The Soundsphere Magazine Podcast

“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.

Peter Hook talks Substance, Longevity, and his Favourite New Order LP

True to name, Peter Hook & The Light (formed in 2010) illuminates a catalogue left to collect dust. With the colourful electronics of New Order came resistance to the band’s past life as Manchester’s finest post-punks. Upon splitting for good in 2007, Hook sought to reverse this trajectory through The Light. Consequently, the atmosphere of their shows is one of pure celebration; from Ian Curtis to Tony Wilson, Rob Gretton to Martin Hannett, Factory folklore comes positively to life. 
More here: https://www.soundspheremag.com/features/peter-hook-talks-substance-longevity-and-his-favourite-new-order-lp/

The Howl And The Hum's Sam Griffiths discusses 'Same Mistake Twice', moving on from 'Human Contact'

#leeds #thehowlandthehum #indierock Dom Smith talks to Sam Griffiths about moving on from the old version of The Howl and The Hum, to form something new, and beautiful on the new album 'Same Mistake Twice'. We talk Sam's personal, and artistic inspirations, and much more.
The Howl & The Hum, the project helmed by Leeds-based songwriter Sam Griffiths, have released the bracing & honest new single ‘No Calories In Cocaine’; the second track taken from the much-anticipated second album, ‘Same Mistake Twice’ which will be released on 6th September via Miserable Disco. A searching, confessional slice of alt-folk that conjures the bleak, lo-fi introspection of Bill Callahan before erupting into Flaming Lips-fuelled synth-pop delirium, ‘No Calories In Cocaine’’s nervous energy and short but sweet runtime belie the struggle, pain and chaos of a tumultuous few years for Griffiths. As a follow up to The Howl & The Hum’s 2020 debut, the awkwardly titled ‘Human Contact’, ‘Same Mistake Twice’ is Griffiths confronting all the monumental and life-changing challenges that have since been thrown his way. From the original incarnation of the band breaking up in front of his eyes to living through the pandemic and wrestling with the uncertainties of a creative future, ‘Same Mistake Twice’ is 12 tracks of Griffiths’ most direct and disarming work to date.
Unafraid to air his anxieties in public, Griffiths explores the idea of image, including the ones we project and the not-so-secret impressions that others have of us, as he ultimately asks of himself; am I a good person? As somewhat blatantly evidenced in ‘No Calories In Cocaine’, the answer is a complicated ‘no’, but the strength behind asking questions like that marks that crucial first step towards redemption, liberation and regrowth. Having worked with like-minded songwriters Elanor Moss and Matthew Herd (Seafarers) alongside producer Joseph Futak (Tapir!, Lilo), Griffiths’ channels the frank, raw energy of the likes of Big Thief and Phoebe Bridgers through the self-reflective candour of country greats such as John Prine and Townes Van Zandt to create a work of staggering musical highs and lows that serves as the perfect companion to his captivating tales of late night euphoria and everyday existential dread. In being honest to a fault, Griffiths’ finds kinship and comfort in the chaos of modern life; because, at the end of the day, haven’t we all made the same mistake twice somewhere along the way? ‘Same Mistake Twice’ is set for release September 6th 2024. Sam Griffiths (The Howl & The Hum) on ‘No Calories in Cocaine’: “
This is a song about the lengths we go to lie to ourselves. It was partially written on the stagger-back from a night out, with some lines taken from actual excuses I had given myself, and the dawning realisation that maybe some of my reasoning wasn’t as solid as I thought.”
Live Dates: 13 NOV | Gorilla, Manchester 14 NOV | King Tut’s, Glasgow 15 NOV | Leeds Irish Centre, Leeds 16 NOV | O2 institute 3, Birmingham 18 NOV | The Lantern, Bristol 19 NOV | Lafayette, London 21 NOV, Muziekgieterij, Maastricht 22 NOV | Luxor, Cologne 24 NOV | Trix Club, Antwerp 25 NOV | Paradiso Tolhuistuin, Amsterdam 26 NOV | Das Bett, Frankfurt 28 NOV | Hole 44, Berlin 29 NOV | Molotov, Hamburg
Image: Stewart Baxter

Fridtjof Nilsen and Kim Nordbæk reflect on SPAN's first UK show in 20 years, 'Mass Distraction'

#span #massdistraction #london
Rock band SPAN return with long-awaited reunion through 2024, including their first and final UK show in over 20 years at the O2 Academy Islington, London.
By arrangement with SJM Concerts and Solo Agency, tickets go on sale this Friday (19 July) at 10am BST via https://tix.to/spanldn. SPAN was widely known for their energetic live performances and catchy rock anthems. They were one of the most popular rock bands in Norway from the early 2000s and dominated live venues and festivals both at home and abroad.
SPAN recently made a comeback with two concerts at Rockefeller in Oslo, both of which sold out instantly. On Monday 23 September, they will play their first and final show in the UK in 20 years at O2 Islington Academy, London. The early 2000s was a golden age in Norwegian rock. SPAN had spent 10 years on the road both in Norway and the UK, when they released their debut album Mass Distraction in 2004. The album went gold in Norway and was well received by both fans and critics. SPAN was hailed as a Norwegian success story with an international appeal. This was confirmed by record deals with Island Records in the UK and Interscope in the US. Mass Distraction was produced by Foo Fighters producer Gil Norton and mixed by Kevin Shirley, who has produced everything from Aerosmith to Iron Maiden. SPAN spent way too many hours in the rehearsal room to become the tightest rock band on the scene. And even though the Norwegian cred-police had their reservations with the band’s lack of tattoos and their stellar work ethic, hundreds of sold out shows with screaming fans spoke for itself. Everyone had their own opinions about the band, and they got a lot of press coverage, both home and abroad, in magazines like NME, Rolling Stone and Kerrang.
After 15 years of sweaty backstages, thousands of miles in the van and too many signed boobs, the band split up in 2005. Now they are doing a reunion through 2024 - and doing their very last round in the ring, ending for good in Trondheim, Norway in October. 
Find out more here: https://www.soundspheremag.com/news/span-reflects-on-first-and-final-european-tour-in-two-decades/