"Quartets 3+4" is an ode to the beauty of the string quartet. Placed in a contemporary context, Peter Gregson balances electronics with the traditional richness of the quartet. In doing so, he questions how we perceive and compose classical music in the 21st century. Elana Shapiro sits down with Gregson to discuss the Quartets album project, his experience of composing for film and more broadly, the past few years of his career.
The Londoner five-piece Ezra Collective released their exuberant new record "Where I'm Meant To Be" via Partisan Records in November. It follows their debut record "You Can't Steal My Joy". We caught up with the band's drummer Femi Koleoso to talk about the role that joy plays in his life, the Londoner music community, and the similarities between jazz and boxing.
Emotions run deep in Son Little's music. The Philadelphia-born singer and songwriter, Aaron Livingston, recently released the bluesy, retro-soul-inspired Like Neptune. His new record emerged out of an intense and difficult time. We caught the artist in an extended Zoom interview to talk about personal growth, change, and reclaimed vulnerability.
TW: sexual abuse
It is not hard to imagine French indie pop darlings Phoenix sitting in a room together. Ideas bubbling. Song sketches effortlessly turning into a bigger picture and the four longtime friends and (soul) brothers spending hours getting lost in the joy of playing music together. All while their music is doing the talking and a subconscious understanding kicks in. With their seventh album to date, Phoenix have returned with a refined and charming sound on "Alpha Zulu". A conversation about the value and stimulating effect of art, the privilege of recording inside a museum and the most rewarding moments of making music together after over two decades.
The Icelandic-Norwegian duo bring the fun, both for the listener and themselves. Ultraflex's new album "Infinite Wellness" is a adventurous waltz through synth soundscapes, dreams of dancefloors and irrepressible attitude. We caught up with them to find out more.
Seeking truth in times of disillusionment, Natalie Mering aka Weyes Blood has been navigating through this feeling of pervasive uncertainty in recent years building the cornerstone of her latest album "And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow" by exploring dark and existential themes of human connection. The emotional weight and intimacy that run through the ten new tracks do not seek immediate answers, as our conversation with the L.A. based singer-songwriter reveals.
It has been a solid five-year wait ever since the sophomore release of the Balthazar-associated solo act of the Belgian musician. “Ha Ha Heartbreak” marks a new chapter for Warhaus, stripping off the character he designed of himself, digging into existential doubts and pining over a broken love relationship, making his transformation a highly enjoyable symphony between melancholic gusts and groovy episodes.
It has been three years since we last heard from First Aid Kit. “We didn’t want to rush this record. We let the songs take their time – the writing and the recording.” I sat down with the band to talk about the progression of their sound, the cruciality of women songwriters and instrumentalists, and the artistic potential and fun that comes from a gut-trusting freedom of self.