Episode 548 - Pete Droge

Ivy might be the least likely band to release new music in 2025. After the loss of leader Adam Schlesinger to COVID early in the pandemic, the band had no choice but to end things. Luckily, surviving members Dominique Durand, Andy Chase and Bruce Driscoll came together to flesh out some songs Adam hadn't finished and released the new album Traces of You recently as a proper tribute to their former bandmate. All three of them join us this week to explain how the album came together and if there will be more, what it was like competing for Adam's attention with Fountains of Wayne, and everyone's other side projects. Ivy was special. It's a shame they and Adam are gone, but we have some incredible records to remember them by including Traces of You.  IVY • Official Website The Hustle Podcast | creating podcasts | Patreon

The great Australian singer-songwriter Paul Kelly is back again. Last week he released his 30th album (!) called Seventy and it's evidence that this genius shows no signs of slowing down. Paul returns to the podcast to discuss some of the key tracks, what his process is at this stage, and what he still has left to prove. The man is as good at 70 and he has been his whole career. We're lucky to have him.  Paul Kelly The Hustle Podcast | creating podcasts | Patreon

It's been a bumpy road for Pete Droge the last few years and the acclaimed singer-songwriter knew exactly what to do about it. First off, after years of not feeling right, Pete was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome about ten years ago. This changed how he would have to approach his career which, as an independent artist, was already a full time job. Then, he decided the time was right to find his birth mother who, it turns out, passed away just months before he found her. These themes permeate his latest (and best) album, Fade Away Blue. Pete lays out the challenges of the last few years, how he kept afloat, and what to expect from here. We also get the scoop on his sadly short-lived supergroup the Thorns with Matthew Sweet and Shawn Mullins. He's a wonderful guy and hugely inspiring. Enjoy!  Pete Droge The Hustle Podcast | creating podcasts | Patreon

Producer Mark Saunders has done a lot of things, but amidst it all he's responsible for two of the most revolutionary albums of all time. The first is Neneh Cherry's debut Raw Like Sushi featuring the game-changing "Buffalo Stance". The second is the debut album Maxinquaye from Tricky which rewrote the rules as far as what music could sound like. Just those would be enough for some people, but we also hear about The Cure, the Chameleons, Erasure, Madness, a-ha, Ian McCulloch, Lisa Stansfield, Cyndi Lauper, and an absolutely bananas experience with John Lydon. Plus, we get the full scoop on the historic night when Bowie and Jagger recorded "Dancing in the Street". It's 3 hours and not a second is wasted on this instant classic. Don't miss it!  Mark Saunders — Producer | Mixer | Remixer | Composer | Audio Engineer The Hustle Podcast | creating podcasts | Patreon

Liverpool's The Farm capitalized on a moment in the early 90s when their debut album Spartacus captured the Baggy sound in the UK perfectly. It featured a couple of evergreen hits with "Groovy Train" and "All Together Now" and even did well in the states. But, as Baggy wound down, so did the Farm and after a couple more albums they called it a day. Miraculously, they came back this year to release their first album in almost 30 years, Let The Music (Take Control), and it's excellent. Frontman Peter Hooton joins us this week to discuss this wild ride, what they've been doing for 30 years, and how this new album even happened. Enjoy!  The Farm - All Together Now - Groovy Train The Hustle Podcast | creating podcasts | Patreon

Author Greg Prato joins us this week to discuss his new book Alternative for the Masses. The book argues that Nirvana didn't just happen out of nowhere. The seeds had been planted with bands like the Pixies and Jane's Addiction that prepared a way for Nirvana (and the whole grunge movement) to flourish. The book is an oral history featuring dozens of key voices from the scene (many of which are former guests) who share their recollections of that period including indie record labels, the drugs, Lollapalooza and key songs and albums, which Greg and I debate as well. It's a lively discussion with a great writer about an important chapter in music history. We're also giving away a book. You don't want to miss it!  Quarto At A Glance | The Quarto Group The Hustle Podcast | creating podcasts | Patreon

What can you say about the great Thomas Dolby that hasn't already been said? We know about the hits (like "Science" and "Hyperactive"), we know about the innovation and the tech businesses he's started, and we know about Live Aid. In this conversation we set out to fill in some of the gaps like how did he get Jerry Garcia and Eddie Van Halen to play guitar with him? Did he ever meet Prince, who he is so similar to creatively? We know Howard the Duck didn't work, but what about his incredible soundtrack? What happened when he produced Joni Mitchell? It might be a slightly different conversation than you're used to. All of this is to promote his North American tour which kicks off on the east coast this week. Hope you enjoy hearing from the master!  ThomasDolby.com The Hustle Podcast | creating podcasts | Patreon  

Richie Zito checks a lot of boxes for the Hustle. For one, he was a noted session guitarist in the 70s for artists like Neil Sedaka, Hellen Reddy, Leif Garrett, and Elton John. Then he eventually became one of the most successful producers of the next decade working with people like Eddie Money ("Take Me Home Tonight"), Cheap Trick ("The Flame"), Bad English ("When I See You Smile"), the Cult, Heart, and Poison. In between, he hooked up with Giorgio Moroder and played on everything he did for a while including "Danger Zone", Berlin, Donna Summer and tons more. There is a mountain of gold to cover in this one and I have a feeling we just scratched the surface. Enjoy!  The Hustle Podcast | creating podcasts | Patreon

Jon Dawson has been keeping Third of Never going for almost 20 years now and on their latest album, Damage the Pearl (Original Soundtrack), he has enlisted former guest and Connells frontman Doug MacMillian as his musical partner. Jon and Doug have written some primo songs and released one of the best albums of the year. We discuss the logistics of how this project works, what attracted them to each other, and what exactly this album is a soundtrack for. And we have a vinyl of the album to give away. Enjoy!  Official THIRD OF NEVER website The Hustle Podcast | creating podcasts | Patreon

Everything seemed possible in hip-hop in 1992. Creativity was abundant and groups like P.M. Dawn, Public Enemy, De La Soul, and Arrested Development could all flourish. This led to AD's debut album becoming a watershed moment in music, selling millions, having hits and winning Grammys. Unfortunately, once gangster rap got its hooks in everyone, it devoured everything else and has remained largely that way ever since. Despite this, AD have been releasing excellent albums in their unique style consistently since reforming and have a new one called Adult Contemporary Hip-Hop that is one of their best. Frontman Speech joins us this week to give his thoughts on where rap is today, straightening out their bumpy career, and where they go from here. It's a hugely inspiring conversation. Enjoy!  2 time Grammy Winners | Arrested Development The Hustle Podcast | creating podcasts | Patreon