Stereo Embers: The Podcast

“Finding Romance In Knowing How Things Work” Having relocated from Ojai to a 50-acre farm in Iowa, Lissie has gone from the California life to the more…rustic life. And for this fledgling farmer, knowing how things work and finding an immense capability in one’s self is a decidedly romantic idea. The Illinois-born singer/songwriter has a rather busy last decade, releasing five albums, collaborating with Elton John and Snow Patrol, opening for Lenny Kravitz and Tom Petty and appearing on Twin Peaks. But Lissie is in a new phase in her life and as she surveys her new acreage, she’s also finding new things out about herself. From knitting to making flower beds, Lissie is settling into farm life in the most seamless of ways. In this chat she talks to Alex about leaving California, her relationship with her voice and how each album she’s made represents a specific time in her life. She also talks about why we choose bad relationships even though we know better, how she is with outward affection and why she keeps watching old episodes of “The Office.”

“Playing Laser Tag In The Backyard” Although it’s hard to imagine a guy who radiates intensity onstage playing laser tag in the backyard, Live’s Ed Kowalczyk tells Alex that he’s mellowed out a bit over the years and doesn’t take things as seriously as he used to. That said, Live’s new EP Local 717 is a stunning return to form, filled with the band’s trademark muscle, melody and rock and roll crunch. In this interview Kowalczyk talks about how Live started when everyone in the group was 14, his recent discovery of the Velvet Underground and what plans for a new Live album look like. Live are touring with Our Lady Peace and Bush this summer to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the band’s landmark album Throwing Copper.

“Prince From Minneapolis Comes To Seattle” Alex sits down with MOPOP curator Brooks Peck to talk about the Seattle museum’s new exhibit Prince From Minneapolis. A staggering installation that compiles photographs, instruments, outfits and ephemera from Purple Rain, Prince From Minneapolis is an arresting visual presentation of one of the most iconic performers in music history. Peck tells Alex that the positioning of the photographs themselves reveal the transformation of the Prince onstage character and he talks about how the museum was able to procure the pieces they did for the show--including the original cash register from Purple Rain. He also discusses the challenges in setting up the show, the power of the early photographs and Alex puts him on the spot and makes him pick his favorite Prince song….

Lindy Vopnfjörð Heard Quiet Riot Before He Heard Woody Guthrie Look, Lindy Vopnfjörð and I both grew up in the ‘80s and in this interview we both admit we were into Quiet Riot long before we had even heard Woody Guthrie. But don’t worry: Lindy Vopnfjörð has caught up. The Manitoba-born Vopnfjörð, who got his start playing in his Icelandic parents’ band The Hekla Singers, moved west to Victoria in the the '90s with his brother and started the beloved band Northern Junk. Although Vopnfjörð also played in the band Major Maker, who had a smash hit with “Rollercoaster,” his string of critically-acclaimed solo albums established him as a songwriter of tremendous sensitivity and grace. In this conversation Vopnfjörð tells me about his Icelandic lineage, writing songs while his kids nap and why he thought he needed to go back to school for songwriting. He also talks about how he receives criticism, why he was drawn to Judas Priest, the history of Icelandic hockey players in Canada and his new album You Will Know When It’s Right.

"Jackie Speier Should Be President” U.S. Congresswoman Jackie Speier has devoted her life to helping people. A forty year veteran of politics, Speier is committed to public service, she cares about people and she has an enormous heart. In this conversation recorded in front of a live audience in Oakland, California, the Congresswoman talks to Alex about surviving the Guyana airport firefight with Jim Jones’ henchmen, the importance of friendship and whether or not she’d run for President. A candid, moving and inspiring chat, Speier also talks about writing her autobiography Undaunted, the importance of friendship, and how her Mid-Western husband helped slow her down. Recorded live in Oakland and produced by Jake Dawson

An Investigative Reporter Of The Darkness” Whether he was hanging out with Samoan gun runners or locked up in Cook County Jail in Chicago, when Michael McDermott was at his wildest he thought of himself as a kind of investigative journalist doing research on the dark roads that addiction can take a soul down. But McDermott grew weary of those roads and taking notes about the night and after getting married and having a daughter, he decided to get clean. In this interview the singer/songwriter talks to Alex about his experiences with unflinching truth, humor and circumspect philosophy. He chats about how he managed to be prolific during the throes of addiction, what it was like to get a huge record contract at 21 and receiving a seven page letter from Stephen King. He also talks about being married to a musician, how he takes criticism, and how he handles screen time for his daughter. Michael McDermott’s new album Orphans is out now and it's genius. Go get it!

“Marty Willson Piper Thinks Fleetwood Mac’s Heads Are In The Wrong Place” Marty Willson Piper doesn’t understand why musicians as talented as those in Fleetwood Mac haven’t put out new music in ages. “How can they not be doing whatever they want based on their history and their skills?” he wonders. The former Church guitarist is befuddled that Fleetwood Mac would opt for playing “Say You Love Me” for the eight billionth time instead of making new music. “Give us a record of good songs,” he says. “You know you can do it…It’s just a case of business ruling the art. Their heads are in the wrong place." In this entertaining, hilarious and discursive chat, Willson-Piper talks to Alex about how he envisions the concert experience, the Pledge Music debacle and the imagination behind superstition. He also tells Alex he’s mystified by Maroon 5’s success, why criticism shouldn’t be taken personally and why he buys every new U2 album. And speaking of new music, Noctorum’s new album The Afterlife is nothing short of stunning. A stirring song cycle that’s awash in mystery, jangling pop gems and swirling psychedelia, the album is further proof that Willson-Piper just keeps getting better and better.

"Taylor Jenkins Reid Loves Rock And Roll Couples" Author Taylor Jenkins Reid admits she’s transfixed by couples that play music together. Sonny and Cher, Lindsey Buckingham And Stevie Nicks, Johnny and June Carter Cash—you get the idea. There’s something about all that creative, emotional and, ultimately, combustible energy between them that really appeals to the Maryland-born novelist. A rabid fan of Fleetwood Mac, Jenkins Reid’s new book Daisy Jones And The Six tells the story of a Fleetwood Mac-like outfit who mysteriously quit at the height of their fame. Told in an oral history format, the book finds all of the members recounting the band’s rise to the top and sudden vanishing act. The catch? Nobody seems to remember things happening in the same way. It’s like Rumors meets Rashomon meets vH1-‘s Behind The Music. In this episode, which was recorded live in front of a packed house at Oakland’s A Great Good Place For Books, Jenkins Reid talks about her love of Fleetwood Mac, discovering The Kinks, and why she tries to write a book a year. She also talks about getting Benjamin Bratt and Judy Greer for the audio book, Reese Witherspoon buying the rights to the book before it was even released and what to expect in the upcoming HBO series and being nostalgic for a time she never experienced.

(Part Two)“If Bill Pritchard Is Such A Recluse, How Come We’re Chatting On The Phone?” In Part Two of this engaging and entertaining chat with Bill Pritchard, the British-born singer/songwriter talks to Alex about Mark E. Smith and The Fall, his daughters’ forays into music and Billy Joel. He also talks about why everyone thinks he’s so reclusive, having the same manager as Howard Jones and the elusive nature of writing the perfect song. Pritchard’s new album is called Midland Lullabies and it’s not only an album of poetic finesse and pop grace, it’s also one of the year’s very best.

“If Bill Pritchard Is Such A Recluse, How Come We’re Chatting On The Phone?” (Part One) Over the course of his career, Bill Pritchard has made some of the most stirringly lovely music you’ll ever hear. But, the British-born singer songwriter has, over the years, developed something of an elusive sheen and was even once dubbed the “JD Salinger of Pop” by Rolling Stone France. But, in Part One of this engaging and entertaining chat, Pritchard talks to Alex about why he’s perceived as being elusive (he’s really not!), what makes art last and the Buzzcocks. Pritchard’s new album is called Midland Lullabies and it’s not only one of the year’s very best, it’s an album of poetic finesse and pop grace. Pritchard also talks about his take on his older work, Paul Weller’s songwriting prowess and his love of John Otway.