EP.025 - Anthony Ferraro // Musician from Astronauts,etc. and Toro y Moi

Episode 25 - Anthony Ferraro // Musician.

“His name is Anthony Ferraro – but a lot of people in the Bay call him Tony Peppers. He’s got a very successful musical act, band, moniker – whatever you want to call it – that goes by the name Astronauts Etc. But maybe you’re into the DJ or rave scene and you know him as Tony MF. Me? I’m just gonna call him the new homie.

You see, Anthony – aka Tony, aka the new homie – is someone I’ve seen around for years. Though “seen” might be a bit misleading here. Anthony plays in my absolute favorite Bay Area-based band: Toro y Moi. For years, I watched him perform, live from my computer screen, thanks to a Toro y Moi concert called Live at Trona that I obsessively had on repeat a couple years back. Fast-forward a few years from there, I started realizing some of my friends were mutuals with Anthony. Fast-forward a few more, and I finally met him – along with his amazingly talented filmmaker wife Samantha Sartor – at the 4 Star Theater during a Scorsese double-feature on a Sunday afternoon. We chopped it up, became internet friends and now, we’re IRL friends. And today, y’all get to witness our first long-form conversation. Let me tell you – it was a good one. He’s definitely the new homie.

Anthony is a wildly talented career musician. He’s traveled the world on tour, studied at UC Berkeley, lives in Vallejo, is about to open a bar, has great taste, and an even better voice. I’m stoked to share our little convo with you today.

In this episode of BEDROOM™, Anthony talks about getting into music at a young age in Orange County and how he eventually made his move to the Bay. He shares about his college years and the key moments that led to him becoming a full-time musician. He talks about joining Chaz Bear’s musical project Toro y Moi, and what it's been like to play and tour with them over the last 12 years. We also dive into his solo projects – most notably Astronauts Etc. – and his more instrumental work under his full name. Anthony answers some listener-submitted questions – one from fellow East Bay musician and BEDROOM™ alum Hannah Van Loon (Tanukichan), and another from legendary film editor Caleb Stumpfl. He talks about making his piano-based album Gestures and shares some exciting news about the next phase of that project. We also get into the work he’s done composing for filmmakers like Tyler McPherron, Mancy Gant, and 26 Aries, and what he loves about creating music for film. Then, we dive into one of my favorite topics when talking to musicians: record labels – and what role they play in the modern era. Hint: I’m not the biggest fan.

Finally, we wrap things up with a round of BEDROOM BANTER™, where I rapid-fire some classic BEDROOM™ questions, and Anthony gives the fans what they want. Big shout-out to Anthony Ferraro for coming on the pod. Welcome to the BEDROOM™, y’all. WORLDWIDE PEACE.” – PSG
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Anthony Ferraro's Socials & Websites
Instagram: @tonysimage
Website: tony.news
Bandcamp: aetc.bandcamp.com

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