Interviews

“I felt awkward and weird most of the time because I didn't know shit, but now I know shit,” Ryan Olcott tells me, referring to how much has changed since he and his band, 12 Rods, last released new music. “My Year (This is Going to Be)”, came as a happy surprise to a devout, yet ever-growing fan base upon its release back in April; being the first new 12 Rods single in over 20 years.  I had the opportunity to talk with the Minneapolis musician, producer, singer, and lyricist over what lapsed into a two-hour phone call to inquire about his latest album If We Stayed Alive, releasing July 7.

The Montreal International Documentary Film Festival, or better known as "RIDM", strikes again this year for its 25th anniversary. Beginning November 17 and running until the 27th, it is not to be overlooked. This year, the retrospective of the festival focuses on Brazil and its filmmakers; to celebreate cinema and bring political awareness into the programing. 

Art knows Spring as the metaphorical time of rebirth and Tess Roby’s sophomore album Ideas of Space is no exception.

CJLO has recently endeavoured upon a new initiative: the Mapping Montreal Music (MMM) project. MMM will see the production of an 8-episode podcast series, whereby we’ll be mapping our city’s musical history, borough by borough. Tasked with the project are three new members of the CJLO staff: Music Journalist in Residence Sun Noor, Music Journalist Assistant George McFarlane, and Lead Web Developer Alana DeVito.

So the world can learn more about our new staff and what brought them to CJLO, we’ve asked each new member to fill out a short Q&A.

Sun Noor (Music Journalist in Residence):

Remi interviews Marlene Edoyan, a member of the programming collective for this year's RIDM Festival. The RIDM festival is a documentary film festival taking place this November in Montreal. For more information, visit the RIDM Festival site. 

Remi and Danny host At The Movies, which can be heard every Tuesday morning from 8:00 - 9:00AM. Tune in for discussions about movies, soundtracks, and iconic film scores. At The Movies also covers film festivals that are located in Montreal.

At The Movies talks to director Tracey Deer in this edition of The Director’s Chair about her new film Beans. One part coming of age story, the film also puts the 1990 Oka Crisis into historical context. Beans opens in theatres where open on July 2nd.