Fresh off a wild set at the legendary High Sierra Music Festival, Andy Frasco - bandleader, podcaster, and all-around force of nature - kicks back with the hosts for a candid, hilarious, and heartfelt conversation recorded right on the Plumas-Sierra County Fairgrounds.
Andy opens up about:
- The magic of High Sierra and why community and family matter at festivals
- His leap into music (inspired by piano teacher Holly Bowling) and how he built a career from scratch
- Lessons learned from overcoming excess and finding purpose in writing songs that matter
- Mentorship from legends like Dave Schools, Vince Herman, and George Porter Jr.
- His podcast, where raw conversations with seasoned musicians fuel inspiration for the next generation
Equal parts levity and real talk, this episode is a love letter to live music culture and a reminder of why it’s worth preserving.
Long live High Sierra!
HIGHLIGHTS
“ Long live High Sierra.!” This is bigger than us. This festival, the idea of this festival is important…. families come together, music is being made, kids laughing, smiling, families laughing and smiling. You don't see that anymore. People camping. That's why we gotta keep these things sacred …that's my goal.
-Andy Frasco on the greatness of High Sierra Music Festival.
I stopped writing songs to make everyone happy. And I started writing songs to make me happy. You can't preach happiness unless you're happy with yourself. And I'm finally in a spot where I'm good with myself.
-Andy Frasco on his approach to writing songs and the good place he is in.
It doesn't matter, when you start loving yourself, you just gotta love yourself. Even if you're 60, even if you're 70. Even if you're 10,. We gotta remember when we were seven years old. on the fucking swings, eating some ice cream, laughing by yourself, you know? That's it. We gotta get back to that. You have to get that feeling.
-Andy Frasco on the importance of loving yourself.
MUSIC
2025 Album - "Growing Pains" - Andy Frasco & The U.N.
Andy Frasco & The U.N. - "Life is Easy" ft. Billy Strings, Steve Poltz, Daniel Donato & Mike Gordon
Andy Frasco & The U.N. (feat Little Stranger) - Oh, What A Life (Official Video)
UPCOMING SHOWS/"GROWING PAINS" TOUR (as of day of episode drop) TICKET LINKS
SEP 9, 2025 - "Hot Summer Nights" – Vail, CO (Free Show)
SEP 10, 2025 - “The Gaslight Social” – Casper, WY
SEP 11, 2025 - The Commonwealth Room – Salt Lake City, UT
SEP 12 – 14, 2025 – Telluride Blues & Brews Festival – Telluride, CO
SEP 18, 2025 – “Healing Appalachia” – Ashland, KY
SEP 26 – 27, 2025 – Holy Smokes Festival – Garrettsville, OH
OCT 2, 2025 – The Livery – Benton Harbor, MI
OCT 3, 2025 – Moontown Brewery – Whitestown, IN
OCT 4, 2025 – Kenny’s Westside Pub – Peoria, IL
OCT 8 – 12, 2025 – Hillberry Harvest Moon Festival – Eureka Spring, AR w/ Greensky Bluegrass
OCT 17 – 19, 2025 – Roots Music Festival – Boulder, CO
OCT 19, 2025 – Halfway to 420 Music Festival – St. Augustine, FL
OCT 24, 2025 – The Barrelhouse Ballroom – Chattanooga, TN
OCT 25, 2025 – MegaCorp Pavillion (w/ Gov’t Mule) – Newport, KY
OC
Popular Podcasts
CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist
It’s 1996 in rural North Carolina, and an oddball crew makes history when they pull off America’s third largest cash heist. But it’s all downhill from there. Join host Johnny Knoxville as he unspools a wild and woolly tale about a group of regular ‘ol folks who risked it all for a chance at a better life. CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist answers the question: what would you do with 17.3 million dollars? The answer includes diamond rings, mansions, velvet Elvis paintings, plus a run for the border, murder-for-hire-plots, and FBI busts.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.