Between Frankness and Cheekiness is Eliza Niemi's "Staying Mellow Blows" (Vain Mina / Tin Angel Records)

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Eliza Niemi by Ben Mike

Alt-folk raconteur Eliza Niemi’s knack for sincerity and surrealism make her masterfully endearing. The Toronto-based multi-instrumentalist and singer first found her footing in so-called Canadian indie circles with her former band Mauno and since disbandment, has established a solo-venture defined by striking idiosyncrasy and collaborations. Now, Niemi finds herself with two EPs under her belt and operates an independent record label, Vain Mina, on the side.

Niemi’s deft and illustrious approach is refined on her to-be-released LP Staying Mellow Blows, out August 5th, 2022 on Vain Mina and Tin Angel Records. Between cello musings, folk experimentations and modular synth flirtations is Niemi’s most bountiful collaboration to date—a testament to her talent and creative kinship. Staying Mellow Blows features contributions from 19 confidantes within Niemi’s web and charts a back-and-forth intrinsic to community ties; transcending its pandemic-bound gestation period.

In our conversation with Niemi, we had the chance to discuss how Staying Mellow Blows evolved in passing through many hands, the way she is sustained by innovative relationships, and the experience of getting a tramp stamp of her album name.

Read the full interview below!

Eliza Niemi by Ben Mike

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter for Also Cool: You are a prolific world-builder when it comes to your collaborations. How has your creative process transformed from the solitary practice captured on your first EP, Vinegar, to that being realized on your to-be-released Staying Mellow Blows?

Eliza Niemi: With Staying Mellow Blows, I wanted to preserve the solitude and intimacy of my older EPs in the core of the songs, but make the arrangements a joint effort with the other players on the album. I basically wrote a bunch of songs on cello, guitar and keys, and then sent them around to my friends all over North America to build on. Some were a bit more collaborative in earlier stages, like how "Walking Feels Slow" was co-written from the start with Will Statler, or "Sushi California" and "Trust Me" were co-produced by Mike Fong.

This record was my first time fully recording and producing my own vocals, cello, keys, and guitar. That part of the process was quite solitary. It created a cool dichotomy with the deeply collaborative process of all my friends writing and layering their own parts overtop. It was like I leaned even further into the intimacy and introspection of my previous releases—which were recorded by Louie Short in a small studio here in Toronto—and then turned that on its head by completely opening it up to other musicians' perspectives. I think in this way, my creative process has expanded both inwards and outwards. Making this record has been an exercise in understanding myself and in letting go—trusting the people around me.

Also Cool: Branching off of that: Did working with your friends bring about anything of the album that you hadn't initially expected? 

Eliza Niemi: Sending these vulnerable, raw songs to my far-away friends and having them interact with them so honestly was a beautiful way to feel close to them. It was an emotional process receiving everyone's stems over the pandemic. I put a lot of careful thought into whom I asked to play on which songs, but didn't give anyone specific direction. Each friend blew me away with their sensitive and brilliant playing and singing. The odd time when I would send two players the beds of a song simultaneously, they would send back parts that serendipitously worked perfectly with one another. It was pretty magical. Each player expanded their song(s) in ways that I never would have been able to. The album is almost like a web of emotional and musical conversations. 

AC: You and your hive are close-knit in more ways than one. Can you tell me about how these relationships contribute to your label Vain Mina? 

EN: I started Vain Mina as an imprint for my first solo release, mostly to seem more legit to press and industry people, while still being able to own all the rights to my music. "Vain Mina" is adapted from the Finnish vain minä which means "only me,” with a sort of childish inflection. I called it that somewhat ironically because I was setting out to do everything myself, but it ended up being birthed from the efforts of many members of my community.

Mark Grundy (Heaven For Real, Quaker Parents) had been involved in DIY labels back in Halifax, and had been self-releasing music for a decade. He helped me a ton at the beginning. I'd say we basically started the label together. Our second release was Quaker Parents' Our Drawing Club in 2019. Louie Short has been our resident engineer from the beginning and has worked on all of mine and others’ releases to-date.

We all play on each other's recordings as well. I guess we're a collective… Bolstering each other and aiding one another in self-releasing under the label name. We're trying to organically build something with like-minded people and facilitate transparency, artists owning the rights to their music and knowing exactly what's going on at all times. The evolution of the label has felt natural in this sense... We’ve continued to link up with people who share this vision and have gone from there. 

AC: Going back to Staying Mellow Blows: Your leading singles are accompanied by music videos with an uncanny undertone in commonality. What informs your visual and online identity? 

EN: In line with the collaborative nature of this album, I brought songs to friends who make visuals and gave them free reign to interpret them. I've had certain people I like to work with since Vinegar, and they made videos for this album too, like Ryan Al-Hage and Ali Vanderkruyk, as well as some new collaborators like Gart Darley and an exciting to-be-announced artist. 

In terms of my visual and online identity, I gravitate towards things that I find interesting and inspiring. I have an affinity for miniatures, puppets, figurines and outsider-art, which has been present in a lot of the visuals throughout my solo career. I think these things represent how I feel about my music and expressing myself in general. I find making art to always be a sort of clunky, funny, sad, and overall odd representation of the self. Weird little puppets, stained glass, and sculptures convey that well for me.

AC: Speaking of your music videos; can we talk about the extremely rock n’ roll moment of getting your album title tattooed on camera? What inspired this adventure? 

EN: Back in the winter, my friend June was driving me around NYC. At golden hour in Manhattan, we passed a sprinter van with a fun little decal on it. I said, "It looks like a tramp stamp," and we laughed. I then said, "I should get it," and he said "staying mellow blows”—in reference to the title of my unreleased album, which he'd heard every version of for the past two years. We laughed and then I got serious again and said, "That's a great idea!” Over the course of that trip, I conceptualized the music video. I wasn't sure if I was serious about it until it was actually happening. Honestly, I mostly did it to make June laugh and think I was cool, I think it worked. I don't regret anything. It also perfectly encapsulates the sentiment of “staying mellow” being dumb.

AC: In closing, what would you tell your younger self from this moment looking back on your musical career so far? 

EN: What a nice question. I would say: "Don't get the tattoo!" Just kidding! 

It's a hard question because I don't wish anything had gone differently… It’s all led me to where I am now, which is a good place, I think. But yeah, I guess I would tell my younger self to trust your gut, to not be afraid to change gears, and that everything is gonna work out, kinda.

Don’t miss Eliza Niemi on tour!

Staying Mellow Blows

Out August 5, 2022 via Vain Mina / Tin Angel Records

1. MPF (Movies)

2. Sushi California

3. Tea On A Plate

4. Murphy’s

5. Trust Me

6. Walking Feels Slow

7. Don’t Think

8. Not Killing Bad Energy

9. Leave Me

10. Death I

11. Death II

12. Rolling

13. Staying Mellow Blows

Eliza Niemi

Instagram | Bandcamp

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter (she/her) is the co-founder and managing editor of Also Cool Mag. Aside from the mag, she is a music promoter & booker, and a radio host & DJ.

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Take a Sip of Cola's Post-Punk Debut "Deep In View" (Fire Talk)

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Cola’s Tim Darcy (left), Evan Cartwright (middle) and Ben Stidworthy (right) by Colin Medley

Amidst our post-truth media landscape ablaze with sensationalism, bound by the tirelessness of superficial consumer culture, arrives Deep In View, the debut LP from Canadian three-piece Cola, out this Friday via New York label Fire Talk Records.

 

Composed of long-time collaborators Tim Darcy and Ben Stidworthy —formally of beloved Montreal band Ought— and Evan Cartwright of U.S. Girls/The Weather Station, the locally-star studded post-punk outfit is void of artificiality, despite its name.

 

Rather, Deep In View relishes in poetic revelations in a era of lukewarm takes. With an observational tone akin to David Byrne’s commanding Talking Heads personas, coupled with direct, yet animated, guitar-bass-drum arrangements reminiscent of early works by The Strokes, Cola strikes political conversation on modern life with refreshing sincerity.

Chatting with Cola, lead singer and guitarist Tim Darcy attributes the band’s “triumphant honesty” as an outcome of working as a three piece.

 

“The writing process for this record was pretty nimble and we could workshop things readily,” explains Darcy. “Ben and I have been writing together for a long time, and though there were elements that we wanted to bring into this new project, there were major structural differences; like working with Evan who has such a singular touch, and writing songs separately during periods of on and off isolation,” he adds. “We wanted to keep the band a three piece and see what we could do melodically with sparse instrumentation.”

 

Since 2019, the trio draws inspiration from each other, whether through in-person sessions or building upon demos sent back and forth during the creation of Deep In View. Drummer Evan Cartwright says the nature of Cola’s experimentation is a welcomed change.

 

“There is a level of trust in this project that I don’t have in most creative situations. We all give each other so much agency to be able to redirect and change what we’re working on, which doesn’t happen in every band,” he shares.

 

“I don’t feel an impulse to control. I actually want [Tim and Evan] to change what I’ve written!” adds Stidworthy.

 

“Mechanically, it’s part of the definition of a band; a chemical reaction that happens when people bring their own idiosyncrasies to the table. What makes Cola Cola is everyone’s individual contributions resulting in this record,” elaborates Darcy.

Cola by Colin Medley

Sonically, Cola’s collaborative patterns aim to compose “worlds or moods that are difficult to pin down emotionally,” explains Stidworthy. Part of guiding audiences through an intentionally off-kilter listening experience is largely driven by Cola’s lyrics, which are often introspective, unfettered and sometimes irritable – yet always graceful.

 

“I did lean into a personal lens much more on this record than with Ought,” says Darcy. “I tapped into lyrical mindsets and characters as vehicles for my perspective as a writer.”  

Darcy’s arresting performance on Deep In View comes from adopting a more traditional “front-man” personality - quintessential to the band’s post-punk roots.

 

 “[The vocals] do have a more singer-songwriter, post-punk clunky-ness to them, (laughs). While the sound isn’t totally shocking, to us or people familiar with our past projects, listening to our songs feels different… Much more personal,” notes Darcy.

Rounding off our interview, Cola speaks of keenly of returning to touring and bringing their meditations to life.

 

“I’m excited to just get up and play our asses off!” beams Cartwright.

 

“We’re a guitar band and I think, we’ve made a good album of guitar songs. Hopefully people will experience joy and our songs will make someone feel something and experience a pivotal moment,” muses Stidworthy.

 

“Even when we played our first returning shows, they were amazing. It’s a lot to ask an audience to sit through a whole set of songs they’ve never heard before, but everyone who came out was great! So far we’ve been getting back into the flow and it’s like no time has passed. I hope that everyone gets to experience that very soon if they haven’t already,” adds Darcy.

Deep In View

Out May 20, 2022 via Fire Talk Records

Pre-order here

1. Blank Curtain

2. So Excited

3. At Pace

4. Met Resistance

5. Degree

6. Water Table

7. Gossamer

8. Mint

9. Fulton Park

10. Landers

Written by Tim Darcy & Ben Stidworthy

Supercollider, Guitar (“Blank Curtain”) & Drums by Evan Cartwright

Guitar, Vocals and Lyrics by Tim Darcy

Bass, Guitar & Keys by Ben Stidworthy

Recorded by Valentin Ignat

Mixed by Gabe Wax

Mastered By Harris Newman

Artwork by Katrijn Oelbrandt

Cola

Instagram | Bandcamp

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter (she/her) is the co-founder and managing editor of Also Cool Mag. Aside from the mag, she is a music promoter & booker, radio host & DJ, and a musician.

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Mitch Davis Ditches Hibernation on Sunny Debut LP "The Haunt" (Arbutus Records)

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Mitch Davis by Richmond Lam

A trip around the sun has passed since we last touched base with Montreal multi-instrumentalist and do-it-yourself aficionado Mitch Davis.  In the meantime, Davis has tied a bow on his debut LP The Haunt and returned to the stage, in both in Montreal and at Austin, Texas’ SXSW music festival. Out April 29th, 2022 via Arbutus Records, The Haunt manifests a spectrum of mediations in both sound and spirit.

Realizing some compositions that predate Davis’ relocation to Montreal, The Haunt celebrates Davis stepping into his own with an entirely solo production: writing all the songs and playing all the instruments on the album, as well as recording much of the work on self-built equipment in his home studio. The result is a soulful and playful blend of jazz, funk and beaming pop; adorned with rhodes, clavinet, synth and drum machines. An album-long ode to themes of isolation and loneliness, as well as looking for love in the dawn of the COVID-19 pandemic.The Haunt achieves both breeziness and brevity for a class-act spring listening experience.

 

Speaking with Davis leading up to his album release, I asked him how the final product came to be, knowing that The Haunt has been years in the making. We started first by chatting about how Davis knows when a song is complete.

 

“It’s a feeling that comes over me once I’ve obsessed over a song. Eventually, I won’t have anything else to add or take away. When I don’t know what to do next [in production], I try to keep at it. I have a lot of friends who will move on to another song in the meantime, but more often I’m obsessively working on one song for like, a month straight, and never putting it down; never stopping, listening to it day and night. Once it starts to lose its novelty and sound like mush, I’ll take a break for usually one day or so.”

 

“Do you have any rituals that you do to get back on track when this happens?” I wonder.

 

“Hmm, I don’t know about rituals,” smiles Davis. “But, once I get sick of a song and I’ve heard it too many times, to the point where it sounds like nothing, I’ll adjust the pitch, up or down. It triggers something in part of my brain —hearing my song in a different key— and that helps me to look at it fresh again.”

With self-reliance being at the core of The Haunt, I wanted to know where Davis finds inspiration when working alone. Unsurprisingly, he is moved by other jacks of all trades.

“I’m inspired by people who, like me, play all the instruments, record themselves, things like that,” he brims. “Though I try to not have influences be a conscious thing and act on creativity in the moment, there are important, multifaceted soloists throughout music history that influence me, like Stevie Wonder, Todd Rudgren and Sly Stone.”

 

On the note of his debut being entirely self-directed, Davis then told me about the narrative structure of The Haunt.

 

“It’s funny, years ago I was trying to get myself to create an album and nothing was working. I imagined having a set of literal hats, or characters in my mind, to embody and portray the thoughts and ideas I was trying to put into music. Nowadays, I don’t have to do that as much and I’m able to just be me. That said, I do feel inspired by holding and interacting with different instruments. Even if there are just drums down on a track, or some scratch guitar. Or, I’ll play bass for 12 hours until I get it just perfect… and then I’m done being the ‘bass player’ forever, and can move on to being someone else.”

 

“Do you have a particular relationship with any of your instruments?”

 

“I have the closest relationship with the piano, one of my first instruments. I never used to be much of a bass player, but now I feel really connected to it. I do feel the most inspired by piano because it’s where I can most easily express chords and experiment.”

 

With the unveiling of The Haunt, Davis looks forward to sharing his music in a live context. To conclude our conversation, he told me about rediscovering the energy of playing with a band and the direction he plans on taking with the project.

 

“Playing with a band opens up the door to a lot of improvisation and extending my songs in a natural way, which is something I can’t do alone. There are really nice surprises that come with a live setting because everyone brings their own tastes to it. I’m looking forward to bringing these experiences into my writing process. I only just started caring about recording… Normally, when I’m writing , half of the inspiration will come from going to shows and connecting with people, like the other bands I play with, like Marci and Sorry Girls. [The Haunt] is a weird record because it was spent in isolation, but I’m grateful that it kept me busy and got me through the tough, curfew-ridden Montreal winter.”  

The Haunt is out on April 29th via Arbutus Records and can be pre-ordered on their website.

Poster by Amery Sandford

Montreal: Don’t miss Mitch Davis’ album-release show at Brasserie Beaubien on April 29th at 9PM with local supporters Night Lunch and Alicia Clara. Pre-sale tickets are available here.

Mitch Davis

Instagram | Twitter | Bandcamp

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter (she/her) is the co-founder and managing editor of Also Cool Mag. Aside from the mag, she is a music promoter & booker, and a radio host & DJ.

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OUT TODAY: We Are Time Celebrates Anniversary with Sophomore Release "Chandra Mixtape Vol. 2"

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Collage cover art by Marin Blanc
Band photos by Kate Young and Heather Rappard

Artist-focused initiative and independent label We Are Time is marking its anniversary with its sophomore release Chandra Mixtape Vol. 2. The brainchild of New York’s mutant disco trailblazer Chandra Oppenheim, and everyone’s favourite Vancouver-based musician and journalist Jesse Locke, We Are Time spotlights the magic of intergenerational collaboration in contemporary music. With this new compilation, We Are Time aptly celebrates its birthday on Bandcamp Friday with a nine-track goldmine of teamwork, remixes and rarities from its roster.

The digital sampler and limited-edition cassette brings together the project’s extended family for a signature melange of eclectic sounds and experimentations. Beginning with the swelling glow of MISZCZYK and Marker Starling’s “The Leaves” and culminating in the glacial vibrations of “Not Exactly Right” from Oppenheim’s trip-hop act GNDN, Chandra Mixtape Vol. 2 unites artists across a spectrum of genres to present a boundless listening experience.

Listen to We Are Time’s Chandra Mixtape Vol. 2 below!

We Are Time

Instagram | Bandcamp | Twitter

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PREMIERE: Nick Schofield Unveils Blissful Music Video for "Light and Space" (Forward Music Group)

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Nick Schofield, shot by Christopher Honeywell

To celebrate the one-year anniversary of his sophomore LP Glass Gallery, Hull-based electroacoustic composer Nick Schofield aptly unveils the music video for his new track “Light and Space.” Composed entirely on a vintage Prophet-600 synthesizer, “Light and Space” is a meditative soundscape inspired by the dance between its namesake within the National Gallery of Canada, located in Ottawa.

On “Light and Space,” Schofield shares:

“This composition conveys a core sentiment that inspired the making of Glass Gallery - the sublime light that flows through the serene space of the National Gallery in Ottawa. I researched the Light and Space artistic movement and noticed that ideology of perceptual phenomena applied to the architecture of the gallery, especially how the glass structure frames the ever-changing natural light and environment. In a way, experiencing the light and space of the National Gallery showed me that the world can be framed as a work of art.”

Out today, the song’s accompanying music video captures Schofield’s notion of the everyday creative sanctuary. Shot on a ferry in British Columbia using a beloved point-and-shoot camera, the glimmering footage deconstructs Schofield’s surroundings, the ocean air, wind, waves and sparkling sunlight, into ethereal abstractions. On the video’s conceptualization, Schofield remarks: “In the song, crescendos of vintage synth chords and glistening arpeggios perfectly align with the fuzzy footage of water and waves, so it felt natural to pair them together.”

Watch the video for “Light and Space” below!

Nick Schofield
Website | Instagram | Bandcamp

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter (she/her) is the co-founder and managing editor of Also Cool Mag. Aside from the mag, she is a music promoter & booker, radio host & DJ, and a musician.

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Dutch Indie Quintet The Klittens Tackle Coming of Age on New Track "Herkenbosch"

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The Klittens by Megan Bruinen

On their latest offering “Herkenbosch,” Dutch five-piece The Klittens tour a small town just south of Holland. With a population of about 4,200 people, a single church and a skatepark, the modest Herkenbosch is the hometown of guitarist Winne Conradi’s parents, and where she spent her teenage years.

“Herkenbosch” still by Megan Bruinen

Following the release of their single “Canned Air” —premiered on October 15th via So Young Magazine— “Herkenbosch” is the band’s take on a theme as old as time: coming of age. Unlike its lamenting predecessors, such as “Old World” by The Modern Lovers, “Herkenbosch” finds lightness in reminiscing, and outgrowing, a past version of oneself: “You can’t live in a hamster ball/I miss the ruins of my childhood/What else can we do about the modern way of death?” sings The Klittens’ Yaël Dekker.

“Herkenbosch” still by Megan Bruinen

Fittingly, “Herkenbosch” supports The Klittens starting a new chapter as a band. Since the release of their 2020 maxi-single Pigeonhole, the group opened the 2020 Amsterdam Fashion Week in Paradiso, played the Left Of The Dial Festival at Maassilo in Rotterdam, and caught the attention of Beats Per Minute and Matthew Wilkinson of Apple Music’s The Matt Wilkinson Show. 

“Herkenbosch” still by Megan Bruinen

Along with “Canned Air,” “Herkenbosch” is The Klittens’ second hint at what we hope is a full-release to come.

Watch the music video for “Herkenbosch” below! 

The Klittens

Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter (she/her) is the co-founder and managing editor of Also Cool Mag. Aside from the mag, she is a music promoter & booker, and a radio host & DJ.

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Toronto R&B Duo TRP.P To Share New Track at M for Montreal

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TRP.P (pronounced "trippy") is an R&B/hip-hop duo hailing from Toronto, comprised of Truss (producer, singer-songwriter) and Phoenix (singer-songwriter). The pair met in 2015 and have been “collaborating in music and life” ever since, all while enchanting audiences with their soulful, old-school sound. Truss and Phoenix made waves with their 2019 debut 2TRP.P, where they tackled injustice and oppression in their lyrics, while also celebrating queer love and empowering their communities. This effort remains intact with TRP.P’s latest offering “Never Leavin,’” out tomorrow (November 19th, 2021) and to-be-performed at the Hot Tramp Showcase at M for Montreal.

Leading up to their set at L’Esco with Janette King, Maryze and Witch Prophet, we had the chance to connect with the duo on what inspired “Never Leavin’” and how it fosters grounds for growing as collaborators.

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter for Also Cool: To start, can you tell me about the origin story of your new single “Never Leavin’”?  

TRP.P: We originally wrote this song while composing music for a TV show. Although it didn't work out for the show, it worked out perfectly for our album and complimented the new direction we want to take with our music. Once we started to record and perform the song, the message resonated with us more and more. It really is an anthem for communities that have faced displacement, especially during this pandemic. Through that same sense of community, we have met so many amazing people, including the roller-skating community right here in Toronto. You might even see them in the upcoming music video for the song!

Also Cool: Has "Never Leavin'" brought about any realizations for TRP.P? Whether it be learning something new about how you work together, your individual artistry or something you'd like to foster as a group in the future? 

Truss: That's actually a really good question. For me, it made me realize just how broad our spectrum of sound truly is. Although we both grew up influenced by R&B, gospel and hip-hop, there's an underlying influence of pop and house-inspired music in the song.

Phoenix: For me, it made me realize just how impermanent everything is and how fleeting time and existence is. The song is called "Never Leavin,'" but yet by the time the song is released, three new business will close down, one condo will be built, and a million dispensaries will pop up. It’s almost like the most defiant title we could choose in a time like this. In terms of working together, there isn’t a better team than us! We love and dislike everything we do at the same time. Our goals are always two halves of a whole when we are creating. 

Phoenix (left) and Truss (right) of TRP.P, photo courtesy of the artists

 AC: What does the next chapter hold for TRP.P? 

TRP.P: Album number two! It’s a summertime release and we are really looking forward to this one. We didn’t get to tour our first album due to the pandemic. We want to actually go on tour, see the world and play stages in places we could only dream of. Every show we play, we gain new fans and listeners. We are really excited to keep doing that, as safely and as soon as possible.

 

AC: What can we expect from your performance at the Hot Tramp showcase at M for Montreal? 

TRP.P: We just want to have a good time! We are honoured to be playing with Janette King, Witch Prophet and Maryze. Being only our second show since the easing of live music regulations, it may be a little awkward… But the awkwardness will pass and will be followed by some smooth R&B vibes, with a hint of bars! Everyone will leave saying it was a good show. And we can't wait to prove it to you!

Photo courtesy of the artists

Catch TRP.P at the Hot Tramp Showcase at M for Montreal on November 19th, 2021.

TRP.P

Website | Instagram | Spotify

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter (she/her) is the co-founder and managing editor of Also Cool Mag. Aside from the mag, she is a music promoter & booker, and a radio host & DJ.

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Visibly Choked Cut Their Teeth on 13-Minute Self-Titled Debut (Mothland)

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Visibly Choked album artwork by Cassidy Johnson

Montreal experimental punk outfit Visibly Choked left us on the edge of our seats after their set at FME this fall; inciting head-banging amongst a chair-bound basement crowd amid COVID-19 restrictions. Last week, the band cut all anticipation full-stop with the delivery of their self-titled debut via hometown label Mothland. In all its thrashing, pantyhose-splitting glory, the six-track EP is turning heads for all the right reasons. 

Recorded off-the-floor with Steven Gibb at Lite Downs Studio, Visibly Choked immerses the listener in the five-piece’s fever dream—managing to capture the sweltering erraticism of their sorely-missed live sets, without compromising the integrity of their sound and their commandment of a room. 

Seducing us from the gate with gritty twister “Mother Tongue,” Visibly Choked reminisce punk’s legacy practice of pairing a driving beat with existentialism. Along with a Lynchian music video, “Mother Tongue” ponders estrangement from one’s heritage and the scars of cultural assimilation. 

Next, “Too High” shoots an exasperated eye-roll at a bedframe-less hookup. Between surfy guitars and the haze of the night before, Visibly Choked recount the all-too-familiar frustrations of dodging someone you didn’t expect to see at a show. 

The spiralling “Uneven Keel” follows: epitomizing the band’s self-described "five people having a panic attack" sound. Heavy in sentiment and atmosphere, the barely two-minute melter dissents into a paranoid frenzy, anxiously dissecting themes of identity, existence and trust. 

Visibly Choked courtesy of Mothland

Coming up for air on “A Snake Called Ean,” lead vocalist Gabby Domingue wraps listeners around her finger with each dragging sibilance. Building from the brooding bassline at its core, “A Snake Called Ean” waxes and wanes with Domingue’s repeated bitter lament: “It’s so much harder to love you than to need you.” 

The album’s final two tracks make sure to grab you by the collar on the way out. With “Third Time’s the Charm” and “Shit Lord,” the group return to gnarly hysterics to tie the bow on their first offering. 

In a scrumptious 13 minutes, Visibly Choked manage to indulge listeners without allowing us to get too comfortable. 

Visibly Choked

Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter (she/her) is the co-founder and managing editor of Also Cool Mag. Aside from the mag, she is a music promoter & booker, and a radio host & DJ.

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Amsterdam Indie Quintet The Klittens Talk Humble Beginnings and Growing Closer with New Single "Canned Air"

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The Klittens by Megan Bruinen

Indie Amsterdammers The Klittens have won us over with their latest single “Canned Air.” Premiering October 15th on So Young Magazine, “Canned Air” and its accompanying music video is the quintet’s first release since their 2020 debut Pigeonhole. “Canned Air” was written by the band’s lead guitarist and backing vocalist Winnie Conradi after a heavy breakup in search of catharsis through the comfort of friends. In her own words on the track, Conradi explains:

“The song builds up around a single note and gets more and more dramatic as the song progresses. The vocals fight for a moment in the spotlight and find togetherness in the choir, only to get distorted by a raw and loud break. In a way it follows some kind of 6-stage plot structure, as it ends in completion; an aftermath.”

Charmed by the outfit’s knack for frankness and writing our new favourite breakup song, we chatted with 3/5 Klittens —Kat, Laurie and Michelle—about growing closer together through the realization of “Canned Air.”

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter for Also Cool: To start, can I ask about the origin story of your band?

Kat: Yaël and Winnie were sitting on a bench after school. I wasn’t there, but I can picture it. I’ve heard this story so many times; it’s almost like an old family tale. They came up with a band name, “The Klittens,” yet they didn’t have a band to name. I remember getting a call from them around that moment: Hello, we are starting a band and you are in it. We’re called The Klittens. And so it began.

Laurie: I bumped into Winnie at a concert and she knew through her roommate that I used to take drum classes in the past. After the concert, she walked up to me and asked if I wanted to join her not-yet-existing band for a few jam sessions. I was like, Sure, we’ll do some jam sessions and then awkwardly let our early friendship fade away. But, it turned out to be so much fun to play music together! These jam sessions got a little bit out of hand though.

Michelle: Winnie and I go way back because our parents are friends. She had told me about The Klittens and I remember thinking how cool it was that she had started a band. I’d always wanted to be in one, but it never really found people at the same level. Most of my friends who were in bands had been doing that since secondary school so they were much more skilled and comfortable jamming. When Winnie told me The Klittens were looking for a bass player, I had just started picking up guitar lessons again and thought to give the bass a try. Playing with them —as musicians at a similar level, but also and most of all as friends— has always been great fun and we grew a lot together.

AC: You've just released your brand new single "Canned Air,” congratulations! In your own words, what significance does this track hold for the band?

M: For me it’s a very emotional song, for several reasons, but partly because I think it was the first song we wrote that features all five of us singing. Developing it into the song it finally became was a process that has brought us closer together, especially through the way we explored combining our vocals.

“Canned Air” stil by Kilian Kayser

AC: Can you describe your band dynamic and creative process when it came to writing "Canned Air"? 

L: Winnie wrote this song at home. After finishing the song, she sent the demo to us and it was our turn to adjust and complete the song. Although the structure and melody of the song already were something that we all really liked, I had to spice up the GarageBand drum sample and Yaël tweaked the lead vocals. Every time we write a song it’s a different process; sometimes someone makes a demo, sometimes we just jam. 

M: In the original song, Winnie imagined the main vocals to be more spoken-word-like, but that developed into a melodic singing with Yaëls input. The two styles created a different atmosphere. When we were recording the song in the studio, we got Winnie to speak the lyrics and Yaël to sing them at the same time. So it became more layered in the process.

Also Cool: I’d love to know more about the music scene in Amsterdam! Are there any particular venues or local bands that you love?
L: There are loads of cool bands and there is a very dense and supportive indie scene in Amsterdam, but also in the rest of the Netherlands. A band we love is Personal Trainer, a project by Willem Smit, who has supported us as a band since the beginning. I think my favourite venue is Cinetol. It’s a beautiful building and the programming is very diverse. It’s really accessible to play Cinetol as an emerging artist, which makes it a very interesting breeding ground for talent. 

M: And then there are a couple of cool emerging post-punk/art rock bands, like Global Charming and a fungus. Venues that are worth paying a visit if you’re in town would be Garage Noord, Skatecafé, De Nieuwe Anita, and the former church Paradiso.

“Canned Air” still by Marc Elisabeth

AC: On a more present note: What does the future look like for The Klittens? How can we keep up the momentum surrounding this release and support you going forward?

L: We hope we have a bright future. We are trying to get back on track after not being able to play live shows and going abroad due to the obvious reason. It would be great to go back on tour in Europe or the UK again and play shows, meet new people and discover new cool places. We would love to go back to the UK, but it’s going to be tough due to Brexit. The best way to support us is by ending Brexit! In all seriousness, though, I think the best way to support us is listening to our music and recommending us cool record shops, radio stations, magazines, venues and festivals throughout Europe, and maybe even worldwide, so we can reach the audience we want to reach. 

M: What Laurie said, and… If you’re looking for a cool t-shirt, we have merch too! 

Watch the music video for “Canned Air” below!

The Klittens

Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter (she/her) is the co-founder and managing editor of Also Cool Mag. Aside from the mag, she is a music promoter & booker, and a radio host & DJ.

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NYC's Lily Konigsberg Crafts Relatable Pop Reflections on Debut "Lily We Need to Talk Now" (Wharf Cat Records)

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Lily Konigsberg by Chloe Carrasco

NYC’s Lily Konigsberg has announced the arrival of her long-anticipated full-length, Lily We Need to Talk Now, out this Friday, October 29th, on Wharf Cat Records. Since 2016, Lily has been chipping away at her plainspoken pop debut, all while learning to find lightness in life’s most trying moments. Leading up to her release, we had the chance to connect with Lily and chat about her evolution as an artist, writing from her heart, and making a name for herself in New York’s underground music scene.

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter for Also Cool: To start, I'd love to know what growing into your first proper full-length LP has been like since its beginnings in 2016? 

Lily Konigsberg: It's funny because I've made so much music throughout my life, but I’ve never released a full-length. I'm somewhat of a perfectionist I guess… This album had around five song orders and many rejected songs. It's actually something I'd like to work on because I admire artists that have frequent releases. This being said, I'm really excited to share this album with people, I am proud of it. 

Also Cool: Branching off of that, how have your past musical endeavours informed this release, Lily We Need to Talk Now? Say, in comparison to writing music with your band, Palberta, or other projects?  

Lily Konigsberg: Palberta taught me how to collaborate and how to perform confidently. I am forever grateful for the friendships I formed with Ani and Nina and the confidence we built together. Working with Matt in Lily and Horn Horse allowed me to hone in and work on my melody writing. My past solo work prepared me for writing a set of bangers with the intent of having them all be as good as each other. This of course didn't happen because there are always favourites. Being in these projects educated me as a writer, performer, and friend. I wouldn't be where I am without them. 

AC: You’ve spoken about how your album commemorates heavy moments in your life, but with an intentional effort to not take yourself too seriously. How do you find humour or lightness in vulnerability and translate it into your music? 

LK: Humour is a big part of sadness and pain for me. I feel a lot all of the time so it's a way I've learned to cope. Some might say it's a tactic of distraction, but I think it's the most human and relatable reaction to pain. Humour and vulnerability come through mostly in my lyrics. In one song, I'll go through moments of relatable sadness, absurd concepts, sass, and back to pain. It's just how my brain processes emotion. I live for dark humour. For instance, in a song with my new band, My Idea with Nate Amos, I wrote, Why so sad bitch, depression's a conspiracy theory? It's an insane line, but I feel it really hard. It's me throwing my hands up in one of those moments of realizing that nothing matters at all. 

AC: Given that the album is such a personal work, has it been strange to see it being dissected by bigger publications like Pitchfork and the FADER? 
LK: I mean, yeah! It's okay because I put it out for people to dissect and interpret. Loss is a completely universal feeling. This album is mainly about a breakup for me, but the songs can apply to many different instances of loss. I am most excited about hearing what my listeners think. 

Lily Konigsberg by Chloe Carrasco

AC: On a different note, I'm curious to know about your coming-of-age —in both real time and as a musician— in NYC. How have you forged your path in the New York scene to be where you are now? What advice would you give to others trying to stay afloat in such a coveted artistic hub? 

LK: Well first of all, I was born in Brooklyn in an upper-middle class neighbourhood. I was encouraged to pursue music when I expressed interest in it, and I had the opportunity to begin performing at the age of 14. Many people do not have most of these privileges growing up. Mix privilege with unique talent and you are going to get a certain amount of attention.

Through music, I met friends I still have today and developed a presence in the music scene. Music was great for me as I was a pretty shy kid, and it enabled me to have a reputation instead of having to prove my worth through my personality. After that, it was all meeting other musicians and relating to them, meeting Palberta, meeting Wharf Cat and on and on. Things organically grew from there. Only now do I have a manager for one of my projects; it was pretty DIY until now. It's hard to give advice considering this but I would say to try not to be discouraged by the music industry. It's inherently racist and sexist like every industry and doesn't recognize talent a lot of the time. Keep making music and meeting like-minded people. 

AC: To end off, how do you plan on celebrating this release and what are your plans for the future? 

Hmm… I'll probably drink a Gingerale and stare at a wall with a smile on my face. Maybe I'll have some Twizzlers. Then I'll play my release show on November 14th at Union Pool. More info for that will appear on social media soon enough. Maybe I'm trying to get sponsored by Gingerale and Twizzlers? I guess that would kind of contradict my previous rant! Next up for me is my debut album with my new band My Idea on Hardly Art. I'm so excited! 

LILY WE NEED TO TALK NOW

Out October 29, 2021 via Wharf Cat

1. Beauty
2. I Can Make You Sweat Forever
3. That's The Way I Like It
4. Alone
5. Don't Be Lazy With Me
6. Proud Home
7. Hark
8. Bad Boy
9. Roses, Again
10. Goodbye
11. True

All songs written by Lily Konigsberg

“Bad Boy” written by Lily Konigsberg and Nate Amos
Engineered, mixed, produced and mastered by Nate Amos

Tracks 3, 6, 9, and 11 engineered by Sasha Stroud and Nate Amos

Lily Konigsberg

Instagram | Twitter | Bandcamp

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter (she/her) is the co-founder and managing editor of Also Cool Mag. Aside from the mag, she is a music promoter & booker, and a radio host & DJ.

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Marilyne Lacombe (Mothland, Taverne Tour, DISTORSION, FME) Talks Music Industry Beginnings and Montreal's Alternative Music Scene

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Image courtesy of Marilyne Lacombe

Live music is back with a vengeance, thanks to hardworking folks like Marilyne Lacombe. If you haven’t met Lacombe at L’Ésco already, you’ve definitely attended one of her brainchild events. For over a decade, Lacombe and her entourage have cultivated pillar projects at the core of Montreal’s alternative music scene, including Taverne Tour and DISTORSION psych-fest, as well as booking agency and indie label Mothland. We had the chance to meet Lacombe IRL at this year’s edition of FME, and catch her in action as a festival programmer and producer. Between sets, Lacombe graciously took the time to chat with us about her career beginnings, starting a label during a pandemic and her must-have essentials for any festival go-er. Check out our conversation with Lacombe below! 

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter for Also Cool: Hi Marilyne! Thanks so much for chatting with Also Cool. To start, you've been around the block when it comes to the music biz. Tell us about your intro to this career path.

Marilyne Lacombe: I started to book shows in Montreal in 2008 when I was in charge of the music programming at Chez Baptiste sur Masson. Back then, the bar presented shows every week!  I had this idea of doing an alternative “St-Jean” that would celebrate the contemporary Montreal indie scene, in opposition to the nostalgia medley traditionally presented at Parc Maisonneuve. Then, “L’Autre St-Jean” was born. It created a whole media and political circus, as we were criticized for adding anglophone bands to the lineup. In the end, it really helped put the event on the map, and during the course of  five editions, we had close to 10,000 visitors coming every year at Parc du Pelican in Rosemont. We sadly had to end it because of the lack of funding; we were honestly taking huge financial risks for a one-day event.

A couple years later, I founded a multi-venue festival called Taverne Tour with my partner from “feu” L’Autre St-Jean, Pierre Thibault. Initially, it was just about creating a fun festival in the middle of winter that doesn’t take itself too seriously and trying to cure that January depression, all the while supporting small local businesses. The response was so great that it quickly became a staple in Montreal’s festival circuit. Over the years, we’ve presented some of my favorite bands, including: Deerhoof, METZ, A Place To Bury Strangers, Föllakzoid and Guerilla Toss, just to name a few.  

Image via Taverne Tour

Also Cool: When did Mothland come into the mix?

Marilyne Lacombe: Around the time of Tavern Tour, I joined some like-minded people —gravitating around L’Esco— and together we founded DISTORSION. We wanted to present a well-organized, independent, underground psych festival with modern and diversified art direction.  We quickly gathered a community around the festival and eventually, we decided to start Mothland to help further the bands that we were working with, as no other booking agency would work with them.  Back then, I was pretty adamant of not transforming this into a label… But when COVID-19 hit the music industry, we weren’t all that keen on organizing livestream events, as we felt they would not really connect with our audience… So. starting a label was a great way to move forward with our mission.  I’m not sure how we got here so quickly, but we’re currently working on our 17th release!

Image via Mothland

Also Cool: That’s amazing! Segwaying off of that, let’s talk about this year’s edition of FME, which was a long-awaited return to live music. Seeing as music festivals are certainly you're thing; what makes FME stand-out and what was your involvement with the festival? 

Marilyne Lacombe: I started programming for FME four years ago. At the time, I would book a handful of weirdo and wild card bands on the lineup. As of 2020, I've been directing the programming with the support of my Mothland colleagues. Since the festival is mainly focusing on new acts and music discoveries, we have almost infinite artistic leeway and are able to put forth cutting edge programming. The festival has been running for almost 20 years now and over the time, has built a solid and trustful relationship with the artistic community across Europe and North America. It’s truly an honour to take on curation duties for such a great event!

I think there is something very magical about FME. Doing the annual 8-hour pilgrimage to a remote mining town, up in northern Quebec, for 4 days of music, is always a highlight of the year. If you compare it to similar festivals in Montreal, I feel like there are so many other distractions. During FME, people really have one thing to focus on; going to concerts to discover new music. There is also something exciting about bringing international acts and inviting them to this northern region of Quebec, as they would never end up there otherwise. I also love that the local community is deeply involved in the festival, making it a communal event where everybody chips in! 

Image via FME

 AC: What was it like programming the festival this year and what acts were your favourite?

ML: There is something really weird and exciting about programming a festival in COVID times. Usually, you’d see pretty much all the bands live before booking them. This year, we programmed many artists that we’d never seen live!  Though it was a bit risky, I was really pleased with taking the leap overall. I loved seeing Toronto’s kulintang ensemble, Pantayo, for the first time; ‘’mockasin-gaze’’ outfit Zoon; Quebec-Atikamekw grungy indie-folk artist Laura Niquay; Jangle-pop duo Ducks Ltd.; and canadian shoegaze veteran No Joy.

 

AC: What are your music festival essentials that you can't live without during festival season? 

ML: Well, since we’re talking about FME here, I could not survive without my fall clothing essentials: a lot of sweaters, jackets, mittens, hats, and scarves! Fortunately this year wasn’t too bad, but I always come prepared because it has literally snowed during FME weekends in the past.

Other than that, I always have an iconic Taverne Tour flask in my bag, which also helps with the cold weather!

 

AC: In closing, are there any other current projects that you're working on that you'd like to shout out? 

ML: Definitely check out Mothland’s upcoming releases! I can’t tell you too much about them, but we really have some badass releases coming down the pipeline! Also, we’re preparing for the return of live music events in Montreal… Stay tuned! 

Taverne Tour

Website | Facebook | Instagram


DISTORSION

Website | Facebook | Instagram

Mothland

Website I Facebook I Instagram

FME

Website | Facebook | Instagram

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter (she/her) is the co-founder and managing editor of Also Cool Mag. Aside from the mag, she is a music promoter & booker, and a radio host & DJ.

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Also Cool's FME Top Picks: Round One

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Pierre Kwenders by Uproot Andy

If you haven’t already heard of Quebec’s FME (Festival de musique émergente), we’re thrilled to acquaint you. Founded in 2003, FME is an annual music festival held in the beautiful town of Rouyn-Noranda and exclusively highlights independent artists. Our team is grateful to be attending this year’s edition of FME, and leading up to the festival we will be rounding up our list of must-see (and hear!) acts from the 2021 lineup (which is top-tier all around, for the record). Take a peak at our first collection of FME Top Picks below, featuring Pierre Kwenders, Lido Pimienta, Pantayo and Crabe.

Pierre Kwenders by Fanny Viguier

Pierre Kwenders 

Pierre Kwenders is the stage-name of Congolese-Canadian singer-songwriter José Louis Modabi, who is somewhat of a living legend as a Juno-nominated and Polaris-longlisted after-hours king. After immigrating to Canada as a teenager, Kwenders attracted widespread attention for his guest appearance on Radio Radio’s 2012 album Havre de Grace and began releasing his own music shortly thereafter. The Montreal-based musician is celebrated for his music that “is a response to a world that so often asks people who fit comfortably in multiple boxes to pick only one.” Known for rapping and singing in multiple languages (English, French, Lingala and Tshiluba), Kwenders is also recognized for his percussive rhythms that command undeniable danceability. If you find yourself in Montreal, check out Kwenders’ after-hours Moonshine soirées, held every Saturday after the full moon in a location only disclosed via text message the day of the event. 

Pierre Kwenders will be performing at FME on September 2nd, 2021 at 7:00PM EST

Website | Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify

Lido Pimienta by Daniela Murillo

Lido Pimienta 

Another trailblazer on our Top Picks list is Lido Pimienta, the Afro-Indigenous, Colombian-Canadian superstar who dazzles audiences with her artistry, while simultaneously confronting systemic toxicity that permeates society at large. With the 2016 Polaris-Prize win under her belt, Pimienta is known for her mesmerizing poetry, electronic soundscapes that embrace her Afro-Indigenous traditions, and a wholeheartedly punk stage-presence and outlook.  Now based in Toronto, Pimienta also works as a visual artist and curator who explores “the politics of gender, race, motherhood, identity and the construct of the Canadian landscape in the Latin American diaspora and vernacular.” To top it off, she has of the most eye-catching performance attire and visuals we have ever seen. 

Lido Pimienta will be performing at FME on September 2nd, 2021 at 7:00PM EST

Website | Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify

Pantayo by Sarah Bodri

Pantayo 

Pantayo’s 2020 self-titled debut is constantly spinning for us. This Canadian queer quintet based in Toronto is made up of members of the Filipino diaspora. Formed in 2012, Pantayo combines of kulintang —an ancient form of Southeast-Asian instrumental percussion using gongs, drums and chimes— with elements of synth-pop, punk and R&B to create infectious rhythms as a basis for their ethereal soundscapes. Named as one of NOW Magazine’s Toronto Indie Musicians to Watch in 2018, their debut LP was shortlisted for the 2020 Polaris Music Prize. The group is perhaps the first ever act to fuse the rippling effect of a gong with pop sensibilities; a feat made clear by their name, which is Tagalog for “for us.” 

Pantayo will be performing at FME on September 2nd, 2021 at 7:00PM EST

Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify

Photo credit: Crabe

Crabe

Self-described “présent-punk” duo Crabe are constantly pushing the envelope with their aggressive, experimental sound and work ethic. Known for their energetic, chaotic live performances and a career that spans over the last 15 years, the band has played over 250 shows and are a staple in Quebec’s experimental music roster. Their most recent release Sentients is described by Mothland as “a tribute to out-of-date sounds [due to] the band offloading their traditional rock n’ roll instruments to pursue new avenues of ‘crabisme.’” Possibly making the most noise between two people, Crabe are sure to wake us up from the quarantine haze with their industrial, thrashing expansion on punk’s skeleton.

Crabe will be performing at FME on September 3rd, 2021 at 10:00PM EST

Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify

For more information on FME, to review the festival schedule and purchase tickets, please visit their website.

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Microtonal Punks Body Breaks Reflect on the Distance that Facilitated Their Sound

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Body Breaks, Julie Reich (left), Matt LeGroulx (right), by Natalie Logan

Before specific apps were developed to target long-distanced collaborators embracing unconventional music-making during a pandemic, DIY veterans Body Breaks were joining forces despite living in different cities. Comprised of Toronto’s Julie Reich (Bile Sister, Chandra) and Montreal’s Matt LeGroulx (EXPWY, Galaxius Mons), Body Breaks’ microtonal rock journey began in 2013 when LeGroulx meshed quarter tones (inspired by Balinese gamelan tuning) with post-punk fortitude to compose the drum-bass-guitar underpinning of what would eventually be the pair’s debut record Bad Trouble — out now on our new favourite indie label We Are Time. 

When speaking with the band, I was keen to find out how their creative processes informed each other while simultaneously working independently as Bad Trouble came together over the better part of six or so years.  

“It’s hard to recall exactly how it all came together (laughs). I know I wrote and recorded all the music and then sent it over to Julie about a year later, and that’s when she started working on her vocal parts. She did stuff that I would have never thought of! Things that would have never entered my mind; from the lyrics, to the harmonies, the vocal effects and her performance… I really loved everything she was doing. She sent me demos here and there, but for the most part I just let her take full control,” shares LeGroulx. 

“It was actually a treat to be handed these incredible songs on a platter and to be able to focus on songwriting, singing and vocal production,” responds Reich. “I took a lot of time with the lyrics, it was a conscious priority to make sure they were honest, sincere, meaningful and relatable. I knew I had the opportunity to have a message and speak from the heart. When Matt delivered the bones of Body Breaks, I was inspired to breathe life into them. I knew they were special right away and felt like I was meant to complete the missing piece of the puzzle.”

Bad Trouble album cover by Roxanne Ignatius

From this comment, I ask Reich where she drew inspiration from when developing the narratives to compliment LeGroulx’s compositions. 

“With my other band, Bile Sister, I avoided literal writing or story telling because it was a stylistic choice. For Body Breaks, I felt I needed to speak my truth at the time, to penetrate and connect to anyone who would listen. For this album, I was channeling my inner glam. I was thinking about Lou Reed and David Bowie, Divine, Jayne County, The Fall, Pink Noise and so many others. I consciously was aware of the male presence in the inspiration as well, with the intention to create a place where I would see myself represented in this world. Bad Trouble is a very special example of this inspiration. Each song speaks my truth at the time, as a struggling artist filled with self doubt, as a woman outsider in her own generation, dealing with aging, insomnia, questioning the purpose of employment and how to be happy, thinking about my generation and the entitlement therein, words of advice to a younger me, making peace after betrayal from an ex, and stories of coping, being down and out. We've all been there. I wanted people to hear what I was saying, I wanted to not rely on a lot of effects, I wanted the voice to be clear and heard, flaws and all… After all, flaws are what make us beautiful and unique,” articulates Reich.

I then turn to LeGroulx to hear his thoughts on watching his songs transform from something he worked on alone, to with a friend, to a now fully realized project; recognizing the really interesting and unique relationship he has with the tracks that formed Bad Trouble. 

“I never take that much time to do anything (laughs)! I tend to rush things, generally. When I’m working on a project; after a month into working, I’m kind of sick of it and want to move on to the next thing. So, in comparison to everything else I’ve done music wise, I’ve had the chance to live with these songs and see them transform,” reflects LeGroulx. “Throughout the process of Julie recording her vocal parts, every new song she would send me would become my favourite one. Every year that passed as the project developed I saw it get stronger and stronger as a record.” 

Along with their striking sound, Body Breaks also have a noticeable visual identity as a band. I was especially curious about the band’s creation of worlds to accompany their album; particularly those depicted in their surreal “Eyes to Brightness” video, which spotlights animations by Reich. 

“I love to create worlds just like I love to create identities, it’s an escape and a means to have a sense of control in a chaotic world,” chimes in Reich. “When I created the music video for “Eyes to Brightness,” maybe in 2016 I think, I had just started working with 3D animation software and I have grown a lot since making that video. Aesthetically, in other videos I have created, I speak to the theme of nature versus technology and our environmental crisis. “Eyes to Brightness” is an early attempt to create a world with this focus. Visually, I tend to focus on creating a stark reality, a vision of a new planet in the future, with remnants of planet Earth intermingled with natural elements floating and defying laws of gravity.  Our norms can be flipped upside down to the point even gravity doesn't exist. Anything you can fathom is possible. Consider this for good but also as a warning.” 

While the band’s take on day-to-day existentialism makes them stand-out, their partnership has acted as a lifeline when it comes to confronting the future’s uncertainty, especially for musicians.

“So we've been separated for quite some time now, and I can't see it being a full band thing until, you know, obviously the world looks a little bit more normal than it does right now. You’ve got to hope things get better. While it’s hard to stay hopeful when you look at the news everyday, the whole experience of Body Breaks has been a huge bright spot,” says LeGroulx. “The team at We Are Time, our label, are wonderful to work with and Julie is a wonderful bandmate. So, these songs have come to mean so much more to me than the initial tinkering they once were.”

Body Breaks

Instagram | Bandcamp | Twitter

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter (she/her) is the co-founder and managing editor of Also Cool Mag. Aside from the mag, she is a music promoter & booker, and a radio host & DJ.

This interview was conducted via Zoom and partially over email and has been condensed and edited for clarity.

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In Conversation: NYC's Mons Vi Opens His Indie-Pop Time Capsule

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Matthew Hershoff (Mons Vi), by Drake Li

Editor’s note: The following interview explores themes that readers may find distressing, including suicide, grief and loss. Reader discretion is advised.

Mons Vi is the alias of the Big Apple’s Matthew Hershoff, a multidisciplinary artist who found his bearings by making bedroom-pop a method of survival. Hershoff’s collection of songs amassed over the last decade tell the harrowing story of his twenties; a period marked by immense loss, pain and personal hardship. Finding solace in songwriting, this coping-mechanism transformed into a creative outlet for Hershoff, who began gigging with a rotating cast of musicians in NYC’s indie circuit before the onset of COVID-19.

 

When speaking with Hershoff, I ask him how his relationship with music has changed since being cultivated as a place of healing during a difficult chapter in his life.

 

“My twenties kicked off with me losing my mom to suicide, which was devastating to me and coloured the next decade of my life. Music started as an entirely personal thing: It was about going through a process of grieving, and just getting my feelings and emotions out. Though my mom’s death is not necessarily the focal point of every song I’ve written, it’s a cornerstone of my personality and my experience; so, themes surrounding loss and abandonment come through in a lot of my earlier work. That being said, I’ve done a lot of growing since then, not like I’m an old man on the hill (laughs)… but, you know, I’ve connected with different people, found community and peace and am now I’m in a new identity-formation period. For the first time, I’m thinking about how I can bring my music into a live setting and make people come together and experience some kind of collective energy!”

 

Over the last eight years, Hershoff has built a musical catalog that he plans to release as a full album in the near future. Knowing that his musical career came of age in NYC, we get on the topic of the city’s dense culture and rhythm as a world-renowned epicenter of artistic expression.

 

“New York has such a rich history of music and powerful personalities,” says Hershoff. “You can’t escape it when you’re here and it makes you feel like you’re part of some kind of lineage; which, of course, informs the music that comes out of the city.”

Matthew Hershoff (Mons Vi), by Delaney D.

For Hershoff, a steady work ethic of going out and playing live music, coupled with getting to know familiar faces at gigs and about town, has helped him settle into a community that he says, “is really there for the long haul.”

The pandemic has made it difficult, if not impossible, for musicians like Hershoff to connect with their community lifelines. Without shows materializing as a cultural milieu, Hershoff has been chipping away at the beginnings of his debut record in isolation.

 

“As my debut comes together, I’m trying to harness the essence of what made me feel alright with being a human. All of this collective time alone has helped me think of how I can make these songs –some of which are eight years old– both healing and fun and a means of people coming together. This is what I picture while I write, hoping that it manifests.”

To get a glimpse into Hershoff’s imagination, I then ask him to touch on the backstory of his recently released music video for his latest track “After School.”

 

“I collaborated on that video with a friend of mine, Renata Pereira Lima. She is an extremely talented choreographer and works a lot in the realm of modern, interpretive-style dance. I knew I wanted to make a video with movement and I described what the song was about to her, and she brought that to life. The storyline is really as simple as two characters wanting each other, but one won’t give the other attention, so the other crosses a boundary to get said attention and then they have a party.”

Hershoff articulates that his songwriting is generally character-driven to represent and heighten parts of himself that he wants to come forward in his music. He notes that this method of narrative creation allows him to hone in on parts of his personality to release vulnerable feelings or hold himself accountable.

 

“We all have parts of our personality that, if you let them get out of check… you know, you end up being a jerk or getting out of control. If you let those parts of yourself speak freely through your art, it allows you to take control of your emotions in a healthy way,” he elaborates.

 

In closing our conversation, Hershoff dives into what is on his plate at the moment, as well as his upcoming plans.

 

“I’m putting my band back together right now and exploring other mediums of expression. I’m, of course, especially focused on music and feel like things will reveal themselves sooner rather than later, as the world begins to open up and live shows become possible once again. The best way to support me is by checking out my music and, you know, bobbing your head to it (laughs). But in all seriousness, if you’re interested and listening to the words, come to a show and hang out! I’d love to get to know you.”

Mons Vi

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Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter (she/her) is the co-founder and managing editor of Also Cool Mag. Aside from the mag, she is a music promoter & booker, and a radio host & DJ.

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Toronto's New Chance Makes Existentialism Danceable on New Album "Real Time"

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New Chance (Victoria Cheong), shot by Yuula Benivolski

Toronto’s New Chance (Victoria Cheong) has joined the roster over at new indie label We Are Time with the release of her new LP Real Time. A long time collaborator of artists like Lido Pimienta, Jennifer Castle, post-punk icon Chandra and reggae legend Willi Williams, Cheong creates meditative electronic pop soundscapes that are suitable for unwinding from day-job restlessness as well as surrendering to the hum of a late-night dancefloor. On her latest offering Real Time, Cheong brings her reflections on nature’s abstract cycles to the forefront, between spellbinding textures and an eclectic sampling of everything from Calypso percussion to a sunrise rooster crow. We caught up with Cheong on how she wrestles with profound existential questions within the scope of her ever-changing creative outlets.

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter for Also Cool: Something that struck me while reading about Real Time was that the album artwork is a photo of your grandfather’s. Can you tell me more about this picture and the role it plays in the context of Real Time as a whole? 

Victoria Cheong: I was really inspired by these scrapbooks I have of my grandfathers that are filled with photos of his garden, pictures of garden shows and cutouts from newspapers and magazines about plants. They’re beautiful and I was moved by being able to see through his eyes, in a way. During the pandemic, these hobby scrapbooks were are around me and I found myself flipping through the pages. Eventually, I ended up reworking some of his photographs into the album artwork. The image I chose [for the album’s cover] of the night blooming cactus is a great metaphor for the themes of this record; cycles of time and nature. There’s a kind of patrilineal connection creeping into the record, which I totally didn’t set out to do… but the “father energy” just came about organically in a way that fit perfectly with some of the ideas I was mediating on.

Real Time album artwork by Jackson Cheong, Gord Cheong and Victoria Cheong

Also Cool: It’s so interesting that the photo ended up informing the work in such an unexpected way. To riff off of you mentioning temporality: You move through different spaces on this album, both in a temporal sense, but also in an emotional sense. I don’t want to use the word “tensions” to describe what you’re working with here because it sometimes carries a negative connotation, but you’ve mentioned reconciling with people’s’ relationships with nature, for example, or our existence in relation to “time” and the feelings that can bring about. Where does the song forming process start for you when you’re reckoning with society’s positions on these immense topics? 

Victoria Cheong: I definitely tend to be more beat-driven for sure. A lot of the lyrical content in my work is basically a stream of consciousness, like diary-style venting and questioning of the world around me (laughs). I like turning ideas around in my mind and kind of puzzling over things, like my observations on life and so on. I tend to be an experimenter and tinker with different things, despite having no set format for how I work. I like to collect sounds and put them together. So, for example, I might follow a rhythm or vocal melody, zoom in on that, and see what builds from there. Most of my songs are sampler-based, which really allows for this kind of collage-y process. The sampler has definitely informed a lot of my music-making up until now!

That said, during the pandemic the way I usually work was totally turned on its head because half the songs were written pre-COVID, which meant I had to reevaluate my workflow when the world around me became so different. So, I found that once I had the vision that I was going to finish the record, it shifted the way I was creating. I became way more intentional and deliberate in terms of songwriting towards the end of this process, which was a new development in my otherwise “loose” approach. 

AC: Can you place when or where that shift in direction might have come from? 

VC: I don’t think I can pinpoint it! To tell you the truth, I’ve never dedicated the space and time entirely towards making a record, so being absorbed in the process was a welcomed change. In the past, I would juggle working and performing and make songs here and there, with a lack of focus. Once I could slow down and get in the headspace to concentrate on my own work, that lent itself to, you know, all the aspects of musical production, writing and so on.  

AC: It’s funny that you say that, because I think that really comes through on your vocal performance on this record. Knowing that you are a background vocalist for several acts, what inspired you to take on a more forward approach with your singing and lyrics with Real Time? 

VC: I think it comes from enough experience with performing. Backup singing has definitely helped me figure out how to embody lyrics and sing words that aren’t my own, while also expressing them in a meaningful way. It’s also informed my confidence for sure. I’ve learned how to nurture my main instrument, my voice, over the years, and I suppose working alone [during the pandemic] let my confidence take over.

AC: I’ve never really thought about backup singing like that before; in a sense that you’re taking on someone else’s words and you have to mean it. Even though this record is, of course, coming first and foremost from your perspective wholly, are there any versions of “Victoria” that you’ve worked with throughout conceptualizing and realizing Real Time? In other words, would you say you’ve embodied other sides of yourself and how have you wrestled with that experience if so?

VC: You mean my relationship with my different selves? 

AC: Yeah, exactly! 

VC: Now that this record is out, I feel like it acts as a type of ending for me actually! In a true sense, it offers closure on a period of my life and a new beginning. As an artist, I’m steering my ship in a bit of a different direction in terms of trying new things, and definitely shedding versions of my “past selves” and some of the creative habits that I held onto.

AC: When you say trying new things; were you taking up any kind of new musical experiments or exploring paths that you hadn’t gone down with your music before? Other than the intentionality with your vocal performance that we talked about before, of course. 

VC: Hmm… different paths. Well, my track “Two Pictures” is the only song on the album that features another person, Karen Ng, who plays saxophone. We were working on a recording session for a completely different project when I started directing some improvised scores and recorded Karen’s playing. I then built [“Two Pictures”] entirely off of that improv session, so what you hear on the record an improvised sample that was created completely separate from the song… before it even existed (laughs)! 

So, that was a path that I want to continue working on. I’d like to improvise with other musicians and manipulate those collaborations, as in creating songs around them or editing them or whatever! Creating improvisational scores that are more conceptual is definitely more exciting to me rather than actually writing out music… which I don’t really know how to do anyways (laughs). 

AC: To ask a more standard question, what inspirations did you bring to the table in this album? I keep thinking about the collage concept you touched on before, and I’d love it if you could zone in on some of its elements. 

VC: Hmm, well there really is a whole medley! I’m, of course, always curious to tune into backing vocals because they have been all over the place over the decades and I find that they are all I ever hear now as someone who sings backup vocals. Something that did come up in terms of inspiration was actually Bobby McFerrin’s “Don’t Worry Be Happy.” It’s a big song from my childhood, but it really inspires me because all of the instrumentation is just vocals! That whole record is amazing.

AC: Wow, that never occurred to me until just now! 

VC: Yeah! It’s so cool what is possible with voices. In terms of other inspirations, Jennifer Castle, Leonard Cohen, Bob Marley and the Whalers, as well as modern day R&B for its uplifting instrumentation come about in my work, too.

AC: Perhaps this is a bit of a painful question to end off on, but since so much of this project is in your hands and the world is starting to look more like the “before-times”: Do you have any idea of how you’d like to share Real Time, in well, real time (laughs)? 

VC: Well, I think I will let [the record] transform into a new experience for me. I need to figure out how to pay it live and how to share it in that way. I’ll keep working and looking and other ways to create and share music while trying out some of those different creative paths I mentioned before!  

Listen to Real Time below!

New Chance

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Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter (she/her) is the co-founder and managing editor of Also Cool Mag. Aside from the mag, she is a music promoter & booker, and a radio host & DJ.

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Singapore's Shoegaze Sweethearts Kekko Share Their Love Story on Debut EP "Dreaming Life"

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Kekko, Tim Kek (left) and Cherie Ko (right), shot by Jared Rezel

The devotion between Kekko, Singapore’s shoegaze sweethearts, fully materializes on their debut EP Dreaming Life, released on Californian lo-fi pop label Spirit Goth Records this past June. If not already evident by the band’s namesake —which combines the last names of the husband and wife duo, Tim Kek and Cherie Ko— Kek’s lush atmospherics intertwined with Ko’s ethereal vocals manifest a radiance unique to a soulmate connection. 

The couple first met in 2009 as teens while working odd jobs at their local mall. Then, Ko was covering My Bloody Valentine and Air on Youtube and Kek was blossoming in the Singaporean music scene. The pair stayed platonic friends for over 10 years while carving out separate paths in the music industry, with Ko performing with her former bands TOMGIRL and Bored Spies, and Kek founding his music promotional agency Symmetry Entertainment. In conversation with the band, they explain that the beginnings of Kekko were a natural progression from falling in love because of their similarities in music taste and creative sensibility. 

Kekko, shot by Jared Rezel

Ko tells me that working with her husband nurtures her musical approach; allowing her to embrace an artistic outlook that feels more genuine. “With all my previous brands and musical projects, I felt the need to put on a persona to write music. With Kekko, I have grown into my own person and I’m now able to tap into a deeper and more authentic space in the writing process,” she shares. 

The level of intimacy at the core of the project is also crucial to Kek’s conjuring of sublime  instrumentals to compliment Ko’s dream-like voice. He articulates that following intuition is crucial to building their tracks layer by layer and that he “finds what sounds right not just with [his] head, but with [his] heart as well.” This songwriting technique, which Kek refers to as “world-building,” was devised on Dreaming Life with Kek’s masterful playing of his right hand vintage Yamaha keyboards and microKORG. Kek hints that on Kekko’s upcoming LP, he plans to “explore the possibilities the legendary Moog can offer.” 

Kekko, shot by Jared Rezel

The duo describes Kekko’s aura as a “hazy, surrealistic dream,” which comes alive just as much in the band’s visual identity as their sound. The artwork for Dreaming Life was illustrated by visual artist Alexis Jamet, who’s vivid and playful florals, according to the band, resonate with their essence perfectly. 

Knowing every aspect of Kekko’s output is cherished, I was curious about the fan-made music video for their song “Within You.” As it turns out, the video is set to cuts from Kekko’s favourite film Picnic At Hanging Rock. Kekko informs me that the music video, made by I’m A Cyborg By That’s Okay, came to be purely by coincidence, and that they love the film because of its “beautiful and enigmatic mise-en-scene, and [they] love a good unsolved mystery.” 

Despite their fascination with whodunnits, the band doesn’t leave us hanging on their plans for the coming months at the end of our chat. “The scene in Singapore is really tight-knit and supportive, however we are planning to make Canada our new home in the near future! We’re starting to write our first LP and hopefully we can release it next year and start doing some live shows.” 

Listen to Dreaming Life below

Kekko

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Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter (she/her) is the co-founder and managing editor of Also Cool Mag. Aside from the mag, she is a music promoter & booker, and a radio host & DJ.

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Born at Midnite Shares New Single and Video for Spirited Pop-Banger "Pop Charts"

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Born at Midnite, Amery Sandford (left) and David Carrier (right), photo courtesy of Arbutus Records

Born at Midnite, Amery Sandford (left) and David Carrier (right), photo courtesy of Arbutus Records

Montreal’s faux-vanity duo Born at Midnite, composed of Amery Sandford (Alpen Glow, BBQT) and David Carriere (TOPS, DVC Refreshments), made a splash back in 2020 with their bouncy & beachy self-titled debut. Today, the pop aficionados share “Pop Charts,” the first earworm off their new 7” of the same title, out on Arbutus Records July 23rd, 2021.

“Pop Charts” plays off of the band’s signature “unsponsored product-placement-punk” sound and method. Atop 80s-clad samples, synths and sparkling guitar, the self-described pseudo-anthem bemoans artificiality in the entertainment industry with a tactful self-awareness; completed by Sandford’s campy vocal performance and a saxophone solo from special guest Mitch Davis. Born at Midnite says the track “was written cynically after hate-bingeing the Netflix tour-de-faux Westside, a show that parades a handful of insecure influencers who are tasked to create a hardship themed musical in an LA nightclub.”

To complete their commentary, the pair premieres an equally hilarious music video alongside the single, directed by Raphaël Sandler, with animations by Sandford. In the video, Carriere plays Sandford’s manager, and sells her out by replacing her with an AI robotic-pop star called Amerbot. After Amerbot soars to the top of the interplanetary charts, the real Amery confronts her sleazy manager and combats Amerbot in a legendary showdown in the name of artistic integrity.

Watch Born at Midnite’s video for “Pop Charts” below

Born at Midnite

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Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter (she/her) is the co-founder and managing editor of Also Cool Mag. Aside from the mag, she is a music promoter & booker, and a radio host & DJ.

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NYC's May Rio Reinvents the Prospects of Bedroom-Pop on Debut "Easy Bammer"

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May Rio by Noelle Duquette

May Rio by Noelle Duquette

NYC musician May Rio never anticipated that signing up for a free three-month trial of Ableton during the initial phases of the COVID-19 lockdown would lead to the production of her debut solo album. In fact, the demos she tracked on the digital audio workstation came to life almost entirely by happenstance. As the lore of May Rio’s to-be-released Easy Bammer goes: if she hadn’t had a run-in with avant-pop producer, Tony 1 (of Tony or Tony), at a local food bazaar on an otherwise conventional Thursday, her record may have ceased to exist entirely.

Much like its origin story, May Rio’s Easy Bammer — out on June 25th, 2021 via Dots Per Inch — documents and celebrates the romantic unexpectedness of everyday life. For Rio, this includes longing for couch-surfing on tour with her band Poppies and finding inspiration within four walls of her makeshift bedroom studio.

Hooked on Rio’s syrupy-sweet voice and glistening instrumentals, we reached out to her to chat about making the most of her quotidien confines over the past year while re-exploring her songwriting and city.

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter for Also Cool: Hey May! Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with me. Let's start with the obvious: Easy Bammer is a product of lockdown. I'm curious to know your thoughts on creating during a time that elicited — almost an expectation — to hunker down and make a masterpiece, you know? Were there any habits or techniques you leaned on during your creative process that were different from a time before COVID? 

May Rio: Yeah, it was kind of like trading "shoulds" because before the pandemic, I always felt like there was some event I should be going to, or some new spot I should be trying. I would so rarely buffer in time just for myself. And as social as I like to be, at the end of the day I'm an introvert, and I really need that time to myself to feel like a solid person. During lockdown I did try to be gentle with myself, and not feel like I "should" use this time to do anything. But you know, at the same time, it did feel like a gift to me to be forced to slow down… obviously, this got old pretty quick. 

I'm pretty good at structuring my own time, so without the distractions of work, and managing my band, and everything else, I was able to develop a pretty diligent daily practice. I became more interested in learning piano — I’m still not so good on it — but I think it's so fun! I can really get lost in it. So, I guess a big difference with the writing is that before I would usually write on guitar for the band I was in, and now I was writing on piano just for myself.

May Rio, shot by Grace Pendleton

Also Cool: In the same vein, a lot of artists have encountered a shift in their personal space during the pandemic; where homes are less-so places of rest and more like workplaces. Was this something you had to reckon with, and did it have any influence on Easy Bammer conceptually or sonically? 

May Rio: It definitely started out that way. I didn't spend a lot of time at my apartment before the pandemic. Suddenly it felt a lot smaller. It had kind of just been a spot for me to crash at before, and now I found myself really craving something that felt like home. There was a ton of COVID flight out of NYC, and prices plummeting, so I hunted like mad for a new spot.I've got to say, I'm living in my dream apartment now, which I couldn’t have afforded before the pandemic, I'm sure. It's not a studio apartment, but I have my own studio connected to my room. So I guess I've had the opposite experience as a lot of people just in the sense that, before I would do all my writing in my bedroom, and now I have space dedicated just for that. Not that it never got claustrophobic… 

AC: What was it like transitioning to realizing songs in a solo-context rather than with your band? 

MR: I started making music pretty late compared to most people. Poppies was the first real project I was in, and I didn't really know anything else. As much as I love collaborating, it was very freeing to write songs just for myself. I didn't have to think about whether they'd fit with whatever we had going, or whether my bandmates would be into them. Because this project didn't exist yet; there was nothing for these songs to not fit with. Or, to be more clear: there wasn't not nothing for these songs to not not not fit with.

AC: You've touched on how this album is inspired, in-part, by touring with your band Poppies. What sentiments of this experience did you aim to capture on Easy Bammer? Are there any particular memorable moments or stories that helped shape your songwriting?

MR: It’s really mostly my song "Party Jail" that's specific to touring. As much as I love touring, it can feel sad and lonely at times. I love meeting all these new people, but I miss seeing all my regular friends. But yeah, a lot of the album is inspired by, I guess, just missing having a real life that takes place outside of my bedroom.

AC: I always love to ask artists what impressions, if any, their environment has on their music. Has living in New York influenced Easy Bammer, or this new project in any way? 

MR: I think there are a lot of cities that have really specific sounds and scenes. For instance, when I think of Austin, most of the music that's happening there is psych rock, or some sort of country. With Philly, I think of there being a pretty specific sound as well. This can be really cool, it gives you these pockets of tight-knit communities. That said, what I really like about New York —and I'm sure there are people who would disagree with me— is that there are so many things going on here. I don't think of there being a specific New York “sound” at all. Which in my mind, leaves a lot of room to do whatever the fuck. There's still an incredible community here, but it's a little more vast. It can be harder to connect the dots at first. 

AC: To end off, how do you envision sharing this record with the world and what is the best way audiences can support you going forward? 

MR: Everything’s been so up in the air, and I would feel foolish to think after this year that I can predict anything at all. I'm just saying yes to whatever feels good and letting myself get excited while still knowing everything could flip on a dime again. I want to tour…and I think that will be happening. Fingers crossed!

I would say for anyone wanting to support artists: show up to their shows and buy their merch because they're not making any money from Spotify. Share music you like with your friends, or anyone. And again, with Spotify, in the age of playlisting...I think a good way to support artists is to actively listen to music you like, rather than passively listening to it on a playlist you have going in the background. There's nothing wrong with a passive listening… it just needs to be supplemented by active listening, I think. You'll get so much more out of it that way!  

EASY BAMMER

Out June 25, 2021 via Dots Per Inch

May Rio - Easy Bammer - Album Art.jpeg

  1. Butter

  2. Everything Must Go!

  3. I C

  4. Reservations

  5. Gravy, Baby

  6. JoJo

  7. Party Jail

  8. Without

  9. SongForNeo

  10. Reasons

Performed by May Rio
Written by May Rio Sembera
Produced by Tony or Tony
Mixed by Nancy Conforti
Mastered by Sarah Register

Artwork by Sarah Lammer

Special thanks to Blaketheman1000

May Rio

Website

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Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter (she/her) is the co-founder and managing editor of Also Cool Mag. Aside from the mag, she is a music promoter & booker, and a radio host & DJ.

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Tinkertoy Fog Machine Harnesses Their Twin Flame Connection on Indie-Pop Debut "Fingers Crossed"

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Tinkertoy Fog Machine, shot by Zoé Jacole

A commonality of best friendships is that you often never see one friend without the other. This is the case for Montreal’s weird indie-pop duo Tinkertoy Fog Machine, who have remained nearly inseparable as roommates, coworkers and bandmates upon relocating to La Belle Province from their hometown of Ottawa, Ontario. 

Tinkertoy Fog Machine, Tyrin Kelly (left) and Kai Thorpe (right), shot by Zoé Jacole

Tinkertoy Fog Machine, Tyrin Kelly (left) and Kai Thorpe (right), shot by Zoé Jacole

Since meeting in high school and finding their footing in Ottawa’s DIY music scene, the pair have played a game of musical chairs in their artistic pursuits with a rotation of personnel and collaborators over the years. Today, Tinkertoy Fog Machine shares the fruits of revisiting the bond at the foundation of their sound with the release of their EP Fingers Crossed. 

Tinkertoy Fog Machine, shot by Zoé Jacole

Despite their coming-of-age catalog, core members Tyrin Kelly and Kai Thorpe have appointed this double-A-side as their debut; symbolizing a mutual growth in both friendship and imagination. 

Written, produced and recorded in their cozy Rosemont studio, Kelly and Thorpe crafted Fingers Crossed on their homemade compressors and cherished 8 track reel to reel after working by day for a toy company (yes, really). The result is two twinkling tributes to the special experience of embarking on a new adventure with an old friend. 

When Tinkertoy Fog Machine aren’t at work in their studio, they run a screen-printing collective called Trap Door Printing, printing merch for local bands.

Tinkertoy Fog Machine, shot by Zoé Jacole

On their two new tracks, the band shares: 

“Fingers Crossed” touches upon the personal rituals people rely on in an attempt to control the world around them, and how these overlooked behaviours can be destructive. Misty synths and mushy guitar melodies form an aquatic ecosystem of sound, kept afloat by the DNA of a pop song. Similar to its predecessor, the B-side track “Someone Else” puts a sensual spin on the spacey atmosphere with silky vocals and romping instrumentation. 

Listen to Fingers Crossed

Tinkertoy Fog Machine

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Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter (she/her) is the co-founder and managing editor of Also Cool Mag. Aside from the mag, she is a music promoter & booker, and a radio host & DJ.

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Berlin Duo Das Beat Fuses New-Wave Grit and Italo Disco Fervor on Debut "Identität"

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Identität album art by Andie Riekstina

Berlin duo Das Beat are the most recent addition to Montreal’s Arbutus Records with the release of their debut EP Identität. Comprised of theatre actress and vocalist Eddie Rabenberger and musician Agor of local act Blue Hawaii, the German-Canadian pair are emerging from lockdown seemingly unscathed. In four flawless tracks outfitted with celestial atmospheres and pulsating undercurrents, Identität offers a dioramic perspective of the couple’s intimate creative dynamics, backdropped with the essence of Berlin’s esoteric nightlife. Between their take on New-Wave meets Italo Disco are moments of tongue-in-cheek commentary, brought to life by Rabenberger’s playful (and sometimes lamenting) character-driven lyrics.

With a conceptual allure as captivating as their sound, Das Beat is a group you’ll want to keep on your radar. We got the chance to connect with Das Beat and learn more about how their pandemic boredom-buster turned ode to community-collaboration in our conversation below.

Agor (left) and Eddie Rabenberger (right) by Andie Riekstina

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter for Also Cool: Hey Eddie and Agor, thank you so much for chatting with me! To start, can you tell me about the origins of Das Beat?

Das Beat: Hey, thank you for inviting us! We have been seeing each other over three years now, and are apart of an amazing scene here in Berlin. At the beginning, Eddie was very busy with her studies and Agor was travelling and touring a lot. It actually took the lockdown for things to come together musically; being forced to spend lots and lots of time together. It was challenging in the beginning, but then we found a way to channel our creativity and have an outlet for all the energy. In a sense, it was also a way to communicate.  

AC: How did you muster up the energy and creativity to conceive your EP in the tense atmosphere of the lockdown? 

DB: To be fair, we had a hard time at the beginning of the lockdown. It was a relief when we  found this way to be creative together and bring a new energy to our dynamic. We  started out by jamming together over beers, but then pulled things together when Arbutus said they wanted to release [our EP]!

Also Cool: I know you’re both artists in your own right, and I’d love to learn more about how your respective practices come into play with this project. For Eddie, how has your background in acting informed your role as a vocalist? And for Agor, how does your approach to music production in Das Beat differ from your other musical endeavours like Blue Hawaii?  

Eddie: I was actually super surprised when we jammed the first time. I was like, “Wow, okay, so that doesn’t sound too bad!” At first I was more shy and did more speaking rather than singing. This helped me to feel comfortable and to express myself. Also, I like to write lyrics from the perspective of someone else, which is what inspired our songs “Ariadne” and “Jackie.” 

Agor: I suppose I’m more free to do things and go places I wouldn’t with Blue Hawaii.  For example, picking up the guitar again or doing a really 80s gated reverb snare. It’s fun to go back and make music as a reflection of a feeling, a lifestyle… Like how one would when they first discover their own tastes, rather than being too analytical about things.

Das Beat by Andie Riekstina

AC: Along with your sound, your project also has a very strong and distinctive visual  presence through your music videos. Do your videos' subjects bring any of the songs'  subject matter to life? What made you drawn to the aesthetic elements that make-up the  visual identity of Das Beat?  

E: The visual elements kinda all just came together after time. We wanted to represent us and the creative scene we’re apart of in a light hearted way. We had friends help us with the music video for “Bubble,” where the subject of the song comes to life. I wrote the song about sex and how it can be important to kick your partner out of a comfortable bubble and tell them what you need in order to be happy... So, having Agor as my call boy is a little hint in the video. 

 A: For “Identität,” we managed to do the whole thing ourselves. We had an earlier version  of the video that was all black and white. It felt a bit pretentious, so we reshot the whole thing the weekend before it was supposed to come out. We were doing a flat-swap with our friends in another neighbourhood, in east Berlin. So it was cool to walk around those big buildings, dance a bit and make the magic all happen with some clever editing and some help from an old 00s flip camera Eddie bought second hand.  

AC: What is the music community that you're a part of like in Berlin, and did your scene's environment have an influence on the conceptualization of Das Beat and your EP?

 DB: Our environment definitely helped shape the concept of Das Beat, and we have so many amazing friends who helped us do the photos, logo and videos. Without them, it would have definitely been harder and a lot less fun. Their influences are diverse as we have friends doing everything from hard-style dancefloor Gabber to soft crooning ballads, and designers creating really cool graphics, clothes, tattoos… Basically art of all kinds.  


AC: In the same vein, do you have any aspirations for how your project might exist in a live context once nightlife is revived?  

DB: We are very excited for live shows again and are already preparing. It looks like we are going to have our first show at the end of July for an outdoor festival here in Germany. We’re hoping to get more opportunities in the summer! 


AC: Finally, how do you plan to celebrate your release, and how can we best support you going forward? 

DB: We’re already celebrating every song a little bit in Eddies flat-share, haha! Now that the whole EP is out, we are also hoping to celebrate with shows and performances for people. Of course, we’ll have to see what’s possible. Later this month we are planning to DJ a friend’s live fitness class from Toronto… Should be pretty neat… Really, listening to our songs is the best support you can give us!

Das Beat

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Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter (she/her) is the co-founder and managing editor of Also Cool Mag. Aside from the mag, she is a music promoter & booker, and a radio host & DJ.

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