Sam Hansell is one of the coolest new voices we’ve come across in a while. At only nineteen, this Ontario-based musician became Mistape Records’ first featured artist, releasing the album Inopia—an innovative, atmospheric record that combines elements of rock, pop, punk, funk, and jazz for a whirlwind debut. With a tone reminiscent of Nick Cave, Leonard Cohen, and other powerhouse vocalists, Sam Hansell is one to watch, and we’re beyond thrilled that we got to hang with him ahead of his inevitable blowup.

Today, Sam chats with us about assembling his impressive debut, his initial dread for songwriting, his favorite raccoon mannerisms, the necessity of collaboration, what’s going on in Canada, and how 7-Eleven hot dogs helped sustain him through many sleepless nights hiding out in the studio. Currently performing with his band, Superstar Crush (recently mentioned by Hanif Abdurraqib in The New Yorker), we can’t wait to see what’s ahead for Sam in both his solo and collaborative careers. Despite his humble attitude, we hope he knows: he’s majorly fucking talented, and we’ll be bragging about this interview for a while.

And for [REDACTED]’s favorite tune on Inopia, go listen to “Clerambault.” Seriously. It rocks.

Read the transcript over at [REDACTED]’s main website: ⁠https://redactedblog.com/⁠

RELEVANT LINKS:

[REDACTED] Website: ⁠⁠https://redactedblog.com/⁠⁠

[REDACTED] Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/redactedblog/⁠⁠

Sam Hansell Website: ⁠https://samhansell.bandcamp.com/album/inopia⁠

Superstar Crush Website: ⁠https://www.superstarcrush.com/⁠

Mistapes Records Website: ⁠https://mistape.us/⁠

Sam Hansell Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/sam_hansell?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==⁠

Superstar Crush Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/superstarcrushband?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==⁠

Mixtapes Records Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/mistapesrecords?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==⁠

“A Year of Listening Beyond the Algorithm” at The New Yorker: ⁠https://www.newyorker.com/culture/2025-in-review/a-year-of-listening-beyond-the-algorithm⁠

Jason Molina’s music has long served as a beacon for those who have ever found themselves alone with the owl, but as a new documentary about his life nears completion, its filmmaker is on a mission to reveal a side of Molina that’s rarely discussed: the goofy, electric, and deeply human person behind the myth.

Today, [REDACTED] hosts Shelby and Piper are talking with Tommy Nickoloff, the documentarian behind You Fuckers Figure It Out (https://www.yffio.com/), a powerful, expansive, hilarious look at the life and spirit of Jason Molina. Tommy and Jason “met on a soccer field at Admiral King High School in the Summer of 1988,” and from there, they forged a friendship that would resonate through Tommy’s life, leading him to pour his energy, time, and savings into a documentary that could authentically capture Jason’s character, wit, and heart.

In this interview, Tommy discusses his personal connection to Molina and his mission to portray a fuller, more nuanced picture of his late friend. We talk to Tommy about some of his most magical moments with Jason (including a joke with a 23-year punchline), the experience of exploring his life and career through the medium of film, the bursts of hope that kept him going through the rough patches, and what it means to be able to share who Jason truly was—the biggest goofball he’d ever met.

Read the transcript over at [REDACTED]’s main website: https://redactedblog.com/

RELEVANT LINKS:

YFFIO Site: www.yffio.com

YFFIO Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576691729976

YFFIO Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yffiofilm/?hl=en

YFFIO YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@YFFIO

[REDACTED] Website: https://redactedblog.com/

[REDACTED] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/redactedblog/

Riding with the Ghost by Erin Osmon: https://bookshop.org/p/books/jason-molina-riding-with-the-ghost-erin-osmon/40c7726b8dd62f77?ean=9781538112182&next=t&next=t