What Am I Making Podcast

What Am I Making
  • 4.8 (19)
  • Music
  • Updated Weekly

Hey there. I’m Matty C. For the formally inclined folks in the crowd, the official designation is Matt Carlson. I am a 50 year old musician, songwriter, and graphic designer that's spent the Covid era pondering deep and meaningful questions about music, film, literature and art in the 21st century. It seems as though we’re living in age where musicians have to give their music away, content is around every corner and we don’t seem to really value much of any of it the way we used to. What is it really like to make a living pursuing a life in the arts these days? Why are we seeing a lower percentage of artists in the workforce than at anytime in 100 years? Now, I’ve reached a point of massive change in my life and I am preparing to spend more of my time, and hopefully, generating a portion of my income from my creative endeavors. That’s a terrifying endeavor, but it’s also incredibly exciting. I’ll be discussing these ideas and a whole lot more of my own curiosity and creative endeavors on this platform using the written word, videos, podcasts, music and probably some other assets I learn along the way. I’ll be seeking out smart, and fascinating creatives as they build their own lives while fighting an ever-growing series of new challenges and opportunities. All of these journeys and detours are an effort to share my exploration of culture in the modern world, and to help shine a brighter light on the work I have been doing for years as a musician, designer and podcaster. This discussion is at the very center of our civilization, what it means to be human andhow to find a meaningful way to connect through that shared humanity in the form of artistic expression. Art is at the core of the relationship. Let’s explore it with that context, and that incalculable value, in mind. If you enjoy what you hear on the show, please subscribe to my Substack where I also I post this podcast as well as a variety of essays, video and recordings regularly in my search to find out what art really matters to people right here and right now, and they are willing to do to invest in our culture. Thank you so much for being here. It’s wonderful to have your support. https://whatamimaking.substack.com whatamimaking.substack.com

  1. 21h ago

    WAIM 163: Alex Amen

    Alex Amen has gotten a lot of mileage from his brief time on the planet. Although he wasn’t born until 1999, Amen has already lived on both of America’s coasts, and explored much of its rugged natural beauty. He has spent time living in a commune, made his home on an island, and even scaled some of the west coast’s most intimidating mountains as a free climber. Amen has packed all of this life and more into the 9 years since he first left his Gulf Coast hometown in Texas in the hopes of finding a brighter, and bigger world than he could in Sugarland. Having garnered all of these life experiences before the age of 30 gives Amen the vibe of an old soul. Alex brings this same timeless approach and attitude to his debut album, Sun of Amen, out now on ATO Records. The album’s ten songs play like a lost folk-country classic that hangs like a ghost freed from time. There are nods to Gordon Lightfoot, Jim Croce, and John Denver, but Amen never loses the power and purpose of his own voice. During our discussion, Amen shares what a powerful influence John Denver’s songs were as a kid travelling to the Colorado Rocky Mountains with his family. We cover the limitations of his hometown and the pathway that he found to a bigger world. There are stories of climbing the Sierra Nevadas, forays in film school, and even finding a commune in the middle of Anaheim, California in 2017. This is a fascinating conversation with a young artist who is wise beyond his years, and who has lived more life in 27 years than most folks do in a lifetime. Let’s get into it. Cheers, Matty C ------------------------- End Credits Thanks so much to Alex for joining me, you can find his new album Sun of Amen wherever you get your music, and check out his website at https://alexamen.com/ for more info.  The What Am I Making podcast is hosted, written, and produced by me, Matty C. Our theme music was written and recorded by David J. Baldwin. You can subscribe to our show wherever you get your podcasts. Please be sure to like, rate and review the show if you enjoy it. Our work is solely sponsored by listeners and readers like you. Please lend your support today with a paid subscription at whatamimaking.substack.com/. Now is a crucial time for new paid subscribers. Please step up and support the show. You can email the show anytime at whatamimakingblog@gmail.com. You can also leave us a voicemail with your questions or concerns at speakpipe.com/whatamimaking Get full access to What Am I Making at whatamimaking.substack.com/subscribe

    1h 4m

  2. 4d ago

    WAIM 162: Stephin Merritt of The Magnetic Fields

    Stephin Merrit is one of the most esteemed songwriters alive today. For three and half decades he has been the singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and vocalist at the heart of the New York based band, The Magnetic Fields. The band was formed in 1991 by Merrit and his friend and musical collaborator Claudia Gonson. Over the next five years The Magnetic Fields would release a quintet of excellent albums built around Merrit’s genre-fluid songs, and unique arrangements that often featured cello, ukulele, hand percussion, noisemakers, and other unusual instrumentation. Things changed completely in 1999 with the release of the now infamous 69 Love Songs, a towering three record set of tunes that pushed and pulled at the seams of what makes up a love song. The triple album was an unexpected hit with critics and audiences alike, thrusting Merrit into a new spotlight with praise flowing from outlets like The New York Times, which just counted Merrit as one of the 30 greatest living American songwriters, as well as The New Yorker, Rolling Stone, and NPR. While The Magnetic Fields continues to be an ongoing entity, Merrit has also branched out in his creative work with forays into composing for musical theater, scoring for films, and even writing a book of poetry. Merrrit also writes and records music with a pair of other bands, The Gothic Archies and Future Bible Heroes. During our conversation, Merrit and I discuss his itinerant upbringing with a single mother, and he shares some of his earliest musical memories. We also delve into Merrit’s unique writing style, and the way that he hangs on to his melodies after he writes them, all based around an important lesson that he gleaned from Swedish greats, ABBA. Let’s get into it. Cheers, Matty C ------------------------- End Credits Thanks so much to Stephin for joining me. You can find his work in The Magnetic Fields wherever you get your music, and check out their website at http://www.houseoftomorrow.com/magneticfields for more info on the band and Stephin’s ongoing work. The What Am I Making podcast is hosted, written, and produced by me, Matty C. Our theme music was written and recorded by David J. Baldwin. You can subscribe to our show wherever you get your podcasts. Please be sure to like, rate and review the show if you enjoy it. Our work is solely sponsored by listeners and readers like you. Please lend your support today with a paid subscription at whatamimaking.substack.com/. Now is a crucial time for new paid subscribers. Please step up and support the show. You can email the show anytime at whatamimakingblog@gmail.com. You can also leave us a voicemail with your questions or concerns at speakpipe.com/whatamimaking Get full access to What Am I Making at whatamimaking.substack.com/subscribe

    1 hr

  3. Jul 3

    WAIM 161: Author Mike Miley on David Lynch's America

    David Lynch is a director known to spark wildly different reactions from cinephiles and movie fans. There are legions of fans who claim Lynch as one of the great American auteurs, and see him as one of the finest filmmakers that the world has ever produced. There are also those that will stand tall and proud to proclaim Lynch a cinematic charlatan, and nothing more than a self indulgent weirdo filming his most outlandish fantasies. But say what you will of his work, David Lynch was a completely unique voice in the history of cinema. Author and film scholar Mike Miley has taken on the herculean task of unpacking Lynch’s work, its origins, and its impacts on American culture. His new book, David Lynch’s American Dreamscape takes a deep look at the ways that Lynch was a master at showing us the underbelly of a seemingly idyllic American existence, one filled with cherry pie, carefree teenagers, and white picket fences. Author, and friend of the pod, Sarah Kendzior has also written deeply about the ways that Laura Palmer’s arc in Twin Peaks serves as an allegory for the Epstein Scandal and America’s rampant mistreatment of women. Miley and I dive deep into Lynch’s world to learn where the filmmaker found the fuel for his completely singular cinematic sensibility. We explore the impacts that Lynch has had not just on the film world, but also in the realms of music and literature. Miley also paints a direct line between Lynch’s filmic outlook and some of the sacred texts of children’s literature. Before we even get into the subject at hand, Mike and I begin the conversation with a chat about him seeing the Jason Narducy and Michael Shannon band playing R.E.M.’s Life’s Rich Pageant album, which eventually leads to some chatter about Wilco and even a bit of discussion on the state of modern day Dad rock. Rest assured, we get to the Lynch stuff after just a few minutes. So, please buckle up, this is a fascinating chat that looks deeply and thoughtfully at one of the most original artists this country has ever produced. Here now are me and author Mike Miley on David Lynch, America, and more. Let’s get into it. Cheers, Matty C ------------------------- End Credits Thanks so much to Mike for joining me, you can find his new book David Lynch’s American Dreamscape online at the link in the show notes. You can learn more about Mike and all of his work at https://www.mikemiley.com/ The What Am I Making podcast is hosted, written, and produced by me, Matty C. Our theme music was written and recorded by David J. Baldwin. You can subscribe to our show wherever you get your podcasts. Please be sure to like, rate and review the show if you enjoy it. Our work is solely sponsored by listeners and readers like you. Please lend your support today with a paid subscription at whatamimaking.substack.com/. Now is a crucial time for new paid subscribers. Please step up and support the show. You can email the show anytime at whatamimakingblog@gmail.com. You can also leave us a voicemail with your questions or concerns at speakpipe.com/whatamimaking Get full access to What Am I Making at whatamimaking.substack.com/subscribe

    1h 18m

  4. Jun 29

    WAIM 159: Robyn Hitchcock (Re-Air)

    Hey gang. Last Monday you may have noticed that we had a double dip on the podcast. At 5:00 am that day, I released a terrific chat with New Zealand indie rock legend, David Kilgour. Later that morning while working in the Sheddio, a technical glitch on Substack caused me to also post a second episode of the day, this time with the legendary Robyn Hitchcock. While the timing on the episode was a bit of a bummer, it was a treat to share this conversation with the world. As such, I’m reposting it here this morning. If you haven’t already taken the time to listen to this one, be sure to put it in the queue. Robyn and I go deep on a wide variety of issues. Enjoy the replay. Robyn Hitchcock has been living like an artist since childhood. Born to eccentric, artistically inclined parents, Hitchcock quickly took to drawing, painting, and music. The family lived something of a sheltered life surrounded by music, art and literature, making Robyn’s transition to school social life quite challenging. By his late teens and early twenties, Hitchcock began playing in The Soft Boys, releasing a pair of now legendary albums that were largely ignored at the time of their release. After the dissolution of The Soft Boys, Hitchcock set out as a solo artist, recording for a small label, but success eluded him there as well. For a time, Robyn stepped back from music, working odd jobs and writing about concert and record reviews for music publications. During this hiatus, it became clear that the solo records, and even some of The Soft Boys material had made its way to America where it had found a small, but loyal audience. Buoyed by this newfound support, Hitchcock set back to work with a new backing band, The Egyptians, and made a string of excellent records that helped to cement his reputation in both America as well as in his home country. Over the intervening forty years, Robyn Hitchcock has continued to release a catalog of legendary work that spans from psych rock to gentle folk and jangle pop. He has toured and record with members of R.E.M., Scott McCaughey, Andy Partridge, and a cadre of other terrific artists. His 25th album, The Confuser will be out in July on his own imprint, Tiny Ghost Records. During our roving chat, we covered some of the stark cultural differences between the United States and Great Britain, as Robyn shares his belief that America has both the best and most awful things to offer the world at large. We unpack why music has become a mostly DIY endeavor, even for folks like Robyn Hitchcock, and how that has shaped the nature of the business and the experience as a musician, and Robyn even shares how rough it is for a man living on a libtard diet to find a good meal on tour in America. Let’s get into it. Cheers, Matty C ------------------------- End Credits Thanks so much to Robyn for joining me. You can find out all about him and his work, as well as his upcoming tour dates at https://www.robynhitchcock.com/ The What Am I Making podcast is hosted, written, and produced by me, Matty C. Our theme music was written and recorded by David J. Baldwin. You can subscribe to our show wherever you get your podcasts. Please be sure to like, rate and review the show if you enjoy it. Our work is solely sponsored by listeners and readers like you. Please lend your support today with a paid subscription at whatamimaking.substack.com/. Now is a crucial time for new paid subscribers. Please step up and support the show. You can email the show anytime at whatamimakingblog@gmail.com. You can also leave us a voicemail with your questions or concerns at speakpipe.com/whatamimaking Get full access to What Am I Making at whatamimaking.substack.com/subscribe

    1h 3m

  5. Jun 26

    WAIM 160: Damien Jurado

    Damien Jurado has fully embraced the digital behemoth as a delivery method for his music. In an era when vinyl, t-shirts, and touring are said to be the economic engine for artists, Jurado has doubled down on the value of his own work. In recent years, Jurado, an acclaimed singer/songwriter with an impressive catalog that spans more than 25 years, has taken to releasing his work in a digital format via Bandcamp and then eventually, to streaming sites like Spotify and Apple Music. As a truly independent artist, this approach has allowed Jurado to work much more quickly and more efficiently as he releases his new work. By distributing solely in a digital format, Jurado doesn’t incur the hefty costs and lengthy wait times of vinyl production. And surprisingly, Jhe has seen his fans invest more heavily in digital releases than they do in the releases that are also available on vinyl or CD. As a music lover who has spent a life collecting vinyl records and glorifying physical media, I was fascinated by Jurado’s pragmatism and his results. We dove deep into the real costs, both economic and environmental, of making physical products like vinyl and Compact Discs. Jurado shares his path from hardcore to the life of an acoustic singer/songwriter, while even offering up a bit of advice to budding young songwriters. Let’s get into it. Cheers, Matty C ------------------------- End Credits Thanks so much to Damien for joining me. You can find out all about him and his work at https://damienjuradomusic.com/ The What Am I Making podcast is hosted, written, and produced by me, Matty C. Our theme music was written and recorded by David J. Baldwin. You can subscribe to our show wherever you get your podcasts. Please be sure to like, rate and review the show if you enjoy it. Our work is solely sponsored by listeners and readers like you. Please lend your support today with a paid subscription at whatamimaking.substack.com/. Now is a crucial time for new paid subscribers. Please step up and support the show. You can email the show anytime at whatamimakingblog@gmail.com. You can also leave us a voicemail with your questions or concerns at speakpipe.com/whatamimaking Get full access to What Am I Making at whatamimaking.substack.com/subscribe

    1h 17m

  6. Jun 22

    WAIM 159: Robyn Hitchcock

    Robyn Hitchcock has been living like an artist since childhood. Born to eccentric, artistically inclined parents, Hitchcock quickly took to drawing, painting, and music. The family lived something of a sheltered life surrounded by music, art and literature, making Robyn’s transition to school social life quite challenging. By his late teens and early twenties, Hitchcock began playing in The Soft Boys, releasing a pair of now legendary albums that were largely ignored at the time of their release. What Am I Making is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. After the dissolution of The Soft Boys, Hitchcock set out as a solo artist, recording for a small label, but success eluded him there as well. For a time, Robyn stepped back from music, working odd jobs and writing about concert and record reviews for music publications. During this hiatus, it became clear that the solo records, and even some of The Soft Boys material had made its way to America where it had found a small, but loyal audience. Buoyed by this newfound support, Hitchcock set back to work with a new backing band, The Egyptians, and made a string of excellent records that helped to cement his reputation in both America as well as in his home country. Over the intervening forty years, Robyn Hitchcock has continued to release a catalog of legendary work that spans from psych rock to gentle folk and jangle pop. He has toured and record with members of R.E.M., Scott McCaughey, Andy Partridge, and a cadre of other terrific artists. His 25th album, The Confuser will be out in July on his own imprint, Tiny Ghost Records. During our roving chat, we covered some of the stark cultural differences between the United States and Great Britain, as Robyn shares his belief that America has both the best and most awful things to offer the world at large. We unpack why music has become a mostly DIY endeavor, even for folks like Robyn Hitchcock, and how that has shaped the nature of the business and the experience as a musician, and Robyn even shares how rough it is for a man living on a libtard diet to find a good meal on tour in America. Let’s get into it. Cheers,Matty C Get full access to What Am I Making at whatamimaking.substack.com/subscribe

    1h 3m

  7. Jun 22

    WAIM 158: David Kilgour

    David Kilgour and his older brother Hamish formed their band The Clean while they were still teenagers. The pair had fallen in love with the British Invasion sound that roared to life in their earliest years and incorporated it with the punk and new wave sounds happening in the late 1970s. Until their adolescent years, the Kilgours had lived an idyllic country lifestyle filled with long hours in nature and farm work. After moving to the city of Dunedin, the brothers quickly made the transition to “city kids”, as David puts it. Quite quickly The Clean began to make a name for themselves and began recording for the famed Dunedin label, Flying Nun. They would go on to record a legendary string of singles and EPs for the label through 1982 before going on a hiatus that lasted through the remainder of the 1980s. The Clean reformed for the 1990 LP Vehicle, and while their reformation would be sporadic, the band would go on to release a quintet of LPs between 1990 and 2009. In addition to his work in The Clean, Kilgour has released a spate of his own records both as a solo artist and with his band The Heavy Eights. He is also an acclaimed visual artist and painter. It’s clear from spending an hour with David Kilgour that he is a man who truly lives his life deeply immersed in art. During our chat we did our best to unpack the legendary Dunedin sound, and we explored the power and influence that punk had on the Kilgour brothers as they began to form their own band. Please be advised that David and I also discussed the impact of losing his brother to suicide in 2022. Join me now to look backwards and forwards with a bona fide New Zealand legend, Mr. David Kilgour. Let’s get into it. Cheers, Matty C ------------------------- End Credits Thanks so much to David for joining me. You can find out all about him and his work at https://www.davidkilgour.com/ The What Am I Making podcast is hosted, written, and produced by me, Matty C. Our theme music was written and recorded by David J. Baldwin. You can subscribe to our show wherever you get your podcasts. Please be sure to like, rate and review the show if you enjoy it. Our work is solely sponsored by listeners and readers like you. Please lend your support today with a paid subscription at whatamimaking.substack.com/. Now is a crucial time for new paid subscribers. Please step up and support the show. You can email the show anytime at whatamimakingblog@gmail.com. You can also leave us a voicemail with your questions or concerns at speakpipe.com/whatamimaking Get full access to What Am I Making at whatamimaking.substack.com/subscribe

    1h 2m

  8. Jun 19

    WAIM 157: Matt Palka

    Matt Palka seems to have already crammed more than one lifetime of experience into his 49 years on the planet. Growing up in rural Northwest Ohio, Palka was the youngest child of a pair of historical reenactors and small business owners. Matt’s youth was filled with myriad hours in the great outdoors. He and his siblings were often left alone for long stretches of time as youngsters, free to explore the wilds around them. By the time Matt was in late elementary school, his family began running a fudge shop which quickly became the center of family life. It was assumed by his family that Matt would take over the business, but he felt another, more creative calling. After a post-college theater internship failed to materialize, Palka found himself without any momentum or much of a plan. When a friend phoned to suggest that he come visit her in Tahoe, Matt replied his car would never make it over the Rockies. The friend joked that he made the journey on a bike. Palka responded to that joke with a “why not” attitude, and so began a grand adventure. Matt has chronicled that massive cycling journey in his new book and audiobook, Moment In The Sun. The audiobook version of Palka’s adventure is fully sound-designed and includes an album of original songs that accompany the story. Unwilling to rest on his laurels, Palka has already begun work on a second immersive audiobook, this time chronicling his life as a clubhouse manager for the Toledo Mudhens. During our chat, Matt shared some stories of life in the dugout and the journeyman catcher that supported Palka’s dream at a time when he felt rather invisible. We also dove deeply into the lessons that can only be learned on the open road, and the idea of making the world your own laboratory. Let’s get into it. Cheers, Matty C ------------------------- End Credits Thanks so much to Matt for joining me. You can find out all about him and his work at https://www.mattpalka.com/ The What Am I Making podcast is hosted, written, and produced by me, Matty C. Our theme music was written and recorded by David J. Baldwin. You can subscribe to our show wherever you get your podcasts. Please be sure to like, rate and review the show if you enjoy it. Our work is solely sponsored by listeners and readers like you. Please lend your support today with a paid subscription at whatamimaking.substack.com/. Now is a crucial time for new paid subscribers. Please step up and support the show. You can email the show anytime at whatamimakingblog@gmail.com. You can also leave us a voicemail with your questions or concerns at speakpipe.com/whatamimaking Get full access to What Am I Making at whatamimaking.substack.com/subscribe

    1h 16m
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4.8
out of 5
19 Ratings

About

Hey there. I’m Matty C. For the formally inclined folks in the crowd, the official designation is Matt Carlson. I am a 50 year old musician, songwriter, and graphic designer that's spent the Covid era pondering deep and meaningful questions about music, film, literature and art in the 21st century. It seems as though we’re living in age where musicians have to give their music away, content is around every corner and we don’t seem to really value much of any of it the way we used to. What is it really like to make a living pursuing a life in the arts these days? Why are we seeing a lower percentage of artists in the workforce than at anytime in 100 years? Now, I’ve reached a point of massive change in my life and I am preparing to spend more of my time, and hopefully, generating a portion of my income from my creative endeavors. That’s a terrifying endeavor, but it’s also incredibly exciting. I’ll be discussing these ideas and a whole lot more of my own curiosity and creative endeavors on this platform using the written word, videos, podcasts, music and probably some other assets I learn along the way. I’ll be seeking out smart, and fascinating creatives as they build their own lives while fighting an ever-growing series of new challenges and opportunities. All of these journeys and detours are an effort to share my exploration of culture in the modern world, and to help shine a brighter light on the work I have been doing for years as a musician, designer and podcaster. This discussion is at the very center of our civilization, what it means to be human andhow to find a meaningful way to connect through that shared humanity in the form of artistic expression. Art is at the core of the relationship. Let’s explore it with that context, and that incalculable value, in mind. If you enjoy what you hear on the show, please subscribe to my Substack where I also I post this podcast as well as a variety of essays, video and recordings regularly in my search to find out what art really matters to people right here and right now, and they are willing to do to invest in our culture. Thank you so much for being here. It’s wonderful to have your support. https://whatamimaking.substack.com whatamimaking.substack.com

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