The Lydian Spin

A series of lively, deep and often hilarious interviews conducted by Lydia Lunch, one of the most vocal spoken word artists of this or any century and Tim Dahl, musician and general know it all.

Episode 311 Musician & Artist Kilynn Lunsford 07/04/2025

Episode 311 Musician & Artist Kilynn Lunsford Lydia and Tim are on tour, which means no intro this week. Here is a message from Lydia on the eve of Independence Day: "There has never been a better time for a People's Revolution than this July 4th, when the fireworks you'll be watching will mirror the explosion in our heads after Diaper Donnie and his band of criminal Republicunts have severed every safety net that has semi-protected veterans, children, women, working families, and nature herself. Total fuckery. Have a good weekend, and blow something up." This week’s guest is . Her , released in June, is a sharp, shape-shifting mix of post-punk, electro, and noise. Built from lo-fi textures, disembodied vocals, and jagged rhythms, it’s a raw, collage-like record that moves between pop impulse and experimental abrasion without settling into either. /episode/index/show/lydianspin/id/37280415

Episode 310 Writer David Gordon 06/27/2025

Episode 310 Writer David Gordon David Gordon was born in New York City. He is the author of ten books. His first novel, , won the , was a finalist for an Edgar Award, and was made into a feature film - in Japan. He has also written five books in the on-going series. His new novel, forthcoming from Mysterious Press in July 22, is a neo-noir called , is set in LA in the 90s, and takes place in the last glory days of the print porn industry, the celebrity spirituality/wellness world, and the dark corners of Hollywood. /episode/index/show/lydianspin/id/37171865

Episode 309 Comedian JT Habersaat 06/20/2025

Episode 309 Comedian JT Habersaat was dubbed the "Godfather of Punk Rock Comedy" by Chicago Now and launched The Altercation Punk Comedy Tour in 2007, which he headlined for over a decade. His latest special hit #1 on the Amazon Comedy Charts and was released by 800 Pound Gorilla / Warner Music Group. He curates the Altercation Comedy Festival in Austin, which Vulture named one of the top comedy festivals in the world. JT has toured with Lydia, appeared on Comedy Central, released albums on , and creates custom action figures collected by artists like Patton Oswalt, John Carpenter, and Raymond Pettibon. In July JT has a new book coming out titled /episode/index/show/lydianspin/id/37092665

Episode 308 Protest Quickie 06/13/2025

Episode 308 Protest Quickie Lydia and Tim are busy this week, so there’s a brief break from guests until next week. With everything happening in the streets, we’ve put together a quick episode along with a couple of song suggestions to help lift your spirits while you're out protesting. Lydia Songs: Chamber Brothers - The Isley Brothers - The Temptations - Creedence Clearwater Rivival - Marvin Gaye - Stevie Wonder - Edwin Starr Tim Songs: - Charles Mingus - Public Enemy -Sly and the Family Stone - Napalm Death (The Anti-Abolitionist Riots)-Charles Ives. /episode/index/show/lydianspin/id/37000885

Episode 307 Steve Doughton 06/06/2025

Episode 307 Steve Doughton is a Portland-based filmmaker whose works explore themes of alienation, connection, and displacement. After establishing himself in during the 1980s, Steve returned to his hometown, where his filmmaking evolved into something more sustained and emotionally resonant., his latest feature adapted from a short story by longtime collaborator , continues his exploration of isolated individuals brought into uneasy intimacy—this time through a dinner party that confronts issues of race, class, and belonging in a distinctly Portland setting. Though shaped by his experimental roots, Steve’s recent work is grounded in character-driven storytelling, revealing the quiet, often painful negotiations of human connection across social and emotional borders. /episode/index/show/lydianspin/id/36895635

Episode 306 Pianist Matthew Shipp 05/30/2025

Episode 306 Pianist Matthew Shipp Pianist makes music where free jazz and modern classical meet. In the early ’90s, he played in the Quartet and soon began leading his own sessions, often with bassist . He has recorded many duets with musicians such as and . He began playing piano at five and focused on jazz by age 12. He studied with Robert “Boisey” Lawrey and later attended the New England Conservatory after brief studies with . He moved to New York City in 1984, where he met William Parker, and has since recorded for labels including , , , , and . Matthew was recently in the news for his on Andre 3000's recent 7 Piano Sketches album. In April he release a collection of essays and poems /episode/index/show/lydianspin/id/36790500

Episode 305 Singer Songwriter Grace Bergere 05/22/2025

Episode 305 Singer Songwriter Grace Bergere is a songwriter and musician from Downtown Manhattan. She will be touring the West Coast with in late July, supporting for the second time. On June 4th, she’ll appear at at The Bitter End with Eugene Hutz, and on June 7th, she’ll perform with and at in New Jersey. Her debut album A Little Blood was released on Eugene Hutz’s , which also put out her cover of featuring Thurston Moore. /episode/index/show/lydianspin/id/36682980

Episode 304 Swiss-born Dejan Gacond 05/15/2025

Episode 304 Swiss-born Dejan Gacond Photo: Swiss-born Dejan Gacond places words at the center of his artistic projects—shared through installations, books, and stage performances. For 15 years, he and Kit Brown have imagined and built . Since 2013, Dejan has collaborated with Lydia, a poetic friendship marked by 13 performances within the installations. He also translated several of her texts into French, including ., published by Au Diable Vauvert in 2022. His collaborations extend to writer Tony O’Neill, filmmaker Sabrina Sarabi, and the band And Also The Trees. His latest books, (2025) and (2022), were both published by . /episode/index/show/lydianspin/id/36586285

Episode 303 Elliot(Eli) Hoffman 05/09/2025

Episode 303 Elliot(Eli) Hoffman Elliot(Eli) Hoffman is the drummer for , a band that formed in the early 2000s from two groups, Neck and , in Rockville Center, New York. His drumming is influenced by artists like and . Hoffman started playing drums around the age of 10, participated in drum corps during junior high, and later took lessons that shaped his technique. Checkout car . /episode/index/show/lydianspin/id/36503770

Episode 302 Hannah Marie Marcus 05/02/2025

Episode 302 Hannah Marie Marcus is a Manhattan-born musician and olfactory artist whose work spans folk, slowcore, Cajun, and experimental sound. collects recordings with collaborators including Tim Mooney and members of Godspeed You! Black Emperor. She has since scored films, toured with Matana Roberts, and performed scent-based works. /episode/index/show/lydianspin/id/36405550

Episode 301 Overachievers and Underachievers 04/25/2025

Episode 301 Overachievers and Underachievers In this episode, Overachievers and Underachievers, we sit down with artist and poet —two creators who dig into the absurd, the anxious, and the unpolished truths of life. From Gradin’s grotesquely layered visual chaos and insomnia-fueled narratives, to Tottenham’s hilariously bitter verses on failure, resentment, and reluctant ambition, this conversation explores the fine line between doing too much and doing just enough. Both Justin and John have new books out in 2025. Checkout Justins new book on . John's book is out on Penguin Books. /episode/index/show/lydianspin/id/36309300

Episode 300 Musician and Artist Gavin Friday 04/18/2025

Episode 300 Musician and Artist Gavin Friday Gavin Friday, former frontman, has built a solo career rooted in electro-pop and theatrical storytelling, with collaborations including , , and Laurie Anderson. He has also composed award-winning film scores and worked with artists like Quincy Jones, Fifty Cent and Scott Walker. Known for constantly evolving rather than revisiting past glories, His latest album, , was released in 2023. /episode/index/show/lydianspin/id/36216735

Episode 299 Musician Graham Lewis 04/11/2025

Episode 299 Musician Graham Lewis English musician Graham Lewis is a founding member of the legendary post-punk band . Known for his minimal yet charged presence as bassist, vocalist, and lyricist, Graham helped shape the band’s stark aesthetic since 1976. Beyond Wire, he’s explored experimental sound through projects like , He Said, , and . An art school background and fascination with the underground shaped his career. Graham is based in Uppsala, Sweden. /episode/index/show/lydianspin/id/36101045

Episode 298 Writer and Historian Pat Thomas 04/04/2025

Episode 298 Writer and Historian Pat Thomas Pat Thomas is a historian and editor whose latest work, Dispatches From The Literary Underground: Evergreen Review, compiles and reprints the first 100 issues of Evergreen Review (1957–1973) in full color. Drawing on interviews with former staff and new essays from cultural commentators, the book documents the magazine’s role in publishing and promoting voices that shaped the postwar counterculture—writers, radicals, musicians. Pat approaches Evergreen not as nostalgia, but as evidence—archival, visual, unembellished—of how literature and politics intersected in print. /episode/index/show/lydianspin/id/36004195

Episode 297 Frank Hurricane 03/28/2025

Episode 297 Frank Hurricane Frank Hurricane is a musician and storyteller blending blues, folk, and spoken word. His album showcases his mix of humor, adventure, and spirituality. Recently featured on PBS in an , known for his eclectic style, combining country blues with hip-hop influences to create a unique and immersive experience. /episode/index/show/lydianspin/id/35784330

Episode 296 Climate Scientist Adam Sobel 03/21/2025

Episode 296 Climate Scientist Adam Sobel Photo By: Julia Gorton , nephew of of the band , studies extreme weather and climate dynamics, focusing on tropical cyclones, severe convection, and precipitation. A professor at Columbia since 2000, he combines theory, observation, and simulation to understand atmospheric behavior and assess risk. Adam also hosts , a podcast featuring conversations with leading climate scientists. /episode/index/show/lydianspin/id/35784215

Episode 295: Artivist, Musician & Journalist Rose Tang 03/14/2025

Episode 295: Artivist, Musician & Journalist Rose Tang is a , multidisciplinary artivist, and event curator who leads over 30 groups in New York and Seattle. Her music, described by record labels and critics as experimental, free jazz, post-punk, noise, and "Weird Shit", blends diverse influences and unconventional sounds. A Mongol from Sichuan, Rose plays piano, electric guitar, and percussion, while also performing vocals, spoken word, and movement. Her music has been released by and , and she has organized and hosted concerts in New York and California. Beyond music, Tang has performed stand-up comedy at the Peek Pique Peak Festival at The Brick theater in New York. Her paintings, sculptures, photography, and performance art have been exhibited in Berlin, Los Angeles, and New York. Previously, Rose was a decorated journalist, named Best Local Journalist by the Society of Publishers in Asia and recognized as a Champion for Freedom of Speech by the Visual Artists Guild in the U.S. She taught journalism at Princeton University and worked for , the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, and numerous media outlets across the U.S., Australia, Hong Kong, and China. /episode/index/show/lydianspin/id/35680845

Episode 294: Film Maker Dave Markey 03/07/2025

Episode 294: Film Maker Dave Markey Dave Markey is a self-taught filmmaker and musician who has documented underground music and punk culture for over four decades. His films, including and , capture the energy of the punk scene with a direct, DIY approach. He has worked with Sonic Youth, Nirvana, Black Flag, and the Circle Jerks, among others. His latest documentary, (2025), explores the influence of a key figure cultural figure, bull rider and cop Bill Bartell. /episode/index/show/lydianspin/id/35570105

Episode 293 The Big Takeover Editor Jack Rabid 02/27/2025

Episode 293 The Big Takeover Editor Jack Rabid Jack Rabid has spent 40 years documenting underground music as the founder and editor of . His writing has appeared in , , , and dozens more. He drums for , , , and Springhouse. He hosts on . Based in Brooklyn with his wife and two kids, he remains a fixture in punk journalism and radio. /episode/index/show/lydianspin/id/35474760

Episode 292 Tony O’Neill 02/21/2025

Episode 292 Tony O’Neill , a British-born writer now in the U.S., has built a career that moves between fiction, non-fiction, and screenwriting. A former musician who played with and , he made his literary debut with in 2005, followed by noir-tinged novels like —now edging toward a TV adaptation with Bret Easton Ellis. Tony's work has found an eager audience in France, where 13e Note Editions translated much of his output. He’s also co-authored bestselling memoirs and worked with screenwriters like Jim Uhls. When not writing for The Guardian or Vice, he resides in New Jersey with his family. /episode/index/show/lydianspin/id/35373005

Episode 291 Photographer & Writer Ali Smith 02/14/2025

Episode 291 Photographer & Writer Ali Smith , a portrait and documentary photographer, moved to the UK from NYC, where she built a career shooting for The Guardian, The New York Times, and more. She’s shot campaigns for Rimmel, Disney, and Johnson & Johnson and published two acclaimed photography books— earned praise from The NY Times and Gloria Steinem. Her work, rooted in gender equality and environmentalism, includes a grant-funded project on incarcerated mothers. She’s exhibited and taught internationally, mentoring young women in photography. Also a writer and former touring musician, her memoir dropped back in January 2024 via Blackstone Publishing. /episode/index/show/lydianspin/id/35280970

Episode 290 Bruce Moreland 02/07/2025

Episode 290 Bruce Moreland grew up in West Covina California, playing in glam rock bands with his brother Marc before diving into LA’s punk scene in the late ’70s. He hung around , played bass for , and co-founded , recording on most of their albums between stints in and out of the band. He later formed Black Cherry, played with , and co-wrote a track for . After Marc’s death, he started , shifting to vocals and guitar. /episode/index/show/lydianspin/id/35191650

Episode 289 Mad Women/Bad Choices with Matilda Joon & Dominique Stringfellow 01/31/2025

Episode 289 Mad Women/Bad Choices with Matilda Joon & Dominique Stringfellow Matilda Joon Dominique Stringfellow In this cuntroversial episode we feature the dynamic poetry of Matilda Joon, and an in depth conversation between Lydia and Dominique Stringfellow concerning the need for female empowerment to replace the ever present imbalance in sexual relationships which have spiraled out of control. /episode/index/show/lydianspin/id/35093270

Episode 288 JD Pinkus 01/24/2025

Episode 288 JD Pinkus JD Pinkus, who set a Georgia Boy's State 100-meter freestyle relay record in 1980, left swimming behind in 1985 to tour with the , later playing bass for , , and others. He took up the 5-string banjo, releasing albums like (2018), (2021), and (2024). JD splits his time between the road, the studio, and the mountain he now calls home. /episode/index/show/lydianspin/id/34988160

Episode 287 Mike IX Williams 01/17/2025

Episode 287 Mike IX Williams Mike IX Williams, the voice of New Orleans for lack of a better term "sludge" pioneers , embodies the unrelenting grit of the genre. Raised in High Point, North Carolina, he gravitated toward rebellion and punk before finding his footing in the music scene of late-70s New Orleans. Over the years, he’s faced addiction, incarceration, Hurricane Katrina, and a liver transplant, emerging as a testament to survival against the odds. Mike's music channels the chaos of a life shaped by struggle and defiance, capturing an unvarnished reflection of the world around him. /episode/index/show/lydianspin/id/34889100

Episode 286 Randy Blythe 01/10/2025

Episode 286 Randy Blythe , frontman of , will release his second book, , on February 18, 2025. The book combines memoir and philosophy, detailing his approach to maintaining perspective through challenges. Randy writes about his childhood, touring, sobriety, and the lessons shaped by his life in music and art. /episode/index/show/lydianspin/id/34797725

Happy New Year 2025 01/03/2025

Happy New Year 2025 During New Year’s week, we noticed a significant dip in our numbers—likely because everyone is enjoying a well-deserved break. Good for you! We’ll be back next week, refreshed and ready, with exciting new guests joining us each week. In the meantime, enjoy this extended intro. Cheers to a eh uh fantastic 2025?? /episode/index/show/lydianspin/id/34705655

Episode 285 Elliott Sharp 12/27/2024

Episode 285 Elliott Sharp is a composer and multi-instrumentalist active in New York City's avant-garde music scene since the late 1970s. With over 85 recordings across genres such as contemporary classical, jazz, noise, and electronic music, he incorporates elements like algorithms, Fibonacci sequences, and literary themes in his experimental compositions. In the 1980s, he developed the project, utilizing personal computers in live performance. Elliott plays guitar, saxophone, and bass clarinet, and leads ensembles including , and . /episode/index/show/lydianspin/id/34634295

Episode 284 Yva Las Vegass 12/20/2024

Episode 284 Yva Las Vegass Yva Las Vegass is a groundbreaking musician and queer icon whose journey from immigrant busker to trailblazing artist has shaped the soundscape of both Venezuelan folklore and American alternative music. Born in Venezuela, Yva began her musical career as a busker, performing on the streets of Seattle after immigrating in the early 1980s. Her unique fusion of traditional Venezuelan rhythms and melodies with the raw energy of punk and alternative rock became a hallmark of her sound, which she introduced to the American music scene in the 1990s. Throughout her career, Yva has been involved in several influential bands, including Dos Mundos with Deanna Chapman, later renamed Tres Mundos with the addition of Christine Gunn in the Cello. In Seattle Yva sang in Bochinche the only salsa band in the city at the time. Together with her band mates from Tres Mundos she formed Delusions of Grandeour a fusion of pop, folk, punk and rock where they played original tunes. in the early 90's she joins the Florists,a funk rock band as the vocalist and guitar player and the band, Sweet 75, who together made a record and toured the U.S and parts of Europe. All the while she continued performing and writing venezuelan folkloric songs on her own. She continues to explore themes of identity, cultural resistance, and the experiences of marginalized communities. Today, she is a fixture in the NYC music scene, performing in clubs and theaters projects alike, and remains an independent force in the world of music and performance art, defying boundaries and challenging conventions as a queer female Venezuelan alternative artist. Her contributions to both folklore and alternative music have made her an influential figure for young artists living in NYC today. /episode/index/show/lydianspin/id/34542335

Episode 283: Joey Killingsworth 12/13/2024

Episode 283: Joey Killingsworth Joey Killingsworth, the driving force behind , has spent close to 20 years blending outlaw country with thrashing riff rock to build a loyal following. A Memphis native with deep musical roots—his father, , played with rockabilly legend —Killingsworth initially resisted country music but later embraced it, launching the Massacre as a vehicle for his diverse influences. Known for creative collaborations and tribute projects, he’s worked with legends like and . Joey is also a booking agent who works with both Lydia and Tim. /episode/index/show/lydianspin/id/34424930

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