Six Strings of Tension

Duncan Park
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Music Interviews
  • Updated Weekly

Conversations about guitar with the best underground guitarists currently tickling the strings. From acid folk to avant-garde, and death metal to minimalism - if there's tense wood and tense strings, we are willing to embrace tense conversation. Hosted by Duncan Park in Durban, South Africa.

  1. May 15

    SSOT 24 - Michael Potter (The Electric Nature)

    Just a super cool and inspiring dude, playing insanely rad music, running excellent labels, pressing vinyl like a boss - Michael Potter is for sure one of my favourite people I I have been fortunate enough to interview. We talk about Michael's experience of living in Minneapolis under the ICE reign of terror, and other horrors the American experience has to offer. But swiftly get back on track and unpack Michael's musical journey from childhood to the present day, discovering Sonic Youth, writing letters to Bruce Russel whilst in middle school in rural Georgia, and forging a pretty unique and singular musical path, resulting in a rich, extensive and eclectic discography to show for it. But Michael is just a thoughtful, interesting guy who's done a whole lot of living, made a whole load of music, and collaborated with an endless list of incredible musicians, so I'd suggest kicking back and listening to the man share some tales and drop some wisdom. Most importantly, go and listen to the Electric Nature - Mount Analogue is a great place to start. Take care folks.

    1h 51m

  2. May 8

    SSOT 23 - Matthew Geary

    Really stoked to have a new (to me) player on the show who I only first heard this year. Matthew Geary is making probably the finest American Primitive guitar music I've heard in 2026, and he's been seriously getting out there, with two cassettes released this year on Carbon and Scissor Tail Records respectively, as well as playing a relentless slew of live shows, and touring with last week's guest, Rob Mohan. It was really interesting to talk to Matt as someone from Philadelphia, who inadvertently saw Jack Rose open for Sunn O))) back when he was an impressionable 13 year old kid, and over nearly two decades has seen his guitar and music making endeavours come full circle from that moment. We talk music, guitar, technique, touring, recording, writing, but also dive into the emotional and expressive side of music, as well as broader topics like loneliness, the opioid epidemic, the inspirational writing of Cormac McCarthy, and a whole bunch of other stuff. Matt is an incredibly inspirational guitarist who really seems to be in the thick of his creative stride right now, with a whole lot lined up for the future. Looking forward to having another conversation in a few years' time to revisit his journey down this road.

    1h 49m

  3. May 1

    SSOT 22 - Rob Mohan (Night Owl)

    A wonderful chat this episode with Rob Mohan, aka Night Owl. I really enjoyed this conversation - it took place between a bunch of travelling I had to do for work, and was a much needed refuge to decompress and talk guitar, music, art, community, family, and other interrelated topics of interest. Rob is a really special guitar player, who, to my ears, has mastered a unique style of playing which blends the orthodoxy and deep rooted traditional style and sound of American Primitive with the more earnestly beautiful and hopeful sound of transcendental guitar soli.  We talk guitar, composition, tunings, capos, inspiration, etc. but the real good stuff for me is the conversation about family and balancing musical and artistic pursuits alongside nurturing a family, raising kids, and juggling a full time job. Not to mention the impact that these other priorities in life have materially on the type of art you create.  Anyway, I really enjoyed this conversation, so check it out, but more importantly, check out Rob's music, both under his own name (for more instrumental guitar focused stuff) and as Night Owl (for instrumentally and tonally broader singer, songwriter type stuff) - it's all good and deserves a deep listen!

    1h 40m

  4. Apr 2

    SSOT 21 - William DeLee

    Were I a gambling man, my money would be on everybody (in the world of instrumental acoustic guitar, which is, admittedly, a limited world of people) knowing the name William DeLee by the end of 2026. He is finger-picking wizard playing solo acoustic guitar, charango and ronroco in a style that has extended beyond the trappings of the increasingly popular American Primitive style, and embraced flamenco and classical techniques to land on something truly unique and transcendental (bear in mind, I'm saying this as someone who absolutely loves AP). He has a full length record coming out in June on Carbon and Feeding Tube Records, and a tour with (king of AP) Liam Grant lined up for July, so the momentum is just starting to build. Our conversation covers Will's history with guitar (and a range of other instruments too), how he developed his technique and landed on his distinctive style of playing. But a prevalent thread throughout the discussion is the importance of community and connection with other people in getting Will to where he is today. Within the first three minutes of us talking he says "I can't emphasise enough how much of a mentor Rob [Vaughn] has been", while he shares numerous accounts of friends introducing him to music, his meeting with Skyler Pia at university (who now, years later, has recorded part of Will's forthcoming LP), and subsequently meeting Emmett Martin of Bud Tapes, who ultimately recorded and released Will's first EP, amongst other friendships that have nudged his musical journey along the way. It's a pertinent reminder of the importance of community and connection in this world of underground music, and frankly, in life generally. Also, as a fellow South African, I've got to shout out Derek Gripper, because after we stopped recording Will suddenly realised he hadn't mentioned how encountering Derek's Tiny Desk Concert on YouTube was a critical formative moment in helping him recognise the possibilities of acoustic guitar.

    1h 57m

  5. Mar 27

    SSOT 20 - Merit Fisher-Medrano (Sound and Voice, Tepid Toad Records)

    This time we have a great conversation with one of my favourite artists flying under the radar, Merit Fisher-Medrano. Merit performs under the moniker Sound and Voice, and released what is one of the finest albums of 2026, entitled "All My Dreams Are Absent From Me" on beautiful, hexagonally cut double lathe vinyl. If you have an interest in psychedelic acoustic music and great songwriting, I strongly suggest you check it out. In addition to his work as a musician, Merit also runs the wonderfully homespun label Tepid Toad, which releases lathe cut releases exclusively, cut by Merit himself at home. Every release is unique, limited, and an incredible work of art in itself. From his home studio, Merit has constructed an incredible world of sound and art, which we are fortunate to glimpse into.

    1h 23m

  6. Mar 13

    SSOT 19 - Joe Tunis (Carbon Records, Joe+N, Pengo, Crush the Junta, Tumul, etc.)

    This episode constitutes a remarkably wide-ranging and thoroughly enjoyable conversation with Joe Tunis of Carbon Records; a creator and artistic conceptualiser of note. To the outside observer, Joe is an insanely busy musician, artist, and curator of musical releases and shows. He generally disagrees with being called "busy" (which is wild), but some of his ongoing projects include: putting out a steady slew of diverse releases on Carbon Records (for over 30 years now!), doing his annual Joe+N Day Tour, organising what's become the annual (week long!) Carbon Fest, playing blizzard shows with the outlandishly performative project, Tumul, participating in at least 5 different musical projects, and endless other boundary pushing musical and performative exploits. Our discussion covers a broad range of topics, from Joe's musical history, to his artistic exploits, the trials and tribulations of running a label, organising shows, the interplay between personal and community expression, and a whole load of other stuff. We also briefly chat a bit about guitar and Joe's history with the instrument. For me, this is a conversation not to be missed!

    2h 16m

  7. Mar 6

    SSOT 18 - Jesse Sheppard (Elkhorn; Universal Light; The Sheppards; etc.)

    We return with none other than the mighty wielder of 12-strings for the bands Elkhorn and Universal Light (and bassist / six string player for a bunch of others), Jesse Sheppard. The conversation meanders through the valleys and creeks of American Primitive, the USA underground, the musings of a lifetime spent making and being surrounded by amazing music, making videos, putting together the legendary 1000 Incarnations of the Rose Festival, and journeying through time, letting the music simply bloom along the way. Questions of community, orthodoxy in playing, and what drives us to create music thread through the conversation. Definitely one of the best chats I've had in ages. Huge thanks to Jesse for taking the time to talk.

    2h 36m

  8. 11/05/2023

    SSOT 17 - Darren Cross (DC Cross; Gerling; Jep and Dep; etc.)

    For the first time on the podcast we have the privilege of being joined by a guitarist extraordinaire from that most illustrious of cities straddling between the Pacific coast and Blue Mountains, Sydney, Australia. He is a man with three decade's worth of experience as an active musician and DJ, and is currently carving out a path as an ecstatic primitive acoustic guitarist who dabbles in the blues-rooted traditions of American Primitive, but also bends this medium into what can be termed "madcap ambient" forms - most evident on his most recent album, Wizrad, which dropped last Friday. This isolated Australian axe-wielder is none other than Darren DC Cross. Our conversation veers through Darren's rich musical history, including collaborations with the likes of Kylie Minogue and Kool Keith, playing gigs with the Avalanches and hearing the songs that would later become their breakthrough album "Since I Left You", as well as touring with an endless list of the finest and wildest musicians and bands of the 90s and 2000s. And while a history like his undoubtedly makes for interesting conversation, the real meat of our chat (for me at least) lies in Darren's philosophy around solo acoustic guitar, as he talks about how he approaches each album and adapts his playing by adopting a new tuning and embracing new techniques. I reckon there's a lot to be learned and embraced by other players in listening to how he pushes himself on the instrument to expand his technique and compositional prowess. We also talk guitars and discuss his most recent custom made Opus acoustic, and bond over our shared feelings of disgust for Ovation guitars. Key takeaway is that plastic guitars are awful and Florentine cutaways are the best. Anyway, check out the interview, but much more importantly, go and listen to his latest album Wizrad on thee bandcamps (while it is still alive)!

    2h 3m
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Conversations about guitar with the best underground guitarists currently tickling the strings. From acid folk to avant-garde, and death metal to minimalism - if there's tense wood and tense strings, we are willing to embrace tense conversation. Hosted by Duncan Park in Durban, South Africa.

Information

  • Creator
    Duncan Park
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    24
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Duncan Park
  • Show Website
    Six Strings of Tension

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