Surprise Cast

Surprise Cast #241 The Blue Herons

Hello, Gretchen and Andy! Thank you for returning to Surprise Cast. I really enjoyed how diverse and fun our conversation was—covering music, collaboration, and your sparkling new album, Demon Slayer. You both have such a natural chemistry that carries into your work in a way that feels effortless. I especially loved hearing the stories about Marty Willson-Piper and the secret Copenhagen show with Dean & Britta—what great confidence boosters! You also navigated the quotes from J. White, J. Mitchell, and R. Rubin so well. It gave me a deeper appreciation for your influences and the intentionality behind the new album. The way you broke down specific songs really highlighted how far you’ve pushed your creativity. Amazing! I also appreciated the insight into the visuals and album art—the bold colours really stand out. Congratulations on signing with Shelflife Records. Thank you for always bringing such engaging energy to our conversations—just like your gorgeous, addictive music. Follow The Blue Herons: https://theblueherons1.bandcamp.com/ [https://theblueherons1.bandcamp.com/] Follow Surprise Cast: Amazon, Apple, iHeart, Podbean, Spotify, and/or YouTube Additional music by:  Belly: https://bellyofficial.com/home [https://bellyofficial.com/home] Fields of the Nephilim: https://www.fields-of-the-nephilim.com/#/ [https://www.fields-of-the-nephilim.com/#/] Mojave 3: https://mojave3.bandcamp.com/ [https://mojave3.bandcamp.com/]

Surprise Cast #240 Jeffrey James Horan

I’m so glad we had the chance to talk about your life as a musician. If it weren’t for my girlfriend suggesting we go to Biscuits and Blues that night, I don’t think we would have connected. I really enjoyed hearing about your childhood growing up in the Bay Area and how you were surrounded by the sounds of the blues from such a young age. It was especially cool to learn about your early touring experiences and your collaborations with musicians like John Lee Hooker Jr. Listening to your stories about your music and creative process gave me a deeper appreciation for what you do. Impressive.  Wishing you all the best as you continue chasing your dreams and sharing that soulful gift. It’s truly inspiring. Follow Jeffrey James Horan: https://www.jeffreyjameshoran.com/ [https://www.jeffreyjameshoran.com/] Additional music by: https://johnleehookerjr.com/ [https://johnleehookerjr.com/] https://johnleehooker.com/ [https://johnleehooker.com/] https://fatsdominoofficial.com/ [https://fatsdominoofficial.com/]

Surprise Cast #239 Neal & Melissa McCullough

Dear Neal and Melissa, It brought a huge smile to have you both on Surprise Cast! Together, you unpacked what it truly means to work as designers and illustrators—the daily grind, highs, lows, and everything in between. It was great learning about the Willis Wonderland Foundation pop-up book and the backstory of discovering Hand Drawn Creative in 2009. I absolutely loved hearing how comics, post-punk music, and posters have shaped your visual language. We share quite a bit in common when it comes to appreciating great music. I know listeners will thoroughly enjoy hearing about your lives as illustrators. Thank you for bringing the Irish charm, kindness, and memorable stories! Follow Hand Drawn Creative: https://handdrawncreative.co.uk/ [https://handdrawncreative.co.uk/] Music courtesy by The Teardrop Explodes: https://music.youtube.com/channel/UCIM22kwWk_IeaEXty-6z1AQ [https://music.youtube.com/channel/UCIM22kwWk_IeaEXty-6z1AQ] Chameleons: https://chameleonsband.com/ [https://chameleonsband.com/] Echo and the Bunnymen: https://www.bunnymen.com/ [https://www.bunnymen.com/] Charlie Parker: https://charlieparkermusic.com/ [https://charlieparkermusic.com/] Miki Berenyi Trio: https://mikistuff.com/ [https://mikistuff.com/] Jonathan Richman: https://jonathanrichmantour.com/ [https://jonathanrichmantour.com/] Follow Surprise Cast on Amazon, Apple, iHeart, Podbean, Spotify, or YouTube

Surprise Cast #238 Sky Patterns

Greetings, Paul! It was a pleasure to have you on Surprise Cast for an in-depth conversation about your life as a musician! Thank you for retracing your formative influences such as Chameleons, Talk Talk, and others. It was cool to learn about how these bands helped inform your approach to rhythm, melody and recordings. I loved your stories about The Pixies and Charlatans--fascinating and fun! Our podcast listeners will get a detailed walk-through of your songwriting process: starting songs from a single synth note, experimenting with rhythm and texture, prioritizing dynamics and space, and the lyrical choices that capture mood and ambiguity. You're quite good at capturing these aspects as you allow your songs to breathe. I appreciated hearing more about your production and thematic concerns behind the unique album, 'Night Call'. I particularly gravitated to the story behind "the in-betweens". Very observational, you are!  I'm happy that your music and work continues to reach people's hearts and minds. Keep experimenting over traditional formula--it brings out the very best in your creative spirit. Follow Sky Patterns: https://skypatterns.runasp.net/ [https://skypatterns.runasp.net/] Follow Surprise Cast: Amazon, Apple, iHeart, Podbean, Spotify, or YouTube

Surprise Cast #237 Oscar Night Showdown!

Thank you, Susie, Michael, and Jason, for joining me for an energetic conversation about the 98th Academy Awards. I loved hearing about your personal first-movie memories, earliest Oscar impressions, and how movies shaped you. Our listeners can expect hilarious stories about that communal moviegoing experience and the sheer power of Tootsie, Star Wars, Benji, and Dead Poets Society. We unpacked and debated over seven major categories, including frontrunners, dark horses, and voting-pattern predictions. Thank you for your constructive criticism and sharp, highly entertaining analysis. It was a great podcasting performance! Fo;llow Susie: https://www.instagram.com/insusieskitchen/ [https://www.instagram.com/insusieskitchen/] Follow Michael: https://www.facebook.com/michael.hare.5 [https://www.facebook.com/michael.hare.5] Follow Jason: https://www.instagram.com/jasonlostinaforest/ [https://www.instagram.com/jasonlostinaforest/] Follow Surprise Cast: Amazon, Apple, iHeart, Podbean, Spotify, or YouTube