The Resistance

In nearly 20 years as frontman of The Wood Brothers, Oliver Wood has built an incredible catalog of Grammy-nominated, genre-defying music. The key to such longevity is his career-long fight to stay distracted—yes, distracted—in his creative processes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As a teenager, acclaimed vocalist Liz Vice lived with a severe autoimmune disease that could have killed her. On this episode, Liz tells us about the creative fears that still have a hold on her, even as her gospel/R&B fusion has made her an NPR darling and given her a considerable platform.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joshua Henry, fresh off his appearance in the film Tick, Tick...Boom!, is a three-time Tony nominee known for his work in Carousel, The Scottsboro Boys, Hamilton, and Waitress who also recently released his debut album, Grow. The secret to so much success? Henry says he tries to listen to "the voice before the voice" as a daily practice. Check out our latest conversation on The Resistance.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Conor O'Brien is trying his best to avoid "the algorithm blues." As the songwriter and central figure in the Mercury Prize nominated band Villagers, Conor knows a thing or two about the wrestling required with and the shadow side of social media. As a recording artist, there's an inherent need to stay in front of listeners—to create content, to stay connected, to fan the flames of fandom. As an actual person, however, it's not the healthiest way to spend one's time. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of The Resistance, screenwriter Tony Tost (Longmire, Damnation, The Terror) describes the (lack of) mental issues with writing in his career and why he believes that to be the case. He also opens up about his uncommon path toward a career in the arts and how that's given him such a different perspective on creativity and fear.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Josh Radnor has found success on the screen and stage and, most recently, as a songwriter, but despite his experience and expansive platform, he still wrestles with the same basic fears, voices, and pressures that plagued him when he was first starting out. We recently spoke with Josh to hear more about his creative drive and the lessons learned in a career in the arts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Natashia Deón wears many, many creative hats, including that of acclaimed author (for her celebrated novel, Grace). On this episode of The Resistance, Natashia speaks openly about the power of her faith to fuel her activities and what she’s learned about balance and self-care in the midst of so many demands.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oscar-nominated composer Emile Mosseri speaks about the devastating beauty of Minari, his journey to becoming a composer, and the tension of working toward someone else's creative vision versus his own.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From his multi-Tony Award musical Spring Awakening to penning hit singles like "Barely Breathing", Duncan Sheik has experienced considerable success on multiple fronts as a songwriter. However, he says nothing is more important than making art that is, first and foremost, interesting to him. The marketplace will make its demands, but that all-too-often comes at a cost to the artist. On this episode of The Resistance, Duncan Sheik speaks about grappling with his identity as an artist in the face of it all.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After 15 years in the music biz, Mat Kearney says the only healthy rudder when it comes to his work is whether or not he's personally interested. It's a hard lesson to learn, to wall off the surrounding influences and pressures, but he's done so once again on his captivating new album, January Flower.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.