Meet Our Makers

113. Joan as Police Woman - We're Real Life

In this chat, we get to meet Joan as Police Woman, the musical project of singer, songwriter, violinist, composer Joan Wasser. Joan came up in the New York music scene of the 90s, but it wasn't until 2006 when she put out her debut solo LP as Joan as Police Woman, Real Life. Well now, exactly 20 years later (to the day!) Joan as put out Real Life Evolution, a total wall-to-wall reimagining and rerecording of that debut record. The sequence is different, the vibes are different, some songs are radically changed, and it's such a fun ride for those of us who have come to love that first record. Joan and I talk at length about this new recording, including what compelled her to go this route and how some of the new renditions came about, as well as the original '06 version and its arrival in her life. We touch on live performance, ANOHNI, Iggy Pop, improv, the love of music, and more. Thanks for listening.

112. The Fiery Furnaces - Aren't You Curious?

In this chat, we get to meet The Fiery Furnaces. The band first rose to prominence in the 2000s, but after a sort of garage-y debut album, they released a slew of highly experimental, avant-garde, quirky abstract pop and rock epics, putting out numerous records in a short time span. Then they stopped. And while they both have had robust solo careers, the duo - made of brother and sister Matthew and Eleanor Friedberger - have never made another FF record. And while they did give me at least some hope for another one down the line, this conversation focuses mostly on two of their most acclaimed and beloved LPs: Blueberry Boat and Bitter Tea, which celebrates its 20th birthday this year. We talk all about these two records, as well as what was going on before and around them, and also touch on live shows, songwriting, alter egos, and more. It's a good chat with two people whose work I've been a dear fan of for many, many years. Thank you for listening.

111. aja monet - I Wish I Could Just Write Love Poems

In this chat, we get to meet aja monet. aja is a poet and songwriter and composer, who has just released her 2nd album of jazzy, inviting, varied, potent spoken word music, entitled the color of rain. And in this conversation, she and I talk a lot about this record. We get into what led to its inception, what some of the songs touch on specifically, as well as the musicality inherent in poetry itself. We talk about the people who worked with her on this record, what inspires her, and more. We also touch on poetry as an art form, and reading and writing moreover, which was especially intriguing for me as an English educator myself. It's a wide-ranging, warm, intellectual conversation that I'm so happy I got to have, with such a poetic force as aja. Thank you for listening.

110. Rostam - Making Myself Whole

In this chat, we get to meet Rostam. The singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer has a brand new record out now, called American Stories. While you may know him best from his tenure in Vampire Weekend (he formally departed after the first three records, though he co-wrote, performed on, and produced those albums, and continues to work sporadically with the group), Rostam has built a strong solo ouevre at this point. In this talk, he and I talk a lot about the new LP, including lyrical inspiration, musical inspiration, mixing America musical themes and touchstones with Persian ones, and more. It's a good chat with a special artist. Thank you for listening.

109. Gay Meat - All About My Mother

In this episode, we get to meet Gay Meat - aka Karl Kuehn. In this conversation, Karl and I dig right in to his brand new debut full-length solo LP, Blue Water. The album was written all about his mother - both the deep relationship he had with her, and her passing a couple years ago after a prolonged health battle. Karl was super candid, and was ready to talk all about his mother. In her health journey, Karl eventually became her caretaker, which brought him back home for a number of years, dealing with hospital care, paper work; it was a lot, but he showed up out of the profound love he has for her. The songs are sometimes a bit downcast, but also sometimes quite fun and bright, and Karl hasn't lost his sense of joy or humor in the process. While this talk does touch on many very serious and heavy topics, I think it's a rather funny and light conversation ultimately, owing to Karl's humor and candor. Thanks for listening.

108. Peaches - A Mirror to Absurdity

In this chat, we get to meet Peaches, the iconic electronic/electro-clash/pop singer, songwriter, and producer. After a lengthy absence, Peaches is back with a new LP, No Lube So Rude, and if you know Peaches' work, then you know what to expect: lots of crude humor mixed in with serious commentary on sex and sexuality, politics, human rights, and being a woman or even really just being a human in this absurd time. It's at times funny, abrasive, and cutting, in a way really only Peaches can pull off. She's never been anyone but herself, and it shows. We talk a lot about this new record, including what led to her return to album-making, and what artistic pursuits she was up to since her last record. We talk inspiration, the state of the world, being a woman in her 50s, and trying to hold a mirror up to the calamity and ridiculousness around us. Thanks for listening.

107. Asher White - Jessica Pratt By Asher White

In this chat, we get to meet Asher White. Asher is a singer, songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist, and lots of other things, and has just put out a special new project: a full-album cover of Jessica Pratt's self-titled debut record. It's an odd choice, perhaps, but it pays off in a really lovely and intriguing rendition of a great modern folk album. In this conversation, Asher and I do get deep into the Jessica Pratt of it all, talking about what pulled her to this album and this project, what continues to pull her - and me (and many of us!) - into Jessica's song world. We also talk about songwriting, recording, the life of being a DIY musician, and much much more. Asher is a very personable and conversational person, and this is a very free-flowing and joyous talk. What a nice way to start 2026! Thanks for listening.

106. Animal Collective - Twenty Years of Feels

In this chat, we get to meet 3/4 of the experimental rock band Animal Collective. The band just reissued its seminal album Feels for its 20th anniversary this fall, and so I was delighted to have Panda Bear (Noah Lennox), Deakin (Josh Dibb), and Geologist (Brian Weitz) join me for a deep dive into the album. (If you want to hear me chat with Avey Tare/Dave Portner, by the way, you can go listen to episode 53 by the way!) We cover many of its beloved songs, the production process, and that specific feelings around the record both as a piece of work and also as an experience at that specific point in their careers. I was so excited to get to dig into that era of the band, and pick their brains about what is still likely my favorite album of theirs. We talk about letting others in on the process, discuss how they choose live sets, do some myth-busting, and more. Thanks for listening.

105. Edith Frost - Back in the Lope

Ok, catch up part two. Now, in this episode, we get to meet singer-songwriter Edith Frost. Edith released her first record in about twenty years this past winter, called In Space, and in late spring I got the chance to chat with the underground folk icon all about the album, her road back to making music, studying jazz chords, and more. We talked about her infamous Twitter ban, the delights of Drag City (her longtime record label), and beyond. It was such a lovely and bubbly chat with a buoyant and personable figure, someone whose music has been with me probably since that 2005 record came out, so it was great to be able to link up for an hour. I regret that it took so long to share, but, especially as I am a totally one-man show, occasionally that's just how it all works out. And I'm thrilled to get to share it with you now. Thanks for listening.

104. Azazel Jacobs - The Magic

Time to play some catch up! In this episode, we get to meet award-winning filmmaker of His Three Daughters, Azazel Jacobs. Full disclosure: this chat (and the one that will constitute my next episode too..shh!!) was actually recorded back in the spring, but life things and other deadlines kept pushing it, and now here I am embarrassingly in early winter only publishing it now. But, as it happens, I was already playing catch up with Azazel, who had released the magnificent His Three Daughters - starring Carrie Coon, Elizabeth Olsen, and Natasha Lyonne - about the year prior, which had come off a nice run of awards notice, including the prestigious Robert Altman award at the 2025 Independent Spirit Awards. So it was great fun to look back on his eventful year, which felt like a bit of a breakthrough into a new echelon of visibility and acclaim for him. We talk a lot about that film, including what it was like to work with this cast, and with such a deeply heartfelt and personal story. We talk about his early foundational films he found as he was discovering his voice, his love of cinema, and how he comes at the art of moviemaking. It was a great chat, and even though it's coming out a bit late, I think you'll still find a lot to love about this deep talk with a talented filmmaker. Thanks for listening.