Meet Our Makers

22. Zola Jesus - Songs Are Living Things

In this episode, we get to meet Nika Danilova, aka Zola Jesus. Nika and I discuss each of her studio albums, from her debut up to a highly collaborative album she was supposed to be working on in 2020 that got delayed due to the pandemic. We also discuss her intensely personal songwriting style, her relationship with her past work, her love of pop music, the toxicity of fandoms, and more. We even touch upon her light obsession with John Cena. Please enjoy, and thank you for listening.

21. Charles Spearin

In this episode we get to meet Charles Spearin, multi-instrumentalist and part of two legendary Canadian bands: Do Make Say Think and Broken Social Scene. In this chat, we discuss the origins of both bands, the creative process behind most Broken Social Scene songs, his time during quarantine, as well as Charles' experience in Northern Italy making his 2020 imporvisational album with Josefin Runsteen called Thank God The Plague is Over. Please enjoy, and thank you for listening.

20. Anjimile

In this episode, we get to meet Anjimile. Anjimile - or Jimi as he sometimes likes to be called - is a singer-songwriter from Boston who just put out his debut record, Giver Taker, this year. In this chat, we discuss the inspiration and background of the album, including the grant that led to its formation. We also discuss Anjimile's journey as a DIY musician, from making songs in college that hardly anyone heard to being reviewed warmly by Pitchfork and Rolling Stone. Please enjoy, and thank you for listening.

19. Azure Ray

In this episode, we get to meet Azure Ray. Azure Ray is a dream pop duo consisting of Maria Taylor and Orenda Fink. The pair have been releasing music for just about 20 years, and are about to reissue their self-titled debut album for its 20th anniversary. In this chat, we discuss the reissue, including the process of poring over that period of their lives for the first time in years, as well as the band's origin story, which was borne by innate connection as well as shared tragedy. We also discuss what they've been up to lately, which included (tantalizingly) new music. And as an added bonus, we get an impromptu performance of one of their earliest-ever songs, written when they were still teenagers. I hope you enjoy, and thank you for listening.

18. Ane Brun

In this episode, we get to meet Ane Brun. Ane is a Norwegian singer and songwriter, who has released many albums across her acclaimed career, including several that shot up the Scandinavian music charts. In this chat, we discuss her two (2!) new albums she had for the fall of 2020, including what compelled her to divide the two in the first place. We also discuss a bit about her life during quarantine, as well as her deep love of cover songs, including a Bjork cover which she performed in front of Bjork herself. I hope you enjoy, and thank you for listening.

17. Matmos

In this episode, we get to meet electronic music duo Matmos. Matmos is made up of musical and romantic partners Drew Daniel and Martin Schmidt, who have been putting out some of the strangest and most bewildering electronic music around for over 20 years. In this chat, we discuss their most recent album, The Consuming Flame, as well as whether or not there's such a thing as a "typical Matmos concert." We also talk about some of the livestream work they've been doing during the pandemic, as well as their collaboration with Bjork on her seminal 2001 album, Vespertine. I hope you enjoy, and thank you for listening.

16. Kaki King

In this episode, we get to meet Kaki King. Kaki is best known as a guitarist, but her skills and range go far deeper than that description may suggest. With her impressive blend of adept fingerpicking, strumming, and her signature tapping technique, Kaki has been able to create a distinct voice all her own. In this chat, we discuss her specific style of playing and composing, her life over the past few months, as well as her brand new album, Modern Yesterdays. I hope you enjoy, and thank you for listening.

15. Mirah

In this episode, we get to meet singer-songwriter Mirah. Recently celebrating the 20th anniversary of her debut album, Mirah has been in this business for quite a few years, putting out numerous acclaimed and beloved albums of her smart, emotive folk and sometimes-experimental songs. In this chat, we discuss her recent livestream concerts where she played her first three albums in full, her songwriting & recording process, as well as her deep relationship to food and cooking. I hope you enjoy, and thank you for listening.

14. Robin Pecknold

In this episode, we get to meet Robin Pecknold, frontman of folk-rock band Fleet Foxes. In this chat, we discuss the many facets of the band's new, surprise-released album, SHORE. We talk about Robin's distinct approach to songwriting, as well as how the 2020 pandemic shaped the album. We even stop for a moment to revel in our shared love of songwriter extraordinaire, Joanna Newsom. I hope you enjoy, and thank you for listening. 

13. Mary Lattimore

In this episode, we get to meet Mary Lattimore. Mary is a harpist and composer, known for her electronics-inflected, effects-laden, experimental take on the classical instrument. She's worked with lots of big names in the music industry, from Kurt Vile to Sharon Van Etten to (most recently) Julianna Barwick and Jónsi. In this chat, we discuss her love of the harp, her thoughts on its place in modern music, and what it's like to be releasing her new album, Silver Ladders, in the midst of a pandemic. I hope you enjoy, and thank you for listening.