Surprise Cast

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...

Dear Rob, It was a real pleasure having you on Surprise Cast. I loved our talk about your supportive parents, early garage bands, formative concerts with your father, and your amazing new album. The episode dug into Oakland’s music life — the good, the rough edges, and the small venues that matter — and also highlighted your tremendous respect for Dandy Boy Records and label founder Bobby Martinez as a grassroots champion for a ...

Dear Ryan and Rebecca, Many thanks for joining me on Surprise Cast. I enjoyed our chat.  You traced your paths from childhood — eastern Los Angeles, Santa Cruz, and Marin —in an interesting way. I loved hearing about your musical influences, including Daryl Hall & John Oates, Cocteau Twins, Depeche Mode, and Skinny Puppy--so many bands that I love! It was cool learning how Halou formed in the early '90s and listening to your ...

Dear Grace and Eva, In this episode, I welcomed you for a lively return to Surprise Cast. The conversation began with playful Halloween icebreakers and costume memories before discussing the band’s recent UK tour, memorable onstage moments, and the variety of bands you played with, including indie legends Camera Obscura. Amazing!

The bulk of the episode focused on your sparkling self-titled debut album. You had mentioned producers ...

Dear James, I'm thankful that you returned to Surprise Cast for a third time; that means a great deal to me. I had a wonderful time celebrating the spirit of Halloween, as well as enjoying an old Maps tune and your new album, 'Welcome to the Tudor Gate'. 

You explained how the project began — moving into a new house near a "creepy" old inn, vintage photographs (from dad) that conjured spooky imagery, and a decision to build a conti...

Dear Jonathan, I loved our chat on Surprise Cast. Thank you for making it authentic and intimate. I learned a great deal about your craft regarding being a photographer and film writer--two things that you're quite good at doing. It was cool to learn about your path from Pennsylvania to Los Angeles, early work with concert promoters, and long and collaborative relationship with Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails.  

You provided wond...

Dear Sice and Tim, It was a fun, engaging, and relaxed conversation on Surprise Cast. I loved our playful icebreaker topics about childhood memories of Halloween traditions and horror movie favorites--and the Tigger outfit! It was cool hearing you reflect candidly on the making of the 1995 album, "Wake Up!" and its aftermath. Hearing you two recall studio tensions between ambition and execution, and how the radio-friendly song, "...

Dear Stefanos, Thank you from the bottom of my heart for joining me on Surprise Cast for the third time. You're a great songwriter and bassist for the band. I had a wonderful time discussing many interesting topics with you.   I loved hearing about your influences, such as Nirvana, Ride, Depeche Mode, The Chameleons, and Interpol, also your musical upbringing in Greece, and how specific songs affected you during different phases o...

Dear Minaxi, What a great time I had speaking with all of you on Surprise Cast. I really enjoyed our conversation about technology, collaboration, and the making of your superb album, 'Z of A'.  I loved how we opened up our discussion about artificial intelligence, its creative limitations, and accountability. It was interesting to hear the varying opinions. 

Thank you for allowing me to use the educational framework to pose quest...

Dear Jem, I'm elated that we had the opportunity to chat. I really enjoyed hearing your reflections on so many interesting topics! We covered your experience of fatherhood and the important relationship with your son, which included how parenting reshaped priorities, lessons about supporting a sensitive teenager, navigating education, "failure" as a learning milestone, and how to balance encouragement with letting a child find the...

Dear Ian, Thank you for coming back to Surprise Cast! I truly enjoyed our chat about music, family, and the creative process behind your magnificent work. It was wonderful to hear about your sharp reflections on journalism and songwriting. I also appreciated hearing your perspective on the significance of Robert Redford's work. I didn't realize All the President's Men had such an impact on you, but that makes complete sense consid...

Dear Tim, I'm glad we finally connected and had a conversation about music and life on Surprise Cast. The discussion covered Jeff Tweedy's (Wilco) ideas about focusing on verbs rather than nouns, the importance of process, and the creative “lightning bolt” moments that happen when inspiration meets preparation. You shared your past struggles as a young musician, how parenthood and teaching influenced your work, and why you priorit...

Dear Chris, It was an exhilarating experience to have you on Surprise Cast! I loved learning about your upbringing in Brighton, family life, deep musical influences, and how dyslexia affected your life in both positive and negative ways. We discussed your formative years at art college and your extraordinary friendship with Vaughan Oliver and 4AD, along with behind-the-scenes stories from key album cover projects (Wolfgang Press, ...

Dear Vox, Thank you for participating in the Surprise Cast show. Our intimate conversation about life on the road, creative rebirth that manifested during Covid, and your sharp perspective on self-awareness/personal growth was such an honor to hear.  I loved listening to your musical influences, including T-Rex, The Fall, and The Beatles. Hearing your relationship to Manchester and how other cities shaped you was quite interesting...