Since 2016, the LA-based supergroup, cover band, and iconic institution for all things Dead-related, Grateful Shred, has been a presence on the sonic scene for the last decade, emerging as one of the most well-respected and highly regarded acts of thier generation. Blending the essential efforts found within the Dead's early energy from the 1960s psychedelic era with the cosmic countryside of the early 1970s, the Shred, and its creative core have captured with incredible accuracy, the electrifying essence of the band with poetic precision.

After a lightning-in-the-bottle moment on Shakedown Street in 2017 during a Dead and Co. show at the Hollywood Bowl, the group's luck changed overnight when a viral video, "Busted at the Bowl," was uploaded to their YouTube channel, and the rest became harmonic history. On this episode of The Self Portrait Gospel Podcast, we sit down with Horne and McCutchen to chat about the group's origins, favorite eras/albums of the Dead, the Shred's debut album "Might As Well", Dan's Dubs, Blade's Boards, and much more.

On this episode of The Self Portrait Gospel Podcast, we sit down with the wizard behind the flowing crimson curtains of all things Uknown Mortal Orchestra, Ruban Nielson, to talk about his favorite cult classic horror films and how the unique process and trailblazing approach to some of those classics from the 1980s have inspired him on his melodic journey from the group's monumental 2011 self titled debut to their most recent EP "CURSE." Over the years, Nielson has kept a humbling philosophy on how he deals with the sonic success, and overall reality of being in a band that has not only transcended the cultural confines of "indie rock," but continues to create, and establish, exciting new melodic methods to bring out the best within.

Having recently stepped into the wide and winding world of jam band culture and the tonal tenacity of the tape trading subculture that iconically came about during the Grateful Dead's radical reign on society, Nielson eagerly encourages fans to document UMO shows by using analog equipment such as film cameras, reel-to-reel machines, and other various tape recording instruments to not only capture the essence of the band live, but to be a part of something much bigger than the band istself.

On this terrifyingly spooky and melodically macabre episode-well, not actually that terrifying at all-of The Self Portrait Gospel Podcast, we had the wonderful privilege to sit with the great Cass McCombs to discuss his brilliant new effort, "Interior Live Oak," and other atmospheric anecdotes such as how West Coast skateboard culture adopted him, made him one of the thier own, his late friend and musician Travis Graves (Mt. Egypt), recording the labum on both the West and East Coast, his cosmic connection with songstress Chris Cohen, life on the road, the importance of music overall, and much more.

Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Zachary Cale first came onto the scene with his 2005 debut "Outlander Sessions" some 20 years ago, if you can believe that. Having navigated an eclectic era that's far beyond different from the one we currently occupy, Cale has kept a steady pulse on the melodic machine, while simultaneously sharing the stage with the likes of the great James Toth (Wooden Wand), Deer Tick, Ben Chasny (Six Organs of Admittance), Kurt Vile, and several others over the course of his multi-layered career. Following up on the brilliant release of last year's "Next Year's Ghost" with the veteran musician's instrumental debut "Love's Work," we sit down with Cale to speak about his poetic perspective on this day, and age's so-called industry, while carefully balancing the hardships of life's complicated curveballs.

Embedded in the collected consciousness of popular culture, cinema, and creative charisma for the last four decades, legendary actor, filmmaker, and author Crispin Hellion Glover has danced on the elusive edge of artistic freedom, while simultaneously inhabiting an abstract atmosphere like no one else of his generation. His almost alchemical approach to his craft is unparalleled and unpredictable, as he carefully uncovers the macabre mysteries of the human experience through characters you know and love. Having starred in such cineamtic classics as Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter, Back to the Future, River's Edge, What's Eating Gilbert Grape, The Doors, Hot Tub Time Machine, among several others, Glover's complex career on the big screen has truly cemeneted him as one of the greats of our time.

On this episode of The Self Portrait Gospel Podcast, we sit down with Glover to chat about his most recent film, "No! YOU'RE WRONG. or Spooky Action at a Distance," which was shot entirely on 35mm film negative over the course of several years, and what seems like a lifetime since its critical conception. Followed by a short tour in select theaters to showcase the industrious intensity and intimate imagery of this spellbinding effort, Glover pulls us into his incredible imagination by swiftly displaying the timeless tones and electrifying elements of the Dada/Surrealist movement, which has undeniably influenced the actor throughout his compelling career. Set to premiere at MoMA in New York City this Thursday, October 2nd, the film will continue to run through the spooky month with more available dates on his site below.

https://www.crispinglover.com

Now based in East Nashville, not too far from our little operation here in Tennessee, the subliminal songstress and mistress of melodic mastery, Marissa Nadler, has been gracing the alchemical airwaves for nearly two decades with her majestic meditations on life, death, love, memory, and several other elements of the human experience. Having signed with the Brooklyn-based label Sacred Bones Records in 2013 for the release of her monumental classic "July." She has since carved a captivating path of poetic perfection and otherwordly observations into the heart and soul of some of the most trepidatious topics that her peers Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan articulated so well throughout their careers.

We sit down to speak with Nadler about her new album "New Radiations" and just how private and personal this material is compared to her previous releases throughout her incredibly disciplined discography over the years, while simultaneously balancing being your own boss in the radically opinionated world that is the internet. "New Radiations" is a brilliant collection of songs that uplift the soul from the overwhelming depths of darkness by shining a lavish into the cryptic corners of the room, only to reveal the spiritual significance of beauty in its simplest form.

We're back for another exciting episode of The Self Portrait Gospel Podcast with our friend, the talented multi-instrumentalist, artist, and fellow Nicolas Cage enthusiast, IIyas Ahmed. Pulling up a digital chair to chat with us about his visceral vision of the world and the people in it, the never-ending landscape of jazz, and its related juxtaposition, Ahmed tells the tonal tale joining the melodic machine that is Grails, his favorite films, a solo career that spans over two decades, and the intimate instincts it takes to be an artist in this day and age.

Having come from a Greek/Pakistani background, Ahmed, like most of his generation, connected with the critical climate of the punk and hardcore bands of the 1980s before establishing a more spiritual setting on the melodic meter of self-discovery and existential expression. While exploring the atmospheric alchemy of instrumental music and its cinematic nature, Ahmed's overall style and approach are undeniably universal, as he confidently communicates a language that is both lyrical and legitimate.

From the shapeshifting subleties of his spiritual practices in sound, tonal texture, and electrifying emotion, to the carefully cinematic essence of his eager expressions behind the scenes, there isn't much the West Coast-based, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and composer Blake Mills can't do. He's come a long ways since his classic 2010 debut "Broken Mirrors," while simultaneously capturing the critical chemistry of some of your favorite artists in between his sonic shifts and radical responsibilities in the studio.

On this episode of The Self Portrait Gospel Podcast, we sit down with Mills for a long-awaited chat to discuss his most recent effort with legendary bassist and all-around master of melody, Pino Palladino, "That Wasn't A Dream." A breathtaking entry into the fundamentals of fusion, ritualistic rhthms, and lucid language between two incredible artists, Mills take us on a journey through his unique process, atmospheric approach, and tonal theories, while we kick back and marvel at the totality of his techniques, amighty attention to detail, and much more.

Chicago-based drummer, producer, and multi-displinary artist Spencer Tweedy has played music as long as he can remember. Growing up in a musical household, to say the least, Spencer gravitated towards his father Jeff Tweedy, founding member of such notable acts as Unlce Tupelo and Wilco, and his profession by quickly navigating his very own unique path in music. On this episode of The Self Portrait Gospel Podcast, we speak to Spencer about the critical connection he has with music, participating in bands like Case Oats, Tweedy/Jeff Tweedy, who is set to release their brand-new triple LP "Twilight Override" later this year, touring with Waxahatchee, the balance of life, and work, the climate of the music industry, and much more.

Hailing from a period in time that, to this day, continues to birth bands and artists all around the world, New York-based multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, and one-half of perhaps one of the most influential bands of its time, The Holy Modal Rounders, Peter Stampfel has been creating music, and art for well over half a century. From the Rounders to the death-defying dynamics of The Fugs, and a million other lives inbetween, Stampfel's poetically prolific body of work is compelling to say the least, as the veteran musician takes us on a journey from one end of the galaxy to other end of the table in a cosmic conversation that ignites the spirit of creative change. His most recent effort, "Song Shards," carefully captures the essence of youth, eager advertisments of the past, and a friendly reminder to stop and appreciate the small things as the 46-track collection unfolds into a beautiful flower of friendliness.