Artist Interviews Neptune’s Core Interview

This week, Features contributor Alyssa Edes speaks with Sofie Richter, Hannah Richter, Jackie Cywinski, and Kaitlin Cywinski of Neptune's Core, a Chicago-based indie rock band made up of two sets of sisters. They discuss using Voice Memos to build out the beginnings of their songs, post-Midwestern tornado musical inspiration, looking at songwriting from an architectural perspective, and listening to CHIRP Radio before school. 

"I remember so clearly the first time we performed at an informal open mic at Old Town School of Folk Music. And it felt so magical to be playing music and expressing myself with my best friends." Kaitlin Cywinski

"Adding onto Kaitlin, I feel like there's kind of a confidence in each other and I think being sisters and being best friends we understand each other and we can kind of almost predict what the other person's gonna do, predict how they'll feel after something. We're kinda telepathic in a sense." - Sofie Richter

Produced by Alyssa Edes

Photo Credit: Samantha Monendo

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Artist Interviews Triple Fast Action Interview

This week, Features contributor and DJ Mike Nikolich speaks with Brian St. Clair of legendary Chicago-based indie and alt-rock group Triple Fast Action. They discuss their mid-90s origins and eventual breakup, their newly released collection of 37 rare and unreleased tracks and the process behind bringing the old tech up to spec for rerelease, and their deep connections to Local H and Veruca Salt. 

"It turned into this idea with Justin Wexler from Forge Again Records: why don't we put out something prior to all of our stuff while we try to get the rights to put out 'Broadcaster' as a proper reissue? So this is kind of a segue between our two albums that we want to release with Forge Again Records, but it's such a long process trying to get those rights back from Capitol, so we had to do something in the interim." -Brian St. Clair

Produced by Mike Nikolich.

Photo Credit: Marci Rogal

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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

The Passion of Joan of Arc will be soundtracked by Joan of Arc as part of Chicago Humanties Festival on May 30. You can find tickets at www.chicagohumanities.org.

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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