Dominique Fils-Aimé has long since planted herself in the music realm with JUNO Awards and praise from critics and fans alike, and she’s continuing her journey in 2023 with the release of ‘Our Roots Run Deep’ on September 22nd. We talked about the album as a garden, the flourishing nature of her minimalistic approach to song, the beauty of Black culture in music, and more in this back-and-forth exchange. 

Kendra: You’re not new to the game with best-selling albums and JUNO Awards to your name, but thinking back to way back when – what do you think your eight-year-old self would think of where you are today? What would she be surprised by most? 

Dominique Fils-Aimé: The eight-year-old (who is still very much alive in me haha) already loved singing and creating back then, she also firmly believes there is nothing out of reach, so I think she is simply happy, grateful, and excited that life keeps proving us right! 

Kendra: So ‘Our Roots Run Deep’ will be the latest in a long line of impressive releases from you, but is there anything you do as part of your creative process that you feel helps you elevate yourself artistically with each release? 

Dominique Fils-Aimé: First of all, thank you; my art is clearly a reflection of me, therefore my creative process is intricately linked to my personal self-growth journey. I wish to remain connected to joy and excitement. My mission will always remain to create paths between us and the illusion of what we consider “other.” Meditation and explorations of new instruments help me keep my curiosity muscle active.

Kendra: With roots being mentioned in the album title, and your second single being “Feeling Like a Plant” I have to ask, if you were to build a nursery of plants and whatnot based on the overall vibe of the new album – what sort of foliage and flowers would we see displayed? 

Dominique Fils-Aimé: It would be a warm and humid garden with a body of water where every plant and tree is welcome to thrive! Filled with exotic and rare plants like Albo monsteras half moon, birds of paradise, Callisia Repens Pink Lady, string of hearts because they are so cute, mother of millions, etc. It would be a garden full of beautiful odd-looking plants, and I would cherish their uniqueness. 

Kendra: For “Feeling Like a Plant” you went with a minimalist approach, something I feel helps push the vocals to the forefront. Do you feel artists tend to shy away from creating songs like this because there is no room to hide behind elaborate musical arrangements? 

Dominique Fils-Aimé: My Soul naked in public. This is what putting my vocals in the forefront feels like to me. I cannot speak to the reasons why other artists do not go there but one thing I can say is that it was definitely a deliberate choice of mine to be more open and candid in this album, so reading this question made me smile. 

Kendra: Now, throughout your career, you’ve always pulled from music that has roots in Black culture from tribal to blues to jazz – and as I was writing this I stumbled across something about Luther Vandross and how often his music is sampled. All of that said, do you think Black artists tend to pull from the past more often than not and pay homage to what came before them because if they didn’t, the mainstream would let those styles and sounds go by the wayside? 

Dominique Fils-Aimé: I believe the black musical legacy is indelible. Honouring the ones who paved the way before us is one of the values I have integrated as part of my creative process. I believe their impact echoes through time and communities in a way no other artistic movement has. Sampling from legends like Luther Vandross is definitely a way to keep the music alive and actual, but I also think it’s because it is just soooo good, we never get tired of it! 

Kendra: Now it’s time for a side note – with it being September AKA Self Improvement Month, I’m asking everyone to give us a song they like to put on when they are in self-care mode… 

Dominique Fils-Aimé: I have two types of self-care modes, one that is anchored in explosive joy and the other in peaceful resting. For joy I go with Aiza’s “Cocoa Butter,” for relaxation it has been the same for years, Sampa the Great’s “Energy” or 432Hz music. 

Kendra: And lastly, with ‘Our Roots Run Deep’ out on September 22nd, what else do y’all have planned as we head into fall?

Dominique Fils-Aimé: I am so excited to be touring Europe this fall and discovering what the live version of this album will sound like! Since creating is my favorite activity, I will definitely be painting and writing more music, getting ready for the next albums. 

The post The Audible Roots of Dominique Fils-Aimé  appeared first on ZO Magazine.

Kendra: You’ve still got so much time ahead of you, but I’d love to know what or who got you into music, and when did you go from someone who loves music to someone who wanted to make their own? 

Luna Elle: The person who got me into music was Beyoncé. From a young age, I admired her for her vocals, dancing, and love for music! She’s always been my #1 inspiration, and when I experienced my first studio session, I understood her love for making music while discovering mine.

Kendra: You’ve been dropping music for a while now, but things seemed to take a turn – in the best way – in 2022 after ‘L.O.V.E.’ and “Why.” Which, when you listen back to that EP, are there any aspects of that record that you’re going to try and incorporate into your music as you continue to move forward and upward?

Luna Elle: Yes, of course! ‘L.O.V.E.’ is my first-born project, and it is the embodiment of my core sound. I will always love showing my low range and stacking as many harmonies as I can think of. These things will always be present in my music.

Kendra: Your sound harkens back to the ‘90s and early ‘00s, but those are eras you know only via entertainment as you were born not even two decades ago. For me, I had things like Vh1 that often had programs about older music, but that network has almost no music whatsoever. Do you find it harder to learn about what came before you, or are places like Spotify and YouTube more than enough? 

Luna Elle: It’s not difficult to learn about who and what came before me, but it’s hard to understand the true feeling of it. As much as I research on YouTube or Spotify, I’m never going to be at a ‘106 and Park Show.’ I don’t get the authentic experience, but my friends and family who did experience the ’90s help me get a better grasp of the experience!

Kendra: Which, back in those days, an artist would flip overhearing their song on the radio for the first time. I feel like that sentiment remains, but you also had a similar experience with billboards. You’re on a couple in downtown Toronto. How did you feel seeing yourself that big in the middle of downtown? 

Luna Elle: I was excited, grateful, but also mortified to see my face that big on a screen that so many people pass by and look at. Despite the slight embarrassment, I loved seeing it, my friends loved seeing it, and it felt so surreal and accomplished!

Kendra: I’m sure you’ll be on another with “Tempo” soon enough. This song definitely hits the spot and features this narrative of two people coming together in what seems like the very early stages of a situation, one in which is trying to set the pace of things. Was this inspired by true events, or are you pulling from friends and their dating adventures and misadventures? 

Luna Elle: It wasn’t based on true events in my life, but I’m sure it was for someone. I’m still in the early stages of my life, so I don’t have much to write about… yet. So, I mix stories I’ve heard from friends with things I see in movies or TV shows and make a new story!

Kendra: This is your third release of 2023. Are there plans for more before we hit 2024?

Luna Elle: Yes! I’m always making more, always itching to drop a new track, and this year has a lot in store for sure! A second project might be in the works, so make sure you stay listening to find out!

Kendra: So because you’re a soccer fan and a pretty good player yourself, I’d love to know what you think the best song is to get pumped up before heading out onto the field, and perhaps the Ghanaian team can take your word for it, and some of the players can put it on their playlists…

Luna Elle: I might be weird, but I listen to R&B to get myself focused and pumped up to play a game. I do try to listen to more upbeat records, my favorite at the moment being “Deja Vu” by Beyoncé!

Kendra: Lastly, with “Tempo” out now, what else is on the horizon for you at the moment? 

Luna Elle: I’m currently focused on making a project and preparing to open for my first tour. I’m super excited to explore different sounds and show my growth as an artist with this next project and upcoming tour!

The post Billboard Moments with Luna Elle  appeared first on ZO Magazine.

That past is said and done for everyone. That’s how it works, but for some reason when we wrap it up in the word “nostalgia,” it holds a new level of power over many of us. And while some of us (ME) give in and fill our grown homes with relics of our childhood bedrooms, others try and combat it. At least that’s what Amber Webber of Lightning Dust set out to do with ‘Nostalgia Killer’ alongside Joshua Wells on their 2023 release, which is out now on all major music and streaming sites. We talked not only about that with Webber, but also about the shift in their relationship dynamic, first concerts, and more like where fans can see them on tour! 

Kendra: You two have been making music together since the mid-00s. Since then you’ve both obviously grown and changed in a variety of ways, as has your dynamic. However, what would you say has been the one element that’s remained the same in one another that you feel has acted as the sort of creative glue that’s held you together musically? 

Amber Webber: Because we grew up as punkers, fanatical music lovers, and creators, we understand each other’s influences so well. When we work together we rarely have to explain what we are trying to achieve musically – the other one just picks up on it and the song flourishes. It’s rare to find that chemistry. That’s our glue.

Kendra: Nostalgia is huge. It’s a money-making machine as far as pop culture goes, and I personally love it. Everyone knows I’ll talk to you for hours about the ‘90s if you let me, but you two ran in the opposite direction for ‘Nostalgia Killer’. You don’t think it’s necessarily good to live in the past. Why do you think some people would hop in a time machine and go back, while others would scoff at that scenario? 

Amber: I suffer from extreme nostalgia, I romanticize most memories and can become torturously sentimental. I wrote the songs on ‘Nostalgia Killer’ as an attempt to let go of some nostalgia and make space for the present.

Kendra: All of that said, is there something from your childhood or teenage years that makes you yearn for the past at all? 

Amber: Take me back to the 1990s, so I can relive going to my first concerts; Lollapalooza, Bjork, Nirvana, or the Beastie Boys. I always love it when I meet members of the audience that are at their first concert. I remember how magical it was for me in my early teens.

Kendra: Now this album, you recorded it pretty quickly. At least to me, three sessions seem quick. Do you think that’s just a testament to your history together and knowing how the other works when it comes to writing and recording? 

Amber: I wouldn’t say it was recorded quickly. We live in different cities now, so we did a lot of pre-production on our own – sending back and forth tracks, etc., but Josh Wells is a pro at producing and engineering so it definitely runs smoothly when he’s in the studio.

Kendra: I’d mentioned the change in your dynamic earlier, and that’s because you two were together as a couple but aren’t anymore and you put that to song in “Different War.” I know people that will hide in stores if they see their ex, let alone talk to them and write a song with them. Who sort of brought this song to the table, and was the other sort of taken aback by it at first? 

Amber: I wrote the beginning of this song even before we broke up, not knowing what lay ahead haha. After we split I was trying to finish it but always got too sad and would stop recording. It wasn’t until a year later that I re-listened to my sad sobbing demos, decided I really loved “Different War” and finished it up.

Kendra: You’ll also be heading out on the road for a bit at the end of June in Canada. Are there plans to expand the tour to the States? Perhaps this fall? 

Amber: We would absolutely love to tour the USA. We just need a tour to fall into place. We are working on it – but nothing is set in stone just yet.

Kendra: Time for a side note: This month I’m asking everyone for a song they listen to when they’re feeling a little lost creativity and are in need of some musical inspiration…

Amber: Aphrodite’s Child ‘666’ is a great album if you need to get feeling weird, it reminds me to think outside the box. I’ve cranked ‘Even it Out’ by Fever Ray this week to feel some creative angst.

Kendra: Lastly, with ‘Nostalgia Killer’ out on June 9th and some dates already on the books, what else can fans be on the lookout for as we roll into summer? 

Amber: We have just signed on to the Purple City Festival in Edmonton and we’ll be announcing some shows around that soon. 

The post Catching Lightning Dust in a Bottle  appeared first on ZO Magazine.

There are two types of songs I like to listen to in the summer; those that remind me of Warped Tour and those that have this lazy-day-afternoon vibe. Kris Ulrich grew up listening to the likes of Warped staples, but his music delivers the latter, especially in songs like “Friends on the Internet.” A song one can hear on his March 31st release, ‘Big in the USA.’ We talked about the new music, socializing online vs real life, and more like the community found within Winnipeg. All of that and more await below!

Kendra: First, I’d love to know what initially drew you towards music. Have you always been one of those people who knew pretty early on that you were going down a creative path?

Kris Ulrich: My folks had me in classical piano and voice at a young age but I don’t think I really had a strong desire to play music until I heard Linkin Park.

I remember hooking up the family computer speakers to my walkman on the floor of my room and absolutely cranking ‘Hybrid Theory.’ That stuff FIRED ME UP. My brother and I had a band together as kids that I played bass in and we would play Beatles and Travelling Wilburys. I always looked up to him because he fronted the band and played guitar. 

Kendra: You have been very active in your local music scene, which I think is great but it can also be scary for someone starting out who doesn’t know how to really get involved with theirs. What advice do you have for someone who just moved to a new city who is trying to emerge themselves and become a part of their local scene?

Kris Ulrich: I got super lucky with the Winnipeg scene honestly. I moved from a small town and didn’t know anyone there, but there were so many established musicians that took me under their wing and I am so thankful for that. My advice would be to be supportive and curious. Go to shows, meet new people, and be open and kind.

Kendra: Speaking of, many from your local scene were enlisted to work on your 2023 release, ‘Big in the USA.’ When you started writing, did you think you would have this sort of communal support? 

Kris Ulrich: I absolutely did. I was at a time in my life where I didn’t know if I would make another record or pursue an artistic career anymore. Then I joined a song club run by my friends in Slow Spirit where you had to turn in a new song every week and I felt the tap open again. It really lit a fire to create and I wrote a bunch of the songs that ended up on this record. 

I remember showing some of the demos I had made to my friend Field Guide and he said, “You’ve got a record started!” I remember being shocked because they weren’t recorded “properly” and I thought they were too different sonically from my previous stuff. If he hadn’t gassed me up about the songs and direction, I wouldn’t have made this record. 

Kendra: The record also embraces that DIY spirit. You recorded this in your home and being someone who has worked remotely for over a decade – it can be hard to focus. For you, were there any tricks you used to not get distracted when it came time to work on music?

Kris Ulrich: I really try to make the space I make music feel like me. My current mood is cactuses, orange sound panels, and some animal skulls. Lighting is big for me too. I despise overhead lighting so there are lots of lamps and ambient light. 

Kendra: So let’s talk about the title track because…some of my favorite lyrics to date. When you sang, “I’m not famous on the internet/And my record sales don’t pay my rent/I wouldn’t change it for anything,” I was like, YES! I’m a creative person, and I feel like this is such a realistic anthem for those who strayed from the expected 9-5 because it can be and often is a struggle but at the same time, we love what we do. So, thank you! But my question is, do you think there is something in people like us that makes it hard for us to accept the “typical” path in life? 

Kris Ulrich: I think something that translates across mediums is the desire to learn and develop your craft. To me, that is the addiction. I love learning new things and being absolutely blown away by a song/film/book/photo etc…It feels like magic. How did they make that? I just can’t imagine spending my time here not chasing that magic. I’m sure it’s different for everyone, but for me, I think that is why. 

Kendra: Another song on the record is “Friends on the Internet.” It’s weird to think that there are people I’ve followed on Twitter for years that I’ve never met but I’ve watched them become parents, grow in their careers, and all that jazz. Which I’m fine with, but do you think that having so many internet friends can hinder your social skills in real life?

Kris Ulrich: I don’t think it hinders, but it can definitely make it strange when you finally meet someone you have only known online. You feel like you know so much about them but it’s only through that little periscope of their online selves.

Kendra: Time for a side note – We’d love to know when you perform, do you have any sort of lucky charms you take with you on stage, or do you have any sort of pre-show traditions you do to ensure you have a great show?

Kris Ulrich: I don’t have any charms, but one thing I always do is empty my pockets. I feel out of sorts if there is stuff in my pockets like receipts or change. I have no idea why but it vibes me out haha, even if it’s in my shirt pocket. I usually listen to heavy music before I go on. Usually the record ‘Low Teens’ by Every Time I Die. 

Kendra: Lastly, with ‘Big in the USA’ out on March 31st, what else can the world expect as we focus on spring and soon enough, summer? 

Kris Ulrich: I have been on the road pretty heavily since September so I am going to take some time to relax, but this spring I will be recording stripped-down versions of a few songs from the record with some of my favourite artists being featured on them.

The post Kris Ulrich on the Internet  appeared first on ZO Magazine.

Kendra: Music has been such a part of your life for so long now, but when did you first sort of know that you wanted to dedicate your life to creating art?  

Matthew Spreen: I think that epiphany was inspired by my surroundings growing up. As a kid, I was a visual artist and a crafter but I didn’t grow up learning instruments or music. It wasn’t until my middle school friends started playing guitar (and getting really good) that I realized it was even possible to play an instrument. I think around that age I was filming and editing silly movies with my other friends for fun when I realized it might be fun to write some original songs to go with the film. 

So I learned guitar as a joke kind of at first. The point I started taking music (and art) seriously was when I decided to take myself seriously when it was all of a sudden important for me to reflect a meaningful and deep version of my emotions and my philosophies. As incredibly embarrassing as that was, and as far away from achieving any flattering goal, I kept trying and evolving alongside my art with the chronic need to express and define my ephemeral truth. Honestly though, the whole time, I neglected professionalism completely.  

Kendra: You’re no stranger to being part of a band. You’ve been in a few to date. With that, do you feel that every time you move onto a new venture, you’ve been able to take a piece of every band with you on your next musical venture?  

Matthew Spreen: Yes and no. I used to be stuck on this mindset that every project had to represent its own sound and identity. Almost like a character foil to the other projects. I made a deliberate effort to avoid taking pieces into new projects but my performances and experiences with my past collaborators are the brunts of my musical education. I’ve learned so much from everyone I’ve got to know and I take that with me and it definitely comes through in my newest rhythms and melodies and tones. 

Kendra: For you, music is about connection so when you decided it was time to try your hand as a solo artist – was there an adjustment period you went through not having bandmates, or did you keep the connection alive with collaborations?  

Matthew Spreen: Yes, a big adjustment period. There were a lot of things that I never had to be good at. I didn’t have to sing before, I didn’t have to play bass, or make drum patterns. It was always this quick “oh yeah do that again!” or “try something different” among the old bandmates. 

So really, my appreciation of what makes a song full has been both humbling and awe-inspiring. Every single note and harmony and rhythm and texture, layer upon layer, harmonizing impacting the song for better or worse. The amount of creative energy it takes for a three to four-minute song is insane. And honestly, there’s only so much one brain can do. Collaboration allows for different perspectives and it really gave a boost to the tracks I collaborated on (Decentralized, Hot Air, and Levee Broke).  

Kendra: You’ve also noted that music is about perspective. When you look at 2021’s ‘Lefty’ and your most recent, ‘Decentralized Living,’ back to back – what do you feel was the biggest factor in how your perspective may’ve changed between writing and recording each?  

Matthew Spreen: Truthfully, at the time of ‘Lefty’ I was not taking my solo project seriously at all. It was just excess creativity in frayed directions that didn’t suit the music of my other projects. My ex and I were co-writers and I found my success as her guitarist in whatever project we were doing. I really didn’t plan on that ending either. 

So ‘Decentralized Living’ is the first real album and its statement is, “Woah, okay, life is insane and unexpected, and I really have to just do this music thing on my own, here we go!” It’s the first self-aware and serious solo effort I have. Technically the second. The first one I shelved because it was just too personal and messy. I don’t believe in sharing at the expense of others. 

Kendra: With “Decentralized Living” you create one of many soundscapes found on the record. For this song in particular though, if it were an actual landscape – what sort of greenery and plant life do you think we’d find and why?  

Matthew Spreen: I love this question. Every sound in this song is meant to invoke the movement at the core of a metropolis. I feel like, between the buses and the buildings are trees through the grates in the sidewalks and bushes on the median strips. Resilient greenery that manages to survive millions of people. Grass and weeds breaking through the cracked cement and (if it’s the right climate) moss at the feet of monuments and benches.  

Kendra: ‘Decentralized Living’ also features “Had a Dream.” As a musician in a time where the internet and social media can take someone from obscurity to the spotlight presumably overnight, do you think the dream of most artists has shifted from wanting to be the next great musician to wanting to be the next great influencer/brand/ celebrity?  

Matthew Spreen: Art in the current state of free media and capitalism influences people to obsess over self-promotion and personal branding and it often sacrifices their individual voice for the sake of catching the next trend. It’s a really confusing time for creatives in general and they will either struggle financially or compromise fully. Today, every independent artist has every opportunity to publish their work online but they also have to be their own promoter. I don’t think it’s healthy to let those two worlds contaminate each other.  

When I wrote the song “Had A Dream,” I was struck by the heavy awareness that anybody who is going to choose a path of art and philosophy will struggle deeply but how important it is as well. I think when someone’s ultimate idea of success is to create the most sincere feeling possible they’re bound to sacrifice other forms of success. And it really hurts sometimes.  

Kendra: Time for a side note – We’d love to know when you perform, do you have any sort of lucky charms you take with you on stage, or do you have any sort of pre-show traditions you do to ensure you have a great show?  

Matthew Spreen: Oh wow. Umm. My tradition is to get really nervous and introverted before a show. For the hour leading up to the performance I completely disappear. I go for a walk outside. I tune my guitar three to ten times. I have a drink (but not five) and I adjust my guitar strap twenty times. And then I somehow level out a few minutes into the first song. I could use a charm or two though. I like the idea of something familiar to center myself.  

Kendra: Lastly, with ‘Decentralized Living’ out now, what else can the world expect as we focus on spring and soon enough, summer?  

Matthew Spreen: You can expect more music releases and some local shows in Montreal. First one will be at Les Sans Taverne in the Batiment 7. There will be a full-length album for a duo project in the works called KASM which will be more jazz and hip-hop influenced. Plus a few singles under my solo project coming up as well. And I’ll be starring in a short film that should be out around Halloween plus doing the soundtrack for it. It’ll be Directed by Cameron Crane who also did the ‘Dennis Is Lonely’ short film which I scored with my friend Matt Damron. And I’ll be co-writing some material with my friend Dan Beasy’s band ‘Bluebird.’

The post Getting Serious with Matthew Spreen appeared first on ZO Magazine.

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Getting in tune with nature, looking for understanding in this wild world, and so much more was on the table when we got a chance to chat with Cat Clyde. That includes Cat’s 2023 release, ‘Down Rounder,’ which drops on February 17th. 

Kendra: You have this look that reminds me of my summers at Warped Tour but a sound that takes me back to when I fell in love with the likes of Sheryl Crow and Paula Cole as a kid. With that, I’m interested in what artist, song, or even a whole album made you want to be more than a fan of music, but be someone who made music?

Cat Clyde: The first time I heard Lead Belly it really changed my life. I heard a version of “Where Did You Sleep Last Night” by Nirvana on YouTube around the age of 13. I loved the song and wanted to know who had written it and then ended up finding the original version. It just moved me so deeply. I felt as though I could feel all the colours of emotions that he was expressing and felt so in awe of that fact that something captured so long ago could continue to translate such deep and complex feelings so simply inside of a song. I felt recognized in that moment and I wanted to share my deepest feelings in that same way, to last forever and move someone just like me in the far away future long after I was gone.

Kendra: So it’s been a minute since you dropped an LP. How do you think the time in between ‘Hunters Trance’ and ‘Down Rounder’ and all that transpired in our world since 2019 has impacted your artistry?

Cat Clyde: When I look back, so much has changed. I’ve grown so much and learned to be so much more in tune with myself and what I need to keep the flow in my life. I’ve deepened my relationship with myself, my art, music, and cultivated meaningful relationships with other artists, and people. I am always still learning and everything is always changing and I look forward to each moment I exist in this strange world.

Kendra: There is a lot that went into ‘Down Rounder’ but I like the aspect of connecting with nature. Is there anywhere outside of your home in nature that you find the most musically inspiring? If so, did you write any of the record there?

Cat Clyde: When I wrote this record I was living in rural Quebec and was surrounded by a maple forest, the St. Lawrence river, ponds, creeks, and country roads. There were spots I would frequent like the chicken coop, the river, some certain trees – but I think more than anything to see so clearly the consistent and small changes that would happen every day that would turn the wheel of the seasons was most inspiring. How in springtime I could hear the ferns at night crawling up the dry winter undergrowth under the spring moon, the geese flocking, making nests, and raising their young. The summer storms, waves crashing and the river freezing over sparkling afternoon snow, and cozy silent winter evenings. It was like a never-ending song playing and I didn’t want to miss a single verse.

Kendra: With “Mystic Light” you sing, “Please help me understand,” and while the line is simple on paper, there’s such a weight to it because it seems like we’re all just trying to understand everything from the mundane everyday things to the cosmos. For you, if you could be granted one wish to understand anything in life – what would it be, or would you want to keep wondering about it because that makes life more interesting?

Cat Clyde: I think if I had to understand something right now – it would really just be a deeper understanding of myself so that I could be more relaxed in the presence of others and make choices in my life without guilt or shame that reflect who I really am and who I want to be.

Kendra: So time for a side note – with love in the air, I’d love to know what is the #1 song you’d put on a mixtape as part of a Valentine’s Day gift?

Cat Clyde: “First Day Of My Life” – Bright Eyes

Kendra: Lastly, with ‘Down Rounder’ out on February 17th and a UK tour already set for February and March, is there anything else already in the works for after that?

Cat Clyde: Setting some more tours and shows up currently. I’m really excited for what this year will bring.

The post Understanding Cat Clyde appeared first on ZO Magazine.

The beauty of Montreal, the performance art of crafting a music video, and so much more was on the table when we sat down with Atsuko Chiba. Of course, we couldn’t not talk about their January 20th release, ‘Water, It Feels Like It’s Growing,’ so we did! Album chatter and so much more in this new back-and-forth exchange. 

Kendra: When it comes to music scenes, I really only ever got to experience LA. What’s Montreal’s like and where do you feel Atsuko Chiba fits into it? 

Atsuko Chiba: We are quite lucky to be living where we are. There are so many talented artists here in Montreal. The people here seem pretty open and excited to support and experience music, and art that lives on the outside of the mainstream. 

Bands are really able to be themselves here and explore ideas as they see fit. And I guess our band fits in exactly like that. Being involved with Mothland has also been great because so many amazing bands are being pulled into their orbit.

Kendra: Now let’s talk about your 2023 release, ‘Water, It Feels Like It’s Growing,’ because you really went in deep with delivering these soundscapes which, in many ways, is like painting on a canvas only using your instruments and vocals. With that, what art style do you think would wind up on the canvas if this album were an actual painting? 

Atsuko Chiba: When it comes to artwork, we always naturally gravitated towards surrealist style art. But with our newest album, we recognized a shift in the music and how we put that music together. This album marked our third time working with Papernoise designs, and diving into a more abstract world was something that we all naturally leaned towards. With this album, the music is more patient, layered, and expansive; constantly changing and morphing. That’s why we fell in love with the art that Papernoise presented us because the more you look at it, the more you begin realizing plenty of things that were there the whole time but you didn’t notice right away.

Kendra: Speaking of art, the video for “Seeds” feels very performance art. Was the clip all inspired by Rodrigo Sergio’s vision? 

Atsuko Chiba: Rodrigo is a good friend of ours and we have been trying to find a reason to work together for some time now. After a really great photoshoot, we wanted to continue the creative momentum, and creating a video for the song Seeds was the obvious choice. His idea to include movement artist Jade Maya in the project came quite early on. We wanted to have a video that matched the ebb and flow of this slow-moving/slow-building track, and the style of contemporary dance that Jade practices was perfect. We had a few creative meetings exploring different themes but It was, ultimately, Rodrigo’s vision for the song “Seeds.” 

As he explained – The performance across a natural environment and a brutalist architectural space was inspired by the Hermetic Principle of Correspondence, “there is a harmony, agreement, and correspondence between the several planes of Manifestation, Life and Being.”. It was really great to see firsthand someone else’s vision come to life around a song we created.

Kendra: And I know with this album it wasn’t about following any particular rules or structure but four out of six of the songs start with S, was the alliteration planned? 

Atsuko Chiba: Haha, that was definitely not planned at all. It just kind of happened. but there were other weird things that we started to notice. One of them being that some of the early song titles had a lot to do with plants and growth (Seeds, sunbath, water, it feels like it’s growing). It became more obvious over time that the album art and title should reflect that. 

Kendra: Planned or not planned alliteration aside, what you did want from this record was to create musical experiences for fans. However, I’d love to know what has been your most memorable musical experience as one? A fan that is. 

Atsuko Chiba: That happened very recently, we all went to see The Smile play in town. That was so mind-blowing for a few different reasons. They played great and sounded amazing, but the simple fact is that after all this time, those two can still continue to innovate, and push boundaries and write some very impactful music. That was a major inspiration for all of us in the band. This seems like a great opportunity to also shout out some of the amazing bands we’ve had an opportunity to see and play with. Bands like Lume, Yoo Doo Right, La Sécurité, CDSM, and Fet Nat are constantly blowing us away.

Kendra: Also, being that it’s a new year, have you set any sort of music resolutions for yourself? 

Atsuko Chiba: Our goal for the future is always more or less the same. We want to write more and more music at a rapid but efficient pace. We are lucky enough to have our own studio, which we’ve been improving and working on for the last several years. Through lots of trial and error, we continue to explore new ways of writing music. The goal is always to write, record, and tour as much as possible.

Kendra: Lastly, with ‘‘Water, It Feels Like It’s Growing,’ out on January 20th, what lies ahead for you? 
Atsuko Chiba: The new year is already shaping up to be quite busy! Once the album comes out, we plan on playing some album release shows in our neck of the woods, followed by a tour in the US in March. It feels great to be finally getting back into touring mode. We have so much fun playing live, and we can’t wait to share all this new music with everyone!

The post It Feels Like It’s Atsuko Chiba appeared first on ZO Magazine.

Come the end of last year, not a month passed without a new song from poolblood. All of those were just a sample of the delightful main course that was to come with the January 13th release of poolblood’s debut LP, ‘mole.’ We talked about how the music, illusion of time, and more in this back-and-forth exchange. 

Kendra: Coming from a home where Top 40 music wasn’t always around, what sort of set the foundation in your life for wanting to pursue music? Did you write poetry or anything before and then one day thought, lemme go ahead and put these words to song?

poolblood: Such a great question! I was super inspired by the music I would hear in TV shows and films. I also started journaling at a young age, and I really love poetry as well. I would get to hear Top 40 if I was with friends and extended family and that began my search for music outside of TV/film. I moved quite a bit from the ages of 4 to 12, and the only way I could connect with my peers was through music. I also felt safe in music class. I’ve always had an inclination towards performance and when I was a teen and learned how to play guitar, naturally I started writing my own songs. 

Kendra: A little more than a few years separate your EP, ‘Yummy,’ from your debut LP, ‘mole.’ In that time, what do you think has been the most significant moment that’s impacted your creativity and how you ultimately approached the new album? 

poolblood: It was just good old fashion growing up. The pandemic also happened and changed my perspective on life, as I’m sure it did for many people. With this record, I really wanted to challenge myself, songwriting-wise. I think ‘Yummy’ I was trying to stay within a genre but this record, I really wanted to expand my borders, chord progressions, and lyricism. 

Kendra: The first single off ‘mole’ dropped in June 2022. Then we got a trio of new singles towards the end of the year. Did you sort of pick the singles as you were recording or did you wait until all the tracks were done to make those decisions? 

poolblood: I actually knew that “twinkie” was going to be the first single, mainly because it was one of the earlier songs I wrote for the record and felt really proud of. The other singles sorta came along naturally, I picked everything based on the seasons. I knew my little room had a late fall/ early winter vibe, and “shabby” had a late summer vibe and “wfy” was it a sweet holiday/ winter solstice vibe? 

Kendra: When you set out to create ‘mole,’ you noted that it started with the idea of dealing with codependency. That made me think of this recent article from KQED in which Dori Hutchinson from the Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation at Boston University said, “…today’s 18-year-olds are like 12-year-olds from a decade ago. They have very little tolerance for conflict and discomfort, and COVID just exposed it.” Do you think it has to do more with how we’re being raised or more with the constant need to feel connected via social media? 

poolblood: Wow, what a great question. I definitely think it has to do with social media. When I was growing up, I was sorta growing up with the early versions of all the platforms we use today. I think as someone who has gotten a bit more addicted to their phone over the pandemic (my New Year’s resolution is to use my phone less!), it has the potential to sway my mood. 

Social media is also so new to our world and I believe there is new research being produced every day about its effects on us. It’s interesting to think that we may not know the full effects of social media, or maybe we will, later in our lives. 

Kendra: Let’s get into more of the music though because right out of the gate, “my little room” hits with the line “time is an illusion.” I’m very much a stay up late and think about reality kind of person. For you though, what makes time feel the most unreal? 

poolblood: Hahaha, I really like the idea that the past, present, and future are all happening simultaneously, and existing within each other. Aging feels really unreal for sure but sometimes really familiar, I guess I’ve come to terms with the way time is the ultimate teacher and healer! 

Kendra: Overall, what I’ve heard this record feels like the kind of music I’d want in a coming-of-age film. With that, if you had to place “wfy” in a recent movie – which do you think it’d be great in and why?

poolblood: Oh sweet! I actually don’t know! I will say my favorite movie from last year was ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’ so potentially it could be in there but I think the score and soundtrack on that film is so well done, I wouldn’t wanna change it.

Kendra: Also, being that it’s a new year, have you set any sort of music resolutions for yourself?

poolblood: I’m really stoked to write more music. I’m already itching to produce some of the songs I’ve already written! 

Kendra: Lastly, with ‘mole,’ out on January 13th, what lies ahead for you?

poolblood: I’m playing South by Southwest in March which I’m really stoked for and hopefully some other amazing shows!

The post Giving a little room to poolblood appeared first on ZO Magazine.

Kendra: It’s been a few years since you dropped your 2019 debut LP, ‘Caramel Clouds,’ and in that time you’ve dished out a lot more material. Looking back on that record and at 2022’s ‘Train of Thought’ how do you feel you’ve grown as lyricists? 

Mother Sun: I think the ‘Train of Thought’ songs are more focused lyrically than some of the earlier ones. ‘Caramel Clouds’ we were still figuring out what kind of songs we wanted to write and the lyrics were maybe a bit more abstract, not as thematically connected. With the new album, a lot of the songs are about the mental burnout of modern life while being overloaded with information, and each song is sort of focused on an individual aspect of that existential dread. During the slower pace of life during the pandemic, I was writing more about plants and the natural world which turned into a few singles from last year; “Marbles” and “Mycelium” and some newer songs we’ve yet to release. We write pretty constantly so aside from that I think the growth comes from writing in new ways and being more intentional about how the words interact with the music.

Kendra: Now let’s talk about one of your most recent singles, “Orange Colossus.” It feels very timely and I could see how the past couple of years would have influenced this song about how when frustrations linger they can turn into hate. You’re a Canadian-based band, but I can’t help but think that orange and the idea of hate is very much American…am I on the right track? 

Mother Sun: Being so close to the US a lot of cultural influence spills over into Canada through news, politics, and media for sure. In the past few years, things have felt particularly tense, and it feels like a lot of people are increasingly willing to aim their contempt at the most convenient enemy without much thought. There’s a lot of space for understanding and empathy that’s lost when the mentality is always us vs them; the “Orange Colossus.” In the song is a personification of that willful ignorance and how the recognition of it can be an opportunity to fill that space and try to understand one another.

Kendra: On a lighter note, before you served up “Orange Colossus” we got to hear “Webbed Feet.” It has this sort of big band intro to it that I enjoyed. With that, what Super Nintendo game do you think “Webbed Feet” would fit best in and why? 

Mother Sun: Love this question. One Super Nintendo game I’ve been thinking about a lot lately is ‘EVO: The Search for Eden.’ I used to play as a kid, you start as a fish and evolve your organism into an amphibian, reptile, dinosaur, mammal, and eventually human; so lyrically that one comes to mind. The horns part in that song has that triumphant battle victory vibe from something like ‘Final Fantasy’ or ‘Chrono Trigger’ I think too.

Kendra: All of the above can be heard on ‘Train of Thought,’ out on October 28th. The record got me thinking, if this train was an actual one – based on the record as a whole, where do you feel the destination would be? 

Mother Sun: First I gotta talk about the journey – I think the train would kind of cruise along a river for a while, past some farms and mountains and forests, as the sun goes down entering a bustling city at night after that. In the city it would lurch underground through a subway for a while, which actually turns into a glass underwater passageway, angling gradually upwards and then the train emerges out of the tunnel on this beautiful tropical beach! but then a storm cloud comes in and there’s like smoke and fire all around out of NOWHERE. 

Then it’s pretty much smoke for a while and it gets super thick and you can’t see where you’re going but you’re chilling in the air conditioning of the train car and the train’s on the tracks so it’s not really a problem. The smoke finally starts to thin and you can now see the train is very high alongside the edge of a cliff beside a deep rocky valley. It goes around some pretty precarious turns and then you’re back beside the river again, but then you notice the river is about to turn into a waterfall up ahead and the tracks are about to end so that’s pretty terrifying. When the tracks end, instead of falling the train floats off into the clouds, past some rainbows and birds and other shit, and lands back where it started and loops.

Kendra: It’s time for a side note: With it being spooky season, I’d love for you to share your favorite movie to watch around Halloween – could be scary, funny, or a little of both!

Mother Sun: We all went through a big ‘Twin Peaks’ phase around Halloween a few years ago. It’s kind of one really long, pretty disjointed Halloween movie if you think about it.

Kendra: Lastly, with ‘Train of Thought’’ out on October 28th, do you have plans in the works for 2023 as far as touring is concerned? 

Mother Sun: Yes! We’re applying for a lot of festivals and are planning to tour the Pacific Northwest in the spring. We’re pretty close to Vancouver so start there and drive to LA and back. Probably some time on Vancouver Island and some other spots in western Canada through the summer then another tour in the fall. See you soon!

The post Riding the Rails with Mother Sun appeared first on ZO Magazine.