The origin story for this week’s featured artist, Medanos, reads like a literary dream. Venezuela natives, Jesús (bass, vocals) and Vladimir (guitar, lead vocals), grew up and learned to play music in the same state, but only came together when luck saw fit to carry them both to Santiago, Chile, in 2016. Together they built a sound that felt authentic to their roots and the alternative music culture they fell in love with. When the pair relocated to Chicago, they found their missing musical matches in George (lead guitar, synth) and Kharim (guitar), and Medanos became the powerhouse it is today. Medanos cuts through the dense and spectacular Chicago punk scene with captivating melodies, aggressive, unrelenting rhythms, and lyrics that will stick in your head like glue. Their energy is bold and loud, demanding attention and delivering a unique and truly satisfying experience to listeners. Their debut EP, “IS THE DREAM STILL ALIVE?”, which hit streams in late 2025, is a powerful and promising demonstration of everything that makes Medanos great. Fans who like it fast and loud are not going to want to sleep on this one, trust me.
Keep scrolling to check out my lightning round interview with Medanos. Be sure to follow along on socials (@MedanosOfficial on Instagram) and tune in to Spotify and YouTube. Don’t forget to save the Under Exposed playlist on Spotify to listen to my favorites from Medanos, and the rest of the Under Exposed lineup!
Interview
Cameron Conrad sits down with Jesús, Vladimir, George, Kharim, and Medanos
What’s your dream venue, the place that will feel like you’ve “made it” once you've played there?
Our dream isn’t just one venue it’s playing big festivals like Riot Fest or Warped Tour, and getting the chance to open for some of our favorite bands. That’s the moment that would really make us feel we’ve made it.
If you could pick any band or artist, past or present, to tour with, who would it be?
It would be Foo Fighters Their energy, passion, and connection with the crowd are next-level, and sharing the stage with them would be an absolute dream
If each of you was a Disney character, who would you be?
Mike Wazowski
Simba
Merlin
Jack Sparrow
What’s the craziest, cringiest thing you’ve done for the sake of your music?
Honestly, we're making all kinds of Reels to keep up with social media. Sometimes it feels a bit crazy, but you have to adapt, and George actually told us that he once stripped naked and went running around in the buff for a music video! Hahahaha.
If we gave out high-school superlatives today, what would each of you win?
Best smile
Most athletic
Most likely to succeed
Class clown
Any new music or upcoming tours we should know about? Anything brewing behind the scenes you can give a hint about?
Well, for now we’re promoting our EP, "IS THE DREAM STILL ALIVE?", but at the same time, we’re working on two new tracks that we plan to release later this year 2026. We’ll also continue playing shows throughout Illinois wherever we’re invited to keep sharing the stage with other bands in the scene and meeting new people.