AFTON ARTIST Archives | Afton

Local and Livestream Shows

Other Resources

Featured Artist

Featured Artist 2

The post Album Review: No Pressure appeared first on Afton.

Afton Mixtape 2022 Part 2

Jordan Westlund — Fri, 23 Dec 2022 19:00:17 +0000

We are very happy to bring you the Afton Mixtape 9.5. This time a round we are putting out an Afton Mixtape 2022 featuring tons of great artists that barely missed the deadline for the Afton Mixtape 2022, so this is part 2 of that.

For this mixtape we picked some of the best song submissions and made them into a great mixtape for new fans!

Meet The Artists

Loonyumz

I’m Jarmell Robert, born in Chicago and raised on the north side of the city. Music runs in my family and it doesn’t stop at just plain old rap for me. I have hidden talents. Anyways, I’ve always wanted to do something outside of my comfort zone and just stop doubting myself. My music is just a vision of my past struggles in life and hopefully, you all can enjoy enough to select for your mixtape or any future openings for upcoming artists like myself.

Track 1: The Score

Youtube

Boss The Gemini Featuring Blu Hunna

I am originally from Mexico,Guadalajara. Moved to in East Los Angeles for a couple years. Then moved to the West Side of Sacramento. I just got recently got a distribution deal with legend Goldtoes called “GT Distribution“ partners with “Empire Records” in fall year of 2022.

Track 2: Venom Mobbin

Youtube

Twitter

Bonafide Outlawz (Phantom SR, RDubs, SUBL!M!NAL)

We are 3 solo artists from across the United States now based in Austin, TX. Keep a watch as we are about to flood the industry with a legendary like sound.

Track 3: Smoked Out

Youtube

Twitter

Miles Proctor

Miles Proctor was born and raised in Charlotte North Carolina, he found his passion for barbering in his younger teenage years he would cut his friends hair in the school bathroom, he has always been a entrepreneur and opened his own barber shop called Vango Artistry by the time he was 21 and with in the next few years had open two more. He always had a deep Love for the lord, Miles sought God but he just felt like he wasn’t living to his fullest potential in Christ and what God called him to do. So he prayed about it and started making Gospel music and preaching and found that was his true calling while Miles still has a love for Barbering and that will never leave his true heart’s desires is doing the Lord’s work with his whole heart.

Track 4: Abba Abba

Local And LiveStream Shows

YouTube

Facebook

Spotify

Thank you to all of the talented artists that made this mixtape happen! We couldn’t have done it without you!

Other Resources

Summer Mixtape

Fall Mixtape

The post Afton Mixtape 2022 Part 2 appeared first on Afton.

Album Review: Confessions Of A Ryder

Jordan Westlund — Fri, 02 Dec 2022 19:00:37 +0000

Confessions Of A Ryder

Ryder Rhodes Artist Background:

Ryder Rhodes, independent LGBTQ HipHop artist from North Carolina!

Album Review Confessions Of A Ryder

The first track on the album titled ‘Tell Em’ starts out with a bang with some great production mixed with a lyrically basic chorus that perfectly fits on the song. The versus on the song do show of some quality song writing though. Next up we have ‘I Ain’t a Bitch’ which starts of with a great flow. The production on this track has less going on then the first track but it lets Ryders lyrics come through. The following track ‘Senorita’ has the catchiest beat and chorus on the album so far. I can see this track being the best live track so far. It would get the cloud jumping to say the least. Waterfalls uses some similar to the first track on the album and it works even better for this track. It is mixed with a simple piano looping in and out through the track and really helps the lyrics to shine through to the front of the track.

Album Review 2nd 3rd

The second third of the album stars off with a song titles ‘Location’ that certainly starts off strong. Ryder has a great ear when it comes to mixing her flow with the production that is used on the songs. Next up we have ‘Lifestyle’ which is an all around fun track! It walks you through Ryders life and goes into great detail and yet again has a perfect flow. The 7th track on the album is titled ‘Hyper’ and the track does a perfect job of starting out slow and easing into a punch where the beat comes through in the perfect way. Even at the end the beat drops back down causing the perfect ending to the track.

Album Review The Final Third

The final section of the album starts off with ‘Overdoes’ which is another track on the album that I think would go off live at a show. “Body on fire, I need a fire hose’ is a great line from the song as well. Next up is the track ‘Nobody’ that I think is perfectly placed on the album as it starts things off slowly to mix up the listener. It strips things down and causes the lyrics to hit on a different level then previous tracks did. The 10th track on the album is ‘Taken’ which has to be my favorite production on the album. The subtle ‘Taken’ singing in the back ground of the song is the icing on the cake for this track. The final track ‘I Don’t Know (Freestyle)’ is a great closer on the album. it sounds like it started out as a Freestyle and then the production came afterwards. You can also check out this track on our most recent Mixtape that was released.

Where To Follow:

Local and Livestream Shows

Twitter

Main Website

Other Resources

Featured Artist

Featured Artist 2

The post Album Review: Confessions Of A Ryder appeared first on Afton.

MyAfton Emerging Artist: Ryder Rhodes

Jordan Westlund — Fri, 02 Dec 2022 19:00:36 +0000

Ryder Rhodes

Ryder Rhodes Background

Hey, Afton! My birth name is Katie Joyner & I mainly go by my stage name, Ryder Rhodes! I was born at Wilson Medical Center in Wilson, North Carolina on December 23rd 1993 so I’m 28 years old on the verge of 29. I still currently have a residence within my home town & I still live in the house that built me. Within my home I grew up around music, genres of all types.

My dad influenced playing instruments the most since he played himself. He had guitars, a banjo, a hand harp & a piano. I enjoy, & still do, playing instruments but my stronghold is with the piano! As a child I admired my father for playing & singing songs. I have always had the desire to learn & play music because of him. To me there was nothing better than hearing him on Sundays at my grandparents house.

9 Questions with Ryder Rhodes

When did you start playing music and what inspired you to give it a try?

I remember wanting to learn to play before my hands were big enough to stretch over the keys, my legs dangled from the bench so I would always chicken peck even if it sounded horrible lol. I didn’t care what it sounded like at the time I just wanted to make my dad proud of me for trying! I’ve come a long way since then & it definitely sounds more smooth to the ears! When I was in middle school, 6th grade I believe, I got an electronic keyboard for Christmas & it was one of the best gifts I ever gotten. From there I would just play one hand at a time until I was able to sync both hands together.

The first time I played a piece with both hands it was the main theme from Titanic, My Heart Will Go On. I did not stop there I started to become obsessed with the different instrument sounds on my keyboard, trying new things & would just get lost for hours at the time just making noise! As my love for HipHop grew I found myself playing the drum preset on my keyboard. By the time I was in high school I was really into House Music, Techno, Electro & any kind of instrumental bass music that I could feel.

I was studying them & I stayed with headphones on or in my ears. Even during class, my teachers let me listen while working or test taking, it enhanced my academic performance. (I wonder why lol) Besides my dad inspiring me, alot of my inspiration also came from inner self & the big man upstairs, God. By that I mean I feel in my soul that music is what I was born to do. When I start creating & writing I just absolutely get lost in time & find myself feeling relief. Its my therapy.

Who and what inspires you the most to keep going?

Along side family inspiration that keeps me going are some of my favorite HipHop artists I still listen to today. My first experience hearing HipHop was from both of my older brothers. They both showed me the roots & what real HipHop is. They showed me Biggie, Bone Thugs & Harmony, Lil’ Wyte, Tupac, Eminem, Three Six Mafia, Dre. Dre, NWA, Snoop Dogg, Eazy-E, Too Short & so many others. All of these artists are true legends that came from the mud with authenticity & true emotion from the their hearts. HipHop has evolved so much since then but my love for it stayed the same through the years of it’s growth. I find it kind of funny that there is a semi divide between old school & new HipHop. Very rarely do I find other people who love the old & the new. I can understand their reasons why on both sides, that the old is better or the new is better.

My goal in life is to one day bring both old & new together, to change the game with all the ideas I come up with everyday. What keeps me going also is just the power music has itself. Bob Marley’s music had the perfect combination of passion & love for music & people that when people came together at his performances, there was peace. There was love. There was relief. There was humanity. There was ganja lol. The shape of the world today is giving everyone less & less faith with ourselves. The world is in desprate need of love these days & I want to work towards bringing people together to turn off their heads & turn on their hearts. I believe music is very capable of doing so!

Have you played a show with Afton before? If so, what things did you enjoy about playing with Afton?

Yes! My first gig was at the Nuvo Lounge & Bar in Raleigh this past June. What I enjoyed about playing with Afton was how simple & easy it was to get started! I would get emails everyday of the podcasts you guys have that really helped the flow of my progress. All the tools that is available on your website is pretty much everything a new artist needs when starting out. The daily contact with my rep at the time, Amy, really helped me stay on track with promoting myself. The perks! Wow, I really enjoyed the perks that come with the ticket sales! When I got to Nuvo the day of my show, I was nervous but I felt ready because of the great things Afton has to offer for the artists.

Where do you see yourself in 3 years?

Mmm three years from now I see myself doing more shows more often than I am now. I’m working towards keeping content consistant & lively! I’m hoping that within three years from now I am building a great & loyal fanbase that believes in me. That is what it’s really all about. Helping people, giving them all the feels I get when I hear a love song, a break up song, an angry track or an inspirational one that many of my influences do for me. I’m hoping that within three years I have a growth of a solid team that also believes in me & my message to the world. I feel an honest & genuine team is just as important as the fanbase. In three years I feel I will be doing more of what I love & I can see it in my mind like a movie reel. I see me standing in front of a crowd mixed with blacks, whites, hispanics, Asians & all who feel the same way I do, who can connect & respect each other without knowing their names, their sexual orientation or where they come from. I see people coming together like a community, sharing smiles, tears, hugs, kisses, drinks & leaving feeling like they can do anything they put their mind to & maybe (a) new friend(s).

If you could play a show with any artist or band, living or dead, who would it be? Why?

If I could play a show with someone who is dead, I would probably want to play with B.I.G & Tupac. They both told stories in a way that was very visual in the mind to the listener. The way that I write my lyrics was inspired by them the most. Alot of the songs I write are very detail oriented, very open minded & very emotional. Biggie & Tupac both had all of these elements that they wrote, recorded & displayed in their performances. They were not afraid to speak their mind in person, in the booth or on the stage. They both spoke about their hard times, their great times & the relief that the music industry has brought them as an individual & their families. I feel like this itself is essential for the capture of an audience, especially now in the Hiphop culture. I believe playing a show with either one of them would be epic, not because they are legends, but because of their message to the world. I feel alot within their songs & the way that I feel within my music would just bring a positive energy that could blow the roof off.

If I could play a show with someone who is still living, I would most definitely love to experience sharing the stage with Jack Harlow & Post Malone. Both of these HipHop artists have their own different places in the industry. They are both on opposite sides of the HipHop specrum but they both speak their truth. Jack is sleek & his vibe on stage is no different than himself behind it all. He has no problem giving recognition to his family, his team & his day ones. Everytime a new video gets posted on social media or YouTube of him performing, I am right there watching, studying & learning from how he handles & carries himself in front of a crowd. Jack’s engagement with his audience is so inspiring! He talks to them in a way that makes them (& myself as a viewer) feel like we already made it because he did. I could have a different passion for something other than music & I would still feel like I could go out & accomplish it! Post Malone. I have yet met another person who doesn’t like Posty. Just like Jack, I am right there watching all of his live performances & studying how he connects with his fans like they are all his friends. In one performance I watched someone in the crowd get hurt & he spotted it. He completely stopped his show so the staff could help this one hurt person out of a crowd of thousands. The whole time he watched & communicated with the staff to make sure everyone could get this person medical attention. Once the staff got this person out the crowd he told them to make sure they got the best of care & told them he loved them. The crowd was in utter silence until he said I love you to this person & then they just went into a complete uproar! The effect he has on his followers is insane & so loving. His roots have never went away or strayed with his success. That inspires me & reminds me that staying true to yourself is way better than any kind of fame or status. Performing with either one of them on stage would be such a huge milestone for me & my growth as an artist. I could learn so much from them. Performing with both at the same time, on the other hand, would be so grand I cannot fathom the experience right now.

What’s one of the craziest things that has happened since you became a musician/artist?

There are so many crazy things that have happened since I started my journey as an artist. A year ago I would of said that the craziest thing that has happened was the opportunity to connect with a real engineer in a real recording studio with a real booth. Reflecting on my first moment in that environment to now & what has been going for me lately, a crazy moment was when my producer informed me about Afton Shows & gave me all the information that led me to where I am right now doing this interview with you! Doing my show with Afton opened up my mind & creativity for future live performances & music videos. I branched off a love for performing live even though I had so much stage fright in the beginning. I would get stage fright performing other songs by artists & the fact that I swollowed it all when I got a mic in my hands for the first time & then getting so much praise from the crowd was insane. I had a fear of not being good enough or not being entertaining enough but when my set was done & I mingled with the crowd along with other performers of the night, I got so many compliments. I had gotten so much encouragement from the people to keep writing & keep going. Other performers of the night told me they had no idea it was my first time, I looked natural & I “set the bar” as a tough act to follow. When the club closed that night the management pulled me aside & told me that I really captured the room all the way to the back & that i was the best of the night! That is just mind blowing to me. My stage fright has not really been put to rest but was confidently put at bay. I’m sure I will get jitters before any show but I never thought I would see the day where my story & originality could overcome my ownself. That is the craziest to me. Thank you so much, Afton!

Do you have any pre-show rituals before taking the stage? What do you do after a show?

I feel like right now my ritual before a show starts days before I take the stage. I’m still new in the game & I am open to learning as much as I can with my time here. I practice every day, even when I don’t have a show. Whether I record myself on my phone or I reflect myself in real time in a mirror, I break down lyrics to my songs that are on my set list to have engagement or a reaction from my audience. I think about what I want to say to the crowd to make them be included. My ritual right before I take the stage is alot of breathing, praying & meditation to feel the energy I want to put out. If I go on with good positive vibes I know the audience will feel it too. I give myself a lot of positive affirmations. I remind myself that this is it. Its my shot, its my time to say my message. I remind myself that I’m unique, I’m not like anyone else & no body else is like me. After a show I love to mingle & work my way around the room. I want to know the experience that I was able to give to others. It fills my heart with so much water & transparency to know that my set has given someone a reason to carry on. The “after” of after a show is always a celebration! When I leave a gig I feel like I’m over the moon especially if it went well or better than I expected.

What advice would you give to a young artist just starting out?

I’m going to say the same thing I tell my niece & my nephew with their ambitions. GO FOR IT! Life does not have a reset or repeat button. If you feel like you were made for this & you’re willing to hustle to get yourself there then you ARE made for this. There is a big thing I like to point out called competition. I also call this the elephant in the room. Yes! The music industry has alot to compete with especially the higher you climb your ladder. BUT, competition does not mean poor sportsmanship. Not stepping on others along the way should be a given from the start. Staying true to yourself is very powerful. It sets you apart from anyone who tries to test you. In my journey so far I’ve learned that confidence is the better C word than competition. If you’re confident with yourself & believe that you can put yourself on a level to grow as an artist authentically then competion would never cross your mind. Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you will not win. Don’t be hard on yourself, this is suppose to be the love of your life. Music for me is the love my life. When I write a song I look at it as conception. Its up to me to make my perfect “offspring” just the way I want it. Treat your work like it’s your baby & grow with your baby. Regardless of what shade gets thrown at you, nurture your art & see what happens.

What is one of the biggest lessons you’ve learned as an artist?

I’ve learned alot of lessons & I enjoy learning more. The amount of absorption my mind has is almost scary. I’m so open to it all my brain is like wet clay. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned since I became an artist is that the work ethic to do this is way more than I thought it would be. No, I didn’t think that it would be “instant” or have “overnight success.” What I didn’t know was how much goes into a single track. There have been times I have spent an hour on a song because it just flowed on a good day, but there have also been times I’ve used a whole recording session for one song. I think the longest we have spent on a song was about four hours. Everytime I’m in the studio I don’t always look at it as fun & games, I’m there to work, but I do have fun while working hard because when I get lost, thats when it gets fun & don’t feel like “work.” I pay attention, ask Damien questions & I’m slowly dipping my hands into production knowledge. Every song i’ve done so far has been different & I learn something new everytime. I’ve noticed my ears are hearing little quirks in songs I didn’t know was there. Sometimes I hear some of my favorite songs by others for “the first time” with the new things that I’m training myself to listen for in my own music. One small detail can throw the whole song off! One of the other biggest lessons I’ve learned since I found my identity is that I was too hard on myself. I had a lot of insecurities at the start of my self discovery but, I learn more & surprise myself everyday. I went from caring about what other people think of me to what I think of myself. That is one thing that was probably harder than anything else I’ve tried to learn. If someone insulted or dissed me a year ago I would let it get to me, that is not the case today. Music, especially my music, has taught me my self worth.

Where To Follow Ryder Rhodes

Other Resources

The post MyAfton Emerging Artist: Ryder Rhodes appeared first on Afton.

I was born in Cleveland Mississippi raised in Harvey, ILI grew up in church since a young boy in the choir to playin instruments & started rappin at 17I love real Mexican tacos and some good soul food. I love helping old people Bonus: Favorite rap Artist is Makaveli (Tupac Shakur)

I have a music video that came out a few weeks ago called “Break You down” which is on all major platforms.

Facebook

If you are interested in taking part in some upcoming show cases in YOUR CITY be sure to head to www.myafton.com and we will be able to get you booked!

Thank you so much to all the artists that helped us make some big shows and for joining us for our Artists To Watch June segment!

Other Resources

The post Artists To Watch 4th Edition appeared first on Afton.

MyAfton Emerging Artist: SouthsideCIP

Jordan Westlund — Mon, 01 Aug 2022 18:00:41 +0000

SouthsideCIP

SouthsideCIP Background

My name is Cipriano Marin and I go by SouthsideCIP. I’m an artist born and raised out of Houston TX. I’d like to say that my music is something you can ride around to with the windows down.

I’ve always had a love for music and would write little raps as a kid. I guess It really started to get serious after graduating high school. Me and my friends would listen to instrumentals and just have freestyle cyphers for hours. Then over time I started to take writing more serious and I released my first album ‘Quarters at the Washateria’ in 2019 as like an “experimental” album.

8 Questions with SouthsideCIP

Who and what inspires you the most to keep going?

The stuff that pushes me the most is when people I don’t even know tell me that they love my music. Just anybody that takes their time to listen to what I’m saying, gives me a boost of morale to make more music.

Have you played a show with Afton before? If so, what things did you enjoy about playing with Afton?

I’ve never done a show with Afton before. However, I do plan on doing some in the future. I want to spread my music as far and wide as possible all independently.

Where do you see yourself in 3 years?

I have an entrepreneur mindset with my music career. I want to have multiple streams of income from multiple businesses all while headlining shows, and still putting out timeless music. I want to be taking care of the closest people around me and inspire the next generation after me as well.

If you could play show with any artist or band, living or dead, who would it be? Why?

I would love to just even open up for the artists that inspire me. Performing with J Cole, Kendrick Lamar, Big KRIT, Isaiah Rashad, or Curren$y would be a blessing. It’s definitely something on my bucket list to perform with an artist that I get inspiration from.

What’s one of the craziest things that has happened since you became a musician/artist?

After my first out of state show, I went around in the crowd to speak to some people, and to my surprise somebody told me that I’m their new idol. It just felt surreal and humbling. This it what music is made for. I’m glad to see that I have the potential to bring positive energy into people’s lives.

Do you have any pre-show rituals before taking the stage? What do you do after a show?

I usually like to stand in the crowd and read the crowd’s energy, but AirPods + noise cancellation is top tier. I like recite my whole set to ease my nerves and make sure I know my lyrics.

After performing I like to walk around in the crowd and talk to the people that I noticed vibing with me. I always feel like giving a relatable backstory to my music will help build a loyal fanbase for the long run.

What advice would you give to a young artist just starting out?

Just be yourself, be original, and create music that YOU like.

What is one of the biggest lessons you’ve learned as an artist?

At the end of the day, nobody cares about you. So You have to do what you can to prove yourself and stand out from the rest of the crowd.

Where To Follow SouthsideCIP

Other Resources

The post MyAfton Emerging Artist: SouthsideCIP appeared first on Afton.

Artists To Watch 3rd Edition

Jordan Westlund — Fri, 15 Jul 2022 18:00:03 +0000

We are very excited to bring a new segment titled ‘Artists To Watch’ (the 3rd edition) where we take some of the top sellers from our past weekends shows and put a spotlight on them for the month of June. That way potential fans can get to know them better as well as bring attention to new songs or albums they had released or will soon release.

CNB

Artist Bio:

I been making music for about 2 years now and just did my first show ever and had a great time. You can compare my music to a tyler the creator, mac miller, earl sweatshirt, they are all my influences.

Main Website

LIVe

Artist Bio:

My name is Olivia Taylor, but my artist name is LIVe, a play on my childhood nickname “Livie”. My music varies; sometimes a calm R&B vibe, a Hip Hop/Rap banger or sometimes a combination of the two. I hope my music invokes emotion in you when you hear my variety of sounds.

Guwap

Artist Bio:

I’m Guwap From B$G, I have 3 new songs dropping in July such as Crime Life, Bad Brazilian Bitch and Wellness. All produced by K’den Ju. Had an amazing time at the Roxy theater with a lot of support and I’m hoping to get even more my next concert. Thank you Afton for presenting me the opportunity to perform in front of all my family and friends. I’m from Aurora, Co. Just trying to put on for my city!

Jay Vibing

Artist Bio:

I am an artist who is not afraid to show my emotions throughout music. I try to be as diverse as I can with my music in order to be unpredictable. I make music that people can vibe too and relate to hence given the name Jay Vibing. I would like to highlight a song I wrote along with a close friend of mine (Jinfinity) called Heartbreak. It was one of the first songs I made with him and it still has an impact on me whenever I listen to it. It’s one of those songs I can reminisce too and still fell the same effects as I did when I wrote it.

Instagram

Facebook

If you are interested in taking part in some upcoming show cases in YOUR CITY be sure to head to www.myafton.com and we will be able to get you booked!

Thank you so much to all the artists that helped us make some big shows and for joinging us for our Artists To Watch June segment!

Other Resources

The post Artists To Watch 3rd Edition appeared first on Afton.

Artists To Watch 2nd Edition

Jordan Westlund — Mon, 04 Jul 2022 18:00:41 +0000

Artist To Watch

We are very excited to bring a new segment titled ‘Artists To Watch’ where we take some of the top sellers from our past weekends shows and put a spotlight on them for the month of June. That way potential fans can get to know them better as well as bring attention to new songs or albums they had released or will soon release.

Instagram

Apple Music

If you are interested in taking part in some upcoming show cases in YOUR CITY be sure to head to www.myafton.com and we will be able to get you booked!

Thank you so much to all the artists that helped us make some big shows and for joining us for our Artists To Watch June segment!

Other Resources

The post Artists To Watch 2nd Edition appeared first on Afton.

Artists To Watch June Edition

Jordan Westlund — Mon, 27 Jun 2022 18:00:21 +0000

Artist To Watch

JJ Frank

Artist Bio:

I am a DIY artist, doing everything from mixing, mastering, Producing and the Engineering along with writing, singing and rapping, also I do the graphic design for the cover art! I say the music found me because I never imagined as a child I would be creating music and now it’s my passion and I believe it’s my purpose in life to inspire others and spread positivity through my music.

Main Website:

SoyJoy

Artist Bio:

SoyJoy started off in 2019 as Juniper Lee (they/them)‘s musical and lyrical parallel universe. They are a settler of mixed Korean and European descent, living and creating on the territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh peoples (“vancouver, bc”). Writing and recording angsty and melancholic songs in their bedroom, the singer-songwriter project is now being expanded through collaborations with other musicians and artists.

BandCamp

Listen HERE

If you are interested in taking part in some upcoming show cases in YOUR CITY be sure to head to www.myafton.com and we will be able to get you booked!

Thank you so much to all the artists that helped us make some big shows and for joining us for our Artists To Watch June segment!

Other Resources