Performance Anxiety

Paul Hiraga, also known as the band Downpilot, is my guest. Like most of my episodes, we discuss how he started playing music. Unlike most of my guests, the guitar he learned to play on was haunted! But, that didn’t deter him. Paul discovered he had a natural aptitude for music theory, In fact he used to get in trouble because he would finish his lessons so fast, his mom thought he wasn’t doing them when she’d catch him playing outside.

Paul started playing in bands in Minneapolis in the 80’s and moved to Seattle in the 90’s. But what’s funny is that none of his music sounds like typical music from those areas.

He discusses how unusual influences like British trip hop as well as starting his last band in his 30’s has really influenced not only the sound, but his outlook on recording and touring. And the band’s name has also had its own set of issues. He even considered changing it just before the band’s first EP was released, since it was just after 9/11; and the words Down Pilot didn’t exactly have positive connotations at the time.

He’s got a new album out and it continues his philosophy of balancing light music with dark lyrics and vice versa. It’s called The Forecast and it’s not a pandemic album. Paul consciously tried to avoid doing THAT album.We wrap up talking about plastic cameras and photography. Pick up the new album on Tapete Records, through Bandcamp or wherever you get music. Follow Downpilot on Facebook or @downpilot onInstagram. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on social media. Support us with coffee at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety or merch at performanceanx.threadless.com. And I hope you enjoy my conversation with Paul of Downpilot on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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Today we’re talking about music and it’s effect on mental health. And right off the bat, I want to make the disclaimer that neither I, nor my guest Autumn Whitaker, are mental health professionals. This episode is about our experiences and how music has helped us get through some of our issues. We also talk about the effect social media has on mental health, what music we listen to to turn things around, and how writing and other creative endeavors helps us both work through our issues. Check out Autumn’s new album Night Moods, Vol. II on Think Like A Key. Check out The Hawk Percival on social media. Check us out @PerformanceAnx. You can send us coffee at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety or we can send you merch from performanceanx.threadless.com.

Again, we are not mental health professionals, just sharing our experiences. If you’re feeling stressed, having dark thoughts, or feeling depressed, please reach out for help. There are several places you can reach out to for help and there are always people happy to listen. You aren’t alone.

Betterhelp.com

Faithfulcounseling.com

Regain.us

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This episode features singer and saxophonist Lora Logic and it’s a wild story. It actually begins with her mother’s escape from her rural Finnish farm upbringing. It shaped how she raised Lora. But it was that farm where Lora felt most happy. She talks about going through several instruments before she fell in love with the sax. And then there’s her creepy sax teacher who made her really uncomfortable but pushed her into busking and improvising. She joined X-Ray Spex but was canned before the first album was released. 

She released the first Essential Logic single and that is QUITE a story! After living the rock and roll lifestyle, having an epileptic fit, and having an out of body experience, she left music completely. Well, not exactly. She DID perform with the band Juggernaut after becoming a Hare Krishna. 

Her return to music has been one of reformation. Initially with X-Ray Spex and then Essential Logic. She’s released a box set of EVERYTHING she’s ever done! You can’t get more comprehensive than that. She’s also released a wonderful new Essential Logic album called Land Of Kali. Follow her @essentiallogicofficial & @lora.logic on Instagram. Check out the linktree for ways to pick up the boxed set & new album. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on social media. We accept coffee donations at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety or buy merch at performanceanx.threadless.com. Now prepare to be amazed by the wild story of Lora Logic on Performance Anxiety, part of the Pantheon Podcast Network

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This is a packed show. I’m joined by Lyle Hysen & David Motamed from The Royal Arctic Institute, John San Juan of The Hushdrops, & Keegan Ferrari of An Errant. The show is about tribute albums: when did they start, their explosion in the 90’s, and do they matter anymore. There’s a reason I asked each of these guests on for this topic. This podcast is producing our own tribute album with 12 former podcast guests, including each of the bands represented today. We are p aying tribute to a very influential group and donating all of the proceeds to charity. You’ll find out all of this, plus what other bands are a part of the project, how it developed, and get updates from each band. Keep an eye out on our social media pages for updates about the release and how you can help. And you can help us continue on through ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety or performanceanx.threadless.com. You can also check out our sponsors. That REALLY helps. And now I hope you enjoy my discussion about tribute albums on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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I’m really excited for this episode. I’m joined by independent music renaissance man, Oliver Ackermann. He studied industrial design at Rhode Island School of Design, founded the bands Skywave and A Place To Bury Strangers, began the effects company Death By Audio, as well as a performance space of the same name. He’s also founded two record labels, the latest being DedStrange.

The whole story begins in Fredericksburg, VA. Oliver talks about growing up and what influenced him. He talks about times when the name A Place To Bury Strangers gets awkward as well as the trip that started Death By Audio Effects. Oliver tells how U2’s The Edge became a customer. He also discusses how one review in one publication changed EVERYTHING for the band. 

But this isn’t just a history lesson on A Place To Bury Strangers & Death By Audio. Oliver explains how he decided to embrace the dumb ideas instead of doing things the same way everyone else does and how having many different songwriting processes helps him and the band come up with a variety of ideas. And Oliver and I agree on the importance of seeing, experiencing, & supporting independent bands and musicians live. So check out the latest album by A Place To Bury Strangers, See Through You, on DedStrange Records. Check out Death By Audio’s effects pedals. Follow them both on social media. They’re pretty easy to find. Follow us @PerformanceAnx there, as well. Support us with a merch purchase at performanceanx.threadless.com. You can send us a cup of coffee at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. And remember, just like our guest Oliver Ackermann, support independent artists whenever you can. Thank you for listening to Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast network.

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Dylan Hicks hops on the podcast to talk about a lot of stuff. He started off taking piano lessons until his piano was stolen. His first real foray into professional music was volunteering at a radio station. In fact, he was just as passionate about writing about music as he was writing music. After years of playing music, he started a family and left music completely to start a career writing. So we talk about the pros and cons of being musically obscure, comparing his approach to music in his 20’s to his approach in his 50’s, and writing an album of fictitious cover songs as his first release in over a decade and how it ties into one of his novels.

He has written more than just articles, novels, & pop songs. His album with Jon Munson, Munson Hicks Party Supplies, began life as a musical and evolved into an album. Dylan has released two albums since 2021 and is working on a third (to complete his “bird trilogy”). But he has several other projects in various stages of completion. In the meantime, check out Dylan’s latest album, Airport Sparrows. Follow him on Instagram @thedylanhicks. Pick up his music on Bandcamp or wherever you get music. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on social media. Reach out there or [email protected]. Buy us coffee at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety or getmerch at performanceanx.threadless.com. Check out our sponsors. We’ve got some great stuff going with them! Now let’s get started with Dylan Hick on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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Welcome Ivan Julian to the podcast. We begin, as usual, by discussing what got him into music. But spending a good part of his childhood in Guantanamo, Cuba, on a military base, his answers are a bit different. Fast forward a bit and he talks about meeting Richard Hell and joining The Voidoids, why he left the band, and what came next. One of the things that came next was working with Matthew Sweet. He reveals what song of his was inspired by Metallica, getting great sounds from cheap equipment, and the draw of Tenafly, NJ. We also talk about his cancer diagnosis and how he’s doing now. He’s got a great new album out called Swing Your Lanterns, complete with a song inspired by the movie Rollerball! Check him out @ivanjulianofficial on Instagram, @Official_IvanJ on Twitter. But the album anywhere you get music. You can send us a cup of coffee at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. Our merch is at performanceanx.threadless.com. We’re @PerformanceAnx on social media. And now it definitely time to swing our lantern with Ivan Julian on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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KB Boyce is today’s guest. He’s been playing music since the 70’s in elementary school. In fact, that’s the main focus of our discussion. KB sang and played bass for the NYC based punk band Nastyfacts. Their only release was a three song EP called Drive My Car that came out when they were in high school! The band was together for 8 years and broke up so they could GO TO COLLEGE! That blows my mind. They were playing in clubs when some members hadn’t even reached their teens! They opened for legends like The Bad Brains, played venues like CBGB’s and Max’s Kansas City. KB and I go pretty deep into the band’s history like what their original idea for a band name was (which probably wouldn’t fly today), what instrument KB started on, and how another band’s dis got them writing original music.

For a lot of people, that EP was special. So it’s being rereleased! KB talks about how the reissue came to be and what he’s been doing since the breakup of Nastyfacts. So check out KB @thehomobiles on Instagram, Nastyfacts on Facebook or go to queerrebels.org. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on social media. Reach out there or [email protected]. Performanceanx.threadless.com is where you can get our merch designed by Mark Dancey. ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety is where you can send us a cup of coffee. Now let’s get just a little bit nasty with KB Boyce of Nastyfacts on Performance Anxiety on Pantheon Podcasts.

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Welcome to my most punk episode ever. I am pleased to welcome Phil Marcade of The Senders. They have a new double album out called All Killer No Filler. It chronicles, as this episode attempts to do, the band’s nearly continuous history from 1977-2001. But we go even farther back. Phil talks about moving to the US from France when he was a kid. There’s a lot of great stories around forming The Senders, like why Phil moved from drums to vocals and how trying NOT to sound punk made them even more punk. There is also a reason the band chose their name, but it wasn’t their first choice. Their first was definitely different, but apparently not unique enough. Phil talks about the very brief period of time when Johnny Thunders was in the band and how he met Wayne Kramer of The MC5. And I float the possibility that The Senders influenced Led Zeppelin.Pick up the album wherever you get music; through Bandcamp or streaming. Check out their social media, especially Facebook. SUpport us with a cup of coffee at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. Buy merch with our logo at performanceanx.threadless.com. And now enjoy our most punk show yet with Phil Marcade of The Senders on Performance Anxiety, part of the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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So today we’re going to be talking about the gear and business sides of music. Ben Kleinman, founder of Ray Raydecker audio cables is my guest. 

Ben talks about what music really flipped the switch for him and, not being a musician, how he started immersing himself in music by booking artists. After some misadventures, he started playing guitar and becoming obsessed with gear. All of this fed into what would become his current foray into music, Ray Raydecker; although that wasn’t the first name of his company. So why did he change it? Who IS Ray Raydecker?

Ben talks about the realities of trying to get artists to use your gear and the amazing “Friends of Ray Raydecker” who DO use his stuff. He also talks about the difficulties of balancing a hobby/business that you’re passionate about and the rest of your real life, like day jobs and family.

Ben creates beautiful cables by hand and each one is guaranteed. So if your into gear, need cables, like concert photography, or any combination of those, this is the show for you. And check out rayraydecker.com to buy handmade, guaranteed, unique audio cables. And check out rayraydecker on Instagram for products and Ben’s concert photos. Check the podcast out @PerformanceAnx on Instagram & Twitter. Reach out there or [email protected]. You can support the show through performanceanx.threadless.com for our gear or ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety if you’d like to send us a cup of coffee. And please check out our sponsors! I hope you enjoy a different side of music with Ben Kleinman of Ray Raydecker on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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