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Entries categorized as “Interviews” 93 results
Clarence Ewing: The Million Year Trip writesA Conversation With the Stars of “Low Strung”
Low Strung is a new Web comedy series based in Chicago about an audacious pair of friends, Victoria Lee and Shervin Bain, as they navigate their way through adulthood in the Big City, with hilarious results. The show was recently nominated in four categories at the 2017 Brooklyn Web Fest, with Lee winnning in the category Best Actress. A classically trained cellist who performs with the Chicago Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra and recorded with several other Chicago artists like Chance the Rapper, Lee and her co-star Bain (actor, Second City student, world traveller, and staple of Chicago's vibrant LGBTQ community) also write the scripts for the show.
Low Strung | Official Trailer from Low Strung Series on Vimeo.
CHIRP Radio volunteer Clarence Ewing was able to ask Lee, Bain, and music supervisor and Chicago musician Lili K. a few questions about themselves and the series:
Clarence Ewing: The Million Year Trip writesAn Interview with Berry
Chicago indie-pop band Berry has been together since 2002. Since that time the band has separated physically but not musically. While several members have relocated to different cities, the group still makes music together. Their lagtest album Everything, Compromised was recorded in five different states and mixed in at least four different countries..!
Berry is performing tonight at Schubas Tavern (with The Icarians and Kodakrome) to finish up their first tour in seven years. To mark the occasion, Clarence Ewing spoke to Paul Goodenough about the band and what it's like to make music across three different time zones.
Clarence Ewing: Give us a history of Berry from 2007 to now.
Paul Goodenugh: The big obvious theme of the history is that in 2007 we existed as a band in the closest possible quarters--living together, recording constantly, touring intensely. Now we exist in three different time zones. There was a period from 2010-2014 when we had to take some time to focus on family, school, and life adventures. That was right after we released and toured for Blue Sky, Raging Sun (Joyful Noise). Once we settled after that transition period, we got the Berry-ball rolling again, but it took a while to gain momentum. An early collaborator of ours, Paul Klimson, basically kicked our asses and got us serious about recording and releasing music with some semblance of direction. For the last two years, we have been "practicing" weekly via conference call, and we usually spend a week together each summer to either record or tour.
Lady Amelia writesInterview: The Trans Lib Comp (Release Party This Saturday!)
Local artist Jash Huggins (formerly of Evasive Backflip) has spent the last few months compiling music from local artists who identify as trans, non-binary (nb) or gender non-conforming (gnc). This week that effort will be released as the Trans Lib Comp. They recently chatted with CHIRP volunteer and DJ Amelia Hruby about the project and the status of marginalized communities in Chicago's music scene.
Amelia: Can you tell us a little bit about the project as whole?
Jash: The Trans Lib Comp is a collection songs by trans/gnc/nb musicians. All artist are based in, or from, the Chicago area. I'm dubbing a run of 30 cassettes, and throwing a release show with artists appearing on the tape at a local diy spot. All proceeds from the tape, and the show are going to the Trans Liberation Collective. TLC is a local group that organized a very large demonstration earlier this year. They also have free self defense classes and continue to organize. You can reach them at their fb page here: /TransLiberationCollective/
Lady Amelia writesInterview: Dan Rico Performing Endless Love at the Empty Bottle on April 11th
Dan Rico has gained renown for performing as a part of local acts EGO and MAMA, but last year he released a solo album entitled Endless Love. This month he'll perform at the Empty Bottle on April 11th highlighting tracks from that release alongside fellow local Flesh Panthers and fellow rock-band-member turned soloist Ian Saint Pé (of the Black Lips).
CHIRP volunteer and DJ Amelia Hruby recently caught up with Dan Rico to chat about his solo work and upcoming shows.
AH: After your work with other local bands, what made you decide to record a solo album? How do you think this work stands out from those projects?
DR: Recording a solo album wasn’t so much a decision as it was a discovery. After exploring in the studio for a number of years at a certain point I turned around to find there was plenty of material to put together a cohesive album. Another factor was that I know I'm gonna be making music for a long time. Why not lay the first bricks now for a road I will inevitably travel the rest of my life? In my experience bands come and go-- people quit and move and get married etc—but this way I’ll always have this project to build on.
To answer the second part of your question I’d say Endless Love is a departure toward a more pop-oriented sound (not billboard top 100 type EDM-hop pop but a little more traditional). I grew up listening to pop and as an artist aspire toward a sound that’s universal. Most of the bands I’ve played in have had very niche audiences (hard rock, experimental, etc) and though I’m proud of these projects I want music I can show my parents and friends and kids and have them all enjoy it. Growing up playing in punk bands, I hope to make music that’s still counter-cultural, that confronts norms and encourages critical thinking, but that’s also enchanting, uplifting, harmonious, atmospheric, and accessible. I don’t lnow if "Endless Love" achieves this on all fronts but that’s what I’m working toward.
Jessi D writesInterview: JC Brooks New Album and Release Party Tonight at Neon Jungle
By crafting an engergetic, funky-dance-politio-RnB style of music nicknamed "post-punk soul," Chicago band JC Brooks (formerlly known as JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound) are one of the hottest acts to emerge from the the city's deep pool of talented musicians. The band has a new album out called The Neon Jungle (their fouth), and they are having a release party tonight at the Neon Jungle to celebrate.
CHIRP Radio volunteer and DJ Jessi D. got a chance to ask JC about the new album and what else he's been up to recently.
JD: Congratulations on the new album release! Do you know why Chop Shop was chosen as the venue for the release?
JC: We chose Chop Shop because the room sounds great and it's a perfect size to feel like there's a capital 'C' crowd but at the same time like you can give an intimate show.
JD: What's the best part of release shows, specifically?
JC: The best part of release shows is...well, the release. The letting go of this thing that you've been so close to for so long. It's like sending your kid to college or something...it's not just yours, it belongs to the world and you make the mental and emotional space to start filling yourself with something new.