I’m absolutely chuffed to have caught up with London’s emerging singer/songwriter NIA CHENNAI, who is – in my opinion – one of most exciting acts to come out of the capital’s alt-R&B scene. She released her debut album EP, ‘Diary Is A Waste of Paper’ last November which stormed straight to #8 on the NEW LEASE MUSIC’s Top Ten Albums of 2023 list. So sit back and relax and take time out to find more about this very promising songbird and her blazing project…
NLM: Hey, thank you for taking part in an interview with NEW LEASE MUSIC. How is 2024 is treating you so far?
NC: Hey, Thanks for having me! 2024 is treating me great. I’ve been loving all the support I’ve been receiving on my EP ‘Diary Is A Waste Of Paper’. I’m super excited to drop some new music this year.
NLM: You released your EP, ‘Diary Is A Waste Of Paper’ back in November 2023. What is the public perception on the project so far?
NC: The feedback has been super sweet on the EP. Everyone has been tagging, listening, and telling me their favourite lines and stories within the project. I think it allowed my fan base to get to know me a little bit more and was a good introduction to me as an artist
NLM: How would you describe the EP’s sound to potential fans?
NC: The EP sound is what I like to call Nia-soul. It’s a mix of soul, neo-soul, r&b! And I’ve got so many influences so you’re just gonna have to take a listen!
NLM: What inspired you to produce the EP?
NC: Making the EP I wasn’t going into the studio, thinking “oh we’re making a project”. I just went into the studio and was making songs that I loved and it came to a point where we were thinking this would be a great time to drop a project.
NLM: What is/are your favourite single(s) from the EP and why?
NC: My favourite songs on the project change all the time, but my current favourite is ‘Call It Quits! That song has attitude, and I love it.
NLM: What message would you like the listeners to take away from your EP?
NC: I would like to take them through a journey of self-discovery, as that’s what I was going through whilst making the project. Hopefully, they can relate to my lyrics and make some better decisions than I did.
NLM: If you had to feature one mainstream artist on the EP, who would it be and why?
NC: I would love to feature Raye, I’ve been obsessed with her 21st-century blues album and I just got it on vinyl. I think she would make a sick feature!
NLM: So what plans do you have for the rest of 2024?
NC: 2024, expect singles singles singles!
NLM: How can potential fans find you?
NC: Everyone can find me @niachennai on all socials!
NLM: Finally, any special shout outs to those involved in the production of ‘Diary Is A Waste of Paper’?
NC: Yes, a massive shout out to my manager who helped me and guided me through it all. I literally couldn’t have done it without him and all the producers that worked on the project. We made magic in the studio!
MUSICBYMERCY has earned a spot in the NLM interview seat for his latest EP, ‘MichaelMyers’, which is currently the blog’s album of the month. I probed the South Florida upcoming rapper about his inspiration for producing a horror-themed project plus his plans for 2024. So are you ready to find out more about this hot lyricist? Good, let’s get to it…
NLM: Hey, thank you for taking part in an interview with NEW LEASE MUSIC. How is 2024 is treating you so far?
MBM: So far, so good. The family good. My peoples are good. New music is coming. Just staying the course. Taking one day at a time. Life never slows down and time waits for no man. It’s about embracing every moment that’s presented. It’s all about creating new memories…doper ones.
NLM: You released your EP, ‘Michael Myers EP’ back in October. What is the public perception on the project so far?
MBM: Yes sir! The public perception was well received for what it’s worth. It was an appetizer or sampler for a special occasion. Keep the fans connected.
NLM: How would you describe the EP’s sound to potential fans?
MBM: The sound is a perfect Hip Hop playlist for Halloween. It’s very eerie, very moody, very hardcore for any horrorcore rap fan. If Christopher Nolan was to make a horror film, ‘Michael Myers EP’ would be the soundtrack.
NLM: What inspired you to produce the EP based around Halloween, in particular Michael Myers?
MBM: My boy also my A&R Jorge told me I should do a project based on Michael Myers, since I am currently working on projects that represent or have the moniker ‘Michael’ since it’s my first name. So, we wanted to carry on that tradition. Michael Myers, was a perfect outlet to present darker music during Halloween. I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to provide some dope horror rap for the listeners.
NLM: What is/are your favorite single(s) from the EP and why? MBM: My favorite song changes each time I play the EP. Haha, it can go from “The Shape”, “Scary Hours”, “Evil Vs Good”, “Death Note” or even the “The Boogeyman”. However, I keep playing “Evil Vs Good” or put it on repeat. It’s something about the beat and the transition of it from grimy to uplifting.
NLM: What message would you like the listeners to take away from your EP?
MBM: I just want them to have a great listening experience. Enjoy the beats, the skits, the bars, the storytelling. All of it. Be a hip hop fan, a rap junkie and just enjoy the music and not be a analyst about it.
NLM: If you had to feature one mainstream artist on the EP, who would it be and why?
MBM: It would have to ultimately be, Prodigy of Mobb Deep. Unfortunately, rest in peace, but P would’ve murdered every single rap song on there. He really help inspired the flow and energy on that project. However, Conway the Machine, Pusha T, and Stove God Cooks deserve honorable mentions.
NLM: So what plans do you have for the rest of 2024?
MBM: Keep doing music. Keep pushing. I got a lot of incredible music in the works and looking forward to releasing throughout the year. I am just trying to leave my footprints in the game. Stay connected and make new connections.
NLM: How can potential fans find you?
MBM: You can find me on most of the social medias under “MusicByMercy” altogether. I’m not hard to find and what you’ll find is a goldmine.
NLM: Finally, any special shoutouts to those involved in the production of ‘Michael Myers’?
MBM: Huge HUGE shoutout to my main man, SlimRock, who produced “The Shape”, “Myer’s Theme” and “Smith’s Grove Sanitarium”. He also help mixed and executive produced the project with me. I recorded the whole EP at his studio. We were on our Snoop and Dre shyt on this EP. Also shoutout to Homage, LIVIN’, KuBo, Flowers In Narnia and JQ for giving me the soundscape to scare the shit out of your stereo, haha. Yeah, it was a solid team effort across the board. Much love to my guy, Jug The iLLest for his insane featured verse.
Earlier this year Sacramento very own rapper SHOWTIME RAMON made an impressive debut appearance on the blog with EP, ‘Venom Dripp’, which claimed the blog’s Album of the Month title last month. I caught up with the fiey wordsmith to discuss the EP and his plans for the rest of 2023.
NLM: Hey, thank you for taking part in an interview with NEW LEASE MUSIC. How is your summer going? Any gigs?
SR: Whatsup, it’s a pleasure thank you for having me. My summer honestly hasn’t been the best this year, I’ve been dealing with chronic migraines, I missed a few shows because of this but I’m back on my feet, no gigs until I get out more music.
NLM: You released your EP, ‘Venom Dripp’ back in May. What is the public perception on the project so far?
SR: My feedback has been positive, everyone has liked my beat selection. Every song from the EP has been mentioned to be, it surprises me how much people pay attention to the details within my music and wordplay.
NLM: How would you describe the EP’s sound to potential fans?
SR: I would say Venom Dripp is kind of gritty, gloomy sounds hard bass and dope lyricism. I like to bend the rules of hip-hop, I spit dope shit over dope ass beats.
NLM: What inspired you to produce the EP?
SR: I wouldn’t say anything really inspired me make the EP, I just always feel like I’m holding my music back because I really do, I barely release any of my music.
NLM: What is/are your favourite single(s)from the EP and why?
SR: Spin Cycle and Hyperspeed are the two that I listen to the most, Rip Hamilton is 3rd. Spin Cycle has that spooky sound and hard dirty drums that I like within the production, Its to the point and I said some dope bars. I think Hyperspeed is the best song on the EP though, I spit 32 bars for that track and its fast paced. The lyrics for Hyperspeed start out more personal than I usually am, I wanted my fans to feel me.
NLM: What message would you like the listeners to take away from your EP?
SR: I wanted to put together a small collection of different sounds and lyrical topics for my fans to relate too as well as show my progression as an artist. I’m only going up and those riding with me are on the same journey I am on.
NLM: If you had to feature one mainstream artist on the EP, who would it be and why?
SR: would get Rome Streetz on my EP because lyrically it would make me step my game up and I welcome any challenge. Rome is currently my favorite artist, he would sound dope on a track with Showtime Ramon.
NLM: So what plans do you have for the rest of 2023?
SR: I have a lot of music to work on along with new music videos. I have a lot of unreleased music that will be released before 2023 is over, I’m just excited for the world to hear the music I’ve been holding back. It’s my best music by far.
NLM: How can potential fans find you?
SR: Fans can find me on instagram @ShowtimeRamon . I always tell people to google Showtime Ramon because from there you can access my music however you prefer.
NLM: Finally, any special shoutouts to those involved in the production of ‘Venom Dripp’?
SR: Yes, Kieron Lee did the cover art for me his instagram is @chirondesigns . Hyperspeed was produced by Gadgett, Spin Cycle was produced by The Soul Monsters.
Ever since Toronto-based singer/songwriter, DENIM BLÙ came on my radar with single, ‘I’ll Die’, I was immediately captivated by his breath-taking storytelling along with the dramatic cinematic production. So when he released his debut album, ‘Blue’, I had to catch up him with about his inspiration behind the new eight-track set.
I really love what this guy stands for… and I hope you do too…
NLM: Hey, thank you for taking part in an interview with NEW LEASE MUSIC. How is 2021 treating you so far?
DB: Hey, New Lease Music, thanks for having me! 2021 has been treating me well – I know a lot of people hate 2021 because the pandemic has stopped them from living their life in the way they used to, but hey – because of the pandemic, I got to slow down and experience my life in different perspectives. It made me cherish my life more and I got to taste different flavours of my life. I have no complaints!
NLM: You released your album, ‘Blue’ last Wednesday (10th November), where you unveiled singles ‘Extraordinary Feel’, ‘I’ll Die’ (both featuring Lizzy Clarke) and ‘Burn (ft. Randy) ahead of its release. What is the public perception on the singles so far?
DB: I guess the public perception is good, hehe. My songs were played on the radio, featured on different media platforms, and I made lots of friends in the music industry. I just started my journey, and I was overwhelmed by the support I got from my supporters.
NLM: How would you describe the album’s sound to potential fans?
DB: My music is both compelling and complex, but infectious and accessible. Today’s youth want to get lost in music, but they demand narratives that reflect their experiences in a real way. Sonically I would describe my album’s sound as pure pop fantasy with emotional intrigue – sounds draw from blues, dance, electronica, and R&B elements, all while being unapologetically queer. However, it is the lyrical content making the connection with my audience: it speaks about love, loss, heartbreak, and lament. It gives you a sound that you can get lost in, but if you dive deeper, there’s a powerful story being told.
NLM: What inspired you to produce the album?
DB: Love – youthful love, volatile love, queer love, and my love for music. The concept for the album is centred around a relationship. It takes the listener on a journey from the exuberance and magic of falling in love (“Extraordinary Feel”), to deep and dark places of lament (“Blue”, “I’ll Die”, “I Miss You”), to coming to terms with love lost (“Young and Foolish”, “Burn”, “Again”). The album is the physical manifestation of my love for music. The whole process of making the album, from song-writing to producing, recording, mixing, and mastering, is me expressing my love for music. The sound of every sound, every foreshadowing, every push, every climax, and every reveal, is about my love of music.
NLM: What is/are your favourite single(s) from the album and why?
DB: My favorite song from the album is the last track – Again. I would describe this song as “an epic love ballad in the galaxy”. The songwriting is classic me – smooth melody, pop but dramatic. I produced the song in a way that reflects the songwriting, a way that corresponds to the development of the song. When listening to the song in the right sonic environment, you would see the galaxy evolving from nothing, to everything, and to nothing again – there is emergence, collapse, collision. It is an experience.
NLM: What message would you like the listeners to take away from your album?
DB: Never be afraid to love, because love is beautiful, love is an experience, love is the meaning of life. No matter where life goes, it always comes down to love.
NLM: If you had to feature one mainstream artist on the album, who would it be and why?
DB: Paloma Faith. She is from the UK, and I have been a fan for almost 1o years! She is not well-known in North America, but she is pretty big in Europe. She is so artistic, I love her visuals, her outfits, her artworks, not to mention her music is extremely amazing. So if I could have her on my album, that would be a dream come true! – Actually, going to her show is one of my dreams too :)
NLM: Do you have other project(s) for 2021?
DB: Well, there is only one month left for 2021, and I am not planning to release a Christmas song…but I do have some projects coming next year! I worked with some amazing Toronto artists on the remixes for Blue that I am going to release in 2022. Also the pandemic gave me time to slow down and see my life from different perspectives. I drew inspiration from those perspectives, sat down with my song-writing partner, exchanged our feelings, and we got to finish another album together. I am planning to work on these songs next year and release the album in summer 2023.
NLM: How can potential fans find you?
DB: That is also a question I want to ask – how can potential fans find me?! It is really hard to promote myself as an independent artist, so my next stop is to find an artist manager, A&R, or a record label. Hope that can happen soon!
NLM: Finally, any special thanks to those involved in the production of ‘Blue’?
DB: I have a lot of special thanks – I want to thank my lyricist Nick Ram for sharing his stories with me, and allowing me to tell his stories in my way. I want to thank my friend Lizzy Clarke, Randy Chang, Kristen Antunes, and Marshall Jacklin for being there and being my friend. It was really fun writing music together. I want to thank Jack Hughes, Julian Fatsound, Tyler Novak, and Eugene Hwang for their amazing musical performances on the album. I want to thank Elizabeth Petzold, Keshav Sharma, Eliot Britton, Issac Nemec for their remixes and friendships. I want to thank Francis TQ Hudson for bringing my mixes to life. I want to thank Fernando Nickolas and Jason Tenn for their photography and creation. I want to thank Zetong Liu for his amazing creative design with my album cover. Last but not least, I want to thank my family for believing in me and supporting me along the way. THANK YOU!
I am so chuffed to have caught up with K-RIZ, one of the hottest Canadian artists around, to discuss latest critically acclaimed album, ‘Peace & Love’as well as his plans for the rest of 2021.
I don’t think there’s no need for a big introduction for this guy – by the time you finish reading this Q&A, trust me, you’ll love his music as much as I do…so let’s get down to it.
NLM: Hey, thank you for taking part in an interview with NEW LEASE MUSIC. How is 2021 treating you so far?
K: Thank you for having me! Y’all have been showing so much love over the past year, I’m truly thankful. 2021 has been good to me. Released a lot of music this year, and I’m finally feeling as close to 100% as I can from a car accident in 2020. Feeling good and looking forward.
NLM: You released your album, ‘Peace & Love’ last month (24th September). What is the public perception on the project so far?
K: The perception has been really cool, and surprising. I’m pretty surprised by the songs people are loving. “A City Too Small,” for example, is really hitting people. I don’t really expect much when I release music, so any love shown is always a plus.
NLM: How would you describe the album’s sound to potential fans?
K: The sound ranges from classic hip-hop to full out R&B songs with live instrumentation. I’m definitely a student of the game and I embrace all styles of music, from the old to the new. So I wanted that aspect represented throughout the album.
NLM: What inspired you to produce the album?
K: I wanted to make a happier and more conscious album, but there were so many negative things in my life that I never dealt with or maybe I avoided them. In order for the music to be authentic and genuine, I had to embrace what I was feeling. An album I was listening to was The Velvet Rope by Janet Jackson. She was very raw and emotional on that record. I heard the vulnerability and I felt that was the way to go.
NLM: What is/are your favourite single(s) from the album and why?
K: “A City Too Small” – love the darkness of the track and the bassline in the hook. “The View” – I loved how this song came together. It’s a song you can close your eyes to and drift away from start to finish. I always feel better after listening to it. “I Don’t Trust You” – it’s a song that gets me moving every time.
NLM: What message would you like the listeners to take away from your album?
K: I hope people hear a person who is human and healing. I’m sure we are all healing from something, so I hope the music heals and shows that it’s okay to go through these things, to feel and find a way to release these feelings and thoughts.
NLM: If you had to feature one mainstream artist on the album, who would it be and why?
K: It would have to be Nas. That’s my favorite rapper of all time. That will always be my answer until it happens.
NLM: Do you have other project(s) for 2021?
K: We got some visual projects in the works, as well as features. I’m currently headed back to the studio to begin work on the follow-up. Staying busy, always.
NLM: How can potential fans find you?
K: The best place to find me is on my website at krizmusic.com and you can also find me on the socials.
NLM: Finally, any special shout outs to those involved in the production of ‘Peace & Love?
K: I want to shout out and thank the entire HonorRoll Music Collective. This album is a stamp on a great era for us musically. Also, everyone involved in making this album and encouraging me to release it. Y’all know who y’all are! Thank you to the people out there listening.
New Lease Music 