Surprise Cast

Dear Mark and Andrew, What a treat it was to explore your new album, 'The Second Coming Was a Moonrise'. The conversation moved beautifully between your personal stories and your creative process; some of it was really touching and incredibly inspiring.   Thank you for being so open about heavy topics such as mortality, sobriety, and artistic choices. I especially enjoyed hearing about your approach to space and silence in your work. Your practical insight like how you sequence an album and why you choose to self-release your music to preserve time and artistic freedom were fascinating. I also loved hearing about your collaboration w/ The Flaming Lips’ Wayne and Steven, and your belief that art can transform pain into beauty. Amen to that! This was a heartfelt conversation about making music as a way to build and maintain authentic connection. Your listeners will come away with a deeper understanding of how your creations has affected so many lives and will continue to do so for an eternity.  Follow Hammock: https://www.hammockmusic.com/ Follow Surprise Cast: Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, or X

Dear Anna-Lynne and Matt, What a rich conversation we had about Trespassers Williams' history, the current reissues, songwriting, and so much more. Thank you for speaking so openly about mortality and the importance of being present. This is something many of us can relate to as we get older. I also loved hearing your thoughts on artistic integrity and social media, which so many artists both appreciate and struggle with often. As Jon Richards says, "you're not alone"! Hearing about your musical journey, creative process, and wonderful personal stories added such depth to the conversation. Listeners will appreciate how your work overtime truly evolved in something so meaningful and everlasting. I’m grateful for your time and generosity with your words. I raise my glass to you both. Follow Trespassers William: https://trespasserswilliam.bandcamp.com/ Follow Surprise Cast: Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, and X

Dear Ricardo and Krissy, Thank you for helping me better understand why musicians keep returning to the songs they love and how they make those songs their own. I had a blast chatting with you about the making of the new EP of Mojave 3 covers, how and why the project began, and how you two cleverly crafted the original versions into something dynamic. You kept me intrigued by sharing personal inspirations and your admiration for Rachel Goswell's angelic voice and Neil Halstead's sensational songwriting. My favorite part of the interview was hearing you, Krissy, talk about hitting several years of creative block and how this collaboration with Ricardo helped reinvigorate your confidence and get you back on the recording saddle. I love the respect and admiration you two hold for each other. It's so sweet! I know our Surprise Cast listeners will gain a better understanding of artistic challenges, recovery, collaboration, and the importance of experimenting with ideas and technology. They can expect authentic storytelling and will learn how cover songs can truly unlock the gate back to original inspiration and creativity.  Follow Moon Cowboy: https://mooncowboy.bandcamp.com/ Follow Krissy Vanderwoude: https://www.facebook.com/makeup.by.Krissy.V Follow Simon Scott: https://spsmastering.blogspot.com/ Follow 1991 Recordings: https://1991recordings.co.uk/ Snippets of music by: https://www.sunkilmoon.com/ https://mojave3.bandcamp.com/ https://usstore.neworder.com/collections/joy-division https://slowdiveofficial.com/   Follow Surprise Cast: Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, or X

Dear Richard, What is it about you that speaks of hope, optimism, and resilience? Thank you for sharing the personal experiences that bring depth and emotional honesty to your songwriting. Our conversation about the positive spirit behind your beautiful album, Under the Weather, was fascinating. Even when you explore difficult subjects, the hope in your music shines through, and your resilience in facing personal challenges is truly admirable.  “I want to write songs that bring positivity” beautifully sums up the way you present yourself to the world. The songs we discussed, and your music more broadly, can help music listeners break through life’s darker and heaviest walls; that's a true gift.  Perhaps the answer to my original question lies in the way you keep soldering forward when life throws you a curveball.  Your music speaks volumes about your optmistic outlook on life, which is just as infectious as your melodic music. This is an episode that people can easily echo your feelings based on a title of your song, "Let There be Love".  Follow Lovejoy: https://linktr.ee/lovejoypop Follow Spinout: https://www.spinoutnuggets.com/ Follow Shelflife: https://shelfliferecords.bandcamp.com/ Follow Surprise Cast: Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram or X

Dear Rob, In this episode, I had a great time exploring the making of the new LP 'Goodbye Summertime', the songwriting arc that led to it, and the collaborators who helped bring the record to life. Thank you for sharing how daily journaling can spark creativity. You walked me through your influences, including R.E.M., The Beatles, and other 60s janglepop. I appreciate how you opened up about anxiety and how music became therapeutic for you. It was fascinating to hear your breakdown of standout songs from the new album and your lyrical approach.  Many thanks for sharing perspectives on musical craft and quotes, and for exchanging some great music with me during "fun fun" time. Your prolific songwriting has created unforgettable hooks and melodies that I will always treasure. This is a beautiful conversation about songwriting, facing anxiety, musical inspiration, and finding your way through creative blocks. Bravo! Follow The Goods: https://linktr.ee/the_goods_music Follow Dandy Boy Records: https://dandyboyrecords.bandcamp.com/ Follow Surprise Cast: Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, or X Subscribe: Podbean, Apple, iHeart, YouTube, Spotify Thoughts on the show? Email suggestions to make the show better? What guests should I reach out?

Dear Oli and Brian, Thank you both for an eco-friendly chat on Surprise Cast. I loved hearing how your journeys to exotic places, childhood memories of nature, and the creative reset of the pandemic found their way into the new album, 'Beyonder'.  It was so cool to hear the narratives behind songs such as “Marco Polo,” “Fire and Water,” and “The Honeyeater's Song”.  I appreciate how you bring urgent themes, biodiversity loss and the climate crisis, together with arrangements that still leave room for beauty and good feelings. One of my favourite parts of the conversation was listening to hear your efforts to make touring and merchandise more sustainable. Very interesting! I greatly appreciated your honesty about balancing realism with optimism, and your belief in the power of community, storytelling, and music to move people. Thank you for sharing your experiences, humour, and the tremendous care behind Beyonder. The listeners will enjoy this conversation because it's fun, personable and filled with h-o-p-e! Follow Stornoway: https://www.stornowayband.com/ Follow Surprise Cast: Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram or X Subscribe to Surprise Cast: Amazon, Apple, iHeart, Podbean, Spotify or YouTube  

Dear Sun Shines Cold,  How did you create a massively rich album? Brian and Colan, hearing the genesis of the new album, 'Light Fades Into Ruins" was fascinating. It was great to hear about your reconnection with Simon Scott of Slowdive. Thank you for talking openly about vulnerability in lyric writing, how life events (loss, resilience, new relationships) fed into your songs, and the emotional arcs built into the album’s two halves. Hearing about the unexpected creative moments, some harmonic choices, new pedals, and gorgeous album artwork really made me take notice.   Fans of this interview can expect a deep dive into this double-album format, and come to know that this is a "journey" album. Thank you for taking us on the ride.  Follow Sun Shines Cold: https://sunshinescold.bandcamp.com/ Follow 1991 Recordings: https://1991recordings.co.uk/ Follow Surprise Cast: Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, and X Subscribe to Surprise Cast: Amazon, Apple, iHeart, Podbean, Spotify, or YouTube  

Hello, Asteroid No.4, Thanks a million for sitting down with me to talk about your glowing new album, 'In Praise of Shadows'. I appreciated how much you unpacked about your creative process, production choices, and the musical inspirations behind the album. I loved hearing about the band's tightness and how it benefits your work.   Thank you for giving listeners and me an in depth analysis of the songs, including one of my favorites of the year, "Prayer". The backstory is just as engaging. Congratulations on opening for Chapterhouse, touring Japan, and releasing one of the best albums of the year. Your artistic exploration seems intact and has remained wonderfully consistent for many years. Listeners will take away how good you are at creating darker, emotionally resonant music that feels both uplifting and healing.  Follow The Asteroid No.4: https://theasteroidno4.bandcamp.com/ Follow Surprise Cast: Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, or X

Dear Pete, "I liked being different". What a great way to start our conversation because that's something I've always felt in my life! Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with me about so many wide ranging topics. I appreciate the insight you brought about art, failure, memory, and reinventing yourself. It was so interesting to hear how setbacks shaped your musical identity.  Hearing you recount your Adorable days, highlights and low points was utterly fascinating. You even mentioned how time has allowed you to retrace your steps more objectively.  The way you described your collaboration with Terry Bickers and that "cinematic" atmosphere you both created brought up some a-ha moments in the conversation. You seem to admire Terry's guitar work a lot, like the rest of us.  Congratulations on the new album, 'Up's the New Down ". Thank you for taking a deep dive into the songwriting and studio process. It was exciting to hear about the evolution of particular songs, experimentation, and the pure joy of making a 10 song record. A wonderful "reawakening".  This episode is all about candor, confidence, and craft, something I've always admired in your musicianship over the years. Quite glorious, really! Follow Pete Fij: https://petefij.bandcamp.com/ Follow Surprise Cast: Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, or X

What insights can listeners gain from your life as a musician? They'll learn so much about you being on the road with one of the most important indie bands of all time, The Wedding Present, as well as your approach to stagecraft and the creative process behind your sonic rock album, It’s Not the End of the World?  Thank you for sharing your experiences performing landmark Wedding Present albums such as Bizarro and Sea Monsters. Your reflections offered valuable insight into how an artist preserves the intensity and emotional force of iconic recordings while bringing them to life for a new audience. It was especially interesting to hear how your experiences with Cirque du Soleil shaped your performance instincts, stagecraft, and understanding of physical expression. What an enriching experience! I also appreciated your openness about your cancer diagnosis and recovery. Hearing how music supported you during such a difficult period added a deeper emotional dimension to the conversation and underscored the resilience that can emerge through creative work. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the making of your energetic new album, It’s Not the End of the World. Your decision to give certain songs more space was particularly interesting; that restraint created room for the lyrics and melodies to develop with greater clarity and emotional depth.  Anyone listening to this conversation will gain a better understanding of your resilience, guitar prowess, and ability to collaborate well with others while carving out your own identity. Like me, they'll come to appreciate your honesty, real energy, and inspirational approach to life. Keep being a "kid" in such a mature fashion.  Follow Rachael Wood: https://www.rachaelwoodguitar.com/ Follow The Wedding Present:  https://www.scopitones.co.uk/ Follow Surprise Cast: Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, or X