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Artist Interviews Joan of Arc Interview
Chicago-based experimental rock group Joan of Arc has been broken up for several years now, but they will be reconvening for a special performance as part of the Chicago Humanities Festival to provide a live soundtrack to the classic Carl Dreyer film The Passion of Joan Arc. Features co-director Mick R caught up with band members Tim Kinsella, Bobby Burg, and Theo Katsaounis to talk about the band's history with the film and how the story of Joan of Arc inspires them and their art.
"[Joan of Arc] could have had a much more comfortable life. But no one would be inspired by her six hundred years later." - Tim Kinsella
Produced by Mick R.
Image Credit: Joan of Arc
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Artist Interviews LIES Interview
This week, Features contributor Andy Vasoyan speaks with Mike and Nate Kinsella about their new art pop post-rock project, LIES. They discuss their debut self-titled album, temporarily naming songs-in-progress after Robyn and their favorite Robyn songs, how making music as LIES feels like a vacation, and getting excited about the same things musically.
"I'd always wanted to do something that was just me and Mike. I think that we have very similar taste. We can sort of finish each other's sentences musically." - Nate Kinsella
Produced by Andy Vasoyan
Photo Credit: Alexa Viscius
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Artist Interviews Warm Human Interview
This week, Features co-director Jessi D speaks with Chicago-based sludge pop trash princess, Meredith Johnston aka warm human. They discuss how the purchase of a new instrument usually inspires the creation of an album, navigating loss by letting the creative process loose on her newest album, Hometown Hero, and how dealing with a uterine fibroid removal in the days of the Roe v. Wade overturn inspired the single "PUSSY IS A GUN."
"And so, honestly, I don't remember a lot of it, but I do remember that I just kind of said 'yes' to every single thing that I came up with. I was like, 'yep, great, yep, great.' And that was just so liberating, and maybe that's because I didn't have the capacity to be nervous or comparative. As an artist, I can get so bogged down with, 'well, this doesn't sound like what other artists are making,' or 'this doesn't sound like this artist that I've been listening to on repeat lately.' I just didn't have any of that. I was like, we're going for it. We're wailing." - Meredith Johnston, on the creative process of her newest album Hometown Hero
Warm human will be playing at the Empty Bottle on Saturday, June 24th with Jimmy Whispers and Sports Boyfriend.
Produced by Jessi D.
Photo Credit: Gavin McDonald
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Artist Interviews The Bollweevils Interview
Daryl Wilson is the lead singer of the seminal Chicago punk band The Bollweevils. Formed in 1989, the group has released many records and been through many iterations over the decades, but as Daryl shares in this interview with Features Department Co-Director Mick R, their latest album Essential is the best that the band has ever sounded. Tune in to hear how the record came together over the course of more than a decade, the band's awesome relationship with local punk label Red Scare, and why they'll never change their style.
"It's our coming out party, to say 'Here's The Bollweevils!' ... it epitomizes how far we've come... and you can hear it now in how it sounds, better than before." - Daryl Wilson, discussing the decision to re-record thier classic song "Bottomless Pit" for their new record Essential.
Essential is out on Red Scare.
The Bollweevils will be playing a record release show with the Brokedowns on 5/27 at the Chop Shop.
Produced by Mick R.
Image Credit: Paul Catani
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Artist Interviews Djunah Interview
This week, Features contributor Marjorie Alford speaks with Chicago-based noise rock artist with "a leg for a bassist," Donna Diane of Djunah. They discuss her Frankenstein-style Moog bass synthesizer pedal board she uses in place of a bassist, the creation of her handmade chainmail bikini for the cover of her recent album, Femina Furens, the exploration of her C-PTSD in the creation of this album, and her end-of-show tradition of destroying her guitar onstage with various sharp objects.
"On this tour, I've really been thinking about my younger self on stage. And I'm like, I'm gonna make her proud of me. She's who I'm singing to, she's who I'm really emoting for, and hoping that other people connect with it, too." - Donna Diane
Produced by Jessi D.
Photo Credit: Courtney Brooke Hall
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