EVERY OTHER KREATIVE KONTROL EPISODE IS ONLY ACCESSIBLE TO PATREON SUPPORTERS. This one is fine, but please subscribe now on Patreon so you never miss full episodes. Thanks! Damon McMahon discusses the multi-layered new Amen Dunes album Death Jokes, how his exploration of hip-hop music technology stems from stumbling upon a discarded cassette tape in his youth, the instruments he can play and what prompted him to find a teacher to learn a new one, why Bob Dylan’s singing is such a huge...

I'm going to experiment with a hybrid subscription model for Kreative Kontrol. Every other episode will be free as usual, while the others will be for Patreon subscribers at the $6 a month level. Those will be full, ad-free episodes. The general public will receive clips/teasers of these episodes on their podcast players with a link to subscribe to hear the whole episode.  I’ve chosen every other episode as a model because it’s consistent and fair. I don’t want to attribute more value to one...

Jon Mckiel discusses his excellent and beguiling new album, Hex, Canadian cities he’s lived in and his connections with Jay Crocker and Chad VanGaalen, drop C tuning, the hip-hop flavours of the otherwise indie-folk album Hex and whom it may be inspiring to rap, hexes, conspiracies, capitalism, and The Curse, movie scores and the musical touchstone that is the Arnold Schwarzenegger film, Predator, feeling burdened, videotaping MuchMusic programming as kids, that time his album 2020 album...

Tracyanne Campbell discusses the wonderful new Camera Obscura album, Look to the East, Look to the West, motherhood, sibling rivalries, and grieving, duality and figuring yourself out, some of the clever and heartfelt new Camera Obscura songs, reverb and country music, bonding among women and family members, what’s next for Camera Obscura, other future plans, and much more. Join my Patreon to hear Traceyanne recall the first concert she ever attended. Support vish on Patreon! Thanks...

Ben Chasny discusses the lovely new Six Organs of Admittance album, Time is Glass, his return to northern California after many years living throughout the United States, the politically charged conversation we had when Ranga was on the show and made some incorrect 2016 U.S. presidential election predictions, getting himself a dog and reading about demon familiars, living in the moment and spiritual practices, unreliable narrators, shifting pronouns, and songs that contain multitudes, a...

Raymond Biesinger discusses his best-selling book, 305 Lost Buildings of Canada, and trajectory as an illustrator, when Cadence Weapon introduced us outside of a Sadies show in Edmonton, why he didn’t actually feel like attending that show, his time in the Famines and why he retired from music making, his Edmonton social circles, why his work highlights marginalized lives and his use of historical adaptation, how his collaboration with Alex Bozikovic and their book came about, people who...

Cadence Weapon discusses his explosive new album ROLLERCOASTER, Hamilton joyriding and being a proud citizen, the time he introduced me to the visual artist Raymond Biesinger outside of a Sadies show in Edmonton, life as a new dad and why I think he might want to enjoy every moment, why ROLLERCOASTER is a revolutionary meditation on modern technology and how we interact with it, celebrating his late uncle and musical influence, Brett Miles, breaking down bot farms that juice music and podcast...

Michael Feuerstack discusses his thoughtful and infectious new album Eternity Mongers, its social, philosophical, and interpersonal lyrical themes, a discussion about the phrase “It is what it is,” and Michael’s new song, “What Isn’t What it Is,” creating an artistic space to convey thoughts and ideas and Larry David’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, making an album in a Nova Scotia shack with producer Charles Austin and bringing a talented horn section and guest vocalists into the mix, upcoming tour...

Patrick Lefler discusses his band ROY and their beautiful new album, Spoons for the World, working as a foley artist and a brief lesson in making good sipping and kissing sounds, the role room sounds and ambiance play in his work, Patrick Roy, LeBron James, and Bryan Trottier, growing up in Guelph and the premise that it’s a music and arts city, his dad’s record collection, his new record’s lyrical themes and Jeff McMurrich’s strings suggestion, upcoming shows, other future plans, and much...

Mikey Day discusses his work hosting Is it Cake? and as a performer and writer on Saturday Night Live, why Is it Cake? features so many SNL cast members as celebrity judges, how his work on both shows might inform one another, legendary Canadians like SNL producer Lorne Michaels and Ryan Gosling, playing a part in Unfrosted, which is Jerry Seinfeld’s new movie about Pop-Tarts, other future plans, and much more. Support vish on Patreon! Thanks to Pizza Trokadero, the Bookshelf, Planet Bean...

Alex Edkins, Hayden Menzies, and Chris Slorach from METZ discuss their new album Up on Gravity Hill, its hard themes and dynamic emotional tenor, the evolution of METZ and the beginning of a new chapter, surprising each other musically, music videos and how songs can be de-valued, loving Eric’s Trip, working with producer Seth Manchester, filmmaker Colin Medley, and musician Owen Pallett, comfort, confidence, and consumption, touring again, other future plans, and much more. Support vish...

Joshua Wayne Hensley and Jared Myers discuss their band forestlike and recent self-titled debut album, life in Indiana and first bonding over buckets, the very flattering song that Josh wrote about me, why Jared abandoned a promising music trajectory and why he’s back at it now, a profound and somewhat unusual experience I had listening closely to their new album, spiritual and even Christmas themes in their latest songs, writing new music together and apart, other future plans, and much...

Kaie Kellough and Jason Sharp discuss their work together in FYEAR and their new, self-titled debut album, our Alberta commonalities and the Edmonton Oilers, the origin of their social and musical relationship, writing one piece that has been divided into chunks for this dynamic album and its concept and sound, what certain children think of the record, being a tension, how they work together, writing more music, other future plans, and much more. Support vish on Patreon! Thanks to Pizza...

Mark Mothersbaugh from DEVO discusses his new hardcover art book, APOTROPAIC BEATNIK GRAFFITI, how limited eyesight helped make him a visionary, a 2020 hospital admission for COVID-19 that changed his life forever, mail art and thousands of art cards, how visual art led to the pursuit of music and DEVO’s formation, very old and very recent personal interactions with three Beatles, loving the Rolling Stones and avoiding LSD, the essay Ian Svenonius wrote for this book, the current state of...

You’ve Changed Records is 15! A celebration featuring reflections by Steven Lambke, Daniel Romano’s Outfit, Attack in Black, Shotgun Jimmie, Julie Doiron, Marine Dreams, Apollo Ghosts, the Burning Hell, Nap Eyes, Partner, Mar Sellars, Jon McKiel, Status/Non-Status, Fiver, Colin Medley, and Julianna Riolino, plus a tribute to Richard Laviolette and love for Leanne Betasomasake Simpson, and much more! Support vish on Patreon! Thanks to Blackbyrd Myoozik, Pizza Trokadero, the Bookshelf, Planet...

Jim White and Guy Picciotto discuss their work together on Jim’s first solo album, All Hits: Memories, drumming, our relationship with artifacts and memories in an age of informational saturation, experimenting with keyboards and music production, perspectives on Jim’s idiosyncratic approach to drumming and ambient music, working in film and a lost soundtrack opportunity, tour, updates on new projects, other future plans, and much more. Support vish on Patreon! Thanks to Pizza Trokadero, the...

Sohrab Habibion and Michael Jaworski discuss the new SAVAK album, Flavors of Paradise, dancing seahorses, snow shovelling adventures, the late Rick Froberg’s role in influencing aspects of SAVAK and his constant presence in our lives, U.S. politics and the media, singing about years, defending your band name, gallows humour and punk-infused pop music, many project updates, tour news, other future plans, and much more.   Support vish on Patreon! Thanks to Pizza Trokadero, the Bookshelf, Planet...

Rosali discusses her beautiful new album Bite Down, Michigan, Philadelphia, and school trips to Canada, the important details, living in North Carolina with a dog and commuting to Nebraska, her band Long Hots’ Third Man Records single, befriending the David Nance Group and the Mowed Sound’s live-off-the-floor approach on Bite Down, our shared admiration for H.C. McEntire, her parents' rock band, appreciating the Grateful Dead, escaping pigeonholes, touring, other future plans, and much...

Dan Boeckner discusses BOECKNER and Boeckner!, Canada’s politics, history, and capitulation to fascism, feckless Canadian journalism, Israel, Palestine, and perceptions of the war crimes in Gaza, how aspects of the pandemic and human behaviour influenced the lyrics on his otherwise upbeat and powerful new album, collaborating with Matt Chamberlain, Brad Laner, and Kiwi Jr.’s Jeremy Gaudet, answering a Patreon question, tour dates, other future plans, and much more. Support vish on Patreon!...

Brendan Canty, Joe Lally, and Anthony Pirog from the Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis discuss their wonderful new self-titled debut album, when musicians “sat in,” freedom from genre signifiers, music school pros and cons, why Anthony and James connected and what makes Brendan and Joe such a special rhythm section, upcoming tour and festival dates, other future plans and much more. Support vish on Patreon! Thanks to Blackbyrd Myoozik, Pizza Trokadero, the Bookshelf, Planet Bean Coffee,...

Matt Korvette from Pissed Jeans talks about their excellent, ferocious, and funny new album, Half Divorced, Philly, Kurt Vile, and Atom and His Package, writing angry, funny songs as, and even for, adults, having fun playing music like Mudhoney does, hating our phones, helicopter parents and what kids get up to these days, covering a Pink Lincolns song and how everywhere is bad, tour, other future plans and much more. Support vish on Patreon! Thanks to Blackbyrd Myoozik, Pizza Trokadero, the...

Spencer Burton discusses his lovely new album, North Wind, farming and regenerative agriculture, escapism and writing songs in a remote cabin, family ties, the pace of life, pondering cultural work, making records with Nashville-based producer Andrija Tokic, a dental emergency and a beautiful live take, Clint Black and The Larry Sanders Show, writing the children’s album/book The Mountain Man, three Ontario shows, tour, other future plans and much more. Support vish on Patreon! Thanks...

Daniel Romano’s Outfit discuss their brilliant new album, Too Hot to Sleep, why the Outfit has different members now, presence and what sleeping means in a time of great consciousness, songs like “That’s Too Rich,” which delve into wealth inequality, classism, and human rights violations, the fascinating stories behind the band’s new videos for singles, “Chatter” and “Where’s Paradise,” unreleased and new music by the Outfit and Carson McHone, touring, other future plans and much...

Kate Stables discusses Careful of Your Keepers, the latest album by This is The Kit, touring Canada in the winter, why references to The Simpsons, Despicable Me, and Pride and Prejudice might make it into her songs, chewing, biting, babies, and dogs, how repeating the same things doesn’t mean they’re not changing, being parented and parenting, more touring, other future plans and much more. Support vish on Patreon! Thanks to Blackbyrd Myoozik, Pizza Trokadero, the Bookshelf, Planet Bean...