Maitreya & Aquatic Cat Dolphin “Roses” (Singled Out)

Out a random night freestyling off each other came the foundation for what became the song "Roses," with Maitreya and Aquatic Cat Dolphin ultimately bringing the song from conception to recording within the span of a day. On the surface, the song's themes appear simple, with gratitude at its core, but a more complex and trying journey is behind its concept, covering several years and a trying times. In this edition of Singled Out, the two artists discuss "Roses," also explaining what first brought them together, what they're planning next, and how this particular track feels like the beginning of a journey for them both.

villin: One of the lyrics relied upon heavily throughout the song is the line about beating the odds. The song took on a new life for me once I read the comment on ACD's Instagram post about the real life obstacles and difficulties that came up over the past few years. Catharsis is a word that's overused sometimes, but given that background, is this song an act of catharsis in a way?

Maitreya: Man, I would say yes, entirely. This song was created in such a beautiful and organic way, and turned into a major expression of human emotion; like you mentioned, [it] was a mantra for us and for anyone listening that they got that shit and can get through anything. Every day is a new opportunity for growth and that’s one relation to the hook as well, hence “smelling” the roses. “Wake up in the morning smell the roses, wake up in the morning thank god.”

The song sprouted from an improv (freestyle) at one of my shows after I finished doing all of my songs I started playing beats and me and Jonah (Aquatic Cat Dolphin) just started vibing and "Roses" came from it. Right after I stopped singing, Jonah said “Bro we are recording that tomorrow just so you know.” And we did.

Aquatic Cat Dolphin: For me yes, 100%. That line in particular, “I beat the odds,” I think is why this song means so much to me personally, because I really just feel that shit. And you can feel it in Maitreya’s vocal, that he does too, which makes it just connect and feels so uplifting with everything I went through.

A lot of my music is just that though, it's really just letting emotions flow out by letting something higher than me kinda just open the flood gates for it all. Sometimes it's stuff that I haven’t even really thought about, it had just been suppressed, so when it comes out in the flow state of writing it kinda sheds light on it for me and helps me understand myself more. It's pretty wild exploring the mind in that way.

villin: Out of that dark period, you two met. What brought you together and what has the collaborative experience been like to this point?

Aquatic Cat Dolphin & Maitreya: The universe, man. Soul brothers. As far as the experience working together has been, divine bliss. We are both able to go along with what we hear and turn it into reality and it's truly so dope. And ever since the universe introduced us to each other it's just been consistent growth and expressing what we feel with music and we are exited to keep doing it. Stars aligned.

villin: On the production and structure side of the track, where did the beat come from and how did you find a stylistic balance allowing for you to each flex your strengths on the track?

Maitreya: So the track is produced by a talented producer by the name of Bvtman. And I’d say it was just a natural flow, like, I came up with the hook from that improv I mentioned earlier and as soon as I recorded the rough draft of the hook I sent it to my brotha and he did his thing and it all flowed together organically! Us first recording our individual parts in our own studios solo, then recording the rest together, like, both in his studio was a great balance. I think that has a lot to do with the way the track is. Being able to be fully present in a room with only you and your brain and letting what wants to come out be released is so key, then conjoining forces after you gave that time. Then mixing, doing doubles, brainstorming ideas, and every part of the rest of the process doing it together made "Roses" what it is today!

villin: My favorite line from the song relates to the idea of ascension being just one of the steps on a broader journey. Not to get too deep with it, but the line stuck out to me because of the practical nature of its message. Ascension isn't some far off in the distant concept, but almost a daily practice, moving incrementally further away from the lower self to a higher self, whatever that means to an individual. How close am I coming to touching on the theme of this song and does that idea relate at all to your lives?

Aquatic Cat Dolphin: Nailed it right on the head, my friend. It's truly about taking those daily steps; becoming aware of that I feel is a powerful knowing. The line that comes after it “what will be next though? Unknown. Every moment I'm holding so close, stoppin' and smellin' roses,” kinda ties into that in a way because we don’t know what’s next; all we have is now and these moments and what we choose to do with them are all apart of that ascension. So looking at it as far off in the distant concept, like you said, doesn’t do much for us in this moment, but if looked at as an in the moment daily practice it's more obtainable in the mind to grasp, I feel like. For me personally anyways.

Maitreya: You’re awesome man, seriously. Everyday is a new opportunity, like we said, and that is a reoccurring message/mantra throughout this track: that every morning is a reminder of a new day to come. We getting deep with it, bro! I feel like with art and creation it’s only right to get deep with it to fully understand ! So much love for your thought and time you put into these questions, man. Exited to create more with my brotha and put our more music!

villin: What's next to come - when we first touched base there was a comment about a potential broader release between you two?

Aquatic Cat Dolphin & Maitreya: Sooooooooo much - so so much more to come. We locked and loaded with singles for the year leading to an album named Hammocks and Type Beats and ultimately that’s just the beginning. We both really feel we’re just scratching the surface and are stoked to watch it evolve for years to come.

For more from Maitreya, follow his work on Instagram, Threads, or TikTok. For more from Aquatic Cat Dolphin, follow his work on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, or TikTok. “Roses” can be streamed across Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube.

Scott Miller “Waters” (Singled Out)

Scott Miller is an MC and producer based in Iowa City. Today he's marking the release of a new single, "Waters," which follows last year's 14-track Recovery full-length and speaks to where he's looking to move creatively. With that album, he says he found himself gravitating toward building cohesiveness within style and themes. With that in his back pocket, he's looking ahead with a new-found desire to remove himself from those types of structural restraints and create music which he feels is more dynamic and free-flowing. Enter "Waters"...

villin: Lyrically, "Waters" speaks to me with an ethos of going with the flow. What are you hoping the song communicates to listeners?

Scott Miller: Above all, I hope this song inspires people to roll with the punches. This year has already thrown some challenges my way, things completely out of my control, and I'm actively working to process and overcome them. That's what "Waters" represents—taking things slow, moving with the tide, and not resisting when it feels like the universe is against you. Keep building, keep working towards your goals, and you'll emerge stronger than before.

villin: Tell me a little about the production side of things—who produced the beat and what was the feeling it provoked for you when putting your lyrics up against it?

Scott Miller: I'm pleased to share that the production is another creation from my personal studio, not someone else's. In the early days of my career, I spent years writing to type beats from YouTube and even recorded mixtapes with them—mixtapes that won't see the light of day. Something always felt off with those tracks, like something was missing. Now, I take pride in building a soundscape around my words. This beat is designed to be euphoric and fast-paced, like waves bursting through floodgates, providing a rush of emotions. I find solace in chaos—it reminds me that there are many things I can't control, so I better lock down and work hard on the things I can control.

villin: In your Spotify bio there's a comment about a trip-hop influence on your work, which I hear here as well, and the genre's connection to the meaning of your lyrics. What about that genre connects with you?

Scott Miller: It's funny, I added that because of an AI-generated genre description for one of my older demos. At the time, I hadn't really defined what trip-hop was and thought the name was corny. Ironically, trip-hop is now one of my favorite genres to listen to. It connects with me due to my love for jazz music. I've been on a Herbie kick recently, and Andre 3000's New Blue Sun has also reminded me how much I love it. Trip-hop, like jazz, has no blueprint for making "good" music. It spans wide, from Deltron 3030 to DJ Shadow's Endtroducing....., giving space for people to express anything on their minds or say nothing at all. Sometimes, all you need is a kick, snare, and some keys to tell a story.

villin: In thinking about "Waters" as a creative stepping stone, how does it compare to the music you put out on Recovery, and what is the next step that you're hoping it leads to?

Scott Miller: "Waters," just like "Gravitate," is an effort to assert myself and gain acknowledgment. They differ in subject matter and instrumentation, but they both resonate. They're catchy—when you hear me hit that hook or the first sub, you know what's playing. That's what I want moving forward. "Recovery" was a project where I sacrificed song structure and unique arrangements to tell a cohesive story, surrounded by similar synthesizers, drums, and strings. Moving forward, I aim to capture cohesiveness without relying on similar structures and sounds. I want to surprise people. I have big plans for this year—stick with me, and I promise you won't regret it.

For more from Scott Miller, follow his work via Instagram or TikTok, and listen to “Waters” via Apple Music or Spotify.

Gold Revere Interview

This is the villin podcast and this episode features an interview with Akash Gururaja and Ian Crumley of Gold Revere. Collaborating on music together all the way back to when they attended Linn-Mar High School in Marion, they've put out a tremendous catalog since then despite writing and recording out of separate locations for the bulk of the past several years, with Akash attending school at Vanderbilt and Ian at Iowa State. This body of work features the viral track titled "Goldfish Crackers," which led to signing with Sony Arista, but most recently includes their new EP titled 4 On the Floor.

The duo's path lends some interesting context for the discussion which follows here, as we dip into talk about marketing and the mystery of how to get noticed when everyone on Earth has a bullhorn. Of all the different ways they discussed trying to inspire interest in their music, they also raised the idea of a remix competition, which actually went live this week on their Discord. "Goldfish Crackers" now boasts over seven million Spotify streams, and several other songs have each exceeded a million, but past successes have provided few assurances that new music is also going to reach a large audience. Instead of relying on that past sound to dictate what they make now, they say they're leaning more in what they feel is an authentic direction, aiming their sound at the intersection of where still-developing trends and their personal tastes align. This is how the sound of 4 On the Floor was developed, and that's where we dive in, focusing on the new music and what helped drive its creation.

Haploid Interview

"Prog punk" might be the closest thing to an appropriate label I've heard when considering the spirit and sound of Haploid's music, and it's one that vocalist and guitarist Kaylee Rae Timmerman says appreciates. The Des Moines band's album Villains Amiss certain takes on elements of both prog and punk, but the songs also reveal elements of synth and jazz, culminating in the release's 20+ minute behemoth "Four Score Insectivore." Whatever the label is you want to put on that song, so be it. It's good. That's what matters.

My personal introduction to the album came at the band's xBk release show a few months back, and throughout the evening the group skillfully adapted their recording for the stage, complemented by guest appearances from Jess Villegas, Bridget Botkin, Bob Bucko Jr., Justin Comer, and David Clair. This conversation focuses on an intersection between the performance and the album, leaning on impressions of each while Timmerman covers topics including the band's influences and writing process. For more about Haploid, please also check out their interviews with Iowa Basement Tapes (Apple / Spotify) and Accelerativ Thrust (Apple / Spotify).

villin: I didn’t know what to expect at the band’s xBk album release show, and now thinking back to that night, the portion that stands out to me was the performance of “Four Score Insectivore.” What stood out to me about that was the clash between structure and chaos; more specifically, how the 20 minute journey looped back around to find closure at the end. Seeing how that took form in the live setting was really impressive. Where did the idea for this song come from and did the concept change as its list of collaborators grew?

Kaylee Rae Timmerman: First of all, thank you! To be honest, the idea for "Four Score Insectivore" had no specific trajectory. It started as the main riff as the theme and we kept building layers as we jammed. Being a huge early Yes fan I thought it would be challenging and exciting to try to recreate our brand of "Close to the Edge," respectively. The song was not originally planned to be 20 minutes but we kept adding and subtracting parts until we felt satisfied. I started writing some lyrics for it here and there at the tail end of 2022 about a Venus flytrap having an existential crisis and it sort of mutated from that point on. Our additional guests on the track, (Bob Bucko Jr., Justin Comer, David Clair), adding so many colors that tied together all the loose ends we were hearing while writing the main structure. We are beyond grateful to have been able to work with them. 

villin: When listening back to the band’s Accelerativ Thrust interview, there was a comment about how Haploid was initially conceptualized as a synth pop band. Listening back to Villains Amiss, there are elements of that sound that bleed through, as with the closing of “Rejectamenta.” When putting a song like that together, does the band have an idea at the outset for what elements of sound it wants to include, such as a synth part, or is there more of an experimental or free-flowing approach to writing the music?

Kaylee Rae Timmerman: It’s definitely a 50/50 of premeditated elements and improvisation. We spend a lot of time at practice spitballing and feeding off of each other's energy. Dave tries to write as many little parts in his free time to at least have a starting point but the best part is deciding where it will go, how we will respond to them. "Rejectamenta" was definitely free flowing. It started out as a series of bass riffs that Dave came up with when he was just messing around. They didn’t quite work as a Haploid song, but they inspired what became "Rejecta." You can hear the original riff in the bass break before the verse.

villin: Piggybacking off that interview further, I was sorta blown away to discover the band doesn’t have any formal musical training. The music communicates as complex and, for lack of a better term, carries a certain jazzishness at times, which lends this album a feeling of musical sophistication. A confidence comes through with that vibe, but I'm curious if there was any uncertainty or self-doubt when putting the album together, and how you worked through those feelings if they did come up?

Kaylee Rae Timmerman: Self-doubt may as well be my middle name but I have complete confidence when we combine forces as a group. I have never taken a formal class on theory or basic lessons but when I think about who my favorite players are, knowing they were in a similar boat, it makes me feel a bit better. I definitely think there is value in learning scales and other tricks, but truthfully, that stuff has never excited me. There is no right answer. As long as you’re learning, it’s all good. I appreciate the “jazziness” comment a ton! Some of my favorite arrangements are from the likes of Ornette Coleman, Charles Mingus, Herbie Hancock and Eberhard Weber. 

villin: If forced to identify a label with the album, I could probably do worse than use the term “prog” when trying to encapsulate its sound. I’m really green when it comes to that world, but am wondering if there were any direct musical influences from that genre which helped guide the creation of Villains Amiss?

Kaylee Rae Timmerman: It’s a long list of influences but as far as favorite prog elements I would say obviously early Yes records,  King Crimson’s "Red" and "Discipline," and Genesis’ "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway." A lot of other pieces were fueled by my obsession with Polvo and Unwound, especially on our track, "Circling the Drain." The guitar player from Factual Brains called us prog punk, which we like. But a friend said that’s just another name for math rock.

villin: Instead of mastering the album in-house, Phil Young stepped in to help on that front. Is it difficult to hand over those sorts of technical responsibilities, and what element did Phil give the final recording?

Kaylee Rae Timmerman: I’d say our relationship with Phil dates back to Dave and I’s former band, Nostromo, as he recorded our second album. It has always been so painless and easy to hand off duties to him so there was zero doubt when it came to asking for mastering help. So far, we have recorded everything ourselves but Villains Amiss was the first album we decided to have mastered. Phil smoothed out the rough edges and leveled everything into the same plane. I guess it was kind of like we built a shelf and Phil sanded it. Haha!

For more from Haploid, follow the band’s work on Facebook or Instagram, and listen to Villains Amiss on Apple Music, Bandcamp, Spotify, or YouTube.