Pip Lewis

18 year-old British-American folk-pop singer-songwriter Pip Lewis started writing, recording, and mixing her own songs around two years ago, with her debut singles “Frown” and “What’s A Dream?” Her debut EP Pathos was released in 2019 and promoted by singles such as “Missing in Action” (a Top 10 Finalist in the international category of Song Academy’s Young Songwriter competition) and “Two Years.” A song called “People Like You” was featured on The Mahogany Sessions multiple times, as well as airing on BBC’s Introducing and 91X’s Loudspeaker with Tim Pyles. Lewis’ new single “I Fell Asleep Thinking of Her,” from her upcoming Human Nature album, is a narrative-based love song. “I took inspiration from Greek myths by playing with the concept of immortality,” she says. “Several myths revolve around the dynamic between mortals and immortals, and I wanted to ponder what love would be like between an immortal force of nature and a human being. Humans seem lesser than such powerful beings, but the song explores the idea that the human is just as complex and powerful as her immortal partner. The couple also deals with coming to terms with the impermanence of their relationship.”

The album came together in 2020. "I recorded all of Human Nature in my bedroom, it was recorded before and during Covid," says Lewis. "Since I’m relatively independent in the recording process, the lockdown didn’t force much of a change upon my creative process. If anything, it gave me more time to work."

As it turned out, the pandemic made it easier to focus on music. "I’m currently taking a gap year in between high-school and college, and this is the first extended period of time in my life that I get to focus solely on my own projects. It seemed like the ideal time to work on my first large body of work! I plan to promote it in the same way that I promote my other work: organically and hoping for the best."

Jon Foreman

Switchfoot frontman Jon Foreman’s solo album Departures, which drops February 12, features guest vocalist Lauren Daigle and SoCal singer-songwriter Madison Cunningham. Recorded at local Melody League Studios, three tracks are streaming online; “Red and Gold,” “Jesus, I Have My Doubts,” and “Education,” with a music video available for the latter song. “For me, 2020 has been a year of departures,” he says, “and I’m not alone in this. For many of us, this has been a season of death. Of decay. Of fear and doubt and uncertainty. For Americans. For humans. For friends and relatives around the world. I fought hard against this year. And the year has won...but the journey that brought me here was not completely in vain. In fact, I would not trade it even if I could.” He says that, during the lowest moments, he turned to meditation, prayer, and songwriting. “That’s where this album was born. Departures is not a record of bold proclamations, but instead of whispered confessions. Attempting to come to terms with who I am and who I am not. This is the soundtrack for the uncertain questions. These are odes to the open door. Songs of wander and wonder. Songs of loss and lament. An album that attempts to embrace the moment we’re in.”

Sorry Its Over

Pop alt-rock band Sorry It’s Over was founded by Sam Adgate (who lives in Cardiff) and Louis Petrella (from Encinitas), who together spent a couple of years in Santa Barbara while playing with the EDM group We Jungle. In 2019, they both returned to Encinitas and got back to their roots with rock music, collaborating on songs with singer Sam writing the majority of lyrics and multi- instrumentalist Louis composing most of the music. They formed the band by recruiting Sam’s bassist brother Gus Adgate (also in Cardiff), Pacific Beach drummer Freddy Barden, and Freddy’s brother Michael, who used to be in a La Costa Canyon High School band (with Sam and Louis) called the Borski Boys and who just got back to San Diego after attending school in Oregon. For their debut singles, they worked with LA’s Godfather of Punk Geza X, producer for Black Flag, Dead Kennedys, and probably best known for “Bitch” by Meredith Brooks. Geza X has also worked with Louis Petrella’s father Benny Petrella, and produced an EP by Benny’s daughter Sarah. The new Sorry It’s Over single “Is It Cool?” is streaming free on Spotify, where they’re also selling downloads of previous singles such as “Am I Better?” and “Ghost Inside.”

Rob Deez

“I’m a comedic singer-songrhymer,” says native North Park resident Rob Deez, “which basically means that I can appeal to many different audiences. The comedic side fits in at comedy shows, the singer side works at coffee shops and bars, and the rhyming side does well at hip-hop shows.” A longtime vet of local musical theater, particularly at City College’s Saville Theatre, his compositions carry storytelling titles such as “Self Deprecating Love Song,” “Check Into Cash,” and “Hairy Palms.” Deez (a medical assistant at Mercy Hospital by day) has collaborated with other local lights such as Jeff Berkley and Kenny Eng, and he and Josh Damigo played together with the acoustic rock group Big Time Mega Show. The video for the new Rob Deez single “San Diego Music” is streaming online. “It features lots of photos of varying quality that I stole from the internet,” he says. “Since I can’t currently play gigs, you get these vids instead. Best viewed on the smallest screen possible. This song goes out to all my San Diego natives, my local music peeps, and especially Jefferson Jay, since he basically asked me to write this song.”

Blaise Guld

“Music is not just an expression or something that is meant to sound good to me,” says singer-songwriter Blaise Guld. “Music is a quest, a journey that spans one’s lifetime. There are keys that unlock everything. You can find them if you listen.” Originally from the suburbs of Philadelphia, Guld moved to California at age 23 and first earned local notice fronting rock-n-reggae group Mad Traffic, later signing with Blindspot Records and releasing a number of solo works. His album Past Forward, which was nominated Best Pop Album at the 2014 San Diego Music Awards, included collaborations with classically trained multi-instrumentalist, producer, and composer Brian Rumsey, who also worked with Guld on the latter’s Mr. Impossible LP. Rumsey - also known as synth-wave artist Night Viber - took the music in a more electronic direction, while still keeping Blaise’s soulful vocals and melodic instincts. The duo’s new collaborative release is a 4-song EP also named Night Viber, which Guld describes as “a synth-wave, dark and soulful, feel-good EP that makes you want to dance.” It features tracks such as “Devil’s Hands,” “Something Good,” “Crazy Girl,” and “Cruel Summer.”