FaceCulture: Giving You The People Behind The Music

Jeff Tweedy, known for his work with the widely acclaimed  alternative rock band Wilco, is one of those artists for whom songwriting seems easy. He even wrote a book called 'How to write one song' that appeared just last October. Unsurprisingly then, it was an absolute privilege to be able to pick his brain a bit about creativity and the songwriting as we discussed his latest album Love Is The King.  We also spoke about how he deals with doubt, discovery through songwriting, punk and country music, being creative in times of social isolation, and a lot more! 

By: Robin Hignell

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It's very difficult to describe how I felt the first time I heard Nordic folk band Wardruna's music, there is something primal about it, something that reaches you down to the core, something one needs to experience for themselves. It was such a pleasure to talk with the creative mind behind the project, Einar Selvik, about how he thinks about songwriting, how his surroundings inspire him, but also his interest in Nordic culture from a multi-disciplinarian standpoint, and the new album Kvitravn. We also discussed his work on the video game Assassins Creed: Valhalla, how he experiences performing live, and a lot more! 

By: Robin Hignell

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Another one of our highlights over the years: It's not often you get the chance to speak to someone of the caliber of Bruno Mars, especially not amidst his ascent to superstardom. We spoke with Bruno about his first steps in music, how artists like Prince and Jimi Hendrix helped shape him,  songwriting and doo-wop music, the Grammy Awards, and a lot more! 

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Back in 2012 we had the chance to speak with at that point former The Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha around the release of his second solo album Look To The Sky. We spoke about the music he grew up with and how the Smashing Pumpkins got started and the succes they had, but also where he was at that point with progressive supergroup A Perfect Circle and running his own label and studio. We also spoke about the rift between him and The Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan, who at that time had reformed The Smashing Pumpkins after their break up in 2000, and there was some contention about why Iha wasn't part of it. Luckily it all turned out well as Billy and James reunited in 2018 and continue to make music together to this day. 

Interview by: Martin Kuiper

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Everybody of my generation knows who Jamaican artist Shaggy is; first it were songs like Mr. Bombastic and Oh Carolina that were played on every music channel I can remember, then it we're songs like It Wasn't Me and Angel  that caught our ears. Over the years, and into decades Shaggy has been releasing music and jumping outside of his comfort zone for new musical projects, and now he has a Christmas album 'Christmas in the Islands' to give a people a sense of the holidays as they are celebrated in the Caribbean. We spoke about his earliest Christmas memories, why he ended up in music, always wanting to learn new things, and his love for Bob Marley. 

By: Robin Hignell

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Back in 2012 we were able to catch up with guitar legend Steve Vai around the release of his 8th album The Story of Light. FaceCulture founder Martin Kuiper had an insightful conversation with Steve about how his passion for guitar and music developed from his childhood, battling depression in his 20s and how he got through it, playing with artists like Frank Zappa and Joe Satriani, and of course the album itself.  Throughout the interview Vai talks with an air of experience and wisdom, eloquently illuminating his story and his perspectives on music and the world. 

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I was aware of Steps as a young teen (5,6,7,8 and Tragedy were played on all the music channels all the time) but exactly how big they were I never realised before doing research for this interview.  It was great to talk to Claire, Faye and Lee about the ups and downs in their career and to see them coming out more confident and happy on the other side with a new album What The Future Holds.  As a line in the titletrack reads, the band has "one foot in the past and one foot in the future", they will always acknowledge the hits that got them to this point, but also look for new ways to surprise and excite their audience.  A wonderful new chapter for the group has begun.

By: Robin Hignell

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I first got to know who Guy Sebastian was through a song called "Battle Scars" that he recorded with American Rapper Lupe Fiasco. It wasn't just the quality of  his voice that struck me, but also that what he was singing felt sincere and struck a chord.  Ever since then Guy has reached great heights not only in Australia but in the rest of the world as well. In this interview we talked about his latest album T.R.U.T.H., reflecting on his life and career, finding a silver lining, adding positivity to the world, the song Before I Go, writing Choir for a friend who passed away, the importance of mental health, gaining strength from the people around him, and a lot more! 

By: Robin Hignell

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Thank you for listening! For more interviews with your favorite artists visit the FaceCulture YouTube channel.

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Back in 2010, we had the chance to talk to singer and songwriter Sia. What makes this interview interesting is that it was right as the Australian musician started gaining worldwide attention with the album We Are Born. Soon after she would be catapulted into the limelight with songs written for artists like David Guetta, Beyonce, Rihanna, and of course her own hit album 1000 forms of Fear (which includes 'Chandelier'). We spoke with Sia about her shyness, abusing alcohol in the past, writing for others, being realistic about music, and a lot more. Perhaps worth of note is that this interview was conducted before Sia prefered to hide her fame because of her rising fame. The interview is also still available on our YouTube channel!

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One of the perks of this job is that there are some incredibly talented people who's brain I can pick about their craft, and guitar virtuoso John Petrucci is definitely one of these people. Listening to his second solo record Terminal Velocity was an absolute pleasure, and as someone who tries to play guitar from time to time, also made me question my life choices a little bit. On the record Petrucci delves into sides of himself he doesn't often get to show in his other creative outings like progressive metal juggernaut Dream Theater. We spoke about the blues, the impact of the late Eddie van Halen, his approach to the guitar, the album of course, and a lot more. I hope you enjoy it.

By: Robin Hignell

Support the show

Thank you for listening! For more interviews with your favorite artists visit the FaceCulture YouTube channel.

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