Every day, we have so many options to make, and we’re continuously improvising them, much like in jazz,” explains Makaya McCraven, a drummer and composer. “Even when we try to order and sanitize the world so that we can function, we’re improvising in various frameworks.” It’s all a way of expressing existence.” McCraven, 38, is […]

It’s a Friday night at Black Heart, a rock and metal pub nestled away on a Camden side street in north London. The walls and ceiling are painted black, the beer taps are adorned with antlers, and Metallica’s Enter Sandman is screaming from the speakers. As soon as the chorus begins, the whole pub bursts […]

Jon Batiste, a composer and pianist, was on the move in June 2020. From his dressing area at the Ed Sullivan Theater, where he works as the bandleader for Stephen Colbert’s Late Show, he was scoring Pixar’s first Black-led movie, Soul, throughout the week. He was working on the music for his eighth album, We […]

Last year, during the lengthy, reflective pause of the first Covid lockdown, Daytimers was formed. Provhat Rahman, a DJ and producer from east London who formed the group, says, “I felt like I was on my own, that there wasn’t anyone who looked like me.” “It seemed ridiculous, knowing that we all come from such […]

In this article, I’ll take you to the mountains, where indie bands create the sound and music of this world. First, think of the phrase, “indie music.” What do you think of? Does it sound like something you would hear in a pop song? It probably sounds like upbeat music and popular genres. Indie musicians […]