In this episode of Portrait of the Artist, Jonah Evans and Meredith Hobbs Coons talk to Christopher Rountree, conductor and artistic director of Wild Up. They talk about the June 19th release of Wild Up’s fifth volume of their GRAMMY-winning Julius Eastman compendium, Gay Guerilla. The three of them explore touch on the agency, notation, and radical interpretive freedom of Julius Eastman’s work, as well as his philosophy of power, and how performers navigate collective sound-making.

Wild Up: https://www.wildup.org/

Wild Up IG: https://www.instagram.com/wildup/

Christopher Rountree: https://www.wildup.org/people/christopher-rountree/

Wild Up Tiny Desk Performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhWkvi8OPkc

From Wild Up's website/about: “We’re Wild Up. We’re a band. An experiment in its second decade. We make shows, and records. We make projects and tell stories that live somewhere between new music and theater and performance art and pop. The press says things about us. Our leader has a beard. We embrace the kindness of friends and strangers. We have dogs and gardens and kids. We once made the Himalayas out of cardboard, and sang atop them to the stars. We take photos with talismanic art objects. We’re repped by David Lieberman Artists Representatives.”

Photo by: Michael Leviton

Jonah Evans: https://jonahinthesnow.com/

Merideth Hobbs Coons: https://www.meredithhobbscoons.com/

Intro/interlude Music: "XXO" from the album Teeth by Magana: https://maganarama.bandcamp.com/album/teeth

Valley Boy’s new album, Children of Divorce, dropped recently, and Thrin and Jonah get into it with him about being a child of divorce.

Do you see a connection between your mental health and body health? Did your parents ever get divorced? What are some ways you process trauma? Thrin Vianale and Jonah Evans have a conversation with Valley Boy (James) that explores these questions. His album Children of Divorce weaves together stirring vignettes from his childhood and the people who shaped it, after he became a child of divorce at age 12. Other topics they get into include validated feelings when you're a child, unprocessed trauma, getting hives, and how the body keeps score.

Valley Boy: https://valleyboysucks.com/

Big Hassle: https://www.bighassle.com/valley-boy

IG: https://www.instagram.com/valleyboysucks/

tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@valleyboysucks

Photo/Album Cover by: Delacey

Intro Music: is "XXO" from the album Teeth by Magana: https://maganarama.bandcamp.com/album/teeth

This segment of Spare Notes is called Three Questions. At least one question is about the artist's current project, and the other two are usually about ideas connected to their artistry overall. We cheated a little bit in this episode but ah, C'est la vie.

Jonah Evans was joined by guest host and writerMeredith Hobbs Coons where they interviewed Eric Colville of the band The Low Stakes. The Low Stakes has a new self-titled record out and also a recent single called "End of War." The conversation slipped into the topic of war, the relationship that music and war have, and the woe's of social media.

Web: https://lowstakesband.com/about

IG: https://www.instagram.com/lowstakesband/

Merideth Hobbs Coons: https://www.meredithhobbscoons.com/

Photo of The Low Stakes by April Piotrowski of Black Mill Photography: https://www.instagram.com/blackmillphoto/

Intro/interlude Music: is "XXO" from the album Teeth by Magana: https://maganarama.bandcamp.com/album/teeth

Portrait of the Artist: Position Nuit

Portrait of the Artist is the idea is kind of getting to know the band, their identity. What are the things they care about? What drives them? When they started getting into music and or going to shows? What their current project is about?

In this Episode I talked to members of Position Nuit, Thomas, Julian, and Dan, a Los Angeles rock n roll band. We get into some of their beginnings, France, Michigan, California. We talk about how they create/coalesce. I wanted to share a short list of some band inspirations of Position Nuit, that came up briefly. A few include the French bands, The Dogs, The Electrocution, Suicide. Others include the John Spencer Blues Explosion, The Birthday Party, Nick Cave, Betty Davis, Iggy Pop, James Brown, and more. If you started a band today, what would your influences be?

https://www.instagram.com/position_nuit/

https://linktr.ee/positionnuit

Episode Tracks: 1. "The Body" 2. "The Filthiest."

Photo: Kourosh Erfanian

Artwork: Meg Durozay

This segment is called Three Questions. I’ve prepared only three questions for this interview. At least one question is about the artist's current project, and the other two are typically about ideas related to their artistry as a whole.

In this episode, I interviewed Sumner Bright of The Clearwater Swimmers. Their EP, Seasons, recently came out. The EP was originally named Radio Flyer, which we get into. We also cover the band's origin story, growth through communication with band members, and the power of seeing Alex G Live.

The Clearwater Swimmers, Seasons: https://theclearwaterswimmers.bandcamp.com/album/seasons

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/theclearwaterswimmers

IG: https://www.instagram.com/theclearwaterswimmers/

Episode Tracks: 1. "Landline" 2. "Engine." From Seasons.

The Clearwater Swimmers:

Sumner Bright - vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, synthesizer

Connor Kennedy - piano, synthesizer, electric guitar, harmonies, bass

Sander Casale - electric guitar

Timothy Graff - drums

Intro Music: is "XXO" from the album Teeth by Magana: https://maganarama.bandcamp.com/album/teeth

Welcome to the third episode of Spare Notes: Mental Health in Music. This is a new segment of the podcast where Jonah Evans is joined by co-host Thrin Vianale (Winded). They talk to artists about mental health, well, in music. This can include mental health while touring, mental health in general, and or mental health related to music in any way.

In this episode, Thrin and Jonah interviewed Rae Haas, who plays in MX Lonely. In this episode, some topics they cover are addiction to alcohol and substances, nerodivergence, mosh pits, finding a balance with touring and substance use, and more.

MX Lonely: https://mxlonely.bandcamp.com/album/all-monsters

MX Lonely IG: https://www.instagram.com/mxlonely/

Julia's War Recordings: https://www.juliaswar.com/

Episode Tracks: 1. "Anesthetic" 2. "All Monsters." 3. "Shape of an Angel" 4. "Return to Sender" 5. "Big Hips" from their Debut Album, All Monsters.

Intro Music: is "XXO" from the album Teeth by Magana: https://maganarama.bandcamp.com/album/teeth

For this segment I prepare three questions only, and then let the wind take us. In this episode, I interviewed Kylie Gaspard who sings and plays guitar in the Lafayette, Louisiana band, Cashier. Their new EP, The Weight just came out. Kylie Gaspard talks about her Cajun roots and community, we delve into some influences and inspirations, and talk a little bit about the construction and intention behind the songs of The Weight EP.

Cashier, The Weight: https://cashier-band.bandcamp.com/album/the-weight

Cashier IG: https://www.instagram.com/cashier.band

Julia's War Recordings: https://www.juliaswar.com/

Episode Tracks: 1. "Same Mistakes" 2. "A Curse I Know So Well." 3. "Same Mistakes" 4. "The Weight" 5. "A Curse I know So Well" from The Weight EP.

Intro Music: is "XXO" from the album Teeth by Magana: https://maganarama.bandcamp.com/album/teeth

Welcome to the second episode of Spare Notes: Mental Health in Music. This is a new segment of the podcast where Jonah Evans is joined by co-host Thrin Vianale (Winded). They talk to artists about mental health, well, in music. This can include mental health while touring, mental health in general, and or mental health related to music in any way. Episodes of this segment will generally air on the last Saturday of the month, featuring Thrin and Jonah in conversation with a new musician or musicians each time.

In this episode, Thrin and Jonah interviewed Ale Campos, who plays with Iggy Pop, Las Campos, and Ana No Duerme. In this episode, some topics they cover are imposter syndrome, new sobriety, ego whiplash, loneliness, music community, and more.

Ale Campos: https://www.instagram.com/king__jeva/

Iggy Pop: https://www.instagram.com/iggypopofficial/

Las Nubes: https://www.lasnubesband.com/

Anna No Duerme: https://ananoduerme.bandcamp.com/music

Episode tracks all from Las Nubes album, Tormentas Malsanas (2024): 1. "Canse" 2. "Would Be." 3. "Caminar Sola" 4. "Pesada"

Winded: https://www.instagram.com/im.winded

Intro Music: is "XXO" from the album Teeth by Magana: https://maganarama.bandcamp.com/album/teeth

Follow us here:

https://www.instagram.com/sparenotespodcast/

https://www.youtube.com/@SpareNotesPodcast

https://sparenotes.substack.com/