Stereo Embers: The Podcast

"Jordan Wright Didn’t Sleep In A Bed Until He Was Married” When he arrived in Los Angeles from Indiana, City of Sound frontman Jordan Wright knew no one. But thanks to his gregarious nature and endless charisma, he made friends fast and crashed on couches and floors while pursuing his musical career. Of course when his wife moved to L.A. to be with him he had to get a bed immediately, but Wright’s commitment to his craft and his discipline for his art kept him for four years doing nothing but perfecting his art. The result is City Of Sound, an band whose sound can only be described as anthems in need of a stadium to soar across. In this entertaining chat Wright talks to Alex about marital arts, studying music in Australia and the rules his band follows to keep their standards high. He also talks about cornering for violinist Lucy Nova and his love of Coldplay and Alex teases him about not calling his parents in a month….

"Richie Sambora And The Absence Of Democracy” Hugh Harris didn’t have a ton of time to chat, but we made good use of what we had. In this interview with the guitarist for the Kooks, we talk about Richie Sambora, crying on airplanes and why Harris loves being on the road. He also addresses the absence of democracy when making a solo record, why new cities fill him with optimism and seeking out the horns of Havana on a recent sojourn to Cuba. It’s a fast conversation, but it’s a good one that also covers Johnny Marr, the limitations of the guitar and whether or not Kooks singer Luke Pritchard is in Harris’ head.

“Having No Enemies (That You Talk To)" When Alex had the chance to sit down with singer/songwriter Glenn Shorrock, he jumped at the opportunity. Not only is Shorrock a two-time inductee into the Australian Recording Industry Association’s Hall Of Fame, the former Little River Band frontman’s composition “Help Is On The Way” is regarded as one of the top 30 songs in Australian history. In this conversation Shorrock chats with Alex about a life in music that has spanned over 50 years. He recounts his biggest regret after leaving LRB, his friendship with Bon Scott, and his admiration of Bob Dylan. He also talks about his musical discipline, why he thought LRB over-rehearsed, his new album It's A Long Way There: Glenn Shorrock Sings Little River Band Live In Studio and how he has no enemies…that he talks to.

“Craig Elkins Has Nap Anxiety” Craig Elkins doesn’t have anxiety about taking naps, his anxiety comes after he’s taken one. In this interview he tells Alex that the anxiousness comes not from the actual nap, but rather why he’s napping in the first place. But naps aside, in this candid, entertaining chat, the Huffamoose frontman talks about being labelmates with No Doubt, the the break-up of his band and the reformation that led to their first new album in 14 years, …And That’s When The Golfball Hit Me In The Head. Craig also talks to Alex about playing the H.O.R.D.E. tour, overcoming hypochondria and his love of Michael Franks….

“Arriving With Not A Bit Of Scruff” While a lot of artists just starting out have to go through the scruffy apprentice phase, David Mead seems to have arrived fully formed. The singer/songwriter’s 1999 debut The Luxury Of Time didn’t have an ounce of scruff on it. A shimmering pop song-cycle, the album was as perfectly crafted as anything by pop veterans like Crowded House or Squeeze. Mead’s divine falsetto and smooth croon made every track brim with majestic pop gold. Now, twenty years later, Mead is back after a nearly ten year absence with the fabulous new album Cobra Pumps. A wicked platter of soulful pop, Cobra Pumps is a dazzling return to form. In this interview Mead chats with Alex about his on-stage persona, how much to reveal on social media and the writing of Cobra Pumps. They also share their mutual love of XTC’s Skylarking….

“Keeping Your Eyes On Athens” As a teenager in Atlanta, Parker Gispert grew up listening to Built To Spill, Modest Mouse and the Velvet Underground. But everything changed once he discovered the Athens, Georgia Elephant 6 Label. Mesmerized by bands like Elf Power, Olivia Tremor Control and Neutral Milk Hotel, Gispert was not only drawn to their sound, he was drawn to their geography. So much so, that when it came time to choose a college, the University of Georgia in Athens was the most logical choice. Inspired by the artistic community of the town and its legendary musical DNA, it didn’t take long for Gispert to get a band together and it didn’t take long for that band to start crushing it. The Whigs tore through the local live circuit and went on to release five albums, play repeatedly on Letterman and Conan and tour the world several times over. In this conversation Gispert talks to Alex about his first solo album Sunlight Tonight, what it was like to live on a hemp farm for a year and the pleasures of driving alone across the country. He also talks about his parents’ take on his rock and roll career, how geography influences art and the current state of the Whigs.

“Seeing Bad Brains When You're Twelve” Although you might not know it by listening to Alana Davis’ brand of sultry soul, she’s a huge fan of hardcore. So much so, that at 12 she got a fake ID so she could see shows at CBGB’s. Transfixed by the power and truth of the legendary band, Davis became a lifelong fan. Although her original plan was to be the bassist in a reggae band, Davis ended up stepping up to the mic and the result has been a career punctuated by a Grammy nomination, collaborations with Jay-Z and Pharrrell, and an ubiquitous hit that was all over MTV. In this candid and energetic chat Davis talks to Alex about singing Aretha Franklin songs in the shower, growing up in Greenwich Village and her new album Love Again. She also talks about her penchant for statistics, hearing her music in Whole Foods and her musical relationship with her father.

“The Leading Writer On Manchester United” Wayne Barton got his start as a sportswriter, but it didn’t take long for his talents to land him gigs ghostwriting autobiographies for notable soccer stars. From there Barton stepped from the shadows and wrote Fergie’s Fledglings under his own name. Focusing on the youth soccer system in Manchester under Sir Alex Ferguson, the book found The Guardian declaring it to be “vibrant and essential.” The follow-up 74/75 found The Independent declaring him to be “The Leading Writer On Manchester United.” So what does one do after being given such a laudatory title? They write a novel about rock and roll, obviously. Barton sits down with Alex to talk about his novel Peach, which focuses on a cross-generational friendship between two musicians at vastly different points in their lives. Barton chats about the transition from soccer to novels, his love of music and the arduous process of writing. He also reveals how he got "Breaking Bad" star Charles Baker to do the soundtrack for the book……

“Maira Kalman’s Dog Ate Her Camera” And she thought it was hilarious. In this interview, which was recorded in front of a live audience at the Montclair Presbyterian Church in Oakland, author and artist Maira Kalman talks to Alex about why she would have been furious if her kids broke her camera, but found it comical that the culprit was her dog. A candid chat about the legacy of family insanity, how rooms are related to memory and what to do with all the stuff that we have in our lives, this is Stereo Embers’ first ever live show and we’re proud that the inaugural installment is with the fabulous Maira Kalman. A funny, moving and engaging conversation, Maira also talks about her mother’s underwear, working with Daniel Handler, the forgiveness of animals and how she was obsessed with drawing dogs from the very beginning of her artistic life but didn’t know it until her agent pointed it out…

“The Amazing Kreskin Returns!” When it came time to book a guest for our last show of the 2018 season, Kreskin was our first pick. After all, who better to look ahead to the new year than the best mentalist to ever walk the planet? In his return to the program Kreskin talks to Alex about thwarting a murder, his new book and the truth behind his gravestone. They also chat about Ricky Jay, cannabis for Congress, the upcoming biopic on Kristin’s life and Alex dazzles Kreskin just by mentioning Jason Schwartzman’s name….