Today on Auxoro, I speak with SHAED (@shaedband) a pop-trio based out of Washington D.C. that exploded onto the scene after the release of their single Trampoline and follow up version of Trampoline (with ZAYN). SHAED’s single Trampoline recently hit #4 at Top 40 as the single passed half a billion streams across digital platforms. The single was taken from the band’s debut EP Melt, and made waves after being featured in Apple’s Macbook Air ad campaign.
Read MoreThis time, we sat down with Chloe Lilac, a seventeen-year-old singer-songwriter from Brooklyn, NY, right in the heart of our stomping grounds. This conversation got deep, and part of me wasn’t expecting it to. Maybe that’s my fault for underestimating a seventeen-year-old. I’m 25 now, but when I was 17 I had a lot of insecurities and some harsh experiences, but I wasn’t nearly as comfortable or as able to talk about these things like Chloe. She seems very self-aware and not just for a teenager.
In this conversation, Chloe speaks about sneaking out of parent’s apartment at 13 years old to busk in the streets of NYC, struggles with addiction, Childish Gambino, her latest project Manic Pixie Dream, and more. Even if you aren’t an avid listener to music, or maybe you haven’t discovered Chloe Lilac yet, I encourage you to listen to the full extent of this conversation. We live in a landscape where the teenage perspective can resonate with anyone from 12 to 60 years old. And if you don’t believe me, just look at what Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas is doing. This conversation definitely changed my perspective on a few things, like creativity and Alcoholics anonymous, and I hope you can give yourself the same chance. So without further ado, here is our wide-ranging, deep conversation with Chloe Lilac.
This time, I sat down with a lovely group named SHAED. If you are a lover of good music or a fan of apple products you have definitely encountered their work. They have an EP called ‘Melt’ that was released in the fall of 2018, which you need to go check out, and their song ‘Trampoline’ off of the Melt EP was featured in Apple’s global campaign for the MacBook Air. That song now has over 50 million streams on Spotify alone. Chelsea, Max, and Spencer of SHAED share an uncommon and intimate dynamic not often found in the music industry, or any industry for that matter. Spencer and Max are identical twins, and Chelsea and Spencer got married last October. All three live under the same roof and have for a while with no plans to change. While this may seem odd to people on the outside, it really isn’t, especially once you get to know them.
Chelsea, Spencer, and Max have known each other for over a decade, and as a group, they were spending 99% of their time together anyway. Living in the same spot only strengthens that bond and makes the creative process readily accessible. When Spencer and Max have an idea at 2 in the morning, they can hop down to the studio in their boxers while Chelsea is fast asleep, because she’s not as much of a night owl. Then Chelsea can wake up the next morning and play around with what Max and Spencer have created.
In this conversation, we dive into what the creative process of SHAED looks like, how recharging by exploring nature can give you that extra boost of creativity, how Max came out to his brother Spencer, whipping up recipes in the instant pot, and more. Even if you aren’t an avid listener of music, or maybe you haven’t heard of SHAED, I encourage to listen to the full extent of this conversation. We talk about a lot of moments and lessons that can be applied to many areas of life, especially those outside of music. Also, they’re pretty cool and I had too much fun with this conversation. And Chelsea promised me pasta so I’ll definitely take her up on that. So maybe whip up a bowl of your own pasta, pour up a hefty glass of wine, and turn up this wide-ranging conversation with SHAED.
We sat down with Anthony Russo in the mezzanine section of the iconic Radio City Music Hall in NYC. As soon as we shook hands, I could feel an authentic, hungry energy from Anthony. The night we recorded this episode, Anthony would be taking this historic stage to open for G-Eazy. You can hear the vibrations from G-Eazy's soundcheck as Anthony and I dive into intricate aspects of tour life, songwriting, the creative process, and other meaningful topics.
What does it feel like to be in the midst of writer's block? What was running through Anthony's body the moment he shook G-Eazy's hand less than 24 hours after moving out to LA? What the fuck does 'sodash' mean?!? We take you through it right now on Auxoro: The Voice Of Music Artists.
A special thank you to Anthony Russo, his family, the management team, and the fine folks at Radio City for making this podcast possible. We hope you enjoy this conversation and come away with a different perspective.
We sat down with Lights in the backstage bar of The Chameleon Club in Lancaster, PA. Lights walked in with a comfortable, charismatic energy that made me feel at home right away. We dove into the creative process behind crafting the comic book Skin & Earth from scratch, why you shouldn't always wait for inspiration to inspire action, preparing for an apocalypse, and Lights becoming a mother to her beautiful daughter Rocket Wild. I love approaching conversations like this with an open mind. Through intimate details of her life, Lights strengthened my perspective on a variety of topics and taught me a few things as well (If you're in a parking garage during an earthquake, don't stay in your car).