“Pick a card,” the Hannah brothers asked over an Instagram message. An image of three tarot cards placed face down on an altar was sent with the message, each one unknowingly from the suit of Swords. They shuffled the cards, set their intentions and let their audience play the game.

The Ace of Swords, Four of Swords and Two of Swords can take on different meanings for different people, but the cards also seemed to apply to them. This became more than an introduction for their latest single, “For Those Who Play The Game”; it became another sign that their musical journeys were changing course.

Mountain Head does not sit down and write music often, but a little more than a year ago, an altered state jam session brought out a guitar riff that seemed otherworldly. Without a word, they both began playing the riff, moving in sync in a spiral motion. Suddenly there were a few words: for those who play the game.

“We weren’t thinking this or intimating it,” Kyle said. “It was almost funneling through us… this seemed like an ancient Egyptian pharaoh was reading us a scroll and we were singing the song and looking at each other mind blown.”

Within 15 minutes, “For Those Who Play The Game” was written. They brought the song to their drummer, Kevin Farmer, who witnessed the way the song took over their bodies as they played it. There were several other songs they were working on at the time, but they pushed them aside to make this one their main focus.

Their subconscious was picking up on something. Ceremonial altered states are rituals they are familiar with, and they are aware that there is no roadmap in those scenarios. This time, it felt like they had stumbled upon an ancient story forgotten to time. They’ve spent time researching theology and ancient cultures, believing that is unconsciously being funneled into their music.

“We had this bridge of music in between old and new and we just blew up the bridge,” Ben said.

They agree it was the oddest song to make its way to them, but it seemed as though it had a purpose. Since then, an entirely new style of music keeps showing up whenever they pick up their instruments. They compare themselves to an antenna just picking up the songs, joking that they aren’t sure if they can take songwriting credit.

“For Those Who Play The Game” continued to reveal itself to them in different ways as they immersed themselves in the recording process. It was more of a ritual than a song, and they wanted to make sure they sought out everything they could before deeming the song complete. They sent it off to be mixed and mastered, and the engineer’s first response was to compare it to Dante’s Inferno. It appeared that whatever brought this song to them was revealing itself to others.

It also revealed itself to their music video director, Monty Langford. Usually the brothers will provide the song to the director with no other context. This time, it really worked in their favor.

“So many times with Monty, we’ve sent him something and what we’ve left in the silence he’s picked up or taken even further,” Ben said. “[Kyle and I have] a lot of experience with psychedelics and ceremonial use of psychedelics, so he wrote this video as if it was the cameraman going through an initiation we do.”

The music video treatment came to fruition when Langford decided he actually wanted to go through with one of their ceremonies. As wild and odd as the music video is, it’s almost a documentary now.

When it came time to release the song and its accompanying music video, they knew they wanted visuals that gave off an occult aesthetic. Throughout their musical journey, tarot cards The Fool and The Magician have presented themselves, and one late night thought led to asking their audience to pick a card.

They knew they were onto something when the message received mixed reviews. It seemed as though half their audience picked a card, while the other half refused. Those responses played well into their messaging.

“The thing about this song is it’s right on the edge of whether you are going to step through your fear or not,” Ben said. "It's what the whole song is about: are you going to step through the fear? What’s on the other side of that fear?”

For the first time, they have been so engrossed in writing that for a moment they’ve forgotten about performing. However, that hasn’t stopped them from fantasizing about turning these stream-of-consciousness jam sessions into a live performance. They hope to one day have no-setlist shows that feature songs only written in the moment, never to be recorded or performed again.

“The last six months or so, we’ve been wondering, ‘how do we show our real power out there? Our real form.’ It’s really hard to present this,” Ben said.

“Creativity is happening in the moment,” Kyle added. “We can show you that immediately. The recording is in the past; you’re going into a loop in the past, kind of the antithesis of creativity. That stuff isn’t happening now. Here’s us showing you as close as possible to the moment of how it’s done and being able to reflect the energy of the environment.”

It appears that “For Those Who Play The Game” is the beginning of a new era. Mountain Head is no stranger to peculiarity, but this song started stringing together something that is quite unlike anything they’ve done before. They followed the scent of this first song, leading them to a place that should answer all of their questions.

Photo courtesy of Justin Friesen

For her first two albums, Maddison Keiver was under the impression that music had to be made in a studio. A producer held some of the control, helping to push her in a direction that they thought the album needed to go. It wasn’t necessarily something she was comfortable with, but it was all she knew. As her third album began to take shape, she realized it was time to leave her comfort zone.

The Pages grew her confidence to a level she didn’t know she could obtain. She took up journaling as she travelled, collecting songs like postcards. Nearly a year ago, a writing retreat let those songs fall into place to begin the formation of an album. When she showed them to her partner, Julian Bueckert, he immediately recognized two things: “The Pages” was the best of the bunch, and he was fully committed to producing the album.

She wasn’t entirely sold on “The Pages” being a contender, and had her doubts that she would be able to turn it into a collection of stories. Once she realized that “The Pages” was absolutely the beginning of the story, the pages of her life took form. She found the first song and the name of the album.

“I realized good music can be made in a living room,” she said. “I let go of that feeling of if I’m not working with a big name or a big producer that I won’t make as good of an album. I was able to have all the creative control, and the time and energy and love to put into this production.”

The track listing became an important aspect of telling her story, especially since she was breaking the releases up into chapters. The first six songs are more “easy-listening”, while the latter six explore deeper meanings. “Big Star” is one of those songs, being the track that she believes best demonstrates her current sound.

“It still sounds like where I came from but it also has other influences from my travels,” she said. “It’s probably one of the best songs I’ve written, and I think that one just captures all my essence.”

The final track, “To Heal”, perfectly wraps up the story. Written a few years back about resilience and looking back on her younger years, the song intentionally brings The Pages to a close.

With this newfound confidence comes self-doubt. There are days where she is happily juggling different roles, and days where she is easily disheartened by negative comments or the opinions of others. Finishing the album was such an accomplishment, yet not everyone sees it that way. While she may not seek approval from certain people, it can be “discouraging when you don’t get that same recognition from people and either they don’t know that you released it or they just don’t think it’s that big of a deal, and it’s so much a big deal.”

She released the first half of the album in the summer of 2025, titling it The Pages (Chapter One). The goal was not only to let the first six songs have their time to shine, but to also push an interest in physical media.

“If they wanted to hear the album, they had to buy it on physical copy if they wanted to hear the second chapter,” she said. “It brings people deeper into my niche while also taking charge of my own artistry and my own fan base.”

A physical copy of The Pages comes in vinyl, CD or cassette, with added extras only available with an album purchase. It is an easy way to connect with her fans and show them just how much of her hard work went into this album.

Photo courtesy of Baldomero Plata

In early 2024, Social Cinema sensed the pieces of their debut album were coming together. They recognized a maturity that wasn’t quite there before and felt like they were finally at a place that could take them to the next level.

“We’re all just a lot more comfortable with each other,” guitarist Mari Crisler said. “We know everybody’s intentions; being able to give it our all and knowing that each of us has their own strengths and can contribute in different ways to the band. We’ve got a good system down.”

In previous bands, they were used to putting out albums followed by relentless touring to chase an audience. This time around, they all agreed on building an audience first. They perfected their live performances while releasing singles each month. When the timing finally felt right, they made their way to Kansas City to record with Jeremy Wurst.

The recording process for Don’t Get Lost challenged them in the best ways. Unique synth and difficult percussion sounds had to go from ideas to fully formed tracks in a limited amount of time. Harmonies had to level up each chorus. Each song had to be the best version of themselves.

“Finding the tones for each song, whether it be drums or bass or synth or guitars or literally anything, was really challenging,” bassist Austin Engler said. “We felt like there’s a little bit of added pressure to find the sound, especially with some of these songs having a little bit more experimental touch to them.”

The first single off the album, “You Want My Love”, is the song they felt best represented what Social Cinema is. It pays homage to their past sound and gives a hint to what the rest of the album will be. The final preview of the album, “Eloise” shows off how experimental they pushed themselves to be.

“I just am in love with the textures we got on it,” Engler said. “There’s a lot of different sounds going on. I feel like it was my best bass playing because I went in with just the standard riff and then challenged myself. I feel like it turned out really well.”

The album title may not have a deep meaning, but they noticed the phrase kept showing up in the lyrics, so it felt right to name the album after its recurrence. Several of the songs were actually interwoven with one another to create hidden surprises within each track. It makes Don’t Get Lost an album that can be played on repeat for new experiences.

“We try really, really hard,” drummer Logan Bush said. “We really enjoy what we’re doing and we’re trying to push ourselves and focus on every little detail so people can hear it.”

Photo courtesy of Cate Oxford

I’ve had a lot of moments where another person might have looked in from the outside and thought, ‘Well, he always knew! Look at that kid writing songs about nonsense even before learning how to talk!’ The relationship I’ve had with the Kai that wants to create has been stubborn, joyful and brazen. There have been many periods where I’ve been disconnected from him, and years when he felt completely lost, maybe gone.

I love writing songs and making music, playing piano and singing. For a long time, in a great portion of my adolescence and adult life, I had no idea how much I did love it. I grew up in a musical household with a film and TV composer father and piano teacher mother. Even though I was surrounded by sound and music, during middle school I became much more isolated in my house, estranged from my family, and I was often overpowered by the lethargy of that feeling, unable to write from an honest place.

Despite this, I had a great number of advantages; my house was filled with instruments, up the walls and down the stairs, and almost constant exposure to music from different periods and cultures I might never have discovered on my own. When I was a kid I would make up stories in the form of songs almost constantly. I was a big fan of High School Musical and sometimes I’d turn the TV on and select just the credits of Pirates of the Caribbean so that I could hear the theme song; a truly optimal accompaniment for lapping around the living room with a big stick, jumping off the couch and fighting imaginary skeletons.

I felt quite starkly that the atmosphere of playfulness in my house faded as I grew older. In this way, the moment I knew I wanted to make music was a rediscovery of an earlier knowing, of what Kai knew when he was a kid.

One of the most important moments in this rediscovery was when I was 11 years old at summer camp. We had a music class in the mornings, graciously taught by a brilliant jazz trumpet player named Brownman Ali. He described the roots of music, breaking it down into three distinct parts: melody, rhythm and harmony. His description remains to this day the way that I break down music when I’m teaching other people.

One day at lunch, the more musically-interested kids hung around his table. Eager to snack on the feast of musical coolness he provided, he gave us the ultimate treat. It was a video he found on YouTube: Jacob Collier’s rendition of Stevie Wonder’s “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing”. Digesting that video was a seminal event in the timeline that led to me making music.

At that age I had heard a lot of music, yet there was a part of me that heard Jacob’s tapestry of vocal harmonies weaving together, the depth and nuance and dynamics in all of it, and thought, ‘I didn’t know music could sound this cool.’ My next thought was, ‘I want to understand this.’

From that point onwards there was a little box in my brain that was open and eager to learn as much as I could and to listen just as closely. Beyond the pure sound of Jacob Collier’s music, a part of his energy reminds me of a kid so enthusiastic and excited, that he’s just on fire with joy as he’s creating. Seeing that energy actualized in such a beautiful way reminded me of the way I felt making songs as a kid. This was when I knew I wanted to make music.

Marty Grabstein is a self-proclaimed comic book nerd. His childhood consisted of primarily Marvel comics from the 1960s - specifically when they cost 12 cents. From 1992-2004, his hobby was collecting complete runs from that specific time period. Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, X-Men, Daredevil, Iron Man, The Avengers…

It should come as no surprise then that fans of Courage the Cowardly Dog can find the voice behind the beloved character at any given comic convention. His introduction to the convention circuit was nearly 10 years ago at New York’s Big Apple Comic Con. With his friend posing as an agent, he was able to secure a spot as a featured guest.

“I was blown away by the fact that people wanted to get my autograph and get a photo with me,” he said. “I couldn’t even wrap my head around it, the reality of that.”

He also got to share his first convention with two of his biggest heroes: Frank Miller and Stan Lee. Both comic book legends had been announced as guests of the 2017 Big Apple Comic Con, but unfortunately Lee had to cancel due to health issues. Grabstein was able to meet Miller, however, marking his first comic convention as a truly unforgettable experience.

As a college student, Bevin wrote a paper regarding abortion and the stand-your-ground law that still presides in 38 states. It was hard to believe that women have historically been unable to defend their own bodies yet using deadly force to defend one’s land is perfectly fine. This paper contributed to her philosophy degree, which contributed to how and what she writes songs about.

When her latest single “You Don’t Decide” was finished earlier in the year, there were an array of factors that led to its continued delay in release. However, its actual release couldn’t have been more perfectly timed.

The lyrics had always been in the back of her mind since the abominable decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Teaming up with friend and co-writer Todd Herfindal brought those lyrics to the forefront, with the concept of writing from a woman’s point of view. He asked her, “What do you want to say first?” and she replied with, “The first thing I want to say is, ‘I know you don’t want to hear from me.’”

“I wanted to write something about this as a direct message to government officials and people who did this,” she said. “As a female growing up in America, that’s how you always feel: it’s a privilege that they’re letting you be here. When you’re little you don’t really understand that, but then when you get older and you reflect, you have all these experiences that point to that notion.”

Autonomy has always been a right for men, but a privilege for women. The song and its accompanying cover art was made to represent all women. Reproductive justice is such an important aspect of “You Don’t Decide”, and after centuries of the narrative being controlled to blame women, it is important now more than ever to reclaim that narrative.

“We’re told it’s Eve’s fault, it’s Mary’s fault, it’s all of these women’s fault,” she said. “We aren’t the scapegoat to men’s mistakes.”

Writing and recording the song were empowering moments. For Bevin, songwriting is therapy. She wanted to extend that therapeutic feeling into the music video, which began as an open casting call for women who were fed up with the current climate. Anyone was invited to lip sync the song in whatever capacity they felt most connected to. Submissions ranged from the intimacy of a bedroom to the expanse of nature, expressing emotions of sadness, anger and the willingness to carry on.

She takes inspiration from similar artists expressing the same need to speak truth to power in their songwriting. Paris Paloma, Hayley Williams and Sofia Isella are just a few artists that are using their voices to defend basic human rights. Everyone has the right to thrive and flourish, but an environment that is saying otherwise must be acknowledged. One of her favorite quotes comes from Nina Simone, who said: "An artist's duty, as far as I'm concerned, is to reflect the times."

Her songwriting may not always be considered the popular option. She may not always end up on the highest trending playlists. Bevin’s social activism is part of who she is as an artist, and to her that is the most important part.

“I feel like I am called to do this for whatever reason,” she said. “Sure, it would be easier for me to write pop songs for pop artists but I’m not emotionally called to do that. I’m lucky enough to be in a position where I can choose who I am as an artist and what I write about. I’m very grateful, that is a blessing.”

Bigger Than You Think! Tour, Chicago 2025. View the full gallery here.

Nothing and everything has changed in the nearly 10 years since Jess Bowen semi-jokingly offered to drum for 3OH!3 during their 2016 Warped Tour run. A few weeks out on the road with the music duo turned into some East Coast dates on a Good Charlotte tour, another Warped Tour appearance for every 2018 show and two overseas performances at Air Force bases. After a handful of years, they reunited for the Bigger Than You Think! Tour alongside Simple Plan, Bowling For Soup and LØLØ.

3OH!3 still prefers just one full day of rehearsal, but Bowen was given the setlist well in advance to run through on her own time. Although it can be muscle memory to play these songs, she admits that she still gets nervous. It had been quite some time since she last played them, so walking into rehearsal as prepared as possible was incredibly important to her.

The setlist started with a song off their second album, Want. “PunkBitch” includes nearly two minutes at the end of the track that Bowen describes as the most challenging.

“It’s two minutes, maybe, of me playing these 16th notes on the hat and it’s fast so by the end of that I’m dead,” she said. “Thank god it’s first in the set so that I get that out of the way. The whole set is very high energy, so I’m definitely tired by the end of the show.”

3OH!3’s latest single, “Slushie”, was just as well-received as their biggest hits, but “Don’t Trust Me” was on an entirely different level. Bowen’s favorite part of the set was hearing the crowd respond to, “I’m a vegetarian and I ain’t fucking scared of him” by screaming it back as loud as they could. It was a great moment of nostalgia that a certain generation seems to chase the older they get.

“It takes me back too,” she said. “We’re all here at a Simple Plan concert. We’re all still screaming “I’m Just A Kid” so clearly we don’t want to grow up.”

Playing each night of the Bigger Than You Think! Tour had her thinking back to her high school days, where she listened to bands like Simple Plan and Bowling for Soup on repeat while dreaming about touring with them. Now they are her peers and friends, making these moments everything she dreamed about and more.

When Bowen first played for 3OH!3, it was her introduction to the electronic drum pad. It was a popular alternative at the time to sample any percussion setup using the pad, but these days it is simpler to work them into the backing track. She sees the pros and cons of electronic drum pads, as not using one eliminates the chances of something potentially not working, however she has been toying with the idea of using one as The Summer Set tour their new album, Meet Me At The Record Store.

One song in particular, “Gloria”, samples one of Bowen’s favorite songs. “She Drives Me Crazy” by Fine Young Cannibals has a distinct sound created by taking the head off of a snare drum and using a wooden ruler as a drumstick. Engineer David Z worked his magic for the final sound heard on the track, and Bowen knew it would make a great addition to layer on top of her drum parts.

The singles leading up to the release of Meet Me At The Record Store ranged from what felt most like The Summer Set’s sound to the ones they were most looking forward to having fans hear.

“The album is very eclectic,” Bowen said. “There’s a little bit of everything on there, but as far as our band and what we feel like represents us the best, as the first opening song, ‘I Don’t Wanna Party' is just a jam.”

The way the song came together holds a special place in her heart, and it was the song they were most excited about releasing. The same holds true for their second single, “ADIDIAS”. The moment the demo started to form, they knew it was going to be a single.

Getting their fans involved in the lead-up to the album release was crucial, so they decided to up their social media game. Catching onto trends and coming up with a cohesive brand led them to release a ballad, “What I’m Made Of”, as well as poll their audience to see which single would be released next. Spoiler alert: it was a tie between the two choices, “Flowers” or “Algorithm & Blues”… and they were going to release both anyway.

Seeing Jess Bowen pop up behind the drum kit of any band is the equivalent of hitting the jackpot. These songs are just as nostalgic for her as they are for the audience. It is a guarantee that each song is played to its full potential, and will get the crowd hyped for whatever happens next.

Setting the scene: Music has always played an important part in my life. My father, who was born in the 40s, grew up on the magic of big orchestral show tunes and moody jazz standards which definitely kickstarted his life-long love of music. From a young age he was quite the audiophile, collecting tons of records across a variety of genres. Needless to say by the time I came into the picture many decades later, I reaped the benefits of this obsession. “Oldies” were the sonic wallpaper of my childhood; the Rat Pack, Ella and Etta, sock-hop, early rock ‘n’ roll, Motown… I ate it all up. It was clear that melody sparked my imagination in a way nothing else could and that a thoughtful or catchy lyric found its way straight to my heart. Still to this day, I am surprised when an obscure song from the 50s pops up and, like a cheery exorcism, it all comes spilling out of me from who knows where.

As a young kid I spent an unhealthy amount of time in my basement choreographing dances and belting the lyrics out to the big pop sensations of the time (Celine Dion, Spice Girls, Whitney Houston). This time alone (or with my younger brother, sorry Paul!) jumping around on the cream carpet eating Handi-Snacks crackers and cheese dip definitely emboldened the performer inside of me.

I always loved singing and being a big ham but never really thought about how those things might manifest later in life, if at all. It wasn’t until high school, when I was going through an intense 80s/punk-rock phase where I really started playing guitar and attempting to write my own songs. I played drums in a The Go-Go's cover band for like three minutes, so most of my early songs were angsty teen rip-offs of “We Got the Beat” or “Head Over Heels”.

Truthfully, acting was the thing that called to me most at the time and I ended up going to theatre school, where I got to log lots of stage time (ham it up even more!) and run around in a leotard doing jazz progressions to Prince. It was great! But making music wasn’t really on my radar…

So! The moment I knew I wanted to make music came later. After a few detours, moves and life experiences, I realized that the dream I was chasing wasn’t my dream after all, and that fundamentally I didn’t feel creatively satisfied or flexible enough to jam myself into the tiny box that acting seemed to be offering me at the time. Blah, blah, blah…

But this disenchantment led me to an important realization. The source bringing me constant excitement and inspiration in my life was obviously MUSIC! Like a dependable umbrella, through various highs and lows, music had always been there; generously offering me shelter from the rain and safety from ominous storms ahead. A portable comfort blanket jammed into my back pocket and blaring through my headphones, new and old melodies wrapped me up in reassurance, allowing me to get lost in my imagination just like I did as a kid spinning around my basement to The Bodyguard soundtrack on repeat. THIS IS THE MOMENT I KNEW I WANTED TO MAKE MUSIC.

I started writing songs, plonking them out on the guitar and recording them very scrappily by myself at home. I loved the process, even though I was learning as I went and kind of sucked (Expert in Shakespeare, novice in GarageBand). I felt more free and connected to my creative side than I had in many years. It was thrilling! And still is to this day. The puzzle of working out a song has become essential to my life and recording music with friends has been a true gift that I am infinitely grateful for. It’s never too late to pivot, dream a new dream and ham it up in a different way!

Comedy sketches, circus acts, cartoons, games and more entertained a live studio audience and national television viewers for decades as Bozo the Clown became a household name. Although Joey D’Auria was the second actor to portray the clown on the Chicago series, he was the unmistakable face for fans of the Millennial generation.

During his career at Capitol Records, businessman Alan W. Livingston was assigned to create a children’s record library. It was there that he created Bozo the Clown, a mascot designed for read-along book sets. The idea was the first of its kind, allowing children to read along to the words and pictures of a book while listening to it. After the creative rights of Bozo the Clown were purchased by Larry Harmon, however, the character became “The World’s Most Famous Clown”.

The Bozo Show aired on WGN Chicago from 1960-2001, with other iterations of the show airing on various television stations in Boston, Washington, D.C. and Grand Rapids. The Chicago franchise was the most popular and successful locally produced children's program in the history of television. The live hour-long show aired weekdays featuring actor Bob Bell as their first Bozo the Clown. He would receive his first Emmy for WGN’s Bozo’s Circus in 1970 and retire in 1984.

An extensive search for the next Bozo the Clown brought forth actor and writer Joey D’Auria. He would go on to play Bozo, as well as become the head writer of The Bozo Show, until the show’s cancellation in 2001.