Irwin Sparkes and Alan Sharland are the dynamic duo that make up The Hoosiers. These UK Lads got their start in Indiana with their debut album The Trick To Life which became an instant success on the UK charts in 2007. This fall they are back with a new album Confidence which is set to release and begin its UK tour this September. The Hoosiers continue to spread positive messages through their music as well as their variety of charity work with organizations like Off The Fence, Salusbury World, and Sane. Keep reading to learn more about what inspires The Hoosiers, behind the scenes of tour life, and the extent of their charity work.

She Is Jules - The Musician On A Misson

The young musician, She Is Jules, shares insight on her newest single “Do Therapists?”, which questions if our therapists need therapists too. Starting her musical career off at a young age, Jules opened up about navigating her music while battling Crohn’s Disease. Jejune got the chance to chat with her about how she helps raise money for the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation along with advice she has for anyone going through the same thing. Keep reading to learn about the inspiration behind her music and how she stays grounded through it all.

Art, zIssue 48Elizabeth ShepherdMay 5, 2023fundraising, music artist, New Single, Crohn's disease, support, mental health, positivityComment

Lindsey Blackwell - Born A Star

Meet Lindsey Blackwell, a star who has worked in print, voiceover, commercials, film, and television. Blackwell has some exciting new projects to share: the Netflix Original film "13: The Musical," in which she will be playing the role of Kendra, and her brand-new EP, "Flowers," an original song that is now available to stream! Lindsey Blackwell also supports "Girls For A Change" and co-hosted their 2022 Diva Bag Auction to benefit the campaign. Continue reading to learn more about Lindsey Blackwell’s career in entertainment, her new film and single, and Girls For A Change!

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

Learning the Art of Sound Experimentation with The New Twentys

The New Twentys is an England based band made up of two brothers, Harry and Jimmy Morris, and friend Chris Bourne. Their rock’n sound is further accentuated in their recent single, ‘Heart’s In The Right Place.’ The band hopes that listeners of the song will take away a feeling of encouragement to pursue their own passions and interests. The New Twentys are a completely independent band — writing, recording, and producing everything themselves. In their interview with Jejune they said the best part about the production process is the experimentation. For instance, in their newest single ‘Rush’ which was just released on March 18th, you might be able to hear a mouth trumpet, an elephant blowing it’s trunk, or a screaming baby. Despite all the fun they have recording, the band also gives back through their work with The Amber Foundation, which is an independent charity that helps homeless and unemployed young people turn their lives around. Read on in our interview with The New Twentys to learn more about their newest single, upcoming tour, and charity work.

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

VUCA On The New Immersive Album - 'The Geometry of Lies'

VUCA, which stands for Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity, is an art collective based out of Milwaukee, WI. The first project within the experimental art collective is called The Geometry of Lies and is an immersive alternate reality concept album, featuring a novel, album, and Augmented Reality (AR) experiences. The idea for this immersive album came to be during the thick of quarantine in 2020, when the backstory of the songs started to blend into chapters of a novel. Over thirty artists have worked on this project, and they partnered Drops - an AR startup out of NYC, to bring the experience to life. With the release of the collective’s new singles, ‘Shine’ and ‘Glamour',’ listeners can really dive into the story that VUCA has created. ‘Shine’ was featured at the Planned Parenthood of WI at their annual event to support this year's theme of "Be Visible,” marking the second time the collective has partnered with the organization. Read on in our interview with VUCA to learn about their creative process, the artists they have collaborated with, and their new singles.

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.