The Seed Cast

This week on the Seed Cast we met with musician Harris Paseltiner of Darlingside. Currently based in Boston, MA, Harris exhibits his talents on cello, guitar, and vocals in this harmonious group of four musicians. Described by NPR as, “exquisitely-arranged, literary-minded, baroque folk-pop,” Darlingside just celebrated their 10th anniversary as a group this past year with the full-length album release of Fish Pond Fish. In this episode, Harris gives some beautiful insight into how he thinks musically, addressing both the emotional and technical stages. We discussed his textural synesthesia, the writing process of the most recent Darlingside record, and how the pandemic has left an imprint on the final result. You can stay up to date on Darlingside’s latest happenings at http://www.darlingside.com/ and you can follow them on instagram @darlingside.

Harris’s Artist picks: Andrew Benincasa, Ben Cosgrove, and Úlfur Hansson.

This week we sat down with illustrator, designer, and educator, Dom Civiello. Currently based in Boston, MA, Dom has work featured in American Illustration, Communication Arts, The Society of Illustrators, 3x3 International, and Creative Quarterly. In addition to his many accolades, Dom also teaches Illustration courses at New England College and Maine College of Art. In this episode we take a look into his researched based image-making process, the importance of understanding design principles, and how he promotes experimentation and exploration in his classroom. You can look at Dom’s work @dom.hq on instagram and on his website dom.studio.

Dom's artist picks: Dallin Orr, Danny Schwartz, and Kirk Wallace

This week we had the privilege of chatting with musician Phil Jamieson, guitarist and co-founder of the band Caspian. Based in Beverly, MA, Caspian has been touring and releasing records since their 2005 debut, You Are the Conductor. Most recently they released On Circles and also paired with Audiotree to capture a live performance featuring The Losander Chamber Orchestra. In this episode, Phil shares the mechanics of creating a Caspian record, the liberating lack of rules in early post-rock, and the feeling of collaborating with producers. Stay up to date on Caspian’s latest happenings at caspian.band and follow Phil on instagram @philipajamieson.

Phil’s artist picks: Jake Woodruff of Defeater, Will Benoit, and Mike Repasch-Nieves of SOM and Junius.

This week we sat down with illustrator and artist Ariel Tobing. Presently living in Philadelphia, PA, Ariel has done a number of promotional designs and illustrations for local restaurants including Poi Dog, Hale and True, and Frizwit at Musi. His work tends to be autobiographical by nature, involving the use of photographic source material paired with text to exhibit the complexities of loss. In this episode we address the correlation between creatives and kitchen work, the benefits of inviting and actively pursuing mistakes, and the pros and cons of knowing too much about your craft. You can follow Ariel on instagram @scumbag_arl

Ariel’s artist picks: Zack Chomz, Krista Perry, and Peter Schjeldahl.

This week we met with musician Mirza Ramic. Originally from Bosnia, Mirza has had his fingerprints on a number of projects including, but not limited to, Arms and Sleepers, Saigon Would be Seoul, ERA CT NOD 1, and The DXFXWXU Collective. Just this year alone Mirza has had over seven music releases all while running two record labels, Future Archive Recordings and {int}erpret null. In this episode we dive into the sheer amount of energy it takes to produce all of the projects under his umbrella. We also touch upon the importance of being scrappy, the misadventures of nearly 2,000 shows, and avoiding regret by following what you love to its exhaustive state. You can follow him and his many pursuits on instagram @armsandsleepers @saigonwouldbeseoul @idcbackwards @dxfxwxu @futurearchiverecordings @interpretnull.

Mirza’s artist picks: Andrew Nault of Lesser Glow and drab, Barry Jenkins, and Dubravka Ugrešić.

This week we met with photographer Matt Darcy, aka “Bananamasher.” Currently based in Boston, MA, Matt has photographed countless aggressive concerts from the pits of Slayer, Cannibal Corpse, Meshuggah, Kilswitch Engage, Slipknot, and many more. Searching through the obscure corners of the US, Matt is fascinated with documenting dark, abandoned, decaying buildings and landscapes. During our chat we touched upon his latest projects, “1,454 Miles,”  a series of photos documenting his in-progress redlining of the White Mountains, and “Death of a Memory,” which exhibits forgotten buildings left to decay and overtaken by their natural surroundings. Matt addressed the dangerous lengths he's willing to go to get "the shot that no one else has" along with the importance of keeping locations undisclosed to avoid the inevitable tourist trap. You can follow him on instagram @bananamasher and see his recent works and prints for sale at bananamasher.com. Matt’s artist picks: Reid Haithcock, Sylvaine, and Steph Byce.

This week we met with artist and illustrator Steve Kim. Currently based in LA, Steve has been featured in Juxtapoz, Hi-Fructose, and American Illustration and has shown internationally across Korea, Italy, London, Amsterdam, Krakow, Liechtenstein, and throughout the US. In this episode we discussed his approach to constructing both conceptual and commercial work, creating a positive artist's community on Discord, and following creative passions and pleasures that solve artistic problems even while not making art. You can follow him on instagram @stvkmco and check out his extensive collection of work, interviews, and his inclusive discord at stvkm.co. Steve’s artist picks: OVERWERK, Francisco Galarraga, and Sam Barlow.

This week we met with painter Adam Paquette. Currently based in Berlin, Germany, Adam has created more than 200 cards for Magic the Gathering on top of co-founding the international Legendeer artist community. In this episode, Adam put a lot of words to some conceptual abstracts many artists have more than likely encountered. We touched upon his immersive research with movement, how he has navigated strong footing in both commercial and personal work, and the rarity in maintaining honesty and integrity whilst creating a larger body of work. You can follow him on instagram @adampaquette and see his extensive work with Magic Cards at adampaquettemtg.com. Adam’s Artist picks: Vincent Desidario, Sterling Hundley, Alexander Carrillo.

This week we met with photographer, director, and co-founder of Parachute Studios, Heather McGrath. Currently based in Boston, MA, Heather has worked with a variety of high profile clients such as Forbes, Sony, and The New York Times. In this episode the three of us discussed the importance of letting your work evolve with your life, finding strength in femininity, the magic of leading a creative life, and how listening to your gut and leaning into confidence can take you far. You can follow Heather on instagram @heathermcgrath and learn more about her work at heathermcgrath.com. Heathers Artist picks of the week: Frank Ockenfels III, OJ Slaughter, Ally Schmaling, and Steph Larsen.

This week we met with interdisciplinary artist Kate Wildman. Currently based in Boston, MA, Kate has attended artist residencies in New England and Denmark and has shown in various galleries all across greater Boston. In this episode we discussed her recent exhibition of The Unborn Selves of the Invisible Pleasure Plane at The Museum of Fine Arts Boston. We also touched upon the frustrating myth that people need to academically understand art to enjoy it, the unseen labor of artists, and how art institutions can both drive and limit creativity. You can follow her on instagram @k8_wildman and view her breadth of work on katherinewildman.com. Kate’s Artist picks of the week: Anthony Peyton Young, Kim Barnes, and Henry Kunkel.