Stereo Embers: The Podcast

“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….

“Louise Goffin And I Go The Distance, Part Two” In the second part of my interview with Louise Goffin we really break things down. Louise tells a story about learning a life lesson after hanging out at CBGB’s with Madonna, how she internalized feedback from her parents Carole King and Gerry Goffin, and why she didn’t tell me about her new record All These Hellos the last time we talked. Louise and I also confess that we’re terrible at accepting compliments so we vow to get better at it. To test our new plan, we compliment each other to see how we do…..

“Louise Goffin And I Go The Distance, Part One” Louise Goffin returns to the podcast for the second time this year and she willingly plumbs the depths of the songwriting process, explains how her new album All These Hellos came to be and talks about her experience interviewing folks like Van Dyke Parks and Martha Davis of the Motels on her own podcast, The Great Song Adventure Podcast. In Part One of this conversation Goffin breaks down the rigors of the creative life, looks back at her prolific watershedding days in London and reveals whether or not she’s good at taking criticism. Also, we reminisce about the music videos of the early ‘80s...

“Erica Jong Tells Alex To Wear A Hat And Sunscreen” When Erica Jong gives you advice, it’s probably a good idea to take it. The key for men as they get older, she says, is to wear a hat and sunscreen. And that’s just the beginning of the wisdom Jong dispenses in this interview. The best-selling author of 25 books—her debut novel Fear Of Flying alone has sold almost 40 million copies--talks to Alex about starter marriages, the current political climate and her love of Leonard Cohen. A discursive chat that’s both tangential and linear, Jong also talks about Primo Levi, online dating, survival of the fittest, Judy Collins, and creaky college reunions. She also dishes about her upcoming new book and the vinyl reissue of Vanessa Daou’s Zipless: Songs From The Works Of Erica Jong.

“When You Always Knew You Were On Your Own Planet” Growing up, Vanessa Daou always knew she was meant to be an artist. Growing up in The Virgin Islands, Daou escaped a difficult childhood by immersing herself in the creative world. An avid reader, the young Daou was inspired early on by bookslike Harold And The Purple Crayon and the Little Prince and, taking her cue from characters who fashioned their own universes, Daou began fashioning her own. As idiosyncratic as Stereolab, as smooth as Sade and as timeless as Sarah Vaughan,Daou’s body of work is a seamless, often mesmerizing confluence of electronica, jazz, trip-hop, poetry and soul. In this intimate conversation Daou talks to Alex about the liberation of dance, discovering Leonard Cohen and what it was like to sit down and collaborate with Erica Jong. And speaking of Jong, Daou’s groundbreaking album Zipless: Songs From The Works Of Erica Jong is finally getting released on vinyl in December.

"Justin Jeffre Of 98 Degrees On Pop Music And Social Activism” Justin Jeffre may be widely recognized as one of the four famous faces in the R&B group 98 Degrees, but he keeps a far lower profile while volunteering for the Homeless Coalition in Cincinnati. Jeffre and his bandmates have sold over 10 million albums and are currently on a nearly 40-date pre-Christmas tour called ’98 Degrees At Christmas 2018’, but Jeffre’s heart is as much on the stage as it is helping the homeless. The Ohio-bred Jeffre is no stranger to politics—his Mayoral bid in 2005 taught him that real measurable change happens on issue-based levels and since then Jeffre has been an ardent activist for several political causes that are important to him. In this thoughtful conversation Jeffre talks to Alex about 98 Degrees’ plans for the future, his balance between music and activism and the urgent need for universal health care.

"John Ondrasik And A Melancholy Life With A Lot Of Moments Of Joy" As we all know, happiness is not a permanent state—it’s a place you get to visit, but you can’t live there. And singer/songwriter John Ondrasik is just fine with that. In this interview, the Five For Fighting frontman talks to Alex about how to strike a balance between the creative life and the normal life offstage and he recognizes that somewhere in the middle of artistic innovation and the quotidian routine of daily existence is where true moments of joy can be found. Ondrasik chats about his new record Five For Fighting With Strings, the relief of not having to engage in the rigors of endless album promotion and saying goodbye to his son after dropping him off at college. Ondrasik also talks about Billy Joel, the responsibility he feels towards his audience and whether or not everything gets turned into a song.

“Greg Norton Says You Have To Be Reminded All The Time You Can Be Better” Nobody would fault Greg Norton for resting on his laurels. After all, he played bass in Hüsker Dü, who is one of the most influential and important bands of all time. But Norton is not one of those guys who coasts through life—he’s a hard worker and pushes himself to be a better version of himself every day. Norton joined the Minneapolis-based band Porcupine last year and they’ve just put out a fabulous new six-song effort called What You’ve Heard Isn’t Real. In this interview Norton chats with Alex about having not picked up his instrument in 14 years, what it’s like to play bass in Porcupine, and the three rules he goes by for raising his children. Norton also talks about the importance of taking criticism, his friendship with Grant Hart, what the last Hüsker Dü gig was like and the unpleasantness of having beer cans thrown at you.

"Arleigh Kincheloe Changes Her Son’s Diaper In The Middle Of This Podcast" I’ve interviewed thousands of bands but in this interview with Sister Sparrow, whose real name is Arleigh Kincheloe, something happens that’s never happened before: A diaper change. Kincheloe takes a break in the middle of our chat to change her son’s diaper, but she’s back in a flash and we pick up right where we left off, talking about germs, alcohol and the very specific choice of deciding to live the creative life. It’s an intimate and thoughtful chat wherein Kincheloe also talks about motherhood, the vulnerability of artists and the weird things fans say to her after shows. Sister Sparrow’s new album Gold is out now! Photo by Geoff Tischman