Stereo Embers: The Podcast

"John Ondrasik And A Melancholy Life With A Lot Of Moments Of Joy" As we all know, happiness is not a permanent state—it’s a place you get to visit, but you can’t live there. And singer/songwriter John Ondrasik is just fine with that. In this interview, the Five For Fighting frontman talks to Alex about how to strike a balance between the creative life and the normal life offstage and he recognizes that somewhere in the middle of artistic innovation and the quotidian routine of daily existence is where true moments of joy can be found. Ondrasik chats about his new record Five For Fighting With Strings, the relief of not having to engage in the rigors of endless album promotion and saying goodbye to his son after dropping him off at college. Ondrasik also talks about Billy Joel, the responsibility he feels towards his audience and whether or not everything gets turned into a song.

“Greg Norton Says You Have To Be Reminded All The Time You Can Be Better” Nobody would fault Greg Norton for resting on his laurels. After all, he played bass in Hüsker Dü, who is one of the most influential and important bands of all time. But Norton is not one of those guys who coasts through life—he’s a hard worker and pushes himself to be a better version of himself every day. Norton joined the Minneapolis-based band Porcupine last year and they’ve just put out a fabulous new six-song effort called What You’ve Heard Isn’t Real. In this interview Norton chats with Alex about having not picked up his instrument in 14 years, what it’s like to play bass in Porcupine, and the three rules he goes by for raising his children. Norton also talks about the importance of taking criticism, his friendship with Grant Hart, what the last Hüsker Dü gig was like and the unpleasantness of having beer cans thrown at you.

"Arleigh Kincheloe Changes Her Son’s Diaper In The Middle Of This Podcast" I’ve interviewed thousands of bands but in this interview with Sister Sparrow, whose real name is Arleigh Kincheloe, something happens that’s never happened before: A diaper change. Kincheloe takes a break in the middle of our chat to change her son’s diaper, but she’s back in a flash and we pick up right where we left off, talking about germs, alcohol and the very specific choice of deciding to live the creative life. It’s an intimate and thoughtful chat wherein Kincheloe also talks about motherhood, the vulnerability of artists and the weird things fans say to her after shows. Sister Sparrow’s new album Gold is out now! Photo by Geoff Tischman

"If You Want Cheery You’ve Called The Wrong Person” Although that statement has an Abandon Hope All Ye Who Enter Here kind of vibe, Ed Kuepper is actually one of the most genial fellows around. The former guitarist (and founder) of the legendary Australian punk band The Saints and the Laughing Clowns talks to Alex about his early interest in composition, the scene in London in the ‘70s and what it was like to dust off the material he wrote over 40 years ago that now comprises his band The Aints! new album The Church Of Simultaneous Existence. Kuepper also talks about his discipline as a guitar player, why he almost quit playing music a few times and the current state of his relationship with Saints singer Chris Bailey.

“Shavo Odadjian Is Always Busy” You probably tell people you’re super busy all the time, but very few people are Shavo Odadjian busy. The System of A Down bassist is one of those guys who runs at his most optimum when he’s got a full day ahead of him. This comes as no surprise—after all, this is a guy who, during his college days, went to class, managed a band, played in a band and worked at a bank. Although System of a Down are one of the biggest bands on the planet and Shavo could sit back and rest on his laurels, one could argue that he’s busier now than ever. HIs latest endeavor is 22 Red, a lifestyle and fashion brand that features pre rolls and vapes that were exclusively made for the company using lab-tested compliant cannabis. In this chat Shavo talks to Alex about where the inspiration for the company came from, why he works best when he’s busiest and what his college counselor told him when he said he wanted to drop out of school and pursue music. Shave also talks about being a dad, his relationship with his bass and the definition of happiness.

“Matt Costa Moves To A Different House Every Time He Makes A New Record” Singer/songwriter Matt Costa is one of the most affecting musicians around and his new album Santa Rosa Fangs is brimming with the hushed pop finesse of Elliott Smith and the lush precision of Roddy Frame’s Surf. In this conversation he reveals that whenever it’s time to make a new record he packs his things and moves to another house. Costa’s fifth album may have been written in a different house than his previous four records, but Santa Rosa Fangs explores the definition of home in a much larger sense. Set against the backdrop of a California that’s both mythical and literal, the album traverses the nuanced landscape of the West Coast in an effort to apprehend life’s tragedies and triumphs. From the aching pull of “Pacific Grove” to the wistful marching pop of “Time Tricks,” Santa Rosa Fangs effortlessly captures the rich textures of Northern and Southern California with novelistic dexterity. In this candid, focused and intimate conversation, Costa talks about his creative discipline, his family roots, his favorite California authors and working with Belle and Sebastian.

“Why Psychiatrists Are Crazy” And we hope he does again! The Amazing Kreskin stops by for a chat with Alex and they talk about why psychiatrists are crazy, the prescience of the Manchurian Candidate and the power of suggestion. And nobody knows about the power of suggestion more than Kreskin. He's not a magician, an occultist or a psychic who’s equipped with powers of telepathy, precognition, or mind control. But he is a mentalist and a mentalist is someone who, through the power of suggestion, can make you think he can do all the things we just told you he can’t. But what they do better than anyone else is invoke belief and Kreskin’s been doing that since the ‘50s. An entertaining and focused chat, Alex and Kreskin also talk about Bob Hope, Winston Churchill, Hitler and Jaws. And how does the episode close? With Queen’s “A Kind Of Magic,” of course….

“Telling Your Son There's No Santa Claus” On a late summer day in September, just hours before our chat, Lyrics Born told his son there was no Santa Claus. He figured it was time. Lyrics Born’s son is 8. If I had a son I’d probably wait until he was…43. But LB explains his thinking behind breaking the news early and not only that, he explains a lot of other things as well in this illuminating chat. We talk about racism, spousal illness, the rising cost of healthcare for independent artists and why LB has no hip-hop exit strategy. We also chat about his new album Quite A Life, what it was like to grow up in Berkeley and why he felt it was time to address in his music the things he hadn’t addressed before.

“Getting Mono From The First Girl You Kiss” A rough romantic start for sure, but don’t worry, everything worked out for Jay Aston. While convalescing from his illness, the Welsh teenager started to listen to music in a more forensic fashion than he had before. Taking in Bowie, Eno and Roxy Music, Aston began crafting his own artistic vision. Moving to London with his twin brother Michael, Gene Loves Jezebel garnered immediate attention and were soon signed to a Beggars Banquet offshoot. Within a few years they had become one of the most well-known bands around and with hits like “The Motion Of Love” and “Desire” were poised to crack the U.S. market. But internal strife, brotherly animosity and label woes derailed the band at a pivotal time. In this candid conversation Aston talks to Alex about his relationship with singing, the rigors of the creative process and what it means to be in Gene Loves Jezebel in 2018. He also talks about his penchant for taking long walks, singing in the choir and how he’s never lost a fight.

"Brothers In Bands Will Always Work It Out" And he should know. After all, The Trews' guitar player John-Angus has been in a band with his brother Colin for most of his life. Whether it’s Oasis, The Black Crowes or The Kinks, John-Angus tells Alex that brothers will always work it out no matter what. Although the Kinks have indeed reformed, the jury’s still out on his other two picks. However, the jury is not out on The Trews’ new album Civilianaires. The verdict? It’s a straight-up killer. A blistering batch of breathy muscle (“Vintage Love”), crunchy stomp (“Time's Speeding Up”) and stadium sing-a-longs (“Bar Star”), the band’s sixth album is further proof that the Trews refuse to make the same record twice and are always moving boldly forward. John-Angus talks about the resignation of the band’s longtime drummer Sean Dalton, growing up listening to Guns n’ Roses and The Trews’ habit of post-show analysis. He also tells Alex about R.E.M., fatherhood and having a piano-playing grandmother who was considered the best musician in Nova Scotia.