DeepFaith Gives Us Some Sound Advice

The duo tells their story through traditions steeped in imagination — mythological beasts, future tech, avatars in Greek myths, spiritual sea gods, and sea shanties crafted by Japanese machines. They ground this tale through sound, performance, and communion. In their latest single, "Daddy," they explore the impact of the father figure on the collective, hoping to start conversations about vulnerability and mutual support on a more human level.

The two have a lot coming up — a limited run of a t-shirt collab with Total Luxury Spa, a Christmas song, and some exciting things in the works for 2024 — so stay tuned. They caught up with us over email to share some of the lessons they’ve learned when it comes to touring, staying focused and daddy issues.

How was tour?

Byron Spencer— For most people this is the first time hearing us or seeing us and the response was insane. It was also our first proper tour. It feels very exciting for us to start the DF journey & build the DF community.

Daniel Stricker— I loved driving through Oregon and northern California. I loved listening to music all day in the car. I loved playing shows every night. I didn’t love seeing the state of America at the moment :(

How do you get amped up for a show?

BS— A hot toddy. I like to dance a bit and just be in my body :)

Any post-show rituals?

BS— For the tour the ritualistic thing for me to do was get on the floor and start selling merch ;)

Check our their exclusive tour video and electro remix of "Daddy"

How did the name DeepFaith come about?

DS— We live in the era of fake news. We wanted to tell our story through mythological beasts and future tech; avatars in Greek myths; spiritual sea gods; and sea shanties made by Japanese machines. It’s all very personal but through fantasy, we can leave it to the audience to work out what is real or not, which in essence is kind of like the world we live in now. We came up with the name DeepFaith as a kind of religion to Deep Fakes. We also thought it looked good as a Netflix special.

Can you define ‘transcendental techno-utopianism’?

DS— A higher frequency that we can tap into by living through collective positive consciousness.

How do we get there?

DS— By getting rid of the distractions and focusing. By doing things that get you into the zone. For some people that’s through meditation or breathing. For others, it’s about maximal turbo overload of the senses; lasers, strobes, and fast frequencies can cause the body to be overloaded. I can relate to both. Hopefully, our music can take you to either of those zones.

Psychedelics?

Shrooms.

When you’re tripping, where are you?

Bare feet in grass or sand ideally….

Are you chronically online or off your phone?

BS— I am going through a real journey with my relationship to technology. About a year ago I was accepting my fate and succumbing to the concept of being half-man half-computer and acknowledging and accepting that the modern human is very much connected to a machine and being OK with that … I was addressing the fact that I had 3 lives. One physical, one mental, and one technological … However, NOW, I really want to experience life offline and off some of the machines … It’s hard and a step-by-step process but I think I am getting better (healthier).

DS— I use Opal. It regulates me. Well, at least my phone usage. But I am obsessed with new immersive music and tech — so I delve into virtual worlds and gaming engines, motion capture, and music production all day, but never too early or too late to mess with my body.

Growing up, did either of you watch The Holy Mountain?

BS— I have watched it and enjoy it but it isn’t on my mind often….

DS— Many, many times. I love how Jodorowsky builds worlds.

What inspires you visually?

BS— I am mostly inspired by nature. Visual reality.

DS— I believe Jon Rafman might be this fleeting generation’s zeitgeist, him and Xavier: Renegade Angel.

Who do you listen to?

BS— Honestly I listen to such a huge array of music … I kind of just curate my music to my mood. I am finding however the more turbo my life gets the more ambient and healing I need my music to get. I start most of my days with Indian Ragas.

DS— Goreshit. Townes Van Zandt. Doo Wop classics. Baroque techno. Camille Saint Saens' “Aquarium”.

What are the pros ... and cons ... of daddy issues?

BS— I think a pro is recognition. Our life is often rooted in a web of dysfunction that is inherited through family, and a huge part of life is seeking answers and solace, the father figure… the spirit… I think understanding any of these issues is a pro in finding singular solace. Cons… it can hurt a little.

Do they go away?

BS— I’m not sure yet.

On a serious note though, the emotional suppression boys experience from childhood to adulthood isn't talked about. To you, how does that influence the way we think?

BS— I generally think there is a large societal pressure on boys (and humans in general) to achieve a certain level of success in all aspects of life. I think it can be quite confusing and hard, especially as we build up guards to protect ourselves often disguised as a form of ego.

We all inherit emotional DNA and it should be talked about more and embraced. There should be more emphasis on being able to be truly vulnerable in the journey of life and to support each other more on a human level, for all genders and races … society is a construct that is not entirely real, but love and the human nervous system is very real and should be embraced and nurtured. If we start recognizing this emotional journey from childhood into adulthood it will create a more peaceful and nurturing environment for humans to be more accepting and accepting of themselves.

Music

Jesse Jo Stark Is in a Genre of Her Own

April 19, 2024

In the midst of a total solar eclipse, I got the chance to talk about music and style with Jesse Jo Stark.

As I’m on the phone with her from New York, Stark is on a tour bus with The Veronicas, driving through the Colorado mountains to enjoy some time off in between shows. The Veronicas have just started their Gothic Summer North American Tour, and Stark is opening the show. What’s special about this tour for the lifelong music obsessive is the sense of powerful feminine energy encapsulating the tour. “We just started [tour], but it’s been really lovely. I’m obsessed with the fact that we’re all women — it feels like a very powerful crew. The Veronicas are lovely, the crowds have been so fun, and the venues are beautiful. It’s gonna be a good month.”

Photography Sophia-Liv Maguire
Styling Marc Eram
Interview Angelina Hazzouri
Talent Jesse Jo Stark
Hair Antoine Martinez with PARADIS using Roz Hair
Makeup Sydney Szramowski
Photo Assistants Mia O’Neal, Rashaun Richardson
BTS Ms Josephine
Creative Producer Olivia Roper-Caldbeck

This is Stark’s second time touring since the release of her full-length debut album DOOMED in late 2022, which was very well received and led to Stark’s first sold-out international headlining tour on behalf of the album. Previous to her solo tour, she’s opened for various notable acts, such as Guns N’ Roses and Jane’s Addiction. I asked Stark, who’s been writing and playing music since age 11, what it was like to prepare for her first sold-out headlining tour. Unsurprisingly, before any tour, Stark goes into what she describes as “bootcamp mode” — dancing every day, vocal training, rehearsing with her band, and of course, working on her outfits. “That’s the sort of homework I love,” she says, smiling. (Even though we’re on the phone, I can tell she’s smiling when she talks about the outfit part. I’d smile too if I had her tour closet.)

What’s unique about Stark as a musician is that she has ultimately created her own universe by embracing every aspect of her creative upbringing, her raw talent, her fascinating influences, and her unwavering beliefs in not needing to fit into a certain box when it comes to her art. She creative-directs and styles all her own looks, referencing an ever-evolving list of influences that range from Vegas showgirls to Halloween to old films to her parents in the 90s. “I think when I was younger, I had this rebellion against what I was made from,” she tells me, “but now it’s just my blood. I constantly reflect on my childhood and everything I was taught and everything I saw. My brother and sister and I are constantly pulling influences from our parents from the past. I think, more than ever, I’m heavily influenced by them.”

Stark, the daughter of founders and owners of the self-made American fashion brand Chrome Hearts, and now its creative director and designer, is someone who always knew what she liked, but as she describes it, had to ‘go through the motions’ that come with growing up and knowing one’s identity. Today, her self-efficacy is palpable — and it’s inspiring.

...when I was younger, I had this rebellion against what I was made from, but now it’s just my blood.

When she’s on tour, Stark is growing with herself and with her art — she’s not afraid to take life as it comes and learn through the process. With every show, regardless of whether it was on her DOOMED tour or this tour with The Veronicas, Stark understands the importance of human connection through music. Seeing faces of music lovers like herself, meeting those who have traveled to see her, and visiting familiar and unfamiliar cities has reminded her that she loves being on the road. “The growth that happens on tour is so important to me as an artist.” Sometimes we have to leave behind what’s familiar in order to rediscover what’s important, and Stark is a proponent of this growth mindset.

Growth doesn’t just happen on tour with Stark — this evolution of herself happens within genre as well, and for Stark there’s no such thing. Since her first release Driftwood in 2017, the artist’s sound has shifted year after year, but in a harmonious way that still feels central to her gothic Americana roots. When asked if she’ll experiment with genre in the future, Stark confidently answers, “I think I’ve only experimented with genre. I don’t think anyone knows what genre I am.” (She calls herself a “horrific hillbilly” — a perfect descriptor.) Steadfast in her belief that we as humans can constantly evolve in our work, Stark thinks it’s antiquated to fit yourself into a certain box and focus on one specific trade in order to succeed. “If you look at us as people, we’re seasoned. We change all the time. I want to experience different things.”

Since Driftwood, a two-song EP rooted in rock and country, Stark has experimented with more robust beats and 808s on DOOMED, and her most recent single “skeleton” features a softer, grungier punk sound. Without fitting into a specific genre, Stark’s music is undoubtedly and wholeheartedly her own, transcending the boundaries of what many artists struggle with when finding their sound. “I don’t think we should have to label ourselves in any way, shape, or form; so I’m not going to. I will continue to make all types of different music.” Fuck yeah.

If you look at us as people, we’re seasoned. We change all the time.

This goes beyond just music — in terms of her personal style, the same mentality applies. We discuss the idea that clothing and dressing is a sort of playground, and personal style comes from within. Stark isn’t about following trends, but rather, she thinks it’s important to tap into different stylistic elements that amplify who we are at our cores. On her DOOMED tour, Stark wore a lot of leather and stuck to a fairly dark color palette. Right now, she’s into more bourgeois satin and lace, experimenting with different textures and wearing things that feel slightly daintier and more delicate. On this current tour with the Veronicas, Stark is making it more of a point to take everything in — absorbing inspiration from every city, writing songs on the road, recording video on a friend’s super 8 camera, styling and wearing new outfits, learning and performing new covers — ultimately growing through the whole experience.

It’s endearing and inspiring how well Stark knows herself. A Los Angeles native, she proudly tells me that the tour finishes on May 5 in her hometown, a show that she’s especially excited for. While we can’t predict what thoughtfully-curated outfit she’ll wear or what songs will be performed, with new music already underway, one thing is clear: Jesse Jo Stark is just getting started.

Music

9lives' Latest Single Continues to Push Sigilkore

April 19, 2024

The versatile artist, producer, and pioneer of the sigilkore genre, 9lives, has recently unveiled his latest single "CANADA" featuring jnhygs. In less than two years since his emergence onto the music scene, 9lives has carved out an impressive niche for himself as a prominent figure within the digitally-driven sigilkore movement. "CANADA" sees him teaming up once again with experimental dance artist jnhygs, following their successful collaboration on "XTAYALIVE".

With aspirations to establish himself within the mainstream arena of experimental music production and artistry, 9lives is blending his distinct dark production style with collaborations with a diverse array of influential artists who trust him to create innovative sonic landscapes. "CANADA" marks his second release of 2024, as 9lives continues to champion the burgeoning sigilkore movement, pushing the boundaries of genre, evolving into a multifaceted artist, and solidifying his status as a rising star with an expanding audience.

Image by Connor Pritchard

Reflecting on their latest project, 9lives shares, “In early 2023 jnhygs found my music and we started chatting through TikTok, releasing our first song together called "XTAYALIVE"." He adds, We’ve been friends since this song had a viral moment, and fans have been heavily requesting for us to work together again all over our videos.” Describing their creative process, he explains, “I sent a bunch of new ideas to jnhygs via Discord and she sent back vocals to “CANADA”, which I then used to create melodic layers and extra percussion to complete the song.

Music

Eclipsed at Vampire Weekend

April 16, 2024

It had been about a week since the goosebump-inducing communal howls at the moon, as it covered the sun through a cloudy Austin, Texas sky, left me needing to take a seat—suspended in awe of the totality of the event and the synergistic break from routine. I overheard someone say, “I mean, it feels like we’re all going to die, but in a way that’s okay, you know?" under the shadow of the eclipse's peak, ceremoniously brought in as the band performed “Jonathan Low,” (in Vampire Weekend's familiar ironic hue) a track they wrote for the third movie in the Twilight series, Eclipse.

It had been five years since the band had released an album. In celebration of their latest album, "Only God Was Above Us," ticket holders wrapped the streets in blocks outside the venue for the band’s first Stateside show in about two years. Event managers searched to replenish the venue’s stock of eclipse glasses, while the band prepped a show reminiscent of 'getting the boys back together again'.

Words and photography by Rianne Akindele

In between newly released songs like “Classical” and “Capricorn”, the boys filled the almost two-hour-long show with old favorites like “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa”, “Diane Young” and a genre evolved rendition of “Sunflower” as the crowd danced barefoot feeling the Earth’s energy intertwined with their own and the vibrations from the amps on stage. People stole glances at the imminently darkening sky, artists doodled, friends grabbed onto each other to scream the lyrics in each other’s faces, and onlookers from the highest level of the parking garage across the street cheered on in a symphony of nostalgia and anticipation.

Adding to the layers of the celestial afternoon, the band invited to the stage the likes of Thomas Mars from Phoenix, Dave 1 from Chromeo, and guitarist Brian Robert Jones, inducing further levels of indie revival euphoria.

As the show drew to its close, and the zydeco/country-rock “Cocaine Cowboys” medley fiddled through the air, a conversation could be picked up between two sisters in search of their Lyft driver through closed-off streets,

“I wish this happened more often.”
“Eclipses or shows like this?”
“Both.”

It’s moments like these that remind us of our shared humanity and the power of collective experiences; a gathering of souls under the same sky, sharing the joy of music and a wonder of the stars above. Perhaps it’s the rarity that allowed such transcendence, reverence, and gratitude to be felt. Either way, what a beautiful moment in time it was.

Here are a few shots from the Monday afternoon: