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Nostalgic Authenticity: “Big Time” by Rogue FX and Mayah Camara

“Big Time” by Rogue FX and Mayah Camara Today, we’re opening the gates to our blog in classic style – classic '80s synth-pop, to be precise. Whenever the words ‘80s’ and ‘synth-pop’ are mentioned, Rogue FX is never far behind. Drawn to the essence of that decade, he dives deep to retrieve a flawless pearl and then showcases it in his musical shop window.  His latest track is called “Big Time,” a collaborative project with Retrowave/Nu-Soul artist Mayah Camara . The story revolves around a relationship at a crossroads, caused by the success and fame of one partner who has reached the “big time” mentioned in the title. Jealousy and insecurity take hold, but there’s a shared hope that the relationship can survive and grow.  Rogue FX cleverly packages this story in the big-city vibe of the '80s, creating an emotional counterpoint to the relationship through his astute selection of sound and rhythm – the big-time lifestyle of that era. From the start, the listener experiences the

... his excitement for life: "Chase the Sun" by Apaolo

Apaolo

A student of both modern pop production and old-school recording techniques, Apaolo combines the best of both worlds to create an authentic rock and roll feel with a polished pop sheen.


"Chase the Sun"

Ein Lied das die Aufregung des Lebens einfängt, quasi das Leben selbst beschreibt und Leute auffordern soll endlich loszulegen. Verpackt hat er den Song im Genre des Alt-Rocks und mit leichten Pop Punk Twist versehen.
Apaolo und sein Debüt "Chase the Sun" darf als gelungen betrachtet werden und sollte auf so mancher Playlist zu finden sein, den Eindruck den er zurücklässt ist auf alle Fälle ein sehr guter. In diesem Sinne geht raus und legt endlich los mit was auch immer!




Who is the "human" behind the artist Apaolo?

I was born on the strike of lightning on a couch in the Ilocanos region of the Philippines. My family came to America when I was 1, and therefore, I can never be president. My first job, I sold mattresses at Sears. I was fired from Sears. I ate (and eat) a lot of Taco Bell. I played too much Maplestory, NHL & CoD growing up. 
I listened exclusively to pop punk and emo music until college. I went to Penn State. Took psychedelics. Got super into John Mayer. I wanna be a sick guitarist. My favorite color is green. Still enjoy psychedelics. Moved to Boston after college. Great time would do it again. Lots of practice. 
Pandemic hit. Move home. Sad boy hours. Only thing to do was practice. YOLO life savings on memestocks. Baghold. Laptop dies, loses all my projects. Super sad boy hours. I’m moving. Nashville or Cincinnati? Bengals win Divisional Game. Moved to Cincinnati. Straight vibing.


How did you get into music?

I’ve always been drawn to it. I remember the first electric guitar I got was this black starter guitar and I didn’t let go of that thing for hours. I was on and off for a while, mostly off, but then, one day during my college years, I was tripping and my friend brought his guitar. Just like before, I didn’t let go of it for hours, I said “this is the most beautiful thing in the world, this is all I wanna do in life.”


"Chase the Sun" is an amazing Alternative meets Pop Punk piece, what's the story behind the song?

It’s a song that captures the excitement of moving forward in life. I wanted to make a song that inspired people to get going. I actually had the chorus for a year and a half, and had a different version in the past.
After I was laid off during the Pandemic, I moved home. I spent the previous 2 years in Boston with the best of people. The transition from having freedom to sleeping on a couch in my parents’ basement hit me hard. I stayed a little too long.
I decided “I’m just gonna move to Cincinnati”. The thrill of being somewhere new made me revisit this chorus and within a matter of minutes, my excitement for life transcribed itself as lyrics. “Chase the Sun” was fully born.


How do you feel the Internet (especially Social Media) has impacted the music business?

I honestly don’t remember the music industry too well prior to the internet. I remember I used to listen to way more CDs. Before streaming and social media, I definitely pirated more songs haha.
However, I think one of the biggest changes is how much easier the barriers to entry are. It’s a lot simpler to do it yourself, but in turn, it's more difficult to get noticed since there’s so many more artists. As a result, the competition to create better music (or content to stand out) has definitely increased.


Being an Indie Artist is ...?

A necessary step to prove you’ve got the ability to do it yourself.


How would you describe the Indie Scene in Cincinnati?

It’s great, the indie/punk/rock/rap/music scene in Cincinnati is thriving. There’s so much going on at so many awesome venues. The talent is incredible and in my opinion, it’s just a matter of time before Cincinnati becomes recognized as a hotspot for musicians.


Right now, in this second ... What are your "All Time Top 3 Songs"?

1.) Boys of Summer - The Ataris
2.) What I Like About You - The Romantics
3.) Twin Sized Mattress - The Front Bottoms


What can we expect from you in the near future?

In a couple months I will release another single. It’s called “Psychopath.” Stay tuned :)





Photo credit: https://www.instagram.com/brenna.nicole.photography/

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