WRBB’s BellaJoli Gedeon sat down with three of four members of local band The Collect Pond at NICE, a fest: Ben Bonaides on bass and guitar, Danny Moffat on guitar and vocals, and Roger Maranan on bass and keys.

BellaJoli Gedeon: Was there anything that inspired the name “Collect Pond” in particular?

Danny Moffat: The Collect Pond, the project, the band started in New York City, and there is a park called the Collect Pond Park which is named after the former freshwater reservoir that used to be there for a millenia. I like the idea of there being an oasis in Manhattan because it can be such a chaotic city.

Ben Bonadies: For a long time, the Collect Pond was the only source of freshwater in Manhattan. I recently did some reading about this and the way they had to pump water into the city. They built all these crazy huge pipes to bring water from upstate New York because the Collect Pond famously got so polluted. They had to develop a whole new technology of bringing water from upstate New York where the mountains are with clean, fresh, water down to Manhattan to where the people live. I didn’t know that until recently.

Moffat: I mean it was filled with trash, but that’s New York for you.


Moranan: It’s where Chinatown is now, right?

Moffat: Yeah, it’s across from the main courthouse where [Donald] Trump is getting sued, so you see all these Republican rallies in the Collect Pond Park.

I’ll have to visit the Collect Pond. I like to think that Central Park is the heart of the city. That’s great to hear the origin story of the name.

As a Boston-based, it hasn’t been your first time performing in Somerville. How does it feel to be playing at NICE, a fest this year?

Roger Moranan: It’s pretty awesome to be playing with a bunch of the local bands and being a part of the community that we’re participating in, so it’s really exciting to be a part of it all.

Bonadies: It’s really exciting. NICE, a fest is a real inspiration. We’ve seen it grow and the ability for this organization to get all this excitement and people out to see all the amazing talent we have here in Boston, and that plus the amazing vendors, the people selling food, all the love and passion and blood, sweat, and tears that goes into making a show of this size or any size. It’s amazing. NICE, a fest is like my Coachella.

Yeah, I definitely feel like a community.

Bonadies: The Boston music scene is a community, but it takes events like this to really see it.

Moffat: The venues that are putting it on like Crystal Ballroom and Rockwell–they’ve only been doing music like this for like a few years, so this is a very fresh existence. Fresh venues, fresh bands, so there’s a lot of excitement and this year they’ve got the main stage which goes to show that it’s just getting bigger.

It’s really great to see. I was here last year and the amount of people that came out is amazing.

The recent single, “Disassociating (Cigarette Dress),” is enthralling with its clever imagery and attention-grabbing style. Will it be the first time performing it for listeners this weekend?

Moffat: I don’t think it is. No, it’s not. We’ve had a few performances with it, but this is the first time we’ll–it’s the best version of it you know.

Bonadies: It’s the first time performing it live since it’s come out. We’ve been workshopping it live for awhile. Practicing it a lot. Now, it feels a little bit different playing it not just because NICE, a fest, is an amazing event, but it’s cool now that it’s out in the world and people can actually go on their phones and listen to it and to be playing it and bringing it to the NICE, a fest crowd.

Sounds amazing! I did take a listen to the record. It seems that there's a lot of variety on the next album with post-punk and noise rock elements alongside more stripped-back songs, especially towards the final tracks. Is it a mix of the entire band's personal preferences in terms of sound?

Moffat: Yeah, I think whatever comes out comes out. It’s always been the philosophy. We joke that we’re post-genre, but we definitely fall into the indie, alternative, and shoegaze category. My favorite album is The White Album.

Moffat: The Beatles didn’t give a f*ck. You know, that was back then. I think that if you want to try on a different genre. Go for it.

Bonadies: It’s funny. Dylan Riley, also writer, podcaster, DJ, described The Collect Pond as a flying nun band to someone who never heard of us. That’s actually very astute, so maybe we are post-genre. It’s cool that we have more flexibility like this song “Disassociating (Cigarette Dress)”, is our first country song like when Dan brought it to us that’s how we described it. It formed the way we added on to it. I was playing bass on that song, so I kind of wanted to add more of a swing and honky tonk feeling. It’s still us, so it’s going to have that post-punk new-wave feel.

Moffat: The flying nun of the Thames, New Zealand indie punk. I think we probably sound like The Chills. Yeah, this is our first country song. It’s our first song with a synth solo.

The title track, “Lightbreaker (Ladder)” is set to release on August 30th. It looks like there’s a direct association with the album cover. Does it encapsulate any concept or theme of the record?

Moffat: Roger is the resident artist of the band.

Moranan: I think we were looking for how to tie it all together. We did have kind of different material when it came to the songs and the visuals that we were going with. Dan had found the title track and kind of tied everything together. It felt really natural to call it Lightbreaker thematically with the visuals with the music.

Moffat: It was the last song to be added to the album. The cover art is a picture from our tour in Montreal. We played a show up there. We went to a café, but we got stuck in a day of rain for like an hour and a half or two hours. We couldn't escape really because we weren’t prepared for it, so we hung out in the garden for a while and took some photos. That became the cover art.

Is there anything else that listeners should look out for, like show dates?

Moffat: Yeah, we’re going to play Pianos in New York City on October 10th.

Bonadies: Really looking forward to that. Pianos is a really important venue in underground music. I feel like a lot of bands I respect started playing there. I’m excited to go there and play. New York’s always amazing to play

A Conversation with The Collect Pond at NICE, a fest 

The Levitate Music and Arts Festival celebrated its 11th year this July: a community-oriented celebration featuring music and art. Check out WRBB's coverage of the festival by our talented photographers Curie Cha and BellaJoli Gedeon.

Photos: The Levitate Music and Arts Festival 

NICE, a fest is back, baby! This is its fourth year running, and we’ve been told it’s going to be bigger and better than ever. Mark your calendars and join the crowd because there’s news that some of our Boston-based favorites will be taking the center stage in Davis Square, Somerville from Thursday, July 25th to Sunday, July 28th. With longstanding acts headlining, like Palehound and Vundabar, amongst newly rising performers, such as Divine Sweater and JVK, it’s going to be a memorable time that you won’t want to miss.

NICE, a FEST

MARIS, the LA-based up-and-coming pop sensation, performed her largest show to date at Boston Calling this May. WRBB's BellaJoli Gedeon sat down with the artist to discuss musical influences, upcoming projects, and dancing!

Bella: How’d it feel to perform Boston Calling this weekend?

MARIS: Oh my God! It was a dream come true. It's my first festival and it was the biggest production I've ever had for my music. I got to work with Berklee students, so we had a 10-piece band with dancers. It was so insane considering the last time I performed on the East Coast was in a dive bar. I couldn’t have had a better crew around me and I love everyone on my team and everyone that made it possible. It was a lot of love.

Your latest single, Julia Roberts, is a hit. It’s definitely a song I resonate with.

It’s evident that you use your experience to connect with listeners. Do you find it cathartic to pour those emotions into the music making process?

Yes, I actually think that I was writing songs before I could even write, like before I was literate literally. I always needed music as a place to put my feelings. I’m from Montana. My dad lived in the middle of nowhere, so I used to walk around and sing songs to myself about what’s going on in my life and how I was feeling about things. I always needed music in a codependent, unhealthy way. It’s super cathartic. I will feel like I have feelings under the surface and I can’t get to them, but as soon as I sit down the words will pour out. Then, I’ll look at it from a distance and be like “Oh, that’s how I felt.” It’s soothing and it helps me understand myself better.

That’s amazing. Who are your current musical influences and how have they helped shape the direction you like to take as an artist?

Oh my God, I love so many people! I mean the tried and true. I have the legends on my mind all the time. We’re going to see them today, but The Killers. Prince. Whitney Houston. A lot of my songwriting inspirations like Donny Hathaway or Steve Wonder. Songs in 

 I listen to that at least once a week because I just need it in my life to understand the world. I love Madonna, especially her older stuff. I’m really attached to Cyndi Lauper. I’m inspired by so many of the greats and the legends. Recently, I’ve been super inspired by MUNA and Chappell Roan like a lot queer pop artists. It feels really amazing. My song, “Heavenly Bodies,” is about this girl I was obsessed with in high school. I remember being excited to see how people connected to it and now it’s amazing to see all these queer icons coming up and just shining. It feels like a long time coming and about time.

For sure! There were a lot of style icons that you named too.

Freddie Mercury, I didn’t even mention Queen.

You know, you’ve got to remix it a little bit!

Exactly! I noticed that your music videos use a lot of dancing. Do you like to choreograph your own dances?

Oh, I had the absolute pleasure of working with choreographers. For “False Idol” and “Heavenly Bodies,” I got to work with David Grannum and we rehearsed in his bedroom since he has big mirrors. He was teaching me that dance. I have never been professionally trained, so I felt gawky or nervous in my body sometimes. I was super inspired by an aerobics woman from the 80s. I was super inspired by her videos. For “False Idol,” we went full aerobics. Super simple moves, but more of a workout than actual dancing. I worked with moreBerklee students. Asha and Sophie were the dancers. I sent them a video saying “Here’s the dances we’ve had for these songs, here’s the dances we don’t have yet, and here's what I’ve seen on stage and naturally I’m inclined to do. I want to see your ideas and what you're thinking.” The moves that we added to “False Idol” and “Heavenly Bodies” were the Asha and Sophie special, so I had the opportunity to work with choreographers. I move naturally. I dance all the time, especially in my room by myself. I always dance in circles. In terms of working with real choreographers and people who understand movement of the body, I had the pleasure of working with super talented people.

You're set to have a season of upcoming shows?

I hope so! We’ve got a few lined up, but I want more, more, more!

Are there any plans for working on new material or releasing new music soon?


Yes, I have three songs still that are lined up for the next couple months! And, I have a month of writing and it’s been a whirlwind the past few months and so I know I have a lot on my mind. I’m just excited to see where it goes directionally. I kind of want to maybe start working on an album, but my first album has got to have the time, space, and resource for everything that needs to be done to make it my chef’s kiss. My first baby. I’ll have the time, money, blood, sweat, and tears. I’ll have the tender love and care that it needs to be a masterpiece, but that will happen when the time comes. Obviously, I want more shows, more, more, more!

Check out MARIS' new single "Julia Roberts" 

MARIS discusses Julia Roberts, aerobics dance, & playing first festival at Boston Calling

Check out some of the top tracks of the week hand-selected by WRBB's General Manager Billy!

Avant-Folk and Art Pop artist Clarissa Connelly announced her new album, and first for Warp Records, 

last week, and along with it came this new single.The track starts subtly, with Connelly’s baroque-influenced vocals flowing along with a guitar motif and a bell chiming. As the song builds, the bell becomes louder, signifying some sort of impending doom that eventually reveals itself. Squealing guitars and Connelly’s screeching vocals at the climax grow into a moment of cathartic release. Along with November’s Wee Rosebud, 

 is nothing if not a reason to keep an eye out for more from Clarissa Connelly.

Fun fact about Chattanooga, TN hip-hop artist BbyMutha: She is in fact a mother, a mother of 4 children! As a result, she has no time for your BS, which comes across clearly in her music and in her new single for her album 

, which is out in April on True Panther. BbyMutha’s hard-hitting southern hip-hop bars bounce one after the other over a stellar trap beat from producer Rock Floyd. Stand-out lines include “Meet me at the church, pistol to my head I just might leave her in a hearse,” and “I can’t allow you to step on my heart, not when I bought the shoes.”

New York City electronic punk band Lip Critic create pumping and danceable tunes for a modern age of punk fans. Cynical and aggressive lyrics about dying for your sins are driven by heavy synth lines and pounding drums on their new single 

 The song makes you want to dance and jump around, then even start moshing when the chorus comes in. Some synth and dance-infused punk band comparisons would be fellow NYC band Model/Actriz, Hattiesburg, and MS band MSPAINT. 

 along with the previously released singles 

 (both of which go just as hard), will be featured on the band’s debut album Hex Dealer, which is out May 17th on Partisan Records.

With her first new music in 5 years, Jessica Pratt returned with a psychedelic and ethereal singer-songwriter banger last week. 

kicks off with a marching drum beat that keeps a steady pace through the track. Pratt enters with her distinctive nostalgic vocals, singing of insecurity around the trajectory of her life. As the song progresses, Pratt finds comfort in the unknowing and the passage of time, all while her life marches on just like the drumbeat. The song closes with a chant of “time is time and time and time again,” as the drums fade out. Pratt’s new album 

English Post-Rock/Art Rock band Maruja exploded onto the scene last year with their critically acclaimed EP 

 and they finished up the year with two more new singles. Their first new music of 2024 might just be their greatest effort yet, as the 6-minute epic 

 is filled with what makes the band so great. Dramatic and crushing melodies pave the way for poetic lyrics about a man suffering from trauma and depression. Band member Joe Carrol’s alto saxophone, something that makes Maruja stand out among their contemporaries, sounds as on point as ever, especially during an especially emotional sequence in the beginning over the course of a gradual crescendo and tempo increase. The rest of the band slowly joins in until a dramatic and cathartic release in which vocalist Harry Wilkinson repeats “The truth! It hides!” over and over. Maruja’s sect of technical and apocalyptic rock never fails to impress, and if the band’s output for the rest of the year is anything like this, they are definitely a band to look out for.

WRBB Selects #1

This semester was a big one for the Media Team! We expanded our editorial content, continued our Community Connections series, scored some high-profile concerts, and covered a wide range of new releases. Our team of writers and photographers all produced some great work this semester, but we wanted to give a special shoutout to these five articles for being especially awesome!

This innovative editorial by Holden LeBlanc highlights some early gems from the indie rock scene of the late ‘90s and early ‘00s. Despite the disparate origins of the three groups covered (The White Stripes, The Strokes, and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club), all three shared a common goal of making authentic music when manufactured TRL pop ruled the airwaves and television screens. It's a great complement to the recently released documentary "Meet Me in the Bathroom," which covers this era's NYC indie rock scene in more depth.


SLAYED! This piece caps off a great year of Community Connections, led by WRBB’s Annika Eske. With photos by Jace Arrigali, this edition of the column comes alive with interesting and funny blurbs from our man-on-the-

Shoutout to WRBB star photographer Faith Nguyen for scoring a press pass for this show, which had Boston’s SZA fans shelling out hundreds of dollars. Her immersive descriptions and ethereal photos of both Omar Apollo and SZA are truly stunning!

Q&A: Winkler talk their debut, current inspirations and future projects

Our darling Winkler’s lead songwriter/barefoot dancer/Jonathan Richman impersonator, Justin Schaeffers and backup singer/percussionist/occasional violinist (violist? doesn’t matter!) Maddy Simpson bare it all in our most hotly anticipated Q&A of the semester, featuring daring questions and sultry answers, such as, "What Genre Are You Even?" and "Justin, Tell Us About That Time You Yarfed Up a Burrito!" This interview, expertly facilitated by Rachel Crowell, provides insight into the hilarious, wholesome side of Winkler as well as their technical music production decisions.

“Boy’s a liar Pt. 2” is the collab of the year

If you don’t agree with the title of this piece, you’re a liar. The most inescapable song of the year is also the best, and Bela proves this in only two paragraphs. The rumors are true – we can’t get enough of PinkPantheress and “

Thanks again to all our writers, photographers, and Media Team members, and a huge thanks to Rob Pereira, our copy editor extraordinaire for all his hard work in making sure our content is up to snuff! We're looking forward to the summer and another great semester next fall. Make sure to sign up for the 

 if you’re interested in contributing content in the future!

WRBB's Spring Media Roundup!

Interviews by Annika Eske, Jace Arrigali, Aidan Cocchiara, and Fenner Dreyfuss-Wells.

Photos by Jace Arrigali and Fenner Dreyfuss-Wells.

On April 11th, we embraced the lo-fi aesthetic for this semester’s very last Community Connections. Armed with a very cool Canon point-and-shoot plus some Kermit stickers for the masses, we set up for a tabling session in Curry Student Center. Are this month’s photos erroneously dated “22/01/13”? Yes, yes they are. But was it worth it for the vintage/lo-fi look? Obviously.

This month, we asked people passing by, “What is your favorite music genre?” We’ve compiled genres that received more than one vote in a lovely little bar graph below (many thanks to our statistics professors), and we also made a 

 of all the recommendations we received this month. Finally, we asked a few people to further defend their answer to see if they could convince us that their favorite genre is the best. Read on to hear what they had to say!

*The people spoke, and apparently Taylor Swift gets her own genre.

**Other genres mentioned that only received one vote included indie pop, Midwest emo, grunge, Bollywood, psytrance, country-gaze, new psychedelic rock, and electronic music.

Jacob’s first answer was jazz, but we soon realized his music taste spans just about every genre out there.

Jacob studies world history and cell biology, but he’s quite the music expert as well. His first answer to this month’s question was jazz, as he finds the genre very relaxing. Then, he told us he also listens to “metal blues, lo-fi, bedroom pop, lo-fi punk, regular punk, hip hop, trash metal, speed metal...” As the list went on, we eventually decided the better question to ask in Jacob’s case was, “Is there any genre you 

 like?” Jacob answered that black metal is hard for him to get on board with. “I appreciate what it’s trying to do, but it’s hard to listen to when it’s just screaming,” he reasoned. Still, he was able to point out that he does like the black metal artist Sunbather. Finally, underground sub-genres aside, he also appreciates more mainstream artists like Taylor Swift and Lana del Rey. Jacob has been on a mission to find the music appreciation club here at Northeastern, but they’re apparently a bit hard to get in contact with. If anyone from that club is reading, we can definitely vouch for Jacob’s music-appreciation prowess!

*Upon further investigation, we noticed that most bands with the name Sunbather were dreampop bands. Since that’s pretty far off from black metal, we figure maybe Jacob was thinking of the album 

, by Deafheaven. In any case, we added both the dreampop and the death metal to this month’s playlist: so be prepared for a rollercoaster-style listening experience!

Bobby told us his favorite genre would have to be “80s hair bands.”

In response to our questioning looks, he explained, “They all had the big hair.” When asked why this genre is his favorite, Bobby responded, “It’s the best – no one’s killin’ no one, it’s just feel good [music]...I’m partial to the 80s since I grew up in the 80s.” Out of the big hair bands of the 80s, he would especially recommend Led Zeppelin and Mötley Crüe. As his second choice, Bobby added that he would also say country music is one of his favorites. When asked what he likes about the country genre, Bobby explained, “Well I live in the country up in New Hampshire.” Out of the country artists he listens to, he would recommend Trace Adkins. Yet, Bobby concluded that he really listens to everything – he even listens to a few playlists with music from the 40s and 50s, as well.

Sharmelee and Sakshi talked with us about the psychedelic trance, or psytrance, genre.

Sakshi’s favorite music genre is psytrance, and she first heard this niche music style in Goa, India. When we asked her what the genre sounds like, we found out that Sakshi is something of a music production expert since her boyfriend is a DJ. “The bpm [beats per minute] is around 30-150,” she explained. She then told WRBB, “One of my favorite [psytrance] artists is going to perform in Boston” – the group is called Infected Mushroom. When asked what she likes about the genre, Sakshi answered, “It makes me at peace.” Her friend Sharmelee quickly questioned this. “Really?” she asked incredulously. Sakshi admitted it was a surprising take considering the energizing feel of psytrance, but she stands by her opinion nonetheless. Sharmelee, on the other hand, said that psytrance is not for her, but her listening rotation tends to consist of any recommendations she gets from her friends.

Mathivannan told us that his favorite music style is Indian music.

“In India usually songs come with movies. There are not a lot of independent artists,” Mathivannan explained to WRBB. He told us that, out of the Indian music he listens to, he would recommend Thaikkudam Bridge. The band creates songs in both the Malayalam and Tamil languages. Mathivannan told us that he used to listen to this music a lot during his undergraduate years, so the music now carries a nostalgic weight for him. When he first heard the music genre, he “hadn’t heard anything like it before.”

Katie was tabling right next to us, so we figured we’d bug her about her music preferences.

When asked what her favorite music genre is, Katie explained that she loves anything by Taylor Swift. In fact, Katie hosts the Taylor Swift Power Hour show at WRBB (listen live at wrbbradio.org on Thursdays at 8am!). She explained that she loves Taylor Swift because “The lyrics are relatable.” We noted that Taylor Swift’s discography touches on many different genres of music and asked Katie if she has a preference among the styles that Swift has experimented with. Katie immediately responded, “No, I like them all the same!”

Friends Kourtney and Sneha stopped by with a stack of stunning Garden Club posters in hand.

Kourtney told us her favorite genre is alternative RnB like Arlo Parks and Orion Sun. She backed up her answer by describing the genre as “soulful, soft, and soothing.” Sneha then said her favorite genres would have to be country-gaze and new psychedelic rock. Sneha said that she likes being able to hear the music and history that bands are influenced by. “I like it when music is like you can hear a thread of where it's coming from,” she clarified. She agreed that she is the type of person who will easily get sucked down a Wikipedia rabbit hole while researching her favorite music artists. Sneha would recommend the bands Wednesday, Mazzy Star, Slowdive, Hole, Unwound, and Pretty Sick. Sneha excitedly asked us whether she and Kourtney could have their Garden Club poster in the photo. “You have to hold it from the side then, so you don’t block the words!” Kourtney admonished Sneha jokingly.

Dev strolled up to our table eager to talk, and quickly gave Hindi/Bollywood music as his answer to our question. 

For Dev, this music was a big part of growing up – it was always playing on long car rides and during hangouts with friends. He told us that one of the things he likes most about the genre is how there’s always someone new to listen to. Dev’s favorite Bollywood artist is Arijit Singh, who he’s seen once a few years ago and would love to see again.

Jun Woo’s current favorite genre is Korean hip-hop.

Jun Woo told us that, at the moment, he would specifically recommend Korean hip-hop. He recommended the group Epik High and explained that the genre in general is “pretty energizing,” particularly when at the gym. He also told WRBB that he really appreciates the genre in terms of its lyrics. When asked if Korean hip-hop has always been his favorite genre, he replied that his favorite genre changes all the time – “It changes even within the day,” he laughed. When asked if he thinks genre preferences give away anything about a person, Jun Woo considered and then answered that it “reflects 

 about the person, but not necessarily any pinpointed attribute.”

We asked for a fun pose and Holly delivered.

Holly stopped by with arguably the best pose we saw at this month’s tabling session. They answered this month’s question by saying that they particularly like the indie pop and Midwest emo genres. Holly would recommend Origami Angel, American Football, Gus Dapperton, and Peach Pit. When asked what they like about these music styles, Holly told us, “I really just grew up on them.” They added, “I discovered them in high school, and sophomore year was a tough year for me – so I used it as music therapy.”

Community Connections #7: April

Interviews by Annika Eske, Arslan Sheikh, Fenner Dreyfuss-Wells, and Bela Omoeva.

On March 20th, the WRBB media team set up as per usual at Campus Crossroads in Curry Student Center. This month, we asked passerby, “What is your LEAST favorite song by your FAVORITE music artist?” Often, people found that they didn’t resonate with music that deviated from an artist’s signature style (whether it be a shaky first album or an experimental new direction). However, some people couldn’t choose a single ‘bad’ song from their favorite artist’s discography and ended up recommending a song they liked instead. In any case, we’ve compiled a playlist of all the songs discussed this month. Yes, it is technically a playlist of least-favorite songs (for the most part). But keep an open mind – maybe one of these tracks will surprise you! Listen to the playlist 

, and read on for some fun music conversations.

Friends Mei and Ceci stopped by to tell us about their least favorite songs by their favorite artists.

Ceci told us that “DHL” is her least favorite song by her favorite artist, Frank Ocean. Ceci took a good minute to contemplate what it is about DHL that doesn’t quite cut it for her. “I don’t like the instruments in the background,” she explained. After giving it a little more thought she added, “There’s not enough words.” Ceci would agree with the statement that Frank Ocean’s lyrics and singing voice are his biggest strength. In “DHL,” even when there are lyrics, Frank Ocean is not quite singing – “more just talking.” Mei on the other hand, said that “Safe & Sound” by Taylor Swift  would have to be her answer. When asked why, she told WRBB, “I don’t even know, it’s just in the Hunger Games soundtrack.” Mei confessed through laughter that she wasn’t able to muster up enough interest in the song to listen all the way through.

Katie, Sofia, and Ava – three Swifties – held a discussion to decide which Taylor Swift song should have been cut.

Katie approached the table first and told WRBB, “I don’t have my iced coffee anymore, but I 

 a basic bitch and I do like Taylor Swift…” as Katie began scrolling through options to decide on her 

 favorite Taylor Swift song, friends Sofia and Anna joined in on the conversation. The two are also fans of Taylor Swift and wanted to help with the difficult decision-making process. “We need to figure this out,” resolved Sofia. The three Swifties had mixed feelings about the song “Carolina,” written as part of the soundtrack for the film 

. However, they ultimately agreed that “ME!” is the most lacking song in Swift’s discography. “It is 

 a great song,” Katie commented. Sofia agreed, “She can do so much better.” When asked what about the song fell short, Katie and Sofia concluded that the song is “incredibly cheesy.” Nonetheless, all of them admitted that they love the dress Swift wears in the song’s music video.

Henoss and EJ work at the Center for Student Involvement, and gave WRBB some very thoughtful answers.

Henoss was intent on giving us his best possible answer. “I really gotta think about it…who is my favorite artist of 

 time? I gotta do someone who’s already passed so they can’t disappoint me!” Henoss stepped aside and took some time to contemplate.

Meanwhile, EJ told us that Drake is his favorite artist, but he isn’t a fan of the song “God’s Plan.” EJ wasn’t sure if he wanted this to be his final answer, but told us that he generally prefers Drake’s older music. “He couldn’t express a lot of his creativity [in the new music]…and in some ways, his new music isn’t as good.” EJ also finds that newer Drake songs like “God’s Plan” are overplayed. Yet, EJ told WRBB that he’ll be going to his first concert in July – and it will be a Drake concert.

Henoss, on the other hand, had just decided to choose Stevie Wonder as his favorite artist. Unfortunately, after one decision comes another. “I don’t know, man, Stevie Wonder never made a bad song…” reasoned Henoss as he reluctantly tried to choose a least favorite peice from Stevie Wonder’s discography. In the end, Henoss concluded that the album 

would be his final answer. “He’s made an incredible, immaculate, illustrious collection,” emphasized Henoss, “but that album is the one that I would not necessarily go to listen to.” He explained that the album was Stevie Wonder’s debut studio album and the legendary artist was still trying to find his musical identity at that time. “This album was his pathway to being great,” Henoss told WRBB.

We bothered Will while he was working at Campus Crossroads to hear what he had to say about this month’s question.

Will told us his favorite artist is producer The Alchemist (coolest artist name ever, confirmed). Will’s least favorite song by the producer is “Peppertree,” a collaboration with Armand Hammer. He explained that “Peppertree” is a very dissonant track. Will conceded, “I see what he’s trying to do, but it didn’t work.” When asked if he thought the rest of The Alchemist’s discography is more accessible, Will agreed that “the rest of his stuff is much easier to listen to. He does have a bit of a weird sound, but usually it works.”

Allie and Akshara stopped by and discussed a few of their least favorite songs by their favorite artists.

Without a second of hesitation, Allie answered with “Closer” by Halsey. “I just spent 10 minutes talking about how Halsey is my Taylor Swift [on her WRBB radio show].” When asked what it is about the song that she doesn’t like, Allie first joked, “It’s easy to pick a bad pop song.” Then, she told us that the song also reminds her of someone she is no longer friends with. Still, Allie cut Halsey some slack, saying “I respect that it brought her to a bigger fan base, but it’s just not Halsey’s style of music.” Akshara agreed, saying that the song has nothing that showcases Halsey’s vocals or typical style. Allie pointed out that even Halsey herself doesn’t like the song and often refuses to play it live.

Akshara had two answers to this month’s question. First, they told us that their favorite music artist is Hozier, but they don't like “The Bones,” a collaboration between Maren Morris and Hozier. Akshara then decided they had a better answer: “Heat Waves” by Glass Animals. They told us “It’s so ‘I’m-not-like-other-girls’ of me, but I just tend to not like the popular artists.” Allie laughed, “You’re gonna be tweeting about this tonight.”

Eshan almost left without giving us an answer, until we gave him some leeway and said he could tell us a favorite song rather than a least favorite.

“This is hard… Why would I have to choose one?” Eshan mused. He quickly explained that his favorite music artist is John Mayer, but he can’t come up with any John Mayer songs he doesn’t like. “I can give you a favorite song,” he offered. Eshan’s recommendations are “Slow Dancing in a Burning Room” and “Covered in Rain.” Eshan explained that he used to play guitar and “'Covered in Rain' has a wonderful guitar solo – plus it’s recorded as a live performance.

Community Connections #6: March

I started hearing the chants of “Piano G” outside my window as soon as I conceived of my idea for this article. At that time, they were a faint whisper. Now, as I write these opening sentences, their sound is deafening. The haters have arrived at my doorstep, and my time is limited. Hear me out – and if you aren’t convinced to give Polo G a chance by the end of this article, join the mob at my door.

Polo G, born Taurus Tremani Bartlett, is a rapper from the West Side of Chicago known for his style that combines elements of drill, trap, and melodic rap. He is most famous for his singles “Pop Out” and “Rapstar,” and has released three albums at the time of publication. As he rose in popularity, Polo G was increasingly criticized for his apparent boring beat selection, selecting only beats with piano melodies, hence the mocking nickname: “Piano G.” While I do agree his production could be more interesting, I believe that he has the tools to be great.

I started listening to Bartlett in high school, right around the time of the release of his second album, 

 (a reference to his astrological sign). He hooked me with his catchy melodies and emotionally packed lyrics. Even though I don’t listen to him as much now, my respect and appreciation for his music has not faded. 

One of the strongest elements of Polo G’s music is his lyricism. He is able to put on the facade of a confident, braggadocious, playboy in one song, and then seamlessly remove it to tell a heartbreaking tragedy in the next. One of the best examples of his storytelling prowess is “Bloody Canvas” off of his third album 

, on which he tells a heartbreaking story of revenge and gang violence. The majority of his songs have a dark tone to them which reflects Polo G’s harsh upbringing and the tragedies he has had to endure. Tracks such as “No Matter What” display that Bartlett is grateful for his success and hasn’t forgotten where he came from: “Used to daydream of shinin’ in the hood with these bands / Tryna leave these hard times and run through millis with my friends.” On “Martin and Gina” he shows off his playful,romantic side, playfully teasing the subject of the song with lines like “Even on your worst days, girl, you still kind of cute.” Two of the best examples of his raw lyrical talent are his XXL freshman 

, dropping lines we can all relate to such as: “Damn, a new disease dropped, causin’ mass hysteria / It’s always some bullshit, welcome to America.” Overall, Polo G is an underrated lyricist with the flexibility to create a diverse array of moods with his words, already proving he is more than the one-trick pony his critics claim him to be.

I recently have noticed that I prefer artists who display raw emotion in their lyrics. Many artists that I like such as Kendrick Lamar, Big Thief and Ecco2k wear their heart on their sleeve and aren’t afraid to express their deepest feelings to the world. While Polo G isn’t on that level, he does display flashes of raw, emotional lyricism that I appreciate. His first album 

 provides the best examples of this, as it is his most musically and emotionally raw work. On “Chosen 1” he laments: “I put my life on the line, you wouldn’t take that risk for me / Fucked up my trust, wish I could delete all our memories.” Bartlett’s bars centered around themes of betrayal and regret are not unique to this track; it is clear as you go through his discography that he is haunted by memories of his past. While some artists merely hint at the low points in their lives in their songs, Polo G pushes his pain to the forefront of his music.

The last line of the aforementioned “Chosen 1” is “I’m way too solid for the gimmicks, fuck the industry,” which is quite ironic considering the stylistic choices he would make a few albums later on 

. Polo’s rapping ability and lyrical depth are seldom criticized, yet, as I alluded to earlier, his production is the most controversial part of his music. I must admit that some of his beats sound generic and uninspired, especially on the latest album. But what his critics fail to see is that he does have some songs with interesting production, as well as the potential to rap over any beat. The first example that comes to mind is the last track off of 

 “Wishing For a Hero,” which samples 2Pac’s iconic hit “Changes.” Both the sample and lyrical content of the song pay homage to the soulful, sobering, yet hopeful original song. My one criticism is that the mix is pretty shaky, especially the hi hats, but that doesn’t have as much to do with Polo G himself. Another Polo G song with more interesting production is “Last Man Standing,” on which Bartlett delivers bar after bar about police brutality over a textbook soul sample and light drums. While not too innovative, the beat is a bit different that what he normally would rap over.

I truly believe that Polo G has the raw talent to rap over most beats. If he decides to rap over more experimental and varied production, I would be all for it. While I doubt he will make that stylistic choice, I will continue to hold out hope – but even if he doesn’t, I will still continue to believe that Polo G is actually good.

Polo G is actually good

On Tuesday, February 21st, members of the WRBB Media Team set up a table at Curry Campus Crossroads. This month, we asked passersby to tell us about the first concert they ever went to, and which music artist is still on their concert bucket list. Although we were tucked away in a corner table this month, some of you managed to find us anyway! Most of the people we chatted with had happy memories associated with their first concert, even if they don’t listen to the same music nowadays. For those who had not yet attended a concert, there was a clear consensus that it was high on their priority list for the future. Read on to hear some first-concert stories and some future-concert dreams, and check out this 

 with all of the music people told us about this month!

Vicky and Kiran happened to walk up to the WRBB table at the same time, and ended up sharing concert stories with each other as well as with the Media Team.

Vicky told us that her first concert was a One Direction concert just after Zayne had left the band. Her sister had ended up with extra tickets, so Vicky was able to tag along. She said of One Direction, “I used to be a hater, not gonna lie – but I was also a teenager,” she added. At the time, Vicky was more excited to see opener Icona Pop than to see One Direction. After seeing One Direction live however, Vicky commends Niall’s guitar chops and is now able to enjoy the band’s album 

. Still, she considers her real first concert to be a Porter Robinson show. She said the show stands out in her memories because its visuals and animations were stunning. The concert was “very sincere even though it was polished.” Vicky recalls that she cried during the show, and concluded, “It was the most emotional I’ve ever been at a concert.”

Much like Vicky, Kiran has had some enjoyable first concert experiences, even if they don’t reflect her music taste today. Technically speaking, Kiran’s first show was an Indian music concert in New Jersey. She remembered with a laugh that she was the only one who dressed up for the concert, but that she had fun nonetheless. However, Kiran also considers a Taylor Swift concert to have been one of the first shows she saw. Kiran told us that she saw the pop star on her 

 tour the day before her eighth grade graduation. Although Kiran has been to three Taylor Swift shows, she doesn’t follow Swift as closely nowadays. Still, Kiran is able to look back and remember how nice it was to get the experience of dancing in a concert crowd.

Friends Harshitha and Pramantha stopped by to chat with us about artists they want to see live.

Harshitha and Pramantha haven’t been to a concert just yet, but they’ve got a few ideas on their concert bucket list. Harshitha would love to go to a Lewis Capaldi concert. She loves his lyrics describing love and finds his songs to be very “wholesome.” Pramatha, on the other hand, told WRBB that she would want to go to a Coldplay concert. If she were to convince a friend to join her, she would simply tell them that they’d enjoy it and show them some of Coldplay’s music videos for evidence. The two friends agreed that whatever the mood they’re in, the music of Lewis Capaldi and Coldplay makes them feel better.

Pranamya asked that we use the art for Ed Sheeran’s single “Visiting Hours.”

Pranamya would love to see Coldplay, Imagine Dragons, and Ed Sheeran live. She thinks seeing these artists would be a lifetime experience. When asked why she chose these artists, Pranamya explained that the music is part of it, “but lyrics actually matter the most to [her].” This is why Pranamya particularly likes Ed Sheeran’s old music. She explained to us that Sheeran’s single, “Visiting Hours,” came out shortly after her grandma passed away. In the song, Sheeran sings about someone he has lost, and Pranamya told us that the song felt soothing to her at the time.

Ro, Taryn, Jonathan, and Archie stepped out of the WRBB station to come chat with us about music.

Jonathan told us his first concert was an Imagine Dragons show on their Night Visions tour — “so it’s the good stuff,” he joked. He then told us that No Vacation is on his concert bucket list. “They’re a west coast band, but if they ever come to the east coast, I’ll see them.”

Archie shared a vague memory of his first concert, which happened to be a “random” show at his town’s community performance center. “I saw the guy who sings ‘bird is the word’…whoever he is out there in the world,” Archie told us. On Archie’s bucket list is the prominent post punk band Black Country, New Road. When asked how he would convince a friend to tag along for the concert, Archie decided he would say to his friend, “If there is any instrument you’ve ever wanted to see live, it will be on that stage.”

Ro told us that her first concert was a Jon Bellion show. “I liked a guy who listened to Jon Bellion, so I got really into him in like 11th grade,” she explained. In fact, this ended up being Ro’s first concert, and she showed up knowing every single song in Jon Bellion’s discography. Gotta love people who do their homework before a concert. Ro then told us that the Lumineers are on her concert bucket list. Asked how she might convince a friend to join, Ro said confidently, “I don’t think they need convincing.”

Last but not least, Taryn told us that her first concert happened to be a show that Jonathan also attended. She told us that it was a show at Tanglewood featuring Carole King and James Taylor. “Maybe 2010 or 2008?” she and Jonathan recalled. When asked what music artist is on her concert bucket list, Taryn fell silent for a moment. “I can’t remember a single artist I’ve ever listened to,” she joked. But eventually, Taryn told us she’d like to hear the band FUR live.

Sairam chatted with us about a particularly fun first concert memory.

Sairam’s first concert was about three years ago, just before COVID-19, at a festival in Goa, India. Specifically, he saw the electronic music artist SNBRN perform on a beach at night – hard to beat when it comes to the best concert settings! Sairam explained that the show was part of a carnival concert series and that he had gone with some friends. The concert had a lively atmosphere, with everyone dancing to the music. Now, Sairam is hoping to one day see The Weeknd perform live.

Sriyanka’s arrived in the U.S. only recently and is interested in electronic music, Indian music, and music that finds a unique blend of both.

Sriyanka arrived in the U.S. from India about two months ago. When we asked her what she thinks about the U.S. so far, she responded with a laugh, “It’s good…it’s cold!” Sriyanka told WRBB that her first concert was an A.R. Rahman concert – Indian music. However, she would love to see either Marshmello or Kahani in the future. Marshmello and Kahani are both on Sriyanka’s bucket list because she’s a fan of electronic music. However, Kahani is special because this New York-based music artist creates tracks that combine electronic influences with more traditional Indian music. Even though Sriyanka only arrived in the U.S. recently, her boyfriend lives in NYC, and he was the one who introduced her to Kahani’s distinctive music.

Friends Helen, Jules, and Ally stopped by to share some concert memories and future-concert wishes.

Helen’s first real concert was a Clairo concert. She told us that the experience was particularly exciting because she was in London at the time for NUin. At the top of Helen’s concert bucket list is the artist beabadoobee.

Jules told us that her first concert was probably a Train concert at Tanglewood. “When I was little I used to go with my parents every year,” Jules recalled. Her grandma used to volunteer at Tanglewood, and Jules thinks, “It’s a nice place to go if you have time on the weekend.” However, Jules clarified that the first concert she paid for herself was probably a Tyler, the Creator show. “It was in Worcester, but he thought he was in Boston the whole time, and then he was freestyling about the fact that he didn’t know that he was in Worcester,” laughed Jules. During the show, she told us, everyone in the audience was screaming at Tyler the Creator that he was not in Boston. Jules remarked, “…and he didn’t know how to say Worcester either.” For her next concert, Jules said she would love to see The Strokes – and her friends agreed vehemently.

Finally, Ally couldn’t remember the first concert she ever went to, but Chappell Roan is one artist on her concert bucket list. Ally would describe the indie pop artist Chappell Roan as, “Good fun, fun to dance too.” However, Ally commented that Chappell Roan recently got a place on a popular Spotify playlist, causing tickets to become “crazy expensive.”

Lazaree and Prathamesh came by and told us about their first concert experience seeing artist Arijit Singh, pictured.

Lazaree and Prathamesh came up to the WRBB table together and shared that their first concert experience was Indian artist, Arijit Singh. Though they shared fairly little about the concert itself (apart from their sheer enjoyment), they let us know that Singh is definitely an artist for us to check out. Arijit Singh is one of the biggest artists in India and is a regular feature in the most prominent Bollywood films. According to Lazaree and Prathamesh, he is also adept at almost every type of genre and his music can definitely elevate someone’s mood. Feeling down or perhaps looking for an artist to headline 

 next Bollywood motion picture? Arijit Singh is the guy for you!

Anushka told WRBB her first concert experience was seeing Sunidhi Chauhan (pictured) live.

Anushka first heard Sunidhi Chauhan live at a concert in Mumbai, India when she was fifteen years old. Anushka loves the music artist’s voice and says she was her favorite singer at the time. She told us the concert venue was huge: fitting about 5,000 people. Anushka added that the lighting visuals helped to make the concert feel like a truly grand experience. Someday, she would love to see Taylor Swift or Selena Gomez live.

Community Connections #5: February

Local band Paper Lady wrecked havoc on Boston during Day 2 of Boston Calling. The self-described indie-rock collaborative project is a product of the Northeast DIY scene, consisting of members Alli Raina, Will Davilla, Rowan Martin, Kenzo Divid Castille, and Brady Dallas Jones. Most recently, they dropped their latest single, 

WRBB's BellaJoli Gedeon grabbed a quick interview with the band before their set!

Pictured Left to Right: Brady Jones, Will Davila, Alli Raina, Alex Castile, Rowan Martin, Kenzo Divic

BellaJoli Gedeon: I’ve had the pleasure to watch you perform at a couple venues like The Tourist Trap and The Crystal Ballroom at NICE, a fest. Do you consider playing Boston Calling a stepping stone in your band’s success?

B.J.: Absolutely. It feels that way. It’s definitely the biggest thing we’ve played. At least from what I’ve seen in my life when I’m going around telling people about the things that I do, you talk about you’re a musician and that you play shows and stuff. They’re like “Oh yeah, cool!” and they roll their eyes. Now, when I say “We’ve played The Crystal Ballroom” and “We’ve just played Paradise Rock Club. “Now, we’re playing Boston Calling.” People start reacting to how you’re a musician a little bit differently. That has been the biggest aspect of it feeling like a step up. People are taking what I do and what we do a little more seriously which is cool.

That’s awesome. Are there any bands or artists that are here at Boston Calling that you’re excited to share the spotlight with?

A.R: We’re so excited to see Alvvays. They were the bands that we bonded over so much as a group. We saw them live altogether when they played with Alex G in Boston. It was a dream show to see for us. When they got added to the lineup, it was so crazy. It was so surreal that that happened.

B.J: I’m a big Khruangbin fan. I just like listening to them. I feel like they really influenced how I played guitar, especially when the first song I played on recording I was listening to a ton of Khruangbin. It feels really special, especially because we’re not on the same stage, but we’re playing right before them. I’m hoping that we can make their set. I’m just so honored and touched. Yeah, I’m really excited for that one.

As a band you’re obviously influenced by Alvvays, are you also influenced by Alex G or any other bands and artists in particular?

A.R. Oh, yeah. We used to cover “Bobby.” “Bobby” would go so hard, especially at The Tourist Trap and basement shows. I would play bass and Will would be holding the microphone and walking around the stage. And, I would just be singing it as a duet and he would just be going up to each of us and just kind of like putting his hand on our shoulders and stuff.

A.R.: Yeah, Alex G is huge for us. Yeah. Big Thief. Alvvays. Alex G. Some older influences like The Sundays, Broadcast, and Mazzy Star. Rowan’s really into The Smashing Pumpkins. Just that kind of dream pop and dream rock from like the 90s. More recently, we’re also inspired by Wednesday. That kind of countrygaze genre is having such a moment.

A.R.: Yeah, countrywestern.
R.M.: Feeble Little Horse.


I really like Wednesday. I like the alt country vibe. I also got to see Big Thief at Roadrunner and Alex G at Paradise Rock Club, so that’s really cool.

A.R.: We got to like meeting him afterwards because our boss at the time was like friends with him. We shook his hand and we told him about Paper Lady. He was like “Paper Lady, that’s a great name. It was also a full moon. We were crying and jumping up and down and screaming.

W.D: Shout out to JJ Gonson for that. She’s like the best.

From listening to your recent EP, Traveling Exploding Star, it seems that you embrace noise rock mixed with a dream pop sound. The concluding track “Violet” transitions from a calm, ethereal sound to a raw, heavy sound. It’s dynamic. Are there any particular inspirations behind this unique blend of genres? Haha, I guess you answered this question.

R.M: I don’t remember if there were any specific influences, but over time when I started playing in Paper Lady it was me and Alli and two of our friends on the violin and cello. “Violet” was such a delicate song. Then, we adapted it together and it stayed delicate. There was all this energy on the drums and I think it all came from playing together. Alli used do this scream all the time in jams, so we started messing around with that. And, I think it just came from this. I don’t know if I came from this specific energy. I felt so good to just have this explosion at the end. I started messing around. I really like Sonic Youth and how Thurston Moore plays guitar. I started messing with my slide and making these weird sounds or running my guitar against an amplifier. Yeah, I think it came from Alli first doing this crazy sound that she makes and all of us following along intuitively which I think has become a big theme in how we write. It’s like following along to a specific energy that of us puts out.

K.D.: I think the cool thing about that is that it’s always similarly chaotic at the end, but it also always feels very different. It never sounds the same. It’s part of the set that we can kind of forget where we are if we haven’t already done that. We completely lose ourselves in the music. It’s a great experience.

B.J: I think it’s a very raw expression. I remember playing it at least in my brain. I like to think of it as therapy time where I get to explode. There’s this awesome Miles Davis video that it makes me think of in the 80s where in the end he stops playing his trumpet and he’s laying on the ground and screaming into his trumpet microphone. I think it’s such a great feeling of transitioning from a really beautiful song to a primal release of all these emotions.

Since the EP is nearing its one-year anniversary, are there any new plans for new material?