Six Questions With Matty C

Welcome back to Six Questions With Matty C. It’s a simple short-form interview show from the fine folks at What Am I Making. 

In each episode I’ll use the same half dozen questions about film or music, each with a five minute discussion limit to learn more from each guest about how the culture we consume shapes the people that we turn into. 

This week’s guest is Abigail Hummel, half of the father-daughter duo behind the amazing music and beer podcast, Pops On Hops.

In this installment of the Six Questions series, Abigail returns to her days as a child actor and her introduction to musical theater. We talk about learning adult themes at an early age, the spiritual connection of people singing together, and falling in love with A Chorus Line. 

We jump in the time machine for a trip back to a moment of critical musical invention, and we learn how R.E.M. shaped Abigail’s worldview by writing amazing songs with something to say. Abigail shines a light on a band that traffics in a form of shiny, optimistic pop that isn’t always perfect for the moment, but when it hits, it hits just right. 

Abigail shares the story of an intimate show in Gainesville which she attended alone that taught her about the power of big talents in tiny rooms. We wrap up our discussion with the band that Abigail thinks she ought to begin building her physical record collection with. We also discuss why this particular band has been so important to her for as long as she can remember. 

Come join me and Abigail Hummel for six musical questions.

Cheers,

Matty C

Welcome back to Six Questions With Matty C. It’s a simple short-form interview show from the fine folks at What Am I Making. 

In each episode I’ll use the same half dozen questions about film or music, each with a five minute discussion limit to learn more from each guest about how the culture we consume shapes the people that we turn into. 

This week’s guest is Kevin Alexander, the man behind the fantastic music Substack, On Repeat Records.

In this go-round, Kevin and I talk about the records that shaped us as young children. We discuss the power of art and music on young people and talk about a a time when records were a sort ofclassroom. Kevin hops in our time machine to travel back to see a legendary multi-night run that became one of the greatest concert films of all time. 

We talk about the two bands that began to help Kevin form his political beliefs. He says he came for the beats, but stayed for the message. There is also talk of a beloved Ohio singer/songwriter that helped Kevin, a native Oregonian, come to terms with and better understand his midwestern surroundings living in Wisconsin.

Talk of favorite shows leads to discussions of lifelong connections across the merch table or standing behind a cargo van at one o’clock in the morning. And of course, Kevin tells us why New Order would be the last band he would ever let go from his record collection. 

Come join me and Kevin Alexander for six musical questions. Let’s get into it.  

Cheers,

Matty C

Emma Swift found her way to Nashville by way of the mid-sized, but isolated city of Wagga Wagga, Australia. In high school, she fell hard for the myriad female singer songwriters that were ascendant in the early 1990s. At university, Emma discovered the world of alt-country, and she began to soak up the artistry of iconic singers like Linda Rondtstadt and Emmylou Harris. 

Emma has always appreciated the interpretive talent of singing someone else’s songs. It was one of the things that first drew her to heroes like Rondtstadt and Harris. Those song selections were almost as important as the way they were performed. As much as she knew she wanted to write songs, she also knew that she possessed an interpretive talent.

Her work as a recording artist in the States received increased attention for her 2020 album of Bob Dylan covers, Blonde On The Tracks. The album, produced by Wilco’s Pat Sansone is a luscious paean to the emotional side of Dylan’s catalog. On, Blonde On The Tracks, Emma wears those songs, as she puts it, “like a Bob Dylan shaped dress”.

In September of this year, Emma will be releasing her brand new album, The Resurrection Game. The record is a laconic, gorgeously rendered collection of dreamy, alt-folk that conjures feelings of Nick Drake, Sandy Denny, Judee Sill, and Fairport Convention. 

While the record is a beautiful, immersive experience, it was not a smooth road from nascent idea to finished product. In the midst of making the record, Emma suffered a seven week breakdown while in her native Australia. It would take nearly a year of recovery for her to emerge as something close to the person she was before the breakdown. Emma admits that there were moments where she wondered if she would inevitably become a different person than she had been before the breakdown. Thankfully, after a long stretch of treatment and an amazing outpouring of love and support from family, friends, and fans, Emma finds herself well once again.

I sat down to speak with her on the eve of her massive house concert tour where she will be playing 29 shows over the course of nearly two months. We chatted about the romantic notion of driving across America, and the ways that speaks to our fifteen year old souls that first found Kerouac, and On The Road. Emma finds herself thrilled to be headed out on the road to play the songs from her new album each night, because as she puts it, “music is best when shared.’

Emma and I admit that we have no penchant for work/life balance, and we discuss the shapeshifting ways that technology is constantly changing the ways that we make and release our artistic projects. We talk about ways to fight the loneliness epidemic, why artists have to see their work as a small business, and Emma shares her theory that regular people renovate their bathrooms, while musicians just make another record.

Here now is my talk with the terrific Emma Swift. Enjoy

Cheers,Matty C

Welcome back to Six Questions With Matty C. It’s a simple short-form interview show from the fine folks at What Am I Making. 

In each episode I’ll use the same half dozen questions about film or music, each with a five minute discussion limit to learn more from each guest about how the culture we consume shapes the people that we turn into. 

This week’s guest is Thea Wood, the writer and mastermind behind the wonderful Substack, Herizon Music.

In this installment, Thea and I jump headlong into the first records we remember getting our hands on and the tune she used to sing to her Grandmother when she was still a tot. 

Thea tells us where she would land her time machine to get the chance to see an artist on the verge of becoming a legend. We briefly touch on the day that Thea met John Lennon at Disney World, a much longer story that you can hear on WAIM Podcast #081.

You’ll find talk about the AIDS crisis and the young artist who stood her ground on the cause. Thea shares a Substack star she thinks everyone should know, and we cover the similarities between the Deadheads and the Swifties. 

Come join me and Thea Wood for six musical questions. Let’s get into it.

Cheers,Matty C

Welcome back to Six Questions With Matty C, a simple short-form interview show from the fine folks at What Am I Making. 

In each episode I’ll use the same half dozen questions about film or music, each with a five minute discussion limit to learn more from each guest about how the culture we consume shapes the people that we turn into. 

This week’s guest is Michael Gilbride, an independent musician and the founder of the artist-driven label MAD Records. 

In this episode, our first musical edition, Michael and I dive deep into the vulnerability of singing to just one other person, and the musical trust that he found early on in his brother. We cover how critical storytelling is to each and every artist, and why that story will always be the center of the connection between an artist and their audience. 

We talk about the night and the show that made Michael finally understand the rhythms and beauties of New York City, and he shares the surprising album that would be the last record he would give up from his collection. 

Come join me and Michael Gilbride for six musical questions. Let’s get into it. 

Cheers,

Matty C

Welcome back to Six Questions With Matty C, a simple short-form interview show from the fine folks at What Am I Making. 

In each episode I’ll use the same half dozen questions about film or music, each with a five minute discussion limit to learn more from our guest about how the culture we consume shapes the people that we turn into. 

This week’s guest film scholar, retired cinema professor and Substacker, Dan Pal. 

In this episode we cover the ice queen portrayed by Mary Tyler Moore and the scene that brings Dan to tears. We ponder the possibilities of the universe and get a glimpse into the gentle beautiful people of Iran as Dan shares a little known gem. There is talk of the rare sort of friendship that leads to lifelong bonds that feel more like family than friendship. And Dan shares with us the night he went to the movies to see his own film. 

Come join me and Dan Pal for six questions at the movies. Let’s get into it.  

Cheers,Matty C

Welcome to the third episode of Six Questions With Matty C, a simple short-form interview show from the fine folks at What Am I Making.

Allotting just five minutes of discussion per query, in each episode I’ll use the same half dozen questions about film or music to learn more about how the culture we consume shapes the people that we turn into.

This week’s guest is Jonathan Ytreberg of the great Substack,The Oscar Project. During our chat, Jonathan and I talk about the lessons on sacrifice and the loss of innocence found in a Pixar flick. We learn about the film that made Jonathan wonder what is really happening in the world and we hear the magical story of a midnight movie filled with beer and belly-laughs.

We find lessons of brotherly love, and uncover a film nerd classic with no dialogue, no characters, and no obvious narrative that speaks deeply about our civilization and humanity.

Come join me and Jonathan for six questions at the movies.

Cheers,Matty C

Hey there gang, welcome back to Six Questions With Matty C, a short form interview show from the fine folks here at What Am I Making. The premise for the show is pretty simple; I’ll ask the same six questions of each guest, allotting five minutes of discussion per query.

I have crafted a set of questions for both the film and music lovers in the crowd. For our second episode, we’ve opted for the cinematic route.

With these half dozen questions about film I hope to learn more about the cinematic tastes of each guest, as well as getting a bigger picture about the emotional and artistic impacts left behind.

This week’s guest is Beth Lisogorsky of Beth’s TV & Film Recommendations. Beth is a friend of WAIM and a recent guest on the pod. During our chat, Beth and I dive into the concepts of unconventional love and how it seems that there is never enough time. We cover the ideas of legacy and immortality while also falling under for all of Joseph Cotten’s charms.

More than once, the master of suspense comes up as Beth shares a Hitchcock favorite and we look at how the James Bond films might have severely affected the final third of that great filmmaker’s career. Beth shares the character she sees as the perfect combo of a dreamer and a realist as she seeks to find her cinematic doppelgänger.

Come along with me and Beth for a breezy discussion on cinema, identity, planning your vacations and so much more. Be sure to let us know what you think of the show. We would love to hear your thoughts, ideas, and comments.

Cheers,

Matty C

Hey there gang, welcome to Six Questions With Matty C, a new short form interview show from the fine folks here at What Am I Making. The premise for the show is pretty simple; I’ll ask the same six questions of each guest, allotting five minutes of discussion per query.

I have crafted a set of questions for both the film and music lovers in the crowd. For our pilot episode, we’ve opted for the cinematic route.

With these half dozen questions about film I hope to learn more about the cinematic tastes of each guest, as well as getting a bigger picture about the emotional and artistic impacts left behind.

This week’s guest is Dr. Barry Hummel of the terrific Pop On Hops podcast. Barry is a longtime friend and supporter of What Am I Making as well as being a repeated guest on the WAIM Pod. He also spent a portion of his career in Hollywood working as a technical advisor on a variety of productions, including a string of work with director James Cameron.

As more of these episodes are recorded, we’ll be sharing them in their own podcast feed. In the meantime you can watch the full episode with Barry Hummel right now in the video player below.

Come join me and Barry, as he agrees to play guinea pig for our brand new project. And be sure to let us know what you think of the format of the show. We would love to hear your thoughts, ideas, and comments.

You can also watch a video version of our chat here.

Cheers,

Matty C