Mariel Loveland (Candy Hearts)

If Candy Hearts leading lady Mariel Loveland was an actual heart-shaped confection imprinted with a conversational phrase, it would take an exceptionally tiny font to accommodate how much she has to say. Fortunately, Loveland, along with guitarist Kris Hayes and drummer Matthew Ferraro, instead expresses herself through driving rock songs as sweetly addictive as the band's name suggests. Staff interviewer G'Ra Asim caught up with the singer-songwriter via telephone for a chat about country music, the Org's infamously caustic comment section and that other band named after a drug store sweet.

Candy Hearts's latest EP, The Best Ways to Disappear, is available now.

Alex Kerns (Lemuria)

Currently celebrating their third full-length release and touring their asses off throughout the west coast on their way to Fun Fun Fun Fest and The Fest, Lemuria is blowing up. To the point that even NPR listeners have all been won over by their charm. As world travelers with sights set on the Eastern Hemisphere, Lemuria are dedicated musicians. Interviewer Stephanie Thornton spoke with vocalist and drummer Alex Kerns to discuss their success, his progression as a musician from trombone to drums, how awesome the Magnetic Fields are, and what it means if you catch bassist Max Gregor singing Rod Stewart songs at karaoke.

Find out more under Read More.

Rad Women Who Make Rad Art: Kristen Ferrell

Over the next few weeks, Punknews is running a series called Rad Women Who Do Rad Art. The series is a string of interviews with some of the most exciting female visual artists that have connections with music, today. You can check out the previous entry with Nation of Amanda, here. Today's segment is with the wonderfully, whimsically, wicked Kristen Ferrell!

Kristen Ferrell makes incredibly awesome, highly detailed, trippy art that just completely scares the bejeezus out of me. She painted a picture of a hummingbird nailed to a Boston Terrier. She makes cupcakes with human fingers and dentures stuck inside of them. She sketched two birds (with Chimneys coming out of their heads) fighting over a severed finger. She has a Chiweenie that she treats like a child. You ain't gonna see that on the Bob Ross show, that's for sure.

On top of that, she's done some awesome designs for Leftover Crack, F-Minus, and Jucifer

Andrew Seward (Human Parts)

When Andrew Seward left Against Me in May, he didn't immediately jump into a new band. In fact, the first thing he did was get a job washing dishes at a Gainesville pizza joint. He also turned his attention toward being a husband and father to his wife and three-year-old daughter. But creativity runs through Seward's veins, and eventually the desire to express himself became too strong to resist. This is where the story of Human Parts begins. Fast forward a few months and Seward, along with wife Verite and friends Andy "Pants" Schwich, Kim Helm, and Dave Kotinsley are on the verge of releasing a self-titled record and prepping for their first show, scheduled for Fest 12. Punknews interviewer Adam Eisenberg caught up with Andrew Seward on his day off to discuss life after Against Me!, the enduring influence of "The Hank Williams Story," and how Human Parts has already conquered the toddler demographic.

Chris Mills (Harms Way)

Chicago hardcore act Harms Way have blazed a long path since the early days of the band. Starting as a straightforward traditional powerviolence band (goofy sound clips and all), they made a name for themselves in the American hardcore underground. Years later, the band has transformed into a behemoth act, melding together elements of 90's metallic hardcore and traditional industrial metal to create the Blinded EP, the band's first release for Deathwish Inc. Staff interviewer Gregg Harrington recently connected with Harms Way drummer Chris Mills via Skype to talk about the band's evolution, working with Deathwish, and how they were singled out on the Internet this summer by European festival attendees.

Rad Women Who Make Rad Art: Nation of Amanda

Every Tuesday in the month of September and November, Punknews will run a series called Rad Women Who Make Rad Art. The series will be a string of interviews with some of the most exciting female visual artists that have connections with music, today. Our inaugural edition features Nation of Amanda aka Amanda Kirk!

Nation of Amanda's art is simply awesome. She draws detailed diagrams of Tortas, creatures from the black lagoon that wave in a melancholy fashion, cupcakes that vomit, and hedgehogs… oh so many hedgehogs. On top of that, she draws tons of punk rock flyers and collaborates with Mitch Clem on those straight-up-kickin' Turnstile Comix. Her work focuses on watercolors and inks and she's able pull more emotion out of a single brush stroke than most chumps can in an entire book.

Click Read More to see what Nation of Amanda has to say and see some of her fly work.

Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein

Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein is just as menacing on the phone as he seems to be in person. His answers are short and to the point. He's got the kind of cold, monotone-ish voice that lets you know that he's not to be played with. In fact, you have to be careful that you don't accidentally offend him, or else you think that he might track you down rip your head from your shoulders with those massive fists of his.

But, would you expect or want anything else from this ghoul? A pivotal member of the Misfits, Doyle brought a massive, slamming guitar sound to the band during the second half of their original run. He doesn't so much pick the strings as slam down on them like King Kong crushing airplanes. He's recently killed off his last band, Gorgeous Frankenstein, and started the new group simply titled "Doyle," which includes Gorgeous Frankenstein members Alex Story and Dr. Chud.

Punknews contributing editor John Gentile spoke to Doyle (though the safety of about 3,000 miles) about the new band, the meaning of horror imagery, and well, The Misfits, of course.

Click read more… if you dare… Muahaha!

Keith Buckley (Every Time I Die)

Every Time I Die may have released their most recent album for Epitaph Records, Ex Lives, over a year ago, but they've been hard at work since, touring anywhere they can and with an eclectic stable of bands from Hatebreed to New Found Glory. The band's tour itinerary includes the recently completed All Stars tour along with Terror, Iwrestledabearonce, and many more. Punknews staff interviewer Gregg Harrington spoke with Every Time I Die vocalist Keith Buckley about the tour and what the band has been up to in support of Ex Lives.

Jamin Marshall (Larry and His Flask)

Larry and His Flask have been rocking the world for over 10 years with their eclectic take on folk music. The band has adding punk rock energy to the genre-inspired beats to craft a sound all their own. In a few short weeks the band will be setting out on a long slew of dates which will take them across the U.S. opening for Murder By Death.

Contributing editor Armando Olivas was able to chat with drummer and co-founder of the group, Jamin, at length on several topics. The two had a lively discussion about how the band is able to look so dapper on a day-to-day basis, their love of guerrilla street performances, and the love of Jenny Owen Youngs.

Tetsuya Fukagawa (Envy)

Envy, though dominant in their talent as musicians, are a difficult band to categorize. What is more profound about this is that Envy have produced nothing but stellar, unrefined (post-) hardcore for 20 years. No matter what stage of their time together, Envy have been able to craft a perfect output of what they felt as a whole. The prolific group have released nearly two dozen albums, singles and splits with groups like like This Machine Kills, Endeavor, Six Pence and Yaphet Kotto. Now, to celebrate their evolution of 20 years, Invariable Will, Recurring Ebbs and Flows has been released by Temporary Residence to showcase their relentless labor. Through e-mail, we had the opportunity to catch up with the band for an aphoristic interview. The questions were composed by Copy Editor Amelia Cline and answered by Envy's Tetsuya Fukagawa.

Chris “Cmar” Martin (Hostage Calm)

Fresh off of a tour with Less than Jake and gearing up for Riot Fest and a seven week jaunt with Saves the Day, Connecticut's Hostage Calm doesn't seem to slow down. With three full-lengths under their belt, they've spanned genres from hardcore to pop. Punknews interviewer Stephanie Thornton talked to vocalist Chris "Cmar" Martin about comparisons that can be drawn to upcoming tourmates Saves the Day, socio-political activism and perhaps why punk bands aren't more vocal about political issues these days, youth crew hardcore within the US and abroad, and not to mention how great Crime in Stereo's The Troubled Stateside is.