Performance Anxiety

Today’s guest reminds me that not everything is always as it seems. Please welcome Lance Hoppen from the band Orleans. Prior to speaking with Lance, I hadn’t dug very deep into Orleans’ catalog. But when I did I realized that there is a whole lot going on there! The band tends to get lumped into the yacht rock genre but there is so much more to their sound.

Lance gives a history lesson on the band that became the family business. And in true familial style, his big brother, Larry, made him audition to get in the band. But even though he felt like he was hanging on for dear life, at times, he settled in and not only held down the groove with some amazing drummers, but also contributed to the Orleans style of blood harmony. 

Lance also talks about their sophomore album that came out after their fourth album, which contained early versions of their biggest hits. But the label didn’t hear it and dropped them! 

But as their sound fell out of favor, Lance made some tough decisions and took a hard left out of music for a time. But he couldn’t deny his art and eventually came back to music. Orleans has played for a handful of people on a military base and to literally hundreds of thousands at Woodstock ‘94. And it wasn’t always a linear progression. 

Lance is extremely candid about everything here; from the music to his life to the death of his brother Larry. It’s an episode that really did leave me speechless, at times. Orleans is playing a limited number of shows this year but new dates are always being considered. Check them out at orleansonline.net, on Facebook at orleansmusic, and their YouTube channel for all kinds of info. Check us out @PerformanceAnx on social media. You can support the show with a merch purchase at performanceanx.threadless.com or feeding our coffee habit at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. And please welcome Lance Hoppen of Orleans on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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Today’s guest really makes me want to be more experimental…somehow. It’s Michael Wiener of The Children…(with the ellipses). They have just released what is technically their second album. But good luck finding the first. Michael’s household growing up was not typical. His mother was a pioneering photojournalist and his father was a child Holocaust survivor. And they encouraged his pursuit of the arts and culture, which led him to violin and piano lessons. But his initial professional foray into music was not via a band, but as a critic. This is how he met his future bandmates in The Children… Jim Coleman and Phil Puleo.

The band has a very loose way of creating music. They do a lot of improvising and build their structure on that. Michael also explains how the band writes in layers, the malleability of memory, as well as the difficulties of writing in a band when it’s everybody’s side project. 

The Children…have a new album out called The Craving on Erototox Records and it is…unique. It is delicate, heavy, menacing, and frenetic depending on what you’re listening to. It is a fascinating listen. Get the album on Bandcamp, from Erototox or wherever you get music (make sure you use the ellipses). Check out their Instagram page @thechildren_now. Follow us at @PerformanceAnx. Grab some merch at performanceanx.threadless.com or keep us awake with coffee at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. Now check out Michael Wiener of The Children…on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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Today’s guest makes me wish I had studied more in school. Meet Jason Achilles. This guy’s breadth of talent and interests just blows my mind! He’s not just a talented musician but he’s also an engineer who has recorded the sounds of Mars from a microphone system he was in charge of on the Mars rover. And apparently this kind of professional diversity runs in the family. By the way, he uses one of the microphones that didn’t make it to Mars on the podcast!

But the podcast starts off with an admission by Jason about the amount of info he decided to share with me. We talk about his early musical endeavors, including how he started playing solo and improvisationally.

So you now know that Jason has worked with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab, but he’s also worked with Jerry Cantrell, Doug Kershaw, Geezer Butler, Dizzy Reed, and a ton of other people. I’m really not sure which of those is more impressive to me.

Jason reveals how he started working with NASA, getting involved in the Mars Rover project, and recording exclusively in analog. He obviously gets more creative the more limitations he has! He also reveals some news about a Carnegie Hall performance, putting together a planetarium tour, and thanks to a student at the University of Alabama, Huntsville, he’s asked probably the most intelligent question that’s ever been asked on this podcast (Thank you Triston Tindell). 

Check Jason’s music out on Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your music. Go to jasonachilles.com for his music as well as Sounds From Mars and more info on upcoming events. He’s @jasonachilles on X. We’re @PerformanceAnx on the socials. You can keep us going with coffee at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety or merch at performanceanx.threadless.com. Visiting our sponsors also helps out a lot! So let’s check out Jason Achilles on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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Today’s guests exemplify the virtue of patience. Please welcome Jim Suhler and Buddy Whittington of the band Texas Scratch. Their debut album was released recently…14 years AFTER it was recorded. And if you’re asking why, I’m not even sure the band can answer that. Texas Scratch is a Texas blues album that was recorded in New Jersey. Maybe that’s why it took so long…the universe couldn’t believe such a great blues album could have been made in the Northeast.

 Jim and Buddy have played with some incredible musicians like John Mayall, George Thorogood, AC/DC, Joe Bonamassa, Billy Gibbons, and more. Speaking of Billy Gibbons, Jim reveals the very special place Billy has in his marriage.

So we start off talking, like we usually do, about each guitarists musical history; what inspired them to play guitar, how they started professionally, and how they found their current gigs. But the most amazing part is how the whole Texas Scratch album came together, almost spontaneously, and how it stalled after it was slated for release. 

Go get the album from Quarto Valley records, Amazon, Itunes, Apple music, or wherever you get music these days. Follow them on Facebook and maybe Instagram at this point. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on socials. You can send coffee money to ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. You can get merch at performanceanx.threadless.com. Now prime your ears for some killer blues and a debut album that is very late to the party on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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On this episode of Side Projects, I am joined, once again, by London’s Modern Guilt. Or at least most of them. Scott, Jaz, and Andreas are joined by their producer Mikey Buckley of Desert Ships. Missing during this recording are Dan and Glyn. And Glyn is especially missing, as he has left the band; but they tell me it was on good terms. We’ll see about that. But that situation actually factors into the topic of this episode: the importance of building solid foundations. 

The band talks about having three foundational, core members who do the writing while the other one or two members (depending on what time we’re referencing) supplement that. That foundation is evident in the trust they all have, not only in each other, but also with Mikey. That’s why they can do a guitar solo by committee or let Mikey let them know when a song needs to stay vulnerable and stripped down. The foundation of Modern Guilt’s first EP, You’re Welcome, has allowed the band to be more experimental and exploratory on the new EP, We’ll Always Have Vegas. It sounds more like the band than the bands they are influenced by. We also talk about T-shirts, borrowing things from The Stone Roses, and the effective use of space.

Follow these guys @modernguiltofficial on social media. Go to their Bandcamp page and buy the EPs. If you’re able to, go see a show! Follow us @PerformanceAnx on socials. Support the podcast with coffee money at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety or by buying merch at performanceanx.threadless.com. Let’s talk about solid foundations with Modern Guilt on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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Today’s guest makes me want to push through the rough times. Please welcome Blake Lewis. You might remember him from Season 6 of American Idol. But there is so much more to Blake than being one of the most unique contestants on one of the hottest properties on television. He grew up with his mom playing bluegrass banjo, which is why he rebelled into electronic music. He was the first contestant on Idol to beatbox. So, naturally, Blake talks about where that began and how that helped get him into his first professional band, Kickshaw. Soon after he was insanely busy playing shows, making music, and doing a musical improv show that he really was not all that interested in auditioning for American Idol. But he went to support a friend and things got crazy from the moment he registered.

Blake is honest about how his season went, how it ended, the immediate aftermath, and what happened when the depression and anxiety kicked in. It’s a fascinating story that has shaped his professional career to this day. He talks about the differences between the show and the Idol tour and what he was and wasn’t allowed to do on both. Blake has released four studio albums and one live release. To me, each one is better than the previous and he has a lot of new music slated to come out in 2024. Check the music out wherever you buy and stream music; blakelewisofficial.com is a good place to start. Follow him @blakelewis on Instagram or the website for the latest news. Pick up a little of our merch at performanceanx.threadless.com or send us coffee money at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. And now get ready to get your box beaten…no, I don’t like that. How about, here’s Blake Lewis on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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Today’s guest is revelatory. I’m extremely happy to welcome author Joel Selvin to the podcast. He’s written a book called Drums & Demons: The Tragic Journey Of Jim Gordon. The title tells it all. It’s the story of one of the (if not THE) greatest drummers of all time and his mental health battle that ultimately ended in tragedy. 

Joel masterfully tells the story from Jim’s beginnings, how he started playing drums,to touring with The Everly Brothers immediately after graduating high school, and how he broke into the world of session musicians.

He was a vital part of legendary tours like Joe Cocker’s Mad Dogs & Englishmen tour and writing classic songs that are still played every day, like Derek & The Dominos’ Layla. Jim had a gargantuan appetite for alcohol and drugs; both legal and illegal. And that is one possible reason that no one realized the truth behind his mental decline. He had been suffering with schizophrenia for a long time and had been successful in hiding the symptoms.

But the voices in his head eventually began to rule his life with command hallucinations. They ended his professional career and eventually were the reason he murdered his mother. 

Jim’s entire professional career was a short 15 years. But his impact is still felt. After he was sent to prison, he was minimized and all but erased from music history. 

But after Jim’s passing in 2023, the pendulum has begun to swing the other way and Joel’s book is leading the charge. He tells Jim’s story honestly and sympathetically. Like Joel said, he wrote a few good lines but it’s Jim’s story. And it doesn’t matter if you know anything about Jim Gordon or not; this book is hard to put down. Order it from joelselvin.com and you can thank me later. Check out our stuff at performanceanx.threadless.com or buy us some coffee at ko-fi.com/performancenaxiety. And this is Joel Selvin on Jim Gordon on Performance Anxiety, part of the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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Today’s guests make me appreciate the patience of others. Please welcome, for the third attempt, Andre and Terence from Locrian. What you’re listening to is our third attempt at this episode. The first was scrapped due to a computer malfunction. The second had an iphone issue. So take three was the final attempt! And it was worth it. Locrian has a new album set to release so the timing couldn’t have been better. Terence and Andre tell me about their early bands and sounds and how they met at a “metal night” party. 

They tell me about their first gig and the band name. But they also reveal their early band philosophy of saying yes to everything and how that got them booked at a birthday party. We create a new genre just for Locrian. I call it Aggressive Atmospheric. And it makes sense when you consider their influences are artists like Popol Vuh, Emperor, Twisted Sister, and Bert Jansch. So you kind of expect sound shifts when you hear how the band has evolved over the years. They keep their fans on their toes, but the reverse is also true. Fans are behind their recent release of archive recordings (keep messaging them about Setting Yr Jetta On Fire). 

The latest release is titled End Terrain and it’s a pretty heavy dose of reality. The themes are pretty dark but the musical palette expands with more synths and more structure. Order Locrian’s End Terrain on Bandcamp, stream it, check it out on Profound Lore Records. Check out the show’s stuff at performanceanx.threadless.com and ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. Reach out @PerformanceAnx on socials. And buckle in for Take 3 of Locrian on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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Today’s guest makes me want more names. It’s Jeremy Wilms and we’ll go through all his different names throughout this episode. But each one has a reason. Jeremy is his family’s musical version of “3rd time’s a charm”. He’s managed to study and play guitar with some amazing people. After college, he moved from Duluth, GA to NYC and kept studying in the form of open jam sessions with his neighbors and some naked people. 

Jeremy is a guitar player but started getting actual work after he picked up the bass. That led him to playing with the legendary Chico Hamilton and Antibalas. His time in Antibalas opened more doors for him; like the time the band literally split in two when one half played live shows and the other half (Jeremy’s half) eventually played on Broadway in the show based on the life of Fela Kuti. THAT led to an unusual and slightly awkward session with Jay-Z and Beyonce that has never been released. 

Jeremy also talks about being in a wedding band with Elvis Costello and tells the story of Ornette Coleman’s leftover Burger King. These are perfect examples of his being open to new and unusual experiences, like arranging strings for Run The Jewels, studying with Michael Mossman for a Master’s in composition, and moving back to GA during COVID. That’s been a big turning point in how he writes and you can really hear it in his new album, The Fighter. Definitely check that out on Bandcamp or jeremywilms.com. Follow him on Instagram @jere_wilms for album and tour info. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on X & Instagram. You can show us your love with coffee at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety or buying merch at performanceanx.threadless.com. Now get into your fighting stance and check out Jeremy Wilms on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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Today’s guest makes this episode kind of literal. Meet Elisa Di Napoli, AKA Elyssa Vulpes. She does so many things, it’s really tough to pin it down. However, one of the areas she specializes in is hypnotherapy. She has an entire program to help artists over come…wait for it…PERFORMANCE ANXIETY! But you don’t just start out in life as a hypnotherapist. Actually, Elisa’s first career choice was a cartoon singer. 

Elisa talks about her global childhood and the roundabout way she got into guitar. And her way of rebelling was moving from Italy to Scotland when her parents decided to move to New Zealand (although New Zealand was not their first choice).

Elisa suffered from some pretty intense performance anxiety but kept trying to overcome it by just getting on stage and performing. But that was just making it worse. That’s when she began studying. And studying. And studying. We talk about the assumptions of hypnotherapy; which are accurate and which are not. And why some level of anxiety is actually good. Elisa has put together a comprehensive program to deal with performance anxiety and has even set up a free 45 minute master class that my listeners can take for free at elisadinapoli.com/performanceanxiety! So do that, and browse the website to see what else she offers. Follow her @elyssavulpes on social media. Follow us @PerformanceAnx, buy merch at performanceanx.threadless.com. Feed our coffee habit at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. And now prepare to have just the right level of Performance Anxiety with Elisa Di Napoli ON Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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