Sugar High

Frank Zummo is pretty damn good at the drums. For the last decade he's tirelessly pursued drumming. From his humble beginnings in Long Island, to being flown out by Motley Crue to fill in for Tommy Lee, Frank has somehow lived every drummers dream. But how? Why? How did a kid from New York join pop punk legends Sum 41 and win AP's drummer of the year? Frank is the best at something, and we can all learn from him. Enjoy. 

Hello everyone I'm back at it this week with my new Liverpudlian friend Dan Croll. Prior to interviewing Dan I was in poor shape. Days of drinking, smoking, and brutal jet lag in London had brought my fragile American body to a breaking point… but then Dan arrived. We met backstage at Citadel festival in East London. I was on the brink of death, and Dan was pissed his set hadn't lived up to his very high expectations. But after sitting in his air conditioned trailer for a few minutes we woke up and had one of the best conversations I've ever had. I found Dan at a crossroads in his musical career. Although his first album was successful his label deemed it not successful enough and dropped him from the roster. This sent the former Rugby standout into a funk that's only now receding. Forced to confront his mental health, insecurities, and financial obligations, Dan wrote a record about becoming an adult that helped him push through a difficult period.

He's also a funny dude and hates cider. Either way I think you'll enjoy.

Love,

-Danny

Hey everyone! I'm on the hunt for interviews right now in the United Kingdom. I'll be back next week with updates. The week after that will be a special one... most likely with a little guest named Best Coast. I have to catch my flight! Talk soon!

Alex and Sierra are singer song writers from Florida that won the last season of X Factor America. While they were known on that show for their covers, the duo took a deep dive into song writing and have become a legitimate touring act. I know nothing about the world of singing competitions. I know that Simon Cowell yells at people but that's about it. Turns out it's a fascinating world and one I'm glad I learned about. 

For the last 20 years Tony Hoffer has been producing and mixing many of my favorite records. He's worked with Beck, The Kooks, Phoenix, Fitz and the Tantrums, Air, and many more. But what is a producer? What does it take to become one and how did a kid from Los Angeles go from cleaning toilets at a studio in San Francisco to producing 6 grammy nominated records? Tony reveals all and tells some damn good Phoenix stories in the process. 

Dreamers are everywhere right now. I mean literally, they are everywhere because they are driving there in a van. 

They're on their way to being dubbed the hardest working band in 2017. We live in the same neighborhood and have a ton of mutual friends but scheduling an interview with them is nearly impossible because they're simply never home. But that's what they should be doing. Since releasing their debut record "This Album Doesn't Exist", Dreamers have toured relentlessly. But that's what you have to do. 

Due to their recent success and non stop touring they've found themselves at the precipice of much larger success and that's interesting to me. So I cruised over to lead singer Nick Wold's house in Silverlake to hang out and discuss what it's like to finally get a band off the ground, his Jazz training and where he goes from here. 

Normally this show consists of in depth dissections of a musicians career, but today is a bit different. Over the years I've accrued some pretty epic tour stories. None more epic than the one you are about to hear. 

It involves a bassist in a famous band, the city of Tampa, and a desperate attempt to save a body part. 

This is a true story and one that I thought needed to be told. Thanks to Tim John of Australia's the Vines for sharing. 

Since dropping out of high school in 2003 Jennifer Clavin has been involved with one cool buzzy punk project after another. Beginning as the singer for underground heroes Mika Miko, followed by a stint drumming for Best Coast, she eventually went off the grid and started her current and most successful project Bleached. 

Since starting this podcast I've become interested in why there aren't more bands comprised of women. Obviously Jennifer doesn't have the the whole answer but she articulated some interesting thoughts on the matter and I'm glad I brought it up. But it still makes me wonder. Why do people bring it up so much? Why did I?

A few weeks ago I cruised over to her house outside Pasadena to drink La Croix, talk about the seducing world of punk rock, and figure out why the members of Mika Miko, a band with so much promise decided to call it quits. 

Since 2007 Tim Heidecker has been a cult comedy hero. His show Tim and Eric Awesome Show Great Job created a legion of dedicated fans and launched his acting, directing, comedy, producing, and music career. But long before all the comedy success Tim wanted to be a musician. He even had a band called The Tim Heidecker Masterpiece that performed around Philly and NYC. Music took a backseat when Bob Odenkirk helped Tim and Eric land their first development deal but in recent years he's been writing and releasing some fantastic tunes. From his piss drinking Yellow River Boys to the more serious singer songwriter album, In Glendale, Tim has made music a priority and I wanted to know more. So I stopped by his studio... In Glendale to learn more. Thanks to Chris Swanson for making this happen. 

Mallrat is an 18 year old wunderkind. During her senior year of highschool Grace Shaw kept her musical ambitions a secret. Instead of announcing that she was planning something she just started making music and released it online. Overnight she'd received numerous label offers and began climbing the charts on Australia's national radio station Triple J. These days she's playing festivals around the country, moving to America, and has half a million Spotify listeners per month. But how did that happen? This week we sit down with young Grace to figure out what exactly bubble gum wrap is, and why you don't need an expensive studio set up.