Six Strings of Tension

For the first time on the podcast we have the privilege of being joined by a guitarist extraordinaire from that most illustrious of cities straddling between the Pacific coast and Blue Mountains, Sydney, Australia. He is a man with three decade's worth of experience as an active musician and DJ, and is currently carving out a path as an ecstatic primitive acoustic guitarist who dabbles in the blues-rooted traditions of American Primitive, but also bends this medium into what can be termed "madcap ambient" forms - most evident on his most recent album, Wizrad, which dropped last Friday. This isolated Australian axe-wielder is none other than Darren DC Cross.

Our conversation veers through Darren's rich musical history, including collaborations with the likes of Kylie Minogue and Kool Keith, playing gigs with the Avalanches and hearing the songs that would later become their breakthrough album "Since I Left You", as well as touring with an endless list of the finest and wildest musicians and bands of the 90s and 2000s.

And while a history like his undoubtedly makes for interesting conversation, the real meat of our chat (for me at least) lies in Darren's philosophy around solo acoustic guitar, as he talks about how he approaches each album and adapts his playing by adopting a new tuning and embracing new techniques. I reckon there's a lot to be learned and embraced by other players in listening to how he pushes himself on the instrument to expand his technique and compositional prowess.

We also talk guitars and discuss his most recent custom made Opus acoustic, and bond over our shared feelings of disgust for Ovation guitars. Key takeaway is that plastic guitars are awful and Florentine cutaways are the best.

Anyway, check out the interview, but much more importantly, go and listen to his latest album Wizrad on thee bandcamps (while it is still alive)!

Breaking out of the acoustic trend we've been riding for a while, I'm incredibly excited that on this episode we ascend the jagged, soaring peaks of transcendental, ambient, brutal death metal for a conversation with Cody Drasser of Long Island's wyrdest purveyors of brutality, Afterbirth.

All the more special, we had this conversation on Cody's 48th birthday, and I'm pleased to report he is "still alive, still playing death metal, still doing the thing". In fact, there's a genre shattering new Afterbirth album entitled "In But Not Of" coming out on Willowtip Records this Friday, October 20th.

We chat about how he got into metal by "borrowing" some Iron Maiden albums he found in (Afterbirth bassist; also of the band Helmet) David Case's older brother's record collection. Seeing the music video for "Betrayer" by Kreator at a sleepover when he was a kid, and a friend's immediate feeling of repulsion to the band, was another key touchpoint in nurturing his love for auditory malevolence.

We also cover the beautiful, albeit somewhat heartbreaking story of how he ended up with his first guitar, teaching himself to play, and briefly taking lessons from the guy who would later evolve into Bumblefoot (probably most well known for his brief stint in Guns 'n Roses).

But we talk about so much more - Afterbirth's strange, almost esoteric or, dare I say, "spiritual" sound, the importance of not trying to be explicitly "different" or a novelty act, but simultaneously not trying to fit into any kind of pre-existing musical template, and most crucially, creating art that is uncensored, honest and authentic. As Cody says "I don't know if there's any intention other than just being real".

Anyway, there's so much more we talk about, so give it a listen - Cody is easily one of the most kind, thoughtful, down to earth, and insightful players I've ever had the opportunity to interview.

It's difficult to fully express how much Afterbirth's music means to me. To date, I have heard nothing that makes me feel anything quite like this band do. They are certainly not for everyone, and I'm sure the vocals will be a challenge for anyone unfamiliar with death metal, but if you've got an open mind and a taste for that which is both esoteric and malevolent, definitely check them out, and either way, give this here conversation a listen!

Normality is restored this week as I have the privilege of chatting with acoustic guitar extraordinaire Ethan WL all the way from Boston. Ethan is part of the ever growing and snowballing third wave of American Primitive players, alongside the likes of Liam Grant, Joseph Allred and a blossoming plethora of young musicians in the USA (and around the world).

We chat about his album The Pink House, the album's convergence of acoustic primitive playing with field recordings, electric soundscapes and noise, and the shift he is making for his forthcoming new record, which looks set to consist of purely solo acoustic guitar performances, akin to a live show. We explore the debate around cheap vs. expensive guitars and gear (there remains no definitive conclusion to this debate), the relaxing nature of drone and even harsh noise music, and the not-so-tenuous links in meditative quality in the aforementioned drone and noise styles of music, and the transcendence of American Primitive.

I really enjoy discussing the college and underground music scenes of Boston, learning about a musical realm partly overshadowed by (and even in conflict with) the Berkley College of Music (my only prior knowledge of Berkley is gleaned from memes and Eric Andre). It's super cool to hear about house shows and regular gigs with bills consisting of American Primitive, harsh noise and Hyperpop artists back to back. I really dig the idea of a scene where participants lean into these vastly different forms of extreme music, and Ethan truly is the embodiment of someone who is all about extremes when it comes to music.

Finally, we talk about discovering American Primitive music, playing with Liam Grant, Mike Gangloff, Glenn Jones and many other giants of the genre, as well as working with the legendary Rob Vaughn (his work on Liam Grant's Amoskeag has become something of a benchmark in audio engineering). And of course, the ever present influence of big daddy Neil Young and embracing simplicity in composition.

But anyway... give it a listen - Ethan is doing awesome stuff, and you can expect to hear loads of amazing things coming from him over the forthcoming years, and dare I say, even decades. Early days for the third wave - don't sleep on it!

After a year of persistent requests, I finally agreed to let William Randles (aka Seven Rivers of Fire) interview me for the podcast... everything is backwards, but I'm glad we did it! Here is what Will has to say about this episode:

On this episode we journey back to Ethekwini to finally hear from the man behind the mic, the host of this here fine podcast, the myth, the legend, the one and only: Mr Duncan Park.

Deploying his knowledge of the craft in a solo capacity as well as across various musical projects such as the mighty Return to Worm Mountain and the alright Rise Up, Dead Man, Duncan’s guitar playing ranges from gentle melodic indie and pop informed balladry, and sublime acoustic acid folk raga fingerstylings to heavy aggressive black metal, doom, psych-rock, cosmic drone, and noise

Over our sprawling three and half hour conversation interrupted intermittently by barking dogs jumping on laps and knocking microphones I talk to Duncan about his musical journey, his earliest musical memories, his influences, various projects past and present, composition versus improvisation, recording methodologies, the video game Dark Souls, the mental health challenges that can come with creating art, the wonders of DRONE, how his engagement with Buddhist philosophy and practice has informed his music, our mutual appreciation of Robert Thurman aka Bobby T aka Bobby T-Money aka Bobby The T man OG aka OG Bobby T Aka aka Atlanta temporal deficit 💸 and so much more…

Thank you for finally agreeing to engage in this dialogue Duncan and for starting this podcast.

Delve deeper into The EXCLUSIVE TRUE STORY of Duncan Park

As winter melts away in the southern hemisphere, and autumn begins to fall upon the north, we are joined this week by the singular Eli Winter. His elegant, articulate playing is matched only by his soft-spoken, honey-toned voice, and gentle approach to conversation.

Eli joins us from his home in Chicago for a thoughtful chat, and throughout the conversation you can hear the sounds of traffic, background music, the occasional aeroplane, roommates washing dishes and chatting; the sounds of life. Turn this one up and listen closely - through the mic hiss and ambience you will hear Eli quietly sharing his thoughts about music, guitar, the administrative toil behind the craft, and mental health in an insecure industry built on artistic expression.

We discuss the joys of musical collaboration, and Eli's good fortune of playing with an incredible range of stellar musicians. We explore the influence of jazz, british folk music, and even slivers of country music that seep into the incredible songs he has crafted over the course of three albums. I stand by the claim that his most recent, self-titled solo album is a pioneering work in the country-jazz fusion genre (not sure if Eli agrees, but he very politely chuckles at the proposition).

Most exciting for me, however, are the discussions around how Eli got into discovering his own music tastes by stumbling across albums by Weird Al Yankovic and The Shins (and being overwhelmed with anxiety over whether or not to buy these strange, perhaps even taboo albums), and playing Guitar Hero as a kid. We learn that even Eli has his own stash of parody songs, that perhaps someday we will be privileged to hear (apparently there is a Born In the USA spoof in there somewhere).

The discussions around his song titles, and the "non-musical" factors which inform his work take both a lewd, lighthearted, and simultaneously sombre turn. From his debut record being framed by the destruction wrought by Hurricane Harvey in his home city of Houston, Texas, to the unintentional sexual innuendo that seems to imbue a significant number of his song and album titles, his art seems to embrace both the tragedy and comedy of our absurd existence.

But we talk about so much more, and I gotta say - Eli is such an incredibly thoughtful, humble and kind person, and one of the absolute finest guitarists making music right now. Go buy his albums, get tickets to his shows - he's going on tour tomorrow and you won't be disappointed.

Thank you for listening.

Well, this episode is an absolute treat. To Virginia! The heart of colonial America, but a more gracious reputation would be that it is the home of guitar phenom, artist, historian, folklorist, writer, vegetable grower, and excellent fellow, Daniel Bachman. And what a conversation we have!

Of course, we dive deep into colonial history, its resonances to our current context, and unpacking the past as a lens to understand our place in this world. This history and the deep power of place is intimately imbued in Daniel's music, as he invokes ghosts, spirits and "non-human collaborators" on albums such as the spectacular and singular Axacan.

We get into some esoteric territory, talking about the historical trauma held by the earth itself, recording in these traumatised spaces, and the darkly poetic reality that as sea levels rise in Virginia's Chesapeake Bay, the land that was so deeply traumatised by colonialism, slavery, slaughter and brutality will be the first to sink beneath the water. The earth holds onto its trauma, and the plantation houses will one day rot beneath the waves.

But before this all starts sounding too bleak for your tastes, let it be known that Daniel, and this conversation, is filled with compassion, love, connection, reflection and honesty. We talk about musicians, and how the emotional awareness necessary to create moving and powerful music, often comes from broken, but beautiful souls. We talk guitars, songwriting, and Daniel's journey from banjo picker to guitarist (upon hearing the mighty sounds of John Fahey and Jack Rose), and now back to the banjo (and hosts of other instruments, sounds and field recordings). Years on the road making music, and growing into scholarship without a formal university qualification - we are all free to engage in these things.

Perhaps most exciting, we speak about his forthcoming new album (tentatively due for release around November), and discuss the inspiration and intention behind the record. His "string band" album, largely inspired by family history, and specifically the blind Hostetler String Band. But make no mistake, the record pushes firmly forward in the aesthetic of Almanac Behind and his other more recent releases. And I'll go on record saying that the new one is a goddamn masterpiece.

But anyway, go ahead and give it a listen. Don't lose hope - we can live in balance with the earth and with the past, but as Daniel says "it's a lot to live through."

I had the privilege of being joined this week by the singular guitarist, singer-songwriter, (former) guitar maker, and general scene-builder, archivist and custodian of weird acoustic music, Buck Curran. He is most notably recognised for both his solo work, as well as being one half of the folk duo Arborea. He has also curated stellar tribute compilations for guitarists such as Jack Rose, Steffen Basho-Junghans and Robbie Basho, as well as releasing an archival Robbie Basho live album (all of these collections are absolutely essential listening).

We chat about his long a colourful history, blossoming into a guitar maker and eventually a full time musician. It's an intriguing tale, and one which brings wonderful clarity and insight to Buck's rich catalogue of music. With a musical style that frequently blends intricate fingerpicking with haunting vocals, one of the most striking features of Buck's music (to my ears anyway) is his impressive use of space, silence and sustain in his compositions and playing.

We cover a wide range of topics, including life as a full time musician, reflections on how much the scene has changed from the late-2000s heyday of Arborea to our current, post-covid context, the pressure of becoming the custodian of Robbie Basho's legendary 12 string guitar, balancing fatherhood, touring and recording, and a whole bunch of other stuff too.

So go ahead and give it a listen - Buck's passion for guitar is utterly infectious, and deeply inspiring.

I had the absolute pleasure and privilege to chat with Tennessee's finest and kindest exploratory guitarist, vocalist and musical world builder, Joseph Allred.

This is one of the most winding and expansive discussions we've ever had on the show, traversing themes of cultural appropriation, global imperialism, mental health, religion, the commoditization of culture and music, contemporary politics, but most importantly, discovering who we are as people amidst all of this noise, and what this means for our role in society and the music we create. 

Joseph is an amazingly thoughtful interviewee, practically bursting with ideas, observations, insights and wisdom; all articulated with a degree of nuance, compassion and sympathy that is desperately void from so many of the prevailing conversations on our screens and headphones. But beyond these conversations around culture, politics, society and power, Joseph speaks honestly and openly about their individual journey and personal circumstances with a frankness and vulnerability that reaches straight into your chest, and cradles your heart with a gentle poignancy. At times it feels like an empathetic bloodletting of personal history, experience and emotion. I feel incredibly lucky to have been part of this conversation. And honestly, this also makes for a fair description of Joseph's music.

We also talk a bit about guitars and guitarists (being a guitar podcast, after all), specifically Joseph's Holzapfel 12 string (built sometime between 1925 - 1935) and the immediacy with which it projects sound due to its build and less obstructive bracing under the guitar's top. Our discussion veers into lengthy tangents on the glory and magic of Robbie Basho, his playing, his singing and his otherworldly brilliance.

But really, a description is a failed exercise for this conversation - hit that link in the bio and listen for yourself. This episode truly is something not to be missed.

Thank you Joseph, for the words, for the music and for sharing your world with us.

Join us for this conversation as we drift across to continental Europe, to the city of Madrid where we explore the expansive and rich playing of the singular Xisco Rojo (and apologies for my poor pronunciation of names and album titles throughout our chat)!

You will hear us unpack the joys of being a creator, unbound by regional and stylistic aesthetic, but existing as an outsider on the fringes of various musical movements and cultures. We explore the limitations of language, and how instrumental music can at times be the most effective means for communicating complex or significant ideas and statements.

Notwithstanding this, it is worth noting that Xisco's latest (and chronically under-hyped) album, Folk-Lore, is a collection of traditional folk songs with lyrics and singing (I strongly recommend you go and give it a listen ASAP). This gives us a space to explore some ideas around the universality of the human voice, and tales, or stories, as a means to convey complex and rich tapestries of meaning. Additionally, it adds a new dimension (with the addition of vocals and lyrics) to Xisco's vast, and perhaps aesthetically disparate back catalogue of releases. Even so, as a humble listener, I am of the view that there remains a common and consistent thread which ties all of his output together rather neatly.

As you may be able to tell, one of my favourite things about this conversation is that all of the above themes are largely external to the guitar itself. But fear not, for this is a podcast about guitars, and we do walk through Xisco's extensive collection of wonderful instruments, that will leave any six string fanatic drooling. His passion for big, bass-heavy, harmonically rich instruments will have you shopping around for dreadnoughts before the interview is through.

Lastly, I believe Xisco's final note and response to my last question is one of the most touching and beautiful moments for the podcast yet. Make sure you listen to the whole thing, and given Xisco's proclivity for complex conversation, perhaps consider giving this one a second listen, so as to ensure you didn't miss any jewels of wisdom that he consistently slips out unassumingly as he speaks.

Kick back, take it easy, and enjoy the chat - it's good to be back, and what a conversation to return with!

For this episode we traverse to the British Isles for the first time to speak with shadowy Welsh apparition, and apocalyptically dexterous Welsh Primitive player, Gwenifer Raymond.

A lesson in Welsh musical history is imparted, with tales of Newport once being dubbed the "new Seattle" with flagship venue TJ's leading the charge (post-interview research reveals this is allegedly where Kurt Cobain proposed to Courtney Love), and the glory of playing in punk bands in The Valleys. We speak about Gwenifer's musical origins and influences, and how "Hendrix was the only guitar wanker who could get away with it" (what a fucking quote, eh). Also, when it comes to electric guitar, the love of feedback triumphs over the classic solo.

Electric guitars aside, we talk about Welsh landscapes and how the ineffable feeling of visions and nostalgia of where and how you grew up permeates the music you create. In Gwenifer's instance this would be the woods at the foot of the Garth Mountain - dark forests, cold, misty, and imbued with gothic atmosphere. And as a South African living in the tropical city of Durban where monkeys swing from the trees, I can confirm that the cold, gothic forests and mountains of an Ancient, Arthurian Wales is exactly where Gwenifer's music somehow transports me to every time I hear it.

In terms of six stringed technicalities, for a third time on the podcast, nickel strings get a shout out (technically nickel alloy if you want the specifics), and the merits of certain recording techniques and the use of digital processing in recording acoustic guitars are discussed (if it sounds good, go for it). Chats about horror movies are where the conversation gets truly interesting, and for real, A24 needs to get Gwenifer to write a soundtrack for a classic British folk horror that they almost certainly have in the pipeline.

Songs about dogs are the only beautiful songs.

Please also note the announcement that the Lovely Eggs are the best band in the UK.

At first, you can hear how nervous I am to speak with such an incredible guitarist whomst I hold in the highest revere, but the nerves quickly settle as soon as we get into the familiar discussion territory of the glory of grunge, and the genius of Joey Santiago. It must be noted that every single song in Gwenifer's solo repertoire is an attempt to do Vamos by the Pixies. 

I hope you enjoy this chat with the wonderfully wild and surprisingly affable Gwenifer Raymond.