Actor, Photographer, and Musician Jena Malone on Accepting that We’re only Human
Actor‑musician Jena Malone reflects on how motherhood reshaped her creative workflow, noting that parenting forces her into short, high‑intensity bursts of artistic output. She describes a loss of gray‑matter as a catalyst for greater mental elasticity, allowing her to juggle errands and art in 15‑minute cycles. Malone also discusses releasing her first solo single under her own name, framing the act as a healing step away from past insecurities about being an actor‑musician. The interview positions parenting as an under‑appreciated, wildly artistic endeavor that can coexist with a demanding career in film and music.
Musician Ninajirachi on Figuring Out Who You Are
Australian hyperpop producer Ninajirachi explains how she taught herself music production using YouTube, describing the difficulty of not knowing what to search for and the five‑year trial‑and‑error journey to master DAW basics like EQ and compression. She reflects on the...
Singer-Songwriter Arlo Parks on Letting the Work Reveal Itself to You
Singer‑songwriter Arlo Parks reflects on a creative journey that began in her teenage bedroom with a $20 microphone and self‑taught GarageBand sessions. She describes a process that starts with months of journaling, poetry, and eclectic listening—from Bristol trip‑hop legends Massive...
Artist and Technologist Angie Fan on Putting in the Time and Thought
Artist‑technologist Angie Fan explains how her early internet experiences shaped a practice that blends writing, web development, and immersive media. She spent two years researching the psychology of cuteness, publishing a scholarly paper and a virtual‑reality installation that explore how...
Writer Souvankham Thammavongsa on Not Filling in What’s Missing
In a candid interview, Souvankham Thammavongsa explains that she embraces the "not‑knowing" phase of writing, producing an initial "ugly draft" before shaping the final text. She often starts each chapter of her novel Pick a Color with its opening sentence,...
Musician Margaret Sohn (Miss Grit) on Taking a Leap of Faith
Margaret Sohn, known as Miss Grit, balances a new school‑staff job in New York with her music career, using the steady income to fund creative pursuits. She’s expanded her visual art practice, handling album covers, photography and video herself to maintain artistic...
Music Curator and Interviewer Margeaux Labat (marg.mp3) on Growing with Intention and Integrity
Margeaux Labat, known as marg.mp3, has turned a private love of indie music into a career as a curator, interviewer, and influencer using a minimalist iPhone setup. She built her audience through Reddit, Pitchfork, and TikTok, emphasizing accessibility and nuanced...
Musician Searows on Making Art in an Overwhelming World
Indie musician Searows released his new album “Death in the Business of Whaling,” a title lifted from a line in Herman Melville’s *Moby‑Dick*. The record delves into vulnerability, framing death as a natural component of life and spirituality. Unlike his...
Musician Yaya Bey on Being Happy with What You Have and Who You Are
Singer‑songwriter Yaya Bey explains that her music stems from an emotions‑first process, beginning with melodies before adding lyrics. After feeling pressured by market expectations on her previous album, she pivoted toward mental‑health‑centered creation, seeking peace of mind. Growing up in...
Singer-Songwriter Courtney Barnett on the Importance of Looking Back at Your Progress
Australian singer‑songwriter Courtney Barnett explains how she shifted from early imitation to a more honest, self‑directed voice as she crafted her latest album. She relies on free‑writing and a dream‑state approach, recording ideas without pre‑planned themes and later extracting motifs....
Musicians MUNA on Leaning Into Specificity
MUNA’s third album *Dancing on the Wall* leans into hyper‑specific geographic references, anchoring songs like “East Side Girls” in historic queer neighborhoods across major cities. The record also embraces overt political themes—from climate change to LGBTQ rights—reflecting the band’s belief that...
Musician Jana Horn on Staying Open to Interpretation
In a candid interview, indie musician Jana Horn explains that songs often arrive like elusive ghosts, requiring both intuition and deliberate effort. She treats memory as a pliable co‑writer, allowing past experiences to resurface in new contexts and shape her...
Musicians Mandy, Indiana on Pushing Yourself Physically in Your Creative Work
Mandy, Indiana’s latest album *URGH* reflects a deliberately physical approach, born from the band’s health struggles and fragmented remote songwriting. The record was assembled from drum‑generated ideas, synth parts and collaborative demos, with three tracks completed together for the first...
Author and Publishing Professional Joel Miller on Making an Effort
Joel Miller, author of *The Idea Machine*, discusses how books function as a unique, immersive technology that shapes thought far longer than movies or other media. He explains that his Eastern Orthodox faith acts as a moral lens through which...
Musician and DJ Avalon Emerson on the Value of Sharing Space with Other People
Avalon Emerson explains that his new album *Written Into Changes* was crafted to capture the power of a live club setting, moving away from the quiet, bedroom‑studio feel of his debut. He argues that live music offers a rare communal...