Before the Chorus: Recent Episodes
Sofia Loporcaro
Before a song is released, a record is produced, or a chorus is written, the musicians that write them think. A lot. They live. A lot. And they feel. A LOT. Hosted by award-winning interviewer and radio host Sofia Loporcaro, Before the Chorus dives into the stories and experiences that shape these artists, and ultimately, the music we hear.
Feist is an artist from Alberta, Canada. For more than two decades, Feist has cemented herself as a pillar of Canada's folk music legacy. On her latest album Multitudes, she covers topics from motherhood and intergenerational womanhood, to mortality and variations of grief. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Local Natives are a band from Los Angeles, California. After a difficult few years, the band worked hard to find healing & come back together stronger. On 'Time Will Wait For No One', the band sings of the unforgiving nature of time, trying to control the uncontrollable, & the resilience of hope amidst it all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Miya Folick is a solo artist based in Los Angeles. On her latest album Roach, Miya documents the high highs & low lows of early adulthood. Thanks to her unabashed vulnerability, the record gives us all room to be gentle to our younger selves, laugh at our mistakes, & rejoice in our growth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Curtis Waters is a Nepalese-Canadian artist. After a sudden viral hit shot him to fame in 2020, Curtis wanted to showcase a deeper side of his music, & tell his story on his own terms. Enter his sophomore album, BAD SON. On the album, Curtis covers the themes that intertwine in his life: fame & ego, bipolar disorder, the pressures of being the child of immigrants, & more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Gengahr are a band from East London. Their brilliant musicianship has endured across four albums, and their approach to songwriting has grown and shifted alongside of it. While earlier songs played with abstract concepts and mythical creatures, their later work is increasingly personal. On Red Sun Titans, the band explores life’s big existential themes and grounding in the things that get us through our days. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jaws of Love is the solo project of Kelcey Ayer, one of the founding members of Local Natives. His new record, Second Life, explores big, existential questions by way of small, everyday moments. It’s about moving through life’s phases, even when change is scary & outcomes are uncertain.
Mykki Blanco is an artist with a decade-long career. For ‘Stay Close to Music’, they pulled several pages from their own diary - the record delves into Mykki’s innermost worries and desires, asking questions about oneself & their relationships with others. Simultaneously, the record is celebratory: Mykki proudly flexes their position as a musical pioneer, & honors the icons who inspired them.
Mykki Blanco is an artist with a decade-long career. For ‘Stay Close to Music’, they pulled several pages from their own diary - the record delves into Mykki’s innermost worries and desires, asking questions about oneself & their relationships with others. Simultaneously, the record is celebratory: Mykki proudly flexes their position as a musical pioneer, & honors the icons who inspired them.
Quinn Christopherson is an artist from Anchorage, Alaska. Much like his Ahtna Athabascan and Iñupiaq ancestors, he is a storyteller at heart. He writes with earnestness & compassion, handling both heavy & joyful moments with equal care. On his debut record ‘Write Your Name in Pink’, he tells us stories from his life up until now.
The Amazons are a four-piece rock group from Reading, England. Their third album, How Will I Know If Heaven Will Find Me? is incredibly personal - a lot of its songs focus on frontman Matt Thomson’s long-distance relationship with his partner. In a wider sense, the record explores the feeling of loving someone from a distance & of longing for the things we miss - after the past few years, these are feelings we can all relate to.
MUNA are a pop trio based in Los Angeles. They have garnered a devout fanbase, thanks to their bright hooks & unique approach to pop songwriting. Their lyrics cover everything from heartbreak & longing, to mindfulness, self-love, & queer & female empowerment. Their new self-titled record, their first release on Phoebe Bridgers’ Saddest Factory Records, is simultaneously their healthiest &, as they've said themselves, their horniest songwriting yet.
Bhi Bhiman is a solo artist based in Los Angeles, who has collaborated with the likes of Chris Cornell, Keegan-Michael Key, Dave Eggers and Boots Riley. On his latest record, I’ll Sleep When I’m Famous, Bhi balances feelings of hope and grief. It’s a deeply existential album, exploring how we choose to live our lives & face our ultimate fate. But in the end, the record offers a sense of hope and peace: we can live on after tragedy, and hold on to love while we’re still here.
Mysie is an artist based in London, England. On her latest EP ‘joyride’, she explores the complexities & heartbreak of a long-term relationship. We discuss the ways we protect ourselves in relationships, the forces - both internal and external - that can drive people apart, and discovering that, in the end, there is still light at the end of the tunnel.
Pond are a psychedelic rock band from Perth. On their 9th album (aptly named ‘9’), they took a mostly insular approach, drawing on personal experiences and niche interests for lyrical themes. Frontman Nick Albrook wanted the album to be lengthly and sprawling, but in a democratic vote amongst band members, they decided to cap it at 9 tracks. This is where the Deluxe Edition comes in: with 4 new songs added to the tracklist, Nick and I go through all 12 songs in depth. So buckle in.
Poppy Ajudha is a London-based solo artist. She has been making a name for herself in the London music scene for years, and in 2022, she has finally released her debut album The Power In Us. On this record, Poppy fiercely takes on a breadth of social issues, like abortion bans, feminism, immigration bans, mental health and more.
Lady Wray is a solo artist based in Atlanta. She has had a long career in the world of RnB & Hip-Hop, and has experienced her fair share of highs and lows. Her latest record Piece of Me offers raw insight into her life, career, faith & the all-encompassing love she has for her daughter.
Fana Hues is a RnB artist based in Los Angeles. Her new album flora + fana is as refreshingly botanical as it is dizzyingly psychedelic. More importantly, it’s a beautiful scrapbook of musings on heartbreak, sex, situationships, & the growth that comes with them.
Metronomy are a wonky pop 5-piece from the UK. They’ve been a major indie staple in their homeland for over a decade, & it’s really no wonder why - their unique approach to pop is more than meets the ear, encompassing an eclectic concoction of other genres. Their latest record, Small World is no exception: you’ll hear indietronica rubbing shoulders with alternative rock, dream pop, & more. And it all soundtracks a hopeful message, which we’ll be discussing in this episode.
Palace are a London-based indie four-piece. Their third full-length album, Shoals, is a meditation on fear - something we all struggle to come to terms with. Backed by an ethereal soundtrack, frontman Leo Wyndham takes us through his journey towards befriending the unknown - from his first interactions with fear to finding solace in human connection.
Sloppy Jane is an artist based in New York City. Her latest record, Madison, is a concept album through and through - amongst other things, she recorded it 120 feet below ground in a West Virginian cave. The record explores the theme of unrequited love, and basks in all of its blue-washed melodrama.
Munya is a solo artist, originally from Saguenay, Quebec. Like many people during the pandemic, she found herself needing an escape - so she began writing. The result was an album filled with space-themed songs, made to take the listener on an intergalactic journey.
Nation of Language are a trio from Brooklyn, New York. Despite close comparisons to OMD, New Order & Kraftwerk, the band have managed to carve out an original sound. Their use of synthesizers is emotive & visceral, easily morphing from song to song. Their new record A Way Forward, spans the cold sounds of a concrete jungle to the euphoria of new love.
Back in 2019, Rebecca Lucy Taylor released Compliments Please, her debut solo album under the moniker Self Esteem. She has now returned with Prioritize Pleasure, another album celebrating emotional growth, sexual freedom, healing, & queer expression. She joined me way back on Episode 3 to discuss the first record, so it is a joy to have her back now.
Mr. Jukes & Barney Artist is the collaborative project between two of London’s brightest musicians. Mr. Jukes, aka Jack Steadman, is a solo jazz artist, as well as the frontman of Bombay Bicycle Club. Barney is a rapper from East London whose style is a blend of 90s era rap - think A Tribe Called Quest & Wu-Tang Clan - and jazz. Both artists frequently collaborate with their friends in the London jazz scene, so collaborating on an album came naturally to them. On ‘The Locket’, they hope to spread a little joy, and remind us all to hold onto the things that matter most.
Her’s was a duo from Liverpool, comprised of Stephen Fitzpatrick and Audun Laading. Their fans loved them for their silly antics, beautiful friendship, and most importantly, their stylish yet deeply tender songs. As the third anniversary of their debut album “Invitation to Her’s” approaches, I wanted to look back on the beautiful music they made, and the wonderful people that they were. Because I did not know them well, I am joined by someone who did: Saam Jafarzadeh, their dear friend and producer of their debut album.
Eliza Shaddad is a Sudanese-Scottish artist. Her sound is equal parts gritty grunge and soft folk, and she pens her lyrics with unabashed transparency. On ‘The Woman You Want’, Eliza writes about the lows of lockdown, new marriage, and pushing against the expectations that others put on her.
Drug Stores Romeos are a trio from Fleet in the UK. For their debut album ‘the world within our bedrooms’, they’ve offered up a slice of escapism, thanks to their cushiony sonic worlds. We get to wander through subconscious thoughts & unpack the world around us from a safe emotional distance, tucked away in the safe space of one’s own bedroom.
Sandunes is a composer, producer and pianist from Mumbai, India. She has been making mostly instrumental music for years, but lately she has been drawn to the emotional power of the human voice. This has been especially important for her latest EP ‘ Nowhere to Stand’, which explores the fears & questions surrounding change. On the EP, she explores both her own relationship with change, and that of the four guest vocalists who feature on it.
Michelle Zauner, better known as Japanese Breakfast, is a Brooklyn-based solo artist. After writing two albums made to help process grief - ‘Psychopomp’ & ‘Soft Sounds from Another Planet’ - she felt that she deserved to finally write about joy. On ‘Jubilee’, she explores joy from all angles, from chasing it to the experience of it.
Billie Marten is a solo artist currently based in London. Throughout her teen years, she became a rising star of UK indie folk. But until recently, she never explicitly wrote about herself, obscuring meaning behind poeticized lyrics. On “Flora Fauna” however, she has chosen to face herself directly, both celebrating the growth she has experienced, & readying herself for the growth that comes next.
Small Black are a chillwave four-piece from New York City. Frontman Josh Kolenik has called several parts of the Tri State Area home, having grown up on Long Island and now residing in Brooklyn. Between moving around & the recent loss of his uncle, a surfboard shaper and local fixture on Long Island, Josh has been reflecting on what it means to live a fulfilling life. It is this question that has largely shaped the band’s new album, Cheap Dreams.
Flyte are a three-piece band based in London, known for their tight harmonies & brilliant, near-perfect instrumentation. On ‘This Is Really Going to Hurt’, they intentionally dropped some of their usual polish; frontman Will had come out of an 8-year relationship, & was writing his most vulnerable songs to date. The resulting record is a true gut-punch, powerfully taking us through the pain of endings, & the healing that comes after them.
Julien Baker is an artist from Memphis Tennessee. She is known for both her solo work, & as a member of the bands Forrister & boygenius. Her 2015 record Sprained Ankle rose her to fame with its gut-wrenchingly honest songwriting. On Little Oblivions, her third full-length album, Julien explores themes of addiction & relapse, mental health & faith, never mincing her words.
Nuha Ruby Ra is a London-based experimental artist, with roots in sound art & avant-punk music. For her debut EP, she took the ups & downs of an unhealthy relationship & fashioned them into a powerful journey. How To Move is a raw, visceral, complete record that shows that while the healing process is never perfect, we can emerge with new resilience.
Genesis Owusu is a Ghanian-Australian artist, currently based in Canberra. He has an affinity for genre-stretching sounds & storytelling; because of this, his music is full of colour & complexity. On his debut album ‘Smiling With No Teeth’, he explores the interconnectedness of depression & racism - two things that have greatly impacted his life.
Claud is a solo artist based in Los Angeles. Blending elements of dream pop, indie & more, their music is as refreshingly bright as it is warm & introspective. On their debut album Super Monster, they show that growth isn’t an easy, linear process; it’s okay to fall on your face, & overcoming things does’t happen overnight. In time, we all fall into place.
clipping. are an experimental rap trio currently based out of Los Angeles, California. Their last two albums, 'There Existed an Addiction to Blood' & 'Visions of Bodies Being Burned', draw heavy influence from horrorcore, a niche genre of rap from the 90s. However, where horrorcore was often campy, clipping. goes visceral, making fully-fledged horror films for your ears. I am joined now by the three members of the group to discuss the second of the aforementioned records, Visions of Bodies Being Burned.
BEYRIES is a bilingual solo artist from Montreal Canada. She is passionate about the things that connect us, and this is what she centres her writing around. When her songs are released, she happily lets them evolve, allowing listeners find their own meanings in her music. This was a very different conversation than most of the ones I’ve had on this podcast. That being said, it’s a great reminder that meaning isn’t static, and that an artist’s role in shaping meaning can vary.
Helena Deland is a solo artist based in Montreal, Canada. Over the past four years, she has released multiple EPs, and even appeared on JPEGMAFIA’s ‘All My Heroes Are Cornballs’. Her debut album Someone New, which was released last month, explores the struggle between idealization and reality, femininity, and asking for what we need from friends and lovers alike.
Local Natives are a five-piece group from Los Angeles. For over a decade, they’ve been a respected indie staple, blending folk-esque harmonies & storytelling with indie guitars & bright choruses. Their albums are meticulously planned & thought out; while this yields great results, it can get pretty tiring. So this time, they decided to try something different: release a short EP, highlighting four songs that never fit into an album, but needed to be heard.
Future Islands are a four-piece based in Baltimore, Maryland. Their epic hooks & soul-wrenching lyrics helped them skyrocket to fame back in 2014, with the release of their song Seasons and their fourth album Singles. Their sixth studio album, As Long As You Are forces you to feel things just as deeply. Now, while this makes its heartbreaking moments quite palpable, it also means that the joyous parts are monumental. Like, so joyful you might spread your arms and try to fly even though you clearly can’t.
Max Clarke, better known as Cut Worms, is a solo artist based in Brooklyn, New York. He is both drawn to and heavily critical of the past; while the American songbook provides inspiration to his writing, he worries that people tend to romanticize the past, glossing over its glaring problems. His new double LP ‘Nobody Lives Here Anymore’ explores this dichotomy in depth, using the very images that define traditional Americana to examine it.
Bully is the project of now-solo artist Alicia Bognanno. Her third album SUGAREGG is all about letting go and embracing reality, even when the process of doing so isn’t perfect. With its message shouted through wailing guitars and well, literal shouting, the album provides catharsis and release for both the listener and for Alicia herself.
Kay Young is a solo artist & producer based in London. While she’s been making music for a while, cutting her teeth at the same time as Jessie J & Ed Sheeran, she has been in an especially fruitful creative period for the past two years. After a hiatus allowed her to reset & experience life outside the industry, Kay returned to her writing re-energized & with plenty on her mind. On Middle Matters, she details finding peace in her passion, Faith, & following the path that she feels called to.
Oscar Jerome is a staple member of the London jazz scene. In addition to being part of the collective KOKOROKO & appearing on many friends' projects, he’s a solo artist with his own brilliant work. His debut album, Breathe Deep, builds a rich sonic world, while speaking out about social greed and the treatment of refugees, and celebrating the love of family.
Glass Animals are internationally loved for their genreless, often cheeky songs. They’ve never hesitated to work against the grain: they went weird and murky on their first album Zaba, told anecdotes about homemade characters on How To Be a Human Being. But Dave, the band’s frontman, never told his own stories out of insecurity; until now. Their third album Dreamland weaves through stories of a childhood in rural Texas, later years in Oxford and London, and a range of experiences from questions of masculinity to late-night hookups.
Another Sky are a London-based four piece, comprised of Catrin Vincent, Jack Gilbert, Naomi Le Dune, and Max Doohan. Their songs manage to be anthemic and urgent, tender and vulnerable at the same time. Which makes sense; they see the ways in which mental health and the state of the world are interwoven, often leaving our generation in a state of overwhelm. I Slept on the Floor, the band’s debut album, covers the many ills of the modern world, offering a sense of hope through each call to action.
Gordi is a solo artist, originally from Canowindra, Australia. She’s been championed by the likes of Bon Iver, and it’s no wonder why: her songwriting cuts to the bone. Her sophomore album, Our Two Skins, is Gordi in her most radically honest form. Each song paints a vivid, raw picture of the album’s themes, from mental health and questions of sexuality to love and acceptance.
Mystery Jets are a three-piece indie band from London, who first made a name for themselves over a decade ago. Approaching their sixth studio album, lead singer Blaine Harrison found himself amidst the turmoil of post-Brexit London. While living around the corner from Trafalgar Square, Blaine weaved himself into the crowds of the EU rallies, the Extinction Rebellion, even far-right groups like Britain First and the National Defence League. The album birthed from this period, A Billion Heartbeats, navigates through all of the problems that both unite and separate us, reminding us that we all need to fight for compassion.
Equiknoxx are a collective based in Kingston, Jamaica. They are comprised of Gavborg, Shanique Marie, Time Cow, Kemikal, and Bobby Blackbird. Over the last decade or so, they have woven through genre after genre. They first cut their teeth as dancehall producers, and later folded their wide range of influences into their music. I have Gav, Shanique, and Nick aka Bobby Blackbird here to discuss their 2019 album, Eternal Children, and the history that brought all five members together as a united project.
Rebecca Lucy Taylor, better known as Self Esteem, is an outspoken newcomer to the pop world. She shamelessly tackles mental health struggles, bad relationships, bisexuality, and more in her music. Her 2019 debut album, Compliments Please, is a reminder that pop music can be complex, contradictory and raw, even during its most danceable moments.
Overcoats are a Brooklyn-based pop duo, comprised of Hana Elion and JJ Mitchell. Their second album, The Fight, follows their 2017 debut Young. While it has a few nods to their first release, The Fight is largely a departure for Overcoats. On their new album, their pop anthems unpack what it means to fight, in every sense of the word: fighting for womxn, against misogyny and ignorance, fighting to be understood, and fighting for one’s self-worth.
Gengahr are a four-piece band from Hackney in East London. Their third studio album, Sanctuary, is an intimate dive into lead singer Felix’s experience with loss. It is also, however, a celebration of friendship and collaboration; Felix’s bandmates, Hugh, Danny, and John, stuck by him, and they brought on Jack Steadman of Bombay Bicycle Club as producer. The resulting songs are glimmering, heartbreaking, hopeful, and liberating, all at the same time.