A Surreal Summer Experience: Northern Nights Music Festival

By: Ezequiel Garcia

As I was driving through the majestic forested landscape of Mendocino county, I wondered what the weekend would have in store for me. I knew little about the lineup, the crowd, and the location. You could definitely consider me a first timer. It made me a little nervous, but soon all my worries and tension would fade in a beautiful release and I would be completely immersed in the sublime Northern Nights Music Festival experience.

To start off with, the Cooks Valley campground location is just captivating. Everywhere you turn there’s an amazing scenic view of redwoods. The serene surroundings ignite your better nature. Then, as you walk through the campsites and crowds you can just feel the positive ambience. People are smiling at you as they walk by, laughing and skipping everywhere. Everyone was just so happy to be there and happy to share the moment with each other. No judgements, all love. It felt like a warm hug from the start.

Each day was its own unique episode. There were so many different activities to satisfy. One moment I was in a much needed yoga session at the grove stage, then I was floating on a giant inflatable unicorn on the Eel River, then I was in awe watching someone paint a giant mural of a dragon, then I was dancing my heart out to music I had never heard before while someone with a colorful light up lasso put me in a visual trance. I was never bored. It was just constant euphoria. Something that I had yet to feel in a handful of other California music festivals I’ve attended. 

As I mentioned before I knew little about the artists I would be seeing, but it didn’t matter, all of it was fuelling my spirit throughout the weekend. The crowds were great, you ever go to some festivals and people are standing around bobbing their heads at most, trying to look cool. Well I assure you there is none of that. The crowds were poppin’. 

The standout performances that made me immediately look up these artists when I got home were Crooked Colours, Desert Hearts, and ZHU. I was really into the groovy fusions of psychedelic rhythms and dance beats. Each had eye catching visuals, the production was fantastic. 

Northern Nights Music Festival won my heart in a weekend. I left feeling grateful to have been able to have been a part of something so special, and I hope that in sharing this more people can join me next year. The organizers and everyone involved in the making of Northern Nights should be extremely proud. I could keep rambling about how much I enjoyed this festival but no words or pictures could ever do this magical experience justice. Come and live it for yourself

Northernnights.org For more details on this magical festival 

Stay updated and follow @NNMFestival on Instagram & Twitter and @NorthernNightsMusicFestival on Facebook.

Album Review: A Tale So Familiar- Nana Adjoa

by: Kai Henriksen

Nana Adjoa brings an abundance of creativity to the table with her great new album A Tale So Familiar. The dreamy tracks in the album use unique chord progressions that you wouldn’t expect as well as a variety of instruments. Nana Adjoa’s vocals are rich and emotional in all these tracks which adds another aspect of beauty to the music. Although each track features compelling progressions, there is a decline of tempo and instrumental intensity throughout this album. Track one, Sometimes Love is Evil, is definitely the most driving and powerful song whereas track four, Simmer Down is more ethereal. However, this is not detrimental to the enjoyment one gets out of listening to the album.

Although the first song’s lyrics are a bit repetitive, Sometimes Love is Evil showcases great use of dynamics and development as the track progresses. It features smooth acoustic guitar lines that are very melodically pleasing as well as driving drums and dynamic, confident female vocals.

DOOA starts off slowly with a subtle but constant metronome-like ticking which transforms into a compelling and complex drum track consisting of various clicks and taps. This song is very melancholy but has a powerful chorus that uses interesting chords and makes want to listen to it many more times. Nana Adjoa’s voice is simply fantastic in this song and makes the track much more emotional.

Simple Things begins with acoustic guitar and Nana Adjoa’s vocals which are rich and clear. She continues to use chord progressions that you don’t normally hear in this song especially in the chorus and she pulls it off well.

Simmer Down is a slower song with soft electric guitar, grand piano, and warm vocals. This song’s hook is very captivating yet only a handful of measures which makes you savor it as it passes.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoy this album from start to finish and have to come to appreciate Nana Adjoa’s artistic talent. Although this album is only four songs long, all the tracks in A Tale So Familiar are compelling and hold your interest until the end. Nana does a great job of changing the chord progression and adding breakdowns in the middle of songs in order to keep things interesting. Nana Adjoa’s is a skillful composer, vocalist, and musician who makes very unique music and I would definitely recommend this album to people that enjoy dreamy indie and art pop as well as anyone who just wants to explore quality unique music.

A Few Minutes with CRAY

Interview with CRAY, short for Cheney Ray. Interview by Collin Turner for KCSC Radio at Snowglobe Festival, December 31st, 2018.

CT: Well first of all, congratulations. Tonight was super fun, your set was great. Did you play any other shows this weekend?

CRAY: Thank you so much. I did, I played Contact in Vancouver, BC. I played that two days ago.

CT: Is it a different feeling playing shows to bring in the New Year this weekend?

CRAY: Yeah, everyone’s excited, everyone’s celebrating. The energy’s higher, which is like super awesome. So yeah.

CT: How was 2018 for you?

CRAY: 2018 was amazing! Lots of growth, lots of new shit. I learned the music I wanna make. I learned about what I wanna do with my set. This year in 2018 I was also thinking about 2019. I was planning most about what I wanna do next year. I wanna do an EP.

CT: You’re kind of laying the groundwork, you had singles that came out and everything–

CRAY: Yes. I wanna do an EP next year. A couple EPs next year, a live performance, I wanna do a band… I have all of it planned out and this year really helped me flesh it out.

 

CT: Awesome. So you’re a gamer, right? What are your favorite games?

CRAY: Yes. My favorite game of all time is Fallout, the Fallout series. I’m playing Red Dead Redemption 2, horror games… I play Fortnite a little bit. I play everything but my favorite game ever is Fallout.

CT: Any advice or wisdom for people trying to get into the industry?

CRAY: My advice is to just to keep fucking trucking. I know it might seem like you might not make it. I know I’ve been doing this five years now, and the first two and a half, three I made zero money. I didn’t give my entire life to music… I was too scared. I didn’t know if I would have anything else so I did Twitch for a backup. So always have a backup plan. Don’t give your entire life to something you don’t know is going to happen. Make sure to have a side job, side hustle. Music is really hard, money is slow, so just make sure to keep on trucking, putting out content constantly. Make friends with the industry, hit up your promoters, play shows, put videos out, and at some point you’ll make it if you keep doing all that.

CT: Do you have any resolutions for next year?

CRAY: I don’t really believe in resolutions… I feel like it’s kind of bullshit. I just wanna keep living exactly the way I’m living. I wanna work on relationships because I know that I’m touring a lot and it’s been a little harder to connect with my family and my friends so I wanna make sure I try and balance that out. I go to therapy and it’s hard and overwhelming with touring and music so other than that, I just wanna make sure I’m living the way I’m living.

Collin Turner

Local Music Director askcsclocal@csuchico.edu

kcscradio.com

A Short Chat with Party Favor

Interview with Dylan Ragland, also known as Party Favor. Interviewed by Collin Turner for KCSC Radio at Snowglobe Festival on December 29th, 2018.

CT: What made you want to get into electronic music?

Party Favor: I fell in love with electronic music really early on, in high school. The only people making house music at that time lived in Europe. Then I went to college and brought that love over — my love of electronic music and mashups. Over time I started DJ’ing, started throwing parties in college. At the time I was DJ’ing, I wasn’t even making music. And then I graduated college, I was working at a real person job, I decided to quit one day and just pursue this… that’s the super abbreviated version.

CT: You were born in Manhattan and now you’re based in L.A. Is California home?

PF: California’s home. Almost all my family lives here, I’ve lived here most of my life, so yeah, California’s definitely home. The lifestyle — it’s also a way of life for me — I feel much more like a California person than I do New York. I love New York though, was just there last week.

CT: Considering how fast the electronic genre grows and changes, is it hard to stay on top of the trends?

PF: Yeah, I think it is. I think that the important thing is to not always chase trends, try to keep doing you, and what made you popular… because if you’re constantly chasing trends, you’re a trend chaser. You literally are someone who’s not allowing yourself to have any real sound. There’s ways to take your sound and have it blend and grow with the times. That’s also one of the hardest things to do, you know, how do you stay relevant?

CT: You’ve been touring consistently all year, from Coachella and Hard Summer to China and Indonesia. Do any of those shows stand out as the most memorable?

PF: You know I think it goes without saying that Coachella, for any artist — doesn’t matter if you’re in rock, or rap, or hip hop, or country, it doesn’t matter — Coachella is kind of the pinnacle, and for me to be able to play there… I mean, for me, that’s something I never even dreamed would happen and for me when I was up there, it was like a pinch-me moment the whole time. All those countries you named, I’ve been very fortunate to be able to play all over the world and everywhere I go it always blows my mind to look out and see people singing my songs and they don’t even speak my language.

CT: So after tonight’s set you’re going straight to Hakkasan in Las Vegas, and then San Bernardino for Countdown on New Year’s Eve. Is there anything special about playing shows to ring in the New Year?

PF: Yeah, I think New Year’s weekend is one of those weekends like, you know, Halloween weekend, Fourth of July Weekend, where everyone just plans to party. I think people are kind of in the mind state where they want to go crazy and wild. This might be the craziest weekend yet because two of the days we have two shows those days. It’s just a whirlwind to do all the travel and everything else.

CT: Do you have any resolutions for 2019?

PF: Oh man… continue drinking a lot of water. And put out my album! I’m really excited to tour, put out my album and really stay true to our vision and brand with our stage production, visuals, everything. It’s all kind of becoming a new brand and a new identity, so at least for 2019 that’s the plan. I want to make sure I stick to it and don’t get too hard on myself and start to turn away.

CT: We’re excited for that. Congratulations.

PF: Thank you, man.

Collin Turner

Local Music Director

askcsclocal@csuchico.edu

kcscradio.com

Snowglobe 2018 Recap

It’s a known fact that people seek out shows and performances as a way to celebrate the beginning of a new year. It’s also true that there is no experience like the one shared by attendees of Snowglobe Music Festival in South Lake Tahoe, CA. Snowglobe 2018 offered three stages where a blizzard of well-curated musical talent, dazzling light shows, and eager crowds came together to dance and let go for three days in a beautiful forest setting.

Back in 2015, Snowglobe was one of the first festivals I went to and I was glad to be back a few years later. This year the first day kicked off with a diverse range of sounds. Most notably, Chico State student and artist known as Subfer debuted his first live set adding in guitar and a drum pad at the Sierra stage. All the Chico State students in attendance were there to support him along with a large, energetic crowd. The underrated talent Ashe came on in the Igloo and blessed the crowd with her beautiful voice and refreshing beats. A loyal audience assembled for a set by DC-based rapper Goldlink, though I only caught a little of it. I had the chance to see him at Snowglobe 2015. It was my first time seeing Kaskade and his set far exceeded my expectations. He kept us on our feet by mashing up electronic tracks with classic songs like Red Hot Chili Peppers “Under the Bridge” and Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” After Kaskade, Big Gigantic came on the Main Stage and delivered one of the best sets of the weekend. The seamless combination of live saxophone, keyboard and drums with hard bass drops was awesome. The end of the night was only tough because I couldn’t see three sets at once, so I saw a little of each. Anna Lunoe closed out the night with an unpredictable but fun set

at the Igloo. Party Favor threw down trap bangers and debuted a new collaboration with GTA at the Sierra. Meanwhile, the alien bass queen Rezz controlled minds, and lights, going off on the Main Stage.

Day two started out with sets from underrated talents such as Hex Cougar, Wuki, and Franklyn Watts. Baauer brought heat to the Main Stage and nearly melted all the ice on the ground. Following him, we got a taste of Tyga at the Main Stage, JSTJR held it down at the Sierra and Sacha Robotti kept warm house vibes flowing in the Igloo tent. It wasn’t long until I was back at the Main Stage for two of my favorites in the genre, Soffi Tukker. They weren’t able to do their usual live performance, but still never missed a beat as Soffi sang along with the crowd to their high-energy dance tracks. The highly anticipated RL Grime was next on the Main Stage and delivered massive synths and a beastly bass-filled set. At the same time, Chris Lake and Walker & Royce delivered a house sermon to an overflowing Igloo crowd. One of the nice things about this festival is that it’s small enough to walk from stage to stage without missing much. I was able to catch some of Ekali’s closing set at the Sierra which was definitely fun. I listened to the legend Diplo shut down the main stage and send the crowd home satisfied after a full, exciting day.

On Monday, New Year’s Eve, the weather was colder but anticipation was rising. The first set I saw was CRAY at the Sierra stage. She crushed it with a beautifully ratchet bass-heavy set. I caught some of Yung Bae’s groovy, disco-inspired mix in the Igloo. After the sun went down and some snow began to fall, the area looked beautiful illuminated by the stage lights. The crowd gathered in force at the Main Stage for NIGHTMRE b2b SLANDER. The dynamic duo did not disappoint, dropping filthy bass for eager headbangers. I dropped by Slumberjack at the Sierra, and they were also tandem killing it and blowing minds. After his big album “Irene” came out, people were looking forward to Medasin’s set. He did not disappoint, with melodic and thick grooves at the Sierra. I caught a bit of Gorgon City at the Main Stage and their brilliant sounds warmed up the stage nicely before Above & Beyond. The last performances of the festival gave the crowd a tough decision of which to see. AC Slater b2b Wax Motif rang in the New Year with a dope Igloo set. Manila Killa b2b Chet Porter was an intriguing performance. The trance icons Above & Beyond moved the crowd with their headliner Main Stage set. They reminded the crowd to never forget about love and to cherish the small moments in life. Everyone cheered as the countdown commenced and a flurry of fireworks lit up the crisp night sky in Lake Tahoe.

Collin Turner

Local Music Director

askcsclocal@csuchico.edu

kcscradio.com

Desert Daze

By: Shannon Hanson

Desert Daze, held at Lake Perris State Recreation Area, was a dreamy destination festival.

Heavy downpour lightning storms and live performances aren’t a good mix so unfortunately they had to shut the festival down only a few songs into Tame Impala’s set, the big headliner festival goers were looking forward to. Funny how it just so happened to be the one time Southern California ever sees a storm. Friday parking was also a problem the staff had to work around because the new venue only had a limited amount of entrances. Desert Daze staff sent out a statement about it that included this: “We also acknowledge that patrons experienced difficulties entering the venue in a timely fashion and we have been proactive in trying to resolve this…. All parties involved are confident that this new strategy for getting fans into the Moreno Beach grounds during the remainder of the festival will be faster and more efficient. Parking will remain free for the remainder of the weekend and all Friday Single Day tickets will be honored today, Saturday, October 13.”

We were prepared for the worst on Saturday, praying it wouldn’t be shut down again before sets such as Chelsea Wolfe, Slowdive and King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard because of heavy rain and lightning. To our delight it only drizzled slightly and then stopped when we went into The Theater, a stage covered by a tent with a rad art installation in the back consisting of a bunch of box TVs wired together, an old arcade game where you could play Street Fighter, and vaporwave aesthetics. The crowd was finally beaming again as we all headbanged and danced around to the sweet electric sound of Cat Scan.

Chelsea Wolfe

Chelsea Wolfe’s set was dark and you could feel the bass rumble in your chest contrasted with her beautiful voice left a very haunting feeling over the crowd. King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard’s set was the highlight of day two for me. The music was real groovy then got into these crazy breakdowns that made you feel like you were at a metal show. The visuals were so well done to create an all engulfing environment you just couldn’t look away from. Straight from seeing them at The Moon, we ran over to see Shannon and the Clams at The Block, which looked like they put a stage in a kaleidoscope. Everyone was so smiley, dancing around and I saw a lot of couples swing dancing on the fast songs then slow dancing together when things calmed down. The atmosphere of their set was all around love and togetherness at 2am.

Shannon and the Clams

Sunday’s weather was absolutely perfect, giving us those sunny desert vibes we were hoping for. I just so happened to have pool tubes in my car for some random reason which was the best thing ever since the whole festival was on the beach of a lake. People were laying in the sand and splashing around to the tunes of the main stage.

DEATH GRIPS! I can’t even begin to describe how crazy the energy of this crowd was. It went from hippie chill vibes and then MC Ride, their vocalist brought everyone into a different head space with their experimental hip hop slappers that have a slight punk feel. They were extreme with their visuals, playing in front of an all white screen while the side screens were all glitchy. It was very fitting for the mood.

One of my favorite spaces of Desert Daze was The Sanctuary, a small dome in the middle of the festival grounds where experimental and noise artists were playing. There were some crazy modular synths laying down heavy sound. Everyone was either laying down or sitting up in a trance. It was such an intense experience. Sound Bath was like a noise cleanse to your soul.

The best thing was all the art installations that surrounded us. Beautiful flowing sheets, a makeshift spaceship glittered with disco balls and colorful glass, a woven patchwork teepee with creepy dolls spider webbed in to the walls, neon everywhere. At night the whole place lit up like an electric playground with people climbing all over jungle gym structures, gazing out to the distant stages. One sculpture artist had two different pieces that they combined Sunday afternoon. The main ideas of them both were long fabric strands blowing in the wind. When they were combined there was a chill vibey performance from a guy with a modular synth and a reel to reel tape recorder. Everyone was lounging around in bean bag chairs with their eyes closed, soaking up the sun and the sounds.

Even though there were some issues with Desert Daze this year because of the venue change and extreme weather, I think it was successful and I hope that the keep using Lake Perris for the upcoming years. The lake surrounded by mountains makes for a beautiful backdrop to compliment the amazing artists showcased. I’m already looking forward to next year!

https://desertdaze.org/

A Few of my Favorite Things: Northern Nights 2018

By Reba Smith

After a beautiful early morning drive through the redwood trees we arrived at the Cooks Campground where the gates to Northern Nights had just opened and cars full of excited and anxious people were waiting to start their weekend shenanigans. Hammocks were being strung in the grove campground, everywhere you looked giant floaties here being blown up, the pedicabs were in full force, and despite the summer heat everyone had a massive smile on their face.

With a weekend full of so many amazing moments it’s hard to write a quick recap so below i’m going to give you guys my top 10 moments from this years Northern Nights (in no particular order).

1.) The Friday night Dirtybird showcase. Everyone along with their totems flocked to the main stage as soon as it opened to dance to some of the best house music around. The crowd was literally glowing and had turned into a whole new group of people as soon as it became dark. At one point I even watched people do double-dutch with a light up jump rope.

2.) Finding the EPIC camp, connecting with everyone from Chico, and being able to hear a set from Confido.

3.) Around 3 am, randomly stumbling upon a secret stage on a bus with a giant LED screen where Joyzu and Roger That played a set that ended with an iconic Daft Punk mix.

4.) River Stage all the way. There was nothing better than having camp set up, rallying the squad, and being able to escape the heat by riding an inflatable unicorn or laying in a hammock in the river while listening to some slappers from the River Stage.

5.) Dancing with a pineapple front row during Thomas Jack then proceeding to feed that pineapple to everyone around me in the crowd.

6.) Absolutely everything about the Grove Stage. Being in the trees already made it feel like you were in a fairy tale but then the amazing Neverland themed decor really brought that to life. There were comfy places to relax, a huge dance floor, and an area to write/post love notes. The absolute best part though was the pirate ship you could hang out on which included a plank to walk off of into… A BALL PIT!

7.) Rossy back to back Madnap at the silent disco! I love Rossy already and hearing their set made me an even bigger fan. She’s definitely someone to keep an eye (and ear) on. This girl is going places!

8.) Annie Dolly bringing some killer rap vibes to DivaDanielle’s late night Bunker Stage set. The newly remodeled Bunker stage in general was one of my favorite things from this year. Every night until sunrise it was the place to either dance out the rest of your energy then relax on some comfy AstroTurf. The performers on this stage were unreal and like nothing i’ve ever seen before. Shout out to the Grinder Girls!

9.) Seeing all the massive live art being created and watching the progress each day. The artists were really cool down to earth people that loved doing what they do and that was clear in their picture perfect work.

10.) Mr. Carmack not only throwing down but giving a little pep talking about being there for your friends. To me, one of the best parts of being at a festival is having moments like this where artists are able to connect with us on a personal level.

Northern Nights is a magical place that quickly becomes your home away from home. The community of people are welcoming and not afraid to be who they are. Everyone is truly there to enjoy the music and have fun together. As always, it was hard to leave but luckily there’s next year to look forward to. So don’t forget to #makethejourney for summer 2019.

Follow Northern Nights on Facebook and Instagram for updates! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NorthernNightsMusicFestival/

Instagram: @nnmfestival

Hanging With Ranger Dave At Outside Lands 2018 By Reba Smith

As festival season starts to wind down and back to school is way too close for comfort the 11th annual Outside Lands music and arts festival was a perfect escape. Outside Lands is located in picture perfect Golden Gate Park, one of San Francisco’s greatest treasures. The cool San Francisco weather was refreshing, and unlike any other California music festival. Here’s a little recap of my weekend:

The Music

With six different stages and a wide range of artists, there was never a dull moment. I think that the hardest part was having to decide which performances to watch. Although, the schedule builder on the Outside Lands app really helped ease the planning stress.

Some of the most stand out performances in my opinion were, Billie Eilish, Odesza, Mac Demarco, Jamie XX, CHVRCHES, Florence + The Machine, Lizzo, Illenium, Hobo Johnson & the LoveMakers, Bon Iver, and Rainbow Kitten Surprise. I have so much to say about many of the amazing artists but two of them really spoke to me and I think their messages were worth sharing. 

If you don’t know Lizzo you should, she introduced herself to the crowd by saying “I’m all about body positivity and self love. No matter what the trending tweet is love your damn self”. The rest of her set included a twerk tutorial from herself and her backup dancers, The Big Girls. As well as getting the entire crowd to chant “I am my inspiration”. Lizzo had the crowd in the palm of her hands the entire performance. I’ve never seen a stage so actively involved in dancing and singing along. Lizzo is the definition of a performer and her vocals are unreal.

Later that night Florence + The Machine also spoke words of love and positivity but in a completely different way. Florence asked everyone in the crowd to hold hands with the people next to them, even if they were strangers. She told us not just to listen to the music but to hear it with our soul. Florence dedicated Dog Days to “anyone who’s had a messy teens or late twenties”. She told the crowd, “I really do believe in you. Just do what you can cause I promise you the little things, they matter, and you matter.” Later on in her set, before singing, Florence asked everyone in the crowd to put their phones away so they could release everything and be in a safe space while doing so. Not only did she put on an entertaining and interactive show, but Florence’s vocals the entire performance were stunningly beautiful and captivating.

Both of these performances stood out as something that made Outside Lands special. Having artists that many people look up to, with so much positivity to spread to a crowd of people is important and lasting. Words like those aren’t easily forgotten even after the festival is over. 

The Art

A huge factor that sets Outside Lands apart from other festivals is the art. Almost everywhere you looked there was a different massive art installment. Each year, different artists, often local ones, create a live art piece that is used to decorate the fences at Golden Gate Park. This means there’s no shortage of backdrops for Instagram photos and each year you can pose with your favorite piece again.

The Food

As for food, there were so many options it was difficult to decide what to eat each day. As soon as I walked into the area of Lands End the smell of food was wafting through the air. Lining the entire entrance to the main stage were local food booths as far as I could see. To be specific, there were over 200 menu options from the best Bay Area restaurants. Day one I ate a Fried chicken Sandwich from Proposition Chicken. Day two I tried something a little more adventurous, a ramen burger from Nombe. Both were amazing and now I’m really excited to eat at the actual restaurants next time I visit San Francisco. 

If the Lands End food wasn’t enough, spread out along the festival grounds were a plethora of themed culinary offerings. Examples of those were; Wine Lands, Cheese Lands, Beer Lands, and our local Sierra Nevada Brewery even had a Beer Camp tent that served a beer specifically brewed for Outside Lands. I was incredibly impressed with how many vegetarian, vegan, and even gluten free options there were throughout the festival. Best of all was the focus on being sustainable. All of the items that food and drinks were served with were compostable. Much like Chico State, for the first time this year, Outside Lands was free of plastic straws throughout the festival grounds. Although compostable paper straws were available by request.

Luckily for everyone, the dates for Outside Lands 2019 have been set. Mark your calendars for August 9-11, 2019 and be sure to follow their social media accounts for the lineup release as well as other updates.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SFOutsideLands/

Instagram: @outsidelands

Twitter: @sfoutsidelands

Hanging With Ranger Dave at Outside Lands 2018

As festival season starts to wind down and back to school is way too close for comfort the 11th annual Outside Lands music and arts festival was a perfect escape. Outside Lands is located in picture perfect Golden Gate Park, one of San Francisco’s greatest treasures. The cool San Francisco weather was refreshing, and unlike any other California music festival. Here’s a little recap of my weekend:

Snuffy Interview

Northern Nights Featured Artist: Snuffy.

By Matt Dennis

This year’s Northern Nights Music Festival is overflowing with talent including some local artists from right here in Chico. One of the artists on our must see list this year is a new act to the Northern Nights stage: Snuffy.

Snuffy. is a unique duo formed by Andre Kouchechey, from Palo Alto, and Duncan Green, from San Luis Obispo. The two met in San Luis Obispo when they formed Good Nature Collective, a record company that has grown to include international talent. Snuffy. was originally a pet project of Kouchechey’s but the project didn’t really take off until he begun his partnership with Green.

“Pretty much the person who taught me everything was Duncan,” explained Kouchechey. “Kinda like a master mentor thing turned into a partnership.”

The two have been interested in music from young ages. Green has been taking band while in school since the third grade. Green went to college for Jazz and has been producing now for about 8 years. When the two met a little over a year and a half ago Green begun teaching Kouchechey about production, which sparked their partnership.

Kouchechey and Green from an interesting duo because of their difference in musical influences and the fact that the two are not only musical partners but roommates as well.

“Its been wild…” explained Kouchechey, “but I feel like if we can overcome being roommates then we can overcome any musical differences.”

Kouchechey has always been interested in music but his passion for music didn’t manifest until he begun producing. Kouchechey’s musical inspiration comes from bay area roots rap music and early 2000’s hip hop. While Green’s inspiration comes from artists like Bob Dylan and John Casey and takes a more lyrical approach. Both however do draw inspiration from artists like Mr. Carmack and members of the Courteous family.

This duo has such a unique sound that has is hard to classify.

“The most accurate representation is like psychedelic hip-hop,” stated Green.

“We like to incorporate snippets of music and get weird with it,” added Kouchechey.

After the formation of Good Nature, the duo begun playing as many shows they could, so excited to get out and seize every opportunity. After playing at several house and beach parties the two begun playing shows, opening for acts like Wolfgang Gartner and Drezo. Around this time the members of Good Nature begun to spread out and Snuffy, moved up to Chico.

Upon moving to Chico the two discovered the amazing the crowd that exists here. They began playing music in Chico at the Basement, a once a week electronic music event. Shortly after moving to Chico the duo got involved in EPIC productions, a CSU Chico State Alumni run business specializing in concert production & promotions. Through EPIC the duo has had the opportunity to play huge shows and open for acts like Carnage.

“Playing that Carnage show was so fun…” said Green, “… Chico has a more down crowd!”

Thanks to their partnership with EPIC Snuffy. will be performing at this year’s Northern Nights Music Festival. This will be the duo’s first time not only performing at Northern Nights but attending as well. The duo is very excited not only to perform at Northern Nights but to participate as well. When asked what they were excited for with the festival Green responded with “The River! Let’s Go!”

It’s not too late to see this amazing duo and the other talented acts at this years Northern Nights Music Festival happening this July 20th through the 22nd. Follow Snuffy. on Facebook and Sound Cloud to stay up to date on their performances and new music releases. Snuffy. is definitely a duo to keep your eyes on.