Interview
Meet: Dead Meadow’s Jason Simon on his new solo record ‘A Venerable Wreck’ and more
Ahead of the release of his new album A Venerable Wreck, we tracked down Dead Meadow’s Jason Simon to tell us more. We’ve already fell for the single ‘Red Dust’ with its arid psych country stylings and with the albums out tomorrow (May 22nd) on the Chilean label BYM (home to Föllakzoid, Chicos de Nazca, …
Droppin’ Knowledge: Behind The Boards With Bozack Morris
Bozackula is in the house! For this week’s Behind The Boards, Backseat Mafia is joined by Bozack Morris, producer and musician extraordinaire, and co-founder and label head of GGBR Records, based in Toronto. GGBR’s main man gave us a rundown on his inspirations, favorite places to crate dig and artists he’d like to work with. …
Meet: I Like Trains’ David Martin on new material, how they work, lockdown and more
It’s been eight years since we last heard from I Like Trains, or at least that’s when their last album dropped. Maybe best remembered for their first two records – 2006’s Progress • Reform and Elergies to Lessons Learnt from a year later, they produced epic post/indie-rock anthems of a dark and emotive nature that …
Meet: LIZZI On her debut EP After Hours and more
East London singer-songwriter LIZZI has just released her debut EP ‘After Hours’, which mixes up a range of influences and Pushes them through a new soul hue. It’s more than that though, with her songs having the sort of immediately engaging smart yet introspective soul/pop music that’s been attracting attention from tastemakers and those close …
Meet: Leon Michels / El Michels Affair on new album Adult Themes and more
Leon Michels is a talented man. Inbetween working with a who’s who of talent as a musician, including a brief spell as part of Wu-Tang’s touring band, he started making music under his own steam with the express intention that it be sampled by hip-hop producers. This worked, with songs by the likes of Jay …
Meet: Ladybug Transistor’s Gary Olson on his new solo album and more
Ladybug Transistor frontman Gary Olson is gearing up for the release of his self-titled solo record, out via Tapete Records on 29th May. It’s a strange (maybe strange is the wrong word – perhaps uplifting? inspiring?) tale of recording between Brooklyn and the Norwegian countryside over the course of several years, with two brothers who …
Meet: Modern Studies talk three tracks ahead of The Weight of the Sun release
We’re big fans of kosmische folk-rock quartet Modern Studies, and we’re thoroughly looking forward to the release of the bands third album ‘The Weight of the Sun’, out this Friday (8th May) via Fire Records. Principally written by the bands Emily Scott and Rob St John, the band convened with Pete Harvey and Joe Smillie, …
Meet: We interview Lavinia Blackwall on her debut solo album Muggington Lane End
We’ve all been stuck inside for ages. Unless your one of our lovely key workers. What it has done is given us all time to listen to and appreciate music (that’s why you’re here, right?) and undoubtedly one of our favourite songs of the year, possible our absolute song of the year here at Backseat …
Meet: We interview Gogo Penguin’s Chris Illingworth ahead of their self-titled album release
Here at Backseat Mafia, we caught up (socially distancing of course!) with GoGo Penguin member, Pianist Chris Illingworth. Talking about their new self-titled album set to be released in June, how he is spending his time during lockdown aswell as delving further into any gigs and concerts they have planned and just a general catch …
Meet: Trivium’s Alex Bent interview – What the Dead men say
With the release of – ‘What The Dead Men Say’, possibly their best album to date, and one which we reviewed (and loved) only last week upon its release, we wanted to know more about what was going on in camp Trivium . Step forward Sticks man Alex Bent to tell us more the album, …