Just Jaded
New Music Monday: Eraste
Happy November and welcome back to New Music Monday with Jaded Productions! This month we are so excited to highlight our favorite new release, “habits” by Eraste!!
“habits” was released on November 5th and we have had it on repeat all month long! As we’re sure you know, Eraste is an alternative pop musician who makes upbeat synth songs and emotional sad girl songs, and “habits” is a deeply personal song about losing a friendship. Eraste’s previous releases include “favorite secret”, “break my own heart” and “crashing every party”. “habits” has already amassed almost two thousand streams, and with over 660 monthly listeners on Spotify, it has become an instant favorite of Eraste fans.
Eraste was the sole writer on “habits” and had control in the production and vocal composition of this song, along with producer Alyssa Wilkens. In Eraste’s blog post before “habits” was released she said that having so much input and creative control with this song has given her a new perspective on creating music. “When you create something and it has these different lives to you and then when you share it it’s like… these people know how I feel now haha. Very weird.” Eraste wrote. But the emotions conveyed through her song are all too relatable.
With lyrics like “I heard someone call your name and I almost turned my head, but I know you’d never be caught dead in a place like this” and “I’m so mad at you for making me who I am, who am I if I’m just all of your habits?”, “habits” is a song that strikes an emotional chord for anyone who has lost a relationship of any kind. “habits” discusses the deep influences that people can leave on our lives, and how painful it can be when they decide to leave.
The release of “habits” was accompanied by a lyric video by Caro Hallock which displays sunset views turning into night, much like how life can so often feel when things feel out of control.
If you like artists like Halsey or Taylor Swift then we know you will love both Eraste and “habits”! Be sure to check out “habits” wherever you stream music, we know that you will absolutely love it!
Artist Rec Friday: Brian Bugler
Welcome back to Artist Rec Friday! This Friday, we couldn't be more excited to recommend Brian Bulger and his new album “Dissolve”!
Brian Bulger is an alternative singer/songwriter from Springfield, Missouri, and he strives to tell his own story that helps the listener experience the moment with him.
His storytelling, folk, pop, and indie elements set his music apart for a unique and unforgettable listening experience. Brian strives to craft worlds and emotions within his melodies, and he did just that with his album “Dissolve”.
“Dissolve” was released on November 11th, and is an eleven track album, and we cannot stop listening! “Dissolve” is the sophomore album of singer songwriter Brian Bulger, and with a total of almost forty thousand monthly listeners on Spotify, fans have been obsessed! “Dissolve” is a heartfelt and deeply personal album that explores stories of purity culture, abusive parents, mental health, and religion.
“Dissolve” delves into Brian’s personal journey of healing from trauma and leaving evangelical christianity. “Dissolve” “shows the breakdown of the human spirit and the rebuilding that takes place through community and self love. Dissolve is about finding new reasons to be here.”.
“Dissolve” is accompanied by a music video and a lyric video, one for the song “Bad in a Good Way” and one for “Lightning Bolt”. The visual accompaniments to the songs make for a whole new experience and story for the listener. The “Bad in a Good Way” music video was directed by Micah Coss, and the lyric video is a collection of videos edited by Kyle Ross.
“Bad in a Good Way” has already become a fan favorite and has amassed more than fifteen thousand streams, and “Lighting Bolt” is beloved too, as it has amassed over eighteen thousand streams.
If you like artists like Still Woozy, Briston Maroney, or Gus Dapperton, then we know you will be a Brian Bulger fan. Be sure to check out and stream his sophomore album “Dissolve”, we know you will absolutely love it because we have not been able to stop listening!
Artists Interview: Ally Bakst
Happy November! We hope that you have been enjoying fall, and we are so excited to be back this month! This month we had the pleasure of interviewing Ally Bakst, an electro-alt-pop singer/ songwriter from New York City. Ally’s immersive sound goes hand in hand with her graphic designs and cover art which she makes herself. Her combination of visual art and music makes the experience of being an Ally Bakst fan unforgettable! Keep reading to check out our wonderful conversation with Ally!
For our readers who might not know about you or your music, talk a little bit about yourself and how you got started.
As soon as I could talk as a child I was singing. I would hum tunes and sing random notes, and I developed this strong love for singing at a super early age. My parents required that my siblings and I play at least one instrument at a time growing up: I picked up the piano around the age of 6 and switched to learning the guitar at the age of 8. I collaborated a lot with my brothers, and we would just jam. No matter how stressed or busy I was, I always made time for music. With a lower range than most women, I always saw it as a downfall because it felt like nothing ever sounded right on my voice. It wasn’t until I started working with my current producer that he made me realize that my voice is what sets me apart and makes me unique as a vocalist.
Art and music have always been in tandem in my creative process. I don’t just hear my songs, I visualize them. Often it will be a back and forth process of writing a verse to crafting the imagery of the music video, which then inspires the chorus and so on. I do make music, but in my view it’s about the whole image, experience, and the way things sound and look together. The purpose of my music is to make you feel like you are in a space.
Congratulations on the success of your debut EP "Past Life"! What inspired this body of work?
Thank you! I see “Past Life” as my coming-of-age EP. My experiences in highschool and the beginning of college really inspired and shaped it. I felt like people didn’t see me. I knew a lot of people but nobody really knew me, and that felt really empty. I have constantly felt lost in a big sea. I talk about my experiences in a sort of double entendre, like a past life within this lifetime. The experiences that I talk about in “Past Life” were things that happened to me, but now feel like a boxed up memory of who I once was and not who I am anymore.
What track off of "Past Life" is your favorite (if you can pick one)?
This is hard because they all capture different moments of who I was at the time, but if I had to choose, my favorite songs would probably be “Roll Call” or “Another Time.” I think that both of these tracks call into question the actions of men and capture how I decided to react to how men treated me and other women that I knew. I felt like every guy had this idea in their mind that they could call from a list of girls when they want someone to come over, they can snap their fingers and someone will be there. It doesn’t really matter who because everyone is disposable to them. And so I said, ‘You know what? I could do the same thing’.
At the same time, a lot of the things that I say in “Roll Call” and “Another Time” are me trying to cope with that feeling of disposability, and both these songs give an insight into how insecure I felt. Even though the songs are empowering to some extent, I think that it was also me trying to compensate for feeling unseen.
What does the future look like for your music?
I am working on my first studio album now, and I have three singles that are almost completely ready to go. I will be releasing the first single in the Spring, and I’ll have a music video coming out for that soon. Really exciting is that the song will also be in a new movie coming out, so there is a lot of new stuff coming out!
Where can we find you so we can stay updated on all things Ally Bakst?
My instagram is @allybakst and my Tik Tok is @girlinthebackk. I also have a website called aftermathclothing.com where I sell my art and clothing!