Everything That Came Before Grace - The Podcast

A very special episode. Divine Weeks guitarist and long time friend Raj Makwana interviews Bill. It's really more a conversation between two old friends on the eve of the release of Bill's new book. 

We jump forward to April 2021, and Benjamin shares the euphoria of moving to New York then the crushing dose of reality brought on by the pandemic. The pall has lifted and everyone is trying to return to normalcy. Benjamin meets Sophia and her boyfriend Tomas for dinner,  and she invites her professor who's running late. Sophia shares that she got an internship at the U.N. Benjamin asks how she got that, and Sophia tells him it was arranged by someone Benjamin would never expect. Benjamin excuses himself to go to the restroom and he bumps into a stranger then they go their separate ways. Moments later he returns to the table and finds a surprise.   

Songs: 

"This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)" - Talking Heads 

Check out the ETCBG Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2WkzxfcBkx5Z4g12XVU9lR?si=M8-ITKvgTYCkVelbdHhVCw

On the night before he moves to New York, Benjamin has a dream about driving up the coast one last time but his car breaks down. He gets picked up by a stranger, but he can't see her face. She drops him off somewhere he doesn't recognize and starts to pull away. He sees her face, and he realizes who it is. He wakes up and finishes packing then heads off to the airport. On the way, he hears a song, and suddenly feels free to start his new life. 

Songs: 

It's a busy last day in L.A. for Benjamin as he says goodbye to Sarah, gives a parting gift to Cassandra then takes a ride with an Uber driver for a last look at his city.

Songs: 

“No Second Thoughts” – Tom Petty

“Willin’” – Little Feat

Two days before moving to New York, Benjamin meets up with Anna, the first time they've seen each other since the day she drove off three years earlier. She tells him she found out Keith's secret, and she's leaving him. While she tells him the news he's been waiting to hear for a decade, something strange and unexpected happens.  

Songs: 

"Why Can't I Touch It" - Buzzcocks 

"Lovin' You Ain't Easy" - Michael Pagliaro

Check out the ETCBG Playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2WkzxfcBkx5Z4g12XVU9lR?si=OEkWVVLWRfGhEpoVO9-kPA

Benjamin recounts the past three years since Sophia went off to college. It got dark for awhile then Benjamin had a moment of clarity while listening to the Staple Singers and suddenly it hurt too much not to start moving forward. So he did. He pays a visit to Sophia in New York, and while there, a voice from the past calls and Sophia handles it. On the flight back to L..A., Benjamin doesn't feel like he's going home, but rather, leaving his heart behind in New York. When he lands, he calls Sophia and tells her he's moving to New York. He starts making plans, then three days before he leaves he gets a text from Anna asking him to meet up because she has some news she wants to share. 

Songs: 

“Uncloudy Day” – Staples Singers

“Wise Up” – Aimee Mann

“Take This Waltz” – Leonard Cohen

“The Wind” – Cat Stevens

Check out the ETCBG Playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2WkzxfcBkx5Z4g12XVU9lR?si=mAGfaxu_Rg-Z9m7KE3j8bw

Benjamin flies back from dropping off Sophia at college and remembers the moment they said goodbye. Then when he gets back home he has a couple of surprises waiting for him. 

Songs: 

“Tears of Rage” – The Band

It’s a Motherfucker” – The Eels

“Still Water” – Daniel Lanois

Check out the ETCBG Playlist on SPotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/playlist/2WkzxfcBkx5Z4g12XVU9lR?si=z54OqlxWQTuwgg9JnjiAnQ

Benjamin and Anna plan another day together, and when Anna comes over to pick him up, she's thrown by Sophia playing the consulate host and getting a peek into their world. After Sophia heads out, Anna and Benjamin have a heart to heart that culminates in her making a shocking admission. 

"I Heard That Lonesome Whistle Blow" - Hank Williams 

Check out the ETCBG Playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2WkzxfcBkx5Z4g12XVU9lR?si=4CFAQvEGTeOlXr3J78ekOw

Sophia's been gone a month now, and she'll be going off to college in just over a month. Benjamin decides he has to do something to get her back home. He shows up at an event and convinces her to come home with him. On the long drive home through traffic, Sophia tells him she's done some digging and found his dad and wants some answers about his past. Finally, Benjamin spills the beans about his dad and what really happened to his mom. Sophia then tells Benjamin she knows about he and Anna carrying on, and when he confesses his 20 year love for her, Sophia sees her dad in an entirely new light. 

Sophia has been gone for three weeks, and Benjamin is a wreck. He confides in Sarah who tells him when she ran off while still in high school. When Benjamin gets home, he tries reaching out to Sophia, but she's not having it. 

Songs: 

"Come Talk To Me" - Peter Gabriel

Check out the ETCBG Playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2WkzxfcBkx5Z4g12XVU9lR?si=xpYN14PVT4aXJhyD46BZ-g