Before The Chorus

Jonah Yano & the Heavy Loop is is a reflection on Jonah's most recent experiences. But even with its stream of consciousness-style writing, when we look closer, themes like desire, assimilation, & a need to belong emerge.

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Jake Isaac's new record BENJAMIN takes us through all of life's highs & lows. From both celebrating & questioning one's faith, to sharing the stories of his Caribbean immigrant ancestors, Jake invites us into his world with open arms.

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Spencer Sutherland's sophomore album, The Drama, is a rock opera centred around the highs and lows of the fame game. For the 100th episode of this podcast, Spencer & I spoke about ego deaths, the art of high camp, and the fact that, sometimes, a little bit of delusion is healthy.

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St. Lundi's debut album 'The Island' celebrates both the artist's journey away from home, & the home that was left behind. It recognizes that we can honour the place that we came from & the people that we love, while still pursuing our own path.

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MICHELLE's infectious brand of pop yearning is in full force on 'Songs About You Specifically', but comes with a slight change to their process: the bulk of the record was written in Ojai, California instead of their hometown of New York City. We spoke about songwriting as a discipline, holding space for others to tell their stories, & so much more.

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I spoke with Nina Nesbitt about her latest record 'Mountain Music', which is all about re-connecting with home. We often look forward to leaving home when we're young, but later come to cherish it. Nina explores this journey on 'Mountain Music', & much more.

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I spoke with Lutalo about their new record The Academy, which chronicles the artists early life in Vermont. They detail their many experiences, life lessons, & the points of view they adopted from them. The resulting record is an unvarnished look at race, class, oppressive systems in the United States, & more.

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Chewing, aka Nik Ewing, wanted to create a sonic scrapbook of sorts for his daughter Linnéa. When she was an infant, he would hold her in one arm, & play the piano with the other. The improvised melodies soon became full songs, & those songs in turn became an album: Songs For Linnéa. Our conversation covers everything from childhood music memories & bonding with one's own children, to finding acceptance in turbulent times.

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I spoke with Matthew Koma of Winnetka Bowling League, on the heels of their first LP 'Sha La La' & the standalone single "This Is Life", featuring Medium Build & Dawes. Both the album & the single share a healthy mix of nostalgia & unfiltered honesty - two things that are rarely seen together. But that's what makes Winnetka Bowling League great: they remind us that we can long for the simplicity of youth, while also recognizing the flaws of the past.

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Paris Paloma's debut record, "Cacophony", is a 15-song hero's journey. It puts into question the patriarchal structures that hold women down, & proves that we can rebuild ourselves without them. Paris & I spoke over Zoom, discussing the themes that resonated with so many people on her viral single 'labour', sisterhood, & finding peace after trauma.

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