The Interview Show with Scott Wood 2016

Mounties (the band) is often called a Canadian indie supergroup because it's made up of an all-star lineup from the Canuck rock 'n' roll landscape: Steve Bays (from Hot Hot Heat), Ryan Dahle (from Age of Electric and Limblifter) and solo rocker Hawksley Workman.  The night I hung out with Steve and Hawksley in Steve's SUV, the guys told me that all Mounties tracks begin with a box of wine and a jam session. (How awesome does that sound?) Steve and Hawksley were very talkative and it was hard to get them to stay on point once they started on a topic.

What's the best (and worst) part of working with other successful and established musicians? Which other supergroup didn't work for Hawksley and Steve (as fans)? Who would they like to add to thier supergroup? How sexy is Mounties bassist Parker Bossley? What's the best brand of box wine to drink while jamming? We chat about all this and more!

Tracks played on the show...

1) Mounties, Thrash Rock Legacy (2014) "Headphones" 
2) Mounties, Thrash Rock Legacy (2014) "Pretty Respectable" 
3) Mounties, Thrash Rock Legacy (2014) "Tokyo Summer" 
4) Mounties, Thrash Rock Legacy (2014) "Waking Up On Time" 

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The Interview Show with Mounties #197

Reuben and the Dark is a indie rock band (with tinges of country) from Calgary fronted by Reuben Bullock. I met Reuben while we were both in Banff last summer. He took a break from recording to join me in a farmer's market to chat about his record Funeral Sky. The big story behind this record is that he worked with Chris Hayden from UK mega-group Florence + the Machine on a few of the tracks. 

Somehow I get shy but nice guy Reuben to talk about... The meanings behind his songs... His secret past as a skateboarder... How he met Florence + the Machine's drummer Chris Hayden by accident in Mexico... Telling Chris that he couldn't use some of the tracks they made together... Getting slammed against the wall by Canadian border officers... And much more. Listen to our chat!

Tracks played on the show...

1) Reuben and the Dark, Funeral Sky (2014) "Rolling Stone" 
2) Reuben and the Dark, Funeral Sky (2014) "Bow and Arrow" 
3) Reuben and the Dark, Man Made Lakes (2012) "Burial" 
4) Reuben and the Dark, Funeral Sky (2014) "Shoulder Blade" 

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The Interview Show with Reuben and the Dark #198

British duo Bondax is Adam Kaye and George Townsend. These house music producers started out in 2012 with the surprise single "Baby I Got That" followed by many more dance floor-friendly tracks, including my favorite "Gold." Strangely enough, it's now 2016 and still Bondax haven't released a proper record.

I met with Adam in his hotel room before a DJ gig. He was sipping on a smoothie while he waited for the car that would take him to the club. Why haven't Bondax released a proper record? When was the last time the tour manager caught Adam and George having a spontaneous dance party in the hotel room? What's the story behind my favorite Bondax track "Gold"? What do Adam and George talk about in the wee hours of the morning when they are all alone? Where the hell was George? These are all questions I asked Adam (and more.) Listen to our chat!

Tracks played on the show...

1) Bondax (ft Eric Hassle) "Temptation" (single)
2) Bondax "Baby I Got That" (single) (background)
3) Bondax "All I See" (single)
4) Bondax "Gold" (single)
5) Bondax "Baby I Got That" (Justin Martin remix) radio edit (single) (background)
6) Darius "Helios" Bondax remix (single)

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The Interview Show with Bondax #199

I met up with Dean Baxter and Jake Boyd (the band's rhythm section) one sunny summer day in Banff, Alberta. Dean and Jake had just had some "snacks" and were ready to enjoy the day. 

Ottawa's power pop quartet Hollerado are known just as much for their creative marketing stunts as their music. Their 2009 debut full length, Record in a Bag, came in a plastic bag full of confetti. The first print run of their 2013 release, White Paint, was hand-painted by the band and their friends at a Warhol-esque, weekend-long, painting party. Hollerado also offered to write a custom song for the first 200 fans who pre-ordered White Paint. The band then released all those custom songs on their 2015 record 111 Songs.

Dean and Jake were definitely in a vacation state of mind when we hung out, but I got them to talk about craft beer, board games, badminton, going from being a club band to a stadium band, and what to do when band life gets really really hard. Hollerado are working on their next record so I also try to get them to tell me what their next marketing stunt could be. Listen to our fun chat!

Listen to our fun chat!

Tracks played on the show...

1) Hollerado, White Paint (2013) "Pick Me Up"
2) Hollerado, 111 Songs (2015) "Firefly"
3) Hollerado, Record in a Bag (2009) "Riverside"
4) Hollerado, White Paint (2013) "So It Goes"

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The Interview Show with Hollerado #200

I hung out with emerging Prairie singer-songwriter and storyteller Andy Shauf one dark and stormy night. Andy's work is most interesting when he is weaving engaging tales of small town life. His 2015 record, The Bearer Of Bad News, is a great collection of stories about drug addicts, murderous lovers and other desperate figures clinging to the margins of life. 

This year Andy Shauf signed to Arts & Crafts Records  and Anti-Records, so his upcoming next record should take him to the next level. 

The rain tapped away on the van roof as I chatted with this sweet but shy guy about everything from being a teenage fan of MXPX to his love of the clarinet to how to craft a good narrative in a song (and how autobiographical his stories should be) and much more! Listen to our chat. 

Tracks played on the show...

1) Andy Shauf, The Bearer of Bad News (2015) "You're Out Wasting" 
2) Andy Shauf, The Bearer of Bad News (2015) "I'm Not Falling Asleep"
3) Andy Shauf, The Bearer of Bad News (2015) "Wendell Walker"
4) Andy Shauf, Sam Jones Feeds His Demons EP (2012) "Sam Jones"
5) Andy Shauf, The Bearer of Bad News (2015) "Jerry Was A Clerk"

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The Interview Show with Andy Shauf #201

After two records with legendary rock band Weezer, Matt Sharp quit as Weezer's bassist. He wanted his next project to be less a traditional rock band and more a chance to collaborate with all the musicians he admired, so he formed The Rentals. Even if he couldn't get his collaborators to leave his or her band permanently, Matt could rent them for enough time to make some music together.

As you can imagine, after three full length albums, Matt Sharp has ended up being the only constant in The Rentals project. He assembles a new set of collaborators each time he records an album or goes on tour. Fun fact: actor Maya Rudolph, of Saturday Night Live and Bridesmaids fame, also handled keyboard and backing vocals for the group's first tours in support of the debut album, Return of the Rentals. (Check out The Rentals 1996 video for "Waiting" to see Maya in action.)

I hung out with Matt Sharp one nice afternoon in the alley behind Vancouver's now closed Electric Owl. Matt was in town to promote the newest Rentals record, Lost in Alphaville. The new record includes collaborations with Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig of Lucius, Ryen Slegr of Ozma, and Patrick Carney of The Black Keys.

Listen to this episode! You'll discover the answers to all these questions: Which Hollywood film director did Matt nearly get to make a video for The Rentals? How would Matt compare The Rentals with his old band Weezer? Which public figure would Matt want to work with--but he's too scared to send the email? Which Matt Sharp record does one of Matt's friends use to get his kids to sleep? You'll find out all this and more! Press play.

Tracks played on the extended cut edition...

1) The Rentals, Lost in Alphaville (2014) "1000 Seasons"
2) The Rentals, Lost in Alphaville (2014) "Thought of Sound"
3) The Rentals, Lost in Alphaville (2014) "The Future" (background)
4) The Rentals, Seven More Minutes (1999) "The Man With Two Brains"
5) Weezer, Pinkerton Deluxe Edition Disc One (1996) "I Just Threw Out the Love of My Dreams" (background)
6) The Rentals, Lost in Alphaville (2014) "It’s Time to Come Home"

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The Interview Show

The Interview Show with The Rentals (extended version) #211

The Interview Show producer and host Scott Wood climbs into the tour van to hang out with your favorite indie bands. This podcast covers all kinds of music--anything from electronic to hip hop to indie to punk to metal. Listen!

The Interview Show with The Rentals (extended version) #211

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