The Tom Petty Project

This week, before we wrap up the last song from The Last DJ, I’m sharing a conversation that I had with an English gent that I met through my Queen podcast and someone I’ve gotten to know a little over the last two or three years named Steve Ursell.

Steve has kinda been discovering Tom’s catalogue in real time through this podcast, so I thought it would be really interesting to talk to someone who wasn’t a Pettyhead three years...

Robin Vincent is back to give me her answers to my ten questions. You wouldn't necessarily think that World of Warcraft would play a significant role in defining Robin's favourite album, she drops a bombshell on me about a couple of singers she just doesn't jive with and her answer to my question about which song she'd join Tom and the boys on stage for is perhaps the best answer anyone's given yet to any question I've asked! Oh an...

Today’s bonus episode is a fantastic chat with another artist I was very fortunate to see perform down at the Tom Petty Weekend in Gainesville. Robin Vincent, whose band, Robin Shakedown was one of the most vibrant, energetic and very very cool acts from the weekend. I had to reach out to see if she’d be willing to talk to me about her love for Tom and his music and subsequently, found and fell in love with her latest EP, Floor God...

The DJ comes back and the ditch he’s digging, to keep the flames from the temple, are the songs and the culture he’s trying to build around his freeform station to stop outside corporate influence from burning down his integrity and his artistic vision, which are his temple. He’s the Last DJ: he’s digging this ditch around rock and roll to protect it from the superficial and the formulaic and he’s digging this ditch for all of us!

Ten questions, ten answers. Matt Burke is back to let me know which artists he'd most like to see open for Tom and the Heartbreakers and he throws a little love Joe Walsh's way while he's at it! His cover song is an interesting choice and he wonders if subconsciously he picked it because it's already happened and we sign off with three VERY good words to describe Tom Petty!

Don't forget to check out the new Voyager Golden EP fro...

Today’s episode is a part of my artist conversation series and is a wonderful chat I had with songwriter for and lead singer of Have Gun, Will Travel. For those of you who were down in Gainesville for the Tom Petty Weekend, you probably say Matt and the guys play their killer set on Sunday afternoon. This one ranges all over the map. We do discuss Tom Petty’s influence on Matt’s songwriting, but we also talk about the band’s fantas...

In last week’s outro I’d intimated that I hear a strong resemblance between this song and another favourite band of mine, The Kinks. So first of all, just sonically, if it walks like The Kinks and kinda quacks like The Kinks… it’s most likely inspired by The Kinks. That super cool key change into that second bridge section owes absolutely as much to the type of sharp left turns that Ray Davies would often write into his songs as it...

Sam Krishnan is back to answer my ten questions! He gives me his "boring answer" (his words!) to the question "Who is your favourite Heartbreaker other than Tom?" and then gives me his deep cut answer. He also surprised me with his answer to which artist he'd like to see cover a Tom Petty song. We chat about Into the Great Wide Open and the production on that album and we basically just fanboy all over Tom, as is our wont! Don't fo...

Today’s episode is another bonus artist conversation that I had with a young French songwriter who’s currently based in England, performing under the name “Bye Lily”. Sam Krishnan started out thinking he was probably going to become a rapper, but through a circuitous route, that we discuss, found his way around to Tom Petty, the guitar, and a very contemporary spin on indie folk music. Sam's debut EP, Voicenotes, features a tribute...

You and Me is another “Little song”, if we use Ivan Anderson’s brilliant concept of what that means. It doesn’t shoot for the moon, doesn’t explore nuanced or clever or grand themes. It’s a singular expression of companionship and love with a healthy dose of insecurity to humanize it. It’s a simple arrangement with some beautiful piano work and a very cool bass part that moves around that brisk backbeat in a lively fashion.

Song...

Shine is back to answer my Ten Questions! She draws a brilliant parallel from Fault Lines to big band music, we ruminate on the brilliance of Mike Campbell and Shine shares her experience of being side stage during Speaker Wars' performance at least year's Tom Petty Weekend in Gainesville!

Song and links:

Shine's Insta : https://www.instagram.com/shineandtheshakers/

On Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/ShineandtheShakers

Woman's ...

This special bonus episode of the podcast is a conversation I had with the wonderful Brian Ruskin of the Honest and Unmerciful Record Review Podcast. As well as co-hosting one of my favourite shows, Brian is a prolific musician who has released over a dozen albums of his own material. We're taking a sylistic detour today however as we plunge headlong into the world of electronic music, loops, samples, heavily processed guitars, and...

From the horse capital of the world to the main stage in Gainesville!

This week's episode is a fantastic freewheeling chat that I had with the inimitable Shine, who I had the privilege of seeing perform at the Tom Petty Weekend and the greater pleasure spending an hour and change getting to know over Zoom. Like all the true originals, Shine has a way of expressing herself that imprints on you. She'll make you laugh (we talk abou...

For an hour or so, with the sun starting to make it’s way to the basement to sleep, we drove in relative silence. Zoey’s mood seemed to darken with the sky. Or that’s the way it felt. I asked if there was anything wrong, she said, "Nothin' worth talkin' 'bout".

And that’s how it was for a while. A blue Sunday, Down the interstate. Blue, with shades of grey, and orange as the light began to fade. 

After a while, she turne...

In a 2006 Rolling Stone interview, Tom credits Ron Blair’s return as being pivotal for the band saying, “The band has a good family atmosphere that wasn't there for a while. It came back about a year or two ago. I think when Ron Blair returned, it really bonded us back together in a weird way. If he hadn't been there, I am sure it would have been the end of the whole thing when Howie died. Ron stepped in and had this huge enthusias...

I’ve always really liked this song as part of the album but never really listened to it closely until sitting down to write this episode. And that has happened a lot over the course of the last four and a bit years of recording this show. Songs you don’t necessarily expect to reveal hidden depths do so with startling regularity. Does this song have a line the equal of “Most things I worry about never happen anyway”? No, probably no...

I'm joined today by good pal Pete Nester. We're officially ACTUAL friends now, not just Facebook friends, because we've hung out, broken bread together, stood in a crowd and sung our hearts out, and hugged! I thought it would be fun to recap the weekend with Pete to get his thoughts as well as mine. Also included in the episode are chats I had with Maggie Clifford and Jeff Slate. I did chat to Shine and to Jake also, but due to tec...

Day Three of the Tom Petty Weekend in Gainesville was a perfect way to end a perfect weekend. I can't begin to tell you how much fun I had with the most amazing bunch of people you'll ever be lucky enough to meet. The energy at the Heartwood was electric again and was added to by the arrival of Keith Eveland. We also had some top tier musical performances and I'll go through the ones I saw in this final recap before I do a look bac...

Day Two of the Tom Petty Weekend in Gainesville was an absolutely sensational day of music, laughter, friendship, food, surprises, and warm, warm, warm temperatures!!! I hung out with Maggie Clifford, Shine, Jake Thistle, Jeff Slate, Pete Nester, Brad Gould, and a broad, brilliant cast of characters that are making this weekend so much fun. On and the music.................... holy hell Gainesville, you know how to PARTY!!!!

Fol...