Overeducated & Underemployed

Feddun

A social historian and standup philosopher sits down for interviews, art reviews, random musings, and more.

  1. Jul 15

    David Barbe: An Oral History of Sugar, Drive-By Truckers, & the Athens Scene

    In this episode of Overeducated and Underemployed, host Feddun sits down with owner of Chase Park Transduction, legendary producer, engineer, and musician David Barbe. As the bass player in Sugar, the longtime producer of the Drive-By Truckers, and the director of the Music Business Certificate Program at the University of Georgia, David has been at the absolute center of Southern indie rock for over four decades. In this deep-dive oral history, David shares incredible firsthand accounts of growing up with Georgia Music Hall of Fame parents, his first rock concert (Lynyrd Skynyrd's legendary 1976 run at the Fox Theater), and the underground 1980s Athens scene. He also details the exact moment his life transformed when he joined Bob Mould in Sugar—going from making $6,000 a year to touring Europe and appearing in Rolling Stone—and reflects on the relentless work ethic that defines the Drive-By Truckers. Finally, as a veteran producer, David breaks down his philosophy on recording, the impact of lyrics, and where he stands on the Steve Albini vs. Rick Rubin production spectrum. 👇 SUBSCRIBE for more deep-dive oral histories and artist interviews: https://www.youtube.com/@overeducatedunderemployed 🎵 SUPPORT THE GUEST & SHOW: • Visit Chase Park Transduction: http://chaseparktransduction.com/ https://www.allmusic.com/artist/david-barbe-mn0000631605 Theme Song by Sloan Brothers : http://open.spotify.com/artist/1Z0YyvTetovciEDRoRNudB New Album By Sloan Brothers: https://sloanbrothers.bandcamp.com/album/love-other-diagnoses Title inspired by Lee Bains III: https://www.thegloryfires.com/ Photo by Mike White www.deadlydesigns.com https://www.patreon.com/Feddun #DavidBarbe #DriveByTruckers #SugarBand #BobMould #AthensGA #IndieRock #SteveAlbini #RickRubin #REM #MusicPodcast #MusicProduction #ChaseParkTransduction #OvereducatedUnderemployed

    David Barbe: An Oral History of Sugar, Drive-By Truckers, & the Athens Scene
  2. Jul 1

    Scoring Films by Ear: How Matthew Cravener Navigates Dyslexia, Tourette’s, & Hollywood Composition

    Film composer and classically trained pianist Matthew Cravener joins Overeducated & Underemployed to break down the mechanics of composing cinematic scores without the ability to read sheet music. Striking a massive contrast to traditional academic routes, Matthew explains how severe dyslexia forced him to develop an unconventional workflow—moving from melodies caught by ear at age four to tracking complex arrangements inside a digital audio workstation. The conversation goes deep into the harsh realities of neurodivergence and severe illness. Matthew details the sudden onset of Tourette syndrome at age 11, the toll of intense middle school bullying, and a four-year period where he was completely bedridden and unable to play the piano. He shares how Bruce Broughton’s orchestral score for Homeward Bound re-anchored his relationship with music, eventually leading him to score major indie dramas, faith-based documentaries like Repair the Breach, and upcoming projects featuring Dermot Mulroney. Producer's Note: We extend our deepest condolences to Matthew and his family. Unexpectedly, Matthew’s father passed away shortly after this recording was tracked. Matthew was highly intent on getting this episode out to the public, and we present this conversation in honor of that dedication. 🔗 Connect With Our Guest Official Website: http://www.matthewcravener.com/ SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/matthewspiano IMDb Pro: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7458595/ Stream Repair the Breach: https://www.repairthebreachmovie.com/ Theme Song by Sloan Brothers : http://open.spotify.com/artist/1Z0YyvTetovciEDRoRNudB New Album By Sloan Brothers: https://sloanbrothers.bandcamp.com/album/love-other-diagnoses Title inspired by Lee Bains III: https://www.thegloryfires.com/ https://www.patreon.com/Feddun

    Scoring Films by Ear: How Matthew Cravener Navigates Dyslexia, Tourette’s, & Hollywood Composition
  3. Jun 24

    50 Years in Parliament-Funkadelic: Lige Curry on the 2026 Mothership Landing

    Parliament-Funkadelic bassist Lige Curry drops by to share incredible stories from his 40+ years on the road with George Clinton, the legendary 1974 night he met the band, and how P-Funk shaped the hip-hop revolution. 👇 SUBSCRIBE for more deep-dive artist interviews In this episode of Overeducated & Underemployed, host Feddun sits down with the powerhouse bassist Lige Curry. Lige reveals behind-the-scenes history of the legendary "P-Funk University", George Clinton's habit of asking band members' mothers for permission to tour, and a massive bombshell from Dr. Dre about how The Chronic and the "Holy Grail" of hip-hop owes everything to George Clinton. Plus, Lige gives us the exclusive scoop on the legendary 2026 trilogy of the Mothership landing at the Essence Festival in New Orleans! 🎸 Support Lige Curry: Website: http://ligecurry.com https://georgeclinton.com/family/lige-curry/ Follow Lige on Instagram & Facebook! https://www.instagram.com/ligedelic/ https://www.facebook.com/lige.curry/ Theme Song by Sloan Brothers : http://open.spotify.com/artist/1Z0YyvTetovciEDRoRNudB New Album By Sloan Brothers: https://sloanbrothers.bandcamp.com/album/love-other-diagnoses Photo by Mike White: deadlydesigns.com Title inspired by Lee Bains III: https://www.thegloryfires.com/ https://www.patreon.com/Feddun 🗓️ What's Coming Up on the Channel: Next week, we sit down with film composer Matthew Cravener to talk about dyslexia and the unique ways it impacts music composition. Catch me in Winder, Georgia tonight, and opening for Drew Morgan tomorrow to kick off AthFest! I'll also be hosting a live block on Joker Joker TV’s AthFest livestream this Friday from 8:30 to 9:00 PM EST. Check out their channel here: [https://jokerjokertv.com/] #ParliamentFunkadelic #GeorgeClinton #LigeCurry #MaggotBrain #DrDre #HipHopHistory #FunkMusic #OvereducatedAndUnderemployed

    50 Years in Parliament-Funkadelic: Lige Curry on the 2026 Mothership Landing
  4. Jun 17

    T. Hardy Morris on Songwriting, Shyness, and the Athens Music Scene

    Welcome to another episode of Overeducated and Underemployed! This week, we are sitting down with the incredible T. Hardy Morris, songwriter and former frontman of Dead Confederate. We dive deep into his early musical roots, how John Prine and Neil Young heavily influenced his approach to songwriting, and his shift back toward narrative and nostalgia in his recent tracks. Hardy also opens up about overcoming performance shyness, why he views himself strictly as a performer rather than an "entertainer," and how having kids shifted his existential worldview. Plus, we chat about his dual life in architectural design, the magic and hyper-supportive culture of the Athens, Georgia music scene, and how to ethically navigate "TikTok brain" and content over-saturation in 2026 by being intentional with what we consume. Check out T. Hardy Morris's upcoming schedule and grab your club crawl passes for AthFest! https://thardymorris.com/thardymorris https://www.instagram.com/t_hardy_morris/ https://www.facebook.com/t.hardy.morris 👉 AthFest Schedule & Tickets: https://athfest.com/ 👉 Read the interview referenced in this episode: https://www.15questions.net/interview/fifteen-questions-interview-t-hardy-morris/ Theme Song by Sloan Brothers : http://open.spotify.com/artist/1Z0YyvTetovciEDRoRNudB New Album By Sloan Brothers: https://sloanbrothers.bandcamp.com/album/love-other-diagnoses Title inspired by Lee Bains III: https://www.thegloryfires.com/ https://www.patreon.com/Feddun

    T. Hardy Morris on Songwriting, Shyness, and the Athens Music Scene
  5. Jun 10

    Franz Nicolay (The Hold Steady, Author of "Band People")

    What happens when a classically trained kid from a tiny 800-person town in New Hampshire ends up touring Russian anarchist punk squats? In this episode of Overeducated and Underemployed, we sit down with author, multi-instrumentalist, and legendary keyboardist of The Hold Steady, Franz Nicolay! When the Senate investigated Live Nation and Ticketmaster, indie rock veteran Franz Nicolay (The Hold Steady, World/Inferno Friendship Society) stood alone as the only musician at the witness table, risking industry retaliation to defend the music middle class. We sit down for an intimate, exclusive interview exploring the life of a "rock and roll lifer." We dive into his upbringing, how his time at NYU provided a crucial clean slate, and how decades of grinding DIY tours across places like Siberia and Mongolia directly inspired his acclaimed books, The Humorless Ladies of Border Control and Band People. This is the real, unvarnished truth of the 21st-century music industry, straight from someone who has lived it in both no-name punk houses and Carnegie Hall. Franz takes us on a journey through his unique musical evolution: from being an elementary school "classical music snob" to picking up the guitar during the '90s grunge explosion and later accidentally falling into punk rock keyboards. He exposes the bizarre late-'80s ideology that tried to ban keyboards from rock , shares insane stories from his DIY touring days with the World/Inferno Friendship Society , and explains how his international travel diaries shaped his career as an author. If you're a musician trying to make a living, a fan of indie rock history, or just love crazy travel stories—this deep dive is for you! https://franznicolay.com/ https://www.instagram.com/franznicolay/ https://franznicolay.bandcamp.com/ https://www.facebook.com/franznicolay/ https://open.spotify.com/artist/5PhAVWXD3Q1n54WJA6rkhq https://theholdsteady.net/ https://open.spotify.com/artist/3qkZBMz5JgmRN9u5wwhRC6 https://www.instagram.com/theholdsteady/?hl=en https://pianofighter.substack.com/ https://utpress.utexas.edu/9781477323533/ Theme Song by Sloan Brothers : http://open.spotify.com/artist/1Z0YyvTetovciEDRoRNudB New Album By Sloan Brothers: https://sloanbrothers.bandcamp.com/album/love-other-diagnoses Title inspired by Lee Bains III: https://www.thegloryfires.com/ https://www.patreon.com/Feddun

    Franz Nicolay (The Hold Steady, Author of "Band People")

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

A social historian and standup philosopher sits down for interviews, art reviews, random musings, and more.