Written by : Nick Hopton & Photographed by Bob Linneman

There’s something about Philadelphia during the holidays. I’m talking about the ones we used to have: snow, laughter, love. We don’t get too many of those around here anymore. Times have changed. People have changed. The paradox of life is that we never really take full advantage of the moments that really mean the most as they’re happening, but rather look on them years later, knowing that they were the best of times. But for a night in December, magic once again took form. This time, it was in the form of a little rock and roll band that, despite the odds against them, took on the fucking world 20 years ago. That, despite the odds, created one of the single greatest rock and roll albums in not only Philadelphia history, but the whole damn world. And that, despite all those odds… is still here… playing that rock and roll.

Silvertide

Nick Perri, co-founder and guitar virtuoso, commanded the stage with an unmistakable electricity that took me right back to his earliest days. Twenty years might have passed, but that raw, unbridled energy still courses through his veins – now beautifully tempered by years of road-worn wisdom and masterful musicianship.

The story of Nick Perri reads like a rock and roll fairy tale – from the wide-eyed teenage prodigy lighting up Silvertide to the seasoned frontman now leading The Underground Thieves. But a few days prior to the show, he and I were able to meet up and talk about life, love, and rock and roll. Sitting across from him, years after our first time meeting under similar circumstances, it felt like time had not passed for us at all. Life might have changed around us in many ways, but he’s still the same good, honest person that I met way back then. It’s incredibly hard to hold true to oneself in this business. It can change you in ways that you never thought were possible and into someone you’re not, and unfortunately, it’s usually for the worse. But for Nick Perri… it’s about personal growth and staying real.

Five Years Gone

Five long (yet seemingly short) years ago, I was tasked with doing my first-ever interview. I would be sitting down with local legend Nick Perri at a little bar in West Chester in the days leading up to his new band, The Underground Thieves, opening for The Struts at the Fillmore Philadelphia. We walked in that day as strangers and left as friends. Crazy how life works like that sometimes. In the years since, the world has changed. A lot. But there’s one thing that is a constant: the evolution of one’s self. And as a musician, it can be a wild ride. Taking stock of that and reminiscing about the journey can remind you of just how far you’ve come.

“Well, there’s two halves to this. I would say there’s 2019 through 2023, and then there’s 2023 through today. And they’re gonna be two different answers. The first half of that would be like it was a period of exponential growth. It was like the curve was straight up because the Fillmore shows were the very first shows as Nick Perri and the Underground Thieves, where I was like ‘the front man.’ So I got to have a taste of that. I spent 20 years at that point in the music business, you know, not being the front man, and then I got to, like, BE the front person. And of course, I had an amazing band all around me. But that was like the show that I was leading, you know what I mean? And doing the majority of the singing on. And it was… it just felt so, it was like holding a bolt of lightning. It was so exciting and so great. And after that, I was literally off to the races.”

“Very early into 2020, there was already a release plan for Sun Via. I had the confidence at that point because I already had put out ‘Feeling Good.’ And the response to that song was tremendous. That song got the most excited response of anything I’ve ever put out, like going back to Silvertide. So it was like Silvertide, then everything else, then that. It was like that hearkened back to that level of excitement… which was amazing. So it was like, okay, I not only can do this, but like, I have a lot of people in my corner who also agree that I can do it. That confidence is all I needed to really hit the ground, and I just started writing. I mean, I was always writing songs, but I started, like, really just spending all my time writing, because at that point it was like someone had opened the floodgates for me and just been like, ‘Go.’”

With the popularity of songs Feeling Good and Let You Know, Sun Via felt like a launching point for Nick and his Thieves. Work began on the follow-up album, Terra Firma.

“I would say that I feel like in that moment I really did have something that I wanted to prove—not to anybody else, which is an interesting dichotomy. It wasn’t like I owed anybody anything. I felt like, to myself, I wanted to prove to myself, whether it was conscious or subconscious, that I could sort of be the artist that I always, on some levels, wanted to be. The fact that I didn’t need permission or didn’t need anybody else’s approval was just like, I was just ready to go. So that was really like leading. It was like almost this subconscious desire. And if I’m really being honest with you, I’d always wanted to. Because Show and Tell happened so early in my career, and the record was produced incredibly well, I wanted to produce a record that could stand toe to toe sonically. I didn’t want to accept that my sonic footprint happened when I was 18. I wanted to at least match it, if not beat it, now.”

And he did just that. Sonically, that album is overflowing with depth and originality. It’s a true testament to “I’m going to do this, and I’m going to do it my fucking way.” Years were spent on this record to make it as perfect as it could be. And when you listen to Terra Firma, you can feel it. Many albums now just feel thrown together, pieced up without any true soul to them. Just notes. Terra Firma is a true fucking album. A flashback to the days when albums actually mattered, not just the singles that hit the radio. But, unfortunately, the music industry has changed. And cruel realities hit now more than ever.

The music industry is no longer about the music.

“Music Is Spiritual. The Music Business Is Not.”

“I was on this high rise, and everything up until the release of Terra Firma, it was just like, even though it was a pandemic and it was a fucking weird time and it was a tough time, it was a prolific and important time in my story. A time that I’m very proud of. We ended up touring during that time more than anybody thought we could. That being said, from the time Terra Firma was completely mixed and mastered, I had it in my hands for almost a year before it actually came out. Which a lot of people don’t know. And I spent a whole year basically shopping the record and trying to find a partner to help me put the record out. I believed it was good enough, and I believed there were enough singles that could have gone to radio on the record. I’m bummed to say, and I don’t think I’ve ever talked about this publicly, but that process was like the absolute worst, most disheartening, most soul-crushing process of my entire career. I think something like 60 labels and—not just any one type, but the biggest labels to the smallest indie labels and everybody in between—had passed on the record. I had a tracker on a private link and could tell when people were opening and listening to the record. Out of 60 labels, I think only five or so listened to the record. And the rest I was turned down by because I didn’t have the TikTok numbers and Spotify numbers. I was like, my whole career I worked to be a good enough songwriter, producer, and artist to be able to produce this body of work. No 17-year-old could do Terra Firma. I’m not saying I’m the only one in the world who could do it. There’s plenty of talented, amazing people, but the depth we’re talking about and the ability to produce a record like that and write a record like that comes with time and life experience. And no, I didn’t have the TikTok numbers, but I had something that you can’t buy with numbers, which is the whole lived experience of 25 years in the record industry and being an artist, songwriter, and producer.”

Everyone gets punched in the mouth in life, either literally or metaphorically. But as the great Rocky Balboa once said…

“It ain’t about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done!”

Terra Firma, while not commercially successful, is a win. Nick set out to make the album that HE felt was his best work. And he accomplished that. Screw what the suits think. In the grand story of rock and roll, the powers that be have been wrong WAY more times than they have been right. This is just another instance of missing something great right in front of your face.

“I was able to service the fans who wanted it. I was able to get the record into the hands of people who wanted it, which is still a win. I was still able to sell thousands of vinyls, CDs, and cassettes and have the music reach people, for which I’m eternally grateful.”

Still…taking the hit and getting back up doesn’t make it hurt any less. That pain can sting for a long time if you let it. Sometimes, though, you just need to sit back and let life happen for a while.

“I had to take a pause. I also went through some personal stuff in my life that needed some changing. I moved across the country again, my fifth cross-country move and final. I’m dying in California. That’s it, I’m done moving. I mean, I’ll come visit, of course. Silvertide is based here, but I’m not moving back. So that being said, I’ve had a little bit of time. Time does heal. I wrote a song right before I moved that I thought was really good because I have a bar now, you know? After ‘Sunset to Sunset,’ ‘Waiting for You,’ and ‘I Want to Be Free’ and some of these other songs, I don’t want to put out songs that aren’t as good as those songs, you know what I mean? So I’m a very harsh critic of my own stuff now, which I’ve always been. It’s not like I haven’t been playing or writing. I just haven’t been pursuing it. I haven’t been actively trying to make a record. I needed a fucking break. But I did write a song that I felt like was one of my best of all time, and I felt worthy of putting the time in. I was able to pull some favors even before I was completely moved in. I was able to get into a studio in California, a really nice studio with some great friends, and was able to cut a new song, a new Thieves single with some new players on it, and it’s really fucking good. And if all goes well, it’ll be out for Valentine’s Day.”

There’s always light at the end of the tunnel. As far away as it may seem sometimes, it is there. And sometimes, that’s all we need to keep going: just a little glimmer.

“I’m gonna keep releasing singles until I feel like I have the moxie to go make another record. I think, unfortunately, that’s also the way the music business is right now. It’s single-driven, not album-driven anymore. It’s disheartening to say that, but it’s the way that you see a whole lot of things. That’s how I started The Thieves. I started it with releasing songs, gauging interest. You gauge temperature, and then you go from there. I mean, I’ve never really been one to give a fuck about what anyone else is doing. I feel like it’s the synchronicity of it. But for me, and I’m not trying to sound like an asshole, it’s just like, for me, when I feel like I have the energy and the drive, and I have something to say with a body of work that’s 10 or more songs, then I’ll make an album, whether it’s an album era or not. But it just so happens that I’m only really feeling like doing singles right now. So it works.”

“Morning Light”

In between the creation of his own music, Perri has his chops in another realm of creation: studio work. Teaming up with some of the best musicians in the world to help their visions come to life on tape. In fact, his style, demeanor, and ability have him quickly becoming one of the most sought-after session guitarists in LA.

“I have an extremely broad, eclectic taste in music. Growing up on kind of older records from the ’60s and ’70s, you know, is an obvious influence that shaped my early world. I don’t listen to guitar-driven classic rock anywhere near as much as people might think. I listen to a lot of other stuff: electronic music, pop, indie, alternative, and everything in between. And I’ve been playing multiple genres of music and styles my whole life. So I’ve jumped back into the role of session guitarist, which I’ve done at various points in my career when I’ve had time, and it so happens that I’m back in LA. When I’m in between albums and tours, I have the time, and it’s a way to make money and keep my chops up. So it’s win, win, win for everybody. Getting back into the session guitarist role this year was just so fucking easy and natural. I was getting calls to do a lot of pop. I’m playing on a ton of pop and on some big pop artist records that are coming out this year. And it was so much fun, so easy, and so great, and I got to bring my Nick Perri thing to it, you know? I also did some rock records that are sick. I feel like I was completely ready for it. I was completely ready to step in and fulfill all those roles because of my 30 years of listening to music training. I had the ear already ready to go, and it was just like step in, lock and load, and go. Execute. And I think that’s why the producers I was working with really like me. I can play in time, I can play in tune, and I was very fast. They’d be like, ‘How about that? How about this? Can you try this?’ And I was like, sure, sure, sure. You know, that’s a fucking dream. No editing and comping, no tuning, and like yep, just play it right.”

The places you’ll go. The people you meet. As I mentioned earlier, one of the first big gigs for The Underground Thieves was opening for The Struts. Through the years, a friendship blossomed between Nick and the band, one which has not only seen him fill in on guitar for them a few times… but also embarked him on a completely out-of-this-world journey. Mars, to be exact. Well, not literally Mars, but playing a residency in LA, side by side with Luke Spiller, frontman of The Struts and one of rock and roll’s greatest modern frontmen, as well as one of David Bowie’s Spiders from Mars: famed piano player Mike Garson. Together, this group would tackle the best pieces of Bowie’s catalog while throwing in some surprises as well.

“It was incredible. Luke called me, and I had seen on Instagram the last two years that he was doing shows. These kind of intimate shows at the Sun Rose on Sunset with Mike. But I didn’t really… you know how we digest things online? It’s fast, and everybody’s busy, and it didn’t really clock with me, like what was actually happening there. Then he called me, and he was like, ‘Hey, I’m gonna do my third year with Mike.’ It finally hit me. I have a story with being turned on to David Bowie. I was 16 years old, and the guys from Pepper’s Ghost—Michael, Anthony, I don’t know if Robbie was there, but it was definitely Michael and Anthony—took a young Nick Perri, 16 years old, to The Ritz in downtown Philly, and we watched the Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars concert film in a giant movie theater. And I didn’t realize that Mike Garson was in that band, and that not only was he in that band, but that he opened that show. Bowie put him out on stage first, and he opened the show, solo piano, and then played with them. And once I started putting all the pieces together and then realized that not only was he an original Spider from Mars, but had played on Rebel Rebel and Aladdin Sane and all this iconic shit, and then played on Fragile, which is my favorite Nine Inch Nails record, and did the iconic Bowie/Nine Inch Nails tour in ‘94. Fucking insane. I mean peak Nine Inch Nails, and he was there every night and played and hung out with Trent, and they played on stage together and like just mind-blowing shit. So obviously, Luke is my friend, and I’ve played with him a million times by now. He is, like you said, one of the great frontmen of our time. Once I ended up putting all the pieces together, I was very excited to do it. But nothing could prepare me for being on stage, having my eyes closed and hearing him play Life on Mars. I had goosebumps over my entire body. I was just like, this is like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. When I saw it on the big screen, they got to Moonage Daydream in the set. I saw Mick Ronson, and he played that iconic solo with the echoplex, and it’s like this live and on the record, it’s an incredible recording. It was a life-changing moment for me as a guitarist and as a musician to then actually be able to play that solo, and I did the Mick Ronson thing note for note. Sitting there, I was like, man, playing with THE guy, and that was full circle. I completed the loop. So very grateful for that opportunity. But we were so excited, and I think that the energy was just so uplifting and so wonderful for everybody that acknowledged how special it was. Like, these weren’t just like throwaway gigs; everybody was really into it. It meant something.”

“Son of a Preacher Man”

Rock and roll. The end-all, be-all. The religion that, no matter what race, background, or spirituality you hold, accepts all with open arms and without prejudice. Lives have been saved from hearing its prayers, written by too many prophets and missionaries to even begin to count. Hopes and dreams have been obtained by the believers simply trying to create a passage of their own. It’s a never-ending story, one that will continue long after you and I are gone. Sure, it goes through times when it’s not believed in as heavily as in years past, but there are always those who will worship at its altar. But what does it mean in our current time? What does it hold for us moving forward? Can it once again save us from ourselves?

“The whole state of the world is in such fucking disarray. I feel like the world right now, more than anything, regardless of genre, needs the spirit of rock and roll. And I feel like I’ve seen that quality in a number of artists in other genres. I feel now more than ever that the ‘spirit’ is what we’re really talking about. We desperately need renegades, and we need people who go against the status quo. More than ever, we need people to stand up for basic human rights. We need the rock and roll spirit in our modern civilization. We need the rock and roll spirit in our world, in politics, and in capitalism. We need rock and roll pioneering in all these other facets of life because everything’s become so fucked. We need some rebellion. I’m fucking ready. I’ll go march tomorrow. I am absolutely ready to challenge all this shit. I’ll tell you what, though, in the pop world… Chappell Roan is as rock and roll as you get. She is taking none of the traditional shit. She is accepting and taking none of it. You could see it when she’s on a red carpet… she doesn’t give a fuck, and it’s so refreshing. And it’s so wonderful. I feel like that spirit needs to be applied to every aspect of what we’re doing, and just because something has been a certain way for 20 years or 50 years or 100 years, it doesn’t mean that it’s working. And in a lot of cases, look at the state of the world—it’s not working. So I think that seeing her spirit and her willingness to challenge all of it and to go after even the notion of celebrity and be like, just because I’m an artist and doing something that you like doesn’t mean that you can bother me at the truck stop and ask for a picture. Just because you like my music doesn’t entitle you to that. The way that we think we can act when we see a celebrity, when we see somebody that we like a lot… And regardless of how you feel about each individual circumstance, that’s not the point. And the people who get hung up on that are missing the point. The point is, it’s okay and should be widely accepted to challenge the notions that we have in place. Because if we’re not doing that, we’re already failing at democracy. We’re already failing at the spirit of the whole country, what the whole country was founded on. So I feel like more than ever we need rock and roll everywhere.”

So many of the great bands have inner turmoil. It’s inevitable. For those of you who have not had the “joy” of playing in and being a part of a band, imagine that you were dating 4-5 people simultaneously. Everyone has to be heard and understood, feel important, and have their needs met. Also, to be held accountable for what they are or are not doing to help the relationship flourish. You are going to fight. No way around it. What really matters is how much you value each other, and the steps you are willing to take to keep things moving forward, together.

“After the ten-year anniversary, things weren’t great. The thing that makes Silvertide live is also the thing that makes Silvertide break up all the time. We always joke that we break up the most of any band. We’re always breaking up. We’ve broken up so many times that I can’t even count. It’s just really a personality thing. We all love each other, and we all are decent human beings. It’s just you put five of us in a room, and it’s very heated. But it’s the thing that makes Silvertide great. It’s also the thing that makes us very hard to work with. I’m just being honest about it. After that ten-year anniversary, I was kind of soured. I think some other people were soured, and I had no interest in talking to anybody about more shows. I mean, obviously, Walt’s my best friend, and I play with Brian all the time. But even those dynamics with those people are just different than even the dynamic with those people in Silvertide. I think because our personalities and our roles were established so young, it’s like everybody kind of falls back into what those roles were, for better or worse. It’s a touchy subject. It’s a touchy thing to get us all together and have it go well. So there was a group thread, and Kevin brought up getting together. This was right after Sun Via came out. And with all due respect to him, I just completely shut it down. There was absolutely no chance in the world I had any time to even comprehend having a discussion about Silvertide. Let’s talk again when, you know, when we get close to 20 years (of Show and Tell). I can foresee a situation where maybe we talk about celebrating the 20-year anniversary, but until then, I’m out. I’m just very honest with everybody. I don’t bullshit, I just… I try to be a nice, respectful, considerate human being, but I just say it the way it is because there’s just literally no time. Anyway, eventually, I had a conversation with Walt. For Silvertide to work, Walt and I kind of need to be aligned, or it’s kind of moot. So I just… I had a long conversation with Walt. We talked about the things that we wanted, we talked about the things that we didn’t want. We decided to talk to everybody else and gauge some temperatures. We all had a meeting, and we had to align our vision and goals because if that didn’t work, it would have also been a moot point. It would just have been like a nonstarter. So, the initial meeting that we had went well, and everybody felt good about it, so okay, things are a little bit more serious. Then we started talking about what it would look like and what shows we would play if we would play shows. Would we work on new stuff? What would we do with our time? Would we finally put merchandise online? Would we finally put Show and Tell on vinyl? All these things are floating in the air. And the answer is… we’re talking about all of them. It’s just certain things have come to fruition sooner than others. And I think that as long as… like I said to everybody else, I’m not expecting this to become my full-time job ever again. So forget about the money and like, for me, it has to be fun. It has to be rewarding in a creative and like fun way, or there’s no reason for me to do it. It shouldn’t feel like work. So we all agreed to try to the best of our abilities to keep it fun, to keep it lighthearted, and also to celebrate. I’m into the idea of celebrating the work because we did work really hard. We put our whole lives into it back then, and we made a record that we still do feel stands the test of time, both sonically and songwise. People still write us every day that week that it’s their favorite album or in their top five or their top ten. It’s all over the world. I got a guy who wrote me from Peru last night. There are some people flying here from Japan for the show. So because of all those things, I do think we have something worth celebrating. At the very least, even if shit hits the fan on December 21st… on December 20th, we’re celebrating all the work that was done leading up to it. And if we don’t kill each other and we don’t break up on the 21st, then we can look forward to more things in 2025. If I was a betting man, I would say more things were coming in 2025. As long as somebody doesn’t kill somebody else, somebody doesn’t punch somebody in the face and go to jail, which already happened. Something like this, you have to take it day by day. Plan, but don’t plan too far ahead.”

“Horizon”

Five years can feel different for many people. To some, it feels like yesterday. To others, an entire lifetime. But there is something that is not bound to our perception of time: evolution. Personally, emotionally, artistically. When we spoke last, it was a rebirth in music and life for Perri. We’ve talked about how the last five have transpired, but what about the next? Who does someone want to be? Or rather, who does someone want to become?

“I really don’t want to be anybody outside of the best version of myself as humanly possible. I’m proud of who I am. It’s taken all these years, but I finally feel pretty comfortable in this skin. I would hope that I’m a busy producer and I’m helping create multiple records a year that I’d love. I would also love to be a busy session musician who’s playing on records all year that I love, and helping other artists bring their songs to fruition through my playing and my production. I wouldn’t mind playing some festivals and playing some shows every once in a while with Silvertide guys. I wouldn’t mind being on tour every once in a while if it was the right tour and the right accommodations and the right pay, because touring is really tough and it’s not something I say yes to right away. You know, when I was in The Struts opening for Queens of the Stone Age in arenas in Canada, there was salmon catering every night and traveling in a bus and beautiful hotels, and I’m like, ‘Great, I’ll do that anytime… sign me up anytime and twice on Tuesday.’ I’m not gonna do living in the van, five people in one hotel room, sharing a bed with Brian Weaver. I’m not gonna do that anymore. I did that up until very recently. The final piece of that puzzle now for me to be fully happy and fulfilled as a musician… I have to keep making records. I have to keep putting out my own records. There’s just no other way around it. I know myself now too well to know that I can’t exclude that part. I finally feel like, as a producer, as a songwriter, I’m hitting a stride where I’m really proud of the work. It’s on a level that I feel is worthy of my time. The future for me is a balance of all those things, and I think that if I could go back in time, I would have opened myself up to doing more of that along the way this whole time. I was very tunnel-visioned, but I feel like to have given birth to that chapter and that part of my life, like you’re saying, that was kind of the start, a rebirth of creativity. The only way that I could have kind of landed in that role and concentrated hard enough to get those records out… I don’t know that it could have happened while I was doing ten other things. Certainly not Terra Firma. That was an all-consuming two years of my life. I was doing the role of twelve people on that record. All of it fell on me. We would go home from the studio, and it’s like I was then left with months of work in my studio editing, because we just kept capturing tracks. Somebody has to go through all of it. Someone has to make those creative decisions. Someone has to choose. And it’s a lot of pressure because it’s going to be that way on that record forever. So all that stuff took incredible tunnel vision. But now, I feel like I’ve figured out that the way forward is going to be more open to doing all those things, and that my career, if it’s working, is probably going to include all those things as opposed to just one aspect of it. So, in five years, I hope to sit with you and go, ‘Dude, I nailed it. I’m doing all those things. I’m busy, but I’ve got a good work-and-personal-life balance, and most importantly, I’m enjoying life.’ That’s what ultimately I want. I just want to enjoy life and be happy.”

Some stories sing louder than others. Nick Perri’s musical odyssey rings like a power chord from Hell. From the wide-eyed kid setting Philadelphia on fire with Silvertide to the seasoned soul now charting the next routes for The Underground Thieves.

Life’s melody carried him coast to coast, and though California might be his final resting place, Philadelphia’s siren song always beckons him to come back. Even if he ain’t coming home.

As I watched him on stage on that cold, snowy December night, he’s no longer just that guitar wizard of yesterday, but a complete artist painting with every color in his soul. Gone are the days of chasing his dream. He has it. The dream became reality. Now it’s just man, guitar, and truth.

Sometimes the longest road leads right back to your doorstep. Nick’s journey—from those electric nights on South Street to arena tours and back again—whispers a beautiful truth: real success isn’t about following footsteps in the sand, but about leaving your own unique mark on the world’s stage.

For Cairo Perri

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Written by: Max Bennett, Photos by: Ali Brant; David Lisowski; Matt DeVito

Altarviolet Is No Alter Ego, It’s Greta Hotmer’s Essence.  Go listen to the 2021 album Sojourn by Altarviolet. Then listen to Altarviolet’s 2024 album Tired Wild Hearts. One may think these albums were by two separate artists. But Altarviolet is, and always has been, Greta Hotmer.

Releasing Tired Wild Hearts was not just releasing a collection of songs to Altarviolet; it was a release of pressure. “I come from a couple of backgrounds, a singer-songwriter, but also I was in a rock band, and Thrice, Deftones, and Tool are some of my favorite bands,” Hotmer, 42, said in a video interview with That Mag.

When she lived in the Philadelphia area, Hotmer was singing in local rock band The Moxy, who readers may know due to their ties to Bam Margera.

“In my old band, I was exhausted.”

A few years ago, she headed west after a long-term relationship that also was musically collaborative came to an end. While Hotmer discussed her past with That Mag, she focused not on the relationship but her long journey to releasing  Tired Wild Hearts. “I pretty much stayed in the singer-songwriter lane for a long time because that was the only thing I really knew,” she said.

While in The Moxy, some electronic elements came into the fray toward the band’s end, and Hotmer kept hearing synths in more and more music.

When she left her old life, she bought a Moog synthesizer. “I had no business doing,” she said of buying the instrument. “I got it to hold myself accountable, and I’m still learning how to use it.”

But if you put Tired Wild Hearts on, it doesn’t sound like she’s still learning to use the synth.

The 10-track album features plenty of synth work. From fuzzy house music bass lines to staccato-like, bright individual note riffs, the synth shines along with Hotmer’s soaring voice.

“I don’t have formal training in things,” she said. “As long as I can hear something and make it real, then I can do what I can do.”

She started on piano as a kid with her sister. The two would go to their lesson, and while her sister sat with the instructor, Hotmer would mess around with a keyboard in the next room.

“What I did most of those lessons is listen to all the sounds on the keyboard,” she said. “I remember being pretty young and thinking, ‘Oh, synths!’”

She moved on to guitar at about 12 years old and was heavily influenced by Tori Amos’s 1996 album Boys for Pele.

“She was so weird, and I loved that so much as a teenager,” she said. The synth and organ work on that album stuck with Hotmer, specifically from the second track, “Blood Roses.” The texture of those synths and organs made her want to infuse her own music with the same feelings. But she was turned up to 11, to use a music cliché, playing in rock and roll bands.

“I really love picking out and crafting synth sounds,” she said. “I love that sonic journey of getting all the nuances and vibes right. It’s an experience. I always think about that album when I’m thinking about sounds that I love.”

Tired Wild Hearts is an ode to those textures, and Hotmer’s fiancé has dubbed her new music “witch house.” What is “witch house,” you ask? Witch house brings together trap-style beats, electronic music, and pop vocals, creating a mysterious, almost supernatural soundscape. And, Hotmer produced the album herself using Logic Pro in her home. She had experience in recording studios before, watching people work the board while quietly taking in what she was seeing.

Her recording skills are largely self-taught, and a former bandmate passed down knowledge of mixing and how to carve out sounds one is looking for. She’s also taken these skills to Hollywood, so to speak. Hotmer has been submitting recordings to be featured in movie trailers. Having been exposed to quite a bit of musical theater as a kid, blending music and the world of theater and cinema seemed natural. She started hitting up people who worked in music licensing companies, telling them she was available for vocal recordings. Ever persistent, she found a contact and has been working with that person for a few months, with some recordings being shopped out to Netflix. But making music that’s licensable for big production houses such as Netflix is different from writing for herself.

Writing Tired Wild Hearts rekindled her passion for writing about, and for, herself. “This album is always what I’ve wanted to make and really get it out of my system,” she said. Almost like a pressure release.

And there is pressure to release. Having played in a rock band for many years, undergone a lengthy battle with Lyme disease, and seen her long-term relationship come to an end, Hotmer’s newest album is her way of telling the world, “This is me.”

Hotmer, now living in Colorado Springs, has found a life that embraces her out west. In addition to her fiancé and music friends, Hotmer has a found family in the jiu-jitsu community. A martial arts practitioner since 15, Hotmer doesn’t often compete in jiu-jitsu events, but trains four to five times a week with women who are looking for a workout and a bit of self-defense. She began with kickboxing, saying she really wanted to “beat the shit out of the bag.” Her then-instructor loved her ferocity and encouraged her to continue pursuing martial arts. Then she trained in Krav Maga, the martial art developed for the Israeli Defense Forces, and became a Krav Maga instructor for several years.

But then the aforementioned Lyme disease struck when she was 20. By 23, she had to put a halt on training. “I was like 80 years old for most of my 20s,” she said. “It’s why I refuse to do whatever I’m supposed to do at this age.”From about 23 to 35, martial arts were not a part of Hotmer’s life. But she dived back in, going on to earn her black belt in Krav Maga, then began taking small jiu-jitsu classes about seven years ago.

Now, she has two stripes on her jiu-jitsu brown belt, one level below a black belt. “It’s added so much to my life in so many ways,” she said.

Krav Maga,  is explosive, and students are typically capable defenders in about six months. Jiu-jitsu is much more of a long-term discipline, an art, she said.

“I have fun now,” she said when comparing Krav Maga to jiu-jitsu. “I always wanted brothers, and now I have like 40 of them.” And when she trains other women in jiu-jitsu, she hopes they tap into their “warrior spirit.”

“It’s important,” she said of women feeling empowered and able to defend themselves. “I teach my girls to be terrifying.”

Hotmer said that of the things that make her, her, martial arts is one of the primary factors. Another is, obviously, music. “Music is the piece of me that I didn’t give proper homage to until now.”

“I’ve had tremendous challenges with things,” she said. “Not more so than other people, but feeling like I was in a cage for so long, I’m very, very grateful for just being able to do this and give it a go.”

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Rebel Girl, by Kathleen Hanna

Written by: Lisa Melograno

As I dove into Kathleen Hanna‘s “Rebel Girl,” I was captivated by her vivid descriptions of her life, from childhood and beyond. Her recollections of the shows she watched, dance classes, music, and fashion struck a chord with me, evoking memories of my own upbringing. Hanna’s engaging narrative had me eager to delve further into her inspiring story. In this captivating memoir, Hanna offers a candid glimpse into her remarkable journey, marked by personal struggles, triumphs, and a relentless spirit that solidified her place in the punk rock scene and feminist movements.

As a musician, activist, and founding member of the bands Bikini Kill and Le Tigre, Hanna invites readers into her extraordinary life with an unapologetic voice and fearless storytelling. Hanna’s reflections on growing up in a turbulent home with an alcoholic father, who was a labor union leader, weave a powerful tale of strength amidst challenges. Kathleen Hanna was born in Portland and spent her early years in Maryland. During middle school, her sister overdosed on Jimsonweed and spent some time in a coma. As Hanna walked through the halls of her school, she would hear students discussing the incident. This event marked her first experience with “unwanted media training,” which she described as becoming “famous in a bad way.” Hanna’s family later moved back to Washington, and she started high school at Lincoln High School. She found the school to be filled with “mostly rich kids that knew each other since they were babies,” as she described it. When Hanna’s sister got married, she sang at the ceremony. After her performance, Walter Cole, her late cousin and the proprietor of Darcelle XV nightclub, praised her vocal talent. Hanna recalls him saying, “If you were a boy, I’d hire you right now to sing in my cabaret show.” She expressed feeling as if she had been “knighted by entertainment royalty.” This experience motivated Hanna to return to singing, as she realized it gave her a sense of purpose and something to live for.

In “Rebel Girl,”  Hanna invites readers on a candid journey through her college years, offering an intimate look into her personal evolution. As she pursues a photography major at Evergreen College, her memoir explores the defining moments that molded her identity and ignited her rebellious nature. From late-night sessions in the print room to the heartbreaking discovery of her roommate’s assault, her experiences range from volunteering at SafePlace‘s call center (a facility aiding victims of rape and domestic abuse) to the creation of zines, launching an art gallery, and forming a band. It was during this period that she crossed paths with her future Bikini Kill bandmates, Tobi Vail and Kathi Wilcox. Reko Muse, the gallery’s name, was a collaborative project among friends. For their grand opening, they decided to organize a concert, and Tammy Rae, an artist and close friend of Kurt Cobain, arranged for a local band, Nirvana, to perform at the gallery due to their significant following. It was at Reko Muse that Hanna first encountered the local band Nirvana and its lead singer, Kurt Cobain, marking the beginning of their friendship. Seeking refuge from her male roommate and hesitant to return home, she frequently stayed at Cobain’s apartment, which she shared with his new drummer, Dave Grohl. One night, in a state of drunken revelry, Hanna scrawled “Kurt smells like teen spirit” above his bed, drawing inspiration from a teenage girl’s deodorant ad she had seen with Tobi, who was Kurt’s girlfriend at the time. Kurt was later asked to use the phrase in a song, inadvertently sparking the creation of a legendary rock anthem. Furthermore, when Bikini Kill was asked to participate in the music video, they declined to avoid being objectified and to uphold their feminist principles. Hanna later regretted missing her final chance to see her friend Kurt Cobain. As Hanna navigated relationships and dedicated her time to volunteering at SafePlace, she found herself drawn to the ideals of the feminist movement. Volunteering at SafePlace was “gratifying but super upsetting.” She began journaling and writing poetry to cope. Unknowingly, the suppressed memories of past traumas inflicted by the men in her life started to resurface in her writing. Despite the emotional turmoil, it felt like she was “coming alive for the first time.” Tobi Vail’s fusion of punk and feminism in her songs left a lasting impression on Hanna, inspiring her to propose starting a band. With Kathi Wilcox joining their ranks, Bikini Kill was born.

In “Rebel Girl,” Hanna delves into her journey through music, activism, and feminism, shedding light on the challenges she faced as a woman in the predominantly male-dominated punk rock scene. She provides readers with a firsthand account of the hurdles she met in the music industry and highlights how she used her music and voice to combat sexism and empower women. Noticing the gender dynamics at her concerts, where males tended to dominate the front rows and harass the girls, Hanna began her performances with the empowering directive, “girls to the front.” This simple yet impactful gesture marked the dawn of the Riot Grrrl movement. The narrative explores the genesis and impact of Bikini Kill, from the iconic concert opening chant “Girls to the Front” to the practice of collecting addresses from attendees to distribute zines and updates on forthcoming shows. Drawing hearts and stars on one’s hands with a Sharpie at concerts signifies having received a postcard and being embraced as part of the community.

While on tour in Australia, Bikini Kill and The Beastie Boys both performed at the Summersault Festival, where Hanna first met Adam Horovitz of the Beastie Boys. She was enamored by him, considering him “the sexiest boy in the world,” despite his marital status at the time. Their paths crossed again after Horovitz’s marriage ended. When Hanna returned from the tour, she bought a Beastie Boys poster to admire him, kissing his face so much that the lips on the poster became distorted. During Horovitz’s first visit to Hanna’s apartment, he noticed the altered poster. Hanna initially tried to downplay it, claiming she bought it for her cousin. However, Horovitz, seeing the changes to his mouth, asked, “What’s wrong with my mouth?” Hanna tried to evade the question by suggesting water damage, to which Horovitz playfully responded, “Only on my mouth?” Hanna realized she had been caught in her lighthearted deception. Kathleen Hanna’s partnership with Adam Horovitz of the Beastie Boys brings a profound dimension to her story. Hanna recalls her surprise at his kindness, as it wasn’t something she had experienced often from men. Their relationship represents not only a shared passion for music and activism but also serves as a testament to the enduring power of love in the face of adversity. Hanna’s candid account of her battle with Lyme disease and the unwavering support from her husband during her darkest moments reveal a heartwarming aspect of her journey. Together, Hanna and Horovitz weathered storms and built a family, adopting a son named Julius.

“Rebel Girl” serves not only as a tale of personal development and self-realization but also as a narrative of collective mobilization and empowerment. Hanna’s portrayal is profoundly introspective, shedding light on her internal struggles and vulnerabilities while also illustrating the communal essence of the Riot Grrrl movement. Her narrative stands as a tribute to resilience, the significance of female solidarity, and the profound impact of art as a tool for societal transformation.

“Rebel Girl” transcends the boundaries of a mere memoir; it stands as a testament to resilience, empowerment, and the transformative force of self-expression. With unwavering courage and conviction, Kathleen Hanna’s narrative becomes a rallying cry for individuals daring to challenge the norms and embrace their distinct voices in a society that often tries to suppress them. In this captivating and profoundly personal memoir, Kathleen Hanna shines as a symbol of resilience and rebellion, underscoring the influence of our narratives in shaping our paths and motivating others to overcome challenges.

“Rebel Girl” stands as essential reading for those in pursuit of inspiration, empowerment, and the bravery to challenge conventional norms. As Hanna grapples with the complexities of fame, creativity, and personal struggles, “Rebel Girl” is a poignant exploration of resilience, love, and the transformative power of self-discovery. Her unwavering commitment to speaking her truth and challenging societal norms reverberates throughout the pages, inspiring readers to embrace their authentic selves and confront life’s obstacles with courage and defiance. In “Rebel Girl,”  Hanna emerges not only as a cultural icon but as a beacon of empowerment and authenticity. “Rebel Girl” is a compelling and inspiring account of Hanna’s life and career, showcasing her unwavering commitment to using her voice and platform to advocate for social change and gender equality. It is a must-read for fans of punk rock, feminism, and anyone interested in the intersection of music and activism. Kathleen Hanna’s unwavering courage and commitment to speaking her truth challenge societal norms, inspiring readers to embrace authenticity and face life’s obstacles with determination. Through her profound journey, Kathleen Hanna emerges as a symbol of resilience, urging us all to become rebels with a cause and fight for a more equal and expressive world. As Hanna navigated the complexities of fame, creativity, and personal struggles, her memoir stood as a call to action. “Rebel Girl” invites us to find our voice, own our stories, and reclaim our power in a world that often seeks to silence us. This captivating and deeply personal memoir is essential reading for those seeking inspiration, empowerment, and the courage to defy conventional norms.

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My dream of being able to listen to live music while sitting on comfy couches finally came to fruition this past Saturday night at The Living Room in Ardmore. I had the absolute pleasure of attending a night of music hosted by the one and only That Mag of Philadelphia. The MC for the evening was no other than Brian Cronin, the publication’s publisher. That Mag has always presented live music nights and sponsored various open mic nights in Philadelphia. Due to the pandemic, it had stopped, and this was the first artist showcase since then.

It was a cold and stormy fall night, and the rain fell in buckets. As I walked into the venue, I was greeted with a wave of warmth from inside. The lights were dim to almost a candle lit, and the seats were full. It was exactly what I hoped for, with a welcoming, intimate atmosphere. The way that the living room is set up is that the room is sectioned off into two separate sections. The room starts at the front of the stage and goes almost all of the way back, and that part is filled with couches, which is the VIP. The rest of the room is GA and filled with comfy chairs and tables to sit at and enjoy as well. Couples and people were cozied on the couches, awaiting the night’s performers.

The lineup consisted of Maria Arroyo, Nick Lombardo and The Decent OK Duo, and Pawnshop Roses. All are local musicians who have been weaving themselves throughout the Philadelphia Music scene.

Maria was first up, and she is a local singer-songwriter. While opening the show, she explained that she makes “sad girl” music. I couldn’t have been more excited because I’m the biggest emo girl at heart. Like any true artist, she turns her pain into a work of art, with her ballads of heartbreak and pain. Maria made the stage look like her home with how she commanded it. Not to mention, her song’s lyrics are relatable to anyone with a pulse. From heartbreak to taking back your power, she covers it all, and you don’t want to miss out on her powerhouse voice and runs.

Next up was Nick Lombardo and The Decent OK duo. Typically, they play as a band, but this night, they featured Nick Lombardo and his Lead Guitarist, James Gaffield. Nick would come out to MilkBoy South‘s Home Grown open mic nights before the pandemic and play there. Now he had the stage and was sharing it with his exceptionally talented Lead Guitarist James. Watching the two of them on stage was a real treat. If it wasn’t Nick belting out those lyrics, it was James countering on the guitar. I couldn’t tell if I was listening to 90’s indie music or was at a rock concert in the 70s. Either way, I was getting lost in the sound and loving every second of it.

I am looking forward to seeing them again and with a full band. If you can listen to them play live, I highly suggest it.

Last but not least, Pawnshop Roses headlined the night. A Folk-Rock band that mixes influences of bluegrass and sounds of Americana into their sound. Pawnshop Roses is a five-piece band who have nothing but a blast as they perform on stage. They have been a staple in the Philadelphia music scene for the last twenty-one years, and they continue to push out music that is uniquely their own. Their sound reminds me of if The Avett Brothers had a hard rock cousin, from how they tell a story through their music to how they sound only like themselves. One second, I was in my feels with some of the lyrics, and the next moment, my foot wouldn’t stop tapping. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what they sound like because each song differs from the next. They are certainly in a league of their own, to say the least, I’m pretty mad I have just discovered them because they are that good. The energy the guys bring onto the stage is refreshing and rare. The band’s frontman was jumping around the entire time and feeding off the bassist living in his world while ripping away at the chords. It was a blast hearing musicians play just for the love of the music. These days, the set lists consist of newer and older songs from the last 21 years. The evening ended with the most recent digital release from The Pawnshop Roses called “Not What it Used to Be,” which is them tipping their hat at growing older and growing up and living life differently at 40 than 20.

This evening was action-packed and full of talent from start to finish. I think it is a wonderful platform,That Mag gives for local musicians. It enables them to show off their talent and continue to work towards their dream of being musicians and performing. I am eager to see when the next one happens and what is brought to the table.

Pawnshop Roses

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Nick Lombardo and the Decent OK

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Maria Arroyo

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Photographed by Carianne Older

“I think surrounding yourself with like-minded and supportive people is important. However, I have learned that true happiness comes from self-love, not from the love of others.” – Izza

Recently I got a chance to interview viral artist Izza about her life and career, taking a deeper dive into the importance of mental health in her life and how she uses her platform to advocate for others experiencing the same things. 

Izza is an independent pop singer/songwriter and producer from the Los Angeles area. She uses her songwriting and creative production to cope with different relationships, mental health, and other things. 

Izza has always been moved by music. “I always knew I wanted to be an entertainer,” she explains. “Growing up, I took dance classes, played piano, and loved singing. There was no greater feeling of happiness I had than when I listened to music. It wasn’t until I was 13 when I discovered songwriting and I instantly knew I wanted to pursue music as a career.”

Izza describes her music as a “combination of upbeat pop dance music and strong and confident hip-hop-inspired cadences and lyricism.” 

 “I grew up listening to late 2000s pop artists like Gwen Stefani and Fergie and loved how they worked with hip-hop-driven producers like Pharrell Williams and Will.i.am. That is an era of music I will always go back to and want to emulate in a 2023 way.”

Izza has always made a few things very clear. She wants to open up the conversation surrounding mental health and empower and inspire the younger generation of women. 

Mental health is a vast topic that contains a ton of subtopics, but to Izza, it’s an ongoing journey that she works hard to prioritize daily. As a fellow songwriter, her connection to using music as a way to channel her feelings and experiences is something I really connect with.

“I started songwriting because I had no one to talk to about my struggles,” she explains. “Being able to write about my experiences in songs has helped me overcome difficult periods in my life and has encouraged me to follow my dreams. When I’m writing a song or performing on stage, I feel the happiest. If there’s one thing in life I want is to be happy, and for me, that’s achieved when making music. Through my story, I hope I can help others if they are going through a rough time and make them feel like they are not alone.”

She also uses her production process and music videos in partnership with her songwriting to express herself and connect with listeners. 

“I try to create fun music that is meaningful because I want to write songs that are high-energy and uplifting but that also inspire people to follow their dreams and believe in themselves. By writing about my experiences of overcoming the hardships of relationships and self-discovery, I hope to be a voice for people that have maybe lost their confidence or happiness and need someone to remind them that being yourself is more than enough.”

While opening up about her struggles with mental health, she’s also an advocate for more education and compassion on the subject. She shares about a Nonprofit, Hope For The Day where they focus on mental health education and suicide prevention. She also shared the insane opportunity to perform at the 320 Festival in 2020, which was incredibly special because it was her first public performance as an artist. 

The 320 Festival came to life with the help of Talinda Bennington, the wife of the late Linkin Park singer Chester Bennington. She saw how much her husband struggled with his mental health, leading to his passing in 2017. “Ever since then, I have felt compelled to help those struggling with their mental health to normalize the conversations surrounding it and educate people on how to cope.”

“The festival was also produced by Kevin Lyman, who is someone I respect, admire, and look up to in the industry,” Izza shares with me. 

She also explains that since she’s so passionate about mental health, she continues to look for ways to be involved in related events and help spread awareness. 

As I mentioned earlier, another huge driving force for Izza is empowering the younger girls to “take charge of their lives, encourage self-love, normalize vulnerability, and motivate listeners to live their dreams and follow their dreams.”

Knowing this, I was excited to hear in her own words how she uses her platform to empower the younger generation. 

“My songs have common threads of empowerment and self-discovery, which I believe are crucial in paving the way for women to express themselves through music,” she says. “I want to be able to inspire women that you can create music that is fun and meaningful without compromising your integrity. Music is my outlet to say whatever I want to say without feeling judged or criticized, and I hope that people can use their own creative passions to do the same.”

Along with wanting to empower others, Izza takes great pride in practicing self-love and owning her vulnerability in her day-to-day life. 

“I practice self-love and vulnerability by doing the things I love, such as writing music, playing tennis, and hanging out with my friends. By making sure I prioritize these things, I know it helps me be the best version of myself.”

While inspiring listeners and fans alike, she is also determined to help pave the way for artists and women like herself in the music industry.

“From an early age, I knew I wanted my music to represent women empowerment and be a model for artists that you can say whatever you want to say without censoring your thoughts or ideas to please others.”

I always like to leave my interviews by asking what their most significant piece of advice they wish they had earlier on in life that they’d like others to take away, and this is what she had to share with me.

“My advice would be to not listen to other people because as long as you focus on becoming the best version of yourself, that’s all that matters.”

She also wants fans to remember to be themselves and follow their dreams! 

Izza also shared that she recently dropped her second EP, STARGIRL, which is available on all streaming platforms! It features songs “Going Rogue,” “Galaxy,” “X-RAY,” and three new songs.

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Dry Reef is something of pure alchemy. This band continues its journey beyond adolescence and into adulthood. The best way to explain their sound is if Explosions In The Sky had a baby with Lotus, then somehow Rebulation got sprinkled on top. I know that’s a bit of a mind-blowing thought, but it’s true.

   In 2019, Dry Reef was introduced to me, and in August 2022 I got the opportunity to see them perform live at Ardmore Music Hall. They left such an impression on me that interviewing them was a no-brainer. The thing that stands out most about this band in particular, is they remain true to their own sound. Their jam band/drum circle/reggae vibe just draws you in. So many bands these days are trying to be like someone they admire, instead of being true to who they are. One of the most extraordinary things about Dry Reef is they are unapologetically themselves.

    Joey Anderson, Charles Minehart, Patrick Gillen, and Collin O’Donnell are the four that are Dry Reef. They all have one shared passion which is to make music and have fun while doing it.  Charles, Patrick, and Collin all met at Upper Dublin High School in 2012.

The band sets out for a 2023 tour

O’Donnell, who plays lead guitar, started playing at age eight. It was only natural since music was in the family, with his Irish grandfather and uncles always playing music throughout their lives. O’Donnell specifically remembers getting his first guitar from his Pop Pop when he was five. “It was an old acoustic that was about the size of me at the time.” O’Donnell recalls that he would “jump around and dance with it as if I was already on stage.” Initially, it was O’Donnell’s parent’s who chose to sign him up for lessons, and shortly after, he was hooked. He dove deep into classic rock, trying to learn the guitar parts for anything from Tom Petty, The Beatles, or The Rolling Stones. Guitar lessons went on for about six years until he got to high school. There, he started playing with friends, including Gillen and Minehart.

Gillen is lead vocals and plays bass for the band. He picked up the guitar at age 11. Gillen met O’Donnell around then, O’Donnell taught him how to play “Smoke on the Water”, by Deep Purple. Shortly after, an obsession with Bruce Springsteen gave Gillen the songwriting bug. “I didn’t know how, but I was positive I would be a singer in a band one day. I was pretty sure of myself for a 12-year-old with very little musical talent”.

In the first year of high school, O’Donnell invited Gillen to come to play bass with some musician friends, and that group of friends would eventually become Dry Reef.

Minehart, the last of the original pioneers of Dry Reef, is the second guitar and vocals for the band. His background, like everyone else, is relatively similar in the sense of being musically inclined. Charles’s father played a lot of music, so he grew up in a house with guitars in every other room. He took piano lessons when he was eight, and by age 10, he had started getting into the guitar. “The first song that I can remember playing was “Louie Louie” by The Kingsmen on my dad’s Gibson SG.” Minehart also took classical guitar lessons for a few months, but it really picked up when he linked with the band in high school. 

It’s pretty clear that all of these guys just were brought together at a young age with one love, and that is music. 

Anderson is the drummer for Dry Reef. He grew up in a large musical family and can’t remember a time when he wasn’t playing the drums. Anderson learned by ear, listening to bands like Metallica, The Octopus Project, The Roots, Dave Matthews Band and many others. He started practicing more seriously and playing shows locally around ages 12 or 13. By age 16, Anderson was playing with a few different touring bands. “In 2015, our current manager Mark Franzen introduced me to the Dry Reef guys and things just clicked into place” .

While talking with the guys, we chatted about the earlier years of Dry Reef and how it’s come to be today. When asked about how everything all started and the thought process behind it all, Gillen was quick to respond by saying, “I mean, we just got together in high school and started playing Rolling Stones songs and then decided to start writing our own [music] and all stayed together. This is 11 years later”.

What was really different for me is that Dry Reef didn’t even start out writing their own songs. They were playing covers and having jam sessions. From day one, it’s been apparent that music is their passion. Gillen added:

“When we all started, like becoming a band, I think we just wanted to find as much cool music as we could because it started becoming such, like, a big part of our lives. So we really. I mean, I’m always looking for new music and consistently, you know, listening to whatever I can. So it really is all over the place. And I think, yeah, the Talking Heads and even the Stones are kind of like where we started, I guess”.

Gillen expressed, “Some of the first songs we learned were like Rolling Stones and Beatles and stuff like that. And then yeah, and once we started seeing ourselves as a band, we started looking at like kind of the younger, like more modern bands, and I think.” 

It’s evident when you listen to them who their core influences are, mainly because there are so many. Each comes through in its unique way. As I said earlier, you hear notes of Rebelution, Lotus, Explosions In The Sky, and undertones of classic rock like The Rolling Stones and The Beatles. Although those bands may have been the springboard they needed initially for inspiration, it is ever-changing. It seems to be themes of “southern rock guitar stuff” and The Marcus King Band as well as anything that inspires the group.

Another thing that was gnawing at me was the band’s name and how they came up with it. The response was the cleverest thing I think I have ever heard. Gillen explained by saying,

   “We’ve always been dry. Colin and I decided that we would never come up     with a bad name, like, for any reason. So we just put a bunch of random words in a hat one day and we said, we’re going to pick two words. And if they sound cool together, that’s our band name.”

Anderson, the fourth and final member, joined the band in 2019. They met through their longtime friend and manager, Franzen and when this came up, it was a consensus that Anderson was what “solidified” the band. Gillen wasted no time and jumped right in, saying,

“Instead of just running around looking for backup drummers for every show, which we have been doing for a couple of years; once Joey was there, he was ready for any show, any practice, he was always available and he took it really seriously. That kind of gave us all a breath of fresh air.”

O’Donnell then filled me in a little bit on the details of how Anderson came into the band:

“Mark introduced us to Joey, and we went over to jam with him. It instantly clicked. I mean, great drummer, super, super great guy, and it got us more serious. We realized that this could be something worth pursuing rather than just like a part-time kind of gig”.

Everyone then spoke up and agreed that Anderson was “the missing ingredient”. Let’s be real. It takes years for bands to find that “special ingredient” or “breath of fresh air”; the missing link that every band is missing. Well, Dry Reef  found their golden goose when they weren’t even looking for it. 

Currently, the guys are back in the studio writing and creating. It was time to dive into the whole creative process and what goes into it all. 

Gillen explained, “me and Charles write the lyrics, pretty much exclusively, but then basically any of us will bring an idea to the table, and that can be, you know, a 32nd portion, just something that we can get excited about and all kind of just build from there. But yeah, as far as writing, all we need as a band is one little something to get excited about.” 

.They record their music locally at Rittenhouse Soundworks in Germantown and home studio setups that they use include, Tyler Ripley, Little Brother Audio, and Paul Cieslak. You can also add producer to the many hats that this band wears as well. Dry Reef, very much goes with the ebb and flow, and follow their intuition when it comes to production.

Gillen explained it by saying how “that’s also another thing that changes every time I’ve done producing a mic scene and we’ve also used other people. So that’s always a kind of wherever we’re at, wherever we’re at, whatever our feelings are, we kind of go with the flow”.

Touring has finally been able to be set in stone since the creative process has been well underway. They have a tour lined up this spring with 10 dates lined up and down the east coast, from Pennsylvania to Florida. Between all these dates, they will be playing Reggae Rise Up on March 17th in St.Petersburg, Florida. Dry Reef kicks off this tour at no other than Ardmore Music Hall on February 10 with fellow homies and supporting artist, Yam Yam. If you like good music, check them out while they’re around because I’m sure they won’t be staying local for a long time.

Written by Suzi Metzon Photographs by Jeff Fasano and Vanessa Sundra

The Bacon Brothers have returned back to their home in Philadelphia with a very special new release. Their new song titled “Philly Thing” not only speaks to true Philadelphians by mentioning hometown favorites like TastyKake and scrapple, but they even manage to encompass our tendency to move first and ask questions later. Being a Philly native myself, I can confirm!

What’s so special about this song, though? The Bacon Brothers were inspired to use this opportunity to give back to their hometown. Enter Jessica and Josh Craft, founders of the Philadelphia organization Rock To The Future. A true connection between Kevin’s charity, the aptly named Six Degrees, and this foundation right in the heart of their hometown, was eminently formed.  

Proceeds from this release are slated to directly benefit young citizens of the Philadelphia area by providing free music instruction, training in production, and developmental guidance. A handful of Rock to The Future students were invited to participate in this collaborative homage to the 2-1-5 area, adding backup vocals, instrumentals, and even a rap portion contributed by potential future Philadelphia icon, 6th grader Naheim Gaymon-Hill.

I recently had the absolute honor of sitting down with Michael and Kevin Bacon themselves to discuss the origin of “Philly Thing,” the many hands involved in its creation, and to learn a bit more about what Six Degrees and Rock to The Future intend to accomplish together in their newly formed union. It truly is an admirable collaboration of the causes, and if you ask me, they are poised to inspire many and change the lives of countless future Philadelphia musicians and entertainers.  

Inspiration can be a funny thing. It can be thematic, sporadic, emotional, or incidental. Lest we forget, it can also be positively accidental. In my exploration for the proverbial “A-ha” moment leading to the creation of their latest track, it seems this time we encounter the latter. Kevin says, “I was trying to describe something to somebody else that was not for Philadelphia. And they said, “Wow, that’s really weird.” I don’t know if it was, I can’t remember what it was. My response was, “well, it’s a Philly thing.” So, it made me think of the idea of trying to write a song that would be chock full of references that if you weren’t from the Delaware Valley that you would be a little confused by what I could be referring to.”

 One look at the lyrics of this new track, and you can only imagine the variety of ways one can chalk up no better response than that. Surely if you don’t live under a rock you know artists like Jill Scott and Boyz II Men, but not everyone is familiar with the sweet, sweet taste of water ice. Michael and Kevin were able to illustrate a rich collective of all things Philly, from tip to tail. Are those ingredients to the Quaker state’s creation of scrapple? That’s a conversation for another day.

Beyond mentions of other area greats, such as Teddy Pendergrass and Patty LaBelle, participation in the track recording is also something to behold. The arm’s length list of credits mentions legend Kathy Sledge of Sister Sledge, John Oates of Hall & Oates, and David Uosikkinen of The Hooters. It doesn’t stop there, either. The official music video includes cameos of Philadelphia’s most notable newscasters, Jim Gardener and Glenn “Hurricane” Schwartz, and foodie legends Tony Luke, who earns double credit as a backup vocalist on the track. Hit play, sit back, and enjoy a ride with them as they meander through some of Philadelphia’s most notable neighborhoods and marketplaces.

While I realize we’re talking about the very man who is six degrees of, well, everybody, one wonders just how it’s possible for anyone to amass such a litany of legends. Kevin credits longtime friend and Philadelphia-based Producer Joe Nicolo for acquiring celebrity support. He had this to say on the curation of the aforementioned: “He’s a legendary producer and record executive from Philly, and he has a studio, and Joe is one of those guys that you go “hey, do you want to get into all this?” and “okay, can you find some local Philadelphia celebrities to do this video?” and all of a sudden there’s 30 of them in there. So, in addition to that, we produce it. He got a whole horn section- we didn’t even ask him to! And all of a sudden, he’s- he’s just made this amazing production.”

Not to go overlooked are the handful of Rock to The Future students who got to score their first mentions in the music world with these industry veterans. While I cannot say whether or not the children understand the magnitude of the company they shared in that recording studio, you can tell by the look in their eyes that they are making memories that will last a lifetime.

The Bacon Brothers know firsthand, having grown up in the very same public school system as some students of the organization, the importance of a sense of belonging in their community. How lucrative it can be in one’s upbringing to have a place where they can develop new strengths, not just musically but communicatively.

So, what is it that Six Degrees has going on that merged these two roads? According to Kevin, “the Six Degrees organization is about finding not just big, giant charities and tooting the horn for them, but finding more kind of individual grassroots sort of people, and groups across the country across the world that are just rolling up their sleeves and trying to do something positive. As we know, you know, music is a positive thing, so we were thrilled to be supportive of that.”

I asked Kevin their intended goals and reasoning behind this specific foundation and what it is that separated them from the rest of the pack. In his own words, “there are a few organizations in Philadelphia that have to do with more kind of traditional and classical music. You know, violins and cellos and orchestrated kind of stuff, but we wanted to find something that was a little bit more just kind of rock and soul and funk and all that. And it’s really something that is important to us. Because, you know, we grew up in the public school system. We always had access to instruments, and a lot of that has just kind of disappeared. So, what Rock to the Future does is they are able to provide instruments, put real instruments in kids’ hands, music lessons, and opportunities to record. It just seemed like a perfect fit for this song and Philadelphia. And I think our dream besides, you know, bringing some exposure to them and raising some money hopefully for them is that this is the type of program that could expand throughout the country. It’s, they’ve, they’ve had a really big impact and straight through the pandemic. They’ve done great, great work. So, we’re hoping that they keep rockin’ out, so to speak.” 

And putting instruments and equipment into their hands is exactly what they did. With their small army of musical royalty, The Bacon Brothers put these kids up to the challenge, and boy, they delivered! Strings, vocals, mixing, every integral part of the musical process involves participating students from start to finish. Come Spring, The Bacon Bros plan to return to the stage at World Café Life to perform at RTTF’S Annual Music for All Ball. And those very same students who got to solidify their first-ever production credits with true sold-out touring artists are expected to perform right by Michael and Kevin’s sides for their first-ever live performance in a professional venue. That is not bad for a handful of teens.

I couldn’t help but ask Michael and Kevin what their personal necessary visit when they come back to their original stomping grounds was, and it turns out they are not the only famous Bacons to have made an indelible mark on The City of Brotherly Love. Michael recounts a story that you can’t find with Google! He shares, “Our dad, this was an amazing story, he was a city planner, and he is a very beloved character in Philadelphia history. When he was 93 after the mayor (at the time) banned all skateboards from LOVE Park, he got on a skateboard with a helmet and was trying to get arrested for skateboarding at LOVE Park! And that’s one of my favorite stories, but near LOVE Park, there’s a plaque, and it acknowledges his contribution to the city of Philadelphia. Whenever I’m in Philly, and I’m driving by or walking by, I always go and give that a tap because I’m really proud of that.”

That right there is the absolute epitome of a “Philly Thing!” What other explanation could there be for that time your 93-year-old Dad outwardly defied the law? And in true Philadelphia fashion, Michael and Kevin responded to the magnetism that brings the Bacons home every time.

THE BACON BROTHERS
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ROCK TO THE FUTURE
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SIXDEGREES.ORG
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Written and Photographed by Eric Sperrazza

On September 25th of 1994, a much younger me arrived at Cooper River Park in Pennsauken, New Jersey, to attend the WYSP Be-In Music Festival. There, I would stand with my family and see The Band perform every song I had ever heard played in our home. “The Weight,” “Forever Young,” “Up & Cripple Creek,”and “Atlantic City,”all vibrantly in living color and just a few feet away from where I stood. Looking back, it’s relatively easy to point to that night in my fledgling musiciophile days when that particular sound spoke to me. Today, bands like Marcus Young, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band & The Dead South live in my audio collection in direct lineage to that moment.

 And although that first experience was special to me, it paled in comparison to the first time I sat down and watched the 1978 release of Martin Scorsese‘s documentary of The Band’s swan song, The Last Waltz. The concert that the documentary chronicled took place at the Winterland Ballroom and was not just a goodbye to the members of The Band but a goodbye to the passion in which Folk, Americana, and even good ol’ fashioned Blues-y Nashville Rock were consumed by the mainstream. More importantly, it is the single most perfect concert experience ever on recording, a platform often imitated but never duplicated. Well, almost never. 

 Much like everything else in the City of Brotherly Love, the Philadelphia music scene is a tight-knit and fiercely protective community. In fact, it’s less a ‘scene’ and more of a congregation in a sense, supporting & cheering each other on while sharing passions in song. And much like congregations are wont to have, Philly had anchors embedded in the community. And if Fergie Carey sat at the heart of it all then Bryan Dilworth surely lived in its soul. Dilworth was not only a Booker Extraordinaire but the driving force behind one of the most incredible showcases of Philly Music. In 2013, Dilworth recreated the famous Last Waltz concert, artist for an artist, with Philly Music Mainstays, Rising Talents & Legends. He even got Garth Hudson of The Band to appear as the proverbial papal blessing to the show. It was such a spectacle that he did it again at The Underground Arts in 2018. Regarded as the highlight of his career, Dilworth would not live to do it again, as he passed away in 2020 at the devastatingly young age of 51. 

Enter Kristin Thomson, musician, former co-owner of the record label Simple Machines & wife to the late Bryan Dilworth. Thomson, with the help of Get The Led Out‘s Andrew Lipke, Philebrity.com‘s Joey Sweeney, and even the great Fergus “Fergie” Carey, was able to realize a dream…one more Waltz. Together they would once again assemble a cavalcade of Philly talent at Franklin Hall, the original Electric Factory where Dilworth’s legacy echoed from shows booked and gone by. The night was billed as a tribute to Dilworth and as a charity event for Former Eagle Connor Barwin‘s nonprofit, Make the World Better Foundation, of which Dilworth sat on the Board. The metaphorical stage was set to be a grand night of music, memories, and celebration of Dilworth’s sheer love for the music community of Philadelphia. 

Walking into Franklin Hall feels more like walking into a time capsule for a song and a drink than a run-of-the-mill venue. The history of all the memories and sounds created within those walls is palpable, and no better place to fill the air with the music of The Last Waltz. With that, the chandeliers were hung and lit over the stage, and the night began with Connor Barwin introducing the work of MTWB. The West Powelton Drummers would set the pace and officially kick off the show.

The House “Band” consisted of Andrew Lipke alongside musicians Freddie Berman, Andrew Napoli, Matty Muir, and Adam Flicker, with Hailey Brinnel, Matt Cappy, Jay Davidson, and Sean McCusker on horns. With the same seamless precision of the source material concert, special guests transitioned on and off stage and put different sounds and styles on display. 

There were some truly mind-blowing performances of note. First, Low Cut Connie‘s Adam Weiner tore up “Who Do You Love?” while flying off the stage, into the Media Pit, over the rail, and into the fans, while not missing a note. His high-energy stage presence turned up the crowd for a long night of artists, setting the bar for everyone else ahead.

Chelsea Mitchell of the band, Dirty Dollhouse, gave a rendition of “Coyote” that could not have been any better had Joni Mitchell stepped onstage with her. Mitchell’s Americana vibe and her resilience in her musical projects earned her the nickname “The Queen Coyote.” In no small way did her contribution to The Last Waltz galvanize that. 

R & B Rock wunderkind and Retro Groove Assassin Mutlu brought warmth to his rendition of “The Weight.” So much so that I was backstage talking to the publisher of That Mag, Brian Cronin, but when I first heard Mutlu utter the first few words, “I pulled into Nazareth, was feelin’ bout half past dead” I took off around the front to see what I was hearing, seemingly abandoning my literary employer. But I was taken aback by the sincerity of the delivery and was immediately brought back to a place of youth with my mom singing along while my father played this song on our rack stereo system. And I was not alone. Gen-X’ers and Baby Boomers surrounded me, and even children swayed and sang along like they were joining in with a familiar holiday carol beaming with the same kind of joy on their faces. 

Let’s talk briefly about what you would expect if you knew you would see the M-A-The-Double-D, Maxx Madd D Williams, of the Philly Rap Innovators, The Goats and Black Landlord. You would not be alone if you were expecting slick bars and funky backbeats. But Williams hit you with a hard two-piece of soul & blues as he hammered out the Muddy Waters classic, “Mannish Boy.” Williams’ version had the grit & ‘seen some shit’ sprinkled on top; that is the only way that song truly can be delivered.  

What do you get when you combine the power of Nina Simone, The showmanship of Tina Turner, and the fierce vibe of Mary J. Blige? You get Philly’s own, Tanqueray Hayward. Taking on the classic, Further on up the Road, Hayward exploded onstage and stayed in constant motion, corner to corner, the entire time. She made you feel that song with her whole self, emoting in a way that you rarely see or hear in modern-day artists, almost a vintage delivery of song. And when the wig was thrown off in defiance, and she hit her knees in the testimony of song, like the spirit was moving her, you had no choice but to second-guess the decision to have Clapton be the one to have covered it at the original Waltz. It was like Hayward’s sole purpose was to show the world how that song should be sung.

John Train and The Philly King of the Slide Guitar, Slo Mo, gave the audience a venerable clinic in how to perform “Baby Let Me Follow You Down,” giving it that feeling of being in a smoky & dimly lit Blues Club with a stiff drink in your hand after midnight when no one is making good decisions. Chef’s kiss. It was perfection.

The Most Badass of Poets and wife of musician Joey Sweeny, Elizabeth Scanlon, did a scorching word-for-word reciting of “Loud Prayer.” Even Fergie Carey got on stage to recite the “Intro to the Canterbury Tales.” 

And just as the first Waltz came to a close, this one ended the same way. All the musicians and guests, from David Uosikkinen of The Hooters to Dan Reed, Music Director of WXPN, came together onstage to sing “I Shall Be Released.” And as the theme from The Last Waltz played on the monitors, the lights came on.

It’s tough to articulate what an amazing experience this was. In one night, the very finest in Philadelphia’s performance artists got together in one historic place to play arguably the greatest music documentary concert ever put on film, and all in tribute to one man who left the world too soon and all for a great cause. What else can you say? 

The best picture I can paint is this – In my entire career of writing, I have had the pleasure of getting great photographs from press vantage points. I have interviewed some epic musicians over the phone that I personally admire and listen to. And I have seen some of the best shows anyone could see in this world. But in all this time, I have never been backstage just chatting with musicians, managers, and the crew. I have never been walked to dressing rooms and introduced to entertainers. For whatever reason, I never asked, and I never tried. Call it being simply grateful for what opportunities I had. But on this night, that changed. 

I got to chit-chat with the owner of my magazine. A conversation continued into the back, where I was introduced to everyone, and I had access to new fantastical vantage points for pictures. However, as I write this now and think back on the night, my mind does not instantly go there and celebrate that. My first knee-jerk memory of reminiscing about that show goes right to hearing Chris Kasper belt out “Up on Cripple Creek.” It sent a wave of nostalgia right up my spine as memories of my parents playing this cassette (Google it, Kids.) and making me tie-dyed shirts with my cousin while seeing The Band swirled in my head. I missed people no longer with me and felt them in my heart all at once, hearing that mere music feet from where I stood once more. That’s what I remember, and that was the point. 

If I have one wish, Kristin Thomson & Friends can capture lightning in a bottle and make this happen again. I’m not ready for this to be my last waltz.

 Make The World Better Foundation

Written and Photographed by Ivy E

Austin is known for its live music scene, laid-back lifestyles, and being a little weird. Some locals call Austin “the musician’s retirement home” due to the overwhelming abundance of songwriters and touring musicians over the hustle and bustle of big city living, now living full-time in the Austin city limits.

This former small town is filled with amazing little dive bars and mom-and-pop restaurants where you can bump into the most interesting and talented people without even trying. At the Sahara Lounge on the East side, we did just that.

Sahara Lounge is in a reasonably quiet part of town in a residential neighborhood. Around the corner, you can see the red glow of the Sahara tucked away in the calm darkness. As you get closer and hear the music, you feel the energy. It’s radiating, like the vibes the little Gentleman’s club from Beetlejuice gives off.

At the entrance, there is no bouncer or intimidating door person, just an incredibly inviting bartender that takes the cover for the show along with your drink order. 

The bar was surprisingly well-lit by colored Christmas lights, giving off a basement show vibe, which you don’t often get in Texas. 

A band called Josh Langford Music that frequently plays Sahara Lonunge on Wednesdays was on, and consists of the frontman singer/songwriter, Josh Langford, and a revolving door of well-accomplished musicians that come and go as they please, playing just for the hell of it.

The room wasn’t jam-packed but comfortably full. Some people were playing pool, while the older folks were seated at table tops and the dance floor, alive with friends and fans, just drinking beers and singing along. Among those in the crowd, 13th Victim and Shitty Advice band members were just there to have a good time.

There are even four well-lit unisex single-stall bathrooms, which makes waiting in an incredibly long line for the lady’s room a thing of the past. 

This particular gig consisted of Josh Langford on lead vocals and guitar, Mio Alvarado from The Meanhearts on leading guitar, Ry Meyer from Complete Control on bass, and Nick Kasten from The Krum Bums on drums. The show was full of energy with catchy riffs that left everyone wanting more.

I got a chance to talk with Alvarado and Langford after the show. It was a beautiful warm Texas evening out, so we decided to sit at one of the many tables they had in the oversized back smoking patio.

Josh Langford and Mio Alvarado, gleaming with the afterglow of playing a great set. Langford, all jazzed to talk and slightly buzzed from a few drinks. Alvarado (being sober for the past few years) calmly sips a nonalcoholic beer as he leans back and takes in his surroundings.

Alvarado explains that even being sober, he still enjoys hanging out at the bar after shows and talking with all the interesting folk that comes out. Langford laughed and said Alvarado doesn’t party the way he parties anymore, but he can still “out hang” anyone.

Knowing that the set is a fun side-project, I asked them what other bands they play in. Josh said he comes from a band called Starving Wolves and a band that plays about once a year called The Knocked Out Stiffs. 

Mio said his main band is The Meanhearts out of Austin, Datura based out of Philadelphia (it’s more of a jazz kind of a deal), and a few bands based out of LA with Angelo Moore of Fishbone, occasionally. He considers himself a “hired gun” and likes to keep busy. 

Langford’s eyes widen, and then he puts his hand on his hip and blurts out, “I’m going to take this opportunity to mention that I got a new band coming out called Dead Division. 

He said that we should look out for his killer new band, and Josh Langford Music will be releasing an EP next year featuring some pretty amazing artists, including members of The Adicts and Dayglo Abortions. Then possibly a US tour to follow.

I asked their thoughts on living in Austin as a musician. Being an Austin native, Langford said he likes how the town is always evolving and changing. Before Austin was hitting the charts of “Best of” this and “Best of” that on every social media pole and becoming flooded with trendy, micro-banged 20-year-olds, They just had the University of Texas. 

UT provided a fresh batch of new people every year that only hung around for about four years. So they managed to stay in a small town for a good while. Langford proudly proclaimed that the music scene in Austin has always been amazing, but one thing that is sad about the serge of humans being funneled into the city is the loss of downtown for the locals. Josh sadly stated that the big investors bought up all the cool venues and ripped them to make condos.

“We used to have the Red River district with all the clubs. You could bounce back and forth. See this band, see that band, any night, but then they put up all the condos that drove the clubs out. That kinda bummed me out.” 

They both agreed that Austin is becoming more of a big city now, but it’s still a laid-back, mellow town. There is not an area in the city where either of them would be scared to walk around alone at night.

Mio Alvarado, hailing from Los Angeles, said “I Do love Austin, “but every place you go that’s cool or that’s worth living in is going to be expensive.”

Langford agreed, “Yeah, that is every city in the world right now, and people from Austin are like “Awe, it’s getting too big” Yeah, but I don’t wanna live in a stagnant town. I like seeing our city evolve and grow.” 

Langford explained that living in a city where he could play a show every night if he wanted, getting trashed, and then going home to sleep in his bed at night was a dream come true. “Well, as long as my wife comes out with me to drive my ass home,” he chuckled. “I honestly don’t think I would be able to do half of the things that I want to do if it wasn’t for her supporting me and being there for me,” Langford continues.

Alvarado then added that living in a club-heavy town is awesome when it comes to the family being involved. He often brings his 19-year-old “Little Mio” out to work the merch booth when he plays. “That’s something special not all families get to experience.” 

They both went on to say how much they liked that Austin is an overwhelmingly liberal city in such a die-hard red state, and that’s a pretty cool thing to be a part of. When they tell people, they are from Texas, people recoil a little but have a whole change of attitude accompanied by a smile when they mention Austin.

Langford threw one elbow over the back of his chair and said with a half grin, “we are a little blueberry in a bowl of tomato soup.  said that.” 

After I got the full lowdown on the Austin scene, I began to get curious about their opinion on other places they have toured. 

So I asked them where their favorite place to play was, and Mio said, “I love Los Angeles, and I’ve lived there forever. I’ve played all the clubs there, and I miss all the clubs, but a lot of the clubs aren’t there anymore, which kinda breaks my heart. My favorite club to play there was a place called Club Lingerie. It was really neat, [and] it was off sunset. It was a classy place. I also love playing New Orleans, but it’s a bitch to park there and load up. Especially in the french quarter, but I love that city.” 

Langford stuck to his guns at first and said, “I would have to say Austin, Texas. It’s home. My favorite place to play in Austin is Kick Butt Coffee at Airport. I love LA and the surrounding areas, and I love Chicago; I also love Philly and Portland.” 

When it comes to punk rock, he says, “there are millions of kids that are into it, but it’s still a pretty tight-knit group of people that are all connected in one way or another. Every city that you go to is like, “oh hey, do you know Stinky and his girlfriend Farty and their dog Bob? It’s like, Oh, yeah! I know them. They’re great. Then we’re all friends.” 

Of course, Austin is my favorite. I’ve lived here my whole life. I’ve been lucky to travel and see a lot of the world, but Austin is home and always will be home, and it’s just rad.”

The night was winding down, and the crowd was thinning out, so I decided to ask one more question before I said goodbye. I asked, what can we expect to see from you next? Mio Alvarado said that we could see him next with his main band, “The Meanhearts” They are playing on Black Friday to premiere their new music video, “Criminal Joyride.”

Josh Langford said he doesn’t have anything major planned because Josh Langford Music is taking a little break so he can do a mini tour with Starving Wolves. That is cool with him because he isn’t looking to be the next big thing. He won’t say no to opportunity if it comes knocking, but he just wants to hang out with his friends and play music. Highly recommend catching them perform if you can.

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Written By Nick Hopton

Photos taken by Andy DeLuca and Jordan Hemingway

For over a decade, the English rock band Wolf Alice has been hypnotizing listeners and audiences alike with their combination of beautiful melodies and rousing musicianship. I have been listening to them for the better part of those years, and their effect on the mind and soul never ceases to feel absolutely electric. So when I had the chance to sit down with them during one of the biggest music festivals in America, Firefly Music Festival, it was an opportunity I had to immediately jump on. It’s not often you get to sit down with a band that won the Mercury Prize (beating out Arctic Monkeys, Florence + The Machine, and Noel Gallagher in 2018). Needless to say…this one felt a bit different.

The band had just flown into the States for the beginning of a roughly five-week tour, and a mid-day slot on the main stage (Firefly) was a perfect way to kick things off. I had the pleasure of sitting down with founding member and guitarist Joff Oddie and drummer extraordinaire Joel Amey for a quick chat before they kicked off. As a brief introduction to those unfamiliar with Wolf Alice and their story, I felt the question of “how did the band get together?” needed to be asked to Joff. “I met Ellie (lead singer) on the internet. I responded to an ad from someone else on a ‘Find A Bandmate’, and she responded to my reply. That was back in 2010; we started writing together and playing together…and at that point, it was fairly obvious that it was a good fit. Ellie is an incredible songwriter. We did a few open mics and whatnot, and later on, we were joined by Joel and Theo.” 

That “fit” that Joff mentioned became one of the most exciting sounds of the last decade. And while it began with simple, acoustic based tunes…it quickly evolved into much more. “There was some really exciting music coming out around that time. There was Gross Magic and a bunch of other people that were working with this grunge revival kind of stuff. So we rented a rehearsal space and some instruments to just see what would happen. And immediately, we were like, ‘this works.’ And then when the four of us got together and played, it’s like, ‘wow.’ It felt super good, and it’s just what we’ve been doing ever since.”

Creative processes in a band can sometimes be a power struggle. Especially if there are members that have been around longer than others. Sometimes it’s one person’s say over everyone else. But as Joel explained, this band collectively creates together, making them so effective in writing. “We’re all involved in these songs. We all listen to each other’s ideas and use what we all feel most excited about, the strongest about. Usually, right before we go into the studio, we’ll have a period where we’re working both on our own and together, sending things back and forth with email. Then when we’re buzzing about it, we find a producer we’ve decided to work with for these specific songs. Each time it’s unique in that way too.”

Unique is a common theme with Wolf Alice as well. Their latest EP, Blue Lullaby, is reimagining their last full-length album, Blue Weekend. Striping down the layers of their wall of sound, Wolf Alice turned their previous creations into something entirely new. “It was pretty spontaneous; let’s just try a couple of different ideas and see what happens,” Joff explains. “And it was super fun, like with ‘Feeling Myself,’ here’s this kind of weird, electronic song that turned into a kind of country, cowboy, Westward theme tune. But that’s the thing with a good song, you can render it a million different ways, but it will always be good.” While the band focuses on touring at the moment, there is nothing in the works regarding new music. But once the road ends, that usual yet unique process begins again. “We’ll lock ourselves in a room until an album falls out, and then we’ll go back out again.”

Speaking of touring, there’s a certain mystique that follows it. What goes on? What does a typical day look like for a band of their caliber? Indeed it has to be just like all the stories we’ve heard from legends, right? “I stare at a wall for 10 hours…play a show…then go back and stare at another wall for about 4 more.” Joff jokes, to which we all laugh our asses off at the thought. “It would be criminal to just sit around and do nothing.” Joel immediately responds back with. “You have rest days, of course, but it’s just so much fun touring. It depends on where you are, but even in the UK, it’s still that much fun. I think everything is back to the same excitement from when we first started touring because of everything. Yes, we will sit around and do fuck all as well, and some days it is more relaxing. But each experience is so unique.”

I always quite personally enjoy the time toward the end of interviews. By then, you have broken down the walls of the initial meeting and can just chat rather than ask/answer questions. We began talking about the shared love of Philadelphia and how they have not played it in quite some time (but very much want to). The now non-existent Trocadero was a favorite venue of theirs. And how a local Philly area contemporary artist named Alex G has become one of their favorite musicians in the world (I’m not kidding; we probably talked about Alex G more than anything else). I also have to mention two other artists…English composer Edward Elgar, who is Joff’s current musical obsession (whom he very much wants to collaborate with, even if he passed in 1934), and Joel’s friends back home in Kid Kapichi, who just recently released a new album as well. 

The band went on soon after our meet-up and did what they always do. They got on that main stage and punched a hole in the sky. And after witnessing that in person, I can assure you…they won’t be stopping anytime soon.

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