Tag: out musicians

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Tom Goss’s Body-Positive Music Video “Round In All The Right Places”

Tom Goss (photo: Daren Cornell)

Out singer/songwriter Tom Goss is one of the most popular artists of the modern indie gay recording landscape, and for good reason.

Since his 2009 debut album, Back To Love, Goss has developed a loyal fan base who have come to know him through his wide-ranging, intimately-personal songs and music videos.

From the serious tenor of his acclaimed cover of the Dusty Springfield classic, “Son of a Preacher Man,” to his fun-filled, rollicking romp in “Bears,” Goss has consistently given fans music they can relate to that presents a diverse view of the queer community.

For example, the aforementioned “Bears” music video came out of a desire to share his appreciation for plus-size men.

Goss admits that he didn’t really have much of a sex drive until, at the age of 22, he discovered his attraction for big, beefy bears.

That revelation ultimately led to his 2010 marriage to husband, Mike Briggs.

Released in 2013, the “Bears” music video is an upbeat fantasy romp for Goss that’s earned him a ‘big’ following in the bear community.

But it seems Goss didn’t quite get his message out as articulately as he thought.

“Even after ‘Bears,’ people would constantly ask me if I really had a thing for large men,” says Goss. “I used to get annoyed by the question, but then I started to reflect on it and I came to the conclusion that I hadn’t done an adequate job of describing what is so intoxicating to me about men of size.”

“For this one, I wanted to write something that was more specific and mature,” he explains. “I wanted to be direct, honest and graphic; to really convey the shape, the allure, the seduction of big men.”

The result is Goss’ new music video, “Round in All the Right Places,” released October 12.

The song, written with a nod to the style of 60s doo-wop, is the first single from his upcoming 2019 album, Territories.

(Photo: Nathaniël Siri)

Directed and co-produced by Goss, with additional production and cinematography by Nathaniël Siri, the video for “Round in All the Right Places” features a several friends plus some men he approached online.

“I couldn’t be happier with the visuals, and the beautiful men behind the visuals,” Tom shares. “Yes, I absolutely objectify the men, but I’m careful to do it in a way that is respectful, artistic and focused on that which makes them beautiful and unique.”

“Too often in media, large men are painted as villains or buffoons; the butt of a joke,” says the guitar-toting troubadour. “The goal here was to uplift and empower men of size and embrace their beauty.”

And, for Goss, that body-positive message isn’t limited to just plus-sized men. “Everyone should see the beauty in themselves and love every inch of their bodies.”

Watch “Round in All the Right Places” below and find more info about Goss & his music at his official website here.

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Out Music: Philip La Rosa “Drowning”

Out indie artist Philip LaRosa debuts his new single and music video, “Drowning.”

The music video, dedicated to those affected by depression and anxiety, is being released in advance of World Mental Health Day observed around the globe tomorrow, October 10.

The poignant video utilizes striking imagery of being emotionally “underwater” – struggling to stay afloat, in a sea of emotions that on the surface, may not look that deep to others.

LGBTQ people know well how difficulty with self-acceptance and facing social stigma creates heavy mental and emotional pressures on a day-to-day level.

The Australian singer/songwriter says the new track was inspired by his closest friend’s personal struggle with depression and anxiety.

“The song came together after they shared some personal memoirs with me,” says La Rosa. “The idea was to write a song about some of those feelings and emotions to help shine a light on mental health.”

After sharing the track with director Charmaine Murray, she came up with a visual concept that metaphorically represents “the constant up and down battle of depression and anxiety and the strength required to continually pull yourself up out of the deep end, and the ability to stay above water and keep your head as high as you can.”

Personal demons are no stranger to La Rosa who was bullied in school to the point that he not only dropped out but stopped performing entirely.

“I wish I had handled things differently,” shares the indie artist. “I wish I approached the bullies and had an open discussion about what they were going through. Maybe they were being bullied too?”

Instead, La Rosa focused on building his own digital design business at the age of 18.

But new friends – “amazing people who helped me stay positive” – led La Rosa back to his true passion.

Now 25-years-old, he says, “I used everything I had been through to help shape my music and myself.”

“I think the one thing ‘grownup Philip’ has taken away from it all is the people,” explains the Perth-based singer. “Surround yourself with positive people, any form of negativity (even if it’s not directed at you) will have a negative impact on your wellbeing.”

La Rosa acknowledges that credo has become a motivating factor in the music he creates, saying, “If I’m putting something out that the world can see and hear, I want it to have a positive impact, even if only affects one person.”

In 2016, LaRosa released his passionate anthem “Pride,” which encourages folks to be proud of who they are despite social pressures and stigma that affect LGBTQ folks on a daily basis.

“Whether in school, at work or in the community, so many people are judgmental of everyone and who they are – gender, sexuality, fashion, political views, religious beliefs… you name it,” says LaRosa. “I just wanted to write something that people could scream from rooftops.”

“Fight for who you are,” he emphasizes. “Be proud of who you are. Love who you are, and of course, love everyone along the way.”

Hit the play button above to watch La Rosa’s new music video, “Drowning,” and for more info about Philip La Rosa and his music head over to his official website here.

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Out Music: Matt Zarley “Your Song”

Matt Zarley

Woofy singer/songwriter Matt Zarley recently dropped his latest music video, “Your Song.”

Zarley says he was drawn to cover the Rita Ora tune the first time he heard it. “It’s one of those songs that doesn’t leave your brain – a true worm,” says the award-winning recording artist. “I just loved the way it made me feel and I love the lyrics.”

He decided to record the song as he was putting together a new two-man show with frequent partner in crime, Jeb Havens, called Works of Heart.

“I knew it would fit perfectly in the thematic structure of the show,” he shares. “This song will also be on our album that’s coming out in a few months.”

The hunky singer (People Magazine‘s first out ‘sexiest bachelor’) takes a stripped-down, acoustic approach for the upbeat track which pairs well with his buoyant power pop vocals.

Being a do-it-yourself kinda guy, Zarley not only produced and recorded the song, but he came up with the concept for the video and edited it as well.

And speaking of editing, it doesn’t take long to figure out Zarley’s ‘band members’ in the music video all look a bit … familiar.

“I have always loved the “cloning” effect on film, and I didn’t want to make this particular video narrative heavy and overly sentimental,” says Zarley. “So I opted for this idea instead.”

But it turns out capturing the ‘all-Matt’ band proved a bit challenging.

“It was really tricky, to be honest,” shares Zarley. “All of the shots of each character in the band had to be done with similar sunlight. Since we shot it outside, that made things it a little temperamental and unpredictable.”

“By the time we got all of the band shots, our plan was to get solo shots of each band member,” he explains. “But, the sun was starting to move, so I could only do one take of each band member. It was a little tricky, and a bit hectic, but we got it done.”

This isn’t Zarley’s first experience behind the camera.

In 2015, he wrote, produced and starred in a long-form music video titled Hopeful Romantic, which co-starred everyone’s favorite gay uncle, George Takei. The short was featured at dozens of film festivals winning several awards along the way.

Looking ahead, Zarley shares he’d like to tackle another short film. “I just have to write it first,” he says with a smile.

Instinct previously covered Zarley’s stunning cover of the Sara Bareilles hit, “Gravity,” here.

Check out the music video for “Your Song” below. Find more of Zarley’s music on YouTube here, and you can follow him on Instagram here.

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Music Video: David Hernandez “Shield (Coat Of Armor)”

David Hernandez (via Hernandez Worldwide Music)

American Idol alum David Hernandez proves he is definitely the king of his own kingdom as he drops his new album, Kingdom: the Mixtape.

Kingdom: the Mixtape teams the hunky artist with the Black Eyed Peas‘ Grammy-winning producer, Printz Board, and features a collaboration with fellow American Idol Blake Lewis.

The follow-up to his 2011 debut album, I Am Who I Am, this new collection of 20 tracks reflects many of the highs and lows he’s experienced since his time on the American Idol stage in 2008, including his sometimes crunchy relationship with the music industry.

“I’ve been sitting on most of this material for years, waiting for the right time to release it,” Hernandez shares via press release. “I’ve listened to too many people’s opinions about when to release, how, what images and content are appropriate… I was just over listening to what other people think I should do. One day I finally stepped back and realized I had a great body of work that deserves to be heard, now.”

Many of the songs explore Hernandez’s journey over the past decade rebuilding trust and love, his refusal to give up, and his persistence to change for the better.

But it’s not all about an uphill climb. There are also tracks that express joy and fun because as Hernandez explains, “Life isn’t always that serious and sometimes you just wanna let go and rage!”

The new album stretches across several genres including power ballads, soul/R&B, and dance tracks.

The title track is an achingly soulful mid-tempo ballad that soars across triumphant drums and a grand piano.

“Shield (Coat of Armor),” the first single and music video from the album, is an uplifting, confident, guitar-driven anthem.

“Beautiful” showcases Hernandez’s vocals in power pop mode, while “Last Supper” and “Animal” are uptempo numbers clearly born for the dance floor.

Then there’s “Break,” an introspective mid-tempo song that lays bare Hernandez’s struggles with addiction.

“I wrote the song at a time when I was drinking a lot and popping Xanax,” says Hernandez. “It was an awful time. We were being evicted from our apartment and everything was going to shit.

“I ended up in rehab and eventually got clean of prescription drugs, and life became much better,” he adds.

While every day can be a private struggle for those with addiction, Hernandez says that he felt compelled to put the song on the mixtape because prescription drug addition has reached epidemic levels among youth.

“Young people are dying and committing suicide. They need to know there is help,” he says.

“I hope listeners hear a piece of my soul in Kingdom: the Mixtape,” shares Hernandez. “I hope they get where I am coming from, really see me for who I am, and that they, too, can relate to the songs. I want the mixtape to be healing, enlightening, and revelrous.”

You can find Kingdom: the Mixtape on iTunes here.

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Out Music: Richard Cortez “The Welder & The Lark”

(screen capture from “The Overture/Don’t Go, Not Yet”)

Out singer/songwriter Richard Cortez recently dropped his 7th studio release titled, The Welder & The Lark.

The collection of six tracks, which OUT calls “especially profound,” explores innately personal themes of unrequited love, intimacy and monogamy across three music videos.

Cortez, who walked away from a production deal in 2004 when asked to present himself as a ‘straight’ artist, has spent years releasing his music through his own record label, Wollenberg Records.

The entrancing final music video for the collection, “The Overture/Don’t Go, Not Yet,” features an overture composed by collaborator Cole Witter utilizing musical themes from all six tracks as well as the EP’s opening track.

Along with the music, Cortez invited cinematographer Philip Campbell and dancer/choreographer Christian Denice to collaborate on the visuals.

In an interview with OUT, Cortez explains that much of the project was inspired by a unrequited love that could never be.

“What do you do with all the love you have for someone who doesn’t love you the same way in return?,” Cortez wondered aloud to OUT. “Some people drown their sorrows in whiskey gingers, or “eat. pray. love.” their way around the world — I decided to spend every dollar I had on creating an infinite space where that love could live and be free.”

Deciding that a suite of songs dedicated to this love wasn’t enough, Cortez gathered together a coalition of creatives from different mediums to breathe a larger, more expansive multimedia life into the project.

“I never got to tell him I loved him, so I’m telling the world,” added Cortez.

“Every single artist who contributed to this project makes their own work that inspires me regularly,” Cortez told OUT.

“Cole Witter, Boy Radio, Philip Campbell, Kevin William Reed, Christian Denice, Erik Carter, Logan Sawtelle, and Nick Kask inspire me far beyond this work. Individually, they are all incredible and important.”

With a goal of exploring heartbreak through several artistic mediums, Cortez admits his biggest challenge was learning to “trust and let go, allowing the true heart of collaboration to be the driving force of the project.”

That lesson allowed more wisdom to manifest throughout the development of The Welder & The Lark.

Cortez summed up the creative journey for OUT:

“Overall, it was healing process, both artistically and spiritually. I learned to take my time. I learned to let my heart break without punishing myself for it. I learned that I don’t have to be suffering to make relevant and impactful work. I learned a lot about trust and acceptance in collaboration. I learned to take bigger risks, both creatively and financially, as an independent artist. But more than any of that, I learned that loving the process of creation will always generate a beautiful outcome.

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New Music Monday: MNEK “Correct”

Out rapper MNEK recently dropped his debut album, Language, and the critics are raving.

Out rapper MNEK recently dropped his debut album, Language, and the critics are raving.

“It’s a moving and important work, and one that reminds us why MNEK is the pop star we need in 2018.” – NME

 “An assured and stunning pop patchwork… joyous and slammed with hits, it’s worth the wait” – Q Magazine

With over a billion streams to his name, the 23-year-old U.K. artist is focusing on his own recording now after working with such artists as Beyoncé, Dua Lipa, Little Mix, Madonna, and Diplo.

His latest single from the collection, “Correct,” is easily a standout.

PAPER Magazine calls the track, “a call-to-arms for queer people the world over to command the respect we deserve, not to mention a catchy, grimy, island-riddim bop if there ever was one.”

And Billboard wrote, “‘Correct’ busts out an array of MNEK’s flows for a swaggering, hyperactive display of his songwriting chops, his smooth voice hopscotching over a skittering beat.”

Check out “Correct” below. Happy Monday, folks!

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Out Music: John Duff “Girly”

In a gay world where hyper-masculinity is often revered, singer/songwriter/director John Duff has drops his first pop creation celebrating femininity and fluidity - “Girly."
John Duff

In a gay world where hyper-masculinity is often revered, singer/songwriter/director John Duff has drops his first pop creation celebrating femininity and fluidity – “Girly.”

“It’s about freedom. It’s about expression. It’s about equality. Above all, it’s f*cking fierce,” Duff said.

The music video for “Girly” pays homage to several of Duff’s top pop queens including Madonna (“Hung Up”), Mariah Carey (“Heartbeaker”), Britney Spears (“Stronger”), Beyoncé (“Crazy in Love”) and Christina Aguilera (“Come on Over”).

As the kids say, “it’s iconic.” The music video also features Drag Race superstars Bianca Del Rio, Willam and Mariah Balenciaga.

Rejecting what he calls toxic masculinity, Duff’s mission here is to promote honest and genuine self expression.

John Duff (photo: Magaly Chacon)

“You could have your pump on – two plates. Or get your pumps on – first date. No one cares just pump the bass, full speed ahead don’t pump the breaks.”

Duff says he has been told in the past he “would do better in the industry by playing up my masculinity.”

Duff found that approach to be insulting not only to his creativity but who he is in general. Instead, he decided to throw down his girly gauntlet.

Via press release:

“Being girly, or being a girl for that matter, is nothing to be ashamed of. The video was created from those same frustrations. While paying homage to some of my greatest female influences, I wanted to highlight the sexualization of female performers and how absurd it looks to simply replace the ingenue with a hairy man.”

And speaking of ‘throwing down,’ the music video features a hysterical bathroom brawl between Duff and Bianca Del Rio.

The adorbs Duff recently told OUT, “I wanna say it was 7am. We’d been filming since midnight the night before. We were completely on edge, falling apart. He and I started boozing. So, we were a little tipsy filming it. We had a blast. We always cackle.”

Duff also wanted to bring some fun back to pop music.

“I feel like in music, we’re missing some joy,” Duff also shared with OUT. “I don’t see pop stars presenting fun. I see dark, sexual, honestly evil energy coming out of most popular music.”

“There’s a place for funny people, and there’s a place for happy people,” the 28-year-old added. “I want people to feel happy and no pressure to be anything else.”

There’s no denying “Girly” is packed full of fun. Not only does the track have a catchy hook, but Duff is uber-adorbs.

Plus, alongside his Drag Race guest-stars, the whole cast presents as a rainbow of diversity.

Bravo!

Check out a couple of Duff’s Instagram tributes to his pop divas below.

A post shared by John Duff (@iamjohnduff) on Aug 22, 2018 at 11:07am PDT

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Out Music: Bright Light Bright Light “Uh-Huh!”

Rod Thomas aka Bright Light Bright Light (image via Facebook)

Regular readers know I love me some Bright Light Bright Light. Check out the third track – “Uh-Huh!” – from Bright Light Bright Light’s upcoming EP, Tough Love. “With ‘Uh Huh!’ I wanted something much more fun and playful,” Thomas told Billboard. “It’s an upbeat, summery song about not overthinking.” You’ve got some serious George Michael influence (in a good way), and some sassy horn blasts in just the right places. Oh yeah, you’re gonna bounce. Get ready and hit play. Tough Love comes out Sept. 21, coinciding with a performance at Manchester Pride and a U.K. and Europe tour.

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Podcast: Oklahoma Parents Threaten Trans 5th Grader; Anthony Starble’s Latest Track “Paperweight”

 In this week’s podcast:

• An Oklahoma school district shut down after parents of students threatened violence on a transgender 5th grader

• That anti-gay Colorado baker is at it again – this time denying a cake to a trans woman

• Smart guy Matt Baume reminds us when ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show’ went gay for just one episode

• A gay Afghanistan teen was denied asylum by Austria for not being ‘gay’ enough

• Plus, out musician Anthony Starble’s new remix of “Paperweight”

All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report – Hit the play button below:

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Out Music: MNEK “In This Crazy World”

Out musician and producer MNEK drops his latest single, “In This Crazy World,” today in advance of his upcoming album, Language.
Out musician/producer MNEK

Out musician and producer MNEK drops his latest single, “In This Crazy World,” today in advance of his upcoming album, Language.

Promising his debut album to be a ‘black, gay, pop experience,’ the 23-year-old musician describes the new album as, “So special to me because it’s something I’ve put my heart and soul into writing and producing and singing.’”

The lyrics go right to the personal as “In The Crazy World” ruminates on not only race issues but coming out:

A father is disappointed by his son, Somewhere in this crazy world
He’s told him that he’s in love with someone, Let’s high and mourn him
He’s coming out, he can’t keep it in
Somewhere, somewhere, somewhere, somewhere in this crazy world tonight

“I’ve waited for the day my debut album is released my entire life, so naturally, I’ve designed it to be listened to from start to finish,” shares MNEK. “Every song flows into each other in a way that tells a sonic story. I’ve learned so much as a musician over the years and most importantly as a young man.”

After signing his first publishing deal at the age of 14, MNEK has spent the past ten years in the music industry writing and producing for A-list artists like Madonna, Kylie Minogue and Beyoncé.

At 23, the U.K. artist now has one billion streams to his name, between his early material and wider collaborations. “Never Forget You,” MNEK’s duet with Zara Larsson, topped Billboard’s Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart and has been certified 3x Platinum in the U.S.

His most recent single, “Colour” featuring Hailee Steinfeld, (which OUT Magazine called “the song of the summer”) reached a massive 25 global New Music Friday playlists and streams now surpass 17 million.

Additionally, his single “Tongue” was named as “one of the best songs of 2018” by PAPER Magazine, which hailed the track’s “deliciously seductive lyrics, a sick bassline, and killer vocals.”

MNEK has announced a three-date U.K. tour in October, making stops in Manchester, Birmingham, and London.

Language drops September 7, and you can check out “In This Crazy World” below: