Amresh S. Jessy

“It was 2021 and I was inspired by the upcoming wave of DIY, tongue-in-cheek rave-y music. I saw the fun in playing again.” Welcome to another episode of the Birdcage Radio Spotlight series and for our last interview of 2025, we’ve got Daniel sharing his story with us. Just through his opening words, I’ve picked up some interesting Utrecht-related terms. For instance, Daniel tells me he’s “born in Utrecht, raised across the river in Culifornia (aka Culemborg), and remigrated back to the Dom...

“As my friends say, I'm sometimes a bit too positive. It's a way I love looking at the world, I see endless possibilities instead of the darker side or the things that could go wrong. I see things that could go right. That's a big motivation for me." While it's been only fairly recent and my Birdcage Radio Spotlight "interview victims" count is still rather low, being given the privilege to speak to these passionate and talented folk has been nothing short of inspiring. Beyond that, this...

"Trust the rhythm of your soul. Music will carry you through every storm, every fire, every joy. It’s not just sound. It’s your compass, your medicine, your magic." Long before she stepped behind the decks at De Groene Engel for her first gig - hands trembling, heart racing, you know, the usual nerves one would expect at your first performance - Rachelle Grooten was a little girl sitting cross-legged in the attic, surrounded by the hum of a Hammond Leslie organ. She didn’t have sheet music,...