interview Archives | MendoWerks

Meet mvrina, the Wave Artist Whose Music We’ve Been ‘searching’ For. [exclusive interview]

9Aug

By Ambur MasenNo Comments

Features, Interviews

Meet mvrina, the Wave Artist Whose Music We’ve Been ‘searching’ For. [exclusive interview]

"Wave, to me, is about expressing yourself and showing a different, emotional side of yourself that most people wouldn’t usually see."-mvrina In this issue of "Breaking Waves," we connected with North Carolina-based wave artist, mvrina, to chat about her music, what it's like to be a working artist, birthday traditions, and more. mvrina is someone we've been keeping our eye on for a while now, and we're so excited to have gotten a chance to chat with her! To refresh your memory, mvrina is one of the artists featured in this list of some of the best music that's been coming from the wave scene lately. In particular, the music that she makes has a certain gentleness to it that we just can't get enough of. It's perfect for the times where you need to take a deep breath and be a little...

There’s No Need to “RUN&HIDE,” Saint Slumber! [Exclusive Interview]

8Jun

By Ambur MasenNo Comments

Interviews, Music

There’s No Need to “RUN&HIDE,” Saint Slumber! [Exclusive Interview]

The 'best band you've never heard of' has finally entered the future; Saint Slumber released their first single of 2023, "RUN&HIDE." After six long months of silence, we were so excited to see this song pop up on our Release Radar--and we were even more excited to have a chance to connect with Joshua Perna, Saint Slumber's vocalist, and chat a little bit about what the band has been up to. Read on and get reacquainted with our favorite New Jersey kings. Check Out "RUN&HIDE" by Saint Slumber on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/18FEyxoHraL8xr1DyYfacA?si=8MWHH8CSRoafia6ECekMJA Real talk: does Saint Slumber "RUN&HIDE" from the winter? Like many northern species, it seems that Saint Slumber tends to hibernate during the winter. This isn't surpr...

Time to Get Spooky with The Frst: stream “Scary Movie (ft. Ryan Prewett)”, out now!

13Jan

By Ambur MasenNo Comments

Features, Interviews, Music

Time to Get Spooky with The Frst: stream “Scary Movie (ft. Ryan Prewett)”, out now!

There might be 291 days until Halloween, but we can never celebrate too early! This is something The Frst seems to agree with, given the content of their first single of 2023, "Scary Movie". It's perfectly timed, too, given the fact that the song dropped today--on Friday the Thirteenth. Oooh, how spooky. Stream the quirky genre-defiant indie rock bop on Spotify, below, and read on to find out a little more about the true story that inspired the horror-adjacent track. "Scary Movie" by The Frst on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/43ervLPvf2bymfHC3q2SZA?si=e76587efa27b42a3 "Scary Movie" by The Frst isn't so scary... The band describes this new single, which is a collaboration with keyboardist Ryan Prewett, as "an ode to scary teen movies, but wit...

Saint Slumber Returns– HALLELUJAH! [New Track Friday + An Interview!]

18Aug

By Ambur MasenNo Comments

Features, Interviews

Saint Slumber Returns– HALLELUJAH! [New Track Friday + An Interview!]

(c) Saint Slumber “Life is good. And we’re never going to take this– you know, playing live music– for granted ever again. You never know what show is going to be your last show."Joshua Perna Saint Slumber, the patron saint of synergy, corn, and phenomenal tunes, is gracing us with yet another summertime banger. Check out these teasers of "HALLELUJAH (NOTHING MATTERS)" from the band on TikTok and find out why I'm so excited about this. I can already tell it's going to be an absolute bop. Be sure to stick around after for some other updates from 'the best band you've never heard of', including the transcription of a little chat between us all at The MilkBoy in Philly from earlier this summer. The Prayer of Saint Slumber: HALLELUJAH, NOTHING MATTERS!...

Interview: Clyde & Gracie From The Band Lawrence

4Jul

By SimonNo Comments

Features, Interviews

Interview: Clyde & Gracie From The Band Lawrence

Lawrence has experienced a lot of firsts this year. First performance on national late-night television, their first Coachella performance and they're just getting warmed up. They'll be closing out the year in style with a trio of festival-style shows at Brooklyn Steel but more on that in a few moments. We had a chance interview Lawrence and catch up with Clyde and Gracie. Here's what they had to say. On The Success of "Don't Lose Sight" While Lawrence released "Don't Lose Sight" as a single in 2021, it's been taken to a different level of success. The acoustic version went viral earlier this year. And millions of views and streams later, the song has been exposed to a whole new audience. You may also have seen/heard it in a recent Microsoft commercial. Here's what Clyde and Gracie ...

An Ode To YOUTH// In Defense of Saint Slumber’s Early EP’s & a Chat with the Menace Himself, Joshua Perna!

28May

By Ambur MasenNo Comments

Features, Music

An Ode To YOUTH// In Defense of Saint Slumber’s Early EP’s & a Chat with the Menace Himself, Joshua Perna!

"You need to make the decision whether you're going to always be chasing the carrot, or if you're going to stop and look at what you've done, and spend some time to congratulate yourself [...]"- Joshua Perna Listen up, music fans--especially those of you that like Saint Slumber-- This is urgent. A few weeks ago, it was rumored that two EPs—YOUTH//1 and YOUTH//2--were going to be wiped from the Internet. https://twitter.com/sntslmbr/status/1519366606438248449 -cracks knuckles- LISTEN UP, PERNA. This is unacceptable. I don't care how fire your new single is. Stream "NO DUH." by Saint Slumber on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/51oRXT8J1Fs3QzgeM2F9iQ?si=7b5efb0509ae4969 I'll concede that "NO DUH." by Saint Slumber could easil...

“Inspiration Leads Me Everywhere”: Chats with Joshua Perna [Saint Slumber, King Leer]

23May

By Ambur MasenNo Comments

Interviews

“Inspiration Leads Me Everywhere”: Chats with Joshua Perna [Saint Slumber, King Leer]

Attention: if you've read "Ode To Youth//... Joshua Perna" in full, then you can skip this piece. This article contains the same interview & is for everyone who just wants to dive straight into the interview with Joshua Perna. I don't blame you, of course! You know what you want... and he's got some really great points on all things dealing with creative burnout, working as an independent musician, artistry, social media and more! "While you might not be spending money, you are. You're spending your time. And that is not a renewable resource. Your energy is finite."Joshua Perna [Saint Slumber / King Leer] What initially started this feature was something that Joshua Perna had said in a Discord group chat message a few months before this talk of YOUTH// cancellatio...

Breaking Waves: Just Connor & “Hyperstrike”

8May

By Ambur MasenNo Comments

Features, Interviews, Music

Breaking Waves: Just Connor & “Hyperstrike”

Considering it has been almost exactly a year to the day since I first spoke with Just Connor about his music, I think it's only right to do this first issue of Breaking Waves about him... Especially since today is the day that the first Just Connor track of 2022 drops! Please go ahead and stream "Hyperstrike"-- I promise you, it will send you on a gorgeous sonic journey. It's what I've had on repeat all morning. By the time you reach the second drop, you will realize that no one does wave music quite like JC. That's what I realized a year ago, and have realized time and time again, on my "journey through wave". I say it like that because that's what this has felt like--a journey. Ever since that first conversation with JC, it has felt like I've been on a journey to discover wh...

2Mar

By Ambur MasenNo Comments

Features, Interviews, Music

A Chat With The Young Legend, MAYKO.

"...the whole purpose of music, in my opinion, is to transport people into a place, into a feeling..." If there is any name you need to remember in 2022, it's Mayko's. You're certainly going to be seeing it everywhere soon. You may already be familiar with Mayko through his release with Sable Valley, or perhaps you remember him from a vibe.digital podcast, or stumbled upon him another way. (If not, you can get introduced to Mayko in our “Release Radar’s Greatest Hits, Volume 3”). Perhaps the best way to get to know him is through his own words, though, right? Well, we were lucky enough to be able to interview Mayko about his art and artistry, what he’s learned on his journey so far–as well as what’s coming next for ‘The Young Legend’. For y...

[Interview] Shut Up & Play Some Pop Punk: A Chat with Mikei Gray of The Frst

25Jan

By Ambur MasenNo Comments

Features, Interviews

[Interview] Shut Up & Play Some Pop Punk: A Chat with Mikei Gray of The Frst

Given the fact that that the When We Were Young festival sold out in mere hours (and now has not only a 2nd, but a 3rd date), it shouldn't be surprising that pop punk is here to stay. It certainly doesn't surprise Mikei Gray of The Frst, whose latest single, "Pop Punk Song", captures the mood of an entire generation in a simple, yet catchy way. So, to quote The Frst, allow me to "shut the fuck up and play some pop punk" for you: "Pop Punk Song" by The Frst: streaming now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P21z4WWp5w4&feature=youtu.be My favorite thing about The Frst's "Pop Punk Song" is that while it's got that catchy, cathartic chorus that's just begging to be screamed at a show, it's also campy and self-aware. At first, I ...