Performance Anxiety

I’m pleased to have Ken Andrews from Failure on the podcast. We talk about so much in this episode, like how Ken got into music, how Failure formed, and how the band decided on their name. There is so much Failure in this episode, which makes sense because they just released a new album called Wild Type Droid. But we also go into the space between Failure’s breakup in 1997 and reformation in 2013. We go pretty in depth on the bands ON, Year Of The Rabbit, Digital Noise Academy, and Ken’s solo album. There is so much in here like how the Segues came to be, news of a Failure documentary and if there are tour plans for 2022 and how some of the songs on Wild Type Droid were pieced together. Follow the band @failurebandig on Instagram, @Failure on Twitter, or the website failureband.com and pick up Wild Type Droid on every format imaginable (except maybe laser disc). Follow us on the socials @PerformanceAnx. You can help support the show at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety or performanceanx.threadless.com. Let’s get right into the show with Ken Andrews of Failure on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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Welcome to the Performance Anxiety Podcast Holiday Special. In the spirit of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, I have asked a couple of guests from podcasts past to come back on. Alain Johannes discusses a song of Christmas past that he recorded with his wife Natasha Shneider and Chris Cornell. I’m also joined by Josh Caterer of Smoking Popes to talk about a song he recorded and released this Christmas present. And both discuss some possible releases for Christmases yet to come. So like a little kid on Christmas morning, let’s just tear right into this episode of Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network. Follow Alain, Josh , and I on social media to stay in the loop on new releases.

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Norman Westberg is my guest today. This episode went to a few places I wasn’t expecting. At first we discuss his entry into music and how he really wanted to play drums. But a photo of Mark Farner from Grand Funk Railroad made him rethink that idea. But he started off playing bass in his bands. Until The Stooges made him realize that he really could play guitar in a band. 

This is where we take a left turn. Norman joined Swans when original member Sue Hanel left. Her story is a mystery and Norman and I talk about how she slowly disappeared. But once we get back on track, Norman tells me that his favorite gig was an early one and why it’s his favorite. We also touch on a lot of his other projects like Hidden Rifles, SugarTime, Five Dollar Priest, & more. And how Thor Harris made him a guitar out of mahogany. Much of Norman’s solo work is ambient and he tells me how he started in that genre and about his process of writing, recording, and performing the music live. Find him on Facebook or bandcamp. Check out his albums on Etsy, as well; especially if you like bespoke packaging. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on social media. You can help support the show at performanceanx.threadless.com or ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. And look for us on the Wisdom app, too. I hope you enjoy this conversation with Norman Westberg on Performance Anxiety, part of the Pantheon Podcast Network.

And don't forget to follow us on Wisdom at joinwisdon.audio/PerformanceAnx

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I am joined by the multi-talented artist Ellen Foley. You might remember her from the musical Hair, or maybe as public defender Billie Young from the 80’s sitcom Night Court, or maybe as the female lead from Meatloaf’s Paradise By The Dashboard Light (or the entire Bat Out Of Hell album for that matter). She talks about a lot more than those highlights, though. There’s moving to NYC from St. Louis to pursue her career. There’s also recording her own album’s after Bat Out of Hell, which led to a relationship with The Clash’s Mick Jones. THAT led to The Clash being her band for her second album, Spirit of St. Louis. THAT led to a wikipedia entrance citing her as the influence for the song Should I Stay Or Should I Go and subsequent royalty payments! After years of acting, theater, and raising a family, she’s got a new album out. And to bring things full circle, she duets with Karla DeVito, the singer who lip-syncs in the Paradise By The Dashboard Light video, and who sang Ellen’s part on Meatloaf’s tour.

Pick up Ellen’s new album, Fighting Words wherever you get music. Follow her on Instagram @ellen_foley_stoprightthere & twitter @EllenFoleyNYC. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on social media. You can help the show at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety & performanceanx.threadless.com. And thank you for checking out Ellen Foley on Performance Anxiety, part of the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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John San Juan is our guest. He’s the guitarist for Hushdrops. The band was preparing their third album when they suffered the unexpected passing of their drummer, Joe Camarillo. John talks about how he spent the next few months drinking, until one day he decided the best tribute to Joe would be to finish the album. It’s a really great story of how they were able to use drum tracks by Joe to finish the album. But we start off talking about his childhood obsession with music. He was playing heavy metal covers when he realized he wanted to play like Neil Young. And that’s how the Hushdrops found their sound. Their name is a completely different story, though. Follow the band @hushdrops on social media. Buy the new album, The Static, wherever you get new music. Give us a follow @PerformanceAnx on social media. You can help support the show at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. Merch is available at performanceanx.threadless.com. Since I was caught in traffic when we recorded this, we now join the conversation with John San Juan already in progress on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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We’re thrilled to have Jared Michael Nickerson as our guest. He grew up right in the middle of the funk capital of the world, Dayton, Ohio. He talks about the effect it had on his life and how it shaped his music. He attended the University of Notre Dame where one of the priests introduced him to the early works of Miles Davis. There’s also a pretty wild story of how he wound up with the bass he’s been playing decades. 

After playing with bands like Human Switchboard & The The, he joined Burnt Sugar the Arkestra Chamber with Greg Tate and helped shaped the direction of the band. Jared sheds some light on the conduction method that makes the band so unique and improvisational. He also reveals the difficulties of putting Burnt Sugar on vinyl. Give Jared and Burnt Sugar a follow on social media (they’re pretty easy to find). Buy the new release, Angels Over Oakanda through Bandcamp or their website burtntsugarindex.com. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on social media. Support us through ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety or performanceanx.threadless.com. Rate & review & tell a friend or two about the podcast. And thank you for tuning in to Jared Michael Nickerson on Performance Anxiety, part of the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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I would like to welcome singer/songwriter Sarah McQuaid to the show. Sarah has been singing since joining a children’s choir and was touring before hitting double digits. Even in school she looked at singing like it was her vocation. That shouldn’t be surprising once you discover that both her parents were artists and one of her relatives was a founder of the ACLU and won a Nobel Peace Prize. She discusses her love of traditional music and how that led to her accidentally writing a book. She also describes the similarities between writing a song and having children, even if that song is sung in hillbilly gaelic. She has a new live album out, The St. Buryan Sessions. It’s just her in a church and it sounds so lush. Pick it up wherever you get music. There is also a limited vinyl release so grab that while you can! Follow her on IG @sarahmcquaidmusic, check out her site sarahmcquaid.com. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on the socials. You can help support the show at either ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety or performanceanx.threadless.com. And now please enjoy my wonderful chat with Sarah McQuaid on Performance Anxiety, part of the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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Cassie Watson Francillon & Bryan Webre of Shakespeare and The Blues join the podcast today from New Orleans.  We recorded just a few days after Hurricane Ida impacted the area. So our connection was not the clearest. But it’s a fun talk and I think it provided a little distraction in all the post Ida chaos. In the band, Bryan plays bass and handles electronics and Cassie plays the harp.  It sounds like an odd mix but it really works. It’s an interesting discussion about how Cassie discovered a love for the harp, how Bryan got a late start with the bass, and how all three members of Shakespeare and The Blues met and started playing together. It’s a unique sound that you really need to hear. Show them some support and pick up their debut album on Nouveau Electric records. They just got their IG account going, so follow them @shakespeareandtheblues. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on Twitter & Instagram. You can help support the show through ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. Or you can pick up merch at performanceanx.threadless.com.

So clear your heads and get ready for something unique with Cassie & Bryan of Shakespeare and The Blues on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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I don’t believe I’ve ever had a guest more self-deprecating than Mike Connell, particularly concerning the band he founded with his brother and some friends, The Connells. Through everything, the local gigs and homemade demos to radio hits and opening for Def Leppard, he has remained appreciative of the opportunities that have come his way, treating each album like it was the last one they’d be allowed to make. Mike talks about playing in a band that was really starting to get a following while attending law school and taking the bar exam, tour vans catching fire, and the bond that forms when you play with the same people for over 35 years. And in addition to having a track on one of the strangest albums of covers ever conceived, The Connells have a brand new album out called Steadman’s Wake. pick it up wherever you get new music. Follow The Connells for info about shows and more @therealconnells on IG & @connellsmusic on Twitter. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on both. Get merch at performanceanx.threadless.com or help support the show through ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. If you miss this episode with Mike Connell, you must be insane in the membrane. Thanks for listening to Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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This week we take a deep dive with James Hall. We hit on a lot of topics and a lot of bands like Mary My Hope, The James Hall Band, The Futura Bold, The Steady Wicked, and The Ladies Of. As always, we find out how he got his start in the music business. But we also find out a lot more. Like how the record labels had a hard time figuring out what to do with him and his band, placing them on tours with bands as diverse as Maria McKee followed immediately by Rage Against The Machine. But matches like those helped him look at music in a different way. 

Both Hurricane Katrina and starting a family had profound effects on James and his music. He’s grateful for everything that’s happened; good, bad, and otherwise. He’s discovered an interesting outlet for his music in yoga classes. And while James admits to never having sold insurance, he does do work for Books For Africa. Check out jameshall.com for music and links to his social accounts. Follow us @PerformanceAnx. You can support the show through ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. Merch, like coffee mugs, are at performanceanx.threadless.com. I hope you get the same feeling of hope I did with this discussion with James Hall on Performance Anxiety, part of the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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