Hello I Am Human

I’m Sarah Neczwid and this is Hello I Am Human. I’ve always been fascinated by people and how much we share in common. Our quirks, our questions, our fears, laughs, heartaches, and good intentions are more alike than we often realize. We’re all just doing our best, getting it wrong, trying again, and sometimes making something magical. On each episode of Hello I Am Human, I’m talking with creative people that inspire me with the honesty they bring to their music, their art, their food, or just how they live their lives. We talk about their work and what inspires them. How they are evolving in this season. The labels that they proudly wear and they ones they’ve thrown away. We’ll talk about their little joys and giant failures, and so many other things that make us all human.

Episode 24 - A.J. Haynes 11/03/2021

Episode 24 - A.J. Haynes On this episode, I’m talking with musician and reproductive rights activist A.J. Haynes of the band Seratones. We talk about making space for peace in our lives, how sexuality is kind of like dessert, the ways capitalism & white supremacy effect everything from reproductive rights to children’s music, and the exploring the depths of ourselves through reflection and art. It’s a beautiful conversation that left my heart so full. /episode/index/show/helloiamhuman/id/21033845

Episode 23 - Jamie Davis 10/13/2021

Episode 23 - Jamie Davis I’m talking with chef, restaurant consultant, and menu developer Jamie Davis. Jamie is the chef of The Hackney, a restaurant and distillery in the small waterfront town of Washington, NC. There he uses locally sourced, seasonal ingredients to create Modern British/American cuisine in an area not typically known as a food destination. Jamie has plans to change that and help put North Carolina on the map. We talk about his love of seafood, how the pandemic shifted his focus, where he draws inspiration from, and our shared love of Eastern North Carolina BBQ. /episode/index/show/helloiamhuman/id/20800022

Episode 22 - Ashwin Deepankar 09/08/2021

Episode 22 - Ashwin Deepankar I’m hanging out with musician, producer, and drum tech extraordinaire Ashwin Deepankar. Ashwin and I met about 7 years ago when we worked together at Chicago Music Exchange. In 2015, Ashwin left CME to go on tour with the band Wilco as their drummer Glenn Kotche’s tech. Ashwin is a sonically creative person with a generous heart and he shares stories that I think perfectly showcase how those qualities make him excel in is career. Life on the road is always an adventure and he shares what it was like being on tour when the world shut down last year. 16 months was a long time to be off the road and he shares how he created a space for creativity in his home and how he needed . /episode/index/show/helloiamhuman/id/20403149

Episode 21 - Katie Malco 08/24/2021

Episode 21 - Katie Malco I’m talking with British indie rock musician and critically acclaimed singer/songwriter Katie Malco. We talked about releasing her debut album "Failures" in the middle of a pandemic, how she's getting her voice back after having Covid-19, the vulnerability of writing such deeply personal songs, and the ways we betray our own needs to be loved. This conversation is as intimate as her music and as hilarious as her Instagram stories. You won't want to miss this. /episode/index/show/helloiamhuman/id/20243999

Episode 20 - Warren Huart 08/03/2021

Episode 20 - Warren Huart I’m talking with Grammy nominated Producer, Songwriter & Mixer Warren Huart. I discovered Warren a few years ago through his acclaimed YouTube channel Produce Like A Pro where he works to demystify the recording process. For Warren it’s all about bringing people together as equals and he’s built a community of musicians, engineers, and producers around that very idea. Warren is passionate about gear, music, and great players, and that’s so clear when you hear him tell stories about meeting some of his heroes. It’s that genuine love of music and people that is possibly the most important component of his job. We also talk about how staying calm is an essential skill and he tells a couple incredible stories about times he’s gotten through a session without the artist having any idea something had gone wrong. /episode/index/show/helloiamhuman/id/20029418

Episode 19 - David Hayward 07/28/2021

Episode 19 - David Hayward I’m talking with artist and writer David Hayward aka Nakedpastor. David is a naturally creative person who uses his art to challenge the status quo, deconstruct dogma, and offer hope he says to those who struggle and suffer under that dogma. He didn’t become a full time artist until after spending 30 years in the ministry. He tells the story of the epiphany he had that broke him through a false belief that he was trapped in a life he didn’t want. He talks about how one of the biggest shifts he had to make when deciding to become a full time artist what he says was his shitty attitude towards money. It often takes a big spark to make a life change like that. I was curious what lit the fire that led David on this journey. He shares the beautiful story about the drawing that would become his Sophia book and how she changed his life by helping him to understand himself. /episode/index/show/helloiamhuman/id/19953842

Episode 18 - Christine Love-MacLeod 07/21/2021

Episode 18 - Christine Love-MacLeod I’m talking with spiritual mentor and jewelry maker Christine Love-MacLeod. Christine is partners in life and in business with past-life psychic Ainslie MacLeod. It felt like such a treat to hear the story of them meeting and what she thought when she found out this guy she was into was a psychic. The work they do is focused around helping people get a deeper understanding of themselves. As she puts it, the more you understand how you're wired and embrace that, the more you’ll be able to feel a deep soul level purpose in life. Authenticity is something deeply important to Christine, whether that’s in her work or just breaking the ice with a stranger. She makes the point that if someone isn’t accepting your authenticity maybe they're people you don't want in your sphere. There’s just so much great stuff in this episode including some stories about how she became a jewelry maker and started following the Grateful Dead. I’m telling you, no one brings the big sister Mama Love vibes like Christine does so without any further ado allow me to introduce you to Christine Love-MacLeod. /episode/index/show/helloiamhuman/id/19876322

Episode 17 - SuperKnova 07/13/2021

Episode 17 - SuperKnova I’m talking with electro-pop artist SuperKnova. SuperKnova is a one-woman band created by multi-instrumentalist Ellie Kim who writes, produces, and records all her own music. Ellie shares how she honed her guitar skills studying jazz in college, but always loved the accessibility of pop music to reach a wider audience. While her music has a strong queer focus she says its message is for everyone because we all deserve to live our authentic lives and be treated with respect. Respect is something so many of us seek in life. Ellie shares how she got her medical degree as a way to prove she had value in the world and how it took working through her own internalized transphobia, racism, generational trauma for her to fully embrace herself. This conversation was so powerful for me and honestly helped me embrace different parts of myself in a new way. I hope you find something beautiful in it too. /episode/index/show/helloiamhuman/id/19801571

Episode 16 - Ashley Mishler 07/06/2021

Episode 16 - Ashley Mishler I’m talking with artist Ashley Mishler. I met Ashley a few years ago at a show I was playing with her now husband Silas Mishler who you met on episode 2. Ashley is multi-faceted creative and we discuss her journey with music, art and writing and how playing drums let’s us express the loud, brash sides of ourselves that women are generally discouraged from showing. Along with painting, Ashley makes wearable art by customizing and upcycling clothes and accessories. That sparks a conversation around how it’s common these days for artists only feel valuable when they’re monetizing the things they make versus just letting art exist for the sake of art. /episode/index/show/helloiamhuman/id/19721081

Episode 15 - Toronzo Cannon 06/29/2021

Episode 15 - Toronzo Cannon I’m sitting down with Chicago bluesman Toronzo Cannon. I’ve known Toronzo for over a decade and he’s honestly one of the coolest most down-to-earth people I’ve ever met. Toronzo spent years as a city bus driver and he shares how it unexpectedly helped his music career and also the revelation that led him to retiring early amidst the pandemic. He tells the story of getting into reggae before he started playing blues. We get the exclusive on what he said the first time he ever listened Bob Marley and lemme tell ya… it’s not what I expected. Toronzo and I share how music allowed us to see places and perspective we never would have dreamed of growing up. He believes that you have to set your ego aside and listen if you’re going to advance in your career and he shares stories of some of the people he learned from before becoming a bandleader himself. /episode/index/show/helloiamhuman/id/19650011

Episode 14 - Zac Watson 06/22/2021

Episode 14 - Zac Watson I’m hanging with bassist Zac Watson. We got to talk about a few things we share in common like how we both were heavily influenced by progressive rock bands in our early 20s and eventually came around to playing in a way that served the song instead of our egos. We talk about the shame that he felt as a musician because having a day job seemed like a sign that he wasn’t good enough. Zac sees no shame in the day job game these days because he sees it allows him to make the music he really wants to make. We cover a lot of ground in these 80 minutes talking about how Australia’s lockdown policy differs from ours in the States and how important it was to shift the way we both used social media to support our mental health. One other thing Zac touches on that I loved is how essential it is to focus in on who your audience is and making sure they are your focus. So my beautiful audience, please allow me to introduce you to Zac Watson. /episode/index/show/helloiamhuman/id/19563173

Episode 13 - Lucas Owens 06/15/2021

Episode 13 - Lucas Owens I’m talking with chef and restaurateur Lucas Owens. I know Lucas from when he was a high school kid playing in a band at the bar that I used to manage in North Carolina. These days he’s living and working in Greenville, NC where he is opening his restaurant, Native. We draw some parallels between music and food and how it really all comes down to good story telling. For Lucas, opening a restaurant isn’t just about the food. It’s about the entire community of people involved from purveyors to staff to allowing his guests the opportunity to taste something they’ve never had. We talk about all of that and how for Lucas it all comes down to being a decent human and being able to grow and adapt. The restaurant industry is one that’s been forced to make changes over the last year and a half. Lucas gives me his take on what he thinks helped keep things going. He also shares his thoughts on how folks are raising their awareness around the abuses and mental health struggles that happen within the restaurant industry. Lucas brings so much intention to his life. It’s in how he designs his menus and works with other chefs to make updates to theirs and it’s in the way he’s staffing his restaurant to create opportunities for chefs to grow and flourish in his city. It’s an enlightening and inspiring conversation and he even drops a tip on how to properly use green tomatoes. So sit back and allow me to introduce you to Lucas Owens. /episode/index/show/helloiamhuman/id/19484351

Episode 12 - Bev Rage 06/08/2021

Episode 12 - Bev Rage I’m talking with Bev Rage, the singer & guitarist of the queer garage-pop band Bev Rage & The Drinks. I was curious how Bev was born and she tells me how it was a way to combine her love of music and drag and amplify what’s she’s good at. Amplifying a community through art is something we’re both passionate about. I was intrigued to learn that one of her first shows as a band was opening for some of her queer heroes and how that relationship evolved as they became contemporaries. One of Bev’s other passions is the environment. She talks about how being a kid in the country sparked an appreciation for the natural world and even influenced what she studied in college. Bev shares how for her gardening is not just to have a great way to fresh food a few steps out her door, but is also a meditative practice of caring for the plants. /episode/index/show/helloiamhuman/id/19400873

Episode 11 - Alex Nicole Windsor 06/01/2021

Episode 11 - Alex Nicole Windsor I sit down with musician, writer, and self proclaimed horror nerd Alex Nicole Windsor. She tells the story of doing what she knew was the right thing at work and how that ended up being the catalyst for her move to Los Angeles. Growing up in the rural Midwest is pretty much the opposite of LA so I was curious to hear from Alex what she thought was the biggest differences were and also how the music scene differs out there. Alex is committed to creating a community that fosters a presence for women in music and we talk about how doing that work begins with recognizing our own sexist beliefs that we’ve been conditioned with and how as we address systemic issues across society it’s about not just having a seat at the table, but a voice. /episode/index/show/helloiamhuman/id/19317776

Episode 10 - Wick Wickline 05/25/2021

Episode 10 - Wick Wickline I’m chatting with bassist and luthier, Wick Wickline. I’ve known Wick my entire adult life and we’ve done just about every bit of humaning two friends can do. We talk about figuring out how to be a rock band when we were fresh out of high school and the life choices we made that took us places we never imagined we’d go. Wick shares what it was like rebuilding his life after his family lost everything during Hurricane Florence and how that experience changed him. We also talk about the importance of spending your money with companies that align with your values, how shame plays into restrictive political policies, and also how the world is evolving as our generation is starting to become the grown ups in the world. There’s some serious moments, but a whole lots of laughs, and even a few mildly embarrassing stories. /episode/index/show/helloiamhuman/id/19240364

Episode 9 - Lou Heneise 05/18/2021

Episode 9 - Lou Heneise I’m talking with singer/songwriter Lou Heneise. She’s a woman whose thoughtful strong-willed honesty I’ve always respected. We’re talking about her new EP “Trial & Error and how if she can find the courage to share something that’s true for her it helps melt away her shame and maybe that will help someone else feel less alone. I love the way that Lou talks about how life is half suck and half great and we’re just kind of figuring it all out and how our kids teach us more about who we are because we’re constantly having to look in the mirror and check ourselves in the moment. It’s really just a great conversation just like so many of the conversations I have with Lou and I hope you enjoy it too. /episode/index/show/helloiamhuman/id/19148315

Episode 8 - Sophie Brochu 05/11/2021

Episode 8 - Sophie Brochu I’m sitting down with Sophie Brochu of the dream pop band Fauvely to discuss their record Beautiful Places and how she and her husband moved back to their hometown of Savannah Georgia. No matter how beautiful our art is, many of us have dark thoughts that live in our mind and Sophie shares four dark stories that have taken up residence in her brain. Inspiration comes from so many places and we talk about doing the work while also being open to the little sparks magic that find you. /episode/index/show/helloiamhuman/id/19061888

Episode 7 - CJ Dates 05/04/2021

Episode 7 - CJ Dates Artist CJ Dates and I talk about how life and even the algorithms of social media operate through the law of attraction to bring us exactly what we’re focused on, how important it is as an artist to get into a state of flow and how when we do, we allow the magic to happen through us. We also talk about how cultivating compassion through awareness helps to heal us and how this journey of life is really about remembering what we already know in the deepest parts of ourselves. /episode/index/show/helloiamhuman/id/18966959

Episode 6 - John Winogrocki 04/27/2021

Episode 6 - John Winogrocki I’m talking with beat maker John Winogrocki about how his new record, becoming a dad, how we both got practice being isolated long before quarantine happened and how we worked at improving our mental health along that journey. How developing a new language is so incredibly important along the journey. 2020 put a spotlight on the differences many of us share with various family members. John shares the transformative way he dealt with that including how he owned his own part in the dynamic. /episode/index/show/helloiamhuman/id/18874037

Episode 5 - Javier Sinobas 04/20/2021

Episode 5 - Javier Sinobas I’m sitting down with Javier Sinobas of Sinobas Amplification. We talk about how he influenced the creation of this show, how we met our wives, the deepest losses and how they change us and sometimes inspire us, and the ways we show up for one another. /episode/index/show/helloiamhuman/id/18788987

Episode 4 - Al Robinson 04/12/2021

Episode 4 - Al Robinson Photographer Al Robinson and her puppy George join me for a chat. She is one of my favorite photographers and someone I love to laugh about life with. We talk about her moving across the country during the pandemic, thinking something is wrong with you because you don't fit society's model of what a woman is supposed to be, how National Geographic magazine inspired her path, and she shares some what it's like photographing strangers and majestic places that most people will never see. /episode/index/show/helloiamhuman/id/18692765

Episode 3 - Boys VS Girls 04/06/2021

Episode 3 - Boys VS Girls Talking with emo rap artist Boys VS Girls becoming an even more authentic version of himself. He’s tackles his inner demons a lot with his music and we discuss doing the work to overcome them, about being judged by our outward appearances first and how representation continues to matter so much to both of us. We share ways our relationships evolved during the pandemic and how even blankets are something you sometimes have to compromise on. /episode/index/show/helloiamhuman/id/18616739

Episode 2 - Silas Mishler 03/30/2021

Episode 2 - Silas Mishler On this episode, I speak with Silas Mishler of the bands Diagonal about their upcoming album release, cooking tips, the challenges of being an extrovert in quarantine, and we get nerdy about music gear. /episode/index/show/helloiamhuman/id/18531452

Episode 1 - Pamela Maurer 03/23/2021

Episode 1 - Pamela Maurer Welcome to the first episode of Hello I Am Human. I’m talking with Pamela Maurer about her latest projects, living through quarantine, and being more compassionate with yourself. /episode/index/show/helloiamhuman/id/18432275

Introducing Hello I Am Human - Trailer 03/03/2021

Introducing Hello I Am Human - Trailer Introducing a new weekly podcast where host Sarah Neczwid will be speaking with creative people who bring honesty and humanity to their music, art, food, or just how they live their lives. These candid conversations will cover their work and inspiration, their little joys and giant failures, and so many other things that make us all human. Subscribe now! /episode/index/show/helloiamhuman/id/18180080

Hello I Am Human

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