In a dark kitchen in the middle of a sweaty night in Las Vegas, all 6’4” of Dan Reynolds is hunched over a laptop, slapping beats on the table and crooning lyrics into a tiny microphone. Before long, he and the other three members of indie rock band Imagine Dragons would be playing “It’s Time,” that same laptop-demo-turned-supersized-anthem, from the roof of a parking garage to a wave of thousands of screaming fans. This song title to the single from their 2012 debut KidInaKorner/Interscope release “Continued Silence EP” is an all too apt descriptor of the band’s hard-earned success—but it’s also emblematic of the deep-seated anxiety Reynolds and the rest of the band experienced leaving behind any realistic expectation of a normal job to do the thing they love most.

A third-generation Las Vegas native, Reynolds is no stranger to the adage “the house always wins,” choosing to pave his musical career with a near obsessive work ethic and hundreds of unused demos rather than roll the dice with the first songs that sprung from his mouth. It’s no surprise, then, that he was drawn to guitarist Wayne Sermon, another founding member of Imagine Dragons. Having practically grown up in a recording studio and graduated Berklee College of Music, Wayne had been practicing his guitar through meals and other socially inappropriate situations as long as he could remember; he challenged Dan in a way that was both uncomfortable and exactly what they both needed. When they began writing songs together and recognized something special was happening, Wayne called up his Berklee friend Ben McKee, who promptly dropped out of school with only a few credits left, moving across the country to play bass for the band. This sort of reckless/genius behavior is typical for Ben, who has an uncanny penchant for spicy food and a suitcase full of unbelievable road stories. More recently, the band was joined by drummer Daniel Platzman, another Bostonian schoolmate who seems way too nice to be playing rock and roll until you actually see him in action.

Several tours and three self-released EPs later, Imagine Dragons had made a serious name for itself, particularly in the west coast circuit. Although their songs vary from nearly whimsical and light to brooding and powerful, listeners are drawn to the inherent honesty in the music. The only rule of thumb for the band, it seems, is to write from a true place; the result is songs that literally run the spectrum of human emotion. Attend a concert, and it becomes clear that the live performance of deeply personal songs has a real effect on people. And the band itself is not immune, as demonstrated when Dan literally passed out into the drum set during a finale song, sending cymbals and drum stands crashing while the rest of the band played on until the close.

Great songwriting is bound to be noticed eventually. As proof that the harder you work, the luckier you get, one of those people who noticed was Grammy winning producer Alex da Kid (Eminem, Rihanna). Alex and Dan began collaborating on projects, and soon the band had developed a relationship with Alex and his team. The alchemy resulting from Alex’s hip hop sensibilities and Imagine Dragons’ anthemic rock is nothing short of explosive. The byproduct of this creative collision is “Continued Silence,” a six song in-your-face sonic grenade that breaks musical boundaries and yet is strangely relatable by its improbably diverse audience.

Despite it all, on any given day when they aren’t on the road playing shows, you can still find Imagine Dragons huddled away in a rehearsal room somewhere, banging out song after song in search of the next perfect track. Like most things in Vegas, the band is angled at going big or going bust. For the sake of those who love great music, we hope it’s the former.

Email - jake@jakealdridge.com
Website: https://jakealdridge.com/
Indie Tree: https://jakealdridge.com/indietree/
Rapper-turned-singer Jake Aldridge is one of the most intriguing British artists in recent years. Despite starting his career with a lack of natural rhythm, he went on to become an award-winning musician picking up multiple awards in the best artist category. Wishing to inspire those facing adversity, Jake’s upcoming Pop-Country single ‘Down’, is a tribute to, and a celebration of, ‘The underdog’. A title he is all too familiar with. 

At 11 years old, Jake experienced a traumatic loss when his father was struck by lightning during a family fishing trip. The tragedy became the catalyst for a budding career in the music industry as he began writing songs as a way of expressing himself. Living in Reydon (a small coastal village in Suffolk) Jake began collaborating with local music producers who helped him to discover a sense of rhythm. 

Eventually, Jake began to release songs into the public domain. His singles ‘Erotic’ and ‘Falling’ received regular rotation on Sky’s Playboy television channels. Jake’s music ultimately caught the attention of Dingwall’s owner Maria Kempinska, who invited him to perform at the London Hippodrome where Grammy award winner Billie Laurie said that the young rapper “Definitely has hit songs”! 

After receiving more votes than 100 fellow artists, Jake picked up the ‘Audience Choice’ Award at the 2017 ‘New Music Generator Awards’. He also won the ‘Male Act of the Year’ Award at ‘The International Achievers Awards’ the following year. As the momentum began to build, Jake’s music was selected for licensing by ‘Road Trip Nation’ (a US television series). Whilst receiving critical acclaim for his hip hop-influenced sound, it was the country-pop genre that began to peak Jake’s interest. Inspired by American country artists, such as Kane Brown & Dan + Shay, Jake decided to take singing lessons and began incorporating country music into his songs. The new sound helped Jake to secure airplay on BBC Radio Suffolk and BBC Radio Cambridge. His Pop-Country songs have amassed 70,000 streams on Spotify to date. 
	
Jake embraces the joviality of pop and combines it with a splash of country in his new track ‘Down’. The evocative song is filled with raw honesty, genuineness, and sincerity for the underdog. The track is produced by Nashville based Simon Reid and was co-written by multi-instrumentalist David Edward Booth.

“I’ve always wanted to write songs that are close to my heart. Songs with a meaning that I believe in, and a message that I can stand for. I hope that my achievements (despite the odds being stacked against me) will help remind others to never give up and that anything is possible”. - Jake Aldridge.

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