Surprise Cast

Dubya
  • 4.1 (13)
  • Music
  • Updated Weekly

Hello, welcome to Surprise Cast. I’m Dubya, host of this special channel. Join me for engaging conversations with artists from around the world. Together, we explore creativity, inspiration, personal challenges, rising above, and surprising moments that encourage us to think, "I had no idea!".  This show is all about Deep Conversations and Unique Discoveries. Thank you for your support by subscribing to this program. I appreciate it. 

  1. 1d ago

    Surprise Cast #289 - How an indie pop musician balanced grief and bliss whilst making an album - Rob Good

    Dear Rob, In this episode, I had a great time exploring the making of the new LP 'Goodbye Summertime', the songwriting arc that led to it, and the collaborators who helped bring the record to life. Thank you for sharing how daily journaling can spark creativity. You walked me through your influences, including R.E.M., The Beatles, and other 60s janglepop. I appreciate how you opened up about anxiety and how music became therapeutic for you. It was fascinating to hear your breakdown of standout songs from the new album and your lyrical approach.  Many thanks for sharing perspectives on musical craft and quotes, and for exchanging some great music with me during "fun fun" time. Your prolific songwriting has created unforgettable hooks and melodies that I will always treasure. This is a beautiful conversation about songwriting, facing anxiety, musical inspiration, and finding your way through creative blocks. Bravo! Follow The Goods: https://linktr.ee/the_goods_music Follow Dandy Boy Records: https://dandyboyrecords.bandcamp.com/ Follow Surprise Cast: Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, or X Subscribe: Podbean, Apple, iHeart, YouTube, Spotify Thoughts on the show? Email suggestions to make the show better? What guests should I reach out?

    Surprise Cast #289 - How an indie pop musician balanced grief and bliss whilst making an album - Rob Good

  2. 3d ago

    Surprise Cast #288 Why does biodiversity, climate change, and hope fuel creativity? - Stornoway

    Dear Oli and Brian, Thank you both for an eco-friendly chat on Surprise Cast. I loved hearing how your journeys to exotic places, childhood memories of nature, and the creative reset of the pandemic found their way into the new album, 'Beyonder'.  It was so cool to hear the narratives behind songs such as “Marco Polo,” “Fire and Water,” and “The Honeyeater's Song”.  I appreciate how you bring urgent themes, biodiversity loss and the climate crisis, together with arrangements that still leave room for beauty and good feelings. One of my favourite parts of the conversation was listening to hear your efforts to make touring and merchandise more sustainable. Very interesting! I greatly appreciated your honesty about balancing realism with optimism, and your belief in the power of community, storytelling, and music to move people. Thank you for sharing your experiences, humour, and the tremendous care behind Beyonder. The listeners will enjoy this conversation because it's fun, personable and filled with h-o-p-e! Follow Stornoway: https://www.stornowayband.com/ Follow Surprise Cast: Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram or X Subscribe to Surprise Cast: Amazon, Apple, iHeart, Podbean, Spotify or YouTube

    Surprise Cast #288 Why does biodiversity, climate change, and hope fuel creativity? - Stornoway

  3. Oct 19

    Surprise Cast: 287 how did this shoegaze band hit a massive wall of sound? - Sun Shines Cold

    Dear Sun Shines Cold,  How did you create a massively rich album? Brian and Colan, hearing the genesis of the new album, 'Light Fades Into Ruins" was fascinating. It was great to hear about your reconnection with Simon Scott of Slowdive. Thank you for talking openly about vulnerability in lyric writing, how life events (loss, resilience, new relationships) fed into your songs, and the emotional arcs built into the album’s two halves. Hearing about the unexpected creative moments, some harmonic choices, new pedals, and gorgeous album artwork really made me take notice.   Fans of this interview can expect a deep dive into this double-album format, and come to know that this is a "journey" album. Thank you for taking us on the ride.  Follow Sun Shines Cold: https://sunshinescold.bandcamp.com/ Follow 1991 Recordings: https://1991recordings.co.uk/ Follow Surprise Cast: Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, and X Subscribe to Surprise Cast: Amazon, Apple, iHeart, Podbean, Spotify, or YouTube

    Surprise Cast: 287 how did this shoegaze band hit a massive wall of sound? - Sun Shines Cold

  4. Oct 16

    Surprise Cast #286 The Asteroid No. 4: How does the band craft light from darkness?

    Hello, Asteroid No.4, Thanks a million for sitting down with me to talk about your glowing new album, 'In Praise of Shadows'. I appreciated how much you unpacked about your creative process, production choices, and the musical inspirations behind the album. I loved hearing about the band's tightness and how it benefits your work.   Thank you for giving listeners and me an in depth analysis of the songs, including one of my favorites of the year, "Prayer". The backstory is just as engaging. Congratulations on opening for Chapterhouse, touring Japan, and releasing one of the best albums of the year. Your artistic exploration seems intact and has remained wonderfully consistent for many years. Listeners will take away how good you are at creating darker, emotionally resonant music that feels both uplifting and healing.  Follow The Asteroid No.4: https://theasteroidno4.bandcamp.com/ Follow Surprise Cast: Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, or X

    Surprise Cast #286 The Asteroid No. 4: How does the band craft light from darkness?

  5. Oct 9

    Surprise Cast #284 Pete Fij - What does failure, reinvention and a new album mean to him?

    Dear Pete, "I liked being different". What a great way to start our conversation because that's something I've always felt in my life! Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with me about so many wide ranging topics. I appreciate the insight you brought about art, failure, memory, and reinventing yourself. It was so interesting to hear how setbacks shaped your musical identity.  Hearing you recount your Adorable days, highlights and low points was utterly fascinating. You even mentioned how time has allowed you to retrace your steps more objectively.  The way you described your collaboration with Terry Bickers and that "cinematic" atmosphere you both created brought up some a-ha moments in the conversation. You seem to admire Terry's guitar work a lot, like the rest of us.  Congratulations on the new album, 'Up's the New Down ". Thank you for taking a deep dive into the songwriting and studio process. It was exciting to hear about the evolution of particular songs, experimentation, and the pure joy of making a 10 song record. A wonderful "reawakening".  This episode is all about candor, confidence, and craft, something I've always admired in your musicianship over the years. Quite glorious, really! Follow Pete Fij: https://petefij.bandcamp.com/ Follow Surprise Cast: Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, or X

    Surprise Cast #284 Pete Fij - What does failure, reinvention and a new album mean to him?

  6. Oct 5

    Surprise Cast #283 Rachel Wood - Survival, Guitar Fire and the Making of an Indie Rock Album

    What insights can listeners gain from your life as a musician? They'll learn so much about you being on the road with one of the most important indie bands of all time, The Wedding Present, as well as your approach to stagecraft and the creative process behind your sonic rock album, It’s Not the End of the World?  Thank you for sharing your experiences performing landmark Wedding Present albums such as Bizarro and Sea Monsters. Your reflections offered valuable insight into how an artist preserves the intensity and emotional force of iconic recordings while bringing them to life for a new audience. It was especially interesting to hear how your experiences with Cirque du Soleil shaped your performance instincts, stagecraft, and understanding of physical expression. What an enriching experience! I also appreciated your openness about your cancer diagnosis and recovery. Hearing how music supported you during such a difficult period added a deeper emotional dimension to the conversation and underscored the resilience that can emerge through creative work. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the making of your energetic new album, It’s Not the End of the World. Your decision to give certain songs more space was particularly interesting; that restraint created room for the lyrics and melodies to develop with greater clarity and emotional depth.  Anyone listening to this conversation will gain a better understanding of your resilience, guitar prowess, and ability to collaborate well with others while carving out your own identity. Like me, they'll come to appreciate your honesty, real energy, and inspirational approach to life. Keep being a "kid" in such a mature fashion.  Follow Rachael Wood: https://www.rachaelwoodguitar.com/ Follow The Wedding Present:  https://www.scopitones.co.uk/ Follow Surprise Cast: Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, or X

    Surprise Cast #283 Rachel Wood - Survival, Guitar Fire and the Making of an Indie Rock Album

  7. Oct 2

    Surprise Cast #282: Shopfires — Meet the Outsider Behind the Music

    Dear Neil, I'm so glad I didn't sleep well that night. I may not have had this wonderful conversation with you.  Thank you for sitting down with me to explore your creative journey, influences, and the making of your lovely album, 'The Old Works'. I enjoyed listening to you talk about growing up in the West Midlands and what that environment looked like. I especially liked hearing about the themes behind the album.  I connected to your comment about being an "outsider"; that's something many people listening to this podcast can relate to and for good reason. There's power in that word. Also, thanks for talking about memory and landscape in a simple and unique manner. This was quite a relatable conversation! Please give Shopfires a good following: https://shopfires.bandcamp.com/ Please give Surprise Cast a good following: Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, or X

    Surprise Cast #282: Shopfires — Meet the Outsider Behind the Music

  8. Sep 28

    Surprise Cast #285 Jessie Bridges - How has motherhood, music, and her father’s photography shaped her life and work?

    Dear Jessie, Thank you for sharing so much during our interview and for answering the big questions about how music, photography, and your parents have shaped your life. You did a fabulous job. I especially appreciated what you shared about motherhood and how becoming a parent reshaped your priorities and sense of self. It’s clear that the experience has deepened your appreciation for one of life’s most rewarding and challenging roles. I loved hearing the utterly romantic story of your parents and what they taught you about hard work and pursuing happiness. The stories about assisting your father on film sets and the bond you built there brought a ear-to-ear smile to my face. One of my favorite parts of the interview was hearing you describe Taoism and how it has helped you accept both the light and shadowy part of life. So cool! Thank you, too, for sharing your musical process. I enjoyed learning how structure helps you write with greater purpose, as well as hearing the stories behind several of your songs and how restraint shaped their arrangements. Finally, revisiting favorite photographs from your father’s book, including intimate portraits of Robin Williams and your grandfather, gave me goosebumps. I love how Jeff’s images capture such complexity, depth, memory, and connection. Thank you again for sharing these stories and reflections with me. Your effervescent and warm personality made the conversation especially meaningful and fun. Follow Jessie Bridges: https://www.instagram.com/jessiebridgesmusic/ Follow Tamsen Gallery: https://tamsengallery.com/ Follow Jeff Bridges Photography: https://www.jeffbridges.com/photography Follow Surprise Cast: Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, and X

    Surprise Cast #285 Jessie Bridges - How has motherhood, music, and her father’s photography shaped her life and work?
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Ratings & Reviews

4.1
out of 5
13 Ratings

About

Hello, welcome to Surprise Cast. I’m Dubya, host of this special channel. Join me for engaging conversations with artists from around the world. Together, we explore creativity, inspiration, personal challenges, rising above, and surprising moments that encourage us to think, "I had no idea!".  This show is all about Deep Conversations and Unique Discoveries. Thank you for your support by subscribing to this program. I appreciate it. 

Information

  • Creator
    Dubya
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    299
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2023 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Surprise Cast

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