Interviews

Meltt is a Vancouver-based band that creates a multi-faceted sonic experience by combining shoegaze guitars, otherworldly keys, and evocative vocals to produce an ethereal and entrancing sound. The band members - Chris Smith, Jamie Turner, James Porter, and Ian Winkler - draw inspiration from both music and visual art, particularly Japanese cinema, to create a cinematic sound. Their 2023 EP, Another Quiet Sunday, represents a departure from their earlier work as it features a more experimental and evolved sound.

Upstate has experienced a series of transitions over the past three years, navigating through the pandemic and significant life events such as marriages, births, funerals, and spiritual awakenings. These experiences provided the band members, Mary Webster, Melanie Glenn, Harry D’Agostino, and Dylan McKinstry, with a much-needed break from the demands of touring and allowed them to create a record that reflects on every aspect of their lives with honesty and authenticity.

The Crystal Casino Band, a four-piece indie rock band originally formed at George Washington University in 2015, has been making waves in the music scene since their debut album in 2021. With their latest album release, Maryland House— produced by Kyle Downes and Jay Nemeyer (Color Palette)— the band showcases their artistic growth and pays homage to their lives as young adults in the DC/Maryland/Virginia area.

North Carolina-based indie-pop band, The Collection, released their newest EP, How To Survive An Ending, on January 27th. The EP centers around the theme of empowerment and encourages listeners to break away from societal expectations and find their own strength to get through difficult endings.

ALO, short for Animal Liberation Orchestra, is a band consisting of Zach Gill, Dan "Lebo" Lebowitz, Steve Adams, and Ezra Lipp. The three original members met in Saratoga, California when they were pre-teens and bonded over their shared love for music. They formed a band in junior high, and after years of hard work, dedication, and shared experiences, they have created their best work to date.

The best part of Joe Hertler and the Rainbow Seekers is not just the colorful sounds and uplifting energy but the lyrics, "Maybe love is also knowing when to let go." The new extended EP, The Painted World has fresh sounds with ancient roots and more of the lovely lyrics they are known for.

The Lil Smokies formed under the big sky of Missoula, Montana in 2009 and have created an original assortment of music that can quench the most diverse musical pallets. At first glance the band looks like a traditional bluegrass band with all of the usual stringed suspects including banjo, dobro, fiddle, standup bass and acoustic guitars. They say you can't judge a book by the cover and The Lil Smokies are the perfect example of why you can’t define a band by their instruments.

Jesse Lynn Madera has added her unique touch to the iconic track "Unchained," famously performed by Johnny Cash and produced by Rick Rubin in the late '90s. The song marks the production debut of renowned singer-songwriter Dan Navarro (Lowen & Navarro), and was engineered by multi-GRAMMY award-winner Jim Scott, who has worked with iconic artists such as Tom Petty, Sting, and The Bangles.

Chicago Farmer has, for twenty years, sung songs of the Midwest, songs celebrating his small-town heritage of hard-working people, making it through life’s good and hard times and proudly wearing their dirty uniforms, whether they live in the country or in a city.

Arlo Guthrie, whose enduring legacy as a folk artist, activist, and humorist spans seven decades, retired from the stage in 2020 for reasons of health and wellness. Wonderfully, Arlo recently withdrew his retirement announcement for a short “Arlo Guthrie - What’s Left Of Me - A Conversation With Bob Santelli” tour, set for April in the Northeast.

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