Stereo Embers: The Podcast

“Robin Wilson Doesn’t Want To Watch YouTube” Well, to be more specific, Robin Wilson doesn’t want to watch a YouTube channel of some guy with a guitar singing covers. In this conversation, the Gin Blossoms singer tells Alex that he may not be into that, but he’s into a lot of other stuff. For example, the home studio he built with his son, sailing on his boat and the Gin Blossoms themselves. Together since 1989, the Arizona band are arguably more prolific than ever and they’ve never sounded better. Juggling duties fronting the legendary Tempe outfit and singing for The Smithereens, Wilson’s a busy guy these days. In this conversation he talks about his love of The Smiths and Johnny Marr, why he hates waiting for the check after a meal and the legacy of The Gin Blossoms. He also talks about the stability of the band’s lineup, the brotherhood of the Tempe scene and what bands he’s turned his son on to.

“Tim Baker Says Artists Find Each Other Because They’re The Only Ones Awake” He has a point. In this engaging interview, singer/songwriter Tim Baker tells Alex that no matter where you go in the world, you’ll always find the artists of a city because they’re the ones who never sleep. The former Hey Rosetta! frontman talks about his new album Forever Overhead, whether he felt the phantom limb of his old bandmates while working on his first solo album and why Newfoundland is a community bound together by music. He also chats about the downside of touring, reading Kerouac while living in San Francisco and why he’s never been a guy who plans ahead….

“Victor Krummenacher Doesn’t Want To Live In San Francisco Anymore” After decades living in San Francisco, singer/songwriter Victor Krummenacher decided he didn’t want to live there anymore. Transformed by the tech industry and literally bathing in riches, the city the Riverside-born Krummenacher first fell in love with back in the ‘80s is a far different place. So he got out. In this candid conversation, the Camper Van Beethoven/Monks of Doom member talks to Alex about what happened to San Francisco, how to be creative with a broken heart and why it’s so important for an artist to have a community. Krummenacher also chats about going through the darkest period of his life, keeping his instruments in the Counting Crows' storage space and knowing that sometimes he was a hard guy to deal with in the studio. Krummenacher’s fabulous new album Blue Pacific is out now!

“Lissie Finds Romance In Knowing How Things Work” Having relocated from Ojai to a 50-acre farm in Iowa, Lissie has gone from the California life to the more…rustic life. And for this fledgling farmer, knowing how things work and finding an immense capability in one’s self is a decidedly romantic idea. The Illinois-born singer/songwriter has a rather busy last decade, releasing five albums, collaborating with Elton John and Snow Patrol, opening for Lenny Kravitz and Tom Petty and appearing on Twin Peaks. But Lissie is in a new phase in her life and as she surveys her new acreage, she’s also finding new things out about herself. From knitting to making flower beds, Lissie is settling into farm life in the most seamless of ways. In this chat she talks to Alex about leaving California, her relationship with her voice and how each album she’s made represents a specific time in her life. She also talks about why we choose bad relationships even though we know better, how she is with outward affection and why she k

“Live’s Ed Kowalczyk Plays Laser Tag In The Backyard” Although it’s hard to imagine a guy who radiates intensity onstage playing laser tag in the backyard, Live’s Ed Kowalczyk tells Alex that he’s mellowed out a bit over the years and doesn’t take things as seriously as he used to. That said, Live’s new EP Local 717 is a stunning return to form, filled with the band’s trademark muscle, melody and rock and roll crunch. In this interview Kowalczyk talks about how Live started when everyone in the group was 14, his recent discovery of the Velvet Underground and what plans for a new Live album look like. Live are touring with Our Lady Peace and Bush this summer to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the band’s landmark album Throwing Copper.

“Prince From Minneapolis Comes To Seattle” Alex sits down with MOPOP curator Brooks Peck to talk about the Seattle museum’s new exhibit Prince From Minneapolis. A staggering installation that compiles photographs, instruments, outfits and ephemera from Purple Rain, Prince From Minneapolis is an arresting visual presentation of one of the most iconic performers in music history. Peck tells Alex that the positioning of the photographs themselves reveal the transformation of the Prince onstage character and he talks about how the museum was able to procure the pieces they did for the show--including the original cash register from Purple Rain. He also discusses the challenges in setting up the show, the power of the early photographs and Alex puts him on the spot and makes him pick his favorite Prince song….

Lindy Vopnfjörð Heard Quiet Riot Before He Heard Woody Guthrie Look, Lindy Vopnfjörð and I both grew up in the ‘80s and in this interview we both admit we were into Quiet Riot long before we had even heard Woody Guthrie. But don’t worry: Lindy Vopnfjörð has caught up. The Manitoba-born Vopnfjörð, who got his start playing in his Icelandic parents’ band The Hekla Singers, moved west to Victoria in the the '90s with his brother and started the beloved band Northern Junk. Although Vopnfjörð also played in the band Major Maker, who had a smash hit with “Rollercoaster,” his string of critically-acclaimed solo albums established him as a songwriter of tremendous sensitivity and grace. In this conversation Vopnfjörð tells me about his Icelandic lineage, writing songs while his kids nap and why he thought he needed to go back to school for songwriting. He also talks about how he receives criticism, why he was drawn to Judas Priest, the history of Icelandic hockey players in Canada and his new album You Will Know Whe

"Jackie Speier Should Be President” U.S. Congresswoman Jackie Speier has devoted her life to helping people. A forty year veteran of politics, Speier is committed to public service, she cares about people and she has an enormous heart. In this conversation recorded in front of a live audience in Oakland, California, the Congresswoman talks to Alex about surviving the Guyana airport firefight with Jim Jones’ henchmen, the importance of friendship and whether or not she’d run for President. A candid, moving and inspiring chat, Speier also talks about writing her autobiography Undaunted, the importance of friendship, and how her Mid-Western husband helped slow her down. Recorded live in Oakland and produced by Jake Dawson

“Michael McDermott Was An Investigative Reporter Of The Darkness” Whether he was hanging out with Samoan gun runners or locked up in Cook County Jail in Chicago, when Michael McDermott was at his wildest he thought of himself as a kind of investigative journalist doing research on the dark roads that addiction can take a soul down. But McDermott grew weary of those roads and taking notes about the night and after getting married and having a daughter, he decided to get clean. In this interview the singer/songwriter talks to Alex about his experiences with unflinching truth, humor and circumspect philosophy. He chats about how he managed to be prolific during the throes of addiction, what it was like to get a huge record contract at 21 and receiving a seven page letter from Stephen King. He also talks about being married to a musician, how he takes criticism, and how he handles screen time for his daughter. Michael McDermott’s new album Orphans is out now and it's genius. Go get it!

“Marty Willson Piper Thinks Fleetwood Mac’s Heads Are In The Wrong Place” Marty Willson Piper doesn’t understand why musicians as talented as those in Fleetwood Mac haven’t put out new music in ages. “How can they not be doing whatever they want based on their history and their skills?” he wonders. The former Church guitarist is befuddled that Fleetwood Mac would opt for playing “Say You Love Me” for the eight billionth time instead of making new music. “Give us a record of good songs,” he says. “You know you can do it…It’s just a case of business ruling the art. Their heads are in the wrong place." In this entertaining, hilarious and discursive chat, Willson-Piper talks to Alex about how he envisions the concert experience, the Pledge Music debacle and the imagination behind superstition. He also tells Alex he’s mystified by Maroon 5’s success, why criticism shouldn’t be taken personally and why he buys every new U2 album. And speaking of new music, Noctorum’s new album The Afterlife is nothing short of s

"Taylor Jenkins Reid Loves Rock And Roll Couples" Author Taylor Jenkins Reid admits she’s transfixed by couples that play music together. Sonny and Cher, Lindsey Buckingham And Stevie Nicks, Johnny and June Carter Cash—you get the idea. There’s something about all that creative, emotional and, ultimately, combustible energy between them that really appeals to the Maryland-born novelist. A rabid fan of Fleetwood Mac, Jenkins Reid’s new book Daisy Jones And The Six tells the story of a Fleetwood Mac-like outfit who mysteriously quit at the height of their fame. Told in an oral history format, the book finds all of the members recounting the band’s rise to the top and sudden vanishing act. The catch? Nobody seems to remember things happening in the same way. It’s like Rumors meets Rashomon meets vH1-‘s Behind The Music. In this episode, which was recorded live in front of a packed house at Oakland’s A Great Good Place For Books, Jenkins Reid talks about her love of Fleetwood Mac, discovering The Kinks, and why

(Part Two)“If Bill Pritchard Is Such A Recluse, How Come We’re Chatting On The Phone?” In Part Two of this engaging and entertaining chat with Bill Pritchard, the British-born singer/songwriter talks to Alex about Mark E. Smith and The Fall, his daughters’ forays into music and Billy Joel. He also talks about why everyone thinks he’s so reclusive, having the same manager as Howard Jones and the elusive nature of writing the perfect song. Pritchard’s new album is called Midland Lullabies and it’s not only an album of poetic finesse and pop grace, it’s also one of the year’s very best.

“If Bill Pritchard Is Such A Recluse, How Come We’re Chatting On The Phone?” (Part One) Over the course of his career, Bill Pritchard has made some of the most stirringly lovely music you’ll ever hear. But, the British-born singer songwriter has, over the years, developed something of an elusive sheen and was even once dubbed the “JD Salinger of Pop” by Rolling Stone France. But, in Part One of this engaging and entertaining chat, Pritchard talks to Alex about why he’s perceived as being elusive (he’s really not!), what makes art last and the Buzzcocks. Pritchard’s new album is called Midland Lullabies and it’s not only one of the year’s very best, it’s an album of poetic finesse and pop grace. Pritchard also talks about his take on his older work, Paul Weller’s songwriting prowess and his love of John Otway.

"Jordan Wright Didn’t Sleep In A Bed Until He Was Married” When he arrived in Los Angeles from Indiana, City of Sound frontman Jordan Wright knew no one. But thanks to his gregarious nature and endless charisma, he made friends fast and crashed on couches and floors while pursuing his musical career. Of course when his wife moved to L.A. to be with him he had to get a bed immediately, but Wright’s commitment to his craft and his discipline for his art kept him for four years doing nothing but perfecting his art. The result is City Of Sound, an band whose sound can only be described as anthems in need of a stadium to soar across. In this entertaining chat Wright talks to Alex about marital arts, studying music in Australia and the rules his band follows to keep their standards high. He also talks about cornering for violinist Lucy Nova and his love of Coldplay and Alex teases him about not calling his parents in a month….

"Hugh Harris On Richie Sambora And The Absence Of Democracy” Hugh Harris didn’t have a ton of time to chat, but we made good use of what we had. In this interview with the guitarist for the Kooks, we talk about Richie Sambora, crying on airplanes and why Harris loves being on the road. He also addresses the absence of democracy when making a solo record, why new cities fill him with optimism and seeking out the horns of Havana on a recent sojourn to Cuba. It’s a fast conversation, but it’s a good one that also covers Johnny Marr, the limitations of the guitar and whether or not Kooks singer Luke Pritchard is in Harris’ head.

“Glenn Shorrock Has No Enemies (That He Talks To)" When Alex had the chance to sit down with singer/songwriter Glenn Shorrock, he jumped at the opportunity. Not only is Shorrock a two-time inductee into the Australian Recording Industry Association’s Hall Of Fame, the former Little River Band frontman’s composition “Help Is On The Way” is regarded as one of the top 30 songs in Australian history. In this conversation Shorrock chats with Alex about a life in music that has spanned over 50 years. He recounts his biggest regret after leaving LRB, his friendship with Bon Scott, and his admiration of Bob Dylan. He also talks about his musical discipline, why he thought LRB over-rehearsed, his new album It's A Long Way There: Glenn Shorrock Sings Little River Band Live In Studio and how he has no enemies…that he talks to.

“Craig Elkins Has Nap Anxiety” Craig Elkins doesn’t have anxiety about taking naps, his anxiety comes after he’s taken one. In this interview he tells Alex that the anxiousness comes not from the actual nap, but rather why he’s napping in the first place. But naps aside, in this candid, entertaining chat, the Huffamoose frontman talks about being labelmates with No Doubt, the the break-up of his band and the reformation that led to their first new album in 14 years, …And That’s When The Golfball Hit Me In The Head. Craig also talks to Alex about playing the H.O.R.D.E. tour, overcoming hypochondria and his love of Michael Franks….

“David Mead Arrived With Not A Bit Of Scruff” While a lot of artists just starting out have to go through the scruffy apprentice phase, David Mead seems to have arrived fully formed. The singer/songwriter’s 1999 debut The Luxury Of Time didn’t have an ounce of scruff on it. A shimmering pop song-cycle, the album was as perfectly crafted as anything by pop veterans like Crowded House or Squeeze. Mead’s divine falsetto and smooth croon made every track brim with majestic pop gold. Now, twenty years later, Mead is back after a nearly ten year absence with the fabulous new album Cobra Pumps. A wicked platter of soulful pop, Cobra Pumps is a dazzling return to form. In this interview Mead chats with Alex about his on-stage persona, how much to reveal on social media and the writing of Cobra Pumps. They also share their mutual love of XTC’s Skylarking….

“Parker Gispert Always Had His Eye On Athens” As a teenager in Atlanta, Parker Gispert grew up listening to Built To Spill, Modest Mouse and the Velvet Underground. But everything changed once he discovered the Athens, Georgia Elephant 6 Label. Mesmerized by bands like Elf Power, Olivia Tremor Control and Neutral Milk Hotel, Gispert was not only drawn to their sound, he was drawn to their geography. So much so, that when it came time to choose a college, the University of Georgia in Athens was the most logical choice. Inspired by the artistic community of the town and its legendary musical DNA, it didn’t take long for Gispert to get a band together and it didn’t take long for that band to start crushing it. The Whigs tore through the local live circuit and went on to release five albums, play repeatedly on Letterman and Conan and tour the world several times over. In this conversation Gispert talks to Alex about his first solo album Sunlight Tonight, what it was like to live on a hemp farm for a year and th

“Alana Davis Saw Bad Brains When She Was Twelve” Although you might not know it by listening to Alana Davis’ brand of sultry soul, she’s a huge fan of hardcore. So much so, that at 12 she got a fake ID so she could see shows at CBGB’s. Transfixed by the power and truth of the legendary band, Davis became a lifelong fan. Although her original plan was to be the bassist in a reggae band, Davis ended up stepping up to the mic and the result has been a career punctuated by a Grammy nomination, collaborations with Jay-Z and Pharrrell, and an ubiquitous hit that was all over MTV. In this candid and energetic chat Davis talks to Alex about singing Aretha Franklin songs in the shower, growing up in Greenwich Village and her new album Love Again. She also talks about her penchant for statistics, hearing her music in Whole Foods and her musical relationship with her father.