Juice Recipes and Life Philosophy: A Chat With Foreign Air at Hangout Fest

Jesse Clasen and Jacob Michael of the buzzy duo Foreign Air have steadily been picking up traction with their layered, feel-good tunes like "In The Shadows" and "Call Off The Dogs." After releasing their debut EP, the pair have developed their live sound by touring with artists like The Strumbellas, Lewis Del Mar, Aurora, and Kevin Garrett. Their intricate songs encapsulate these irresistible melodies that will be sure to boost your mood and have you moving along, which is the perfect festival music. After hitting the stage at Hangout Fest in Gulf Shores, Jesse and Jacob chatted with us about their developing sound, staying replenished on tour, their core principles, and more. 

Photo Courtesy of Foreign Air

ANCHR Magazine: How did you first get inspired to start making music? Do you have a first musical memory from when you were kids?

Jesse Clasen: I grew up with a piano in the house. I started taking piano lessons when I was 9 years old. I think I was always attracted to sound. I quit after about two years because I didn’t like learning other songs. I was so young I didn’t realize there’s probably different styles of teaching, and learning. So instead of thinking about that aspect and saying maybe this isn’t the teacher for me, I just quit. I kept playing cause I loved making sound. You know, creating more than playing music that was already written. So I started with the piano, and my parents got me a drum set cause I was really into drums. So I started playing drums around age 12 every day. My mom took me out of school, I was home schooled for a long time. That basically meant I played music and skateboarded all day. Then started learning guitar. While doing all that, singing and mimicking singers that I really liked to sort of learn different aspects of singing.

AM: Is there a certain singer or band that stood out as a particular influence?

JC: I mean, there were so many when I was young. There was Nirvana of course. As I got older, my mom turned me into Sade and Nina Simone. I really loved her voice. And then I fell in love with Jeff Buckley’s voice. Billie Holliday. I feel like that’s how I learned a lot about vibrato. Then I got into Nick Cave. Tom Waits. More theatrical, lower registers. In terms of music in general, I never really asked myself if it was something I wanted to do. It was just something I was drawn to and loved, and did it whenever I could, how I could. And here I am.

Jacob Michael: [I'm] kind of the same way. A friend taught me the basic chords on guitar, and I just started writing my own songs with those chords I had, then got a bunch of friends together. We kind of just started playing and met likeminded people through music and stuck with it. Music for me was a way to connect with likeminded people outside of my high school. I started taking the metro down to DC and fell into music there.

AM: So what’s next for you guys in terms of new music this year?

JC: We have a bunch of unreleased stuff to put together at the same time we’re working on a full length. We just wanna get it right. I think we’re still chasing that sound and not really rushing it. The full length is probably the next big release that we’re looking at.

AM: Have you noticed a theme in the full length? 

JC: I think we’re very drawn to big drums, and a lot of sampling. Sampling of my voice. A lot of playing instruments we grew up on…piano and bass and guitar. Writing and just resampling it to see how we can kind of flip it on its head. Emotion is very important. We feel that authenticity and trying to capture that. When we’re working on new songs, that’s very much what we’re chasing....the raw emotion and being in the moment.

AM: I saw you guys tweeted the other day, “What’s a principle that you live by?” so what would be your principle?

JM: I love the responses that we got. I’ve been asking a lot of people that.

JC: I’ve always been about honesty. Being upfront with people. Whether you’re in a relationship, in the music world.... You’ve gotta speak up. You don’t wanna be the person going home after a day in the studio feeling like man, I wish we would have done this, but I bit my tongue cause there’s other people around. You’ve gotta be you and be open to experiences.

JM: I was thinking that. Jesse’s one of those people. He keeps it real, probably more than anybody else I know.

AM: On the same subject of your Twitter, I saw your tweet about how your juicer is a tour essential. So if you were to make a Hangout Hangover juice, what would you put in it? And what would you name the recipe?

JC: I like the Hangout Hangover.

JM: You nailed it. It’d probably be like apples, celery-

JC:  Cucumber’s gotta be in there!

JM: Red pepper. And ginger.

JC: Maybe a touch of pineapple. I have a sweet tooth. And some coconut water for the hangover. And crushed up Ibuprofen!

AM: Do you have any other festival do’s and don’ts?

JC: This is our second festival with this project. We did Shaky Knees last week, our first festival. So far, it’s put on sunscreen and stay hydrated.

JM: And don’t stay out too late if you have a show that weekend. Go out, but just remember you have something to do the next day.

JC: So many friends and so much going on, it’s like easy to get lost in it.

AM: Do you have a crazy festival story?

JC: Last weekend, I ended up last minute hoping on the ferris wheel that was right next to the festival with some other friends. We got a bunch of champagne and finished up the night. [Champagne] flutes and everything on the ferris wheel. May or may not have been some other things going on. Not drug related. Some festival loving and dancing.

JM: I like people watching. People are wearing some crazy things at this festival.

AM: What else are you looking forward to this year?

JC: Looking forward to just progressing the sound, and exploring the sound that is Foreign Air. I don’t think we’ve found it yet and I’m excited to see how far we can take it. I want to make a record that comes from a real place. And just sonically new. I wanna challenge ourselves more.

JM: For me I’d say performing live with the new material.

AM: What are some of your new favorite bands?

JC: Bishop Briggs. Lewis Del Mar. 

JM: I like Little Dragon a lot, and GoldLink. I’m really into Jenny Hval from Norway.

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Foreign Air are set to play Firefly Music Festival in June, but keep your eye out for more tour dates here, and listen to their debut EP below.

Shower Sex, Stripping On Stage, and Sheeran: Catching Up With Barns Courtney at Hangout Festival

Since the release of his single, "Fire," Barns Courtney has been everywhere...touring cross-country, opening for the likes of Fitz and the Tantrums and Tom Odell, playing radio shows and festivals...and he's not stopping any time soon. Released earlier this year, Barns Courtney's The Dull Drums EP combines his distinct vocals with infectious melodies and singalong choruses. His debut full length has been a long time coming, and when we caught up with the singer-songwriter at Hangout Fest last weekend, we talked about the recording process for the debut album, life on the road, what's next for him this year, and more. Get to know more about Barns in this candid interview, featuring a scandalous festival tale from his early days. 

Photo Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival

ANCHR Magazine: What do you consider your first musical memory, when you first got into playing your own music, or really falling in love with music in general.

Barns Courtney: I think just singing with my mom. My mom’s crazy. We'd always put on voices together, put on accents, sing little bits and bobs together, make up parodies.

AM: Any bands that she was into? My mom loved Michael Bolton.

BC: I love that, I love that you’re willing to admit that. She used to play Paul Simon’s Graceland. She did that everyday for a year. There’s a line in that song “my traveling companion is nine years old, he is the child of my first marriage”... which was true, for a year. I was a nine year old child of her first marriage.

AM: So you were born in England, then moved to Seattle...then went back to England. Where do you consider home now?

BC: Seattle for sure. That’s where I spent my formative years. That guy over there, Mikey, is my best friend from when I was in elementary school. All the people that I really love from childhood are in Seattle. And my mom loves there, and my brothers.

AM: Do you consider the traveling around to be a big influence on your songwriting?

BC: I think so. Because the way that I write music is very sporadic and I write in a lot of different genres. I was actually wondering if the album was too all over the place, stylistically. It’s different from the EP. I think it’ll be alright. I think the subject matter and the fact that it’s the same person singing on all the tracks will unify it. But I certainly think that the British Indie scene was a huge influence on me. The American pop punk scene when I was growing up in Seattle was a huge influence. I don’t think in the way that would expect. For instance when it comes to Nirvana, they were a big part of my young life. I just loved their throwaway confessional honesty of Kurt Cobain’s songwriting and lyricism. I love that he can fill an entire chorus with some balls and one word, like “Lithium” where he just sings “yeah” again and again and it sounds so good. That’s just inspired me to write music that’s an honest as possible. It’s more about the passion for me and the feel when I write a record than it is about the musicality. Which could be both a good and a bad thing.

AM: I think it’s always better to have passion than be perfectly technical.

BC: But I do love technical bands. I love bands like The Strokes where the guitar weaves so effortlessly with the bass and they have these little lovely intricate parts. I want to explore that on my next record. This one is very basic....basic chords, basic drum beats.

AM: Is the album done then?

BC: It’s done. It’s been done for a while.

AM: Is their a targeted release date?

BC: I think they want to go for around September, I’m not sure though. I just gotta keep my head down and keep writing songs because eventually something’s gotta give. 

AM: What else can you tell me about the album, like where’d you record it?

BC: It’s been a mad rush. I wasn’t expecting my first single “Fire” to be a single. I wrote this song. I was working in a computer store. Before I knew it I was getting calls from my buddy who had showed it to an agent who was a friend of his, and it just like spread around the industry like wildfire. I was signed before I knew it. And then it was in a movie. Then KNND [107.7 The End] in Seattle were playing it. They were playing it before my label even knew who I was. They were getting calls like this Barns Courtney guy, is he yours? And they’re like I don't know who this guy is. I’ve been on the road solidly since that tune picked up. A lot of the album was recorded on the road. My friend Sam from my last band, who’s like a mad genius. He does this project called Look Mum, No Computer where he makes like synthesizers out of bicycles. I took him on the road, we recorded backstage at festivals, in the car, in hotel rooms. Occasionally, like for the next single, we stopped off in a studio on the road in between promo and gigs. There’s definitely like a sense of urgency with the album. 

“There’s just this tremendous sense of togetherness, and it’s not even about being a spectacle or having the attention or the adoration. It is about the fantastic ability to be a part of something together with other people around you.”

— Barns on the thrill of performing

AM: So your set yesterday was great--

BC: It was an interesting set. I was not expecting to get naked.

AM:  Wow, I missed that! I saw the first half of the set, but then went to MGMT.

BC: It got progressively more and more intense.

AM: Well, I was going to say you seem to give 110% at every performance, so how do you refuel yourself on tour when you give so much during each performance? 

BC: I just love being onstage. I love that unspoken connection between the audience and myself. I think all anybody wants to do...in life, ultimately... is connect. When you’re up there, you’re all singing and dancing, hearts beating in unison. Glory Hallelujah. There’s just this tremendous sense of togetherness, and it’s not even about being a spectacle or having the attention or the adoration. It is about the fantastic ability to be a part of something together with other people around you. You come offstage and people want to continue that, they want to talk to you and continue that feeling. The sad thing is, as soon as you leave the stage and the audience, you become two strangers again. There isn’t that magical feeling of togetherness anymore. And that’s what really fuels all my performances. I love that. It’s cathartic and it’s meditative. I’m plugged into something bigger than myself. Really the only times where I don’t do that are when I’m too caught up in my own head or too self conscious. It is the most giving and energizing thing that I personally can experience. It provides me with my force, as opposed to the other way around.

AM: So since we're at a festival, do you have any crazy festival stories?

BC: Whenever people ask me these questions, I know in my mind somewhere there’s something, but I have to think of exactly what it is. I’ve done some messed up stuff at festivals. I remember once, I grew up in the same rough area as Ed Sheeran. So he would come to gigs in this place called the Steam Boat Tavern because they do little clubs shows in there. We played to like 10 people...[Ed] was always a phenomenal performer. I took my first band to see him at this little place, and I introduced him...it was a big deal. I said ‘"Hey this is Ed,’" you know, he’s phenomenal, he’s gonna do great things one day. Bass player walks straight up to him, bites him as hard as he can on the shoulder. Draws blood. Ed starts freaking out, walks off. I don’t see him again for like two years. At this point we’re both playing this festival called Wakestock. Ed’s started to gain traction. He’s playing to a tent of like 5,000 people. I see him backstage, he’s like "Hey what’s up Barns." I’m like "Dude, it’s so nice to see you, I'm so sorry about that thing last time--" Mid sentence, bass player appears out of nowhere, bites him on the shoulder again. Bleeding! He’s like oh my god....goes off. He has to do his set.  Then later that night, we went to a roller skating rink. This is where Ed leaves the story.  We’ve all got roller skates on, and I was so drunk, me and the band, we just left this roller rink with the skates on. We’re trying drunkenly to get back to the van on roller skates through a muddy field. I meet this girl. She starts chewing my face off and she’s obviously on ecstasy, and I realize halfway through, the water that she gave me, is just full of drugs. New Found Glory is playing, we’re like going at- I mean like, Tyrannosaurus Rex going at each other’s faces. Like, it’s not pretty. All the music stops, and we look up and New Found Glory is looking at us, and they say, "I didn’t realize that our music was romantic, but fuck, you guys are really macking on each other!" No word of a lie, everyone is looking at us. We end up backstage in the shower room. Next thing I know this girl and I are getting intimate, I’ve still got my roller skates on. I’m soaking wet. It’s freezing cold, I’m wet through, making sweet love to this girl in a pair of roller skates. I’m shivering my ass off, and the two of us climb into this van. I look behind me, the bass player that just bit Ed Sheeran is making out with this girl that I literally just got with.

AM: That is crazy, I don’t even think you can make that up. So, still on the subject of festivals, you’ve got Lolla coming up, is there anything else you’re really looking forward to? Hopefully nothing as crazy as that festival story! 

BC: I hate having relations with women wearing roller skates. I hope that never happens again. It’s awkward. It doesn’t work.

AM: Would that be your festival "don’t?"?

BC: Do not have sex wearing roller skates. Especially when it’s freezing outside.

AM: Do you have a "do" in relation to that?

BC: A sexual do? Ecstasy is a glorious drug to make love on. You just wanna love everyone. You just wanna touch everyone. I remember being with this girl, and I just sat on my bed and I just looked at her for four hours. It was phenomenal. Just gazing deep within each other’s souls. Then when we finally got around to it, it was just this incredible, visceral experience. Must try that. I insist upon it. It’s got the Barnsy seal of approval.

AM: Anything else you’re looking forward to this tour?

BC: I just love playing festivals. I love playing gigs. Hangout Festival was so much fun. The crowd were just so present. When they told me to take my clothes off, I took my shirt off. They just kept asking. I basically made a deal with them. I was like look, if you guys go fucking crazy, I’ll take the rest of my clothes off. It was the end of the set, I brought two girls up on stage to be my hype ladies. I made a big ceremony, I got a drum beat going. I got the crowd chanting "take it off!"

AM: Wow, I included you in my highlights, but I think I need to revise it to include you getting naked. 

BC: I think Hangout put it on their snapchat. They said “He Did: That" and “Barns Courtney: No Shirt No Problem." 

AM: So moving on from being naked, are there any bands you’re really into at the moment?

BC: Yeah, Bishop Briggs. Phenomenal. I’ve seen her at a couple of festivals. Really into Band Of Skulls. Fidlar. Temples' new album is sick. Harry Styles’ new single is amazing! It's like Ziggy Stardust era Bowie. I don’t care about One Direction. Objectively, those are great pop songs. They’re not for me. They’re for teenage girls, but all music has its place. I would never discredit that. His new record is very credible, and very well done. The production is great. Nobody’s lyrics are ever gonna touch Bowie, but the lyrics are solid. They’re not teeny bopper One Direction lyrics. This is like when Justin Timberlake went to do a solo thing, but even more dramatic of a change. 

AM: Any last shout outs or advice? 

BC: Shout out to my mom. Shout out to my buddies The Struts. I saw them in LA recently, they’re gentlemen. Shout out to my friend, my lover, my coproducer, Look Mum No Computer...his shit’s amazing.

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Chicago, Barns will be in town this August for Lollapalooza. You can check out all of his tour dates here, and listen to his full EP below. 

Kam Franklin of The Suffers Talks Treating Yourself on Tour and Respect at Music Festivals

The Houston-based eight-piece The Suffers have honed in on a refreshing, funky retro sound that sets them apart from the rest of the crowd. Since releasing their debut album in 2016, The Suffers have crossed off bucket list items such as appearing on Jimmy Kimmel and playing a NPR Tiny Desk Concert. This summer, the band are set to bring their bold and soulful sound to several festivals around the country, including their recent appearance at Hangout Fest in Gulf Shores, Alabama. During their time in Alabama last weekend, The Suffers frontwoman Kam Franklin chatted with us about everything from their new music to their festival do's and don'ts. Get to know all that and more in our chat with Kam Franklin!

Photo Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival

ANCHR Magazine: You’ve cited a bunch of different musical styles as your influences, like rock, country, and soul. What was your first musical memory, like a band you heard or a family member that played music, that got you into creating your own music?

Kam Franklin: It was definitely gospel. I grew up in the church, and gospel was always played in my house. Aside from gospel, R&B...So Luther Vandross, Prince, Aretha Franklin, both her gospel stuff and her R&B stuff. That was the main thing that was always in my ear growing up.

AM: Cool, so when did you first start writing your own music?

KF: Probably around age 12 or 13 is when I started writing lyrics or poems and not realizing that’s what they were becoming. First song that I knew was a song, was probably age 16. It ended up on our last record. It’s called “Stay.”

AM: When did you meet the rest of the band then?

KF: We all knew each other before the band ever even was a thing. We were all in different punk, ska, and reggae bands in Houston. We would see each other and it was always a case of oh yeah, if we could ever play with this person we should. It just never happened. The whole thing was when Adam and Pat were starting the band, it was like let’s get this person and this person. We thought it would just be a fun thing, and it evolved.

AM: Cool, so I saw you guys tweeted that you’re going back in the studio at the end of this month. What secrets can you let me in on about the new stuff?

KF: We’re going to release some new singles before the end of the summer. We should be going back to record the full length before the fall. Right now we’re just trying to decide what collaborations we want to do. What kind of sound we want. Where we want to do it. Really we’re just trying to grow as much as possible, and we’re testing the songs out live to see what works, what doesn’t. It’s been kind of funny.

AM: What have been some of your favorites to play live?

KF: We have this one...the song is about getting to know somebody. And all the things that get you excited about getting to know them. Maybe a favorite TV show, or a favorite band, or rapper.  So the chorus for that one is “So what’s your favorite color? Oh you say you like Nas too. You were raised by your mother and her village, oh that's cool. You quote Martin and Friends, I hope this conversation never ends.” It’s just like this...I don’t know, it’s really silly, but it’s playful. There’s a few pop culture references in it, but more than anything it’s just about those times where you used to stay on the phone with somebody all night. A guy that I don’t talk to anymore, but when we first started dating, we had one of the longest conversations I’ve ever had on the phone. I looked at my phone and it said 7 hours. I’m like, I just put in a work shift talking to this dude all night. It didn’t feel like it at all. It felt like maybe an hour or two. I was trying to think when is that last time I talked to somebody for this long, and I realized a lot of men, at least my age, have gotten really lazy as far as the pursuit. Also a lot of women have kind of changed their standards. I don’t mean that in a way that demeans either side, but I feel like once you take the expectations away, the delivery is so much different, and it kind of sucks. I don’t want to chase any people, like come chase me. I’m old school.

AM: So looking at your tour dates, you’re playing so many festivals, from jazz festivals to XpoNential Festival, which is really cool. What are some of the festivals or cities you're most looking forward to playing?

KF: Maybe it’s the same for media, but for bands, when the festival circuit is really heavy, it kind of becomes like a summer camp kind of thing. Where you’re seeing a lot of people at the same time, and it becomes really a fun thing. I just get excited to see some of my friends that are on the festivals. I’ve never been to Lockn’, but I’m excited because my friend Jim James is on Lockn'. Then I’m excited for Whale Rock...it’s the old Beaverton Festival in California. Our friends The Motet and Turquaz will be there. There’s different festival circuits that have the same kind of theme, like Lockn’ will have your Jam Bands and Indie Rock. Then Newport and XpoNential have people that will play more folky festivals, so like your Ryan Adams and Luscious. When you see people you say what’s up, it’s kind of like a fun thing of the circle of friends/colleagues where you rarely see each other because you’re on the road, but they get it.

AM: So how do you stay sane and entertained on the road when you travel so much?

KF: I try to take alone time whenever I can get it. Exercise. Even though I don’t like exercise, I try to exercise as much as I can. I go to the nail shops a lot. I love the nail shops. Self care is so important. When I make friends in other cities, I am very vigilant about following up with them and trying to hang out, because I’m not going to be home for a while. So if I have friends in DC and Atlanta, I’m going to hit them up. It can get very lonely, even though I’m touring with 8 or 9 guys. They’re my friends and my family, but sometimes you want to go see something else. Being with them all the time can be very limited and frustrating. And vice versa, I know sometimes they need time away from me.

AM: Do you have any festival dos and don’ts?

KF: Be respectful of yourself and others. Wear sunscreen. Stay hydrated. Be nice. I say be nice, as if being respectful isn’t the same, but it’s so different. You don’t have to be nice to someone to respect them. The only reason I say that is because it might come back to you. Say you lose your phone, but you were a dick to that person that saw your phone later on. If you’re not a dick, they might bring you your phone back. More than anything, just try to enjoy the music. I’m not anti-phones at concerts, but I am anti- yawning and not paying attention, or judging other people in the crowd. Let people have a good time.

AM: Anything else that you’re looking forward to this year?

KF: I’m mainly just looking forward to releasing new music. We haven’t released new music since our album came out. So I am just itching to get them out!

AM: Any new band recommendations or new albums you’re listening to?

KF: I am obsessed with Emily King’s last record, particularly the song “Distance.”  I love Local Natives and everything that they do. Also just homies. Portugal. The Man just released a new single. My friend Fat Tony. We’re just so happy to be doing what we do and being able to support our friends. Oh, my dear friend Matthew Logan Vasquez of Delta Spirit, who just released a solo album. I helped him with a song on that, and it’s great and I love him so much.

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Check out all of The Suffers' upcoming tour dates here, and listen to their self-titled debut album below. 

A Chat With: Happyness

The London-rockers of Happyness are currently in the middle of their U.S. tour in support of their sophomore album Write In. This album builds off of the momentum of their debut Weird Little Birthday and adds complexity while staying true to the softer rock that this band is known for. Jon-EE Allan, Benji Compston and Ash Cooper collaborate to the highest degree while recording. This combined creativity and drive makes for compelling lyrics and eccentric melodies. They’ll be at the 7th St Entry this Saturday with openers Fury Things and Wetter, read our interview with Jon-EE and Benj below.

Photo Courtesy of Happyness

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ANCHR Magazine: In what ways does your new album Write In differ from your debut Weird Little Birthday?

JON-EE ALLAN: We wanted to make a more open album this time, and open-ended. I think it answers less of its own questions, if that makes sense. The setting for recording this album was actually pretty similar to Weird Little Birthday, we self produced it in our studio, but we were in a very different place mentally. Benji got very ill about halfway through making it so our flow got disrupted pretty heavily. I guess that's why there's a little less segue-ing and interlude type stuff. I think it's more hopeful though - it's kind of a collection of snapshots of hope through the crap.

And there are 3 less tracks...

AM: Do you guys play off of each other creatively when writing songs/recording? What was the main approach to the new album?

JON-EE ALLAN: Yeah definitely - we've worked in every possible combination of the three of us. Usually depending on who has the most concentration or drive at any given time, or who's had the most for lunch.

This is the first time we've had to make an album under time pressure and knowing that people were waiting for it. Working like that takes a bit of getting used to. We just wanted to make sure we weren't forcing it. We blocked out pretty much a year of our lives to make this record. It's a weird feeling cutting yourself off like that. It's hard to keep track of time or have enough perspective on things, so we'd leave songs for months before coming back to them - they get pretty scary to face when you've left them for that long. I don't think we'll make a record like this again, it's not a sustainable way to live... But I like what it produced!

AM: How has growing up/living in London influenced your music?

BENJI COMPSTON: London's such an enormous, sprawling place that we've actually found it really hard to identify a kind of 'scene' as such. At least for what we want to do. The city's definitely influenced us as far as it's the place we live in - but I don't think we can really claim a kind of Clash-esque London thing. It's something I really like about touring is getting to see other cities music scenes and the way they work/the people that make them work. It's inspiring.

AM: I absolutely loved your NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert. What was it like doing that/gaining more recognition in general?

BENJI COMPSTON: It's was kind of surreal...and nerve wracking. Bob Boilen gave us an enormous bag of protein bars to keep us alive on the road. It was cool to check out the NPR offices. They have nice water fountains.

AM: Your music has been described as slacker-rock, what do you guys think of that classification?

JON-EE ALLAN: I don't mind too much either way. People need a way of categorizing things. It always frustrates me when people take that label to assume a lack of effort or thought though - that's my one misgiving.

AM: I can’t wait to see you guys live in Minnesota. What’s it like touring in the U.S. and was this always a goal for you?

JON-EE ALLAN: Long. Drives. I love touring the US. There's something a little more wild and almost primeval about certain parts of the US. Like anything could happen. There's no end to the amount of weird situations you can end up in as 3 effete British guys and 1 French one, left at the mercy of the United States of America. Our taxi driver was a neo-nazi once. That was uncomfortable. We met a guy in Missoula who made a living by purposely getting himself hit by cars. He showed us all his scars - he lived off the payouts. He'd been hit 4 times.

AM: How does your live set differ from your studio work? Do you think it’s important for people to experience your music in a live setting?

JON-EE ALLAN: It took a bit of getting used to how much less controlled it is for us. But we enjoy that side of it a lot now. If we had more money for equipment and rehearsals maybe it would be more similar to the record... We have a bunch of ideas for expensive stage props, but no financial way of realizing them yet. I don't know how many people would get behind a Kickstarter campaign for an indoor beach.

AM: I love how much of a presence simple and beautiful guitar melodies have in many of your songs, especially where lyrics don’t come in until later in the song. Where does that come from? Do you think that allows for more attention to lyrics (specifically in a song like “Weird Little Birthday Girl”)?

JON-EE ALLAN: We just had no appreciation of any of the rules when we wrote those songs. Like getting a song accepted for radio, or what constituted a viable single. It's probably kind of a sociopathic musical streak - we find it impossible to tell what people's' reaction will be to anything we do - so we try to just doing what we want and hope it aligns with other people on some level.

AM: What’s next for Happyness?

JON-EE ALLAN:  Niagara Falls this afternoon and then a show in Cleveland tonight. We've got a few festivals this summer - and we want to record some more music - it's the nicest thing recording music when you've just released an album - the "next-release" pressure is so far in the future, there's something very clear and blissful and uplifting about recording music right in the rain-shadow of an album.

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You can see all of Happyness's US tour dates here, and listen to Write In below.

A Chat With: Nightlands

While he may be best known for being the bassist in The War On Drugs and collaborating with many well-known musicians, the multitalented Philadelphian Dave Hartley released his third record under the Nightlands alias earlier this month. The album, I Can Feel The Night Around Me, embraces and enchants listeners with Hartley's layered vocals and soothing synths. Since the May 5th release of the album, Hartley has been on tour playing the new songs to venues around the country. Before the tour makes a stop at Schubas this Thursday, Hartley gave us some insight on the process behind the third album and chatted with us about his experience scoring a film soundtrack, how he balances being in multiple bands, his dream collaboration, and more. 

Photo Credit: Dustin Condren 

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ANCHR Magazine: I’m loving the new album that came out earlier this month! Can you talk a little bit about the process behind writing and recording the record?

Dave Hartley: I write and record simultaneously, pretty much. I just devote a lot of time to... sonic exploration, for lack of a better term. I tinker with drum machines or loops or synths until I find something that feels like a mysterious path, and I'll follow that and try to work our a chord progression. Writing "Lost Moon" felt like the breakthrough, when I really hit a vein. I had been listening to Glen Campbell's Wichita Lineman on repeat for days, and I sat down with my Roland TR-8 drum machine and just sort of put together a chord progression that I thought gave me that same melancholy feeling as Jimmy Webb's classic. Even though it came out sounding more CSN than Glen Campbell, Wichita Lineman was the inspiration. Once I had that song, it felt like my thesis statement had been written and I could finish the album.

AM: How is I Can Feel The Night Around Me different than your first two records, both from your songwriting standpoint and what differences do you notice sonically?

DH: Forget the Mantra was an aesthetic statement more than an exercise in songwriting, even though "300 Clouds" is a strong tune, in my impartial estimation. Oak Island sort of took that aesthetic out of the bedroom and into the outside world, a little bit... still some experimenting but starting to think in terms of songwriting, song craft, etc. I Can Feel the Night Around Me feels like the completion of a trilogy -- seeing the aesthetic vision of Forget the Mantra through to it's conclusion: harmonies, vocal layers, drum machines, dreamlike imagery, etc... but sort of stepping out of the mist a little bit. I came to terms with my voice more on this album, was more deliberate.

AM: What have been some of your favorite songs to play live from the new record, and what can we expect from the set at Schubas later this month? Will it be a mix of old and new material?

DH: I think "Only You Know" and "Depending on You" really take on a new life live... also some of my earlier songs have really morphed with the band. "So it Goes" is probably my favorite song... it's become radically, unrecognizably different than the album version. I should re-record it. At Schubas you'll see some old songs, some new songs... maybe a cover?
 

AM: Speaking of playing live, I saw you've got a show later on this month at The Andy Warhol museum, which is awesome! Do you find that other art forms ever influence your songwriting, and if so, what artists have inspired you?
 

DH: Very excited about that Warhol show... have been wanting to play there for a while. I'm 100% inspired by other media... maybe more than other music. I tend to insulate myself from music while I'm deep in the recording mode. I don't want to be influenced, I want to try to create in a vacuum. But I'll read a lot, find myself gravitating towards certain imagery. "This image makes me feel the way I want to feel." .... You're always looking for signposts to follow, you know? It could be something as simple as a photograph, or a book cover, or a phrase you read in a novel.

AM: What other gigs are you looking forward to on this tour? Any cities you're particularly excited for?
 

DH: Chicago is always a highlight--my sister lives there and it's one of my favorite cities in the US. Asheville is another that I'm pumped for--who can explain why certain geographic locations loom large in our legends? Of course Philadelphia, where I live, where my life is based. I'm excited to play in Philadelphia.

AM: Since you're also in The War On Drugs and there's new material coming out this year from that project, how do you balance being in two active bands at the same time?

DH: Well I don't really overlap the two.. The Drugs has always had a long gestation-release cycle... the albums take a while to make, and then we tour hard for years on them. So really I'll have downtime, and when I have downtime my idle hands gravitate towards the recording studio. But I don't think I'd be able to balance the two concurrently. Being in the Drugs is a full-time job. And vice versa, while Nightlands is a cottage-industry, so to speak, my obsession with recording my albums isn't proportional to my listening-base, if you get my drift. I go deep and long.

AM: How did the opportunity to score 2001: A Space Odyssey come around, and how was the experience of creating a score? Was your process a lot different than when you approach writing for Nightlands?

DH: A local promoter was doing a series where bands would play live and then screen their favorite film. They asked me to participate and I audaciously one-upped him and asked if I could write and perform a live score to 2001, the greatest film ever made. I profoundly regret not recording the evening.. I was scared. It was improvised, in part, and I was just worried it would be a train wreck and didn't allow it to be recorded. There were only 40 people there, or something, and I remember it as being really special. That could be rose-colored hindsight but I'm going with it. I enjoyed the process because it was structured, rigidly, in some ways and completely open in others. I used a massive house organ that I lugged to the venue, a sampler, and my acoustic guitar. Producer/synth-wizard Jeff Ziegler accompanied me. It was great. It can never be recreated.
 

AM: You also collaborate and work with so many other artists. Who’s another artist you'd love to work with that you haven't already?

DH: Cass McCombs. I'm a huge fan and he always plays with shit-tight musicians. I'd welcome the challenge of living up to his body of work.

AM: What other bands or artists have you been listening to recently?

DH: Andy Shauf's latest album stunned me. The Dove and the Wolf, from Paris-via-Philadelphia. Daniel Lanois' latest album is fucking amazing--next level ambient compositions.

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Grab your tickets to Nightlands show at Schubas this Thursday, May 25th here, and listen to their new album I Can Feel The Night Around Me below.

A Chat With: Meg Mac

Australian singer-songwriter Meg Mac combines her soulful vocals with pop melodies to craft irresistible tunes, like the viral "Roll Up Your Sleeves," which has racked up over 9 million Spotify streams. Prior to the July 14th release of her debut album, Meg will tour North America playing some of the new songs, returning for the first time since she supported D'Angelo on a 2015 tour. In advance of the tour next month, we had a chat with Meg to get the scoop on the upcoming album, her influences, her advice on dealing with jet lag, and more! 

Photo Credit: Metaxia Coustas

ANCHR Magazine: Congratulations on your debut album coming out later this year! Can you tell us a little bit about the songwriting and recording process of the album?

Meg Mac: Thank you! I really wanted to make my first album simple.  I write all my songs at the piano and I played on most of the album. I wanted it to feel and sound like you were in the studio with me when you listen to the album. Just me and my songs without anything getting in the way.

AM: You’ve cited Edith Piaf and Carole King as influences for the album. Did you pull inspiration from any other art mediums or nonmusical influences when writing the songs?

MM: Edith Piaf said she wanted to make people cry even when they don’t understand her words. I love the idea of that. When I am writing I’m always inspired by something personal, something I am experiencing. I have to feel strongly enough about something to sing about it. 

AM: Which of the new songs are you most looking forward to playing live, and what can we expect from the live show?

MM: There’s a song on my album called "Ride It." Recording this song is what inspired me to get my first electric guitar from New York and learn how to play. Obviously it features guitar, but it also has an energy on it that I haven’t had before, and I can play around with that on stage.

AM: Which cities are you most looking forward to on the upcoming tour?

MM: I’m excited to come back to a lot of the places I’ve been before. My last tour in the states was with D’Angelo and I fell in love with a few places. But I’m pretty happy about playing my first show in San Francisco.

AM: Since you’re coming to tour The States all the way from Australia, what are your best tips for staying entertained on long flights and dealing with jetlag?

MM: Don’t take daytime naps.

AM: I saw you tweeted about Firefly Festival and being in disbelief you’re on the same poster as Bob Dylan. Who else on the Firefly lineup are you hoping to see while you’re there?

MM: I’d love to see Banks - she’s playing the same day as me.

AM: I also saw on your social media that your sister is in your band and plays on some songs on your album. Is your whole family pretty much musical, and when did you first get into making your own music? 

MM: Yeah my little sister sings in my band and every now and then she comes in to the studio. Singing is just what we did in our house growing up - it was normal.

AM: What other bands are you listening to at the moment? 

MM: I have been getting into Father John Misty and also going back and loving Tracey Chapman.

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You can pre-order Low Blows here, and grab your tickets to see Meg Mac at Schubas Tavern on 6/20 here. Get ready for the show and the album by listening to Meg's debut EP below. 

Catching Up With: Alex Napping

It's been a little over a week since the NYC/Austin-based band Alex Napping released their sophomore album, Mise En Place, full of honest narratives driven by grooving melodic riffs and lead singer Alex Cohen's ethereal vocals. Since the May 5th release, the quartet have been on the road in support of the new songs, playing album release shows in both of their base cities, NYC and Austin, as well as a handful of new cities. Prior to the tour kickoff, the leading lady of Alex Napping caught up with ANCHR to chat about the process behind the album, from her songwriting to recording, as well as some of her influences and favorite artists. Before the tour hits Chicago's Subterranean this Saturday night, check out these 5 things we learned while catching up with Alex Cohen. 

Photo by HELMUT Studio

Alex Napping is: Alex Cohen, Adrian Sebastian Haynes, Tomás Garcia-olano, and Andrew Stevens. 

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The Album Was Recorded More Than A Year Before The Release

While chatting with Cohen the day before Mise En Place's release, Cohen describes her excitement to finally release the album, saying, "We’ve had this record finished since March of 2016. So it’s been a while coming. I’m very happy to finally be putting it out into the world."

Cohen also reveals the group divided the recording into several different blocks, the first session going all the way back to 2015. Telling the tale of their recording process, Cohen begins, "We recorded at a studio in Austin called Cacophony Recorders, with Erik Wofford, who is the owner of the studio. He produced the record. We did a couple of one-off singles about a year before going in to make this record, just to see if he was someone we wanted to make a whole record with. We made these two songs, “Trembles Part I” and “Trembles Part II,” and just loved working with him and loved his space. [We] decided that when we were ready to do our full length, we’d do it with him."  As far as the span of different recording sessions, she says, "We recorded the record in three chunks. There were four days in November 2015, two days in December, and then four more days in January of 2016, where we tracked the record. And we just kind of broke it up based on like who needed to be there." Cohen continues on to say that "Wife and Kidz" and "Heart Swells 2.0" have minimal bass and drums, so they were able to knock those out in the two days in December 2015. 

There's a New Sense of Maturity In The New Album

Discussing the difference from debut album to the sophomore record, Cohen muses, "I like to think that the themes have matured as I’ve grown older, and kind of have a different perspective on conflict." She continues to confess she actually went back to listen to their first record shortly before Mise En Place's release, revealing, "It was really weird. It wasn’t painful. I was like 'I think this still holds up'...But it definitely sounds like a young record,  and a lot of the feelings that I had that felt so important and grand definitely have a naivety to [them]."

Because of how personal Cohen gets with her songwriting, she says her age definitely plays a factor in the song themes. Elaborating, Cohen says, "I was 21 when I wrote those songs [on the first album], versus being 23, 24 when I wrote this record. I feel like those first few years out of college, being a real adult are pretty big. A lot of stuff happens. A lot of this record is kind of like dealing with being an adult and figuring out how to realistically handle situations. Where things that felt like the end of the world when I was like 20, you’re just like 'this is part of life'. Just kind of figuring out how it all fits into life, like balance and security. Like what do those even mean?" 

Cohen says the themes of her songs aren't the only difference this time around, revealing that her and the band built up the arrangements while they were in the studio this time. "It was kind of fun because we’ve never really gotten to do that as a band before. 'Wife and Kidz' had the melody and that kind of delayed bass part, but other than that we just came up with a bunch of stuff in the studio. It's kind of like the most fun part about the studio....When you have a structure for a song, but figuring out how you want to fill in the spaces. I enjoy working on the fly like that. I think that a lot of really cool, creative things happen when you’re locking yourself in a studio setting for like 10 hours a day," she continued. 

“A lot of this record is kind of like dealing with being an adult and figuring out how to realistically handle situations. Where things that felt like the end of the world when I was like 20, you’re just like ‘this is part of life.’ ”

— Alex Cohen on her maturing songwriting

Land Of Talk and Chairlift Acted As Influences

Being able to freely create and collaborate in the studio also meant that Cohen and her bandmates were able to soak up influence from other bands during the recording and writing process. "When I was writing I was going through a really big Land Of Talk phase. They’re the best. It’s really cool because they hadn’t put a record out since 2012, and they have a record coming out in June for the first time in years. But I was listening to a lot of their music, and I think that that definitely comes through in my songwriting...and even guitar chords and voicing, Cohen says. Continuing, she reveals, "Actually what’s funny is in 'Temperamental Bed', I play in an alternate guitar tuning, and that tuning I learned from looking up tabs from a Land Of Talk song. It’s one of my favorite tuning styles, but I wouldn’t have found it if I hadn’t been like 'How do I play this song that I love so much?'" 

Cohen credits another band for inspiring her during their time in the studio, saying, "Right as I was going into the studio, I started listening to a lot of Chairlift. I don’t think [they] musically influenced this record, but I do just really love the way that Caroline Polachek from Chairlift sings and how she uses her voice. How she can be really playful with it. I think aspects of that, I was interested in incorporating into some of the vocal performances on the record. I think that will be way more apparent on the next one." 

Each Song Acts as a Snapshot of a Moment 

The songs on Mise En Place were recorded a while before the release, but Cohen still find them to be accurate portrayals of herself. Talking more about the relevance of these songs as they age, Cohen says, "I think they’re still relevant in that they’re accurate portrayals of how I felt in specific moments in the year that I wrote those songs. That’s what a lot of them are. I wrote them as certain things were happening..These cool little snapshots of exactly how I was feeling when something happened."

On the contrary to that point, Cohen continues, "At the same time I feel really far removed from that time in my life. It’s weird because it’s like 'Oh, I remember feeling that way, but it feels like a lifetime ago.' Even by the time we were in the studio, I had written a lot of the songs six months to a year prior to going into the studio. I was starting to feel quite distanced from the subject matter."

Although Cohen feels distance from the song subjects, she's still really excited to play them all on tour. She talks more about the live show, revealing which new song she's most excited to play live. "We’ve actually just worked out how to play 'Wife and Kidz' live and we’ll be unveiling that for the first time live, and I’m actually really excited about that, cause I’m just gonna sing on it. I’m not gonna play guitar or any instrument, which I love doing 'cause it’s just nice to have moments where I just get to focus on only doing one thing. I think that we’ve worked up a pretty cool version of it, all things considered and our gear on stage."

As far as the cities they're most excited to hit up? "I’m always excited about New York shows. I actually live in New York now. it’s kind of like a second hometown. We’re playing some places in the northeast like Providence, RI and Bloomfield, CT. I’ve never really been to some of those small town northeaster states before. Our midwest shows in Chicago and Minneapolis because those are just really cool cities. I have friends there that I’m excited to see, and both of those shows have really awesome line ups," Cohen says.

Other Artists That Alex Is Into Include...

It's always great to find out who your favorite new bands are listening to, which keeps your music library from getting stale, so naturally we asked Alex what some of her current favorites are. Besides Chairlift and Land Of Talk, Cohen mentions a couple other badass female artists that have been in frequent rotation on her playlist. "I'm really in love with the Tei Shi album that came out a month ago. She’s so good and so cool,  and I just think that that’s one of the best like, kind of weird pop records of the year," she says.

"Half Waif put out a record this year, which I love. I saw them play live for the first time during South By [South West], which was incredible. Nandi, who fronts that project, is amazing. She also plays with Pinegrove, but I really love the record that she put out this year," Cohen added.

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Tickets for Alex Napping's show at The Subterranean this Saturday, May 20, start at $10. Snag your ticket here, and listen to their new album below. 

A Chat With: Julia Jacklin

Australian singer-songwriter Julia Jacklin has had a year as incredible as the songs she writes...releasing her debut album, touring nonstop, and being announced on massive festival lineups all over the world, like Glastonbury and Spendour In The Grass. Her music blends her rich and haunting vocals with retro-tinged folk music, and a pinch of twang. In the midst of her current North American tour, Julia took some time to chat with us about her first album and what's in store for her this year. Get to know Julia Jacklin now before she takes summer 2017 by a storm.

Thumbnail Photo Credit: Scarlett Mckee

Photo Credit: Nick McKinley

ANCHR Magazine: Congrats on releasing your debut album last year... it’s a big accomplishment! What have been some highlights for you since you’ve released it?

Julia Jacklin:  I’ve kind of been on tour since I released it. So I’ve done a lot of things. Playing music festivals has been cool. We played...it’s a pretty big bill back home, it’s a festival called Laneway Festival. We got to do that, which was like a teenage dream come true. We did Tiny Desk two days ago, which was also on the list of dreams.

AM: Cool! Talking more about your music, you wrote, starred in, and directed the video for “Leadlight." Was that your first experience directing?

JJ: The first one I did was “Pool Party” actually. I released that quite a long time before I released the record. That was my first experience, just kind of coming from having to make it work. I needed a music video and had to make it happen.

AM: Do you have any interest or background with films, or was it really that you just needed someone to direct it and stepped into that role yourself?

JJ: I definitely have an interest...I definitely have a lot to learn in that regards. I’m a person who has grown up watching many things. It’s something that I ended up really enjoying, but honestly it wasn’t like an “Oh, I really want to do this all on my own.” It was like I just had to do it.

AM: Do you have any all-time favorite music videos that you were inspired by when you were planning what you were going to do for your own music videos?

JJ: Probably my favorite is a Grimes clip, called “Oblivion.” Have you seen that one, where she’s in like a football field? It’s really cool. I wish it was my music video.

AM: Cool! So then as far as the live show, what have been some of your favorite songs from the album to play live since you’ve played a bunch of shows since the release? Are there any that have sort of changed and transformed in the live sense?

JJ: Yeah, they’ve all kind of changed over time. They’re quite a lot bigger than on the record now. I’ve kind of had a few---just cause I’m touring a lot in many different places, I’ve had a few line up changes in the band. That’s always changing the songs in a way. I definitely hated a couple of songs a few months ago and now I’m enjoying them. It kind of changes all the time. I’ve been really enjoying playing “Leadlight” lately. Which I was always really scared of for some reason. It was always the one song in the set that I was thinking I was gonna screw up.

AM: So you’ve had a few different line up changes with touring different countries. What’s the current set up on this tour?

JJ: I’ve got Eddie from back home. He’s played with me the whole time. Then I have Ian and Ben from Toronto, who joined a couple of weeks ago. They are fantastic. We’ve been really getting to know each other.

AM: Nice! Any random outings or fun stories from this tour so far?

JJ: It's been a very chill tour so far. The whole first part was driving up the west coast of America, and getting to see the Red Woods. Like staying in really secluded Air BnBs, and just feeling like a real tourist for once. Instead of like a really tired musician just coming in and out of cities and never really seeing anything. I felt like I really got to see some of America this time.

AM: Any cities coming up that you’re excited to go to on this tour?

JJ: We’re going to a few places on this tour we’ve never been to, like Raleigh and Atlanta. So I’m just keen to see what the deal is, what’s going on. I’m pretty excited about playing in New Orleans. I’ve been there a few times as a backpacker, just wandering around, soaking it all in. It’s a nice turn of life events that I’m gonna play there.

AM: That should be great. I hear a lot of musicians say they like playing there because the crowd is really receptive.

JJ: Totally, yeah.

AM: Have there been any culture shocks for you playing in America? It sounds like you’ve been here before even as a backpacker, but anything being a musician that is completely different here than back home?

JJ: It's very different to back home, as there’s so many more cities and venues to play. In Australia it’s like you tour for a week and you’ve pretty much covered it. Really long distances between places as well, and you have to fly. That’s super different- being in a new place every four hours that seems to have a pretty different culture, like food-wise and the music scene seems to change a lot between each state. It’s a completely different experience than back home. It kind of feels like you’re in different countries every couple of days.

AM: What’s been the most surprising show, like where the crowd or city was different to what you thought it would be like?

JJ: We just played in Montreal actually, and that was quite different to what I was expecting. Just a very a vocally appreciative crowd. They were yelling a lot at me, but nice things. Kind of throughout the whole set. They were really into it.

AM: So kind of circling back, do you have anyone who inspired you to start making music? Both musical and nonmusical, what first inspired you to start writing and playing an instrument?

JJ: I guess my friend to be honest. My friend Liz, who I got to know when I was 18. She was a massive fan of like Annie DiFranco and she had a classical guitar. She used to do really cool finger picking, and I was like I really want to be just like you. So I bought a classical guitar and started doing exactly what she was doing. We still play music together. She’s been the biggest thing for me in the beginning. The first band I was in was with her, and she’s just someone I really looked up to.

AM: Very cool. So are there any new albums or bands that you’re listening to a lot?

JJ: I’ve been listening to Mitski’s new record a lot. That’s been a big favorite. I’ve just discovered Cass McCombs. I’m very late to the bandwagon on that, but I’ve been enjoying listening.

AM: So then last thing, you’re on the Splendour in the Grass line up. It’s a big Australian festival and your first time playing it right?

JJ: Yeah the first time, it feels really good.

AM: Awesome, so anyone else on the line up you’re hoping to check out?

JJ: Well we have to fly straight to LA to play FYF Fest. So it’s one of those things where it’s like oh cool there’s all these great people playing, but we have to play and leave straight away to get to the airport. Which is usually the case it seems with music festivals once you start playing them. So I’m choosing not to look at the lineup and when people play so I don’t get disappointed.

AM: Anything else you’re looking forward to this year?

JJ: We’re moving to Spain in a month, doing the European Festival circuit, doing like Green Man, Glastonbury, and Primavera. So I’m really looking forward to that. Summer time festival life.

AM: Very cool. Are you writing new material on tour?

JJ: Yeah I have been. We had quite a lot of down time at the beginning of this tour, so hopefully I’ll have something new soon.

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Follow along with all things tour and other updates from Julia here.  Chicago, you can see Julia Jacklin with Andy Shauf this Saturday, May 13th. Grab tickets to their show at Lincoln Hall here, and get ready for the show by listening to Julia's debut album below!

Get To Know: Skela

Independent, fearless, genuine: Skela is the New York based singer-songwriter you need to know about. A power vocalist and a poet with the knack for crafting catchy pop melodies, Skela's not afraid to pack a punch with her message. After playing an incredible show at The Mercury Lounge in NYC last month, Skela took some time to chat with ANCHR about her upcoming debut EP, new music video, and her other writing projects. Get ready for Skela's takeover in 2017 by reading up on 6 things you have to know about Skela. 

Photo Credit: Grace Watts (@gracexless)

Powerful Vocalists and a Chipmunk-Tuned Cassette Player Got Her Started in Singing

As a self-taught musician, Skela definitely took an unconventional approach in teaching herself to sing. "I actually have one really distinct memory," She revealed. "My earliest memory with music and realizing how obsessed I was with it...I used to live in Sunnyside in Queens, and we had this little Mickey Mouse cassette player. I was really little, I think I was maybe 5. It had this little chipmunk option that made it go really, really fast. It was this song called “Toy Soldiers" on one side, and on the other side was Mariah Carey or something. And I remember that’s how I taught myself how to sing. By mimicking exactly what I heard over and over again, and I would mimic the chipmunk voice. I wanted to sing high. That’s when I first started singing. I would do that all the time until my mom came in one day like 'What are you doing?” I was like in a trance, it was just so normal to me," she continued. 

As far as other inspirations behind teaching herself to sing, Skela credits a lot of female power vocalists, from popstars to pop punk front women. "It’s so broad, it changes over the years when you go through different phases," Skela says about her influences. "Growing up I guess I started off with all the great vocalists. You know, Aretha, Etta James...Christina Aguilera was huge. Mariah Carey. We would listen to a lot of Janet Jackson. As I grew older and kind of got my own ears going, I would listen to The Beatles all the time. I went through that whole emo pop-punk phase of Paramore, you know," she revealed.

Although her influences include a meld of all these different artists and they're ever-changing, Skela says, "I definitely started out with vocalists. That was like my number one. It still is. I could listen to Ariana Grande sing for days."

She Directed Her Upcoming Music Video 

Skela's got a new single on the way, but rather than just releasing the song, she's going all out. The new track, called "Hella," will be accompanied by a music video that she directed. Talking more about the new video, Skela says, "We have Mithsuca Berry as the romantic lead, then the very talented photographer based in New York called Maksim Axelrod. I’m just so excited. I feel like it really is coming together artistically." The new single was originally scheduled to drop in April, but it sounds like everything will be well worth the wait. "We’re wanting to make everything kind of perfect," Skela elaborates about the pushed release date, also mentioning the wonderful flexibility and freedom that comes with being an independent artist. Regardless of the exact release date, get ready to be "Hella Skela" when this music video drops! 

She's Not Far From Releasing Her Highly Anticipated EP

Skela says that her EP should arrive shortly after her new single premieres.  Speaking of new music, some lucky New Yorkers recently got to hear some of the new tracks performed live at Skela's show at The Mercury Lounge last month. Talking about the show, Skela gushes, "I was actually shocked how well it went. It was a pretty packed room. Which is crazy. I’m a small artist, I’m pretty indie...So to have so many people out was really really special. We had a lot of cross promotion with a company called What’s in Your Box? And then we had female based brands like Millioneiress. We just had a lot of love and support. The new music went over so well. Like all of the unreleased music that we played people were like 'Where can I hear that?' And that’s such a good sign that people want to hear it again. I can’t wait to put out the new music. I just can’t wait."

Skela also revealed more about the theme of her new music and her writing process when we chatted. "I think I’m kind of like an odd songwriter because I never really...," she pauses before continuing on to say, "I do write about experiences and events to a certain degree, but most of my music is based off of the literature and the subjects I’m interested in within a certain time period. You know what I mean? I read up a lot on my interests and all of that sort of pours through to poetry, and then I’ll make songs from the poetry. So I’m hoping to release some poetry with the EP. I guess it just shows a little more of what the songs truly are about."

In a way, you could say that her poetry is the skeleton of Skela songs (say that five times fast).  

Her Advice For Other Independent Artists Is...

Skela recently wrote a guest blog for Tunecore about her experience in the industry as an independent musician. Touching more on that subject, and being a new artist, Skela gives her number one piece of advice. "You’re just so overwhelmed with where to start. And just eager. But I think-- just navigate from a point of rationality and logic as best as you can, and it’s gonna take a while 'til you can. Cause you’re so eager that you’re just down for anything and excited to work with everyone. That’s so great, but at the same time, you should be focusing on who you are and what’s right for you. What’s your decision. It’s easy to let people tell you what to do, from agents to managers to you know, anyone with opinions. It really takes a long time to be like no, I got this. I got this cause I got me. For me, my number one thing is just to stay as grounded as possible. And not in a humble way. In a literal, grounded place. Be grounded in your music and who you are. That’s a very hard part of chasing your dream. You lose that because you get discouraged, or you get one good thing that happens to you and it doesn’t work out. Then you’re devastated again. Just staying grounded."

For anyone starting a creative project, not just in the music industry, that advice to remember your intent behind the art is so important. 

“It’s easy to let people tell you what to do, from agents to managers to you know, anyone with opinions. It really takes a long time to be like no, I got this. I got this cause I got me. ”

— Skela on standing your ground as an independent artist

She's Not Just a Singer, But a Screenwriter As Well

Singer, songwriter, director, poet, blogger, and that's not all. The gem of Skela's writing possesses many different facets. "I actually just wrote a short film script," Skela says while talking about what's next for her this year.  "It’s going into production this year, and I’m actually really excited about that. That’ll be pretty cool to have my first screenplay actually going into production. It’s called 'Le Reve,' and it’s being produced and directed by a very close friend of mine, Chiara Gerek," she continued. 

So besides the massive amounts of writing talents, does Skela have any secret talents? "I don’t know if this is a talent, but I always twirl my hair, and I can do it really fast. It’s more of a nervous tick, really," she confesses. 

She's Got a Love For Lo-fi Music

Skela will easily become one of your favorite musicians once her EP comes out, but talking about her favorites, she says, "I’ve been listening nonstop to this one artist called Ben Rosenfield. He’s very awesome. I have this big love for lo-fi music. I’ve been listening to him a lot. I always go back to the basics, like [Sandy] Alex G...Day Wave...Mitski. Diet Cig is really dope, they just came out with a new EP that’s really good. Those are the ones that I go back to. Oh, Active Bird Community. My friend- he goes by Kraus, but his name is Will Kraus and he’s super talented. I feel like he’s about to blow up in that scene. I listen to that music pretty regularly, and it serves as a strange platform for pop music. If you listen to the new music, you’ll definitely hear it. It’s in the melody...it’s all over."

Elaborating specifically on her favorite local artists, Skela has some hot tips about the NYC scene. "I have some friends and musicians that I think are really talented, and I really only try to work with people that I genuinely support and love. A few of them are Josh Jacobson. He’s a producer and a songwriter I work with. He’s dope...he’s got great stuff coming out. Florio. He actually opened for me at the show. Then the Frances Rose girls are so talented. They’re kind of Synth, 80's pop. This girl May, she is amazing. She has this crazy voice, just crazy operatic training behind her. There’s a lot of great musicians in New York, but I feel like right now those are the ones I really pay the most attention to cause they’re somewhat in my lane, but I also really admire them," she says. 

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Stay "Hella Skela" by keeping liking Skela's Facebook page to keep up to date with any updates. You can also listen to this killer Spotify playlist that Skela made, featuring some of the artists she hyped as her favorites while you wait for the EP. 

A Chat With: A R I Z O N A

A R I Z O N A is definitely not your conventional band. The Jersey natives combine their love of eclectic sounds and raw lyrics to deliver songs such as "I Was Wrong," "Oceans Away," and "People Crying Every Night." We recently caught up with Nathan Esquite from A R I Z O N A (the band, not the state) to talk about dad jokes, road trips, and their upcoming debut album Gallery, which comes out May 19th.

A R I Z O N A is Zachary Hannah, David Labuguen, and Nathan Esquite

Photo Credit: Jimmy Fontaine

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ANCHR Magazine: What are some of your musical and non-musical influences?

Nathan Esquite: Hm. I like the addition of non-musical because there’s a lot of influence you can get from non-musical. For me, personally speaking, a big musical influence would be Jeff Buckley. He’s a huge one for me. Saint Vincent, Ben Howard and punk rock. For non-musical, I love cinema. A lot of the stuff that we’ve done is inspired by movies and video games.

AM: What are some of your favorite movies?

NE: My all-time favorite movie is definitely Pan’s Labyrinth.

AM: I’ve heard that dad jokes are a thing amongst the band. What’s the best/worst one so far?

NE: Full disclosure, Zach talks a lot about dad jokes, but he actually gets them all from me. For example, he tells this story like it’s his all the time. While we were on tour, we do a lot of driving, especially through farm country. So we're driving through cornfields and I look to my right and see this huge flock of cows. I look at Zach and I’m like, “Dude check it out there’s a huge flock of cows over there.” And he goes, “Flock of cows? Bro don’t you mean herd of cows?” and I go, “Of course I’ve heard of cows there’s a whole flock of them over there!”

AM: Stop! Was this planned or did that just come out?

NE: Nah that’s the way he told the joke. Pretty good right?

AM: That’s incredible. So at your homecoming show in Brooklyn with Kevin Garrett, Zach talked about all of the negative things going on in the world, and how we should be better humans. Do you think it’s an artist’s responsibility to spread positivity?

NE: I believe that it is everyone’s responsibility to spread positivity, not just an artist. I believe as an artist, you know you feel another calling to it where things that are happening around the world influence the way you do things. Being an artist, you want to share what inspires you and the way you see the world with other people. I believe artists tend to do it more out of that feeling inside of us to share what we see in the world, but I think it's everyone's responsibility to share what they see and what they feel and spread positivity.

AM: Awesome! So, you guys are definitely fighting against the odds. You’ve only been a band for almost two years and you’ve already gone on tour with Kevin Garrett, and are due to play big festivals like FireFly and Governors Ball this summer. How incredible is that?

NE: It’s pretty unreal. If you asked any of us when we started “Hey where do you see the band in two years?” The last thing any of us would have said was “Oh just finishing our first tour and playing all these festivals.” We just want to make music and have fun doing it. To have all these opportunities in front of us, especially me being someone who grew up going to festivals, it’s like a dream come true. It’s a lot of fun.

AM: Yeah that’s my favorite thing about seeing artists grow. Just seeing an artist progress and getting bigger and better is amazing and it makes me so happy. So why call yourselves A R I Z O N A (the band not the state of course)?

NE: We thought it’d be funny.

AM: You guys do a great job writing about love and loss while maintaining an eclectic sound. What can we expect from the debut album?

NE: Well the debut album is called Gallery. A lot of that goes into for all intended purposes is like a collection of our past experiences over the past 10 years in a lot of ways. Just like journeys we’ve gone through and knowing each other and trying to make it in music, trying to make it anywhere in life really. You see a lot of that throughout the album what this journey has been like for us from point a to point b, and you can also hear that in the music. There’s songs like “I Was Wrong” that we wrote two years ago, but then we have songs we wrote a couple of months ago. You hear this huge growth, not just in our writing but our music and how were trying to push our sound.

AM: What inspired you guys to travel around the U.S in Zach’s mom’s Toyota Corolla?

NE: It was a mix of a lot of things. It was a mix of us not having anywhere to work, Zach at the time was living in his aunt’s spare room, I was living with my mom and my five brothers and sisters, Dave was living with his super strict parents so we decided it would work. We took Zach’s mom’s car and we would just sit there and make music all day. We felt like we had this sort of freedom to go wherever we wanted. Why are going to sit in a basement and make a record when we’re in a car? We could go to the beach if we wanted to. And we just kept pushing it further like, ok why are we just going to the beach why don’t we go to like Nashville?

AM: Did that influence your sound in terms of your music? Are you using any of the songs that you made on the album?

NE: Well “People Crying Every Night” was one of the songs we started in the car. But more than anything, I feel the journeys we took in the car, it kind of put us in a position where we were like “Hey, let’s take this seriously and try to do something for real for a second.” When we did the first major road trip we started in Jersey, made our way down to New Orleans and the day we came back from New Orleans, we were like “You guys wanna try this for real now?”

AM: So was that your defining moment?

NE: In a lot of ways, yeah. This was always something. When we started, we would always laugh about it because this was just never about being famous or about making money. It was just like “Hey we have nothing else to do let’s give this one last shot and have fun doing it.”

AM: Last question, what’s next for A R I Z O N A?

NE: The album comes out May 19th and we’ll be on tour all summer!

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As mentioned, A R I Z O N A will be at festivals like Firefly, Governors Ball, and Lollapalooza this summer. Check out the details on those festival appearances and all upcoming tour dates here. Get ready for their tour by preordering the upcoming album Gallery and listening to their latest single "Electric Touch" below:

Get to Know: The Evening Attraction

One listen to The Evening Attraction, and it’s nearly impossible not to get instantly hooked. Between lead singer Miles Malin’s vocals, their strong, melodic riffs, and their subtle nods to an array of influences from country music to Beyonce (more on that later), TEA have managed to brew up the perfect balance. After releasing their debut album and several subsequent singles, the Chicago-based five piece are now back in the studio mixing their sophomore album. In honor of the new record and the band playing our ACLU benefit show with local legends Post Animal and Jude Shuma, The Evening Attraction chatted with me on Record Store Day before their set at Shuga Records. Here's what you need to know about The Evening Attraction, including more on their new music, their past highlights, and future plans.

TEA performing on Record Store Day 2017. The band is Miles Malin, Paul Ansani, Joey Abaroa, Nick Tumminello, and Vince Pimentel.

Miles and Paul have been playing music together for a decade

Bassist Paul Ansani and lead singer/guitarist Miles Malin first started playing music together in middle school, just about a decade ago. "We played in a band called The Break, with Matt Gieser, who owns Treehouse Records," Miles says about the early days with Paul. Continuing on the subject of their first band, he says, "We had some mild success, for kids. We did like all the big venues around the city. Then we moved on into college. Paul went down to U of I, and we kind of spread out. I met Joe at Columbia, and then sophomore year when Matt opened the studio, we did a record there of like post-Break songs that I had, and basically labeled it The Evening Attraction."

The current day line up varies slightly from the first days of The Evening Attraction, though.  "We did the whole first Evening Attraction record...it was us three [Miles, Paul, and Joe], Matt Gieser on drums," Paul says. Miles interjects to add, "Then our drummer now, Nick, did like organs and shakers. Just an all-around auxiliary, good musician. Then we started playing gigs with The Evening Attraction." 

Paul picks the story back up, saying, "Nick eventually transitioned to drums, and then we added our friend Vince." Vince Pimentel joined the group last year to play keys and various percussion. 

Michael Shannon went to one of their gigs

Miles says they've worked on getting their sound down throughout the years as they've played more together. "We’ve been playing a lot. We’ve done a lot of shows since we’ve been together. I think our first show was April of 2013 or 2014," he says. 

While they've played many, many shows, one show in particular still sticks out to the band. "I think our biggest claim to fame is one time we played in front of Michael Shannon, the actor," Joey Abaroa says. Although Paul admits he hasn't seen any of Michael Shannon's movies, Joey's a huge fan of the Academy Award nominated actor. "We peaked, and Michael Shannon left our band," he jokes. 

The new album references influences ranging from The Monkees to Beyonce

The new record from The Evening Attraction is completely recorded and on the brink of release. "Right now we’re in mixing. We’ve got like two final mixes, and we’re gonna hopefully be done mixing at the end of May. Followed by shopping it around, hopefully getting someone to help us put it out...If we get lucky enough and we’re fortunate enough to get it in the right hands," Miles says, adding that he thinks there's something for everyone on the album. 

As far as what the record sounds like, Joey says, "I usually tell people it’s like The Monkees but if The Monkees smoked more reefer than the Monkees smoke reefer." As Miles elaborates on the new music, adding, "The album has 9 tracks, and there’s so many influences that we have. A lot of Jazz stuff, a lot of 60's rock 'n’ roll. Anything from The Zombies to Ty Segall," Joey chimes in again, citing Beyonce as an influence. (The Queen B influence will probably be very subtle if anything, but make sure you listen to the record thoroughly when it comes out).  

Paul also reflects on the new album, saying, "It goes a lot of places. I was listening to it today...we have some rough mixes in. They really kind of run the gamut of our influences. Individually every track kind of goes in a different direction." Paul and Miles also hint that the new music includes some jazzy undertones, horn arrangements, swing tracks, Latin flavor, and 1960's Brit Pop.

At the center of every TEA track, sits a strong melody, according to Paul. Miles also says their songs feature somewhat cinematic qualities, with Paul adding,"A lot of them do have some peaks and transitions, and [it] ends in some place it doesn’t start. A lot of jams. A lot of fades." 

Much like other Chicago bands, they're immersed in the local scene

Although Matt Gieser no longer plays in the band, the new The Evening Attraction record was still recorded at Treehouse Studios, located here in Chicago. In addition to being a recording studio, Treehouse also puts on shows with a lot of local acts. Just recently, TEA played a Treehouse gig with another ANCHR favorite, Joe Bordenaro + The Late Bloomers.  Joey gives Joe Bordenaro a shout out when talking about his favorite bands, also mentioning The Voluptuals and Red Francis.

Paul weighs in on being a part of the Chicago scene, saying, "Now that we feel like we’re kind of consistent and established, we really have a nice connection with a lot of our friends’ bands around here. It's always just nice to see our buddies' bands play. We share the same bill with a lot of the same groups, so it’s kind of good to see everyone hyping each other up." Speaking of sharing bills, don't forget that The Evening Attraction will be playing our benefit show with Post Animal, one of their personal favorites. During the interview Paul is wearing a Post Animal shirt, and both he and Miles say they've been hyping their friends' music for years. 

In addition to fellow local musicians Brandon Reed and Max Loebman, the band say they're huge fans of The Nude Party, Scott Walker, and The Beach Boys. Similar to their own dynamic range in their songs, their musical tastes rest all over the map. 

Rock'n'Roll runs in their family, from musician fathers and touring grandmas

Talking more about their individual inspiration to start playing music, Paul says,"My dad played in a 90's band called Material Issue, and they had their success in the scene. Growing up with that was always fun because you know, it was just always part of my life." 

Paul mentions that his mom is coming out to see them play at Shuga Records, and that Miles' grandma came to the last show. "She’s coming today. She’s gonna come to the next one...and then she’s gonna come on tour with us," Miles joked. 

Speaking of tour, the band say they'll likely tour in the summer after the album release. They've already played 7 out of the 9 new songs live, so make sure you head out to any upcoming shows to get a sneak preview. 

They're into collecting records

In the true spirit of Record Store Day, Joey says he got up bright and early to do some shopping before their show at Shuga Records. "I picked up that Cheap Trick Volume 1, which is a 1975-1979 double LP. I got the two Zombies 45s. You know what’s really crazy? Bamboo. The Dennis Wilson record on vinyl," he shares about his finds. 

Although he wasn't up at crazy hours shopping, Miles says he also collects his own records, in addition to the ones he's inherited from his parents. Miles says his favorites include old jazz records, especially a live compilation from Capitol Records. His absolute favorite, though? "The Casinos. 'I Still Love You.' It’s like this big band, doo wop-y, soul from the 1960s. It’s this track called 'I Still Love You.' It’s like total deep cut that nobody knows," Miles says. 

On the same subject of records, the band say they'll definitely release the new album on vinyl. "I’m looking forward to putting together some good album art," Paul adds. 

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Stay up to date on all The Evening Attraction announcements on their well-rounded, diverse new record and upcoming tour dates by following them on Instagram. Make sure you get down to The Subterranean on July 10th to see them perform with Post Animal, Jude Shuma, and Condor & Jaybird. Grab tickets to that show here, and get ready for the gig by listening to the latest double single from the band below:

A Springtime Guide to Los Angeles with Toyko

On the rise LA-based duo Toyko just released their third single "Like What I Like" earlier this month in advance of their debut EP. To celebrate the new song about relentlessly staying true to yourself and being into what you're into, regardless of what other people think, the duo have put together a guide to their favorite local spots. Whether you're based in Los Angeles, planning a trip there soon, or need something to add to a vision board, check out Toyko's guide to what they like in LA.

"Like What I Like" artwork

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Rooftop Bars

Rooftop bars are always amazing! Perfect for day drinking with friends in the sun. Some of our favorites are:

• The Onyx Bar at Shangri-La Hotel in Santa Monica
• High Rooftop at Hotel Erwin in Venice Beach
• E.P. & L.P. in West Hollywood
• The rooftop at Mama Shelter in Hollywood
• The Rooftop at The Standard Hotel in Downtown L.A.

Japanese Cuisine

We absolutely love Japanese cuisine, especially sushi and ramen.  Some of these places don’t take reservations, and the line will go out the door.  Pro tip: Try visiting for off-hour meals to avoid the wait.  Some of our favorite Japanese Restaurants are:

• Sugarfish. Locations all around Los Angeles…(trust me)
• Tatsu Ramen on Sawtelle and Melrose
• Daikokuya on Sawtelle and in Little Tokyo
• Chibiscus (ramen) located in Hollywood...this is one of the most underrated ramen joints in the city
• Izaka-ya on 3rd St. in West Hollywood.  Try the honey hand rolls and seared albacore & truffle roll. 

Museums

The Broad Museum in Downtown L.A.  This place has an absolutely amazing contemporary art collection.  Plus, it’s free to the public! Lines can get crazy though so reserve a spot in advance, or try and go on a week day if you can.  The Takashi Murakami room is a favorite exhibit of ours. 

Health and Fitness

Aroma Spa & Sports is a great place to go in Koreatown. We usually skip the spas because they have an amazing multi-story driving range for when you just need to crush some golf balls.

More Eats

Farmers Markets are an awesome place to try out on random weekends. A great benefit is that you can find one no matter where in LA you’re waking up. Our favorites are the Larchmont Market and the Original Market on 3rd and Fairfax.

La Poubelle is a great little bistro/ restaurant in Franklin Village. It’s a great spot for a spring date on the patio, however the night life is even better. We’ve enjoyed many nights hanging and drinking the house lager with no shortage of great company.

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There you have it! Toyko's springtime guide to the city of stars. Get ready for their upcoming debut EP by listening to their first two singles here. 

Get To Know: Stef Chura

Detroit-based musician Stef Chura stands out with her distinctive, quirky vocal style and personal lyrics. Chura released her debut album Messes on January 27th, and has spent her time since touring around the country, including a stop at SXSW. Before her one-off show at The Empty Bottle in Chicago on May 4th, Chura chatted candidly with me about life since the release of her first album. The singer exuded her eager and authentic energy as she talked about her influences, accidentally seeing her friends' bands at SXSW, podcasts, and cover songs. Get to know more about Stef Chura now!

Photo Credit: Zak Bratto 

Her influences include Buffy Sainte Marie and Kristin Hersh

Talking about her influences specifically for Messes, Stef says, "I’d never made a record before, and it wasn’t very derivative for me. I hadn’t thought out song arrangements at all, and I didn’t say like 'I want it to sound like this, I want it to sound like that.'" She continues on to reveal she has mixed feelings about it and that she wants to be more precise with her references for the next album.  Elaborating on her general influences, Chura says, "More vaguely, I’ve been really into Buffy Sainte Marie...I love PJ Harvey and Kristin Hersch. There’s a lot a stuff that I feel like melds together to sound like what the record sounds like." 

As far as her favorite songs on the record, Chura says she really likes playing "Thin." She pauses for a second before excitedly recalling another favorite, saying "You know what? This is something we didn’t used to play, 'Human Being.' Cause it’s all feel, and we didn’t have a bass player, so it wasn’t working. Now we have a bass player, and that has become my favorite one to play again. I used to like playing that when I was playing solo."  

She appreciates fan art

I asked Stef about some of her favorite fan reactions to her music since the release of Messes, and she recalled some amazing art that one of her fans sent her. "Someone sculpted a picture of my face and painted it pink. That probably tops all. Then they sent it to me. I was like I don’t know what I’m going to do with this, but it’s actually amazing. So that was a good one."

Although she loves the fan art, Stef is just appreciative for her enthusiastic listeners. Continuing, she says, "I don’t know how many people have really heard the album, but I’m really glad that it seems like the people I do get response from are like wow, I really love this album. Like you know, they’re pretty into it, which is a compliment to hear that they like the whole thing."

She supported her friends at SXSW

A common theme when recalling SXSW experiences with artists seems to be that any and all plans completely change and shift throughout the festival. Stef recalled a similar experience, saying, "Ok, I was on tour with Sad13, and I ended up seeing them again a few times on accident. I feel like I ended up seeing my friends' bands again over and over on accident." She also says she was originally bummed she thought she couldn't fit Girlpool into her schedule, but it ended up working out that she saw them three times. Continuing her story about impromptu SXSW shows, Stef says, "We ended up playing a couple shows with Downtown Boys, and I ended up seeing them four times at SXSW. And playing with them once. And Sneaks. We played a couple shows with them. We saw them at South By. I really wanted to see Weaves, and they were amazing. I was really really into their set." Stef also mentioned Jay Som, Allison Crutchfield, and PWR BTTM as SXSW highlights. 

True crime podcasts keep her entertained on the road

Throughout the entire interview, Stef's tone remained very friendly and laid back, especially when we chatted about how she spends her downtime on tour. "I’m very into like, murder podcasts," Stef revealed about how she entertains herself on tour. "Actually I’ve gotten into this real nasty one, called 'Serial Killers'. Have you listened to that? It’s really gross," She continued.  Elaborating more on 'Serial Killers,' Stef said, "It’s definitely NC-17 at times. Wait, is that the porn rating? It’s not pornographic. I would definitely recommend it. It’s just really gruesome. I have this issue where if I turn on a podcast, I have to hear the end of it, even if they’re talking about something super messed up, like rape. They talk about some kind of insane murders that went down that I didn’t know anything about. That’s the one I’ve been the most loyal to going on. I got really into 'Serial', that first story on 'Serial.'" 

Next up on the podcast agenda for Stef? She says she's started 'S-Town,' but still needs to fully commit to it. 

Her biggest lesson learned is...

Stef started out learning firsthand about playing music by setting up a lot of her own DIY shows. As far as trade secrets for the Detroit DIY scene, she says, "Detroit is totally a dive bar scene as far as DIY stuff goes. In Chicago there is a huge house show scene that is always sustained. Michigan has a hard time. Cool dive bars to see shows at would be like Donovan’s. UFO Factory is a really... it’s a venue, but it’s great to see shows. They have a karaoke night on Sundays. It’s bigger, but El Club, I think they’re bringing a lot of really good stuff in now. I think if you’re in Detroit, you probably know about El Club."

After talking about learning the ins and outs of the Detroit music scene, I asked Stef about other life lessons she's learned from mistakes or from trial and error by doing something the wrong way at first. "Maybe there’s something about that just like...realizes your selfishness in a certain way. It’s kind of like not being able to help yourself when you have a really bad idea. I worked at a strip club, and I was like 'don’t do that'... then I was like I’m kind of curious about that, I’m gonna do it. Or my boyfriend’s roommate was into me and I was like, I probably shouldn’t sleep with him, and I did anyway. That was a long time ago, don’t judge me...Little things like that. Like maybe you wouldn’t even tell someone you did that, but you were kind of learning that maybe you should trust your intuition."

She used to be in a Liz Phair cover band

A little known fact about Stef is that she used to be in a Liz Phair cover band. While we know the Stef can play covers herself, I asked about some of her favorite covers by other artists. 

Stef is stumped by the the on-the-spot question, saying "That’s a hard one! I feel like there are some covers I really like. There is something that I prefer. What is it? I like deep cuts...Oh! This is really corny. The White Stripes do a cover of “I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself” that I actually do prefer. That’s a good one!"

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Chicago, you can grab tickets to Stef's show at The Empty Bottle here. She'll also be playing the Detroit festival Mo Pop with lots of other great artists this summer, or as Stef says, she's opening for Solange, since she plays earlier on the same day. Keep up with future tour announcements from Stef on her Facebook page, and listen to Messes here:

A Chat With: Moon Duo

Ripley Johnson and Sanae Yamada (AKA Moon Duo) released Volume 1 of their fourth studio album Occult Architecture earlier this year, and they're on the brink of releasing the second, lighter part of the album, Occult Architecture Vol. 2. After the release of the first part, the Portland-hailing pair toured around Europe playing the new songs live, and they're gearing up to do the same in America. Kicking off at the Chicago at The Empty Bottle this Friday, April 21st, Johnson says their set will feature more new songs than any of their past tours. Read on to find out more about the recording process, the purpose behind the two part album, their live show, and the Portland music scene in our chat with Moon Duo!

Photo Credit: Eleonora Collini

ANCHR Magazine: So I wanted to start off by talking about Occult Architecture Vo1. 1, which you just released in February. Can you talk a little bit about why you decided to split up the songs into two volumes, and what is it about the songs that keeps them connected, yet separated?

Ripley Johnson: Basically, when we started out recording we had a lot of material. Usually we just end up pulling stuff that doesn’t work out or stuff that doesn’t fit right. Either we don’t use it or it ends up as a single...but when we were doing this record, a lot of the material just naturally started bunching up in two different parts. Some of it was lighter and some of it was darker, so that’s where we came up with the idea of separating them thematically, based on tone. We came up with the idea of releasing one in the winter and one in the spring or summer. That came about really early on in the process, so once we realized we were going to do that, we just started naturally pushing the songs in those directions when we were recording.

AM: Very cool. And you recording in Berlin and in Portland for the two parts?

RJ:  We recorded everything in Portland, but we mixed one in Berlin and one in Portland.

AM: Cool. So do you think that mixing one in a completely different location like Berlin kind of trickled into the vibe and sonically affected the album?

RJ: Yeah. We’ve mixed all of our records in Berlin before this...although we have done some mixing in California, but then ended up remixing it in Berlin. So we knew what the vibe was like there. Part of it was just to separate the sessions, so we mixed one of them in spring and then we mixed the lighter one in the summer in Portland, where we knew it was going to be really sunny and hot. We used the same engineer. The setting was important, but primarily it was just separating the sessions, so that they could have their own identity. But we’ve worked in Berlin before and Berlin has a pretty heavy vibe. It’s a fun city, but there’s a darkness to it. It’s a night time city. It could be cold there, it can be sort of uncomfortable sometimes. It’s very urban...everyone smokes all the time there. So we knew what that was like and the engineer we like to use lives in Berlin. We’d never mixed with him outside of Berlin so it ended up sort of an experiment, but it worked really well.

AM: Cool! How did you end up working with that engineer?

RJ: It started with our record Mazes, where we mixed it and then wanted to start over again. We record a lot of our stuff at home, and we don’t really know what we’re doing. A lot of it needs to be fixed and massaged in the studio. We’ve gotten better as we’ve gone along, but we met this guy through a friend of ours in Berlin who also does all of our tour managing in Europe. We just started back then working with him and we have a really good working relationship so we just keep going back to him. He does a lot of pop, and there’s a real sort of electronic bend to everything in Europe. So he has more of that perspective, whereas our natural inclination is more rock’n’roll...American rock...garage. We don’t have a lot of experience with electronic music, but we like to experiment with it. He can just enhance things in a way because he’s worked on a lot of polished electro-pop kind of stuff. So it’s a good balance because he pushes it in one direction and we just pull him back. It creates a unique working relationship.

AM: So then did you pull influence or inspiration from any other bands for this record, or was it mostly personal experience that influenced the new songs?

R: I think thematically, part of the reason we called it Occult Architecture is that I was reading this biography of Aleister Crowley when I was writing the songs. And it was winter in Portland and I started reading all this occult stuff after that, and that just started feeding into the themes of the songs. Again, the dark and the light, once that became a thing we were working with...just the seasons in Portland are so strong. I’m sure it’s the same in Chicago. So you feel it. You feel nature, even in a city. It pulls you down in the winter. So we were exploring the whole idea of darkness and light.

AM: So then talking about playing these songs in the live setting, are there any particularly you’re looking forward to playing when you start tour?

RJ: We just came back from a month in Europe and we’ve been playing a lot of the stuff. Whenever we release a record, we always think let’s play all of the songs, cause we’re excited to play new material. Then you realize that some of it works and some of it doesn’t, in the live setting or just as far as the flow of the set. But for this tour, we’re actually playing more new songs than we ever have. From volume 1, we’re playing every song except for two, and that’s mostly because we want to play a few old songs for people who want to hear something older. I feel like there’s a tone to the set that works really well.

AM: Nice! Are there any cities that you’re particularly excited to play in?

RJ: All of them...we always look forward to going to Chicago, because Chicago is always great to us and we have some family there. Detroit is amazing, always. New York. All of it’s really great. We’re looking forward to doing the tour with Jackie Lynn. She’s from Chicago and her band is from Chicago, and we don’t often get to do a tour with another band and we’re huge fans, so we’re really looking forward to that.

AM: So talking more about where you’re from, you mentioned the seasons in Portland, but can you talk about the local scene in Portland? Are there any other bands that you’re really into or venues that you’d recommend?

RJ: We really like a place called The Know. It just closed and reopened in a new neighborhood, so we’re looking forward to that. Unfortunately we’re on the road so much that we don’t get to see that many shows here, but there’s a great music scene. It’s such a small city, but we get so many touring bands that come through. We’re kind of spoiled. People here get to see so much music for such a tiny city, it’s kind of unusual.

AM: Any other bands that you’re really into at the moment or albums that you’re listening to a lot?

RJ: The new Jackie Lynn record. There’s a band called Nest Egg that we’re really into. Kikagaku Moyo are friends of ours from Tokyo.

AM: Very cool. So circling back to when you first got into music, do you have a first musical memory of when you first picked up an instrument or first wrote your first song?

RJ: The first instrument I picked up was my mom’s classical guitar, which was probably the worst thing to learn on. When I was a kid me and my friends would pretend we were playing. We had these pretend guitars that someone’s dad made out of plywood and we painted them. We would just pretend to play, so my sort of musical aspirations started before I even knew what a guitar was. We just wanted to get up on stage and dance around, which is really weird to me.

AM: Nice! I always like to hear how people first got into music. So anything else for you guys this year besides Volume 2 and more touring?

RJ: That’s pretty much it. Lots of touring. New record, that’s about it.

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You can grab tickets to Moon Duo's show with Jackie Lynn in Chicago tomorrow, April 21st, here. Get ready for the show by listening to Vol. 1 of Occult Architecture here:

A Chat With: White Reaper

Louisville, Kentucky based band White Reaper are back with a new album and a massive tour to go along with it. With lyrics that get lodged in your brain and riffs that are perfect for rocking out with the windows down, White Reaper's The World's Best American Band puts a refreshing spin on some old school punk vibes. The must-listen rock album is available to pick up on tape, vinyl, CD and digitally here. While we've been listening to it nonstop since the release, we can't wait to see the songs performed live. Before White Reaper's tour swings through Chicago on May 5th, we chatted with the band about their recording process, summer festivals, and some other great American bands.  Get to know more about the world's best American band now...

White Reaper is Tony Esposito, Ryan Hater, Nick Wilkerson, and Sam Wilkerson.

Photo Credit: Jesse DeFlorio

ANCHR Magazine: Congratulations on the release of The World’s Best American Band! What was the writing and recording process like for the album, and how does it differ from your past work? 

White Reaper: I only had a few little recordings on my phone before we went in, they weren't finished songs, just little ideas. We basically wrote the record in the studio, which we had never done before.

ANCHR Magazine: Who do you consider your influences, both generally and specifically on the new music? 

White Reaper: Lately we've been listening to a lot of Deep Purple, The Monks, Todd Rundgren, and Bob Seger. We've always been listening to a lot of old school rock bands like that.

ANCHR Magazine: Which songs are your favorite from the album, and which ones are you most looking forward to playing at your upcoming shows?

White Reaper:  I'm really excited to play "Daisies" live. Also, "Judy French" is another favorite of mine.

ANCHR Magazine: Are there any cities in particular that you’re looking forward to playing on tour? 

White Reaper: Chicago and Nashville are always wonderful for us. We have tons of friends in both of those places.

ANCHR Magazine:What’s your favorite way to entertain yourself on long drives during tour? Any good podcast, book, or movie recommendations? 

White Reaper: Just recently we got a great big book of mad libs.

ANCHR Magazine: You’re also on The Bonnaroo and Hangout Fest lineups, which is awesome! What are some of your festival do’s and don’ts?

 White Reaper: Do drink water. Don't get dehydrated. Find some other way to party so you don't have to pay $8 for a god damned Miller Lite.

ANCHR Magazine: On the same subject of festivals, do you have any crazy festival stories, either from fests you’ve attended or played?

White Reaper: We had a pretty wild time at Primavera last year. We were up all night and we left the festival carrying all our gear and we just walked along the beach right as the sun came up around 6 in the morning. There was a really nice Spanish guy following us and talking to us but he was so wasted it was hard to understand. He was really cool though.

ANCHR Magazine: So clearly, based on your album name, you’re the World’s Best American band, but who would you consider to be runner ups in that category? Also, what some of your favorite bands from around the world? 

White Reaper: Sheer Mag is really good. Tom Petty is too.

ANCHR Magazine: It's no secret that you guys are great musicians, but what are some of your hidden talents? 

White Reaper: We're all pretty useless outside of our bands. We're a bunch of one trick ponies. I can't even blow a bubble with bubblegum.

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Chicago, White Reaper will be at Beat Kitchen May 5th with No Parents. Grab your tickets here, and get ready for the show by blasting the new record:

You can check out all of White Reaper's upcoming gigs here. 

A Chat With: Coast Modern

Los Angeles duo Coleman Trapp and Luke Atlas, better known as Coast Modern, have been turning a lot of heads the past year with their feel-good indie-pop tracks, perfect for cruising with the windows down on a sunny day or dancing along to at a gig. They've been steadily picking up fans by touring with everyone from The Wombats to The Temper Trap, and they've even got Smash Mouth tweeting them compliments. With a new single "Pocket Full Of No" released recently and a debut album on the horizon, the pair are currently touring the country with other buzz bands Missio, 888, and Sundara Karma, as part of Alt Nation's Alternative Placement Tour. Before the tour hits Chicago next week, we chatted with Luke about everything from the aforementioned Smash Mouth compliment, Swiss Army Man, "Trojan Piñatas," and more. Get to know what's next for Coast Modern now!

Photo Credit: Maeghan Donohue

ANCHR Magazine: How’s your day going?

Luke Atlas: Wonderful, hanging out in the Big Apple!

AM: Nice! So I wanted to start off by finding out what first got you interested in music, and what inspired you to start writing and playing an instrument. Do you have a first musical memory?

LA: Yeah, I got like a little keyboard drum machine when I was a kid. I just started messing around with it in my room, just realizing you can make full tracks yourself, you don’t need anybody else. That’s kind of still what I’m doing to this day. And Coleman as well. Just messing around on computers and trying to emulate stuff on the radio. We thought our first beats were amazing and could be on the radio, but we found out they were definitely garbage. It’s a long process getting to now.

AM: You have a debut album coming out at some point this year, but no exact date yet, right?

LA:  It’s a bit loose, but soon though!

AM: What can you tell me about the album as far as where you recorded it and where your headspace was when you guys were writing the songs? Any sort of inside knowledge you can let us in on?

LA: Yeah, it was all recorded in my little home studio, which is a literal studio apartment in Los Angeles. Just very minimal set up. It’s kind of a reflection of personal exploration that Coleman and I were going through. Just things we’re thinking about, existential questions and just trying to fit those in like a fun, pop format that feels real and feels exciting. It’s not heavy, even if some of the things we’re thinking about are a bit heavy. I think the album as a whole is a very wild ride. Very different. Different moods. Like wandering through a maze...landing upon different creatures.

AM: Very cool. So are there any artists, or even other art forms, like films, that you kind of took to as influences? Like, oh I kind of like how that band or that movie took kind of a heavy concept and kind of polished it off in a not-so-scary package?

LA: Yeah, we’re really inspired by everything. A lot more than just specific bands. We saw this movie called Swiss Army Man-

AM: Oh, I love that movie!

LA: It’s an interesting thing, cause it’s like very crude on one level and kind of very heartfelt on another level. That’s kind of something you haven’t really seen before. So that’s inspiring for us. It’s like, you can be kind of silly, but still deal with real topics. Discuss them, or slap them in where it’s more than it is on surface. We like to call it a Trojan Piñata.

AM: That’s a really good phrase! I’m gonna have to steal that! So generally, how are you feeling about releasing the record? Nervous…Excited…all of that?

LA: We’re super excited. We have six singles out right now and the feedback has just been incredible. People are latching on to something it feels like we’re…we have a lot of people that share similar feelings as us. They’re really understanding what we’re doing, which is super cool. We’re excited to release the whole package finally and it’s been a long time coming. We’re ready to keep doing tons of new music and videos.

AM: So speaking of responses, I saw a couple weeks back that Smash Mouth tweeted about your song “Comb My Hair,” so what was your reaction to that? Were you like "Hey now, I’m an all star?"

LA: Yes, I mean that was super surreal! I remember being a kid like hearing that song and like flipping out. I went and bought it immediately. Even now they’re DM-ing us on Twitter.

AM: Really? You guys going to tour together?

LA: Yeah, who knows! Those are the things you just can’t expect. It’s too weird. It does seem like a dream.

AM: So then speaking of tour, I know you’re in New York and then you’re doing the East Coast this week. So what have been some highlights, whether that be crowd responses being amazing, or even touristy things you’ve gotten to do?

LA: We started in New Orleans, which is cool. I’ve never been there, but it’s such a big music town that people were surprisingly excited and crazy. All of the responses so far down the south...people go off. Even in New York last night, it was popping. We try to like, in New Orleans we got the classic Beignets. We try to get out and do the classics in all the cities. We love to explore.

AM: Yeah and you guys have toured around a little bit so you have some of that under your belt! I saw you guys with The Wombats at The Metro so you’ve been here. Anything else you’re looking forward to hitting up this tour?

LA: Ah man...everywhere! You’re Chicago, right?

AM: Yeah!

LA: Have you had Ipsento, the coffee? 

AM: I have not, actually. I’m more of a tea person.

LA: It’s this crazy thing we had there, and we always have like certain foods we latch on to in certain cities and we’re like oh, we have to go back! So that’ll be cool! We’re just excited to keep meeting different people. Every city is different and has got a different vibe, and it’s fun to push people’s buttons.

AM: Yeah for sure! So I’m bummed that I’m missing this show, it should be a good one! I’m flying out tonight to go to LA, and since you’re based in LA, are there any bands in the LA scene that you guys are big fans of?

LA: Oh yea, there’s a band that we’re really into called Dessert! They’re kind of a mysterious LA band, but their music is sort of future-pop...very inserting song structures. It’s very cool stuff, really inspiring. 

AM: Nice! So coming from LA, that’s obviously a big music industry capital. Do you find it beneficial to be there with all the opportunities, or do you kind of find it a bit of a struggle with it being oversaturated with bands and artists?

LA: No, we love it. And there’s just like endless opportunity for collaboration, which is really cool. Like we’ll hit someone up on Instagram that we really like and be like hey do you wanna just come over, come to the studio and jam out? It just seems like everybody’s there and you can have chance encounters like that. That’s kind of where magic comes from. Like things you didn’t expect happen. We love it. It’s a really creative energy, if you can tap into it.

AM: Any other bands that you want to shout out that you might be listening to on the long drives during tour?

LA: Oh man, I don’t know. We try to listen to podcasts in the van--

AM: Oh have you listened to S-Town?

LA: Yeah we just did all of S-Town

AM: Yeah, it’s crazy right?

LA: Very insane, yeah!

AM: Any other podcasts?

LA: We’re into this one called Duncan Trussell Family Hour. It’s kind of a— he’s like a cosmonaut. He explores the mind and wacky, psychedelic stuff.

AM: Nice, I’ll have to check it out. So the next question actually came from a fan on Twitter. They wanted to know what your favorite childhood movie was.

LA: Ooh man, that’s tough! One that comes to mind, I think now cause we’re in New York, is the second Home Alone…Lost in New York. We’ve done some videos on our Instagram with that movie cause it’s amazing. Finding Nemo also. Wait-- Little Nemo, not Finding Nemo. The one where’s riding his bed around!

AM: Finding Nemo is still a good one! Lastly, anything else you’re looking forward to this year?

LA: Yeah, we have a video coming soon. We’re really excited about it. It’s with a guy we found on Instagram, and we’ve got some drones shots. And Dancing. 

AM: Nice, I’ll look forward to that!

---

Chicago, join in on the dance party by catching Coast Modern at the SubT on 4/18! Grab tickets for the show here. For all tour dates, head here. 

Catching Up With Stonefield

It’s Saturday night at a completely packed Metro, and Australian band Stonefield are set to play their final night on tour with fellow Melbourne musicians King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard and Orb. Prior to their last performance, the four Findlay sisters of Stonefield filled me on all the happenings on tour and what’s next for them in 2017.

Stonefield is Amy, Hannah, Sarah, and Holly Findlay.

Photo Credit: Sheva Kafai

Our conversation starts with the sisters telling me they’d been to Chicago before, but never as tourists. This tour so far sounds like it’s been pretty relentless, with not much time off, and on top of that, the schedule for this last day of tour is already running late for everyone. While I chat with Stonefield, King Gizzard’s crew are doing a makeshift soundcheck, since the band members themselves have skipped in order to do a signing at Shuga Records.

The conversation progresses through the haphazard soundcheck, and we shift back to how the four sisters got started as musicians. Although they’ve been playing together since 2006, the Findlay sisters are still quite young, and surprisingly, the music gene doesn’t run direct through their family. “Our parents don’t play music, but they love listening to it,” guitarist Hannah says. She continues on to say that their love of playing music stemmed from growing up around the music their parents listens to, while the eldest sister, Amy, adds, “Mum and dad have this really weird connection where both of their brothers played in a band together, so that’s how they met. So we’ve got the music on both sides, but it’s actually kind of strange that mum and dad don’t play themselves.” Elaborating on the music they grew up with, Holly chimes in, “Dad is obsessed with Frank Zappa. So that’s obviously an influence. But like all of the classics, like Fleetwood Mac, Zeppelin, Hendrix, Pink Floyd. All of that.”

Circling back to their young age and picking up instruments as kids, Holly says the bass was like a toy for her. She's the baby of the family, and started playing as young as age 7. The girls say they’ve all learned a lot since they started, but Amy reckons the biggest lesson involves staying true to themselves. “Because we were so young, when we started, and we’ve been doing it for so long, I think our experience in the music industry has been quite different because we have kind of grown up with it. I think starting young, you’re also sort of--” Amy pauses, and Hannah jumps in with “easily influenced” to finish her sister’s thought. “You’re influenced by people’s opinions and I guess, advice. I think at the end of the day the biggest thing we’ve learned is that at the end of the day, music is a really personal thing,” Amy continued. “You don’t always have to take people’s advice. Like sometimes it’s great, but sometimes it’s better to leave it. It’s all about what you think. Trusting your instincts,” Hannah added. As the sisters bounce their concurring thoughts off one another, Amy concludes this topic by saying, “Music is kind of like a selfish thing. Like at the end of the day, what works best is doing it for yourself and not worrying about anything else. Which sound super corny. But it does kind of, when you’re so young, take a while to realize that you know what’s best for you.”

The Findlays also admit that they’ve learned valuable lessons as musicians just on their current tour with Orb and King Gizzard. Discussing the differences between these shows and touring in their home country, Amy says, “You really feel the love, like it’s easier to get a response. There is a slightly different energy. It’s kind of like having a fresh slate. We’re kind of starting from the bottom, which is exciting. It’s an exciting thing to kind of wanna win people over. To get on this tour and to be able to do it to this many people….It’s been really fun,” about playing in America. One of tour highlights, besides doing a “drive-by” of Times Square and The Statue of Liberty, was their two nights at Webster Hall. All four sisters say those shows were their favorite, with Holly recalling, “At one of the New York shows we had a huge...what do they call those? Circle pits!”

“Music is kind of like a selfish thing. Like at the end of the day, what works best is doing it for yourself and not worrying about anything else. Which sound super corny. But it does kind of, when you’re so young, take a while to realize that you know what’s best for you.”

— Amy Findlay on staying true to yourself in the music industry

For most Australian musicians, touring really only happens on the weekend, whereas in America, all three of these Australian bands have been playing a new city every night. The Findlay sisters weigh in on this change too, Holly confessing she prefers touring over here. “Once you get into the swing of things, I reckon it’s better cause it’s cool that you can play every night and drive not too far and be in a whole new city,” she says. Amy adds that they’re fortunate at home to get gigs in country towns, but says for a lot of bands it doesn’t work out and they’ll only play shows on the weekends.

Another big difference between the American and Australian music industry? Album release cycles. Stonefield released their second studio album As Above, So Below in July 2016 back home, but they’ve only just released the first single from that record in The States. “We’re kind of in a weird spot, because we released that album in Australia last year, but it’s kind of fresh here,” Hannah says, while Amy says she hopes that they’ll get everyone on the same page for their third album. As far as new material for the next record, Hannah says they’re constantly writing. “I feel like our music progresses quite quickly, probably because we are still young, I guess. I think our new stuff is a bit... sort of spacey. [We’re] experimenting more with synthy sounds and stuff like that. But not really like 80’s synth. Like good synth...no offense to 80’s synth. It’s definitely developed. We’ve been playing a few new songs on this tour, which has been good,” Amy revealed about the new material.

Before heading off to soundcheck, the Findlay sisters also recommend some other great material coming from Oz, including their tourmates. “They’re the band that we would be like 'they’re the next best thing',” Amy gushed about Orb. The sisters also tipped me off about White Bleaches, who supported them on a recent tour, and Noire, a band from Sydney. “They have some really amazing, really beautiful songs,” Hannah says of the latter. Amy agrees, adding, “Yeah, I don’t get why they’re not bigger. They’re not big in Australia, but they’re really good. They write really good songs and she has a beautiful voice.”  

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Less than two hours later, the sisters completely rocked their dynamic and energetic set in front of a backdrop of psychedelic graphics, once again getting a great response from the crowd. The setlist contained a mix of old and new songs, and Amy managed to deliver powerful lead vocals while completely smashing it on the drums. Check out photos from their epic set below!

Stonefield at Metro 4/8/2017

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The Setlist

1. Sister
2. Dream
3. Far From
4. Earth
5. Delusion
6. Changes
7. In the Eve
8. Eyes

Keep up with all the Stonefield news on their Facebook page, and listen to their single "Stranger" from their sophomore album here:

Get To Know: Two Feet

It's been quite the year for Bill Dess, AKA Two Feet. His breakout single "Go Fuck Yourself" has stacked up close to 20 million Spotify plays in less than a year since its release, he's currently nearing the tail end of his first tour, he's just played SXSW and has been announced on the Bonnaroo Lineup. Oh, and he's got new music on the horizon. While there's quite a lot of buzz and a lot going on for Dess, there's still a lot of mystery surrounding the multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and producer.  Lucky for you, we chatted with Dess earlier this week, after he played his first show in Chicago in support of Jain. Get to know more about Two Feet now!

First Steps EP Artwork

He got his start in music working as a producer for other artists

Talking about his life prior to becoming Two Feet, Bill says, "I had a normal day job, and I was just kind of producing for random people. [I'd] produce a beat. Then that lead into doing actual pop production for people. One of my friends works at Atlantic [Records], so I started getting into more of the pop production level and that started going really well."

Although things went well at first, Bill does reveal that it sometimes got frustrating working for other people. Continuing his narrative, he says, "So I just kind of made my own project. [I] didn’t really think too much about it and just uploaded it online. 10 months later I’m doing this now. It’s kinda crazy what the internet can do. If you make something that strikes a nerve."

He'd like to collaborate with...

Speaking of striking a nerve, the song "Go Fuck Yourself" did just that with producer and musician Martin Garrix, who tipped off his fans about the Two Feet track in a video interview. Dess says Garrix's shout out gained him listeners and added traction to the song. 

If given the opportunity, Dess would love to work with Garrix too. "I’d like to collab with him. We'll see if we can set something up. He has his own label, but it’s under Republic too. My A&R is over there, [and] trying to set that up. Other than that, I’m sort of slowly setting up my collaboration list for the album. I’m definitely saving those collaborations for the album."

Dess also mentions other artists he admires while talking about his influences. "I really like the Bob Moses guys...they’re really cool. I like the XX or Chet Faker...Chet Baker, even. My dad showed me him when I was a kid. Other than that, a lot of it comes from electronic producers, like Mura Masa. It’s kind of like a mix of everything, and I kind of try to forget about other producers and other people and just kind of do my own thing." While we wait patiently for the Two Feet record and possible future collaborations, check out this collaboration with Melvv...

Lots of new music is on the way

During the set this tour, Dess and his bandmate Huff played a few unreleased tracks from the upcoming EP. Talking about the difference between the new music and the debut EP First Steps, Dess says, "I guess the first EP was a little more beat oriented. I was more focused on more of the production. This one is more songwritery and developed. So it’s a transition in that sense. It’s more flushed out. More information in all of [the songs]...They’re just a little wider is a good way to put it." 

As far as how he'll release the diverse EP (which should be coming in a couple of weeks), he says, "I think I’m doing double singles at a time. Instead of just one song, it’s gonna be two songs and then another couple of songs a few weeks later. To mix up the EP a bit more."

So we've got a new EP on the horizon, but what about a debut album?  "I signed with Republic Records," Dess revealed. Continuing, he says, "This EP is still going to be released basically independently, through Majestic Casual, which is like an Indie Label. The next four songs will be through them. Then after that, I officially start working with Republic Records. I’ll have a 10 track album and that will be released with them in either late 2017 or early 2018. But there’ll be singles leading up to it. I’ll probably have my first single released with them some time in the summer. I’m just really excited for the next 10, 12 months." 

He's a taco enthusiast 

While Dess and his bandmate were at SXSW, he admits they dedicated a lot of time to learning and just playing their own shows, saying, "On the days we had shows, it felt like the whole day was dedicated to just getting that show done, and then packing everything up and taking notes. We figured out what went wrong with the live set. I didn’t really have time to go out and see too many people." Luckily, the experience of playing multiple showcases in odd places gave them some pointers for the current tour. 

However, when there was any free time at SXSW, Dess says, "I just kinda would walk around and eat tacos and go to bars," adding that he did manage to catch a few sets from his friends playing the festival. 

This tour has turned him into a traveler

Much like SXSW, Dess says that most of this first tour has been dedicated to the shows with minimal sight seeing. However, they did get up to some additional fun in Austin and on the west coast. "We went to the river [in Austin]. Which was really cool. Honestly that’s kind of the only touristy thing we did," Dess says. "Oh--right. My tour manager just reminded me when we were driving up the coast of California we saw the Redwoods, which was really cool. We took a route that drove up next to the ocean. Which was really cool, really beautiful. That was probably the most beautiful drive I’ve been on my whole life. It felt like a dream, you know," he continued.

Although so much of the tour is spent driving and setting up for shows, Dess says he's really grateful for this opportunity in general. "I’d never really traveled much before this. So either way, it’s still like I’m seeing a whole bunch of the country that I never thought I’d have the chance to see," he admits. 

In addition to a summer tour in the works and his upcoming appearance at festivals like Bonnaroo and Lightning in a Bottle, Dess says, "I’d really like to play some shows in Europe and go to Japan. My band member is Japanese and he’ll show me around!"

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Keep your eyes out for the upcoming show announcements by checking on Two Feet's Facebook page, and listen to the fill First Steps EP below...

Get To Know: Condor & Jaybird

While I was out at Daytrotter Downs earlier this month, I caught an incredible, impromptu set by The Golden Jaybird, who filled in for Kississippi at the last minute. The Golden Jaybird is actually a hybrid, collaborative project, comprised of The Golden Fleece and Condor & Jaybird. About a week later, the latter of the two groups headed out on the road for a month-long tour. When Condor & Jaybird rolled through Chicago, we met up to chat about everything from strange sleeping arrangements on tour, Hanson, and which company they'd want to sponsor them. Get to know this psych rock group from Rock Island, Condor & Jaybird now!

Condor & Jaybird is Jeramie Anderson, Connor Lyle, Jake Lyle, and Bryson Foster.

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Their songwriting process is evolving and collaborative

Talking about the undefined and unrestricted songwriting process of Condor & Jaybird, Jeramie says, "The best part about being in a band where we’re all kind of writing, is that we’re all allowed to develop our own style. There’s never a point where we’re like, 'Oh that’s not indie rock enough..that’s not psychedelia enough, we need more break downy metal parts...'  We’re just feeling out our own style."

Bryson chimes in that they don't have any sort of super formula, with Jake adding, "It’s easy to get stale when you stick to a formula."  (See, they're even collaborative in their interviewing process).  

Speaking of working together, in addition to their hybrid band with The Golden Fleece, which Bryson describes as another project with cool goals, the guys in Condor & Jaybird are all super supportive of other local bands. One of the bands they're closest to is Mountain Swallower, (who also gave a shout out to Condor & Jaybird in our interview from Daytrotter Downs). Besides being friends and having a mutual love for each other's music, Jake shared that the connection between Condor & Jaybird and Mountain Swallower runs even deeper, saying, "Connor plays drums sometimes in the drummer of Mountain Swallower’s other band, called Grandfather Confusion." Jeramie added, "Our scene is pretty cohesive. We just kind of jam around and kinda do weird stuff together. It’s all pretty tight knit." 

Their influences range from metal to The Beatles

Part of the band's ever-changing and evolving songwriting process comes back to their wide array of influences. Jake shares some of his inspiration and influences, saying, "I was really into MxPx when I was 12. I was like I wanna play bass, and I got a bass. Connor and I are brothers, and in our immediate family, our mom plays music, and our grandma plays music. So it was kind of just a natural occurrence for us. [Connor and Jeramie] went to high school together and played in bands together back then." 

Jeramie elaborates on how the band met and started working together, chiming in, "We’ve been playing together since we were 15. It just kind of all worked out. Like Bryson had moved away to California for a year or two, then he was down in Nashville for a while. We had been cycling through drummers, and he had moved back when we were just starting to look for somebody else. It just worked out perfectly." Continuing on the subject on influences, Jeramie says, "Our sound kind of comes from a place of fogginess with our individual interests. We like The Beatles, we like Queen. We all come from metal. We were playing metal before this band, and when this band started...you can definitely hear it in some of the first records."

For his influences, Bryson says, "Inspiration comes from so many different areas for me. When I started playing music, it just kind of started as oh, cool, how do I play this instrument? Then it turned into how do I draw inspiration to find out how to play this instrument. So early inspiration for me were like metal music, hardcore music. That was just like what the music scene was to me at the time. That was my immediate inspiration. Then I moved away and I started to look at all of music. So I went from primary colors to all the colors, and I was just overwhelmed. Then I came back and joined up with these guys and it was awesome. I was like, now I can focus everything I’ve learned and have been listening to, have been drawing inspiration from, and focal it into the band."

The highlight of their SXSW experience was meeting Hanson

Although Jeramie admits their time at SXSW was a bit challenging, saying, "Being kind of an unknown band at South By trying to jump on showcases is pretty hard," he also says they got the chance to see some great performances from other bands. Jake mentioned a set from Meat Bodies, and the entire band all agreed on loving the set they saw from Mastodon. Jeramie also added, "Chastity Belt opened for Mastodon and they were so great....so amazing!" 

However, the real highlight of their first time at SXSW was meeting the supergroup of brothers, Hanson. Describing the experience, Bryson says, "It brought one part of my life to a full circle," and Jeramie recalled the experience as being a pivotable "made it" moment in life. The lucky meeting happened while the band were hanging out at Daytrotter's base camp at SXSW, and Hanson happened to be in to record a session. Jake confirmed they still play "MMMBop," and Jeramie chimed in, "And still loving it! [Daytrotter] said are you tired of playing that song and they said 'No, you know, you’re not tired of it, you just. It takes on a different flavor.'"  

They've survived sleeping in Fear Factor-esque environments

It turns out that meeting Hanson isn't the only crazy story from this tour. Jeramie tells the tale of an interesting venue in Houston, saying, "I thought about writing a story/song-esque thing about the Super Happy Fun experience. This venue in Houston, called Super Happy Fun Land....Man, it was crazy." Jake jumps in to say the venue is indescribable and ambiguous, adding that they couldn't tell if it was a business or a commune. 

Picking back up with the story, Jeramie says, "We walked in and it looked like pop culture apocalypse. There was like a big mountain of Raggedy Ann dolls and psychedelic graffiti. And there was always like ambient like flashes of light in this dark warehouse!"

Jake continued the story, "You know Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles where like- I can’t remember the terminology, but like where all the kids who worked for The Foot Clan?" Connor jumps in to say the place is called Shredder's Hangout. "So basically that place was like Shredder’s Hangout, but like after it go busted. After the cops cleared it out," Jake continued. 

Bryson interjects to say that they had very good vegan chili at the venue, but after the band recalled there were cats, rats, and roaches running around the venue at night, he added, "It felt like Fear Factor at one point. Like ah, a briefcase of 50,000 dollars will be at the end of this sleep...Joe Rogan’s like 'YOU DID IT!'"  

Despite those strange sleeping conditions, the band say this actually isn't the worst place they've had to sleep. The actual worst? The van, which Bryson says they can all sleep uncomfortably in once you factor in all their gear. Give them a couch, and they won't complain!

They want to be sponsored by Taco Bell and Hanes

In addition to the sometimes strange and uncomfortable sleeping conditions on tour, the band admit there's not a lot of showering options while touring in their van. While Jake gives a shout out to Good Wipes, Jeramie says if they could be sponsored by anyone, he'd love to be sponsored by Axe Body Spray.  

"We’re sponsored by a pizza company called Mama Bosso Pizza Company," Jake says, as the rest of the band endorse the fresh crust and Connor showed off his Mama Bosso Pizza t-shirt. Although they seem more than content with the pizza sponsorship, Connor also says he'd love to be sponsored by Pepsi because "they own so many things. Shampoo companies...Taco Bell." 

Jake says he'd also be thrilled to be sponsored by Hanes to be hooked up with some Hanes Basics. (So...if you're reading this, Pepsi and Hanes, help a band out?)

Their 2017 goals include another new album and more tour

As far as new music and touring this year, Jeramie says, "We put out a full length on New Years Eve and a full length in September, and we’re gonna write another one this year. The pace is kind of picking up for everything. This year we still wanna do another two month tour and have another record at least written."

Elaborating on balancing touring and writing new material, Bryson says, "We haven’t been [touring] too much. This is only our second tour. But I am drawing inspiration from every band we see, every place we go. There’s just so many different things going on and stimulating us that we don’t get in the Quad Cities. Even though the Quad Cities is super accommodating and inspiring...going out and playing with other bands and meeting new people just inspires me to keep doing it." 

Jeramie added, "We just had our show last night in Rock Island, [that] was our stopping point like half way through the tour, and all I really wanted to do was write music when I was home. It's really something to be around that much talent at SXSW, " continuing to say he couldn't wait to get back and get started on new material. 

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Stay tuned for some festival announcements from Condor & Jaybird, as well as a potential extended tour in the winter. Stay up to date on all upcoming tour dates and other news here. For now, listen to their latest album God Wants Us To Do What God Wants Us To Do:

A Chat With: Little Cub

Electro-indie pop trio Little Cub are less than a month away from the release of their debut album, Still Life. Band members Dominic Gore, Duncan Tootill, and Ady Acolatse now reside in South London, but they went through a period of time working as a long distance group, when Duncan relocated to New York. Through the years together, they were able to overcome those challenges and produce an 11-track diverse and dynamic album. Before the April 28th release date of said album, we chatted about everything from their influences, their struggles as a long distance band, and what's next for them this year. Get to know the up and coming group Little Cub now! 

Little Cub is Dominic Gore, Duncan Tootill, and Ady Acolatse

Photo Credit: Megan Eagles 

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ANCHR Magazine: What first got each of you inspired to pick up an instrument and start making music?

Dominic Gore: I grew up in a musical family, both my parents were classical musicians and, even after they broke up, so much of my youth was spent listening to them. It was always the part of their lives where they best expressed themselves and even though their struggles should have been enough to put me off I was too young to appreciate how difficult their lives must have been until I'd been hooked myself. We always had good records around and even before I could really play, my friends and I used to collect and listen to CDs so it was kind of inevitable. 

Combined with good teachers and lots of opportunities to play, I was pretty lucky... Though I didn't really feel any desire to write songs until my Mum passed away, and then it became the sort of central focus of my life after that. 

Duncan Tootill: When I was little, I apparently used to appropriate my toys to use as musical instruments, no matter what it was; so after that (age 6) my Grandad brought a trumpet ‘round and I was instantly obsessed.

Ady Acolatse: I started on cello in primary school. There was this government scheme where everyone in my year at school could play an instrument if they wanted to and get a free instrument loan and lessons. Cello was the only instrument on the list I didn’t know and I remember asking my friend who was sat next to me in class what it was. He told it was a big wooden thing with a spike in it so I was instantly sold. I then moved on to double bass and piano. Bass guitar actually came a lot later for me.

AM: How are you feeling now that you’ve finished a debut album that will be heard by the world soon? 

DG:  Just excited really. These songs are very much snapshots of moments from the last few years of our lives and because a lot of the subject matter deals with our experiences of issues that are going on right now, it'll be interesting to see how people connect with them. We've been lucky so far that people who've heard the album seem to have a lot to say on it.

AM: In your bio, it’s stated: “Too Much Love", and much of the album is loosely thematically based on the Oscar Wilde quote "I represent all the sins you will never have the courage to commit.” What was it about that quote that inspired you, and where else did you pull inspiration from for the album’s theme?

DG: Yes definitely. I like the Dorian thing (and Will Self's retelling of a few years ago) because I think that feeling of seeing your emotional response corrupted as Dorian's is very much correlates to our experience of going through your twenties...particularly living in London. Be it through relationships, bereavement, partying, politics, pop culture or religion. A lot of pop music is by its nature self aggrandizing, but we're not really like that as people. I like the idea that Dorian is constantly trying to be outrageous and devoid of emotion, but at the same time he is sad and kind of ridiculous, so that seemed sort of fitting. That film The Comedy pretty much sums up the idea of seeing the absurd and grotesque elements of the whole thing, but still not being able to totally separate yourself from it. As the themes on the record all link to us dealing with real life situations, there are obviously references to people who helped us deal with those situations. We've commented a bit on poets and writers (Auden, Larkin, Ballard, Greene, Fisher) that influenced us, but one of the things I loved about being into bands when I was younger was all the influences [like] books, films, and artists, that you could discover just by being fans of a band. So a lot of our influences come from other musicians in that sense. 

AM: When you were working as a long-distance band with Duncan being in New York, what were some of the biggest challenges?

DG: Not being able to play live and having to wait on the time difference. We learned a lot about Ableton, production, and recording over the course of the process, and as we're all quite thoughtful and like to really put something through the mill before we sign off on it. Perhaps it's better that sometimes things took a bit longer. That being said, now that we're discovering how great playing live is, I can't believe we weren't doing this sooner.

AM: What are some of your favorite songs on the album, or the songs that you’re most excited to share with your fans?

DG: "October" and "Snow." "Snow" is the most personal thing we've written and we're hugely proud of that one. ‘October’ reminds me of a lot of the pop music that I loved as a kid and it's a very thinly veiled jab at the previous leader of the UK Conservative party so it works on both levels for me.

AA: I think for me, at the moment it might be "Mulberry". I think maybe because of how it's been connecting people when we play the song live has given it a whole new meaning to me and changed how I hear it. We wrote the song to start almost as a ballad that draws you in and then let the song build towards a way more upbeat, emotional and hopefully satisfying chorus at the end. All the shows we've being doing recently we've managed to get the whole room dancing by the end which when you're playing to people who have never heard our music before is a great feeling.

“A lot of pop music is by its nature self aggrandizing, but we’re not really like that as people. I like the idea that Dorian is constantly trying to be outrageous and devoid of emotion, but at the same time he is sad and kind of ridiculous, so that seemed sort of fitting. ”

— Dominic Gore on the theme of "Still Life"

AM: I saw you recently released a remix for Wild Beasts, how did that opportunity come up? Are there any other bands or artists you’d really like to either work with or remix?

DG: Well, they're on the same label and we know their managers a bit. We've actually met them a few times, but I'm a big fan so I've probably embarrassed myself to the point of erasing it from my memory. As we make a lot of more club friendly music too, we really enjoy and believe in the remix as an art form so any opportunity to remix an artist always appeals. We really like Dan Snaith’s remixes even though they often end up sounding more like new caribou songs than remixes. Working on John Grant,Pet Shop Boys, New Order, Jon Hopkins, Pepe Braddock or Leon Vynehall would be pretty special.

AM: You’ve got an album release show in the books, but are there any plans to tour more when the record comes out? Anywhere in the world particularly that you’d really like to play?

DT: Absolutely, we're hoping to sort out a tour with Rhythm Method soon as we love those guys. The album's out on April 28th so we'll definitely be out on the road round then. Right now, I think playing Berlin is on the top of our list.

AM: If you could curate a music festival, who are 3-5 acts (dead or alive) that you would you pick to headline?

Little Cub: Kraftwerk, Nick Cave, Peter Gabriel's Genesis....Would probably be a pretty fitting selection

AM: What other bands are you listening to at the moment?

LC: Hudson Scott, Leon Vynehall, [and] Boxed In. Sam and Oli are both good friends and artists we've worked with a lot so they definitely make the list. Leon Vynehall is a hero so....

AM: What are some of your favorite venues in London?

LC: Electrowerkz & the Lexington are favorites. Then Rye Wax, The Nines and all that Peckham's got to offer!

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Little Cub have their newest single “Hypnotise” out today. Check out the video and get hyped for Still Life, which you can preorder here.