Episodes
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This week we get to hear from acclaimed songwriter Dean Pitchford! After 45 years of near consistent success, Dean will finally be inducted in the Songwriters Hall of Fame this year, which is just another line on his impressive resume. He won an Oscar for writing "Fame" for Irene Cara and achieved the absolute peak with Footloose. He not only wrote the screenplay, but every song on the soundtrack and collected a couple Grammys in the process. He tried again a few years later with the movie Sing, but it was less successful and his thoughts on why are fascinating. Along the way there have been collaborations with Roger Daltrey ("Quicksilver Lightning"), Cher ("After All"), Peter Allen ("The Boy From Oz"), Kenny Loggins ("Don't Fight It"), writing the Solid Gold theme song, and tons more. He's just about the nicest man you'll ever meet and we're super lucky to hear from him. Enjoy!
www.deanpitchford.com
www.patreon.com/thehustlepod
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Our guest this week is multi-Grammy winning producer Russ Titelman. Russ has been deeply rooted in the music business since the 60s as a producer, an engineer, a songwriter, and even a session guitarist. His midas touch has benefitted legendary artists like Paul Simon, Chaka Khan, James Taylor, Cyndi Lauper, Brian Wilson, Rickie Lee Jones, and won Grammys for Steve Winwood and Eric Clapton. In this conversation we hit on all of that and more including how songs like "Higher Love", "Tears in Heaven", "Ain't Nobody" and tons more came to be. We're lucky to spend so much valuable time with a luminary like Russ. Enjoy!
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In 1989 when Australian rock bands like Midnight Oil and INXS were screaming up the charts in the US, you'd think the easiest thing in the world would be to present one more and let them continue the streak. Such was not the story of Boom Crash Opera. Despite getting some airplay for "Onion Skin" off their second album, These Here Are Crazy Times, and despite having material just as strong as their peers, it didn't happen and BCO never got their just due (except back home where they remain a draw). Guitarist and primary songwriter Peter Farnan joins us this week to detail the whole story and discuss his wonderful solo career. What's surreal about all of this is that Peter is a fan of the show, making this a mutual appreciation society meeting! Enjoy and please dig into some BCO. It's killer!
www.boomcrashopera.comwww.patreon.com/thehustlepod -
The Dandy Warhols have been around for 30 years. That can't be right! In the 90s they seemed like hedonistic little hippies and now, they still are, but the rest of the world has caught up with them. On the 15th, the band releases ROCKMAKER, their first fully guitar-driven album in a while (maybe ever) and they embark on a US tour this week. Zia McCabe joins us to talk about the new album, how the band writes songs (fans know their albums are gloriously all over the place), what it's like having David Bowie, Duran Duran, Slash and other huge names as supporters, her proud stance as a nudist, and a ton more. The Dandies have projected and lived by their life philosophy since day one. In a world where so many things change, it's nice to know you can rely on their version of unpredictability. Enjoy!
www.dandywarhols.comwww.patreon.com/thehustlepod -
These days, guitarist Nigel Bennett is as much an entrepreneur as he is a punk rocker. I'll explain. Nigel's career began in the 70s when he was hired to join The Members who were mixing punk, pop and reggae in unique ways. They're probably best remembered by their 1982 hit "Working Girl". The band didn't last long and Nigel bummed around until he was hired by the Vibrators in 1990, where he remains today. During the pandemic, the rest of the Vibrators called it quits, leaving Nigel to carry on and now he's remarried, moved to the states, and is wholly focused on building the Vibrators back up. He still puts out new music and tours mixing songs from his entire history. It's a fascinating story we don't hear that often. There are also stories involving Iggy Pop, Steve Lillywhite and more. Enjoy!
www.vibratorsv2.comwww.patreon.com/thehustlepod -
Author Joel Selvin returns to the show to discuss his new book on one of the greatest and most complicated drummers in rock history, Jim Gordon. The list of songs made better by Jim's talent is endless - "Good Vibrations", "Rikki Don't Lose That Number", "Wichita Lineman", "Apache" and hundreds of others. He was also the drummer in Derek and the Dominoes and co-wrote "Layla". Unfortunately, Jim was overwhelmed by demons from schizophrenia most of his life and murdered his mother in 1983 confining him to prison for the rest of his life (he died in 2023). Joel paints a sympathetic portrait of a man overcome by voices that ultimately did him in. It's one of the best music books you'll ever read.
www.joelselvin.comwww.patreon.com/thehustlepod -
The amazing Mike Scott returns to the podcast to go deep on the Waterboys' 1985 masterpiece This is the Sea. This benchmark album has been released in a massive 6-disc deluxe edition that includes almost 100 tracks, many of which have never been heard before, and a hardback book all of which tells the story of the album's creation. Mike takes us track by track through the original album, the contributions from other band members and where his head was at back then. If any classic album deserves the deluxe treatment, it's this one. We're honored to hear a part of that story.
www.mikescottwaterboys.comwww.patreon.com/thehustlepod -
Cult icon Josie Cotton joins us this week! Of course, her career exploded in the early 80s with the help of Valley Girl and the immortal "Johnny, Are You Queer?" but her time on major labels was short-lived. For almost 40 years she's built a career thriving as an indie artist and doing her own thing. Last year she released a strong new album called Day of the Gun which, like everything she does, is a complete artistic package from the music to the fashion to the videos and beyond. She discusses her long and unique career and how she conceptualizes what she puts out in the world. She's a legend in her own way. Enjoy!
www.josiecotton.comwww.patreon.com/thehustlepod -
Rich Travali is one of the most successful guests we've ever featured on the show. He began his career in the 80s at the Hit Factory in New York working with legends like Patti Smith, Sting and Paul Simon, who he was especially close to during the recording of The Rhythm of the Saints. In the 90s he formed a bond with Puff Daddy which led to a couple decades of gigantic hits - 11 #1 singles and over 140 million in total record sales. We're talking generational hits like "Hot in Herre", "Big Poppa", "Independent Woman" "Gettin' Jiggy Wit It" and tons more. TLC, Robin Thicke, LL Cool J, Pharrell and many others make him "their guy". It's a fascinating and unique story. Enjoy!
www.richtravali.comwww.patreon.com/thehustlepod -
Ian Lloyd has been at this longer than many of us have been alive. He first took off fronting Stories in the early 70s for three albums. The second one, About Us, featured the surprising #1 smash "Brother Louie". From there he went solo and released some excellent (and sadly out of print) power pop albums including the wonderful Goosebumps from 1979. He also made a nice living singing backing vocals for Foreigner, Billy Joel and many others including several ads and jingles. He's still out there doing his thing with that other-worldly voice that hasn't lost a drop. We discuss all of it. Enjoy!
www.facebook.com/p/Ian-Lloyd-Music-100068100286895www.patreon.com/thehustlepod -
For this Book Club we welcome noted Australian author Jeff Apter to discuss his new book on Neil Finn, Don't Dream It's Over. Jeff has been a successful music writer for decades, contributing to Rolling Stone as penning books on AC/DC, Keith Urban, and the Bee Gees. Nick and I nerd out on our love for Neil, what he's like, how the band and his family works (they're often similar), his relationship with his brother Tim and the late Paul Hester and much more. The book is essential for any Neil fan and so is our conversation. Enjoy!
www.jeffapter.com.auwww.patreon.com/thehustlepod -
This week we welcome one of the greatest musicians alive, bassist Jah Wobble! Jah first rose to prominence in PIL alongside John Lydon on their first two groundbreaking albums. After he left he struggled for a few years before picking it back up with the Invaders of the Heart and playing with almost everyone. In this conversation we discuss artists as diverse as Sinead O'Connor, Ginger Baker and Suggs. In 2023 alone he released several new projects, the main one being his new solo album, A Brief History of Now. Jah joins us to discuss all of it (as much as we can fit anyway) including that infamous American Bandstand appearance, the late great Geordie Walker, getting sober, Buddhism, and everything in between. Enjoy!
www.jahwobble.com
www.patreon.com/thehustlepod
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Animotion's Bill Wadhams returns to the show to deep dive their excellent comeback album from 2017, Raise. I see this album as a perfect example of what legacy artists, especially ones from the 80s, are capable of doing in this day and age. It's an incredibly strong set of tunes that not enough people know about. Bill explains how the album came to be and the stories behind the songs. Please seek out this fantastic piece of pop.
www.animotion-obsession.comwww.patreon.com/thehustlepod -
We go deep on excellent 90s British alternative rock with this week's twofer. First up is the iconic Saffron of Republica! The band is best known for (and still make a nice living from) "Ready To Go", which is saying a lot for a band that only managed a couple albums. They have recently come back together to make some new music including their latest single "New York". Saffron discusses all of it, including her second life as a nurse. After that we talk with Sneaker Pimp lyricist Ian Pickering. They needed some help with their debut album so they called on their friend Ian to provide some lyrics, including the still potent "6 Underground", and they had hits! The band changed direction and Ian went back to normal, but these days he's focused on his new project The Noise Who Runs. His story is pretty unique. Enjoy!
www.republicamusic.co.ukwww.thenoisewhoruns.comwww.patreon.com/thehustlepod -
We're honored to welcome one of music's greatest living musicians, Budgie! In this sprawling conversation we cover all the bases - coming up in Liverpool with Big in Japan, joining The Slits for their revolutionary album Cut, and joining Siouxsie and the Banshees where he would stay until the bitter end in the mid-90s. He also married Siouxsie and did their side project The Creatures for many years as well. Last year he teamed up with podcasting partner (and fellow legend), former Cure drummer Lol Tollhurst and super producer Jacknife Lee (both former guests) to release the album Los Angeles, one of the best of the year. Budgie touches on his entire career including working with Robert Smith in the Banshees, drumming with the Indigo Girls, and everything else. He's one of the best to ever do it! Enjoy!
www.curiouscreaturespodcast.comwww.patreon.com/thehustlepod -
We're kicking off 2024 the way we often do by hearing from a legendary producer. This year we get to hear from the great Chris Kimsey! Chris was closely tied to the Stones for many years, producing albums like Some Girls, Undercover and Steel Wheels but his genius has impacted many other greats as well. In this conversation we cover artists big and small like Killing Joke, INXS, Duran Duran, Marillion, Led Zeppelin, Escape Club, Diesel Park West, Psychedelic Furs, Billy Squier, Bad Co., Curt Smith, Peter Frampton and reggae artists like Jimmy Cliff and Peter Tosh. You'll be knocked out by these stories and the breadth of songs he's worked on. Enjoy!
www.chriskimsey.comwww.patreon.com/thehustlepod -
It's a classic rock twofer this week! First up is Don Barnes of 38 Special. Next year the band will be celebrating 50 years and they're still as strong as ever. Their peak 80s period rivals anyone's with a bunch of hits that are still beloved. Don discusses the stories behind the songs, touring today, his lost solo album and much more. Then we get to hear from original Foghat drummer Roger Earl. Roger's the last man standing, but is also performing a bunch of shows every year. The band also has a brand new album called Sonic Mojo that keeps the fire going. Roger shares stories from his almost 60 years in rock. This one's a blast.
www.38special.comwww.foghat.comwww.patreon.com/thehustlepod -
The pioneering story of the Veldt is a one of one. Twin black brothers from North Carolina in the 80s embrace the alternative rock coming from the UK and record their debut album in 1989 with Robin Guthrie of the Cocteau Twins producing! The album was shelved, but they did get a couple great albums out in the 90s (Afrodisiac is especially excellent) but it never really takes off mainly because labels don't know what to do with black guys making alternative rock. They've soldiered on over the years releasing consistently great music and touring, converting skeptical audiences along the way. Today they are celebrating that Guthrie album, Illuminated 1989, finally being released. Guitarist Danny Chavis joins us to tell his fascinating story that is literally unlike anyone else's in history. Enjoy!
www.theveldtmusic.bandcamp.com
www.patreon.com/thehustlepod
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This week we welcome back two of our favorites - Maia Sharp and Garrison Starr. The girls (who are also friends) return to catch us up on what they're doing these days. Maia is producing Sarah & Shannon while Garrison has paired up again with Sean McConnell for their second release as My Sister, My Brother. They also get into the music industry's handling of lesbian artists, writing lyrics, and how they approach their career in the modern era. They're so great at what they do and we're big fans around here!
www.maiasharp.comwww.garrisonstarr.comwww.sarahandshannon.comwww.mysistermybrother.com -
Isn't the race for best alternative rock bass player in history neck and neck between Derek Forbes and Peter Hook? Those two showed what making great music with a bass as practically the lead instrument could do. Anyone who has listened to those early Simple Minds albums knows that what makes them so special is Derek's incredible bass work. Unfortunately, he was sacked from the band in '84 and has never returned for any real length of time. Many believe the band hasn't been the same since then. Derek joins us this week to discuss his whole career, including playing in Propaganda, Big Country and everything else he's done. His new book, A Very Simple Mind: On Tour is a must for any fan. We've wanted to have Derek on here for years, so it's a huge honor!
www.derekforbesmusic.comwww.patreon.com/thehustlepod - Show more