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The CHIRP Blog

Entries categorized as “Interviews” 104 results

DJ M-Dash writesChicago’s 6kitty Fuses Raging Love of Gear, Songwriting, Innovative Music

by Andy Frye

Chicago-based alternative dream poppers 6kitty released their second album, Under Pins, in mid-December. On February 15, they will play a sold-out show at Schubas with Chicago music scene veterans The Vulgar Boatmen.

The trio, made up of drummer Alex Karan, lead vocalist-guitarist Donna Dee, and bass player Stephanie Harte, got together after years of playing in different bands, mainly as a creative balance to day jobs, family life, as well as a raging love for creative music.

Bassist Harte, who also shares some lead vocal duties, said that forming 6kitty as a new band seemed like a natural fit for the three alternative musical compatriots.

“In the past, we have all played together in different variations of bands,” Harte says, “so when Donna and I started the 6kitty project, we reached out to Alex to join, and the band easily snapped into place.”

And while each of 6kitty’s members will admit to a hint of a “shoegazey” sound on both the new album and their 2022 debut album, Tux, they draw on a wide variety of influences from different decades.

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Categorized: Interviews

Topics: 6kitty

DJ M-Dash writesMadame Reaper: “Utopia” and the State of the World

by Andy Frye

You could describe Kira Leadholm, aka Madame Reaper, as part Alice Cooper, part Bette Midler, a smidge of Elvira, and a little Cher all wrapped in one.

When we spoke in December, the performer and songwriter warmed up a bit to the roster of legendary performers. “You know, I’ve never heard anyone link me to Alice Cooper,” she said, “but I’ll take it.”

Leadholm’s debut album titled Madame Reaper's Gentlemen's Club was released in mid-2023, with great standout songs like “Bang Bang,” “Oh Penny,” and “Moth into Flame,” a cover of a Metallica song. Since then, her work has garnered regular play on CHIRP Radio, plus a guest episode of CHIRP’s podcast. The Madame Reaper episode aired in Fall of 2023 and was re-aired as an encore appropriate for Halloween 2024.

The Chicago-based singer, who hails from the Twin Cities, is the lead attraction of the band Madame Reaper & the Gentleman’s Club, which is known for its colorful live performances.

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Categorized: Interviews

Topics: madame reaper

CHIRP Radio writesCHIRP Radio Q&A With This House Is Creaking (Performing at CHIRP Night at the Whistler on 11/24)

Ghost Days

Chicago band This House Is Creaking will perform at CHIRP Night at the Whistler on Sunday November 24th. We recently caught up with the band to ask a few questions.

So, What’s going on? Tell us about your current releases and/or upcoming shows (such as CHIRP Night at the Whistler!).

We are playing a lot of Black Ops 6 and watching Jersey Shore. We're putting a lot of time into translating these songs live and our next show is for Chirp Night at Whistler on November 24. Shooting for our next release to be early 2025.

How do you go about turning your thoughts, ideas, and feelings into sounds?

We don't force it. We make stuff that we want to hear. 

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Categorized: Interviews

Topics: chirp night at the whistler, this house is creaking

DJ M-Dash writesNeptune’s Core Goes to College

Some campus life, some study-at-home for Chicago’s most precocious indie band

by Andy Frye


From left: Sofia Richter (lead vocals), Jackie Cywinski (guitar/vocals), Hannah Richter (bass), and Kaitlin Cywinski (drums). Photo by Sloane Johnson (@sloaneshotit)

Young rockers Neptune’s Core have been breaking pretty much all the rules about what is supposed to happen when you’re in high school.

In much of America—even in the 2020s—it’s still all about student activities like band, chess club, sports, and a lot of school spirit, plus hitting the books, getting good grades, and nailing your best SAT and ACT scores.

But for this Chicago-based foursome, it’s been all that and more. More, meaning stuff like playing live at venues Metro, talking at music-related panel discussions like CHIRP Radio’s Independents Day at Schuba’s, or taking a week off of school to play the annual South By Southwest Festival (SXSW) in Austin, Texas.

Now, two of the indie band four members are away at college, shuffling through first-year survey courses and the lifestyle of college freshmen.

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Categorized: Interviews

Topics: neptune's core

Clarence Ewing: The Million Year Trip writesCHIRP Radio Q&A With Tension Pets (Performing at CHIRP Night at the Whistler on 9/29)

Ghost Days

Chicago band Tension Pets will perform at CHIRP Night at the Whistler on Sunday September 29th. We recently caught up with the band ("...there’s no 'I' in 'Pets'") to ask a few questions.

So, What’s going on? Tell us about your current releases and/or upcoming shows (such as CHIRP Night at the Whistler!).

We are currently writing a slew of new songs that have us all super sparked up. Still high from the fumes on our debut release from this summer, CUBEY EP, but definitely excited to keep moving forward - we haven’t even celebrated our first show anniversary yet! We’ll definitely be playing a brand new one for the fortunate folks who come to CHIRP NIGHT AT THE WHISTLER ON SUNDAY 9/29.

How do you go about turning your thoughts, ideas, and feelings into sounds?

A healthy dose of “why not?!” goes into our collaborative song-writing. Some ideas might be too dumb to work but we’re honestly a bit surprised that more aren’t. We have a giant secret spreadsheet of absurd band names we were floating when we first got together, hundreds of rows long - sometimes we’ll take one of those names and make a song around it, ie; “3,000 Stooges”. Some are feelings-inspired…our song "Propylene Promises" stemmed from the exasperation of waiting to de-plane. We try to make each other laugh a lot.

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Share September 26, 2024 https://chrp.at/5hLu Share on Facebook Tweet This!

Categorized: Interviews

Topics: chirp night at the whistler, tension pets

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