The Volume Knob

Thanks to Andy for his time and vulnerability this week. 

You can learn more about Andy's music on his website  or buy a copy of one of his records on Bandcamp.

Though it wasn't Myles' jam, you might want to set 15 minutes aside and listen to I Dream a Highway before or after you hear Andy's story. If you're interested in falling down a Gillian Welch rabbit hole  you can check out this track (which is my favourite) or listen to any one of the interviews she's given gain insight into her keen intelligence and artistic thoughtfulness.

As always, you can get in touch with The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

Do you have a story about the song that saved your life? Send it to me at [email protected].

Every episode I thank my guests for their time and their vulnerability. 

Sharing personal stories requires bravery; not only the bravery required to let the story "out there" and belong, in a sense, to the rest of the world, but also to confront the emotional content of a time in one's life which may be scary, embarrassing or painful. 

In that way, Kate is the bravest guest I've had on the show. Clearly, her story is difficult for her to tell, but she told me several times in pre-production that telling it was a way of honouring her sister's memory. I myself am honoured that she took the time to do it on the show. A thousand times thank you, Kate.

I have to admit that I, like Kate in the story, had never heard For King and Country until very recently. That said, they're kind of a big deal in the space of contemporary christian music (who knew?) having won two Grammies in 2015 and another two in 2020. 

As always, I encourage you to listen to the whole song either before or after you listen to Kate's story. (the Assasin's Creed-y video for Shoulders has over 45 Million views!!) They've been referred to as "Australia's answer to Coldplay" by American Songwriter, if that's your cup of tea.

As always, you can get in touch with The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

Do you have a story about a song that saved your life? Be sure to send it to the pod at [email protected] 

Many thanks again to Shane for his time, vulnerability (and indeed his writing skills) this week.

Left and Leaving is the title track of a Canadian classic album that you should totally listen to if you haven't already. Maybe once before you hear Shane's story and then a second time afterwards.  If you listen wearing headphones you'll hear a cool interplay in the opening bars of Left and Leaving between the lead guitar (in one ear) and the rhythm guitar (in the other) it's a magic sort of call and response.  Which one is left, and which one is leaving? Your call. 

As always, you can get in touch with The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

Do you have a story about a song that saved your life? Be sure to send it to the pod at [email protected] 

Chi miigwetch to Waubgeshig for his time and vulnerability this week.

Waub is currently working on a sequel to his bestseller the award-winning novel Moon of the Crusted Snow. 

If you weren't a teenager or in your early 20s in the early 1990s you may have missed out on the deeply angry and wholly political landmark that is Rage Against the Machine's self-titled record (featuring Take the Power Back). That said, you should definitely give the whole song a listen either before or after you listen to Waub's story. While you're at it, peep the lyrics so you don't end up like a certain insurance broker in Michigan... 

As always, you can get in touch with The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

Do you have a story about a song that saved your life? Be sure to send it to the pod at [email protected] 

Thanks to Mario for his time and vulnerability this week. 

In addition to being a journalist with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Mario drums in the Ottawa band Gentlemen of the Woods. He also shares his very photogenic adventures in Italian food and culture through his Instagram account This Italian Kitchen. 

In case you haven't heard it, you really ought to take a moment to listen to Caravan of Love and enjoy the intense, very-80s religiosity of the music video (bonus points for id'ing a 23-year-old Fatboy Slim). 

If you're falling down a rabbit hole, you might also want to hear the -- very different sounding -- original version of Caravan recorded by Isley Jasper Isley . It was the title track of their album released in 1985.

As always, you can get in touch with The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

Do you have a story about the song that saved your life? Send it to me at [email protected].

Thanks to Lauren for her time and vulnerability this week. 

She is the co-author of The Boss of You: Everything A Woman Needs to Know to Start, Run, and Maintain Her Own Business. You can read more about Lauren (and sign up for her coaching services!) at laurenbacon.com. 

You really ought to listen to Cranes in the Sky  either before or after you listen to Lauren's story. Grammy Awards are a complicated measure of whether a song is worth your time or not but it's worth mentioning that Cranes did win the 2017 Grammy for Best R&B Performance along with a 2017 BET Her Award and the 2017 Ashford and Simpson Songwriter's Award at the Soul Train Music Awards. If you read a little about Cranes  (including this pretty cool interview between Solange and her sister who you might have heard of) you can see how Lauren's story is quite similar to the events that inspired Solange to write the song.

As always, you can get in touch with The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

Thanks to Peter for his time and vulnerability this week. 

Pete is the promotion brains behind Ottawa's Flora Hall Brewing. 

As always, you really ought to take a second to listen to all eight-and-a-half-minutes of Pictures of You  before or after you hear Pete's story. It's pretty interesting to compare Pete's recounting of walking around the bay, to the snowy images of the band  in the video, shot in 1990 in Ballachulish, Scotland.

As always, you can get in touch with The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

Do you have a story about the song that saved your life? Send it to me at [email protected].

The Volume Knob is an exploration of personal stories through music. 

Every week I’m going to ask an interesting person to share a story about how music has shaped them by getting them to describe the Song that Saved their Life. 

The cool thing about these stories is that they end up being about more than music. They’re stories about the essential emotions that music inspires: thought provoking, funny and sometimes sad.

The Volume Knob will be available later this summer anywhere you get your podcasts so get over to www.volumeknob.net and sign up for our mailing list or check us out on twitter and instagram.