ifitbeyourwill S05 E05 • Carolina Chauffe of hemlock

Carolina Chauffe, performing as Hemlock, has spent the past year and three months as a musical nomad, never staying in one place for more than two weeks. Transmitting from Chicago between tour stops, she describes this lifestyle as a delicate balance of the "miraculous and exhausting" — finding empowerment and community connection while sacrificing stability and proximity to loved ones.

Chauffe's musical journey began in competitive choirs, gradually transitioning from the safety of collective performance to the vulnerability of solo artistry. This evolution reflects her approach to creativity: embracing vulnerability while remaining connected to community. Most fascinating is her "Song of Day" project, now in its sixth year, where she writes and records one song daily for an entire month annually. This practice has generated hundreds of compositions and fundamentally transformed her relationship with songwriting. "The more songs that I write, the more kinds of songs I feel comfortable writing," she explains, describing how the project expanded her creative boundaries across genres, narration styles, and instrumentation.

Her latest album 444, released in October 2024, showcases twelve selections from these Song of Day collections, reimagined with a full band of Chicago musicians. The album deliberately spans all six years of the project, opening with "Day One" to honor where it all began. With touring planned through August and several recording projects in development, Schaaf exemplifies artistic dedication in its purest form. Her practice of observing both "the miraculous and the mundane" transforms everyday experiences into universally relatable songs, creating what she beautifully describes as "golden strings that defy geographical proximity and linear time." Don't miss the chance to experience Hemlock live — follow her journey, attend a show, and discover the power of daily creative practice.

https://hemlocksounds.com/

“As Hemlock meanders between major and minor keys, mixing honey into a whispered earnestness that could otherwise be stinging, with home-recorded hiss coming and going as it pleases, it is easy to choose your own adventure. To go off exploring, to think about home as a journey, to fit the heartwarming into the same musical breath with the heart-wrenching.” -Misha Scott, Hullaballoo 

hemlock • 444 • 2024

https://hemlocksounds.com/

The twelve songs that make up this angel number album have all been previously released over the past five years by front-person Chauffe as solo iPhone recordings. Now, a "best of, so far", ‘444’ manifests as a curated archive of this handful of tracks, chosen among hundreds, re-contextualized and recaptured in a collaborative, mostly-live, two-day-long, intensive studio session at In The Pocket in Chicago. Crafted with audible urgency and sharp-edged dedication, and brought to life with a beloved midwestern band featuring all-stars Bailey Minzenberger, Andy "Red" PK, and Jack Henry (Chicago music scene bastions and members of Friko, Free Range, Red PK) as the backbone and the beating heart.

Califone • Live on KEXP • 2023

https://www.califonemusic.com

Darksoft • Rationalism • 2025

Darksoft is a multi-instrumentalist songwriter and producer who creates dreamy indie rock sounds. Darksoft songs blend dream pop and shoegaze elements, using lush melodic progressions, 80s/90s alternative rock undertones, and deftly executed vocals. Lyrically, he weaves through clichés, platitudes, and aphorisms that explore universal truths and philosophical themes, giving his music an introspective and existential edge. Darksoft is a solo recording project often supported by a full band for live shows.

Darksoft began the new year by dropping a new single “Devil’s In The Details”, the first from his forthcoming seventh album Rationalism, slated for release on February 21st. Now he returns with a second single “After All“, released via Spirit Goth Records. Once again, he serves up an enchanting and dreamy slice of ear candy, filled with crystalline jangly guitars and assertive but gentle percussion. His captivating vocals beautifully express a sad resignation as he croons the lyrics touching on feelings of loss and regret over a romantic relationship’s that ended: “After all we’ve been through, thought that we’d be close. But all is said, said and done. And you’re so far away.” Given its first two tracks, Rationalism promises to be another superb album. Koyal

Lucette • Rodeo Clown • 2025

Website

"'Rodeo Clown' is about feeling like despite giving it your all, you won’t succeed," says Lucette. "Even if you have the same bruises and failures as the ones that have seen glory. It’s about feeling unseen while still admitting to your faults.” 

ifitbeyourwill S05E04 • Alan D Boyd of Movieland

From punk rock venues in Edmonton to London art galleries, Alan D Boyd's creative journey spans decades and continents while remaining true to his Canadian roots. The musician, filmmaker, and sonic explorer shares the winding path that led him to form Movieland in early 90s Vancouver—a band whose unreleased recordings have found surprising new life through 604 Records' Decades imprint.

Boyd vividly recalls his formative years in Edmonton's vibrant music scene, where venues like Spartan's Men's Hall hosted legendary punk acts alongside local heroes. These experiences shaped his DIY ethos as he moved through various musical projects before landing in Vancouver's fragmented but fertile creative community. There, working at the 24-hour Benny's Bagels, he connected with kindred spirits influenced by everything from Stone Roses and De La Soul to the emerging sounds of Dinosaur Jr and Nirvana.

The analog era of music production comes alive as Boyd describes crafting Movieland songs on his trusty Tascam 488 eight-track recorder, challenging conventional studio wisdom by deliberately pushing guitars louder than vocals. These recordings, preserved on deteriorating cassettes and ADATs, have been meticulously restored using AI technology—resulting in music that sounds so contemporary that listeners question whether it's new or from decades past.

Beyond Movieland, Boyd explores his parallel project Little Sparta, which merges post-punk aesthetics with folk sensibilities and cinematic landscapes. His collaborative approach extends to filmmaking, with documentaries about UK session musicians and the late artist Bill Fay currently in development.

Don't miss Movieland's upcoming single release on March 28th, with Boyd returning to Canadian stages in Vancouver and Edmonton this spring—a homecoming that bridges his past and present creative worlds.

Vancouver’s Movieland is a cult shoegaze trio from the early '90s, blending melancholic melodies with lush, textured soundscapes. Their early recordings are being re-issued as Then & Now (2024) with new music to follow in Now & Then (2025) on 604 Records.

MOVIELAND live:

March 27th Vancouver The Red Gate - Evening

March 29th Vancouver 604 Decades Launch - Daytime 

April 5th Edmonton Cask & Barrel - Daytime 

MOVIELAND releases: 

March 29th SINGLE C’Mon Let’s Go

Avery Friedman • “Photo Booth” • 2025

Linktree

I wrote this song after a vibrant night out with my friends last winter – a night memorialized by many chaotic photo booth strips. Something about the novelty, containment and ephemerality of a photo booth just invites a sort of flirtatious mischief. This night out in particular felt like an encapsulation of spin-the-bottle-type ‘second adolescence’ that many queer people experience when coming into themselves after their adolescent years pass. This song really came into itself when we decentered my guitar, and surrendered to the more chaotic, pop-adjacent production it was asking for.

Pale Blue Eyes • The Dreamer • 2025

https://www.paleblueeyes.co.uk/

The third album from Pale Blue Eyes is called New Place – invocation of fresh horizons; swapping creamy Devon for the synth central of Sheffield. The album arrives on the back of extensive and emotional transit. For PBE, 2024 started with a wonderful tour of 12 European countries with Slowdive. Over 12,000 kilometres. Snow and deep cold in Norway and Poland. Drought-stricken landscapes in France and Spain. On and on, joyously so. The year’s end brought more movement for the married couple at the core of Pale Blue Eyes, singer and guitarist Matt Board and drummer and synth queen Lucy Board. Sadly, family tragedy catalysed a move from South Devon to South Yorkshire.

OK Go • Take Me with You • 2025

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Since their inception OK Go has been something more than a band and something different from an art project. With a career that includes award-winning videos, New York Times op-eds, collaborations with pioneering dance companies, tech giants, NASA, animators and Muppets, and an experiment that encoded their music on actual strands of DNA, OK Go continue to fearlessly dream and build new worlds in a time when creative boundaries have all but dissolved. Formed as a quartet in Chicago in 1998 and relocated to Los Angeles three years later, OK Go (Damian Kulash, Timothy Nordwind, Dan Konopka, Andy Ross) have spent their career in a steady state of transformation and continue to add to a curriculum vitae filled with experimentation in a variety of mediums. OK Go’s work is in the permanent collection of MoMA, and their achievements have been recognized with twenty-one Cannes Lions, twelve CLIOs, three VMAs, two Webbys, The Smithsonian Ingenuity Award, and a Grammy. The band has also partnered with the Playful Learning Lab at the University of St. Thomas to create OK Go Sandbox, an educational non-profit that provides free resources to teachers that use OK Go's videos as starting points to teach STEAM concepts.

Sarah Mary Chadwick • Take Me Out To a Bar • 2025

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“Take Me Out To a Bar,” unfolds like a great short story: a self-contained, sunken universe of one-sided desire. On a mid-week evening, the narrator studies her lone reflection in a bar mirror where her lover’s face had floated beside hers before — a man she has to plead with to make love to her in the backseat of his car, or, of all places, on the sprinkler-soaked grass of a public park. (His house is out of the question: he belongs to someone else.) The contemplative lyrics express a relatable tale of turbulent young love while learning one’s worth and boundaries.

Real Sickies • Wild Imagination • 2025

Edmonton’s pop-punk powerhouse Real Sickies return with their fifth full-length album, Under a Plastic Bag, set for release on March 14, 2025, through Stomp Records. Known for their relentless touring and infectious melodies, the band channels the spirit of punk’s golden age with a fresh and approachable modern twist. Even Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day has hailed Real Sickies as his favorite Canadian punk band, cementing their status as a standout act in the global punk scene. The album’s focus track, “Wild Imagination,” comes with an accompanying video created by Jesse Nash and a backstory as unique as its sound. Ben explains, “The song sounds dirty, but it’s all about fossils. I got really into fossil hunting, especially petrified wood, and spent days walking through a creek in Edmonton, soaking my feet and humming this tune. The lyrics came together in trickles. It’s quirky, it’s personal, and it’s very much a part of the journey this album represents.”

https://stomprecords.com/bands/real-sickies/

ifitbeyourwill S05E03 • Zack Keim

Returning guest Zack Keim takes us behind the scenes of his stunning sophomore album "Battery Lane," revealing how a street address in Bethesda, Maryland became the cornerstone of his musical reinvention. With characteristic openness, Zack shares the fascinating origin story of his hit single "Canyon" — recorded as a voice memo while delivering Uber Eats during the pandemic — and how this moment of inspiration ultimately shaped his entire album.

Our conversation explores the eight-year journey between Zack's debut album and this latest release, touching on the importance of artistic ownership in today's music industry. Having signed away his rights at just 16, Zack now approaches his career with hard-earned wisdom, maintaining control of his masters while collaborating with trusted partners like Super Sport Records for distribution.

The geographic and emotional landscapes of "Battery Lane" reveal themselves as we discuss how transition, upheaval, and personal loss influenced Zack's songwriting. From the jubilant "Canyon" to the introspective title track, each song represents a different facet of his journey through the Washington D.C. area and back to his Pittsburgh roots. Particularly moving is Zack's reflection on how his late father's musical obsession continues to fuel his own passion for creating and performing.

Throughout our discussion, Zack's DIY ethos shines through as he details booking his own tours, coordinating band members across continents, and balancing full-band performances with intimate acoustic shows. His excitement about upcoming appearances at South by Southwest and Tree Fort Music Festival, along with plans for a potential live album, demonstrates an artist hitting his stride while maintaining complete creative control.

Whether you're a musician navigating the industry's complexities or simply someone who appreciates authentic artistic expression, Zack's journey offers both inspiration and practical wisdom. Listen now, then catch him on tour or pick up the vinyl at your local record store to experience "Battery Lane" in all its glory.

https://zackkeimmusic.com/

Avery Lynch • Think About It • 2025

https://avelynch.ffm.to/thinkaboutit

Rising singer-songwriter Avery Lynch continues to pull on our heartstrings with her stunning new single, "think about it,” out today on RECORDS. Known for her emotionally charged, piano-driven ballads, Avery has captivated audiences worldwide, amassing over 100 million streams since she made her debut in 2020.

“think about it” offers a poignant exploration of heartbreak and unanswered questions, inspired by Avery’s sister’s breakup. “She came to me with what she was experiencing and feeling and wanted to see if I could make something out of it,” Avery shares. “The song is ultimately about being left to piece things together after a breakup by yourself—having all of the realizations and none of the answers, and there being nothing to do about it.”

For Avery, this song holds special significance. “When I first started writing songs as a kid, I would write them about my sisters—how cool they are and how much I love them—and I would give those songs to them as gifts. So it feels very full circle writing this one for my sister and releasing it,” she explains. Notably, "think about it" also marks a milestone in Avery’s career as her first self-produced release.

Frog Eyes • I See the Same Things • 2025

“E-E-Y-O-R-E (That’s Me!)” is an anthemic, angular and very catchy slab of Frog Eyes-style indie rock"
-Brooklyn Vegan

"Mercer’s singular voice, nightmare-bent and horror-pained, has put him in league with such eccentric vocalists as Tom Waits and Frank Black, and he shares with them the status of the truly inimitable."
- Pitchfork

"Beautiful, noisy and singularly Frog Eyes"
- Brooklyn Vegan

"Violet Psalms finds Frog Eyes going out in a burst of vitality. It's a mesmerizing album, full of world-weary terror and transcendent grace."
- Exclaim!

Robert Forster • Strawberries • 2025

https://orcd.co/robert-forster

Picture one of our greatest living singer-songwriters in a kitchen. He is on holidays, he's just had a swim. His wife is out on the beach, and he finds himself faced with a bowl of irresistible strawberries. They're meant to be shared, of course, but their taste is “out of the ordinary”, so he just can't help himself. Minutes later all of the delicious fruit are gone, but there's the germ of a song as the phrase “Someone ate all the strawberries” has just popped into Robert Forster's mind, sounding “so weird, but normal”. Thankfully, he has taken his guitar with him.

Autogramm • Randy • 2025

"Randy" follows Autogramm’s tradition of crafting sing-along new wave anthems, but this time with a humorous twist. “Randy” was originally slated to be released as part of their latest album Music That Humans Can Play, but was omitted as the subject of the lyrics became inaccurate. Being a self described “cat band” they naturally - after some deliberation - decided to re-record the vocals and dedicate the content of the lyrics to their drummer’s cat, Randy.

ifitbeyourwill S05E02 • Ben Woods of The Golden Dregs

Dive into the rich musical journey of Ben Woods, the talented frontman of The Golden Dregs, as he explores the evolution of his sound and songwriting. From his early inspirations in Cornwall’s vibrant garage punk scene to the thoughtful lyrics of his latest album "Godspeed," Ben shares heartfelt insights on creativity, collaboration, and resilience amidst the challenges of the music industry.

We discuss how experiences shape artistic expression, the various influences that crafted his unique sound, and the importance of fostering a collaborative environment in music creation. As Ben's journey unfolds, he candidly reflects on the trials he faced and how they shaped his artistic vision.

Listeners will walk away with a deeper appreciation of the artistry behind songwriting and be inspired by Ben's dedication to his craft. Tune in to discover the stories behind the songs and what the future holds for The Golden Dregs. You won’t want to miss this engaging conversation!

Don’t forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review if you enjoyed the episode!

 Direct link to MP3

https://thegoldendregs.com/

A charming, hook-filled track, ‘The Company of Strangers’ is richly layered, blending folk-tinged guitars with playful piano riffs and lush harmonies. But with its gentle melodies come profound reflections on urban life, as Ben wryly delivers lyrics like: “Maybe it’s time I was taken out to pasture / since lately I’ve been getting it wrong”.

Of their new single, Ben says: “The Company of Strangers is a business empire into which one might invest their best life years, best health, best thoughts, every last hour of daylight in the winter months, to expire, become surplus to requirement, served notice, redundant. The Company doesn’t care about you but you are better than that. Godspeed The Company.”

Mappe Of • Happiness In The Singularity • 2025

https://mappeof.netlify.app/#

With a brand new track, “Happiness In The Singularity,” released today via Paper Bag Records, Mappe Of is stepping into the post-apocalyptic musical space. Within the modern tradition of post-apocalyptic art—perhaps even post-earth-as-we-know-it art— definitely post-pandemic - there's an increasingly tangible feeling like these works are no longer fictitious, but are instead a very real and present depiction of our lives on this planet. And yet, these works are most often defined by hope, and resilience, comradery, and faith. They pose to us, one of the most difficult questions we can face: Can we continue in the face of oblivion?

“Happiness in the Singularity” is a cyborg of a song, marrying pieces of the real with the ethereal in a shimmering, stuttering-then-smooth 7/8 waltz through a graveyard of VHS memories and corrupted .mp4 files. Theres a piano part playing counter to the artificial pings and clicks that swirl around—it feels as if one is in an existential behind-the-scenes control room. With the song, Mappe Of is imploring us to preserve our sanity and ourselves.

Shura • Richardson ft. Cassandra Jenkins • 2025

"Putting a magnifying glass up to her emotions... "Recognise" is a really beautiful track."

– NPR All Songs Considered

"Equal parts tender, broken, hopeful and searching. There’s pain here, but the uplifting feeling of putting your life back together also shines through, because in the end, this process of exploring her mental, emotional landscape became a joyous one."

– PAPER

A lyric on “Richardson” cuts to the core of the album’s solitary feeling. “I got too down around my friends,” Shura sings over a laid-back groove adorned with soft guitar licks and flurries of keys. It was the first song written for the record, and it was also – by circumstance, but also fittingly – the first song she’s written at home alone on an acoustic guitar since she was a kid. Featuring Cassandra Jenkins, whose album An Overview on Phenomenal Nature was one of the few Shura could listen to during that period of high stress, the track brings her sadness full circle; Jenkins’ voice accompanying hers in lush harmony the same way it did back then.

Shura says: “I fell in love with Cassandra's record at a low point in my life. It felt like an armchair I could crawl into. It accompanied me on long walks I took around my apartment in Greenpoint. I always knew I wanted to work with Cassandra on something. After a few conversations it became obvious to the both of us that it had to be this song. That Cassandra would accompany me here. A song about walking, thinking, and trying to find comfort somewhere, as Cassandra’s voice accompanied me on those walks then.”

Miya Folick • "Felicity” • 2025

It is the only song which was not originally written on acoustic guitar. Instead, Miya wrote it in collaboration with Jared Solomon (Remi Wolf, Lola Young), and layered synths and woodwinds atop of traditional instrumentation. The song points to the lesser-known definition of the word felicity: “finding appropriate expression for one’s thoughts,” which, Miya says, is “a cornerstone of the album: putting language to how I feel, which I didn’t do for so long because I didn’t know it was a feeling I was allowed to have.” Apt articulation, “Felicity” suggests, promises to bring us into closer connection with those we love, and with ourselves.

Folick is both audacious and hauntingly profound on Erotica Veronica, her psychosexual, psychosensual masterstroke: a kaleidoscopic portrait of self-realization and integration. There is a dilemma that haunts the record. There is a partner on the receiving end of these confessions. The song and the album seem to wonder: what is the right thing to do when your desires are more complex than the narrow channel our culture allows? “The album is about being queer within a heteronormative relationship structure and within a heteronormative society, but it’s also just about desire and eroticism in general. I don’t think we give each other enough room to explore freely and figure out our own right paths,” she says. FEMM