Crash And Ride

I interviewed the guy who started the Dudes Helping Dudes Facebook page! His name is Stephen Cramer and he's also the founder of Athens mental health festival Brain Aid! We talked about his struggle with depression, the effect his mother's mental illness had on him, and his multiple projects to try to break the stigma on mental health awareness! You can check out the Dudes Helping Dudes Facebook Page here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/285985468085333/ You can check out Brain Aid here: https://www.facebook.com/brainaidfest/ Athens Litter Rescue Challenge here: https://www.facebook.com/events/811751805886646/ #eternitycanwait !!

Chad Cochran is a photographer from Cleveland, Ohio, who does amazingly intimate portraits of Americana artists. Chad has recently begun a series he calls "I Didn't Want to Tell You" where he asks artists whose photos he has taken how mental health has affected their lives, then shows the photos with the text attached. You can see some examples of this work in the Fall 2019 Wellness Issue of 'No Depression' magazine. I am releasing this episode in mid-week because it's Americana Fest in Nashville and he's there shooting more portraits for I Didn't Want to Tell You.  You can catch up with him at Baby Robot Media booth at Americana Fest or check out his social media below! Here's his website: https://www.cowtownchad.com/   Twitter: https://twitter.com/cowtownchad   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cowtownchad/   You can get the Wellness issue of No Depression with the "I Didn't Want to Tell You" photos here: https://store.nodepression.com/collections/single-issues/products/wellness-fall-2019   Here's the

For Episode 27 I spoke with Christian Lembach, singer and guitarist for the noise rock band Whores. We talked about the death of his father when he was still very young, the debilitating car crash he experienced a few years later, his addiction to IV drugs, and his eventual recovery. You can hear Whores here: https://whores.bandcamp.com/ Here is the Andrew WK advice column I referenced towards the end of the interview: https://dangerousminds.net/comments/andrew_wk_on_the_power_of_dreams

Episode 26 is Part 2 of my interview with Sterling Roig. In this episode. we cover everything that  happened to him after being let go from the James Hall Band, including living through 9/11 in NYC, briefly joining and then leaving the band Varispeed, having his first experiences with hospitalization, developing an emotional block against playing drums, and more. Sterling went though a lot, these last few years, and I'm really proud of this talk.

Way back last spring, I interviewed my old friend Sterling Roig in his apartment outside New York City. Sterling and I hadn't been in the same room together in over 20 years, but we were both soldiers in the post-Nirvana wars waged by capitalism vs. art. Sterling struggled with anxiety and sadness through those years, and we talk about that in pt. 1 of this two part interview. The reason I broke this one into two parts is because our original conversation ranged over four hours, and I had to chop it down to get it into reasonable chunks of conversation.

For Episode 24 I interviewed Lincoln Barr, a singer/songwriter originally from Mississippi, formerly from Seattle, now living in South Carolina. Lincoln's work is moody, meditative, and thoughtful. He's done soundtracks and albums of songs about his struggles with depression and suicidal thoughts stemming from the violence he experienced in childhood. You can check out his album 'Cruel Dream: Music Inspired by the Film The Past is Never Dead' here: https://lincolnbarr.bandcamp.com/album/cruel-dream-music-from-inspired-by-the-past-is-never-dead You can hear his album 'Trembling Frames' here: https://lincolnbarr.bandcamp.com/album/trembling-frames I've attached a short story he wrote to this episode, AND we talked about his favorite guitar maker, Pin-Up guitars. You can check out their work here: https://www.pinupcustomguitars.com/

For Episode 23, I interviewed Tim Midyett, bass player from the enormously influential band Silkworm, baritone guitar player for the band Bottomless Pit, and now front person for the band Mint Mile. Tim and I talked about the death of his best friend, Michael Dahlquist, drummer for Silkworm, and the death of his friend Jason Molina. You can check out the documentary about Silkworm here: http://buy.couldntyouwait.com/ You can hear Bottomless Pit here: https://bottomlesspit.bandcamp.com/ You can hear Mint Mile here: https://mintmile.bandcamp.com/ Here is the Pablo Neruda poem I referenced about the Very Sad Poets: http://www.naseeb.com/journals/the-invisible-man-by-pablo-neruda-121949 In the intro I talk about the Upcoming Drummers Weekly Groovecast episode where Phil is going to rebroadcast our interview. You can hear that on the DWG page: https://soundcloud.com/phil-smith-592966725

Bill Mallonee is an extraordinarily gifted singer/songwriter, originally from Athens, now living outside Taos, New Mexico. Bill and I have known each other for almost 30 years and have collaborated a few times, shared many stages, and gone through many of life's tribulations as friends and comrades. I've always admired Bill's extraordinary talent and his commitment to being a man of faith, even while most of us in his circle of friends were staunchly agnostic. Bill's lyrics are fantastic, his commitment to telling the human story unwavering, and his work ethic is legendary. Check out his Bandcamp page. What is that, eighty albums? Astonishing. Instead of doing a mixed Spotify playlist of songs by different artists, this week is going to be a list of Bandcamp tracks that he selected from his own discography. Keep an eye out for that! Here's Bill's Bandcamp page: https://billmalloneemusic.bandcamp.com/

Mike Dickinson is the head of Chicken Ranch Records, a label out of Austin, Texas. Chicken Ranch has been a going concern for the better part of two decades, and has artists such as Five Eight, Flat Duo Jets, Thee Idles, Starlings TN, Mr. Lewis and the Funeral 5, and more. Chicken Ranch Records can be found here: http://chickenranchrecords.com You can see video from the Chicken Ranch/Five Eight trip to India here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IMTSc6CGTo Komorebi is here: https://youtu.be/Aiu5GFiAkLU The Go Fund Me for Pinky Doodle Poodle is here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-keep-pinky-doodle-poodle-in-america

I sat down with Buick Audra and Jerry Roe from Friendship Commanders in the sunny kitchen of their Nashville home. I first saw Friendship Commanders when our bands played together earlier this summer. I have been a devoted fan ever since. Both Buick and Jerry survived difficult, unusual childhoods and found each other as adults. Together they have created an artistic and romantic partnership of mutual trust and protection. We talked about surviving and thriving, recording with Steve Albini, the travails of touring, and life on the road as a couple. You can hear Friendship Commanders and see a list of their tour dates here: https://friendshipcommanders.bandcamp.com/ You can read the Elizabeth Bishop poem, 'One Art', which Buick referenced in the question about loss, here: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/47536/one-art

Ryley Walker is a guitarist and singer/songwriter, originally from Rockford, IL. He lived in Chicago for the better part of a decade, and has now relocated to NYC. He has an incisive, brilliant wit and he came to my attention through his sharp and funny twitter presence. Digging into his work revealed to me that he is also a thoughtful, gifted, and brilliant musician. We talked about drugs, sadness, the isolation of touring, and his suicide attempt in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. His website is here: https://www.ryleywalker.com/ His twitter account can be found here: https://twitter.com/ryleywalker This week's Crash and Ride Spotify Playlist is here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/79WskNMcalZwjCDprarRVi The photo I used on this Episode was shot by Galea McGregor, one of the directors at WXPN, which is here: http://www.xpn.org/

Thor Harris was one of the inspirations for starting this podcast. Thor has been the drummer for Shearwater, the Swans, Thor and Friends, Amanda Palmer, Hospital Ships, Xiu Xiu, Angels of Light, Bill Callahan, Lisa Germano, and a dozen other bands. He's a carpenter, a plumber, a painter, a sculptor, a writer, and a has been an outspoken advocate for getting the help you need if you're suffering from depression. He's written and illustrated a book called Ocean of Despair, a firsthand account of surviving a nervous breakdown. He's basically the man I had sort of hoped to grow up to be.      I love his music. I love his fearlessness. I love his commitment to living with integrity. I love his house. I love his dogs.      He is a hero.     You can watch a short film about Thor's struggle with depression here:     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGewlMBtDeQ&t=     You can find information about Ocean of Despair here:     http://monofonuspress.com/store/if-07-out-soon     You can hear Thor and F

For Episode 17, I interviewed Richard Salino, an audio engineer working out of Studio G in Brooklyn, a cancer survivor, and a dear friend of mine. Richard talks about how he collapsed on a subway platform from a brain tumor, less than 24 hours after asking his girlfriend to be his wife. We discuss that, his treatment and subsequent recovery from stage 4 melanoma. Richard has asked me to make his contact information available to anyone struggling with cancer or who has a loved one who is suffering. You can check out Richard's work and/or reach him via his website: http://richardsalino.com/ Also, here's this week's Spotify playlist! https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2i6ukSkbWtCBMNmQHej9Z5

For Episode 16 I spoke with Patrick Nehoda, a singer/songwriter/guitarist living in Nashville, TN! Patrick is a former wilderness firefighter from Northern California. We talked about nearly being overrun by a forest fire while he was working a fireline, and how that affected his decision to play guitar and write songs for a living instead. We also talked about the death of his mother and how he's coping with that. You can hear Patrick's music on Bandcamp! https://patricknehodamusic.bandcamp.com/releases Also, here's the Crash and Ride Spotify Playlist for Episode16! https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3LJgYiF0jVJ8l57IUpASS1

For Episode 15 I talked to Boo Ray, a fantastic singer/songwriter/guitar-picker from Nashville! We talked about drugs, sadness, addiction, and trying to get better. It's a good one. We met up in his living room in Nashville, Tennessee, drank about a million cups of coffee and got down IN IT. Thanks, Boo! You can hear Boo's music here: https://booraymusic.com/ And here's the Crash and Ride Spotify Playlist for this week! https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7sOzwkHgg328GBUm7yjGY4

For Episode 14 I spoke with Sam Paulsen, guitarist in Man or Astroman? and guitarist for Mean Queen. She was also the guitarist for the incredible noise rock band We Versus the Shark. We talked about how she copes with the anxiety and insomnia that has been part of her life since she was very young!  We talked about her other career as a nurse! We also reveal some VERY exciting news here for the first time! Check it out!   Check out We Versus The Shark here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1r4l4XRxGk (Holy cow, is that good.)   Unfortunately, the live Man or Astroman? show in Paris that I loved so much is no longer on YouTube, but here's another festival show in France! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISVI8LQEXQc   And, of course, here is the glorious Mean Queen: https://meanqueen.bandcamp.com/album/take-a-cool-pill   Here's the tattoo of her grandmother's signature that we were discussing:  

Episode 13 is the second part of my interview with Josie Cool. In the first episode we talked about the death of her father and grandmother, her decision to transition, and her life as a trans woman. In this episode, we talk about her thoughts of suicide, self-destructive stage antics, and trying to live a life of self-acceptance.   You can hear Teacup Gorilla here:  https://teacupgorilla.bandcamp.com/releases   Ersatz Robots Bandcamp page is here:  https://ersatzrobots.bandcamp.com/releases   Great American Housefire:  https://greatamericanhousefire.bandcamp.com/

Episode 12 is part 1 of my interview with Josie Cool. Josie is a trans musician from Denver, Colorado. Josie is the guitarist in Teacup Gorilla and a brand new band called Altar Girls. She's also the drummer in the all-trans band Ersatz Robots. She is formerly the guitarist in Great American Housefire.   We covered so much ground in our interview that I decided to break it into two parts! Part 2 will be released at 12:01AM on June 2nd, 2019!   You can hear Teacup Gorilla here: https://teacupgorilla.bandcamp.com/releases   Ersatz Robots Bandcamp page is here: https://ersatzrobots.bandcamp.com/releases   Great American Housefire: https://greatamericanhousefire.bandcamp.com/

I interviewed Susie Ulrey from the band Pohgoh! She's a guitarist and singer/songwriter who is living with Multiple Sclerosis. She's a huge inspiration to me as she continues to create great art and thrive despite living with a disease that robs her of her mobility and peace of mind. After our interview, she sent me this fantastic poem and I asked her if I could include it in the show notes:   The Thing Is | Ellen Bass     to love life, to love it even  when you have no  stomach for it and everything you’ve  held dear  crumbles like burnt  paper in your hands,  your throat filled with the  silt of it.  When grief sits with you,  its tropical heat  thickening the air, heavy  as water  more fit for gills than  lungs;  when grief weights you  like your own flesh  only more of it, an  obesity of grief,  you think, How can a  body withstand this?  Then you hold life like a  face  between your palms, a  plain face,  no charming smile, no  violet eyes,  and y

While I was on tour with Pinky Doodle Poodle two weeks ago, I was able to sit down with my good friend Evan Rowe. Evan has survived PTSD, depression, anxiety, electro-convulsive therapy, and multiple inpatient stays. Evan and I share a lot of common history and this one hit me right in the heart. Evan and I talk about finding something that finally worked to quell his worst impulses and how grateful we both are to have found bandmates and partners in life who will stick by us through the worst of it. Here is Evan's band Maple Stave: https://maplestave.bandcamp.com/ Here is J Kutchma's bandcamp page: https://jkutchma.bandcamp.com/ Here is Dr Nadine Burke Harris' talk about Adverse Childhood Experiences: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95ovIJ3dsNk