Meet Our Makers MeetOurMakers

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In this chat, we get to meet Avey Tare, aka Dave Portner. Dave is one member of the experiment indie rock outfit Animal Collective, which has been active for over 20 years. Now, Dave is putting out a new solo record under his alias, 7s, and in this chat, he and I talk a lot about this record - what went into it, the production, the songwriting, the themes, and more. We also touch upon Animal Collective's past and present, pop music, the infamous Pullhair Rubeye project, and more. Please consider becoming a Patron today to gain access to a Patreon-exclusive interview clip from the chat. Thank you for listening!

In this episode, we get to meet actor and musician Caleb Landry Jones. Though Caleb is known best as an actor - appearing in projects such as Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri, Get Out, and even the Twin Peaks: The Return miniseries - he is also an accomplished an eclectic musician. In this chat, Caleb and I talk about his newest record, Gadzooks Vol. 2, and how music has shaped him as a person, both as a performer and as a listener. We do also discuss his diverse and varied film career, including his latest movies like the powerful and dark Nitram, for which he won the Cannes Best Actor award. We talk about his love of cinema, his foundational films, and more. He also gives me some spicy hot takes on contemporary cinema that you won't want to miss. Thank you for listening, and enjoy.

In this episode we get to meet Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith. A multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, singer, producer, Kaitlyn is best known as a leading user of the rarified Buchla modular synthesizer. In this chat, she and I discuss what draws her to this instrument, and we talk quite a bit about how the sounds of it (and other sounds) cohered to create her latest album, Let's Turn it Into Sound. We talk about the power of sound, the power of collaboration, and her relationship with music - both recorded and live performance. It's a great chat, especially for your synth-heads out there. Thanks for listening!

In this -- the FIFTIETH (!!!) episode -- of Meet Our Makers, we meet singer-songwriter Alela Diane. In this chat, Alela and I discuss her brand new record, Looking Glass, and some of what went into making it. We talk recording, we talk writing, we talk musicality, we talk theme -- she's got it all. We talk a bit about memory, and how we process things in our art so that we can live a regular day-to-day life. We talk about the symbolism of selling her longtime home, as well as some of our favorite ladies, like Joni and Judee and Joanna. I think you'll enjoy it. Thank you for listening.

In this episode, we get to meet singer-songwriter Jesca Hoop. Speaking to me from her home in the UK (though she's originally from California), Jesca and I discuss her new album, Order of Romance. In this chat, she and I talk at length about the record - as she says at one point, she's not afraid to "talk shop." We also talk about the political and health state of the world - including looking at the US from an expat's perspective - and how she funneled her observations about the goings-on of the world around her into these intimate and personalized character studies. We touch upon a lot more too, and Jesca was funny, grounded, and candid - all much appreciated. I think you'll like it. Thank you for listening.

In this episode, we get to meet Emily Sprague. Emily is best known as the frontperson and lead singer of indie folk band Florist. In this chat, Emily and I discuss the ins and outs of the brand new self-titled Florist record from this summer, including its unique recording and composing journey, which took place mostly on a screened-in porch while the band stayed at a secluded house. We touch upon the last Florist record, Emily Alone, which was essentially a solo project, as well as the band's surprising connection to Beyonce...??? That and more. Thanks for listening, and I hope you enjoy.