With some acting experience under his belt, Jesse Marchant’s music often takes on a cinematic quality, as do the videos he makes to accompany his singles. Marchant’s latest release, Antelope Running, paints beautiful pictures with rich and complex instrumentation and wistful vocals that are easy to get lost in.

Already four albums into her career, 23-year-old Faye Webster’s newest release, I Know I’m Funny haha, is a collection of real-life experiences from the lifelong Atlanta resident’s last two years set to a unique mix of pop, jazz, R&B and alt-country. And, it’s special enough to have caught the ear of a very important person who named “Better Distractions” one of his favorite songs of 2020.

T. Hardy Morris (Dead Confederate, Diamond Rugs) set aside an album he started recording in early 2020 and wrote a band new album, The Digital Age of Rome, influenced by the rapidly changing world we all found ourselves in last year. We talk about the album as well as take a walk through his back catalog.

Musician and filmmaker Brutus VIII (Jackson Katz) discusses his new album, Beyond, and short film, Sylvain’s Hunt

Southern California’s Joe Bourdet is the first to acknowledge the critical role that mid-to-late ’70s singer/songwriters – whose music, these days, fills dollar bins at the local record store – played in the development and recording of his outstanding debut album, Meadow Rock.

Brooklyn’s Superbloom are bringing mid-90s grunge back with raspy vocals and fuzzy guitars. Learn how the members of the band first heard grunge, the names they tossed around before settling on Superbloom and what it was like working with Will Yip on their debut album, Pollen.

While the pandemic put a halt to any plans Jim Ward may have made for promoting and touring to support the new Sparta record, the singer/guitarist has kept busy by hosting an Instagram interview series and writing and recording a solo album which is out now.

Coming this month, The Allman Betts Band will be performing three unique livestream shows – one will be all acoustic, the second will be playing the 2020 release Bless Your Heart in full for the first time, and the third will be a set of Allman Brothers classics. Guitarist/vocalist Duane Betts talks about releasing two albums in two years, the summer Spirit of The South tour, and what it was like playing shows in 2020.

With a sound comparable to modern rock bands like Royal Blood, Muse and Death From Above 1979, the Canadian duo cleopatrick, made up of guitarist/vocalist Luke Gruntz and drummer Ian Fraser, have gone from basement shows to the Lollapalooza stage in a short amount of time. Learn more about the young band leading the “New Rock Mafia”.

Without the ability to play shows in early 2020 to support their newly released EP, stillifeburning, due to the pandemic, L.A.-based Bizou used the time to write and record a full-length debut, Tragic Lover. Singer Marisa Prietto talks about the band’s formation, how the songs come together, and how having a former member of Smashing Pumpkins and Veruca Salt helps with the buzz.

Having just dropped an album many years in the making, the wonderfully named Sugar Loaf Walker had a virtual sit down with me to talk about his travels both geographical and sonic, about the deeper meanings and themes found on this fantastic record and the art of the instrumental album in the modern climate.

There may have been a silver lining to 2020. Singer Jesse Barnett was forced to take time off the road with his band Stick To Your Guns and use it to write and record with his electronica-based project, Trade Wind. For someone who makes a living screaming, Barnett showcases his gentler side with compelling results.

Trapper Schoepp discusses the challenging (and cathartic) process that led to his latest album, May Day

Guitarist Kunal Prakash of Silver Synthetic shares how the pandemic set the band’s Third Man Records debut back a year and discusses the rock scene of the band’s home town of New Orleans.

With his latest single, Wherever The Hammer Falls recently premiered on this site, it felt like the perfect time to sit down with Christian O’Connor to find out all about the musical path that got him to this point, his influences, the creation process for his self-made video and his plans for the future.

Poet Noah Lekas shared five entries from his first book, 2019’s Saturday Night Sage, with musicians and filmmakers and gave them free reign to create their own interpretations of his poems. How that all came to be is just one of the highlights of a recent conversation with the talented writer.

Though her debut album has some twang, Morgan Wade’s music doesn’t fit snuggly into the country genre, there’s much more to it. We talked about defying genres, working with Sadler Vaden (Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit), and her impressive collection of tattoos.

Everything Will Be Ok Eventually is the perfect title for an album written, recorded and released in the midst of a global pandemic. Jason Singer reveals Michigander’s origin story, his thoughts on Spotify, and best and worst tour experiences.

With the single “Dirty Girl” leading the way to a full album to follow, I sat down with the most eloquent Afton Wolfe to hear all about his past musical journeys, his inspirations and aspirations, the musicians that he admires and has worked with and where it all goes next.

Not many artists wait until their late 30s to start their music career, but that’s exactly what Andy McFarlane did when he released 2017’s Oh What An Honor, Oh What A Drag. In this conversation, we talk about his late start, what took him so long, and his new album, There Be Monsters.

Portugal. The Man bassist Zach Carothers discusses the band’s latest release, Oregon City Sessions, as well as the band’s career overall

Linda Perry reflects on her career as a performer (fronting 4 Non Blondes), hit songwriter, and film composer

“The Loft were a promising entry in the vast swarm of Creation talent, and seemed more likely than others to make it big. Trailing in the wake of The Smiths, they were right in the thick of guitar-based indie pop. Reveling in their influences, including The Velvet Underground, Television, and Modern Lovers, they released two killer singles: “Why Does the Rain” and “Up the Hill and Down the Slope”.”

Emily Kinney is best known for her role on The Walking Dead – but she’s also a talented singer-songwriter, as she proves on her latest album, The Supporting Character

I heard the anthology, and had my first hallucinogen, peyote, in October of 1959, and I just recently realized that both the peyote and the Harry Smith Anthology made me realize that the world was far more strange than I had dreamed, and far more vast than I had dreamed… So yeah, Smith is absolutely a template for this whole project.

Whilst many other artists have used lockdown to have a break from making music, The Two Man Travelling Medicine Show used it to write a whole new album. I sat down with Mark Lyons to learn about how the band came together, where they draw their inspirations and why they consider themselves to be the missing link between Joy Divison and The Muppets.

“Anybody”, the latest single from Pollux King is a rallying cry for the outsiders and a message of unity to those people who don’ know where they fit in with society. It felt like the perfect time to sit down with the artist behind the name and ask why she felt it necessary to voice such a sentiment, how she got to where she is today and about the challenges of staying positive and creative during the pandemic.

With the latest Death From Above 1979 album, Is 4 Lovers, Sebastian Grainger and Jesse Keeler took on the production responsibilities for the first time. In this conversation, the duo talk about how that went and how the delay in release due to the pandemic allowed them a second chance to get things right.

Legendary producer Daniel Lanois has worked with U2, Peter Gabriel, and Bob Dylan, among many others – but now he’s releasing another album of his own, Heavy Sun

“Lancaster PA band Vicious Blossom is Nate Zerbe (vocals/guitar/lyrics) and a revolving collection of musicians that varies from release to release. The band combines dream pop and shoegaze with a side order of psych for good measure.”

Singer/guitarist Jack Underkofler says his band, Dead Poet Society, tries to keep things fresh and never write the same thing twice. The band’s debut, – ! –, defies categorization – it’s modern rock with elements of many different genres throughout the songs.

Mare Wakefield and Nomad have both led adventurous lives, both in their formative days and since meeting each other, and their music is a reflection of their wanderlust and pioneering spirit. Folk, roots, jazz and Americana all swirl about in their songs and so with a new album about to drop, I sat down with them to find out about the lives and their music and what we can expect from the new release, as well as their hopes for the future.

The Princess Goes to the Butterfly Museum trio, which includes actor Michael C. Hall (Dexter, Six Feet Under), keyboardist Matt Katz-Bohen (Blondie) and drummer Peter Yanowitz (Wallflowers, Natalie Merchant, Morningwood), shares how Hedwig and the Angry Inch brought them together and how they went about writing their debut album, Thanks for Coming.

“If you think about names of famous bands, after awhile it becomes a signifier for the band, it’s drained of content. Is The Beatles a good name? It’s a stupid name right? But The Beatles are THE BEATLES!” – Tim Brown

“At least, the silver lining is that when we can play again, people will care about live music and it will be special again.” – Donna McKean

Chris White (writer/director) and Daniel Smith (songwriter) discuss the inspiration behind both the Electric Jesus movie and the soundtrack which is loaded with ’80s Christian hair metal original songs.

Singer/songwriter Aaron Lee Tasjan shares how he avoids the trappings of being easy to classify, how moving to Nashville was one of the best things he’s ever done, and has some fun answering questions about the “Thank You” credits on his new album, Tasjan! Tasjan! Tasjan!.

Berlin duo, Siamese Youth, make music which revels in the synthwave sounds of the mid-eighties. Their latest album, Echoes of Tomorrow, written during Lockdown, sees them embracing a broader sonic palette and adding new elements alongside their core sound. The bands new single “So Far From Home” is out now on New Retro Wave and the new album will be released shortly. I sat down with them to find out all about the making of their second album, how they coped with a year of isolation and what they are looking forward to once normality begins to return.

Marshall Gallagher and Anthony Salazar provide some insight into the new Teenage Wrist album and how a lineup change gave the duo a chance to bring new musical ideas to the table.

Loud Apartment is a band with a unique sound, one which crosses cultural and generic boundaries as easily as it does those relating to technology and musical era. With a new album, System Breakdown, now out, I sat down with Nevaris A.C. to find out how the band build up their singular sound, how it has remained creative during the pandemic and what the future holds.

When Planets Align is a band which mixes, merges and wilfully hops genres as the desire takes them. Their latest album, The Death of Us certainly explores such eclectic and exotic approaches but it also lyrically looks at tragedy both on a very personal and emotional level, but on a global and catastrophic one two.

We sat down with Juan and Mark to find out about the journey which got them to this latest album, their approach to making music, collaborations and what the future holds for them.

Steven Wilson discusses his new album, The Future Bites, on which he explores dystopian themes of technology-triggered isolation and needless consumerism

For an artist who spends a lot of time on the road and whose songs are written while traveling, it seems a bit unfair that with a recently-released debut album to promote, Lilly Winwood is stuck at home due to the global pandemic. The young singer-songwriter discusses how it’s both a blessing and a curse

With a resume boasting such bands as The Brilliant Corners, The Experimental Pop Band to his name, Bristolian Davey Woodward has just released a new album with his band The Winter Orphans. We sat down with him to find out what inspirations and processes drive his songwriting and how lockdown has been treating him.

Candy Opera sounded like the perfect band for the post-punk era that they formed in. But whilst bands around them became household names, somehow, the band never got the break many felt that they deserved. A new album The Patron Saint of Heartache, sees a new line up, garnered from band members from across their original, ten-year duration and the opening of a new chapter. We sat down with Paul Malone to discuss, the past, the present and the future of the band.

Stubborn Breathing Heart is an album which feels like a sonic road trip through the heart of American music. We sat down with its creator, Forest Sun to find out about the album and talk about his own journey through music.

With a new and beguiling collection of music out under the title of “Tales of Faith and Lunacy” we spoke to Nero Kane about the inspiration for the unique sonic landscape that his music paints, about the inspiration behind it and about how he has travelled to this point musically.

Dale Crover (Melvins / Redd Kross) talks about his new release, Rat-a-Tat-Tat!, shares how he wound up being in multiple bands with bassist Steve McDonald, and how he’s discovering new music while spending time at home, rather than in a tour van.

With a surprise January 1 new album drop, Ben Kweller has delivered a perfect 8-song, 28-minute pop masterpiece. He shares the reason why Circuit Boredom clocks in under half an hour as well as spilling some Spotify playlist secrets and the magic of email marketing in this engaging and entertaining conversation.

“Beautify Junkyards plays a unique blend of tropicalia, dream pop, and folk. Their songs are like wandering inside a dreamscape.”

If there could be an official soundtrack to 2020, Activity’s debut, Unmask Whoever would be a worthy submission as it’s dark, cold, paranoid and, at times, creepy. Travis Johnson shares how the band formed, what they are trying to accomplish, and what the future holds.