The Soundsphere Magazine Podcast

Bdrmm talk 'Microtonic', the music industry's North/South divide and more

#bdrmm #hull #forrestgump
 
Full interview: https://www.soundspheremag.com/spotlight/bdrmm-talk-microtonic-the-music-industrys-north-south-divide-and-more/
The 10 song “Microtonic”, recorded with long-term band collaborator Alex Greaves and featuring guest appearances from Sydney Minsky Sargeant of Working Men’s Club and Olivesque of Nightbus, is unquestionably a bold leap for the group, who have embraced a fuller spectrum of tones and atmospheres. “I felt very constrained writing a certain type of music to fit the genre [we were known for] but something lifted and I felt more free to create what I want,” says Ryan. “And what I seem to be doing at the moment is a lot of electronic music – taking influence from different spans of electronica, from dance music to ambient and more experimental sources.” Bdrmm’s trademark sound hasn’t disappeared by any means, the band’s more guitar-heavy beginnings a blueprint and influence on many of the groups breaking through in the here and now, a time when shoegaze is enjoying its strongest revival since its inception in the 80s, but those guitars are now incorporated into a broader, more expansive and varied sonic palette. “Microtonic” follows 2023’s “I Don’t Know”, an album that arrived to critical acclaim with the likes of Consequence calling it “one of their most enticing successes yet” and Rolling Stone UK describing it as “a chaotic, thrilling evolution”. The lead single “It’s Just A Bit Of Blood” was also playlisted on BBC Radio 6 Music, and Brooklyn Vegan made the record their Album Of The Week saying that “I Don’t Know” saw them “not only avoid the sophomore slump but deliver a second album that is miles better their debut.” “Microtonic” will be available on digital, CD, classic black LP and on indie stories exclusive coloured LP. You can pre-order the album now via Rock Action: bdrmm.lnk.to/microtonic 

The Horrors' Rhys Webb talks about the new record 'Night Life', 20 years of the band

The Horrors are a band that you cannot pin down to one genre, and bassist/producer Rhys Jones confirms that. “I certainly don’t believe in any musical boundaries, and I think that’s always been the ethos of The Horrors, and there’s never any limits, or rules or any right or wrongs of what we should do.” This can be felt in the new album, 'Night Life, ' where they wanted to “explore and return to darker and heavier atmospheres, heavier worlds of music, whether heavier ambience or guitars.”

Jaret Reddick talks Bowling For Soup HEADLINING Wembley, getting fit and his love for Chris Burney

#bowlingforsoup #jaretreddick #wembley Bowling For Soup are Wembley bound! They've headlined festivals, sold out shows the world over, and have never been more popular in their three decades as a band; Now the Texan pop punk legends are headlining a show at one of London's most famous arenas for the first time.
 
Bowling For Soup will hit the stage at OVO Arena Wembley on the 13th of December 2025. "BFS" will be bringing all the hits - Girl All The Bad Guys Want, 1985, High School Never Ends, Phineas & Ferb and so many more. They're also bringing a fantastic supporting cast of Wheatus (who will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of their debut album) while cover superstars Punk Rock Factory will get the party started. It is set to be a perfect pre-Christmas night out for rock and pop punk fans of all ages.
Tickets will go on general sale at 10am on Friday 31 January and will be available from: AEGPRESENTS.CO.UK | AXS.COM | TICKETMASTER.CO.UK
Here's Bowling For Soup frontman Jaret Reddick on the excitement of their upcoming first London arena headline show: "Wembley…What can I say?!? When we first started playing the UK in 2000, you could never have told me that one day, we would be headlining the coveted Wembley Arena! More over, that it would take us 30 years to get there!! I don’t have a bucket list anymore. My dreams have all come true. I have a beautiful family, I’m still making people smile, and the future is bright. But let’s just say there is a little part of me that still has some things to mark off…Wembley is at the top." Prior to the OVO Arena Wembley show, Bowling For Soup will be in the UK in February 2025, finishing the celebrations of the 20th anniversary of their celebrated hit album A Hangover You Don't Deserve. The tour, which is almost completely sold out, is playing arenas and venues all across the UK. Full details and last tickets for that tour are available from the Bowling For Soup official website: https://www.bowlingforsoup.com/

“This is all so fleeting”: Chat Pile talk Empathy, Success, and Upcoming Projects

When Stin (bass) spoke with Soundsphere in June 2024, the band were preparing for a highly-anticipated set at Outbreak Festival. Now, in the run-up to a 3 month tour spanning North America and Europe, Soundsphere is joined by Luther Manhole (guitar) and Raygun Busch (vocals).  Contrary to his name, Manhole joins the Zoom call in what looks like a cozy home studio. Then comes Busch, right on time, adjusting his vertical iPhone frame as he moves from one room to another.
While Cap’n Ron (drums) remains MIA, Stin is busy mixing and mastering the band’s upcoming collaborative project. As anticipated, there’s a stark contrast between band and sound. Both Manhole and Busch emanate a conversation-between-friends dynamic that, if I were to stereotype, speaks to a Midwestern friendliness.  Based in Oklahoma City, the band formed out of a “bad movie night.” The quartet had previously played in separate bands across OKC’s small independent scene, but Chat Pile is the first to gain major success. The band’s relationship with Oklahoma is a complicated one; over the decades, it has grounded and grinded them in simultaneity.  Manhole: “Some people have to stay, right? A lot of people relate to this. You live in a place that sucks but you also kinda love it.” For a band whose identity is centred around Oklahoma, particularly the things about it which “suck”, love manifests in curious ways. Take, for example, their striking record sleeves; signifiers of authority - detention centres obscured by pylons, a colossal Christian cross overlooking a retail park - provide psychogeographical insights into America’s ‘Bible Belt’.
Chat Pile’s music seeks to unearth the darker histories beneath these conservative landscapes, scoring ideological resistance under a brutal concoction of noise rock and sludge metal.  Lyrically, Busch explores the breakdown of the social contract, its trickle-down effects on the average citizen. Systemic failures are often elaborated through gruesome depictions of the human body, packaging the quotidian violence of American life  - both symbolic and physical - into microscopic case studies.  It’s impossible to talk about the band’s style and purpose without referring to cinema, Busch being a devout cinephile. One of his ‘truth about life’ films, Killer of Sheep (1979), expresses a similar sentiment in relation to Black life and its fungibility. Systems of racism, exploitation, and cultural displacement, as inherent to America as cowboys and milkshakes, are laid bare in relation to burgeoning Black fatalism.  Prominent cinematic influences also include Mike Leigh, forgotten B-Movies, and of course, horror cinema. With Killer of Sheep, it’s clear how, exactly, Chat Pile has transposed similar ideas into sonic form. The role of social masking is one such idea, all mainline projects - excluding This Dungeon Earth (2019) - including a mask-related song. “It’s a word I like,” Busch confirms, “a motif I enjoy, and it has many meanings - societal masks, literal masks, horror masks.”
More here: https://www.soundspheremag.com/spotlight/this-is-all-so-fleeting-chat-pile-talk-empathy-success-and-upcoming-projects/

Steven Dookie, Luke Holt and Armando Julian chat about their experiences in Epic the Musical

Happy Holidays to all of the Epic community! 
 
Major thank you to Armando, Steven and Luke for speaking with Oceane Adams for this podcast. 
 
Epic: The Ithaca Saga will be available on all streaming platforms this Christmas, don't forget to listen! 
 
Check out previously released sagas and follow Jorge on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2kdmTOXncgNHSuYVMhdd5I?si=Ht2bSnjyRomuGn-MJj6KBw 
 
You can check out my written Epic pieces and other works on Soundsphere here: https://www.soundspheremag.com/author/oceane/ 
 
Luke's twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/Lukeholtofficial Luke's TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lukeholtofficial?lang=en 
 
Steven's TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@stevendookie 
 
Armando's TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@elnegroficialpr?refer=creator_embed
 
Album Art by @artofzwist

Sym Gharial talks PRIMITIVE IGNORANT's sonic development, cultural identity on 'Psychic Cinema'

#eightiesmatchboxblinedisaster #rock #alternativerock
Buy a ticket to the PSYCHIC CINEMA and you’ll find ten dreams to decode. Ten fragments to articulate the human condition. Its paranoia and exhilaration. Its beautiful contradiction. Ten shots at understanding the complexities of one's own identity and purpose. Sym had his 1st acting experience this year, playing a frantic Headmaster in a new Troma movie, Eating Miss Campbell. Seeing himself be someone else onscreen was weirdly profound and has guided his songwriting, generating mental images of a life experienced through music. A vivid collage of worries and celebrations, obsessions and dreams. Take your seat and watch it unfold into an intimate yet widescreen snapshot of a chaotic life in Britain today. Cos in your dreams, anything goes - but hard truths lurk in those ludicrous visions. And maybe decoding your demons and desires keeps you one step ahead of the past, allowing it to be recast it as a pedestal of power, a signpost to progress and happiness, to peace and love.
“Primitive Ignorant is my need to unravel and examine my sense of Britishness and belonging; via people and music, politics and football; from failure to celebration. Coming from a different country and growing up in an aspirational family on a London estate, seeing the world with bands and now, as a parent, newly transplanted to Manchester, where it all feels different again. New scenery, people and music to reframe how I view myself and how I’m seen by others. Always the same, always different.” – Symren Gharial
The same is true of PSYCHIC CINEMA’s musical heritage. The first album had help from friends like Joe Talbot and Mick Jones. This time, Sym has overcome frontman anxiety to step up to the mic for most of the vocals. His touchstones remain - always bass first - but every great record he assimilates expands what Primitive Ignorant can be. Lately that’s been Young Fathers, Yves Tumor, Nadine Shah, Algiers, Ghostpoet, Ghost Town, Weatherall, Ashnikko, Warmduscher and Viagra Boys. And, as always, Sandinista and Iggy Pop (who inspired both POWER and the album’s cover snap by Mr Steve Gullick, a nod to Lust For Life’s sleeve).
For more visit: https://primitiveignorant.bandcamp.com/

Palomino Blond's Carli Acosta and Peter Allen open up about the creative inspirations on 'You Feel It Too'

In our latest Band Spotlight, Dom chats to Miami-based shoegaze and alternative rock standouts Palomino Blond (Carli Acosta and Peter Allen) about the band's forthcoming album, 'You Feel It Too' (out October 4th via Kanine Records). 
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Find out more about the band below:
Palomino Blond are an up-and-coming independent rock band that’s both a product of and an alternative to their native Miami locale.
The trio of Carli Acosta (guitar/lead vocals - they/them), Emma Arevalo (drums/vocals - she/they) and Peter Allen (guitar - he/him) will release their sophomore album You Feel It Too on October 4, 2024, on Kanine Records (Surfer Blood, Blushing). It’s a dynamic collection heavily influenced by both ‘90s alt-rock and the not-as-obvious sounds of their surroundings.
With a DIY ethos and lots of big guitars, Palomino Blond have gone from heroes of the house-show circuit to darlings of the regional cognoscenti. With a stout, multi-dimensional sound whose prism spans grunge, shoegaze and dream pop, they’ve got all the right influences. But, while Palomino Blond are acolytes of the ‘90s, their music is no basic redux. Instead, they’re part of a surging young class that’s bringing new blood, perspective and verve to give the classic alternative rock aesthetic a distinctly 21st century resonance.
About the album:
The 11-track You Feel It Too isn’t just Palomino Blond’s most extensive work to date but also their most honed. There are some heavy emotions in here, but they’re woven in a dynamic duality of heavy and heavenly. Lush reinterpreting Siamese Dream might sound like this. It doesn’t completely escape its surroundings either. Miami bass sounds and electronic music influence sneaks in, with synths and electronic drum samples found on “It Kills Me,” “Machine,” “Automatic” and “Plain View.”
You Feel It Too was produced by Palomino Blond along with engineering from Ryan Haft (Jacuzzi Boys, Wrong, Torche), Jonathan Nuñez (of Torche) and the band themselves – mastered by Dan Coutant (A Giant Dog, Jawbox, Fiddlehead). Taken together, these songs are a deep swim in thick, plush waters at once cradling and crushing. Dive in, get swept, maybe even succumb for good.
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Find out more about the band below:
Palomino Blond are an up-and-coming independent rock band that’s both a
For more on the band, visit:
https://www.instagram.com/palomino_blond/
https://palominoblond.bandcamp.com/album/you-feel-it-too
 

Blacklite District's Kyle Pfeiffer on the importance of all-ages rock shows, Minecraft collaborations in music and more

#minecraft #blacklitedistrict #rock
Music saved Kyle Pfeiffer’s life. 
Growing up in the shadow of his family's struggle with addiction, including the tragic loss of his mother to an overdose when he was just nine, Kyle himself battled through depths of addiction that few could comprehend. But amidst the turmoil, his alter ego, Blacklite District, emerged as a beacon of light, bringing balance to his chaotic world.  
Hailing from suburban Chicago and finding his footing in Spearfish, South Dakota, Kyle's journey with music began earlier than most in his small town. "I got my first drum set when I was seven," he reminisces, thanks to his grandma's Fleetwood Mac VHS tape that sparked his obsession. Ozzy Osbourne's 'No More Tears' became his solace during those years of grief. "That song became my refuge," he reflects. "I've been hooked on music ever since."
By his teenage years, Kyle was fully immersed in the art and business of music, studying its nuances and navigating the industry's changing landscape. He fused his love for rock with influences from rap and EDM, experimenting with sound and honing his craft.
Blacklite District's rise was meteoric, marked by chart-topping hits like "With Me Now" in 2014 and "Cold As Ice" in 2018,  Tracks like "Falling" and "Wishing Dead" continued to captivate audiences, showcasing Kyle's evolution as an artist.  
An avid collector of Pokémon memorabilia and a Minecraft enthusiast himself, Kyle discovered a unique channel through which he could connect with his audience: gaming. Collaborating with Minecraft content creators, he unleashed creative music videos, propelling him to fame with the 2018 hit "Cold As Ice." The track amassed over 100 million streams and peaked at number 35 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Chart.  This fusion of gaming culture with his music transformed his live performances into vibrant festivals, where gaming, meet-and-greets, and music seamlessly intertwined.
Blacklite District's rise was meteoric, marked by chart-topping hits like "With Me Now" in 2014 and "Cold As Ice" in 2018.  Tracks like "Falling" and "Wishing Dead" continued to captivate audiences, showcasing Kyle's evolution as an artist.  In 2021, Kyle took a reflective turn with autobiographical tracks like "Live Another Day" and "To Live Is To Suffer," delving into his personal struggles and triumphs. 
His 2022 release entitled 1990 was a return to his Rock roots, and at the close of that year, he added more tracks, making it 1990 XL. Added tracks like “Worldwide Controversy” and “I Gambled and I Won” showcase songs of both trauma and triumph, displaying a clear evolution to Blacklite District’s sound, while still providing a sonic journey for new and old fans alike. “I’d like to do this with all of my previous projects,” he explains. “Adding more songs as an XL edition. It’s a nice way to show how far I’ve come.”
Now, in 2024, Kyle returns with renewed vigor, promising an authentic experience for both new and returning listeners. With his music as his compass, he embarks on a new chapter, staying true to the credo that has guided him from the beginning: to provide genuine and compelling music for all who tune in.
Check out this interview here: https://www.soundspheremag.com/
 

Aaron Bruno comments on AWOLNATION's success, 'The Phantom Five' and growing as an artist

When Soundsphere last spoke with AWOLNATION, ‘Sail’ was the sleeper hit of 2011. The career of frontman and founder Aaron Bruno was changed forever, giving way to a smooth wind of success that has been maintained since. Catching up with Soundsphere in 2024, Bruno is preparing for another transformative period; one in which AWOLNATION is perhaps no more. 
Read the full feature here: https://www.soundspheremag.com/spotlight/aaron-bruno-comments-on-awolnations-success-the-phantom-five-and-growing-up-as-an-artist/
 
 

Mark Davyd on crowdsurfing and creating community with the Music Venue Trust in 2024

In this brand new interview, we chat to Music Venue Trust's Mark Davyd about the organisation's goals for the brand new Cohort tour, and much more. 
Ahead of the release of his EP ‘Dead Forever’, the enigmatic, genre-bending alt rock/metal artist, Kid Brunswick, will embark on the inaugural MVT Cohorts tour, coming to Key Club in Leeds on August 10th. The fourteen-date tour will also include gigs at Grassroots Music Venues in Dundee, Stoke-on-Trent, Huddersfield, Swansea and Southampton before ending at Camden’s Underworld on August 21st.
The MVT Cohorts tour, organised by the charity Music Venue Trust (MVT), is a new initiative aiming to combat the shrinking tour circuit. Increased costs of touring, including fuel, accommodation and transport, and uncertainty about the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on ticket sales, are forcing artists, agents and managers to reduce the financial risks associated with playing extensive nationwide tours. As a result, tours are focusing on major cities and missing out Grassroots Music Venues in hundreds of towns, rural areas and smaller cities across the country; established grassroots venues are no longer being offered touring artists; music fans are no longer able to see their favourite artists, or discover new ones, without travelling to the major cities.
 The MVT Cohorts project will underwrite the costs of the shows, ensuring that both the artists and venues receive a guaranteed fee, removing the financial uncertainty that comes with extending tours in the UK to reach secondary and tertiary markets, thereby allowing the artists to diversify their tours and play outside the major cities and the venues to programme diverse and varied gigs.
 Speaking about the tour Kid Brunswick said “These days, the high costs of everything make it challenging to plan tours beyond major cities, which is really frustrating. Musicians should have the chance to perform nationwide, and fans should be able to enjoy live music without travelling long distances to major cities. Thanks to Music Venue Trust, I've been able to perform in smaller towns I wouldn't have reached otherwise. This tour is amazing, I’m extremely grateful to have this opportunity to play nationwide.”
 For future tours MVT will organise Grassroots Music Venues into ‘Cohorts’ - networks of venues each with its own distinctive identity, facility or approach but which all share a common theme and goal to support touring artists and development. A ‘Cohort’ might denote a group of venues that specialise in certain musical genres, reflect venues with a unique production style, such as seated atmospheric or small capacity, or have specific audience demographics that are underserved. Each ‘Cohort’ will form a preset and agreed touring opportunity which artists, agents, managers and promoters can tap into to support tours reaching those areas currently being left behind, helping to prioritise places and communities most in need of cultural investment.
 Mark Davyd, CEO and Founder Music Venue Trust, said “Everyone in the grassroots sector is talking about the huge decline in artist touring. This is the essential lifeblood of grassroots music venues, and Music Venue Trust is determined to show that the enthusiasm for live music, especially new and original live music, is still as strong as ever. We’ve got to fight back against the concept that live music will only be available in major cities in huge arenas at prices out of reach to most music fans. I’m often asked what music fans can do to support the campaign to keep music live in our communities. Here’s the answer: Get out and see an MVT Cohorts show and let’s prove to the music industry that live music still belongs to all of us.”
 
MVT Cohorts x Kid Brunswick tour dates:
5/8 Beat Generator, Dundee
6/8 Ivory Blacks, Glasgow
7/8 The Cluny 2, Newcastle
8/8 Bootleg Social, Blackpool
10/8 Key Club, Leeds
11/8 Rebellion, Manchester
12/8 Exchange, Bristol
13/8 Parish, Huddersfield
15/8 The Sugarmill, Stoke
16/8 Sin City, Swansea
17/8 The Horn, St Albans
18/8 The Joiners, Southampton
20/8 The Forum, Tunbridge Wells
21/8 The Underworld, London
Music Venue Trust is a UK registered charity which acts to protect, secure, and improve the UK's Grassroots Music Venues.
Created in January 2014, Music Venue Trust aims to secure the long-term future of GMVs in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, whether they are iconic venues such as Hull Adelphi, Exeter Cavern, The 100 Club, Band on the Wall, King Tut’s, and Clwb Ifor Bach, or lesser-known venues that are equally important to their geographical or musical community. These venues play a crucial role in the development of British music, nurturing local talent, providing a platform for artists to build their careers and develop their music and their performance skills.
MVT works to gain recognition of the essential role these venues fulfil, not only for artist development but also for the cultural and music industries, the economy, and local communities. The geographical spread of GMVs provides access to live music, for both performers and audience members, in many locations that do not have alternative cultural venues. The charity provides advice to the government, the cultural sector, and the music industry on issues impacting GMVs and is the nominated representative that speaks on behalf of the Music Venues Alliance, an association of venues from across the UK.