Kendra: It wasn’t too long ago that y’all dropped ‘Leave the Party Early.’ A title that speaks to me – if I were ever invited out, but my lack of a social life aside…because this album got you recognition and attention across the board. Did that add a layer of stress when it came time to record the next record?

Sleeping Jesus: I think that we were more excited than anything else. We recorded this new record in a vastly different way than we did for ‘Leave The Party Early.’ We had just come off a tour in November 2022 and we went into the Magic Barn down in Iowa City in December. We wanted to make something in a new way. And in a way that felt exciting for us too. So, more excitement than stress. Leave The Party Early was definitely a stretching exercise for us. We made a weird electro-pop album and we are really proud of that, but, we were able to record all together in a room and get that feeling from playing live that was thrilling. 

Kendra: Fans are going to get to hear ‘Hollywood Smile’ in November, but without giving too much away – if you had to compare this record to an actor’s smile, whose do you think would best represent the aesthetic of your sophomore release?

Sleeping Jesus: We all agreed on Jack Nicholson’s smile. There is something about his smile that can be comforting and simultaneously sinister too. A Hollywood man, but with a touch of depravity. Definitely Steve Buscemi’s eyes and Gilbert Gottfried’s voice too.

Kendra: We are getting a bit of a taste with the lead single, “Ferdy,” which features such a fun video. I do want to thank you for putting your heart and humor into the music video. This can often feel like a lost artform so I always appreciate a good video in these modern times. Did any of you channel any old favorite videos when it came time to shoot “Ferdy?”

Sleeping Jesus: We looked at The Shins’ “Australia” video and we wanted to bring some of that humor into the video. Our videographer, Harrison Mccormick, watched a bunch of Westerns like the Fistful of Dollars trilogy and we definitely found some inspiration in Reservoir Dogs as well. Harrison did a beautiful job of using some of the classic Western film tropes in our video. His direction and vision that he brought in really brought that video to the next level and we are super fortunate to have him in our camp. 

Kendra: This video features so much, including some not-so-happy goths (which, I guess is on brand?). Were any of you in the clique growing up? If not, what cliques would you say you belonged to back in the day?

Sleeping Jesus: None of us were in a goth clique, unfortunately! I felt like more of a chameleon moving through my school years. Music, a little sports, skateboarding, whatever the flavor of the week was! All of us had a love for music from a somewhat young age though, none of us have strayed from it since.

Kendra: “Ferdy” also has y’all playing at a birthday bash. Have you ever played anywhere as unique as that in real life?

Sleeping Jesus: Oh, one hundred percent. We have played at a gas station in Denton, Texas. Super quirky DIY spot. We did a house show in the middle of the day with Vansire that turned out to be a high school graduation party. A rock and roll wedding chapel. 

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…

Sleeping Jesus: Here’s the list:

Nick’s is “Move On Up” by Curtis Mayfield
Andy’s is “Wait For The Moment” by Vulfpeck
Tyler’s is “Me, Myself and I” by De La Soul
Seamus’ is “Chicken Man” by Evelyn Evelyn
Dante’s is “Gorilla” by Little Simz

Kendra: And lastly, with “Ferdy” out now and ‘Hollywood Smile’ out this November, what else do y’all have planned as we head into fall?

Sleeping Jesus: We are going to tour more coming up. We are looking to get to the coasts. We’ve done both coasts and we are excited to go back and see the country again. We will have some release shows in Minneapolis and our hometown of Winona, Minnesota. In December, we are gonna have a weekend at our home base of No Name Bar and we are super excited about that weekend.

The post Video Premiere: Everybody Get “Ferdy” with Sleeping Jesus appeared first on ZO Magazine.

One of the best feelings in the world is coming across pure talent. Which is what any and everyone who finds themselves in within earshot of Aaron Rice would get to experience. His vocals take you back to when you first heard Justin Timberlake break free from his boy band restraints and really shine. Like the former Tiger Beat centerfold, Aaron Rice hits you with a soulful pop that is held together by hints of modern R&B infused with electronic waves on his May 2019 release, Neverfade​/​For Dusk.

We just so happened to talk to Aaron about Neverfade​/​For Dusk, the Midwest, his addicting single “Ghosttown,” and more – so check out what this pristine talent had to say about it all and then some.

Kendra: As someone who also grew up mixed, I too struggled with who I was “supposed” to be for years. For me, writing helped, but for you it was music. How do you feel it allowed you to navigate those waters without the waves we call society taking you under?

Aaron Rice: Writing was a big part of navigating race and identity, especially when I was a teenager and had the longest stint of an identity crisis. I found solace in making music and it helped shape how I see myself and how I can connect to the world outside. It remains my biggest and best form of self-care and it’s the way I process. It’s a reflection, a catharsis.

Beyond that, I found that through music I could connect to and explore both of the separate cultures that my parents come from, and it helped me understand or see both sides of the fence. In turn, it helped to connect me with other cultures and begin to understand the commonality and humanity that we share. I feel very lucky for this. Music is something we can use to share the best parts of who we are and where we come from, and at the same time express the most painful pieces of our experiences.

Kendra: If anything, I personally think you mastered it based on “Ghosttown” alone. Your vocals are as pristine as the house getting robbed in the video. Did you have any say in the treatment or were you just going with the flow?

Aaron Rice: Thank you! Alex and I talked a lot throughout the conceptualizing and planning stage, so I suppose I had some say in what was going on- but for the most part, I played the part of a sounding board for him to bounce ideas off of. We’ve been partnering on art projects for a long time and I trust him to do his thing.

Kendra: Does the rest of Neverfade/For Dusk fall in line with “Ghosttown” in terms of style and theme?

Aaron Rice: To me “Ghosttown” is the most straight-ahead pop song on the album. It was written first, and it’s the song that I wrote all the other songs around. When working on the other songs on the record I would double back around at some point and listen to them next to “Ghosttown” to decide whether they fit together and to understand what else I could do to tie them together sonically. There are lyrical themes throughout the album that fit too. In a way “Ghosttown” was the beginning of the story- or the beginning of the end, depending on how you look at it.

Kendra: What this album represents to you, the whole finding peace of mind when emotionally drained – was that something personally you were reflecting on our society as a whole because man, the past few years have been a wild one, especially in the US.

Aaron Rice: For sure. Lyrically the album’s focus is more personal- but during the long production process, I often thought of the project as my Never-Neverland. It was an escape from my own situation, from the reality of everything happening in the US and all over the world, and really became a retreat from a feeling of helplessness to change any of the above.

Kendra: A friend of mine tweeted the other day that more musicians should move to the Midwest and stop putting so much stock in places like NYC and LA. Do you agree? Keeping in mind that Neverfade/For Dusk was created on both coasts and back home in Minneapolis.

Aaron Rice: I love that idea. Minneapolis has a big, vibrant music community so it’s a good place to work on creative things There are a lot of artists here doing some really cool things, we have some baller venues, and the cost of living is generally considerably lower than either coast. On the other hand, it doesn’t seem like there are many industry people here.

Labels, publishers, agencies, lawyers, promoters, management companies- a lot more of those in LA and NY. More recently there have been a few bigger name artists who have taken up residence here, so maybe that means things will start to move more in that direction- maybe the industry will start to follow them. As far as the album’s creation was concerned- that was more about where I was living, and where the mix engineer was living than anything else- we kept having to travel to one another to get it all done. It was mostly circumstantial because I have a need to make music wherever I am.

Kendra: With the record out May 10th, what’re your plans as far as the rest of spring and summer are concerned? Touring perhaps?

Aaron Rice: I just had a release party for the album in MN, and another show in LA on May 16th. Then I’m playing with Chromeo at First Avenue. After that, there might be a couple more one-offs, and then I’ll use the rest of the Summer to release more new songs.

The post Aaron Rice Brings Life to the Ghosttown appeared first on ZO Magazine.

Kendra: Do you feel that being in a band together has allowed you to explore more of your own relationship outside of music?

Nora: There is a vulnerability that comes with collaboration. It’s definitely how I process a lot of things. Sharing my ideas with Eric, or anyone is still a very challenging part of making music for me.

Eric: Of course working so closely together on our art adds a whole other dimension to our relationship. It’s a huge thing to share and brings additional purpose to our partnership.

Kendra: Things seem to be working out well on all fronts because you just dropped Spaces at the start of this year. Looking back though, how would you say the other has grown compared to 2015’s For Lovers?

Hot Date: For Lovers, was more impulsive and very much a product of spontaneity. Which was great, I don’t think we knew what we were making at the time. Our second EP, Three Sides To A Story, is a less romanticized version of songwriting. I think it shows more critical thinking. Lately, I’ve been more interested in highlighting reality rather than the dream state of our first album. Spaces is a concept piece that explores mental states and how we feel about where we were, where we are and where we want to be.

Kendra: When y’all started you said red wine was there for your songwriting, but if you had to pair Space with a wine which would it be and why?

Hot Date: A Taittinger, it’s a toasty, dry, crisp wine from France. I think it’s every bit as good as Champagne (but less expensive). It gives you such a great, heady buzz and beautiful to look at too. The bubbles could almost be stars in space. It’s the kind of thing you can drink all night and feel immortal but then, the next morning…Let’s just say, you get the highs and lows, which is something we wanted our audience to feel with this new album too.

Kendra: You seem very proud of your home in Minnesota. Was that part of the reason for the homage “MN Goddess?”

Hot Date: Minnesota is notorious for state pride. It has a way of getting into your soul. The homage to MN was inspired by the relationships I’ve built here. There is a very specific type of woman you meet from Minnesota. They are strong and natural beauties who will love you until the end of time. I grew up in New Jersey and, beyond my relationship with my own sisters, I hadn’t experienced a culture of women supporting each other quite like that before. It’s inspiring and grounding and important now more than ever. In a way, they have helped me connect more deeply with myself. (Although I could easily write a love song about New Jersey beauties too.)

Kendra: What is the “Nightlife” like in Minnesota for those who’ve never been?

Hot Date: Nightlife in Minnesota…Well, we should say how we have this great arts scene; live music and theater for days, it’s true. However, we aren’t a late night city. Everything (other than after hours artist parties) shuts down pretty early. Minnesotans rely on the modest nightlife we do have because it saves us from going insane from isolation (it’s really freaking cold here and hard to leave the house). Our song, “Nightlife,” is definitely about escapism in that way. It captures the moments you want to run from reality and feel a little number.

The post Hot Date’s Manic Spaces appeared first on ZO Magazine.