INTERVIEWS
After Jackson + Sellers Hit A ‘Breaking Point,’ a Country-Rock Superpairing Came Next
The last year and a half led plenty of people to their breaking point — but for Jade Jackson and Aubrie Sellers, one step closer to the edge was a good thing. Though both women were already established as emerging alt-country artists in their own right, each with two solo albums to their name, the dearth of touring opportunities during the pandemic auspiciously brought them together. During last year’s downtime, the pair began working on a songwriting project that’s now assumed a life of its own. Newly minted as the country-rock duo Jackson + Sellers, they released their bluesy, riff-heavy debut, Breaking Point, in late October, and the record has only continued to pick up speed and critical acclaim in the ensuing weeks. Before these two were quarantine collaborators, they crossed paths du...
Joshua Malina on Why He Wants to Offer Unnecessary Commentary on His Past Aaron Sorkin Projects
The relationship between those who make TV shows and those who watch said TV shows has become, thanks to the Internet, an increasingly complicated one over the years. But before stars from Gilmore Girls, Scrubs, and The Office started making podcasts to fuel the pandemic-era thirst for vintage television, actor Joshua Malina and his friend, composer Hrishikesh Hirway, were talking The West Wing on the weekly. The West Wing Weekly, which launched in 2016, featured regular deep dives into every episode of the Emmy-winning NBC drama, with much of the original cast — as well as creator Aaron Sorkin — participating in the discussion. Now, after years of digging into the complexities of DC political drama, though, the pair have teamed up for a new enterprise entitled Unnecessary Commentary, whic...
Mike Posner Reflects On Avicii: “When I Was In the Coldest, Coldest Periods of My Career He Would Call Me to Work”
On a personal level, Mike Posner has likened the loss of Avicii and his father to being doused with a bucket of ice water in the middle of the night. The sobering events resulted in a near instantaneous shift in the Grammy-nominated artist’s perspective, inspiring him to break the comforts of his daily life in ways few would expect—and even fewer would attempt to replicate. Nowadays, pushing aside the cushy comforts of a Top 40 artist is becoming second nature for Posner, who is learning to appreciate the trials and triumphs of each passing moment. Posner summarizes his outlook with “Amor Fati,” a near and dear phrase which translates to “love of fate” in latin. In an exclusive interview with EDM.com, Posner candidly reflected on his rel...
“A Peek Into Our Minds”: syence On Their Sublime “bass pop” EP and Visions of a New Genre
Besides the occasional lab experiment, you typically won’t find anything interesting in science class unless you want to grow up to be—well—a scientist. But when Zach Montoya and Brayden James found each other, it was instant chemistry. Connecting over a shared interest in music production, the duo launched their collaborative syence moniker after meeting in a college science class. Like the molecules and ions they studied, they formed a strong bond, eventually concocting their most potent compound yet: a five-track EP called bass pop. bass pop is not only a breakthrough for the duo, but also a showcase of a new genre, the EP’s namesake. Its goal is to encapsulate a new sound “that many may have never heard before,” according to syence. The five-track record, w...
Jim Cummings’ Public Display of Reflection
Towards the end of The Beta Test, Jim Cummings explodes into a monologue of anger and truth. Those who have seen the writer/director/actor’s other feature films — Thunder Road and The Wolf of Snow Hollow — are familiar with this trademark scene. The reason for the routine display is that Cummings loves public freakouts. Cummings’ latest character, a hotshot Hollywood agent named Jordan Hines, has good reason to erupt. In the midst of planning his wedding, Hines’ agency (aptly named A.P.E.) is trying to sign its biggest client yet. At the same time, Hines has received an invitation to a discreet sexual encounter. Hines’ balancing act is the heart of The Beta Test. In the midst of this character study, the movie tackles toxic masculinity, social media’s lack of privacy concerns and archaic H...
Courtney Barnett on “Finding Joy Amongst the Mess” with Her New Album Things Take Time, Take Time
When Courtney Barnett turns on her Zoom camera, she’s squinting from the sun. The singer-songwriter, whose new album Things Take Time, Take Time arrives this Friday (November 12th) via Mom+Pop, is calling from outside the house she’s staying at in Joshua Tree, where she’s been rehearsing for her upcoming tour and, deservedly, taking some time to relax. “I’ve just woke up,” she tells Consequence with a laugh. Barnett began writing her follow-up to 2018’s Tell Me How You Really Feel in late 2019 and early 2020, before the you-know-what put most people’s plans on an indefinite pause. Strict COVID safety protocols in her native Australia meant that Barnett had an abundance of free time on her hands: “I was living by myself in Melbourne, and we were in lockdown, and I was writing...
From Rock to EDM: How Former Guns N’ Roses Guitarist ASHBA Is Cultivating a New Generation of Music Fans
Imagine playing sold-out arena shows with one of the most iconic hard rock bands of all-time—and then spending the rest of your night raving at a dance club. This is how former Guns N’ Roses guitarist ASHBA and legendary frontman Axl Rose would spend their time after their headlining shows across the globe. In the midst of their worldwide tours, ASHBA tells us, the bandmates found themselves in some of the most exclusive techno clubs, dancing among EDM fans. Fast-forward to today, when ASHBA is preparing to perform his first headlining show this Friday as a solo performer at Green Bay’s Epic Event Center. After spending years cutting his teeth with Guns N’ Roses, Sixx:A.M., and Beautiful Creatures, ASHBA is now setting out to pursue his own unique creative venture in the mu...
With Here and Now, Gates Return From the Almost Dead
Being told you’re cancer-free should be cause for joyous celebration. But Gates vocalist/guitarist Kevin Dye was also struck by a more negative reaction when told an operation to remove a cancerous growth on his lungs was completely successful. It sent him into a deep spiral of existential depression. He’d first noticed something was wrong in April and May 2018, when he noticed he was repeatedly getting pneumonia. After numerous trips to the doctor, tests determined he had cancer. About a month later, it had been completely removed with an operation. Dye was obviously relieved, but there was a lingering darkness inside him — a sense of despair and despondency he just couldn’t shake. Much as he tried, much as he knew he should be elated, he wasn’t. “I’m the kind of person who thinks about t...
beabadoobee Says Her Next Album Will Sound Completely New: “Every Single Song is in a Whole Different World”
beabadoobee has had quite a year. Following the release of her long-awaited 2020 debut album Fake It Flowers, the Londoner upped the ante and wrote and recorded Our Extended Play EP, released in June, with labelmates Matty Healy and George Daniel of The 1975. And finally, as restrictions have begun to lift and live music is returning, beabadoobee is back on the road, currently touring through North America with fellow Dirty Hit signees BLACKSTARKIDS and Christian Leave as support. As Bea’s sound has transformed from her lo-fi bedroom pop to a heavier, grunge-forward vibe, her songwriting itself has become much more specific and noteworthy. Seeing her show at Webster Hall in New York City last week, it was extremely clear that this sonic evolution has come to define the project and its futu...
They Might Be Giants on New Album BOOK and Heading Back on Tour: “Rest Assured, There Will Be Accordion”
Few indie rock bands can claim the sheer breadth, longevity, and sustained creative inspiration as They Might Be Giants, whose body of work spans nearly four decades, twenty-plus albums, and many hundreds of songs. John Flansburgh and John Linnell’s storied discography includes alt-rock hits (“Birdhouse in Your Soul”), college-rock classics (“Put Your Hand Inside the Puppet Head”), and the occasional TV theme (“Boss of Me”). Their new album BOOK (out Friday, November 12th) goes in another new direction: Its 15 tracks are available on their own, or accompanied by a large hardcover lyric book, featuring original art connected to the new batch of songs, as well as selected pieces from their last few releases. As always, the songs stand alone; this group is less ornate than some of the band’s ...
Artist of the Month: Meet Geese, the New Brooklyn Post-Punk Vanguard
Artist of the Month is an accolade given to an up-and-coming artist or group who is poised for the big time. In November 2021, we give the nod to Brooklyn post-rockers Geese as they drop their highly buzzed debut album, Projector. Everyone’s been robbed of in-person experiences on way or another in this unprecedented pandemic era. Many already-plugged-in teenage musicians have seen some of their most formative years shunted online. For every breakout success spurred by TikTok, there’s a dozen more who haven’t been so lucky. How does an aspiring 16-year-old artist, for example, expand their horizons when live music is shuttered? How can they possibly hone their stage presence without stages on which to perform? “I remember for a minute in quarantine, we would just get together and watch liv...
The Pursuit of Happiness: Oliver Tree On New Country Album, Antarctica Headlining Dreams
On December 25th, 2001, Oliver Tree wasn’t just a kid on Christmas. Instead, once gifted with his first ever Razor scooter, he suddenly held the keys to his future. Fast-forward two decades and the artist has racked up nearly 24 million monthly listeners on Spotify and half a billion lifetime streams. He’s even got over 11 million followers on TikTok, a platform practically tailor made for his signature brand of quirky comedic bullshit—just check out his badass platinum blonde haircut. Half bowl, half mullet, he’s dubbed it the “bowlet.” Always on the go, Tree is now hard at work on Cowboy Tears, a full-blown country album whose release will reportedly mark his retirement from music. It’s a far cry from the funky blends of pop, hip-hop and el...
