A Chorus for the Complicated — Julia Steiner of Ratboys
Ratboys frontwoman Julia Steiner discusses how 'Singin' to an Empty Chair' grew from a grief practice into a collection of bright, aching songs that never settle for just one feeling at a time.
The Fair and the Fury — On the Lilith Fair Documentary and Feminist History Worth Keeping
Meredith Hobbs Coons and Carolyn Zaldivar Snow of The Tonearm compare notes on 'Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery,' the documentary film that turns feminist music history into something closer to evidence.
Liam Kazar and the Long Search for Home
After three years of touring more than 200 days annually, the guitarist and Jeff Tweedy sideman recorded 'Pilot Light' to recreate, musically, what constant travel had taken away.
Leilani Patao Bites Back — Pet Love and the Choice Against Streaming
The fiercely independent songwriter's EP 'daisy' honors their late childhood dog while exploring patterns of loyalty and mistreatment across romantic, familial, and pet relationships—all released exclusively on Bandcamp as an act of self-determination.
Life Among the Vowels — Kathy Kennedy and the Sounds We Share
The Montreal electroacoustic artist spent three decades distributing sound through pirate radio and public space performances before releasing 'Vowel Jams', an album that spotlights her personal vision over public appeal.
Poetry Kills — My Violence's Chapbook of Sound
Silvia Ryder discusses her album 'Monday's Child', the unconventional instruments that define her music, and how leaving Sugar Plum Fairies led her to build a new identity from Omnichords and archival film.
Kirin McElwain and the Beautiful Harshness of 'Youth'
Cellist Kirin McElwain's exploratory album 'Youth' turns toward crystalline feedback, chaotic oscillators, and intentionally harsh tones to express the feelings of desire and shame occupying the same cognitive space.
Prewn Weathers a World Riddled with Systems
On 'System', Izzy Hagerup aka Prewn builds maximalist songs alone in her home studio, using 'self-indulgent' cello and multitracked vocals to process the gravity of being trapped inside something much bigger than herself.
Ben Jones and the Patient Bloom of Constant Smiles
The Constant Smiles frontman discusses how 'Moonflowers' represents his return to fingerpicked folk after years of pushing against the Martha's Vineyard sounds that shaped him, and why he finally has the patience and skill to honor influences like Nick Drake.
The Ephemeral Becomes Audible on Erika Dohi's 'Myth of Tomorrow'
From the Fairlight CMI to the 1940s Ondioline, Erika Dohi built her sophomore album using rare instruments with distinct personalities, astrology as a compositional framework, and meditation practices that confronted loneliness.
Ordinary Music — Okkyung Lee's Useful Composition
The experimental cellist discusses her ambient album 'Just Like Any Other Day (어느날): Background Music For Your Mundane Activities', a four-year project born from isolation that turned memories of Korean cinema and cheap-sounding synthesizers into companionship for daily living.
Voice Without a Face — Aiko Takahashi's Tactile Sound Craft
The visual designer and composer behind 'Monologue' explains why they're moving toward greater compositional control, how cassette decks remind them that sound is physical, and what's missing in ambient music right now.