The Audio Stories

"It’s my most powerful version of myself, the kind of demonic, B-movie vamp. That sounds like something that a male journalist would write, but I’m actually kind of into it.” 

Charli XCX talks death, rebirth and what could be her final album in our Collections Vol. 3 cover story. Written by Sasha Geffen and narrated by Eliza Lomas.


The Cover Story: Charli XCX

“You get afforded a lot of luxury as a somewhat&nbsp;successful musician, so you wanna feel like you’re&nbsp;giving something back.”

One of the most admired producers of his generation is searching for his own voice. Joy Orbison gives his only interview of 2021 for The Collections Vol. 3. Written by Richard Akingbehin and narrated by Eliza Lomas.


The Cover Story: Joy Orbison

“The&nbsp;internet can be cruel; it can make assumptions. I’m not trying&nbsp;to have assumptions being made about me that aren’t true.

PinkPantheress makes sense of her rapid-quick rise to alt-pop stardom for the cover of The Collections Vol. 3. Written by Jasmine Kent-Smith and narrated by Eliza Lomas.


The Cover Story: PinkPantheress

“I think if I didn’t have music I’d be a really angry person and find life really difficult."

In a rare interview for The Collections Vol. 3, Mica Levi reflects on their fluid approach to creativity and how to infiltrate the mainstream while staying DIY. Written by Adam Quarshie and narrated by Eliza Lomas.


The Cover Story: Mica Levi

The audio version of our Issue 126 cover story, featuring John Glacier.

Read the cover story: https://crackm.ag/John

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The Cover Story: John Glacier

"I think of a thing, and then I ask, ‘What is the history? Is there a depth behind it?’"

Composer, vocalist, Grammy-award winner, storyteller. Arooj Aftab is reimagining the music of centuries past, and making history as she goes. We meet the Pakistani artist for our June cover story. 

Written by Michelle Hyun Kim and narrated by Keziah Wenham-Kenyon.

Read the cover story: crackm.ag/AroojAftab
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The Cover Story: Arooj Aftab

“Making music is not something I do because I want to make money. It’s something I do because it’s what I am. I don’t feel like I can detach myself from that as an identity.”

Mr. Mitch talks fatherhood, functional club music and his new working process for the Issue 132 feature. Written by Will Pritchard and narrated by Keziah Wenham-Kenyon.

Read the story: crackm.ag/3xLkWAG
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The Audio Story: Mr. Mitch

“I struggled with my religious upbringing for years after I became an adult and right now, right at the tail-end of this record, I’ve realised I’ve made peace with everything.”

As Ethel Cain, Hayden Silas Anhedönia calls upon memories of her strict religious upbringing to create her own Southern epic. We catch up with the 'Preacher's Daughter' artist Issue 132. Written by Emma Garland and narrated by Keziah Wenham-Kenyon.

Read the story: crackm.ag/3xLkWAG
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The Audio Story: Ethel Cain

“We are trying to combine Polynesian culture and electronic music, halfway between tradition and modernism.”

In Tahiti, the main island in French Polynesia, music is an integral part of the culture. As essential to everyday life as water or air. But there’s one style of music that reigns supreme: sapa’u, also known as ori deck.

For Issue 132, we connect with some of the style's biggest players and delves into the story and culture behind the emerging genre. Written by Tiare Tuuhia and narrated by Keziah Wenham-Kenyon.

Read the story: crackm.ag/3b4oiXV
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The Audio Story: Ori Deck

Last year, Crack Magazine collaborated with BIMM Institute Bristol on a series of live talks featuring some of the most influential and inventive voices in contemporary music.

Here, Eliza Rose – the east London artist and DJ behind 2022 smash hit, 'B.O.T.A. (Baddest of Them All)' – and DJ and broadcaster Vanessa Maria connect for a conversation about the song and its success, Rose’s career thus far, her relationship with social media, performance anxiety and future plans. Stay tuned to the end to hear Eliza answer some questions from the audience.

Our podcasts are also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other audio platforms. This episode was moderated by Vanessa Maria and edited by Keziah Wenham-Kenyon.


How to make a number one hit: A conversation with Eliza Rose

Crack Magazine has been collaborating with&nbsp;BIMM Institute Bristol&nbsp;on a series of live talks featuring some of the most influential and inventive voices in contemporary music.

In this podcast episode, we hear from Pau Cristòful, who works on the booking team at Primavera Sound. For the conversation series, Pau sat down with Crack co-founder and director Thomas Frost at BIMM Institute Bristol to discuss the planning, creativity, and ambition that it takes to program Primavera Sound – one of Europe's largest music festivals – with a focus on its 2022 edition. Listen until the end to hear Pau answer questions from the conversation audience.

Our podcasts are also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other audio platforms. This episode was moderated by Thomas Frost and edited by Keziah Wenham-Kenyon.

How to book the perfect line-up: A conversation with Pau Cristòful

Crack Magazine has been collaborating with BIMM Institute Bristol on a series of talks featuring some of the most influential and inventive voices in contemporary music.

In this episode, we welcome DJ, label-boss and general future-thinker Elijah. As the co-founder of Butterz, Elijah has been instrumental in uplifting the rise of artists like Flava D, Royal T and DJ Q. Beyond the label, his work with Youth Music and his iconic yellow squares insights on social media have established him as an important and imaginative voice in British independent music. Here, Elijah chats to Crack’s Audio Manager, Jasmine Kent-Smith, over Zoom about his entry into the music industry, Butterz, and supporting artists in 2023.

This episode was moderated by Jasmine Kent-Smith and edited by Keziah Wenham-Kenyon.

How to support independent artists: A conversation with Elijah

The audio version of our&nbsp;Issue 140 cover story, featuring Caroline Polachek.

“I feel like culture in general is suffering from a need for everything to be literal. It’s almost like we’ve forgotten that’s never why we were interested in art in the first place”

Caroline Polachek is no stranger to drama. Guided by her breathtaking voice, the experimental pop artist has written operas, earned a Grammy nomination and even inspired a TikTok dance craze. For her next chapter, she’s surrendering to chaos.

This cover story was written by Jake Indiana and narrated by Keziah Wenham-Kenyon.

The Cover Story: Caroline Polachek

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