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.
Indie Rock
Drifting Through the Normandy Haze with wavepool
The French band discusses 'Crayola,' their latest EP of shoegaze-inflected dream pop that transforms fleeting observations and unreliable memories into songs as gray and intimate as their Normandy hometown.
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.
The Warm Fuzz and Cold Honesty of Wormy's 'Shark River'
As Wormy, Noah Rauchwerk, the touring drummer for Samia, turns his van life into ten songs about anxiety, imposter syndrome, and "this sense of impending doom" that often shadows the good moments.
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.
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.
Distortion, Disruption, and Dundalk — Just Mustard in 3D
Katie Ball and David Noonan explain how Just Mustard's third album, 'We Were Just Here,' pushes guitars past recognition and why growing up in Ireland's DIY scene infuses their musical ethos with attitude.
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.
Highbrow Meets Lowbrow in Alta Vista's Musical Blender
On their second album 'Won't Believe In Dust', the instrumental trio moves beyond the vintage country songbook that sparked their formation, embracing everything from calypso bounce to free-flowing post-bop while sharing a belief that laughter belongs in the creative process.
Living Hour and the Perimeter of Yearning
Sam Sarty and Gilad Carroll discuss their Winnipeg roots, the making of 'Internal Drone Infinity', and how the band transforms isolation and distance into thoughtful dream pop that leaves space for memory and the quiet work of getting better.
Burnin' Up in Nova Scotia — The Boojums Bring the Fire
Recording their debut album live off the floor in just seven days, the trio channels garage rock fury and Maritime folk traditions into songs that capture a regional scene experiencing its own creative renaissance.
Pain Magazine's 'Violent God' and the Radical Urgency of DIY
The collaboration between industrial techno artists Maelstrom and Louisahhh and post-hardcore band Birds in Row resulted in 'Violent God,' a record born from the belief that if you're not enjoying the process, what are you doing?