Performance Anxiety

It's our 250th episode! Christian Dryden of The Ritualists joins us for this one. He never really had that moment where he decided to pursue music. He just always knew that’s what he was going to do. He’s just as influenced by Duran Duran as he is Led Zeppelin and those unique sounds definitely shine through in the music. We also geek out on a band we both love and have seen live in different phases of their career.

And we get into Christian’s writing process. He discusses what song is on the new album, Baroque & Bleeding, that may not even be finished yet, and what song came out of a dream. And as you listen to the episode, you may notice that Christian’s voice bears a resemblance to Simon LeBon. It turns out that Simon is a fan of the band. Check out Baroque & Bleeding wherever you get your music. Follow The Ritualists @the_ritualists on Instagram and on Facebook at The Ritualists. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on social media. We accept coffee at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety and you can buy merch at performanceanx.threadless.com.

Let’s get started with Christian Dryden of The Ritualists on Performance Anxiety, part of the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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I’m joined by Anna Arboles and eventually Sapphire Jewell of the band Gypsum. Anna and I get the ball rolling and then we start over once Sapphire joins us. Gypsum is an interesting band with a great sound. The core of the band met in music school at USC. The entire project started as an informal jam session. The core of the band is made up of the musicians that would consistently show up to the sessions, Sapphire, Anna, and drummer Jessy Reed. They came up with the name while exploring the Natural History Museum near campus. And although the band has been around since 2016, they’ve just recently released their debut album. Anna has been busy crafting the sound for other bands and Sapphire has been playing guitar for Cuffed Up and Illuminati Hotties. 

You’d think that waiting so long to record and release their debut, they would be tempted to through everything and the kitchen sink onto the album. But you’d be wrong. The album is a close representation of their live sound, showing tremendous restraint in the studio. Their self titled album has just come out on vinyl, so pick that up. They’ll even send a CD if you ask really nicely. Give them a follow on Instagram @gypsum_ or on Facebook. Give us a follow @PerformanceAnx on social media. You can help us out by checking out ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety or performanceanx.threadless.com. And don’t forget to check out the other great podcasts on the Pantheon Podcast Network. So let’s get started with Anna and eventually Sapphire of Gypsum on Performance Anxiety.

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On this episode of Side Projects, I am joined by Alexander Hacke and Danielle de Picciotto of hackedepicciotto and Ellen Southern and Tom Bush from Dead Space Chamber Music to talk about Musique Concrète. We discuss what it is and how each of them discovered the genre and how it has influenced the music they make. They’ve each used some strange instruments to create their own Musique Concrète, including a jet turbine and a serrated knife on a stone. It really is amazing how repurposing objects to make Musique Concrète can actually give them a new life. And sometimes Musique Concrète is created by accident, like when a flute has the wrong mouthpiece. And other times, repairing an instrument can actually ruin the qualities that you want for Musique Concrète. Recording the music can be part of the process of creating the desired sound. But you have to be ready because sometimes you only get one take. Follow hackedepicciotto on the socials @hackedepicciotto. Follow Dead Space Chamber Music @deadspacechambermusic. Pick up The Silver Threshold & The Black Hours on Bandcamp. Follow us @PerformanceAnx. You can support the show at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety or buy merch at performanceanx.threadless.com. Now let’s get into some found sounds with Musique Concrète on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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Longtime drummer turned guitarist, singer, & songwriter Matt North graces the podcast today. He’s got such an amazing story that starts with his uncle, the poet laureate Jesse Stuart. His influence on Matt’s life is unquantifiable. As was moving from his hometown as a child. But he found comfort and friendships playing the drums. It was such a help to him that he found himself playing as a professional drummer by the age of thirteen! But that’s just the beginning.

He moved to San Francisco for the music scene but stayed for the comedy. He began doing standup and roomed with Patton Oswalt and Mitch Hedberg. Their dedication to their craft lit a fire under Matt, but for his music, not his comedy. He wound up in LA playing drums, professionally and even doing some acting. But with the rising cost of living in LA, coupled with the discovery that his son had a learning disability and would require assistance, Matt and his family decided it was time to leave. He moved to Nashville where he ended up in a lawsuit about the quality of the special needs education his son was receiving. All of this helped to inspire his latest album, Bullies In The Backyard. There are songs influenced by his legal battles, the job he had to get at The Home Depot to help pay for that battle, and even his awesome mother-in-law. Go buy the album at mattnorth.net and while you’re there, click the social links to keep an eye on this guy. And follow us, too @PerformanceAnx. You can help us through ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety or getting merch at performanceanx.threadless.com. Rate & review. and check out all the other great shows on the Pantheon Podcast Network, like Long May You Young, The Rock & Roll Archive, Stephanie & Stephanie Talk Tunes, Side Jams, & more. But for now, check out singer, songwriter, & great dad, Matt North on Performance Anxiety.

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We’re joined by the multi-talented David Heatley from the comfort of his car. He was kind enough to chat with me about his incredibly varied career. Music was very important to him early on. He started a few bands, like The Velvet Cactus Society and The Bischoffs. Both bands were fun, junkyard-y kind of bands. But when David kind of took creative control, he figured his next project should probably be a solo project. But in addition to his music, David has been a very successful illustrator. His creativity tends to cycle between being introverted to create his art until he starts feeling the need to be extroverted and perform. It’s served him well. 

David also tells us how he would reach out to artists he admired and send them his work. It’s worked to his benefit on many occasions; the latest being his new album, Life Our Own Way. He wrote to legendary producer Mark Bingham. That led to conversations. That led to demos, which led to studio sessions, which led to the new album. 

David’s new album has just come out and he’s already working on the next one. And just in case he wasn’t busy enough, he’s working on TV shows, including one based on his addiction to 12 step programs. Give him a follow @davidheatley. Buy the new album, Life Our Own Way. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on the socials. Check us and all the other great podcasts on Pantheon Podcasts. Rate & review us all! And you can help the show through ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety or performanceanx.threadless.com. And I hope you enjoy David Heatley on Performance Anxiety, part of the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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This one gets rough in spots. My guest today is drummer Kofi Baker. He’s the son of Cream drummer, Ginger Baker. Kofi talks a lot about the complicated and sometimes frightening relationship he had with his parents, Ginger in particular. He’s completely candid about his first experiences with drugs, which were supplied by his dad. He also describes the period of his life when he was homeless and how he would tie his drums to him at night so they wouldn’t get stolen. But even after the beatings, the abandonment, the years of neglect, Kofi has found that his goal in life is to keep Ginger Baker’s legacy alive. To that end, he’s playing in The Music Of Cream with Eric Clapton’s nephew, Will Johns. It’s a multimedia experience with photos, videos, stories, and The Music Of Cream. Go to kofibaker.com or musicofcream.com, follow Kofi on social media. It’s pretty easy to find him. Give us a follow @PerformanceAnx. Rate & review the show. And you can help us out through ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety or performanceanx.threadless.com. I hope you enjoy Kofi Baker on Performance Anxiety, part of the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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Guitarist Will Johns is the guest of honor, this episode. I’ve had a lot of guests who have music in their DNA. They really had no choice but to be musicians. Never has it been more true than with Will. Will’s parents were actress Paula Boyd and world renowned producer & engineer Andy Johns. His aunt, Pattie Boyd, inspired some of the most beloved songs in rock and married George Harrison & Eric Clapton, making them his uncles. And we can’t forget his Aunt Jenny & her husband Mick Fleetwood.

That in and of itself could warrant a great conversation. But Will has so much more to discuss. He was in a number of bands in the 90’s & 2000’s, like GLYDA with Jesse Woods & Tramper Price. They recorded demos at Jesse’s dad’s place. I forgot to mention that Jesse’s dad is Ronnie Wood. But at one point, he put everything behind him and took work in an aquarium, staging art galleries between exhibits, and as a fisherman. A random interview request from a blues magazine reignited his musical flame and he’s been going strong ever since. Now he’s just fishing for fun. But that doesn’t even cover a fraction of his stories. Now he’s touring with Kofi Baker as part of The Music Of Cream. It’s more than a tribute band; it’s relatives of the supergroup playing the music, jamming, & telling stories in a multimedia experience. Follow the band @musicofcream. Follow Will to hear some great blues @willjohnsmusic or check out willjohns.com for more links. Follow us @PerformanceAnx. Rate & review the podcast. You can show support through ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety or performanceanx.threadless.com. So grab a beer, a plate of sushi, get ready for some wild stories with Will Johns on Performance Anxiety, part of the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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I will freely admit that I am not an authority on electronica. So I was a little nervous about having Rona Rougeheart from SINE on the podcast. She was very patient with me and walked me through how she got into music, who made the biggest impact on her, and some of the wildest things she’s experienced, like the time Peter Murphy missed a make-up gig in Orlando and she and some band members performed an impromptu Bauhaus jam for the audience. She discusses her relationship with Curse Mackey and the effect he’s had on her music, how she came up with the band name SINE, and the new music she’s working on. We also talk about her COVID musical coincidences, my son’s hair, and our mutual love of boxers. Check out her social media @ronarougeheart and @sinebandofficial. Pick up her album on eMERGENCY heARTS.

Follow us @PerformanceAnx on social media. Rate & review the podcast. You can also help keep it going through ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety or performanceanx.threadless.com. Let’s dive right into things with Rona Rougeheart of SINE on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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Lyle Hysen’s career in music has been different from most. And as the drummer for the grammatically incorrect Das Damen, he schlepped his drums across the States and Europe. He toured with Screaming Trees and Nirvana before grunge took over the world.The band even toured as Arthur Lee’s backing band for a time. But Lyle’s career would take a left turn when he accidentally started a niche market licensing music for small, indie bands. That eventually led to the formation of Bank Robber music, where he’s helped so many bands stay in the business through the licensing and publishing side of music.

But he wasn’t quite done making music. He’s a foundational member of The Royal Arctic Institute. Sounds fancy, I know. But they write some beautiful instrumentals. You have to check out their music, especially if you like cassettes, since that’s the only physical copy you’re going to get. Follow the band @theroyalai on IG, @royal_arctic on Twitter, The Royal Arctic Institute on FB. Pick up the album on Bandcamp or wherever you get music. We would love a review, a follow, stuff like that. We’re @PerformanceAnx on the socials. Get stuff at performanceanx.threadless.com. You can help support the show like our good friend Sandy Olivia at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. So do a few jaw exercises because I couldn’t stop laughing on this one. Welcome Lyle Hysen from The Royal Arctic Institute on Performance Anxiety, part of the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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