Beginnings
We all know the stories of how creative people get into the business of creating for a living, but how did they start using their imaginations in the first place? On the Beginnings podcast, writer and performer Andy Beckerman asks well-known and on-their-way-up comedians, musicians, writers, artists and thinkers about their earliest creative acts, their formative childhood experiences, and how they've developed both creatively and emotionally over the years. Beginnings is part therapy, part philosophy and almost all fascinating (95% according to FDA studies).
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Episode 739: Rob Crow of Pinback, Heavy Vegetable, Goblin Cock, Thingy, Optiganally Yours
10/16/2026
Episode 739: Rob Crow of Pinback, Heavy Vegetable, Goblin Cock, Thingy, Optiganally Yours
On today’s episode, I talk to musician Rob Crow. Originally from New Jersey, Rob moved to San Diego when he was a teenager. In the early 1990s, he formed the band Heavy Vegetable, and while the group was only together for a few short years, they were extremely well-liked in the San Diego scene. Rob continued to perform and make records under a number of different names including Optiganally Yours and Physics, and in 1998, he formed Pinback with Zach Smith. This propelled him into the limelight, and the band released five incredible albums on labels like Touch and Go, TRL and Absolutely Kosher. While they haven't released an album since 2012's Information Retrieved, Rob continues to record in different bands and under different names, and most recently, his group Goblin Cock released their fifth album Traumanaut on Joyful Noise Records, and folks, it is fantastic! This is for Beginnings, , follow me on . Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months and my old casiopop band's lost album ! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found ! Theme song by the fantastic ! Second theme by the brilliant ! Closing theme by the delightful ! Podcast art by the inimitable !
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Episode 738: Chris Brokaw of Come and Codeine
10/09/2026
Episode 738: Chris Brokaw of Come and Codeine
On today’s episode, I talk to musician Chris Brokaw. Originally from Scarsdale, NY, Chris attended Oberlin College, a scene that birthed much of the indie rock of the 1990s. After graduating, he played drums for a number of bands, most notably with G.G. Allin, and in 1989 he formed the band Codeine with his fellow Oberlin grad Stephen Immerwahr. The group released two albums on Sub Pop before breaking up, but by that time, Chris had formed the band Come with Thalia Zedek. Starting with their acclaimed record 11:11, the band would go on to release four records in total on Matador before breaking up towards the end of the millenium, though both bands have reunited at various times over the intervening years. Since then, Chris has released over two dozen albums, scored numerous film soundtracks, played in bands like The New Year and Consonant with Mission of Burma's Clint Conley, and this is just a fraction of his expansive CV! This is for Beginnings, , follow me on . Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months and my old casiopop band's lost album ! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found ! Theme song by the fantastic ! Second theme by the brilliant ! Closing theme by the delightful ! Podcast art by the inimitable !
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Episode 737: Evan Dorkin
10/02/2026
Episode 737: Evan Dorkin
On today’s episode, I talk to Eisner and Harvey Award-winning comics creator Evan Dorkin. Originally from Brooklyn, Evan has been making comics since 1986. One of his earliest books Pirate Corp$ was published by Eternity Comics and then after that Slave Labor Graphics, who later published his series Milk and Cheese. Other notable comics include Dork, Eltingville and Beasts of Burden, which are all well worth your time. As a TV writer, Evan has written for Space Ghost Coast to Coast, Batman Beyond, Yo Gabba Gabba and many more. This is all just a small sampling of his CV. Just this year, Dark Horse published Nerd Inferno; The Essential Evan Dorkin, an anthology of Dork, Milk and Cheese and Eltingville, and folks, it is fantastic! This is for Beginnings, , follow me on . Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months and my old casiopop band's lost album ! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found ! Theme song by the fantastic ! Second theme by the brilliant ! Closing theme by the delightful ! Podcast art by the inimitable !
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Episode 736: Hutch Harris of The Thermals
09/25/2026
Episode 736: Hutch Harris of The Thermals
On today’s episode, I talk to musician Hutch Harris. Originally from New York City, Hutch's family moved to San Jose, California when he was still a kid. After high school, he met Kathy Foster, and they played in various bands until moving to Portland, where they formed The Thermals. In 2003, they released their first album More Parts Per Million on Sub Pop, who would release their next two albums as well. The next four albums were released on Kill Rock Stars and then Saddle Creek, and in 2016, the band went on an indefinite hiatus. Until recently, that is. A few weeks ago, The Thermals released their latest album Under Crushing Rain, and it is wonderful! This is for Beginnings, , follow me on . Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months and my old casiopop band's lost album ! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found ! Theme song by the fantastic ! Second theme by the brilliant ! Closing theme by the delightful ! Podcast art by the inimitable !
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Episode 735: Sweeping Promises
09/18/2026
Episode 735: Sweeping Promises
On today’s episode, I talk to musicians Lira Mondal and Caufield Schnug AKA Sweeping Promises. Originally from Arkansas and Texas respectively, Lira and Caufield met in college and made music together in a number of different bands before forming Sweeping Promises in 2019. Their first album Hunger for a Way Out was released the next year on Feel It Records in the midst of the early stage of the pandemic and garnered them a great deal of acclaim. They then signed to the wonderful label Sub Pop who released their second album Good Living Is Coming for You in 2023, and just this August their third album You Say I Romanticize came out, and it is a blast! This is for Beginnings, , follow me on . Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months and my old casiopop band's lost album ! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found ! Theme song by the fantastic ! Second theme by the brilliant ! Closing theme by the delightful ! Podcast art by the inimitable !
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Episode 734: David Rees
09/11/2026
Episode 734: David Rees
On today’s episode, I talk to cartoonist and humorist David Rees. Originally from Chapel Hill, NC, David first gained acclaim during the Bush years with his comic strip Get Your War On, which perfectly captured the insanity of the times. In 2010, David started the satirical Artisanal Pencil Sharpening service and followed that up with the book How to Sharpen Pencils. As a TV creator, he hosted Going Deep with David Rees and co-created the FXX animated show Dicktown with John Hodgman, and as a podcaster, David co-hosts the wonderful show Election Profit Makers, which you can get wherever you get your podcasts! This is for Beginnings, , follow me on . Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months and my old casiopop band's lost album ! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found ! Theme song by the fantastic ! Second theme by the brilliant ! Closing theme by the delightful ! Podcast art by the inimitable !
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Episode 733: Solex
09/04/2026
Episode 733: Solex
On today’s episode, I talk to musician Elisabeth Esselink AKA Solex. Originally from Voorschoten, Netherlands, Elisabeth eventually moved to Amsterdam and in the early1990s performed in the indie pop band Sonetic Vet, who released one album, Peer, in 1994. She then began to make music on her own as Solex, and in 1998, Matador released her debut album Solex vs. the Hitmeister. Since then, Elisabeth has released numerous albums and EPs, and this year, Matador is celebrating the 25th anniversary of her third album Low Kick and Hard Bop with an expanded vinyl edition out next week! This is for Beginnings, , follow me on . Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months and my old casiopop band's lost album ! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found ! Theme song by the fantastic ! Second theme by the brilliant ! Closing theme by the delightful ! Podcast art by the inimitable !
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Episode 732: Elanor Moss
08/28/2026
Episode 732: Elanor Moss
On today’s episode, I talk to musician Elanor Moss. Originally from Lincolnshire, Elanor grew up in a very creative, devoutly Catholic family and began playing music at church events. She started writing her own music while studying English Lit at the University of York. In 2022, she released her first EP Citrus followed a year later by the Cosmic EP. This garnered her some attention, and her debut album The Knife, The Needle was just released on Merge Records, and it's great! This is for Beginnings, , follow me on . Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months and my old casiopop band's lost album ! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found ! Theme song by the fantastic ! Second theme by the brilliant ! Closing theme by the delightful ! Podcast art by the inimitable !
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Episode 731: Dan Friel of Parts & Labor
08/21/2026
Episode 731: Dan Friel of Parts & Labor
On today’s episode, I talk to musician Dan Friel. Raised in Amherst, MA, Dan formed Parts & Labor with BJ Warshaw in 2002. In their decade together, the band released five albums, mostly on Jagjaguwar. While Dan had already been recording albums on his own - his first solo LP was released on the fantastic Massachusetts label Important Records - after the band broke up in 2012, he began releasing albums on Thrill Jockey. Most recently, Parts & Labor reunited, and their latest album Set of All Sets - a true banger - came out in July on Ernest Jenning Record Co.! This is for Beginnings, , follow me on . Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months and my old casiopop band's lost album ! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found ! Theme song by the fantastic ! Second theme by the brilliant ! Closing theme by the delightful ! Podcast art by the inimitable !
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Episode 730: Josh Olson
08/14/2026
Episode 730: Josh Olson
On today’s episode, I talk to screenwriter and podcaster Josh Olson. Originally from Philadelphia, Josh got his start in showbiz as a PA on Masters of the Universe and in 2002, wrote and directed his first film Infested. This gained Josh some attention, and in 2005, he wrote A History of Violence, which garnered him Oscar, BAFTA and WGA Award nominations. He's collaborated with Harlan Ellison, wrote the original draft of the Jack Reacher film and this is just a small sampling of his CV. As a podcaster, Josh co-hosted The West Wing Thing with Dave Anthony, which broke down the jarringly liberal show from a left perspective, and with Joe Dante, currently co-hosts the fantastic show The Movies That Made Me! This is for Beginnings, , follow me on . Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months and my old casiopop band's lost album ! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found ! Theme song by the fantastic ! Second theme by the brilliant ! Closing theme by the delightful ! Podcast art by the inimitable !
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Episode 729: Blockhead
08/07/2026
Episode 729: Blockhead
On today's episode, I talk to musician and producer Tony Simon AKA Blockhead. Originally from Manhattan, Tony grew up in an artistic household and started making music when he was a teenager. He went to Boston University for a year, which may not have worked out academically, but did artistically because this is where he met Aesop Rock and began making beats for him starting with 1999's Appleseed EP. Back in New York, he formed the duo Party Fun Action Committee, and in 2003, Def Jux put out their album Let's Get Serious. The following year, Ninja Tune released Tony's first instrumental album Music by Cavelight, and in the years since, Tony has composed and produced dozens of albums, working with some of the best rappers of the 21st century including the aforementioned Aesop Rock, Billy Woods, Armand Hammer, Open Mike Eagle and so many others. Just a few weeks ago, Phantom Limb released his latest album Boatshoes, a collaboration with one of most fun and creative emcees performing today Brian Ennals, and it is incredible! This is for Beginnings, , follow me on . Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months and my old casiopop band's lost album ! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found ! Theme song by the fantastic ! Second theme by the brilliant ! Closing theme by the delightful ! Podcast art by the inimitable !
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Episode 728: Emperor X
07/31/2026
Episode 728: Emperor X
On today's episode, I talk to musician Chad Matheny. Raised in Jacksonville, FL, Chad began recording music as Emperor X in 1998. Though he had a deep interest in science and pursued an advanced degree in physics, music was his true calling, and in 2012 he moved to Berlin to tour more easily. Chad has recorded almost two dozen albums and EPs as Emperor X, and his latest Unified Field was just released at the end of June on Bar/None, and it is fantastic! This is for Beginnings, , follow me on . Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months and my old casiopop band's lost album ! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found ! Theme song by the fantastic ! Second theme by the brilliant ! Closing theme by the delightful ! Podcast art by the inimitable !
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Episode 727: Daniel Bessner
07/24/2026
Episode 727: Daniel Bessner
On today's episode, I talk to historian and journalist Daniel Bessner. Danny is a true renaissance man, but not in the Danny DeVito sense. As an academic, he is the Anne H.H. and Kenneth B. Pyle Associate Professor in American Foreign Policy in the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington. He is also the author of two books, Democracy in Exile and Imperialist Realism and the co-editor of a number of anthologies, including Cold War Liberalism: Power in a Time of Emergency, which just came out in January. As a podcaster, Danny is the co-host with Derek Davison of the fantastic U.S. foreign policy and global affairs podcast American Prestige, which packs more news and analysis into every second than most other political podcasts pack into their entire run. This is for Beginnings, , follow me on . Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months and my old casiopop band's lost album ! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found ! Theme song by the fantastic ! Second theme by the brilliant ! Closing theme by the delightful ! Podcast art by the inimitable !
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Episode 726: Matthew S, founder of Illegal Art
07/17/2026
Episode 726: Matthew S, founder of Illegal Art
On today's episode, I talk to musician and academic Matthew S. Originally from Fresno, CA, Matthew founded the sample-based label Illegal Art in 1998 and ran it under the pseudonym Philo T. Farnsworth for 15 years. In that time, Illegal Art released music from Touch People, Junk Culture and perhaps the most acclaimed of the roster Girl Talk. In 2012, Matthew shut the label down to concentrate on his own music and work as a college professor, but this year he has decided to bring it back, and the first release is his own project Myth Math. Their debut EP Tongues just came out last week, and it is excellent! This is for Beginnings, , follow me on . Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months and my old casiopop band's lost album ! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found ! Theme song by the fantastic ! Second theme by the brilliant ! Closing theme by the delightful ! Podcast art by the inimitable !
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Episode 725: Jonathan Meiburg of Shearwater
07/10/2026
Episode 725: Jonathan Meiburg of Shearwater
On today's episode, I talk to musician and writer Jonathan Meiburg. Born in Baltimore, MD, Jonathan started playing music in the early 1990s in Austin and towards the end of the decade began playing keyboards in Okkervil River. A year later, he formed the band Shearwater with Okkervil's Will Sheff as an outlet for their quieter songs, though by their fourth album Palo Santo, it became primarily Jonathan's group. Since 1999, Shearwater has released almost two dozen albums and EPs on labels like Misra, Matador and Sub Pop. In addition to his musical pursuits, Jonathan has also had an impressive writing career, contributing to publications like The Believer and Talkhouse, and his book A Most Remarkable Creature: The Hidden Life and Epic Journey of the World's Smartest Birds of Prey was published in 2021 by Knopf. Shearwater's latest album The New World will be released by Polyborus Records at the end of July, and it is wonderful! This is for Beginnings, , follow me on . Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months and my old casiopop band's lost album ! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found ! Theme song by the fantastic ! Second theme by the brilliant ! Closing theme by the delightful ! Podcast art by the inimitable !
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Episode 724: Jeff Mueller of Rodan, June of 44 and Shipping News
06/05/2026
Episode 724: Jeff Mueller of Rodan, June of 44 and Shipping News
On today's episode, I talk to musician Jeff Mueller. Originally from Louisville, KY, Jeff formed the band Rodan in 1992 with his friend Jason Noble, releasing the seminal album Rusty two years later on Quarterstick Records. After Rodan broke up, Jeff formed June of 44, and they put out almost an album a year until they stopped playing together in 1999. Rodan's break-up also blossomed into a new band for Jeff and Jason, Shipping News. Shipping News released numerous albums over the next fifteen years, many of them on Quarterstick, until Jason's death in 2012. Most recently, Solid Brass Records released Jeff and Jason's first high school group King G & the J Krew, which is somewhere in-between Rodan and the Beastie Boys, and it is a delight! This is for Beginnings, , follow me on . Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months and my old casiopop band's lost album ! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found ! Theme song by the fantastic ! Second theme by the brilliant ! Closing theme by the delightful ! Podcast art by the inimitable !
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Episode 723: Ron Regé Jr.
05/29/2026
Episode 723: Ron Regé Jr.
On today's episode, I talk to cartoonist Ron Regé Jr. Raised in Plymouth, MA, Ron began making minicomics in the late 1980s, and about a decade later, his first book Skibber Bee Bye was published by Highwater Books. For the next decade, he released comics and graphic novels through Drawn & Quarterly, but a frustration with comics changed his aesthetic focus, and starting with his next book The Cartoon Utopia, Ron began to be published by Fantagraphics. His most recent comic It's Over came out late last year on Parsifal Press. This is for Beginnings, , follow me on . Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months and my old casiopop band's lost album ! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found ! Theme song by the fantastic ! Second theme by the brilliant ! Closing theme by the delightful ! Podcast art by the inimitable !
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Episode 722: Dusty Reske of Rocketship
05/22/2026
Episode 722: Dusty Reske of Rocketship
On today's episode, I talk to musician Dusty Reske of the band Rocketship. Born in San Francisco, CA, Dusty moved around a bit as a child before ending up in Sacramento where he formed Rocketship in 1993. Their first album A Certain Smile, a Certain Sadness came out a few years later on Slumberland followed by Garden of Delights on 1999, Here Comes... Rocketship in 2006 and Thanks to You in 2019. This year is the 30th anniversary of A Certain Smile, a Certain Sadness, and folks, it's just as good as the day it came out! This is for Beginnings, , follow me on . Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months and my old casiopop band's lost album ! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found ! Theme song by the fantastic ! Second theme by the brilliant ! Closing theme by the delightful ! Podcast art by the inimitable !
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Episode 721: Michael Edison Hayden
05/15/2026
Episode 721: Michael Edison Hayden
On today's episode, I talk to journalist and writer Michael Edison Hayden. Originally from Port Washington, Long Island, Michael started out his career as a playwright before transitioning to journalism during a trip to India. This led to becoming one of the few reporters at ABC News covering far-right extremism, and eventually Michael became a Senior Investigative Reporter and Spokesperson for Southern Poverty Law Center, a position he held until 2023. With Jared Holt, he hosts the political podcast Posting Through It, and most recently, his book Strange People on the Hill: How Extremism Tore Apart a Small American Town was published by Bold Type/Hachette, and it is excellent! This is for Beginnings, , follow me on . Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months and my old casiopop band's lost album ! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found ! Theme song by the fantastic ! Second theme by the brilliant ! Closing theme by the delightful ! Podcast art by the inimitable !
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Episode 720: Doug Gillard of Guided by Voices, Cobra Verde and Many More
05/08/2026
Episode 720: Doug Gillard of Guided by Voices, Cobra Verde and Many More
On today's episode, I talk to musician Doug Gillard. Born in Sandusky, Ohio, Doug performed in a number of punk groups in high school, and in the early '80s joined the Cleveland rock band Death of Samantha. After their breakup in 1990, Doug became one of the original members of Cobra Verde, who then became Bob Pollard's backing band on Mag Earwhig!. This led to Doug joining Guided by Voices, who he performed with from 1997 to 2004 and then from 2016 to the present. This, of course, is just a small sampling of Doug's musical CV. On his own, Doug has been making albums since the mid-'80s, and his most recent album Parallel Stride just came out a few weeks ago on Dromedary Records, and it's fantastic! This is for Beginnings, , follow me on . Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months and my old casiopop band's lost album ! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found ! Theme song by the fantastic ! Second theme by the brilliant ! Closing theme by the delightful ! Podcast art by the inimitable !
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Episode 719: Felicia Douglass of Ava Luna, Dirty Projectors and Gemma
05/01/2026
Episode 719: Felicia Douglass of Ava Luna, Dirty Projectors and Gemma
On today's episode, I talk to musician Felicia Douglass. Originally from New York City, Felicia studied ballet for a long time before deciding that wasn't the path for her. Some of her old school chums had formed the band Ava Luna, and she eventually joined them. In the twenty years they've been together, Ava Luna has released over a dozen albums and EPs, and their latest self-titled album came out on Western Vinyl just last year. In 2018, Felicia became a member of Dirty Projectors, performing as part of the Song of the Earth ensemble, and few years earlier, she and producer/multi-instrumentalist Erik Gundel formed the band Gemma. Their latest album Be About It is out today, and folks, it is wonderful! This is for Beginnings, , follow me on . Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months and my old casiopop band's lost album ! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found ! Theme song by the fantastic ! Second theme by the brilliant ! Closing theme by the delightful ! Podcast art by the inimitable !
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Episode 718: Josh Margolin
04/24/2026
Episode 718: Josh Margolin
On today's episode, I talk to filmmaker Josh Margolin. Originally from Los Angeles, Josh always aimed his life in the direction of acting and filmmaking. He majored in theater, did improv, including performing in "One Night Stand: An Improvised Musical", which toured all over including an Edinburgh Fringe run, but since he was a kid, filmmaking seemed to be the thing. While Josh has written a number of shorts, webseries and a feature-length horror-comedy, his first film as writer and director, Thelma, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, and it is easily one of the best films of 2024! This is for Beginnings, , follow me on . Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months and my old casiopop band's lost album ! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found ! Theme song by the fantastic ! Second theme by the brilliant ! Closing theme by the delightful ! Podcast art by the inimitable !
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Episode 717: Big Harp
04/17/2026
Episode 717: Big Harp
On today's episode, I talk to musicians Stefanie Drootin and Chris Senseney of Big Harp. Originally from the San Fernando Valley and the Sandhills of Nebraska respectively, Stefanie and Chris met two decades ago, when they became both romantic and creative partners, getting married, having two children and performing together as Big Harp. In 2011, they released their first album White Hat, followed by Chain Letters in 2013 and now thirteen years later, they've released their third record Runs to Blue on Saddle Creek, and it is fantastic! This is for Beginnings, , follow me on . Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months and my old casiopop band's lost album ! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found ! Theme song by the fantastic ! Second theme by the brilliant ! Closing theme by the delightful ! Podcast art by the inimitable !
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Episode 716: John Flansburgh of They Might Be Giants
04/10/2026
Episode 716: John Flansburgh of They Might Be Giants
On today's episode, I talk to John Flansburgh of the band They Might Be Giants. Originally from Lexington, MA, John met John Linnell in high school, and they formed They Might Be Giants years later in 1982 after both moving to New York City. Trying to do justice to the breadth and depth of TMBG's CV in a short bio is unfeasible, but a few highlights of their 44 year career are their 24 albums, including five children's albums, their numerous Tony and Grammy nominations and two Grammy wins, Dial-A-Song and a million other things. On his own, John has released albums as Mono Puff, directed music videos for bands like Frank Black and Ben Folds Five, and even appeared as a voice on Xavier: Renegade Angel. They Might Be Giants latest album The World Is to Dig will be released next week on Idlewild Recordings, and folks, it is an absolute delight! This is for Beginnings, , follow me on . Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months and my old casiopop band's lost album ! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found ! Theme song by the fantastic ! Second theme by the brilliant ! Closing theme by the delightful ! Podcast art by the inimitable !
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Episode 715: John McEntire of Tortoise
04/03/2026
Episode 715: John McEntire of Tortoise
On today's episode, I talk to musician and producer John McEntire. Originally from Portland, OR, John started playing drums as a preteen and eventually went to school at The Oberlin Conservatory to study music. At Oberlin, John started playing in David Grubbs post-Squirrel Bait band Bastro. The group then moved to Chicago, and Bastro morphed into the first incarnation of Gastr Del Sol. After their debut album The Serpentine Similar was released in 1993, John left to co-found Tortoise, who he's played with ever since. John also performs in The Sea and Cake and Red Krayola, and as a producer and engineer has worked with everyone from Stereolab to Broken Social Scene to Yo La Tengo, and of course, this is just scraping the surface of John's accomplishments. Most recently, Tortoise released their eighth album Touch through International Anthem and Nonesuch Records, and folks, like everything else they've done, it's wonderful! This is for Beginnings, , follow me on . Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months and my old casiopop band's lost album ! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found ! Theme song by the fantastic ! Second theme by the brilliant ! Closing theme by the delightful ! Podcast art by the inimitable !
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Episode 714: Fatal Farm
03/27/2026
Episode 714: Fatal Farm
On today's episode, I talk to writers and directors Zachary Johnson and Jeffrey Max of Fatal Farm. Zach and Jeffrey grew up in Dallas, TX and became interested in film in high school. Eventually moving to LA, the two began to make videos together in the early days of YouTube, calling themselves Fatal Farm. Their work included the live-action Garfield series Lasagna Cat, as well as Infinite Solutions and Alternate TV Intros. Besides being incredibly funny, Fatal Farm also has a technical expertise that was missing from a lot of internet videos - then and now - and this allowed them to build a name for themselves as in-demand commercial and sketch comedy producers, working with everyone from The Lonely Island to Key & Peele, Adult Swim, I Think You Should Leave and many others! This is for Beginnings, , follow me on . Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months and my old casiopop band's lost album ! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found ! Theme song by the fantastic ! Second theme by the brilliant ! Closing theme by the delightful ! Podcast art by the inimitable !
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Episode 713: Connor Armbruster
03/20/2026
Episode 713: Connor Armbruster
In 2023, they recorded their first full-length album Revival of a Friend at Tiny Telephone, and it will be released on Exploding In Sound Records at the end of the month! This is for Beginnings, , follow me on . Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months and my old casiopop band's lost album ! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found ! Theme song by the fantastic ! Second theme by the brilliant ! Closing theme by the delightful ! Podcast art by the inimitable !
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Episode 712: Julia Steiner of Ratboys
03/13/2026
Episode 712: Julia Steiner of Ratboys
On today's episode, I talk to Julia Steiner of the band Ratboys. Originally from Louisville, Kentucky, Julia started Ratboys in college at Notre Dame with Dave Sagan. In 2015, they relocated to Chicago and released their first album AOID on Topshelf Records. And since then, the band has accomplished everything you want to happen to a good band: international tours, critical and commercial success and releasing numerous albums and EPs of great music. Their latest, Singin' to an Empty Chair, was just released in early February, and folks, it's fantastic! This is for Beginnings, , follow me on . Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months and my old casiopop band's lost album ! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found ! Theme song by the fantastic ! Second theme by the brilliant ! Closing theme by the delightful ! Podcast art by the inimitable !
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Episode 711: Amelia Fletcher of Heavenly
03/06/2026
Episode 711: Amelia Fletcher of Heavenly
On today's episode, I talk to Amelia Fletcher of the band Heavenly. Raised in Oxford, Amelia started playing in bands in the mid-1980s. Her first major group was Talulah Gosh, which she formed with Elizabeth Price, and they released a number of singles before Amelia left and formed Heavenly in 1989. Heavenly released four albums on Sarah and K Records, but after a tragic event, retired the name, and since then, Amelia has performed in a number of notable groups including Marine Research, Tender Trap and The Catenary Wires. Alongside her musical career, Amelia became a respected economist and academic, whose accolades are too numerous to mention in a short biography, though one major point is that her work has been used to curb Tech power in the UK, and due to her decades of service, she was appointed OBE in 2014 and CBE in 2020. Most recently, Heavenly has returned after their 30 year hiatus with Highway to Heavenly, which was just released last week on Skep Wax, and regardless of the intervening decades, is as good as anything they've ever done! This is for Beginnings, , follow me on . Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months and my old casiopop band's lost album ! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found ! Theme song by the fantastic ! Second theme by the brilliant ! Closing theme by the delightful ! Podcast art by the inimitable !
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Episode 710: Mort Burke
02/27/2026
Episode 710: Mort Burke
On today's episode, I talk to comedian and actor Mort Burke. Originally from St. Louis, Mort came up in the Chicago comedy scene before moving to Los Angeles. He's acted on everything from Bunheads to Workaholics to Mythic Quest, recurred on The Mindy Project, wrote and acted in W/Bob and David, and was a regular on both Enlisted and Drunk History. He also hosts the podcast Rebrand with his brilliant wife Ashly Burch and is writing a novel in installments on his Substack, which I can call Dickensian in the only positive use of that word. As a comedian, Mort has released two specials, his first Spiritually Filthy in 2023, and his latest, , which just came out last week, and much like everything Mort does, it's a delight! This is for Beginnings, , follow me on . Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months and my old casiopop band's lost album ! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found ! Theme song by the fantastic ! Second theme by the brilliant ! Closing theme by the delightful ! Podcast art by the inimitable !
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