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Sowing His Musical Oates
John Oates at Up Close & Personal With John Oates

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Sowing His Musical Oates

The Recording Academy Philadelphia Chapter hosts Up Close & Personal With John Oates

GRAMMYs/Dec 3, 2014 - 05:06 am

The Recording Academy Philadelphia Chapter, in conjunction with Temple University's School of Communications and Theater, recently hosted Up Close & Personal With John Oates, a GRAMMY Professional Development Event, at the Temple Performing Arts Center in Philadelphia.

Before an intimate audience, the GRAMMY-nominated singer/songwriter participated in an interview-style conversation with WXPN radio personality Gene Shay, discussing topics such as his songwriting process, new technology, tips for breaking into the music industry, independent labels, musical influences, and more. Following the discussion, Oates performed a brief acoustic set, including songs from his latest solo project, Mississippi Mile.

"I am old school at heart but I embrace all of the new technology," said Oates about the prevalence of new recording technology today. "It's fantastic when you're editing and for all the hard work of really crafting the production of a record. There's nothing like it. But in the end, it comes down to songwriting, singing [and] playing, and that's what it's all about."

Oates met his musical partner Daryl Hall in 1967 while attending Temple University. The two musicians shared a love for rock and roll and soul music and eventually joined forces as Hall And Oates, releasing their debut album in 1972. They broke through four years later with two Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, "Sara Smile" and "She's Gone." In 1977 Hall And Oates scored their first No. 1 hit, "Rich Girl," and from 1981–1984 the duo logged a string of five more No. 1 hits: "Kiss On My List," "Private Eyes," "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)," "Maneater," and "Out Of Touch."

By 1984 Hall And Oates had earned 19 gold and platinum awards, leading the RIAA to declare they had surpassed the Everly Brothers as the most successful duo in rock history. Released in 2004, Hall And Oates' most recent studio album, Our Kind Of Soul, features the duo's take on classic soul songs by the Four Tops, Marvin Gaye, the O'Jays, and Barry White, among others. In 2008 they released Live At The Troubadour, commemorating the 35th anniversary of their first concert at the popular Los Angeles venue. The album spawned Hall And Oates' most recent GRAMMY nomination for Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals for "Sara Smile."

Stepping outside the Hall And Oates umbrella, Oates released his first solo album, Phunk Shui (pronounced Funk Schway), in 2002. Mississippi Mile, his latest solo album, was released in April. The album features original songs and a new recording of Hall And Oates' "You Make My Dreams Come True," but predominantly pays tribute to Oates' blues, folk and R&B influences, with covers of songs by Chuck Berry, Mississippi John Hurt, Curtis Mayfield, and Elvis Presley, among others.
 

10 Must-See Acts At SXSW 2024: The Black Keys, Automatic, Slick Rick, BALTHVS, Vulva Voce & More
Bootsy Collins performs at PNC Music Pavilion on July 22, 2016 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Photo: Jeff Hahne/Getty Images

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10 Must-See Acts At SXSW 2024: The Black Keys, Automatic, Slick Rick, BALTHVS, Vulva Voce & More

As South by Southwest 2024 kicks off, preview some of the most exciting performances, music film screenings, and music-related keynotes that will hit Austin stages.

GRAMMYs/Mar 11, 2024 - 01:41 pm

South By Southwest lures more than 250,000 people to Austin each year to learn about a range of topics, including education, the cannabis industry, technology, film, and video gaming, but music is the heart and driving force of SXSW. The festival kicks off March 8, and a dizzying array of musical performances brings the festival to life from March 11 to 16.

The festival has grown exponentially since its inception in 1987 as a showcase for mostly unknown alternative acts. Roughly 2,000 musical artists will perform on more than 100 stages spread out across Austin and the possibilities for discovery feel endless.

SXSW can generate much buzz and help launch careers: Odd Future, the hip-hop/R&B collective that provided the springboard for Tyler, the Creator and Frank Ocean, played just a few short sets there in 2011, and Diddy declared them the future of rap music. HAIM, Janelle Monáe, John Mayer, M.I.A., and countless others have had significant early-career moments at SXSW. And legacy artists like New Order and RZA also come to the festival each year to share their wisdom in interviews and perform new material.

As the 2024 festival kicks off, check out some of the emerging and legacy artists appearing at SXSW, including a multiple GRAMMY-winning garage duo, an all-female post-punk group from Los Angeles that embraces "nihilism and loneliness," a modern Texas cumbia collective, an '80s light rock icon, a funk pioneer, modern funk innovators, Glasgow '90s post-rock, and more.

The Black Keys

The Black Keys helped usher in the garage rock revival of the early 2000s on just two instruments: drums and guitar. Their stripped-down sound, originally just made up of "old blues rip-offs and words made up on the spot" in Akron, Ohio, eventually grew to become a well-crafted, major-label rock sound that landed them in arenas and earned more than two dozen award nominations and multiple GRAMMY wins. They’ve released 11 studio albums.

The duo will perform at the 2024 festival in support of a new documentary, This Is A Film About The Black Keys, that traces their trajectory from jamming in basements to major-label rock band. Rolling Stone Senior Writer Angie Martoccio will interview members Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney in a keynote event.

Automatic

Since the release of their 2019 debut album, Signal, the gloomy post-punk band Automatic has toured the U.S. and abroad, composed the soundtrack for Hedi Slimane’s 2020 Paris Fashion Week show for Céline, and opened for legendary post-punks Bauhaus ( drummer Lola Dompé is a daughter of the English goth rock band’s drummer Kevin Haskins).

The band’s three members — Dompé, Izzy Glaudini, and Halle Saxon-Gaines — draw inspiration from krautrock, dub reggae, and the off-kilter, moody atmosphere of films by auteurs like David Lynch. Their live performances are uptempo and melancholy at the same time, and have shared stages with Parquet Courts, Tame Impala, and Thee Osees. Automatic  once described their music as "fixated on the intersection between ’70s underground culture and the ’80s mainstream, ‘That fleeting moment when what was once cool quickly turned and became mainstream, all for the sake of consumerism.’"

Mogwai

When the Glasgow-based rock band released their first single in 1996, they were anxious to replace the '90s Britpop of well-known UK bands like Oasis and Blur with something a bit more emotional and dark: lengthy guitar-based instrumental pieces full of distortion and heavy effects that offered dynamic contrast and melodic bass guitar lines. 

They’ve since gone on to embrace electronica and instrumental music, and over the years has provided music for multiple film soundtracks. Their basic song formula typically begins with something low-key that grows into something gentle and melodic, and then pushes toward louder, layered driving rock. 

"Calling it ‘art’ would be a pretentious step too far, but it’s certainly something that feels exciting and different to most other pop," one British newspaper wrote. A new documentary from Antony Crook, If The Stars Had A Sound, which follows the independent Scottish band’s trajectory, will premiere at SXSW 2024. 

El Combo Oscuro

Modern-day interpretations of cumbia — a percussion-heavy genre of Latin American music originated in Colombia — have become more widespread in recent years, with some calling cumbia "the new punk" for a young generation of rockers who are politically engaged but want to have a good time.

On organ, guitars, bass, drums, and conga drums, El Combo Oscuro sounds modern and retro at the same time, by weaving together an "impenetrable wall of psychedelic Cumbia and Latin sounds" that "throws neon Tex-Mex tribalism," according to the Austin Chronicle

Almost immediately after forming in 2020 in Austin, El Combo Oscuro were nominated for an Austin Music Awards’ Best Latin Act, and their debut EP, Que Sonido Tan Rico, was No. 15 on the Austin Chronicle’s Top 100 Records of 2021. A second EP, 2022's Cumbia Capital, further showcased the sound of Texas. Their 2024 SXSW performance will also feature songs from their latest release, a 2023 debut full-length titled La Danza de las Sirenas.

Bootsy Collins

In addition to showcasing thousands of emerging acts, SXSW each year also honors legacy artists who continue to write, produce, and perform music. Bassist Bootsy Collins — who played with James Brown and Parliament-Funkadelic throughout the late '60s and '70s and, in recent years, has collaborated with Kali Uchis and Tyler, the Creator — will perform with the group Zapp. 

The performance is part of Bootsy's own anti-violence initiative, "Funk Not Fight," which includes a Cleveland-based (Collins is from Ohio) anti-violence hub designed to offer music recording and mentorship to local youth. During a free performance on March 15, Collins will release a new song and album of the same name. 

Collins’ previous album was 2021’s Nobody’s Perfect Experience. The GRAMMY-winning bassist was also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997 with other members of Parliament-Funkadelic. Collins played on some of James Brown’s best-known and most political records – "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine" and "Superbad" – and also had a hand in pop hits like Deee-Lite’s "Groove Is in the Heart" and Fatboy Slim’s "Weapon of Choice."

At 72 years old, Collins shows no signs of giving up the funk. "Funk just brings people together, from the ground up," he told the Guardian. "It doesn’t have nothing to do with color. It has nothing to do with status. It just brings you to ‘the one’, and the one thing that we all have in common is that we all just want to live. That’s what it’s really all about. It’s making something from nothing, like me." 

John Oates

John Oats is one half of five-time GRAMMY-nominated pop-soul duo Hall & Oates. Twenty-nine of their 33 singles charted on Billboard’s Hot 100 between 1974 and 1991, and six of those songs — like "I Can’t Go For That" and "Private Eyes" — peaked at No. 1 . The two were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2014 and their music has been sampled by artists like 2 Chainz.

Oates, 75, has released five studio albums as a solo artist and published a memoir in 2017 titled Change of Seasons.

"I made a move to Nashville in the late '90s, early 2000s. The move, and the musicians and people I surrounded myself with, allowed me to rediscover the musician that I was before I met Daryl Hall," Oates told GRAMMY.com. "Because I was a blues, folk, rootsy musician, and I tapped back into my earliest influences.

At SXSW 2024, Oates will discuss fame, fortune, and managing a hit music career. His talk will be moderated by Alex Heiche, CEO & Founder of Sound Royalties. Coincidentally, Oates has been in the middle of a legal battle with his former songwriting partner. 

Slick Rick

When asked about hip-hop icon Slick Rick, Roots drummer and Tonight Show bandleader Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson told Rolling Stone, "Slick Rick's voice was the most beautiful thing to happen to hip-hop culture. Rick is full of punchlines, wit, melody, cool cadence, confidence and style. He is the blueprint." 

Slick Rick "The Ruler" — largely considered the most sampled hip-hop artist in history — launched his career performing with Doug E. Fresh’s Get Fresh Crew in the mid-80s, and his 1988 breakout solo album reached number one on Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop chart. Slick Rick has recently collaborated with Soul Rebels Brass Band. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2023 GRAMMYs, to honor his legacy as a masterful storyteller and pioneering melodic rapper who raps in a British accent with a leisurely cadence and an unforgettably nasal voice that sometimes swerves into cartoony vocal tones. 

In recent years, Slick Rick has collaborated with Missy Elliott, Mos Def, and the Black Eyed Peas. He performed a duet with Mariah Carey at Radio City Music Hall in 2019, and was signed to actor Idris Alba’s record label. He will perform an all-ages showcase performance — badge-required — at The Mohawk on March 12.  

BALTHVS 

Funk music in recent years has taken on a more global sound, incorporating elements of Asian and Middle Eastern music, surf rock, reggae, and cumbia, thanks to bands like Khruangbin and BALTHVS, a Colombian psychedelic funk trio that has toured the world and released three full-length albums since forming in 2019. The band aims to make "cosmic music" that can combat anger and anxiety.

Band members Balthazar Aguirre (guitar), Johanna Mercuriana (bass), and Santiago Lizcano (drums) produce, mix, and master all of their music and design all of their artwork. Their most recently release, Third Vibration, incorporates funk, disco, dream pop, vaporwave, soul, and R&B into their songs.

Aguirre hypes those genres and more on his Cubensis Records YouTube page, where subscribers can better understand the BALTHVS universe by exploring a vast library of eclectic music, like the mystical 1968 Gabor Szabo album "Dreams," or Stefano Torossi’s 1974 Italian jazz fusion album "Feelings." For super fans, it’s a giant rabbit hole of discovery that helps illustrate the band’s musical recipe.

Brainstory

Brainstory is another modern funk outfit with an eclectic musical blueprint: the three members of Brainstory grew up in the Inland Empire area outside Los Angeles, and by the mid-2010s, they were developing a version of California retro soul music that combines jazz and funk with psychedelic rock and 70s R&B. 

"That's what we were all into at the time—jazz," says guitarist and singer Kevin Martin, who happens to be a big Bob Dylan fan. "And that's what we wanted to do with our first EP in 2014—take our songs and expand them, improvise, weld jazz onto them. We wanted to trick people into listening to jazz, basically." 

The band, made up of Kevin, his brother Tony Martin, and Eric Hagstrom, has released one full-length album, an instrumental album, and an EP. Their new record, Sounds Good, produced for Big Crown Records by Leon Michels — who recently collaborated with Black Thought of the Roots — drops on April 19. The band is touring this spring. Previously they’ve performed with soul singer Lady Wray, and singer Claire "Clairo" Cottrill has a guest feature on the new album.

Vulva Voce

SXSW is more associated with rock music than classical, but the UK-based, all-female string quartet Vulva Voce has applied a rock attitude to their ensemble. Formed during Covid lockdown, they compose much of their own music — which combines elements of folk, jazz, contemporary, and experimental music.

"In terms of our identity — and especially in terms of our business model — we treat ourselves like a band rather than a classical string quartet," violist Nadia Eskandari said

Vulva Voce also employ a bit of a punk attitude, performing outside classical concert halls, at open mic nights and pop-up performances. They also play a wide range of music written by female composers.

"We want all the music we play to feel accessible to anyone, because when you are playing music by women, it is even more important that anyone can connect to it, not just classical audiences,"  Eskandari adds.

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How The 2024 Recording Academy Philadelphia Chapter Nominee Celebration Kept Brotherly Love Alive
(L to R:) Helen Bruner, Terry Jones, Donn Thomson Morelli "Donn T", Marcus "Rated Art" Bryant, Phil Nicolo, Dyana Williams and Ramón Jones at the Recording Academy Philadelphia Member Celebration at Vinyl on Jan. 23 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Photo: Lisa Lake / Getty Images for The Recording Academy

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How The 2024 Recording Academy Philadelphia Chapter Nominee Celebration Kept Brotherly Love Alive

Philadelphia's rich musical heritage shone brightly during the Recording Academy's celebration of its 2024 GRAMMY Nominees on Jan. 23. Members and musicians came together with a warm spirit, heartfelt words, and an exhilarating, night-long jam session.

GRAMMYs/Jan 25, 2024 - 05:42 pm

When you come to Philadelphia, it’s not hard to see its rich history everywhere you look. From the cobblestone streets under your feet to the brick facade of Independence Hall, its history is embedded within every crack and crevice.

Similarly, Philadelphia’s history can also be heard through its music, from the sound of Philadelphia Soul in the '60s and '70s developed by Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff, and Thom Bell, to the indie rock explosion of the aughts led by Kurt Vile and The War on Drugs. Philadelphia is a town well-versed in all genres and backgrounds — even its athletes are musicians. And at the Jan. 23 Recording Academy Philadelphia Chapter Member & Nominee Celebration leading up to the 2024 GRAMMYs, the music was alive and kickin’.

The party took place at VINYL, Philly’s latest addition to a long list of its music venues, located just steps away from the Academy of Music in the center of town. The night was a testament to the brotherly love and familial spirit within Philly’s music community. The night outside may have been chilly and damp, but inside was warm and embracing. 

As guests arrived, they were greeted by music being spun on the ones and twos by Philly DJ Aktive, the talented spin master who has worked with the likes of Nas, Common, Queen Latifah, and Janet Jackson. There were delicious hors d'oeuvres, a flavorful array of comfort foods, and unique GRAMMY-themed cocktails to add some sparkle to the night.

2024 GRAMMYs: Explore More & Meet The Nominees

All around the room, Recording Academy members greeted and hugged each other like family arriving for a holiday dinner. There was lots of love between a diverse group of people from different musical and cultural backgrounds, who all came together thanks to the communal power of music. As the night continued, it became clear that "family" was a key element at the heart of the Philadelphia Chapter of the Recording Academy.

"Philly is family," said Philadelphia Chapter Executive Director Ramon Jones during his opening remarks. A transplant from the Midwest, Jones moved to Philadelphia to immerse himself in the city's "organic and intoxicating" music scene. "There’s a rich legacy here," Jones explained to GRAMMY.com, "and Philadelphia has shown its ability to adapt musically. It is one of the most culturally saturated cities in the world. There is just something very familial, organic, and neighborhood-esque about Philly. I’m so proud to celebrate and represent this incredible creative community."

Chapter President Marcus Bryant made similar remarks as he took the stage to speak to the members in attendance. "This Chapter is a community and a family. Tonight is about you," he said. And really, the entire night was a joyous celebration of camaraderie and music. After the initial remarks by Jones and Bryant, DJ Aktive invited various members and musicians onto the stage for an extended jam session. Singers, rappers, soul and funk artists from all corners of the city came together on VINYL’s starlit stage to create a seamless flow of music and song, much like the Black Lily jam sessions of the early 1990s and 2000s at The Five Spot in Philly.

The boundless talent up on that stage was something to behold, as impromptu bandleader Chinah Blac harmonized with and encouraged her fellow Recording Academy members in performing soulful renditions of Gnarls Barkley’s "Crazy," Chaka Khan’s "Tell Me Something Good," and a Fugees "Killing Me Softly" sing-a-long. Each musician played together like a tight knit group, including DJ Aktive who scratched and brought the backbeat to the performances while seamlessly transitioning from song to song, artist to artist. The fun and the joy emanating from the stage was infectious, and the celebratory vibe lasted throughout the whole night.

And there was a lot to celebrate for the Philadelphia Chapter of the Recording Academy. Philadelphia is well-represented in the list of nominees at the 66th Annual GRAMMY Awards ceremony, including Philly rappers Black Thought of The Roots and Lil Uzi Vert, former Philly resident Lucy Dacus and her supergroup boygenius, South Jersey gospel songwriter Tye Tribbett, seven-time nominees The Baylor Project, and jazz multi-instrumentalist Adam Blackstone.

Then there’s the Philadelphia Orchestra led by conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin, who have been recognized by the The Recording Academy for performances of Florence Price’s "Symphony No. 4" and William Dawson’s "Negro Folk Symphony." "Yannick and the Philadelphia Orchestra, they are top bar," Jones tells GRAMMY.com. "I'm grateful to know them and to be able to experience the art they do."

Also notable is New Jersey native and honorary Philadelphian Jon Bon Jovi is the 2024 MusiCares Person of the Year honoree.

Ramón Jones was clearly proud of all the nominees and musicians from the area. "Philly is representing," he told the crowd, before joking-but-not-joking, "I wanna come home with some trophies!" Bryant later elaborated to GRAMMY.com about the wealth of talent in this town: "I’m just so proud of the innovation and how Philly continues to rise to the top. It’s a phenomenal community," he explained. "There’s a camaraderie here among the musicians that’s just amazing. I’m proud, man. Philly is a historical city, and I’m always surprised at how eclectic it is as a city, whether it’s the orchestra, R&B, or hip-hop. It’s strong."

It's nights like this that remind us why music is worth celebrating. Music can and should be a force for good and building community. It has the power to bring people together who don’t always agree, and that makes a difference that changes the world. Wednesday’s celebration for the Philadelphia Chapter of the Recording Academy was a testament to that very power. The music is alive and well in Philadelphia, and it continues to create history.

 2024 GRAMMY Nominations: See The Full Nominees List

GRAMMY Rewind: Kendrick Lamar Honors Hip-Hop's Greats While Accepting Best Rap Album GRAMMY For 'To Pimp a Butterfly' In 2016
Kendrick Lamar

Photo: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

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GRAMMY Rewind: Kendrick Lamar Honors Hip-Hop's Greats While Accepting Best Rap Album GRAMMY For 'To Pimp a Butterfly' In 2016

Upon winning the GRAMMY for Best Rap Album for 'To Pimp a Butterfly,' Kendrick Lamar thanked those that helped him get to the stage, and the artists that blazed the trail for him.

GRAMMYs/Oct 13, 2023 - 06:01 pm

Updated Friday Oct. 13, 2023 to include info about Kendrick Lamar's most recent GRAMMY wins, as of the 2023 GRAMMYs.

A GRAMMY veteran these days, Kendrick Lamar has won 17 GRAMMYs and has received 47 GRAMMY nominations overall. A sizable chunk of his trophies came from the 58th annual GRAMMY Awards in 2016, when he walked away with five — including his first-ever win in the Best Rap Album category.

This installment of GRAMMY Rewind turns back the clock to 2016, revisiting Lamar's acceptance speech upon winning Best Rap Album for To Pimp A Butterfly. Though Lamar was alone on stage, he made it clear that he wouldn't be at the top of his game without the help of a broad support system. 

"First off, all glory to God, that's for sure," he said, kicking off a speech that went on to thank his parents, who he described as his "those who gave me the responsibility of knowing, of accepting the good with the bad."

Looking for more GRAMMYs news? The 2024 GRAMMY nominations are here!

He also extended his love and gratitude to his fiancée, Whitney Alford, and shouted out his Top Dawg Entertainment labelmates. Lamar specifically praised Top Dawg's CEO, Anthony Tiffith, for finding and developing raw talent that might not otherwise get the chance to pursue their musical dreams.

"We'd never forget that: Taking these kids out of the projects, out of Compton, and putting them right here on this stage, to be the best that they can be," Lamar — a Compton native himself — continued, leading into an impassioned conclusion spotlighting some of the cornerstone rap albums that came before To Pimp a Butterfly.

"Hip-hop. Ice Cube. This is for hip-hop," he said. "This is for Snoop Dogg, Doggystyle. This is for Illmatic, this is for Nas. We will live forever. Believe that."

To Pimp a Butterfly singles "Alright" and "These Walls" earned Lamar three more GRAMMYs that night, the former winning Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song and the latter taking Best Rap/Sung Collaboration (the song features Bilal, Anna Wise and Thundercat). He also won Best Music Video for the remix of Taylor Swift's "Bad Blood." 

Lamar has since won Best Rap Album two more times, taking home the golden gramophone in 2018 for his blockbuster LP DAMN., and in 2023 for his bold fifth album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers.

Watch Lamar's full acceptance speech above, and check back at GRAMMY.com every Friday for more GRAMMY Rewind episodes. 

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Watch Backstage Interviews At Newport Folk 2023: Turnpike Troubadours, Nickel Creek, M. Ward, Thee Sacred Souls & More

Photo: Douglas Mason / Contributor via Getty Images

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Watch Backstage Interviews At Newport Folk 2023: Turnpike Troubadours, Nickel Creek, M. Ward, Thee Sacred Souls & More

Another Newport Folk is in the books; its 2023 iteration was one of the great ones — featuring Aimee Mann, Lana Del Rey, Jason Isbell and more. Watch backstage interviews with some of its radiant artists below.

GRAMMYs/Aug 1, 2023 - 09:50 pm

Another summer, another Newport Folk. The storied bastion of American roots music flourished once again, with three days of plucks, strums, harmonies and good cheer.

Lana Del Rey enjoyed her Newport debut, James Taylor made a surprise appearance (calling it "emergency folk music") and the Black Opry made waves — and GRAMMY.com was on the grounds for all of the excitement.

Backstage, a number of artists chatted about their experiences onstage, their love of the American roots community and more.

Watch all of the interviews below — and we'll see you at Newport Folk 2024!

Turnpike Troubadours

Nickel Creek

John Oates

Abraham Alexander

Bella White

Gregory Alan Isakov

Indigo de Souza

M. Ward

Thee Sacred Souls

Rob Grant