featured

Name: Allan Otero

Website: Here or Here

1. Favorite character growing up:
There were actually quite a lot. In animation, I can name adventurers such as Flash Gordon, Thundar the Barbarian or Tarzan. In comics, I liked The Fantastic Four very much, particularly for Kirby’s artwork. At that time, I didn’t pay too much attention to the name of the artists; I only enjoyed good art as I still do today. But my favorite was always Spider-Man.

2. Favorite character now:
The first one that comes to mind is definitely Batman. The problem is that I enjoyed so much the comic books from the ‘80s and 90s (and earlier) that I still miss that flavor. Claremont and Byrne´s X-Men and in general everything done by the latter mentioned artist, made me feel something that I haven’t felt ever again.

3. Your most recent work:
Conspiracy Vol. 2: Area 51, Abductions and all related stuff. As an X-Files fan, I’m tremendously enjoying illustrating this 5-issue mini-series.

4. How would you describe your style?
I could’t tell. I can’t say my artwork qualifies as “realistic” but I do try to respect the correct anatomy as much as possible to the best of my abilities. And I try to pay attention to backgrounds – I think that’s an aspect commonly overlooked in most current books (with some notable exceptions).

5. Is there any particular artist that has inspired you throughout your career?
There’s a line, that in my mind and personal taste, I can trace back to the incomparable Jack Kirby, followed by John Buscema, John Romita, Jim Aparo, Neal Adams, George Perez, Alan Davis… up until John Byrne. I’ve enjoyed his art very much, as I mentioned before, thanks in part to how old I was when I discovered him. All of them have inspired me, which doesn’t mean that my art is in any way as good as theirs.

6. How did you break out in the comic book industry?
Arcana Studio (a Canadian publisher) gave me my first opportunity working on their flagship title: Kade. Later, in the U.S., Zenescope Entertainment opened its doors to me and since that day, I’ve enjoyed and loved all their characters and stories that have come into my hands. I feel at home.

7. Is there any character from any comic book universe that you like to draw while sketching for warm ups?
Spider-Man is the first that comes to mind when I start sketching.

8. Are there any characters or titles you’d like to work on in the future?
Batman and Spider-Man are my favorites, but I think a character like Silver Surfer would be great to illustrate because of the infinite possibilities of worlds to explore.

9. What would you say is your greatest strength as an artist?
Besides procrastinating? The care and attention I put into my finished pages… I tend to be so meticulous that I often spend more time than I should on a single page (in terms of deadlines).

10. What Zenescope title have you enjoyed working the most with?
Satan’s Hollow, a horror story, with supernatural elements and characters. Those themes fascinate me and, since it is a title marketed for mature readers, I felt a lot of freedom when drawing. In general, Zenescope comics are very enjoyable to illustrate.

11. Can you tell us something about your next comic book projects?
I’m still working on the Conspiracy mini-series and after that, only Zenescope will tell.

Every project I’ve ever worked on, aside from being a challenge, has also been really exciting… that’s something of utmost importance to me, because I tend to get bored when a concept or story doesn’t catch my attention and with Zenescope that has never happened.

12. What piece of advice would you give to young aspiring artists out there who are considering to make a career in the comic book industry?
Besides the usual stuff (anatomy, perspective, etc,), to actually enjoy the ride. Make comics/art that you like to read/see yourself. Never stop learning… don’t assume you already know everything. And be grateful if you do what you love to do.

Song Title: Cross My Heart I Hope U Die

Single Sentence Singles Review: With a delectably-venomous title to set the table, Smith serves up an audible feast that is both the saltiest and sweetest earworm you’ll ingest all year!

Beyond The Track: “Cross My Heart I Hope U Die” will be featured on Smith’s debut EP, due later this year. As for what she hoped to accomplish with the track? “It came to a point where I decided to totally forget all my preconceived notions about what my music should sound like. So I went into the session and I was like ‘Today I want to write the spookiest song ever.’”

And that means…

TrunkSpace Exclusive Premiere
Munk Duane’s Dangerous

Boston-based songwriter Munk Duane is dropping a new single today, and you can check out the official video for it first at TrunkSpace, but before you do, here’s what Duane had to say about the song.

“Despite a person’s intentions, ignoring expertise, embracing conspiracy/paranoia and cultivating division have brought us to where we are today. These practitioners are, in a word, dangerous, both to individuals and to society. They possess no self-awareness of the danger they pose, no accountability for the their destructive philosophies and exist in every societal permutation, from family members to leadership. The people who think they are the most loyal to Democracy are the ones tearing it apart.”

ENJOY!

With the new single “Werewolf” just released, self-proclaimed musical perfectionists Smith, Lyle & Moore are eager to share their songs with the masses, though they admit to being unsure if they’ve caught creative lightening in a bottle – at least until they can see how audiences respond to their collective efforts.

“There is perfection in imperfection, but if you are too close to something you sometimes can’t see the perfection in the imperfection – you just see the imperfection,” Andrew Smith said in an exclusive interview with TrunkSpace.

We recently sat down with Smith and Jack Moore to discuss their musical bond, recipe testing their secret sauce, and rewards yet to be achieved.

TrunkSpace: Prior to coming together, you had all found musical companionship in other bands and projects. What was it about this unit that clicked creatively when you began to flesh out your first batch of songs together?
Smith: With Tyler, lyricism. With Jack, his guitar playing. The first time I heard “And some days I am a… mother fucking werewolf” I fell in love with the song. It was unexpected, badass, and great. I had never heard anything like it, especially in the context of what came across as a typical folk song until that lyric. With Jack, there’s just a soul to his guitar playing that he must have latched on to from growing up around his dad. I’ve played guitar my whole life and know lots of “great” musicians. But emotion > technical ability, and the emotion of Jack’s playing is fantastic and unmatched in any guitarist I have played with.
Moore: I think the whole process felt natural from the get go. Andrew and I had very strong common ground with our influences, and leading with those in the making of the tracks we didn’t feel like we needed to deviate creatively from one another’s goals musically.

TrunkSpace: Is there such a thing as creative soulmates? Can musicians such as yourselves find creative kinship with some but not others?
Smith: With soulmates, there’s only supposed to be one for you in the world, right? In that case, no. There is no such thing as a musical soulmate. But like how you can have multiple best friends throughout your life, you can have multiple musical best-friends who you click with (but they don’t even have to be your friends – you can musically connect with a songwriter in a single session). A musical soulmate is pretty similar to finding a band you love – you just get to be involved in the creation of the music instead of just enjoying it.
Moore: Maybe even more so musically than romantically, in the way that I would go back to an old writing partner, but not an ex. (Laughter) And of course, in the same way as you have chemistry with someone’s personality you find it musically speaking also.

TrunkSpace: The band came together in a really organic way. Musically, does that put less pressure on you when you realize that you’re not creating to create, but instead, creating because the environment is perfect for it?
Smith: I think most non-boybands come together fairly organically. That being said, it’s the opposite for me – there is a lot of pressure inherent in a passion project because anything less than elusive “perfection” feels like failure. In that regard, maybe this project is a failure. (Laughter) But I love it and it is great… just not perfect. But is anything? Hm… There is perfection in imperfection, but if you are too close to something you sometimes can’t see the perfection in the imperfection – you just see the imperfection. Like if you stand at the base of a massive skyscraper, like 1 foot away from it, and have to analyze the beauty of its architecture, you’re gonna miss a lot of what’s going on. Maybe you focus on the handprint on the pane of glass in front of your face and it bugs you – you just want a crystal clear pane of glass there. If you stood at the base of the empire state building, you’d have almost no idea what makes it beautiful (the top is so cool and iconic!). I’m standing with my face pressed against the glass of the building blowing air into my cheeks. I can’t even tell if it’s a skyscraper or a house.
Moore: Absolutely, we always have a lot of fun when we write, and we really just try and make the best songs we can and do them justice for ourselves. I always just think, “what would I wanna hear” during the creation process. It’s something I think I’ll always stick by.

TrunkSpace: What kind of emotions do you juggle with when releasing new material to the masses, and is the experience different this time around given that the entire world, essentially, has ground to a halt?
Smith: The emotion is fear of failure and bouncing between thinking what you’ve created is great and horrible. The world grinding to a halt plays no role in the emotion involved in releasing music, for me.
Moore: I suppose the obvious is how it’s going to be received, and have you done everything you can possibly do to make it as good as it can be. That’s definitely been a recurring theme. People often ask about releasing in the pandemic, but I’d say it’s about par for the course for us given the list of unusual hurdles we have had to overcome making the record. I think the true impact lies with the live performance side of the music, not recorded as I’m sure there are a lot of people sitting around bored in the mood to discover some new music, so in some ways maybe we have a more captive, but also more anxious and frustrated audience. Time will tell.

TrunkSpace: Normally you would tour to support a new release, but that is not something that is possible in every state right now. How has promoting the upcoming music changed? How do you get the word out when people can’t get out themselves?
Smith: By being creative, hopefully. And/or by grinding it out. Throughout the span of this project coming to fruition, there have been a lot of creative things that we’ve tried to promote the music. For example, years ago there was a Snapchat hack that released about 5 million usernames and area codes. I downloaded the hack the day that news was released, and it was scrubbed from the internet shortly thereafter. I then created 650 different Snapchat accounts and coded something to add the hack-released-usernames to each of these accounts automatically. Each of the 650 accounts followed users from a specific area code. This would hypothetically allow for targeted promotion when on tour, by using area codes to deduce location of users. After adding all 5 million people, I ran tests on the accounts – a story posted to all of the accounts would be viewed by 500,000 people. Unfortunately, I was taken away from music for a couple years and in that time-frame Snapchat deactivated all of the accounts I created so I was never able to capitalize on it. I always wait too long – until things are too perfect – and it bit me and us in the ass, especially now understanding the value of having 500,000 eyes on something. My god… the lost opportunity… but thinking of creative ways to get yourself out there is what it’s all about; no music speaks for itself. No song uploaded without a push will become huge, in my opinion. You need to be creative in getting your music in front of people and into their ears. Is that from a creative video? Or some program you create? Or just by talking to lots of people and engaging with them? It could be any or all of the above. For us, it probably won’t be a video (at least with these four songs). So it will have to be something else. Or a combination of other things. We have a little bit of secret sauce and are recipe testing more secret sauce to find something that fits and works.
Moore: Certainly the landscape has changed here with regards of conventional promotion of a record – as you say it’s practically impossible to do any kind of congruent tour at the moment, so we have to rely on the recorded music to do the speaking. That definitely makes it more of a challenge, but a fun one too.

TrunkSpace: If someone sat down and listened to your upcoming EP front to back, what would they learn about you and where you’re at as a band and as songwriters in 2020?
Smith: They’d learn more about where we were in the past because these songs weren’t written this year. But I think the themes on this album are points of view on the world that still hold true – which is sort of what you want (sometimes)… to create something and say something that you still believe in years later. There is something special about a song that is very “2020” or very “1987” – a song that lives in a year – and there is also something special about songs that don’t. To me, these songs don’t.
Moore: I’d like to think it would give a great idea of the band’s energy and what’s to come. As a foundation, and thinking about the other songs we have written, I think we chose the best possible introductory four to give people a feel of what we’re about.

TrunkSpace: Outside of the music itself, what did you want to accomplish with the production of the EP and do you feel like you checked off all of the boxes when you called wrap?
Smith: To make something that feels new-old. To accomplish a timelessness and freshness at the same time. I’m way to close to the project to know if I checked off all of the boxes. I definitely didn’t check them all off. But I have too many boxes – i.e., does this record sound as good as a Bob Ludwig mastered Nigel Godrich Produced masterpiece? Hell no, unfortunately. But maybe those aspirations were unrealistic? Anything short of that feels like failure because I set a high bar. Probably the songs would benefit from another person mixing them (I produced and mixed). But they’re closer than they ever have been to what the vision was… I think. I have no perspective on them at all.
Moore: It’s funny, it feels like you lay down a marker in time when you write a song, the more powerful it is, the more you are able to recall who you were and how you felt at the time, and that certainly rings true with these songs.

TrunkSpace: What are you most proud of with the album?
Smith: The production elements.
Moore: I’m proud of overcoming everything that was thrown at us on the way, and being genuinely truly happy about how they sound individually and collectively. We’re pretty perfectionist in this band so it took a lot for us to go, “Okay, this is it.”

TrunkSpace: What has been the most rewarding aspect of creating together thus far? What has this project done for you personally that you felt was a missing component from those you participated in previously?
Smith: Working on music you love is rewarding. But nothing is ever finished. Sometimes I hear the songs and feel accomplished and like they’re great, and other times I don’t like them. It’s all perspective. And I truly have none. I’m pretty sure the songs are good.

The component that this project contains that others didn’t is that it was done purely out of an obsession to make something I liked; it wasn’t to deliver something specific to a label or manager of another artist. It was making music for fun… even though a lot of it wasn’t fun, it was torture… because when I work on something I love, I guess I sometimes beat it into the ground until I hate it and then take time away until I don’t hate it, and then do the same over and over. I guess the rewarding aspect of making this, for me, hasn’t been achieved. I will feel rewarded/accomplished if we can figure out how to get millions of streams on these songs. I need verification that they are good from something external. These songs are meant to be a stepping stone to a full record. I’ll feel accomplished if/when that full record comes out. It is mostly finished and fully recorded, we just need a push from people out in the world to make it come to fruition — we need people to love these songs and share them and in effect contribute to this project, to help push us to the next chapter.
Moore: It was just a super fun and diverse EP to create. It really dragged us everywhere, both emotionally and geographically. At times it felt like some monster that had to be slain, but we got there in the end.

TrunkSpace: Time machine question. If you could jump ahead 10 years and get a glimpse of what your career looks like a decade from now, would you take that journey? If not, why?
Smith: Sure – if we had any hits in 10 years, I could release them 10 years earlier and have 10 years more content out of the way. If history is a judge of the future, we’d need a time machine if we ever wanted to release a 2^nd record… because these 4 songs took a long time… But in actuality, we have a full record basically finished and the reason these songs took so long is because I was learning who I was as a producer and engineer in the midst of making this record. I’m very fast and have a set-up that I understand and know how to use well now – something I didn’t have when this project started; the result is that I am able to lay down ideas quickly, efficiently, and well, and that allows for me to have more perspective and complete things quickly. Its all about perspective. Let me trade the time machine for a memory-eraser. I’d erase my memory every day. I’d make amazing music that sounds incredible if I could erase my memory everyday before working on the song I worked on yesterday.
Moore: I think it might spoil the fun. (Laughter) Besides, looking at it could influence you to do things differently which would alter the outcome of what you had seen, presumably. (Laughter) I think it’s just important to enjoy the journey of it all; the fun part is watching it all evolve.

“Werewolf” is available today.

Fall Guys

Initial Release Date: August 4, 2020

Developer: Mediatonic

Publisher: Devolver Digital

Designer: Joseph Walsh

Engine: Unity

Platform: PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows

Genre: Battle Royale, Platform, Racing

Why We’re Playing It: It can be hard to find a video game that the whole family can enjoy no matter your skill set, age or level of play. Luckily, Fall Guys ticks all of those boxes and it’s a barrel of laughs, a bucket of fun and a whole heap of hilariousness.

What It’s All About?: Fall Guys is a battle royale-style competition game that draws inspiration from the 1980s game show, Takeshi’s Castle. We’ll pause while you Google that OR you can just say it’s American Gladiators with super cute characters dressed up as hot dogs, chickens and other super non-intimidating outfits.

That’s Worth A Power-Up!: Fall Guys throws in a wide mix of free-for-all and team challenge competitions that culminate into a final mini-game, which incorporates a mixture of elements from other mini-games. With millions of players worldwide, you will most likely never be pitted against the same players twice, so you never know what to expect from game to game, which helps add to the replay value.

Bonus Level: If you have PlayStation Plus membership, you can score this game for free this month, but if you don’t have PS Plus, it will only set you back $19.99 as of the time this article is published.

And that’s why this game is a certified quarter muncher!

In our ongoing column Deep Focus, TrunkSpace is going behind the camera to talk with the directors, writers and producers who infuse our world with that perennial pop culture goodness that we can’t get enough of.

This time out we’re chatting with Sergio Navarretta, director and producer of The Cuban, about press tours in pajamas, making a project that says something important, and how he overcame debilitating anxiety.

TrunkSpace: Your film The Cuban was released in the middle of a very difficult time for a lot of people. What is it like promoting a project right now, and do you believe your film has a better chance of finding a wider audience with much of the country still on lockdown?
Navarretta: Most definitely. I am a big proponent of finding the positive in every situation. When the pandemic hit we had to put our theatrical release for The Cuban on hold, which was disappointing. But giving up seemed too easy and the message of the film drove me to push as much as I could to keep forging on even when it felt impossible. Sometimes adversity helps us to examine things more closely, and to re-evaluate our lives and what’s important. I really saw this pause as a chance to re-examine things in my life and within the industry – things that were in the process of changing anyways. My team and I were able to brainstorm innovative ways to get the film to much larger audiences than we’d initially anticipated via drive-in theaters and virtual cinemas. Also doing a virtual press tour in support of the film has been a thrill! I get to do interviews and Q&As with Louis Gossett Jr., Ana Golja and Shohreh Aghdashloo from the comfort of my home office (sometimes in my pajamas) and have enjoyed the benefit of being in many places at once without ever leaving my home. This period has also afforded me more time to spend with family and friends and in a way I have been able to reclaim my life. In the world pre COVID-19, it was easy for me to get caught up in the stressful, hurried pace of things. But, the truth is, the best way to open up the channels of creativity is when you are not running. For me, even in the midst of releasing my feature, this pandemic has been a return to the so-called simple things in life.

TrunkSpace: In a lot of ways, The Cuban feels like a throwback. We have become so used to seeing the cineplexes filled with franchises and existing brands that it’s easy to lose track of wonderful films like this. What drew you to the material?
Navarretta: Thank you for acknowledging that. I made the kind of movie I would want to see. I never grew up on Hollywood movies. I grew up watching Italian films with my parents where nothing explodes, the protagonist doesn’t fly and there is no shark that kills everyone by the end. They were “simple” films, slices of life in the neo-realistic style, with subtle arcs but left me satisfied and reflecting on life. The American films of the 1970s really influenced me later on, as well, which inspired the deliberate use of vintage Cooke Pancros refurbished lenses. I give a lot of credit to my cinematographer, Celiana Cardenas, who was able to manifest the look I wanted. I like classic storytelling, and allowing the characters and plot to drive the story. In terms of the material, I was involved from the very beginning, so there is a lot of me in it, i.e: my fascination with Cuba or the use of Afro-Cuban jazz. Making The Cuban was a very personal journey and in some ways cathartic. It was a way of dealing with the loss of my father and all the stories that died with him.

TrunkSpace: You wore many hats on the film as you do with many of your projects. Does director Sergio ever butt heads with producer Sergio in terms of what one wants to accomplish creatively and what the other knows is possible given budget and time constraints?
Navarretta: I think I’ve become good at it and the older I get, the more credit I give myself. I am a people person and passionate about what I do, so I find it difficult to delegate. I like being involved in all the aspects of production and being a part of the problem solving that inevitably needs to happen. It helps me appreciate the entire process a lot more. But at the same time, I have been working with my partner, Alessandra Piccione, for several years now. I know she has my back, so when my director hat is on I can rest assured and be there 100%. We have a trust that is essential when you are completely immersed in a project like this. Ultimately, I try not to argue with myself, and go over-budget, for example. The biggest lesson I have learned is to never compromise and always give it your all, even when it seems impossible or even when budget and time are a limitation.

TrunkSpace: What is a compromise that you had to make as a director on The Cuban that you feel actually ended up benefiting the end product? Was there a happy accident that occurred that ultimately turned out better in the end?
Navarretta: Yes, definitely. Shooting in Cuba, even with the best intentions, was not something we could really plan for. I went down with my very seasoned crew for a four-day second unit shoot and ended up moving to Havana for several weeks. We started with a traditional approach: scouting, having production meetings, trying to break through cultural barriers, language barriers, etc. But when it came time to shoot, we were forced to throw the plan out the window and I had to think quickly on my feet. Thankfully, Havana is an incredibly creative and culturally-vibrant place, and with no cell phone or other life distractions I found myself completely in the present moment. A lot of the shots that made it into the film from Cuba came out of my imagination while I was there. In the end, it taught me to trust the process. What will be will be, and that sometimes you just need to surrender and be okay with that.

TrunkSpace: For fans, the final product of a film or series is always the most memorable part, but for those involved in a project, we’d imagine it goes much deeper than that. For you, what is something about your time working on The Cuban that you’ll carry with you through the course of your life/career?
Navarretta: That is a great question. The thing I will remember most fondly is meeting the legendary Lou Gossett Jr. Being at his home in Malibu for the first time was surreal. When you spend your whole life fantasizing about this elusive mirage called Hollywood, and you have the opportunity to work with (and eventually become friends with) a living legend, you realize that anything is possible and if you are going to spend three or more years on a project, you may as well make something that says something important. Making a movie because it’s cool to make a movie does not appeal to me and frankly would never get me through those days where you want to give up. Also, I’ve always wanted to work with Shohreh Aghdashloo, so I remember the day I was directing her for the first time on set and thinking ‘is this for real’? I sat behind the monitor and thought, man it doesn’t get much better than this.

TrunkSpace: What are you most proud of with the film?
Navarretta: I am really proud of the score, and working with world class musicians like Hilario Duran. He is a real virtuoso, and brought magic to the experience. We recorded the music prior to shooting the film, so those compositions are in my bones. Every time I hear any of those tracks, it brings me right back there. I am also proud of the look. The film is beautiful to look at, and I was able to use visual language to tell a story in a way I never could before.

TrunkSpace: There’s a lot of uncertainty ahead of us, but how do you think our collective COVID-19 experience will impact the film industry long term?
Navarretta: I think ultimately change is imminent and as an artistic community we will continue to adapt as the industry always has. I lived through shooting on film and having to move to digital fairly quickly. The medium changes, the industry evolves but at the core is classic storytelling. What the Greeks were doing 2000 years ago at the amphitheaters is the same as what we are now capturing on digital formats. If anything, because of the new COVID-19 protocols for sets it will become more expensive and complicated to shoot, I think it will force us to look even more closely at the content we are making and why we are making it. Maybe it is a renaissance period, and like the 1970s amazing projects will come out of it. Every once in a while you need a shake up to bring things back to the core of the matter, which in this case is a powerful art form that is a means to communicate and to move people emotionally.

TrunkSpace: Where are you hardest on yourself as a director and how do you overcome those insecurities when they make an appearance?
Navarretta: I am hardest on myself when it comes to pushing beyond my comfort zone. Change is always scary, but thankfully I have a burning curiosity to explore new things. Somehow I’ve been wired to act in spite of fear, and jump into situations that terrify me. That is how I overcame debilitating anxiety, and am able to do what I do today. It also helps when the driving force is helping others somehow. I never want to let people down so making absurd commitments helps build confidence and gets me out of bed in the morning.

TrunkSpace: What has been the highlight of your career as a whole thus far?
Navarretta: I have had so many monumental moments over the years, traveling to film festivals all over the world and meeting filmmakers and actors I have always admired. I would say the highlight was at the premiere of my first film, Looking for Angelina, where Jan Harlan, who was Stanley Kubrick’s long time producer and brother in law, was in the audience. After he saw the film, he told me he enjoyed it very much and we later sat on a panel together discussing the filmmaking process. Having an intimate look into the life of a master like Kubrick is something I will never forget.

TrunkSpace: Time machine question. If you could jump ahead 10 years and get a glimpse of what your career looks like a decade from now, would you take that journey? If not, why?
Navarretta: I prefer not to know. What I didn’t know is what got me here in the first place. If someone would have told me how hard it would be and how much I would need to suffer to continue doing what I love, I would have definitely given up a long time ago. There is nothing rational about this. Ignorance is bliss and the discovery of things as well as the mystery of life is what makes it fascinating. Also, I’m terrified of disappointment so it’s best to live in the present moment, and not be too concerned with a past that doesn’t exist anymore, nor a future that is not guaranteed. Isn’t this a big part of the message of The Cuban? The music brings the characters into the present moment, which is what life is all about.

The Cuban is available now via virtual cinemas. For more information, please visit here.

Song Title: Roly Poly

Single Sentence Singles Review: Music is an escape, but it can also carry a message, and in “Roly Poly” Kronowitt reminds us all that we can either be part of the problem or the solution, and he does it while entertaining – not haranguing.

Beyond The Track: Kronowitt’s latest album, Do Something Now (pictured left), is available September 25.

And that means…

Christopher Lee Lewis, former frontman for The Kinison, has put himself out there – good and bad – for the world to examine with his new solo project, aptly named LEWIS. And while he admits that there is a considerable amount of vulnerability in his writing these days, he’s wearing the personal reflection like a badge of honor.

“Saying to the world, ‘Hey everyone, I am a fucking nervous wreck!’ wasn’t easy, but I am certainly not hiding anything,” he said in an exclusive interview with TrunkSpace.

LEWIS’ debut solo album, Son on the Floor, is available today via Sona Baby Records.

We recently sat down with Lewis to discuss pacing around his garage, leaving a democracy behind, and… opening for a future hologram?

TrunkSpace: Your debut solo album is set to drop today. For you, what has the experience been like releasing a new album in the middle of what will go down as a pretty dark and stressful year for not only the country, but the world?
Lewis: It has been quite worrisome over all; I keep pacing around my garage wondering to myself “is anyone going to hear this?” Since live shows aren’t a thing, beyond Smash Mouth, I cannot go out and support the record in front of people, that part has been frustrating and foreign. What does an artist/band do when you have an album done – you jump on stage to showcase your tunes.

TrunkSpace: Music has been an incredible escape for people during the pandemic. In a way, do you feel like you’re contributing to that feeling of “checking out” for people by giving them new music to listen to?
Lewis: Goodness, I would certainly like to think that I can contribute a bit to the art of “checking out.” Music serves a different purpose for different people. Some listen for lyrical content; others just for background groove while driving. When approaching this record, Paul Fig (my producer) and I decided early on that whatever we do together should be honest and I believe that prevails on this album and allows the listener to go where they desire.

TrunkSpace: Outside of prepping the release of the album, what has been your escape during this time? Have you turned to songwriting more than you normally would have?
Lewis: Paul and I set up a mobile studio rig in my garage so that we could ping-pong ideas for the next record. I generally write music all of the time and the material was building up; we needed a way to file the songs away and work on them remotely. I would not say that I have been writing more than before, but I certainly have not been writing less, but I have been escaping by studying health and experimenting with extended fasts.

TrunkSpace: You’re no stranger to music, but a solo album is a new endeavor for you. How did the experience of writing and recording the album differ from what you already knew? What were the pros and cons of going solo in your eyes?
Lewis: The main difference is that I am the main songwriter – it is not a democracy where a band makes decisions as a whole on vision and strategy of the music. This is why I decided to use LEWIS as my appellation – there is no hiding when you call yourself your last name. When I set out to do a solo record, I knew it was going to all be on my shoulders. I suppose the con is not being able to blame the three or four other guys when something goes array.

TrunkSpace: You’re also a producer. Did songwriter Christopher and producer Christopher ever butt heads in the studio? Is there ever inner conflict when you’re wearing both hats?
Lewis: I assumed that this would be an issue, so I planned ahead and hired Paul to take the helm at producing. Paul and I go back almost 20 years to his days in Amen, even before he started at Sound City. He helped facilitate early Kinison demos as well as showcases before we had ever even toured. I chose Paul due to trust; I knew that he was going to put his heart into the album, as he does for every project he agrees to. Being that our relationship stood the test of almost two decades, I knew he was the one I wanted dialing the record in.

TrunkSpace: If someone sat down to listen to your album front to back, what would they learn about you both as an artist and as a person?
Lewis: There is a considerable amount of vulnerability on this record lyrically. I did not steer away from my anxiousness, my newly found sobriety or the impact of watching my neighbor take his own life. I didn’t shy away from my personal idiosyncrasies like knocking my knees together when I am uncomfortable or biting my nails and spitting them on the floor. In a way I think it is sweet and comical, to be honest. Saying to the world, “Hey everyone, I am a fucking nervous wreck!” wasn’t easy, but I am certainly not hiding anything.

TrunkSpace: What are you most proud of with the album?
Lewis: I had a lot of help on the album. Sam West, a good friend of Paul’s, came in to do the drums as a session player and he and I ended up hitting it off and becoming buds. I also had close friends (Brian Duke and Frank Figueroa) of mine play bass and keys (Bryan Swarthout). I am proud that the group of musicians we chose to help out all understood the meaning behind the record. I couldn’t have asked for a better pool of players to assist.

TrunkSpace: It can be tough for aspiring creators and musicians to stay the course and follow their dreams. If you could instill one lesson in those who want to pursue a life in music, what would it be?
Lewis: I suppose I should practice what I preach: I believe in consistency and momentum. Don’t stop, trying to realize your dream, you may not end up exactly where you intend, but the journey is well worth the ride.

TrunkSpace: Time machine question. If you could jump ahead 10 years and get a glimpse of what your career looks like a decade from now, would you take that journey? If not, why?
Lewis: Isn’t everyone playing this hypothetical game right now, perhaps more now than ever? I intend on writing continuously and have a handful of records out in the next 10 years. Maybe by then, live shows will be safe and I can open for Prince’s Hologram Tour.

Son on the Floor is available today via Sona Baby Records.

While pop culture has always been a great distraction, what little new content making it to screens these days feels like stepping into an oasis while trekking through a desert. NOS4A2 fans have surely gobbled up Season 2 – which culminates in its finale this Sunday – and for star Ashley Romans, being a part of that momentary escape for people is a rewarding experience.

“For me, being on television and entering people’s homes, minds, and hearts feels like an honor and a responsibility now more than ever,” she said in an exclusive interview with TrunkSpace.

We recently sat down with Romans to discuss changes in her character, baking a cake in the dark, and discovering her deeper self.

TrunkSpace: New series premieres/seasons seem few and far between these days due to the state of the pandemic. With Season 2 of NOS4A2, is it nice to be a part of people’s escape during these tumultuous times – to be their outlet to what was “normal” once?
Romans: For sure, during quarantine it felt like every time I started a new series, show, or some entertainment, those performing were providing a much needed emotional and spiritual service. For me, being on television and entering people’s homes, minds, and hearts feels like an honor and a responsibility now more than ever. I remember when I was younger, between grade school and middle school, the characters on some of the television shows I watched felt like my best friends and confidants. That said, simultaneously the social uprising and the pandemic have given me a gentle reminder of just how unimportant our individual aspirations are except in the context of how it is in service of others and oneself. This reminder is freeing because suddenly the baggage I carry doesn’t seem as heavy. With everything going on we can’t take ourselves as individuals so seriously.

TrunkSpace: In terms of plot, there’s an 8 year gap between Season 1 and Season 2. As an actress, how do you prepare for your character to make that kind of leap because a person can change a lot in nearly a decade? How did Detective Hutter change?
Romans: The big changes in her life are her relationship with Maggie Leigh, her promotion to the FBI, and her partnering with Maggie’s supernatural abilities to catch dangerous strong creatives. A lot of preparation was about personalizing Tabitha’s new priorities in life and her point of view on how her view of the world has changed. There is a certain amount of internal dissonance because although she believes in and wants to serve the FBI, she knows more about the world than her peers and still less about the world of thought than her partner Maggie and Vic. She’s been stuck in this in-between place for a while and this season she has to learn the limits of the bureaucracy she’s been serving.

TrunkSpace: From what we understand, NOS4A2 is the longest time you have ever spent with one character. What is it like getting to have an extended stay with a character and building on what you’ve done week to week, episode to episode?
Romans: Challenging and rewarding because episode to episode you’re thrown into new circumstances that test your point of view and character’s outlook on things. Just as in all our lives there are situations this season that Tabitha has never imagined she’d find herself in and she has to decide who she wants to be and how she wants to behave in those situations. Very often we don’t act as our highest selves in challenging or new situations so I get to witness and participate in a lot of the times Tabitha gets it wrong and all the times she gets it right and it’s all new to me too.

TrunkSpace: For the viewer, the end product is always the most memorable, but for those involved in the project it must go much further than that. What’s the most memorable aspect of getting to work on NOS4A2 that you’ll carry with you through the rest of your life and career?
Romans: Getting to work with such an awesome cast, crew, and fans. In creating any kind of art at this scale it can feel a lot like baking a cake in the dark. You can have all the right ingredients but in the end you really don’t know how it will come out. But we were already steps ahead because we have such amazing leaders in production, cast and crew that set such an incredible tone at the top of the chain that trickled down to the product of the show and the quality and enthusiasm of the fans. Very grateful to witness formula pay off.

TrunkSpace: What has been an unexpected bonus or reward – something you could have never anticipated when you first started your journey as an actress – to a career in the arts? What is an aspect of your life that you wouldn’t have now had you not taken this path, but at the same time, one that you can’t imagine your life without now?
Romans: Wow. Of all the interviews, this is one of the most original questions I’ve received. Well, one reward of acting is finding out different aspects about myself. The path to becoming a good actor is the similar path of knowing yourself deeper. It’s the path of growing in emotional and spiritual intelligence. I have found that success in one area of my life mirrors alignment in seemingly unrelated areas so I’m grateful for acting to exposing me to that. I definitely don’t think I would have moved from New York to Los Angeles if it wasn’t for acting and it’s hard to imagine my life without the family I’ve made here on this coast now.

TrunkSpace: There are ups and downs in any career, but certainly the entertainment industry is known for delivering peaks and valleys. Was there ever a moment where you considered walking away from acting, and if so, what kept you on your path and looking forward?
Romans: For sure. I think it’s possible we’re all smarter when we’re younger. I believe I knew my purpose in life and had a very clear vision for myself when I was a child. Through time and experience my vision gets blurry and I forget. The blurry vision comes and goes but when it’s around for a little longer the voice of self doubt creeps in and spreads. I often think about quitting all my artistic expressions and moving away somewhere remote. And there’s nothing wrong with that choice either. But I practice pausing and asking myself, “Well, who’s voice is that? Is that my voice? Is that what I want or is that the spirit of fear telling me to hide from the bigness of my purpose?” I recognize that voice that tells me to quit is resistance outside of myself and it becomes a little easier to stay focused on what I want.

In the beginning, when I first got to Los Angeles and I was waiting tables, had three different jobs, no car, and trying to make it across town to auditions, class, and rehearsals via public transit – I remember I hardly ever thought of quitting acting at that time because I had already silently accepted that would be my “normal” for a very long time.

TrunkSpace: As an actress – a profession where you generally are required to work directly with other people in a scene – how have you kept the tools in your toolbox sharp during this extended period of isolation?
Romans: Keeping up with a lot of self inventory and understanding my own behavior and thus better understanding human behavior. So a lot journaling, reading novels, watching great acting performances in moving storylines. Right now I love shows like Killing Eve, I May Destroy You, Ramy and others.

TrunkSpace: Beyond the pandemic and the social unrest, what will you remember most about 2020? For you, what has been the light in all of the darkness?
Romans: I will most remember the stillness and peace I found in the solitude of quarantine. It didn’t last long but there was a period of a week or so where I felt as though I was living moment to moment in hyper presence. It was hard to hold on to and the moment is also constantly changing and shifting.

TrunkSpace: Time machine question. If you could jump ahead 10 years and get a glimpse of what your career looks like a decade from now, would you take that journey? If not, why?
Romans: I would hope that I’d have the willpower and focus to decline a trip like that. Mainly because the answer, outcome, and destination is changing moment to moment. It’s my actions that determine my future and my thoughts that determine my actions. IF that glimpse is fixed and not possible to changing than there would be no point in seeing the place I’m going to end up at anyway. And if the possibilities are open to changing there is equally no point in seeing the place I might not end up at all. Ultimately it’s not about the destination but who I become along the way.

The season finale of NOS4A2 airs Sunday on AMC.

Featured image by: Eric Tronolone

Song Title: Harry Wants to Be Free

Single Sentence Singles Review: With a smooth and playful voice reminiscent of Elton John, Mohr provides a spark of energy to our burned out 2020 brains, setting the table for an anticipated self-titled debut that we can’t wait to lay our ears on!

Beyond The Track: What does the song mean? Let’s hear from Mohr directly on that. “It talks about breaking free from the constant presence of digital technology in our lives. It tells the story of Harry, a character who is tired of being constantly surveilled and monitored, a person dreaming of reuniting with nature and a reality that is truer and more alive.”

And that means…