When Bill Janovitz arrived in Massachusetts with his family, he was unimpressed. Halfway through high school, Bill’s family moved from a verdant suburb on Long Island to a rural community in Massachusetts that was a full half hour from a movie theater. With far less stimuli than he had found at his old home, Bill was initially bored with The Bay State, but would gradually change his mind after moving away to college at UMass Amherst.

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At university, Bill found a bustling community of writers, musicians, and budding intellectuals. He studied with renowned poets and crossed paths with a number of new friends that would eventually go on to define a swath of American indie-rock that would conquer the country in less than a decade.

While at UMass, Bill built his own band, Buffalo Tom, and began to immediately gain traction. The band made a name for themselves playing across New England and venturing further afield along the eastern seaboard building a fanbase and a sterling reputation along the way. Over the course of a forty year span, Buffalo Tom have released eleven full-length albums and toured around the world.

In addition to his work in Buffalo Tom, Janovitz is also a celebrated author. He has written for the famed 33 ⅓ Series as well as publishing an exhaustive biography of Leon Russell in 2023. His most recent written effort, The Cars: Let The Stories Be Told, is a definitive history of one of rock’s biggest acts. The book is a thrilling look at a marvelous band that is often not given their proper kudos.

Bill and I also spent a few minutes discussing some of his “day job”, as we geeked out on the glorious beauty of mid-century architecture and design. Outside of his writing and work in music, Janovitz has built a real estate firm focused on the mid-century treasures that abound throughout Massachusetts. Bill shared a bit of his love for MCM design, and why Massachusetts is rife with it.

Near the end of our interview, Bill describes himself as a rambler, and I am quite sure that I would qualify for that title as well. So, here are a pair of ramblers covering indie rock, The Cars, MCM, and a whole bunch more.

Cheers,

Matty C

Robbie Fulks first arrived in Chicago in 1983 with a pregnant girlfriend and not much of a plan. In fairly short order, he landed a job at the legendary Old Town School of Folk Music on the city’s north side. At the Old Town School, Fulks found a community of like-minded musicians and thinkers. He honed his chops, worked on his original songs, and soaked up the atmosphere.

By the time Fulks was ready to record his own material he began working with the now legendary Steve Albini at the controls. Their early efforts were recorded in the Albini basement before Steve had a proper studio of his own. Fulks paints a picture of Albini as a rabble-rouser with a firm moral code. It’s a fascinating look at a mercurial figure in the annals of indie-rock.

Fulks also shares his impressions of the shifting Chicago music scene of the early and mid-1980s. By the time that Robbie had arrived in the Windy City, the wave of singer/songwriters led by John Prine and Steve Goodman had run its course, and the city had not yet become a mecca for the guitar based indie rock that would shape the sound of the 1990s in Chicago.

Robbie shares the harrowing tale of making a record on a remote Scottish island with the band, The Mekons. Despite minimal planning, and haphazard conditions, the recording and subsequent tour were a remarkable and enlightening experience, mostly thanks to the Mekons leader, Jon Langford.

During our discussion, Robbie shares his approach to songwriting, and even touches on a song that he has stopped playing due to its lack of lyrical sensitivity. We run through some of Robbie’s catalog, and even chat about the nature of recording, and reinterpreting a cover song. This is a wide ranging conversation with a fascinating and funny dude who just happens to be one of the very best songwriters working today.

Cheers,

Matty C

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Thanks so much to Robbie for joining me. He is out on the road in the US throughout much of the late winter and spring. You can full dates at http://www.robbiefulks.com/

The What Am I Making podcast is hosted, written, and produced by me, Matty C. 

Our theme music was written and recorded by David J. Baldwin

You can subscribe to our show wherever you get your podcasts. Please be sure to like, rate and review the show if you enjoy it. 

Our work is solely sponsored by listeners and readers like you. Please lend your support today with a paid subscription at whatamimaking.substack.com/. Now is a crucial time for new paid subscribers. Please step up and support the show. 

You can email the show anytime at [email protected]. You can also leave us a voicemail with your questions or concerns at speakpipe.com/whatamimaking

David Gedge’s 40 year stint as the main man behind The Wedding Present comes down in great part, to luck. John Peel, the famously powerful DJ from BBC’s Radio One took a shine to the first Wedding Present single, and played the song a whopping ten times on a single show. The power of Peel’s nationwide show and his influence as a tastemaker helped to pave the way for the Wedding Present to get a real opportunity at stardom.

Gedge and his bandmates would not squander their opportunity. In 1986, The Wedding Present released their legendary debut album, George Best. The album was living proof that the band were far more than a one hit wonder. Fans and critics began flocking to the Weddoes in droves.

During their four decade run, The Wedding Present have maintained a strong following throughout Europe and in their native UK, and have even found regional successes in the vast expanses of the United States. David and I talked about the differences between touring in America versus life on the road in Europe and Great Britain. We also take a look at some of the cultural differences that exist between the Brits and their American cousins.

David also shares stories of working with legendary recording engineer Steve Albini in Chicago, and talks about the discoveries he and his bandmates made whilst reinterpreting much of the Wedding Present catalog during the Covid lockdowns. We cover transitioning from a singles mindset to an album outlook when making and releasing records, and David even shares the story of the time he took the Trans-Siberian Railway to a gig.

Cheers,

Matty C

Frank Turner is a man who largely made a name for himself by mixing pop and politics. Emerging from a youth immersed in the world of hardcore, Turner arrived on the scene as a solo act in 2005 and released his debut EP Campfire Punkrock the following year.

Over the course of ten albums, five EPs, and a rash of other recordings, Turner has built a massive international following. His ninth studio album, FTHC even managed to go number on the UK Album charts the week after its release. Throughout that impressive musical history, Turner has managed to evoke both the personal and the political to forge a collection of songs that speak to almost any listener.

Just before the holidays Turner and I had a brief, but fascinating discussion about how politics fit into pop music today, and we ponder whether or not a song can truly change the world. When I asked him about the lessons he’d learned from life on the road, Frank shared the story of his difficult years away at boarding school, and how it still affects his idea of home to this day.

We also talk about the positive habits and life lessons that Turner has learned from life on the road and crashing on couches. They are simple lessons, but they can make for foundations upon which to base a life at home or on the road. There is verdant talk of history and its neverending mysteries and lessons. Plus, we ponder the idea that the internet will have the same influence on our civilization that the printing press had. This one might be brief, but there is a lot to digest.

Cheers,

Matty C

Show Notes:

Frank will be on tour with his band The Sleeping Souls in February and March throughout the United States. You can find full details at www.frank-turner.com

The What Am I Making podcast is hosted, written, and produced by me, Matty C. 

Our theme music was written and recorded by David J. Baldwin

You can subscribe to our show wherever you get your podcasts. Please be sure to like, rate and review the show if you enjoy it. 

Our work is solely sponsored by listeners and readers like you. Please lend your support today with a paid subscription at whatamimaking.substack.com/. Now is a crucial time for new paid subscribers. Please step up and support the show. You can email the show anytime at [email protected].

You can also leave us a voicemail with your questions or concerns at speakpipe.com/whatamimaking

After finishing the bulk of recording on his first album, Zach Schwartz was on a flight bound for the west coast praying that the plane would stay in the air long enough to get him safely home. With this record in hand, for the first time in his life, Zach felt he’d made something worthwhile and meaningful. Sitting in his aisle seat on that plane headed for Oakland, he prayed that he might get the chance to share that something special with the world.

Eventually, those recordings would become the first Rogue Wave album, Out Of The Shadow. The album came about through the help of a friend and recording engineer who helped Zach make his album overnights when the studio where, his friend was working, was closed. The pair would begin work each night around midnight or one and work until the sun came up. Through a stroke of luck, the album made its way to the powers that be at the vaunted indie label, Sub Pop records. Not only would Zach survive to share his album, but he would have the help of a label with massive influence to help get the word out.

As Rogue Wave gained more and more traction in the circles of indie rock, Zach began finding himself wondering how he had wound up with his songs in major movie soundtracks and video games. The big tours with headline acts and massive festivals were exciting, but they also brought on a sense of imposter syndrome for Zach. We dive deeply into the head trip that is finding the success that you have been dreaming for your whole life.

Zach’s friend, collaborator, and longtime Rogue Wave bandmate, Pat Spurgeon has figured heavily into Zach’s career and into his life. The duo are the beating heart of Rogue Wave. Their story was chronicled, in part, in a documentary called D-Tour. The film follows Rogue Wave on tour while Pat is in the midst of kidney failure. As he awaited a new kidney, Pat performed self-administered dialysis on the road. The doc is a harrowing look at resiliency, friendship, tragedy, and the enduring power of music.

Sub Pop is now slated to reissue vinyl editions of Out Of The Shadow as well as Descended Like Vultures, the band’s follow up LP, to celebrate 20 years of Rogue Wave. Zach discusses the process of looking back on the beginning of his musical career, this pair of early albums, and how he feels that he has changed as an artist and as a human being in the interim. We talk about the pendular nature of life, and examine how parenthood and aging have changed Zach’s songwriting and overall perspective.

Cheers,

Matty C

Sunset Blvd. is a shining example of greatness in American cinema. The story revolves around Norma Desmond, a faded star of Hollywood’s silent era who has been reduced to living the life of a recluse. Norma’s world is shattered open one day when a budding young screen writer named Joe Gillis pulls his limping vehicle into her garage. Thus begins one of the most tragic, and terrific tales that Hollywood has ever conjured for the screen.

David Lubin’s new book, Ready For My Closeup, is a behind the scenes look at Sunset Blvd.. However, this tale is far more than just the machinations behind one classic film. When one tells the story of Sunset Blvd. they are digging into the darker corners of American culture. The book hits upon the mass pathology of modern fame, and shows us example after example of the disposable nature of our society. Whether we’re tossing away old cell phones or faded Hollywood stars, nothing is designed to last long in our modern life.

While our chat centers around David’s tremendous new book, and the making of Sunset Blvd., it is a window into the way that Hollywood worked 75 years ago, and in many cases how it still operates today. David and I talk deeply about the personal baggage each of the films stars brought to the set, with Gloria Swanson, William Holden, and Erich Von Stroheim all playing heightened versions of their own selves. Sunset Blvd. is a film fueled by the personal anxieties of its major players, and its creator.

In addition to a deep dive into one of my favorite films of all time, David and I discuss the massive power of cinema, and the sometimes troubling beliefs behind the people who helped to build the artform in its nascent years. We also explore the blurred lines of fiction and reality that permeate Sunset Blvd. and so much of what came out of Hollywood’s Golden Era.

David shares stories of his film students reactions to Sunset Blvd. and a host of other movies that he teaches at Wake Forest University. He explains that way that his younger female students react and empathize with Norma Desmond, Sunset Blvd’s ersatz heroine. We also discuss the brilliant and subtle ways in which this film talks about age in our modern culture, despite being made three quarters of a century ago.

This is a fascinating discussion about movies and art centered not just on our culture, but our own daily lives.

Cheers,

Matty C

My dear friend and bandmate Jeffery Gower and I recently returned from a splendid three week tour of the American southeast. While Jeff and I had toured together before on long weekends in our band, the Stick Arounds, this was the first time where Jeff would be gone longer than just a few days. And, while I have toured like this several times in the past as a solo performer, I have never done so with a companion at my side.

During our adventure, Jeff and I visited historic sites, legendary musical spaces, and saw untamed natural beauty. If you have been paying attention to this space in recent weeks, you’ll likely have seen some of the Tour Diary posts that I have shared details of some of the time that Jeff and I spent together on the road. This chat is a supplement of sorts to those posts.

Over the course of our discussion, Jeff and I cover a few highlights of the tour including some of our favorite shows and stops, a few of our favorite culinary delights, and the bevy of amazing people that we encountered. Because I lived this experience and because Jeff is such a great friend, this is a pretty poor interview in the technical sense of that word. Still, I hope this chat gives you some insight about touring as two friends share some of their favorite stories from the road.

Cheers,

Matty C

Mary Chapin Carpenter was working at a temp job in her late twenties one day when the phone rang. After an exchange of hellos, the voice on the other end of the line asked Mary Chapin if she was sitting down. Once she had taken a seat, Mary Chapin Carpenter was told that she was being offered a recording contract with Columbia Records. The news came like a bolt of lightning. For years, Carpenter had been working temp jobs and playing her songs in small bars and clubs around the Washington DC corridor. Now, she was about to be launched into the musical cosmos.

Many songwriters would have crumbled under the pressure, but Carpenter thrived. With a batch of terrific songs and a marvelous voice, Mary Chapin released her debut album, Hometown Girl in 1987. In 1992, her fourth album Come On Come On, went on to feature seven songs that hit the Billboard Country singles chart, sold more than two million copies and turned Mary Chapin Carpenter a household name in country music.

Unlike many country singers who had success in the 90s, Carpenter has continued to write and record new music with great success. In 2025 alone, she released a pair of albums. In January, she unveiled Looking For The Thread, a record she made in collaboration with Julie Fowlis and Karine Polwart, a pair of Scottish folk musicians. Then, in June of 2025 she unveiled a set of her own original songs on the album, Personal History.

In addition to a verdant recording career, Carpenter still tours regularly. I had the pleasure of seeing her with my mother this past summer at the beautiful Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids, MI. Mary Chapin and I discuss the ups and downs of touring in the modern age, and we go deep on a pair of the folks in her backing band. Jon Carroll, Mary Chapin’s keyboard player, is a longtime friend and also a previous guest on this show. Don Dixon, who has also been on the show, and is perhaps best known for co-producing R.E.M.’s first two records, is Carpenter’s bass player. Mary Chapin shares her unabiding love for the duo, and she waxes poetic about the bonds created out on the road together.

In addition to her varied and fascinating life in music, Mary Chapin and I discuss the amazing travel experiences of her youth, and the myriad lessons that exploring the world can teach us. We talk about the bravery of the artistic act, and how crucial it is in the world we are currently living in. Mary Chapin provides a wonderful lesson about self-awareness and knowing our own limitations. And, we get to discuss the drug-like sensation of singing with other people.

It’s a wide ranging talk with a one of a kind talent. Let’s get into it.

Cheers,

Matty C

Chris Slusarenko is a modern day indie rock Zelig. Over the course of more than thirty five years Slusarenko has channeled his unstoppable verve and enthusiasm to propel him to remarkable places. Chris has played in Guided By Voices and in the Bob Pollard side project, Boston Spaceships. For more than 20 years, he owned Clinton Street Video, an independent video store in Portland, Oregon. Chris is now currently in the great power pop outfit Eyelids, a band he formed with fellow Portlander, John Moen of The Decemberists and The Jicks. And as if those accomplishments were not enough bona fides, Chris is also the host of the Revolutions Per Movie podcast where he discusses music documentaries with musicians and other creatives.

Love for rock and roll came early for Chris, and by his teenage years he had struck up a pen pal relationship with R.E.M., his favorite band. When the band came to play Portland for the first time, they even made sure to welcome Chris and his family to the show for free and invited the family to come backstage for a meet and greet with the band. The encounter only furthered Slusarenko’s deep and unabiding dedication to the power of rock and roll.

As a teenager, Chris was also soaking up independent and world cinema thanks to an amazingly generous bike shop owner who loaned out arthouse and foreign films to curious kids at no cost. This opened a window for Chris that led him to find and fall in love with great filmmakers like Tarkovsky, Herzog, and others. Eventually, that initial crush on cinema led to the opening of Clinton Street Video, a shop that Slusarenko ran for 22 years. At Clinton Street, Chris hoped to create a culture that was free of shame. Although the inventory at the shop was littered with obscure and often difficult to find films, Chris strove not to have clerks laden with esoteric knowledge and a series of harsh opinions, but rather cultivated employees at the shop who were simply excited about film.

In recent years, Chris has created a podcast empire through his terrific show, Revolutions Per Movie, a pod where he and a guest break down a music documentary. The show is both a deep dive into a musical film, and a wonderful ruse for deep and thought provoking discussions about art and life. The show is the anchor of a larger network of pods that Slusarenko and a host of contributors have created that are only available to Patreon subscribers. Much like yours truly, Chris Slusarenko is a man who is always making something.

As if all of that were not enough, Slusarenko is also a member of the great indie-rock/power pop band, Eyelids. Slusarenko formed the band a number of years ago with John Moen, a fellow Portlander known for his work in The Decemberists and Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks. Since 2014, the band have released a quintet of albums, including albums which were produced by Chris’ old pen pal, Peter Buck of R.E.M.

During the course of our chat, Chris and I manage to cover a surprisingly large amount of his resumè, which of course leads to some fascinating discussion. Chris shares his experience of being in Guided By Voices and working with Robert Pollard, a man who has been a huge influence on both of us. As we discuss Chris’ natural excitement for music and film, we cover the concept of bringing unabashed enthusiasm back to criticism and curation. Chris even talks a bit about how he got some of his favorite musicians, including Yoko Ono, Cyndi Lauper, and even Stephen Colbert to appear on his concept record.

This is a wild ride of an episode with a whirlwind of a human being, and I loved every second of it. Bring your enthusiasm and hold on to your hat. Here’s me with the one and only, Chris Slusarenko.

Cheers,

Matty C

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Thanks so much to Chris for joining me. You can find the Revolutions Per Movie pod wherever you get your podcasts or you can support RPM directly via their Patreon. https://www.patreon.com/cw/RevolutionsPerMovie

You can also find the Eyelids terrific catalog wherever you get your music.

The What Am I Making podcast is hosted, written, and produced by me, Matty C. 

Our theme music was written and recorded by David J. Baldwin

You can subscribe to our show wherever you get your podcasts. Please be sure to like, rate and review the show if you enjoy it. 

Our work is solely sponsored by listeners and readers like you. Please lend your support today with a paid subscription at whatamimaking.substack.com/. Now is a crucial time for new paid subscribers. Please step up and support the show.

You can email the show anytime at [email protected]. You can also leave us a voicemail with your questions or concerns at speakpipe.com/whatamimaking

Michael Schulman started a record label without even intending to. While part of a vibrant scene of bands in the greater Washington, DC area, Michael found himself as a member of a cadre of seven musicians playing in a combination of four different bands. Knowing that the momentum behind these bands and the individual people involved could shift at any time, Schulman sought to document what was happening at the moment. The resultant EP was pressed to 7 inch and slowly, Slumberland was born.

Since 1989, Slumberland has been releasing a stream of some of the best and most beloved indie pop of the modern era. What began with Schulman’s own band Black Tambourine, and early acts like Velocity Girl, Big Jesus Trash Can, and Powderburns soon brought on acts like Stereolab, The Aislers Set, The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, The Bats, Papercuts, Veronica Falls, and Boyracer just to name a few. To look at Slumberland’s catalog of more than 300 releases is to witness an evolution of the indie and twee-pop movements over the last four decades.

Schulman found himself intrigued when he first discovered punk and New Wave on a local DC free-form station, but it was The Jesus & Mary Chain that made him feel the urge to start his own band. Without any musical knowledge or lessons, Schulman and a childhood friend set to learning how to be in a band. His initial excitement over the debut Jesus & Mary Chain record, Psychocandy was the first in a series of dominoes that led to Schulman owning and running an indie label for 36 years.

Obviously, during Slumberland’s run, the world, the musical economy, and Schulman himself have all changed. Mike and I discuss how difficult it is to find coverage for bands in a shrinking musical ecosystem. We also both wax a bit poetic about the power that was once wielded by the music press and college radio. Mike and I also wonder if the actual power and influence of music is waning in our modern culture.

Mike and I discussed the amazing variety and quality of the music that was dubbed “alternative” or “college rock” in the days before the Grunge boom. We talk about the challenges of owning and running a label in 2025, and the changing nature of where Schulman’s focus and priorities are in relation to Slumberland and its future output. We also acknowledge that every creative work is a political act, especially in today’s uber-fractured America. Simply putting out a record or releasing a podcast into the world can be seen as an act of artistic defiance for the rest of modern American life.

Come join me and Mike Schulman for a wonderful chat about an accidental life in the music business. Let’s get into it.

Cheers,

Matty C

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You can find Slumberland’s catalog wherever you get your music and you can support them with direct purchases on their Bandcamp page at https://slumberlandrecs.bandcamp.com/

Buy tickets for our Live Recording Event at the Robin Theater on Dec. 3. http://therobintheatre.com

The What Am I Making podcast is hosted, written, and produced by me, Matty C. 

Our theme music was written and recorded by David J. Baldwin

You can subscribe to our show wherever you get your podcasts. Please be sure to like, rate and review the show if you enjoy it. 

Our work is solely sponsored by listeners and readers like you. Please lend your support today with a paid subscription at whatamimaking.substack.com/. Now is a crucial time for new paid subscribers. Please step up and support the show. 

You can email the show anytime at [email protected]. You can also leave us a voicemail with your questions or concerns at speakpipe.com/whatamimaking