Interviews

Squirrel Flower

The opening lines of Squirrel Flower’s “I-80” find songwriter Ella O’Connor Williams unsure of her drive, relaying over a lithe, detuned acoustic strum, “lyrics failed me, so I gave up poetry and ran west on I-80”. It’s worth noting, however, that this exists as the opening track from sophomore collection I Was Born Swimming—Squirrel Flower’s first for iconic indie hub Polyvinyl Records. In actuality, Williams’ songbook is overflowing, with the artist explaining in a call with ION that demos are currently pouring out of her in the lead-up to a European tour.

Interview: La Sera's Katy Goodman & Springtime Carnivore's Greta Morgan

This September, for the first time in over 30 years, Glenn Danzig is going to step onstage with the rest of the Misfits to perform horror rock anthems like "Where Eagles Dare," no doubt leading thousands of devilocked devotees at the Denver and Chicago Riot Fests through its sing-along of  "I ain't no god

ACTORS Debut New Song + Interview

Jason Corbett from ACTORS has become one of the leading characters steering the Vancouver independent music movement, and although it seems like it happened over night, it has been brewing for years. He's a plucky, pithy talent and not only do we have an exclusive of their new song, but we have a fun back and forth with him to start off your week. Enjoy.

What's the worst part about full length albums in 2016?

METZ-A Real Wild Ride

METZ has a new album, correctly titled “II,” and much like their 2012 self-titled Sub Pop debut, it’s an absolute ripper: a buzzing, cascading riot of sound driven by guitarist and vocalist Alex Edkins, drummer Hayden Menzies, and bassist Chris Slorach, that pushes and never pulls, but still manages to offer ecstatic and rewarding release. There’s a sense of earnest familiarity about it that makes it stick, but not a single note feels secondhand. It’s energizing and cathartic music for the busy-brained.

Jesse Berlin | Elvis Blessings & Louboutin Lessons

When the nice folks at ION first got in touch with me about doing this interview, they acknowledged that I have a track record of being, shall we say, less than friendly to the majority of music journalists who have crossed my path. In my defense, every journalist who has been sent to interview me in the past just happened to be a barely literate failure of a human being.

PENICILLIN BABY | SPACE-TRASH & THE END OF THE WORLD

Penicillin Baby consists of Jon Tyler Conant, Charlie Davis, Taylor Lowrance, and Wes Mitchell, who met when they eventually found themselves in Nashville, Tennessee. The band has a surprising obsession with rooftops, and Jon Tyler Conant reflects on how “in almost every city we go to, we find a way onto the roof of some tall building. 
It kind of makes me feel like a little kid 
again.

Coleman Hell

There must be something in the water, because it seems like everyone wants a piece of Coleman Hell these days. It's been a giant 2015 for the Toronto-based, Thunder Bay-bred singer, with his banjo-fied house pop banger "2 Heads" having racked up millions of listens on Spotify and nuzzled up to other radio hits on both sides of the border.

Leon Bridges

Good friends and good food are just a couple of the blessings Texas soul artist Leon Bridges is enjoying when we catch him on a rare day off in Dallas. The last few years have been a blur for the singer-songwriter, taking him all the way from the first few strums on a guitar to jet-setting behind his recently released debut LP Coming Home.

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