Strength in Numbers: FTB Artist J Wavy Releases New Video for “Interlude”

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There are numerous collectives and groups based in New England that make great music. From the northern part of Maine to the southern half of Connecticut, musicians, producers, and industry creatives with common goals frequently band together in order to expand their individual fanbases, increase their overall network, and use teamwork to their full advantage. These early iterations of record labels pop up often, but unfortunately, most dissolve just as fast as they are created. To stay relevant and effective, consistency is the key. Delivering new content at a consistent rate, making smart business decisions, and constantly pushing music out all play a part in furthering the life of a collective. Just look at Brockton, Massachusetts-based Van Buren Records for example: in 2019 and 2020 its members released multiple projects, over 100 songs, countless videos, and kept up live performances until Covid landed. If you follow Massachusetts music in the slightest, then you’re well aware of where this constant stream of new content has positioned VB, and how they’ve continued to grow quickly.

However, Van Buren isn’t the only team in Massachusetts capable of making these types of waves. Let us, if you’re not familiar already, introduce you to another standout group based in Massachusetts: From The Bottom Records. Also known as “FTB”, this collective boasts a limited but potent roster including artists J Wavy, Sham Wes, key617, and audio engineer/artist Kingfrom98. The group’s most recent offering, a music video for J Wavy’s single titled “Interlude”, released just this past week, and effectively confirms their status as one of the most talented collections of artists in Massachusetts. Wavy, who is most known for his 2019 “From The Bottom” collab tape with Kingfrom98, delivers a very poignant performance on “Interlude”. 

The music video, directed and shot by FitzTheRunaway, initially opens to Wavy and an anonymous female engaging in a heated argument. As the two go back and forth, the altercation quickly turns physical, and Wavy finds himself on the wrong end of an open-handed slap. The scene eventually culminates with Wavy applying a band-aid to his now bruised cheek and showing his frustration from the prior disagreement by throwing a wine glass at the wall. As glass shards disperse across the room, the “Interlude” audio begins to play, and Wavy starts his performance in a window frame with the illuminated nighttime Boston skyline behind him. Throughout the rest of the video, we see the FTB artist in multiple settings; riding in a car alongside a close friend, looking at himself in the mirror, parked in downtown Boston, and periodically again disagreeing with the same anonymous female we were introduced to in the opening scene of the video. Overall, the “Interlude” music video provides J Wavy a way to visually describe all the negative emotional effects that various relationships have caused him over the years, a subject he frequently touches upon in his music. The opening hands-on dispute, the application of the band-aid, the broken wine glass, and a distressed bouquet of roses are all images that capture the same emotional energy and topics found within “Interlude” and so many of Wavy’s other releases.

Wavy and the rest of the From The Bottom roster tend to keep listeners on their toes, releasing music usually with little warning, but always delivering an extremely impressive product in the end. There have been some rumors of an increased amount of content to come in the near future from the group, which if true, we know we’ll be ready for. We hope that we can also expect another full-length project from J Wavy soon. If you’re unfamiliar with his previous two projects, the “From The Bottom” collab tape we mentioned earlier and his solo tape labeled “Mixed Feelings”, take a second to listen and you’ll understand the reason why we’re so hungry for another. While we look forward to what’s next, we recommend that you take a few minutes and watch the “Interlude” music video for yourself through the link below, and familiarize yourself with one of the most skilled up & coming artists our region has to offer.

“Interlude” Music video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GY6Gx1O1bj8

Dynamic Duo: Director Xandros and Artist Johnny Finesse Drop “Joe Joe” Visual

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Without visuals to accompany the audio, music would be a much different and much more lackluster art form. Music videos have been an important inclusion in marketing plans and rollout strategies for years, and the abilities of the videographers who shoot and direct them have only expanded. However, due to the relative ease cameras that shoot high-quality footage can be operated with today, it’s become common for themes and ideas to be often replicated on screen. Not many people who call themselves “videographers” or “directors”, actually have the skill, courage, or imagination to create videos that stand out from the rest.

There are, however, a select few individuals, who are well-equipped creatively and skilled enough in editing, to warp our perception of reality and create one-of-a-kind videos each time they pick up a camera or open After Effects. Gibson Hazard is a name that comes to mind quickly, as he’s built his reputation off of raising the bar of what’s possible with each new visual he puts forth. But, there are many more directors, who unfortunately don’t have the same level of fame and work without a budget in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, who also create impressive visuals.

With that being said, in this article DoOverDon’t has elected to champion a video director who fits the aforementioned description, as well as an artist with whom he frequently collaborates. This Massachusetts-based pair, director Xandros and musician Johnny Finesse, recently dropped a music video for Finesse’s song titled “Joe Joe” on YouTube. This being the third installment in their catalog together, the “Joe Joe” video admittedly had a lot to live up to. The two’s previous collabs, one for Finesse’s song titled “Johnny’s Bizarre Adventure” and the other for his track “A-/+ World”, each had their own unique visual effects accompanied by impressive vocals. But, after watching this video, it’s clear that both Xandros and Finesse were aware that “Joe Joe” needed to be something new and fresh when planning and shooting.

During the video, we find Finesse alone in the forest, as well as occasionally located near a body of water. As he performs, Xandros uses speed ramps, zoom transitions, and rapid light adjustments to visually match Finesse’s sonic speed and energy. Utilizing color to his full advantage, Xandros turns the blue sky to turf green and frequently exaggerates the colors that the trees and leaves surrounding Finesse have to offer. There are two main scenes that stand out in the video itself; one being the ground-level nighttime shot of Finesse performing through the quick flashing of a strobe light, and the other of the artists’ dancing silhouette dipped in some strange, fluid-like metallic mask. Both of these specific scenes truly bring the entire visual together. Finesse’s vocals are not to be overlooked in the slightest here either, as he effortlessly floats over the Cordot produced beat throughout.

We’ve attached a link to the “Joe Joe” music video at the bottom of this article, where you can experience everything we covered here for yourself. While you’re there, don’t forget to check out the “Johnny’s Bizarre Adventure” and “A-/+ World” videos either, we can assure you that you won’t be disappointed. You can also find the “Joe Joe” audio on all of Johnny Finesse’s streaming service profiles, located inside of his last project: “Johnny’s Bizarre Adventure Pt. 1”.

Link to “Joe Joe” Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeNBUpKIAzw