Murjani Rawls

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 …

When we spoke with singer/guitarist of Dinosaur Pile-Up, Matt Bigland, there was a sense of excitement and newfound freedom. Being in a band for more than ten years will test every sense of resolve you have. Sometimes your dreams don’t …

Love is something that always changes. Within a relationship, you can control how you can give it to yourself, but not necessarily how that flame does its dance inside another person. Sometimes that flame goes out and as you walk …

Anybody whose had a dream has had obstacles in realizing it come to pass. That’s the deal, isn’t it? For all the glory, there’s sacrifice. For all the triumphs, there’s the long nights and internal questioning and anxiety. Imagine writing …

There’s a couple words that you can use to describe Anna Wise forthcoming debut album, due later this year. Stream of consciousness. Meditation. Spirit. The new single, “What’s Up With You,” hints at a very sultry and non-conforming structure for …

When I spoke to Lights–birth name Valerie Anne Poxleitner-Bokan–she was at a waterfall. It was a perfect setting for this interview because like a waterfall, her artistic creations can mean different things. There’s a majestic feeling to it. It’s also …

I’ll have to admit before I begin this piece that speaking with Los Angeles-based alternative pop duo Moby Rich (Maxwell Joseph and Connor Pledger) was very fun and seamless, just like talking to friends that you haven’t seen in a …

The 1988 original Child’s Play is held as a classic to many horror fans across generations. Even with a very public and messy battle with creator Don Mancini, work on the modern day version of this story continued. Granted, the …

Towards the end of my conversation with Mitchel Cave, the lead singer of Chase Atlantic, I mentioned that their second album was a reintroduction. He replied, “let’s call it a reintroduction. I’m down with that. I like that.” While their …

There are a bunch of adjectives that you can use to describe Suzi Wu’s second EP, Error 404. Eclectic. Distinctive. Unpredictable. In many ways, the EP personifies an uneasy time period in with Wu composed the EP. An illness that …

Think about realizing your all-time dream. The dream exists and only the good things that you could gain from it it like possible fame, lifestyle changes for the better, or even seeing the world in a different way. Now, think …