Artist Interviews Gosh Diggity Interview

This week, Features Department Co-Director Mick R speaks with Joe Marshall, Cheryl Höglind, and Conor O’Donovan of Chicago-based "Midwest kitchen techno" group Gosh Diggity. They discuss the exclusion of a drummer in their band, their tough-to-self-describe music genre categorization, their chiptune, punk, bedroom pop, and indie influences, keeping things upbeat, and their genuine friendship. Their most recent release, Runaway Rocketboy, is available on Bandcamp.

"Being in a band, I think it's all about the vibes that you give each other, and it's hard to describe when you find something that really fits well. I think it's kind of like a really good friendship when you find people that bring something to the table that you really enjoy working with, [...] making music, but also just being pals." - Joe Marshall

Produced by Jessi D.

Photo Credit: Joslyn Vosta

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Artist Interviews Hausu Mountain Records Interview

Doug Kaplan and Max Allison run the Chicago-based experimental record label Hausu Mountain. They talked with Features Department Co-Director Mick R about the origins of the label, what kinds of artists they like to work with, their opinions on psychedelic music, and their unique approach to avant-garde art. 

Featured Tracks (in order of appearance): 

"Steam Room Sauna Holla" by Sharkula x Mukqs

"Help Desk" by Wobbly 

"Rhododendron pt. II" by d'Eon 

"Fungal Abundance" by Prolaps 

You can check out Hausu Mountain's catalog online on their site. 

"[We're interested in] musicians that are able to... convey excitement and fun, but also maintaining a dedication to total experimentalism [and] genre recombination... [T]here's a whole group of people that have just associated experimental music with listening to a fan for an hour... they're just like, 'Peace! I don't want to deal with that. That sounds really, really boring to me.' [W]e want to work with the people that are [experimental] but able to make [it] fun and engaging for musicians and non-musicians alike." - Doug Kaplan

Produced by Mick R. 

Photo Credit: Doug Kaplan & Max Allison 

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Artist Interviews Durand Jones & The Indications Interview

This week, Features contributor Mike Nikolich speaks with Durand Jones, Aaron Frazer, and Blake Rhein of the Bloomington, Indiana-based retro-soul/contemporary R&B group, Durand Jones & The Indications. They talk about their recording process over email due to the pandemic on their new record Private Space, losing power at a recent show at the Vic, and their origins at Indiana University.

"I have favorite moments more than favorite songs, I feel like. For me, I love the end of Private Space. What Ben Kane, the mixing engineer, did in those moments, I close my eyes and I just see all these different kinds of greens and colors swooshing. It's really beautiful. That's my favorite moment on the record it still gives me chills when I got really good headphones on and I'm listening to it."

-Durand Jones

Produced by Mike Nikolich.

Photo Credit: Ebru Yildiz

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Artist Interviews Damiana Interview

Natalie Chami of TALSounds and Whitney Johnson of Matchess have joined forces to create the experimental music project Damiana. They spoke with Features Co-Director Mick R about the origins of the band, making their new record Vines, techniques for improvising music, and how they came up with their band's name. 

If I'm having a good improv set usually something happens in that set where it's like, "Oh wow! That  made me curious!" ... Something strange happens, you hear a sound that's unfamiliar, and you're like, "I want to try to keep pursuing that as long as it makes sense." - Whitney Johnson

Vines is out now on Hausu Mountain Records.

Produced by Mick R. 

Photo Credit: Doug Kaplan 

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Artist Interviews Hard Femme Interview

This week, Features contributor Matty G speaks with local artist Jean Cochrane, who performs as Hard Femme. Jean discusses their latest release, A Layer of Topsoil, and how the album was initially conceived as a group effort became a solo project during the pandemic, the effect Chicago has had on their music, and their safer and more relaxed bike route mapping project, Mellow Bike Map.

"I think that can-do ethic with very little investment in local social standing but then also the BMF of the music industry writ large is something that I really respect; that kind of raised me in a sense and it's an ethic I try to pursue." - Jean Cochrane

Produced by Jessi D.

Photo Credit: M Slater

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