Start Listening To: Revival Season
Revival Season is an exciting new collaboration project featuring Columbus, GA rapper Brandon ‘BEZ’ Evans and Jonah Swilley from Mattiel. The debut single Iron Warrior perfectly captures the classic old school style of early 90’s Hip Hop with echoes of the Beastie Boys, Digable Planets and The Pharcyde, with a chilled upbeat sound for the summer.
For those of you unfamiliar with your music, can you tell us a little about who you are, where you’re from, and what kind of music you make?
Jonah: We’re both from Georgia, and both grew up making music. The sound is our personal distillation of hip hop and the earliest influences of that genre; soul and backbeat.
Your debut single, ‘Iron Warrior’, is great. What are the main ideas at play on this track?
Bez: When I was writing the words for the song just went to a place in my mind. A place where I just kind of reminisced on a lot of different places I’ve been and gone in and out really fast. In the south there’s a lot of little towns and honeycombs where you can kind of pull up and get your hustle on and leave-out. It’s pretty free and restricted at the same time actually.
I just mashed together those experiences. Trying to express the freedom against the odds feeling I would get there.
What went into your music video for the track?
J: was looking for footage of people and things that expressed the feeling of the song. I edited the video before telling B about it and sent it over.
How is life on the Heavenly Recordings front?
B: Heavenly is super exciting. I always wanted to be the only rapper on a label. I feel like it gives me a different type of validity to what I’m usually on. I love how vinyl forward everything has been. I collect records myself.
J: The Heavenly team are like family, and they believe in projects that are doing something unique.
What would you say the songwriting process typically looks like for you guys?
J: B will usually have a verse or lyrical idea and I’ll chop it up and make a layout. I’ll record the instruments and then B goes in on the vocals.
B: I feel like we both have an endless amount of things to tap into. I don’t have to be “in a place” I write and have ideas constantly.
What do you love right now?
B: Legos.
J: Motorcycles.
What do you hate right now?
B: I’m not a hater, man!
How did you guys handle 2020?
J: The year was an unexpected creative triumph. We would not exist as a group if it wasn’t for the down time that last year provided us.
B: It kind of forced me to outgrow some things. We all tried to make the best of it and I stayed pretty busy.
Now that the world’s opening back up somewhat, are you keen to get to any live events — either playing or watching?
B: Man, the first show I went to this year was a socially distanced hip hop show , it was weird! I hope we can inch towards each other gradually until we can be a crowd again. A bunch of people dancing together, I miss that.
J: I’ve been to one legitimate show so far since COVID and it was a blast. There is no comparison to hearing and performing live music.
What’re some of your top albums from this year?
B: I’ve been really into some albums that aren’t current this year. I listened to Greasepaint Smile a lot, by Elyse Weinberg.
J: I’ve been listening to Yeti Season by El Michels Affair on repeat.
Who are your main musical influences?
B: That changes depending on what I’m trying to create. I don’t think I have any core artist I build my music off of.
J: When I heard Blackstar for the first time I knew that I wanted to produce hip hop. My influences lie somewhere in between the White Album and the Black Album.
What’s so revived about this season, hm? Why the name?
B: Revival Season is a fresh approach. Reaffirming connections to your roots and who you truly are. As people are coming back out into the world again it seems like the world is coming back to life.
Before we wrap up, do you have any closing advice for our readers?
J: Make shit you like.
B: Don’t claim other people’s kids on your taxes and eat your vegetables.
