Revival Season – The Monday Is OK Mixtape

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Debut album The Golden Age Of Self-Snitching draws “inspiration from hip-hop pioneers and preserving the spirit of Southern hip-hop’s golden era”, so with that in mind we thought it right to ask Joan for a mix of that golden era for this Monday.

Atlanta-based producer and polymath Jonah Swilley – who has worked with Mattiel, Moonwalks, Night Beats and more – joins forces with Columbus rapper Brandon ‘Bez’ Evans as Revival Season which emerged from the intertwining roots of Georgia’s Pentecostal churches and grassroots hip-hop scene.  Debut single, ‘Iron Warrior,’ was followed by the Outernational mixtape

Debut album, “Golden Age Of Self Snitching,” is released in February on the great Heavenly Recordings. The forthcoming album,produced by Swilley, addresses Evans’ themes of “chop, cops, self-snitching, drug dealing, and revolution.” The Golden Age Of Self-Snitching draws “inspiration from hip-hop pioneers and preserving the spirit of Southern hip-hop’s golden era”, so with that in mind we thought it right to ask Joan for a mix of that golden er.

Mid January ‘Monday Is OK’m 2023, let’s go…interview below:

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Who are you… Jonah Swilley

Where are you... Atlanta, Georgia

What are you… one half of Revival Season with Brandon “BEZ” (B Easy) Evans

If this mix were to be drawn what would it look like?

A crisp two dollar bill.

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If it were a food what would it be? 

Something highly nutritional. Maybe chia seed pudding.

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What would be the ideal setting to listen to the mix?

From sea to shining sea.

What should we be wearing?

Socks with slides.

Where was it recorded?

In Atlanta, Georgia.

How do you feel about Mondays in general, excited…or?

It’s an opportunity to get your life together.

Who got you hooked on electronic music?

Man Parrish

Who would you say are your biggest influences and what are you hoping to achieve with your music?

Dust Brothers and Hank Williams. I’m hoping to get the listener out of their heads for a brief period.

What were your original aspirations as musicians and how do you think you’re shaping up?

My goal was to always try and make the best music I could. And be a working musician. Work never feels promised in this industry, but I try and take it as it comes.

Am I excited to dive into the challenges that i have lined up for the week?

Yes, something about Mondays makes me feel hopeful. It’s a fresh start.

Am I looking forward to engaging with the people i am meeting or working with?

Yes, I want to try and make their lives easier while they do the same for me.

Am I going to my dream job?

Definitely, I love what I get to do everyday. Make music.

Am I being compensated fairly for the value i bring to my job?

Who knows? I’m convinced nothing in life is fair. Especially not wages.

Do I feel energised, rested, and confident?

Sure, I have a list of things that help me. Magnesium glycinate for sleep. Mushroom supplement in the morning. Coffee. And meditation.

If you were trapped on a desert island with one other person, who would you choose?

My wife. We spend most waking moments together already. I think the seasons we’ve seen of Survivor and Love Island would also come in handy while trying to stay alive.

How long would it be before you eat them?

I think I’d rather die (be eaten) than eat someone.

Your doctor says you need more exercise….what do you take up for exercise?

Play more basketball.

If you could travel in time…where in time would you go? Why?

I’d go a few hundred years in the future and see where we’re at on planet earth. Listen to some AI generated Drake ft Taylor Swift record and try to find my great great great grandchildren.

What was the first electronic record you heard and how did it make you feel?

Maybe the Trainspotting soundtrack. Like sliding on ice.

How does your brain work when making music? How does it work when you aren’t?

My brain while making music goes through an initial stage of excitement, and doubt. I try and work long enough to get myself out of self-criticism and into a flow state. Drums and rhythm inspire me the most. When I’m not making music, my brain is always thinking about music related things.

What were the first and last records you bought?

Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (Flaming Lips) was one of the first I remember buying. The last records I bought were King Tubby’s “African Love Dub” 1974-1979 and Devo’s “Freedom of Choice” and “New Traditionalist”.

What are you obsessed with at the moment?

Personal growth.

What’s your answer to everything?

Keep a cool head. Don’t react. Don’t assume. Don’t take anything personally. Do your best.

Anything else we need to discuss.

Revival Season’s debut LP “Golden Age of Self Snitching” is coming to you on February 23rd. We’ve worked on the album over the last three years. It was a pleasure to make, and I hope people will connect to it. This is the first full length rap record I’ve produced and hopefully it’s the first of more to come.