This is a huge week for Chicago’s Neptune’s Core. Not only are they dropping ‘Called Upon’ on August 25th, but they’re also playing a record release show for all the hometown fans at Metro the very next day. Exciting times for an even more exciting band, and we not only spoke of the thrills that are set to transpire this week, but also how they’ve evolved since their last release, insecurities, self-love, and so much more! 

Kendra: It’s been a couple of years since 2021’s ‘Evolving.’ In that time, how would you say you’ve evolved as an artist? 

Jackie Cywinski: Individually, we’ve all improved and grown as musicians – digging into different genres of music such as classical and jazz, and just experimenting more with the sound of our instrument. As our skill sets individually change, together we can truly flourish which has happened a ton over the past couple years. I got a lot more into using pedals, especially experimenting with them in the studio (Jamdek Studio with Doug Malone) which helps heighten the emotion or feeling the listener is experiencing. 

Hannah Ricter: Over the past two years we have really learned to collaborate more during the writing process which has helped make our songs more meaningful to each of us. In the past, Sofie or Jackie would come to the band with a song almost fully written and we would each write our own parts from there, but more recently we would have jam sessions where we would all just play together randomly and sometimes those jam sessions turned into songs. For example, our song “Mermaid Song” started with Jackie’s entrancing guitar part at the beginning and one day when we were practicing we all joined in and started to experiment more with it. Ever since then, our writing process has evolved into a more joint effort than it used to be.

Sofia Richter: Music is shaped by life experiences, and as we’ve grown and experienced new and difficult things, our songwriting has changed. I write songs about harder topics now because life has gotten harder. I’ve dealt with more, and I need to write about what I deal with. As we grow, our music grows with us. Not only have we grown as artists, but we’ve grown as people. 

Kendra: Looking back, you all were dropping a new record annually but then did take that two-year break. Do you think artists should allow themselves more time in between creative endeavors? Because some artists will work themselves to death…

Jackie: I believe everything is truly up to the artist and how they feel they can release their craft and truly be proud of it. At the time, releasing an album per year was the way to go, but with this release, we wanted more time to sit with the songs and send them around to people before releasing, which is working perfectly for this release. 

Kaitlin Cywinski: I think that because releasing music is so vulnerable, artists should be allowed to take their time. At this time we were also coming out of Covid, which made it a bit harder to find inspiration. Creating music isn’t something that just happens. We write new songs when it feels right to do so. Rushing this would cause us to compromise our creative process. 

Hannah: At the end of the day, I think it all just depends on what these songs that they are releasing truly mean to them. Back then when we were releasing more regularly our songs didn’t have as much meaning since we were younger than we are now. But now as we continue to experience more things and to grow as humans, our songs strike a nerve that really made us think before releasing them to the rest of the world. So overall, I think it just depends on what’s best for the artist.

Sofia: As we’ve progressed as musicians and people, our creative endeavors have started to take more out of us. I can’t write the kind of songs I want to write every day; it takes me a couple of months until I’m ready to write another. Not all artists are the same, though. Music comes from different places. For me, I see it as an outlet and a way to be vulnerable. A lot of emotion goes into our songs, which is why it takes time before we can create another. 

Kendra: Now, I listen to a lot of music doing this – and I gotta say “Inside” is definitely one of the handfuls of new songs I’ve heard this year that I truly love. Everything about it felt tailor-made for someone like myself, as I also waste way too much time in the depths of my anxious mind. Do you think that social media has pushed us to dissect our worth and insecurities more than we used to?

Hannah: Social media has some positive traits, but also some negative. I found that especially with younger girls, they feel as if there is a sort of standard they have to live up to and oftentimes that has a big toll on their mental health. I know personally I used to decide my worth based on how many Instagram likes and comments I got on a certain post. So to answer your question, yes. I think social media lets people think they have to be someone they are not. Just be yourself.

Sofia: I think social media prevents us from being in tune with ourselves. We spend so much time immersed in a whirlwind of social situations, and when we finally get the time to decompress, we open social media instead. People deserve the chance to be with their own thoughts. 

Kendra: I also do a podcast called Crushgasm, all about the different crushes we’ve had in life, and recently I’ve had a lot of guests who were promoting various programs about self-love. “Inside” very much deals with the lack of that, so I gotta ask – what’s the last form of self-care you did for yourself?

Hannah: I’ve been reading a lot more recently so probably that. I gave it up for a while because I was reading a boring non-fiction book, but recently I haven’t been able to put the book I’m reading down.

Kaitlin: Personally I love to spend time outside and in the sun. Whether it’s walking the nature trails, gardening, or being at the lake, being outside helps me reconnect with myself. I’m able to let go of the crazy world around me and naturally sort out my thoughts. 

Sofia: Honestly, being in nature is the best way for me to ground myself. Walking on the nature trails just north of my house is something I do every day to get outside and get out of my head. Being in nature is what inspires a lot of song ideas for me too. I’ll be walking through the trees, and that’s when a melody will come to me. 

Kendra: “Inside” will be heard alongside more music that I cannot wait to hear when ‘Called Upon’ drops in late August, and you’ll also be playing a record release show that week at Metro. I’ve never been, but I’ve often heard Chicago’s music scene is impeccable. Why do you think that is?

Jackie: SO SO SO EXCITED for Metro!!! I’ve been going to shows there since I was a kid. A couple of years ago, Kaitlin and I got up on stage with Snail Mail and sang Pristine with her on the Metro stage. I remember how special that felt, so being back up there with our own original music will be such a lovely full-circle moment. 

Hannah: Chicago’s music scene is honestly just so supportive of one another. We’ve met so many amazing people who you can tell really care about music as well as the people making it which is something hard to come across. Everyone in the scene is so genuine too. You can feel their love for music and it honestly just makes you want to play more and grow as musicians. Every artist is so diverse and I’m honestly just so glad to be a part of the community. 

Kaitlin: The music scene in Chicago is so connected and feels so small, despite the vast amount of creative individuals involved. The smaller venues such as Schubas, Metro, and Thalia Hall create the perfect place for bands and fans to intimately share their love of music. It’s rare I go to a show and don’t see someone else I know. 

Jackie: Chicago’s music scene is collaborative and supportive, that’s what makes it so special. All the people who are a part of it are so passionate about music and are always excited to play with new up-and-coming artists. Sima from Finom is the perfect example of this. She holds a festival called Postock up on a farm in Wisconsin every year. She’s had more established bands, up-and-coming bands, and bands who just formed play together. It’s so special to be surrounded by a group of people who are so kind, passionate, and just willing to help each other out. 

Sofia: It’s such a cool thing to be able to go to these small, intimate venues, watch beautiful music being made, and see familiar faces in the audience around you. There’s this sense of love and support that’s unique to Chicago. We love each other and we learn from each other. Going to see live music in Chicago never fails to inspire me. Bands that play on the Schubas stage, the Bottle, Metro have this magnetic energy that just makes me want to create music.

Kendra: Time for a side note – So August is a huge month for me, with so many loved ones’ birthdays being celebrated, so I’d love to know what song you’d dedicate to your loved ones, be it friends, family, or both…

Hannah: This might not be the answer most people would expect but I would say “Bring Back the Light” from our second album ‘Evolving.’ That song was written by Sofie when some people she really cared about were struggling with their mental health. It talks about how she desperately just wants to make them happy and “bring back the light” which is something anyone would want to do for the people they care about. It’s a song full of love. 

Kendra: Lastly, with ‘Called Upon’ out on August 25th, what else can the people out there expect from you as 2023 rolls along?

Jackie: We are definitely cooking up some new songs and more shows to be announced. Nothing is set in stone yet, but we’re excited for what the future holds. 

Hannah: Similar to what Jackie said, we are still in the planning stage of what’s to come after but I can assure you, it will be great! 

Sofia: Our songwriting process has really taken off. These new unreleased songs have something different to ‘em. They feel magical to us. We’ve tapped into a new level of collaboration and cohesion. The future is so exciting to us. Bring it on!!!!

The post Getting Inside Neptune’s Core appeared first on ZO Magazine.

Kendra: A couple of you attended the University of Miami, is that where Radius sort of began, or was it later back in Chicago where you all call home now?

Dylan:  So only Gabe and I attended the University of Miami. This group actually became a thing virtually during the whole “no live performance” COVID era in 2020. Seven guys just came together and formed something that was originally just for fun because we were ultimately bored. It’s still crazy to think about where we are today!

Kendra: Being a particular age, I came of age during the late ‘90s so I am partial to a group of people singing together a la Spice Girls and Backstreet Boys, which Radius does draw inspiration from later groups like One Direction, and also the powerhouse that is Pentatonix. The latter’s inspiration is easy to recognize, but what have you all admired about One Direction’s approach to music? 

Sam: We’re huge fans of One Direction! Something that 1D does incredibly well that we have tried to take after is featuring multiple (and at certain times all) vocalists within one song. They constantly are switching leads and you get a glimpse into each member’s style and personality, as well as seeing how they ultimately fit into the puzzle that is their band.

Kendra: Now when it comes to a capella groups, they’ve had some pretty notable moments in pop culture outside of Pentatonix. We had ‘Pitch Perfect’ and ‘Glee,’ but also Here Comes Treble in ‘The Office.’ For you, what did those get right about a capella groups and competitions, and what did they get 100% wrong? 

Ben: So here’s the main misconception – while they are incredible in movies, riff-offs aren’t actually real. It actually takes a VERY long time to organize the vocalists into parts and to arrange the music to sound similar enough to the cover song to where it’s recognizable, but still, keep it original enough that it’s not a carbon copy of the music. As much as we’d all love to be Anna Kendrick in their ‘Pitch Perfect’ moment, it’s just not a thing that’s a reality. There’s a lot though that’s very accurate! There is a college competition for a cappella, and a lot of these groups put an entire year’s worth of effort into it, so it can get pretty serious!

Kendra: In your opinion, what are the key elements when it comes to making a mainstream pop song an a capella moment? 

Dylan: The main things that I look for when arranging an a cappella song are pretty simple. First I take a listen to just the drums and bass of the song (which in our case, would be emulated by myself and Sam) because in most cases that doesn’t really change between a cappella and a regular performance of the song. The next thing I listen for is to see when the bigger moments of the song are, whether it be an iconic set of lyrics in the chorus or something as simple as a riff that the soloist has made a signature out of. The last thing I listen to is either a live performance/remix of the song. It’s always good to get a slightly different perspective of a song, and you’ll find that in most live performances/remixes there are little moments where they switch up a chord here or go into half time there, it really can add some variety and make your arrangement unique! 

Kendra: Which, you’ve recently done this with a good deal of Justin Bieber songs in the “Evolution of Justin Bieber” medley. Such a great artist to choose for this because he has created some of the best pop songs in recent years. “Love Yourself” is one of my top 10, for sure but I’d love to know what Bieber song you were most excited about including and why? 

Gabe: I was most excited about “What Do You Mean” being in the medley! It’s one of Bieber’s most underrated songs in my opinion, and I love the melody and simplistic production of the original recording. Also, our friend Jared Jenkins (who arranged the song) made this one of the most challenging versions of the song to ever exist!

Kendra: Are there plans to do this with other artists down the line?

Ethan: Yeah it’s definitely something that we’d do in the future! We’ve discussed a few ideas, but it takes a REALLY long time to organize one of those so it’s not something we can just pull out of a hat and do all the time.

Kendra: Perhaps go with a Disney medley. I saw you had some ‘Hercules’ going on already but could we possibly get a mix of all the love songs? 

Ben: I’d love to do that! I’m definitely the biggest Disney fan of the group. We heard the idea done by Voctave a few years back, so we’d potentially want to wait a little bit for a few more Disney love songs to come out!

Kendra: Now it’s time for a side note – with it being May, I always think of the end of the school year and all those memories of field trips, parties, and yearbooks. With that, I’d love to know what your fondest end-of-the-school-year memory was? 

Dylan: Honestly my favorite school memory was that period of time right before graduation my senior year of high school. It’s so interesting how years of drama, arguments, and everything can go away because everybody knows that this is the last time that we’re going to be around each other as a high school class, so it’s nothing but fun times and bonding before we all went our separate ways for summer and eventually college.

Kendra: Lastly, we did talk about what could possibly be in the works but with “Evolution of Justin Bieber” out now, what else can fans really expect as we continue towards summer? 

Ethan: We have a lot planned this summer! We’re going to be a lot more active than ever before on our social media so you can check us out on everything @radiusvocals! 

Just for you all that are reading this, we’re dropping a new single on June 2nd so be sure to follow us on whatever platform you use!

The post Meddling Around with Radius appeared first on ZO Magazine.

Kendra: Iris Blue is still getting started with your first single, “Stage Lights” only a couple of years old. Before that, had you been a part of other bands in the area; because I know Chicago is stacked when it comes to music…

Quinn: Coming out of college I was in a couple of bands but when I started to do my own solo act I would play live and loop my own chord progressions and half-written songs. “Stage Lights” was the first cohesive song that I felt should be recorded. Right before I got in the studio I met Dave during his audition for a punk band I myself had just joined (The Neighborhood Threat). After that, I asked him to play drums on the recording of stage lights. At the time, Iris Blue was in its infancy, I had no idea how it would turn out but I just felt the chemistry with Dave and knew he would understand the direction and tonality I was going for.

Dave: I have been playing in bands since I was 16. I said yes to almost everyone that needed a drummer, from metal bands to indie bands, to pop punk bands. With that, I have gotten to play at some of my favorite venues in Chicago and had the pleasure of seeing the country from the backseat of a van. Then I met Quinn. We noodled around one day after practice with The Neighborhood Threat. I pulled up to him at a stop light in the middle of the road and asked him if he wanted to get together just the two of us and work out some funkier, more melodic riffs. From there we began writing and playing together and the chemistry was automatically there, and then from there, we decided to be roommates.

Kendra: Like I said, Chicago is stacked. A lot of my favorite bands growing up came from in and around there like Alkaline Trio and Fall Out Boy. Did y’all grow up being part of that scene at all? 

Quinn: Unlike Dave, who grew up in it, I was a spectator to the scene because at the time my focus was sports. I grew up as an athlete and went to college on a basketball scholarship. Even with all that I still felt the pull from those Chicago bands. Fall Out Boy was my first show at 10 or so. They headlined with support from Hawthorne Heights and The All-American Rejects. Wild to think about that lineup now. From then on I had a shitty little toy guitar and I would pretend I was performing to a crowd while listening to ‘From Under The Cork Tree.’ To this day I still revisit their old catalog and Dave will often have to, of course, correct me to not do a blatant Patrick Stump impression.

Dave: While I was involved in the Chicago music scene and listened to Alkaline Trio and Fall Out Boy, I still have nightmares of local bands covering “Sugar We’re Going Down.’ I was introduced to the world of music differently. I got to watch my dad play shows and have the time of his life on stage with his friends. A luxury I still have to this day. My entire family is full of musicians so music was always being played, family members bursting into songs just off a word or phrase. So, when I told my family I wanted to play drums they were more than supportive. At the time most of my friends were starting bands or playing instruments so I would either play with them or go support their shows, or we would wait in line for hours at Bottom Lounge just to get the front row for whoever was playing.

Kendra: Now let’s talk about “Unfamiliar to Me” because it hits home as I’m a very nostalgic person and often find myself yearning for the days when I would spend hours on the house phone watching MTV after school. What things, concepts, or ideas from your pasts helped inspire this song? 

Quinn: The instrumentals came off of a jam Dave and I had randomly played as a warm-up before practice. We’ve often felt that some of our favorite stuff has come from jamming and capturing a moment and just feeling out the vibe of a song. If we really like something from those jams we will take them back to our home studio and I will sit with them and feel out a melody and try to figure out what the song calls for. We tracked a very rough-sounding demo and after listening back to it in the car together we truly felt like we had something which would end up being the foundation of our sound going forward. As far as lyrical content Dave and I were going down very similar paths in various aspects of life in the form of relationships, jobs, personal struggles, and our respective futures creating music. I often found myself reminiscing about early adulthood where you’re independent but yet still don’t have the full-on responsibility of being a real adult.

Dave: I’m going to be completely transparent here. I have no clue how this song got made. I feel like it just kinda happened, which is tight.

Kendra: You dropped that single last year and then wrapped up 2022 with ‘It’s Entertainment Now.’ Is it too early to assume you’ve already started working on a follow-up EP? Or perhaps an LP?

Quinn: We actually just finished a single that we are releasing this summer, with plans to record an EP at the end of May. We’re always writing new stuff.

Dave: I mean yeah that pretty much sums it all up.

Kendra: Do you think that the way the music industry is now, there is less pressure on artists to release music at a certain time because the internet is a constant force of nature, or is there more pressure on artists to – not necessarily release new music – but to release new content all of the time because of how impactful social media can be? 

Quinn: It’s a numbers game at this point. The more good music you put out the better chance you have to get discovered. Writing and performing new stuff is fun, the socials are what’s a grind. We know how important it is, it’s just hard to be consistent and authentic.

Dave: It’s a mix of both. There’s a lot of pressure to be releasing music and posting content almost nonstop. Sometimes it seems like a constant battle to put out music you’re proud of but also make sure it’s written, recorded, and released quickly enough to not get drowned out by every other band trying to do the same thing. I also still have no idea how those algorithms work. I will say though, it is great for discovering new bands even if it feels like a race from time to time.

Kendra: Now it’s time for a side note – with it being May, I always think of the end of the school year and all those memories of field trips, parties, and yearbooks. With that, I’d love to know what your fondest end-of-the-school-year memory was? 

Quinn: My best summer memories were definitely just hanging with friends around a fire or on someone’s boat. Someone would steal some booze out of a parent’s liquor cabinet and we’d spend hours on a boat and cap it off with a fire.

Dave: The day of my high school graduation my first band decided to just pack our shit in a car and drive to Nashville to try and hop on a show that weekend. That was the first time I went to Nashville and I fell in love with the fact that almost every bar you walked into had a band playing. Not only bands but so many talented musicians in those bands. Unfortunately, though, the main thing I remember from the trip was the cockroach-infested hotel room we stayed in. 

Kendra: Lastly, what else can fans expect as we continue towards summer? 

Quinn: More shows and more music.

Dave: More shows, more music, more drink tickets, more catching olives in my mouth.

The post Something Borrowed, Something Iris Blue appeared first on ZO Magazine.

It all started as a cover with Haley Blomquist and Bridget Stiebris, and soon enough these two were musically inseparable, and eventually OK Cool. We talked about how they came to be, delivering a queer perspective, and more like their new EP, ‘fawn,’ which drops everyone on April 28th. 

Kendra: How did you two come to be OK Cool? Were you both already involved in music before meeting? 

Haley: I actually scouted Bridget to join a cover band I was a part of in 2017. It was an all-girl group, so I was going through “Chicago musicians” pages looking for any and every girl musician. She had Twenty One Pilots in her cover photo (it was 2017, remember) and I was really into them at the time, so I was excited to reach out and that was where it kicked off. From there, Bridget invited me to be in another project she was in at the time, and after that, we started writing as a duo (OK Cool) around 2020. 

Kendra: You’ve noted how much you enjoy and relish in recording with one another because of how in sync you two are. Where do you think that musical bond stems from? Was it sort of instant or did you have a learning curve in working together? 

Haley: When Bridget joined the cover band we were in, she was on drums and I was on bass. I think we connected very quickly as the rhythm section and we also had a lot of similar interests that made us fast friends. 

Bridget: We also gravitated towards the same kinds of music and shared the same kinds of ideas in songwriting/practicing in our previous bands. We also really liked sharing new music discoveries, which I think can be so rewarding.

Kendra: Let’s talk about the April release, ‘fawn.’ Anyone who has read or listened to anything I’ve done since 2009 knows all too well that coming-of-age is my favorite genre of entertainment, so with that being one of the foundations of the record – I am sold. I gotta say though, as much as I love the genre, it lacks representation. We’ve seen enough straight white teens from the suburbs. So I’ve been thrilled to see more and more inclusion in the genre, and ‘fawn’ is adding to that with a queer perspective. With that, if Hollywood were going to make a movie based around ‘fawn,’ who would you want in the leading roles?

Haley: Maybe if Brie Larson had bangs she could play a better-looking version of me? Or like Michael Cera if it’s more of an abstract movie. 

Bridget: That is so kind of you to say! I’ve been told I look like Laura Dern but I don’t think the age gap there would serve me too well. 

Kendra: On the flip side, ‘fawn’ doesn’t shy away from mental health and things like depression. That is something I sadly think is more and more universal than it should be because well, life has a way of taking a toll on us. Has writing about your feelings and creating art from them been a sort of therapy for you over the years?

Haley: For me, writing can sometimes be cathartic, but other times it just feels like directly documenting how you feel. I think playing live always feels more therapeutic for me. 

Bridget: Definitely. I pretty much only am able to write when I need to process something emotionally troubling me. If I just try to make myself write when nothing’s going on, I just end up hating what I make most of the time. It’s such a double-edged sword, because it’s the best feeling to write a song you actually like, but most of the time I end up just throwing 3-4 hours of work in the trash. 

Kendra: There are plans to drop a couple more singles before the EP, but right now we have “normal c.” It reminded me of the mid-90s and for some reason, it felt like the song that’d play over a home movie on VHS. When this song first came to mind, were you thinking of that decade and its influences at all? 

Bridget: That’s so cool! I think the music video really lends itself to that vibe. I wasn’t consciously trying to capture any specific genre or influence with that one. It just started with the intro riff and I tried to follow that and see where it went. There’s something super pleasing about looping that one simple riff on itself while singing about the monotony of everyday life – I like when the music and lyrics have a connecting idea like that.

Kendra: The EP drops at the end of April and not too long after you two will be playing a hometown release show at Schubas Tavern. When you play at home, do you often feel like it’s less of a show and more of a celebration of sorts? 

Haley: My favorite, and most of, our shows are at home in Chicago. It definitely has a different feel than playing somewhere less familiar in that we know a lot of the people who show up for us. So, in that way, it feels like a big group hang-out. 

Kendra: Time for a side note – So Easter is my favorite holiday. Don’t ask me what the holiday is actually about because it’s only my favorite because I love Spring and the candy is top-notch. With that, if you were to receive an Easter basket, what sweet treat and album on vinyl would you hope was in said basket?

Haley: I am a big fan of Cadbury Eggs and Starburst Jellybeans. For vinyl- I’d want ‘Birdie’ by Slaughter Beach, Dog, or ‘Things Take Time, Take Time’ by Courtney Barnett. I feel like sweet, folky albums really lend themselves to vinyl. 

Bridget: Reese’s eggs are god-tier candy. I agree with Haley here, I would love to have a Big Thief record on vinyl – either ‘Masterpiece’ or ‘Capacity.’

Kendra: Lastly, with fawn’ out on April 28th and an EP release show already booked, what else can people expect as we continue into Spring and soon into Summer?

Haley: We have more music videos on the horizon that we’re very excited about. Also, some fun summer plans that I don’t think I’m allowed to say just yet.

Bridget: Not sure when we’re announcing our summer plans, but I’m super excited about them – keep an eye on our socials so ya don’t miss it! 

The post Fawning Over OK Cool appeared first on ZO Magazine.

Being told to stay put a couple of years ago, we all started to realize where we were was quite possibly where we didn’t want to be. Major moves were made. I went east, and Rat Tally, with family in the area, headed to Chicago. She’d already gone east to west, and so to be around loved ones in the Midwest was an obvious next locale, “My sister has lived here for about a decade, and my aunt and uncle have lived here since they were in school! A few years ago my parents moved here too, and when the pandemic hit I wanted to be with my family. So here I am! At my mom’s house eating all her food.”

When not taking in delicious delights, Rat Tally is creating music. In fact, she has been hard at work on her debut LP, ‘In My Car,’ out on August 12th. Of course, that was something we went back and forth about, especially the ideas that held the album together at the seams; nostalgia and the frightening reality of adulthood. We also talked about summer memories, what’s next, and more! 

Kendra: Do you remember the first time you felt like music was something you wanted to create rather than just listen to?

Rat Tally: I was always writing little songs since I was a kid, but I think when I was in middle school I started to write songs alone on the piano when my family was out of the house. I was kind of embarrassed about it, honestly. I would write things in private and not show anyone, but I remember around then was when it turned into my biggest dream. 

Kendra: Then in 2019, you dropped your debut EP, ‘When You Wake Up.’ How do you feel you’ve evolved as an all-around artist since then when comparing that record to August 2022’s ‘In My Car?’

Rat Tally: I take more time with my songs, and I rewrite and rework stuff which I used to never do. I used to think I could only write something in one sitting and if I was really in the mood, but I feel like now I’m able to access creativity more freely! It’s still challenging, but it’s more fun now. I think there’s also a lot of natural growth that happened, too. My life changed so much and so quickly since then and I think the record reflects that tumultuousness.  

Kendra: ‘In My Car’ features a dozen tracks, one of them being “Spinning Wheel” which has a line I could not ignore and found myself going back to again and again, “…when getting older was fun.” I think for everyone, there’s this romanticism about being a grown-up, and then at some point, we realize the truth. For you, when did the reality of being an adult become daunting? 

Rat Tally: Oh man, that’s a big question haha! I don’t think it was one moment for me necessarily, but in this song specifically, I’m talking about right after college. I moved to LA from Boston, and it crushed me. I made this decision to make a big move for the next part of my life, truly not knowing what to expect, and when I got there I had no idea what to do with myself. I was in a really bad place, and this time my support system was on the opposite end of the country. It was hard to feel like I spent all those years in college growing, only to find myself at the starting point again. 

Kendra: You also sing about being too lazy to say you’re not okay in “Longshot.” Something we all can sort of relate to as it’s that idea of being asked “how you doing” and then just mumbling “fine” to move on with the day. In a time where we are clearly not fine, why do you think we still reside in this little white lie? 

Rat Tally: There are a lot of factors to this. The biggest one for me is that sometimes I believe I’m this huge burden to people and being honest with how I’m REALLY doing feels like I’m putting it on someone else. There’s also a fear of sharing something honest and having it be invalidated or shot down. It’s a defense mechanism that just ends up hurting me in the end. If there’s one consistent thing in my life it’s therapists telling me I need to open up more. 

Kendra: Time for a side note – with it being summertime, I’d love to know your favorite memory from this season whether it was from your childhood or more recent…

Rat Tally: When I was like four or five I lived in Cleveland, and my sister and I would hang out with the neighborhood cat Spanky Doodle and run around in the sprinklers. 

Kendra: Lastly, with ‘In My Car’ out on August 12th and some shows this summer on the books, what else can be on the lookout from you come the fall?

Rat Tally: More shows I hope, and maybe a tour announcement soon! 

The post In the Driver’s Seat with Rat Tally appeared first on ZO Magazine.

In regards to the importance of absence, Chicago’s Uma Bloo said something quite poignant when how a strict upbringing impacted her interest in music. That’s where this conversation started but as it unfolded we dove into moods that fuel, condiment defiance, and more like her new LP, ‘Don’t Drive Into the Smoke’ due out March 23rd. 

Kendra: Growing up in a strict household, was music something you sort of had to sneak around to enjoy?  

Uma Bloo: Honestly I kind of just enjoyed the little bits I got until I was able to move to Chicago where music kind of appeared everywhere. Besides radio, I didn’t have a lot of access to discovering new music, and it took me a long time to figure out how to be resourceful. 

On top of that, my ability to consume a lot of music at once was difficult because joy was unfamiliar, I still find myself resisting musical pursuits at times. For instance, I’m still exploring the joys of listening to entire albums because I was used to only hearing singles on the radio. By the time I was old enough to go to shows we had moved to the farm, and you couldn’t get anywhere without a car or a ride, and the people I was around just weren’t that interested in seeing live shows or going to record stores. 

And being a young girl it’s not like I was really welcomed or protected in those spaces, so finding someone safe who could show me all the different avenues music offers wasn’t something I found. But I guess since music felt elite and elusive it at least fueled my desire to be involved. Absence certainly is a requirement of desire.  

Kendra: So I’ve been writing since I was a kid, but always felt like my best came from when I was upset, and you’ve mentioned that you wrote “Never Know Me” quickly and out of frustration. So I wanted to know if you’ve noticed there is a certain mood that fuels your creativity more than others? 

Uma Bloo: It could be any emotion as long as it’s urgent. I get really bogged down by self-doubt so sometimes it really suits me to write faster than I can think. Anger, specifically, can be helpful, especially since it’s a two for the price of one-type emotion. In acting school, we talked about how anger is really just activated sadness, and since then I’ve found there’s a dual motivation when writing in that headspace. 

Kendra: “Never Know Me” can be found on your new 2022 release, ‘Don’t Drive Into the Smoke,’ and being in a city I’ve been dying to visit for the food scene – I have to know if you had to compare this album’s overall artistry to a signature Chicago dish, what would it be and why? 

Uma Bloo: I guess if I had to pick maybe the hot dog- only because of the outright rejection they have about ketchup. At this point, I think we shouldn’t judge people for chosen condiments but the Chicago dog stays defiant, and I can relate to that. 

Kendra: The name Uma Bloo comes from your time doing burlesque. I just did an interview with a burlesque performer/stand-up comedian for my podcast, and she explained how one helped the other. Do you feel your experience in that helped you as a musician?  

Uma Bloo: Yes, in fact, I’d say it was essential to me getting over my stage fright and deciding to sing for people. 

Kendra: With it being March, I’d love to know what song you feel lucky enough to have heard in your lifetime? Like, what’s a song you’re thankful has existed while you’ve been here? 

Uma Bloo: There are a lot of songs! The most recent one I fell for, it’s the new Girlpool single “Faultline.” I’m not sure what about this song got me but it sounds just like how some of my deepest pain feels. I heard it for the first time last week and it was the only song I listened to for the entire week: I got pretty codependent with it. I would get home from work and watch the video over and over just crying. I guess that sounds sad but I mean to say I found it really powerful and soft, I’m so grateful to have heard it. 

Kendra: Lastly, with ‘Don’t Drive Into the Smoke’ out this month – what can fans both new and old be on the lookout for from you in the coming months? 

Uma Bloo: This month we have a single coming out called “Strange Actress” that I’m really excited to share. We might be doing one more single, and then the album will be out at the end of March. It’s been a long time coming, especially for those who have been with us since we started out, so I’m really looking forward to reaching this milestone with everyone.

The post Coming Home to Uma Bloo appeared first on ZO Magazine.

The trio that makes up The Poison Arrows have collectively been making music for years in a myriad of other bands, and have all released a number of records. However, their 2022 release together is a milestone for them. It’s the first time any of them have dropped a fourth album with a band. This momentous occasion is where our conversation started, but as we worked our way through ‘War Regards,’ we rapped about working with someone in a different genre, the mood that swept over them when live music was on hold, and more in this back and forth exchange.

Kendra: Each of you has been in a handful of other bands over the past three decades but this year marks the release of something new for all of you – a fourth album. What do you think was different this time around in this band that led you to this?

Adam: We were all acutely aware of ‘War Regards’ being our fourth record with any one single group! We were joking about it while making the record. We’ve learned to be more efficient, more economical, I’d say. That’s the difference in how the recordings have been approached over time.

Patrick: Stability, friends, a fun European tour. During our “maturing” years, the First Class / New Found / No Known Note days, we all had a lot of change going on. Both positive and negative. So when writing and recording ‘War Regards’ we were in a pretty darn good place. It seemed logical to stick with it as the music was there. And playing with Justin and Adam always feels like wrapping up in a warm blanket next to a fire.

Justin: Taking a break is really helpful. Being in a band is a huge time commitment and often takes over so much free time. We took a few years off from playing before ‘No Known Note’ and then we’ve unintentionally taken a break before the release of ‘War Regards’ with the world shut down, so the positive in that respect is feeling recharged. I’d say the other factor is that we still feel like we are doing something unique that comes together pretty effortlessly. We walk in a room and music just starts coming together immediately, and I feel like that music keeps evolving in an interesting way.

Kendra: We do have to note that this moment was supposed to happen in 2020 but things did get a little pushed back due to, well, we all know at this point. With ‘War Regards’ originally having a release date a couple of years ago, did you go back and rework anything, add any new songs?

Patrick: Nope, Stone is Stone. It also made much more prophetical sense (both lyrically and musically) to keep it as is. Especially after the past two years of insanity.

Adam: Nothing was reworked. We received the LPs just previous to the lockdowns in February 2020. We had a release date and tours planned in the EU, but…yeah. The LPs were excellent house guests for nearly two years at our homes, though!

Justin: Yeah, we were ready to announce the record right when the world locked down. We were advised by many trusted friends in bands and at labels who were trying to release music right then to hold off. I didn’t even really listen to the record for about a year and then when I went back and listened I was totally happy with it. Even if we wanted to change something, we mixed with Brian Deck on an analog mixing board and not on a computer, so there was no memory recall of the mixes, and we would need to start over. Then same with the mastering with April Golden.

Both sounded really great and cost a few thousand dollars, so that wouldn’t make sense. Regardless, I don’t even know what we really would change. Everything was recorded very organically in one or two takes, and with almost no extra instruments. It captured a very specific time. It was nice to come back to it a year later and say “yeah, I still like this, I’m excited for this to come out and for us to play these songs live again.”

Kendra: Were there any lessons learned making ‘No Known Note’ that helped when it came time to make ‘War Regards?’

Justin: We found a nice stride with the straightforwardness of drums, bass, guitar, vocals on ‘No Known Note.’ I laid off the keyboards, loops, effects, and all of the overdubs for ‘No Known Note,’ just to make everything a more organic and simpler process. We ended up liking that process, the songs, and the album. Plus there was less gear to carry around. There is something to be said about shedding technical complications so that you can just focus on writing and playing. Then the other change is that we spent the extra money to go in and mix the record in a studio with a different set of ears. The past three records were mixed by me and Greg Norman in one of our basements after we had both recorded it at Electrical Audio. Taking it to Brian Deck at his studio gave it an extra level of fidelity.

Adam: Our approach was far more expedient and economical as I mentioned. Instead of recording all of the basic tracks 1 after the other, we tracked the basics for two at a time. We found this to be immensely helpful in keeping the focus on each track as a whole completed composition/unit (save vox and a guitar part here or there). After running through as many takes as it took to get the one we were all happy with (none of the songs had more than 3 takes), we’d have Patrick lay down his overdubs, then Justin would track his final guitar parts and a scratch vocal. It really kept us in the moment of each song, kept our ears fresh, and sped up the process such that we had a finished version for two songs at a time (sans vox) every few hours. This also allowed my hands to rest between each! We’ve made so many records with Greg Norman at Electrical that it was already going to be a breeze, to begin with even before we hatched the two songs at a time idea.

Patrick: Careful with how many buttered chickens one eats. Lamping at Electrical Audio and trying not to eat too many chickens. Honestly, one of the best times I have had making an album. As we then nearly all lived close and had no real-life crises (again, yet, again).

Kendra: You had a guest on this release, Chicago rapper Sterling Hayes. Rap and rock have a long history, and when you strip both genres down – a lot of similarities at their bases. What was it like merging those two sounds though on “We Are Collateral?”

Patrick: I love the way this turned out. We did not really have a particular song in mind for Sterling that I recall. He had his choice of nearly any song on the record to blast off on. For me, this was the ideal one to have him collaborate with and we kinda knew it after the first “rehearsal.” It just clicked and really rounds the song out musically and fits the theme.

Adam: Watching Sterling create the rhymes while we were playing the song was awesome. We played this for him maybe five or six times in a row at our rehearsal space one evening and he just started scribbling, asking Justin questions about what the overall flow/concept of the track was…then left. A few months later, our minds were blown with the final results.

Justin: I met Sterling maybe a year before we recorded ‘War Regards.’ We immediately hit it off, largely because our experimental aesthetics were so complimentary, so we vowed to collab pretty quickly after becoming friends. He came into a rehearsal right before we recorded the album with a couple of producer friends he makes a lot of his tracks with, RickettoFromDaGhetto and TresMortimer. We hung out for a few hours with Poison Arrows running through our songs and with them making notes and discussing. Sterling jumped on the mic for a couple of the tracks to test out some verses.

After we ran through everything, Sterling asked what “We Are Collateral” is about. I handed him my lyric sheet and explained that it was about how big business uses humans as consumers, followers, users, audiences… just numbers to boost their profits and their value. He connected with that theme and the music which has a steady tempo and some nice space in the bridge for him to record a verse. We sent him the music after we went into Electrical and he went into his own studio then emailed me the verse. The Poison Arrows had started backing him up at live shows after that on his own songs and playing “Collateral,” then the world shut down. We still text a lot and I went to his record release show a few months ago. We are planning on touring Europe with him next time we are there, whenever that can happen again. Definitely something to look forward to in these messy times.

Kendra: Were there any rap/rock collabs you drew inspiration from on this track?

Patrick: No, yes, everyone?

Justin: Not really. I just knew Sterling understood what we were trying to do artistically and that he could figure something out that would work, that would not sound contrived or out of place… Something that added to the song and album overall, and he totally did. As the person who records all of the final overdubs and vocals, I’ve learned not to micromanage any guests. You invite them to be on your record because you trust them to add something to the album, and even if it is not what you expect, they always do. On past albums we’ve had quite a few guests on each record, this one was just Sterling, and again, he made it work without really any input.

Adam: I love collabs, especially when all parties involved share the same sort of work ethic. Sterling is a stellar human. I actively tried not to associate this track with any previous rap/rock collabs so as not to lead it into any one direction vs the other. I was trying my best to play a shuffle ala Led Zeppelin. No kidding!

Kendra: Another song that stuck out to me was “Mood Swings I Don’t Know” just because over the past…almost two years, my own mood has been so up and down. I’d like to know how you felt as musicians when live entertainment was taken off the table in 2020, and how you’re feeling now that it’s slowly being allowed back into our lives?

Adam: Once the lockdowns happened in 2020, it wasn’t long before my wife and I left Chicago for North Carolina. It was a huge strain emotionally to move during a pandemic to a new town but to leave my brothers-in-arms so to speak, was an extremely tough pill. There definitely were times that I didn’t know if we’d be able to play again, much less if we could (as a unit) play again since so much time had gone by since we stopped rehearsing. I started returning monthly in July 2021 to Chicago to see if we could entertain moving forward…and voila! I’ve been returning every month since. It took a few rusty practices to get back into the pocket, but once there, it was as if no time had passed, really. The feeling? Overwhelming. Joyous. Humbling. The same thing goes for the live acts I have managed to see as venues have reopened. Nothing but gratitude and genuine excitement.

Patrick: Did these last two suck, yes. For 30 years now I (we’ve) had shows, tours, bands, and full-on years of music that were canceled, collapsed, or just did not happen. Yeah, this was a setback for our 10 songs. But they will always be there and keep pushing forward knowing you can take the hit. Eventually, that’s always the story of any life effort.

Justin: Interesting question and takes from my bandmates here… Just as a quick background, this song stems from me working with a therapist almost every week for the past five years. We’ve been working on understanding how and why my thoughts and emotions work, and why everyone else thinks the way they do. In working with her, I started to realize how much people’s moods are constantly affected by lack of sleep, stress, trauma, whatever. And how drastically that changes how humans react and interact with each other without even realizing it.

Anyway, for sure, it was a huge bummer to cancel our Europe tour and US live dates, put the album on hold, and stop playing for over a year. But honestly, after I got over the initial shock of everything being put on hold, I just looked at it as another break that might be healthy for us. My wife and I actually bought a house in the middle of the woods out on the border of Wisconsin and Iowa, in Galena IL. It was in rough shape, so we did a ton of work on it, so the move and the construction of the house definitely kept us distracted. Then I was so preoccupied making sure my friends and family were OK, and dealing with when things on that front went bad…Plus just keeping my day job together during all of these drastic changes, I was too distracted to think a ton about the band and what I was missing. I worked on quite a bit of other music as well.

I’ve gone to several shows over the past few months, and we’ve played once, and all I can say is that I feel incredibly lucky to see talented musicians live again, and can’t wait to start playing more myself. That being said, I’m not going to rush it. There are a ton of artists who pay their bills by touring and I’m going to let them have the stages for a while and let all of this pan out before getting too aggressive about booking shows. We have plans that we are psyched about though!

Kendra: Bit of a side note, with it being February I’m asking everyone to please share what they believe to be the best love song and give us a little insight as to why they believe that song is top-tier…

Patrick: Nearly anything Melody Angel is doing right now.

Justin: Right around the time that we recorded this album, our friend Chris Brokaw played at our wedding. My wife and I picked out a few of his songs for the main ceremony including “I Remember” from his album ‘Incredible Love,” which we walked out to. Have to pick that, no doubt.

Adam: The best love song is P.W. Long’s cut “Aw Bruiser” – from his 1997 classic ‘We Didn’t See You On Sunday.’ It’s about his dog, and it’s heart-wrenchingly bittersweet. Humans don’t quite provide the sort of unconditional love that pets do, y’know?

Kendra: Lastly, with ‘War Regards’ out February 25th, what else can fans both new and old be on the lookout for from y’all?

Patrick: Fantastic and fun live shows.

Adam: More shows, attempts to cross the pond to Europe when things seem (ahem) “safer,” continued visits to Chicago to make up for all of the time we lost during these crazy times…maybe even the kernels of Album No. 5!

Justin: We are starting to work on a new album, this month actually. We have a new studio/rehearsal space that is all our own, despite Adam living in North Carolina, and me living out in the woods half the time. And we are going to make some touring in the US and Europe happen as well. Then I’ve been working on some music on my own and with some other folks. Adam and I have a new project with Yukio from My Way My Love called Forever Era with an album we are about to announce. 2022 is going to be really busy musically, and I’m excited. No matter what happens, it’s time to put all of this music out this year. Thanks to everyone for sticking with us to listen.

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Kendra: Last time we talked one of your goals was to fly under the radar of all these record labels. Are you guys still unsigned and in charge of your destinies?

Dave Valdez: I don’t believe much has changed in terms of us seeking out a record label. It’s a nice idea but the industry has changed in many ways that make it more plausible to continue being DIY. If there is a label that seems like a good fit then I am sure things could work out that way. Until then, we are just going to keep making music and doing things our own way.

Kendra: Why are you so adamant about being 100% independent?

Dave Valdez: It’s great to be 100% independent and rely solely on yourself but I think as things progress so does your vision and scope. I like the idea of Valaska working with outside forces but it makes things a tad easier to keep it all in house.

Kendra: Well, it’s working for you guys because you’re about to drop your fourth album this Spring. What went on in your lives over the past few years that helped fuel your creativity for ‘Loverbird?’

Dave Valdez: I moved to Los Angeles and started composing for film/TV and working closely with an orchestra. Moving far away gave me a bit more of a sense to open up and try new things creatively that I may not have tried back in Illinois.

Kendra: We have actual lovebirds and on the cover, we see a duck of some kind, but if you had to choose a bird that best represents the lyricism, style, and tenacity of this record what kind of bird would you choose and why?

Dave Valdez: It just so happened that I was at a rehab zoo in Big Bear and I found that goose just sitting and staring at himself in the mirror. It looked like he was just reflecting on life and figuring things out. It seemed ideal for a photo so I took it but the more I thought of it the more it seemed fitting for the whole record. Later, I found out that a goose in captivity will look in a mirror to have some company. They think it’s another goose but they are just looking at themselves. I’m sure there is a bit of that in the record too.

Kendra: Your first single from ‘Loverbird’ is a bit far from your hometown out in Illinois. What’s the deal with “New York Stories?”

Dave Valdez: I wrote that song during a brief stint of staying in New York. I was there for a few weeks, just walking around the city and taking it all in. There’s something really special about New York and it has had quite a grip on me since. It’s romantic and this record is romantic. Having never lived in New York, I can somewhat use that city as a place to imagine things being different. I think that makes sense.

Kendra: Will you be touring before or after the album drops? Let people know when they can catch you on stage.

Dave Valdez: We will definitely be on the road after the album drops. We are already in the process of booking some shows. Now a booking agent, that’s someone I would like to work with!!

The post Valaska: Hatching Romance appeared first on ZO Magazine.

We started with her precocious beginnings as a young entrepreneur, dove into her self-care realizations, and even got to hear about what’s shaping up at the end of the year!

Kendra: There are so many layers to who you are and your journey. It was hard to know where to start. Let’s take it back to the beginning. Not every eight-year-old was starting a business in the ’90s. Being that your parents gave you both your drive and creativity, were they not the least bit surprised at that point in your budding entrepreneurship?

Lauren Cornell: My parents always said that I dance to the beat of my own drum so I don’t think they were surprised when I decided to start my own business(es) from scratch, although there were (and still are) a bit of parental nerves involved!

Fortunately for me, they have both always been incredibly supportive of me in my endeavors. They were the ones taking me to my first drawing classes and art shows; encouraging my art and creative talents, hanging my work on the walls or wearing it, and helping me with my confidence as an artist and creator. As I’ve gotten older, they have also both been very encouraging and vocal about my business acumen and how much I have learned over the years.

A really cute fun fact, my dad has one of every business card I’ve ever made, even the first one with stickers on it!

Kendra: Today anyone that brands themselves are labeled an influencer and those people have become cemented into the current culture but you were doing that way back in the day when you were 15. Trendsetter much? Did you think that you’d still be repping Think Unique into adulthood?

Lauren Cornell: Funny, my mom has always called me a trendsetter, which I always thought of as typical (adorable) mom compliments, but the older I got the more comfortable I’ve become with that sort of label. I embrace it!

I definitely wanted to be repping Think Unique as an adult, envisioning my artistic empire in my parents’ basement, but I do always think back about how proud young me would be of where I am today and what I’ve done with that initial idea.

Kendra: I know you did the day job thing for a while, was that even with the degree in metalsmithing and jewelry design?

Lauren Cornell: It was! I was feeling a bit lost after college, as many grads are, and wanted to explore what the career world had to offer. I was fortunate to work for and learn from a lot of great people and businesses.

Starting off with Anthropologie and Target helped my visual merchandising and customer service skills, while Velocity helped me with my sales abilities. Working for Toro and SuChi helped me understand what it takes to run a small business in a big city, and I got to learn how to roll sushi which was awesome!

I always wanted to be an artist but working for these companies helped to shape my mind and teach me things I now use daily in my own business, and I am grateful for those experiences.

Kendra: While Think Unique has been with you for a long time, you didn’t go all-in until 2018. A part of that was getting sober and taking care of yourself. How do you feel your craft has benefited from your overall lifestyle change. Not only ditching the 9-5 but also positively focusing on yourself?

Lauren Cornell: Oh man, I could probably write a whole book about just this question. I honestly feel like a new person. My priorities have shifted, my understanding of myself as a human being, a woman, a creator, and now a business owner, has grown and changed so drastically in the last year it’s sometimes hard to believe that I am the same person.

Now, I can spend hours working on logistics or creations when I used to be stunted by a hangover, or a desire to go out partying. I feel that my priorities have finally shifted to put myself and my well being first and to not let these distractions take away from my potential. I felt that the capability was always within me but it took a clear mind for it to manifest in this positive and productive way.

Kendra: Which, let’s talk about your jewelry! Your pieces are beautiful marriages of metal and natural materials. How do you come about the stones and whatnot for your work?

Lauren Cornell: Thank you so much! I am really proud and grateful to be able to work with some of nature’s most gorgeous materials and to help share their benefits and beauty with the world. I have a trusted US-based friend I get my stones from, a few rescue farms where I source my cruelty-free feathers for my earrings and smudge wands.

I always try to support ethically managed, fair trade, sustainable small businesses for the rest of my materials. It’s really important to me that while I grow my business, I am growing other small businesses as well. I think small businesses are crucial to our economy and I want to contribute to that as much as possible so I will always make that a part of my business practice.

Kendra: You’ve also got a steady stream of events you showcase your work at. Are there ones people can catch you at regularly?

Lauren Cornell: Very true, it sometimes seems like I am at events more often than I am at my apartment! Currently, I participate in the Made in Chicago Markets, the Revolution Brewing Craft shows, and many of the events hosted by Amdur Productions. I also currently co-host a monthly Pop-Up Market here in Chicago called Handmade Happy Hours with my friend and co-founder, Jenny, which is my most regular event.

We are very excited about our event this month in honor of Suicide Prevention Month (September) since we are hosting a big fundraiser market with raffles, live music, and local artists. That’s happening on September 27th and more details can be found at our Facebook event page.

Kendra: Lastly, do you have any new designs heading our way this year? Collections?

Lauren Cornell: I do! I am very excited to announce my new line of jewelry which is taking things back to my metalsmithing roots. Working in Sterling Silver, Gold, and some semi-precious gemstones, this is aimed to be a more high-end collection of my work that I am thrilled to share with the world just in time for the 2019 holiday season.

The new collection will go live on my website this November. As always, my signature pieces will be available as well.

The post Think Unique Jewelry: Small Business. Big Impact. appeared first on ZO Magazine.