Zen Warship has been a living, breathing, and evolving band that entered the Washington D.C. area music scene in 2016. The band revels in the enthusiasm fans show on the dance floor for its captivating live sound that blends various elements of funk, rock, soul, and disco, along with individual influences including pop, punk, and jazz. As 2020 draws to a close, Zen Warship in its current stage of metamorphosis prepares to release their first full-length album aptly titled, Anything That Grooves, currently available for pre-order on Bandcamp, and on all other major music platforms on December 11. Alchemical Records had the pleasure of sitting down with Tyler, Roberto, Alison, and Preethy to dig into the inspiration behind the album and the recording process the band is using to help listeners immediately feel connected to those live elements that are such an important component of the band’s sound.

Baltimore rising star Ben DeHan recently released his new single “Miss Cacophony.” We are thrilled to get the chance to introduce it to you, along with a deep dive into DeHan’s music and influences. His body of work, lyrical prowess, and sonic textures are all incredibly robust.

Washington DC is well known for our outstanding punk scene. Many of the most influential punk bands of the last few decades came from DC, from Minor Threat and Rites of Spring to even Fugazi. A lot of them recorded with Don Zientara at one incredible studio called Inner Ear in Arlington, VA. Punk is one of the most cherished parts of the larger DMV music scene. In addition to the insanely famous older bands, there’s also a ton of contemporary punk going on. At festivals, clubs, outdoor venues like Fort Reno, radio shows, and recording studios, DC punk music lives on. The global pandemic has shifted the atmosphere, but not erased it.

Upcoming music star Sarina is a DMV native, born and raised in Silver Spring, Maryland. She
has released two projects in 2020 alone, her first called Glass Paradise and the most recent a
full-length venture called Come to the Light. Alchemical Records is thrilled to introduce you to
this powerhouse artist and her most recent single, “Bite Back.”
We recently covered Sarina’s lovely song “Love I Like,” which is accompanied by a gorgeous
little retro video. Sarina continues the retro theme with “Bite Back.” The vibe mimics the
Scooby-Doo cartoons or the title sequence of Frankenstein, complete with old-fashioned title
sequences and spooky vibes. It’s the perfect song for this Halloween: a mixture of gorgeous
October visuals and an anthem for standing strong. “Made my decision / don’t need to think
twice / eyes full of fire and heart made of ice,” she sings, promising to be the kind of woman who
bites back when she is treated poorly.

Howard Rose and Robbie Cavanagh are two artists from the U.K. that have been gaining a lot of popularity in recent times. While Howard draws influences from James Brown, The Beach Boys, and The Beatles, Robbie Cavanagh draws influences from James Taylor, John Mayer and Elton John, and when the two collaborate it creates a very unique overall feel that creates a feeling of peace.

The pair recently worked together on a track called, “Greetings from Paradise” which is actually their first release to come from Nova Records, and is the result of a lockdown collaboration. We are excited to have the opportunity to premiere this track. The two initially did not intend to write a ‘lockdown song’ so they actually decided to write about the opposite, which is where the name “Greetings from Paradise” actually came from. Rose says, “the song alludes to ‘perceived blessings of a lockdown misspent. An opportunity to work, uninterrupted on what you were put on the earth to do, and how that can affect you. How something seemingly blissful can turn to the mundane given enough time.” We actually had the opportunity to interview both Rose and Cavanagh, which you can check out some of their answers on our website.

Ikey is a Washington DC artist who has been making waves around the globe since he began
his robust music career. His latest single “Go Outside” is just the last in a long string of gorgeous melodic-rap works, ones that appeal to a broad range of audiences interested in many genres.

Ikey is proudly Nigerian American and says he makes records for “the streets, the internet, and
most importantly the Third World.” His influences include music from all across the African Diaspora, but as a longtime DMV resident, he’s especially intertwined with Washington DC Go-go music. He also references Wyclef Jean and The Notorious B.I.G as favorites. And the delicate piano instrumentals on “Go Outside” trace all the way back to his first album.

This week, I called the band Mystery Friends over the phone. I had loved my sneak peak of their recent single “Nowhere to Be” and was feeling lucky that I was about to catch even one member of the rock-disco Washington, DC crew. Instead I caught three of them: the vocalist and synths-player frontwoman Abby Sevcik, guitarist and synths-player David Mohl, and bassist Robbie Lee. Once we covered their DIY music video (the production has been delayed briefly, allegedly because the video includes roller-skating but David is a roller-skating novice), Mystery Friends and I talked about their old record, new projects, and upcoming work.