Imagine dipping your toes into the waters of your favorite music genres and suddenly, your senses are stirred by the harmonious dance of vast musical landscapes coming together. That’s the magic that Mark Vickness and his musical collective, MVI (Mark Vickness Interconnected), embody in their latest instrumental album, the awe-striking, “In The Rain Shadow.”
Vickness, a progressive acoustic guitar virtuoso, wears many hats— music enthusiast, composer, jazz guitarist, and now, a trailblazer for a unique genre-blending orchestra that plucks the strings of jazz, classical, progressive rock, contemporary instrumental, world music, and more. Drawing inspiration from nature’s grandeur, “In The Rain Shadow” paints vivid aural pictures filled with lush, layered instrumentation and powerful recurring themes.
The 7-member collective is a melting pot of diverse styles and backgrounds. They represent a global musical journey that connects East and West, narrated through an array of multiple genres. The vital vision? To musically manifest the oneness connecting all of humanity, aiming to create a harmony that touches every heart, like a musical mandala.
Standing out among the crowd is never easy. Yet, Vickness and his ensemble managed to tune into the extraordinary, and the critics couldn’t help but sing their praises. from Bob Mulvey’s comparison of MVI to the “wonderful blend of West meets East” to Jon Gomm’s depiction of the collection as a unique “special sauce” that could resonate with earth’s entire population.
Perhaps the most profound testimonials come from industry legends such as Michael Manring, the renowned bassist who praises Vickness as a “visionary musician,” and Acoustic Double-Neck maestro, Ian Ethan Case, admiring his “graceful delivery” and clear intent. Even fingerstyle pioneer, Trevor Gordon Hall, could not resist applauding MVI’s expansive and inviting sonic world.
The masterful orchestration of “In the Rain Shadow” is no mere fluke. The artists involved have been developing and refining their own sounds over several years, creating a fusion that smoothly marries their independent styles into a harmonious whole. The album houses a classical trio, jazz quartet, and an array of percussion instruments that blend rhythm and melody from an abundance of cultures and genres with skillful nonchalance. Vickness rejoices that there is “almost no style of music we cannot draw from.”
Alongside the album’s debut, MVI whets our appetite with a series of high-definition live videos, giving us a glimpse into their entrancing performances. Vickness’ talent also acknowledged by Robert Cassard on Youtube as the ‘Best Guitarist Composer You’ve Never Heard’ is made more obvious throughout this visual experience.
“In The Rain Shadow” isn’t just a collection of sounds and beats. It is an immersive journey into the hearts of artists who revel in the diverse beauty of our collective human experiences. Guided by Mark Vickness, this masterful ensemble of musicians manages to stitch together a stunning tapestry of rhythmic patterns and melodies with love, passion, and a deep-seated sense of interconnectedness.
Experience Mark Vickness Interconnected’s captivating music. Find full streams and live performances on Apple, YouTube, and Spotify. Dive deeper into his journey on the official website and connect with the MVI community on Facebook and Instagram.
Infused with the serene tranquility and awe-inspiring beauty of life in California’s high desert Owens Valley where Vickness resides, “In The Rain Shadow” is a living, breathing testament to the power of music to transcend boundaries and create unity. MVI invites us all to explore and revel in this unique sonic world – a symphony of interconnectedness and oneness.
This article contains branded content provided by a third party. The views expressed in this article are solely those of the content creator or sponsor and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or editorial stance of Popular Hustle.
There’s a particular kind of power that comes from staying quiet in an industry built on noise. Camden Harris figured that out early. The 25-year-old A&R consultant and entrepreneur has touched projects that collectively surpassed two billion streams, worked alongside David Guetta, Lauv, Inna, Shaboozey, and Jason Derulo, and built companies operating across 50 countries. You’ve probably never heard his name. That’s exactly how he wants it.
Based between Luxembourg, Dubai, Georgia, and Los Angeles, Camden runs a collective of nine producers and eight recording artists who create upwards of a hundred studio productions every month. These tracks get pitched to major labels and artists worldwide. Some become hits under other people’s names. That’s the ghost production game, and Camden takes it seriously. He rarely speaks about the high-profile work.
“Music is about honesty,” he says. “I’m just here to make sure the right songs find the right homes.”
What’s interesting is how Camden Harris applied that same behind-the-scenes approach to his business ventures. He founded Atlas Advisory Group, a company based in Batumi, Georgia, that operates in more than 50 countries. The firm helps entrepreneurs restructure their lives internationally, handling everything from tax optimization to residency planning. It’s the kind of work that lets people build businesses without being locked into one location or tax system.
“What started as helping a few friends relocate their companies turned into a global advisory model,” Camden explains. “Atlas is about freedom, building a life that you own, not one that owns you.”
His second company, Marketime Global, handles digital marketing and brand storytelling from the U.S. The client list ranges from small restaurants to international artists. Camden describes his approach as less about loud marketing and more about creating depth. “I care about the kind of marketing that makes people feel something even years later,” he says.
But before the companies and the consulting work, there was a different story. Camden spent years battling severe depression and panic attacks that left him unable to leave his home. “There was a point where I didn’t think I would survive another week,” he admits. “But pain taught me everything success never could.”
He credits his wife and therapy with helping him rebuild. Today, he’s a father, and he’s clear about what matters. “My wife and son remind me what matters. All the business growth, all the music, it’s meaningless if you lose your peace.”
Earlier this year, Camden Harris became a Voting Member of The Recording Academy (GRAMMYs), and he accepted a position as Executive Director of Artist Development and Recording at a leading artist management school. He doesn’t frame these roles as achievements. “They’re about responsibility,” he says. “Shaping what excellence means for a new generation of creatives.”
Camden keeps a tight circle. Three real friends, he says. Everyone else is business or energy passing through. He laughs when people call him mysterious. “I’m not mysterious,” he says. “I just protect my peace. That’s my luxury.”
Camden Harris built something different. He learned that the strongest foundation isn’t built in the spotlight. It’s built in silence, brick by brick, with people who matter and work that lasts. From the boy who couldn’t leave his room to the man steering companies across continents, he proved that you don’t need to be loud to leave a mark. You just need to know what’s worth protecting.
Levi Lobo just wrapped his first leading role, and it’s personal in more ways than one.
The Albuquerque-born actor stars in “The Weight Of It All,” an indie feature that filmed across New Mexico this summer—including in the childhood home he built with his late father. The thriller, directed by Joel Hager and co-produced by Lobo alongside Dannie McCallum, tells the story of Luna and Alfi, a couple torn apart by trauma. When Alfi emerges from prison and seeks out Luna at her sober living house, she’s forced to decide whether people can truly change.
“Filming in the Trumbull community and the home I built with my father was a profoundly personal journey,” Lobo said. “It allowed me to weave a story of perseverance and resilience, grounded in the soul of New Mexico.”
Levi Lobo in “The Weight Of It All”
The production employed roughly 40 New Mexicans, shooting on location in Albuquerque, Tijeras, and Questa—places where Levi Lobo grew up. The cast includes McCallum (“ECHO”), Daniel Pattison (“Big Sky”), and Liesa Reece. Steve Graham, director of the New Mexico Film Office, praised the project for showcasing local talent and the state’s unique storytelling potential.
What’s interesting is how Levi Lobo got here. After his father, Gerald Donald Martinez, passed away in 2012, Lobo found acting through church plays. That grief became a catalyst. He started performing under the name Levi Dylan before adopting Lobo—a nod to his Aztec heritage and connection to wolves.
His family’s story already had a national spotlight once before. ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” featured them after they moved into one of Albuquerque’s roughest neighborhoods to serve the community. That dedication to service seems to have carried into Lobo’s creative work.
Levi Lobo & Dannie McCallum in “The Weight Of It All”
Through his production company EraCinema, Lobo’s got ten feature films in development. He’s also working on other projects including “The Apache” and “Consider the Violence.” Beyond acting, he’s a writer and painter—his 6×4-foot painting for “Tramp” stems from his 45,130-word historical fiction novel exploring Mestizo identity and displacement.
“If I can change one person’s life for the better through my work, I’ve succeeded,” Lobo said in a recent interview.
It’s a tall order, but given where he’s come from and what he’s building, it doesn’t sound like empty talk. The guy’s putting his roots and his grief into work that matters to him—and he’s doing it on his own terms.
Success looks different on the inside than it does from the outside. For Halifax singer-songwriter Nicole Ariana, that disconnect became impossible to ignore—and it’s the raw foundation of her latest single, “Return to Sender.”
Released October 17th, the 3:30 track marks Ariana’s first release since her 2022 debut album Crybaby. But this isn’t just another single. It’s a confession wrapped in neo soul textures, where the artist pulls back the curtain on what happens when everything looks perfect on paper but feels broken underneath.
“I spent years building my career while inadvertently holding myself back,” Ariana explains. “On paper, I was winning—awards, a Billboard #1, writing trips in LA and Nashville, performances in the UK, Sweden, and Estonia—but inside I felt like a fraud, waiting to be exposed.”
That kind of honesty cuts deep. And it’s exactly what makes “Return to Sender” different from the typical comeback single. Where Crybaby dealt with heartbreak and healing from romantic wounds, this new track digs into something harder to shake: the emotional baggage carried from childhood, the kind people learn to hide behind smiles and drinks, pretending everything’s fine when it’s not.
“Return to Sender” by Nicole Ariana
The song started as a duo with Noah Malcom before Ariana decided to release her own solo version. What emerged is a blend of soul, pop, and R&B that feels both familiar and fresh. There’s a cinematic quality to it—lush production meeting vulnerable lyrics—that pulls you in without being heavy-handed.
Between her debut and now, Ariana’s been busy. She’s racked up a Billboard #1 and RIAA certification while traveling for writing sessions across multiple continents. But all that external validation couldn’t silence the internal struggle. Self-doubt, perfectionism, burnout—it all came to a head.
“This song was written when I finally stopped running from myself,” she says. It’s the moment many artists hit but few talk about publicly. The point where the mask slips and there’s a choice: keep pretending or get real.
Ariana chose real. “Return to Sender” tackles self-sabotage and the uncomfortable work of actually healing, not just putting a bandaid on deeper wounds. It’s a love letter to the version of herself that got lost chasing dreams, and an acknowledgment that sometimes you have to mail yourself back to the starting point to move forward.
The accompanying music video adds another layer to the story, giving visual weight to themes that could easily feel abstract. But nothing about this single feels vague. It’s specific, personal, and surprisingly relatable for anyone who’s ever looked successful while feeling like they’re barely holding it together.
Ariana hopes the music creates space for listeners navigating their own emotional wounds. There’s comfort in knowing someone else gets it, especially when that someone isn’t afraid to get messy with the details.
With “Return to Sender” now out, what comes next for Ariana remains to be seen. But if this single is any indication, she’s done playing it safe. You can follow her journey on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.