Pianist Matthew Shipp makes music where free jazz and modern classical meet. In the early ’90s, he played in the David S. Ware Quartet and soon began leading his own sessions, often with bassist William Parker. He has recorded many duets with musicians such as Roscoe Mitchell and Mat Maneri. He began playing piano at five and focused on jazz by age 12. He studied with Robert “Boisey” Lawrey and later attended the New England Conservatory after brief studies with Dennis Sandole. He moved to New York City in 1984, where he met William Parker, and has since recorded for labels including HatArt, Thirsty Ear, RogueArt, AUM Fidelity, ESP-Disk, and Tao Forms. Matthew was recently in the news for his comments on Andre 3000's recent 7 Piano Sketches album. In April he release a collection of essays and poems Black Mystery School Pianists and Other Writings.

Grace Bergere is a songwriter and musician from Downtown Manhattan. She will be touring the West Coast with Puzzled Panther in late July, supporting Gogol Bordello for the second time. On June 4th, she’ll appear at Scott Lipps’ Lipps Service Live at The Bitter End with Eugene Hutz, and on June 7th, she’ll perform with Joseph Keckler and Bibbe Hansen at Art Yard in New Jersey. Her debut album A Little Blood was released on Eugene Hutz’s Casa Gogol Records, which also put out her cover of All Tomorrow’s Parties featuring Thurston Moore.

Photo: Augustin Rebetez

Swiss-born Dejan Gacond places words at the center of his artistic projects—shared through installations, books, and stage performances. For 15 years, he and Kit Brown have imagined and built A Kaleidoscope of Nothingness.

Since 2013, Dejan has collaborated with Lydia, a poetic friendship marked by 13 performances within the installations. He also translated several of her texts into French, including V.I.T.R.I.O.L., published by Au Diable Vauvert in 2022.

His collaborations extend to writer Tony O’Neill, filmmaker Sabrina Sarabi, and the band And Also The Trees. His latest books, Sous tes yeux les poches sont des bassines (2025) and Club Nothing (2022), were both published by Label Rapace.

Elliot(Eli) Hoffman is the drummer for Car Bomb, a band that formed in the early 2000s from two groups, Neck and Spooge, in Rockville Center, New York. His drumming is influenced by artists like Vinnie Colaiuta and Thomas Haake. Hoffman started playing drums around the age of 10, participated in drum corps during junior high, and later took lessons that shaped his technique. Checkout car Bomb's official site.

Hannah Marie Marcus is a Manhattan-born musician and olfactory artist whose work spans folk, slowcore, Cajun, and experimental sound. The Hannah Marcus Years: 1993–2004 collects recordings with collaborators including Tim Mooney and members of Godspeed You! Black Emperor. She has since scored films, toured with Matana Roberts, and performed scent-based works.

In this episode, Overachievers and Underachievers, we sit down with artist Justin Gradin and poet John Tottenham—two creators who dig into the absurd, the anxious, and the unpolished truths of life. From Gradin’s grotesquely layered visual chaos and insomnia-fueled narratives, to Tottenham’s hilariously bitter verses on failure, resentment, and reluctant ambition, this conversation explores the fine line between doing too much and doing just enough.

Both Justin and John have new books out in 2025. Checkout Justins new book on Fantagraphics Pageant.  John's book Service is out on Penguin Books.

Gavin Friday, former Virgin Prunes frontman, has built a solo career rooted in electro-pop and theatrical storytelling, with collaborations including U2, Sinead O’Connor, and Laurie Anderson. He has also composed award-winning film scores and worked with artists like Quincy Jones, Fifty Cent and Scott Walker. Known for constantly evolving rather than revisiting past glories, His latest album, Ecce Homo, was released in 2023.

English musician Graham Lewis is a  founding member of the legendary post-punk band Wire. Known for his minimal yet charged presence as bassist, vocalist, and lyricist, Graham helped shape the band’s stark aesthetic since 1976. Beyond Wire, he’s explored experimental sound through projects like Dome, He Said, Hox, and UUUU. An art school background and fascination with the underground shaped his career. Graham is based in Uppsala, Sweden.

Pat Thomas is a historian and editor whose latest work, Dispatches From The Literary Underground: Evergreen Review, compiles and reprints the first 100 issues of Evergreen Review (1957–1973) in full color. Drawing on interviews with former staff and new essays from cultural commentators, the book documents the magazine’s role in publishing and promoting voices that shaped the postwar counterculture—writers, radicals, musicians. Pat approaches Evergreen not as nostalgia, but as evidence—archival, visual, unembellished—of how literature and politics intersected in print.

Frank Hurricane is a musician and storyteller blending blues, folk, and spoken word. His album Quintorian Blues showcases his mix of humor, adventure, and spirituality. Recently featured on PBS in an Emmy-nominated documentary, known for his eclectic style, combining country blues with hip-hop influences to create a unique and immersive experience.