Interview

INTERVIEW – How Was 2023 For British Rap Wordsmith JODIE LANGFORD?

Posted on by JL

19 December 2023

JODIE LANGFORD is an up-and-coming young artist from Hull, UK. Not just
the umpteenth one. She’s a kick-ass hip-rap-hop poet that thrilled Turn Up
The Volume‘s ears for the first time with her arousing debut single I Miss It
back in 2021.

Langford is notable for her open-mindedness, her critical, head-on outspokenness,
her faster-than-a-riot-gun ranting, and her detailed daily life observations. And she embeds her razzle-dazzle rhymes in head-spinning and hyperkinetic tunes. All of
which you can experience on her 2023 debut EP Chaos Of Time EP and brand new
ripper Foefetti. I’m sure The Streets’ Mike Skinner would love it all.

From here on, Jodie will do the talking and tell us about
herself, her music, her mum, and this past year

Hello Jodie,
Welcome,

What/who inspired you to start your musical
journey, Jodie, and why did you go for rap music?

“At the age of 16, I developed an interest for having thought-provoking conversations with people (if you can call that an interest?). This started out as just ranting and discussing with people about the government or state of society, later it turned into introducing live acts and bands on stage at local music events and festivals, and then shortly after that I found a passion for spoken word.

I always loved music but could never play an instrument or sing very well so I think that’s why I loved the rhythm and lyricism of spoken word. As a young teen, I had the lyrics from all my favourite songs printed out and stuck on my bedroom wall, so words have always been important to me and are at the heart of what I do.”

Which track would you play to people who never heard of you?

“I would recommend that they listen to Foefetti. I think this track will bring people up to my speed on my current musical direction and has a nice blend of punk vibes, spoken word elements and foolishness! It may not be a lyrical masterpiece, but it is one of my faves.”

Your rad 2021 debut single ‘I MISS IT’ reflected perfectly how so many young people felt during lockdown. How do you look back now on that song and that somber period?

“Thanks for calling it rad! I Miss It is a song that I still have a lot of love for. It was the song that kickstarted my musical journey. As the world was entering the unknown so was I, but the unknown for me was this musical path that I hadn’t really explored yet.

What is nice to see is that the song is still relevant for many people in different ways. It can be for people that remember the tough time of restrictions and lack of social interaction or for people that want to relive their memories and messy night out shenanigans without getting involved in the real thing.”

You named your debut EP ‘CHAOS OF TIME’.
Why? What did you want to express with it?

“The words ‘CHAOS OF TIME’ encapsulate how I feel when I’m trapped in a state of overthinking. At around the time that was written, I felt as though endless stream of thoughts wouldn’t stop biting at me and I found it hard to shut off from that.

With the song, we wanted to replicate that feeling and so it has an unrestrained vibe where you feel like you’re falling down a rabbit hole of uncertainty. I decided to name the EP after the song as the EP explores a range of emotions and experiences I felt throughout that period.”

How’s life post-Brexit?

“It’s weird man. There is so much fear, anger and division in this country. I do think that some people are finally starting to realise how they were manipulated and lied to which inevitably led them to vote leave in the first place. People are struggling and don’t feel supported and don’t know who to trust. We’re even more anxious and fearful than when discussions were first opening about leaving the EU and the future is so uncertain.

I suppose it’s also hard balancing being passionate about change, being there for others and calling out the powers that be, whilst also making sure you’re not burning yourself out to the point where you make yourself sick.

You just gotta look out for people in times like these.
The world is in bits and we’re a part of that.

Maybe this is a daft question, but I still wonder and always did how
long it takes for rap artists to memorize their word-waterfall stories?

“I can’t put a timeframe on how long it takes to memorise my lyrics, sometimes I can memorise a whole song in a very short space of time. With others, I have to listen to my own recordings and demos repeatedly until I’m sick of my own voice so that it truly sticks with me. Oddly, I find the longer the verses the easier it is for me to. I tend to have no problems with songs like Take Your Money or TV Or Not TV.”

Never had a writer’s block, Jodie?

“I’ve struggled a lot with writer’s block, but I think that ‘block’ mainly comes down
to being preoccupied with other things and when I sit down and dedicate a time
and space to writing I can overcome that.

I was watching a Ted Talk recently by Pages Matam where he explained that a good
friend once told him “Writer’s block is not the absence of imagination and inspiration, but
it is a surplus of judgement,” and I think that’s a really interesting point.”

Your work is also musically very rich in orchestration.
Do you write the music yourself?

“All the lyrics to my music are written by me, however I am fortunate enough to work
with an incredibly talented producer and DJ called Endoflevelbaddie. He produces all the beats and creates all the music to bring my words to life. As I’ve never pursued music in educational settings, I don’t know much about the production side of things.

He has the magic and skill to turn all my visions into a reality. And often he creates something wayyyy better than what I had in mind in the first place. You should check
out his solo stuff too, it’s sick. If you ever get the chance to see a Baddie set live, you’re
in for a right jamboree.”

Do you play instruments, Jodie?

“Over the years I’ve tried to play violin, ukulele, guitar and drums and I’ve always
given up within weeks. I can grasp the basics of most things, but then I give up when
moving on from that.

I hope that one day I will pick up an instrument, I would love to learn how
to drum again. But right now I’m enjoying just playing around with my voice.”

New single FOEFETTI is a blast. Sounds like your
6th birthday was really special. Was it?

“My 6th birthday was bloody ace. Cake, princess dresses & pin the tail on the donkey- what a time to be alive! Any excuse to be a little silly, be around good friends, and act/look like a princess all day sounds sweet to me. I thought that it would be funny to include the clips of my 6th birthday party in Foefetti.

The innocence of the tiny little voices in the clips is so wholesome, then you contrast it with a 24-year old me being radgey as hell yet still holding that princess-esque entitlement. Just a bit of a laugh, innit.”

Your favourite track and album of 2023?

“My favourite album of 2023 is House Party by Keaton Henson, it’s beautiful. I always listen
to him when I need a good cry and his music is there crying with me, creating a space for me to just feel everything. My favourite track of 2023 is ‘ECDYSIS’ by Yard and YINYANG, I would love to see YINYANG live.”

Prick of the year?

“I mean Rishi Sunak (note: British conservative politician) is the obvious choice. But I’m going for the little kid who stole my seat in a busy food market on 2nd December 2023.
I was carrying around my tofu stir fry for ages whilst waiting for a seat in this lovely food court called Trinity Market in Hull, and as I was walking to a chair that had just become available the unthinkable happened- a little gremlin had run in front of me and stole my seat.

He didn’t even buy any food, so he didn’t deserve that spot. It’s frowned
upon to argue with a child, so I just had to move on with my life… GRRR!!!”

Hero(ine) of the year?

“My mum. Sorry if that sounds a bit wet (Note TUTV: It doesn’t) but she’s conquered a lot this year and she’s powered through despite all the difficulties life has thrown at her. Her strength inspires me every day and her efforts/time spent helping those around her hasn’t gone unnoticed.

She deserves so much peace and love and I hope that one day she’ll have a nice house
in some place gentle and calm where she can cuddle up with Kiko, our dog, on the sofa, sipping rose wine and have plenty of space to work on all her vibrant paintings. 2024 better treat her well- OR ELSE!”

What track will/would you play at midnight on 31st December?

“I’m spending New Year at a club in Amsterdam this year, so I unfortunately
don’t get to dictate what song will play. However, I would probably go with
Since U Been Gone by Kelly Clarkson. I just love it, no matter the occasion.”

What musical and or personal plans do you have for 2024, Jodie?

“I don’t have many plans for 2024 as of yet, I totally overbooked myself this year with various occasions so I’m fearful of doing that again. I want to go on a sunny holiday somewhere as I’ve not had many of those, that would be nice.

I hope to do plenty more gigs this year and it would be ace if a few festival slots were chucked my way too. Aside from that, I’ll keep writing and making tunes in the studio
with Baddie!”

Thank you very much for this interview, Jodie.
Have a splendid Xmas and an amazing 2024.

CHAOS OF TIME

Stream/buy


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Jodie Langford: Twitter – Instagram

THE IRRATIONAL LIBRARY Have Their 4th Album ‘GOOD BUSY’ Out – Their Frontman JOSHUA BAUMGARTEN Talks About It With TUTV

Posted on by JL

10 October 2023

Dutch humanistic rock unit THE IRRATIONAL LIBRARY is a pretty special affair.

A band with its roots firmly planted in both the regional and international
counterculture. They produce a raw, dirty groove influenced by punk,
provo, punk icons and spiced with sultry saxophone here and there.

Their poetry is packed with social criticism. They drew my ears’ attention with their 2021 album We Are… Doomed. An open-minded-plainspoken-asskicking-anti-establishement-and-other-scumbags opus. The same biting spirit is present on their brand new full-length GOOD BUSY. Moody reveries and blasting belters alternate creating an overall stirring/roaring record in the end.  Perfect occasion for an interview.

The band’s highly dedicated and caring America-born frontman-punk-rapper-poet-storyteller Joshua Baumgarten will tell us in-depth about being busy in a very good way. But first, as usual, we start an interview with a slice of steaming music from the new LP.


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Hello Joshua,
Welcome,

When and how did TIL got together?

“I guess we got together around 2016. I was then running my own secondhand subculture shop in Haarlem under the name The Irrational Library. It was filled with books, music, film, posters, random weird stuff. We had two barbers, live music, a fridge full of beer, and was an open door to all those who crossed its threshold.

It was via the shop I met Tom (baritone saxophonist and guitarist), and Mishal (bassist). Lars (drummer) I knew from the bands he was then currently playing in. Mishal offered to put some music behind a poem I had called “The Don’t be a Dick About It Doctrine’s featured on our first album Now That We Still Can


Cover of 2017 debut album Now That We Still Can

What he did really blew my mind. We had a chance to do a 15-minute live set on a local festival that spring. Mishal and I and two other musicians did something that I felt was really unique and special. A few months later I told Mishal that I wanted to do this more as a real band. I knew Tom played baritone sax and I liked him as a person, so I said I wanted him in the band.

We did two tryouts for drummers. Lars was the second and from the first beat, he and Mishal clicked as rhythm section. Like most things with us, it happened organically. Wasn’t forced, it just was meant to be.”

What’s the story behind the band’s name and why
you’re described it as a counterculture act?

“I have been using the name The Irrational Library since 2000 as a publishing title for small self-made books of poems and art. When I started living and working in Haarlem I started using it as the name for performance evenings with local bands, poets, performers of all sorts. Then the shop and then the band. It just has a ring to it and it covers everything we are.

A long time ago I lived in Los Angeles and my roommate and I had a very vast and diverse collection of all different types of art. An Irrational Library is the idea that you don’t have to be into just one thing but the beautiful combination different genres, forms, styles make a person a more well-rounded versed person. And being able to recognize the links in music, poetry, art. Self-expression doesn’t need to be single minded but continuous searching into whatever it is that calls to you.

As far as being a counterculture act, I guess the base of what we do comes out of a punk ethos. Push against the grain. To define your own style. To cut and paste your own creative vision. The Irrational Library members grew up feeding off of those great creative visionaries that came before. We aren’t re-creating the wheel per se, just spinning it at our
own tempo.

Plus I like to write a lot about what a fucked up world we all enjoy. I guess that is somewhat counter to the accept it as it is culture. It is a label put upon us so people
can grasp on to an idea of what we do. In the end, this is who we are as a band and this
is what we do.

Which track would you play to the people who never heard of you?

“Interesting question.

Huevos Rancheros, the first single of the new album Good Busy. It is so out of leftfield for us. It was one of the first we came up with after our last album We…are Doomed. It is fresh and vibey, shows the growth of Tom’s guitar work. The groove just picks you up and carries you along. And lyrically I am very fond of the poetics in it. Somewhat surreal, stream of consciousness but also very pointed.

I can remember sitting down to write and telling myself to just let go and free form something. Huevos Rancheros is what came out. It is a fun and freeing song to play live as well. And it opens the door to the surprises of the new album. We stay true to what we do but are never afraid to follow something that just feels good to us.

It is a song that can make people say, “well now, what was that?” And then the rest will make them think, “well, what is this?” Each track stands alone and is equally part of the whole essence of the album.”


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Your 4th album GOOD BUSY is out now. What is
it that you want to express with the title?

“I am an American living in the Netherlands for 23 years. I love playing with the two languages of Dutch and English. Incorporating Dutch words or references into songs.

GOOD BUSY is translated from the Dutch saying, Goed Bezig. Dutch people say this to one another when they are more or less busy with doing something productive. It can also be used sarcastically when you are busy fucking something up. During practice one day we were just doing what we normally do and it just came out, GOOD BUSY.

After our last album We…are Doomed, it was fun to flip the coin and play with something sounding more positive. Also the fact that even during corona we came out with our 3rd album/book together with graphic artist TRIK and also wrote the majority of GOOD BUSY.

Staying busy with what motivates you will pull you through all the ups and downs in life. Giving in, giving up, turning over and going back to sleep won’t fulfill your days. Take a power nap and then get back to it. Stay GOOD BUSY.

We also played around with the title ‘Full On Rock Show!‘.
But figured we could save that for out best of compilation.”

The album’s artwork is impressive in a weird/funny way.
Who designed it and what’s the connection with the songs?

“TRIK, the graphic artist who did the artwork and book attached to
the We…are Doomed project did GOOD BUSY as well. Mishal, our bass
player had an idea of putting a photo of Lars’ dreamy face on the cover,
a sort of homage to Iggy Pop on the cover of Lust for Life.

Mishal made the photo and TRIK did his thing. Not everyone was into it at first. Took a bit of convincing to get all four of us on board. I think it is a beautiful, life-affirming illustration. It stands out. It POPS. TRIK created the letter type as well and the distinct colors. How it connects to the songs…maybe the cover portrays a state of being, blissfully aware? Smile into the face of stupidity? Take from it what you want.

Some people comment that my lyrics/poems are anything but positive. I disagree to a large extent. They are more rallying cries then critical commentary. With a wink and a smile, we can all get by. In that way, the album cover art, the words and music all come together.”

Which music/artists inspired you when writing/making the record?.

“Music is for all of us a daily inspiration. I myself was listening to a guy named Sheafer McOmber who makes epic sort of stoner rock under the name Bloodshot Buffalo as well as Deer Lord. I call it mountain music, cause it makes me want to keep climbing mountains, though Holland has an eternally flat ass landscape.


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I reached out and made contact with Sheafer, who lives out in Northern California.
Funny, rad dude who is just doing what he loves to do. It is great to just chat/message
with people about being creative, sharing outtakes of music, etc.. getting inspired by like-minded people who are out there in the world.

And as always when I need a bit of poetic inspiration, I grab the book The Journal Of Albion Moonlight by Kenneth Patchen. Open it to any page and my mind is locked in and lit up.”

Was every member involved in the writing process?

“Yeah, what we do is like I said earlier, for lack of a better word organic. I do my writings when the moment is needed. Then I bring what I have with me to practice. As we are setting up usually Mishal is ready first, so he just starts laying down a groove. His playing is so unique in that he is actually a guitar player. For the band he wanted to do bass. So, what he comes up with it so different than the standard bass playing. Lars is usually next and starts laying out a beat.

Then Tom feels out if it is something at that moment for guitar or sax. And then maybe Tom will switch. It is all a feeling at that moment. And I just shuffle through the poems and wait to jump on to the train. Jams can evolve into songs of course and most times they do. But there are plenty of moments when I am digging something and when we finish the rest just say, nope. I am easily satisfied when I hear the other three play. They make my job very easy.

Once we have a sketch of an idea, then we start puzzling. Looking for B parts, trimming extra fat off the text…killing those darlings. This is my favorite part of being in the band. The puzzling, the figuring out where the words should bounce and land on the beat. Pushing and pulling against Tom’s baritone. The baritone is the counterbalance to my voice. So, we are always listening to one another to see where the space can be filled and left open.”

Are all songs in some way lyrically connected or do they all stand on their own?

“I think they stand alone but are also connected. All the poems are written during
a certain time frame. So, a state of mind can be picked up upon. But as I often write
about what is going on in the world, the stories evolve and change even as they stay
the same.

Every album is a sort of time capsule that encapsulates the here and then but
hopefully can also be stand the test of time and be relevant to the “here and now.”

Single HUEVOS RANCHEROS is one of the LP’s highlights. What’s the song
about and how is the colored air balloon in the video related to the song?

“Like I mentioned earlier Huevos Rancheros is a stream-of-consciousness poem that became about, I guess, just about being alive. There are so many fun twists and turns in the wordplay that sometimes that is also just it. But unconscious to me while writing the poem, the wordplay does its own dance. Words have a tendency to pick their own dance partners.

Like these lines… “And as landscapes unfold like origami untold and newspaper swans
are just yesterday’s news, well, I saw extinction walking secondhand alligator shoes.”

I just dig how those words puzzle themselves together and create such a fun vision. Whenever I doubt my own poetic capabilities, I just think of those lines and smile.

The video of the colored hot air balloon was like lots of things with us, a mix of randomness and opportunity. We are not a video band. Who has the attention span to watch a full music video these days? Plus, Huevos would be a tricky one to try to set out and make a video for, unless there were some chemicals involved.

My barber and an old partner in the Irrational Library shop, Rob (now named the Mad Daddys Barbershop) gave me a good tutorial about putting shit online for promo. Insta, Fbook, YouTube, all that stuff that I can never really get into for promo reasons.

But he convinced me of the benefits it can have of at least making people aware of what you are doing, like a candle in the middle of a clusterfuck. Anyway…my family were at the camping we hide out at during the temperate seasons here in NL – and often during the summer, there are hot air balloons passing by in the sky in the early evening. This one sort of hovered for a bit above the camping, then dropped out of sight, then just made it over the tree line to finally set down in the farmland behind us.

I just started filming cause it was kinda cool looking. Later on that night, I thought that it would be a good fit for the song. Plus the length of the video pretty much matched the length of the track. Oppurtunity and convenience.”

Suppose the record would be the soundtrack for a movie, which one would it be?

“We have always thought that our music lends itself to cinema quite well. Maybe one day we will end up on a soundtrack. Qua soundtrack to an already existing movie…hard to say since I feel like we are so based in this time period of existence. For sake of the interview, I will say SLACKER, the first film from Richard Linklater. How the story weaves seamlessly from one character and discussion to the next. I miss the quality of filmmaking from that era of the early 90’s. Our music is also a product of that period.

Lots of rough and tumble edgy work came out during that period. From film (early Tarantino, music like Morphine, writing like Chuck Palahnuik) I feel fortunate to grown up in a period of time that was looking towards the future but still in tune with and open to learn from the past.”

What is an IRRATIONAL LIBRARY gig like and which
band/artist would you love to tour with and why?

“A gig is a coming together. A happening. And for us, an evening or day out with the boys. We come to play. And be that for five of five hundred, that is what we do. We go hard. Even in the softer numbers, we reach deep. We want people to get with us as we want to get with them. Has to be a give-and-take. I aim to hit the people in the head by what I say and th band is responsible for the neck down. Best compliment I ever got was when a woman told me that “we were the only band that made her dance and think at the same time.” Get loose, get lost, get yourself free.

In December we will be heading to the UK for our first time to do one show with the band Dead Anyway and label mates Rick & Rudie (Floprecords.com). Dead Anyway were here last winter for a show with us. We met when both bands were featured on the playlist of an online radio program called Bagel Radio out of New York from a super cool dude named Ted Liebowitz.

Dead Anyway reached out to us to say hello and how much they dug what we did. It was again just a pure and inspiring moment of contact. I like doing things with people I see as contemporaries, like minded searchers. Also helps that we are all grown ass adults with very few illusions about what we do and why we do it. In the end doing shows with people you champion as much as they champion you is a gift.”


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What’s the band’s ultimate goal?

“Me doing interviews that contain much shorter answers.”

Thanks a bunch for this interview, Joshua.
May the road rise with The Irrational Library.

STREAM ALBUM

BUY ALBUM


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TIL: Facebook – Instagram
TUTV: Blog – Facebook – Instagram

Happy Birthday To Rat Girl KRISTIN HERSCH

Posted on by JL

7 August 2023

KRISTIN HERSH was born on 7 August 1966 in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.

Happy 57 to a particular and wonderful artist. Best known as the voice-face-songwriter
of guitar-pop legends Throwing Muses. But she’s also the driving force of 50 Foot Wave
and released solo work too. Actually, a new solo LP, named Clear Pound Road lands
on 8 September. Pre-order info here.

I had the privilge to interview Kristin back in December 2020.
The year that will always be rememerbed as the lockdown year.

And this is a great occasion to re-read that interview.

But first that crystal pearl, titled Dandelion, from the upcoming LP.

Now back to 2020.

Hello Kristin

What or who made you decide to call the new arresting and
highly acclaimed THROWING MUSES album SUN RACKET?

“Titling records is obviously an artificial aesthetic move, based loosely around the
idea that we press lp’s with 6 songs per side and then sell them to teenagers, as if
we went back in time to the ’60s. So I tend to draw a blank unless a title shouts itself
out at some point in the recording process.

This one was shouted out by my drummer, across the mixing desk, as the song,
Bo Diddley Bridge played loudly through the speakers: “WHAT ARE YOU SAYING IN
THE SECOND VERSE? IS IT A GOOD RECORD TITLE?” And what I was saying was, of
course, “sun racket.”

Does the record’s cover sleeve reflects in, any way, the LP’s title?

“I took the cover photo here in California while my son was surfing down the street.
I loved the crappiness and the beauty. Kind of what I love about my bands: crappiness
and beauty. We never wanted to be rock stars; in fact, we don’t want to be looked at at
all. We just love music and we love each other. I lucked out when I found musicians like me, all about crappiness and beauty. The opposite of show-offs.”

The rockin’ tracks on the record sound garage-esque and pretty rough. A different resonance from anything else before. Is something wrong with my ears?

“There were two sonic vocabularies on this record, which were completely opposed. One distorted and hypnotic, recorded in New England; the other fragile and detailed, recorded in LA. Rather than try to blend heavy and light, I just let them contrast each other, which makes them both seem more extreme. And yeah, that makes you feel like there’s something wrong with your ears!”

On closing track SUE’S there’s a brilliant line “The devil has no soul / doesn’t
love who he fucks”. Is the devil you sing about a real person?

“I think we all embody devils when we let hate play out in our lives.
Empathy, even with darkness, is a better quality to move toward.”


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I can’t think of any other album that came out with a visual film featuring haunting visual accompaniments to the songs. Who came up with the inventive idea and how did its film-noir content develop?

“My son Ryder shot footage in the studio and a filmmaker used on-location landscapes to create these films. Very textured and moody, which serves Sun Racket’s buoyancy. We’re all shy, private musicians who don’t want to interfere with songs, so a visual mood piece will reflect that ethos better than a “rock video.”

The full album in visuals right here

The album was recorded with the same band as the one you worked with for
about 30 years now. That’s longer than most marriages last. What’s the secret?

“I love and trust Dave and Bernie to the point where I want to live up to their expectations, so I ask even more of myself than I demand when I work alone. We have FUN, which is a dirty word in this industry devoted to its dumbing down and then calling that dumb “fun.” Real fun is insightful and smart, just like my bandmates.”

Is Kristin Hersh the same person as 30 years ago,
if not, in what way did she changed?

“I wrote a book based on my teenage diary that was reviewed well, based on my ability to “capture a teenager’s voice.” Then these journalists interviewed me and realized that I didn’t “capture” anything; I just never grew up…”


Slate Magazine review here – available via Amazon

What did you feel the very moment the fall of Trump was announced, Kristin?

“Relief. The slipping into hate my country was doing was evidence of the devils in “Sue’s.” We don’t have time for division.”

Suppose you were asked to rewrite and put new music to the National USA Anthem. No restrictions whatsoever. What would be the outcome, in sound and vision?

“I think a quiet, humble instrumental would serve America well. My poor country is mired in its entertainment industry, which could be an unpretentious fairy tale, but we need to shake off money, status, fame and fear in order to embrace that in a healthy way. “Stars” of all kinds are evidence of the bought-and-paid-for spotlight that convinces people that their attention is not reflective of their own idiosyncrasies. All we have is our perception; to give away that power to people with marketing money erases our culture and ourselves.”

Many artists came up with covers of their favorite songs in these surreal,
lockdown times. Which song would you pick to cover, Kristin?

“I’m not usually moved to cover songs because I write too many! And because if I love a song, I want to listen to it, not get in the way. But people make me cover songs, anyway, mostly for charity. I never say no to charity or a benefit. I’ve covered Neil Young’s “Like a Hurricane” and Nick Drake’s “Fly.” Apparently 50 Foot Wave covered “Somebody to Love,” because my drummer just sent it to me, but neither of us have any memory of doing this.”

Social media: a blessing or a pain in the ass?

“I loved Twitter at first, when it was like passing notes to crack each other up. Now, of course, it’s been taken over by noisy people who love to hate. I’m just careful to only say what I mean and only listen to those who mean what they say. I won’t abandon ship until all the quiet, thoughtful people have done so. Right now, we need each other too much to give up.”

What is the best track and album you heard in 2020?

“Invisible Man” from Fred Abong’s album Our Mother Of Perpetual Help.”

I read somewhere that you will write a book ‘about raising kids on the road while touring’. As a parent myself, I’m really curious. Can you tell us more about the project, Kristin?

“My publishing company asked for a book about raising kids on a bus, which SOUNDS interesting until you think, “Well, I’ve seen kids and I’ve seen buses…” You know, not exactly the action-packed adventure they were imagining. But with 4 sons, this book spans 30 years, and when you have that much time to work with, you can edit out all the boring stuff. So it DID turn out to be pretty exciting after all.

I just finished the copy edit and cover, so it’s not mine anymore. A tough book to let go
of, as my youngest son turned 18 yesterday. I really have to face letting them go now. It’s sooooo hard. My sons are my heroes and I’ve had a child on my hip since *I* was a child. Maybe I’ll finally have to grow up.”

What and/or who, made you laugh crazily, and what and/or
who made you cry your eyes out the past 12 months?

“I don’t have anyone in my inner circle — friends, children, lovers and bandmates —
who haven’t done both. Sounds kind of intense putting it that way, but I only cry FOR
them, not because of them. I lucked out here on earth. I’m not safe in any way — physically, financially, artistically or emotionally — but your own raw life is the only art,
the only success, the real high. ”

Thank you very much for this interview, Kristin.
May the road rise with you, your family, your music
and your band in 2021

KRISTIN HERSH: Facebook – Instagram

INTERVIEW – Look Out For Riotous Berlin Punk Trio LOBSTERBOMB And Their Barbed Wire Debut LP

Posted on by JL

After a series of stormy singles Berlin-based, turbulent trio LOBSTERBOMB released
their debut LP, titled LOOK OUT. A manic mixture of left/right punk uppercuts, garage
rock swagger, and riot grrl dynamics, stoked up by roaring riffs, a frenetic bass/drum tandem and high-pitched vocals, think of Poly Sterene, Kathleen Hanna or Bonnie
Bloomgarden. All ingredients you need for a bonkers moshpit.

If you never heard of them read on as loud and clear vocalist/guitarist Crayon Jones
will tell us more about the band and their debut longplayer. But as usual, we start an interview with a slice of music. Open your ears and eyes for one of the album’s top cuts.

When and how did LOBSTERBOMB got together?

“We met via the instagram page ‘We formed a band’ which was run by the band Gurr.
It was a page where you can post handwritten notes looking for people to play with.

Once we connected we had a few practices together and then the pandemic hit.

So it took a while before we could really get going but we were
all super motivated to make some music and play some shows.”

What’s the story behind the band’s name?

“We can’t say exactly what it is, but we can
confirm it has nothing to do with the B-52s.”

Which track would you play to the people who never heard of you?

“What About Never is our most recent single and it gives a pretty good idea
of what we are about. Lots of energy, personal lyrics and fun visuals.”

Your debut album is out. It’s titled LOOK OUT.
Who or what have we to look out for?

“It is both ‘Look Out, we are here!’ and also about our lyrics, which are quite
observational. We look out onto the world around us and write songs about
what we see and feel.”

How does it feel to have your first album on vinyl?

“It was definitely a little magical to listen to the test pressing
on vinyl for the first time.”

The LP’s image shows the band at its glamorous best. Do you want to express something about the band or your personal yourselves with your flamboyant
looks?

“There is no overall concept of our image, but we are all visually oriented people and find it fun to dress up. We each bring our own style rather than having a defined band uniform.”

Were all three of you involved in the writing/recording process?.

“Usually one of us will make a basic demo with the bones of the song,
but it doesn’t really develop into a full song until we play it together
and we all add something to it.”

Are all songs are in some way connected or do they all stand on their own?

“We wrote these songs over a long period of time so certain songs reflect different
times in our development as a band. For example No No No and Hitting The Wall are
among our oldest songs and have quite a raw and rocky feel, compared to What About Never, Gravitation or Dragonfly that are a bit more post-punky and have extra elements
like synths added.”


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Were you listening to other music while writing the album?

“We all have a diverse taste in music. The playlists we listen to when driving
to shows are always a chaotic mix ranging from psychedelic to punk to pop.”

The album sounds as if it was recorded live
giving it a genuine raw/rough edge. Was it?

“We recorded it ourselves in our rehearsal room in Neukölln, rather than a fancy studio which is perhaps why it has a rawness to the sound, but we recorded each instrument separately rather than recording live.”

GRAVITATION is one of my fav tracks. What is
the song about and where was the video shot?

“It is about a moment when the universe seems to take control and connect you with another person. We shot the video with Unlost Films at Velodrom and Checkpoint Bravo in Berlin. We wanted locations that matched the 80s post punk vibe of the song that had some elements of brutalism and decay.”

What’s a LOBSTERBOMB gig like?

“We always try to make every show feel special and we love to connect with the audience. We want people to have fun, as it makes it even more enjoyable for us when the crowd is making noise and dancing.”

Which band would you love to tour with and why?

“We were already lucky to play with a lot of very cool bands such as Death Valley Girls, Pabst, Itchy and Laura Lee & the Jettes. A dream would be to play with Kathleen Hanna whether its with Bikini Kill or Le Tigre, we aren’t fussy!”

Suppose the album would be the soundtrack
for a movie, which want would it be?

“The Barbie movie as it would have made the whole marketing
the album thing so much easier. We have plenty of pink outfits
in our closets already.”

What’s the band ultimate goal

“We just want to write songs, play shows and meet nice people really! That’s why we formed a band so we try to keep that in mind whenever the ‘work’ aspect of being in a band gets too much.”

Thank you for this interview, Crayon.
May the road rise with Lobsterbomb.

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LOBSTERBOMB: Facebook – Instagram

INTERVIEW – Dreamy Guitar Pop/Rock Trio CMON CMON Explain What Their Debut Album Means Not What It Seems

Posted on by JL

21 July 2023

Belgian guitar pop/rock band CMON CMON started their second coming
about two years ago, driven by sheer love for music. Writing it, recording it,
sharing it, playing it live, and enjoying it along with their fans.

No masterplan whatsoever to conquer the world, no commercial pressure.
They restarted with one and only one goal. Making the best album their
experience and their hearts and souls could come up with.

Enter The Crack And The Light. The band’s very first longplayer.

A balanced mix of amplified guitar-infused dream pop tunes with a melancholic
and soothing touch. References? R.E.M, Dinosaur Jr., Teenage Fanclub, Sparklehorse
and The Chills, to name a few. I’m sure you get the sonic picture.

To get deeper into CMON CMON and their firstborn, I thank Jorrit Hermans, vocalist/guitarist, for taking time to tell us about themselves and the record.

But first, as usual, we start an interview with a slice of music. Enjoy one of the
LP’s highlights, the sprightly looking-back-and-forth gem ‘The Summers We Missed’.

Hello Jorrit,

CMON CMON had a first life about 20 years ago.
What or who inspired you to come back?

“We wanted to get back together as musicians because we missed playing
together and writing the songs we love but couldn’t hear on the radio.

So, our first goal was to have fun and share a laugh as friends.

Our second goal was to be ruthlessly creative and make the best album
we could possibly write. Nothing more. If you expect anything from music,
you’re expecting too much.”

What’s the story behind the band’s name?

“If you watch R.E.M.’s music video for “Imitation of Life”, you should pay attention
to the first 10 seconds. You’ll see a neon sign that reads CMON CMON. That’s where
we got the name from. Steven came up with this while we got back from London
on the Eurostar after we decided to launch the band.

The story behind the name? Well, that’s all about the attitude to just go out there and get it. Nothing is impossible in our world, and we love to encourage our fans with that positive message.”

Which track would you play to the people who never heard of you?

“Love that question! I guess it would be our debut album’s closing track “New Orleans” because it really is the summary of what the band is about: a captivating story, cool melody, vocal harmonies, big, jangly guitars, Rickenbacker basslines, and drums to die for.”


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The debut album is out now. It’s titled THE CRACK AND THE LIGHT.
What does it mean?

“The Crack and The Light” reflects the nature of the songs, all of which are true stories. They’re quite dark and twisted with lots going wrong, but what connects them is hope. That’s the crack and the light.”

The LP’s image is quite intriguing. What or who do you want
express with it and how is it related to the album’s title?

“We wanted to create a mysterious cover with lots of stopping power and symbolize
the album title. Meanwhile, we wanted to tell a little story with the cover in its own right.

If you look at that girl, she seems frozen in the air, and you ask yourself, ‘Is she falling?
Or is she jumping up?’ What happened in the seconds before that shot? Is it a positive or
a negative story? It’s all in the eye of the beholder. That’s what we loved to trigger with
this cover.”

Were all three of you involved in the writing/recording process?.

“Oh yes, writing together is what we love the best. I come up with rough song ideas and demos and throw them in the group, Michel and Steven take them apart and together we make them better. Same with recording, it’s what we do together as a group that makes it work for us.”

Do all songs are in some way connected
or do they all stand on their own?

“They all have a crack and a light in them so I would say they are thematically connected but not on a storyline level. In that sense, it’s not a concept album. Every song can stand on its own. But if you listen back in hindsight, they all share the same intention. Must be the universe that was on our side there.

Were you listening to other music while writing the album?

“Well, I can’t really listen to other music when I’m writing songs. Obviously,
we build on our backgrounds and inspiration from the heroes that went before
us, but songwriting with CMON CMON is a very intense, deep dive into emotions,
narratives, and arrangements that leave no margin at all to be able to process
other music than ours.

It’s just so compelling, and we always pour our very hearts into this every time again.”

Opening track SAY WHAT IT MEANS sets the sonic tone for the full
record. What did you want to reflect with its video?

“Lyrically, this song was fueled by my experiences with dishonest people who disguise their true intentions. I developed the lyrics to support people when they’re at their most vulnerable and delicate state of mind. Yet, this can be very powerful as well. So, here’s a plea to look at strength and vulnerability as two sides of the same thing. We hope it can help people to speak up and speak out to actually say what they mean.

It’s everyone’s right to do so. In the accompanying music video for “Say What It Means” by director Aline Boyen and DOP Michel Rosendaal and produced by Wenneker in Belgium, we watch how a group of teenagers chase another teenage girl. She’s being hunted and bullied and has to escape the glances, preoccupations and judgments of others. This
creates a strong tension because a very grown-up theme is played by a group of kids
who should be representing honesty and authenticity.

These kids start to yell brutally and run towards the protagonist. They chase her down
in a scary event that ends in darkness on a deserted country road. The story shows how we sometimes deal with other cultures, ideas, feelings and opinions. Who can escape the herd? How can we find the strength and the confidence to act our spirits?

This is what we wish for everyone. Especially kids growing up with social media, unintentional attention and everything that can go wrong with being misunderstood.

Just say what it means. Not what it seems.

My ears tell me that your overall sound is
reminiscent of Dinosaur Jr. Are they right?

You have an excellent pair of ears!

Suppose the album would be the soundtrack
for a movie, which one would it be?

Lovely thought! I guess I’d pick “Revolutionary Road” by Sam Mendes.

It has all the inevitable drama, insight into the human psyche,
lots of cracks but also a little light.

What’s the band ultimate goal?

“We have had a tremendous first year with worldwide critical acclaim and
amazing fan response, but our ultimate goal will never change. We’re not
in this band for achievement, we just want to add a little beauty to the world
and touch people’s hearts with our songs.

If we can do just that, who needs money or fame?”

Thank you very much, Jorrit, for this interview
May the road rise with CMON CMON.

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CMON CMON: Facebook – Instagram

INTERVIEW – British Psych Rockers IT’S KARMA IT’S COOL About Their New Album ‘THRIFT STORE TROUBADOURS’

Posted on by JL

9 June 2023

British psych rockers IT’S KARMA IT’S COOL released their third longplayer titled,
THRIFT STORE TROUBADOURS last week. Following their 2020 debut Woke Up In Hollywood and Homesick For Our Future Destinations (2021) they come up with another colourful and varied psych pop opus.

They know how to construct, what many artists/bands can’t or just ignore, sticky
tunes and infectious melodies. Always welcome on my ears’ stereo. Their combination
of electric-powered jingly jangly guitars, lively vocals/harmonies, inspiring stories and their greatly layered and orchestrated musicality makes this new LP a must-hear one. I’m sure you’ll join The Karma Army afterward.

Enough said. I’ll let frontman Jim Styring do the talking now. But as usual,
we start an interview with a slice of music. Here’s one of the album’s
highlights Old Bones.

Hello Jim
Welcome

Did you have a game plan for the writing/recording
of THRIFT STORE TROUBADOURS, Jim?

“Not really, we just wanted to write a bunch of strong songs and put them out.
We always try not to repeat ourselves, so as our previous album ‘Homesick For
Our Future Destinations’ was kind of a concept album, we wanted these songs to
be able to stand on their own.

I guess if there is any recurring theme with ‘Thrift Store Troubadours’ it’s believing
in yourself and knowing you’re going to get through whatever life throws at you.
Sometimes themes jump out at me once the songs are finished, I don’t always
see it at the time.”

Was the whole band involved in the writing/production?

“The whole band is always involved in the writing process. Martyn or Mikey
will send over guitar ideas, I’ll write my words and melodies to the ones that
grab me. We take them into the rehearsal room and work on the arrangements
together.

Martyn produces all our records, so he always has
a clear vision of how he wants the songs to sound.

What’s the story behind the album’s title?

“It’s a comment on how everyone seems to be struggling at the moment, either
with money, or should I say without it, or just life in general. Every time you turn
the TV on or read the news, things seem to be getting worse.

But we’re all in it together, and we’ll all get through it together.
We always have and we always will. People Power. As long as we
have each other, we’ll be ok.”

Are all songs connected in some way, or
are they each standing on their own?

“Like I mentioned, we wanted the 12 songs to be able to stand on their own,
each a potential single, each telling its own story. People don’t listen to albums
as they used to, a beginning, middle and end, songs are listened to at random,
out of context, so they have to be self-contained and able to survive on their own.”

Who designed the LP’s artwork. Does it express
something specific related to the record?

“A talented designer I know, Sophie Adams, did the artwork for us, I think she did
a great job. We wanted something that looked like you’d found it in the thrift store,
or a charity shop.

An old, dog-eared album that you’d just discovered on the shelf. The coffee cup stain on the cover is a deliberate reference to our song ‘Coffee Cup Circles’ from our ‘Homesick For Our Future Destinations‘ album, for those who spotted it.”

60s psych pop harmonies are a big part of the band’s sound.
Any influences from giants such as The Beatles and Beach Boys
or other bands?

“I can’t deny there’s probably some Beatles influence in there, but a lot of it is just experimenting in the studio. We just bounce ideas around and try different things,
until the song sounds as we want it. Quite often it’s knowing when to stop layering
them up, you could literally go on forever.

But yes, there’s some 60’s psych pop influences in there, for sure.”

The cool and catchy lead-single A GENTLE REMINDER
already came out last summer. What‘s the song about?

“It’s a IKIC ten-point plan to live a happier and more contented life. It’s a list of instructions to follow if you want to find your own personal salvation. It also mentions an XTC track, ‘Making Plans For Nigel‘ so perhaps it’s not too serious and just a catchy pop song after all.

It features Peter Holsapple on keyboards, adding a real alternative/punk rock vibe.

Which one/ones are your favourite track(s), Jim?

“Great question, but it changes every time I listen to the record. We put as much time and effort into each song, so it would be unfair to pick out just one. At the time of writing this, I’m really enjoying ‘How Be You Be Blue?‘ but it’ll be something different tomorrow. ‘Jenni, We’re All Fighting Wars‘ is another favourite.”


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Was there any particular music/artists you were listening
to for inspiration during the creative process?

“Not consciously, we always try and do our own thing, but I guess a band is the sum
of its influences. We all listen to different things, and bring all that to the IKIC sound, whatever that is. We kind of like the fact that we’re hard to label, we don’t fall easy into
any particular category. But you always know it’s us when you hear it.”

Which movie would be ideal to have the new album as its soundtrack?

“Another great question! I don’t know a movie as such, but the closing track,
‘City Kids’ is pretty cinematic, so maybe they could write a movie around that?
Having said that, if Spielberg wants to use the album for any upcoming projects,
please give us a call.”


[Xinhua/Reuters]

Peter Holsapple, the main-songwriter of 70s jangly guitar pop legends The dB’s plays on three tracks. How did you get in touch and what made the collaboration happen?

“I’ve been a fan of Peter‘s for a long time, it really was just a case of asking him.
I sent him some of our songs and he said he’d like to be involved. It was as
simple as that, really. He brought the three songs to life, ‘A Gentle Reminder,’
‘Winter Coats’ and ‘City Kids’.

To have someone on our record who played on REM’s huge album ‘Out Of Time‘ is
a dream for me. And the doors are always open to work with him again in the future.”

Are you touring the album? If so, which big name would
you go on the road with, if you had the chance to pick one?

“We’re currently working out some live dates, we’re mixing it up, some full electric,
some stripped down acoustic. We like to keep things interesting for our followers,
recently christened ‘The Karma Army’ and ourselves.

Most of the songs lend themselves to the acoustic treatment, and it’s always fun to do something a little different. Regarding a big name to go on the road with….we’re open to offers and can be packed, ready to roll as soon as the invite comes in!”

One more for the road…

Thank you very much, Jim, for this interview.
May the road rise with ‘It’s Karma It’s Cool’.

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‘Thrift Store Troubadours’


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Band
Jim – Vocals / Backing Vocals
Martyn – Guitar / Backing Vocals / Additional Instrumentation
Mikey – Bass
Danny – Drums

Special Guests:
Peter Holsapple – Mandolin on ‘ Winter Coats’
– Keyboards on ‘ A Gentle Reminder’ and ‘City Kids’
Gabby Porter – Additional Backing Vocals on ‘Winter Coats’

Recorded, Produced, Mixed & Mastered by Martyn
@ Playing Aloud Studios, Lincoln UK.

IT’S KARMA IT’COOL: Facebook – Linktree

Frontman Of Belgian Emo Rockers FILIBUSTER Tells Us About The Band And Their New Impassioned Album

Posted on by JL

10 May 2023

FILIBUSTER are four music maniacs from Belgium. They produce a melting pot of grunge (think, of course, Nirvana), slacker rock (think Dinosaur Jr.) and anything post-punk edged.

They released their second longplayer, baptized Quit Part Out Loud last March. Both sonically and lyrically a mood-swings record. You can rock out to it, take a breather now and then, and go quiet/loud all the way through. Sounds cool right? You betcha. That’s why Turn Up The Volume invited frontman Karl, who’s a creepy starer at times, to tell you and me some more about the band and their new impassioned album.

Hello Karl,
thanks for taking
time for this chat

When and how came the band together?

“About 5 or 6 years ago I (Karl, vocals/guitars) had been wanting to start a new project
with the vague idea of combining noise, post-punk and shoegaze. I was obsessed with the sound of guitars dissonantly battling each other I heard in Interpol’s PDA or Goo-era Sonic Youth.

Pieter-Jan (guitar) was my roommate at the time and a fellow student of classical guitar
in Antwerp. He had been specializing in 20th-century avant-garde stuff and fit the mold perfectly. Timo (bass) was a former bandmate and musical soul mate let’s say, and he turned out to be an infinite source of emo-riffs.

We made some DIY demos to try out some ideas, under the name Sultan of Sentiment,
and sent them to Humo’s Rock Rally for laughs. We accidentally got selected and had to train a drummer in a few months to play and understand our impossible music. Jonas
was a willing victim. Berbel’s Helena Van Hoolst joined to do keys and backing vocals.

We played a god awful set during the pre-selections, the p.a. guy didn’t know what to do with us, but we kept the band going. Helena left but our other roommate Nathaniel, prog and death metal genius for Winterblind, stepped in for a few years. We recorded some new demos with Koenraad Foesters and then approached Bert Vliegen to record a first album. Etc etc!”

What’s the story behind the band’s name?

“Filibuster was just a word we thought sounded cool and snappy and political and
it had a certain post-punk vibe I guess. I still like that it’s kind of an ode to a huge
political dick-move. Although we had some issues with people confusing us with
a Californian ska-band with the same name. Oops.”

You have your debut album out. It’s titled QUIET PART OUT LOUD.
What did you want to express with it?

“It’s hard for us/me not to make music that’s extremely personal. You tend to cut out
the overly emotional bits during the writing process, but somehow it just always turns
out sentimental and angsty.

Most of these songs were written during a tumultuous time in my/our personal life and while grieving a family member. So the title reflects this I guess. We don’t mean to say the quiet parts out loud, we just wanna have fun and rock out, you know, but we can’t really help it.”

Who designed the album’s cover and what
did you want to visualise with that drawing?

“Wannes Cools had so many great ideas, but this one drawing he made stuck. I can’t speak for him artistically, but for me, this little grotesque dude seems to be trying to hide behind his hand but struggling to contain himself.

I think it really fits the themes of the album. Our first LP was so beautiful and lush but this drawing and the font, it’s so simple and effective and it oozes punk-rock too. We will never get sick of seeing this little fella on a vinyl cover.”

One of the highlights is the single CAN’T UNFRIEND YOURSELF.
What’s the song about?

“Can’t Unfriend Yourself is about our online persona. The digital veil that should hide or embellish who we are, but betrays more about ourselves than we would like. About not being able to escape this conundrum and neurotically ego-looping to infinity.”

Is the LP the work of the whole band? Who writes the songs?

“The first concepts are usually riffs from Timo or me, then I try to make them into something resembling a song. We get together to flesh them out, which somehow
we succeeded at in like… 5 rehearsing sessions. Props to Pieter-Jan for improvising
and composing some of my favourite guitar leads on the album and the beautiful
synth section on Lo-Fi Insane.”

Suppose the album would be the soundtrack
for a movie, which one would it be?

“Hmm, something moody with insane bursts of frantic energy.
Maybe Psycho. But starring Nicolas Cage as the girl in the shower.”

Suppose the band was an animal, which one would it be and why?

“Ostriches when feeling anxious or scared they will express it by screaming or running away, or if any of these doesn’t work, awkwardly try to blend with the environment.”

What’s a FILIBUSTER gig like?

“Loud and unforgiving but also intimate? At least that’s how we’d like to think it is.
We loooove to see people bounce around to our songs, so bring your earplugs and dancing shoes!”

Which band would you love to tour with and why?

“Pardoner (note: 4 indie rockers from San Francisco) because we think
it’d be a great laugh to hang out with and because I wanna tell them
how much I dig their music.

Warpaint because I have a fantasy where I play in a Korean drama and creepily
stare at the bass player from around various corners and somehow it ends up
with us getting into a totally non-toxic relationship.”


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What’s your Top 3 of Belgian bands?

The Hickey Underworld
We were insane fanboys and very hyped
about them touring again.

Evil Superstars (1994-199)
Mauro Pawlowski and Tim Vanhamel in one band!

Gorki
Luc De Vos is our spirit animal.

What’s the band ultimate goal

“Honestly we just want to keep making records, so I guess getting to a point where we don’t have to drain our personal bank accounts for it? Also, I personally get a kick out of just one person saying they’ve been listening to our album over and over.

Really anytime anyone has some kind of physical reaction to our music whether it’s laughing or crying or just feeling the need to jump up and down, I feel like I can die peacefully.”

Thank you, Karl, for this interview.
May the road rise with Filibuster.

BUY/STREAM


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FILIBUSTER: Facebook – Instagram

Relax And Enjoy An Interview With Groovy-Moody Outfit THE MYSTERY PLAN

Posted on by JL

14 April 2023

THE MYSTERY PLAN is a 5-piece groovy-moody pop band from
Charlotte, North Carolina conducted by Jason Herring and fronted
by sensual voice Amy Herring.

They started working together back in 2010 and now, 13 years later they already
released their 7th album named Haunted Organic Machines. A breezy, trippy, and
synth-scintillating record of relaxing pop vibes and candlelight musings. Subtly orchestrated and an ideal companion for reflective moments.

Thanks to main man Jason Herring we can learn more about
the band, their music, and their pretty cool collaborations.

Hello Jason,
Thank you for taking
time for this chat,

How/when was THE MYSTERY PLAN conceived?

“The Mystery Plan came about back in 2010. I had some songs
written but needed help with a good arrangement and recording.

So, I went to long time co-writer/producer Paul Jensen (the Interstellars,
Fetchin’ Bones) at his place, Satellite Recording Studios.

There we put together our first album, The Future Isn’t What It Used To Be.”

Is there a mysterious story behind the band’s name?

“The name of the band comes from a late-night murder show I was watching.
The narrator of the show said something like,”…and the two set out on their
mystery plan…”. I thought that was great, so I used it.”

You may pick three tracks to introduce the band to music
fans who have never heard of you. Which ones would it be?

“Three good introductory songs: “Midnight Trail Ride” (2014),
“Those Stars” (2020), and “What A Day (disco)” (2023).”


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Is every member involved in the songwriting process?

“The songwriting process in our group starts with me coming up with a song idea,
playing it for Amy so she can start with the lyrics, Otis coming up with his bass lines,
then Jeff throws a beat on it, and Patty puts the finishing touches on it with backing
vocals or sometimes flute.

A song or two on every record is just me in the studio, and the band
figures out together how we are going to perform that song live.”

The new – 7th – album is named HAUNTED ORGANIC MACHINES.
What did you want to say/express with it?

“We started writing Haunted Organic Machine‘ during the Covid lockdown, so there are songs on it expressing sadness and frustration. Then, toward the end, and everyone was starting to loosen up a bit, we decided to write something a little more happy, “what a day” came from that.”

Is the album’s artwork related to its title?
What did you want to visualize with it?

“The album art is from a very dear friend and collaborator, Anthony Smith (That Guy Smitty/Muchacho). He did a series of polaroids last year that were pretty amazing.

He let me use a couple of my favorites: HOM cover, and the cover for ‘What A Day EP‘.
Side note, Smitty also made the beats for “What a day (disco).”

The single WHAT A DAY (disco) attracted me to the band. It feels like a bird is flying high in the sky on a Spring morning (actually the whole album feels that way). Did you think of a sort of ‘perfect’ Lou Reed ‘day’ when the song was written?

“What a day” started as something fun a danceable. When I sat down to write the lyrics, I just thought about things I could be happy about. I looked around the studio, out the window, inward, and those lyrics came out.”

The other single BIG BLISS isn’t a happy song and the video doesn’t
look blissful either. What was the idea behind the song and the video?

“Big bliss” is sort of the opposite of “What a day”. Amy was having a hard time with the lockdown, and all of the heartbreaking things she was seeing on the news. But you can
still hear her trying to focus on the things that made her happy, even through all the darkness.”

Suppose the album was the soundtrack
of a movie which one would it be and why?

“Hmmmm…if ‘Haunted Organic Machines’ were a film soundtrack…
that’s a tough one…Blade Runner maybe?…or Breathless(1960 Godard)?

I don’t know.”

Name 2 artists THE MYSTERY PLAN would love to tour with or work with?

“One of the really cool things about the Mystery Plan is that we’ve been able to work with some of our heroes. John Fryer (4AD/This Mortal Coil/ Cocteau Twins/ Love & Rockets/ NIN/ Depeche Mode…), Peter Anderson (the Ocean Blue), Steve Cobby(Fila Brazillia), Ian Masters(Pale Saints/ Isolated Gate), Neil Conte(Prefab Sprout), Micah Gaugh(the Veldt), Jah Freedom, Simon Mills(Bent). But I would really love to work with Robin Guthrie (Cocteau Twins), and Kruder and Dorfmeister. ”

Does the band play live? If so what’s a MP gig like?

“We play live a lot. Our sets are dreamy, moody, and sometimes a little groovy.”

To me TRUMP (and his party and their fanatic followers) divided the country dangerously. How do you perceive the present chaos following his indictment?

“Fuck Trump. He needs to held accountable for the damage he has done to our country.”

I suppose, as THE MYSTERY PLAN being so prolific for several years,
future musical plans are already on the table. Right?

“We already have a new EP in the works, and many tour dates.”

Thank you Jason for this interview.
May the road rise with The Mystery Plan.

Stream/buy the album here.


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THE MYSTERY PLAN: Facebook – Instagram – Spotify

Band photos by (photo: Daniel Coston)

Meet Swedish Two-Man Symphonic Orchestra… EYEMOUTH

Posted on by JL

4 April 2023

EYEMOUTH is a Swedish musical project that started in 2014 as a quartet
and evolved in the two-man orchestra of Marcus Lilja and Joakim Åberg.

For Turn Up The Volume they’re not a proper band, they’re a sort of spiritual
experience, floating from the past to the present with an eye on the future.

Their new grand opus, entitled A Headlong Fall Into The Vast Ocean Of Anxiety
is an explorative voyage through their mythical world with atmospheric synth-scapes
soundtracks of sci-fi movies, mellow prog-rock echoes, dark-electro-wave surrealism
and an overall symphonic sonority.

Intriguing right? Therefore we invited Marcus and Joakim
to tell us more about the past and the present.

Hello, welcome
and thank you for taking
time for this chat,

When and how did EYEMOUTH start its musical journey?

“Back in the day, we were in a band together as members of Estrange,
putting out some records. But as musical tastes and styles evolved, we
decided to start a new project in 2014, Eyemouth, a band that carried on
alongside Estrange.

Over time, the lineup changed and morphed, until only we, Marcus and
Joakim remained to continue creating and reflecting our mental landscapes.”

Which track would you pick from your work to introduce
EYEMOUTH to people who never have heard of you?

“That’s hard to say, but some songs come to mind. Maybe Elements and Entropy (Marcus) or On Black Wings and Lowlands (Joakim). If the number of plays on Spotify has something to say about this, Black Breath, Altered and To Carry The Spark are some of our most played songs over the years. So maybe it’s better to trust the listeners’ taste over our own here.”

There’s a 6-year gap between debut LP A NEWLY PLANTED GRAIN and this year’s second one A HEADLONG FALL INTO THE VAST OCEAN OF ANXIETY. What happened in between?

“We don’t really think of albums as the only thing. There have been three EPs
that we value as real releases. It was a trilogy and also a sort of concept series.

We have also worked with a band called Beneath the Woods, and have established
two albums that haven’t come out yet. But hopefully, it will happen soon. It’s with
Tommy Carlsson, who also played clarinet on one of our EPs mentioned above, Spiral.
He’s a true artist and an innovator, a genuine creative spirit.

He has a hand in some impressive undertakings, such as Ljudandelandskap, dayoftheorganicblackbirds Little White Wedding Chapel. And, alongside Plike,
we have also contributed on her stunning album Soteria, with a song called
The Real Plot.”

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What do you want to express with the new album’s title?

“Life can be seen as a reflection – a journey from the beginning to the end,
and sometimes, we find ourselves caught in a downward spiral, unable to
find or create a purpose that provides stability.

Recent years have been filled with pandemics, wars, and devastating personal losses.
For me, the passing of my father has left me feeling lost and uncertain. It’s difficult
to find one’s bearings when confronted with such a profound shift in life.”

Are all tracks connected or does each one stands on its own?

“I (Marcus) would say that there is a connection between them all, but the sequence
of events and time progression isn’t entirely linear in my perspective. However, there
is a sense of coherence in some way. Joakim on the other hand, thinks that most of
them can still function as standalone pieces and can be appreciated independently.”

Was the writing/recording/producing a DIY process
or are others involved in ‘the making of’?

“It’s always a do-it-yourself project for us, as most of the elements in the productions
are played and made by us. Nonetheless, there are moments when we need to step beyond our abilities, and that’s when we ask for outside help.

We are not experts in any instruments, so when we require anything beyond our means, we turn to other people. Inviting outsiders is an effective approach to introduce fresh perspectives and new energy to our creative process.

This time, our good friend Esben Willems from Monolord and Studio Berzerk Sweden aided us on drums on our song For The Bold. His contribution added an amazing lift and energy to the track. We are so grateful that he made time for this project.

Additionally, we record and mix all our songs in our studio,
All Harmonics Studio, which is located within Musikens hus
in Gothenburg.”

At times it sounds like a whole orchestra is playing.
How do you actually create that sound?

“Utilizing a variety of techniques involving synths, modulars, and a fusion of diverse instruments, we have produced a collection of past recordings. Recently, I, Marcus, experimented with a combination of trumpet and flute, while Joakim amplified
the sound with guitar and mandolin riffs along with bass grooves.

When we blended these components with our older instrument tracks, the result was
a pleasing composition that, we felt, accurately captured the essence of our music.”

Is the image on the album’s cover from a real place. If so,
which one and is it that you wanted to visualize with it?

“As we delved into crafting the album, we couldn’t help but notice its occasional folkish undertones. A fusion of Celtic and Nordic customs that lent an intriguing air to the music. Given this, we aimed to channel its essence into the album cover. To achieve this, we opted for a brooding, melancholic theme.

To create the desired effect, we merged two evocative photographs – one captured
near Howth, the scenic coastal town located outside Dublin in Ireland, and another of a breathtakingly frozen landscape not far from Gothenburg. We’re really satisfied with the result.”


Howth, Dublin, Ireland

Which movie would be perfect to have the album as the soundtrack?

“I (Marcus) was blown away by Maurice Jarre‘s music in the 1990 Jakob’s Inferno, but it got me thinking about the potential fit of our own music in the movie. Perhaps certain tracks could be considered for movies like Under the Skin. Specifically, some of the more ‘epic’ pieces like To Part and The Endless Call would lend well to a sci-fi or similar genre (Joakim).”

If you could collaborate on a new record with
a big-name artist, who would it be and why?

“Now that’s a tough one! The musical tastes of our band are quite eclectic, ranging from
the haunting melodies of Anna von Hausswolff, to the gritty tunes of Nick Cave, to the iconic sounds of The Cure and Swans, just to name a few.

We’re always looking for new and exciting collaborations to explore, like teaming up
with David Tibet for some creative synergy, or having Warren Ellis lend his masterful violin playing to a few tracks. And if Coil were still with us, we can only imagine the invaluable knowledge they could have imparted on us about creating truly authentic music.

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What’s the next step for EYEMOUTH?

Our focus is currently centered on creating fresh, innovative music. As we have no upcoming live performances lined up, exploring new creative avenues is our sole priority. We aim to broaden our horizons by partnering with other artists and connecting with diverse listeners, opening up exciting opportunities for growth and exploration.”

Thank you for this interview.
May the road rise with Eyemouth.

Buy/stream new album here.


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EYEMOUTH: Linktree