Stereo Embers: The Podcast

“Drive Your Convertible Into What’s Left Of The Summer” Wilderado’s “Surefire” is such a late summer anthem that it makes Alex want to get in his convertible and drive into what’s left of the summer. But then he remembers: he doesn’t have a convertible and he’s in the middle of doing a podcast. So: back to business. Convertible or not, Wilderado’s track is so catchy, so free and so irresistibly awesome, it’s one of the year’s best songs. Not only that, but this American outfit are quickly establishing themselves as THE band to watch out for in 2020. After a winning three-stage stint at Lollapalooza, a tour with Mt. Joy and with a debut album just about done, Wilderdo’s career is about to hit stratospheric heights. In this chat with singer Max Rainer, the Oklahoma-born musician talks to Alex about discovering music in college, what it’s like to have a burgeoning career with two young children at home and why he’s not worried about his kids Googling him in ten years. The two also talk about the trick of touring around family, J.J. Cale and how to keep this crazy life in perspective.

“Don’t Die Alone In A Dark Room” That’s the thesis that James Levy and Alex arrive at in this epic conversation. It’s how Serge Gainsbourg ended up, and as far as endings go, that’s about as big of a downer as you can get. A discursive mediation on life, love, human behavior, the creation of art and why we do it in the first place, the Vermont-born singer-songwriter opens up about—well, about pretty much everything. With his remarkable new album Somebody out now, Levy also talks to Alex about Bob Dylan, being part of a band versus playing solo and his New York days in the band LEVY. They also cover why James is drawn to recording duets, the power of Charles Bradley and the appeal of talking on the phone.

"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.