being while on set.

[11:18 a.m.] Now it’s time to get into makeup, wardrobe and of course drink plenty of tea. Even though there isn’t dialogue in this film (the music from my album serves as the narration) I do need to keep my voice healthy because, at the end of the week, we are also filming a live performance of the album. Details on that to be announced very soon!

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[1 p.m.] We’ve started filming some intimate bedroom scenes and it takes major concentration...so I’m going to take a break from this and catch up with you all a little later in the day.

[5:01 p.m.] A light meal and more hot tea are all I have time for. We’re rolling right into new scene setups since this video project encompasses all of the songs on the album. Also snuck in a few interviews on Zoom to go over our release plans for the first single "Best Sex."

[5:45 p.m.] Time to film Cameos, social media and promo content. I actually really enjoy doing this kind of stuff because it breaks up the day and really connects me back to my fans. It’s a reminder of why I’m making this art.

[6:00 p.m.] We have a quick break so I'm going to go up to spend more quality time with my make-believe husband.

GRAMMYs

[6:37 p.m.] Back to hair and makeup for another costume change. I'm really nervous about the next scene. It's one of my favorite and most anticipated moments. It's also a Carole King song so I don't want to get this wrong. I'm going to close my eyes for a few minutes while getting my makeup refreshed by Casey. She's a M.A.C. makeup artist just as I was years ago so we literally speak the same makeup language.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CADyPrbhWte/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

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A post shared by Miss Peppermint (@peppermint247)

[8:26 p.m.] We are filming out on the veranda for "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?" This scene is one of my favorites. The song, lighting, and overall mood just make me feel so beautiful and really captures a lot of the meaning of this album. Although we have to be careful because the neighbors next to the house we are filming in don't want loud music to play after dark. Also somehow slugs are falling out of the trees and dropping down onto us.

[12:13 a.m.] That’s a wrap! The day flew by but having this team together to help bring this to life is such a joy and honor. Back at it tomorrow! I promise I'll eventually get to my emails!

Unearthing A Lost Ella Fitzgerald Recording, 60 Years Later

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Black Pumas

Photo by Jackie Lee Young

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Quarantine Diaries: Black Pumas' Eric Burton quarantine-diaries-black-pumas-eric-burton-working-new-album-spending-time-garden

Quarantine Diaries: Black Pumas' Eric Burton Is Working On A New Album & Spending Time In The Garden

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As the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic continues to rock the music industry, GRAMMY.com reached out to a few musicians to see how they were spending their days indoors
GRAMMYs
Sep 29, 2020 - 10:50 am

As the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic continues to rock the music industry, GRAMMY.com reached out to a few musicians to see how they were spending their days indoors. Today, Eric Burton from the GRAMMY-nominated duo Black Pumas shares his Quarantine Diary.

[10:05 AM] Good morning! It’s 10:05 AM in my world and trying to ride a vibe. My mornings usually start off with a cup of coffee, and one of my favorite tunes or a new tune that I had yet to have heard.

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[11:20 AM] I love visiting the garden! The squash at my friend’s place is beginning to produce. It’s nice to reflect on the process of growth and it’s very grounding to see it and touch it physically on a daily basis.

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[12:15 PM] One of my favorite things to do is check in with friends overseas. I feel so connected to be able to hear how things are going from their perspective as it pertains to our world and our lives. 

GRAMMYs

[1:25 PM] Now I’m sitting down at a piano trying to keep that inspiration going to some degree. I make sure that there’s a lot of equipment or instruments around especially analog. The Black Pumas are working on our new album right now. We’ve got a few handfuls of ideas for material that my bandmate Adrian and I have been trading back and forth.

I think we spend most days really stoked about the opportunity we have to create time and space for ourselves to continue to do what we know and love. I usually am very motivated and competitive with myself to do something better than I did the last time. I tend to stay committed and focused playing music, just jamming out and seeing what I can come up with.

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[3:33 PM] I've moved from the piano to an analog keyboard now. I usually like to listen to music that is very much natural and acoustic and/or listen to music that has a lot of different weird kooky sounds that are more on the digital side, just for the idea. 

GRAMMYs

[4:22 PM] The weather in Texas can be ever changing and in a short period of time. In that, it’s nice to observe it and reciprocate some art from it. I’m an autumn baby anyway, so maybe that plays a hand in how I feel at home in the rain today.

GRAMMYs

Quarantine Diaries: Lisa Loeb Is Celebrating 25 Years Of "Stay (I Missed You)" & Watching "RuPaul's Drag Race"

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Some of the content on this site expresses viewpoints and opinions that are not those of the Recording Academy. Responsibility for the accuracy of information provided in stories not written by or specifically prepared for the Academy lies with the story's original source or writer. Content on this site does not reflect an endorsement or recommendation of any artist or music by the Recording Academy.