Sam Akins' new song "i'm fine, i'm ok" delves into themes of inner power, tenacity, and the disparity between how someone displays themselves to the outside and their hidden troubles. This is a prominent theme in music and art because it may speak to many people who have suffered terrible times in their lives, as the song portrays the notion that even when confronted with...

Sometimes the most honest music comes from the spaces between certainty and doubt. Blake Kelly knows this territory well. The Charlotte-based artist has spent his time moving between basketball courts, college classrooms, and recording studios, collecting experiences that fuel his latest EP, Guidance. "Left or Right" serves as the centrepiece of this four-track collection, and it arrives with the kind of laid-back confidence that suggests Kelly...