Musings of the Artist: (Honest) Conversations with Montse Andrée

Nicholas Petricca is the lead singer of pop-rock band WALK THE MOON and is also an incredibly thoughtful, deep soul as you’ll hear in this episode!

In this conversation, we dive deep and talk about art and expression - as he says “we’re either expressing or suppressing”. He speaks on how being a touring musician is like living multiple lives, his greatest teachers, and we unpack anxiety and learning how to banish self-judgement. Nicholas also speaks on the heartbreaking loss of his father to Alzheimer’s and how Kundalini yoga helped him cope with this incredibly painful time in his life.

I can’t stop thinking about the line you hear Nicholas say at the top of this intro… “Everything is a gift if you allow it to be. Pain is information about what matters to you.”

I’ve been a fan of WALK THE MOON for years and it was such a treat to sit down with Nicholas over tea in his beautiful home. I left our conversation feeling so touched by his honesty and depth and I’m certain you will too.

Where to find WALK THE MOON:

Official Site: http://www.walkthemoonband.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/walkthemoon

Twitter: http://twitter.com/walkthemoonband

Instagram: http://instagram.com/walkthemoonband

This episode was audio produced by Aaron Moring. Theme song is by Heather Maloney.

Jessie McCall is a Portland-based photographer who has brought her camera on the road capturing the tours of some of your favorite musicians, and more recently can be found diving into the mystical world of underwater photography. I’ve been photographed by her a number of times and I can tell you the magic she creates is something wonderfully unique.

We cover many topics in this episode including, the truth of what we don’t always see behind fame, success or simply someone’s Instagram feed. The vulnerability of being single, and the growth that happens in a partnership. Finding beauty in our bodies no matter what shape or size we are, and Jessie shares who’s inspiring her to feel comfortable in her own skin. She tells us what she does to get on the other side of a bad day, the story of her mother’s incredible life as a journalist for LIFE magazine, her own artistic path as a photographer with an emphasis on capturing the evocative raw nature of humanity.

We talk about so much more - and if you are an artist or have an artist’s soul so many things in this conversation are going to speak to you.

The photos she captures are some of the most striking images I’ve come across, and as you’ll hear her story is just as captivating.

Where to find Jessie:

Website

This episode was audio produced by Aaron Moring. Theme song is by Heather Maloney.

Natalie Stovall is a vocalist and multi-instrumentalist, from Nashville, TN. She’s also an old friend of mine as we met years ago in college.

Natalie has been playing on a stage almost her entire life and made her Grand Ole Opry debut at the age of 12. She has performed everywhere from the White House to The Oprah Show and more recently was a contestant on The Voice. Natalie tells us about her time on the show, and you’ll hear us talk about being two of the only girls during our time at Berklee College of Music!

This was such a fun conversation that takes us many places. She shares about having been a bit heartbroken by music, and finding her way back to a new place with it. On navigating social media as an artist. Her most memorable concert experience that still gives her chills. How she uses gratitude to turn a bad day around. And, it was also so nice hearing her love for her best friend Ruthie Collin’s artistry.

Natalie radiates joy and warmth and if you don’t already know her I know you’re going to love getting to know her a bit through this chat.

Where to find Natalie:

Instagram

Website

This episode was audio produced by Aaron Moring. Theme music is by Heather Maloney.

Holly Miranda is a singer-songwriter who grew up Detroit but left home at 16 to pursue music.

We speak on forgiveness, inter-generational friendships, healing through singing, grief, Ibiza, chosen family, moving through feelings of not belonging, stage fright, how to protect yourself from negative energy and more. Holly has an incredibly powerful story and her resilience and depth continues to inspire me.

Where to find Holly:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hollymiranda/

Website: https://www.hollymiranda.com/

This episode was audio produced by Aaron Moring. Theme music is by Heather Maloney.

A special episode featuring sneak peeks of the songs on Heather Maloney's upcoming album "Soil In The Sky". Heather speaks openly and honestly about the stories behind these songs.

For more info on the album visit heathermaloney.com

This episode was produced by Aaron Moring. Theme song by Heather Maloney (!).

Pico Iyer is a travel writer who has been to over 80 countries, the best-selling author of many books, and he has given TED talks that have reached millions. More importantly, he is one of the most genuine, generous, kind-hearted people I have ever come across. I had the honor of sitting down with him recently in Santa Barbara, California. It was one of the most special conversations of my life, and I’m so elated to be able to share it with you.

Pico talks about life without a cell phone, finding friends in books, losing everything he owned in a fire years ago, and how it brought him closer to the simple and beautiful life that he now has in Japan. We mused on the idea of home: how places can feel like people, and how we can be instinctively drawn to a place, as Pico calls them, our “secret homes.”

My friend Ayappa always says to me “quality recognizes quality” and those words rung in my mind as Pico recounted his friendships with the Dalai Lama, Leonard Cohen, Krista Tippett - and other incredible souls just like him.

Pico is such a treasure and I know you are going to love hearing his story and all the wisdom he shares. Be sure to check out Pico’s interviews on Oprah’s Super Soul Conversations podcast and Krista Tippett’s On Being podcast as well!

Where to find Pico:

Website

Pico’s TED Talks

Pico on Krista Tippett's On Being Podcast

Pico on Oprah’s Super Soul Conversations Podcast

Pico on Facebook and Twitter

This episode was audio produced by Aaron Moring. Theme music is by Heather Maloney.

Melissa Messer is an American realist oil painter based in Seattle, WA. I got a chance to sit down with Melissa in her beautiful studio last week. We were surrounded by her paintings, there was tea, some cat meows in the background... and it was just perfect.

We had a wide-ranging conversation and cover a lot of topics dear to my heart - including art and vulnerability. The gifts and challenges of being an empath. Putting your art out and allowing for criticism. Settling into yourself and the effects of that in art. We also talk about in-between times of life, and the beauty and fertileness of going through a season of uncertainty.

I’m such a fan of Melissa’s art and what she does with words. I teared up multiple times throughout this conversation because it made me feel so much. I hope it moves something in you, too!

Where to find Melissa:

Instagram

Website

Project Girl Crush Interview with Melissa

This episode was audio produced by Aaron Moring. Theme music is by Heather Maloney.

Katie Jayne Earl is part of the Los Angeles band The Mowgli’s. She’s also a fierce advocate and does so much good in this world. I’ve been lucky to know Katie for a number of years now and have seen that first hand.

This conversation was both fun and deep. Katie speaks on how grieving holds value. On why it’s important to her to use her platform to do something that’s greater than herself. She reflects on all the women in her life who make her feel like “the closet purest version” of herself, and why simply thinking of her best friends can be the key to getting through a rough patch.

We chat about how dating random people can be really weird, and she shares how her relationship with her husband and band-mate came to be. We also get all girly and talk about hair for a bit.

As always, you’ll hear her “favorites”: book, record, place, memory and more!

Where to find Katie / The Mowgli’s:

Website

Instagram: The Mowgli’s and Katie

This episode was audio produced by Aaron Moring. Theme music is by Heather Maloney.

Aran Goyoaga is a cookbook author, photographer and creator of Cannelle et Vanille.

Everything that Aran touches holds so much beauty – her photos, her food, her words. One of the things that makes Aran so special is her genuine care and honesty. She isn’t afraid to talk about the messy parts of being human, including as she says her “shadow side.” We go deep in our conversation and talk about everything from searching for and the claiming of identity, to feelings of not belonging, eating disorders, depression, the incredible power of gentleness, and learning to listen to intuition. You’ll also hear us talk about our shared Spanish roots and I loved hearing Aran speak about the ways her father and whole family have deeply influenced her.

I don’t have the adequate words to describe how much I enjoyed this conversation. Aran’s salient and empathetic advice, artistic sensibility, and stories are full of so much meaning, truth, and they sparked many moments of inspiration for me. I’m so grateful for this conversation and am elated to share it with you all.

**Where to find Aran: **

Instagram

Website(s): http://www.cannellevanille.com/ and https://www.arangoyoaga.com/

Pre-order her new cookbook “Cannelle et Vanille” here !

This episode was audio produced by Aaron Moring. Theme music is by Heather Maloney.

Jeffrey Martin is an internationally touring singer-songwriter based in Portland, OR. Mick Flannery is an award-winning singer-songwriter from Ireland.

These two share a deep appreciation for each other, many similarities, and a tour van occasionally. It was great to sit down with them while they were on tour recently and catch a glimpse into their friendship and hear their unique stories.

Jeffrey tells us about his decision to walk away from full-time teaching into full-time music. Mick shares about his own turn towards music as a career after working in a completely different profession. They discuss the transition from touring back to real life, and what - in addition to beer - helps them get through rough patches.

We also chat about Steinbeck’s tenderness and their “favorites” - books, music, memories and more!

Where to find Jeffrey:

Instagram and Website

Where to find Mick:

Instagram and Website

This episode was audio produced by Aaron Moring. Theme music is by Heather Maloney.