Now Hear This is a monthly A&R column that provides you with exciting new sounds we discovered through the innovative new music discovery platform Groover.
Each month, you can expect a varied bouillabaisse of songs from a vast spectrum of artists from all over the globe, regardless of genre or geography.
For November, SPIN has selected 15 artists who deserve your attention, including the underground hip-hop of North Ravi, American dreampop act Low Theory and their Canadian counterpart rikin, the Minneapolis street rock of Wayside, the modern classical of Ade, the Athens-based homemade psych pop of Plastic Bubble, the Calgary-based indie beach pop of VEE and the invisible, the Springsteen-esque protest country-rock of jAMBROSE, the delicate Scottish alt-folk of Selkie, the fem/queer hard bounce of Artsychoke, the shoegazey LA alt-pop of Esquimaux, the sweeping orchestral Aussie soul pop of Lucy Gallant, the progressive alt-rock of Iser Conne, the futuristic French pop of St. Franck and the doom blues stomp of Eric Johanson.
Who knows, your next favorite act could just be a read away.
North Ravi
Sounds like: Heady underground hip-hop in the vein of MIKE and Homeboy Sandman.
Interview:
My approach to music: I would say my approach to music, especially on my latest record Patchwork Epilogue, was to let my subconscious flow out into the music. I had a concept for the album but not an exact way of getting there, so I try to take myself out of the way and trust that it’ll end up where it’s supposed to be. There are times I struggle to do that, but it’s very therapeutic and fulfilling when it all comes together.
My sound: I would say I have a hazy, lofi, abstract take on rap with a bit of a psychedelic flair. I love making the kind of music you’d listen to while stoned and sinking into a couch.
My name: Ravi is an abbreviated version of my last name I started going by when I was traveling in South America since my first name isn’t easy for Spanish speakers to pronounce. North Ravi became the idea of a place where I was my highest self, along with my roots being on the northside of Atlanta. It became a moniker for my transformation and getting out of my own way, which is the story of my album.
Artists/albums that inspired me: My favorite album of all time was Odesza’s A Moment Apart for a long time. You’d never guess it from the music I make, but the feeling and emotion they create with their music is something that deeply resonated with me. In a more hiphop vein, Cities Aviv is incredibly inspiring to me, both his writing and production are incredible and his desire to always innovate with his music is something I strive for. Man Plays the Horn is a masterpiece to me. Being from Atlanta, EARTHGANG really inspired me as well. They felt like a modern version of Outkast that was different from what just about everyone else in the city was doing. Kanye’s Graduation has always been a battery in my back when I needed it. The Will of Man by Zeke Ultra. Midnight Snack by Homeshake. There are so many, I could go on and on.
Most exciting thing in music: I really like the different abstractions of rap that are happening. The sample choices, the offbeat flows, rapping about real shit. I feel like I’m part of that. People that say hiphop is dead aren’t looking hard enough, there’s tons of great artists doing their thing.
Music world in the next 5 years: I see the music world swinging heavily towards placing value on live performance. AI might be able to make music that sounds decent eventually, but the ability to create a unique live experience for people will only carry more weight and never go away. I’m working on something that I think is going to be super unique in that regard.
How music helps: Music is my therapy and bedrock, I don’t really feel good about myself unless I’m creating. I think channeling the most authenticity I can into it is what brings me some level of peace, knowing if nothing else I’m putting something original and heartfelt into the world. It’s really easy to tailspin thinking about the state of the world and music sometimes, so I just try to get out of my own head and let the music do its thing. When I’m really focusing on that everything else floats away.
Low Theory
Sounds like: An inventive combination of fuzzy dreampop and Warp Records-indebted production, creating a nostalgic soundscape for adventurous listeners.
Interview:
Describe your approach to music and how you would explain your sound to others.
My approach to making music is embracing imperfection in order to better capture and transmit authentic emotions to the listener. I have a very DIY process where every day I’m diving head first down new rabbit holes and expanding in many directions at once. Since I compose, record, produce, and mix everything in my small home studio, I have no choice but to roll up my sleeves and dig into the nitty-gritty.
My work doesn’t conform to one particular genre of music, but rather swirls together all my eclectic musical references and experiences to channel my feelings into nostalgic soundscapes.
If I had to describe my music to others, the closest umbrella style match would be dream pop, but I would say “imagine Twin Peaks meets Pink Floyd meets M83” and maybe we would be in the neighbourhood.
How did you come up with the name of your act?
The name “Low Theory” refers to queer theory proposed by Jack Halberstam in The Queer Art of Failure, which suggests that creativity and creation can explode out of non-compliance with normative societal expectations. This perspective aligns deeply with how I exist as a queer non-binary person, well as how I approach creating music.
What are some artists and albums that have informed your creative direction?
There are too many inspirations to list, is there a limit? Haha. But some of the artists I keep going back to over and over through the years are Son Lux, Fleetwood Mac, Shura, Beach House, Youth Lagoon, and Jessy Lanza. I’ll never finish analysing the gorgeous depth and nuance of their music, often conveyed through deceptive simplicity, and it’s definitely something I continue striving for in my own music.
What’s the most exciting thing happening in music right now?
Both exciting and terrifying is the fight of human artists to continue creating in the face of the AI slop deluge. This is complementary to the fight of human music/art lovers to bravely travel through that noise to seek out original human-made work.
I do love how music production is becoming so accessible to so many people, myself including. I don’t believe in gatekeeping, everyone should feel free to express themselves through art.
Where do you see the music world heading in the next five years?
I believe we’re right in the middle of a period of flux, not only in music, but in almost every industry. There are almost no areas of life where AI isn’t being messily foisted upon us in some way, all while that technology is insatiably consuming and exploiting human knowledge and the planet’s resources.
I think the shape of the music world and the battles we’ll be engaged in in five years as artists will be heavily influenced by the outcomes of some of the legal and ethical struggles currently being arbitrated.
Regardless, I strongly believe that artists have an inherent need to create and convey their personal truths through their work, and we will always continue to find ways to do so.
How is music helping you during these uncertain times?
The music creation process itself has always been a meditative salve for me in difficult moments, offering an outlet to explore and process complicated emotions.
However, now that my music is finally reaching a wider audience, I’m discovering the incredible beauty and healing nature of connecting to total strangers through the sharing of my art. For me, this is a totally new mode of communication with such a wide world, and it has brought me immeasurable joy to learn that my music has inspired people I’ve never met in person to be creative in their own ways, or helped them through difficult moments in life.
rikin
Sounds like: A unique melding of Eastern and Western music cultures to create a space where tabla-driven trip-hop intersects with 4AD-inspired dreampop.
Interview:
Describe your approach to music and how you would explain your sound to others.
I’ve been writing for as long as I’ve been able to; whether it was short stories or the most pretentious poems that matured into songwriting.
When I moved to Toronto for school, I was really interested in tracking down lost music media in my spare time, which while isolating, would inform the intended quality and ambiguity of the music I feel I’m making now. Since then I’ve befriended and collaborated with live musicians and co-producers from different scenes across the city, to execute and refine the sounds in my head, using a combination of analog, obsolete and current technologies.
I’d describe the sound of my latest song “anemia meets dream”, as a frequency that walks the fine line between melodicism and aggression; it’s very east meets west, about nothing but absolutely everything at the same time. Think of an inferno’s most gentle of flames.
How did you come up with the name of your act?
“rikin” is actually my birth name, suggested to my Dad by Google when dial-up internet went mainstream. I was told for the longest time that it meant “to fulfill” in Hindi, but that seems uncertain in recent years. I’ve heard it could translate to “glory” too.
What are some artists and albums that have informed your creative direction?
How long do we have?! My direction is informed by so many. I admire the subtleties of shoegaze, the advancement of production and protest through hip hop, and the universal smile brought to masses by pop music.
I grew up listening to A.R Rahman’s soundtrack for Dil Se… (1998), in my parent’s car. I just remember it always being in the background, even as a toddler. A.R Rahman is a trailblazing pioneer and his use of South Asian instruments was pertinent and referential throughout the process of my newest batch of songs. Peter Gabriel’s “So” (1986) is a classic, I first discovered the record a few years back after watching the film “Say Anything”. When I hear those tracks, it’s as if I’m discovering digital for the first time, or at least what it was meant to sound like. The Fairlight CMI is insanity, and inspired our use of the 1988 Akai S1000 for my song “anemia meets dream”. Mos Def’s “The New Danger” (2004) is so monumental. I own the original pressing on vinyl. The B-Side, “Kalifornia” is in my top 3 favourite songs of all time. The lyricism is cutting edge; the eclectic sampling and electric guitars make it so distinct. It’s a firm reminder that hip hop is at its core, pure rock and roll.
A.R Kane’s 69 (1988), Britney Spears’s In The Zone (2003), and Spiritualized’s Lazer Guided Melodies (1992) are also heavily inspiring.
What’s the most exciting thing happening in music right now?
In many ways, I think the death of monoculture has made music that much more authentic and accessible, so perhaps that’s the most exciting thing happening right now? Musicians aren’t necessarily bound to a specific genre, era, or even a larger entity. That same excitement is also a huge point of uncertainty, as there’s no promise of consistent success.
Where do you see the music world heading in the next five years?
In the next five years I genuinely see the revolutionizing of the music world against streaming services that take advantage of smaller artists and deny them patronage for their craft. I have wishful thinking over unions being implemented and the status quo of distribution being seriously reconsidered. I also predict an ever-impending war on authenticity and intellectual property, where musicians and fans alike, challenge major labels creating and promoting music made with artificial intelligence.
How is music helping you during these uncertain times?
The world is on fire but we keep on dancing, don’t we? I sleep with music every night and wake up to it every morning because it brings me solace. I think the beauty of music during times of uncertainty is the promise of having that same feeling being reflected back at you. Inspiring or inspired by change? There are songs dedicated to protest and solidarity for that. Feeling escapist? That can be satisfied with songs you can shake your ass to. There always has to be balance during times like these.
Wayside
Sounds like: A scrappy, Pearl Jam-associated rock band from Minneapolis, Minnesota, who can make Glenn Frey sound like Soul Asylum.
Interview:
Describe your approach to music and how you would explain your sound to others:
Brian: Wayside has always been a collision of a lot of different things. We’re definitely children of ’90s alternative rock, but that’s only part of it. Pearl Jam was and is still huge for us — the guitars, the emotional weight, the variety, the idea that rock music could be enormous and still feel deeply personal. Being from Minneapolis, The Replacements are in the bloodstream too. I love that sense that a song doesn’t have to be pristine to be great. We have a motto “Just Dump It”. Sometimes you just have to plug in and go.
Then there are bands like Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Queens of the Stone Age. BRMC taught me a lot about atmosphere and how much you can get out of a dirty guitar and the right groove. Queens showed that heavy guitar music can also be strange, sexy, rhythmic and dangerous. Homme’s an understated guitar hero.
But we also love Neil Young, Tom Waits, and Steve Earle, where everything ultimately comes back to the song and the story. Neil can make one ugly guitar note absolutely devastating, and Steve Earle can write about flawed people making the same mistakes over and over again in a way that feels painfully human, and hits way too close to home for many of us in the band. That stuff matters to me just as much as a great riff.
So when someone asks what Wayside sounds like, “alternative rock” is probably the easiest answer, but it doesn’t really tell the whole story. We like loud guitars and big choruses, but we also like imperfection, atmosphere, storytelling, melody and songs that feel lived-in. We’re not particularly interested in being polished for the sake of being polished. We want it to feel like five people in a room meaning it.
Matt: We write most of our songs virtually as 3 of us live in different states (!). We create a demo and then pass it around. We approach writing by being in the moment and letting the sound come out initially, which happens quickly a lot of the time and from letting whatever flow happens be the song, which is usually a magical moment. Part of our process is the mystery of how we end up where we end up, which is usually a result of trusting our initial instinct and then letting each other provide shape to the direction. Collaboration is a key part of the process and always results in a better song. It’s hard writing across the country but some part of it allows for individuals to sink into their part and make suggestions from a place of being deeply present. Though we would love to jam live and there are benefits to that as well.
How did you come up with the name of your act?
I wish there was some great story behind it, but honestly I don’t remember exactly how the name came together. It was around 1999 when I was at Saint Mary’s University and met Matt, our singer. I’m pretty sure he threw out “Wayside,” taking it from one of the few decipherable lyrics in Pearl Jam’s “Yellow Ledbetter,” and somehow it just stuck.
The funny thing is that the band has changed so much underneath that name. We started as a typical young cover band, went through different lineups and versions of ourselves, disappeared for a while, came back, and eventually became what we are now — a band focused on original music.
I think the name probably means more to me now than it did when we picked it. “Wayside” makes me think of the things and people that get overlooked, left behind, pushed off to the side, or just don’t quite fit where they’re supposed to. A lot of the music we love — and a lot of the songs we end up writing — live in that space. Flawed people, detours, bad decisions, trying to find your way back, trying to figure out where you belong. Maybe we’ll never figure that out, but that’s the hero’s journey as they say.
So what started as a Pearl Jam reference from a couple of college kids somehow ended up being a pretty fitting name for a band that has taken a very long, very crooked road to still be here.
What are some artists and albums that have informed your creative direction?
Matt: We have a lot of influences and are music nerds and could list a bunch of cool bands but honestly our biggest influence is…Pearl Jam. On many levels. Their energy and physicality, their church like, spiritually participative live shows, the ethics and how they use their voice in the world, how their music is a celebration of life and aliveness which only comes by moving through the dark, all of it. They also have a highly collaborative process and their songs (especially after the first 2 albums) have A LOT of range, from straight ahead punk songs to groove based rock to weird experimental sounds. We are also rooted in the classic Minnesota sound of the Replacements and revere Paul Westerberg’s songwriting and the overall ethos and wildness of their shows.
Brian: Yeah, I was definitely raised on ’90s alternative rock, which itself was steeped pretty heavily in classic rock and punk. The riffs of early Pearl Jam had a huge impact on me, and as their songwriting changed over the years it really influenced my idea of what a band could be. Neil Young’s Ragged Glory is another big record for me. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club records like Take Them On, On Your Own and Baby 81, pretty much anything Queens of the Stone Age does — there’s a lot in there. But somehow it always comes back to Pearl Jam.
What’s the most exciting thing happening in music right now?
What excites me most is that there still seems to be room for all of it. You can have older artists making great records, younger bands pulling from sounds that are 20 or 30 years old without it feeling like cosplay, and completely different scenes happening at the same time.
I love finding something new that sends me down a rabbit hole, whether it’s a band I’ve never heard of or somebody I’ve listened to for decades doing something I didn’t expect. And locally, there’s still so much happening. You can go see a punk band, an Americana act, something experimental and a straight-up rock band all in the same week.
For all the talk about algorithms and AI and where the business is headed, people are still making records because they have something to say, and people are still showing up to hear them. That part still feels exciting to me.
Where do you see the music world heading in the next five years?
I think the next five years are going to be really interesting because technology is only going to keep moving faster. AI is obviously going to become a bigger part of music, and I think there’s probably going to be some backlash to that too.
I can see people getting tired of everything feeling so digital and wanting more things that feel real again — live bands, imperfect performances, local scenes, records with personality, actually being in a room with people instead of experiencing everything through a screen.
At least here in Minneapolis, I feel like you can already see some of that happening. There seem to be more backyard shows popping up, and even though local venues have struggled, they’re still consistently booked with a really wide range of bands and artists. People still want to go out and see something happen in front of them.
I don’t think technology is bad. It’s given independent bands opportunities we never would have had when we started. But I do think at some point people are going to get tired of algorithms, AI, endless content and everything being designed to grab your attention for ten seconds.
Maybe I’m just hoping for it, but I think there’s going to be more value placed on things that feel personal, imperfect and real. A band in a room. People actually talking to each other. Something happening right there that isn’t generated for you. Everything happens in cycles, right? So that’s the hope…..small hope.
How is music helping you during these uncertain times?
The last couple of years have been pretty intense for a few of us personally. Relationships changing, family stuff, work, health, just life happening in ways you don’t really plan for. I don’t want to speak for everybody too much, but I know Matt and Adam have both been through some heavy things too.
Music has always been one of the things I go to when I need comfort or just need to feel different for a while. Sometimes that means putting on a record I’ve loved forever because it feels familiar. Sometimes it means putting on something loud and angry. Sometimes you just want to put on a song you can dance around the house to and get out of your own head for three minutes. Music can change your mood pretty quickly, and I think I’ve leaned on that a lot lately.
Then there’s making music. Wayside has become this place where a lot of what we’re carrying can go without us necessarily having to explain it. Put our experiences into song and melody. Sometimes it comes out directly in the lyrics, sometimes it’s just in the way somebody plays a part that day. There’s something about getting in a room together and making noise with people who’ve known you for a long time that can be incredibly grounding.
Matt writes most of the lyrics, and what’s been interesting about the newer songs is how often he ends up hitting on things that all of us seem to be going through in one way or another — relationships, regret, repeating patterns, trying to figure out who you are when life changes underneath you. They’re his words, but a lot of the time they feel weirdly collective once the rest of us start putting ourselves into the music.
For me personally, this year especially, music has been one of the things keeping me moving forward. Writing guitar parts, recording, playing shows, even obsessing over some tiny detail in a song gives me somewhere to put energy that would otherwise just sit there.
And then there’s playing live. For that hour, none of the other stuff matters. You’re completely present. It’s loud, sweaty, imperfect and real, and you’re sharing it with your friends and a room full of people. I think all of us probably need that more than we admit.
Ade Vincent
Sounds like: The utilization of a piano originally purchased by the artist’s grandfather in the 1920s to breathe new life into the interpolation of classical and electronic music.
Interview:
Describe your approach to music and how you would explain your sound to others.
My approach is to make music that I think is exciting and interesting, and to focus on authenticity. I’m always thinking in terms of trying to make something that no one else would make in the same way. I also like to keep evolving — to not stand still artistically.
My sound sits between genres — I’ve always been interested in music that’s hard to pin down but remains accessible. It combines electronica, contemporary classical composition, songwriting hooks and ambient music. The piano is the centrepiece, and I also play the recorder (often through a vocoder — it sounds like a synth that breathes), sing, and play synths/beats. I like to use the recorders in ways you don’t usually hear them — in electronic music, mixed in with piano and beats.
How did you come up with the name of your new album?
The album name ‘A.WAKE’ is a double meaning on the death of the old self and the waking of the new. The album is about personal transformation. The interesting thing about writing music without lyrics is that it leaves more room for the listener to project their own story or meaning. It’s less prescriptive. This means that the titles do a lot of work — they’re all I have to point the listener towards story or meaning. I put a lot of work into titles that draw the listener in and make them want to know more. The album title and the lead single — “I Am the Arrow” — are both intended this way.
What are some artists and albums that have informed your creative direction?
Immediately I reach for The Beatles, Radiohead and David Bowie without even having to think. They all embody my earlier point about being authentic and always evolving. They’re all musically groundbreaking and timeless, and I return to them often. My favourite record is Siamese Dream by The Smashing Pumpkins — it’s not obvious how that influences my writing but I can still hear it — I have listened to that record so many times it’s baked in. More specifically on my current creative direction, I like artists that draw on electronic music and also contemporary classical and combine them in interesting ways, such as Hania Rani, Nicholas Paschburg and Grandbrothers.
What’s the most exciting thing happening in music right now?
So many artists are blurring and ignoring genre boundaries, or they are sitting in a lane but freely taking interesting things from other genres. I find the breaking down of these boundaries exciting and interesting.
Where do you see the music world heading in the next five years?
The impact of AI will be significant. I think there will be an increased interest in the humanity of music making. When variations of what already exists can be made in an instant, I think that anything that is hard to replicate or is a departure from what already exists will be incentivised and rewarded: imperfections, lack of polish, creativity, being unpredictable and surprising.
How is music helping you during these uncertain times?
It is so many things to me — it’s work, it’s leisure, it’s connection to others. I just spent the weekend performing at a festival, and after my last show spent a few hours winding down by listening to music with friends, and then going to see other shows the next morning.
Plastic Bubble
Sounds like: Shiny, happy, homemade psych-pop in the mold of The Sharp Pins and The Elephant Six Collective.
Interview:
Describe your approach to music and how you would explain your sound to others.
I’ve always tried to reach for whatever it is I want to hear in music but can’t quite find elsewhere. It’s usually a matter of aiming for a certain sound that’s in my head, and–while maybe not capturing that–stumbling onto something else along the way and then dressing it up to sound like something I would like to listen to if I were someone else (that also has the same tastes as me). And I (as the only constant “member” in our shifting lineup) love having friends sing and co-write so there’s more variety of voices and perspectives. I try to sequence each release like a mixtape with shifting moods and environments. As part of that approach, I like to mix up recording environments and collaborators so that each new track is like going into a new room or new world. As far as how I would explain our sound to others, I’ll usually use “psychedelic indiepop” as shorthand–assuming it will be understood that I’m referring to a non-hippie/non-jammy strain of psychedelia and that ‘indiepop’ refers to the term as it was understood at Kindercore Records’ peak circa 2000.
How did you come up with the name of your act?
The name is much older than the act itself. When I was an adolescent in the mid-90s, I thought of using the name Plastic Bubble for my 4-track recording project that I was daydreaming about starting up. But not being online yet and not knowing whether the name might have already been claimed (or how to confirm if it was available), I decided to use the now-embarrassing spoonerism Blastic Pubble to be safe.
It was under this name that I made music in high school and through my undergrad years in Athens, GA. I put the act to bed in the mid-00s when I returned to my native Kentucky and played in a more proper “band” band in Louisville. Once that project came to its conclusion and I started doing my own solo-ish recordings which then morphed into the loose collective that made the first Plastic Bubble album, a friend recommended I revive the old identity–and I switched from the spoonerism to the traditional spelling to make a break from the past and mark the beginning of the new project. (I also want to clarify–because more than one person has told me of their incorrect assumption–that the name has nothing to do with that translucent conveyance Wayne Coyne has been crowd surfing in for the past couple decades. Our name predates that by years, as it was conceived back when Ronald Jones was in the band and the Flaming Lips were still a guitar-based rock band.)
What are some artists and albums that have informed your creative direction?W
When I was 10 years old, I became a huge Queen fan and dove into their catalog the way other nerds get into a specific sci-fi/fantasy franchise and get obsessed with all the details. My digestion of the band’s work at that formative age really shaped me. In addition to Freddie’s impossible-to-aspire-to talents, there was something about the multiple songwriters and multiple lead vocalists (on album tracks) that spoke to me. And the stylistic variety within each album really made an impression.
Though I remember buying a cassette of Nevermind when it was hot and fresh, it was a few years later in middle school that the Nirvana influence became more of a cornerstone to my musical being. Once I saw the Flaming Lips on 120 Minutes, all bets were off and I went down that rabbit hole.
In high school in the relatively early days of civilian Internet I ran a Flaming Lips fan site on Geocities and met someone across the country who ran another Lips webpage and was also a curator of a very cool collection in the underground tape trader culture of those pre-streaming days. He introduced me to the music of the Elephant 6 Recording Co. and put that scene on my radar before the release of In the Aeroplane Over the Sea. Once that album came out, I dove in deep and was soon sending my 4-track recordings to both the Denver and Athens post office boxes and ended up in regular correspondence with folks from both camps. Robert Schneider in Denver was a big supporter of my early recordings (and we worked together long-distance on an editing/mastering/pixie-dusting attempt of a sprawling 70 minute Blastic Pubble psychonautic travelogue that was eventually shelved after a few consecutive crashes of ‘The Elephant 6 Mainframe Computer’) and we talked a lot about recording philosophies and Smiley Smile and how he thought I really needed to listen to Pavement. He (and folks from the Olivia Tremor Control/Gerbils/Elf Power camp in Athens) gave lots of encouragement and confidence boosts that cemented my resolve to keep going in the directions I was going with some guidance of seeing how they were making their magic ahead of me.
I moved to Athens in 2000 and soaked up the local scene and all of my outside-of-town heroes that would come through, and WUOG, the hippest college station in the world. Those years were probably the most influential in my development as an artist.
Outside of that, my personal approach has probably been most influenced by stuff like Syd Barrett, The Velvet Underground, Brian Eno, Big Star, Pavement, and Guided By Voices. Since I sort of painted myself into a sort of day-glow corner with what made the biggest impression while my brain was still developing, I really try to balance things out with collaborators that approach the project from varying musical angles and philosophies.
What’s the most exciting thing happening in music right now?
The long-awaited third album from Olivia Tremor Control is finished and out now. I haven’t been this excited about a new release since… I dunno, SMiLE?
Where do you see the music world heading in the next five years?
As music becomes less and less central to the lives of the general public, further de-valued, disposable, and further wallpaper-ized, I think that something will finally crack when people en masse realize what they’ve been missing. Maybe people will turn away from the on-the-grid sounds that are becoming more and more uniform across artists and genres. If there’s a large enough audience ready for it, there could be something of a renaissance. But at the same time, I think it might be naively optimistic of me to think that in five years people will be able to make and distribute music and not just be in camps working for the Epstein class.
How is music helping you during these uncertain times?
As a listener, music has been an escape to an alternate reality since I was in single-digits. I focus deeply and don’t think about much else other than what I am hearing and processing in the moment. While I don’t think complete escapism is helpful in our present moment in time (with figurative monsters around every corner in all areas of our lives), taking time to decompress and recharge is valuable and essential. I’m always trying to make the music that can be that immersive sonic playground soundtrack for comrades when they let down their hair and get in a comfortable space to tap their toes and enjoy the show.
VEE and the invisible
Sounds like: Calgary-brewed indie pop that feels like a beachy extension of the sound Blur was exploring on 13.
Interview:
Describe your approach to music and how you would explain your sound to others.
All the songs on ‘Summer Ends’ were written on either an acoustic guitar or on an upright piano. Sometimes I write lyrics and melodies at the same time and sometimes I’ll have a musical idea in voice memos and lyrics in notes and they’ll come together. ‘Last Song’ and ‘Quell’ for example, I wrote out ideas across a few drafts, and eventually a chord progression or a riff informed the melody and final lyrical content. ’The Entire History of You’ was never written down and I just sang it into voice memos over dissonant chords I was playing and that final version retains the exact lyrical content, structure and melodies but over a different set of chords and production. Similarly with ‘More Than That’, I sat at an old piano I had moved into my parent’s house and it just kind of came to me. ’Saturday’ is kind of the surprise single at the moment and for that one, I just strummed that opening chord and the first line came out which I then wrote the rest of the song around.
The core of my sound is singer/songwriter but I’m also the producer and engineer on these songs so I like to express all my influences in the production which also varies. There’s moments of British Invasion, Motown, Britpop, trip hop and also just straight indie and emo.
How did you come up with the name of your act?
Before this project, I played guitar and keys in a post rock band and guitar and vocals in a two-piece rock band both with essentially my best friends from different points in my life. When those projects ended so did those friendships for the most part. ‘VEE & the invisible.’ was a way for me to have a project that was entirely my own with any collaborators that I wanted. Initially the project was called “VEE & the invisible band” and inspired by John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band but I quickly dropped band after playing my first show in 2013 and just kept it ‘VEE & the invisible.’
What are some artists and albums that have informed your creative direction?
Bright Eyes – Fevers and Mirrors
Stevie Wonder – Songs in the Key of Life
John Lennon – John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
Jamie T – Carry On The Grudge
Frank Ocean – Blonde
Blur – 13
Fiona Apple – The Idler Wheel…
Elliott Smith – Either/Or
Björk – Vespertine
Tyler, The Creator – IGOR
There’s a certain intimacy in all those albums but also a level of creativity peaking. It’s what I strived for on this first album and it’s what I’ll strive for on the next one. I guess I should clarify; it’s creativity PEAKING and not a creative peak as most of these artists hit peaks before and after these albums. I don’t necessarily sound like all these artists or albums but there’s bits and pieces that inspire me and show up in my music. Also, all these albums would likely be on my desert island list.
What’s the most exciting thing happening in music right now?
The dismantling of the system. People are seeing through more of the bullshit and there’s a lot of call outs to all the nepotism in music now and while subcultures might be a thing of the past, everyone is more free to just like what they like and hopefully independent music will continue to rise. I think what it means to be independent is also changing and I think I’m an example of that. I’m the sole songwriter on all these songs, I’m the mix and mastering engineer, the producer (with additional production from some friends on a few songs) and I’m the record label, graphic designer, etc. Artists want freedom and I think the changing landscape allows them that but they need to be ready to wear a lot of hats and learn a lot of skills. Ideally I would be working with producers, session musicians, a mastering engineer… all of that is so much fun and the surprise of what someone else can do to or add to your song is always great but this time around I had to rely on myself to see it to completion and it’s exciting that everyone has the ability to do that now.
Where do you see the music world heading in the next five years?
You know all that 3D animated AI slop all over social media? I hope it inspires real artists to get back into hand drawn animation and that these are the types of revolutions and rebirths we see in music too. I hope all the AI slop from places like SUNO or wherever else leaves room for more honest songwriting and musicianship. Bring on all the lofi singer songwriters and full length albums recorded entirely in voice memos. I think the music that artists put out will also have to be backed by being able to execute it or perform it live so I imagine there will be more live visual albums on YouTube like ‘Live Sessions from Cathy’s Apartment’.
How is music helping you during these uncertain times?
I think for most of my life I have been the type of person who’s been affected by the power of music. I think the power of music is being under-utilized at the moment and I think there are too many artists who are living in fear or being censored. The punk ethos feels hard to come by and maybe it died with those subcultures I mentioned earlier and I kind of miss it. But maybe I’m going off on a tangent here; times have always been uncertain and music has always been there to inspire and give people hope and it’s always done that for me. I hope that I’m able to pass that on and that this album does that for the next kid.
JAMBROSE
Sounds like: A poignant, Springsteen-esque country song from New York written in tribute to the victims of ICE violence on the streets of Minneapolis.
Interview:
Describe your approach to music and how you would explain your sound to others.
I start with the story I want to tell. For me, the message leads, and the instrumentation is just the vehicle to get it there. That’s why I don’t box myself into a single genre. My roots are in rock, folk, and hip-hop, but I’ve written tracks that lean pop and dance because that’s what the song demanded. I want to make music that carries some weight and has something to say, but it still has to be something people actually want to turn up and listen to.
How did you come up with the name of your act?
I use J.V. Ambrose for my songwriting and jAMBROSE for my work as a producer, both of which are variations of my actual name. I wanted monikers that felt personal and grounded in reality, rather than an invented stage name that didn’t mean anything to me.
What are some artists and albums that have informed your creative direction?
Pink Floyd, John Lennon, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and Paul Simon are foundational for me. I’m drawn to writers who can tackle complicated ideas without ever sacrificing the hook. Pink Floyd’s A Momentary Lapse of Reason, and specifically the song “On the Turning Away,” was a particular influence on “Where Justice Dies.” The song speaks to what happens when we turn away from the plight of others. That idea resonates with me, especially how easily we can become complicit in injustice and numb to the suffering around us. I wanted “Where Justice Dies” to be a reminder that we have a responsibility to speak up rather than look away.
What’s the most exciting thing happening in music right now?
It’s the collapse of the traditional gatekeeping system. The boundaries between genres are practically gone. You hear country, hip-hop, and electronic colliding with reggaeton and Latin trap. What artists like Bad Bunny are doing with Spanish-language music is redefining global pop. But even more exciting is that independent artists don’t have to wait for permission anymore. We have the tools to create, distribute, and find our exact audience on our own terms. It’s a level of creative freedom that changes how music actually gets made.
Where do you see the music world heading in the next five years?
I think we’re going to see a lot more artists finding the courage to speak up. For a long time, the industry standard was to play it entirely safe. There was this fear that taking a stand on anything real would isolate your audience or damage your brand. But I think that wall is coming down. I believe we have a responsibility to use our platforms to hold up a mirror to reality and call out the things we can no longer afford to ignore. Listeners are craving authenticity, and they want to know what their favorite artists stand for. In the next few years, the artists who are willing to put their real convictions on the line, regardless of the backlash, are the ones fans will genuinely connect with.
How is music helping you during these uncertain times?
It’s how I process the noise. There’s a lot happening out there right now that leaves you feeling angry, frustrated, or just entirely helpless. Writing gives that heavy energy a place to go. I try to take something difficult or painful and forge it into something constructive. That’s what happened when I sat down and wrote “Where Justice Dies.” I wanted to turn my outrage into something loud enough to cut through the apathy.
Selkie
Sounds like: Delicate and atmospheric folk-pop from Scotland inspired by the Japanese practice of kintsugi that plays like Joanna Newsom if she sounded closer to the spirit of Julee Cruise.
Interview:
Describe your approach to music and how you would explain your sound to others?
Music starts and ends in different places for me. My approach is very flexible and exploratory. Sometimes I have a few words, a title, a concept; sometimes it’s a melody or a guitar part; other times I can be playing around with ideas at a piano or creating sounds at my laptop, and sometimes it’s simply a search for music in silence. For example, if I sit quietly and listen to the absence of sound, what music or feeling might emerge from my fingertips or voice? That’s where I find joy and fulfilment in creating music. I try not to follow traditional structures and methods too closely, whether that’s in songwriting or production. The result is slow-moving songs that, for me, feel like a journey without a planned destination. The sound is soothing, atmospheric, emotional, detailed. My music is usually voice-led and lyric-driven, but I do have a few ambient, mostly instrumental pieces where my voice is only a textural presence. I often work with electric guitar, bell-toned synths and piano. I also design sounds from recordings of my voice that can be difficult for listeners to interpret. Is it digital? Is it human?
How did you come up with the name of your act?
Selkies are Scottish mythical creatures: seals that transform into singing and dancing women on dry land under a full moon when they remove their sealskins. I was wildly obsessed with music, singing and writing when I was growing up, and performed often throughout most of my teens. I lost touch with that for a while as adulthood took hold, and eventually went through a downward spiral that led me to lose my voice and spirit. For around a year, I was unable to speak or breathe comfortably, never mind sing. I only started to recover through a daily ritual of playing piano and getting in touch with nature and the cycles that spun around me. In some tellings of the selkie tale, a fisherman steals and hides a selkie’s sealskin while she is on land as a woman, forcing her to remain with him and lose touch with her true nature. Over time, she begins to wither and lose the magic of her song. She is only able to recover when she is reunited with her skin and can return to the sea as the wild animal she is. I didn’t think too hard about the name, even when others dismissed it as being “too Scottish”, as if it would pigeonhole my musical style. The overlap between our stories made it feel like an obvious choice for my project, especially since the ocean runs through many of my soundscapes and metaphors. Every time I perform onstage, I feel like I’m stepping into my skin, in a way.
What are some artists and albums that have informed your creative direction?
Without making a deliberate choice, I largely stopped listening to music a few years ago. I think the way the world has changed and sped up since the pandemic, with AI, being chronically online, always on your phone and constantly contactable, has been overwhelming for me. I tend to prefer to step away into a quiet place and stare into the sky. I used to listen to a lot of film soundtracks and often found inspiration in them. The most recent that comes to mind is Matthew Herbert’s work for *The Wonder*. On occasion, there’s background music playing at home, and every now and then I’ll put on the odd song or album, but I don’t live inside my headphones like I used to. So a lot of my formative artists and albums are from another era. I’m behind the curve! Kate Bush is up there, Björk, and Madonna. You can definitely hear these influences in my songs.
What’s the most exciting thing happening in music right now?
This is a difficult question for me to answer as I’ve been dealing with a lot of struggles with what is happening in music recently, and my list of things that could be improved is much longer than my list of things that excite me about the industry. The things I find most exciting aren’t necessarily unique to this moment in the music industry. They’re broader aspects of making music in general, such as the process of creating, developing the visual world around the music, collaborating with others, sharing what I’ve made and connecting with people through it.
Where do you see the music world heading in the next five years?
I’m not sure where the music world is heading, but my hope for the next five years is to see spaces of resistance grow, with more intimate live venues and pop-up performances in unusual spaces, without big profit aspirations, and more opportunities for independent musicians to put on their own curated shows without taking on such high financial risks. For me, the heart of music lies in experiencing it live, sharing a room with other people, and creating those moments of connection where you can simply be present. I hope audiences increasingly seek out these experiences, discovering local and lesser-known artists rather than gravitating mainly towards big stadium shows.
How is music helping you during these uncertain times?
A singalong or a song to dance to is often a good medicine that lifts the spirit and can transport you to another time and place. That’s exactly how it helps me right now. And performing my own music and sharing it with others makes me feel alive with a warm sense of “togetherness.”
Artsychoke
Sounds like: A fem/queer hard bounce anthem that takes aim at the way women are tokenized in the music industry, especially DJ culture.
Interview:
Describe your approach to music and how you would explain your sound to others.
My approach to music is letting it come to me. I am less focused on a brand or sticking to a particular sound and more focused on letting each song be what it wants to be without forcing it. This is why I make so many different genres of music, I think genre is just a bunch of made up words to put art into boxes that it doesn’t necessarily need to be in. When you listen to my music, my own original vocals are what ties a lot of the songs in my project together. Even though I play around with different styles and genres, you can usually recognize when something is my sound by my voice or my songwriting.
How did you come up with the name of your act?
Artsychoke was actually my Instagram name for the past 10 years. I created the username when I was 16 because of my obsession and love for artichokes and it kinda just stuck. I didn’t have a lot of time to pick an artist name which was absolutely a blessing, if I had endless time to pick a name I probably would have dwelled on it for too long. I had a song needing to come out and I had to quickly make a new project prior to the release so I had about a week to decide and I just went with my gut.
What are some artists and albums that have informed your creative direction?
This is a tough one because I am inspired by so many different artists in different genres of music. I have to mention two women who have absolutely changed my life and my perspective in music. Mija and Gina Turner came into my life around 2024 and brought me into their community as well as Mija’s artist run label, Never B Alone.mp3. I have always loved the fluidity of Mija’s music and how both her and Gina have often used their own original vocals and have made all different genres of music. The Never B Alone.mp3 community really made me feel like I could be myself in my production and I didn’t have to stick to one box just to fit into a marketable ‘brand’. This concept that music can be this freeing thing that ties together communities like this, has really kept me interested, motivated and creating constantly.
When I was in high school, I was working towards a career in dance and I had not discovered the electronic music community yet. I was working on a dance routine with my dance partner at the time. We were West Coast Swing dancers and we wanted to perform a routine for the first time in the U.S. Open Dance Championships. One of the songs I gravitated towards was this song by Mija, “Mind Control.” I did not know Mija as an artist, the song isn’t even really electronic, I would say it is more on the Pop/Indie side of music, but I was really pushing my dance partner on us using that song for our routine. We never ended up competing as the pandemic pulled us in different directions. My dance partner moved across the world and then I found my place in music. Looking back now, I think it’s very interesting how this song we were dancing to all the time, was by an artist who I now work for and who has shaped the direction of my music career. This also just shows how fluid and how Mija’s music has changed and moved through so many different genres and eras.
Another artist that I feel inspires me in the same way is Justin Jay. His career in music just shows that you don’t have to be what everyone else wants you to be, you can just have fun and make music for the love of making music. By doing what you love and producing for fun, the right people who are meant to find your music will find your music and love your project for it’s authenticity to who you actually are and not a brand you force yourself to be. The first time I heard about Justin Jay was also when I was focused in the dance world, one of my dancer friends knew that I was slowly getting into electronic music and she reached out to me to invite me to a Justin Jay show in San Francisco. She described it as “nutty”, “you never know what he’s gonna do”, “He’s a real wild card”. I thought that was so funny I had to look up his music and see what she was talking about. I absolutely loved his production and I gave him a follow even though I wasn’t able to go to that very first show.
As for albums that have shaped my taste in music, the very first one that would be at the top of my list is “I Am The Dog” by Sir Chloe. Although “Swallow The Knife”, the most recent Sir Chloe album, is actually my favorite. The reason “I Am The Dog” is at the top of my list is because of the time it came into my life. I felt like in 2023, listening to this album was one of the most significant memories of that year and it is still a repeat album for me because of how liberating and freeing it felt listening to it for the very first time. I want to make music that can also be an escape for other people, just like how Sir Chloe’s music is an escape for me.
My other two albums would be: Brazilian Girls by Brazilian Girls (a self titled album that came out in 2005) and Phantoms by Phantoms (another self titled album that came on in 2017).
The Brazilian Girls album was something my father played a ton when I was a kid and every time we had guests come over he would play the album before they showed up as “ambience” and I think subconsciously growing up listening to this really made me like the housey and weirder styles of production. Hearing this album is nostalgic yet it reminds me of where I came from and brings me confidence in my own weird taste and style.
The Phantoms album was really the first electronic album I got into on my own. I discovered Phantoms through my best friend who was showing me all kinds of electronic artists in high school. I truly didn’t get REALLY into electronic music until I heard Phantoms’ music for the first time and I was like “okay I can get on board with this”. I liked their music so much that my friend took me to see them live in 2017, it was a live set with drums/keys and live vocals. Seeing that performance was the first time I realized I wanted to produce electronic music. I was already making music at the time but I was making solely indie rock and I had no direction. After seeing Phantoms live I immediately had this vision in my head that I wanted to DJ and I wanted to produce dance music. I joke with my friend that he and Phantoms turned me into a DJ. The best part about this album is that it is timeless, with all the beautiful original vocals and the way each track has a dark and haunting sound, this to me is something I could listen to forever and never get tired of it.
What’s the most exciting thing happening in music right now?
The most exciting thing in music right now I think is the ripple effect created from Olivia Rodrigo’s Daisy Chain Festival. What she is doing is so incredible, I only see more people following in her footsteps. Including me, I would love to find new ways to increase the percentage of women, non-binary and queer artists on festival lineups and I am brainstorming constantly on the subject.
Where do you see the music world heading in the next five years?
I think people are going to start seeing the beauty in the imperfections of music again. In recent years the popular music has been very perfected autotuned pop with perfect chord progressions etc. etc. I think with the rise of ai music, people are going to revolt and go in the complete opposite direction. I think grunge and post punk will become popular again. I think artists will start to autotune less, use more original vocalists and embrace the natural imperfections of songwriting and use them to stand out amongst all the ai slop.
How is music helping you during these uncertain times?
Music is what gets me out of bed every day. Not just the art of creating, songwriting and producing, but being able to work in music as a label boss and an artist manager has helped me find purpose and everything I do suddenly feels meaningful when I am helping someone with their own art. I think in uncertain times, music is the glue that holds everyone together. If you think about history and its patterns, every really dark point in history has either produced a new genre of music or a revolutionary artist that has shaped the music industry. There has to be a balance between the good and bad, chaos and peace. Music helps contribute to that balance by acting as an escape and an outlet for artists and listeners combined.
Esquimaux
Sounds like: The first new single in 17 years from one a band out of Los Angeles who weaves a 2008 demo into newly composed material to create a glistening, gazey alt-pop experience for fans of Lush and Pale Saints.
Interview:
Describe your approach to music and how you would explain your sound to others.
We like lots of different music and tend to lean into whatever we are listening to at that time, so we aren’t too dogmatic about our sound. Usually we start with an instrumental arrangement by James, and then Graham writes a top line melody and/or lyrics, and then Heather vetoes whatever she doesn’t like or will add her own twist to a phrase or melody.
How did you come up with the name of your act?
It’s a reference to the movie Heathers. I think at the time we wanted a one-word name — and the scene where JD underlines the word eskimo in Heather Duke’s copy of Moby Dick stuck out (spelled esquimaux in the book). And it was fitting that we had a Heather in the band. That, and it was really pretentious spelled the French plural way, so that was a plus to our ironic sensibilities in 2004 (terrible for radio play though).
What are some artists and albums that have informed your creative direction?
I recall we wanted to do something that married shoegaze with Heather’s love of Dead Can Dance, and then we strayed way off course from there. Then there were several years where James was driving cross country and scanning the radio to help him stay awake — those days influenced our sound a lot too.
What’s the most exciting thing happening in music right now?
Graham likes the band Legss. There is also timelessness to music discovery that is interesting. Back in the day you had to have someone recommend an album to you, or dig through your parents’ vinyls to find older music, but today the algorithms seem to be really good at finding music and recommending stuff regardless of when it came out. We’ve definitely benefited from that as younger people hear our older stuff like the Tiger EP.
Where do you see the music world heading in the next five years?
There seems to be a constant refresh and fusion of old meets new. Like how Angine De Poitrine feels like Allman Brothers’ Eat a Peach record, mixed with Lightning Bolt. Or how the Messthetics is Fugazi’s rhythm section mixed with an Avant Garde saxophone player. And eventually those fusions make way for a more simplified sound. In whatever form it takes, music will always be a vehicle to take you places — it always has.
How is music helping you during these uncertain times?
They say a bad government is terrible for its citizens, but great for punk rock, so music helps ameliorate bad times, but Heather says it’s not helping at all.
Lucy Gallant
Sounds like: Cinematic alt-pop from Australia that is equal parts Adele and Bjork in its empowering sweep.
Interview:
Describe your approach to music and how you would
explain your sound to others.
My approach to music is very intuitive. I can’t force the writing process. I have to feel that there’s a song wanting to be born, and then I almost channel it through me. Sometimes a song comes out all at once. Usually I’ll pick up my guitar, find a melody, and then the words and story start to reveal themselves.
Writing works especially well for me when something big has happened in my life and I need somewhere for all that emotion to go. Songwriting is incredibly healing for me. My latest single, “Venom,” came from one of the darkest periods of my life. I lost both of my parents six months apart, and while I was grieving and incredibly vulnerable, I experienced conflict and intimidation from people who were meant to be close to me. It felt like the snakes came out to play when I needed kindness the most. Writing “Venom” was my way of taking that poison, turning it into something powerful and finding my voice again.
“Venom” is part of my new EP, Forbidden Fruit, which is about temptation, desire, betrayal, rebellion and taking your power back. It’s sexy, dark, a little dangerous and completely unfiltered. I wanted it to feel like walking on the wild side and owning every part of yourself without apology.
As for my sound, I’ve never really wanted to fit neatly into one genre. I’d describe it as cinematic, dramatic and deeply emotional, with elements of trip-hop, soul and alternative pop. People have compared my voice and music to artists like Amy Winehouse and Lana Del Rey, which is always lovely to hear. I’ve also been told my music sounds like it belongs in a James Bond film, which I love because I’m naturally drawn to music that feels cinematic, atmospheric, sensual and a little dark.
How did you come up with the name of your act?
I go by the name given to me by my parents, Lucy Gallant. I think it actually works really well as an artist name because “gallant” means brave, courageous and spirited, which feels very fitting for me and the music I make. So I guess my parents chose my artist name long before I knew I was going to be one!
What are some artists and albums that have informed your creative direction?
I’ve always had really eclectic taste in music. The Doors, Billie Holiday, Bob Marley, Björk, Regina Spektor, Florence + the Machine and Jorja Smith have all influenced me, along with albums like Erykah Badu’s Baduizm, Lana Del Rey’s Born to Die and Manu Chao’s Clandestino. I’m drawn to artists who have their own unmistakable sound and aren’t afraid to be completely themselves.
What’s the most exciting thing happening in music right now?
I think the most exciting thing happening in music right now is that independent artists have so much more power to create their own path. We don’t necessarily have to wait for a record label or someone in the industry to give us permission anymore. We can release our own music, build our own audience, create our own tours and connect directly with the people who resonate with what we do.
I’ve really experienced that firsthand this year with my Love Bubble Tribe concert tour around Australia. I created and produced the tour independently, performing my original music, and the shows have been selling out one after another. I wanted to create something that was more than just a gig, something intimate and built around live music, deep listening, connection and community. Seeing people respond to that has shown me there’s a real appetite for live music that feels personal and brings people together. That kind of freedom for independent artists is really exciting to me.
Where do you see the music world heading in the next five Years?
I think AI is going to take over quite a bit of the music world at first, and we’re probably going to hear more and more music created or shaped by it. But I also think people will eventually get bored with perfection. There’s something about the imperfections in a human voice, the emotion in a performance and the feeling of musicians playing together that technology can’t replace.
I actually think that could create a huge resurgence in live music. People will crave real human experiences, maybe even something much more stripped back, just a voice and a guitar or a band playing together in a room. Real people, real instruments, real emotion and real connection.
So strangely, I think the rise of AI could end up being really positive for independent artists who are creating something authentic. The more artificial the world becomes, the more valuable something genuinely human might feel.
How is music helping you during these uncertain times?
Music is the universal language, and it has saved me so many times throughout my life. During uncertain times, it gives me somewhere to put what I’m feeling and turn it into something meaningful. It helps me process things, keeps me hopeful and reminds me that I’m connected to something bigger than myself.
That’s also a huge part of why I created my Love Bubble Tribe concerts. Bringing people together through music helps me too. We spend so much of our lives behind screens now, and there’s something incredibly healing about being in a real room together, looking each other in the eyes, dancing, singing and connecting.
Music has given me so much throughout my life, and being able to give some of that feeling back to other people is probably one of the things that helps me most.
Iser Conne
Sounds like: Dark alternative rock from Tokyo, Japan with a progressive edge as if King’s X joined forces with Deftones.
Interview:
Describe your approach to music and how you would explain your sound to others.
Venxian: Basically, I keep things simple. I prefer the raw, unpolished feel of old—school rock, so that’s the direction I take with my music. Rather than over-edited, polished productions, I find that a raw approach feels much more musical.
Hal: That raw approach is really integral to our sound. Thematically, we explore psychological and horror motifs, resulting in this blend of dark alternative grunge and cinematic tension.
Songs begin as riffs and melodies while strumming on a guitar, which are then fleshed-out and recorded by Venxian in his Tokyo apartment studio.
How did you come up with the name of your act?
Hal: “Iser Conne” (pronounced “eye-zer-kon”) was first sketched out in ink in a notebook. The name plays on the idea of “being a con,” incorporating the Spanish word ser, meaning “to be.” “Con” also evokes connection.
Tons of artists deal with imposter syndrome. We wear a lot of masks. At the same time, despite our fears around society and self-worth, there’s this need to experience a certain kind of existential connection. For us, that means connecting with the people who find something of themselves in our music. Potential exists.
What are some artists and albums that have informed your creative direction?
Venxian: My biggest influences come from hard rock and metal. It ranges from bands like Metallica and Pantera all the way back to ’70s hard rock acts like Blue Cheer and Stray. There’s also a significant influence from progressive rock, like Rush and King Crimson.
Hal: Sonic Youth, Deftones, Tool, and Chelsea Wolfe are my main. Finding out that Venxian was a fan of Rush and Dream Theater was also kind of fun.
What’s the most exciting thing happening in music right now?
Venxian: Advances in software and music tech have made the production process far more accessible than it used to be. The barrier to entry is lower, which makes it much easier to release diverse forms of expression—and that’s definitely a positive shift.
Hal: Gen Z and Gen Alpha’s music listening habits on Roblox. Tik Tok and Youtube Shorts are their playground. But there’s also some cool music discovery happening, with music from South Korea and Brazil reaching ever more mainstream audiences.
Where do you see the music world heading in the next five years?
Venxian: Streaming dominates the market, and real monetization now seems to rely heavily on live shows and merchandise. Unlike in the past, listeners have an overwhelming number of options. Moving forward, whether an artist can sustain their career will come down to how well they connect with a dedicated core audience and build a supportive community around their work.
Hal: Well, song lengths of around 2 minutes are now a common thing. For now, algorithms continue to influence what gets heard, what song length is listenable, and so on. But fatigue of systems is setting in, and so is rejection of algorithmically fed content. Maybe nostalgia for a time long since past will become more meaningful.
How is music helping you during these uncertain times?
Hal: It’s cathartic. You can channel pretty much anything. I’ve wrestled with isolation and notions of self-sabotage—the entire world is experiencing turbulent times, which makes searching for meaning difficult. Picking up an instrument is sometimes the only way to cut through the fog and the noise, and I often recommend that to others going through a hard time.
Venxian: Personally, I don’t necessarily view music as an absolute essential for survival. However, sharing what you create—and having someone resonate with it or be moved by it—is something truly special.
St. Franck
Sounds like: Futuristic French alt-pop that connects the dots between The Stone Roses and Animal Collective.
Interview:
Describe your approach to music and how you would explain your sound to others.
My approach to making music is pretty spontaneous. It usually starts with a spark, something unexpected. I could be out and about, sitting in my car watching the world go by, or going through something in my personal life that triggers a particular emotion. Ideas tend to come when I least expect them.
From there, I’ll head into the studio and start experimenting. It might begin with a guitar riff, a synth chord progression, or just a drum pattern. There’s no real formula. I like to let things develop naturally and see where they take me.
As for my sound, I guess it’s a reflection of everything I’ve absorbed over the years. I’ve been collecting records for a long time, listening to all sorts of music, and inevitably those influences find their way into what I make.
With my latest record, I wanted to explore something more cinematic. A lot of the inspiration comes from being on the road: cars, movement, speed, landscapes passing by. I wanted the production to capture that feeling somehow, with textures that evoke engines, drifting, and the whole atmosphere surrounding car culture.
The guitars, for example, have this dreamy, shoegazey, almost stuttering quality, but at the same time, there’s something quite mechanical and powerful about them. In my head, they almost sound like Formula 1 cars racing past you. I love that contrast between something atmospheric and emotional, and something raw, fast, and physical.
Ultimately, I want to make music that feels immersive, like you’re moving through a landscape rather than just listening to a song.
How did you come up with the name of your act?
To be honest, I still don’t really know how St Franck came about. Some friends have been calling me that for years, and I think it all started back when I was DJing and needed a name. I remember coming across the football club St. Pauli, and somehow that inspired me to do something similar with my own name. There’s Saint François, of course, but St Franck doesn’t actually exist. I guess I just invented my own saint.
Anyway, it stuck. I don’t DJ anymore, but I kept the name because I always thought it had a nice ring to it. It’s simple, quite smooth, and a little mysterious. There’s no particularly deep meaning behind it, which is probably what I like about it.
What are some artists and albums that have informed your creative direction?
There are quite a few, actually. Kevin Parker from Tame Impala is definitely someone I admire. Pink Floyd have always been a huge influence too. And I really like Tyler, the Creator, especially the way each of his albums takes you into a completely different world. I love that idea of creating a whole universe around a record.
For this latest project, though, strangely enough, a lot of the inspiration came from just one song: “Road” by Nick Drake, from Pink Moon. It’s probably my favourite album of all time. If I had to take one record to a desert island, or even be buried with one, it would definitely be Pink Moon. There’s something about its simplicity and intimacy that I find incredibly moving.
On the other side of the spectrum, I kept coming back to Primal Scream, particularly “Autobahn 66” from Evil Heat. I love the atmosphere of that record.
Another important influence is Andrew Weatherall, whom I was lucky enough to meet when I was living in London. Rest in peace. His approach to production, particularly his work with Primal Scream, has always fascinated me. The way he blended psychedelia, electronic music, and rock is something that really resonates with me.
I guess this latest project sits somewhere between those worlds: the intimacy of Nick Drake, the psychedelic textures of Primal Scream, and that sense of freedom and experimentation I associate with Andrew Weatherall.
What’s the most exciting thing happening in music right now?
Well, obviously, the most exciting thing happening in music right now is St Franck’s Neon Highway Babe. What a great record! (Laughs.)
No, jokes aside, I’ve been pretty obsessed lately with “Shooting Star” by my friend Cosmopaark, featuring Tapeworms. Such a great track.
Looking at my playlist, I’ve also been listening to Fathers, a jazz record featuring Nate Smith, Kiefer, and CARTOONS, which I really enjoy. And I keep going back to The Avalanches. Their production is just incredible. The level of detail and creativity in what they do is pretty mind-blowing.
I have to admit, though, I’ve been a little disconnected from what’s happening in music lately. I’ve spent the past few months completely immersed in my own world, finishing tracks for my album coming out in early 2027. So I’ve had my head down in the studio rather than actively discovering new music.
That said, I’ve also been listening to quite a bit of Erykah Badu. Beyond the music, I really connect with her personality and the way she expresses herself. There’s something about her outlook on life that resonates with where I am personally at the moment.
I guess that’s what excites me most about music anyway: discovering artists who create their own world and aren’t afraid to do things their own way.
Where do you see the music world heading in the next five years?
Technology is evolving at such a crazy pace that it’s honestly hard to predict where things will be in five years. There seems to be a new tool coming out every month, making it easier and easier for people to produce music. But at the same time, I feel like things tend to go in circles. Music has always been about reinventing what’s already been done, just with different tools.
I’m not particularly afraid of AI, at least not yet. I still feel like you can hear when something has been generated by AI. There’s something about the imperfections, the accidents, and the human emotions behind music that I don’t think technology can fully replicate. But who knows where we’ll be in five years?
Hopefully, Spotify will be dead by then! (Laughs.) Or at least replaced by platforms that are a little more honest, transparent, and fair to artists. The way music is consumed and how artists are compensated really needs to change.
Ultimately, I just hope technology continues to open up creative possibilities without taking away what makes music special in the first place: the human connection, the imperfections, and those happy accidents that happen in the studio. There are quite a few of those on my next record, actually.
How is music helping you during these uncertain times?
Music has been helping me throughout my whole uncertain life, really. It’s always been something I could turn to, no matter what was going on around me. And I think that’s even more true today.
This latest record is probably the most personal and honest thing I’ve made so far, especially since I’m singing in French for the first time. It feels like I’m opening up a different side of myself, which is both exciting and a little vulnerable.
In a way, making this record is helping me stay focused on my dreams and moving towards something I truly believe in, even when everything else feels uncertain or disorienting. Someone recently called me egocentric, which I found quite funny. I even made myself a T-shirt with the word on it. You can spot it in the photoshoot. (Laughs.) I guess I don’t mind people projecting things onto me. Sometimes it even becomes fuel for the music.
I guess music is one of the few things in my life that I can really hold on to right now. It gives me a sense of purpose, a direction, and a reason to keep creating. And sometimes, that’s all you really need.
Eric Johanson
Sounds like: Stomping, Stevie Ray Vaughan-inspired blues guitar channeled through stoner metal amp fuzz.
Interview:
Describe your approach to music and how you would explain your sound to others.
I guess I think about music as a way of connecting and communicating beyond the limits of language. Music resonates beyond what we understand, whether it’s bringing out issues you might be having subconsciously, or capturing a feeling you can’t put into words. Guitar is a big part of that process for me, but I’ve always approached it as part of the discovery, rather than an exercise in showing skill.
My sound is heavily rooted in the blues, but it draws from a lot of different places. There’s heavy rock, psychedelia, jam band, and New Orleans funk in there. I’m interested in how those things can come together naturally without worrying too much about what genre they fit into.
With my new album, The Open Bayou, I really wanted to follow that instinct wherever it led. We recorded the whole thing live as a trio over three days, without going back and correcting everything. I wanted to capture that feeling of discovery that happens when musicians are playing together and reacting to each other in real time.
How did you come up with the name of your act?
I guess it’s more like — how did I not come up with a name. I’ve played in different musical projects over the years that had names, but ultimately I decided to release music under my own name because it just doesn’t set any limits on what the project is. It’s whatever I’m doing, wherever I’m going.
The longer you establish things in that direction as yourself, the less attractive it is to pivot to something else. At least for now.
What are some artists and albums that have informed your creative direction?
My influences are pretty wide-ranging. I love that period in the late ’60s and early ’70s when blues, rock, and psychedelia were all developing together, before there were such rigid divisions between them. Artists like Jimi Hendrix were pushing the boundaries of what the guitar could do, but the music still had a real emotional foundation.
I’ve always been drawn to artists who have a strong musical identity and aren’t afraid to experiment. Soundgarden, Queens of the Stone Age, Tool, and Jack White all approach rock music in very different ways, but there’s a willingness to take risks that I really admire. Records like Electric Ladyland, Superunknown, and Songs for the Deaf are good examples of that spirit. I also really like the intersection of blues and rock in Gov’t Mule’s music. Those first two records — self titled and Dose — are among my favorites.
And being in Louisiana, artists like Tab Benoit and Anders Osborne have been important influences as well, on and off stage. There’s an approach to playing here that’s very instinctive and connected to the groove. I think all of those things come together in my music, even when they might not seem related on paper.
What’s the most exciting thing happening in music right now?
I think it’s the fact that artists have more opportunities than ever to reach people without going through the traditional gatekeepers of the music industry.
For a long time, there was this idea that you needed a record label, radio support, or somebody in the industry to decide your music was worth hearing before you could build an audience. That’s changing.
I just released my new album independently, on my own label, without a publicist or the machinery that traditionally goes along with a record release. It debuted at #1 in blues album sales and #5 on the Billboard Blues Albums chart. That’s entirely because people are finding the music, listening to it, and choosing to support it.
There’s certainly a lot of noise out there, and it can be difficult to get people’s attention. But I think it’s exciting that music doesn’t necessarily have to fit into somebody else’s idea of what’s marketable to find an audience.
Where do you see the music world heading in the next five years?
My hope is that all of the fake stuff out there, like AI music, makes people seek out things they can tell are real, like humans performing right in front of them.
I think the connection between an artist and an audience is going to become increasingly important. People want to feel like they’re part of something real, and I don’t think technology can replace the experience of musicians playing together in a room or the connection that happens at a live show.
My hope is that we’ll see more artists building sustainable careers independently, with smaller teams, more creative control, and stronger direct relationships with the people who support their music.
How is music helping you during these uncertain times?
Music has always been a way for me to process the world around me. I don’t necessarily sit down to write songs about specific events or what’s happening in the news, but I think those things inevitably find their way into what you create.
There’s something about playing music that brings you into the present moment. Especially when I’m playing with other musicians, you’re listening and responding to each other, and for that time you’re completely focused on creating something together.
I think that’s something we need more of right now. It’s easy to feel disconnected from each other, or overwhelmed by everything going on in the world. But when you walk into a room and share a musical experience with a bunch of people who may have completely different backgrounds and perspectives, there’s a connection that goes beyond all of that.
That’s always been one of the most meaningful things about music to me, and I think it’s more important now than ever.
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