Hey there, PPFL fans! Check out the first episode of our new fiction podcast Sugar Maple, starring Fred Savage. If you like what you hear, be sure to subscribe to hear where the story goes from here! In the series premiere, we meet our narrator, Terrance Woodridge, who brings us a tale he’s chased down: the story of Sugar Maple, the guitar of legend with a timeless sound that's passed from hand to hand over the years. In this episode, we go back to 1951 and hear the story of "Sweet Licks"...

This week, we bring you an interview with Cautious Clay. He grew up in Ohio and started playing flute and saxophone, and moved to DC for college, which is where he started making beats and producing remixes. In 2015, he did a remix of Billie Eilish’s Ocean Eyes, which was a break that set him on his current path. He’s put out three EPs, and has collaborated with John Mayer and had a song sampled by Taylor Swift. His soulful voice, and his creative mix of hip hop, R&B and experimental...

This week's guest is Eric D. Johnson, founder of Fruit Bats and a member of the supergroup Bonny Light Horseman. The new Fruit Bats album, The Pet Parade, comes out this week.  Eric grew up in Chicago, and was signed by Sup Pop in 2001 after the release of his first record, Echolocation. He's made 7 records as Fruit Bats, toured with The Shins for a few years, and has put out a solo album as well. We talked about his practical approach to his music career, the evolution of his music and...

This week, we have a conversation with singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Tash Sultana. Their new album, Terra Firma, is out now. We talked about Tash’s early musical days in Melbourne, playing in clubs and busking. In 2016, the video for the song Jungle, recorded in their living room, went viral, and now has almost 100 million views on YouTube.  But Tash isn’t an overnight sensation. They have an intense work ethic and a sense of determination that belies the hippie...

This week's guest is Aaron Frazer, who just released his debut solo record, “Introducing…” Aaron was previously the drummer and a vocalist for the soul group Durand Jones and the Indications, which formed at Indiana University while he was in college. We talked about his time in Durand Jones and the Indications, his songwriting process, his very popular song “My God Has a Telephone,” and his distinct falsetto. We also talked about "Introducing...," which was produced by Dan Auerbach of The...

This week's guest is Erika Wennerstrom, best known for her work with Heartless Bastards, which she started in Cincinnati in 2003. We talked with Erika about meeting Patrick Carney of The Black Keys and getting signed to Fat Possum, their label. We also discussed the evolution of the band and her music, her life-changing trip to the Peruvian Amazon, and her first solo album, Sweet Unknown. After the interview, Erika performs Could Be Happy, Dust, and Letting Go. You can see videos of all...

This week, we bring you an interview with Ben Nichols of Lucero. Their new album, When You Found Me, is out now.  Ben tells us about growing up in Little Rock, the Memphis rock scene that gave birth to Lucero, and the evolution of the band’s sound and their songs.  After the interview, you’ll hear Ben play Coffin Nails, I Can’t Stand to Leave You, and Among the Ghosts. You can see videos of this set and all other Past, Present, Future, Live! performances on our show page or on the Osiris...

Welcome back! In this episode, we bring you an interview with Nicki Bluhm. She tells us about the formation of her band, Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers, and her musical evolution. In 2018, she released To Rise You Gotta Fall, her first as a solo artist. After the interview, you’ll hear Nicki play Jetplane, To Rise You Gotta Fall, and Love to Spare. This last song, Love To Spare, is an exclusive performance of this unreleased song. You can see videos of this set and all other Past, Present,...

This week, we bring you an interview with Dave Dederer of The Presidents of the United States of America. Dave is best known for his work with the Presidents, who soared to the top of the charts in 1995 with their self-titled album that had the mega-hits “Lump” and “Peaches.” But the Presidents, and Dave, have a really interesting and rich history that we dig into. We talk about the Seattle alternative rock scene of the 1980s and 1990s that he was a part of, and the authenticity and fun that...

This week’s Past, Present, Future, Live! features New Orleans trailblazers The Soul Rebels, whose eight-piece brass ensemble continues to push the boundaries of New Orleans' musical tradition. We talk with The Soul Rebels founder and drummer Lumar LeBlanc and trumpet players Marcus Hubbard and Julian Gosin about the band’s path from side project to international acclaim.  After opening for the legendary Cyril Neville at Tipitina’s in 1991 and wowing him with their unbridled live...

This week’s Past, Present, Future, Live! features an intimate conversation and performance with Drew Holcomb, songwriter and frontman for Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors. Born and raised in Memphis, Drew built a committed following through years of touring a circuit of the South’s major cities, and watched the gigs grow larger with each return trip. In 2011, Drew and the band earned wider recognition when his song “Live Forever” was featured in multiple TV shows, breaking through and...

Today we’re bringing you a bonus episode! This is an interview with Ben Carr, who performs under the name Carrtoons.  Ben is a bassist and producer, and he just released an album called Saturday Morning. His use of beats and samples, combined with his unique bass playing, makes his records particularly appealing.  After the interview, you’ll hear Ben perform Give It Up (featuring Joanna Teters), That Thing, and Ben On The Run. Videos of these and all Past, Present, Future, Live!...

This week, we bring you an interview with Kevin McKeown of Black Pistol Fire. Kevin and his future bandmate Eric Owen met in Canada in elementary school, and took a slightly winding road to Austin, Texas, where they’d eventually form Black Pistol Fire. Before that, Kevin had a lot of ups and downs in music, while holding down a full time job in Toronto.  Kevin and RJ discuss the challenges and opportunities of having a rock duo, the evolution of their sound, and their upcoming album,...

This week on Past, Present, Future, Live! we bring you a conversation and performance with Joey Burns of Calexico. Over the past 20 plus years Calexico has blended Tex-Mex, indie rock, jazz, surf and other influences to create a unique sound sometimes called “desert noir.” Joey and his longtime bandmate John Convertino first broke through with “The Black Light” in 1998, and were soon on tour with Pavement and other heroes of theirs. Since then they’ve made more than a dozen albums with...

This week’s episode of Past, Present, Future, Live!  features a conversation and performance with guitarist Jessica Dobson of Deep Sea Diver. Jessica grew up around California’s indie rock scene and got signed to Atlantic Records as a solo act at age 19 before playing guitar with Beck, Spoon, The Shins, and many other groups. Jessica’s fierce guitar playing, which was her calling card with all of these bands, became even more of a focus with the formation of her band Deep Sea Diver. Her...

“I think the choices that we've made in terms of genre have really been bent towards leveling a playing field. Because at a certain point you realize the number of female artists you can listen to in the rock sphere, especially the classic rock sphere, are so limited...So I know that had to be a driving factor for us; wanting to prove people wrong, to do something that felt a little bit incongruous." --Rebecca Lovell   Rebecca and Megan Lovell, the incredibly talented sisters behind Larkin...

I wasn't doing it to make money. Money would have been nice, but that was nowhere close to my priority list. What I was trying to do was get inside the way that the music that I love works.  - MC Taylor This week, we bring you an interview with MC Taylor of Hiss Golden Messenger. MC tells RJ about the transformation he underwent when he was writing music in North Carolina and forming his band, Hiss Golden Messenger. The two talk about writing for his kids, which you’ll hear reflected in the...

“I feel like I’m kind of a collector, you know? I kind of go about my life and pick up all the things I like and then when the box becomes full, I combine all of those things in the box and make that my thing.” - Nicole Atkins Throughout her career, Nicole Atkins’ musical approach has combined 50s-style crooning with psychedelia, soul, and 80’s punk, all of which help to create her truly unique sound. In this episode, she tells us about her writing process, the evolution of her sound, and...

This week, RJ talks with Alex Skolnick, who at age 16 joined the band Testament, which would become one of the bands that defined the thrash metal scene of the late 1980s.  Alex talks about studying with Joe Satriani, touring the world with some of the leading metal bands, and changing his life completely by moving to New York, studying jazz, and forming the Alex Skolnick Trio, which is still playing jazz today. We also discussed his new podcast, Moods & Modes, which is now part of the...

Season Two kicks off with an interview and performance by special guest John Oates. John is best known for his legendary career with Daryl Hall and John Oates, and the variety of solo records he’s made since then, which combine to create one of the most successful music careers of our time. Oates’ brand new album “Live in Nashville” is a road trip through his earliest influences in blues and roots music that he’s tapped into since moving to Music City and forming The Good Road Band.     In...

Here's a trailer for Season Two. The season will premiere on Tuesday, October 20, featuring John Oates. Season Two also features interviews with, and live performances from, Nicole Atkins, Calexico, MC Taylor (Hiss Golden Messenger), Larkin Poe, Alex Skolnick (Testament), Jessica Dobson (Deep Sea Diver) and many other amazing musicians. Please subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts and share with your friends. We appreciate your support. Each week,...

On this episode, the final of season one, RJ talks with Ed Jurdi and Gordy Quist, of The Band of Heathens. They have a new record coming out on September 25, Stranger, which is their 7th studio album.  Since forming 15 years ago in Austin, partially by accident, The Band of Heathens have made creative rock and Americana music that gained them accolades like the Best New Band in 2007 in Austin and a spot on the TV show Austin City Limits. We talked about their belief in live music, their...

This week, RJ sits down with Shannon LaBrie, who has a new album, Building, coming out September 25. Shannon is a great singer, songwriter and musician who made her way from Nebraska to Nashville, with a lot of stops in between. Her unique voice has led to comparisons to Norah Jones, Jeff Buckley, and many others. Her songwriting style has evolved, and her current album, which was all recorded live to tape, has themes of emerging from struggle to a new place of redemption and...

In this episode of Past, Present, Future, Live!, RJ sits down with Nick Perri, a musician who hit it big at age 16 and ended up on tour with some of his heroes, like Van Halen and Motley Crue. We discussed that journey, how it ended quickly, and how the subsequent years of musical evolution and struggle led to his new release, Sun Via, which is out now (LP and merch info here). After the interview, Nick performs “I Want You”, “Everybody Wants One”, and “Feeling Good." You can watch this...