The Soundsphere Magazine Podcast

#slowjoy #emo #alternativerock
Esteban Flores talks to Dom Smith about the inspirations and ideas behind 'Mi Amigo Slow Joy', alongside the emotional connection he has with the music.
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Slow Joy, the solo project of Dallas based, New Mexican born Chicano artist Esteban Flores, releases his latest single, the urgent and anguished “King Cowboy”.
Along with the single, Slow Joy exclusively premiered the official music video via Under The Radar today, watch HERE. “King Cowboy” is the second track from Slow Joy’s forthcoming new EP Mi Amigo Slow Joy – set to be released on June 7th via Mick Music. He will be hitting the road with his band in June for a North American tour that includes headline shows, festival sets at So What?! Festival in Fort Worth, TX and Ohio Is For Lovers Festival in Cincinnati, OH, and opening for beloved Nashville based American emo band Free Throw in the US and Canada. New single “King Cowboy” looks at the consequences of existing in a capitalist society, including challenging economic realities. The song represents Flores’ foray into telling personal stories from the perspective of a character. “With ‘King Cowboy,’ I didn't want to critique the American Dream in a way that was preachy,” he says. “So I thought it was interesting to put yourself in a character and say, ‘I'm the King Cowboy,’ which is such a ridiculous term to say.” It’s also the second song to be released ahead of Mi Amigo Slow Joy and follows the Foo Fighters-meets-Pixies single “Pulling Teeth,” which was released last month with news of the new EP – listen HERE and watch HERE. The new EP was produced by Mike Sapone (Oso Oso, The Front Bottoms, Grouplove) and follows 2023’s Wildflower EP. Flores first started releasing singles under the moniker Slow Joy in 2020 and by 2022 the project gained momentum via a pair of singles – “Crawling” and “Soft Slam” – that accumulated millions of views on TikTok and secured impressive playlist placements. These early singles featured a sensitive combination of soaring space rock, noisy shoegaze, and dynamic post-rock. Flores originally started writing music to help him process the death of his mother and after his early success, continued to hone his craft. The new EP reflects lyrical and sonic growth that Flores attributes in part to working in the studio with Sapone. In addition, the EP’s visuals and title reflect his Hispanic heritage and culture – something very important to Flores. “Naming it Mi Amigo Slow Joy is like, ‘Hey, this is rock music. It’s serious, and it's important, and it's me.’ And one thing that is me is being a Mexican-American person, and being proud of that culture, and showing it off.” Look for Mi Amigo Slow Joy on 7th June 2024 via Mick Music.

The word ‘success’ is an undefinable mystery, as the word changes definition depending on who you are speaking with and what point of life they are in. However, few could look at the career of David Dastmalchian and think that he has not been successful, as the films he has starred in are staples in the cinematic history of many people’s viewing lives. David is an inspiring man with an admirable dedication to his work and craft. Any piece of work with his name on it is worth looking into. From the anxious chaos of his turn as Thomas Schiff in The Dark Knight, or the heroic comedy of Polka-Dot Man in Suicide Squad, and the creative intensity he brings to roles like Piter de Vries in Dune, or Jack Delroy in Late Night With The Devil. It is hard to imagine someone of his distinction ever struggled with something as common as addiction, but everyone has their own story of dark times, and David shares his with Soundsphere, and how alternative music helped him through it.
Read more at: https://www.soundspheremag.com/features/late-night-with-the-devil-star-david-dastmalchian-shares-his-love-for-the-dark-heavy-sounds-of-failure-and-nine-inch-nails/
Photo credit: J. Konrad Schmidt

Cafe Indie in Scunthorpe is a not-for-profit.
They work to provide work experience, training and youth work support to young people aged 16-25. Our cafe is staffed by young volunteers, giving them the chance to develop job skills and improve their prospects. It works too – over 60% of our volunteers go on to secure paid employment. We also host a daily drop in for children aged 13-18 and work with a vast array of community groups to address social issues, serving as a springboard for community development.
https://cafeindie.org.uk/

Hull's Chiedu Oraka reflects on a mega run of shows at SXSW 2024 in Texas The only type of Rap that can be curated if you’ve grown up in the 01482.
And if you haven’t, well you’re about be taken on an incredible journey. Joe the Third is spinning the beats. Stepping back, rapping along with his brothers, feeling the groove.
Deezkid, if the crowd was a box of play-doh then Deez is the kid that mashes all the colours together into a giant ball, and plays with it to his heart's content. And then there’s Chiedu Oraka, the Black Yorkshire mayyyyyyyne. Throwing kung-fu kicks and beasty bars into the Austin air and the audience is just lapping it up, as if it’s the English Breakfast section at an all you can eat buffet.
More at: 
https://www.soundspheremag.com/features/interviews/hulls-chiedu-oraka-reflects-on-a-storming-set-at-sxsw-in-texas/

With their new album ‘NATURAL MAGICK’ topping the Independent Album Charts and the first London date of their April/May UK Tour now sold out, Kula Shaker announce a second night at London’s Electric Ballroom on Saturday 27 April 2024.The full list of April/May UK Tour, including the second London show is:
22/04/2024    Cardiff ,Tramshed23/04/2024    Bexhill, De La Warr Pavilion25/04/2024    Wolverhampton, The Wulfren26/04/2024     London, Electric Ballroom27/04/2024     London, Electric Ballroom (*new show)29/04/2024     Newcastle, Boiler Shop30/04/2024    Glasgow, SWG3 TV Studio01/05/2024     Leeds, O2 Academy03/05/2024    Manchester, O2 Ritz04/05/2024     Bristol, Marble Factory05/05/2024     Bournemouth, O2 AcademyTickets for all shows via gigsandtours.com  ticketmaster.co.uk  kulashaker.co.uk  Just back from a sell-out tour of Japan, frontman Crispian Mills adds, ”Gracing the charts again means so much to us and our fans.”These days, as anyone who has seen them in the flesh could tell you, Kula Shaker’s live shows are less like gigs than bona-fide happenings… communal gatherings of like-minded souls where the bilateral flow of positive energy feels powerful enough to levitate the Royal Albert Hall.This same kinetic energy curses through every second of ‘NATURAL MAGICK’, the band’s 7th studio album, which finds the reunited original four members of Kula Shaker casting their most powerful spells yet — in no small part due to the return of keyboard wizard Jay Darlington from a decade with Oasis and various Gallaghers, therefore reuniting the band’s classic line-up (Crispian Mills: guitar/vocals; Jay Darlington: Hammond organ/ keys; Alonza Bevan: bass; Paul Winter-Hart: drums). 

#halifax #thehazyjanes #welcometocylindercity
Dom Smith chats to The Hazy Janes' frontman Ellis Best about the band's new EP, and the accompanying comic book, 'Welcome To Cylinder City'. In this revealing interview, we go in-depth on the characters and ideas that led to the creation of the new music, and explore the possible future of Cylinder City as a Universe for Ellis to create. 
For more information visit:
https://www.soundspheremag.com/

Ben Leftwich goes in-depth on his York roots, new album 'Some Things Break' and much more. Here, the artist pays tribute to those that got him here, defines what success means to him, and looks towards an exciting 2024, with some tour dates on the horizon. 
Find out more here: https://www.soundspheremag.com/

#sxsw #sxsw2024 #vibes
Kofi Smiles chats to Vital Powers about his experience performing at SXSW 2024 for All The Vibes!
For more coverage visit: https://www.soundspheremag.com/

Dom catches up with Raven Numan who talks about forging her own musical legacy, working in the studio with Ade Fenton to craft new single, 'My Reflection' as well as visual inspirations and more.
For more visit: https://www.soundspheremag.com/

#linkinpark #chesterbennington #greydaze Grey Daze is the origin story of one of the most recognisable rock voices in a generation, although little is known about them in the UK until now. With the recent announcement of their first ever UK tour, Meg Barton had the chance to sit down with Sean Dowdell and Cris Hodges of Grey Daze to talk about their recent albums and reminisce on memories with co-founder, Chester Bennington.
For more visit: https://www.soundspheremag.com/