Posts in interviews
Chaos, Creation, and Card Games: A Conversation with Carsie Blanton

In a 2016 interview with The Guardian, author Mary Gaitskill said “Literature is not a realm for politeness.” That statement holds true for all artistic mediums. New Orleans-based singer-songwriter Carsie Blanton is no exception. An artist with six albums under her belt, all released with a pay-what-you-want, doesn’t sustain a career for fifteen years by being polite. She has made the albums she’s wanted to make, the way she wants to make them, with no interference from the powers that be. I recently chatted with Carsie about everything under the sun including her new album Buck Up, creating a sexy card game from scratch, and how she manages to balance so many projects at once.

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NONE OF US ARE REALLY LATE: A Conversation with Frances Cone

Frances Cone is the indie-pop outfit helmed by Christina Cone and Andrew Doherty. With the release of Late Riser, this Nashville-based band is set to make their mark on the world. I recently chatted with Christina about everything under the sun, including what she looks for in a song, the differences between live performances and studio recordings, and the pressure of being pushed into something you’re simply not ready for yet.

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WHERE AM I: A Conversation with Claire Schwartz

I was introduced to Claire Schwartz in February through a mutual friend in Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), a national organization committed to ending U.S. support of Israeli apartheid. What started as an email introduction and the possibility of an intimate reading together at our mutual friend’s home evolved into a JVP-sponsored poetry benefit for the imprisoned Palestinian poet Dareen Tatour’s legal fund.

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GOOD FEELINGS: A conversation with Mekong Xpress’ Todd Herrington

Richmond, VA’s Mekong Xpress are a prime example of what I consider the “RVA Sound.” If you’ve been paying attention to the many, many great acts coming out of that corner of our world, you’ll know exactly what I mean upon first listen of their debut LP Common Knowledge. And if you don’t, you’re in for a treat. I recently sat down with bassist/guitarist/singer/all-around-great-guy Todd Herrington to discuss his band’s new album, how his hometown continues to inspire him, and the wonderful world of stop motion animation.

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FOR ALL THE PENSACOLA GIRLS: An Interview with Kristin Garth, Elisabeth Horan, and Jessie Lynn McMains

Kristin Garth and Elisabeth Horan are authors of the collaborative poetry chapbook Pensacola Girls, written in response to the death of Dericka Lindsay, a nine-year-old who died after an adult cousin, who weighed 325 pounds, sat on her as a form of punishment. When the family realized that Dericka was unconscious, they called 911.

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STEADIER HANDS: A Conversation with Gold Connections’ Will Marsh

Will Marsh, recording under the name Gold Connections, has firmly planted his foot in the world of indie music with the release of his fantastic debut album Popular Fiction, out now via Egghunt Records. I recently had the opportunity to chat with Will about how the songs changed over the course of nearly a decade, the Charlottesville music scene, and the bottomless well of inspiration that is Bob Dylan.

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EATS OF EDEN: A Conversation with Tabitha Blankenbiller

Tabitha Blankenbiller is the kind of writer who can cook up an essay that’s equal parts delicious self-reflection and nutritious nourishment for understanding broader life experiences. Her work has been published in a variety of venues, including The Rumpus, Alternating Current, Barrelhouse, Luna Luna Magazine, Catapult, and here in Split Lip Magazine.

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PITY PARTIES AND POP SONGS: A Conversation with Big Baby’s Ali Mislowsky

What would the worst year of your life sound like if it was an album? If you’re Big Baby’s Ali Mislowsky, you already know. Sour Patch, the band’s newest release and first with Egghunt Records, is a lo-fi, twee pop collection chronicling the singer-guitarist’s tough breaks, rough times, and how it felt to be set adrift into life after college. Fresh off their release show, I sat down with Mislowsky to find out more about this promising young group.

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