Murjani Rawls

Have you ever listened to an album or an EP and there’s that one song that catches you? That one song that completely identifies with your emotional state at the time as if it was almost written for you? “Almost …

It’s one thing to have an outline of a dream. I think we all have instances where we have these visions of reaching the top of the mountain. What that victory entails changes from person to person. It’s another thing …

When Defy was released in January of 2018, Of Mice & Men didn’t wait for the usual album cycle for them to engage in the inspiration that hit them. As soon as October, they were right back into the studio …

One of the big things that I am a fan of when listening to an album is intricacy. Whether it be in lyricism, musical arrangments, or vocal struggle, all of those can come together to make for something you sink …

One of the best things that a person can do is look at situations from another person’s perspective. You’ll find that a lot of things aren’t what they seemed and two experiences aren’t alike. It will lead to a greater …

Take a look at the cover of IYVES‘ latest single, “My Way.” The singer/songwriter is covered in bright and bold orange and blue colors with a beautiful, blue sky background. The song itself serves as an anthem for anybody that …

Everybody has a personal journey where they have to climb an emotional mountain to arrive at who they really are. Life is full of peaks and valleys, some of which take a little bit longer to climb than others. When …

Losing a friend is never easy. Even if time passes, that part of you will always feel like a shadow. On December 30th, 2018, Mike “Beard Guy” Taylor, tragically passed away. If you’ve ever seen a Walk Off The Earth …

You get one time to make a first impression, but sometimes, the second time around means a rebirth. Bad Summer, the second EP from Sainte, part solo project from Tay Jardine and collaboration with We Are The In Crowd band …

Beginning with the independence that came about from Being As An Ocean’s 2017 album, Waiting For The Morning To Come, the Californian post-hardcore band was no longer beholden to some of the perceived restraints of a record label. They were …

Complacency can be considered death in many creative cases. Sometimes, creativity can take you to uncomfortable peaks and valley, but ultimately make you better for it. There’s a reward to keep testing your limits. The word complacency is not something …

Welcome, dear readers, to Substream’s 31 Days of Halloween. While every holiday captures the hearts and minds of the Substream staff, Halloween holds an especially important place in our hearts. Now that we’ve entered the month of October, it’s time …

The New Zealand four-piece Drax Project’s journey started in 2014. They released their first EP on Bandcamp and began their musical journey. We often hear about the “dollar and a dream” stories when it comes to artistic ventures, but with …

In a world where we hear of the negative aspects of social media, one instant message can change everything. It could put you in the view of a storied producer. That’s what Australian band, The Faim did when they bet …

Sit back and think of a singular hummingbird. When you see one outside your window, it captures your attention right away. It’s this beautiful bird with a song that’s unique to itself. It takes pollen from a flower and then …

“I really find people that are older who are creative still really inspiring.” I started talking to Australian singer-songwriter Phebe Starr right in the middle of how she was going to introduce herself to her new neighbors. We talked briefly …

While writing this piece, I pondered on what immediately drew my attention to Welsh rock band, Pretty Vicious. It started from a YouTube search and it landed in their live performance of their song, “Are You Entertained,” off of their …

Moving to a new city can be one part exciting and another part jarring. You have to make adjustments to who you were to this new frontier of people and places. When you’re a musician, this is a very palpable …

Journalist, Self-published author of five books, and photographer since 2014, Murjani "MJ" Rawls has been stretching his capabilities of his creativity and passions, Rawls has as a portfolio spanning through many mediums including music, television, movies, and more. Operating out …