Fresh Tar is the music project of writer and performer Matthew Meriwether. Currently in Fort Wayne, IN, they have lived and made music in Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago. As a writer, Matthew’s work has been published in BOAAT Journal, FLAPPERHOUSE, Heavy Feather Review, among others. Fresh Tar’s debut EP of ‘intimate rock’ will be released in 2023. Follow Fresh Tar on Instagram at @freshtarmusic and Bandcamp.

NIIKA, conceived and fronted by Russian-born Chicago native Nika Nemirovsky (guitar and voice), is an effervescent blend of intimate indie, soul, and jazz-tinged folk. Drawing upon the creative ethos of artists like The Dirty Projectors, Lhasa De Sela, and Kate Bush, her writing defies categorization and instead draws people in with an unwavering mystery. “I’m kind of a misfit. Growing up, I never cared enough to insert myself into any cliques. It just wasn’t what I had interest in, and my music reflects that. My voice has a very sweet quality to it, and I adore beauty, but there is always an invocation for the listener to step a little deeper into their own questions and curiosity.”

“Nemirovsky makes big music from a small space. From her hands, even only guitar and voice can perform the most mosaic duet, waltzing back and forth with one another in a dance that conveys not only playful novelty, but also an honest and undeniable heartache.”

-Lyrah Fosl, Former Staff Contributor at Tiny Mix Tapes