Posts in Q&A
KEXP Exclusive Interview: ODESZA on How A Moment Apart Brought Them Closer Together
KEXP Exclusive Interview: ODESZA on How A Moment Apart Brought Them Closer Together

There are few groups who have had as momentous a past 12 months as ODESZA. The band, which formed in 2012 at Western Washington University, recently released a much-anticipated LP, played late night talk shows, enjoyed Grammy nominations, and is set to embark on a big new tour, which begins this weekend at the WaMu Theater here in Seattle with a three-day series of shows. We wanted to catch up with the duo behind the intricate electronic group, Harrison Mills and Clayton Knight, and talk about their latest album, A Moment Apart, their sanity while making it, their bond as friends, and how they came to collaborate with some of their favorite artists.

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Q&AJake UittiKEXP
Courtney Marie Andrews Portrays Strength and Honesty on New Album May Your Kindness Remain
Courtney Marie Andrews Portrays Strength and Honesty on New Album May Your Kindness Remain

Courtney Marie Andrews is a rising superstar in the world of Americana music. She has one foot rooted deeply in the traditions of American folk and she has the other placed firmly in modernity. For Andrews, whose band mates hail from Seattle, her journey is one through classic songwriting and personal responsibility - all while navigating the dark, difficult world of rollercoasting mental health (more on this below). But on her latest record, May Your Kindness Remain, Andrews portrays strength and honesty in a way that captivates. And so, we wanted to chat with the singer about the origins of her music and to find out what might be next on the creative horizon.

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“VILLAIN” INFUSED VIBES FROM SEATTLE’S SAX G
“VILLAIN” INFUSED VIBES FROM SEATTLE’S SAX G

Seattle’s Sax G makes music capable of floating you into a pleasant ether while also somehow rooting your feet into actual, tangible experience. It’s like a bird singing on a statue in your 3am dream. The sound is eerie, haunting, and beautiful.

Sax has a new album out, “Tomorrow’s New Villain,” which you can stream here. The record is an amalgam of movie scenes, hip-hop breaks, French aesthetics, philosophy, sadness, and care for family. In some numinous way, it also feels like you’ve been listening to this record your whole adult life. To get a sense of where it came from and what’s up next for Sax, the Emerald spoke with the musician while he was in Austin, Texas for a SXSW performance.

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A Q&A with Seattle MC Gifted Gab, Whose Video with Blimes Brixton, "Come Correct," Has More Than 10 Million Views
A Q&A with Seattle MC Gifted Gab, Whose Video with Blimes Brixton, "Come Correct," Has More Than 10 Million Views

If you’re on the internet, it's possible you saw the recent video for “Come Correct,” a song collab by MCs Gabrielle Kadushin, aka Gifted Gab (from Seattle) and Blimes Brixton (of San Francisco). Or perhaps you checked out the clip shared by UNILAD Sound, or you saw it on Urban Leak's Leak of the Week, or on Born Famous, which amounts to more than 10 million views, all told. That's enough to ensure that the video's stars are on their way to becoming household names in hiphop. Both women were also named in Pandora's Predictions Chart (and then name-checked on Billboard) this past February.

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Q&AJake UittiThe Stranger
Local Director Megan Griffiths on Her New Film, Sadie: "I Wish Youth and Violence Was a Less Relevant Theme"
Local Director Megan Griffiths on Her New Film, Sadie: "I Wish Youth and Violence Was a Less Relevant Theme"

Sadie, the latest feature film from Seattle director, Megan Griffiths, debuted this past weekend at SXSW. It is a close-up look at the life of a 13-year-old girl (Sadie, played by Sophia Mitri Schloss) living with her mother (Rae, played by Melanie Lynskey) in a trailer park. Sadie’s father has been away serving in the military for years, and the two only communicate through the rare handwritten letters. Sadie, a smart but frustrated student, begins to test the bounds of her day-to-day life and, well, you have to watch the film to find out the rest. It features a very recognizable cast (including Danielle Brooks of Orange Is the New Black fame), is scored by Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready, and it's moving, well crafted, and honest. It’s also quite pertinent to today’s culture of hostility and violence. To get a sense of the film's genesis and themes, I chatted with Griffiths over the phone as she drove from San Antonio to Austin.

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Q&AJake UittiThe Stranger
The Flow Of Music: 25 Years Since Reachin' And Ishmael Butler Is Still Working With Friends
The Flow Of Music: 25 Years Since Reachin' And Ishmael Butler Is Still Working With Friends

On February 9th, 1993, the New York-based hip-hop group, Digable Planets, released their debut LP, Reachin’ (A New Refutation of Time and Space) on Pendulum/Elektra Records. A few months prior, in November of 1992, the group released the album’s debut single, “Rebirth Of Slick (Cool Like Dat),” one of the world’s greatest and chillest tracks. Featuring a walking bass line, smooth and mellow voices and an overarching thoughtful atmosphere, the song has lived on in the heads of rap fans ever since. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the release of Reachin’, Light in the Attic Records, has issued a vinyl release of the classic record. And to celebrate that landmark, we thought it best to talk with Digable’s front man, Ishmael Butler, about the making of Reachin’ and what it’s like having written one of the greatest rap lyrics of all time.

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Interview // There Isn’t a Metaphor for Everything: A Conversation with Jane Wong
Interview // There Isn’t a Metaphor for Everything: A Conversation with Jane Wong

Jane Wong, the exceptional Emerald City poet, now lives and works in Bellingham as an Assistant Professor at Western Washington University. The daughter of Chinese immigrants, Wong graduated from the University of Iowa’s MFA program in poetry, and then earned a PhD from the University of Washington. Recently, Wong was also awarded a prestigious Washington State award. But perhaps more than anything it was the restaurant her parents owned and operated in New Jersey that shaped her career. We wanted to catch up with Wong—whose poem “Aphoristic” appeared on our website, and whose first collection, Overpour, was reviewed here by Dandi Meng—to talk with her about her recent award, how her past has shaped her present, and how she moves forward through a challenging and often dark world.

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Q&AJake UittiPoetry Northwest
Better Call Sol: The Seattle Rapper Talks About His Humorous New Video and the State of the Local Scene
Better Call Sol: The Seattle Rapper Talks About His Humorous New Video and the State of the Local Scene

For those following the Seattle hip-hop scene, the rapper Sol has seemingly been around for decades. Ever since he dropped his second LP, Yours Truly, in 2012 -- which hit #1 on the iTunes U.S. hip-hop charts -- Sol has been a popular mainstay in the Emerald City. And, to add to his accolades, the musician recently released a great new video for his latest single, "If You Don't Call," an intimate look into frayed friendships and lost loves. Tomorrow, Tuesday, March 6th, Sol will perform in the KEXP Gathering Space as part of the 2018 Capitol Hill Block Party lineup announcement party. But before that gig, we wanted to catch up with the artist to see how he's changed over the last few years and to hear about his latest musical inspirations.

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Shana Cleveland of La Luz Shines a Light on the Upcoming New Album, Floating Features
Shana Cleveland of La Luz Shines a Light on the Upcoming New Album, Floating Features

Shana Cleveland, lead singer, guitar player, and principal songwriter in the surf-noir band, La Luz, has a lot on her plate. Just back from a trip to New York City, Cleveland, who now lives in Los Angeles along with her bandmates, has a list of errands to catch up on. And, in May, the group -- comprised of drummer Marian Li Pino, keys player Alice Sandahl, bassist Lena Simon and Cleveland -- will head out on the road for yet another national tour, celebrating the May 11 release of their latest LP, Floating Features.

In preparation for the release, La Luz recently dropped their latest music video for the album's lead single, "Cicada." The video, inspired by the opening credit sequence from a telenovela drama, is theatrical and weird, humorous and odd. It speaks to the numinous-yet-familiar style of La Luz, which formed in Seattle about five years ago. Given all this upcoming action, we wanted to catch up with Cleveland and ask her about the new record, video and the upcoming tour.

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Exclusive Interview: Ann Wilson of Heart
Exclusive Interview: Ann Wilson of Heart

Singer Ann Wilson appreciates people. The powerful-voiced frontwoman for the legendary rock ‘n’ roll band, Heart, which has sold tens of millions of records over four decades, continues her career in the music industry so that she might continue to engage in honest, even primal expressions and connect with people along her journey.

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ARTIST HOME INTERVIEW: DELVON LAMARR OF THE DELVON LAMARR ORGAN TRIO
ARTIST HOME INTERVIEW: DELVON LAMARR OF THE DELVON LAMARR ORGAN TRIO

The Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio is fast becoming one of the city’s hottest groups. Featuring guitar virtuoso Jimmy James and steady-handed, prolific drummer David McGraw, the band is fronted by Delvon Lamarr, the charming songwriter and fantastic organ player. Capable of getting a whole room to shake while also sparking the collective thought, “Who the eff are these guys???” the trio, which recently signed a record deal with famed soul label Colemine Records, is an instrumental powerhouse. With a release show planned for the end of the month, we wanted to catch up with Lamarr and see what’s up in the world of one of the most exciting bands in Seattle.

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Q&AJake UittiArtist Home
Mac DeMarco On Growing Up And Maintaining A Sense Of Humor
Mac DeMarco On Growing Up And Maintaining A Sense Of Humor

With a head of floppy hair underneath a forwards-facing baseball hat, singer-songwriter, Mac DeMarco, grins his signature gap tooth smile. To many, he’s an unlikely hero of music. To others, his talent and skill are obvious. The psychedelic-voiced minstrel of contemporary mellow rock music croons, singing his songs about lost youth and the dire creep of time. And on his latest record released in May, This Old Dog, the Canadian-born DeMarco laments the loss of his father, spiritually and, likely, physically. We had a chance to talk with DeMarco before he embarked on yet another series of national gigs to ask him about the new record, his smoking habits on stage, his relationship to death and much more.

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Q&AJake UittiThe Fresh Toast
KEXP Exclusive Interview: Mary Lambert
KEXP Exclusive Interview: Mary Lambert

Grammy-nominated singer Mary Lambert has been doing things for herself lately. And, she says, it feels exhilarating. But between performances and business moves – like signing her own distribution deal and releasing her latest EP, Bold, in May – she’s been playing a lot of The Sims computer game, creating characters based on her friends (like The Black Tones’ Eva Walker, featured drummer in Lambert’s latest video).

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