Surprise Cast

Dear Neal and Melissa, It brought a huge smile to have you both on Surprise Cast! Together, you unpacked what it truly means to work as designers and illustrators—the daily grind, highs, lows, and everything in between. It was great learning about the Willis Wonderland Foundation pop-up book and the backstory of discovering Hand Drawn Creative in 2009. I absolutely loved hearing how comics, post-punk music, and posters have shaped ...

Greetings, Paul! It was a pleasure to have you on Surprise Cast for an in-depth conversation about your life as a musician! Thank you for retracing your formative influences such as Chameleons, Talk Talk, and others. It was cool to learn about how these bands helped inform your approach to rhythm, melody and recordings. I loved your stories about The Pixies and Charlatans--fascinating and fun!

Our podcast listeners will get a deta...

Thank you, Susie, Michael, and Jason, for joining me for an energetic conversation about the 98th Academy Awards. I loved hearing about your personal first-movie memories, earliest Oscar impressions, and how movies shaped you. Our listeners can expect hilarious stories about that communal moviegoing experience and the sheer power of Tootsie, Star Wars, Benji, and Dead Poets Society. We unpacked and debated over seven major catego...

Dear Dusty, I welcomed you with open arms on my podcast feature, Surprise Cast. Thank you for all of your sharp insights!  It was a great time learning about the special reissue of the beloved album, 'A Certain Smile, A Certain Sadness', along with all of the touring details. The wide ranging interview covered plenty of ground from hauling around a massive Hammond organ, working at Beat Records in Sacramento, and early childhood e...

Hi James and Karla, Thank you for joining me at the Surprise Cast table. I loved discussing the self-titled album, creative process, personal stories, and collaborating with Mark Gardener of Ride. It was cool learning about how you two met in such a serendipitous way. The minute you mentioned musical influences from post-punk, shoegaze, and dreampop, I felt right at ease in going deeper into the conversation.  Continue down the tr...

Dear Pete, Sitting down with you on Surprise Cast was a pure delight. Thank you for coming back for round two.  I appreciate how we explored the new album in greater detail, including central themes--climate change, mass industries, and human cost in the Congo, media, and neoliberalism structures. You did a heck of a job translating these concerns into songs, whilst handling some pretty heavy quotes from Churchill, Chomsky, Monbio...

Dear Charlie, It was so exciting to speak with you, Mr. Producer and Singer-Songwriter! You painted a vivid picture of the New York scene, including a great Thai restaurant and a community performance series at the Loser's Lounge. Sounds like a great place to enjoy talking and music. 

Thank you for sharing your formative childhood experiences, family influences, and the impact David Bowie had on you. It was great to learn about t...

Dear Curt,

A big high 5 for coming onto Surprise Cast! You brought wonderful energy and authenticity to the show.

I loved hearing about your appreciation for Lebanon, Cincinnati, and their vibrant communities. Since your childhood, it's been clear that music has been a lifelong passion for you. Thank you for sharing how faith has played a role in your songwriting and artistic expression. So many layers and so complex. 

I esp...

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...