That's How I Remember It

James Austin Johnson is my guest on this episode of That’s How I Remember It. James is a cast member of SNL, best known for his impersonation of our current president. He also does a masterful Bob Dylan, with a loving attention to detail. His great new comedy special He’ll Yeah is out now. We talked about that as well as trusting an editor, the correct pronunciation of Moleskine, Christian ska, Bill Frisell, handwritten signs in Brooklyn, and so much more. Really an incredible guest, this one was a blast. Listen and subscribe!

Steven Hyden is my guest on this episode of That’s How I Remember It. He’s got a cool new book out about The Strokes called Is This It: The Never-Ending Rise and Fall of the Strokes (and Rock n’ Roll), which I found both fun and thought-provoking. We talked about the book as well as his high school writing, “Upper Mississippi Shakedown” by the Lamont Cranston band, getting into music from reading artist interviews, The BoDeans, Ellen Willis, five person bands, and a lot more. Really great talk, check it out and subscribe! 

Caithlin De Marrais is my guest on this episode of That’s How I Remember It. Caithlin is a member of classic emo band Rainer Maria and has also put out some great solo records. She’s got a new solo record called Vowes due soon, and she’s already released two videos from it. We talked about that record as well as her going back to school for music education, rote memorization, archaic spellings, almost drowning, Echo & The Bunnymen, and leaning into the physicality of playing music. Really enjoyed this one, please listen and subscribe!

Tommy Stinson is my guest on this episode of That’s How I Remember It. Tommy is a rock and roll hero of mine, and I was thrilled to have him on the podcast. We talked about Sly & The Family Stone’s “It’s a Family Affair,” old Minneapolis clubs The Nacirema and Duffy’s, loving Minneapolis band The Suburbs, starting on stand-up bass, what he learned from his time in Guns N' Roses and whether he remembers anything from the show at 7th Street Entry where I first saw the Replacements. Was a thrill to have Tommy here, listen and subscribe!

Johanna Samuels is my guest on this episode of That’s How I Remember It. Johanna first hit my radar with her awesome 2023 release Bystander, produced by long-time friend of the pod Josh Kaufman. Now she’s got a fantastic new record called Sorry Kid coming out this week and we talked about that as well as waterbugs, morally complex endings, having a panic attack at Moulin Rouge, going to movies by yourself, and Blue vs. Pinkerton. As always, I had a blast talking to Johanna, it’s a great episode. Please listen and subscribe!

Lenny Kaye is my guest on this episode of That’s How I Remember It. Lenny is a true rock and roll legend, and he’s done it all. He’s Patti Smith’s long-running guitar player. He compiled the seminal garage rock compilation Nuggets. He’s written books, produced records…I’m barely scratching the surface. And now, in 2026, he’s put out his first-ever solo record, titled Goin’ Local. We talked about the new release as well as Jamaican Gospel records, his book You Call it Madness, his songwriter uncle, playing “You Really Got Me” with Ray Davies, Soul Asylum, Jim Carroll, and so much more. Lenny is a truly fantastic and encyclopedic rock and roll mind, and it was a pleasure to have him join me here. Listen and subscribe!

Jonathan Meiburg makes music as Shearwater and is my guest on this episode of That’s How I Remember It. He’s about to release a great album called The New World, and we talked about that as well as keeping dog noises on recordings, not having children, field recordings, caracaras, his travels on a boat in Antarctica, isopods and so much more. Jonathan is a fascinating person, and I really loved our conversation. Check it out and remember to subscribe!

Robyn Hitchcock is my best on this episode of That’s How I Remember It. Robyn has a great new book out called Stranded in the Future, which details his life in the years between 1968 and 1978. He also has an excellent new record The Confuser, which is his 25th solo record. We talked about all of that as well as his ability to remember birthdays, astrology, writing hungover, Trout Mask Replica, seeing Dylan at Isle of Wight in 1969, spanners, and much much more. I was thrilled to have the chance to talk to Robyn and it turned out great. Listen and subscribe!

Mike Campbell is my guest on this episode of That’s How I Remember It. Mike is the legendary Heartbreakers guitar player who stood beside Tom Petty for decades, and he’s also played with many other rock giants - Bob Dylan, George Harrison, more. His book last year Heartbreaker is possibly the best book I’ve ever read on band dynamics, and he’s just released a cool new record with his band The Dirty Knobs, called Mission of Mercy. We talked about all of this plus hearing the Beatles for the first time, meeting most of his heroes, the “it’s just the normal noises” intro to the Heartbreakers classic “Even the Losers,” and gratitude. Great conversation with a true rock and roll legend. Check it out, and please subscribe! 

WILL JOHNSON is my guest on this week’s episode of That’s How I Remember It, and it’s a special one to me. I love Will as a friend and an artist. I’ve said as much in the new book “Patience For The Ride”, which features essays about the man and his music from illustrious folks like Patterson Hood, Jim James, and Jason Isbell. For the past few years he’s been a member of The 400 Unit and also fronted Magnolia Electric Company on recent shows. He continues to put out incredible solo records, including last year’s Diamond CIty. On top of all that, he’s got a very special sense of memory. All of this lines up to make for a beautiful talk and an excellent episode. Check it out now, and subscribe also!