Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to The Depressionistas. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

The , appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

Like minded and mining our influences from the archives of 80’s, 90’s, Goth, Folk, Post-Punk and Hard Rock, we, The Depressionistas reside in the juxtapositions in melody and aggression, embracing the contrasts in song. Gallows humor and resolute in vision, The Depressionistas were born in a pandemic, making art while the world shut down. Covid circles and late nights default when everything’s stopped-and yet, there suddenly was the time. Time necessary to explore without pressure of public eyes or public consumption. Turning a moment of distress and uncertainty into opportunity for focusing on what is relevant, The Depressionistas turned to making music to reflect that. From first meeting through mutual friends online, to collaborating in person,

The Depressionistas are comprised of Michelle Muldrow, Jarrod Kenney and Moushumi Ghose working out songs around backyard fire-pits and winter cold rehearsals in a coffee supply warehouse in Portland, Oregon, and pooling our individual talents, inspirations and bringing in the likes of other brilliant people, such as the incredible talents of Bronson Tew on drums, and Teri Untalan on strings.

We journeyed to record our first record in the deep south at DialBack Sound Studios in Water Valley, Mississippi and back to Portland to finish up and put the final touches at Singing Sands Studios .
The adventures then continued as a hesitant world continued to open up- shooting videos along the Washington coast, at neglected cemeteries, empty warehouses. Every aspect of The Depressionistas is about seizing the moment, even in these dark times among us.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

We like to say that the Depressionistas have been playing music in bands cumulatively for 90 years! The three of us have indeed individually been playing in bands and honing our instruments for at least 30 years. Music is not just a hobby for us, it is a life long passion, some may call it our Dharma work. our soul work.

Jarrod hailed from the outskirts of Boston Mass, and arrived in Los Angeles some 15 years ago, and within a few years he met and started collaborating with Moushumi Ghose in their project GHOSHA.

After a while we needed a new music scene. We first relocated to New York City, then back to LA and finally landed in Portland where we met up with singer/songwriter Michelle Muldrow formerly of Blood Roses, based out of San Francisco and the three of us formed The Depressionistas.

Moushumi says she was desperate to leave Los Angeles where she felt art and music are often conflated with commercial success. With a strong desire to continue writing songs away from the LA limelight, Portland Oregon seemed like a fine choice.

“When you leave LA, it’s refreshing to find a massive music scene with amazing talents all over the country, the world! Los Angeles had become small, confining, repressing and depressing.” Moushumi said.

Moushumi and Michelle had friends in common, both having lived in San Francisco in it’s artistic heyday of the 90’s.

“Portland is somewhat a haven for SF expats.”

Now the three are back in the studio working on album number two! Stay tuned for more…

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

It was a pandemic. The world was shut down. Stay home, they told us, but the music was boiling in our veins. Of course we were angry, frustrated, confused, depressed and art and music became our outlets. And here in Portland Oregon, it can be quite cold outside, but we would bundle up, meet outdoors next to a fire pit, complete with our masks and guitars and the songs came pouring out of us.

Music and art can be that way. People often tell you not to do it. People will covertly and overtly try hold you back in so many ways. Most people, if they’re not pursuing something creative, may not be able to support your desire to do it, will in fact find a way to tell you not to do it. It is a struggle living in society as an artist sometimes to fight these messages and continue making your art. This was tenfold during the pandemic! But somehow we persevered because it was and always has been so important to us collectively.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

Art heals. Music heals. We all have day jobs. Too many people consider music and art a hobby. Those people are not embracing their creative spirits. To us, it’s a life force and a life source. It is a lifestyle, it is a catharsis, it is therapy, it is the thing that keeps us alive. Musicians know this. Artists know this.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thedepressionistas.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/thedepressionistas
• Facebook: facebook.com/thedepressionistas
• Twitter: twitter.com/thedepresshies
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thedepressionistas
• Other: thedepressionistas.bandcamp.com https://open.spotify.com/artist/2rBpbArFckub3TxjBGTRwz?si=Z8-DuVvXQqSFvcjqwEi-tg

Image Credits
photo credits JoZie Di Maria