Interview
Meet: We chat with Steve Kilbey from The Church about celebrating 40 years, acting ‘European’, the fruits of isolation and we review his new solo album
If there’s one thing that is patently obvious over the forty years of Steve Kilbey‘s career, he is the maestro of melody and mysticism. Whether fronting The Church, through his many collaborations and solo work, Kilbey captures the kind of melodies that catch like superglue, wrapping his inherent romanticism and wry lyrics in a glorious …
Droppin’ Knowledge: Behind The Boards With Dirty Art Club
We back…Dirty Art Club in the house, y’all. In 2011, Charlotte, North Carolina’s Dirty Art Club started out as a one off, a way to help a friend, who had recently published a book. Heavy Starch was the name of that book, and it was also the name of Dirty Art Club’s first album, a …
Meet: We chat with Jez Williams from Doves about Northern Soul, getting the band back together and the new album, plus we review ‘The Universal Want’
The new album from Doves, ‘The Universal Want’ is a blistering rebirth from the Mancunian band. It’s much more than a return to form – their previous albums were uniformly brilliant – but there is a sense of identifiable development and growth in the intervening eleven years since ‘Kingdom of Rust’ was released. Songs such …
Droppin’ Knowledge: Behind The Boards With Dan.Akill
For today’s edition of Behind The Boards, Backseat Mafia travels to France, to speak with the producer and beatmaker, Dan.Akill, of Pani Problem Production, in Gironde. Dan.Akill is a veteran musician who has worked with a variety of artists in the United States and France. In May, Dan.Akill teamed up with the Nigerian emcee LuGhz, …
Meet: J. Zunz talks new album, influences and more
Lorelle The Obsolete‘s Lorena Quintanilla just released her second album as J. Zunz: Hibiscus. The record exhibits an even more electronic maelstrom of captivating, ethereal sound than previous projects. Lorena discusses this transition here, as well as the origins of Hibiscus, her influences, and songwriting in general. (Photography by Sofia Ruesga) Hi Lorena, I really …
Droppin’ Knowledge: There’s A Fervor In The Music – A Profile of the Rap Artist Chimezie
Chimezie, the rapper, first discovered hip hop when he was around eleven years old. The artist, who is also a prolific reviewer of rap albums on YouTube, grew up in a religious family. He heard gospel music around him, both in church and at home. He attended a Baptist church when he was a child, …
MEET: Psych-folkster Jeremy Tuplin talks surrealism, lockdown and Italy
JEREMY TUPLIN is a London-based singer-songwriter who, after a clutch of self-released EPs, first hoved into the wider collective psychedelic-folk eye on the back of last year’s whimsical, introspective and occasionally wonderfully absurdist Pink Mirror long player. Last week he released Violet Waves, a second LP, on which he’s schemed to turn it up a …
Droppin’ Knowledge: Behind The Boards With Jacob Barlow
And we back… For this week’s edition of Behind The Boards, western Michigan producer and graphic design artist Jacob Barlow is in the house. Barlow uses a wide palette in his production work. He is adept at creating trappy beats that would sit comfortably underneath hardcore rappers like Westside Gunn, and the other members of …
Meet: We chat to Salarymen plus review their sparkling single ‘Runaway’
Out of the depths of a Sydney winter (a rather benign concept, I admit), Salarymen have released an absolutely delightful ray of sunshine in the form of the single ‘Runaway’. Infused with a dappled sunlight aura and recalling the kind of hedonistic joie de vivre epitomised by the swinging sixties in the form of Serge …
Meet: Gregory Porter ahead of his album release ‘All Rise’
As you know at Back Seat Mafia we feature music of quality and distinction, well known and unknown, anything that has integrity…no pretenders. So when the chance came up to interview Gregory Porter, singer, songwriter and jazz ambassador, it was too good to pass by – the man is the real deal. We talked to …