Short haircut, sports, French… Now all of that is the part of Valerie Warntz’s life: a young singer-songwriter from Saint Petersburg. We were lucky enough to talk to her on topics such as: how did she celebrate The New Year, why did she decide to learn French, what does she usually eat, and many more.
Hello, Valerie! It’s such a pleasure for us that your first interview this year is for our website. Tell us please, how did you celebrate The New Year 2021? Do you like this holiday?
— Hello! Thank you for the invitation. I don’t like this celebration as a whole, but I was waiting for The New Year 2021 very much and was so excited. Probably that’s because 2020 was, without any exagerration, extremely tough for me, so I was waiting for it to end: it was going very slowly. In December, I got cheerful New Year mood for the first time in many years. I celebrated amazingly too: on my own. Before that, I treated this as a ‘family holiday’, so I always celebrated wity my family, but this time I decided to make a change and celebrate this way. And, to be honest, it was the best The New Year celebration in my life! I’m very introverted-type person. I love my own company. So yeah, on January 31st I made some dishes, bought a juice, and in the evening put on Christmas and New Year music and just enjoyed it while gazing at the sparkling garlands. After that, I ate a little, watched the president’s speech and fireworks, and went to bed. Without any noise and nerves: especially since I’ve noticed that, before celebrations with somebody, something always went wrong: we quarreled or something. And now everything was perfect!
Sounds interesting. As you’ve mentioned stereotypes: we know that last year you also ruined stereotypes about appearence and cut your long hair off. Tell us why did you decide to do it? Did you regret about it?
— No, I didn’t. At first, it was unusual feeling, cause I used to have long hair since childhood, or, at least, they were longer that shoulders. But I got used to it for around a week, and noticed the benefits right away. I’ve already said many times that, as well as many others, in childhood I was pushed to think like it’s not good for women to do a short haircut, and so on. It seemed like a truth, so I couldn’t even think about cut my hair off before. Honestly, I don’t remember exactly, what really inspired me to go ahead and do it. Probably I started noticing more women with haircut and read their stories about how comfortable and economical it is. Yeah, also I was motivated by the fact that long hair often make working out complicated even with a ponytail, and also, while actively shaking a head, hair is falling out a little, so you have to sweep quite often. You don’t have these problems with a haircut. And honestly, if I knew that before, I would do it in childhood.
As you mentioned sports, our next question is: when and why did you decide to do sports?
— Overall, I used to play volleyball at school, and also used to ride a bycicle and jumprope everyday in summer, in the countryside, til’ I turn 12 years old. It was the only physical activity I did. Now I’m 22 years old, so I haven’t done any sports til’ the quarantine: around a year ago I started doing exercises for arms. Though I was doing it for 2 months and then stopped, because 1) as I said before, 2020 was hard for me, so I didn’t have energy and resourses to continue that time 2) I didn’t have enough motivation. But somehow, in the end of October, I stumbled upon Alexandra Trusova, Russian figure skater. I was impressed by her energy, power and muscules. Of course, there is much more in her, but her muscles shape… I was amazed by how athletic she is, and how strong willpower it takes to reach this, not to mention she is 2x Junior World Champion and is in the Guinness Book of Records! That being said, Alexandra inspired me, so in November I started doing sports and stretching. At first it was very hard and unusual, especially since I started doing it right away. But later I started liking it! Now I really enjoy working out, though stretching is really tough, I still do it regularly and do my best.
Tell us about your day. Do you workout everyday? What do you eat?
— I do strength training on Monday and Thursday, stretching — every other day, cardio — I try to do it everyday, back exercises — Wednesday and Saturday. Overall, that’s how my usual day go: I wake up and lay in bed for around an hour, where I just surf through the Internet. Then, I fill my 1,9 l bottle with water for this day and do 15-min dance cardio. After that, if it’s Monday or Thursday, I do strength workout on legs, then — stretching, then — training on arms and ABS. If it’s not, I do either stretching or back exercises. After that I breakfast: it’s usually either smoothie from banana, vegan milk (I like many), flax seeds, peanut butter and probably some salad/spinach/berries, or oat meal with berries. For dinner and/or supper I prefer soups and pasta with vegan cutles and ketchup or simply with oil and salt. I also like bread with hummus or Japanese tofu pate, or to do vegan fish analog from tofu and nori. Sometimes I please myself with pizza or sushi, but try to follow healthy lifestyle. Back to the topic: after that I usually study French and help foreigners with Russian grammar and pronunciation. Then I work if I have to, or play: usually it’s online billiard, solitaire or cards, or races, or parking and design games. I also like intellectual apps: words, Sudoku, tetris. Sometimes I also do tests about correct stress/emphasis in Russian words and use apps for increasing my English vocabulary. Also, I quite often sing in app Smule!
That’s deep! By the way, you said through your Instagram that this year you are celebrating 8 years of being vegan. Congratulations!
— Thank you!
Of course we can’t escape asking: why did you decide to study French?
— I wanted to learn it a long time ago, since I visited France for the first time and fell in love with this country 9 years ago. From beautiful Paris to small villages: France is a magical country with calm and pleasant atmosphere. I lived in French families and listened to French speech: it’s very beautiful. Before now, just like with sports, I didn’t have enough motivation to start learning this language, and I also didn’t know where to start. But recently I discovered useful stuff and started learning, step by step.
Very cool! By the way, you also posted in Instagram your attempts to ice skate. It must be Alexandra Trusova who inspired you to do it as well?
— Yes. Before that, I was never interested in figure skating, because I saw only pair skating in show «Lednikoviy Period», which my parents used to watch long time ago. Pair skating doesn’t fascinate me, and that time I didn’t know about women’s single skating. But when I watched it, I was amazed by the grace and, at the same time, power of this discipline and skaters, cause you have to have a lot of strength to skate fast and smooth, as well as to do various elements. It’s amazing and inspiring. Of course, Alexandra Trusova is number one for me, but I also like Alyona Kostornaya and 2 juniors: Sofya Akatieva and Sofya Samodelkina. So yeah, I wanted to learn how to roller skate and ice skate too. Now I can do it very slowly, but I have much fun!
That’s amazing, good luck to you! What about music? Do you plan to release something this year?
— I can’t say certainly at the moment. I write new songs when inspiration comes, and think about the concept of the next album. Releasing new music for me is more a spontaneous process: I can release something unexpectedly, just write a song in a day, like «what I needed.» and «Beautiful Places». But now I’m focused on what we’ve discussed earlier.
Ok, thanks, Valerie! We’ll be looking forward to your new music! Good luck and thanks for talking to us!
Right now, gospel artist Harmoni Allen’s work reflects the transformative power of faith, with vulnerability, triumph, encouragement, and Christ-centered hope running through her music. Her warm vocals, expressive delivery, and deeply personal storytelling give that message a human center. Drawing from lived experience and testimony, she turns questions of faith, healing, freedom, resilience, and hope into songs that feel intimate without losing their uplifting spirit.
Harmoni Allen’s “Schitzo” is a sincere, soul-stirring track built around a deeply personal subject. Short for schizophrenia, the song opens an intimate conversation about mental well-being, judgment, fear, vulnerability, and the struggle to feel free in a world that can be quick to define people from the outside. Harmoni does not keep the subject at a safe distance. She brings the listener directly into the experience, shaping the song as a confession that feels immediate and exposed.
The accompanying music video establishes that vulnerability from its opening moments. Harmoni sits alone on her front porch, drinking water, visibly troubled and seemingly asking herself whether she is truly okay. Nearby, two women watch her from a distance. Their expressions communicate the judgment and assumptions that sit at the center of the song. Without speaking, they capture a painful reality: people can decide who someone is before taking the time to understand what that person may be going through.
Looking for answers, Harmoni calls a friend and heads to a hospital. The song then unfolds inside a psychiatrist’s office, where she is asked, “So, Miss Allen, what brings you to my office today?” Her answer becomes the emotional core of “Schitzo.” The music takes over, developing into a slow-burning, soulfully rich R&B confession carried by Harmoni’s heavenly, deeply vulnerable vocals.
Verse by verse, Harmoni reveals the strain of living under the gaze of people who may fear, misunderstand, or judge what they cannot see. She sings about people being scared of her, watching from afar, the medicines she takes, and the exhausting burden of being viewed through a label instead of recognized as a human being. Inside that pressure, however, comes a moment of release. She looks into the mirror, sits on the bed, takes a breath, and arrives at the realization that she is free.
That realization does not magically change the world around her. People still look at her the same way. Their assumptions remain. This is where “Schitzo” broadens into something many listeners can recognize, the understanding that other people’s perceptions do not get to define your identity, your worth, or your destiny.
Harmoni’s faith gives that idea its foundation. Beneath the emotional turbulence is a steady conviction that God has the last say. People may judge from afar, attach labels, and make assumptions based on appearance, yet those opinions do not determine the course of someone’s life. For Harmoni, faith creates a space where judgment begins to lose its hold and freedom becomes possible.
Musically, “Schitzo” carries the same emotional weight as its subject. The production settles into a slow-burning R&B groove that gives Harmoni’s voice room to breathe, ache, and communicate. Her soulful delivery has a nostalgic warmth, while smooth layers of vocal harmony wrap around the lead with an almost heavenly glow. The arrangement remains restrained, keeping the storytelling in clear focus instead of crowding it with unnecessary drama. Harmoni shifts naturally between fragility and quiet strength, making the performance feel close enough to resemble a private conversation across the room.
“Schitzo” ultimately centers on being seen, being misunderstood, finding your breath again, and recognizing that freedom can survive other people’s judgment.
When the final note fades, Harmoni Allen leaves behind the message that has guided the song from the beginning: people may have their opinions, but God has the final say!
Based in Malta, composer Serag Baddar turns a long-held guitar idea into something intimate and absorbing on “Limerence.” The post-rock track grew from a riff he wrote 15 years ago, with one section carrying a subtle nod to Buckethead’s “Padmasana,” whose rhythm guitar left a clear impression on Baddar.
Crisp, mellow, and atmospheric, “Limerence” moves through clean guitar layers and an ethereal sense of space. Silken vocals shimmer underneath, adding a restrained melancholy that suggests heartbreak without overwhelming the arrangement.
Baddar’s background in heavy metal remains important to the song, even as he strips away high-gain distortion and conventional vocal delivery. In their place, structure and melody do most of the emotional work. At the center is a clean, melodic guitar riff designed to flow ergonomically across the fretboard, giving the performance a natural physical ease.
The quieter acoustic and clean passages of progressive metal are an obvious reference point. Opeth and Tool, two bands that have shaped Baddar’s style, can be heard in the track’s sense of structure and restraint. Its spacious ambient textures also draw from the accessible melodic soundscapes associated with instrumental artists such as Buckethead. “Padmasana” is especially relevant, with its rhythm guitar inspiring a small section of “Limerence.”
The pacing is deliberate and unhurried, in keeping with post-rock’s slow-burn character. Its rhythmic framework stays steady, patient, and evocative, giving the central guitar melody room to breathe. Notes are allowed to ring out and decay naturally rather than being crowded by unnecessary movement.
Much of the song’s appeal comes from that simplicity. The arrangement avoids excessive time-signature gymnastics and settles into a smooth, approachable cadence that strengthens its hypnotic quality. That choice suits the meaning behind “Limerence,” the intense and involuntary psychological state of romantic obsession and infatuation that Baddar seeks to capture emotionally.
Because the released track is a “demo” mix, it retains a raw, unpolished authenticity. That texture fits Baddar’s philosophy of “writing for dopamine,” prioritizing emotional resonance and the organic “magic” of a creative spark over pristine, heavily compressed commercial engineering.
The result is intimate and thoughtful. It feels reflective and deeply personal, like a bedroom guitarist finally translating a 15-year-old teenage memory into a cohesive, immersive piece of music. The closing stretch brings the song’s crisp, clean, haunting guitar riff into sharper focus, giving the track a fitting climax and reminding us how much of its emotional weight rests on that original idea.
Baddar waited until he felt his technical ability and musical vision had matured enough to do the riff justice before recording and releasing it. He approaches music as a philosophical hobby, creating for the pleasure of the craft rather than under commercial pressure.
Taken as a whole, “Limerence” is an accomplished, carefully felt performance worth spending time with. It is streaming now.
Omer B has built a significant part of his artistic identity around collaboration, working with musicians from across the world. On “Bending Time,” he leans fully into that instinct. The track brings together guitar virtuoso Oz Noy, drummer Oded Kafri, bassist Andy Warner, and Abramo Riti on Hammond organ, giving Omer B a formidable cast for what he does best: composing exceptionally good music.
“Bending Time” is a high energy, five minute instrumental funk rock piece that establishes its character almost immediately. Omer B’s guitar locks in with Kafri’s forceful drumming from the opening stretch, creating an intro that feels urgent, muscular, and inviting. Once the Hammond and bass enter the picture, the arrangement opens up into something richer and more expansive.
That introduction builds tension quickly while setting a steady sense of anticipation. You can hear the rhythm gathering momentum as the groove takes hold. At its core is a relentless, head bobbing funk rock backbeat. The pace is fast, yet the players remain firmly in the pocket, giving the song a driving foundation that keeps it moving at full speed without sacrificing its groove.
As composer, Omer B acts as the track’s anchor. He resists overcrowding the arrangement with constant shredding, choosing instead to work through sharp, syncopated rhythm chops and clearly defined melodic motifs. His guitar helps shape the song’s architecture, from its central themes to the heavy, overdriven chord progressions that guide each transition.
Oz Noy’s entrance raises the temperature. He slips naturally into the established groove, echoing the track’s hauntingly familiar melodic cadence while bringing in a streak of “twisted blues” character. His solos are explosive without feeling detached from the arrangement, and they push the song into a higher gear.
The interplay becomes especially satisfying when Noy’s lead lines careen over Omer B’s heavy rock foundation. Kafri’s airtight drumming, Warner’s bass, and Riti’s Hammond keep the music grounded while the guitars add a fiery improvisational edge. That tension gives “Bending Time” a sense of motion that suits its title.
Unpredictable, futuristic, and haunting, “Bending Time” plays like an exhilarating experiment that draws strong performances from everyone involved. Omer B’s experience as an amateur race driver also seems to surface in the track’s polished, high octane momentum. There is a clear feeling of speed, control, and mechanical precision running through the performance.
By the end, the vintage rock swagger and modern fusion sophistication feel naturally connected. In my professional opinion, they should “frame the arrangement!”