Artist Interviews Walker Interview

Singer and songwriter Walker is a recent transplant to Chicago, but already considers it home. He released his debut album, Phew in December 2022 and Features Co-Director Mick R. caught up with him to talk about the album, his process, and his experience teaching music to others as a self-taught musician. 

Walker will be releasing a series of singles in the sping of 2023; you can keep up with his upcoming releases by following him on Instagram @walkerwonder_.

"[T]he main thing I try to do is just follow joy, because for me, joy is my muse." - Walker 

Produced by Mick R. 

Photo Credit: James Werner

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Artist Interviews Footballhead Interview

Ryan Nolen is the creative engine behind the Chicago-based alternative rock project Footballhead. Features co-director Mick R. caught up with Ryan to talk about his most recent EP Kitchen Fly, the Chicago underground rock scene, whether or not his music is "emo," and his ranking of the best Nick-Toons characters of all time. 

Ryan will be playing at Sleeping Village with Dazy and Graham Hunt as part of Tomorrow Never Knows Fest on January 18, 2023. 

"I was playing in my band Kirby Grip at the time and we were trying to do like an alternative based, [Smashing] Pumpkins, semi-shoegaze thing, and I had [writen] all these songs that were more like Gin Blossoms or Vertical Horizon almost... Songs that were too poppy... So I said to myself, 'I needed an outlet for these things.'" - Ryan Nolen on the origins of Footballhead

Produced by Mick R.

Photo Credit: Ryan Nolen

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Artist Interviews Aya Ito Interview

This week, Features co-director Jessi D speaks with Chicago-based singer-songwriter, Aya Ito. They discuss her newly released EP, Just Might, and how each purchase on Bandcamp comes with Aya's favorite homecooked recipes, her Black and Japanese heritage, re-releasing some of her already J-Pop perfect songs in Japanese, and how a Japanese video rental store shaped her upbringing in Indianapolis.

On her nickname, the Blazian Sensation:

"I really, really love both sides of my culture. I love my Black side, I love my Japanese side. I really consider myself fully Black and fully Japanese. I'm proud of my heritage, and proud of being Black and Asian. And Blazian Sensation obviously rhymes, so I was like, it flows! Let me be Blazian Sensation." - Aya Ito

Produced by Jessi D.

Photo Credit: Abboye Lawrence

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Artist Interviews Sound Opinions Interview

Music critics and journalists Greg Kot and Jim DeRogatis are the hosts of the long-running music podcast Sound Opinions. Formerly of WXRT and WBEZ, they are now fully independent and jammin' econo. Features co-director Mick R. caught up with Greg and Jim for this final Artists Interview of 2022 to talk about their podcast's origins, the importance of music journalism, integrity in reporting, and the challenges of telling stories that need to be told. 

"[The] number one rule of being a journalist is to be curious, always. Never lose that sense that there's a big world out there. You wake up every day and you're gonna learn something new." - Greg Kot

Produced by Mick R. 

Photo Credit: Marty Perez

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Artist Interviews Elijah Berlow Interview

This week, Marjorie Alford speaks with Chicago-based songwriter and multi-instrumentalist folk musician Elijah Berlow. They discuss his east coast roots, love songwriting process, how Chicago has helped his collaboration process, and choosing to perform under his own name to be as much of himself as possible.

"I think what draws me most to writing music is you're just kind of picking up signals throughout your existence, if that makes sense. Like these layers or sounds already exist in you or outside of you, and I have to think that writing about them for me over the years has been like an antennae, a manifesting output of these signals. So I think that's what really draws me in." - Elijah Berlow

Produced by Alyssa Edes.

Photo Credit: Lena Jackson

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