Catherine Harrison - You Have To Walk Before You Run

Catherine Harrison will have you rocking out to her songs about love as she revives the sounds of the 70s with her music in a current new vibe. But there is more to this rock star than meets the eye. Catherine is a passionate advocate for mental health, especially within the music community, working with the Unison Fund. She is even donating all the proceeds of her new song, Love is not a Game, to them! Please read on to learn more about Catherine, her music, and how she gives back to the world.

Justin Vivian Bond Embodies Marianne Faithfull At Joe's Pub

If you are a fan of Marianne Faithfull, like I am, then you are drawn to her raspy voice and poetic lyrics that resonate from another time, yet are just as relevant today. I grew up listening to her songs with my father, particularly Lucy Jordan – I have a dark father – but over the years have fallen in love with many of her other songs. So, when I saw that the infamous Justin Vivian Bond was going to perform a Marianne Faithfull tribute evening, called Sex With Strangers, it was an easy sell!

Art, Reviewed, zIssue 52Kira BuccaNovember 14, 2023Music, live shows, Transgender, Trangender Talent, Joe's Pub, Marianne Faithfull, tribute, rock and rollComment

Raising Awareness for Refugees With Rapper Star2

Star2 was born in a Thai refugee camp, Mae La, in Thailand. He lived there with his family until the age of six, then his grandmother and her four children migrated to San Diego, CA. Star2 and his family are Ka-ren, a persecuted indigenous tribe from Burma, now named Myanmar. He currently lives and works out of San Diego as a rapper with an affinity for conscious songwriting. His newest single, “Run Away” was recently released. The single is about the current state of the world, with references to the Black Lives Matter movement and current refugee crisis in Thailand, Afghanistan, and Ukraine. The music video for the single is just as powerful, with videos of current atrocities happening throughout the world on loop in the background. Star2’s hope is to raise awareness for these issues and give back to those helping out. He works with several nonprofits such as The Border Consortium, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Thailand, The International Rescue Committee, and Karen Outreach to support refugees in Thailand and Ukraine. Read on in our interview with Star2 to learn more about his music, upcoming EP, and how he is offering support to these organizations.

Josh Gluck on Finding Home

Josh Gluck, a talented musician based in Miami, Florida, was a kid that seemed to be born and raised in the music scene. It is only fitting that his latest EP, ‘Welcome Home,’ encourages all of us to find a sense of home within ourselves and the ones we love. The EP includes four songs, including the single “To the Light.” The recent single was based on a meaningful conversation Josh had with his Uber driver who asked him if he believed love still exists within the world. Make sure to stream “To the Light” to hear his answer. Read on in our interview with Josh to learn more about this infamous Uber drive and why it is so important to him to give back through music.

SWAC: Influencer, zIssue 42Kaylyn WenzelApril 6, 2022Home, Music, Musician, New Single, EP, Uber, stream, giving back, charityComment

Anna Hindman on Playing The Anti-Hero and Giving Back

Anna Hindman is an actor, singer, songwriter based in Nashville, TN. She plays anti-hero Grace Baker in the recent film American Siege, opposite Bruce Willis, Rob Gough, and Timothy V. Murphy. Her character is on a mission to find out about the disappearance of her sister and won’t let anyone get in her way. Hindman describes playing the character as a freeing experience and the set as both a professional and relaxing environment. Despite her acting success, Hindman’s first love is music and recently released a single titled ‘Dislove.’ In the future, she plans to expand her discography with more songs that are representative of the LGBTQ+ community in country-leaning music. Hindman and her wife also love to give back and are proud supporters of the Street Envy Motorcycle Club, Columbia Chapter, and Adopt-A-Highway program. Read on in our interview with Anna Hindman to learn more about her current projects, giving back, and supporting the LGBTQ+ community.

SWAC: Influencer, zIssue 42Kaylyn WenzelApril 1, 2022Anti-Hero, Film, giving back, Actress, Musician, Music, music industry, New single, Song, LGBTQ, LGBTQ+, CommunityComment

Folk Duo HuDost and the Collective Voice

HuDost is a Kentucky based musical group made up of members Moksha Sommer and Jemal Wide Hines. The folk duo recently released their newest album, ‘Anthems of Home’ with singles ‘Our Words Will Be Louder’ and ‘Home is Bigger Than Us.’ The single ‘Our Words Will be Louder’ was inspired by the painful polarization around BLM in their own community. The duo put together a powerful music video to match the song and invited friends and local activists to join. Additionally, all proceeds from the song went towards The Poor People’s Campaign, a local non-profit that empowers people with greater challenges to register to vote. Moksha and Jemal are also social activists and representatives for ONE, a non-profit organization working to end extreme poverty. The pair has lobbied with their representatives both locally and at their offices in DC on various issues such as extreme poverty, the rights of girls and women and HIV/AIDs. They also work with ONE’s sister organization Blood:Water, a grassroots organization that addresses the HIV/AIDS crisis in Africa. Read on in our interview with HuDost to learn more about their new album and the non-profit organizations that they partner with.

Art, zIssue 40Kaylyn WenzelFebruary 15, 2022Folk, Music, Music Group, Duo, Album, New Single, BLM, nonprofit, Vote, social activism, Poverty, HIV, AfricaComment

Jennifer Lauren Is Spreading Kindness Everywhere She Goes

Jennifer Lauren is as much of a dichotomy as her band Diamonds and Whiskey. She can be a bit rough around the edges, coming from of life of “hard knocks”, but has a beautiful heart of gold, which spreads love of kindness everywhere it goes. Diamonds and Whiskey recently released their fierce new single “Walk Hard”. In her interview with Jejune Magazine, Jennifer discusses the development of Diamonds and Whiskey, and the support she hopes to provide through music. She and the band are very passionate about playing at benefits, and most recently played at ‘Vet Fest’ and ‘Jessie’s Rally of Hope’. Read on to learn more about Jennifer Lauren and her devotion to giving back!

SWAC: Influencer, zIssue 39Sophie LaSalaJanuary 19, 2022Music, Musican, Singer, artist, Kindness, giveback, Give back, lyme disease, health, health care, Country, country pop, countryComment

How Linda Varg Is Handling Life 'Like A Boss'

Linda Varg has the feminist bad ass punk sound that you will want to jam out too. The Swedish born pop star just released her new single, ‘Like A Boss,’ which was a collaboration between her, Anders Wrethov, and her husband Ulf Nilsson (winner of The Voice Sweden). The song is the ultimate party tune and a great addition to her list of singles. Linda also recently put out, ‘Standing In The Middle Of The Road,’ which is her response to the bullying she has received as an adult. Inspired, Linda shares some advice to those who are victims of bullying below. Additionally, Linda talks with Jejune about Project iRISE, a survivor-led, community-based nonprofit organization with a mission to educate and empower survivors of human trafficking and those at risk. Read on to learn more about Linda Varg, her upcoming projects, and her involvement in Project iRISE.

Art, zIssue 38, Most PopularKaylyn WenzelDecember 9, 2021Sweden, Music, Artist, Singer, Femenist, #badass, punk, Like A Boss, Fun, bullying, anti-bullying, iRISE, survivors, charity, activismComment

Kjersti Long Is No One's Princess

Kjersti Long is challenging all of your stereotypical thoughts in her new single, ‘Not Your Princess.’ The song was written after her dad made the mistake of calling her one, and after expressing her displeasure, Kjersti put pen to paper and wrote a song about it. The song celebrates the fact that we are all individual people that are more than a title or the judgement of others. While Kjersti is super fierce, she also has a heart of gold. This can be seen through her interpretation of the song ‘Eleanor Rigby’ by the Beatles. Her music video for ‘Eleanor Rigby’ highlights the feeling of loneliness, a feeling felt by most throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Read on in our interview to learn about Kjersti’s volunteer work with America’s Grow A Row, her live gigs where proceeds go to Mental Health and Wellness initiatives, and a sneak peek on some upcoming projects.

Celebrating Life on National Coming Out Day With Ann Thomas, Emmett Preciado, and Zoey Luna

Today, October 11th is National Coming Out Day. It is a day of freedom and light for many LGBTQ+ individuals, encouraging them to talk with family and friends about their sexuality, which is life-changing. Many people also celebrate the liberation spirit through flags and pins, not just in the United States, but also in Ireland, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and the UK, where the day is recognized. To tell you a little more about this huge moment in people's lives, how it can change and save a life, Jejune had the pleasure to interview a team of talented and inspiring transgender actors. Starting from Ann Thomas, founder of the first transgender-owned and operated talent management company based in Orange County, followed by Emmett Preciado and Zoey Luna. Please check our interviews below.

Battling Mental Health Through Guitar and Song with Former Hero

Yorkshire singer/songwriter Former Hero is no stranger to suffering from mental health. In his debut album ‘footpaths,’ out now on all streaming platforms, the guitarist delves into heavy issues while pairing the lyrics with catchy and danceable tunes. In this interview with Jejune Magazine, Former Hero goes into depth about the impact growing up as a queer man in a sheltered part of the UK has had on both his life and music. Additionally, he explains how he is giving back to the LGBTQA+ community through the online festival MindOut UK, which will be livestreamed on September 25th, 2021. Read on to learn more about the details of this event and Former Hero himself!