Sound Stories & Interviews
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Breaking Down the Song, “Lucky” with Blind Pilot

Songwriter Israel Nebeker overcame his songwriting drought with a little help from his friends… and a serial arsonist
Avatar photo by Chris Young

It’s been eight years since Blind Pilot has released new music. Primary songwriter Israel Nebeker was facing a serious writer’s block. Meanwhile, bandmates and couple Luke Ydstie and Kati Claborn poured their energies into songwriting for their own project, releasing a slew of recordings as The Hackles. Even drummer Ryan Dobrowski joined the pair and […]

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The Spiritual Intervention That Ended Blind Pilot’s Eight-Year Drought

After facing an extended writer’s block, songwriter Israel Nebeker found inspiration beyond his control
Avatar photo by Chris Young

Talk to enough songwriters and you’ll hear a common refrain: They’re not quite sure where their songs come from. Call it divine inspiration, putting in your 10,000 hours or just being in the right place at the right time. The point is: These songs come from someplace beyond them. Blind Pilot’s Israel Nebeker counts himself […]

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Rainbow Girls Reclaim Their Witchy Swagger

Get ready for a night of post-Halloween magic with the trio of Bay Area harmonizers
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In this spooky season where the days get shorter and the nights get longer and colder comes an apropos album from Bay Area trio Rainbow Girls. “Haunting,” self-released on Oct. 13. It’s “thematically and musically darker and heavier” than the band’s 2023 record, “Welcome To Whatever,” which came out just under a year ago. “The […]

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Frankie and the Witch Fingers Bring Their Psych Feast to Bend

The SoCal foursome share tour tips, what they’re listening to and their love for Taco Bell and Mountain Dew
Avatar photo by Chris Young

Frankie and the Witch Fingers’ brand of psychedelic punk pulses with frenetic rock-and-roll energy. Driving bass, screaming guitars and pummeling drums have made the four-piece of Dylan Sizemore (guitar and vocals), Josh Menashe (guitar and synthesizers), Nikki Pickle (bass and vocals) and Nick Aguilar (drums) regulars at psych fests around the globe, including Austin’s legendary […]

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Local Love: Q/A with Impactful Singer/Songwriter Alicia Viani

The local musician discusses her musical roots and family as she makes sense of the world through folk songs
Avatar photo by Chris Young

Alicia Viani is a storyteller who can transport you to places — places you want to savor and places that push your limits. On her self-titled debut, she sings of blissfully dancing with family under “North Carolina Skies” or soaking up the sun and conversation by the river on “Wounded Healer.” Yet album opener “Good […]

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Local Love: A Q/A with Guitar Slinger Eric Leadbetter

Full-time musician and frontman of Leadbetter Band chats about his approach to making music, gives advice to younger artists and reveals his earliest inspiration: Marty McFly.
Avatar photo by Chris Young

I grew up working on my family’s cattle ranch, and so every time I got done working, I’d run back to my grandpa’s house and I’d plug in my amplifier and crank my little boom box that I had — some Allman Brothers, Santana, Grateful Dead, Hendrix — and I would try and play along […]

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The Pandemic That Pushed Rodrigo y Gabriela Forward

Known for phenomenal acoustic guitar skills inspired by metal rockers, Rod y Gab’s latest album shows the duo stretching out — from Daft Punk to The Bulgarian Symphony Orchestra
Avatar photo by Chris Young

“The story went from us winning a Grammy for the first time — we were very happy and ready to tour the world with that album [2019’s “Mettavolution”] — and then we learned that we were not going anywhere,” Gabriela Quintero recalls. “Instead came the pandemic.” One half of the incendiary Mexican guitar duo Rodrigo […]

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Sisters Folk Festival: All Grown Up

Returning for year 27, the region’s iconic folk fest and its hometown continue to create an intimate musical experience while welcoming new generations of musicians, fans and community
Avatar photo by Chris Young

Back in 1995, Sisters was sleepy. That’s exactly what drew Brad Tisdel to this Central Oregon outpost located in the shadows of its namesake trio of mountains. “It was a pretty quiet place when I arrived in ’95, and I took that as a place of solitude, where I cross-country skied and tried to write […]

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Bend Roots Revival: 18 Years of Celebrating Local Musicians

"Rooted in education and sharing and celebration of local creative voices,” this year’s festival features a horde of familiar names from the Central Oregon music community
Avatar photo by Chris Young

Back in 2001, a new outdoor, riverfront amphitheater was being built in the heart of Bend. Soon thereafter, Coldplay came to town. Dylan and Willie followed. Subsequent years saw the Pixies, Paul Simon, Phish and countless more. As rock stars made Bend a pit stop, local musician Mark Ransom sat on the riverbank with a […]

Posted inMusic

More Than a Music Festival

Cascade Equinox Festival returns this September 20 to 22 with a stellar lineup, roller disco, workshops, interactive art and a full slate of activities for kiddos
Avatar photo by Chris Young

While the Deschutes County Fairgrounds may be synonymous with rodeos, monster trucks and carnival rides, the organizers of the Cascade Equinox Festival have found it an ideal setting for a genre-melding music fest. The second annual gathering of music and art returns to Central Oregon from Friday, September 20 to Sunday, September 22 with more […]

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