Interviews

Nearly a decade has passed since Manchester’s Dutch Uncles made their entrance on the scene with their self-titled debut album. However, the group’s newly released fifth album, Big Balloon, has critics calling it their best album to date. Shortly before the album’s release, Alex from Ashes to Ashes interviewed Robin Richards, bassist and main songwriter for Dutch Uncles, about the new record, “Dad rock,” and what advice he would have given to his 16-year-old self.

Image credit: Sebastian Matthes

It’s been two years since Laurence Nerbonne took the plunge for a solo career after her former group Hôtel Morphée dissolved at the beginning of 2015. It turned out to be one of the best decisions she’s made, as her debut album, XO, was released last year to popular and critical acclaim. Nerbonne has no plans of slowing down yet, and is already working on new material. She kindly took the time to chat with CJLO about her creative process, Quebec pop music, and more.

Image credit: Kelly Jacob

It’s been nearly a year since your album XO came out. How has this past year been for you?

When January 20th, 2017 was selected as the release date for Austra’s third album, Future Politics, the group did not have in mind that they would be sharing it with the inauguration of Donald Trump as President of the United States. Regardless of the outcome of the U.S. election, Katie Stelmanis, Austra’s principal songwriter and overall mastermind, wrote the album as both a rejection of worldwide trends occurring in the past several years and as a possible way forward from here on out.

Festival season is in full swing, and just around the corner is the five-day psytrance and techno extravaganza known as Eclipse Festival. It takes place this year in Sainte-Thérèse-de-la-Gatineau, where all will be surrounded by beautiful scenery, but most of all, by beautiful music. I had the opportunity to talk to Montreal-based composer and new media artist Woulg last week about his music and his perception of the psychedelic scene. Initially I told him the interview was going to be twenty minutes long and we ended up talking for almost an entire hour.

On Wednesday, June 8th, Sam Obrand from CJLO's Jonny and Cupcakes and Patricia Petit Liang from Fatal Attraction teamed up for a surprise interview with the wildly charming, hilarious and sometimes musical sketch comedy troupe: Of Mud and Mirth! Jillian Welsh,Tyler Morgan, Andrew Harris, Cameron LaPrairie and Alexandra Best came to promote their St-Ambroise Montreal Fringe Festival masterpiece Rocket to Fame!

"...emotion is straight linked to spirit and so is music."

New York rapper and producer Bishop Nehru hit the Stingray Music Zone at the Osheaga Music and Arts Festival on August 1, 2015 for his first time performing in Montreal. Krystal Christine from The Trend (Tuesdays, 9PM on CJLO 1690AM) caught up with him before the show to chat about what he learned from the legendary MF Doom, and why he just loves about Oprah Winfrey.