Wheels Off with Rhett Miller

Emmy-nominated comedian, cartoonist, writer, and actor Asher Perlman joins Rhett from Brooklyn to talk about his new book of cartoons, Well, This Is Me and the creative process behind his work. Asher shares insights on the significance of community, the importance of intuition, and the two discuss the importance of focusing on the daily practice of creativity rather than the end result.

Asher Perlman is currently a writer/performer for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, a cartoonist at The New Yorker, and a performer with the Improvised Shakespeare Company. His award-winning short film, “Accountabilibuddies,” was an official selection at the Just For Laughs Film Festival in Vancouver. He has appeared on Comedy Central, CBS , and Pop TV, as well as several national commercials. He has written humor for The New Yorker, The Onion Labs, and McSweeneys. His book Well, This Is Me, is available now.

Follow Asher Perlman

Rhett Miller website

Follow Rhett @rhettmiller

Wheels Off is hosted and produced by Rhett Miller. Executive producer Kirsten Cluthe. Editing by Matt Dwyer. Music by Old 97’s. Episode artwork by Mark Dowd. Show logo by Tim Skirven. Distributed in partnership with Osiris Media. This podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also ask Alexa to play it. Revisit previous episodes of Wheels Off with guests Rosanne Cash, Rob Thomas, Jeff Tweedy, The Milk Carton Kids, and more. If you like what you hear, please leave us a rating or review.

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Musician and writer Mike Errico joins Rhett to talk about guitars, finding his voice as a musician, and his latest release, 'Shine’, which represents a shift towards more positive and uplifting music. Rhett and Mike break down the songwriting approach of artists like Taylor Swift and Max Martin, the role of teaching, and the importance of laughter in the creative process.

New York-based recording artist, writer, and lecturing professor Mike Errico has built his name on the strength of critically acclaimed releases and extensive composition for film and TV. He teaches songwriting at universities including Yale, Wesleyan, the New School, and NYU’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music. He was nominated for 2019’s David Payne-Carter Award for Excellence in Teaching, and taught the 2022 GRAMMY® Museum’s inaugural Summer Sessions in New York City. In addition to his performing and teaching careers, Errico’s opinions and insights have appeared in publications including The New York Times, CNN, the Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, and many others.

His latest musical release is “Shine”.

Follow Mike Errico @mikeerrico

Rhett Miller website

Follow Rhett @rhettmiller

Wheels Off is hosted and produced by Rhett Miller. Executive producer Kirsten Cluthe. Editing by Matt Dwyer. Music by Old 97’s. Episode artwork by Mark Dowd. Show logo by Tim Skirven. Distributed in partnership with Osiris Media. This podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also ask Alexa to play it.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Singer-songwriter Maggie Rose joins Rhett from her home in Nashville to talk about her latest album, No One Gets Out Alive, the evolution of her sound, and how the pandemic influenced her songwriting. Maggie gives us a deep dive into her creative process and explains why her commitment to staying true to herself has finally paid off. Maggie and Rhett discuss why Nashville is still a great place to be a working musician, and the difficulty of balancing social media and artistic integrity.

Maggie has been hailed for her passionate individualism and influences spanning rock, soul, Americana, folk and funk. Rolling Stone declared No One Gets Out Alive one of the best albums of 2024, and NPR Music has called her a “multi-genre powerhouse”. A respected fixture of the Nashville community, she has carved out a unique path for herself, refusing to be pigeonholed in any one genre. A true road warrior, she has shared the stage with an impressive array of artists including Kelly Clarkson, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Heart, Joan Jett, Eric Church, Gov’t Mule, The Mavericks, Fitz & The Tantrums, and The Revivalists to name a few.

Follow Maggie @iammaggierose

Listen to Maggie’s podcast Salute The Songbird

Rhett Miller website

Follow Rhett @rhettmiller

Wheels Off is hosted and produced by Rhett Miller. Executive producer Kirsten Cluthe. Editing by Matt Dwyer. Music by Old 97’s. Episode artwork by Mark Dowd. Show logo by Tim Skirven. Distributed in partnership with Osiris Media. 

This podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also ask Alexa to play it.  Revisit previous episodes of Wheels Off with guests Rosanne Cash, Rob Thomas, Jeff Tweedy, The Milk Carton Kids, and more. If you like what you hear, please leave us a rating or review.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Singer-songwriter Alisa Amador joins Rhett to talk about her newly released album, Multitudes. She and Rhett discuss what she learned from making the album, her songwriting process, and the challenges of being a full-time musician. Alisa discusses the significance of sharing songs in Spanish, the importance of setting boundaries and advocating for herself, and she asks Rhett to divulge some of his own survival tips.

Alisa Amador is a bilingual singer-songwriter and the winner of the 2022 NPR Tiny Desk Contest. Alisa Amador’s music is a synthesis of the many styles she’s voraciously absorbed: rock, jazz, funk, and alternative folk, all wrapped in the spirit of the Latin music she grew up with. Alisa has opened for artists including Hozier, Lake Street Dive, Madison Cunningham, Watchhouse, Hiss Golden Messenger, and countless others. Her soulful singing, poetically incisive lyrics, and syncopated rhythms are likely to make you cry, laugh, and dance all within one set.

Follow Alisa @alisaamador

Rhett Miller website

Follow Rhett @rhettmiller

Wheels Off is hosted and produced by Rhett Miller. Executive producer Kirsten Cluthe. Editing by Matt Dwyer. Music by Old 97’s. Episode artwork by Mark Dowd. Show logo by Tim Skirven.

This podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also ask Alexa to play it.  

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kurt St. Thomas, filmmaker, author, and radio DJ. joins Rhett to talk about his fascinating career, including time at iconic radio stations and record labels, and his transition into filmmaking. Kurt shares stories from his career in the music industry, his encounters with legendary artists like John Doe and David Bowie, and his unique relationship with Kurt Cobain. The two discuss the effort it took to make his latest film “D.O.A”, and the importance of following your gut instinct.

Kurt St. Thomas is known for his pioneering work at Boston's WFNX radio station, where he made history by being the first to play Nirvana's "Nevermind" on the air. His contributions to the music industry extend to co-authoring "Nirvana: The Chosen Rejects" and producing the interview album "Nevermind It's an Interview." His latest film, "D.O.A.," is available for viewing now.

Follow Kurt @kurtstthomas

Rhett Miller website

Follow Rhett @rhettmiller

Wheels Off is hosted and produced by Rhett Miller. Executive producer Kirsten Cluthe. Editing by Matt Dwyer. Music by Old 97’s. Episode artwork by Mark Dowd. Show logo by Tim Skirven. This podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also ask Alexa to play it.  

Revisit previous episodes of Wheels Off with guests Rosanne Cash, Rob Thomas, Jeff Tweedy, The Milk Carton Kids, and more. If you like what you hear, please leave us a rating or review.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this 200th episode, Rhett welcomes Jane Wiedlin, guitarist for The Go-Gos, acclaimed solo artist, actor, and writer. Jane talks about the early days of The Go-Gos, forming the band amidst the punk scene in LA, and surviving the workload that was required to achieve fame and success. Jane discusses her songwriting process, tells Rhett about the genesis of her band Elettrodomestico - who will be on the road supporting the OLD97s in September - and shares news that she’s writing a memoir.

Follow Jane @janewiedlin

Rhett Miller website

Follow Rhett @rhettmiller

Wheels Off is hosted and produced by Rhett Miller. Executive producer Kirsten Cluthe. Editing by Matt Dwyer. Music by OLD 97’s. Episode artwork by Mark Dowd. Show logo by Tim Skirven. Distributed in partnership with Osiris Media. 

This podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also ask Alexa to play it.  

Revisit previous episodes of Wheels Off with guests Rosanne Cash, Rob Thomas, Jeff Tweedy, The Milk Carton Kids, and more. If you like what you hear, please leave us a rating or review.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Singer-songwriter Leslie Mendelson joins Rhett from Brooklyn to talk about her new album After The Party, released this week, and the tour she’s about to embark on. Leslie talks about the musical collaborations that took place during the making of the record, including working with legendary producer Peter Asher. Rhett and Leslie discuss the value of feeling nervous when performing live, and Leslie emphasizes the importance of persistence and staying focused on the journey. 

A Grammy Award-nominated artist, Mendelson returns this summer with her fourth studio album, After The Party. Throughout After The Party’s ten tracks, Mendelson crafts a distinctive folk-rock, pop-Americana flavor, evoking the sounds of Laurel Canyon, but with the downtown grit and sharp wit of Brooklyn, the city she has called home for over two decades now. 

After The Party is available now.

Leslie Mendelson website

Follow Leslie @lesliemendelson

Rhett Miller website

Follow Rhett @rhettmiller

Wheels Off is hosted and produced by Rhett Miller. Executive producer Kirsten Cluthe. Editing by Matt Dwyer. Music by OLD 97’s. Episode artwork by Mark Dowd. Show logo by Tim Skirven. 

This podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also ask Alexa to play it.  

Revisit previous episodes of Wheels Off with guests Rosanne Cash, Rob Thomas, Jeff Tweedy, The Milk Carton Kids, and more. If you like what you hear, please leave us a rating or review.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bestselling author Joe Abercrombie dials in from his home in Bath to talk to Rhett about his creative process, the challenges of being a full time writer, and his love for character-focused storytelling. The two discuss the importance of striking a balance between authenticity and narrative structure, pushing through procrastination, and Joe explains how his experience as a TV editor influenced his writing, particularly in terms of pacing and focus. 

Joe Abercrombie is the New York Times bestselling author of Half a King, Half the World, Red Country and the First Law trilogy: The Blade Itself, Before They Are Hanged, and Last Argument of Kings. He spent ten years as a freelance film editor, and is now a full-time writer who lives in Bath, England, with his wife, two daughters, and son. 

His forthcoming book, The Devils, will be published in May 2025.

Follow Joe Abercrombie

Rhett Miller website

Follow Rhett @rhettmiller

Wheels Off is hosted and produced by Rhett Miller. Executive producer Kirsten Cluthe. Editing by Matt Dwyer. Music by OLD 97’s. Episode artwork by Mark Dowd. Show logo by Tim Skirven. Distributed in partnership with Osiris Media. 

This podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also ask Alexa to play it.  Revisit previous episodes of Wheels Off with guests Rosanne Cash, Rob Thomas, Jeff Tweedy, The Milk Carton Kids, and more. If you like what you hear, please leave us a rating or review.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Geraldine DeRuiter is an acclaimed author, world-renowned public speaker, and the voice behind the award-winning Everywhereist blog. She joins Rhett to talk about her latest book “If You Can't Take the Heat: Tales of Food, Feminism, and Fury”. The two discuss what it feels like to release your art into the world, the expectation of being creative on demand, and why the potential for failure feels high in the current media environment. Geraldine explains why staying true to oneself is essential, and shares what she learned about her own creative process from Bruce Springsteen.

Geraldine’s book If You Can't Take the Heat:Tales of Food, Feminism, and Fury is available now

Follow Geraldine at The Everywhereist

Rhett Miller website

Follow Rhett @rhettmiller

Wheels Off is hosted and produced by Rhett Miller. Executive producer Kirsten Cluthe. Editing by Matt Dwyer. Music by OLD 97’s. Episode artwork by Mark Dowd. Show logo by Tim Skirven. Distributed in partnership with Osiris Media. 

This podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also ask Alexa to play it.  Revisit previous episodes of Wheels Off with guests Rosanne Cash, Rob Thomas, Jeff Tweedy, The Milk Carton Kids, and more. If you like what you hear, please leave us a rating or review.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Matthew Milia, frontman of Frontier Ruckus, joins Rhett to talk about the band’s latest album, On The Northline, and how his hometown of Detroit has influenced his writing throughout his career. Matthew tells Rhett about his decision to balance music with a corporate job in advertising, and the two discuss living through different generations of the music industry.

Follow @matthewmilia

Follow Rhett @rhettmiller

Rhett Miller website

Wheels Off is hosted and produced by Rhett Miller. Executive producer Kirsten Cluthe. Editing by Matt Dwyer. Music by OLD 97’s. Episode artwork by Mark Dowd. Show logo by Tim Skirven. Distributed in partnership with Osiris Media. 

This podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also ask Alexa to play it.  

Revisit previous episodes of Wheels Off with guests Rosanne Cash, Rob Thomas, Jeff Tweedy, The Milk Carton Kids, and more. If you like what you hear, please leave us a rating or review.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices