Q&A
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Q&A: Vance Joy gets biographical on new LP ‘In Our Own Sweet Time’
Vance Joy photographed at BottleRock Napa on May 29, 2022. Nate McKinley/STAFF. NAPA — The Catalonia region of Spain, encompassing Barcelona and a whole lot more on the Balearic Sea, is both a figurative and literal place on In Our Own Sweet Time, the third album from Australian singer-songwriter…
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Q&A: Dennis Quaid on his new gospel album, tour, Charley Pride film
Dennis Quaid, courtesy Derrek Kupish. Around the same time as he was first becoming a film star, Dennis Quaid was trying to get a music career off the ground. This was in the late ‘80s. He’d gotten a band—consisting of Bay Area music icon Bonnie Raitt’s touring band—and even…
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Q&A: Belarus’ Molchat Doma ready to make some noise in the U.S.
Molchat Doma, courtesy Stas Kard. Editor’s note: This interview took place long before Russia’s active war in Ukraine. Belarus was a staging ground for Russia’s invasion. While Belarus publicly supports Russia, some Belarusians are fighting on the Ukrainian side. Much has been written about an initial wave of TikTok users…
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Introducing Satya: Oakland-born artist flourishing in the Big Easy
Satya, courtesy. Satya has a gorgeous voice and an original sound that effortlessly crosses and synthesizes genres. The Oakland native’s lyrics come from authenticity, examining her feelings and experiences with honesty and grace. Satya and friends 7 p.m. (Doors), Thursday, May 26 The New Parish Tickets: $10-$12. “Writing has…
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Q&A: Steve Dawson on ‘Gone, Long Gone,’ his friendship with Allison Russell
Steve Dawson, courtesy Laura E. Partain. Steve Dawson was on tour playing guitar with Birds of Chicago with Allison Russell when the pandemic hit. “We got sent home, and I figured that we’d take maybe a month off at that point. Little did we know!” he said during a…
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Q&A: Melissa Etheridge on her new LP, Santa Cruz CBD biz, anti-opioid foundation
Melissa Etheridge, courtesy. Melissa Etheridge doesn’t visit Santa Cruz often—“although that sounds lovely”— but four years ago, she chose the city to base her cannabis and CBD company, Etheridge Botanicals. Melissa Etheridge 8 p.m., Friday, March 18 Luther Burbank Center, Santa Rosa Tickets: $60-$390. 8 p.m., Wednesday, March 23…
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Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand picks his favorite best-of albums
Franz Ferdinand, courtesy David Edwards. Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand is looking angelic with a sheet of backlighting through a skylight in his band’s Glasgow studio. Though the video connection is a little fuzzy, he can spot the “Do You Want To” single cover tucked away at the back…
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Q&A: Keb’ Mo’ channels MLK’s dream, finds a ‘marvelous’ future
Keb’ Mo’, courtesy. When he’s working on his albums, Keb’ Mo’ likes to give them personal working titles so that he can keep himself on target and true to the message he wants to make. The working title for his newest, Good To Be? Keb’ Mo at SFJAZZ 7:30 p.m.,…
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Jean-Philip Grobler of St. Lucia relaunches with “Rocket On My Feet”
Patti Beranek and Jean-Philip Grobler of St. Lucia photographed in South Africa in February 2022. Courtesy Gabrielle Kannemeyer. Jean-Philip Grobler and Patti Beranek, the primary songwriters in synth-pop band St. Lucia, have kept a low profile for the last few years. After concluding several tours for 2018’s Hyperion, the…
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Q&A: Elujay driven to create, even through “Pandemia”
Elujay, courtesy. Prolific 25-year-old Oakland native Elujay is a rising star. Last year, the singer and musician (now based in L.A.) coproduced and scored all the music for the TOMBOGO fashion show with founder Tommy Bogo, in addition to walking in the show as a model. His song “Swing Thru,” from…
