In this wide-ranging & deeply reflective conversation, guitarist Randy Randall (No Age, Hyphenate with Randy Randall) talks about the shifting economics of indie music, redefining success as he became a parent, and building a freelance career in marketing almost by accident. From his early days immersed in the DIY community to learning resilience in the gig economy, Randy shares an honest, unglamorous, and strangely hopeful portrait of what it means to be a lifelong creative worker. He & Tim dig into the real tensions between art and money, how freelancing in marketing actually aligns with his long history of conceptual art, and why optimism is essential when your livelihood depends on the next email, gig, or project.

Randy's question for Tim: When is it a good idea to put money in a traditional IRA versus when is it a good idea to put money in a Roth IRA?

Key takeaways:

1. Randy describes juggling multiple identities — musician, podcaster, and now freelance marketing professional — and the tension between what he wants to say he does and what actually pays the bills. 
2. He explains why touring slowed down: part parenthood, part industry collapse, part shifting audience habits — and how those changes pushed him into new types of work. 
3. Randy explains how he fell into freelance marketing during the pandemic, discovering it uses the same skills he honed through years of art-punk conceptual work. 
4. He discusses the unpredictable nature of gig-based creative work, where every project feels like “starting from zero” and momentum is never guaranteed. 
5. Randy and Tim dive into the emotional resilience required to freelance — balancing optimism, uncertainty, and the long game of sustaining a creative life. 

Links:
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Randy's website
Hyphenate With Randy Randall
Tim's episode of Hyphenate
No Age's Bandcamp page
Lifeguard's "Ripped And Torn", produced by Randy