Meet Our Makers

101. Julian Brave NoiseCat - Surviving the Night

On this episode, we get to meet Julian Brave NoiseCat. Julian is a filmmaker, documentarian, and writer, who just put out his first book, called We Survived the Night. Part memoir, part cultural ethnography, the book traces through Julian's own story - including the stories of his parents and family - and weaves in elements of Indigenous stories and mythologies of the communities he is a part of: the Canim Lake Band Tsq'secen of the Secwepemc (Shuswap) in British Columbia. Last year, Julian also received an Oscar nomination for his first documentary film, Sugarcane, which he co-directed with Emily Kassie, which made him the first North American Indigenous filmmaker to be nominated at the Academy Awards. The film studies the impact of the Canadian Indian Residential School System, and the lingering effects and ongoing trauma of the experiences children had there - including some members of his own family. It's a serious conversation, and a very serious topic - but a vital one. I was very grateful to Julian for taking the time to have a deep conversation about this deep subject. Thanks for listening.

100. Imogen Heap - This is My Communion

Episode 100!! Who knew this would ever happen? I didn't! To commemorate this grand occasion, what better than to sit down with one of the musicians I've listened to and looked up to the longest: Imogen Heap. Imogen was having a very busy October when we sat down to chat, and in this conversation, we discuss all the goingson. This includes the latest in her triptych of singles called "Aftercare", as well as the 13-minute cut that combines all three of those songs (additionally: "Noise" and "What Have You Done to Me") into one song called "I AM _". We talk a lot about what led to these songs, especially "Noise" and "Aftercare", which comes with a wild and winding story that's basically a film unto itself, and the major, awakening experiences that Imogen went through in recent years that led her to that version of herself she is now. We also touch on her second solo LP, Speak for Yourself, which released a 20th anniersary reissue in October. We discuss that time in her life, that turning point, what the album means to her, and more. We of course touch on her use of AI, which has led to some criticism in recent times, but she does her best to explain the ins and outs of what she does and doesn't do with it, and what's good and bad about it (in her view). We talk about a lot more, including why she may never release and proper album again, and I was so incredibly thrilled to have this person who's been a longtime fixture in my life (shoutout to the Frou Frou heads!) join me for this momentous occasion. So thank you for listening (ever - not just to this episode!) and I hope you enjoy.

99. Avery Tucker - Slow Hits Fast

In this chat, we get to meet Avery Tucker. Avery is a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist who is probably up to know best known as one half of the indie rock band Girlpool. That band, however, is now on indefinite hiatus (no animosity there - don't sweat!), but it has freed up Avery to release his first full-length album, Paw. Out now, his debut is full of vulnerable songwriting and performances that are often stripped pretty bare. We talk a lot about this new album, including the production, the lyrical themes, the nakedness of it, and what led him to this point in his career. We also touch on solitude, living in the moment, and the greatness that is Gillian Welch's Time (The Revelator). It's a chill and laid back talk, and I think you'll enjoy it. Thanks for listening.

98. Casey Dienel - Casey Talk

In this chat, we get to meet Casey Dienel. Formerly known as White Hinterland, Dienel is back with a brand new record under their own name, called My Heart is an Outlaw, which is out now. It follows an 8-year absence from the music industry - a hiatus that Dienel wasn't initially sure they ever really wanted to end. But the songs came, and the rest is history. Here, we talk at length about the new record - the writing, production, themes, etc. - as well as what led to them breaking from and returning to making music, and how that looks different for them now than it did before. We also touch on life, art, mental health, pop music, food, and more. A circuitous talk in the best way possible. Thanks for listening.

WE MEET AGAIN IV: Madi Diaz

In the latest installment of my re-interview subseries, We Meet Again, we get to chat for a second time with luminous, talented, and hilarious Madi Diaz. Madi just put out a brand new LP called Fatal Optimist, and we definitely deep into it in this chat. We talk about what led to this record being so spare and stripped back, the magic of demos, the effect of space on sound, and more. We also get into her "heartbreak trilogy," her experience earning two Grammy nominations for her last record Weird Faith, and her utter relentlessness - as an artist, as a writer, and as a curious human. I always have immense fun talking with Madi, and this talk is a blast. I hope you enjoy. Thanks for listening.