Murjani Rawls

This past weekend at Lollapalooza 2018, Substream Magazine was able to do some portrait sessions with some performers in conjunction with our traditional review. Check out the pictures below.

Another year, and another four days of music at Chicago’s Grant Park for Lollapalooza. Substream Magazine captured photographs from many artists over the long weekend such as Travis Scott, Tyler, The Creator, Post Malone, Carly Rae Jepsen and more. Take a look below.

Every concert has their own moments that will always stick to you. It’s a feeling that is better told as a story than captured on a device. Every album cycle or every tour leg has its own unique experiences, but the Post Traumatic EP release show in New York was something different. Linkin Park had been a staple in the fabric of alternative rock for close to 20 years before the tragic suicide of Chester Bennington on July 20th, 2017. When you revisit most of the material now, the songs have a d

“Forget the bullshit that’s going on outside of here for two hours and be here with us.” lead singer Hayley Williams of Paramore proclaimed to the packed Barclays Center crowd in New York. A little over a year ago, Paramore’s fifth album, After Laughter was released. For a band that is always known for being transparent and honest with their emotional state, the album couldn’t have been more timely. If you take a look around, things seem very heavy. Whether it’s with the current political disco

In speaking with lead singer/guitarist Matthew Murphy, you get a sense fulfillment that being a 15 year veteran in a band can only bring. The Wombats, hailing from Liverpool, England have been a mainstay within the indie rock/pop genre and continued their spin on the genre with 2017’s Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life. It’s still many of the elements that you would recognize from The Wombats with some psychedelic guitar and pop sensibilities. Before embarking on a tour with Weezer and Pixies

On the last night of Governors Ball, I stood at near the main stage as people funneled in about thirty minutes before Eminem appeared. The crowd demographic was seemly split into two halves. There were some older people who showed up right before who bought a ticket just to see him.  Then, there were younger fans, seemingly around 18-21, that tried to fit in like tetris pieces. Some fans camped out at the main stage most of that Sunday only adding to the Khalid main stage crowd that was one of t

“I’m 31 now and I wanted to make a record that sounded my age.”  lead singer Kellin Quinn stated in an interview with Beats 1 about their fifth album, Gossip. As a music fan, there is great privilege in growing older with the band you love. A symbiotic relationship in aging when it comes to life and music. Certain types of lyrical themes don’t fit the way they used to or a certain sound doesn’t fit like that flannel shirt you used to wear when you were a kid. In order to grow, you have to let go

Flashback to September 11th, 2007. On that date any year after 2001 there is a need for remembrance, but in the annals of hip-hop history that particular day in 2007 was one that arguably changed the future of urban music. Two of the genre’s biggest names, Kanye West and 50 Cent, were set to release their albums on the same day. For some, this might be any other sales week as it’s not uncommon for two big names to share a release date, but that was not the case here. Kanye and 50 Cent wanted to

“Burning” starts off with Sam Smith in an accapella setting. Smith has this uncanny ability to draw you into a song and make you care about it. The first lyrics go like this: “No insurance, to pay for the damage Yeah, I’ve been burning up since you left” Love is a flame and there are many caveats to it. Sometimes it burns so bright that you can’t control it. There are times where the fire you have for someone is much warmer than the person has for you. As a result, everything inside is left

The opening of Eminem‘s ninth studio album, Revival begins with “Walk On Water.” No beats. No stationary jabs at some current pop culture icon. Just simple piano. The standard with previous Eminem albums is a more playful first single besides the motivational “Not Afraid.” Eminem’s much famous alter ego, Slim Shady usually serves as an ice breaker. The conversation starter. A gateway to whatever state of consciousness that Eminem has at the time. Providing art for the world to hear is a nerve wr

An hour before showtime, I met NY’s very own singer/songwriter Hailey Knox for a brief portrait session before she was due to go on the sold-out show of her support of the Ruth B tour. Usually, with portraits, you only has such a finite amount of time. It’s craziness of soundcheck and a musician trying to get into a mental head space to perform. Sometimes, you get lucky and there’s a vibe that permeates. Sometimes it’s anxiousness, even nervousness. Each of these emotions is understandable – giv

What does rebirth mean to you? Do you tear everything down or make adjustments? Once you’ve left something, do you pick up right where you left off as if the person you currently are hasn’t gone through some sort of metamorphosis in that time frame? Underoath’s last album, 2010’s Ø (Disambiguation) felt more like a bookmark. For a band that achieved so much in the metalcore scene, 2013’s breakup seemed like walking off the track with ten meters to go to the finish line. There was something more

Within a duration of a person’s life, problems and trials are a given. It’s almost like an unwritten contract that you agree to. Taking the good with the bad. Iron sharpening iron. On Marmozets‘ second full-length album, Knowing What You Know Now, showcases a band who has been through the fire, battle-tested, and have been made a better version of themselves because of it. The album borders on a rock/dance party to exercise some needed aggression and emotional points of reflection. We talk to l

With music, there begins the dream like a seed that gets planted in soil. Musicians start together with the base. There’s a meager beginning of small shows, trying to get your music heard with every inviting ear, and the all-out grind. “Can I do this? Will I make it?” It’s like a special group that has that one breakthrough to bright lights and a place in many people’s daily routine. Whether it be a work playlist or a morning mantra. ‘Legendary’ starts with a synchronizing base of claps and dru

In the 2017 movie, Split, there’s a character by the name of Dr. Karen Fletcher (Betty Buckley). She believed that Dissociative identity disorder (DID) that was diagnosed within the main character, Kevin Wendell Crumb (James McAvoy) was not only a coping mechanism for abuse, but something more than just an illness. In some instances, Kevin was able to change his body chemistry depending on what personality he was. At the end of “Yikes,” Kanye West declares: “That’s my bipolar shit, what? That