Ananda, congratulations on the release of “Songs From Source”! Can you tell us about the inspiration behind this twin release and what listeners can expect from the two tracks, “Are You Looking For Me” and “Hare Hare Dance”?

Hey, thanks so much it’s been really a total labour of love, every project is every song feels like you’re birthing another piece of your heart, but this one especially feels that way to me. The songs are  inspirational life-affirming tracks that are EDM style, and that something really new for our band, but it just came naturally with the songs

We understand that “Are You Looking For Me” draws inspiration from the 15th-century Indian mystic poet Kabir Das. How did Kabir’s poem influence the creation of this track, and what elements did you incorporate to capture its essence?

Are you looking for me? Is the name of one of Kabir‘s most famous poems and and in essence what he’s talking about is our confused seeking for divinity when in reality, it lives right inside you it is the person who’s sitting next to you You  can never be separated from it.

I used a number of lines from his poem for the lyrics of the song and then I heard some new ones that I dared to add. I feel like he would be really happy that I did that. Because he was all about breaking form and bringing in what’s  fresh and new. He lived in India at a time when tradition was basically the whole experience of life, and he broke it over and over again, because he saw a different truth.

“Hare Hare Dance” is described as an adaptation of an ancient Krishna chant into a modern dance song. Can you share more about the process of transforming this traditional chant into a contemporary musical experience?

When I’m living in India, I live in a city called Vrindavan. It was the home of Krishna and his consort Radha when they were embodied and it is the home of  Bhakti yoga, the path of devotion. In the path of devotion, as  our acts of prayer and meditation we sing and dance. Mostly we  sing what most people call the Hare Krishna  mantra. Its constantly going through your mind because you’re hearing people chanting it and singing it everywhere you go.

You recorded “Hare Hare Dance” in Vrindavan, India, during Krishna’s birthday celebration. How did the atmosphere and energy of the city during this time influence the recording process, and what was it like to capture that magic in the studio?

Krishna’s birthday in  Vrindavan is a massive celebration and this past year it actually fell on my birthday, which I happen to be alone in India for. To celebrate I was singing  and dancing in a traditional way, then  I started to hear some beautiful tunes coming through,  then the vision laying them down  on top of dance beats activated. I got so excited about what I was hearing that I contacted the engineer that I usually record with and asked him if he j happen to be free and he said to come right over When I told him it was my birthday too, he was so excited, in  India birthdays are really special. So  there we were Krishna‘s birthday and my birthday,  I told him what I was hearing and we started to create it was pure magic. It over flowed  with love and it was the easiest track we have recorded together

As the lead vocalist and primary composer for Love Power the Band, how do you approach songwriting and composition to create music that embodies the band’s message of love, joy, and gratitude?

The music that I write, for the band is inspired by the Intuitive Readings, and the Angelic  Realm guidance that I receive for people in their healing journeys. I hear certain pieces of wisdom being shared from the subtle realms, and they start to turn into songs.

It happens out of pure love, an inspiration. It’s never a sit down effort. The songs  birth out of joy, and hopefully they inspire joy and others!

Your background includes a successful career in the punk scene, touring with bands like the Clash and singing with Blondie. How has your journey from the punk scene to Bhakti yoga influenced your musical style and approach to performance?

Having been a performer in the height of the punk world, with world famous acts I was used to performing in large venues to a lot of people. I was used to performing in ways that were really high energy and innovative and I was used to the music creating a very dynamic vibe with the audience. I was also used to what I consider to be the unfortunate dynamics of fame, and the separation that it creates out of idealization.

Love Power The Band concerts are described as unique happenings where the audience becomes part of the interactive music experience. How do you create this sense of oneness and connection between the performers and the audience during your live shows?

So with Love Power I wanted to do some thing different. I wanted us to be high energy, but I wanted to include the audience as a true part of the music because what I’ve come to understand since those Punk  days is that we are the music. Therefore separation between audience and performer  is adding to the disempowering pain  of separation , which does not awaken new consciousness. To me a musicians obligation at this time in the world is not to merely entertain it’s to awaken the music within those that come to share that sacred  space with them.

Could you share a memorable experience from one of your live performances where the audience’s participation truly enhanced the energy and atmosphere of the show?

Every time we play an interactive show, the smiles on peoples faces when they start to drop into the fun of it is so inspiring I can’t put it into words. They never want it  to end, and either do we !

What do you hope listeners will take away from “Songs From Source” and the music of Love Power the Band as a whole?

I truly hope that our music inspires listeners to enquire within  for their wholeness for the connection to divinity and to awaken a communion  with Oneness and the festival of life. I hope their hearts and lives are led by the beautiful melodies rising from within them directly from source frequency. This is really what the title songs from source means

Finally, where can listeners find “Songs From Source” and stay updated on your upcoming releases and live performances?

Songs  from source can be found on all of the major platforms and fans are invited to join our  You Tube
Quantum Awakening & Love Power the Band  to see our beautiful music videos And have access to many quantum  healing posts. And follow us on Insta @lovepowertheband

If you’ve ever heard the music of Eric Schroeder before, you already know that melodic sting is often the backbone of his heady rock sound, but in his latest release Turned on the Stereo, which was released this year everywhere quality indie-rock is sold and streamed, it plays as great a role as the lead vocal does. The guitar is the star in the title track of this LP, much as it guides the grooves of singles “Parting (No. 2)” and “Stayed the Same,” and whether you’re a six-string buff or not, it’s an element that will engage anyone who catches a glimpse of this album’s most powerful moments.

There’s a lot more to Turned on the Stereo than just gilded guitar tones; after all, when listening to songs like “Mother Said,” “The Kind of Wound That Never Heals,” “Plan For Me” and the juggernaut “Never Go Away,” everything from the percussion to the vocal harmony itself is presenting us with a different layer of emotion. There’s scarcely a juncture in this record where Schroeder doesn’t sound deeply invested in the narrative he’s trying to get across, which is something I could only wish to see among his mainstream competitors nowadays.

At the center of every song on this LP is the magnetizing melodicism of the leading man, which despite flexing some legit muscle in past releases bearing the Eric Schroeder name sounds much more relaxed and on-point in tracks like “Do Done Now,” “Claire’s Song” and “Easier Way to Go” than it ever did before. There’s no hesitation on the part of our leading man here; if anything, I’m not sure that he’s come across quite as confident in his performance as he does in a couple of this record’s most climactic fever pitches.

https://open.spotify.com/album/7h8hV4kn18WMWcov4723YN?si=CgrNzFBvRs6D-BaqroToKQ&nd=1&dlsi=b22a7ce812e34a6e

As far as the production quality is concerned, Turned on the Stereo is a superbly tight album that doesn’t leave us guessing how richly textured and full a song like the title track or “Never Go Away” might sound in a live capacity, which is undeniably a tough feat to pull off. It’s perhaps not as evenly mixed as The Crucifixion of Eric Schroeder was, but I don’t know that he was looking to go super-polished in this instance; there’s a certain authenticity that comes with filtering fresh material through a raw, unconventional sound, and that could be why this LP stings as hard as it does.

Though I just started exploring Eric Schroeder’s complete discography a little closer this April, I’ve come to appreciate his approach to songwriting all the more thanks to Turned on the Stereo, which I deem the most mature offering he has released thus far. Schroeder isn’t working with major label assets by any means here, but he’s nevertheless turning in something that feels wholly compelling and different from what his contemporaries are producing in this first half of 2024, and that alone makes it a worthwhile listen for anyone who demands organic quality in rock anymore. Top to bottom, this is a terrific listen for those who love indie riffs and smoldering lyrical emissions.

Sebastian Cole