LATEST INTERVIEWS - PAGE 16

Interview: Ali Tabatabaee and Adrian Estrella of Zebrahead

Zebrahead
Adam Grundy

A lot has changed in the world of Zebrahead since I last connected with Ali Tabatabaee. The band recently announced that longtime guitarist and front-man, Matty Lewis, had left the band, the pandemic rocked these road veterans touring plans, and the punk rockers were looking for a way to pick up the pieces in searching for their next lead singer of Zebrahead. Enter Adrian Estrella (front-man of Assuming We Survive) to take the coveted reins of the band as they begin their third chapter. In this interview, Ali and Adrian discuss the circumstances that led to Matty Lewis leaving Zebrahead, why the band chose Adrian to move forward with the recording of their new album and upcoming touring plans, as well as what they both think the future holds in store for this latest exciting version of the band.

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Interview: Missy Dabice of Mannequin Pussy

Mannequin Pussy
Drew Beringer

Like many artists this past year, 2020 was a challenging one for Mannequin Pussy. Just a few months removed from releasing Patience – their first record for Epitaph Records – the world was shut down by COVID-19. After discovering that creating new music in a socially distant type of way wasn’t working, the Philadelphia-based trio booked time at Will Yip’s Studio 4 to spark some creativity. What emerged was the Perfect EP – a five-track collection that showcases the best of Mannequin Pussy’s sound while also displaying a tenderness within. From the booming passion of “Control” and “To Lose You” to the abrasive thrash of the title track and “Pigs is Pigs,” Mannequin Pussy continues to evolve their style in incredibly special and diverse ways. Below, guitarist/vocalist Missy Dabice and I discuss being creative during a global pandemic, working with Yip, and “Drunk II” (of course).

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Interview: Tyler Posey and Mike Henneberger

Tyler Posey and Mike Henneberger
Adam Grundy

This past week, I was fortunate enough to re-connect with author Mike Henneberger who wrote Rock Bottom at the Renaissance: An Emo Kid’s Journey Through Falling In and Out of Love In and With New York City. Mike Henneberger chose veteran actor/musician Tyler Posey to record the audiobook, that has recently been released. In this interview, Mike, Tyler and I discuss the importance of working consistently on our mental health, the process Tyler went through for recording this audiobook and what made this project different than being on screen, and also how Mike has been constantly promoting his memoir in hopes that others will benefit from his story.

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Interview: Jesse Barnett of Trade Wind

Trade Winds
Adam Grundy

Recently I was able to connect with lead vocalist of Trade Wind, Jesse Barnett, before his band’s release of their new album called The Day We Got What We Deserved. The album comes out this Friday via Other People Records and we discussed everything that went into the new record. I asked Jesse about Trade Wind’s strengths, what they draw on for inspiration, and what stood out most looking back on these writing sessions.

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Interview: January Jane and Matt Pinfield

January Jane
Adam Grundy

Recently I was able to schedule a Zoom interview with BMG’s newly signed pop rock band from New York City, called January Jane. The band is comprised of vocalist Pat Via, guitarist Mitch Mitchell, and keyboardist Peter Scialla. This great new band was discovered by music scene legend, Matt Pinfield, and in this interview I learned how January Jane got started and the crazy circumstances that led to Pinfield working closely with the band. I asked January Jane about their strengths as artists, their songwriting process, and how they would describe their live show. The band released a new music video today for their single ”Versions of You” off of their upcoming EP Your Drug, that will be released everywhere music is sold this summer. Read our full conversation where I describe January Jane as being one hit song away from being at the tip of everyone’s tongue.

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Interview: Tanner Merritt

Tanner Merritt
Mary Varvaris

A lot has changed since I caught up with O’Brother last year. For one, touring again is a possibility for the band – over 105 million Americans have been fully vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus, which brings the country closer to post-pandemic normal. For vocalist Tanner Merritt, he has written a ton of new solo material due to monumental personal loss. Last year, O’Brother was riding high: They had released their long-awaited fourth album, You and I, to unanimous praise and incredible sales for a newly independent band. 

The album relished space and classical guitars while intentionally leaving vague lyrics to listeners’ imaginations. As beautiful as You and I is, there was a dark undercurrent beneath the track “What We’ve Lost.” A kind of follow-up to Endless Light’s “Black Hole,” Merritt needed an outlet to write about his father, Cyrus’s decade-long fight with Alzheimer’s disease. Then COVID hit, and Merritt spent most of the year in total isolation alongside his mother, watching his father’s condition worsen until he passed away on November 4, 2020, two days after his 63rd birthday. 

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Interview: Brett Detar of The Juliana Theory

Juliana Theory
Adam Grundy

This week I was excited to connect with Brett Detar (vocalist) of The Juliana Theory to discuss what went into making their expansive re-imagining of past songs called A Dream Away, out everywhere today. In this interview I asked Brett about the longevity of the band and its legacy, what stood out from the recording process of these songs that made the album, as well as the band’s relationship with their new label Equal Vision Records.

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Interview: Cameron Walker of Twin XL

Twin XL
Adam Grundy

This past week I was able to chat with Cameron Walker (vocalist/guitarist) of the alternative rock band Twin XL. We discussed how he and the band has stayed active during the pandemic, their process for writing songs lately, and what he and his bandmates’ are most looking forward to once he’s able to tour again. Twin XL has steadily been releasing new music this year, and they look forward to what the future holds for them.

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Interview: Adult Mom

Adult Mom
Drew Beringer

It’s been quite a long journey for Stevie Knipe to release their third album, Driver. After calling out royalty discrepancies and other issues with former label Tiny Engines and being granted the release from their contract, a pandemic shut down our world and further delayed the release of the album. But armed with a new perspective and a new label in Epitaph Records along with the support system of their partner (and drummer) Olivia Battell and guitarist Allegra Eidinger, Knipe is ready to unleash Driver to the masses – a record that elevates Adult Mom’s knack for infectious and poignant indie-rock to new levels. Here, Knipe and I discuss Driver’s sonic diversity, being a non-binary role model, and our favorite show Grey’s Anatomy.

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Interview: Ben Walsh of Tigers Jaw

Tigers Jaw
Drew Beringer

Tigers Jaw’s new album I Won’t Care How You Remember Me serves as a re-introduction to the Scranton, PA band. For starters, guitarist Colin Gorman and drummer Teddy Roberts were made permanent members, solidifying the band as a quartet once again. But the biggest wrinkle was including Gorman and Roberts in the songwriting mix with original members Ben Walsh and Brianna Collins – fostering a more lively and collaborative setting for the record and resulting in Tigers Jaw’s most ambitious and personal album in their discography. Tracks like “Can’t Wait Forever” and “Lemon Mouth” showcase the new writing dynamic while the title track serves as an all-time highlight – a song that uses its slow build and Andy Hull guest vocals to set the tone of the record. “I think having a group dialogue about each song, and what ideas we had to make each one special and have a distinctive place on the record, was super beneficial to creating something that sounds fresh but still feels authentically like Tigers Jaw” says Walsh. Below, we discussed working with Will Yip, how the Andy Hull collaboration came about, and I Won’t Care How You Remember Me’s writing process.

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Interview: Brian McTernan of Be Well

Be Well
Adam Grundy

Recently I had a chance to talk with Brian McTernan (producer, vocalist) of Be Well. McTernan has a storied past of producing legendary records from bands such as Thrice (Illusion of Safety, The Artist in the Ambulance), The Movielife (Forty Hour Train Back to Penn), and Senses Fail (Still Searching, Life is Not a Waiting Room). These are just a few of the many producer credits to McTernan’s name, and we discussed his process for producing bands as well the advice he would give to young producers looking to make their unique stamp on an album. Not to be lost in the shuffle, Brian McTernan also released a solid album from a project called Be Well this past summer, and he shared his favorite tracks from The Weight and The Cost, and what he’s most looking forward to once its safe to tour again.

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Interview: J.R. of Less Than Jake

Adam Grundy

During the week of the release of the new Less Than Jake record, Silver Linings, I had the chance to sit down with J.R. to discuss everything that went into the recording process of the new album. The conversation also captured J.R.’s perspective on looking back on his band’s album anniversaries, what he misses most about touring and the venues he’s played at, as well what he draws inspiration from to continue his growth as an artist.

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Interview: Stephanie Ashworth of Something For Kate

Something for Kate
Mary Varvaris

Something For Kate should be held with the highest regard for what makes the city of Melbourne so great, alongside our coffee, world-class research facilities, and richly diverse communities. The trio was formed in Melbourne in 1994, with singer and lead guitarist, Paul Dempsey; drummer Clint Hyndman, and Julian Carroll on bass guitar. After the release of the band’s 1997 debut album, Elsewhere for 8 Minutes, Carroll left the band after recently getting married and relocating to rural Australia. He was then replaced by Toby Ralph, who wasn’t the best fit for Something For Kate. In 1998, Stephanie Ashworth joined the band after the disbandment of the short-lived indie rock band, Sandpit. Upon early recording sessions with the lineup of Dempsey, Hyndman, and Ashworth, Dempsey remarked, “We’ve just been lucky because we’ve got this really natural chemistry between the three of us… We’ve finally got the right combination of people and we’re collaborating the way a band should.” 

To date, Something For Kate has released seven albums. The first album recorded with Ashworth on bass, Beautiful Sharks (1999) reached the top 10 of the ARIA Albums Chart; as did Echolalia (2001) and Leave Your Soul to Science (2012). The Official Fiction (2003) and Desert Lights (2006) sat pretty atop the ARIA Albums Chart. Their first album in eight years, The Modern Medieval; released last month, debuted at #4 on the Albums Chart. I chatted with Stephanie Ashworth on a surprisingly chilly day in Melbourne last week, and it’s a conversation I won’t soon forget. 

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