Transmissions :: The Autumn Defense

This week on Transmissions, we’re toasting harvest season with John Stirratt and Pat Sansone of The Autumn Defense, who release their first album in a decade this week. It’s called Here and Nowhere, out October 10 on Yep Roc Records. You might know John and Pat from their work in Wilco; Stirratt is a founding member, and Sansone joined in 2004. But the duo’s work in the Autumn Defense stretches all the way back to 1999, when they formed the Laurel Canyon-style folk rock band in New Orleans.  Here and Nowhere features everything you like about the band; sterling vocals, beautiful ‘70s style orchestration, replete with shades of the baroque pop that Sansone plays on Baroque Down Palace, his radio show on WYXR. Think Todd Rundgren, Bread, Carole King, and even ELO at their most rustic. It’s a tender, funny, and warming record. We discuss the new record in the hour that follows, along with detours into other projects, some Wilco talk, and an extended reflection on the legacy of Big Star—a band that’s more than just influential to these two—as they actually play the Big Star catalog with drummer Jody Stephens live these days. Let's dive in with this all new episode of Tranmissions. We’re brought to you by ⁠Aquarium Drunkard⁠, an independent music media crew headed by Justin Gage. Over at Aquarium Drunkard, you’ll gain access to 20 years of music writing, playlist, essays, mixtapes, radio special, podcasts, videos and more.