108. Peaches - A Mirror to Absurdity

In this chat, we get to meet Peaches, the iconic electronic/electro-clash/pop singer, songwriter, and producer. After a lengthy absence, Peaches is back with a new LP, No Lube So Rude, and if you know Peaches' work, then you know what to expect: lots of crude humor mixed in with serious commentary on sex and sexuality, politics, human rights, and being a woman or even really just being a human in this absurd time. It's at times funny, abrasive, and cutting, in a way really only Peaches can pull off. She's never been anyone but herself, and it shows. We talk a lot about this new record, including what led to her return to album-making, and what artistic pursuits she was up to since her last record. We talk inspiration, the state of the world, being a woman in her 50s, and trying to hold a mirror up to the calamity and ridiculousness around us. Thanks for listening.

In this chat, we get to meet Asher White. Asher is a singer, songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist, and lots of other things, and has just put out a special new project: a full-album cover of Jessica Pratt's self-titled debut record. It's an odd choice, perhaps, but it pays off in a really lovely and intriguing rendition of a great modern folk album. In this conversation, Asher and I do get deep into the Jessica Pratt of it all, talking about what pulled her to this album and this project, what continues to pull her - and me (and many of us!) - into Jessica's song world. We also talk about songwriting, recording, the life of being a DIY musician, and much much more. Asher is a very personable and conversational person, and this is a very free-flowing and joyous talk. What a nice way to start 2026! Thanks for listening.

In this chat, we get to meet 3/4 of the experimental rock band Animal Collective. The band just reissued its seminal album Feels for its 20th anniversary this fall, and so I was delighted to have Panda Bear (Noah Lennox), Deakin (Josh Dibb), and Geologist (Brian Weitz) join me for a deep dive into the album. (If you want to hear me chat with Avey Tare/Dave Portner, by the way, you can go listen to episode 53 by the way!) We cover many of its beloved songs, the production process, and that specific feelings around the record both as a piece of work and also as an experience at that specific point in their careers. I was so excited to get to dig into that era of the band, and pick their brains about what is still likely my favorite album of theirs. We talk about letting others in on the process, discuss how they choose live sets, do some myth-busting, and more. Thanks for listening.

Ok, catch up part two. Now, in this episode, we get to meet singer-songwriter Edith Frost. Edith released her first record in about twenty years this past winter, called In Space, and in late spring I got the chance to chat with the underground folk icon all about the album, her road back to making music, studying jazz chords, and more. We talked about her infamous Twitter ban, the delights of Drag City (her longtime record label), and beyond. It was such a lovely and bubbly chat with a buoyant and personable figure, someone whose music has been with me probably since that 2005 record came out, so it was great to be able to link up for an hour. I regret that it took so long to share, but, especially as I am a totally one-man show, occasionally that's just how it all works out. And I'm thrilled to get to share it with you now. Thanks for listening.

Time to play some catch up! In this episode, we get to meet award-winning filmmaker of His Three Daughters, Azazel Jacobs. Full disclosure: this chat (and the one that will constitute my next episode too..shh!!) was actually recorded back in the spring, but life things and other deadlines kept pushing it, and now here I am embarrassingly in early winter only publishing it now. But, as it happens, I was already playing catch up with Azazel, who had released the magnificent His Three Daughters - starring Carrie Coon, Elizabeth Olsen, and Natasha Lyonne - about the year prior, which had come off a nice run of awards notice, including the prestigious Robert Altman award at the 2025 Independent Spirit Awards. So it was great fun to look back on his eventful year, which felt like a bit of a breakthrough into a new echelon of visibility and acclaim for him. We talk a lot about that film, including what it was like to work with this cast, and with such a deeply heartfelt and personal story. We talk about his early foundational films he found as he was discovering his voice, his love of cinema, and how he comes at the art of moviemaking. It was a great chat, and even though it's coming out a bit late, I think you'll still find a lot to love about this deep talk with a talented filmmaker. Thanks for listening. 

In this episode, we get to meet Laura Burhenn - aka The Mynabirds. Laura has just released her first album as the Mynabirds in about eight years, and it consists of several piano re-recordings of older tracks, alongside some brand new ones (which came as a bit of a surprise to Laura, who up to then hadn't written a new song in six years). In this chat, Laura and I dive deep into this new LP, including how she came to the decision to make this particular kind of record, as well as how she chose which songs to rebuild. But even more importantly, we talk about her rediscovery of how much she likes to sing and make music, thereby ending her many-years-long musical silence and refinding her voice. We talk about the goingson on of the world, too, and how one might carry the weight of that in these trying times. And much more, too. Laura was very candid and generous, and so sharp and passionate about these topics, it was a delight to have her. Thanks for listening.

In this episode we get to meet Austra, which is the music project of singer/songwriter/producer Katie Stelmanis. In this chat, we talk about Katie's newest Austra record, Chin Up Buttercup, which came into formation in the wake of a sudden and devastating breakup - one so tough she said she essentially had to grieve. We talk about what it meant to her to be crafting these super-personal songs (maybe the most personal she's ever written) and then shoot them through the lens of electronic, pop, and dance music, especially Eurodance, which was a specific touchstone for her here. We talk about what it even means to grieve a heartbreak, and how there's no right way through it. It was great getting to chat with an artist I've been following since her debut (2011's great Feel it Break), and I was very grateful. Thanks for listening.

On this episode, we get to meet Julian Brave NoiseCat. Julian is a filmmaker, documentarian, and writer, who just put out his first book, called We Survived the Night. Part memoir, part cultural ethnography, the book traces through Julian's own story - including the stories of his parents and family - and weaves in elements of Indigenous stories and mythologies of the communities he is a part of: the Canim Lake Band Tsq'secen of the Secwepemc (Shuswap) in British Columbia. Last year, Julian also received an Oscar nomination for his first documentary film, Sugarcane, which he co-directed with Emily Kassie, which made him the first North American Indigenous filmmaker to be nominated at the Academy Awards. The film studies the impact of the Canadian Indian Residential School System, and the lingering effects and ongoing trauma of the experiences children had there - including some members of his own family. It's a serious conversation, and a very serious topic - but a vital one. I was very grateful to Julian for taking the time to have a deep conversation about this deep subject. Thanks for listening.

Episode 100!! Who knew this would ever happen? I didn't! To commemorate this grand occasion, what better than to sit down with one of the musicians I've listened to and looked up to the longest: Imogen Heap. Imogen was having a very busy October when we sat down to chat, and in this conversation, we discuss all the goingson. This includes the latest in her triptych of singles called "Aftercare", as well as the 13-minute cut that combines all three of those songs (additionally: "Noise" and "What Have You Done to Me") into one song called "I AM _". We talk a lot about what led to these songs, especially "Noise" and "Aftercare", which comes with a wild and winding story that's basically a film unto itself, and the major, awakening experiences that Imogen went through in recent years that led her to that version of herself she is now. We also touch on her second solo LP, Speak for Yourself, which released a 20th anniersary reissue in October. We discuss that time in her life, that turning point, what the album means to her, and more. We of course touch on her use of AI, which has led to some criticism in recent times, but she does her best to explain the ins and outs of what she does and doesn't do with it, and what's good and bad about it (in her view). We talk about a lot more, including why she may never release and proper album again, and I was so incredibly thrilled to have this person who's been a longtime fixture in my life (shoutout to the Frou Frou heads!) join me for this momentous occasion. So thank you for listening (ever - not just to this episode!) and I hope you enjoy. 

In this chat, we get to meet Avery Tucker. Avery is a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist who is probably up to know best known as one half of the indie rock band Girlpool. That band, however, is now on indefinite hiatus (no animosity there - don't sweat!), but it has freed up Avery to release his first full-length album, Paw. Out now, his debut is full of vulnerable songwriting and performances that are often stripped pretty bare. We talk a lot about this new album, including the production, the lyrical themes, the nakedness of it, and what led him to this point in his career. We also touch on solitude, living in the moment, and the greatness that is Gillian Welch's Time (The Revelator). It's a chill and laid back talk, and I think you'll enjoy it. Thanks for listening.