Crash and Ride – Details, episodes & analysis

Tierney Tough was the second guest ever on Crash and Ride and she has released a new solo EP. Normally the phenomenally talented bassist, vocalist, and keyboardist for the band The Pauses, Tierney was inspired by the isolation and uncertainty of the Pandemic to create a new EP of haunting and powerful tunes, A Farce to Reckon With. In our most recent conversation, we talk about the Pandemic, her new music, and an absolutely infuriating encounter with an obstreperous soundman.

You can hear A Farce to Reckon With here: https://tierneytough.bandcamp.com/

You can hear The Pauses here:
https://thepauses.bandcamp.com/

You can find out more about Nuci's Space here: https://www.nuci.org/

You can donate to Access Point GA here: https://www.accesspointga.org/donate

Episode 88 is Part 2 of my conversation with Jes Skolnik. As I mentioned last week, Jes writes for Bandcamp Daily, the music journalism arm of the Greatest Music Distribution Platform of all time. Besides being an incredibly gifted music journalist, they are also a musician, a trauma survivor, former addict, and a sexual assault survivor. This week we talk about toxic jobs, the journey from freelancer to senior editor, their struggle with drugs and depression, and what they do for self-care!

CONTENT WARNING: this episode contains frank and difficult discussions about sexual assault, drug use, and suicidal ideation.

You can read Jes' work by going to their Bandcamp contributor profile here:
https://daily.bandcamp.com/contributors/jes-skolnik

Lindsay Powell is a Brooklyn-based singer and multi-instrumentalist who performs under the name Fielded. Her music defies genre classification and nimbly draws influences from trance, hip-hop, Neo-Soul, and new psychedelia. I have been a fan for many years, and after overcoming some shyness about reaching out to someone so accomplished, I made contact and we did one of my favorite interviews ever. Lindsay was very forthcoming about her struggles with mood issues and her restlessness with a "normal" life. Also, she just got a puppy.

You can hear all of Fielded's music on Bandcamp here:

https://fielded.bandcamp.com/

You can see the captivating and gorgeous video for "I Choose You" here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gBVyTo91bQ

This is Backwoodz Studioz, the label with whom she collaborates:

https://backwoodzstudioz.com/artists/fielded/

As promised, here's the Corona Virus Relief Fund set up by MusiCares:

https://www.grammy.com/musicares/get-help/musicares-coronavirus-relief

And also here's a link to the Athens area musician's Covid 19 relief fund set up by Nuci's space here:

https://www.nuci.org/get-help/

Heather Smith is the multi-instrumentalist and vocalist behind the band Bone and Bell. She's absurdly talented and is an incredibly generous person to interview. We talk about her brief and doomed attempt to become a playwright, her battles with anxiety and depression, her move from Chicago to Portland, and her five year journey of healing from breaking her wrist.

You can hear Bone and Bell here:
https://boneandbell.bandcamp.com/

You can see the famous ferris wheel video here:
https://vimeo.com/27485961

Here's the Corona Virus Relief Fund set up by MusiCares:
https://www.grammy.com/musicares/get-help/musicares-coronavirus-relief

And also here's a link to the Athens area musician's Covid 19 relief fund set up by Nuci's space here:
https://www.nuci.org/get-help/

Lindsey Charles is the dynamic and powerful singer of the Chicago band The Cell Phones and also one of the creators of Dagger Cast, a podcast "a horror based podcast dedicated to the LGBTQ, Black, LatinX, female experience." She is also a talented illustrator, actress, and a new mother. We talked about all of that and more while sitting on the porch of her new home in Indianapolis, masked and bundled up against the grey autumn chill. The Cell Phones have a new record out that you can check out on their bandcamp page and you can check out her podcast at the link below. What a great talk! Check it out!

The Cell Phones!
https://cellphonesband.bandcamp.com/

Daggercast!
https://www.facebook.com/daggercast/

Here's the Corona Virus Relief Fund set up by MusiCares:
https://www.grammy.com/musicares/get-help/musicares-coronavirus-relief

And also here's a link to the Athens area musician's Covid 19 relief fund set up by Nuci's space here:
https://www.nuci.org/get-help/

photo: Rod Manning

Sorry for the delay! This episode is extra long and extra epic! I spoke with Jem Moloney, the incredibly talented drummer from the Australian band Dead. They've collaborated with members of Harvey Milk and the Melvins- a truly crushing, heavy band. Jem is also one half of the label We Empty Rooms Records in AUS, and works for a suicide prevention charity called HALT. They focus on the well-being of working class men and women who do tradeswork. (We really should start something like that here.)

This took an extra couple of days to get out because I've been hiding out in a different city and Jem wanted some time to have a listen to the episode, all that life stuff got in the way.

So instead of breaking this up into two episodes, here's the whole thing! Listen at your leisure!

Check out HALT here:
https://thehaltbrekky.com/
Watch the video on the homepage. It's incredible.

Here's the band DEAD:
https://deadsounds.bandcamp.com/

Here's We Empty Rooms, Jem's label:
https://weemptyrooms.bandcamp.com/

As promised, here's the Corona Virus Relief Fund set up by MusiCares:
https://www.grammy.com/musicares/get-help/musicares-coronavirus-relief

And also here's a link to the Athens area musician's Covid 19 relief fund set up by Nuci's space here:
https://www.nuci.org/get-help/

photo: Morten Fog

There is one globally influential magazine that focuses on Americana and I was fortunate enough to speak with its editor. Hilary Saunders is the human tornado who wrestles No Depression to the presses every quarter, and she is a phenomenal human being. For Episode 75, we had an wide-ranging conversation about her journey to the editorship of No Depression, about life in New York City during these strange times we're living in, and about using guava jelly in hamantaschen. I enjoyed every minute of it.

During the course of our conversation, she recommended the email newsletters of a couple of music journalists. You can find Gary Suarez on Substack here:
https://cabbages.substack.com/people/1989736-gary-suarez

You can find out more about Marissa Moss and Natalie Weiner's newsletter here:
https://marissarmoss.substack.com/p/coming-soon?r=5wdr&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&utm_source=copy

You can sign up for Zachary Lipez's newsletter here:
https://zacharylipez.substack.com/

And you can find Sara Benincasa's essay about the aftermath of the suicide of Anthony Bourdain here:
https://humanparts.medium.com/when-they-leave-8eb15cc2ee1f

I mentioned in the intro that I was going to include a link to the Corona Virus Relief Fund set up by MusiCares:
https://www.grammy.com/musicares/get-help/musicares-coronavirus-relief

And also here's a link to the Athens area musician's Covid 19 relief fund set up by Nuci's space here:
https://www.nuci.org/get-help/

This is the second half of my interview with the wondrously talented Jodi Shapiro: drone composer, card sharp, photographer, and archivist. She's just an astonishingly talented human being. In the second half, we talk about her experience of being run down by an automobile, how that experience affected her outlook on life, her experiences with meditation, and her undying love of Neil Young.

Here is Jodi's photography site:
http://samuraiphotog.com/

Also, I mentioned in the intro that I was going to include a link to the Corona Virus Relief Fund set up by MusiCares:

https://www.grammy.com/musicares/get-help/musicares-coronavirus-relief

Good luck, folks.

Jodi Shapiro is a drone composer, competition poker player, world class photographer, and the best rock and roll tour guide of the Lower East Side of Manhattan that you could ever ask for. She's one of the most accomplished people I've ever met, and yet, surprisingly, she struggles with a sense that her work isn't worthy. We talk about that and so much more in this week's episode of Crash and Ride. This is part 1 and part 2 will be out in just a few days!

Here is her photography site:
http://samuraiphotog.com/

Lilly Hiatt is an absolutely fantastic singer/songwriter from Nashville, TN. We talked about her early life, how much more she enjoys recording in home studios vs. big commercial facilities, and how quarantine has made a whole bunch of wandering, nomadic musicians appreciate things like new mattresses and headphones.

You can hear more of Lilly's music on her website:

https://www.lillyhiatt.com/