What Am I Making Podcast

What Am I Making
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What Am I Making Podcast

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. 1 NGÀY TRƯỚC

    WAIM Podcast #075: Michael Gilbride of MAD Records

    Michael Gilbride spent several years in the financial trenches as a bond trader. Armed with a finance degree and a penchant for capitalism, Michael saw trading as a way to build a life of prosperity and financial security. However, during the entirety of his schooling and his early career his passion for music was always there, calling out. After several years in the bond game, Michael took his amassed savings and poured it into his musical career. Very quickly, he learned what a steep hill it was that he was trying to climb. As Michael learned more and more about the machinations of the music business in the streaming era he found himself throwing good money after bad to promote himself to playlist curators and tastemakers. Michael invested heavily in social media ads to drive plays. While he found some success with these ads, he was only able to sustain a high level of streams by doling out large amounts of cash for these ad buys. Any money that he made from streaming income was then diverted right back to more ad buys to maintain these streams. Eventually, Michael realized that the whole system was what he refers to as “a scam”. Instead of throwing his hands up in defeat, Michael set out to build something new to help fight against this system. Thus, MAD Records was born. MAD is a record label that takes none of the revenue away from artists. Nor does MAD own any of the rights of the music that they distribute. Instead of earning revenue off of the music itself, MAD is set up as an educational institution as well as a record label. This business plan affords MAD the chance to work with a variety of artists that represent a wide range of genres, backgrounds, and ages. Thus far, the breakout star from MAD’s early efforts is a 67 year old woman from the UK who has been making music with her sister for nearly half a century.  Michael and I dive through a few of the ins and outs of today’s music business but we manage to keep it from getting too inside baseball. We discuss how the current musical landscape has nothing to do with artistic merit, and you’ll learn firsthand just how lonely the life of an independent creator can be in an age when we can, and often have, to do it all on our own.  This is a fascinating conversation with an ambitious and interesting dude doing his very best to improve our musical ecosystem. It’s a helluva task, but Michael Gilbride seems ready for the job.  Cheers, Matty C Get full access to What Am I Making at whatamimaking.substack.com/subscribe

    1 giờ 35 phút

  2. 6 THG 1

    WAIM #074 - Deer & Elk

    After a lengthy hiatus from the podcast, I am back in the captain’s chair. Season 3 is sure to be packed with in-depth interviews, special guests, and more forays into the hidden corners of our culture. What Am I Making is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Jeff Gower and Jason Lantrip are two of my favorite people in the world. I won’t pretend to be objective about it, even in the guise of an interview. More than 15 years ago, the pair invited me to join The Stick Arounds, a new power pop band that they were forming. For the last decade and half we have been cranking out songs together, playing shows across the midwest, and we’ve built a true musical family along the way. That musical partnership is a foundational bedrock in my work as a singer, songwriter and guitar player. Jason and Jeff are also two of my nearest and dearest friends apart from our band activities.  Over the last year and a half as I have focused my attention on touring as a solo artist, activity within the Sticks has slowed to a trickle. Gradually, we wound up getting together less often and found ourselves on a sort of hiatus. While each of us has found ways to fill that time away from a full-time pursuit of the band, Jeff and Jason have poured themselves into a new two man outfit they’ve christened Deer & Elk.  Jason best described the sound of Deer & Elk as “The stuff we heard in the backseat of the car in the 70s and 80s.” Deer & Elk have channeled a very specific brand of acoustic/electric songs that evoke a period of American songwriting that is often unfairly derided. With a bevy of cover tunes and a slate of excellent original material, the duo have carved out a repertoire that is equal parts classic country, AM Gold, and soft power pop. Part of the impetus to push in this musical direction was led by work that Jason had done in the Stick Arounds incorporating more country style playing into his parts. Now, in Deer & Elk those chops can come to the fore.   Jeff’s massive songbook of covers and original material made for the perfect platform for Deer & Elk to stand tall. By incorporating a slew of classic country covers, trucker songs, forgotten folk rock hits, and the chewy sweetness of AM Gold, the pair have quickly developed an impressive catalog of sonic offerings. Their original songs, like the brand new trucker single ‘Big Penny’, feel refreshingly new, yet achingly familiar.  Taking the songwriting ethos, and a pack of tunes from a maligned era might seem like a bad business move for a pair of performers in middle age, but Deer & Elk seem to have hit a nerve. While they have primarily kept their shows in the Lansing area, Jeff and Jason are playing regularly to good crowds nearly every weekend. ‘Big Penny’, an original tune about Lansing’s legendary truck eating bridge has become something of a local phenomenon. There has been coverage in MLive, Lansing City Pulse, and there is a forthcoming feature on the Behind The Mitten pod as well. Apparently Lansing has fallen head over heels for a trucker tune.  The three of us also talk about the economic conditions of the present day that seem to echo the original trucker era as well. We find ourselves at a time when workers are feeling especially devalued and frustrated in their work. The wealth gap is steadily increasing between the haves and have nots, and the working man and woman rightly feel squeezed. It’s hard to know how much of that sentiment is behind what drives Deer & Elk or in the way they are being received, but it feels like part of the puzzle. Be sure to check out the full video for ‘Big Penny’ below, and you can even snag your own copy of the single now on the Phonophore Records Bandcamp page. And look for more releases in 2025 from the boys in Deer & Elk. Here now is my conversation with my dearest of friends, Deer & Elk. Cheers,Matty C Get full access to What Am I Making at whatamimaking.substack.com/subscribe

    1 giờ 1 phút

  3. 09/09/2024

    WAIM #073 - Matty C On The Future Of The Pod & The State Of The Tour

    This week on the podcast, there is no guest. It’s just me, Matty C. That doesn't mean it’s a clunker of an episode though. To the contrary, I cover quite a bit of ground on this one. The solo episode provides me with a chance to reckon with the fact that for a couple of weeks, there have been no new episodes of the pod. As I have prepped for my massive west coast tour, work on the pod has taken a back burner position. Over the last several weeks I have had to spend the majority of my time booking shows, prepping my gear, working on promo for the shows and more. This flurry of activity centered around the tour has led to an inconsistent pod. It also means that the work that I am doing at the blog is largely built around the machinations of the tour, at least right now. What Am I Making is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. I am incredibly proud of my touring history and the work that I am putting into it, but I do not want this space to simply be a repository for my touring activity. In an effort to refocus the pod, I have decided to wait until January of 2025 to launch a new season of the podcast. This will give me the chance in the coming weeks to focus on the tour, the diary recaps from the road, and other written work about music, film, and culture. Between now and January, I am likely to post intermittent episodes of the pod featuring more stories of the greatest nights of music of our lives. These conversations are simpler to produce than a typical episode and usually much easier to book as well. These fun, fascinating episodes should be a great way to keep the home fires burning until we resume the pod in full force early next year. In the episode I cover some of the natural highlights I am hoping to see on my six week sojourn to the west. I even got a little emotional thinking about this journey and how much it is akin to a trip my grandfather took nearly eighty years ago that shaped his life forever. I cover myriad ways for you to get involved in the show, and we run down what still needs to happen before the tour begins in less than three weeks. Plus, I reveal a possible special guest who may join me for part of the trip! I hope you dig this PG rated little peak inside my noggin as I get ready for the biggest trip of my entire life. Be sure to listen to the full episode and get involved in one way or another. Thanks for your patience, support, and friendship. It means the world to me. Cheers,Matty C Get full access to What Am I Making at whatamimaking.substack.com/subscribe

    1 giờ 9 phút

  4. 19/08/2024

    WAIM# 072 - Barry Hummel's Greatest Night Of Live Music

    Barry Hummel has become something of a regular fixture here at What Am I Making. Along with his daughter, Abigail, Barry is half of the Pops On Hops podcast, a father-daughter exploration of music, beer, and family. The Hummels have become frequent guests here on the show, and they have even hosted me twice on my house concert tours. They have also become true friends. What Am I Making is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Barry had a tough time narrowing his selection down to a single pick. He wanted to choose a night that had an emotional attachment entwined with a great night of music. Despite a myriad of live shows under his belt, Barry eventually settled on a Crosby, Stills & Nash show from the early 90’s. The evening coincided with his first wedding anniversary, and Barry and his wife Darby went to the show to celebrate. Little did they know they would receive a wonderful surprise gift in the form of a cover song via CSN. You’ll have to listen to the whole show to hear that little secret.  What begins as a discussion about one great night of live music quickly veers in a dozen different directions. Barry and I are famous for our long winded conversations about music, politics, culture, and film. This chat covers that magical night at Walnut Creek with Crosby, Stills & Nash, but also hits on the culture of college towns and looking for the magical moment of a live performance. As is always the case when Barry joins me, it is funny, insightful, fluid, and fascinating.  Cheers,Matty C Get full access to What Am I Making at whatamimaking.substack.com/subscribe

    1 giờ 8 phút

  5. 12/08/2024

    WAIM #071 - Abigail Hummel's Greatest Night Of Live Music

    Abigail Hummel has become something of a regular fixture here at What Am I Making. Along with her Dad, Barry, Abigail is half of the Pops On Hops podcast, a father daughter exploration of music, beer, and family. The Hummels have become frequent guests here on the show, they’ve even hosted me twice on my house concert tours, and they have become true friends. What Am I Making is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. When I asked Abigail to sit down for this chat, I was unsure where she might land with her choice. Being twenty years younger than I am, Abigail of course has different tastes and experiences in the musical realm. While she loves many of the same legacy artists that I adore, R.E.M. most notably, I figured she was likely to select an artist I was not familiar with. One of the true joys of Pops on Hops is the generational gap between father and daughter and the ways in which they continually attempt to bridge that gap.  This week, Abigail shares her story of seeing the singer/songwriter Brett Dennen at a listening room show in Gainesville, Florida all alone. We cover the joy of experiencing a concert by yourself. Abigail also discusses what she looks for in a live musical performance, including the likelihood that a good show will result in tears before the end of the night. And we cover why that is a good thing.  Enjoy this chat about live music, personal exploration, storytelling, emotional reactions, and why regular people should know more musicians.  Cheers,Matty C What was the greatest musical night of your life? Get full access to What Am I Making at whatamimaking.substack.com/subscribe

    31 phút

  6. 05/08/2024

    WAIM #070 - Eddie White And Awendaw Green

    Eddie White is the sort of man who never stops. By day, he is a dentist in the Charleston, SC area. Every Wednesday night is the impresario of the Awendaw Green, a spacious outdoor compound hosting live music every week unless there is a holiday or a hurricane. Eddie describes the Green as “arrogantly shabby”. It’s a perfect descriptor.  Old instruments, broken bicycles, reclaimed lawn decorations and more hang from the trees overhead at Awendaw Green. There is a ramshackle splendor to the large open space under the trees and their massive ornaments. The green is littered with picnic tables, vendor booths, a wood fired pizza oven, a series of dire pits, and a huge stage fitted with yet more shabbily arrogant accoutrement.  What Am I Making is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. The Green began as a series of house shows and through Eddie’s ambition and never ending drive has become a weekly series of live music that draws well more than a hundred people each and every Wednesday. Of course, Eddie did not build this alone, nor does he manage it all himself. He has a crew of terrific volunteers that show up week in and week out to make the Green a reality. He also has had some help from a few famous friends in a little outfit you may have heard of called Hootie & The Blowfish.  Ultimately, Awendaw Green is a space built around community. It might be forged on music, but the people are what keep Eddie so hard at work. We talk about the privilege of being able to give someone a transformational experience with a night of music and community. Eddie also shares how his Dad gave him a love for throwing a party and showed him the weird world of Renaissance fairies as a kid.  Even during our conversation Eddie White is on the go. As we chatted, he headed off to Costco to snag more fixings for the pizza kitchen at the Green. You’ll hear a bit of digital dropout at a couple of spots during our interview, but don’t fret, we recover quickly.  Here now is the whirlwind that is Eddie White, the man behind the amazing Awendaw Green. Enjoy. Cheers,Matty C Get full access to What Am I Making at whatamimaking.substack.com/subscribe

    50 phút

  7. 29/07/2024

    WAIM #069 - Christian Finnegan

    Back in March, I attended Podjam in Las Vegas and got a chance to see Christian Finnegan live. I’ve long admired Christian as a comic with a terrific wit, a tremendous vocabulary, and a fascinating view on the world. His stand up is hilarious, insightful, and sharp. Getting to see him perform was a highlight of the Vegas trip and confirmed my theory that he is still one of the funniest and smartest comedians working today.  I first became familiar with Christian when he appeared a few times on the Chappelle Show. He was also a featured guest on VH1’s Best Week Ever. In more recent years, Christian has become a regular guest over at the Stand Up with Pete Dominick podcast. His analysis of current events is shockingly deft, hilarious, and always incredibly informed.  What Am I Making is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. While Christian is a terrific political commentator, I wanted to stay closer to home in our conversation. After a bit of time catching up and recounting our time in Vegas, Christian and I jump into his recent experience at a nostalgia-laden music festival. It brought out both his inner child and his inner cynic, and even led him to discover that nostalgia is a lot like cilantro; One loves a single sprig, but doesn’t want to eat a whole bunch of it in one sitting. We cover what makes our wince meter peak, but also admit that we need to not be too cool for shit. Sometimes it’s best to just give in to the moment and enjoy it. Later in the discussion, we chat about the ways in which Christian’s terrific New Music For Olds newsletter has shaped and evolved his listening habits for both better and worse. Christian talks about the unending pool of content that is out there and how one can find a great album in almost any genre, if we’re willing to dig deep enough.  There is some advice that Christian offers on treating the algorithm like a step-parent to keep it on its toes. We learn why all comedians want to be musicians, and why most musicians are afraid to try their hands at comedy. There is even an encounter with Shia Lebouf that involves hiding in a CVS. It’s great stuff from start to finish.  Cheers,Matty C Get full access to What Am I Making at whatamimaking.substack.com/subscribe

    1 giờ 13 phút

  8. 08/07/2024

    WAIM #068: Matty C Live From Ames, IA

    As you are almost certainly aware of by now, I just returned home from a month-long US tour that took me to 28 states and covered the eastern half of the US in extensive detail. The journey took me across much of America that I had never seen before as I played my songs in houses, backyards, on patios, decks, and in breweries, historic buildings, and even the grotto of a pie shop. Nearly every night for four weeks, I told stories and sang my songs to engaged and attentive audiences. Each of the 23 shows on this tour were a unique experience. While many of the songs were repeated from night to night, I did my level best to change up the sequencing of the songs and to try and to infuse new material to the sets as often as possible. I focused on my catalog of original songs from the last twenty years. At each gig, I played songs from my time in The Stick Arounds, Harborcoat, and The Pantones. What Am I Making is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. In addition to those songs, I told many of the deep personal stories behind the songs, and even managed to infuse a bit of laughter into the proceedings as well. Knowing audiences at these shows would be familiar with little or more likely, none of my music, I felt that the stories would help to connect the listener to my songs in a more direct way. My hope was that folks would see flashes of their own lives in these stories and songs. The connection with the audience both during the show and before and afterward is always the most rewarding part of these tours. Toward the end of the tour, I found myself at a house concert in Ames, IA. Ames is a small college town in the middle of the state. I’d set the gig up through a friend of a friend and was unsure what to expect. My hosts Tom and Mary Jane were a lovely older progressive couple with a gorgeous home and yard. Eventually, some 40 people piled into the modest ranch house and we had an amazing evening with music by yours truly, as well as local guitarist Jason Monday and Rockets Of Desire, a band comprised in part by Tom and my other two hosts Bryon and Rachel Dudley. And to my friend Kim Nyborg for co-starring in the photo on the show card. I’ll tell the full recap story from the show very soon here on the blog. In the meantime, this week’s podcast is a recording of my full set from Tom and Mary Jane’s in Ames, IA. As I have said, each night is different, and no two shows the same, but this hour ought to give you an idea of what it’s like to spend an evening with Matty C at a house concert. Special thanks to Tom, Mary Jane, Bryon, and Rachel for their hospitality. And special thanks as well to my friend, Kim Nyborg for the selfie featured on the show card! Thanks again for all of the support and grace while I was on the road, my friends. It’s great to be back in the WAIM saddle once more. Cheers,Matty C Get full access to What Am I Making at whatamimaking.substack.com/subscribe

    1 giờ 37 phút
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Giới Thiệu

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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