Simon Comber a.k.a Herriot Row has been penning tunes since his early-2000s student days in Dunedin, and his commitment to the practice has paid off. His latest record, Lesser Stars, is a beautifully crafted labour of love, produced by none other than John Vanderslice (The Mountain Goats, Deerhoof, Spoon) at the cult icon’s Tiny Telephone studio in San Francisco. Sarah quizzed Simon about his serendipitous meeting with Vanderslice; the pros and cons of making music independently in a music industry that’s haphazardly refinding its feet; and some of the literary influences that surface throughout his musical work.

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Dissatisfaction with the known drives the heady melancholy of Guy Andrews’ new album, Tåke. Travelling through Scandanavia last year, the Londoner found himself inspired by the moody expanse of unfamiliar landscapes, and the seeds of creativity took root. Fresh out on Houndstooth, the album blends electronica with elements of techno and post-rock, and features vocals from German-Turkish songwriter Alev Lenz on two tracks.

Sarah put some questions to Guy about the album, and why he purposely sets out to break his musical brain.

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