What’s the story behind your latest song/album?

“Last Quarter” first came into being as a demo song in 2017. However, it was not included in our first album “Forgotten Notebooks”, which we released on CD and digitally during the same period. It was forgotten somewhere in the recordings we made afterwards. The difficult journeys we made in the summer of 2024 and the retrospective questions we made led us to pull the song out of its hidden corner again. We included it in our latest album “Live In Studio: 19.10.2024” and recorded it in a single recording with minor interventions, preserving its acoustic sound. The theme of the song is the expression of exhaustion in the face of recurring negativities that are hoped to change but never change. The recurring guitar arpeggio and the lyrics express a tension in this direction.

How has your creative process evolved over the years?

The music we make is basically in the country/folk sound. However, since we come from different backgrounds, a spectrum like rock, blues, indie and grunge inevitably seeps into our songs. We have a variety of sources of inspiration that we have always admired and followed closely, from Willie Nelson to Nick Drake, Neil Young to Townes Van Zandt, Uncle Tupelo to the Louvin Brothers. Blues masters like Robert Cray, Junior Kimbrough, Tony Joe White have also joined this background over time and have had certain influences on our compositions.

What’s one misconception people have about being a musician?

I think that in ancient Greece, music, which had the power to affect all nature including the dead through the mythology of Orpheus, has created two different traditions over time, as an imitation practice with the epistemologies of Plato and Aristotle, and as a lower level of knowledge, such as poetry. Nietzsche addresses this issue with the distinction between Dionysus and Apollo. Musicianship is still either evaluated as a great divine power and a mystical activity of special people, or as a bohemian entertainment that is not very respectable for people trying to escape from responsible rational life. We believe that neither of these approaches are correct. Musicianship is not something that is done by saying “I am a musician”. It is a process of self-awareness, intuition and being able to create an alternative plane for life through one’s own emotional world. Of course, with the power of symbols that carry meaning, such as notes and words.

Who or what has been inspiring your music lately?

The late Justin Townes Earle, Will Johnson, who have been prominent names in modern folk/indie music lately, and the magnificent project Ocean Carolina, who have been quiet for a while, are the artists that have caught our attention. Of course, the tension-filled composition style of Tony Joe White, who we recently lost, and the near-flawless vocal techniques of Jim Reeves, one of the architects of the classic Nashville sound in the 60s, are quite admirable. Finally, the pioneer of Russian rock music Stas Namin and his band Tsvety are among the artists that have caught our attention and that we have been following live in the last year.

What’s next for you—any exciting projects or goals on the horizon?

We have more than 10 new compositions that we have written in the last two years. We will be preparing a thematic album from these pieces. Again, we do not want to spoil the acoustic sound, but there may be some electric guitar interventions in the arrangement. We will return to our studio routine in this direction in the summer. Thank you and the Hella Fuzz Music Magazine team for your interest in our song “Last Quarter” and for having this nice conversation with us. We hope our answers were clear and we expressed ourselves clearly. Stay tuned, best wishes.

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What’s the story behind your latest song/album?

The new song is called “Gone” and it’s off a new EP called “One for the Money”. I had written a few songs that didn’t quite seem to fit with previous albums and basically needed a home. I decided to do an EP, and so I ended up writing “Gone” and the song “Soul Shines Brightest” to bring it to Four songs total, which was what I thought would be an appropriate number of songs for the project. There is no real concept to this EP, other than it feels a bit different in style compared to the previous releases. 

How has your creative process evolved over the years?

My creative process has probably changed and evolved the most as a result of having all of my equipment at my disposal. For years I didn’t have much of anything at home. I either had gear elsewhere or not at all for a period, which made it tough when ideas would pop up in my head. Now I can write and record when those ideas come. And also, my getting older mixed with the experience of writing and performing. Those things continue to grow as you go along. I can’t say writing gets easier, there are always slumps and roadblocks. But I find my songwriting better as a result of these things. 

What’s one misconception people have about being a musician?

Misconception? I think it’s that musicians all live some sort of rock star life. I’ve met many that do but most have full-time jobs and families. They gig in the evenings or on the weekends. It’s not an easy path so you have to keep yourself afloat somehow. Sometimes the perception isn’t the reality. 

Who or what has been inspiring your music lately?

Who and what’s inspired my music lately has been a mixture of things. My family will always inspire me. I, like most musicians, listen to a lot of different types of music. Listening to a variety of styles helps to broaden your scope. I’ve been really into Tommy Guerrero’s Music lately which has resonated with me. Also, hearing new music always inspires me to want to write more. 

If you could collaborate with any artist, living or dead, who would it be and why?

If I could collaborate with any artist, I would want it to be Frank Zappa. I say Frank because I don’t think anything would faze him and he could make music from anything. I love weird music and his always somehow made sense. It would be a blast just picking his brain. Q10. What’s next for me is a break in writing. I put out music under my own name, Pete Rogers also. I released a full-length album and an EP also this year. I’m looking to concentrate more on live performances coming up. Thank you for doing this interview with me. God bless

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Lost in the Sonic Swirl: Koalra’s “In a Weird Way” is a Vivid Indie Dream

Turn up the sound. Let it wash over you. Koalra’s latest single, “In a Weird Way,” feels like stepping into a hazy dream where the echoes of ‘90s alt-rock and post-punk shimmer in the distance. Released on March 1, 2025, this track is an intoxicating blend of fuzz-drenched guitars, hypnotic rhythms, and raw, emotive energy. The Portland-based trio has always had a knack for fusing nostalgia with a fresh, exploratory edge, and this song is no exception.

Right from the opening riff, “In a Weird Way” pulls you into a sonic vortex that’s equal parts chaos and beauty. The guitars—buzzing, swirling, drenched in reverb—evoke the golden era of indie rock, calling to mind the noisy brilliance of Sonic Youth and the melancholic allure of The Cure. The rhythm section pulses with an urgency that keeps you anchored even as the song floats through its atmospheric highs.

Lyrically, the track feels introspective yet ambiguous, as if Koalra is inviting listeners to interpret the message through their own lens. It’s a track that doesn’t just play—it engulfs, transporting you to a space where emotions are felt in waves of distortion and melody.

Koalra has always been about evolution, and “In a Weird Way” is a testament to their ability to push boundaries while staying true to their roots. Whether you’re a longtime fan or a newcomer, this is a track that deserves to be played loud—over and over again.

Every now and then I come across an artist that seems to know something everyone else doesn’t. It’s like we’ve been doing it wrong all along. Fox Academy certainly knows what’s up with their latest LP Angel Hair and I’m not sure if they’re too keen in telling. Describing their sound is a daunting task, it’s frame of indie pop is sprinkled with beats of lo-fi hiphop. This is where conventions end however, as their use of samples range from natural sounds, kitchen cupboard utensils and even sports commentary. 

The band demonstrates an innate ability to romanticize mundane emotions with their full sound and vivid descriptions of ordinary life, adding in a cinematic grandeur to regular weekends under the sun, or rainy days cooped up in a sickbed. Vocal layers are stacked together to get that choral effect, it does sound muddy in some cases but at the same time it evokes a chill and melancholic mood — like individual droplets of rain falling on a window.

There’s a narrative of illness and recovery in this album that starts with “Apple”. It expresses regret over an episode of illness and the sorrow of having to stay in bed to recover, missing games of pickup basketball in the summer. “Lifestyle magazine” follows this gloom with a cinematic flair. Life goes on around him as he sits still while having Simpsons on the TV. The lo-fi airiness of the harmonies makes this feel like an out of body experience. In “Duffle”, he finally comes home home: “Tell myself I’m fine and I’m feeling better.” and finds a newfound appreciation for his family in the line: “Showered with love, I am at home.”

“Make me cry” despite its title, is the brightest track in the album. It depicts a lovely Sunday morning where our character proclaims “I’m finally feeling healthy”, He enjoys his time outside and “Everything makes me cry / I love it everytime”. Night descends in “Nascar”, and we sit down and appreciate the sunset. There’s vivid lyrical imagery everywhere: “Sharp turn / Dim light/ Strip mall/ Street fight” and with a lovely hook in “Sky looks like nascar / Easter pink colors / Racecars.”

The drapes fall down again at “Lobby”. Somber guitars backed by ghostly voices paint a grim picture as our character prepares to take their own life: “Big truck crashing, flash of light and I’m gone”, with an ominous sample of an emergency call played in the background. All is not lost however as he enjoys a new lease in life in “Property brothers” appreciating all the care he receives. “I was born again” he sings in a hopeful melody. In the closing track “Sick day” he declares, “I love everything now / this feels special”.

Fox Academy’s approach in telling this story is subtly conveyed in little snippets of detail and space is left open for listeners to fill in the blanks. Angel Hair is a mix of old and new, with it’s lo-fi production and modern techniques, but at its heart is a tale of newfound hope, and that’s what makes it real.

Surf Curse’s third and latest LP, Heaven Surrounds You is a collection of ever-changing moods and themes. The surf rock duo pulled ideas influenced by their move to LA and their love of cult movies, blending cinematic riffs with rhythms that pulse with forward momentum. This album is an epic story of discovery, as Nick Rattigan and Jacob Rubeck find themselves in a new environment, armed with a newly refined sound. They have progressed a step further from their previous lo-fi tendencies, to a more sophisticated and polished production. Like a coming-of-age film, their songwriting has matured in line with their life in a new scene.

“Maps to the Stars” heralds the start of the journey, with a restless kinetic rhythm and a repeating verse that comes and goes like the scenery viewed from a bus window. The line “Oh my heart is on fire / Burn whoever you are” signals an anticipation for the challenges yet to come. The carrier single “Disco” has the best hook of the album. Inspired by the Last Days of Disco, it has an irresistible lively pace and a music video that’s reminiscent of dance-offs in 90’s flicks.

The conflict of the album intensifies at this point. The mood shifts to unease with “River’s Edge”. It reflects struggles of self-identity at this new place, with the leftover residue of a past relationship. “Midnight Cowboy” mirrors their experience in a similar way. The folk-ish delivery of the vocals are accompanied by bright and modern sounds. The imagery depicts a bustling nightlife, representing the change in lifestyle that the cowboys must face in the city. “Hour of the Wolf” is the climax of this sequence, inspired by an Ingmar Bergman film of the same title. An eerie dissonance seeps through the instruments. The theme of the movie is transformed by the line “Beware of the bleeding moon / Cause I’m still missing you all day”, where instead of death, the witching hour is a daily moment spent missing someone.

“Opera” is another standout with its melancholic acoustic guitar, the song depicts a romantic tragedy of falling deeply in love with someone despite “the games we play with each other’s lives”. Every quiver of Rattigan’s voice reflects the agony of trying to keep up with a failed love.

It’s great to see Surfe Curse’s growth throughout their career. They have taken moods and emotions from personal experience and other forms of art and infused it in their music. A true mark of craftsmanship, resulting in a unique flavor of surf rock, where instead of sun-kissed beaches, the music is heavily surrounded by neon lights in a big city.