ICW
a.k.a. In Conversation With
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In conversation with Kevin Blackwell of Sassparilla: ‘Honey, I’m Using Again’ is a confession and a prayer
Americana/punk band, Sassparilla, returns with their eighth record, Honey, I’m Using Again, on February 20, 2026. The Portland, Oregon, and Golden, Colorado, based bandmates Kevin Blackwell, Doug Ebert, and Dan Power worked together on the project, recording the entire album from Blackwell’s basement. Sassparilla quickly made their mark on the Portland music scene, bound by…
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In conversation with Alexa Tabbacchino: producing, performing, and finding her voice
When you meet New Jersey-born musician Alexa Tabbacchino, it’s easy to assume that she’s been a fully-formed artist her entire life. However, her path to finding her musical calling was anything but linear. “When I was younger, I kind of resented music, to be honest,” she laughs. “I think I just wanted to be different.” …
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In conversation with Paola Capó-García: teacher and poet laureate
Paola Capó-García, raised in Puerto Rico with a blank journal at 14 years old, decided to write a poem to see how it felt to write poetry and what emotions she could capture. Rhyming pain with rain, writing poetry taught her how freeing it can be, letting go of emotions, thoughts, and feelings as you experiment…
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In conversation with Jamie Ryu: publishing marginalized voices
When Jamie Ryu speaks about publishing, she speaks with the passion of someone who has loved books her entire life, yet with the urgency of someone disillusioned by the realities of the industry. As the workforce shrinks in the current economy and diversity becomes a back-burner thought, Ryu focuses on building something new. Her passion…
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In conversation with Winefred RT: songs made of stories
Zoe Bockhorst, or better known as Winefred RT, traces her musical beginnings back to her bedroom. “When people ask me this question,” she began, “I think about being in high school, lying on my bed and listening to The Mountain Goats’ The Sunset Tree. I don’t remember specific moments, just being overtaken by the emotion.”…
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In conversation with Madhavi Devi: writing her way through it
Madhavi Devi has always known songwriting was her calling. “I’ve been songwriting since I was six years old, which, whenever I say that, it sounds kind of ridiculous,” she laughs. “Obviously I wasn’t writing anything genius when I was a toddler.” Based in Asbury Park, New Jersey, the 23-year-old singer-songwriter has quickly created a name…
