Absent Sounds Archive

Back in March we asked 10 artists at Treefort Music Fest 2026 some version of the same question: what question their music was trying to answer right now. This is the 3rd of four episodes. Three artists, without knowing the others had done the same thing, were circling this one: What does it cost to let yourself be seen? What gets made in the space between hiding and arriving, and while even when you want to go inward, just like you’re still sitting listening to this on the other end, there is still something or someone, waiting to receive you. Today’s episode is featuring Emily Yacina, Fanclubwallet (Hannah Judge) and Kishi Bashi. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's officially December, which means its officially snowing season. So what better way to welcome in the cold than an interview with cult classic band, Snowing. We sat down with Willow Brazuk and JR back when the sun was still around at New Friends Fest in Toronto—their first time ever playing in Canada. Also joined by our friends Paul and Zac from Farron Keep, we talked about the wonder that was their debut/last record: I Could Do Whatever I Wanted If I Wanted. The episode closes with music from Farron Keep's "The Weight of Rain" so tune in to hear it live on CJAM 99.1 FM Windsor-DetroitTranscript available here: deeandjue.me/absent-sounds Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alexei Shishkin makes music the same way he watches soccer: with an appreciation for improvisation. It's not often we're able to pay attention to the small moment that open into something larger but his record is all about the art of not overcomplicating it. On this episode of Absent Sounds, we have a good time playing through his debut Good Times and talk about how the album came together across a few days in Providence with producer Bradford Krieger. With a random word generator in hand, they quickly crafted a record that has squeezed much creative juice into our hearts. We also talk about his Treefort documentary, Carl Dennis, Microdisney, Pavement, and the difference between art and craft (I'm still figuring out that last piece). You can find an abridged transcript here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of Absent Sounds, Weajue caught John Roseboro to talk through his album Fools — each track feels like a meditation on love, faith, and the strange arithmetic of becoming. Together, this quiet, searching conversation with John helps frame the album as a doorway into memory. We drift throug what does it mean to be known? To surrender? To make art that is an offering.To see more episodes, you can listen live on cjam.ca or find the archives here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Absent Sounds, we head to Kensington Market (Toronto) to rediscover the 2018 record The Love Songs of Oedipus Rex by The Holy Gasp along with the re-release of the documentary that captured its creation.The Holy Gasp is the songwriting and performance project of Benjamin Hackman, who wrote the thirteen track beauty of theatrical, and devastating yet and often darkly funny storytelling. Luke Sargent is a Toronto-based filmmaker, editor, and director whose work both merges with the record through the documentary of the same name. Together, we trace how the record grew out of grief, divorce, therapy, and community, and how Luke’s camera transformed 85 hours of raw footage into a 22-minute film that balances those themes with care. We talk about the intimacy of recording on Toronto Island, the vulnerability of love, and what it means to parent yourself through endings. The conversation is woven through our playthrough of The Love Songs of Oedipus Rex, so tune in to listen to both!Find the can watch the documentary The Love Songs of Oedipus Rex now, here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From August 1–3, New Friends Fest took over Toronto's west end. The annual DIY punk, emo, and hardcore gathering brings bands from across the world together for three days of loud, unfiltered communion. Today's episode is the first of our 2025 NFF festival coverage. The "coolest internet emo band" logged off and touched grass (literally, on the lawn of the Lithuanian House), where we caught up with them after their set. We talked about the vulnerability in their lyrics, the massive 20-piece sound they conjure in the studio versus the rawness of their live shows, and what it feels like to be part of a festival built on care, catharsis, and shared love of the underground. As we play the interview, we also dive into their latest EP Apiary from top to bottom. If you haven't heard it yet, it’s 22 minutes of pure emo bliss in its sweetest, most emotionally potent form. Gingerbee is a band impossible to ignore. To close out the show, we run through Arm's Length's newest record, There’s a Whole World Out There. Listen today at 1pm EST Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode, Weajue is joined by singer-songwriter Avery Friedman to walk through the tender terrain of her debut album, New Thing. What began as a private act of survival- writing songs alone in her room, quickly transformed into a full-bodied practice of vulnerability, expression, and queer joy.We go track by track, unpacking the emotions and stories behind each song: from the aching stillness and reverb of “Biking Standing” to the flirty pop chaos of “Photo Booth.” Along the way, Avery opens up about what it means to try something new in adulthood, to face fear head-on, and to let your awkwardness guide you. Tune in to hear what this album has in store. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.