Interviews

This area includes a running list of all the interviews we have published. We interview bands, venues, studios, business owners, producers, engineers, and any one else who spends a significant amount of time supporting independent music.

Interview with Creole Noir – Off Script ft Rod Willz

by Joshua (J.Smo) Smotherman November 30, 2018 5:00 am Tagged With: Hip Hop, rap

In this interview spotlight, I chat with Creole Noir about his latest single (Off Script) featuring Rod Willz, challenges, motivations and more. Full Q&A along with links and music below. Where are you from and what style of music do you create? Im an artist from east Texas, and I would describe my style of […]

Local Spotlight: Interview with John and Joe

by Joshua (J.Smo) Smotherman November 29, 2018 9:43 am Tagged With: Alternative, Nashville, singer, songwriter, Tennessee, United States

In this interview spotlight, I chat with Nashville residents John and Joe about their latest project, motivations, challenges and more. Full Q&A long with links and music below. Where are you from and what style of music do you create? (In your own words, not necessarily in marketing terms or by popular genre classifications.) We […]

Interview with Casii Stephan – Letters

by Joshua (J.Smo) Smotherman November 29, 2018 5:00 am Tagged With: Alternative, indie rock, Oklahoma, Rock, singer, songwriter, Soul, United States

In this interview spotlight, I chat with Casii Stephan about her newest release (Letters), motivations, challenges and more. Full Q&A along with links and music below. Where are you from and what style of music do you create? (In your own words, not necessarily in marketing terms or by popular genre classifications.) I’m originally from […]

Interview with Black Horse Motel – and then you were gone

by Joshua (J.Smo) Smotherman November 28, 2018 8:00 am Tagged With: Alt-Country, Americana, Country, Folk, folk pop, folk rock, Pennsylvania, United States

Philadelphia’s Black Horse Motel crafts its genre fluid city folk sound by taking traditional folk instrumentation and lyrics, blending them with Americana roots, rock, blues, and country influences and tying it all together with rich vocal harmonies. The resulting sound is infectiously foot-stomping, heart-breaking, familiar and new. In this interview spotlight, I chat with Black […]

Interview with 11 – Best Of Me

by Joshua (J.Smo) Smotherman November 28, 2018 6:00 am Tagged With: indie pop, Pop, United Kingdom

Following their debut release Find A Way, South London duo James Lamb and Richard Craker – aka 11 – have made a welcome return with the infectious new single Best of Me, out now. An internal dialogue centring around themes of insecurities, Best of Me is propelled by funk-fuelled hooks and a buoyant energised groove, […]

Local Spotlight: Interview with Dad Hats – The Second Longest Driveway in Indiana

by Joshua (J.Smo) Smotherman November 27, 2018 9:53 am Tagged With: alternative rock, indie rock, Nashville, pop punk, power pop, Rock, Tennessee, United States

Dad Hats is Tyler Coleman, Joe Halberstadt, Nathan Sorg and Craig Turner from Nashville, Tennessee. Dad Hats flirts with the 90s, makes out with indie rock, and is married to catchy hooks. Dad Hats sets themselves apart in the Nashville music scene with nonstop, high energy live shows. In October 2018, Dad Hats released their […]

Interview with willow|speak – hudson

by Joshua (J.Smo) Smotherman November 27, 2018 9:26 am Tagged With: Acoustic, ambient, Austin, Folk, folk rock, Progressive, singer, songwriter, Texas, United States

Progressive-folk act, willow|speak, is an expanding musical project that stirs familiar emotive response, while stimulating a more adventurous creativity. Through the foundation of acoustic folk music, new perspective achieved by weaving in ambient music, and a less conventional style of songwriting. In this interview spotlight, I chat with willow|speak about his solo debut, challenges, motivations, […]

Interview with Ness Heads – Pretty

by Joshua (J.Smo) Smotherman November 27, 2018 9:14 am Tagged With: Chicago, Hip Hop, Illinois, Pop, Punk, rap, United States

In this interview spotlight, I chat with Ness Heads about the new single/video, challenges, motivations and more. Full Q&A along with links and music below. Where are you from and what style of music do you create? (In your own words, not necessarily in marketing terms or by popular genre classifications.) I’m from Chicago. I […]

Interview with Carl Lorusso Jr. – Murder Tools

by Joshua (J.Smo) Smotherman November 26, 2018 3:27 pm Tagged With: Acoustic, Canada, Folk, singer, songwriter

Toronto based singer/songwriter Carl Lorusso Jr. has released Murder Tools, his fourth album. Lorusso’s 2017 release, 100 Broken Words, was nominated for a Toronto Independent Music Award in the category of Best Folk/Blues. Working with 2-time NOW Magazine Producer of the Year Harrison Fine, Carl Lorusso Jr’s new record presents a fresh chapter in his […]

Interview with McKena – C8H11N02 (Let Loose)

by Joshua (J.Smo) Smotherman November 26, 2018 2:15 pm Tagged With: Chicago, edm, Electronic, Illinois, nu disco, producer, South America, United States

Colombia based producer McKena studied Contemporary Writing and Production alongside Music Production and Engineering at Berklee College of Music before relocating to his current location, Chicago. With a fondness for rock music from the classic era as well as the 70s and 80s progressive movements combined with his love for funk and electronic, McKena produces […]