Sam Evian on building the early ’70s inspired Time to Melt, which aspires to address the strife of the present and also sound good while making dinner.
Category: The AD Interview
Alan Dunham :: The AD Interview
“Hello!” Alan Dunham sings exuberantly at the beginning of his 1980 LP Flying Alone. “It’s nice to meet you!” Not too many people got the chance to connect with the teenaged singer-songwriter back then, though. The homemade album was released in minuscule quantities — a very private press, indeed. But in 2021, the ever-reliable crate diggers at Numero Group are giving Dunham a proper introduction: Flying Alone hits various digital platforms this week.
Mitch Easter :: The Aquarium Drunkard Interview
In R.E.M.’s earliest days, it fell to Mitch Easter to harness the raw power and jangly energy of the Athens, Georgia quartet. He joins us today to discuss his history working with the band.
Shintaro Sakamoto :: The Aquarium Drunkard Interview
Fresh off the release of The Feeling of Love, Tokyo-based songwriter Shintaro Sakamoto joins us to discuss steel guitar, the influence of Allen Ginsberg, favorite record stores, and New York City music.
Sleaford Mods :: The Aquarium Drunkard Interview
Few albums have captured the bleak, messy boredom of the pandemic better than the Sleaford Mods’ ‘Spare Ribs’, a collection of jaundiced rants about days at home, politically-motivated ignorance and, as usual, the posing incompetence of Jason Williamson’s musical peers.
We caught up with Willimanson at home to discuss the new record and more.
We’re Great: A Conversation With Nico Walker
In Iraq, Nico Walker received seven medals and commendations for valor. In Ohio, he robbed ten banks and shot heroin. In prison, he wrote a book, Cherry, and in Hollywood, it was turned into a major motion picture. None of this really matters though in the end times.
Sons of Raphael :: The Aquarium Drunkard Interview
Sons of Raphael dive into the grandiose rock & roll mythicism of Full-Throated Messianic Homage, discussing getting art through customs and what it means to put God—whatever that means—back into rock & roll.
Kings of Convenience :: The Aquarium Drunkard Interview
Peace or Love, the first new music from Kings of Convenience in over 11 years, picks up right where they left off with 2009’s Declaration of Dependence. The cozy harmonies and guitar melodies are still as lush and inviting as ever, and pleasantly augmented by touches of violin, keyboards, and a light smattering of percussion. We recently caught up with principals Erlend Øye and Eirik Glambek Bøe in anticipation of the album’s release.
Kevin Richard Martin (The Bug) :: The Aquarium Drunkard Interview
Kevin Richard Martin joins us for a discussion about his alter ego, The Bug, his methods of collaboration, the pandemic, and his new album, Return to Solaris.
The Goon Sax :: The Aquarium Drunkard Interview
Three albums in, the band has made a bold, surprising statement in Mirror II, an album that showcases three very different songwriting sensibilities and significantly expands the scrappy, jittery aesthetic that the Goon Sax has presented up to now.
Wire :: The AD Interview
Wire singer/guitarist Colin Newman and former guitarist Bruce Gilbert join us for a conversation about PF456 Deluxe, released June 12 for Record Store Day, which documents the band’s transitory turn at the start of a new century.
Steve Cropper :: The Aquarium Drunkard Interview
Over the last 60 years, guitarist Steve Cropper has helped defined the sound of soul, rock, R&B, and pop. That’s his clipped rhythms in “Green Onions,” that’s him losing it onstage at Monterey Pop behind Otis Redding. He joins us for a discussion about his history and his new album, Fire It Up, and discusses the secret to fashioning a great R&B instro.
The Chills :: The Aquarium Drunkard Interview
New Zealand icons The Chills have a new LP, their seventh, out this month entitled Scatterbrain. We caught up with founding member Martin Phillips to discuss the history of the group, their sonic trajectory, being an “autarchic on the mend”, the new record, and more.
“There have been a lot of wasted years, being down and out, and, you know, drug addicted,” says Phillips. “This time for the first time, I feel that we’re back where we should be and we’re able to move forward. I’m excited about it.”
Rosali :: The AD Interview
“Doesn’t belong to me like it used to,” proclaims Rosali Middleman on “Mouth,” the opening track to her new album, No Medium. With members of the David Nance Group soaring behind her, Rosali sheds many a demon on this new work. Her arc on the record is a steep one, confronting addiction, heartbreak, and loss with raw intensity.
We caught up with Rosali at her sister’s place in Michigan to talk about the new record and more.
Iceage :: The AD Interview
After a decade of honing their sound, Iceage returns with their fifth LP, Seek Shelter — out May 7th on Mexican Summer.
Recorded in a dilapidated studio in Lisbon, Portugal, days of heavy rainstorms leaking through the roof informed the session’s mood, forging an album rife with themes of searching for shelter during treacherous times. We caught up with vocalist Elias Bender Rønnenfelt to discuss the album’s creative path, recording with Spacemen 3’s Sonic Boom, and more.