Squeak E. Clean Studios executive creative director Sam Spiegel, aka Grammy-nominated DJ, producer, director, and songwriter Sam i (formerly of duo N.A.S.A.), and Nashville production and songwriting vanguard Shmuck the Loyal have joined forces for a new collaborative project TRY–a name representing their core beliefs as artists and people striving for proactive positivity. They’ve released Chapter One of their debut album, an uplifting and optimistic project born from an inspiring and terrifying time.
Through that lens, TRY chooses the path of light, acknowledging the flaws of the world while choosing to find the beauty of the human experience. TRY’s debut is a sonic travelogue through every corner of electronic and pop.
Alongside the release, they’ve also shared a video, directed by Spiegel, for “Clarity” ft. EARTHGANG. In addition to his role as ECD at Squeak E. Clean Studios, Spiegel is repped as a director for commercials by Hey Wonderful. Massive synth melodies and a rippling chorus kick down the door and weave around the dexterous rhymes of the Atlanta hip-hop duo atop a sample of a song recorded at Angola Prison. The track is about optimism through the lens of hardship. A percentage of the proceeds of “Clarity” will go towards helping the incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people in Louisiana….
Rom-Com Mainstay Hugh Grant Shifts To The Dark Side and He’s Never Been Happier
After some difficulties connecting to a Zoom, Hugh Grant eventually opts to just phone instead.
"Sorry about that," he apologizes. "Tech hell." Grant is no lover of technology. Smart phones, for example, he calls the "devil's tinderbox."
"I think they're killing us. I hate them," he says. "I go on long holidays from them, three or four days at at time. Marvelous."
Hell, and our proximity to it, is a not unrelated topic to Grant's new film, "Heretic." In it, two young Mormon missionaries (Chloe East, Sophie Thatcher) come knocking on a door they'll soon regret visiting. They're welcomed in by Mr. Reed (Grant), an initially charming man who tests their faith in theological debate, and then, in much worse things.
After decades in romantic comedies, Grant has spent the last few years playing narcissists, weirdos and murders, often to the greatest acclaim of his career. But in "Heretic," a horror thriller from A24, Grant's turn to the dark side reaches a new extreme. The actor who once charmingly stammered in "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and who danced to the Pointer Sisters in "Love Actually" is now doing heinous things to young people in a basement.
"It was a challenge," Grant says. "I think human beings need challenges. It makes your beer taste better in the evening if you've climbed a mountain. He was just so wonderfully (expletive)-up."
"Heretic," which opens in theaters Friday, is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, co-writers of "A Quiet Place." In Grant's hands, Mr. Reed is a divinely good baddie — a scholarly creep whose wry monologues pull from a wide range of references, including, fittingly, Radiohead's "Creep."
In an interview, Grant spoke about these and other facets of his character, his journey... Read More