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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.

Indigo Seed is a band based in Seattle, Washington that has just come out with their debut EP. The EP is titled, “Patterns” and if you are a fan of The Doors, Tame Impala, or any other psychedelic rock than you have to listen to this project. It includes some guitar riffs that will be stuck in your head for hours, as you are entranced with the overall feel the track gives you. We will let the music speak for itself, but we were lucky enough to get to interview Indigo Seed below. Check it out and learn some more about them.

Jackii Kennedy is an LA based singer/songwriter who has recently really caught our attention. She was born in the Florida Keys and travled to the Golden Coast to pursue her passions. She also has synesthesia and sees colors when she listens to music (her cover art is influenced by the colors she sees when listening to the song). She makes funky, psychedelic pop/r&b music and says she “wants to make the definition of queer pop as fluid as your sexuality at 2am after a little too much tequila.” She writers and produces all of her music with Ryan Raines (Dominic Fike, Peach Tree Rascals, Will Jay), Hudson Taylor (Kanye West), and Drea Rose. We can see the influence that these producers have on her music, as she has a unique sound that we feel combines something like Dominic Fike with a little bit extra of a pop feel.

Stephanie Mathias, of Lake Ridge, Va, has been busy navigating the new realities of 2020, and she is getting it done. Stephanie, who makes a living as a session violinist said, “I lost my career overnight”. At the beginning to lockdown, depression started creeping in. It did not take long before Stephanie pulled up her bootstraps to reclaim back as much of her normal as possible, such as practicing martial arts and working again. Stephanie also created some great new music. The acoustic version of Stephanie’s new single “The Hero Side” was released on September 18 and we can look forward to the fully produced version soon. “The Hero Side” available through her website, stephaniematias.com.

Anna Hamilton can be seen on Season 2 of NBC’s Songland as a featured writer for Ben Platt, and you may have heard her acoustic cover of “Bad Liar” made famous by Imagine Dragons, garnering millions of fans. Her latest release “Self Help,” during this time is no coincidence as it speaks now to the feelings of millions of listeners who have had to readjust or re-imagine what their lives should look like while facing various stages of quarantine.

Beachwood Coyotes are an incredibly interesting band from the LA area, that features Jason Nott (vocals), Yan Clermont (guitar), Bryan King (drums), and Drew Smith (bass). They are an extremely fun group of guys that create indie pop music, that often use a bit of humor in their live shows to differentiate themselves from other bands. Their music reminds us of Panic At The Disco, but with an indie feel to create a unique sound.

Clocking in at 3 minutes exactly, Rett Madison’s soaring new single “Kerosene” is one of the most powerful releases of this wild year.

Rett Madison is from West Virginia, moved to Michigan to study at Interlochen Arts Academy, and finally moved out to LA for college and the music industry. At just 23, she’s gotten write-ups from Billboard and Rolling Stone for her other recent single “Shame is a River.”

Alchemical Records correspondent, Cynthia Gross provides an in-depth analysis of how chance meetings turn into lasting relationships, and why sometimes showing up is the only missing ingredient.

The Infinite Daisy Chains are becoming one of D.C.’s hottest psychedelic rock bands. From meeting at a rehearsal in a dimly lit garage, to tying the knot fives year in marriage, Ian Dandridge and Kristina Westernik-Dandridge have started creating some extremely unique sounds. Kristina specializes in the violin, vocals, and Ableton push, while Ian focuses on the guitar. They work together with the team at Day Off Recordings, who help them with the logistics of the creative process. We interviewed them on our blog.

Ay Wing is an amazing artist that we’ve gotten the pleasure to learn more about during our time in quarantine. She is Swiss born, and berlin based, and pretty much has it covered when it comes to ensuring her delectable, fluorescent, Neo-soul will get a crowd moving. First time listeners are often so entranced by her glittery beats that they keep coming back for more of that shine and sparkle, online and in person. In the run-up to, and in support of her “Ice Cream Dream” EP release in the spring of 2018, Ay Wing was prolific in her appearances on stages across Europe as well as the United States, where she made her Los Angeles debut appearance last summer. This can be seen in the music video for her single, “Drive By” which made it onto the notorious Spotify playlist “Butter.” Her track “Orange Dreamer”, features an impressive flow by American hip-hop artist Chuuwee, as well as larger than life production by German-born, Shuko

Her newest track is called, “Antidote” and it also features an artist known as Shuko. In this groovy homage to being in love, Ay Wing’s lyrics transport us to that feeling or memory of being mesmerised and inspired by a person with limitless energy – someone who is completely in tune with themselves and can pull us back to the present when we are feeling far away from ourselves.

If you haven’t heard of Cat Janice yet, you are missing out. She is a Washington D.C. native that is on her way to becoming a household name. She has spent time in orchestral productions, jazz bands, and the theatre, and is now a solo act that been featured on both Netflix and ABC. She was also the winner of Best Rock Artist for the Washington Area Music Awards. We decided to ask Cat Janice some questions to get to know her better.

Alchemical Records got the incredible chance to sit down with Gabrielle Barnes to discuss her debut single “2020.” The song explores a lot of intense themes, from cultural appropriation to police brutality, and their intersections. Barnes talked about processing intense emotions in the first section of “2020” and enjoying joy and resilience in the last section. (The explorations in the song move fast, but so does this wild year.) “2020” is bedroom-poppy and smooth, a bit like the powerhouse singer-songwriter Willow Smith. But this particular song also reminds me of the introductory track on the 1975’s new album Notes on a Conditional Form, where Greta Thunberg’s powerful words intertwine with the music.

Steve Benjamins, electronic singer-songwriter, just released a new song called “Symmetry.” In the press surrounding the new single, Benjamins has talked a lot about the concept of this song: “partnership without possession.” Alchemical Records got the pleasure of speaking to Benjamins this week, and we discussed why this issue is so important.