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Ep. #204: Michael Franti

Michael Franti is a musician, filmmaker, and humanitarian currently based in California. Emerging as a founding member of Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy more than 20 years ago, Franti has cultivated a loyal and large following for his nuanced and positive solo work, fronting his own band, Spearhead. His latest album is 2013’s All People, but he has just released a new single and video for the 2015 song, “Once a Day.” Franti is headlining the Main Stage on Friday July 24 at the Hillside Festival in Guelph and here, we discuss San Francisco weather, living in Edmonton at 15 years old during the winter, opening for U2’s Zoo TV Tour in 1993, the Ed, when U2 was cool, Primus, expressing a range of emotions, music as a form of inspiration, positivity and cynicism, meeting the Dalai Lama, Unrestricted Monk, the song “Once a Day” and how it reflects a health scare involving his son and the love it inspired, the new album, the lowdown on a new documentary about himself tentatively called 11:59, the song “Once a Day,” and that’s it.

Related links: michaelfranti.com hillsidefestival.ca vishkhanna.com

©Jay Blakesberg

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News Podcast

Ep. #203: Elaquent

Elaquent is a hip-hop artist and producer based in Guelph, Ontario. An underground hero among beatmakers and rabid fans, Elaquent is renowned for his infectious, soulful but off-kilter compositions that recall aspects of Dilla and DJ Premier but are still wholly unique. Endlessly prolific, Elaquent’s brand new album is called Good Karma, it’s out now via Huh, What & Where, and it’s prompted him to play live, including solo and collaborative sets in his hometown at the Hillside Festival between July 24 and 26. Here, Elaquent and I discuss being rusty, making up your skillset on your own, plant pathology, Spanish and French, the Spanish student becomes the computer teacher, Meek Mill and Drake and ghostwriting/producing in hip-hop, Dr. Dre is a heartbreaker, Nicki Minaj and Taylor Swift, Action Bronson and Ghostface Killah, pro wrestling, Good Karma and positive vibes, living in a town like Guelph, playing the Hillside Festival for the first time, jamming with Daniel Lanois, Nels Cline Singers, BADBADNOTGOOD, Lee Reed, and Jason Wilson & Pee Wee Ellis, the song “You’ve Changed,” and that was that.

Related links: elaquent.com hillsidefestival.ca vishkhanna.com

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Categories
News Podcast

Ep. #202: Doldrums

Doldrums is the electro-punk moniker of Airick Woodhead who currently lives in Montreal. Woodhead has been making music publicly since he was 13 years old and was a founding member of the inventive, well-respected Toronto band, Spiral Beach. Since Spiral Beach disbanded, Woodhead has been exploring other kinds of music and the melodic, jarring, hazy sounds in Doldrums really speak to his open mind and constant desire to challenge conventional perceptions of art. The latest album by Doldrums is The Air Conditioned Nightmare, it’s out now via Sub Pop, and has prompted Woodhead to tour the world, including a stop by the Hillside Festival in Guelph on the weekend of July 24. Here, Airick and I discuss chilling at the Arbutus Records office, touring with people from Spiral Beach, Henry Miller’s trip, a traveller’s disillusionment with home, iDeath and Richard Brautigan, anger and everything, evolving thoughts on EDM, web traffic, testing your own genes, the Hillside Festival as a formative musical influence, David Woodhead and Scott Merritt and the Barmitzvah Brothers, having a rad dad, pop-punk and hip-hop, Toronto’s music community compared to Montreal’s. contemplating leaving music behind to become a geneticist, the song “Video Hostage” and then there was tackling,

Related links: subpop.com hillsidefestival.ca vishkhanna.com

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