This episode of Car Con Carne features Cat Ayala, the frontwoman for the Chicago band Scarlet Demore. James and Cat discuss the band's impressive trajectory, moving from DIY basement shows to playing Thalia Hall and Lincoln Hall and performing at Lollapalooza.

The conversation covers several key areas:
The Evolution of Sound:Cat explains the shift from their earlier melodic "pop" perspective to the heavier, more experimental, and post-grunge sound found on their upcoming full-length record.
The Writing Process: A look into how Cat uses songwriting as a form of catharsis and why she often needs time and perspective to process emotions before putting them to paper.
Life on the Road: The reality of "van feelings" and the mental toll of touring, contrasted with the excitement of their upcoming tour.
Community and Representation: The importance of being a voice for young women in the music scene and creating a safe, supportive environment at their live shows.

Scarlet Demore kicks off their tour at Beat Kitchen on May 8th, where fans can expect to hear plenty of new material.

###

This episode is brought to you by Exploding House Printing. Based in Hermosa, they specialize in screen printing, embroidery, and custom merch for bands and brands. Visit explodinghouseprinting.com for a quote.

This episode of Car Con Carne features Cat Ayala, the frontwoman for the Chicago band Scarlet Demore. James and Cat discuss the band's impressive trajectory, moving from DIY basement shows to playing Thalia Hall and Lincoln Hall&nbsp;and performing at Lollapalooza.
The conversation covers several key areas:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">The Evolution of Sound: Cat explains the shift from their earlier melodic "pop" perspective to the heavier, more experimental, and post-grunge sound found on their upcoming full-length record.</li>
<li aria-level="1">The Writing Process: A look into how Cat uses songwriting as a form of catharsis and why she often needs time and perspective to process emotions before putting them to paper.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Life on the Road: The reality of "van feelings" and the mental toll of touring, contrasted with the excitement of their upcoming tour.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Community and Representation: The importance of being a voice for young women in the music scene and creating a safe, supportive environment at their live shows.</li>
</ul>
Scarlet Demore kicks off their tour at Beat Kitchen on May 8th, where fans can expect to hear plenty of new material.
###
This episode is brought to you by Exploding House Printing. Based in Hermosa, they specialize in screen printing, embroidery, and custom merch for bands and brands. Visit<a href="http://explodinghouseprinting.com"> explodinghouseprinting.com</a> for a quote.

Car Con Carne is an award-winning interview podcast hosted by legendary Chicago media personality James VanOsdol (Q101, WXRT, WGN, WLUP). Hosted in James's car, at live events, restaurants, brewpubs and recording studios, Car Con Carne offers engaging and honest conversations with people you want to know, mostly from the world of music.

Car Con Carne

Finding community and catharsis: Cat Ayala of Scarlet Demore (Episode 1113)

The DIY evolution: Cult Canyon’s Josh Chicoine on the making of ‘Smoke Tricks’ (Episode 1112)

Episode Overview

In this episode of Car Con Carne, host James VanOsdol welcomes Meredith and Jon from the Chicago-based band Latter. Described as "equal parts art project and band," Latter delivers a sound that is jarring, experimental, and unapologetically intense. James talks with the duo about their integration into the local heavy music scene, and the raw, emotional alchemy that defines their creative process.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode
The "Latter" Origin Story: How a "just for funsies" Instagram post and a mutual friend brought together a New Jersey transplant and the drummer from Beach Bunny to form this formidable duo.
Songwriting as Catharsis: Meredith explains why her lyrics are fueled by raw emotion, channeling whatever she is "pissed off about"—from the state of the world to personal struggles—into the music.
World-Building Through Visuals: A look at the band's cinematic approach, from rmusic videos to curated Pinterest mood boards for future releases.
Left-Handed Synergy: A fun look at the "similar genes" and creative connection Meredith and Jon share as two left-handed musicians.
What’s Next: Details on their Audiotree session dropping March 4th and their upcoming May tour supporting Faetooth

Featured Music & Mentions
Album: My Body is My Sickness (2024)
EP: What Lives Inside Me (2025)
Key Tracks: "Bloodlines," "Expiration Date," “Callous,” and "I Don’t Owe You.”
Local Ties: Shoutouts to The Empty Bottle, SubT, and their engineer Pete, the "King of Tones".

About the Guests
Meredith: Vocals/Guitar. A sound artist and musician originally from New Jersey and Philadelphia who uses Latter as a vehicle to "exorcise demons".
Jon: Drums/Bass. Known also for his work in Beach Bunny, Jon explores his love for heavy, propulsive music and experimental tones with Latter.

Sponsor Spotlight

This episode is brought to you by Exploding House Printing. Based in Hermosa, they specialize in screen printing, embroidery, and custom merch for bands and brands. Visit explodinghouseprinting.com for a quote.

Episode Overview
In this episode of Car Con Carne, host James VanOsdol welcomes Meredith and Jon from the Chicago-based band Latter. Described as "equal parts art project and band," Latter delivers a sound that is jarring, experimental, and unapologetically intense. James talks with the duo about their integration into the local heavy music scene, and the raw, emotional alchemy that defines their creative process.
What You&rsquo;ll Hear in This Episode
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">The "Latter" Origin Story: How a "just for funsies" Instagram post and a mutual friend brought together a New Jersey transplant and the drummer from Beach Bunny to form this formidable duo.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Songwriting as Catharsis: Meredith explains why her lyrics are fueled by raw emotion, channeling whatever she is "pissed off about"&mdash;from the state of the world to personal struggles&mdash;into the music.</li>
<li aria-level="1">World-Building Through Visuals: A look at the band's cinematic approach, from rmusic videos to curated Pinterest mood boards for future releases.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Left-Handed Synergy: A fun look at the "similar genes" and creative connection Meredith and Jon share as two left-handed musicians.</li>
<li aria-level="1">What&rsquo;s Next: Details on their Audiotree session dropping March 4th and their upcoming May tour supporting Faetooth</li>
</ul>
Featured Music &amp; Mentions
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Album: My Body is My Sickness (2024)</li>
<li aria-level="1">EP: What Lives Inside Me (2025)</li>
<li aria-level="1">Key Tracks: "Bloodlines," "Expiration Date," &ldquo;Callous,&rdquo; and "I Don&rsquo;t Owe You.&rdquo;</li>
<li aria-level="1">Local Ties: Shoutouts to The Empty Bottle, SubT, and their engineer Pete, the "King of Tones".</li>
</ul>
About the Guests
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Meredith: Vocals/Guitar. A sound artist and musician originally from New Jersey and Philadelphia who uses Latter as a vehicle to "exorcise demons".</li>
<li aria-level="1">Jon: Drums/Bass. Known also for his work in Beach Bunny, Jon explores his love for heavy, propulsive music and experimental tones with Latter.</li>
</ul>
Sponsor Spotlight
This episode is brought to you by Exploding House Printing. Based in Hermosa, they specialize in screen printing, embroidery, and custom merch for bands and brands. Visit<a href="http://explodinghouseprinting.com"> explodinghouseprinting.com</a> for a quote.

LATTER: Equal Parts Art Project and Band (Episode 1111)

In this episode of Car Con Carne, James VanOsdol welcomes James Beard Award-winning food writer Mike Gebert to discuss his ambitious new book, The Chicago Way: An Oral History of Chicago Dining.

The conversation explores the evolution of Chicago’s culinary identity, from the high-stakes "Mad Men" era of the 1960s to the modern, diverse food scene of 2026.

Key Highlights:


The Evolution of Chicago Dining: Gebert explains how he tracked the city’s change through its restaurants, starting with the formal, male-dominated French dining scene and moving through the neighborhoods that restaurants helped put on the map.


Legendary Personalities: The episode dives into the "outsized personalities" of Chicago’s most famous chefs, including:


Charlie Trotter: Discussion of his complicated legacy, intense kitchen culture, and the "PTSD" some former staff still carry.


Louis Szathmary: The story of Chicago's first celebrity chef at The Bakery and his surprising connection to Stouffer’s spinach souffle.


Rick Bayless and Tony Mantuano: How they acted as the "anti-Trotters" by fostering reasonable workplaces and focusing on local produce and peasant cuisines.


Neighborhood Transformations: Gebert and James discuss how dining pioneered areas like River North (thanks to Gordon Sinclair and developer Al Friedman) and the ongoing gentrification patterns in neighborhoods like Rogers Park and Bronzeville.


The "Chicago Way" of Dining: Mike defines the city's unique dining spirit as a blend of high-end artistry and blue-collar work ethic—where even at the finest restaurants, the goal is for the experience to be unpretentious and, above all, fun.

Car Con Carne is sponsored by Exploding House Printing.

 

Exploding House Printing is here for all of your screen printing, embroidery and other merchandising needs.  They’re local, headquartered in the heart of Hermosa, and their focus is on small businesses, bands, brands, and everything in between.

Jonathan at Exploding House has been doing screen printing for decades. He knows what he’s doing - besides his technical expertise, he delivers production efficiency and cost awareness to offer boutique print shop quality at much lower, large print shop prices. 

Check out their work on Instagram at (at)explodinghouse, or check out their site at exploding house printing dot com for a quote, or to see a list of some of their clients.

In this episode of Car Con Carne, James VanOsdol welcomes James Beard Award-winning food writer Mike Gebert to discuss his ambitious new book, The Chicago Way: An Oral History of Chicago Dining.
The conversation explores the evolution of Chicago&rsquo;s culinary identity, from the high-stakes "Mad Men" era of the 1960s to the modern, diverse food scene of 2026.
Key Highlights:
<ul data-path-to-node="4">
<li>
The Evolution of Chicago Dining: Gebert explains how he tracked the city&rsquo;s change through its restaurants, starting with the formal, male-dominated French dining scene and moving through the neighborhoods that restaurants helped put on the map.
</li>
<li>
Legendary Personalities: The episode dives into the "outsized personalities" of Chicago&rsquo;s most famous chefs, including:
<ul data-path-to-node="4,1,1">
<li>
Charlie Trotter: Discussion of his complicated legacy, intense kitchen culture, and the "PTSD" some former staff still carry.
</li>
<li>
Louis Szathmary: The story of Chicago's first celebrity chef at The Bakery and his surprising connection to Stouffer&rsquo;s spinach souffle.
</li>
<li>
Rick Bayless and Tony Mantuano: How they acted as the "anti-Trotters" by fostering reasonable workplaces and focusing on local produce and peasant cuisines.
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>
Neighborhood Transformations: Gebert and James discuss how dining pioneered areas like River North (thanks to Gordon Sinclair and developer Al Friedman) and the ongoing gentrification patterns in neighborhoods like Rogers Park and Bronzeville.
</li>
<li>
The "Chicago Way" of Dining: Mike defines the city's unique dining spirit as a blend of high-end artistry and blue-collar work ethic&mdash;where even at the finest restaurants, the goal is for the experience to be unpretentious and, above all, fun.
</li>
</ul>
Car Con Carne is sponsored by Exploding House Printing.
&nbsp;
Exploding House Printing is here for all of your screen printing, embroidery and other merchandising needs.&nbsp; They&rsquo;re local, headquartered in the heart of Hermosa, and their focus is on small businesses, bands, brands, and everything in between.
Jonathan at Exploding House has been doing screen printing for decades. He knows what he&rsquo;s doing - besides his technical expertise, he delivers production efficiency and cost awareness to offer boutique print shop quality at much lower, large print shop prices.&nbsp;
Check out their work on Instagram at (at)explodinghouse, or check out their site at exploding house printing dot com for a quote, or to see a list of some of their clients.

Finding community and catharsis: Cat Ayala of Scarlet Demore (Episode 1113)

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