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CHIRP's exclusive artist interviews, conducted on-location and produced entirely by CHIRP volunteers. Subscribe to the feed to receive new interviews with local and national acts every week.
This week, Features contributor Liz Mason speaks with Chicago-based multi-instrumentalist singer, songwriter, and producer Melissa Harris of Born Days, a conceptual darkwave synth-pop project. They discuss Harris's pandemic-era roadtrip across the country to Arizona to find a quiet place to finish recording her album, spending hours experimenting with synths as a form of meditation, and working through generational trauma in music on her new album, My Little Dark.
"When I was writing the album, I was seeing it as kind of like a sci-fi coming of age story. I imagined it if it was a book, it would be for teens." - Melissa Harris on the creation of her new album, My Little Dark.
Produced by Liz Mason.
Photo Credit: Erica Contreras
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This week, Features co-director Jessi D speaks with Joseph Farago of the Chicago-based pop project, Joey Nebulous. They discuss his signature falsetto, the move from heavy piano-based singer-songwriter composition to celebratory and silly pop music, the creation of his pandemic album Joey Spumoni Creamy Dreamy Party All The Time, and his queer songwriting influnces.
"I wanted to go headfirst into the goofiness." - Joseph Farago of Joey Nebulous on the songwriting process for his latest album.
Produced by Jessi D.
Photo Credit: Ash Dye
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This week, DJ Ninja speaks with Kip McCabe, Jay Ryan, and Jason Harvey of legendary Chicago two-bass band Dianogah. They discuss their still-here-ness, how they became a two-bass-and-drums outfit, their favorite collaborators, and their upcoming box set of reissues from Smashed Plastic.
"There was a while where we had a motto that was 'nothing is too stupid.' Like, we don't take ourselves too seriously; the song titles are often humorous (to us at least) and I think we've always tried to add a little bit of levity to the music. So I feel like the genres of music that we get lumped in with a lot of times are thought of as being self-serious and emotional or too academic, and I think we've tried to balance that out with making things feel a little lighter and more whimsical." - Jason Harvey
Produced by DJ Ninja.
Photo Credit: Nathan Keay
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This week, Features contributor Matty G speaks with Kristin and Dan Kantor of The Kantors. They discuss the makeup of the band, the project's pandemic roots, and recording their debut EP Our Hearts Revealed at Friends of Friends studio.
"Just be nice, be yourself, and the people that are nice and also being themselves will find you." - Kristin Kantor of The Kantors
Listen to The Kantors debut EP Our Hearts Revealed.
Produced by Brian Szpak
Photo Credit: Tessa Abedon
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This week, Features contributor Alyssa Edes talks with Katie Colt of goodkitty. They discuss the multi-year process of creating the EP Picture Albums, learning to make art for oneself by trusting "the gut check," and the mom life of making music after 8 p.m.
"To have completed this work, it's like I sent a message to myself which is, you are capable and you have something to contribute... I've given myself a gift and now other people get to open it too." - Katie Colt of goodkitty on the completion of her EP, Picture Albums
Singles of Holding on To You, Red, and Sabrina are out now. Picture Albums is out everywhere February 9, 2024.
Produced by Alyssa Edes
Photo Credit: Stephanie Jensen
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