GOV BALL 2024: A FESTIVAL TO REMEMBER

June 30, 2024

by janae stewart

The 2024 Governors Ball flew by in a whirlwind of music, sunshine, and free stuff. Held over three glorious days at Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens, Gov Ball boasted an impeccable lineup and an atmosphere that made it a truly unforgettable experience.

The anticipation was palpable as I joined the throngs of festivalgoers, the iconic Unisphere looming majestically in the distance. The sound of pounding amplifiers echoed through the gates, a delicious taste of the musical smorgasbord that awaited us. Conversations crackled with excitement as everyone strategized their must-see sets and the best ways to navigate the festival grounds

Beyond the Music: Interactive Delights

Gov Ball wasn't just about the music; it offered a variety of interactive experiences that added to the overall festival fun. Here are a few highlights that stood out:

The Coke Studio Experience transported attendees to a cool summer cabana with its sleek black and red design. Free Coke was a welcome refreshment, but the real draw was the AI DJ experience. With only our pictures taken, the experience produced an AI-generated music video that made it seem like we were actually singing. We walked away with high-quality hand fans – perfect for beating the heat and showing off our Coke Studio swagger.

M&Ms Sweet Tour: As a self-proclaimed M&M fanatic since my Halloween costume days, this stop was mandatory. The booth offered a chance to snap photos with the colorful characters, indulge in free samples of the surprisingly delicious Peanut Butter M&Ms, and score some cool M&M swag like temporary tattoos and bucket hats.

Dunkin' Donuts Lounge: As an honorary Bostonian, I couldn't resist the Dunkin' experience, especially after a long day on my feet. They offered free iced coffee samples, Munchkins, and festival swag – including fanny packs, bucket hats, and sunglasses. Refueled and rehydrated, I was ready to conquer Day 3.

The American Apparel Tee Lab: Who doesn't love free festival merch, especially when you can customize it? The American Apparel Tee Lab offered a choice of crewnecks, v-necks, and tanks, along with four awesome designs. The best part? They screen-printed the design right on the spot! The line was long, but the wait was totally worth the unique souvenir.

Musical Highlights

Gov Ball's lineup was stellar, and here are some of the performances that stole the show:

FLO

The British girl group FLO has been on my radar since their single "Cardboard Box" went viral. Their stage presence was electrifying, and they delivered a high-energy set filled with their hits and killer covers of iconic girl group anthems like "Don't Let Go" and "Bootylicious." The future is looking bright for these rising stars.

Reneé Rapp

Who knew the voice that captivated audiences on the Jimmy Awards stage would translate so perfectly to the Gov Ball main stage? Reneé Rapp commanded the crowd with her powerful vocals and captivating stage presence, performing hits like "Tummy Hurts" and "Snow Angel." Her effortless transition from theater to mainstream music is sure to inspire aspiring artists everywhere.

Sabrina Carpenter

Though we missed the whimsical pink motel set design from Coachella, Sabrina Carpenter's Gov Ball performance was no less captivating. With her dancers and signature "girl cat from Tom and Jerry" aesthetic, she created a truly immersive experience. The crowd roared for her brand new single "Please, Please, Please," and she closed the show with a powerful rendition of "Nonsense," complete with a festival-appropriate outro change that had everyone cheering. “Do I text him back? It’s such a tough call / That won’t fit inside me, bro, I’m dumb small / People who hate Pride can suck my Gov Balls.”

Chappell Roan

The undisputed queen of the festival circuit, Chappell Roan did not disappoint. Her performance was pure spectacle, from the smoking apple chariot entrance to her iconic Statue of Liberty outfit. She delivered a powerful set filled with fan favorites like "Good Luck, Babe!" and "Femininomenon," and even debuted a brand new song, "The Subway." The crowd erupted when pizza boxes with the phrase "HOT TO GO!" were passed out, leading to a festival-wide dance party that solidified her place as a true festival powerhouse.

Thirteen years in, Governors Ball remains a cornerstone of the summer festival scene. Their dedication to booking incredible artists, creating unforgettable experiences, and offering little extras like freebies and interactive booths makes it a festival you won't want to miss. Here's to many more years of Gov Ball!

THE WARNING: INTERVIEW

June 28, 2024

by emma schoors

Monterrey sister trio The Warning return today with their knockout fourth studio album Keep Me Fed, which ensures their continued standing as one of the strongest, most undeterred rock outfits of the decade.

Daniela, Paulina, and Alejandra Villarreal Vélez broke onto the metal scene in 2013 with a rocking cover of Metallica’s “Enter Sandman,” which racked up over 20 million views on YouTube and earned the sisters praise not just from millions of new fans, but the band themselves, with guitarist Kirk Hammett hailing Paulina as a drummer who “kicks maximum ass.” It’s been over a decade since that video turned all eyes to The Warning, and they’ve all but squandered the opportunities it presented to them. The sisters — guitarist Daniela “Dany,” drummer Paulina “Pau,” and bassist Alejandra “Ale” — have since released two EPs, four albums, and recorded a whopping fifteen music videos to support their material.

On Keep Me Fed, they hope to reach fans on an even deeper level than previously imagined. “[This album] is the result of us letting ourselves go, and writing stuff we didn’t even know we had to express,” Dany says. “Our biggest wish is that the people who listen will also find themselves and what they need in our music.”

We had the chance to sit down with the band to discuss Keep Me Fed, their upcoming Canadian tour with Evanescence and Halestorm, what keeps them motivated, and their dream collaboration!

Thank you for joining us! Before we get into your brand new record Keep Me Fed, we’d love to know what sparked the inspiration for its lead single, “MORE.” Why did you choose this track as the first glimpse into the album?

Dany: “To be completely honest with you, it was the song that we wrote and recorded first! We felt it was time to let people know we were working on new music and we were preparing a new album for everybody as well. And ‘MORE’ was such a fun song to write… we also had a focus on making a cool song for our participation in a Pepsi campaign in Mexico, and we are proud to say that ‘MORE’ was the focus song of the whole campaign in 2023.”

Considering you were all so young when your “Enter Sandman” cover went mega viral, you must’ve grown up immersed in music. When did you first decide to pick up instruments and form the band, and what types of music did you find yourselves drawn to early on?

Ale: “You are correct! We grew up in a very musical household. We would see live concerts on DVD all the time and some type of music would always be playing around the house. We grew up listening to a lot of Queen, Muse, Elton John, Billy Joel, Pink Floyd, AC/DC and many others. Even though our parents are not musicians, they are very much music lovers. We started playing the piano and learning to play classical music, then the Rock Band changed everything. We played that video game non-stop and it was the inspiration for what we do today! Still at that point, each of us did our own thing for a while until the fateful day we decided to play a song together for fun… safe to say, we loved it.”

What significance does the new record’s title, Keep Me Fed, hold to you all?

Pau: “The title Keep Me Fed represents this constant need of being fed by something, anything really, whether it be from social media, music, comedy, reading. It represents how nowadays living a single second without consuming something is unthinkable, and the need for constant stimulation is equally expected of everyone.”

You described another of the album’s fantastic singles, “Burnout,” as about “being tired of being dragged down by someone who just stopped trying in life.” On the contrary, what keeps you motivated to try, especially in the band?

Dany: “Love this question! There’s lots of things that motivate us, but specifically I think it’s the people around us: our parents who support us and work so hard for our well being and happiness as well as our success, our whole team that have stuck with us through every rehearsal and show around the world and always inspire us to be better, every single person who listens to our music and shows up to rock out with us in our shows, and especially each other. As sisters, we know we have our backs in this crazy and incredible journey. We are very grateful for all of these things that give us motivation, because following your dreams is hard and it will make you work harder than you’ve ever done before, so we’re lucky.”

How does a typical The Warning songwriting session go? Do you start with lyrics and lay down instruments from there, or vice versa?

Ale: “It depends a lot on the song and where the inspiration to write it came from, but Pau who is the main song starter in the band, pulls a lot of inspiration from visual stuff. She will usually have a theme and a mood board to accompany it and then sit in the piano. Sometimes music comes out first, sometimes lyrics… sometimes both at the same time. We all are very involved in the songwriting process and the end result. Rockafying songs that are born as piano ballads is always fun.”

So many of rock’s greatest groups have included siblings — Van Halen, Allman Bros, Kings of Leon, AC/DC, the list goes on. Why do you think that is? Is there an element to performing with family that gives the music extra meaning?

Pau: “We can’t speak for all of those bands, but being siblings in a band together for us is the coolest thing ever. We’ve always been very close, and music is all about sharing feelings and ideas in a very special way. To have the opportunity to do that with the people who understand you and love you the most is definitely a blessing. Plus, you will have the most unfiltered honesty that siblings have [laughs].”

Later this year, you’ll join Evanescence and Halestorm for a string of live dates in Canada! What are some essential items you keep with you on tour?

Dany: “Yes, we can’t wait to be on that tour! Essentials for tour for us are… now don’t laugh, but tortillas [laughs]. We travel with tortillas everywhere. As good Mexicans, we need some quesadillas for breakfast, and it helps a lot to have something that reminds us of home, especially since we are away for very long periods of time.”

You’ve also performed alongside Foo Fighters, Muse, Royal Blood, Guns N’ Roses and more. What’s the best advice you’ve been given by an artist you’ve played with?

Pau: “We have, and every single one of these experiences have been amazing. On the Muse tour we received advice that said ‘always be kind,’ and yes, the most amazing thing these performances have shown us is the kindness of all the people that make a band shine, whether it’s the artist themselves or all of their crew. We hope we can be a band like all of them and show the same kindness to the new band of the next generation when the time comes.”

What are some of the main themes on Keep Me Fed? Maybe a message you’d like listeners to take away at the end of it?

Dany: “Keep Me Fed is the result of us letting ourselves go, and writing stuff we didn’t even know we had to express. It was an album of a lot of self-discovery, as well as letting ourselves have fun writing our songs. Our biggest wish is that the people who listen will also find themselves and what they need in our music. Let Keep Me Fed be a safe space to let yourself feel what you need to feel.”

Finally, who are some artists you’d love to collaborate or tour with in the future?

Pau: “Well, we haven’t collaborated much as a band, but we’ve had so much fun on the ones we’ve had! The Metallica Blacklist project with Alessia Cara was an absolute blast, and we’re participating on a song with Band-Maid on their new upcoming album. We love sharing the creative process with other artists and in the process enrich ours and open our minds to new ways of songwriting. If we were to shoot the rocket to the moon, we’d say we would love to collaborate with Muse. That would be a dream come true, let’s manifest it!”

FIND THE WARNING ONLINE

WEBSITE TWITTER INSTAGRAM FACEBOOK

5 NEW ARTISTS TO SEE AT NORTH COAST THIS YEAR

June 24, 2024

by emma zanger

North Coast Music Festival is on its way back to the Chicagoland area for its 14th year, and we’re so excited to see some of our favorites! Taking place August 30th through September 1st at Seatgeek Stadium in Bridgeview, IL, the festival is set to have its largest year yet. Complete with an immense seven stages, hosting a broad lineup of artists, as well as an extensive collection of art installations, the festival’s attendees are in for a phenomenal experience.

The dazzling three-day festival includes powerhouse headliners such as Illenium, Above & Beyond, and Alan Walker. We’re excited to see popular artists like Seven Lions, Slander, Diesel, and Sullivan King, but let’s take a look at some of the newer artists on the NCMF scene. Make sure to take a break from the heat this Labor Day weekend to go see their sets!

TOMBZ

Bringing a bit of dark house to the festival scene, this Milwaukee artist is one we don’t want to miss. Known for an immersive mood that creates entire experiences for their listeners, Tombz is set to play day two of the festival. Be sure to head over to the Club Coast stage to hear their latest single “That’s What’s Up.”

PATRICK COLES

This Florida artist, who’s been releasing quite a handful of singles in 2024, brings a fresh and fast paced sound. Patrick Coles has an uplifting and euphoric sound, perfectly matched to the exhilarating festival experience. 2024 singles “Hypnotize,” “Falling 4 U,” and “Break A Sweat” are ones we can’t wait to add to our festival memories list! See you at the silent disco.

MAX WAGNER

New to North Coast but definitely not to Chicago, local house artist Max Wagner is set to bring a punchy, fast, and uplifted summertime vibe into the festival this year. Grab some friends and catch Max at the Shipyard on day two. His enthusiastic and popular presence around the Chicago scene is sure to bring your Labor Day weekend to the next level.

CAPOZZI

The Shipyard stage is due for an amazing performance by electronic artist Capozzi. Known for her collaboration with artists like Tchami, this girl is no stranger to the electronic scene. Her rounded dark electro mix between techno and spacey samples, sets up her own sound. Be sure to catch her on day two.

RAVENSCOON

Electronic force of nature Paul Conversano is set to play the Vega stage at North Coast this year, and there are several hits of his we can’t wait to catch. Having a reputation for combining many different genres (dubstep, trance, rap, DnB, etc.) in a seamless blend that reaches vast audiences, North Coast is blessed to have the sounds of Ravenscoon on day two. Ravenscoon sets are known for being enticingly experimental, and we can’t wait to experience it with you.

Tickets are selling fast, so make sure to grab your tickets to this incredible festival now. See you there!

NIGHT TAPES: INTERVIEW

June 21, 2024

by martina rexrode

Based in London, dream-pop trio Night Tapes recently released their latest EP assisted memories, a seven-track project featuring an impressive range of styles. Their rising career picks up in an exciting way this fall when they embark on their debut US tour including stops in NYC and LA. We talked with Night Tapes about the EP, the erratic process put into creating the EP, and their goals for the end of the year and beyond.

Congratulations on your assisted memories EP! What made you choose this specific track as the title of the EP?

Night Tapes: “Thanks! It really felt like it encapsulated the theme of changing from one version of yourself to another and the meaning nicely encapsulates this group of songs. It felt right.”

How does this EP bring listeners closer into the space you currently hold as a trio? Does it introduce any new sides of you that fans might not have seen before?

Night Tapes: “It’s definitely the most direct sounding piece of music we’ve ever made. Richie is singing in ‘drifting’ which is something we haven’t featured before (unless you know a secret track from ages ago). Lyrically with this EP I’m trying to honor and be kind to different past versions of myself. Especially to the young girl who moved to London from Tallinn, Estonia to pursue music.”

What is your writing/production process typically like? Did you try any new methods or styles within this process recently?

Night Tapes: “Our writing process is pretty erratic. We all make tracks individually and we can write together. The annoying, correct answer to this question is ‘every time is different’ ([laughs] I used to absolutely loathe these kinds of answers, but it’s so true). I think it’s good to keep on exploring, there is a saying that applies to art quite well: ‘if you think you know what you’re doing, you’ve killed it.’ Throughout the years we have learned to just make songs happen faster, but switching up approaches like writing with a new instrument or writing to visuals seems to work for us.”

If you each had to choose a favorite track from this EP, which would it be and why?

Night Tapes: “At the moment my fave is ‘easy time to be alive.’ It’s built on this one spontaneous dictaphone recording we did one morning with Max. We found the recording randomly at a session and built everything around it as we couldn’t change anything about it. It turned out everything was there, we just needed to trust the first recording and the first feeling it had.”

This fall, you’ll be on your debut US tour including shows in NYC and LA! Which part of this tour are you most excited for?

Night Tapes: “We are so excited to see all the new cities we’ve never been to before (Chicago and San Francisco). We are also very excited to see the people who have been championing us online.”

What are some of your bucket list venues?

Night Tapes: “Glastonbury Pyramid Stage, thanks [laughs]. Alexandra Palace would be cool. Electric Brixton would be cool (as we are from South London, represent).”

How does it feel to have your music reach such a wide audience outside of where you started?

Night Tapes: “It’s quite surreal.”

What do you want to tell your future, end-of-this-year self? What do you hope you’ve accomplished individually and as a group by December 31st?

Night Tapes: “I would like to tell my future end-of-this-year self that creativity needs order and chaos and I hope she will go to a sunny place this winter to rest, regroup and adventure. I would like to accomplish inner freedom, thank you.”

FIND NIGHT TAPES ONLINE

TWITTER INSTAGRAM FACEBOOK

COSMO'S MIDNIGHT: INTERVIEW

June 17, 2024

by joann snavely

Australian electric duo Cosmo’s Midnight consisting of twins Cosmo and Patrick Liney, is hot off the release of their third full-length album Stop Thinking Start Feeling — an album that reminds listeners to ignore the stresses of the present and explore the magic of music — specifically their music. With their biggest world tour yet kicking off last week, Unclear got the chance to take some time and discuss their new album, tour, and the past, present, and future of the twin-duos music.

How did your journey with music begin — where did it all start?

Cosmo’s Midnight: “It started around high school when our older brother downloaded some music software to make mixes. We became obsessed with it looking over his shoulder and started making terrible little songs completely sucked into this new craft we'd never done before.”

With your new album, are there any new approaches you made sound?

Cosmo’s Midnight: “We really wanted to look back at everything we’d released until now and look for a common thread that we could really hone in on for this record. However, as the album title suggests, we really wanted to rediscover the naive exciting feeling of discovery that we had when we started writing our first songs. So, we really spent a lot of time jamming and only really completing and finessing songs that felt like they captured a moment or a spark of creativity.”

What musicians were the biggest inspirations behind the making of the album?

Cosmo’s Midnight: “There are almost too many to mention, but Fleetwood Mac, Prince, Daft Punk, The Chemical Brothers, The Stone Roses, Soulwax, Fatboy Slim, and Nile Rodgers just to name a few of the artists we were listening to as we wrote this record.”

On the note of your sound, what is one word you'd use to describe your sound on the new album?

Cosmo’s Midnight: “It's so hard to wrap it all up in one word, but I’d hope the music sounds like we had fun writing it, because we really did enjoy writing this record. So, I hope the album sounds like excitement, or at least that it’s felt out rather than curated.”

Which song on the album was the most challenging to create?

Cosmo’s Midnight: “I’d say ‘Eating Heartache’ was one of the harder ones to write, we had so many different interpretations of the bass and drum interaction, and we really just wanted to have something felt super locked in. It’s not that it was super hard to get to that point, just that it took a little more experimentation, which is also one of the most fun things about writing. Seeing all the different ways you can realize the potential of a song.”

What are you hoping for fans to take out of the album?

Cosmo’s Midnight: “I hope that from start to finish people get lost in the music, lose themselves to dance. This record is about putting all your critical or cerebral traits on the shelf and being absorbed in the groove, the experiential side of music. I think as writers it can be difficult to listen to music with no thoughts, purely as a fan and no pre-conceptions. We tried to listen to as much music that just sounds so original, timeless, or exciting, and we hope our fans feel any of those things after putting our record away.”

As a twin, I must ask, what is the best part of performing as a twin duo?

Cosmo’s Midnight: “I think it's just really nice to have someone you’re comfortable with on stage and also in the studio. You never feel like the burden rests solely on you to write or perform, being with our friends in our live band makes it even better, touring with our drummer Hassett and our guitarist Timi Temple is so effortless, we have the best time on the road.”

If you could each only listen to one album ever again what would it be?

Cosmo’s Midnight: “Right now, I’m obsessed with the new Mk.gee record Two Star & The Dream Police, as I’m sure many people are. His new album has such great musical choices, direction, and conviction. I love listening to records where it sounds like the artist is so sure of themselves and their decisions, the music just sounds so thought out and realized to completion.”

With the release of your single “Telephone,” who inspired the single the most?

Cosmo’s Midnight: “I'd say this record was inspired by turn of the millennium acid house, through the lens of crunchy instrumental records like Soulwax.”

You've toured in some pretty iconic venues. If you could play a show at any venue, what would it be?

Cosmo’s Midnight: “We've been really lucky to play some pretty amazing venues through our career, but I would love to play at Printworks in London, it's such a beautiful space and some of my favorite artists have played there.”

Since making music, what has been the most gratifying experience so far?

Cosmo’s Midnight: “Even though we've done things I’d never had dreamed of honestly, I'd say there is nothing more gratifying than being able to have done it this long and put all of my energy and time into music as a career. There is nothing I’d rather do and we're so lucky to be able to call this a job!”

FIND COSMO’S MIDNIGHT ONLINE

WEBSITE TWITTER INSTAGRAM FACEBOOK