INTERVIEWS
Chino Moreno and Shaun Lopez Talk New ††† (Crosses) Songs, Musical Inspiration, Tour Plans, and More
Last month, ††† (Crosses), comprised of Chino Moreno (Deftones) and Shaun Lopez, released their first new original songs in eight years. The tracks “Initiation” and “Protection” are just a taste of what’s to come, as the duo plan to unveil more music in the coming months, after inking a deal with Warner Bros. Records. The first sign that Crosses were back in the studio came in late 2020, when the outfit unveiled a cover of the Cause and Effect track “The Beginning of the End.” A year later, a cover of Q Lazzarus’ “Goodbye Horses” followed, along with news that more music was coming soon. In March, the two aforementioned original songs “Initiation” and “Protection” were released, cementing the fact that Crosses were back in full swing. After releasing their 2014 self-titled debut album and ...
“A Bridge Between My Heart and My Family”: Qrion On Her Japanese Cultural Influence and Nostalgic Sound
Hot off of her Red Rocks debut and a breakthrough 2021, Qrion has laid the groundwork that is currently catapulting her to dance music stardom. Last year, she was named to EDM.com‘s Class of 2022, joining a prestigious list of transformative artists including ACRAZE, Anfisa Letyago and ISOxo, among others. Every artist on the list has positioned themselves uniquely within the industry, and Qrion is certainly no exception. Qrion. Julia Wang The San Francisco-based DJ and producer has graced leading electronic music labels like Anjunadeep, Ultra Records, Last Night On Earth and more, landing her a spot on Forbes Japan‘s coveted “30 Under 30” list. Her unique, hypnotic sound interweaves many different electronic sub-genres, often making use of soft, exquisite beats and...
Lucius Want Us to Dance Through the Pain
It’s late morning in early April and Holly Laessig and Jess Wolfe – otherwise known as Lucius – look like Holly Laessig and Jess Wolfe. This is only a notable thing because when they perform together, they don’t so much appear as themselves but as two arms of the same whole: voices twisted and wrapped around each other like structural vines, their matching hair and mirrored outfits like looking at one figure with over-rubbed eyes. Their physical presentation is just one part of how this duo of exquisite singer-songwriters toys with the idea of harmony, and how voices and music can blend to create its own new beating heart – how it all becomes, as their new album is titled Second Nature. “I’m in my pajamas,” says Laessig, looking down at her blue sleepshirt, Zooming from bed. Wolfe, in Nash...
How Madeon and a Team of Architects Designed the Hallucinatory “Good Faith” Experience—And Blew Everyone’s Mind
They say ideas grow better when transplanted into another mind—and Madeon has four of them. The French electronic music virtuoso, whose real name is Hugo Leclercq, is currently on his “Good Faith Forever” tour, where he’s been baffling ravers with a new, pupil-popping stage production. But just like any groundbreaking show, there’s more to it than meets the eye. Four visual artists, Shinichiro Fujita, OSEAN, Mollie Tarlow and Mike Kluge, function as the brainstem of “Good Faith Forever” as well as its illusory encore, which finds Madeon lifted atop a giant cylindrical structure as his silhouette morphs into the tour’s phantasmagoric imagery. Their cerebral work, Leclercq says, has shaped not only the tour, but also his own cre...
James Hong Gets Candid About Making the “Berserk” Everything Everywhere All at Once
James Hong is the living definition of a screen legend, having appeared in literally hundreds of films, TV shows, and video games as an actor. Some of his most notable roles include appearances in Blade Runner, Big Trouble in Little China, The Golden Child, and the Kung Fu Panda series — he memorably fought Wayne Campbell over the hand of his daughter in Wayne’s World 2, and just this spring provided the voice of local elder Mr. Gao in Pixar’s Turning Red. And then there’s Everything Everywhere All at Once, the genre-warping, mind-bending exercise in multiverse-hopping written and directed by Daniels. In the film, Hong, 93, plays Gong Gong, father to Evelyn (Michelle Yeoh) and grandfather to Joy (Stephanie Hsu) — traditional in his ways and a disapproving figure in Evelyn’s life, Gong Gong...
James Hong Gets Candid About Making the “Berserk” Everything Everywhere All at Once
James Hong is the living definition of a screen legend, having appeared in literally hundreds of films, TV shows, and video games as an actor. Some of his most notable roles include appearances in Blade Runner, Big Trouble in Little China, The Golden Child, and the Kung Fu Panda series — he memorably fought Wayne Campbell over the hand of his daughter in Wayne’s World 2, and just this spring provided the voice of local elder Mr. Gao in Pixar’s Turning Red. And then there’s Everything Everywhere All at Once, the genre-warping, mind-bending exercise in multiverse-hopping written and directed by Daniels. In the film, Hong, 93, plays Gong Gong, father to Evelyn (Michelle Yeoh) and grandfather to Joy (Stephanie Hsu) — traditional in his ways and a disapproving figure in Evelyn’s life, Gong Gong...
How Artist of the Month Wet Leg’s Authentic Joy Led to Massive Buzz
Artist of the Month is an accolade given to a rising artist or band on the cusp of stardom. In April 2022, we give the nod to one of the buzziest bands around, Wet Leg. Getting Wet Leg on the phone for an interview is impressively challenging. In the run-up to last week’s release of their self-titled debut, the Isle of Wight duo of Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers were, in their own press rep’s words, “scheduled within an inch of their lives.” Between countless interviews, their second tour of the United States, and performing on nearly every late-night show there is, the buzziest band around is hard to lock in for a 30-minute chat. All the attention has been a wild ride for Wet Leg, but an understandably exacting one. As Teasdale notes, it’s hard to appreciate the landmarks when they co...
The Reawakening of Joe Purdy
During the past year, Joe Purdy has basically started his life anew. It began with a move from his longtime home of Los Angeles to Taos, New Mexico eight months ago. Then he signed with a new management team. In March, he released Coyote, his first studio album in six years. Why all these major changes? “I just decided to start following my gut again.” It’s a comeback that seems to surprise even Purdy himself. After putting out more than a dozen albums in a 15-year span, he was so burned out that he stopped recording and releasing music entirely. His most recent studio album came out in 2016, but Purdy never quit writing songs. “It’s the only thing I’ve ever done that is that effortless, so I know it’s the best thing I can do,” he says. Right before the pandemic started, Purdy took a few t...
The Reawakening of Joe Purdy
During the past year, Joe Purdy has basically started his life anew. It began with a move from his longtime home of Los Angeles to Taos, New Mexico eight months ago. Then he signed with a new management team. In March, he released Coyote, his first studio album in six years. Why all these major changes? “I just decided to start following my gut again.” It’s a comeback that seems to surprise even Purdy himself. After putting out more than a dozen albums in a 15-year span, he was so burned out that he stopped recording and releasing music entirely. His most recent studio album came out in 2016, but Purdy never quit writing songs. “It’s the only thing I’ve ever done that is that effortless, so I know it’s the best thing I can do,” he says. Right before the pandemic started, Purdy took a few t...
Wallows Are Living the Dream Working as Best Friends
At 10 a.m. on a Monday morning, the members of Wallows — Braeden Lemasters, Cole Preston, and Dylan Minnette — caught their first glimpses of themselves as our Zoom call began. “Oh, I look dead, holy fuck,” Minnette says. “Dude, I feel you,” Preston agrees. “I woke up and looked in the mirror, and I was like, ‘What the hell happened to me yesterday?’” “I’m really trying not to look like a zombie,” Lemasters jokes. Sorry guys, the exhaustion won’t be over quite yet. Their biggest headlining tour to date — stopping along North America and Europe — kicked off on April 1, which bleeds into 2023. Tell Me That It’s Over reimagines the bouncy wittiness of their 2020 Remote EP and the spunky pop of their 2019 debut, Nothing Happens. It checks off the expected growth in sound of a sophomore album, ...
The Linda Lindas Are “Growing Up” on Their Own Terms
“I wrote a verse for a song when we were playing kickball in P.E. last week,” says Lucia de la Garza, one of the four members of The Linda Lindas. Beside her, her bandmate Eloise Wong nods seriously. “Kickball is always very inspiring,” Eloise confirms. The Linda Lindas are made up of sisters Lucia and Mila de la Garza, their cousin Eloise, and friend Bela Salazar, whose ages range from 11 to 17. The budding punk group had a breakout moment in 2021 when a performance of their original track “Racist, Sexist Boy” exploded. Music is something they take seriously; even prior to their viral success, they’d secured an opening gig for fellow female punk rockers Bikini Kill, a show for which Amy Poehler happened to be in attendance. Poehler then recruited the quartet to lend a few tracks to h...
Sting and KURT Talk Their Spanish Language Collaboration “Por Su Amor,” Share Music Video: Exclusive
When he was younger, Latin Grammy Award nominee KURT used to sing Sting’s songs at bars where he’d perform in his native Mexico. Now, he’s singing one of them with Sting. The two have joined forces for “Por Su Amor,” a new Spanish version of “For Her Love” from Sting’s 2021 studio album, The Bridge. The recording will be released this Friday, April 8th, via all streaming services, along with a video (premiering exclusively below) that was filmed in early March in Los Angeles. It follows Sting’s solo version of the Spanish language track, released back in February. The Spanish rendition of “For Her Love” came about when Sting and his manager-producer Martin Kierszenbaum, were in Cabo San Lucas during a break between shows. “Neither of us are beach people, really,” Sting tells Consequence du...
