We caught up with Brooklyn native Esseks to get a breakdown of his latest EP, FEAR NOT.
If you’ve ever talked to or been around a child then you’ve probably heard of PAW Patrol.
The Nickelodeon children’s show first premiered in 2013 and has since spiraled into one of the network’s most successful shows. From toys and merchandise to live shows, PAW Patrol has accomplished what most children’s programs could only dream of doing: world domination.
It’s in your homes, in your phones, on your TV, and now in your theatres. PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie will be making its way to the big screen at the end of this month and expect to hear some familiar voices, as well.
The film includes a celeb-packed cast and voiceovers from Taraji P. Henson, Kim Kardashian and her kids North and Saint West, Kristen Bell, Marsai Martin, and more.
Based on the beloved characters from the show, PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie follows the whole gang of pups as they venture through their town of Adventure City to defeat supervillains and protect their community.
When a magical meteor crash lands in Adventure City, it gives the PAW Patrol pups superpowers, transforming them into The MIGHTY PUPS! For Skye, the smallest member of the team, her new powers are a dream come true. But things take a turn for the worse when the pups’ arch-rival Humdinger breaks out of jail and teams up with Victoria Vance, a meteor-obsessed mad scientist, to steal the superpowers and turn themselves into supervillains. With the fate of Adventure City hanging in the balance, the Mighty Pups have to stop the supervillains before it’s too late, and Skye will need to learn that even the smallest pup can make the biggest difference.
PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie features all-new, original songs from Bryson Tiller, Christina Aguilera, Mckenna Grace, and Blackbear.
Turns out the puppy cops are pretty popular amongst the adults, as well.
Bryson has been MIA musically for a while now but his initial reaction to being asked to be a part of the film’s soundtrack was nothing short of excitement.
“As soon as I saw it, I was like ‘hell yeah, I’m doing this right away.’”
We chatted with Bryson about his deep love for the puppies in uniform and, of course, when he plans on gracing us with new music.
So, let’s talk about this new song that you have for the new PAW Patrol film, “Down Like That.” Could you tell me more about how this came about, when you were approached with this were you all for it or did you need convincing from your kids?
Bryson Tiller: Oh no, I was all for it right away. They didn’t even have to- They didn’t even know about it. As soon as I saw it, excuse my language, I was just like “Hell yes” I’m doing this right away.
Really? Are you a PAW Patrol fan?
Bryson Tiller: It was just more so the fact that I just always wanted to be a part of something, you know, like a kid’s TV show or movie, you know, soundtrack or whatever. I watched the first movie with my daughter a while ago when it came out, the first PAW Patrol movie. So just yeah, it was a no-brainer for me.
Could we see you doing maybe some acting or voice-overs in the future?
Bryson Tiller: Acting, voiceovers, I don’t know. Maybe, yeah maybe voiceovers. I don’t know about acting.
Well, speaking of music, we all know you’ve kind of been in and out of the music scene over the years. So, when you do drop something does it feel like an unofficial return or like a warm-up for when you do officially drop?
Bryson Tiller: Sometimes I guess, I don’t know. I like to create music. People know this about me. I like to just, kind of the way I came up in the music industry was just creating something and releasing creations to the public right away on my own time. With albums and stuff, it’s a sample clearances and all this different stuff. So, it’s not like I can just make the music and then just upload it to Apple Music myself tomorrow. I wish that I could do it that way, I think that would be better. Just trying to get used to this new thing. So anyways, when I do release music it’s not really like, “Oh, I’m gearing up for my return! It’s coming!” or anything like that. I just like to create things and share them with the world.
That’s good to know. Cause I was definitely going to ask if you were pulling a Rihanna on us. I didn’t know if we would ever going to see you again, so you know, I just had to make sure. You’re very active on Twitch, you’re a full-time father. Sometimes you’re streaming, sometimes you’re making music for films like this or you’re doing features. Like, the song you did with Diddy recently. Or you might even drop a mini EP on SoundCloud. What can we expect from you in the future, musically? If you can talk about it, or if you’d like to talk about it!
Bryson Tiller: Yeah, absolutely I can talk about it. I’m releasing an album soon, I’ve been working on it for some time now. I finished it, well at least I thought I finished it earlier this year. I would say I finished the first phase of the album, like just something to listen to, dissect, and see what’s missing.
So, the first phase of the album, I finished it. Now I’m preparing to go back to LA to really finish this thing so I can release it on time for next year. Yeah, I’m super excited about it. You mentioned the Rihanna thing, I actually do plan on taking a bit of a hiatus after this album just to get closer to my kids and do a lot of other passions that are important to me.
PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie is in theaters September 29th. “Down Like That” is out now. Watch the lyric video below.
Chloe Stroll recently released her new single, Pedestal, on August 25th, which is available on Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, YouTube Music, and more.
Kylie Cantrall released her new single called Texts Go Green on August 16th.
Our “New Music Roundup” series is back and, for our grand return, we decided to put together a longer guide of tracks that we’ve really been digging this summer. Find tunes from Zeds Dead, Maddy O’Neal, Tibasko, Ravell, Lemonade Baby, and many more below!
On July 7, Nisha Asnani released her new album, The Pursuit of Happiness. The rap and electronic album discussed immigration, feminity, joy, and hard work. Her previous tracks have similar styles.
In 2019, she put out “Figures” and “Parade” as singles. In 2020, she published tracks such as “My Bad” and “Heaven.” She appeared on Michael Calfan and Harber’s single “Feelings After Dark.” The new record showcases Asnani’s progression as a musician.
To learn more about the album, please read the interview transcript with Asnani and the production team below.
The Knockturnal: Please describe this album’s production process.
Nisha Asnani: They made the album over the course of 5 years with Alex Tirheimer (Bumbasee,) and Yash Vaid. I started it in 2018, chasing a specific feeling I had found in songs like Midas, Bad Sandy, and Figures. I wanted to understand my drive; my fight, and where that came from.
When I started making this album, I was fresh off a publishing deal and a hit record with money in the bank and so many opportunities. Over the next few years, as I faced the inevitable dip and the challenges of being an independent artist, the album became a lesson in survival. The records were made with my friends Alex and Yash. I slept on floors and air mattresses and recorded in closets. I spent my rent on mixes and flights to LA.
The album is about the pursuit of happiness, my immigrant journey, being a woman and a hustler, realizing the purpose of my masculinity was to empower and protect my femininity and that freedom is an uncontrollable force that moves us whether we are ready or not.
Alex Tirheimer: There’s nothing better than developing a musical shorthand with an artist. Together, we managed to create a space where every idea was worth chasing and creative risks were encouraged. This body of work spans multiple chapters of our lives, but we stayed on the same page the whole process. Nisha is extremely talented and such an inspiration to work with. I am so proud of us!
The Knockturnal: What does the album cover represent?
Nisha Asnani: In 2019 I was on a writing trip to Mumbai which happened to fall during the festival of Holi. This joyous celebration of colors and chaos was one of my favorite memories as a kid: everyone getting together and letting loose on a totally different level than any other time in the year. And you get to throw paint on your aunties! It’s a playfully rebellious holiday, and this is a playfully rebellious album. As always I want my art to be a safe place to let loose. I wanted to recreate that feeling of freedom on the album cover, to connect my immigrant journey and the pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness to my roots. I brought back bottles of Holi powder and kept them safe for 3 years until we shot the album cover in 2022.
The Knockturnal: Why did you choose “Keep Running” as the first track?
Nisha Asnani: Honestly, I have a great deal of respect for people’s time, and I asked myself if they heard one song on this album, one message – which would be the most important. The answer was Keep Running, because I wanted to prepare people for the infinite nature of desire and pursuit. There is no end to life, to consciousness. It’s constantly evolving, and so are we. Everything is evolving, so if you’re in life, you have to find the ability, the will, and the source in yourself to stay connected and stay evolving. It’s on one hand an encouragement and another a direction – it’s not safe to get stuck. It was like my higher self whispering to me as I came into the physical realm – don’t stop.
The Knockturnal: The backing track for “To The Top Freestyle” features many noises and chimes. How did you create it?
Nisha Asnani: I’m going to pass this question along to producer Dave Berg because this track was his fully formed genius.
Dave Berg: The beat for “The Top” was made in the depths of the pandemic. I was flipping lots of samples because I was isolated from sessions and working with my regular collaborators.
The Knockturnal: What does the beginning of “DAAL” represent?
Nisha Asnani: I’ve definitely come up with 100 possible meanings for this fun song but the truth is its just a vignette that played out in my house so many times growing up: the kids coming home hungry and my mom (who happened to be an amazing cook who made us the best Indian food all the time,) trying to get us to eat leftovers instead of bully her into cooking. I also wanted to honor the home kitchens that have made us so resilient. Beyond food being a pillar of pride in our own culture, Indian food has become a representation of comfort, flavor, and care throughout the world.
The Knockturnal: The vocals on “DAAL” involve some pitch-shifting. Could you let me know why you chose that effect?
Nisha Asnani: That was all Yash – I sent him a voice memo of my mom and brother jamming out and DAAL is the genius he sent back.
Yash: DAAL was not a project – it was me having fun with voice memos of NISHA’s family talking about Indian dishes, haha. Having Indian origin has been something both of us have bonded over since the beginning. I’m glad I was able to be a part of a tune that brings family and culture together!
The Knockturnal: In the first verse of “Freedom,” you mention a “spyglass.” How did you come up with this image?
Nisha Asnani: Honestly, when I am flowing, images like that come to me. This one is about the haters who I felt so far enough from me that they had to pull out telescopes and spy instruments to see what I was up to.
The Knockturnal: Please talk about your collaborations with Kumar, Sunita, and PAV4N.
Nisha Asnani: My brother has always wanted to make music, and I was over at his house one day and he started spitting this really funny boppy melody, and my mom jumped in. I think music is all around us, and the best music comes from that stuff you just sing to yourself in the car or the kitchen – the things that make you happy.
PAV4N and I met in 2019 in Mumbai and I ended up performing with him during the Bud X Festival. We remained friends, and he has been a mentor to me while working on this album. This voicemail is one of many notes of encouragement, and I just love him and his voice and wanted to use something personal and unscripted in this song.
The Knockturnal: Why did you choose “Found You” as the last track?
Nisha Asnani: I wrote Found You during my first official queership, a few years after I came out. It was the first time I had experienced acceptance and emotional support as non-binary in a romantic partnership. I think it’s important for us to define an endpoint for ourselves (because wanting things is infinite) and for me, that love was it. Unfortunately, although the relationship did not last or even end particularly well, it showed me what was possible, and I never forgot or let go of that feeling. Found You ultimately is not saying you’ll get what you want and stop wanting anything. It just means when you find the things you really want, you’ll circle them, protect them, and surrender to them.
This week’s roundup features an Australian invasion with tracks from the likes of SIPPY, 1tbsp, and ZUSO, as well as a few more underground treats to get you through the week.
We’re back in action with a stellar DJ mix from Italian duo Mind Against, riveting electronica from CloudNone, a new indie-electronic collab from TWO LANES and Panama, and much more.
This week we have new heaters from NASAYA, Ethyr, Bleu Clair, and more.
We’re back with some of our top music picks of the week. Today, we bring you tunes from a brand-new act NXNJAS, Codeko, Sasha Rome, Rich Furniss, and more.