Stereo Embers: The Podcast

"Give This Album A Grammy And Get On With It” It’s hard to explain how brilliant Bernard Fowler’s new album Inside Out is. A percussive and poetic spoken word reimagining of The Rolling Stones’ songbook, Inside Out is an innovative and wildly creative collection. If there’s any justice in this world, this record will not only be nominated for an album—it will win one. A touring member of The Stones since 1989, the New York-born Fowler has one of the most distinctive voices in the business. In this interview he chats with Alex about having Mick Jagger hear his interpretations of his compositions, the magic of Ray Parker Jr. and the wisdom of age. He also talks about working with John Lydon and Duran Duran and he has a priceless reaction when Alex compares him to Frank Sinatra….

“Kristin Hersh Makes Me Feel Better About My Birthday” It’s not easy turning…22. Okay, 49, but what really takes the sting out of the advancing years is a conversation with Kristin Hersh on your birthday. Alex welcomes the singer/songwriter back to the podcast on his birthday and the two get right to it, chatting about life, family, art and survival. They cover Hersh’s perspective on the Throwing Muses, why you should always separate the artist from the art and the rigors of the music industry. A spirited, lively and hilarious chat, Hersh is one of the most entertaining, brilliant and engaging people to talk to and this interview is filled with laughs, insight and conversational momentum.

"Of Sisyphus And The Rock (And Roll)” In this conversation with Wylder’s Will McCarry, Alex and the singer/guitarist uncover the tricky and bottomless nature of being an artist, likening the process to Sisyphus rolling the rock up the hill. In other words, once a song is written, instead of spiking the ball and stopping the clock, musicians go back to the grindstone to do it all over again. An intimate, revealing and honest chat about the life of a musician, McCarry talks to Alex about how he brings ideas to his band, why he felt unsatisfied playing certain gigs, and how he balances working life with the artistic life. They also chat about Wilder’s new album Golden Age Thinking, the importance of family support, sonic evolution and the career of the band Chicago….

“I Haven’t Talked To Stephanie Seymour In 30 Years” The last time I spoke to Stephanie Seymour was 1989. She was a publicist at Island Records and I was the Music Director of my college radio station. Stephanie and I lost touch after she left Island to go on tour with her band The Aquanettas but we’re back in touch now! In this entertaining conversation Seymour catches Alex up on the last 30 years and talks about what happened to the Aquanettas, why she didn’t make music for ten years and how she met her husband Bob Perry of Winter Hours. She also talks about her love of Stewart Copeland, why Alex Van Halen sounds the way he does, and her new album There Are Birds.

“Don Felder Says You’ll Never Master The Game” Although he’s one of the most legendary guitar players of all time, Don Felder says music is like golf—it’s a game you can’t master. That said, Felder is pretty masterful. The Florida born musician’s third solo album American Rock and Roll is further evidence that he’s one of the most innovative players on the planet and at the height of his creative powers. In this chat Felder talks to Alex about musical discipline, his love of B.B. King and what makes music eternal. He also talks about the power of collaboration, his teaming up with folks like Slash and Peter Frampton for his new album, and why it’s okay if an idea doesn’t always work out the way you planned…

“Two Terrible High School Class Presidents Come Clean” It doesn’t take long in this conversation with Modern Love Child’s Jonny Shane for he and Alex to realize they had a few things in common: they were both high school class president and they were both terrible at it. Motivated only by giving disruptive speeches, the two laugh about how they had no interest or capacity in their jobs beyond that. But poor student officer past aside, Shane is a remarkable songwriter, whose compositions are flecked with truth and soul. Falling somewhere between the heartbreaking precision of Evan Dando and the introspection of Rogue Wave, Modern Love Child’s music is a stirring blend of nervy indie rock and rootsy groove. In this entertaining chat, the Connecticut-born Shane talks to Alex about growing up back east, making a home in California and why he’s not a great boyfriend at the moment. They also chat about how Shane had to hide his musical proclivity from his football teammates, his newfound love of surfing and what to do with an English major….

Geoff Downes Always Knew He Wasn’t Going To Be A Concert Pianist” Although Geoff Downes is a staggering keyboard player who is truly one of modern music’s great composers and innovators, as a young man, he came to terms with the fact that he wasn’t going to be a concert pianist. Taking an alternative path through music, Downes formed The Buggles with Trevor Horn, then joined Yes for their Drama album. Teaming up with John Wetton of King Crimson, Steve Howe of Yes and Carl Palmer of Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Downes formed Asia and the band’s debut hit #1 in America for 9 straight weeks. In this conversation Downes talks to Alex about the rare gifts of John Wetton, his own discipline as a player and whether or not he ever felt intimidated playing alongside such powerful and gifted musicians. He also talks about the state of the keyboard in the current cultural landscape, his joy of playing live and whether or not The Buggles will be putting out new music.

“Chris Stamey Doesn’t Normally Do These Things” And by “things” we mean podcasts….It’s true: the Chapel Hill, North Carolina singer/songwriter doesn’t show up a lot on podcasts, but we got lucky by catching him at just the right time and he agreed to be on the show. Stamey may have cut his teeth with the db’s back in the early ‘80s, but since then he’s been a critically-acclaimed solo artist, a respected producer of bands like Le Tigre and Whiskeytown and the author of one of THE great rock and roll memoirs of all time—A Spy In The House Of Loud: New York Songs And Stories. In this interview Stamey talks to Alex about his new double album New Songs For The 20th Century, Elvis Costello and what he taught Ryan Adams. He also talks about artistic discipline, the power of Tom Verlaine and reuniting with his childhood piano.

“David Schelzel Used To Think 30 Was A Good Age To Stop Making Records” But that was before he was 30. Admittedly, when you’re an introverted kid growing up listening to The Smiths and Echo and the Bunnymen, 30 probably seems pretty ancient. At least it did to the Ocean Blue’s David Schelzel He figured once he hit 30, he’d probably be done putting out records. Well, he was wrong. Although The Ocean Blue did stop putting out records for almost 15 years while the members of the band pursued other careers—Schelzel, for example, became a lawyer—they didn’t stop for good, and we’re grateful for that. Six years after their last album Ultramarine, comes the band’s sixth long player, the meditative and melodic Kings and Queens/Knaves And Thieves. In this conversation, Schelzel talks about what it was like to sign a record deal and head to London at 19, why he decided to pursue a career outside of music and his dizzying work ethic. He also talks about the evolution of the band’s sound, whether or not he keeps up with the work of his heroes and what emotional season The Ocean Blue are entering at this stage in their career.

“The Days Of White Men Shutting People Up Are Over” In this frank and unflinching interview Laces talks to Alex about her past as a young artist on a major label when she worked under the moniker Charlotte Sometimes. A truly exciting time, for sure, but she opens up about the dark side of the experience and the abuse she incurred in the most forthright of terms. The good news is that Laces is a survivor and not only has she shed the Charlotte Sometimes sobriquet, she’s rechristened herself as Laces and stormed back with some of the most powerful and soul-stirring music you’ll ever hear. Laces talks to Alex about vocal injuries, playing the Warped Tour and why working in advertising didn’t work for her. She also opens up about not feeling supported during a particularly harrowing time, why boundaries are important and why she’s never recorded under her actual name…..