INTERVIEW | 'Songwriting Is The Ultimate Test of Vulnerability' - Samantha LaPorta

Songwriting is the ultimate test of vulnerability.

That's what Samantha LaPorta believes, and it is something that shines though her music. She just released her latest track 'Lies Are Your Truth', continuing on her path of musical evolution and exploration that was kickstarted by the pandemic.

She took the time to answer some questions for us about the single and her journey!

*

You've just released your latest track 'Lies Are Your Truth', a track that we are loving. What's the song about and where did the inspiration come from?

It’s about being manipulated by someone in a way that it makes you questions yourself.When I was writing this song it reminded me of the movie Fight Club, and like the movie the song can go two ways,  your either being manipulated or manipulated yourself.

I wanted a song with big energy like Paramore and lyrically haunting like Evanescence and reached out to my friend Jose DelRio, who was touring with The Word Alive . Between tour dates we recorded the music, right from the start the song pulls you in.  I then flew to LA to record with my producers Matt Wong and Grammy Artist Jamie Jones. I’m very excited for everyone to hear it. 

You were discovered by Disney at a young age. How valuable was that time for you?

I learned a lot during my Radio Disney years. I wrote and performed music to fit the platform for about 6 years. I met and worked with many people who inspired me as a songwriter. 

The pandemic allowed you to, ultimately, focus on other styles of music. What happened that gave you that push in a different musical direction?

When  Radio Disney closed, due to the pandemic, it gave me a chance to experiment with different music styles. I was able to license two songs with frtyfve records which is a label in the UK.and released the beginning of my edgier style of music, Closure and now my new single, 'Lies Are Your Truth' from my latest alternative project.

Your music doesn't shy away from exploring your feelings, your vulnerable side. Is that something you find daunting? Or is it freeing for you to be able to do that?

Songwriting is the ultimate test of vulnerability, I put my soul into a song and then share it in front of everyone, so when I hear from people about how they connect with the lyrics or what the song means to them it’s absolutely amazing.

You're an artist that gives back and uses your platform to do so. Why is that important for you?

For many years I’ve enjoyed meeting the kids and families at Ronald McDonald House as well as The Ryan Seacrest Foundation who connected me with Children’s Hospitals, where I get to perform and hang, sharing these special moments and seeing kids smile is very important to me. 

What do you want people to take away from your music, and from you as an artist?

I am a poetic storyteller, who believes in the power music has to connect us.

*

'Lies Are Your Truth' is out now.

For all things Samantha LaPorta, click here.

VEGA Announce UK Tour In Support of New Album 'Battlelines'

VEGA are delighted to announce that they will return to the UK tour circuit with a 14 date tour scheduled for September / October 2023 to tie in with the release of new album Battlelines through Frontiers.  

Kim Jennett and her new live electric band will be the Special Guest at all dates. Tickets will go on sale direct from venues from 9am, June 21. 

 Formed in 2009, with a debut released in 2010, VEGA have been on the UK rock scene for over a decade now. In 2022, the band faced some big line-up changes, but with the new album, Battlelines, VEGA have shown that they are up to the challenge. VEGA have always put on a show to remember and their 2023 tour will be no different. Invigorated with the new line-up and album, the band are more excited than ever to get out on the road.

Nick Workman says, 'I would happily play the new album in its entirety on this tour, but we know we can’t. However, the new songs will flow brilliantly with the VEGA favourites. Choosing the songs we play this time around is going to be our biggest challenge, because we have so much to choose from.'

The dates are as follows:

SEPTEMBER 2023

Thurs 28 Grimsby, Yardbirds

Fri 29 Cannock, Station

 OCTOBER 2023

Sun 1 Sheffield, Corporation

Thurs 5 Blackpool, Waterloo

Fri 6 Newport, Patriot

Sat 7 Bradford, Nightrain

Sun 8 Stoke, Eleven

Thurs 12 Leicester, The Musician

Fri 13 Dover, The Booking Hall

Sat 14 London, Boston Music Rooms

Sun 15 Cambridge, Portland Arms

Fri 20 Glasgow, Ivory Blacks

Sat 21 Edinburgh, Bannermans

Sun 22 Newcastle, Trillians

*

Tickets are on sale June 21. For more information and all things VEGA, click here.

HOT TRACK | 'I Wonder' - Seba Safe

 

Photo: Bryony Coles

Wondering if the week will end with some dreamy music? Wonder no more, as Seba Safe has released latest track 'I Wonder'.

'This is like several diary entries from the last two years. The lyrics are very personal and deal with everyday thoughts, fears, hopes, loss and love.' - Seba Safe about 'I Wonder'

Based on delicate subject matter, Seba masterfully explores these themes, vocally continuing to question as, sonically, he builds from a chilled number into a rockier one. His vocals - emotive - anchor the song into a dreamy state, the track feeling equally as perfect for a summer's drive as it would on a rainy autumn day...perfect.

There's something special about Seba Safe...and we can't wait for his new EP, Rainy, which releases June 30th. 

*

'I Wonder' is out now.

For all things Seba Safe, click here.

NEWS | Lucy Gaffney Announces New EP 'Daydream In Tokyo'

Photo: Charlotte Patmore

Lucy Gaffney returns with new single 'Daydream In Tokyo' and news of a new EP of the same name to arrive on 29th September via Nettwerk.

The Belfast native began releasing solo material in 2020, with two well-received lo-fi offerings recorded by The Coral frontman James Skelly. Fast forward to 2023 and 'Daydream In Tokyo' luminously marks her arrival. The first single from her upcoming second EP, it’s a pure-cut indie-pop gem every bit as Technicolour as Gaffney’s journey along the way.

Written when she was living in Liverpool, the song is an escapist anthem with a trajectory that takes you on a journey. Across three minutes, it captures how a potent sense of place far beyond can - even in one’s mind’s eye - be an antidote to the mundane. But for Gaffney, dreaming of Tokyo isn’t a knee-jerk lunge in the throes of wanderlust. Musing on walking through neon-lit streets, and singing 'Thirteen' by Big Star in a backstreet karaoke bar, it bears the physical imprint of the Japanese capital as channelled in her favourite film, Lost In Translation.

'I’ve always adored and been fascinated by its cinematography,' says Gaffney. 'There’s so much depth in the mystery and ambiguity of discovering a foreign place. I find it hard not to completely relate to every scene. I can’t write unless there’s something inspiring me visually, so I wanted it to capture the aesthetic of the movie and, in a similar way, translate a relatability in everyday thoughts and relationships between people.'

'Daydream In Tokyo' EP tracklisting:

1. Daydream In Tokyo

2. Just Friends

3. Make Me Smile

4. Boy Go

5. In A Sense

*

'Daydream In Tokyo' is out now.

For all things Lucy Gaffney, click here.

WATCH | The Rupert Selection Release 'I Saw God' Video

Photo Credit: Peter McManus

We're big fans of Boston's The Rupert Selection so the release of new music is always good news - and the release of latest track 'I Saw God' is especially great news.

Clocking in at just under two and a half minutes, this track is on the short side but no second or note is wasted, instead each packed with intent. 'I Saw God' is loud and heavy and the accompanying video does a fine job of what is often impossible and captures the raw energy of a performance - the lighting also helps nail the trippy aspect of the tune.    

It's the first taste of new music from the trio, who are gearing up to release an album later this year.

''I Saw God' is a continuation of us trying to evolve and push our creative boundaries, trying to new things and seeing how far our sound can go,' vocalist Reilly Somach shares. 'Keep everything progressing, but keep it still familiar enough to our roots.'

An exciting evolution, proof that The Rupert Selection are getting better and better. With tracks packing this much power, they may just be unstoppable.

*

For all things The Rupert Selection, click here.

HOT TRACK | 'Break Up Again' & 'I Wish U Didn't Hate Me So Much' - Kit Major

This week's HOT TRACK is a two-for-one...as Kit Major rockets into a new era with not one but two new songs - 'Break Up Again' and 'I Wish U Didn't Hate Me So Much'.

This is the beginning of what Kit is calling the 'Love. Sick. Major.' era and it's off to a fabulous start, feeling like a real mark of intent from an artist who brings a multitude of dimensions to their craft. These tracks are a little 60s Britpop mixed, satisfyingly, with 90s rock, a combination that's infused with charm and clever writing.

We at Tour Bus Tunes are digging this first glimpse into what looks set to be a majorly exciting chapter for Kit Major. 

Check these tracks out now!

*

'Break Up Again' and 'I Wish U Didn't Hate Me So Much' are out now.

For all things Kit Major, click here.

NEWS | Home Free to Return to the UK & Europe in Sept/Oct

A year of international touring continues for all-vocal Country entertainers Home Free, with the announcement of their fifteen-date Road Sweet Road headline tour across the UK & Europe later in 2023, starting September 13 in Berlin.

'Last time we were in Europe we unfortunately had to cancel a bunch of shows due to the COVID-19 pandemic,' says Rob Lundquist of Home Free. 'We're looking forward to coming back under much better circumstances and playing for crowds we haven't been able to see for a long time. Get ready Euro-Fries!'

This follows the release of their latest full-length record, So Long Dixie, the launch of their USA headline tour, and their long awaited return to Australia for the CMC Rocks festival in March. 

More recently, the band have announced their return to CMA Fest in Nashville next month, and shared a new collaboration with Brooke Eden, their version of the Larry Collins & Alex Harvey classic 'Delta Dawn', originally made famous by Tanya Tucker in 1972 - WATCH/LISTEN.

''Delta Dawn' is an absolute classic we've been talking about covering for a long time,' shares Austin Brown. 'We just needed to find the perfect voice to really embody that sound everyone knows while also bringing new life to a crowd favorite. Brooke did all that and more. We are so excited to share our version with you!'

'We’ve been wanting to put the Home Free spin on Delta Dawn for a while but were waiting for the right collaborator,' adds Tim Foust. 'Fortunately, the amazing Brooke Eden came on tour with us, and we mentioned it to her. As luck would have it, the song is also a favorite of hers because her mom sang it to her as a child! The rest, as they say, is history.'

Full 2023 UK & European dates below - tickets on sale this Friday, May 19:

September 13th - Berlin, Columbia Theater

September 15th - Copenhagen, DR Koncerhuset

September 16th - Gothenburg, Concerthouse

September 17th - Oslo, Oslo Spektrum

September 18th - Stockholm, Cirkus Arena

September 19th - Malmö, Slagthusets Teater

September 20th - Hamburg, Fabrik

September 22nd - Vienna, Arena

September 23rd - Munich, Muffathalle

September 24th - Zurich, Volkhaus

September 26th - Cologne, Kantine

September 27th - Utrecht, TivoliVredenburg - Ronda

September 29th - Birmingham, O2 Academy

September 30th - Manchester, RNCM Theatre

October 1st - London, O2 Forum Kentish Town

*

For all things Home Free, click here.