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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.

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.