Performance Anxiety

Welcome Ben Vaughn into our world. The world of Performance Anxiety. Ben is one guest whose career left no room for Performance Anxiety. He was always that guy who was SUPER into music. Even though he had a genuine love of music, he started a family and worked as a landscaper in New Jersey. But once he started playing, he was hooked. But until Pulp Fiction, he was a man out of his time. But when his surf rock influenced album, Instrumental Stylings, coincided with the release of Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, combined with a chance comment on Morning Becomes Eclectic changed Ben’s career. He began writing music for TV and movies, the first of which was the classic, 3rd Rock From The Sun.

We discuss all of this, our mutual love of AMC cars, turning his Rambler into a studio, recording an engine solo, his radio show/podcast, The Many Moods Of Ben Vaughn, his latest album, The World Of Ben Vaughn, and so much more. It’s a fascinating discussion on an unusual career in music and TV. Follow Ben @benvaughnmusic on Instagram. Check out benvaughn.org for more links. Pick up his new album, The World Of Ben Vaughn everywhere music is picked up. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on socials. Interesting merch is available at performanceanx.threadless.com. Send a coffee our way at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. And now prepare to enter the curious world of Ben Vaughn on Performance Anxiety, part of the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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No matter who my guest is, I try to connect with each one and make the show fun for them and for me. Sometimes it’s easier than others. Mike Squires was one of the most fun shows I’ve ever done. He was so much fun to speak with, I can see why his podcast, Couch Riffs, is so popular. We talk about how he started podcasting and recording one take cover songs with his guests.

But before we get into that, Mike discusses his difficult childhood which led him to joining the Marines. Mike hilariously describes his band auditions after leaving the service. He has forced his way into some great bands like Nevada Bachelors, The Long Winters, & Duff McKagan’s Loaded. 

Mike has released his first solo album. He tells me why it’s called #2, why it’s in an 8”x8” package, Why he’s nude on the cover, and why each song is 15 seconds long. Give him a follow on socials @themikesquires. Buy #2 on Bandcamp and check out all the incredible covers on the Couch Riffs YouTube channel, including the Yes song for Roadie Relief.

Follow us @PerformanceAnx on the socials, you can support us at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety or buy some merch at performanceanx.threadless.com. And now I present to you, Mike Squires on Performance Anxiety, part of the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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This show is a first for the podcast. DYLYN is the first guest I’ve had that I saw live before having on the podcast. She opened for Mother Mother and I was so impressed that when the opportunity arose, I reached out and scheduled this. And I’m so glad I did. DYLYN is an old soul. We chatted about classic rock before we get down to the business of actually talking about HER music! Even though rock was what she grew up on, she began her career as a pop act, complete with background dancers. 

But after a serious bout of burn out, she took some time off to go back to school. That’s when one of her dance tracks started getting traction.

She took the opportunity to pivot to the music she really wanted to write. She met up with Ryan Guldemond from Mother Mother to write some music and clicked immediately. She talks about horror movie influences, playing the same encore twice in one show, performing at a fan’s prom, and changing her name as she changed her sound.

She’s a fan of classic rock, classic Star Trek, and was once in a band called Robert’s Plant. So follow her @callmedylyn on social media. Get the new EP that’s out the same day as this podcast drops! Follow us @PerformanceAnx on social media. Treat us to coffee at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. Buy stuff with our logo. It was made by Soundgarden’s artist for Badmotorfinger! And check out the other shows on Pantheon Podcast Network. Rate & review us all! And without further ado, DYLYN on Performance Anxiety

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If you’ve checked out this podcast more than once, you may have noticed that I like to listen to a lot of different styles of music. And I also like to discover styles that I’ve never heard before. That’s the case this week with my guest Mark Stewart. From the experimental sounds of The Pop Group to the dub sounds of The New Age Steppers and Mark Stewart & The Maffia, I went down a very deep rabbit hole. It was actually a little intimidating knowing that Mark has such a discography and I was not familiar with the majority of it. But as as soon as we connected, we were laughing our asses off. 

We bond over Romanian Gypsy Music, swap Guns & Roses stories, and lament the loss of Mark Lanegan. At one point, Mark starts to interview me! He talks about forming The Pop Group and getting support slots for Pere Ubu and Patti Smith and then having to go back to school to finish exams. Mark also reveals the connection between The Pop Group and The Simpsons.

Mark’s latest album is a throwdown, of sorts; kind of a musical steel cage death match with collaborations featuring KK Null, Ye Gods, Lee Scratch Perry, & many more. Grab the album, follow Mark on Facebook and on Twitter @_markstewart. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on social media. Rate and review. Five stars would be nice. Help support the show with a cup of coffee at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety or buy merch at performanceanx.threadless.com. Check out the other shows on the Pantheon Podcast Network and lets dub step into the one and only Mark Stewart on Performance Anxiety.

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Welcome Greg Franco and J. Niimi of Man’s Body to the podcast. This is the band name that really did me in while I was researching for the show. But that’s kind of what the guys wanted. When Greg and J met (over a podcast, by the way), there was an instant connection. They immediately decided to start a band. But the band is comprised of three members and they didn’t all meet until the day they went into the studio to record their first EP. And while the band started off as a side project, it quickly became Greg and J’s main band. Follow them @mansbodychicago on Facebook and Instagram. Pick up the latest album, A Set Of Steak Knives, on Bandcamp. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on social media. Check out performanceanx.threadless.com for merch & ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety to treat us to coffee. Rate & review and check out the other great shows on the Pantheon Podcast Network. Now check out Man’s Body on Performance Anxiety.

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Stephen Lawrie grew up with music. His dad was approached by Chas Chandler before he signed Jimi Hendrix. But his band broke up before they signed a contract and were lost to history. But his father’s love of music transferred to Stephen. He remembers being mesmerized by guitars as a toddler. He formed The Telescopes in the late 80’s and has been the only consistent member. In fact, the most consistent thing about The Telescopes has been change. Whether it’s band members or the sound of the music itself, no Telescopes album is the same as the previous ones.

Stephen admits that the band stopped doing anything when he lost the inspiration to write. He also admitted that sometimes he’s been more inspired by what he DIDN’T want to do than by what he wanted to do. He tells me how the 4th Telescopes album was a direct result of not being able to play the third album live! And speaking of live Telescopes, the band has a policy of never turning their amps off during a live show. They just see how long it takes for the venue to turn them off!

Check out Stephen and The Telescopes on the socials, pick up The Telescopes albums on Bandcamp. Also check out Foam Giant, a new project he’s been collaborating on. Check us out @PerformanceAnx on social media. Rate & review episodes! You can support the show through ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety or performanceanx.threadless.com. Remember to check out all the other great shows on the Pantheon Podcast Network. And thank you for listening to Stephen Lawrie on Performance Anxiety.

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Dianthus is an unusual band. It’s a band made up of twin sisters! Jessica & Jacky Parry (on drums and guitar, respectively) started off playing classical piano. But once they heard Black Veil Brides, it was all over. They put the piano aside for guitar and drums and started writing some heavy music! They honed their chops on covers and released their originals on Soundcloud. When they started work on their debut album, they had the opportunity to work with Jinxx from Black Veil Brides! And just as the duo began working on the new album, the lockdowns hit. That forced them to take a different approach to their writing. I think it paid off in the quality of the songs, particularly their lyrics. And currently, they are working on arranging the songs from their new album, Realms, so they can sound just as good live as they do on the album. Look out for their live shows and give them a follow on social media. You can check out dianthuslive.com for all their links. Give us a follow @PerformanceAnx on social media. You can help us out with a coffee at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety or buy some merch at performanceanx.threadless.com. Rate & review. It helps. And don’t forget to check out the other great shows on the Pantheon Podcast Network. But right now, give it up for Dianthus on Performance Anxiety.

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I have a very unique set of guests for this episode of Performance Anxiety. I’m joined by Annie, Nissa, & Oskar Kuchenmeister of Loki’s Folly. They are a band made of siblings, 21 and under, who have already overcome some difficult obstacles. Annie, the guitarist, discusses her struggles with autism and how it differs between girls and boys. Nissa, the drummer, talks about overcoming her issues with anxiety. And Oskar holds everything down on bass and tells me about playing with his older sisters. 

They’ve been getting lessons and guidance from Ryan Smith of Soul Asylum. They’ve been playing together for a while but when Dave Pirner came out to see them one night, things really started to take off. He even got them their first gig at the legendary First Ave. Club in Minneapolis. Since then, they’ve recorded their first album, called Sisu. It’s coming out in May, so check it out and preorder it! Give them a follow @lokisfollyband on the socials. Follow us @PerformanceAnx. You can help us out at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety or pick up merch at performanceanx.threadless.com. 

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I’m joined by the wonderful David Lance Callahan. He’s the guitarist, sampler, singer, and founder of The Wolfhounds and Moonshake. We kick things off by talking about an essay he wrote about Marty Robbins, who happens to be one of my favorite artists. But beyond that, David gives me a great history lesson on a band that should be in the libraries of all My Bloody Valentine or Jesus and Mary Chain fans, The Wolfhounds. They started off in the C86 scene (and David gives me a lesson on what that was). The band released four full length albums between 1987 and 1990 and then called it quits. David soon followed up with Moonshake, which was a bit of a departure but really opened new musical landscapes for him. But by 1996, Moonshake was over. David left music for a while to concentrate on real life. But in 2012, The Wolfhounds returned and have been going on strong, pandemics notwithstanding. David has also released two solo albums, with a third on the way. Follow David & The Wolfhounds on social media, @the_wolfhounds on IG & @TheWolfhounds on Twitter & FaceBook. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on the socials. Rate & review this or any episode. Support can be shown through ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety or performanceanx.threadless.com. So let’s get started with David Lance Callahan on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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Nick Vivid hops on the podcast and proceeds to crack me up. He’s a character. He grew up with two turntables and a microphone in his living because his dad was a radio disc jockey. But, as Nick will tell us, that doesn’t always make for the best situation for an up and coming musician. He started off writing song based on hymns from church, as a kid. But soon enough he started playing in rock bands. After some bands, opening a studio which was ruined in a flood, and an injury that had him bedridden for three months, Nick decided to start over. The music may be a different style, but Nick is still the energetic front man. In fact, he’s the ONLY man. 

He has a new album out called No More Secrets. He talks about losing his dad while making the album and using that process as a way to heal. And one of the most popular songs on the album was created in a bout of frustration with that song. Pick up No More Secrets on Bandcamp. Follow Nick on all the social media platform. Check out his Twitch channel. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on social media. Check out the show on the Pantheon Podcast Network. You can help support us at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety or performanceanx.threadless.com. Now let’s go there, with Nick Vivid on Performance Anxiety, part of the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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