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 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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Artist Interviews Edging Interview

This week, Features co-director Marjorie Alford speaks with Faith Callaway and Will Logan Sallee of Chicago-based art post-punk band, Edging. They discuss their origins and make up of the band, their self-ascribed descriptor of "landscaper punk" and how it lead to their band's name, how the politcal climate has shaped their art and expression, and their Halloween plans.

"Truthfully it's scary, and it freaks us out, and we like to yell about it." - Will Logan Sallee

Produced by Jack Deubner.

Photo Credit: Micki Harris

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Artist Interviews LLO LLO Inteview

This week on the podcast Johnny Cummings and Grant Goode of Chicago power pop group LLO LLO recently spoke with CHIRP DJ jdang. They discussed proper pronunciation of their name and how the band was formed plus their recent EP, recording the next one, and thinking about their musical future.

Catch them at Promontory October 23rd with Jockey, GMG, and Safety Society.

"When I think about the pandemic in Chicago there was kind of a clean slate for a lot of smaller bands to start forming their own scene and I think that has been the biggest influence within the past year.  " - Grant Goode 

Produced by Jessi D
Photo Credit: Ian McSheffrey
 

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