Des Rocs on his ALIVE tour, October 10th, 2021. On a dark, rainy Sunday night I made my way through standard Seattle traffic on I-5. I arrived at the new venue way too early, but luckily Clock-Out Lounge doubled as a pizza joint so I pushed open the double doors while Des Rocs and his crew were bouncing around on stage doing a sound check. He popped back & forth between the stage and the sound guy about a dozen times before settling into a back room somewhere to prepare for the show. What seemed to me like half an eternity later, The Velveteers blasted the crowd with some phenomenal tracks. Hailing from Colorado, boasting a strong frontwoman and not one but two drummers, they put on a helluva show. But then came Des, who ran on stage with his back to the crowd and his fists in the air, donning a guitar and dressed in a lot of black. No other introduction was made, we were just catapulted into the first song and the rest is history. This show was the epitome of high energy, an energy that could be felt buzzing through every filthy animal - a moniker bestowed on fans of Des Rocs - crammed into that little pizza place venue combo. There were no dull moments, no reprieve, just a lot of rock. Being one of my first live music experiences in almost two years, it was a great reintroduction to the scene. The fact that I got to photograph even a small part of it just adds to the unforgettable nature of the entire evening, and made the three hour drive back home entirely tolerable. See more photos below. Follow Des Rocs on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

FOR FANS OF: Beach Bunny, Wallows, The Regrettes Matchstick Ghost, a trio hailing from Denton, TX, play brilliant music that is indie pop mixed with pop punk and they've just released a single - "Plum Summer." You can check out the music video for the track above. "Plum Summer" was written in the summer of 2020 while "...reminiscing on how summers felt as a child versus as an adult." It is a bright, upbeat song with dark lyrics, much like how nostalgia for the past can sometime feel. It explores the joys of the past in these current dark times, letting you know that there can always be a light found in the darkness. More to come soon from Matchstick Ghost - an EP in spring 2022, and a tour of the southeast US afterwards. You can stream "Plum Summer" here on Spotify or on whichever platform you prefer. | Follow Matchstick Ghost on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Happy September. It's September! It's almost Fall, which means chilly weather, pumpkin spice scented candles, and Halloween candy. I'm excited for those Halloween Peeps - you know, the little pumpkin & ghost marshmallows that are covered in sugar. Love those. We've been quiet over here this past summer, which is my fault. I've been busy with work and haven't had time for anything else. We also have a very small team, who each are all equally busy. It's hard to find drive to do a job that doesn't give you money in return, passion isn't enough, passion doesn't feed you. If this was, say, the 1970's, Wild Honey would be a small print magazine. I'd be able to pay the team members, and we'd therefore have more content. We'd probably run for a couple of years before fading out because it'd be too expensive to keep going - printing costs, travel costs, all too much. With Wild Honey being a online publication, the problems we face are time - not enough of it to create content (interviews, written articles, reviews, etc), different time zones & too much distance between us, and travel costs - press passes are a blessing, but for a bunch of 18-20-somethings, it's just not financially possible to travel all over the US & elsewhere for shows. I would really love it if someday Wild Honey could reach it's full potential and do everything on-ground, you know, do the whole William Miller bit and tour with a band to write about the experience for a magazine. Do it how they used to do it with Rolling Stone interviews, go backstage, chat with the musicians face-to-face, get to know them intimately. But it's definitely miles harder to do today...and we have to address the big elephant in the room: covid. I started this magazine June 2020, wanting nothing more out of it than to write about music that I liked. And a year & some months later, I want more. I want more out of it, so selfishly. I want it to be firstly a print magazine, the website an afterthought. I want to make working in the music industry my career, I want to make money off of it, I want this to be the rest of my life. I want to tour with a band and write about them & my experiences for Wild Honey. I want Wild Honey to be something we can all look back at in the future and say, "Oh, I remember when that happened. I remember that tour, I love that album, they understand these songs like I do, I miss those days, I love these photos, I love this interview." With covid, I can't see this coming to fruition any time soon. I have no prospected time when covid will be over and it'll be completely safe for tours. And...I've gotten a new job. I work around the elderly, and I've realized it's far too risky to attend any shows while at this job. I couldn't bear the guilt if I ended up hurting them because I wanted to go see a band. And many people in my life are immunocompromised. I'm unsure when I'll next get to some of the people I love the most without it being a risk, which has made my days fill up with an enormous loneliness and aching in my chest. I miss so many loved ones, and wish to be with them in person, but the distance is the safest bet right now. Music is important to me, but not as important as the lives of others. I won't be attending any more shows in person for the foreseeable future, which hurts, but it's okay. I'll still be able to write about music, just from the safety behind my computer screen. The music will always be there for me. If there's anything I can give to you that might help soften the days, it's quotes from Pamela Des Barres' book, I'm With The Band. In the book, she recounts her journey of becoming a "legendary groupie," starting from her teen years onto her early 20's. There's a sequel, Take Another Little Piece Of My Heart, of her years afterwards. I've read both books numerous times, going back to underline my favorite bits and writing in notes. Some bits I love: "All I know is that if my friends can make it, so can I." "The hazards of loving these fools and the music they made were numerous and agonizing, and they didn't do too much for the budding ego either." "...and I merged with their music like it was beating through my bloodstream." "I dig musicians, I feel they have the most to offer me mentally and emotionally because they think basically along the same lines that I do; extremely creative people.' "If only I could realize how full it is all the time, and never ever get bored...I'm so fortune to be blessed with the freedom I have; travel is at my doorstep, new places, new people, new adventures constantly. I want to reach out and learn from every person I meet; take their stories and intertwine them with my own so I can live MORE than my allotted years on this earth." with love, Cherri Cheetah

FOR FANS OF: The Glorious Sons, The Struts, The Black Keys New York native Des Rocs has crawled out of the rat cage once again and brings with him a new single and the announcement of an upcoming full length album debuting September 24, 2021. Not only has the album been announced, but a headlining tour is on the horizon as well, bringing chaos and rock to a plethora of US states. “MMC,” released July 30, 2021 is the first single released from the upcoming album A Real Good Person In A Real Bad Place and a perfect blend of today's rock and classic blues elements coming together to create a blend of modern and timeless that Des Rocs is known for. The song opens with a driving, guitar heavy intro, laden with a grungy tone fit for a modern rock song, while the chorus loops us back with classic rock and blues tendencies, this kind of louder than life sound Des has expertly been crafting over the course of his career. It's stunning to behold the way these differing sounds have been brought together then laced with lyrics that tell a story of what it means to be “celebrity” and what comes with the status. The verses are really a poetic exhibition. Showcasing Des’ ability to paint a viscous picture while telling something even more sinister right below the surface. The first few lines of the song, “You know exactly what to do with a pretty face / before it ends up on a milk jug” is a great example of the slap in the face this song is to the “mainstream.” Your pretty face in the industry is disposable, and you’d better make use of it before you’re irrelevant. Much like fast fashion, celebrity status can be stripped away as quickly as leave from a tree in fall. A rush of color and excitement that people gather in droves to witness and even worship, then just as quickly swept away by a brisk breeze and those that had gathers to bask in those glorious colors dissipate and migrate to the next spectacle and “All that’s left is just a hollow memory.” The song encompasses breaking the mold of what it means to be a celebrity and what you can and can’t do with said status, and how the industry manufactures celebrities and their respective status. They’re ultimately viewed as this disposable, consumable product. We forget that these are real people because of the elevation given to them by those who represent them. Their status is facetious, in reality they’re ‘just like us,’ aside from the fact that they’re presented as ‘not like us’ at all. For whatever reason we’ve been conditioned to believe we should aspire to live life the way they do, consume what they do, look like they do, and so on for eternity. It’s a giant mess, constructed to keep people in a constant state of longing and for the most part it works. This song to me is a slap in the face to that ideology. A line in the outro, “They’ll never let a rat in the mickey mouse club, and I don’t care” exemplifies that thought flawlessly, screaming to the man that there are some of us that have no desire to be labeled, or to conform and comply with the life they’re pushing so hard on us. It seems like we’re left with two options; either succumbing to the pressure fame puts on a person, becoming someone you’re not in order to fit that mold created for you, or defying the idea that we were ever meant to fit in a box built by someone else. “MMC” rocks, in the typical non-typical Des Rocs fashion his fans love. With this as the introduction to a new album, I can’t wait to see what the next release brings. And the anticipation of a tour quickly coming up on the horizon is rapidly building, singing this song from the floor is going to be all the rage. Des' next single, "Imaginary Friends" will be out this Friday, August 20th. You can pre-save "Imaginary Friends" here. A Real Good Person In A Real Bad Place tracklist: 1) Tick 2) Why Why Why 3) break break break [the interlude before "Imaginary Friends"] 4) Imaginary Friends 5) MMC 6) Ruby with the Sharpest Lies 7) Don't Hurt Me 8) Hanging by a Thread 9) Born to Lose 10) The Devil Inside 11) Rabbit Hole Follow Des Rocs on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

How was your July? Hey! It's basically mid-August, which somehow feels like no time at all from my last letter. But this one's the last oddly-timed letter you'll get this year, in September it'll go back to sometime during the first week of each month. July was really good for music - I really loved Joyous Wolf's "Fearless," (which I got to hear live at their show back at the end of June and yes, they sound exactly like that live, maybe even better), Ida Mae's "Long Gone & Heartworn," which features Jake Kiszka of Greta Van Fleet, and Games We Play's "Deadbeat." As for longer releases, I loved Flight Club's debut album, Until The Sun Drowns and George O' Hanlon's EP, The Storm. As for me, I spent July job-searching and getting used to the little part of Utah I now live in (which basically means walking to the bookstore down the way from me and discovering all the local Free Little Libraries). There's not so much I can say about Utah - it's very hot, much hotter than New York ever was because it's a dry sort of heat, not a humid one. I can see the mountains all around, closer than I've been. It makes me feel so small and so aware of my aliveness, but in a good way. The people are really friendly, which shocks me, because I can't remember people (strangers) being nice to you on the street just because. The amount of times people have wished me "Good morning!" just as I was passing them by on the sidewalk is astounding, that doesn't really happen in New York (in the city and the state). I haven't visited Salt Lake City yet, but hopefully soon I will, at least before October. My favorites cleopatrick, Ready the Prince and ZIG MENTALITY are playing Kilby Court there in October, and I can't wait to see them. The only local-ish place I can recommend so far is Beans & Brews, a coffee shop, it's affordable and tastes really great. But - this New Yorker girl misses Dunkin' so much, and cheap deli sandwiches (I would do anything for a BEC with homefries on a roll right now). I've found a good enough Dunkin' replacement, no local deli place yet. I wish I could go on tour and write about my experiences and take photos of everything. Live music is back, sorta, and I ache to be a part of it in a tangible way. Writing about music cannot compare to living on the road, surrounded by the music. I want to experience that so bad. But back to me taking photos...there's one photographer I've been really fond of for years - Andy DeLuca. He worked with 5SOS back in 2018 to create the visuals for their Youngblood record and tour. I think he might still work with them now, I'm not certain, I don't really keep up with 5SOS anymore. What I loved about Andy's work was how real the photos felt to me, how you could feel the movement, hear the music, how you could close your eyes and imagine yourself right in the crowd in front of them...(that's also how I feel about fleenormality's show pictures, he's my favorite photographer these days. The way he captures passion and emotion is so, so brilliant.). Back in 2018, Andy had this really distinct style of grainy, blurry, almost candid photos that I fell in love with. I love the candid, I love the disposable camera stuff, I love all those really bad, low quality photos from the 70s that you see all the time of The Rolling Stones and the Woodstock crowds. I want to make some of my own photos like those someday. Lastly...at the very end of July, I started watching the bootleg cut (director's cut) of Almost Famous. If you know anything about this magazine, anything about me, you'd know that I love that film & it inspires me hugely. I haven't found the time to finish that version of the movie yet, but there's a part in it where one of the members of the band in that film, Russell, says something to the groupie character, Penny Lane, and it's been stuck in my brain ever since I heard it, so now I'm leaving it here for you. It's this: "(rock n' roll will miss) the way you turn a hotel room into a home, the way that you pick up strays wherever you go, the way that you know the words to every song, EVERY SONG, especially the bad ones...the real name that you won't reveal." with love, Cherri Cheetah

Better late than never. Hey, it's been a while. At the start of the summer, I posted a short note over on our Instagram page saying that we'll be a bit slow for the next couple of months, and it's definitely been like that. I meant to have this letter out mid-July, but with moving to a new city, I haven't had the time to properly sit down and write one. I've been job-searching every day. June was pretty good in terms of releases, and I attended my first post-pandemic show: Joyous Wolf. They were amazing and the lead singer, Nick Reese, was very kind to me. I'm not the best at eye contact or going up to strangers and making friends with them, but Nick was friendly, we chatted a bit. Overall, they seem like nice men who make very good rock 'n roll music (my favorite track of theirs is "Mother Rebel," also, Nick has SUCH a fantastic stage presence. if you ever are presented with the chance to see them live, take it! he reminds me of Mick Jagger). cleopatrick released their debut album, BUMMER, in June. I wrote a review of it, which wasn't so much a review but ultimately a post about how I personally felt about it. Sometimes music is so personal that you actually can't find the words for it, you just want to keep it private, like your favorite book that you've read tons of times and have wrote all over it, little notes in the margins, bits and pieces underlined, the cover starting to tear because you've dragged it all across the country with you, that sort of thing. That's how I felt about BUMMER, but I felt I owed the band a post about it, despite feeling privately about it. I don't remember much of June. BUMMER came out, I attended a show, then I took a train from Denver to Salt Lake City at the beginning of July. I've been writing a lot, but not about music, just personally. I've been listening to music, but not as many new releases as I should have been - I've been obsessed with The Beatles for a few months now, especially in June. I haven't heard their entire discography yet because I've been too obsessed with Rubber Soul (listen to "Norwegian Wood," "In My Life," and heck, "Drive My Car." great stuff!). I've also slightly been getting into Black Sabbath, which I 100% blame Almost Famous for. Other than my recent obsessions with The Beatles and Black Sabbath...Wild Honey: ISSUE ONE is coming. I wrote about it a bit in the last letter, the special one year anniversary one. It's planned to come out on September 18th, 2021. It'll be digital, you'll be able to read it on your phones and whatever other devices you use, and it might be up for print purchase. Print's a bit expensive, so we'll see. I don't want anyone to be unable to access the issue just because they can't afford it, so at the very least, it'll be downloadable for free. I read a book about the founder of Rolling Stone Magazine, Jann Wenner, back in June, called Sticky Fingers by Joe Hagan. Jann Wenner had the means and help to fund print copies of the magazine...granted print was all they had back then, but still. Print is a dying form of media, especially with magazines, and alone, I certainly can't afford to take Wild Honey to print. But hey, maybe someday we'll have a subscription service and mail you issues, haha. Or maybe we'll go the punk way and put together a little zine and mail it out. We'll see! That's it for now, the next letter will come mid-August and then in September we'll be back to the letters at the beginning of the month. Stay groovy and stay safe. with love, Cherri Cheetah

FOR FANS OF: New Found Glory, With Confidence, Neck Deep Flight Club are a rock band from Richmond, VA and they've just released their debut album today, Until The Sun Drowns. It's a strong record, fantastic from start to finish. Flight Club is Charlie Mahoney, Sam Tucker, Alex Triantafilledes, and Harry Ellis. They formed in college, and spent time playing every club venue & living room they possibly could before getting on the road. After a year of touring the East coast, Midwest, and as well as a trip to Canada, they signed with hometown label Open Your Ears Records. They released an EP late 2019, Recreational Love, which was produced by Alan Day of the band Four Year Strong. I love Until The Sun Drowns because of how fresh it sounds and how honest the lyrics are. About the record, Sam Tucker of Flight Club said, "For us, Until The Sun Drowns was the opportunity to explore so many of the influences that we wanted to touch on as a band, without sacrificing songs or styles to fit the mold of what our genre "should" sound like. We hope anyone who listens to this record can hear the freedom of creativity that we felt working on each song. There's truly something for everyone on this album and we hope it can speak to you as a whole." I can certainly hear the freedom of creativity that they felt throughout the record, it speaks through the music. Until The Sun Drowns is a mostly high energy record that'll wake you up in the morning, that'll help you feel better when you're down, a record that will eventually become one of your all time favorite records. My favorite tracks off the record are "Adolescence," "I've Been Kicked Out Of Better Homes Than This," and "Two Tongues." Overall this record is a mixed bag of sounds - some parts remind me of early 00's rock, others mid-2010's pop punk, but all together it just sounds like Flight Club. What makes this record so special to me is that it's something genuine and real, it's rock music with a familiar, nostalgic feeling that makes it friendly and comforting. It's a record that I'll revisit years to come, finding joy in it always. Follow Flight Club on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

FOR FANS OF: State Champs, Neck Deep, Movements Orlando based rock band, FELICITY, have dropped their debut album Dear Universe yesterday and it's brilliant. It's honest, strong, and a sure hit if you like pop punk. FELICITY are Andrew Rapier on guitar, Cory Nicholas also on guitar, Damien Fagiolino on vocals, Mike Alosa on bass, and Tyler Dennett on drums. They formed in 2013, and a few months after that the band was invited to perform in their hometown on Vans Warped Tour 2014, which happened to be their fourth show ever. Shortly afterwards, they booked a slot at The Big Orlando Festival alongside of Fall Out Boy and Weezer. FELICTIY's sound is unique - it's not wholly pop punk, but takes from metal as well, resulting in something powerful and loud. It's rock, to sum it up plainly. On Dear Universe, FELICITY take their sound to the fullest and highest levels. Dear Universe was recorded over a month with producer Andrew Wade (A Day To Remember, Neck Deep, Wage War), and follows a trio of EPs starting in 2015 and ending in 2019. About the record, FELICTIY shares "For our first ever full-length LP, we couldn’t be any more proud of ourselves both individually and as a band. We are beyond grateful to have the support of such an incredible team of true professionals around us to help give Dear Universe the life it deserves.” They continue: "We wrote Dear Universe from the hearts of the five of us with each song telling the story from some of the greatest moments of our lives to the most tragic of experiences we’ve ever faced. We allowed ourselves to become completely vulnerable by getting out of our comfort zone and writing songs that told the real story of who FELICITY is." I really like this record. Dear Universe opens with an instrumental track, "Carpe Demin," one that sounds almost as if it could be the opening score for an action film. It immediately bleeds into "Ignite," which features Dan Marsala from Story of The Year. "Hit and Run" follows, the heaviest track on the record. "Pendulum," is next, and I love it. It reminds me a little bit of Linkin Park. "Ghost Town" is the sixth track on the record, a catchy, head-banging tune. "You Got This," starts off a bit slow, and continues throughout the track making a chill, inspirational song. "The Weather," one of their previously released singles, follows and it's just so good - possibly my favorite off the entire record. "Wish You Weren't Here" is a bittersweet song, about wanting someone to leave because all they're doing is bringing them down. Dear Universe ends with "Lonely Nights," "Highs N Lows," and "C'est La Vie." "Lonely Nights" is my favorite out of these three, I love it. "Highs & Lows" is about going through the bad times with a partner who is there with you no matter what. "C'est La Vie," one of the most emotional tracks off of Dear Universe to me, is about wanting to go back to childhood, of Star Wars and fruit roll ups, when everything was better and people hadn't left your life yet. Overall, this record is fantastic. My top three tracks are "Ghost Town," "The Weather," and "Lonely Nights." I love Dear Universe because it's honest and full of passion, you can hear both in their music, it speaks to your heart clearly. I hope to see them live someday. Felicity will be celebrating the release of Dear Universe with a special album release show on Friday, August 27th at The Abbey in Orlando. It's presented by Montgomery Drive with special guests Hungover, Outatime, Palm Tree Square, and Keep it a Secret. You can purchase tickets here. Follow FELICITY on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Don't worry - this isn't a goodbye post. Hey! A special LFTE this month because today's officially our one year anniversary. By the time I post this, it'll definitely be the 29th in almost every time zone - a error of memory on my part - I've been so busy today that I've only just remembered it at 10:40 at night. But nevertheless, as I'm typing this it's our one year anniversary. A LOT has changed in a year, I'm in a completely different place than I was this time last year, both in mindset and in the physical. I'm happier, I'm optimistic, and I'm healthier all around. I'm not in New York anymore. I miss it very much - I've been in Colorado since April, and next week I'm moving to Salt Lake City. I've never been further than Colorado, so I'm a bit nervous, but mainly so excited. I've got a new laptop, and I went to a show last night - saw a band I love, Joyous Wolf (they were brilliant!). I've gotten closer to my friends, and made a couple of new ones, especially some who have had such a huge, positive impact on me & are genuinely such a good kind of people. I'm writing a book, growing out my hair, and learning to face all my fears straight on rather than avoiding them. Life is exciting, full of possibility, and just...good. But this time last year? So uncertain and scary. I remember listening to Nothing But Thieves' "Is Everybody Going Crazy?" on repeat when the lockdown begun alone in my bedroom, chest feeling so full of fear and hopelessness. It felt like the world was ending. These feelings kept alive inside me until I got the idea for this magazine in May. Wild Honey made me feel like I had a way out of the darkness and now a year later, I believe those feelings have proven themselves to be right. I'm trying to think of myself a year ago. I felt very lonely because of the pandemic, because as probably like everyone else on the planet, I was isolated from my friends and most of my family. I found some joy at the beginning of 2020 in writing for Buzzkill Magazine about bands such as cleopatrick and Ready the Prince. As the year progressed and covid overtook our lives, I found comfort in writing about the music I was interested in. It served as both a distraction and a expression of my want to go forward with my dream of working in the music industry. I wanted to work in radio when I was in high school, then to become a photojournalist, which recently became a music journalist, or as I aspire to be William Miller - a rock journalist. I almost went to college in 2019 to study journalism, but I didn't have enough faith in myself and my abilities, which is amusing to think about now. If I'd gone to that college, Wild Honey probably wouldn't have existed for a few years, or maybe not at all... To say that Wild Honey changed my life is an understatement. It completely upheaved my life, and it's only just the beginning. I've learned so many lessons, about the industry and life. I've learned that I've been wrong about so much - but also learned that I can change, and I've definitely changed. The person who launched Wild Honey one year ago doesn't exist anymore, but all for the better. I've learned about music journalism and the industry, all thanks to some kind and patient people who came into my life and gave advice. I learn something new about this world I've found myself in every day. I'm proud of how far Wild Honey's come. Our team is full of really nice, skilled, and interesting people. I didn't want to run a music blog by myself, and luckily, others wanted to come and write for it with me. It makes me so happy. We've done such cool things so far such as our interviews and takeovers, and live music is slowly but surely making it's return, so hopefully we'll get to continue our work but in a more tangible way. Wild Honey's a magazine, and I really want to make the "magazine" part sink in, so... I'm happy to announce that this summer the team and I are working on our first issue! It'll be digital and possibly in print as well. It'll be seasonally, as a look back at the season that just passed. It's expected to be out on September 18th, 2021, right at the end of summer. It's all been digital so far, and as that gives way to reaching people I wouldn't have been able to traditionally which I am thankful for, but it leaves a gap. Something empty. I want all of this to feel real, to feel like Wild Honey's a real magazine, something to look back on in the future and reminiscent about the time that passed. And especially with the pandemic creating endless Zoom calls, I think we're all a bit tired of looking at screens. Other than our first issue, I'm shifting our focus on interviews, Instagram story takeovers, original pieces & photographs - just everything past reviews. I don't want Wild Honey to forever be a review site. As much as I love writing on how I feel about music, there's only so much you can say. It gets repetitive, and the industry moves too fast to keep up. I also believe it's more fun to hand the mic over to someone else and let them explain themselves in their own words, rather than an outsider's perspective, which in the case for this magazine, I encourage our writers to say their opinion, not what they believe everyone else thinks, just themselves. It's not bad, but I want Wild Honey to be more Rolling Stone & Tiger Beat rather than Pitchfork. Anyway, hey, thank you for supporting me and this little magazine. I only thought my mom and my friends would care, but so many people past them care about it and it's mind-blowing. All of the interest in whatever we're doing on here is honestly so overwhelming but in a good way. Without Wild Honey, I don't believe I would be the person I am today. A lot can change in just a year, and both the pandemic & this magazine has solidified that for me strongly. Thank you, thank you, thank you. We're, to industry standards, still so small, but to regular people standards, big and I can't be grateful enough for all of the support I've received. Thank you. with love, Cherri Cheetah.

Content warning ahead for mentions of suicide. At the end of May, Sum 41 released a reimagined version of their track “Catching Fire,” which features nothing, nowhere. The track is a personal and emotional one, as singer/songwriter Deryck Whibley of Sum 41 wrote it for his wife Ari Whibley, after her suicide attempt in 2014. This is the first time that they’re speaking publicly about her suicide attempt and how it connects to “Catching Fire” for Mental Health Awareness Month, which was also in May. Sum 41 fans from all over the world helped create the music video for "Catching Fire," submitting stories about the loved ones that they've lost, and you can check it out below. The music video-turned-memorial is meant to shine light on suicide prevention and help break the stigma of speaking about mental health. About the track, Whibley said “Writing this song was cathartic for me in dealing with my emotions for the first time about almost losing my wife to suicide. When I first played it for her, it was the beginning of us having an open conversation about what she went through. In sharing her story, we are hoping to let others know they are not alone and that if you need help, there is no shame in saying so.” Featured artist nothing,nowhere. continues, "As someone who has had to deal with mental illness throughout my life - it was a no brainer when Deryck approached me to get on this song. I think it’s important to let those close to you know that you love them and that you are there for them unconditionally. I’m a lifelong Sum 41 fan and I’m honored to be a part of something like this." To learn more about the story behind “Catching Fire,” you can head over to People Magazine’s site to read the interview with Deryck and Ari Whibley about the healing process after her suicide attempt, and how much the song helped both of them here. It might not be Mental Health Awareness Month anymore, but it’s always important to be able to have open communication between you and your loved ones in your life about your mental health, whether if you are simply struggling or dealing with a mental illness. Communication is key with every relationship you have - with your lover, your friends, your family, and yourself. Be honest to yourself about how you are feeling, and then with everyone else in your life. Seek healing in whatever way you can - I personally find peace in music, as Deryck and Ari found it in “Catching Fire.” There’s no doubt that the pandemic has been hard on all of us in some way, and while live music is slowly but surely making its return, it’s still hard. I’m personally still feeling very lonely, also while I struggle with mental illness myself, and what helps me the most through these feelings is music and talking to my loved ones - my friends and my family. Whether it be through a phone call or a text, they’re always there for me, and they know that I’m there for them if they need me. Distance makes things very challenging to handle mental health struggles and illness, but you are never alone, especially not now in 2021 - with all the technology we have, we have endless ways to connect, so if you’re struggling, reach out to someone. This life might be hard, but we can go through it together and stay alive for brighter times in the future. If you or anyone you know needs help, you can check out the Suicide Prevention Lifeline site here, or call 1-800-273-8255.

FOR FANS OF: The Story So Far, We The Kings, State Champs I chatted with Set Into Motion about their new EP, Something Exciting, which dropped last month, and about their band's origins, influences, and more. Set Into Motion are a pop punk band from New Jersey, a trio consisting of members Hunter Rich on vocals & guitar, Jesse Hickman on vocals & guitar, and Jake Vanko on drums. I love their music because it's classically pop punk. It brings me back to the days of middle school & high school, being so in love with bands like Allstar Weekend, Fall Out Boy, and Taking Back Sunday, and it's just brilliant. Read on to get to know more about them! 1) I love your new EP, Something Exciting - it's so good! What was the inspiration behind it, and what was the recording process for it like? Well thank you for enjoying it, it’s something we worked very very hard on. But the inspiration behind at least the writing of the songs was being bored during the quarantine, so each of us in the band wrote songs that kinda unleashed all the energy that we had to keep inside. And the recording process was super easy, but it was also really memorable with lots of fun times in the studio. 2) How did you all meet, and how did Set Into Motion come to form? Well, Jesse and I (Hunter) met at the end of freshman year of high school in 2016 when Jesse slid into my DM’s after I posted a guitar cover of the song “She” by Green Day. After that, it’s all history from there. After going through some lineup changes over the couple years, we finally landed on Jake as our drummer in fall of 2019. Jake immensely helped our sound, and in turn we’ve recorded and released 2 EP’s since he’s joined, all within the span of a year. 3) How did each of you fall in love with music? What made you want to become musicians yourselves? I think it’s safe to say that bands like Green Day and blink-182 are the reasons that all three of of fell in love with music AND wanted to be musicians. We just wanted to do what they did. 4) Who are some of your musical influences? Like I said before, Green Day and blink-182 are up there, but also bands like All Time Low and Neck Deep and Four Year Strong. 5) Who would be your dream collab? Working with Alex Gaskarth would be an absolute dream, whether that’s just writing with him or having him feature or whatever. That man is genius. 6) Name your top 3 favorite records, each. Hunter: American Idiot by Green Day, Nothing Personal by All Time Low, Life’s Not Out to Get You by Neck Deep Jake: After the Party by The Menzingers, Rise or Die Trying by Four Year Strong, What You Don’t See by The Story so Far Jesse: Nella Vita by Grayscale, All Killer, No Filler by Sum 41, Dookie by Green Day 7) Do you have any advice for budding bands? Always, always, ALWAYS produce content. If you sit for too long without doing anything, especially as a smaller band, people are going to move on from you. So make sure you’ve always got some form of content to put out, whether it be music or videos or whatever. 8) What do you miss about live music? Just feeling the energy of a crowd. There’s absolutely nothing like it. Seeing people jumping up and down and moshing to our songs was always the best. 9) What's the rest of 2021 looking like for Set Into Motion? After this EP, we’ve still got more music planned to come out before the end of the year, and if the circumstances are good enough, an east coast tour, so look out for that ;) 10) What do you love about music? What we love most about music is writing songs that people can connect with. People message us a lot about specific songs of ours that they really connect with or just help them feel better, and that makes us feel so good that we’re to do that with our music. Follow Set Into Motion on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

FOR FANS OF: Glass Animals, DREAMERS, grandson Hailing from Vancouver, Canada, daysormay are a trio of friends who from sixth grade decided to dedicate themselves fully to making music, and nine years later, after an EP release and a handful of singles, they've gained a following and just dropped a new single - "Ego." It's a catchy alt rock/pop tune that reminds me directly of singer/songwriter grandson's music, and it's a song that's based around Sigmund Freud’s concepts of the id, ego, and superego, with each verse representing those individually. It has that combination of reality & fun that makes it such a good song, and it's catchy - perfect for the summer. daysormay are singer Adian Andrews and twin brothers Carson & Nolan Bassett on the rhythm section. Their band name is a English phonetic of the French "désormais," meaning "from now on." "Ego" is full of charming guitars and synths, upbeat drums, and witty lyrics that make you question yourself and who you are. It's a funky song with a deeper meaning, making it a track you'd want on repeat. I really love this song because it's the perfect mix of intellectualism and fantastic instrumentals. There's also a music video that goes to this track, with a blue & white color palette, and it reflects the story of "Ego." It was shot in a DIY way, with just a three person crew across Vancouver, then edited by singer of daysormay, Adian Andrews. I love daysormay's music so much. "Ego" is the first song I've heard by them, but by also listening to the rest of their discography, I know that they're a band I'm amazed with. They're clearly very skilled, the hard work and dedication they've put into becoming musicians is obviously shown in their tracks. Whatever they release next, I'm definitely going to be here for. Follow daysormay on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.