CHIRP's exclusive artist interviews, conducted on-location and produced entirely by CHIRP volunteers. Subscribe to the feed to receive new interviews with local and national acts every week.

Artist Interviews Honestly Same Interview

This week, Features co-director Marjorie Alford speaks with Zach Moore of Honestly Same. They discuss the makeup of the band, their unique and improvisational approach to music making, and the many other projects Honestly Same's members are attached to. 

"Making this kind of music I feel is theraputic to me ... Everything in our world is so optimized and prescribed and actually you can just make music very unpreciously. Just trusting yourself and trusting the people you're playing with, not being too caught up in the specifics but rather the space and the time that you're occupying together." - Zach Moore of Honestly Same  

Honestly Same's newest album Hot Plate Only, is streaming now on all platforms.

Produced by Marjorie Alford.

Photo Credit: Honestly Same

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Artist Interviews Jess Godwin Interview

This week, Features co-director Jessi D speaks with formerly Chicago-based and now New York-based multidisciplinary artist, Jess Godwin. They discuss the unbreaking of her heart in the creation of her latest visual and music release, dreamer., the genesis of her highly customized body instrument, the Muze, and her varied and vast artistic background.

"It feels so great to make something, and give it to myself." - Jess Godwin.

Dreamer. is is now available to stream and watch on all platforms, and on Jess's website.

Produced by Jessi D.

Photo Credit: Ryan Bourque 

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Artist Interviews Chicken Happen Interview

This week, Features co-director Marjorie Alford speaks with Zach Hjelmstad and Lilly Choi of Chicken Happen. They discuss the roots of the band, finding their groove as a three piece, pushing their own creative limits, and why friendship is important.

"We were like why don't we take this opportunity to try something different? Like we've been a band for TEN YEARS! I love the way we do things, we've always had this awesome way of writing music together, but we might as well try something new!"  - Lilly Choi of Chicken Happen on changing things up for their fourth album Chicken Happen IV.

Chicken Happen IV is streaming now on all platforms.
Catch Chicken Happen December 28th at Liar's Club. 

Produced by: Marjorie Alford

Photo Credit: Chicken Happen

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Artist Interviews Madame Reaper Interview

This week, Features co-director Marjorie Alford speaks with Kira Leadholm of Madame Reaper and the Gentlemen's Club. They talk about bringing this unique concept to life, the grant that helped fund the album, rounding out the band - AKA The Gentlmen's Club,  and why Madame Reaper is a sort of "gory robinhood." Madame Reaper's debut album Madame Reaper's Gentlemen's Club is out now. 

"I don't really listen to a lot of classical music anymore. But I think there are a lot of things that are just ingrained in me that kind of come up subciounciously. It must be living in my head rent free."  - Kira Leadholm on the ways her classical background seeps into her music. 

Produced by: Marjorie Alford

Photo Credit: Mo Tuesday

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Artist Interviews Jovan Landry Interview

This week, Features co-director Jessi D speaks with Chicago-based multidisciplinary artist and "One-Third Emcee," Jovan Landry. They discuss the thirds that make up her multidisciplinary artistry, her new EP, Intellectual Frequencies, and winning a grant and leading the charge to create Synergy, the first all-woman produced, performed, and engineered hip-hop album.

"I am doing many other things outside of the music, and so it takes a while for me to get to sitting down - sitting down is not always my forte. So having to sit down and actually focus on the music, and also, you gotta experience life [...] the process of experiencing life and coming back to it, and then you get more inspired than when you first started writing" - Jovan Landry on her slow and steady approach to releasing music

Produced by Jessi D.

Photo Credit: Alex Hazel Studios

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