Music, at its core, is a sonic expression of human emotion. Be it sadness, elation, or yearning, it’s a transmission to us from the artist, of how they were feeling when they made it, or at a certain point in time. Most music can convey the intended emotions, and some music can even transport us to the artist’s world for a moment. But, at least in my experience, few artists can truly make you FEEL exactly what they felt. One of those rare artists is Gnat, the stage name of Nat Rezek, an indie/folk singer-songwriter based out of Los Angeles and hailing from rainy Seattle. In a deluge of sad people with acoustic guitars, their music stands out with incredibly detailed and crisp production, with layers that most listeners won’t even notice. Gnat’s vocals float over the melancholic, sometimes haunting instrumentation (of which they played every part themselves) with complex harmonies that fill the space of the song, but never smother you. Gnat’s crushing lyrics are the final ingredient that ties together their debut EP, “It Better Be Perfect”, touching on themes of dysfunctional relationships, being neglected by people they love, and other deeply personal calamities. It is genuinely one of my favorite releases of the year, and I am thrilled to share this interview with Nat, and their music, with you.

In this episode, Brylan and (G)Nat discuss Nat’s upbringing in Seattle and how the musical spirit of the city influenced their artistry (including the time they performed on the same stage as a certain famed grunge band), how listening to Christina Perri at a young age helped them find the emotional vocabulary to write their own music, and Nat and Brylan’s shared love for Coldplay and playing clarinet. Brylan also puts Nat’s instincts to the test, getting them to identify famous bands’ original names that never took (some of which are truly terrible). Finally, the pair deep dive into a few tunes from the Gnat EP, as well as take a sneak peak at some unreleased music from Nat’s other music project, Dinner With Me.

You’ll get way more than your “Fill” with this interview!

Listen to Gnat’s music!

Apple Music - https://music.apple.com/us/artist/gnat/1800535446

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/13kNQ91Oan8twenAijXeXN

Follow Gnat on Social Media!

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/gnat.rezek

TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@gnat.rezek

Listen to Dinner With Me’s Music:

Apple Music - https://music.apple.com/us/artist/dinner-with-me/1710290974

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/5zIwTj4rjgJ1G68Z8Hjikl

Follow Dinner With Me on Social Media:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/dinnerwithme.hehe

Songs used in this episode:

“Conscious Uncoupling” by Pool Kids

“Grandfather Clock” by Gnat

“Fill” by Gnat

“Maximum Love” by Dinner With Me (Unreleased)

Follow the show!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.testpress

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thetestpress

It’s imperative, in modern times, for musicians to be a jack of all trades. With ever shrinking revenue from traditional avenues, we’re being pushed to do more and more to keep our careers afloat. This is a challenge that Josephine was made for: she’s a producer, singer, songwriter, polyglot, disruptive entrepreneur, amateur carpenter, and literally too many other things to list. While she maintains a subtle air of mystery, you still feel like you know her after talking to her, and undoubtedly walk away with a new friend.

Josephine’s music combines a variety of different influences (she’s as much a jazz head as an appreciator of rock and electronic). This shows in her catalogue, as her output consists of songs of entirely different genres, but united in impeccable production, an ear for melody, and personal yet relatable lyrics.

In this episode of The Test Press Podcast (Jo’s first ever podcast highlighting her Josephine Project), the two discuss Josephine’s potentially dangerous beginnings as a young creative, Brylan gets to the bottom of Jo’s music collective/consumer good startup Cosmic Jelly, and consider the healing power of creating. Later, in a Test Press first, the two engage in a beat battle judged by a surprise guest. Finally, Brylan talks to Josephine about her bombastic tune “Stop Chasing Flower Girls !”, a rock/hyperpop-adjacent single imprinted with Jo’s incredible production chops that will have you hitting the replay button.

You’ll love this episode “like all your fantasies do”!

Stream Josephine's Music!

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/0wlvnU5h8N4RV7V3urpo0w?si=jO9bR43aSvKor4JFOpJ6kQ

Apple Music - https://music.apple.com/us/artist/josephine/215588168

Check out Josephine's startup/artist collective Cosmic Jelly:

https://www.cosmic-jelly.com/

Songs used in this episode:

1. "Stop Chasing Flower Girls !" by Josephine - https://open.spotify.com/track/2PQFsagoqdSDOeJOkM0Zi9?si=37717c622a1c487c

Follow the show!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.testpress

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thetestpress

Indie rock is a crowded field these days. It’s difficult to cut through the noise; the literally thousands of new indie tracks uploaded each day. Social media, the tool artists rely on to reach new fans and break their music, is overrun with peers trying to accomplish the same goal. While it’s genuinely sad people’s hard work gets reduced to 3 second sound-bites, there quite literally isn’t enough time in the day to listen to every hopeful artist’s pitch for fandom.

However, a few months prior to this interview, I heard a song while scrolling through instagram that halted me. The soaring and powerful guitars (manned by founder Chris O’Keefe & the luscious locks of Nick Nassab) beautifully complimented the expressive vocals of lead singer Dani Judith, with Jake Kaspari (bass) and Ryan Williams’ (drums) work in the rhythm section hypnotizing me into a head nod. I would discover this (soon to be relentlessly replayed) tune was “Fruitless”, the title track off the latest EP from NorCal’s own Rainbow City Park. After listening to their whole discography many times over, and very possibly becoming their biggest fan, I simply had to get them on the show.

In summation, an Instagram ad lead us to this very interview, where I sat down with Rainbow City Park to discuss their newest indie/alt-rock EP, “Fruitless”. We also chatted about their musical inspirations, their very 2025 origin story (Chris assembled the gang from various internet spaces), and their dream to play a show at the actual Rainbow City Park (which most of the members, inexplicably, haven’t even been to). Later, the group sees if we can identify who’s embarrassing story is who’s, where I tell the band a story they got a real “kick” out of.

You’ll absolutely be making this episode your “end all be all”!

Buy Rainbow City Park's Music on Bandcamp: https://rainbowcitypark.bandcamp.com

Stream Rainbow City Park's Music:

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/7D859YwLQQnOwzDouWtcmd

Apple Music - https://music.apple.com/us/artist/rainbow-city-park/1617489961

Follow Rainbow City Park on Social Media!

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rainbowcitypark

Threads - https://www.threads.com/@rainbowcitypark

Follow the show!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.testpress

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thetestpress