interviews
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King Stingray interview at Sea.Hear.Now Festival 2026
King Stingray is more than just an Australian rock band; they’re a tangible connection between home and elsewhere. A five-piece comprised of Yolŋu (Aboriginal people of northeast Arnhem Land) and balanda (non-Indigenous) musicians, King Stingray mixes elements of rock and the ancient Indigenous tradition of manikay to make something that is uniquely their own (dubbed…
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In conversation with No Soap Radio: from adolescence to adulthood
No Soap Radio’s namesake is rooted in absurdity: a punchline that refuses to arrive, a story that deliberately goes nowhere. The band themselves, though, seem intent on making a habit of going somewhere entirely their own. “[That band name] was the second or third thing that came to mind when we were kids, and it…
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In conversation with Erica M. Reilly: beach reads and the community behind the stories
For local author Erica M. Reilly, beach season is never really over. As a self-published author of The Swells of Stone Harbor and The Shallows of Avalon, Reilly’s writing always brings her back to the Jersey shore. “It was something I’d always wanted to do,” Reilly said about writing a book. Having grown up in…
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In conversation with Sandi Joy: beauty from the ashes
“I don’t think I had a choice,” Sandi Joy says about her love of music. “And that’s not a complaint whatsoever. I was literally born into music.” With a pianist, vocalist, and professional dancer mother and a touring guitarist father, Joy grew up in an aspiring musician’s dream household. Her musicianship, though, blossomed not at…
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In conversation with Ruby Alexander: keeping music playful
To Ruby Alexander, nothing is sacred. But don’t take this the wrong way; the mantra serves as her reminder that everything is just a moment in time, that music is meant to be playful. “As I was recording this whole project,” she said, speaking of her upcoming EP, “my message to myself that I had…
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In conversation with Halogens: looking back on 15 years
Fifteen years is a long time to dedicate to anything—but for Asbury Park-based rock band Halogens, the journey has been, in the words of their appropriately titled 2023 EP, Time Well Spent. For lead vocalist and guitarist Zach Henry, his relationship with music felt serious “pretty much right from the beginning.” “I started playing guitar,…
