Benjamin Hughes #2
25 O'Clock
Dan and Benjamin Hughes of have been friends since about 2011 or so, when their bands played together in New York a few times. Dan holds Ben up as one of his favorite songwriters of all time, and Ben returns to the show for the first time in about six years. Ben talks about the recent Night Windows records, including the most recent 'In Memories' LP, and delves into how the songs came together, the difference with the writing process on the last couple of records, and how he didn't write or do anything musical for nearly half a year during the pandemic. Grief, sadness, small-town life, and...
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Chris Kasper
25 O'Clock
Dan has been a fan since he first heard him on WXPN over 15 years ago. Chris sits down to talk about growing up a metalhead drummer, surrounded by a whole family of musicians. From loud drums and Led Zeppelin to discovering bluegrass and Appalachian folk while living in West Virginia, Chris reminisces on moving to Philadelphia almost 20 years ago, meeting peers like Amos Lee, Ben Arnold and Birdie Busch at Dawson Street Pub, playing shows at The Fire, and growing into the Americana singer-songwriter that we all know. Improvisation, uncertainty, working in the moment: these are all things that...
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Bret Tobias
25 O'Clock
Dan talks with Bret Tobias, formerly of The Bigger Lovers and Moped, now helming . From seeing the Replacements on MTV, discovering House of Love and Philly's own The Wishniaks, it was inevitable that Bret make his life about music. Bret talks about his aversion to being classified in any scene or community, the independent music feeding frenzy of the mid 90s that had being wined and dined by A&R and execs, and the sudden, overnight disappearance of said attention. He takes us through the saga of The Bigger Lovers and the many records and tours alongside some of their heroes (Superchunk,...
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James Everhart (Cosmic Guilt)
25 O'Clock
Dan talks with James Everhart, a man who's been part of a lot of Philadelphia music over the years, about his long tenure amidst bands like Low Cut Connie, Scantron, and his current project, 10-member supergroup . James talks about hitting the road with Low Cut Connie right out of college, and how he had to pull back from the touring life for his own mental health and stability. Dan and James talk about the careful balance that it takes to have a band with 10 members, British psych folk, James' designs for , letting each member put their mark on a song, a close eye on visual aesthetics, and...
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Todd Mecaughey
25 O'Clock
has been part of the Philadelphia music community for a good while, in bands like New Connection and . He's also an engineer and producer at , and has been since its inception. Dan and Todd talk about their love of Phish and the Grateful Dead (and how both bands are pretty dang punk rock), learning the ropes under as a young engineer, watching the upward swing of Secret American fall apart and turning to podcast production for a paycheck during the pandemic, the 'Workaholics' cast and touring as their live FOH tech for their podcast 'This Is Important', and balancing fatherhood and family...
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Judah Kim
25 O'Clock
Dan goes in deep with as he talks about growing up "lucky number 7" of 8 siblings, the influence of his older brothers' garage bands, the lack of any Asian American role models in alt rock, studying voice and production at Berkley, sobriety and gratitude, and the burnout that comes with always having to make "content". With a journey that's taken him from Philadelphia to Los Angeles and back again, Judah and Dan discuss the pitfalls of being an independent musician, Judah's interest in mental health as it applies to Koreans, and the weight of insurmountable expectation and ambition that can...
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Fire In the Radio
25 O'Clock
Dan gets Jonathan Miller and Ed Olson of on the line to talk about how the band came together, took a break, came back together even stronger, and their upcoming return home to a Philadelphia stage at in Manayunk. Jon and Ed talked about growing up in the Philly punk and hardcore scene, being influenced by both as a musician and as a friend, growing your songwriting over the years, the trials that come with keeping a band of adults with lives and families together across the country, and how the punk spirit of youth ends up defining how you see the world going forward. Photo by
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Eliza Hardy Jones
25 O'Clock
Dan talks with lifelong Philadlephia musician about everything: early days in with Brandon Beaver, touring and playing with mewithoutyou, Grace Potter, Iron and Wine, and her newest gig as a touring member of The War On Drugs. Eliza tells great stories about DIY touring life, vocal coaching the Philadelphia Eagles, quilting, and how she channeled her grief from a lost pregnancy into her latest LP, 'Pickpocket'. 'Pickpocket' is available wherever you get your digital music, and also as . The War on Drugs return to play in Philadelphia on 9/17 at The Mann with The National and Lucius.
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Nicole Bauza
25 O'Clock
Dan talks with Nicole Bauza, songwriter and frontwoman of . Nicole talks about growing up as a BMX biker, getting drums at an early age, the quiet joys of farming and gardening, herbs as medicine, , and the ups and downs of keeping a band going amidst family life and general day to day shenanigans. The newest Nervous Nikki LP, 'St Anthony's Fire', is and wherever you get digital music.
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Alex Wash (Granddogs)
25 O'Clock
Dan just met Alex Wash of a month or so ago, and he's already got him on the mic telling his life story. Alex talks about growing up in Lititz, PA (home of Rock Lititz), learning piano via the Suzuki method, living in Nashville and San Antonio in pursuit of the musician life, finding a job at as a piano player, and turning that into his steady day gig. Alex created Granddogs as a way to share his original songwriting, and the band has a new single dropping on 4/14 called "When You Call", available on all digital platforms. Don't miss Inside Hustle, a Philadelphia music industry and...
info_outlineDan talks with Nicole Bauza, songwriter and frontwoman of Nervous Nikki and the Chill Pills. Nicole talks about growing up as a BMX biker, getting drums at an early age, the quiet joys of farming and gardening, herbs as medicine, her tea farm in Schwenksville, and the ups and downs of keeping a band going amidst family life and general day to day shenanigans. The newest Nervous Nikki LP, 'St Anthony's Fire', is available at their Bandcamp and wherever you get digital music.