Surprise Cast

Hello KEELEY, I had a great time having y'all on Surprise Cast. What a fantastic way to launch season #3.  It was a blast exploring personal growth, the current state of indie music, music press, and the ongoing case of Inga Maria Hauser. Thank you for sharing insights into the band's artistic journey, the significance of collaboration, and the inspirations that drive your endless creativity. I LOVED hearing everyone's insights in...

Dear Paine, Thanks a million for being a guest on Surprise Cast!

I enjoyed hearing how traveling has broadened your mind and shaped your personal experiences. You are certainly well-traveled. It was great to learn that art is a means of self-discovery and allows you to express yourself in a creative, fun way!

Your love for Philadelphia, your collaboration with The Ocean Blue, and your time at art school were fascinating to hear. Li...

Dear Andrew, Thank you so much for returning to my podcast program, Surprise Cast. It was a pleasure speaking with you about music, faith, and personal transformation.  I particularly enjoyed listening to the backstories of songs such as "Oceans" and "Never Leaves Me". They were interesting in terms of their seeds of inspirations and connections to your spiritual journey. Thank you for being transparent about your past addictions ...

Dear Becca, It was so much fun sitting down with you on Surprise Cast to unpack your new album, 'Tonight in my Dreams' and a whole lot more. Our conversation was wide-ranging. Hearing your perspectives on songwriting, live performances, the recording process, and what it means to be "intentional" was fascinating. I loved hearing about the album's songs, such as "Caramel", "Empathy", and "Future Trip", and the stories behind each ...

Greetings, Leon! I'm grateful to have seen you perform in San Francisco in 2025. From the moment you picked up the sticks, I knew my eyes would be filled with wonder.

In our podcast conversation, you did a great job sharing your personal experiences, including your positive childhood, Marine Corps duties, and, of course, your extraordinary journey as a musician.

What really made me smile was hearing about your relationship with you...

Dear Worm School, I love your youth, spirit, and infectious energy! All of you shared interesting stories about how music plays a central role in your lives. It was great fun to jump behind the scenes of your incredible single, "Jacob's Ladder," a song as good as any in the dreampop/shoegaze world. I enjoyed learning about the band's creative process. May 2026 and beyond be filled with more great music and memorable live shows. I...

Dear Sundries, From a former teacher to current teachers, thank you for a lovely conference about life as musicians! I love listening to how music impacted each one of you whilst growing up. You focused on the role of art and its true impact, which was great to hear. I appreciated how you shared sharp insights on songwriting ideas, importance of simplicity and figurative language in your lyrics.  You released one of the most spar...

Dear Andrew, I was so looking forward to our conversation because I knew you'd bring your A game, and you did with great success. I loved hearing about your sparkling new album, 'Solar,' and the amazing stories behind it. Listening to your journeys along the Camino de Santiago was fantastic—it makes me want to get out on the trails one day to soak up the incredible vistas. Thank you for sharing all the granular details, including...

Greetings, Peter! Thank you for participating in Surprise Cast. The time went by too quickly. 

I loved hearing about your musical awakenings, including Johnny Cash, Hank Williams Jr. David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, and Iggy Pop. All the artists that I admire greatly. I can see why they whetted your appetite for emotional integrity and emotional truth within your musical pursuits.  Thank you for sharing such candid stories about your f...

Dear Zoe, What a sensational time I had with you on my podcast feature, Surprise Cast! Thank you for allowing me to shine a spotlight on your work as an aspiring performer in the UK. I loved hearing about the wonderful relationship you have with your parents and the deep support you feel from the two of them.  Hearing about your infinite love for theatre and acting was impressive. You handled all of the quotes with great aplomb. ...

Dear Shane,

In this intelligent and thoughtful episode, you discussed candidly important topics such as influential music, COVID, The National, Cocteau Twins, and the fabulous album, Wound. Your insights were nothing short of enlightening.

Thank you for guiding the listeners and me through the intricacies of the songwriting process, inspired guitar textures, and lyrical ideas. I loved how you delved into your recording approa...

Dear Ian and James, I can't believe this was our 5th conversation in some capacity--thank you for being on Surprise Cast. It's always a pleasure speaking with you, whether it be for your work with The Orchids, One Dove, or Montjuïc.  I loved how our conversation flipped between personal stories and artistic choices. We hit on a few important topics: growing up queer, carrying and reclaiming shame/identity, and maintaining hope dur...

Dear Ron and Jason, Thank you so much for diving into your feelings about your band, Blueshift Signal, the new album Eventide, and other fun topics.

I loved how we kicked off the show with some lighthearted icebreaker questions about comedy movies. It was fun hearing about your appreciation for Jim Carrey and Charlie Chaplin.  You walked the listeners and me through the history and emotional core of the new album, and how the song...

Dear Steve, Tara, and Luke — this was an engaging conversation about your Sydney shoegaze/indie project and the fantastic new album Feel Alright. I loved that we started with light icebreakers and then moved into deeper topics. 

We discussed the creative influences that shaped your sound from My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless to Simon & Garfunkel, Jesus and Mary Chain, Cyndi Lauper, David Bowie and The Cure. All amazing musicians!...

Hello Helen! I warmly welcome you as my special guest on Surprise Cast. Thank you for joining me from across the pond to discuss everything from Halloween icebreakers and favorite films (Kubrick, The Shining, and more) to how music, cinema, and books have helped you get through dark periods in your life.

The episode includes personal stories of childhood depression, early therapy, a later bipolar diagnosis, and how creative outle...

Dear Ed, I learned so much about your life in just over an hour. Thank you for being a proud owner of Shelflife Records and being on Surprise Cast! I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation, which moved from early childhood experiences, life in New York City, and running an amazing indie label. It was great to hear about your favorite games, formative films, and early musical obsessions (Depeche Mode, OMD, etc.), along with precious f...

Dear Alex, Andrew, and Gabi: Here's a little secret. I've been wanting to chat with you for a long time. I'm so thrilled the desire came to fruition. Look at how deep we went! I embraced our conversation from Halloween memories to deep questions about art, music, and the creative life. I felt that there was a nice balance that mixed light, nostalgic banter with thoughtful discussion inspired by Brian Eno quotes, along with respon...

Thank you for sharing your entertaining stories--from playing with Jackson Brown and opening for John Fogerty, to a near-miss with a Paramount placement song on a Netflix movie — and how those moments shaped your career in some capacity. 

The conversation dug into craft: songwriting as the true "currency" of music, ideas for breakin...