Dive into the World of Poolgirl

Poolgirl by Alice L’arrivée (from left to right: Laura Clark, Gwenna Pirozzi, Manya Ziemiecki, Miranda Powell-New, and Rachel Bradbury)

At 7:41 PM on June 11th, 2023, classical flute student Gwenna Pirozzi tweeted that they were “very serious about starting band now” and asked anyone interested to hit them up with what instrument they play. Several tweets and Instagram story callouts later, Rachel Bradbury, Gwenna Pirozzi, Miranda Powell-New, Manya Ziemiecki, and Laura Clark came together to form what would soon be known as Poolgirl: an emerging alternative rock band based in Montreal/Tiohtià:ke.

One of the group’s most frequently asked questions is about their name, which happens to be the inverse of Girlpool, a now-disbanded indie rock band. To clear things up, percussionist Bradbury—who has seen Girlpool in concert—says that they “zero percent thought of” Girlpool when brainstorming band names, and were mainly working off of Notes app lists of words everyone thought would sound cool. With T-shirts depicting a woman lounging in a swimming pool juxtaposed with lyrics capturing the joy of “drinking beer and playing pool,” the band says it’s up to the listener to decide what the name means to them.

Nearly a year and a half after Pirozzi’s aspirational tweet, Poolgirl has released their first EP, racked up thousands of streams on Spotify, played the internationally-acclaimed POP Montreal music festival, and developed a loyal following of 20-something-year-olds with dyed hair and facial piercings who shout along with the band all across the city. From the smoke-laden atmosphere of Traxide to the vibrantly graffitied concrete slabs of the Van Horne Underpass, Poolgirl never fails to curate a safe and welcoming concert environment. This is a result of the band’s creation of their own space in a scene that often tends to be dominated by men. Instead of attempting to break into a scene they had no interest in belonging to, Poolgirl has instead forged their own path. This includes booking their own shows, often “with [their] people,” and playing benefit concerts for organizations whose values align with theirs, such as Rock Camp Montréal, a nonprofit organization that empowers girls, trans kids, and queer kids through music.

Poolgirl performing at Batiment 7 by Judy Yun

With only two released singles in their repertoire, the band was selected to perform at POP Montreal, a five-day-long music, film, and visual art festival that invites acts from all over the globe to play at over 50 venues across the city. When Powell-New, who applied on behalf of Poolgirl, broke the good news to the rest of the band, everyone was “screaming with joy.” In addition to delivering an electrifying performance at Mile End’s Quai des brumes on September 28th, being accepted meant seeing their name on the POP Montréal advertisements on the metro and the festival’s iconic beer cans. Balancing festival performances with school and work can be hectic but the band agrees that they “wouldn’t trade the experience for the world.”

Playfully titled I Can’t Swim, Poolgirl’s debut EP is a four-track testament to the band’s artistic versatility. Although the majority of the songs they perform tend to transform every venue into one large moshpit, new tracks “Lucy” and “Pool Party” offer a glimpse into the group’s more mellow side. With the upbeat, anger-fueled tracks “Charity” and “POS,” the EP is an eclectic mixture of rage, queer joy, and somber melodies. Beginning with the cover, a collage designed together by all five band members, the EP is a collaborative effort from start to finish. Although the bulk of the lyrics are composed by Powell-New, the band ties everything together with very open communication, allowing every member to offer their input. With artistic influences ranging from indie duo Wet Leg to riot grrrl pioneers Bikini Kill, and educational music backgrounds including classical voice training and percussion performance, I Can’t Swim weaves these differences together to form a cohesive and catchy EP. 

Along with the new EP, Poolgirl fans can expect new merch and music videos, in addition to a full-length album in the future. However, Poolgirl will be on hiatus from around February to April 2025 to focus on songwriting. The band plans to use this time to jam and work on new music but will not be playing any shows. That being said, make sure to take a dip on January 18th at Batiment 7, which will be Poolgirl’s last show before the hiatus. 

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I Can’t Swim

Released December 6th, 2024

1. Lucy

2. Charity 

3. Pool Party

4. POS

All songs by Poolgirl 

Gwenna Pirozzi - Bass

Miranda Powell-New - Vocals

Manya Ziemiecki - Rhythm Guitar & Background Vocals 

Rachel Bradbury - Percussion

Laura Clark - Guitar

Matt Sagar - Recording

Mixing & Mastering - Sarah Harris 

Artwork by Poolgirl

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Poolgirl

Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify | Youtube

Maggie Caroddo (they/them) is a lesbian writer and film fanatic originally from Long Island/Lenape Land and currently based in Montréal/Tiohtià:ke.

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The Dandy Warhols Go The Distance at Le Studio TD

The Dandy Warhols’ setup at Le Studio TD

2024 marks 30 years of The Dandy Warhols. The Portland psych-rock group have achieved a truly remarkable feat, with 11 studio albums and two compilations thrown into the mix. But with such a legacy comes the responsibility to uphold it, which poses its own challenges; many musicians hide behind the enduring glow of their greatest hits, while others grasp so tightly onto the notion of reinvention that it slips through their fingers. Where do the Dandy Warhols go from here? 

Last night at Le Studio TD, they attempted to chart this very course. Montreal marked the halfway point of The Dandy Warhols’ Spring 2024 tour, with this stop falling just days before the release of their twelfth record ROCKMAKER. An occasion full of promise for the Dandys and their devotees – and one that fortunately (mainly) delivered.

The Dandy Warhols capitalized on a roaring welcome by settling nicely into “Ride,” dousing the audience with a sea of shoegaze. Keyboardist/percussionist Zia McCabe commanded the stage all night, handling multiple instruments with ease as her auburn hair billowed in the air. Moving through the ROCKMAKER single “I’d Like To Help You With Your Problem” and synth-disco smasher “We Used To Be Friends” felt similarly organic.

Zia McCabe of The Dandy Warhols

Zia McCabe of The Dandy Warhols

Despite the heavy fluorescent haze, the middle of the set is where things hit a slump. For something that boasts such a distinctive distortion, new tune “Danzig with Myself” (a Frank Black collab) felt lost in the shuffle. A string of Dandy classics seemed to melt into each other, though fans who prefer the band at their breeziest may not have minded. I was grateful for the jolt of B-52’s-esque “The Summer of Hate” and the clarity of “The Last High” to lift the spell. At least Courtney Taylor-Taylor’s obligatory French quips proved charming to the crowd, with the lead vocalist joking that he was working his way up to “chewing out a waiter.” Priorities!

Judging by the resounding reaction, it was the seething bite of “Godless” that brought the Dandy Warhols back to where they needed to be. Just in time, too, for the sticky-sweet “Bohemian Like You” deserved such respect. (I am a Gen-Z music writer – I would be remiss if I did not attach great significance to the soundtracks of DreamWorks Animation films.)

Brent DeBoer and Courtney Taylor-Taylor of The Dandy Warhols

17 songs later, many fans would have been content to keep going, but McCabe drew the night to a close on her MS-20. “Let’s not wait so long,” urged McCabe, offering “je t’aime” before she departed the stage. While several people scattered around to try and find Taylor-Taylor’s guitar pick, other groups could be heard eagerly speculating on ROCKMAKER’s sound. 30 years have come and gone, but the Dandy Warhols continue to juggle an illustrious catalogue with that trademark satirical spark.

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The Dandy Warhols

Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify

Rebecca Judd is the features editor of Also Cool Mag.

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Tessa Fleur's "The Hell of It All" is a Slice of Alt-Folk Paradise

Summer’s sun may have faded in the Northern Hemisphere, but time stands still against the honey-soaked harmonies of Tessa Fleur. After Fleur’s debut single “Sunset Melancholy” charmed the likes of triple j Unearthed, Brisbane’s alt-folk songstress is back with “The Hell of It All” – a breezy track that defines her captivating approach to internal transformation.

Produced by Alistair Richardson, “The Hell of It All” mixes the comforts of 70s nostalgia with Fleur’s refreshing lyric vulnerability. Fleur’s angelic vocals glide overtop of a striding beat and the indulgent twinge of slide guitar, evoking hints of Fleetwood Mac. Presenting an effective combination of wisdom and whimsy, “The Hell of It All” makes for a worthy addition to your daily mix.

Heightening the sensations behind “The Hell of It All” is an entrancing music video, directed by long-time collaborators Allisa Tsukimori and Oliver Marshall. Between swoops of vintage lace and Ford Cortinas, Fleur concocts an intriguing story that finds her at the centre of a devoted cult. Viewers are taken on a journey that explores the concept of falling into your deepest truths, an experience that Fleur summarizes as “indoctrinating yourself into your own cult”.

The video took over 12 months to conceptualize and execute, ensuring the strongest realization of Fleur’s vision. Spotted along the way are the artist’s friends, family and fellow creatives – a tribute to the village of support that has carried her this far. Fleur also takes pride in the video’s ethical decisions, with all materials, designs and props made locally sourced or hand-crafted. “Collaborating with local businesses and creatives is something I’m heavily passionate about,” Fleur explains. “More than ever, we need to support our local businesses and creative community.”

Get lost in the dreamy disposition of Tessa Fleur, and figure yourself out along the way.

Watch “The Hell of It All” below!

Tessa Fleur

Instagram | Facebook | Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube

Rebecca Judd is the features editor of Also Cool Mag.

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Marilyne Lacombe (Mothland, Taverne Tour, DISTORSION, FME) Talks Music Industry Beginnings and Montreal's Alternative Music Scene

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Image courtesy of Marilyne Lacombe

Live music is back with a vengeance, thanks to hardworking folks like Marilyne Lacombe. If you haven’t met Lacombe at L’Ésco already, you’ve definitely attended one of her brainchild events. For over a decade, Lacombe and her entourage have cultivated pillar projects at the core of Montreal’s alternative music scene, including Taverne Tour and DISTORSION psych-fest, as well as booking agency and indie label Mothland. We had the chance to meet Lacombe IRL at this year’s edition of FME, and catch her in action as a festival programmer and producer. Between sets, Lacombe graciously took the time to chat with us about her career beginnings, starting a label during a pandemic and her must-have essentials for any festival go-er. Check out our conversation with Lacombe below! 

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter for Also Cool: Hi Marilyne! Thanks so much for chatting with Also Cool. To start, you've been around the block when it comes to the music biz. Tell us about your intro to this career path.

Marilyne Lacombe: I started to book shows in Montreal in 2008 when I was in charge of the music programming at Chez Baptiste sur Masson. Back then, the bar presented shows every week!  I had this idea of doing an alternative “St-Jean” that would celebrate the contemporary Montreal indie scene, in opposition to the nostalgia medley traditionally presented at Parc Maisonneuve. Then, “L’Autre St-Jean” was born. It created a whole media and political circus, as we were criticized for adding anglophone bands to the lineup. In the end, it really helped put the event on the map, and during the course of  five editions, we had close to 10,000 visitors coming every year at Parc du Pelican in Rosemont. We sadly had to end it because of the lack of funding; we were honestly taking huge financial risks for a one-day event.

A couple years later, I founded a multi-venue festival called Taverne Tour with my partner from “feu” L’Autre St-Jean, Pierre Thibault. Initially, it was just about creating a fun festival in the middle of winter that doesn’t take itself too seriously and trying to cure that January depression, all the while supporting small local businesses. The response was so great that it quickly became a staple in Montreal’s festival circuit. Over the years, we’ve presented some of my favorite bands, including: Deerhoof, METZ, A Place To Bury Strangers, Föllakzoid and Guerilla Toss, just to name a few.  

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Image via Taverne Tour

Also Cool: When did Mothland come into the mix?

Marilyne Lacombe: Around the time of Tavern Tour, I joined some like-minded people —gravitating around L’Esco— and together we founded DISTORSION. We wanted to present a well-organized, independent, underground psych festival with modern and diversified art direction.  We quickly gathered a community around the festival and eventually, we decided to start Mothland to help further the bands that we were working with, as no other booking agency would work with them.  Back then, I was pretty adamant of not transforming this into a label… But when COVID-19 hit the music industry, we weren’t all that keen on organizing livestream events, as we felt they would not really connect with our audience… So. starting a label was a great way to move forward with our mission.  I’m not sure how we got here so quickly, but we’re currently working on our 17th release!

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Image via Mothland

Also Cool: That’s amazing! Segwaying off of that, let’s talk about this year’s edition of FME, which was a long-awaited return to live music. Seeing as music festivals are certainly you're thing; what makes FME stand-out and what was your involvement with the festival? 

Marilyne Lacombe: I started programming for FME four years ago. At the time, I would book a handful of weirdo and wild card bands on the lineup. As of 2020, I've been directing the programming with the support of my Mothland colleagues. Since the festival is mainly focusing on new acts and music discoveries, we have almost infinite artistic leeway and are able to put forth cutting edge programming. The festival has been running for almost 20 years now and over the time, has built a solid and trustful relationship with the artistic community across Europe and North America. It’s truly an honour to take on curation duties for such a great event!

I think there is something very magical about FME. Doing the annual 8-hour pilgrimage to a remote mining town, up in northern Quebec, for 4 days of music, is always a highlight of the year. If you compare it to similar festivals in Montreal, I feel like there are so many other distractions. During FME, people really have one thing to focus on; going to concerts to discover new music. There is also something exciting about bringing international acts and inviting them to this northern region of Quebec, as they would never end up there otherwise. I also love that the local community is deeply involved in the festival, making it a communal event where everybody chips in! 

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Image via FME

 AC: What was it like programming the festival this year and what acts were your favourite?

ML: There is something really weird and exciting about programming a festival in COVID times. Usually, you’d see pretty much all the bands live before booking them. This year, we programmed many artists that we’d never seen live!  Though it was a bit risky, I was really pleased with taking the leap overall. I loved seeing Toronto’s kulintang ensemble, Pantayo, for the first time; ‘’mockasin-gaze’’ outfit Zoon; Quebec-Atikamekw grungy indie-folk artist Laura Niquay; Jangle-pop duo Ducks Ltd.; and canadian shoegaze veteran No Joy.

AC: What are your music festival essentials that you can't live without during festival season? 

ML: Well, since we’re talking about FME here, I could not survive without my fall clothing essentials: a lot of sweaters, jackets, mittens, hats, and scarves! Fortunately this year wasn’t too bad, but I always come prepared because it has literally snowed during FME weekends in the past.

Other than that, I always have an iconic Taverne Tour flask in my bag, which also helps with the cold weather!

AC: In closing, are there any other current projects that you're working on that you'd like to shout out? 

ML: Definitely check out Mothland’s upcoming releases! I can’t tell you too much about them, but we really have some badass releases coming down the pipeline! Also, we’re preparing for the return of live music events in Montreal… Stay tuned! 

Taverne Tour

Website | Facebook | Instagram

DISTORSION

Website | Facebook | Instagram

Mothland

Website I Facebook I Instagram

FME

Website | Facebook | Instagram

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter (she/her) is the co-founder and managing editor of Also Cool Mag. Aside from the mag, she is a music promoter & booker, and a radio host & DJ.

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Sometimes Alienating, But Always Fascinating: Suuns' Joe Yarmush Reflects on New Album "The Witness" (Secret City Records)

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Suuns, shot by Will-Lew May

Montreal’s Suuns opened their first show in nearly two years at l’Impérial Bell in Quebec City, a setting which guitarist Joe Yarmush describes as “an old-timey nightclub, where a crooner would play.” Yarmush highlighted the experience as something the avant-garde trio isn’t used to, but went on to liken it to riding a bike: “It’s weird at first, but it’s also very familiar on a lot of levels,” he says. “And it’s more familiar than I would have thought.”

The band’s ongoing tour supports their newest offering The Witness, which was released on September 3rd, 2021. The LP’s 38-minute runtime opens and closes with the sounds of swarming cicadas, and contains elements of dark techno, contemplative multi-interpretive lyricism and colourful synthesizers all-throughout. The result is something that is sometimes alienating, but always fascinating.

During our phone call, Yarmush clarified the meaning of their album’s title, explaining that their music focuses much more on the act of witnessing in and of itself, rather than witnessing any specific thing or event.

“Now, in our civilization and society, we witness stuff that even 50 years ago we wouldn’t have seen,” Yarmush says. “When anything happens in the world, we see it immediately. Everything’s filmed, everything is being shown… How do we choose to react to things in these circumstances? Do we lose our capability to react to things that would have been appalling to us a mere few decades ago?” Yarmush and fellow Suuns members are echoing a sentiment that is all too prevalent in the 21st century: That we are becoming desensitized to the world and losing interest in major global events as soon as the next shocking headline pops-up on our newsfeed.

Exploring themes of desensitization is not new for Suuns, who have been channeling existential philosophy through free-form rock compositions since their formation in 2007. Still, Yarmush believes that “there’s something pointedly different about The Witness,” saying that all three band members could sense this difference from the moment it was being recorded to the time of its September release. 

Yarmush and company are not the only ones picking up on this shift. Pitchfork describes The Witness as the band’s “most cohesive album yet,” and Cult MTL praises the album’s “fresh, offbeat sound and poetic insight.” This might be attributed to the band feeding into a desire to explore; which becomes more restless with each new year.

When asked to what extent the genre of science fiction informs their work, Yarmush explains: “While it might not necessarily be dystopian, the concept of the future is definitely a recurring theme in a lot of our music.” In a purely musical sense, Yarmush describes his band as constantly trying to propel themselves towards the future, doing something new and unimaginable each time they enter the studio for a recording session. “We never do throwbacks or purposely try to recreate a genre in a new way, even though we might put older, more traditional elements into our music from time to time.”

“In many ways [Suuns] has stayed the same, but we’ve also evolved drastically,” says Yarmush, reflecting on how the band has developed over time. “We were four members for twelve years, with very distinct musical voices. We really felt the change after Max Henry, our former bassist, left… and the band has certainly been heading in a new direction.” Yarmush fondly recalls forming the band with vocalist Ben Shemie in his mid-20s, saying: “It’s crazy to believe that I’m now in my 40s… I feel like Suuns is only starting out now in a lot of ways, even though that’s not the case, and we are very different from when we first started out.” He elaborates by saying that when he listens to their 2016 album Hold/Still, he feels as though he is observing a previous version of the band from a distance. “There are distinct contrasts between the band that made that album, and the band that just released The Witness,” he says.

For Yarmush, the process of creating, recording and subsequently performing music can be best described as a spiritual experience. When asked about whether he feels more validation during the creation or the performance of his music, he replies: “The two feed off of each other,” and are thus inseparable. “Both can speak volumes regarding an individual or a group’s musical legacy,” he adds. “Records will live on longer than performances, but there’s something really cool about playing a show. Because as soon as it ends, it just disappears.”

Suuns, shot by Will-Lew May

Suuns has existed for more than a decade now, blending experimentation with indie-rock, and method with madness. There is a thread which weaves through the experimental post-rock chaos of their works, and though The Witness marks their fifth studio album, the band shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. “People are starting to get us more,” says Yarmush. “And we’re starting to get us more. On our latest album, we’ve begun to understand something about our band, which was always elusive before. I think people are reacting positively to that.”

Luckily for Suuns listeners in Quebec and Europe, the band will be spending the next two months touring across the globe. They will be ending the French-Canadian portion of their tour later this week in Gatineau, and will proceed to spend October and November visiting Belgium, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and beyond. For more information on tour dates, visit their website.

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Suuns

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Spencer Nafekh is a tireless reader, writer, editor, and advocate for the written word. With an undergraduate degree in Concordia's English and Creative Writing program imminent, he plans to pursue a Master's specialization in journalism so that he can fully realize his career path. When Spencer is not working away, he is probably listening to experimental music while lost in the world of a science fiction novel.

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Mindfulness and Magic: How Nyssa Has Been Keeping Busy During the Pandemic

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Nyssa, shot by Ron Hollywood

Toronto-based musician Nyssa has been writing and performing songs since she was 12 years old, with her musical influences covering a wide range of generations and a plethora of musical genres. These sources of inspiration are clear in her 2020 album Girls Like Me, an insightful exploration of gender-based expectations that dips between post-punk and glam rock, incorporating hints of folk in its more reflective moments. Girls Like Me was recently nominated for the 2021 Polaris Long List, and we are keeping our fingers crossed for Nyssa. We got the chance to catch up with Nyssa to chat about rock n’ roll storytelling, dream journaling and working with Meg Remy of U.S. Girls on her latest track.

Spencer Nafekh for Also Cool: Hi Nyssa! As an introductory question, I was curious if you could say a little bit more about your artist name? I looked a little more into the name “Nyssa,” and the first thing that came up was a Wikipedia page for a Doctor Who character. Is this where you’ve gotten the name from?

Nyssa: Actually, Nyssa is my birth name! I’m of Irish and Scottish descent, but my mom read the name in a book and really appreciated it. Apparently it’s ancient Greek for “a new beginning,” and there’s also the bonus of the Doctor Who character, an ewok in the Star Wars universe, and a tree found in North America. I figured that because I have a first name that sounds like a “one name” thing, I would use it as a stage-name. This puts a healthy pressure on me not to let myself down, because at the end of the day, I don’t want to change my name: I’ve got something to live up to.

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Nyssa, shot by Ron Hollywood

Also Cool: Personally, I find that Girls Like Me is an album with a uniquely cool post-punk sound to it - I hear hints of bands like The Cure and Bauhaus. I’d like to take this opportunity to pop in a “generic music question”: What kind of music did you listen to growing up? What inspires you now, and are there any artists or albums that you’ve heard as of lately and just absolutely need to put people onto?

N: Growing up, my mom and dad both separately listened to a lot of rock n’ roll. My mom was a big Rolling Stones fan, so that was a big presence in the house; same with Neil Young, Elvis, Johnny Cash, Liz Phair, Lucinda Williams, and Sinéad O'Connor. I’ve been thinking about this recently, and it’s funny how all my favourite artists from childhood that my mom introduced me to are still essentially my favourite artists: Lucinda Williams’ Car Wheels on a Gravel Road and Liz Phair’s Exile in Guyville are still two of my favourite albums of all time.

With Girls Like Me, I was basically trying to make my own version of storytelling rock n’ roll without using traditional rock n’ roll instrumentation; relying more heavily on Ableton and sample work, and not so much on guitar. I wanted to incorporate influences like Bruce Springsteen, and fuse rock n’ roll with soul and country music. It’s hard to put into words, but I’ve always been attracted to squishy, fuzzy, and crunchy sounds. My background in garage rock informs that, but I didn’t want Girls Like Me to sound like garage rock at all. Having access to samples and the ability to manipulate them was what really allowed me to get the unique sound that I was looking for.

AC: Would you say that your latest track “It's A Nice World To Visit (But Not To Live In)” is a direct response to the pandemic lifestyle? It seems different from your previous works, in terms of its slow buildup and its spooky synth-pop vibe… Do you see this track as an experimental anomaly or does it mark a transition in the vibe of the music you want to make?

N: My song is actually a loose cover of this 60’s Lee Hazlewood and Ann-Margret song; a real crazy garage rock anthem that I was first drawn to in high school and “squirreled away” for later use. My friend Lex—who is one of the owners of Fuzzed and Buzzed— initially approached me about doing a single for a compilation that they were planning. His neighbor is Meg Remy of U.S. Girls, so that got the ball rolling on the production of the track. Next thing you know, I was in the studio with Meg and a bunch of other musicians, and although Meg oversaw most of the session, “It's A Nice World To Visit (But Not To Live In)” was the song that she really stepped on board to produce. The whole process was very freeform: it was mainly me and drummer, Jay Anderson, jamming it out. 

I wouldn’t say that “It's A Nice World To Visit (But Not To Live In)” is totally an anomaly, though. I see myself walking down a number of musical paths in the future, and one of them is darker, and more surreal. It was recorded pre-pandemic, but it feels very… “pandemic friendly.” (laughs)

AC: I’ve noticed the “dreamscapes” series that you post on your socials from time to time. Whether it’s work from Flemish Renaissance painter Pieter Bruegel the Elder, photographs from the children’s picture book iSpy, or shots from that crazy fantasy movie The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, it appears as though you like sharing grandiose landscapes and pleasantly ethereal scenes. I was curious whether this aesthetic was something you try to mimic in your music, or is it something that you admire from a visual standpoint?

N: Because I’ve been so confined to my apartment these days, I find myself thinking about these dreamscapes and scenes from childhood… Worlds that I inhabited as a weird only child. To be honest, Girls Like Me is an album that I wrote over the course of a couple of years when I was waiting tables and living my life. Things obviously just feel very different these days, and I think that sharing these “dreamscapes” encapsulates everything that I’ve been doing over the past year, and the stuff I’m writing now.

On the topic of my more recent habits, I’ve also started doing this thing called “active imagination,” a Jungian technique which works like guided meditation. You’re supposed to enter your own dream world and just see what happens, or what your mind is trying to communicate to you. I find this has been helping me open my unconscious mind, and the dreamscapes that I have shared recently have been really informing that whole practice, which feeds into my writing as well!

AC: Sounds interesting! It seems like you have been keeping yourself busy in these strange times, exercising retrospectivity and imagination. Would you say that the pandemic has had a positive impact on your creative process, or a negative one?

N: Definitely positive. I’m part of this songwriting group with some friends in New York, and so I’ve had the pressure of writing a new song every week. This has been hugely important to me, and it wouldn’t have happened if we weren't thrown into this whole ordeal.

I’m really thankful for these exercises in creativity, which have resulted in my thoughts being much more magical. There’s going to be a very witchy album coming out post-COVID, that’s for sure.

Since we’re on the topic of creative practices, I should mention that another thing I’ve been doing is logging entries into a dream journal… It’s been beyond satisfying. It is so fulfilling to be able to look back over your dreams over a given period of time, and to notice patterns or recurring themes. I would recommend this practice to anyone and everyone.

AC: I think it would take a certain level of dedication to maintain a dream journal. Personally, I’ve tried a few times but can never fully commit to it. Have you ever had any lucid dreams? Also, I don’t want you to do anything that you’re uncomfortable with… But. is there any chance you would be willing to share an entry from the journal?

N: Trust me, I’ve tried this dream journal idea on multiple occasions but this is the first time that I’ve stuck with it. It takes patience, for sure, but don’t give up! Also, you don’t need to have a full dream in order to log it. Even if you remember a small tidbit of information, it is still worth logging. I’ve honestly never been too interested in lucid dreaming, because I think there’s a special quality about something totally untainted coming from your subconscious. Because the Otherworld is attempting to speak to you, I think it makes sense to not hold onto your ego, let things happen and go with the flow.

And you know what? Sure, why not… I’ll share an entry. 

—Nyssa goes off-camera for a moment and returns with her dream journal—

Hmm… I eat seafood… Lots of beaches… Okay, here’s a weird one that sounds like a real fairytale archetype:

“An old wizard at sea, travelling the land and performing illusions as a bat in exchange for sanctuary. Islanders with red caps accept the deal, watching as he performs the final illusion. Noah’s Ark arising from the sea, at first afar and then up close. The ark opens like a sea monster with many teeth. The wizard emerges in-mouth and proclaims, ‘and now you shall offer me shelter whenever I ask.’”

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Our conversation quickly transitions into movie territory, and I soon learn that Nyssa is a big horror movie buff. “I like violent movies,” Nyssa says, “but not when it’s too realistic or unnecessary.” Among her favourite movies, the 1985 horror-comedy Return of the Living Dead has a special place in her heart. “It really just ticks every box,” she tells me. “I love the practical effects, the gore, the punks in the cemetery… it has everything.” Thinking of what she’s watched recently, Nyssa talks about her new fascination with the surreal films of Alejandro Jodorowsky, as well as The Secret of Roan Inish.

What stood out to me more than anything, though, were the ways in which Nyssa has harnessed creativity during this strange time; the mystical planes and otherworldly dreamscapes where she has situated herself as of late. By the end of our chat, we digress into a conversation about the intersection between religion and spirituality. When I explain to her my belief that dreams and music are the closest that humans can come to magical experiences, she passionately agrees. “Absolutely,” Nyssa says, “and I think that the oldest human beings would agree with you on that. At the end of the day, it all comes down to mindfulness and magic.”

I’m really looking forward to seeing what Nyssa puts out next, which may or may not be a darker and witchier album that releases post-COVID. In the meantime, Girls Like Me has been released on a limited edition vinyl and is readily available for order online.

Nyssa

Instagram | Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify

Spencer Nafekh is a tireless reader, writer, editor, and advocate for the written word. With an undergraduate degree in Concordia's English and Creative Writing program imminent, he plans to pursue a Master's specialization in journalism so that he can fully realize his career path. When Spencer is not working away, he is probably listening to experimental music while lost in the world of a science fiction novel.

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Montreal's SpiceKiks Releases Glittery Lofi Single "All I see is visuals"

Press photo via SpiceKiks

Have you ever wondered what Clairo would sound like as a lofi hyper pop artist? Introducing SpiceKiks, the Montreal artist intertwining her glittery digital sound with her love for acoustic melodies and melancholy.

Today SpiceKiks releases her single “All I see is visuals” today off of her upcoming EP The Moon's Own Daughter this summer. The project is a collaboration with Nimbus2k, and came out of their friendship during quarantine. The album ranges from a sparkly electronic sound to a more laid-back singer-songwriter vibe, all while expressing the artist's emotional vulnerability.

Keep an eye out for all of Spicekiks' beautiful new tunes, and in the meantime, listen to “All I see is visuals” below.

SpiceKiks

Spotify I Instagram

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YNDI (FKA Dream Koala) Will Leave Audiences Transfixed with Debut "Noir Brésil"

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YNDI, shot by François Quillacq

What’s in a stage-name? For Paris-based singer, songwriter, composer and producer Yndi Ferreira Da Silva, retiring her former moniker Dream Koala allowed her to reconnect with her ancestry and creative intuition through realizing a new musical venture.

Beginning her career in 2012 as Dream Koala, the multidisciplinary artist released three electronic-pop EPs, Odyssey (2013), Earth. Home. Destroyed. (2014), and Exodus (2015), which received praise from the likes of NPR Music and Vogue. You may know Yndi from her performances on the popular music platform and Youtube channel COLORS, or her internationally renowned single “We Can’t Be Friends,” which gained over 30 million streams on Spotify alone.  

Since remerging proudly as YNDI, the singer has been co-producing her debut record Noir Brésil, which is set to release May 28th, 2021 via Paris’ Grand Musique Management.

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YNDI, shot by François Quillacq

Opening my interview with Yndi, I ask her about the decision to use her first name rather than Dream Koala, to which she responds: “Everything about the process of making this album was so intimate; singing in French and Portuguese, playing Afro-Brazilian percussion, imagining the visuals… I didn’t want to hide behind an alias. I wanted to share this project under my real name, the one my family and friends call me!”

Through marrying the poetry of her two maternal languages (French and Portuguese) with Afro-Brazilian percussion, Noir Brésil houses a range of exquisite soundscapes celebrating Yndi’s heritage. Yndi says the album’s overall eclecticism developed from a desire for each track to be “its own little world.”

Emotionally, Yndi harnessed memories linked to her spirituality to guide her songwriting, as well as “childhood bliss, depression and pure escapism” in the conceptualization and production of Noir Brésil. The result is Yndi’s honeyed voice elegantly draped over thirteen dynamic tracks. Adorned with ambitious instrumentation, featuring electrifying percussion performed by the Brazilian band Zalindê, Noir Brésil drifts, waltzes and somersaults through a paradisal universe unique to Yndi’s remarkable artistry. Though her work’s foundation and sustenance is incredibly personal, she tells me that she wants her music to be “a place where listeners can explore their own emotions, and not necessarily feel [hers]”.

Yndi notes Timbaland and Clara Nunes as significant musical influences and remarks that Carlinhos Brown’s “Afagamabetizado” has shaped the way she perceives music to this day. She mentions that her craft is equally impacted by video games, anime and cinema, which is evident in her vibrant and captivating music videos. On the music video for her song “Nuit,” the singer comments:

“It is a love letter to the video games that affected me during my life. It was an opportunity to imagine a Zelda or Shadow of Colossus set-up in Brazilian folklore. I wanted to use these games’ aesthetics to tell a story inspired by Brazilian ‘Congado,’  a religious celebration that symbolizes the coronation of African kings and queens.”

Yndi shares that working on Noir Brésil brought along some welcomed challenges and lessons. “I learned to trust myself, to believe in my creativity and defend my ideas,” she details. “I have also learned that if you are true to yourself, you will always create something new because we’re all unique and ever-changing.”

Though working independently comes naturally for Yndi, she indicates that staying grounded and connected to her creative vision was facilitated by collaborating with others. “When you work alone, you overthink so much! It’s difficult to get the drive you need without collaborating with other artists. My friend Superpoze co-produced the album, and Noir Brésil wouldn’t be the same without the amazing work of Zalindê! Nothing matches the feeling of creating something new with someone else. Everyone around me has been so committed to the album — I am so lucky!”

Going forward, Yndi is eager to continue producing music videos for Noir Brésil, as she wants her album to be both a visual and musical experience. She plans to tour with her band, promising to present an unparalleled performance when live music becomes possible once again.

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YNDI, shot by François Quillacq

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NOIR BRÉSIL

Out May 28, 2021 via Grand Musique Management

1. Noir Brésil

2. Amazona

3. Novo Mundo

4. Nuit

5. Illusão

6. Exil

7. O Cantos Das Ondas

8. Reliques

9. Eternel

10. Saudade

11. Dia De Carnaval

12. Eden

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YNDI

Instagram | Facebook | Spotify

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter (she/her) is the co-founder and managing editor of Also Cool Mag. Aside from the mag, she is a music promoter & booker, and a radio host & DJ.

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Halifax Escape Artists Century Egg Talk Embracing Change on New EP "Little Piece of Hair"

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Halifax four-piece Century Egg are putting Atlantic Canada on the map with their beaming fusion of garage rock and mandopop. The band recently announced signing to hometown label Forward Music Group in anticipation of their EP Little Piece of Hair , out this coming Friday, May 7th, 2021. Just like their namesake, Little Piece of Hair is long-awaited, with the promise to delight and leave a lasting impression. Opening with blitzing pop-punk shaker “Do You Want To Dance?”, Little Piece of Hair reminisces shoulder-to-shoulder bopping at your favourite venue on a Saturday night.

Coming hot on the heels of their recent collaboration with Debaser's Mood Ring ("The world’s tiniest and most introspective music recommendation engine") and the We Can Play EP, Little Piece of Hair is the band’s loudest, clearest mission statement to date, marking another exciting addition to Forward Music's recent run of releases alongside Wolf Castle and Paper Beat Scissors. Boasting a new rhythm section of bassist, Matty Grace (she/they) and Meg Yoshida (she/her) on drums, Century Egg is a band reborn whilst still incorporating the dance-punk bliss of previous Egg outings, only bolder, brighter, and harder-hitting.

We got the chance to connect with Century Egg on the importance of creative outlets, managing band dynamics while writing songs over email, and their plans following the release of Little Piece of Hair. Read our full interview below!

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter for Also Cool: Hey Century Egg! Thank you so much for chatting with Also Cool. To start, you've been described as escape artists: How do you achieve this way of being through your creative outlook and how did this come into play when producing Little Piece of Hair? 

Century Egg: We’re four individuals with full-time obligations, and the band is just one of our creative outlets. Our band gives us a chance to temporarily take a break from reality, but also reflect on it and bring something back to it. We are all artists in our own right, and the band is a way to collaborate and express our appreciation for each others’ art. 

Also Cool: In that vein, escaping isn't always about running away, right? It can also describe setting oneself free, or embracing change. On Little Piece of Hair, you've commented that the songs are about "finding yourself." What inspired that concept for this album, and how did it come together? 

Century Egg: When the songs arrived, they just spilled out. They can be coping mechanisms, they can be power fantasies, or else just about processing what’s going on right now.

AC: On that note of embracing change, you’ve introduced a new rhythm section in your latest lineup — during a pandemic no less! How have these additions impacted the project?  

CE: Different people bring different experiences to the band, and it is a much more collaborative process now. Each person brings something to the table that may not have previously been introduced due to our varied influences. Specifically our song “无路可退” (“Cornered”) was created over email. Matty (she/they) wrote the bassline first, before Megumi (she/her) added her drum parts, before Robert (he/him) and Shane (she/her) finalized the arrangement. This was done totally over email during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, and brought about a newer darker sound that may not have come forth if the circumstances were different.

Century Egg, photo courtesy of the band

AC: Something I’m always curious to ask about is how artists are influenced by their physical environment and surrounding community. Has Halifax and it's music scene had any particular impressions on this album specifically? 

CE: Maybe not necessarily Halifax, but the global landscape and the state of the world have definitely had an impact on Century Egg as a band, and it has come through in our writing. Ultimately the Halifax music scene has been predominantly white, cis and straight. We are not that. We embrace our diversities and look to encourage this growth within our scene.

AC: To end off, how are you planning to celebrate this release, and what can we expect from Century Egg in the coming months? 

CE: For starters, we have two upcoming music videos that will be released in the coming months for “Do You Want to Dance?” and “Little Piece of Hair.” Sadly, we had planned a bit of a record release show — as we were invited to play Flourish Festival in Fredericton, New Brunswick — but now will be attending remotely via a pre-recorded live set, as our corner of the world has collapsed on itself a little bit. We are looking forward to playing shows the moment we can, but for the time being, we have to embrace and navigate our restrictions and look to plan for the future. This includes trying to reach new audiences via the internet and working on a full length LP that will hopefully see the light of day in 2022. Change was going to come one way or another anyway.

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LITTLE PIECE OF HAIR

Out via Forward Music Group May 7, 2021

1. Do You Want To Dance?
2. I Will Make Up A Method
3. Ring A Bell
4. Little Piece of Hair
5. Riddle To Place
6. Cornered

Written by Century Egg:
Shane Keyu Song (she/her), Robert Drisdelle (he/him), Matty Grace (she/they) and Meg Yoshida (she/her)

Recorded by Franc Lopes at Ocean Floor
Mixed by Robert Drisdelle
Mastered by Dave Williams at Eight Floors Above

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Century Egg

Instagram | Facebook | Bandcamp

Preorder Little Piece of Hair here

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter (she/her) is the co-founder and managing editor of Also Cool Mag. Aside from the mag, she is a music promoter & booker, and a radio host & DJ.

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Mitch Davis Writes Breakup Songs That Sound Happy On New EP "Bear The Cold"

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There is something to be said for the way an artist’s debut is sometimes less about finding their voice, and more about setting it free. Such is the case for Montreal-bound songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist and DIY-enthusiast Mitch Davis, who shared the two first singles from his to-be-released full-length on Arbutus Records earlier this spring.

Davis has bounced from coast to coast across Canada throughout his musical career and has been involved with reputable acts like Faith Healer and Elle Barbara’s Black Space. While his interest in music was fostered at a young age, it has grown into way of finding community and exercising his passion for a unique craft that can be simply described as gear tinkering — but surely anyone involved in the world of sound production would tell you it is more than that. For Davis, it has been a means of bolstering his self-confidence as an artist to go solo with songs he’s kept in his back pocket since he relocated to Montreal from Edmonton a few years ago. 

With analog recording and production being something completely outside my comfort-zone, one of the first questions I asked Davis was about how he first picked up (what some consider to be) such a niche pastime in the age of digital mixing and mastering.

“I first got into learning about analog equipment when my own gear would break and I didn’t have the money to fix it,” Davis shares with a smile over our video call. “Getting to know my gear inside and out has been a great way of saving money, and the knowledge I have has been so important in terms of accessibility. For example, you can buy kits to make replicas of really expensive gear. I made a clone of a TR-808 for seven-hundred bucks, when it normally retails for five to six thousand.”

At the same time, Davis’ knowledge came in handy when moving to Montreal as a source of income, as someone who doesn’t speak much French.

When the pandemic hit, Davis found himself spending more time in his at-home recording studio — located in one of the many warehouses in Montreal’s abandoned textile district off of highway 40. Like many of us, Davis was confronted by self-reflection in isolation, which lit a creative spark in a new vein. 

“At one point, I had written this bassline, and I knew I wanted to make into something eventually, but it wasn’t until last March that I finally decided to figure it out and appropriate it into a song.”

After some one-on-one time with said bassline, Davis produced Bear the Cold, a bright EP that acts as a teaser for his debut record of exclusively “breakup songs that sound happy,” set to release later this year.

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Mitch Davis shot by Kensey Crane

Seeing as Bear the Cold marks Davis’ first musical endeavour in a number of years, I wanted to hear his feelings on starting a new project based on something coming to an end (i.e. a relationship).

“It feels pretty strange. I guess I just hit a moment where I was ready to make music again, and that happened to be what I was feeling at the time. I think I was subconsciously cheering myself up with the music itself, as opposed to the lyrics. I felt rewarded, to a small extent, by being vulnerable. [Vulnerability] is something I appreciate in people, and I wanted to try and represent that for myself. As far as I can tell, a wide variety of people are responding well to it — which kind of surprised me!” Davis grins. “Something I personally struggle with is reading something I wrote in a very vulnerable state and then wondering if it’s too vulnerable. Sometimes it’s difficult to tell the difference between lyrics that are just like, pure, raw and emotional and lyrics that are just way too… overly simple and personal? Even though this can be a challenge, I’ve really learned to trust the past version of myself and following my instincts with this record, both in lyrics and sound.”

Before moving to Montreal, Davis was in Edmonton for quite some time and involved in completely different musical projects, whose influences can be picked up on Bear the Cold. As a former rapper and producer who also played “in indie rock bands forever,” Davis EP harnesses sunny rhythms and grooves with a funky punch. Reminiscing the jack of all trades’ legacy of some of his favourite artists, such as Stevie Wonder, Todd Rundgren, Sly Stone, and Paul McCartney, Davis gives us a glimpse into the magic of being involved in every step of your record’s conception from start to finish — especially without a band to bounce ideas off-of IRL.

In closing our conversation, Davis branches off of this notion of solitude and remarks, “It has been so weird [being separated] from the music community. I miss the feeling of going to a show and seeing someone come off-stage completely energized, and the feeling of playing shows and being able to try-out a half-written song live. That’s why I’ve been posting clips and things online; to gauge reactions. But I do miss trying out songs live where they exist for that night, and that night only,” he laughs.

Though Davis remarks that he imagined himself “becoming a hermit in a loft with a studio or something” upon moving to Montreal, he’s excited to reintroduce himself to the music scene with Bear the Cold. Check out Davis’ 7”, along with a recently released music video for the title track, directed by Jordan "Dr. Cool" Minkoff.

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Mitch Davis

Instagram | Twitter | Bandcamp

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter (she/her) is the co-founder and managing editor of Also Cool Mag. Aside from the mag, she is a music promoter & booker, and a radio host & DJ.

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Finding Freedom Within Limitation: Chicago's Pansy Shares Self-Titled Debut

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Vivian McCall, photo courtesy of the artist

Spring has sprung, and this week we’ve got the brightest bloom in the bunch on repeat. Meet Pansy, the solo project of Chicago-based musician Vivian McCall. Today, McCall releases her self-titled debut album on Earth Libraries: a nine-track collection of impressions inspired by her experiences as a trans woman. Through Pansy, McCall shares how she reconnected with herself throughout her transition, and parses the highs and lows of embracing her vulnerability. Before creating under the name Pansy, McCall established herself in the Chicago indie scene with her band Jungle Green. As an analog admirer, McCall realized Pansy using the same lo-fi equipment that captured Jungle Green’s recordings over the years. The result is a candid, sunny debut that reminisces 90s college-rock as a backdrop for McCall’s frank lyrics. We connected with McCall leading up to her release to chat about her musical beginnings, rejecting confessional songwriting and leveraging musical imperfections and limitations to make an honest record.

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter for Also Cool: Hey Vivian! Thank you so much for chatting with Also Cool. First thing's first - congratulations on your debut record! To get things started, how does it feel to have realized such a work and to have had so much buzz and excitement surrounding its release so far?

Vivian McCall: Well, to be honest, it really caught me off guard. I always wanted people to like and connect with my music, but never expected all this interest. This is such a cliche... but I made this record for me and hoped it would resonate with other trans people, too. I thought it was so specific to my experience that people wouldn't care about it, or worse they'd tokenize it. I'm relieved that people aren't doing that or projecting weird trans stereotypes onto me. I think the specificity is exactly what people enjoy. They've been able to connect their own troubles to it — troubles that have nothing to do with being trans. That's been beautiful to hear about. I'm happy that something so me is finding an audience.

Also Cool: Knowing that you’ve been playing in your band Jungle Green over the years, when did you find yourself wanting to explore a solo musical endeavor, and where did this project find its beginnings?

VM: I've been writing songs since I was 14, but this is the first time I've wanted to put anything out. You can't really write songs you care about when you're out of touch with yourself. The point of Pansy — before it was anything or even had a name — was to write songs quickly from a really honest place. I didn't want to play a character and I didn't want to embellish any parts of myself, because that was literally my entire life up to that point.

It's hard to explain to people who aren't trans, but before I went on hormones, I could intellectualize what I felt, but I couldn't express it, couldn't talk about it. Everything felt grey, and I don't I mean nuanced, I mean indistinguishable. I used to think there was something really wrong with me, like I was missing some essential part of my soul. So, yeah, I could write songs, but they were totally meaningless! They didn't even feel like a part of me.

These songs did. That's the difference; what I'd always been waiting for. I could write honest songs because I was recognizing my needs and the actual pain I'd been experiencing. It's just trauma and learning how to process it and dig yourself out. So when you listen to the album, know that some songs came before this big tectonic shift in my life… and everything else came during the midst of it.

The whole process was like that scene in The Wizard of Oz when Dorothy walks from the interior of her grey house to the colorful magical land of Oz, only to be ambushed by the Wicked Witch of the West. In my case, the Witch was me and everything I'd ever buried.

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Vivian McCall, photo courtesy of the artist

AC: Thank you so much for sharing your experience and opening up about the evolution of your music. Staying in this vein of thought: You've spoken about realizing that you matter on your own terms, rather than from the approval of others — which I think is really powerful. How did you maintain that mindset while creating such an intimate and vulnerable work?

VM: I had to if I wanted to feel okay about what I was making; I had some concerns. For one, this record is not a diary and that's purposeful. I didn't want my songs to be read as confessionals or emotional pornography for liberals. I was really not okay for a long time and these songs were my way of finding meaning. Every song encapsulates some big emotion I'd wrestle with for months. The conclusions are ... ambiguous, because that's how I felt, and still feel, about womanhood.

I didn't stop and ask myself if the music was "good" as often as I normally do. I was really focused on asking, Okay this line... is this totally, one hundred percent, true to how I feel. Seriously, I did that like I was interrogating myself, which is so, so ridiculous.

I truly hope this doesn't sound self-serious because really, some of these songs came out fully formed and I didn't want to think that critically about them because I was afraid of altering the meaning along the way. I was so deathly afraid of using my music to manipulate my own emotions because it's such a powerful thing when you're vulnerable. At that time, that could have been really dangerous!

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Vivian McCall, photo courtesy of the artist

AC: To touch on the sound of this record: You’ve spoken about your affinity for analog recording. What about analog production first moved you as a musician, and how has your relationship with it impacted your creative process?

VM: Recording music uses such a different part of my brain than writing it,and that's why I love it. Classic head and heart, right brain/left brain sort of thing. If I've laid my emotions out in a song, I can start asking how to make those feelings come across clear in a musical sense, or how to make the song catchier if that's what I'm going for.

Analog recording is so limiting, and yet those limitations are freeing. I have to get the right takes. I have to commit to the sounds I'm making. I have to live mix the stereo mixes, making the recordings you hear a kind of performance, too. It can be really frustrating, but I'm not tempted to endlessly tinker with my recordings. They are what they are and I love that.

That's a huge part of the process for me, really pushing whatever I'm doing to new places that I didn't expect. I don't like going into a song knowing what I'm going to do, because that kills the fun and keeps me from exploring. I'm not a master technician or anything, but I'm creative — partially because I don't totally know what I'm doing — but I know what I like. Sometimes that means precision (take after take), sometimes that means making it sound really fucked or sloppy; embracing whatever imperfections and limitations I have as a musician.

AC: To end thing's off, what most excites you about the future of your music career? Where do you hope to find yourself once live music is possible once again?

VM: Well, I'm excited that every song I've written since finishing this record isn’t explicitly about the transition. [My] new songs aren't about transness, but are written from that perspective I guess, just because it's me. I'm excited to be back on a stage again and start figuring out what I want to do next, musically.

Just being a trans woman puts you in some unique emotional situations — some good, some bad — and for the first time in my life, I'm present enough to actually experience my feelings. That's still really crazy to me. I feel like such an alien sometimes, being like, Wow isn't it crazy to be a person? It's so corny. But that's more or less the truth of how I feel. Out in the world, I don't feel as aggressive about my identity anymore.

I wrote a lot of aggressive rock stuff during this huge power-pop phase right before the pandemic hit. I liked the idea of writing lesbian love songs in the language of this super beta-male, cartoonishly sexist genre that I do… love. Then I got my heart really banged up and wrote a bunch of sweet acoustic music. There's a lot, a lot more than I'm used to sitting on at once.

AC: Before we let you go, how is the best way that we can support you as an artist and what are you future plans?

VM: Well, I really need a band! So I guess if you like the record, just write me on Instagram. Maybe we'll get along!

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PANSY

Out via Earth Libraries on April 2, 2021

1. Who Will Love Me Enough?

2. Anybody Help Me

3. Tomorrow, When I’m Even Better

4. Trash

5. Shoes

6. Turn Ur Back

7. Woman of Ur Dreams

8. Mommi Housi

9. Me In Mine

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Pansy

Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter (she/her) is the co-founder and managing editor of Also Cool Mag. Aside from the mag, she is a music promoter & booker, and a radio host & DJ.

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Tommy Newport Combines the Quirks of Saturday Morning Cartoons with Broadway Glamour in New EP "Ultra Mango"

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Ultra Mango album artwork by Ruby Snell

Midway through February, Kansas singer, songwriter and producer Tommy Newport dropped his psychedelic new EP, Ultra Mango. Throughout his latest offering, Newport guides his listeners into a  hazy funk on songs like “Sweetener,” but also allows himself to become contagiously excitable in more upbeat moments, including the dance track “Ultra Mango” and the catchy synth-pop anthem “Marigold.” The result is an auditory journey that transitions from  sweet and syrupy to rotten within instants; Ultra Mango encapsulates the brightest moments from a young adult life, as well as the darkest ones.

We had a chance to chat with Tommy Newport about the ideas, emotions, and nostalgic experiences which ultimately led to the creation of Ultra Mango. Throughout both its restless moments and its languid ones, Tommy Newport reminds us with Ultra Mango of all the growing up we’ve done, and all the growing up that’s still left to do.

Spencer Nafekh for Also Cool: Ultra Mango is a very different kind of EP because it never sticks to one vibe, and like all your projects, you like to keep your listeners guessing. What kind of music did you listen to growing up? Also, would you describe your listening habits as consistently eclectic, or do you go through phases with what you like to hear?

Tommy Newport: Growing up, I listened to indie rock from the 2000’s and the 2010’s, with a healthy dose of 70’s and 80’s legends: The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Freddie Mercury, The Beatles, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, The Killers, Dan Auerbach, The Black Keys, Alex Turner, and Morrissey, to name a few. Those are just the core, though… There's so much more than the mainstream sort of iconic names that I consistently listened to. I loved early 2000’s & 90’s rap, R&B, and pop music, too. I have go-to artists that will never change, but I’m always finding new things. 

AC: Your eclectic taste is definitely reflected in your own music, and it seems to me that from beginning to end, Ultra Mango is an exploration of that shaky transition we all have to go through from our teenage lives to our adult ones. Are there any life-shaping experiences from your childhood that really set the tone and inspired the making of this EP? Is Ultra Mango based off of one single experience from youth, or multiple?

TN: I was lucky to have amazing parents that let me live my childhood and teenage life with no hassle and not many rules. This had its ups and downs: I started my career at sixteen, and I was a naive kid. I still am to a degree, but being naive is bliss until you become self-aware. Lots of lessons, and lots to write about. Even if the lyrics to some of my songs are telling the story of a relationship, the underlying story usually uses love songs as a parallel to a real story. Ultra Mango is the story of yin and yang in youth. There’s so much around to influence you at that age—you are just on autopilot. It takes getting older to really assess your youth. 

AC: I’m not sure why, but when I listen to Ultra Mango I feel as though I am transported into the world of an early 2000’s cartoon TV show. What’s your favourite animated series? If your new EP was a cartoon, which one would it be?

TN: I mean, Ultra Mango is definitely Invader Zim. The parallels are perfect. My favourite series was probably Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends or Dexter though.

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Tommy Newport, image courtesy of the artist

AC: The artwork for Ultra Mango is equal parts surreal and touching, in its own bizarre way. Same with the title: I never thought I’d see the word “ultra” placed beside the word “mango,” and yet the combination feels strangely fitting for your work. Could you elaborate a little more on the meaning behind Ultra Mango’s title, as well as the weird and wonderful artwork that accompanies it?

TN: The EP artwork was inspired by thought processes resembling fruit, in that they can be very colorful, or they can be rotten. Those kinds of contrasting ideas and the rate of time in which thoughts can quickly go from vibrant and colorful to spoiled was a great metaphor for the human mind, youth and growing up.

AC: How do you harness your musical creativity on days where you’re feeling productive? Whether you’re singing, songwriting, or producing your music, are there any specific rituals that you like to partake in before you hit the studio?

TN: I don't have any rituals. I was a very superstitious kid with terrible OCD, so I am surprised now that you ask whether I have any rituals. Then again, making music was the only relief from that, it's like when you fall asleep on a road trip and wake up and you're there. Time spent making music flies by.

AC: Based on the online videos of your passionate live sessions—including your appearance in the internationally renowned YouTube series COLORS—it seems as though performing might be just as important to you as your music; would you say this is true?

TN: Performing is a huge part of it. I think that if you're not an artist and just the average listener, all you see of your favorite artists is them performing. So my idea of being a popular musician as a kid was being on stage or at a festival and performing like it’s Broadway. I'm thinking of Live Aid 1985, those types of things my parents used to show me.

Since we’re on the subject of performance, I just wanted to mention how much I enjoyed seeing you play a bone-chilling Dr. Frankenstein (and his monster) in the recently-released music video for “Shooting Star.” Can you see yourself acting in quirky roles like this for future music videos? I really hope so! 

TN: Yeah definitely, I love videos like that; just so ridiculous. I want to get deeply in touch with my love for films and make some really cool videos in the future. 

AC: It seems as though we’ll have lots to look forward to from you in that case, music and otherwise. Ultra Mango might be the first bit of work you’ve released in the new year, but will it be the last? What else do you have in the works for 2021, music and otherwise?

TN: 2021 will be great…  Grammy nom coming next season.

Tommy Newport

Instagram | Facebook | Spotify

Spencer Nafekh is a tireless reader, writer, editor, and advocate for the written word. With an undergraduate degree in Concordia's English and Creative Writing program imminent, he plans to pursue a Master's specialization in journalism so that he can fully realize his career path. When Spencer is not working away, he is probably listening to experimental music while lost in the world of a science fiction novel.

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Review: Priors Break-In 2021 With My Punishment on Earth

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If you’re a fan of the Montreal rock n’ roll outfit Priors, you may have been wondering if they were ever going to fulfill their promise of a third release before the close of 2020. Luckily for all of us, they stayed true to their word and saved the New Year with a 10-song LP titled My Punishment on Earth.

The album leans heavily into synth sounds and channels a raw, pent-up energy that feels fitting after a seemingly stagnant year spent in isolation. “Astral” is an especially propulsive track that will have you bouncing off the walls with its avalanche of thumping drums and a driving chorus that exponentially builds up until the end - peak avalanche. The other  stand-out track is “Fox Force Five,” which features a downright menacing guitar riff - and is accompanied by an appropriately murderous music video, to boot. 

As is characteristic of their music, Priors’ My Punishment on Earth is a taut listening experience - and with its clocking in at just over 26 minutes, you’ve got to be committed to the intensity. However, there’s a contemplative air instilled among the controlled chaos. The opener is a punchy psychedelic number alternating between a relentless bass hook and blasts of distortion. A meandering guitar threading its way throughout makes the songs feel unexpectedly experimental, while the lyrics are suitably doom and gloom, taking you on a deep-dive into the sinister subconscious milieu.

A few of the tracks are recognizable from pre-pandemic sets, but are now presented in a more polished digitized form. It’s a matter of personal preference whether you like the clean cut versions over the raw sound of a show, but there’s no arguing that the blend of guttural garage punk with an electronic edge has been a core element of the band’s sound since the start - and it works effortlessly here.

Most of all, this LP makes me miss rubbing shoulders with fellow dive bar aficionados. Here’s hoping for that day to come soon. You can find both digital and vinyl versions of the album on Bandcamp. 

Priors are Chance Hutchison, Stuart Buckley, Alan Hildebrandt, Drew Demers, Seb Godin, and Maxime Desharnais.

Priors

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Written by Alex Kerkhoff

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