Citywide Bytes: Hayley Verrall shares an upbeat tale with “Peach Iced Tea”

Hayley Verrall

On our latest episode of Citywide Bytes, singer-songwriter Haley Verrall joins me to share the story behind her latest single, “Peach Iced Tea.” 

It’s an upbeat tale and a shift from some of her past work. We talk about this and some of the different sounds she’s tried out since she began releasing music.

We also talk about some her past music, including “Late Bloomer,” which was part of a past edition of the Blackout Collection.

Since college, Haley has run Singing for Smiles, performing for senior citizens. This came about from when she sang for her grandmother and we go into what she’s done over the years.

Opening the episode is an excerpt from “Late Bloomer” and closing things out is “Peach Iced Tea.”

Tom of The Midnight Wrens flies through a seven-year band history

It was in 2017 when the original six members of The Midnight Wrens came together, and since that time, they’ve made some amazing music in the New England area. In this episode, band songwriter/guitarist Tom Powley joins us to talk about how the Wrens came together and their journey over the years.

Tom goes into their new EP, “The Songbird Collection,” a five-track EP that touches on different aspects with each song, and shares some of the stories behind the music. We also look at the band’s upcoming show on July 25 at The Word Barn and the release of a band-inspired IPA with Exeter Brewing Co.

Big thanks go to Sarah Blacker, who made the introductions that led to this interview.

Opening the episode is an excerpt from “Come Home” and closing things out is the full track “Mona Lisa,” both of which you can find on “The Songbird Collection.”

Citywide Bytes—Perdys member talks working with the greats and creating new music

It was back in March that I first heard “I Know” by Perdys Perdys and since then, it’s been a blast exploring this work of Scandinavian producer/songwriters Nalle Ahlstedt and Anders Borgius.

In the newest episode of Citywide Bytes, Max and Anders talk about how he and Nalle first met and the choice to form Perdys. 

Of course, that wasn’t the band’s first name, and we go into how they went form Perk to Perkless and how they landed on Perdys. We also talk about the story behind “I Know,” the cool cover art, and what we can expect later this year.

Closing out the episode is “I Know.”

Songwriter and producer Kenny J shares stories of love and positivity in his new album

Calling Kenny J a positive individual would be a massive understatement. This South Carolina-based songwriter and producer is hoping to spread such a message through his new music, which culminates in a summer album release.

Originally slated to be our new Citywide Bytes interview, some connection issues arose and we decided “hell with it, the show must go on!”

So, we dove into the meaning behind Kenny’s upbeat outlook on life. He also shares the sad news of his wife’s passing last year and how this inspired him to write “You’re a Woman.” Kenny talks about his late wife and it becomes clear that she is a part of what makes him the person he is today.

Kenny’s not just a songwriter—he’s worked as a producer since the 1990s and we learn how he got into that industry and his current projects.

16-year-old pop artist Sydney <3 joins the newest Citywide Bytes episode to share the backstory for her two singles, “Picture Perfect” and “Anywhere But Here.” Both songs were recently released, marking her debut as an artist.

Sydney <3 talks about what inspired her to go into music, including working with industry greats like Adam Hurstfield and Orlando Calzada. She also shares her memories of being in the recording studio for the first time. 

Her music includes both English and Korean lyrics and she shares about why this was done and what it adds to the music. And of course, I ask about the symbol after her name.

Opening the song is an excerpt from “Picture Perfect,” and “Anywhere But Here” closes out the episode.

Escape The Paradigm shares 11 years of music

Over the years, brothers Brandon Brodzinski and Johnathan Rockwood with Donny Hoover III have made a lot of memories while playing in Escape The Paradigm, and they hop on the show to give us all the details.

From touring with All That Remains to playing some kickass full houses, there’s a lot to go over, along with how this three-member band came together and what’s kept Escape The Paradigm going for more than a decade.

Escape The Paradigm came to our attention through Curtain Call Records and we go into how the band came to work with them and how that’s gone. We also talk live shows, recording their two albums, “Mistaken” and “All Fall Down,” and what is planned for later this year.

Opening the episode is a brief excerpt from the Escape The Paradigm’s “Villain,” and closing things out is the complete “Fixated.”

Citywide Bytes— Andrew Yampolskyi of Homeless Radio talks musical tributes

The lesson here is to make the call…the worse thing they’ll say is no.

Years ago, Andrew Yampolskyi took that chance when he reached out to Sunset Alliance of California, and in 2021, his band Homeless Radio released their debut EP, “The Truth.”

In our March 30 Citywide Bytes show, Andrew joins Max to talk about how this Ukranian rock band formed in 2016, making a name for themselves locally and growing over the years.

The band faced adversity in 2022 during the Russian invasion, dispersing its members across Ukraine and Andrew shares how they continued to make music, releasing two singles, “About You” and “Submarine,” the latter of which was a tribute to a novel of the same name.

Closing out this episode is the band’s recent release, “Submarine.”

Citywide Bytes—Jack Flint of The Sea Gods talks debut singles and band meetings

The Sea Gods have gotten off to a great start with their debut singles, “Are You Here Now” and “Tell Me,” and they’ve got a lot more in the works. 

In this recording of our March 9 Citywide Bytes episode, band founder Jack Flint tells us how he, Marty Taylor and Carl Donoghue met and what led to the band’s founding. Each band member brings a lot of experience with other projects, and we go into how the past work may influence the current.

Jack and I talk about the stories behind the two singles. “Are You Here Now” has a message of living in the moment, not regretting the past or fretting the future. 

“Tell Me” came from a very challenging part of Jack’s life and we talk about how the hard times inspire the best music.

Closing out this episode is “Are You Here Now.”

Sarah Blacker returns with her signature style with “Horizon Line”

Our next guest was among the first on Citywide Blackout, and so it’s fitting that she joins us for our post-hiatus interview. Singer-songwriter Sarah Blacker is back with a new EP, “Horizon Line.”

“Horizon Line,” Sarah Blacker’s new studio EP is described as a “raw, stripped down and vulnerable, just the way she wanted it to be.” Recorded (mostly) live and mixed at Boston Music Award-winning producer, Sean McLaughlin’s 37’ Productions studios, it was performed and co-produced by Blacker and her husband, Aaron Z. Katz (Percy Hill, the Dejas).

In this interview, Curtis and Max talk about what went into this new production and her longstanding collaboration with McLaughlin, another mainstay in the Boston-area music scene. She goes into her recent release shows, including Club Passim, where she has played for years.

There’s some retro talk this time as we dive into promoting albums in 2024 and how Sarah has changed her strategy since releasing “The Only Way Out is Through” in 2009. Those of us born in the 80s will likely find a lot to relate to.

We’re opening the interview with an excerpt from the title track and closing things out with “Walk On.”

Kicking off a new Citywide segment, Nadia Vaeh talks musical therapy and video production

This episode kicks off a brand-new segment called Citywide Bytes, where I do live interviews on the Citywide Blackout Instagram page. This is the recording of that live interview, so be sure to check out the interviews, every Saturday at 10 a.m. EST.

Opening this new segment is poptimistic-rock artist Nadia Vaeh. She has released two amazing singles, “Sorry I Was Not OK” and “When U Think About Love,” released Jan. 5 and Feb. 2, respectively, and we go into the inspiration for these singles and some new musical styles she’s tried out.

We also talk about the amazing music videos made for both and how she met Director Jessica Farmer and the creative process.

Closing this out is one of her new singles, “Sorry I Was Not OK.”

Janga credits his music upbringing with a non-traditional style

By Max Bowen

Following the release of his singles, including “Next Level” and “Gyalcation,” Janga has been hard at work crafting new songs in his blended style.

It was in 2019 that Janga took what had been a hobby and decided to make it his next career. In 2020 he released “Next Level” followed soon after by “We Don’t Play,” “Never Enough,” and “Gyalcation,” which has been featured in a previous Blackout Collection playlist. In this interview, Janga shares his music upbringing, his unique musical style and what we can expect down the road.


What got you into music in the first place?
I’ve been interested in music for as long as I can remember because it was always being played in my house. The person who specifically got me into wanting to make music was Usher, because I wanted to be like him, so I started writing R&B songs from the age of 9/10 and singing, not rapping. I don’t remember the exact moment when I decided I would start singing, but looking back at it now, it just felt natural.

I read that you were exposed to a lot of different music at a young age. How would you say this shaped your style?
This has shaped my style because I am open to making songs that would not be classed as traditional hip-hop, like my song “Gyalcation,” which is an Afrobeats song, or “Go With The Tempo” which is a Grime song. When I hear a beat for the first time I don’t automatically dismiss it if it doesn’t sound a certain way, instead I’ll think about how I could make it sound authentic to the genre while still keeping the essence of Janga.

Your debut single, “Next Level,” was released in 2020. What was the reception and how did it feel to make this entry into the music world?
It felt great, after so many years of hesitation it felt like the right time and the right song to introduce myself to the music world. I always knew that I would eventually release my music but I was focused on other things at the time like university, traveling, learning languages, work etc. The reception from the song was really good, a lot of people that knew me were surprised because they’d never heard me rap before. I received very little negative feedback.

Is there a singular element to your music?
I wouldn’t say that there’s one specific element in my music that is always there above the others, but I would say that rapping, beats and rhythm, and lyricism are the three which are consistent in each of my songs.

What’s next for you?
I’ve just released my new song called “Back To Back” with French rapper Price BDK, so I’m working on promoting that. I also have some upcoming performances like at BOXPARK Wembley next week. I plan on releasing more music and performing at more shows so that I can grow my fanbase as much as possible.

A new project and a musical reunion for Lovina Falls

If you’ve been in the Boston music scene, the name Valerie Forgione is likely a familiar one. She made her name as the lead singer of the band Mistle Thrush, and now she’s back with a new solo project, Lovina Falls—trust me, this is one to check out.

In this episode (the first recorded in 2024), Valerie and Max talk about the origins of Lovina Falls, the name of which is family-inspired. While all the music was written, arranged and produced by Valerie, she had some help in the recording portion—from none other than her former bandmates in Mistle Thrush.

We talk about the sound of the debut album, “Calculating the Angle of Our Descent,” how it’s defined, and what we can expect from this great solo project. Valerie had been out of the music scene for a little while, and shares how it feels to be back on stage.

Opening this episode is a brief excerpt from the song “Vaulted,” and closing it is the complete “Hologram,” both of which you can find on the Lovina Falls debut album.

Wage members bring past band experience and life lessons to new project

By Max Bowen

Since 2022, the California-based band Wage has been busy in the studio and making the radio rotations with their debut album, “What Are The Odds?” But this is far from their first time in the spotlight. The band’s members come with a wealth of experience, and in this interview, they share past projects, how Wage came together, and what we can expect from them in the near future.

What kind of experience does each member of the band bring?
Decades of experience, lol! We all have a ton of recording under our belts working on multiple independently-produced albums, live shows, and touring. Scott and Paul, aside from Wage, worked relentlessly in the band Last Issue for years. Roeland went on tour overseas with his band, Old Man Down, and played for US Army troops. Jason’s band, Dr. Package, had a song on KROQ FM in LA for a bit, live TV performances, brand name apparel sponsorship, and was voted best band in Orange County in 2005 by OC Weekley magazine. But the real experiences come from off stage. The life lessons we learn and incorporate into our music. Love, loss and redemption, those are the ingredients to music that moves and inspires.

How did the band come together?
We met through summer jobs in high school. Just starting to play our respected instruments, learning covers, we gravitated towards each other and began writing our own stuff. Throughout the 90’s Jason, Roeland and Scott played together in the band Minimum Wage. We recorded an album and gigged to support it. We split up to try other ventures. Scott and Roeland continued with MW and added Paul to the mix. Years later Jason and Scott would go on to form Dr. Package. Then Scott left to start Last Issue with Paul.

You see, we were always jamming together no matter what groups we were in. Even while in separate bands we would gig together. Then, life happened, marriages, kids, so we all took breaks to be with our families. In 2022, Scott got that songwriting itch again and arranged for us to get together. It was like no time was lost. The language that we created together was still there. Only this time, it was mature, seasoned, kind of like when you open a vintage bottle of wine and let it breathe for a period to allow it to fully bloom, releasing its fragrances. We were ready. It was time.

Since the band formed in 2022, what have you been up to?
The main thing we collectively wanted to do was record. Gotta have songs first! We wrote together, wrote separately, sometimes over the phone if we couldn’t be in the same space. Once we fine-tuned the songs we had, we recorded our debut EP, “What are the odds?” at Iron Tracks Studio. We also made a video to accompany the release of our first single, “Wreckage” with Joe Lomelli Productions.

Then it was time to release it into the wild. The response has been great! Three of our tracks are in rotation on FM stations in various parts of the world. A feat that was so hard to do when we started years ago only loaded with demo tapes and postage stamps. We’ve been a featured artist on Lonely Oak radio in San Diego and Only Rock Radio in Spain. Album reviews and podcasts help us cast our sonic net.

I saw that the band’s based out of Brea, Cali. Any good venues in that area?
Orange County, California, had a pretty good music scene years ago. Most of those clubs have gone out of business or closed due to the pandemic. The fun places to play are the local bars and breweries where there’s not a lot of pressure. House of Blues in Anaheim is still a pretty good gig for local acts and major acts passing through town. The medium-sized venues have always been pay to play. Meaning if you don’t sell the minimum number of tickets, you owe the club money. Not always easy for a Tuesday night 11 p.m. slot. So, to answer your question, any venue is a good venue for us.

What’s on your to-do list this year?
We are currently in the process of writing songs for a follow up to, “What are the odds?”. Shows are starting to line up now. Not just parties and family, but gigs where people pay to see us. We got into this to rekindle our passion for music and to have fun. Remembering the latter half of that statement is important, fun. We are still quite involved in various stages of raising our kids, providing for our families, being supportive partners. The music is therapeutic. The music helps us tap into that section of the brain that often lays dormant. It’s healthy. It’s exciting! It is right and just. None of us have delusions of grandeur about the path ahead. We’re here to create and have a good time. It’s exactly what it needs to be.


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Jenny Stenger’s new single looks at new love and red flags

By Max Bowen

Being in love is great, isn’t it? Until things go south, that is. That’s something we’ve all gone through—a relationship starts off great and then takes a turn south and we ask ourselves, “Did I miss something?”

That’s part of the story behind Jenny Stenger’s new single, “Rose Colored Glasses,” released on Sept. 29. In this interview, Jenny shares the song’s origin, how her own love story played a part, and the message she hopes to impart.

You can find the song on numerous platform here: https://lnk.to/rosecoloredlenses


Where did the idea for “Rose Colored Lenses” come from?
I’ve always been afraid of falling in love with someone and becoming blind to red flags. I’ve spent most of my life being single, so I’ve thought a lot about what I wanted/didn’t want in a relationship, and I’ve always hoped I would stay self-aware once I got into a relationship. When I started falling in love for the first time, I was hyper-aware of everything that could go wrong. I got really scared that it was too good to be true, and there must be something I’m missing- I must be wearing rose-colored lenses.

New love is a theme of this song. Did your own experiences factor into the lyrics?
I basically use songwriting as my diary. I wrote this song in the beginning stages of my first relationship, and I was experiencing so many different feelings and needed something to do with them. One of my favorite things about songwriting is how something so personal starts to feel universal once it’s out in the world.

I read that the genre is “sad girl pop.” How would you define this?
I feel like just calling it “pop” is too broad- it’s a lot slower and sadder than typical pop music. I also feel like it fits in well with the female artists I listen to, who write a lot of sad lyrics and attract a predominantly female fanbase. Obviously, I would love for my music to reach all audiences, but I feel like that gives listeners a good idea of what they’re getting into.

I really liked the sound of the song. How did you develop this?
It started out as just a voice memo of me singing and playing piano, and my friends Brady Sossaman and Seth Wentland helped flesh it out and fill out the instrumentation. Brady wrote and recorded all the guitar parts, and Seth did the production. The strings in the bridge and the slide guitar are my favorite parts of the song, and I’m so lucky to have a team of talented friends who know exactly how to bring my vision to life.

Are these any lines which really encompass the message? 

I think the line “I don’t want to fall in love alone” encompasses the song really well. A lot of the lyrics express the idea of not feeling like you’re good enough for anyone to fall for, and that something must be wrong. I think a lot of people are afraid to admit how scary new relationships can be because they don’t want to take away from the excitement and joy, and I hope this song gets the message across that it’s okay to be both anxious and excited at the same time.

Jennifer Tefft talks new music, old venues, and working with the best

If you’re part of the Boston music scene, then the name Jennifer Tefft likely rings a bell. If not, you’ve got some listening to do!

In this episode, Curtis and I talk with Jenn about the recent release of the acoustic version of “Going Out,” all about escaping for a night on the town. We talk about its sound and what the full band version will be like. She’s got another single, “Love & War,” and goes into what we can expect from that. Part of the process included working with musical heavyweights Munk Duane at Bad Stella Studios and Hans DeKline, a Grammy winning Los Angeles mastering engineer.

Jenn has been part of the Boston scene for some time and we talk about her fave venues, both past and present. We look at the state of the scene and get her take on all the recent changes. Jenn also share some stories from her time as a music teacher and the lessons she works to impart.

We kick off the show with an excerpt from “Love & War,” and end the show with the full “Going Out.”

Lorenza Wildcard off to a stellar star with debut singles

With just two songs, singer-songwriter Lorenza Wildcard has captured the attention of the music world, being named an artist of the month and charting high on several stations. She joins Citywide to talk about her debut singles, “You & I” and “My Army.” Both songs come from different points in her life—the first from one of her most difficult moments and the other showcasing the strength to move forward.

We look at how she went from recording a song at home during the early days of the pandemic to meeting with a producer to get the track recorded. We talk about her early success, how this influences her as an artist and pushes her to that next level. We also look at the very different sounds of “You & I” and “My Army” and her process of experimenting with different styles.

Opening this episode is an excpert from “My Army,” and closing the interview is the full “You & I.”

It’s a musical playground with The Humble Cartel and Typical Light

Joining me for this double-header are the bands The Humble Cartel and Typical Light. The guys from HC— brothers Kye (vocals) and Jesse (guitar) Mykietiak, Andrew Logsdail (guitar and keys), Dylan Cave (drums) and Pierre Konan (bass)–are up first, and the band is described as genre defying with a sound that spans the musical spectrum….and you know what? That’s very true. 

We talk about their unique style and how it’s evolved since the band formed. We talk about their recent release “Dance with You” and the new paths it goes down from previous singles.

Following this it’s the synth-pop duo of Typical Light— Hélène (vocals, synthesizer) and Hakim (vocals, guitar, bass, drums, synthesizer). They formed in 2020 and have since released a debut EP, “Sweet,” and a single, “Imaginary Ride,” off their soon-to-be-released album through H1Massive. 

I have been loving the music and we look at how these two came together and the unique sound that they’ve created. While Hakim has been making music for years, Hélène is very new and we look at how she’s learned along the way.

To close things out, give a listen to “Imaginary Ride,” with much more to come.

Plastic Angels talk about life in Nashville, favorite stages and new tunes

I’ve known the duo of Plastic Angels (Bethany and Jeff Lawson) for years and when I heard they moved to Nashville, a catch-up interview was always on my mind. Well, here we are! Bethany and Jeff talk about what prompted the move and those early days, especially as COVID set in. We look how things were in Nashville during the pandemic and the work to keep the legendary music scene on track. Compared to where I live in Massachusetts, it’s a very different experience.

Everyone knows Nashville is a haven for the best of the best of the music world and I hear about the big names they’ve encountered in the most random situations (one story involves onion rings). We look at the influence of being among such greats and if it’s had an impact on who they are and what they do.

Since Plastic Angels became Nashville residents they’ve been very active, both on stage and off. I ask about live shows and some of their favorite places—trust me, it’s a nearly endless list of options. We hear about the recent releases, “I Want Me” and “Living Proof” and the stories behind them plus their plans for the future.

Wrapping things up is “I Want Me,” a truly powerful song. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get my bags packed, ‘cause Nashville is calling.

New sound, new album from Dany Horovitz

It was just one year ago that I first interviewed singer-songwriter Dany Horovitz and it was such a blast I figured “Let’s do it again!”

So here we are, recording one year exactly from the date the last interview dropped and so much has happened. Earlier this year he released a new EP, “The Candle is Worth the Game,” and since then he’s dropped the singles “Don’t Look to Me” and “Sorry From the Road,” both of which will be on his next album, “Phanerorhyme,” named in part for mind-altering drugs. Yeah, you can bet I ask what that’s all about.

Along with the new album, Dany and I spend some time talking about the new sounds and instrumentation he’s explored while recording the new tracks. We go into the folks he’s worked with, what they’ve brought to the table and the amazing music that’s come from it. His debut album “Free Times” was released a little over a year ago and we talk about how he’s grown as an artist.

Afterward, kick back and enjoy “Sorry From the Road” and “It’s No Use Trying to Change Me.” If you’ve heard some of his earlier work, you’re gonna like the new paths he walks with these.

Generations share a diverse musical background with a common goal

Generations may be a relatively new band, buts its members have a wide array of past experience. In this episode, the guys join me for a look at where they all came from and how the band came to be.

We look at how the past projects they’ve been involved with influenced the sound of their debut single, “Dreambound,” and what we can expect in their upcoming album release. Plus, they talk about the music scene in their area and one very interesting sound guy.

After this, kick back and enjoy “Dreambound,” which has a great intensity and a very cool sound.