S14 E12: Sitting With The Muse featuring Nick Leng

Nick Leng is a Los Angeles-based multi-instrumentalist, singer/songwriter and producer known for his abstract blend of electronica, classical piano and ambient soundscapes. Nick’s music is hard to categorize but evokes a sense of musical synesthesia, which he describes as a kaleidoscope of emotions turned into sounds.

Nick's musical journey began in his early years growing up in South Africa, where he was classically trained on the piano. His formal education provided a strong foundation for his later experimental approach, as he learned to seamlessly blend technical skill with a passion for experimentation.

In today’s episode, Nick talks with me about his musical development and the nuances of his ever-evolving creative process.

In a world where artists are often pressured to keep up with the demands of producing new content, Nick shares openly about his struggles with the industry’s relentless pace. He talks with me about the importance of resisting this pressure and taking time to sit with the muse, allowing his songs to develop naturally.

In keeping with our Season theme of Reclaiming Wonder, Nick contributes a fascinating perspective on discovering wonder within new sounds and new ways of approaching music.

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The Value of A Dream with Stephen Roach (Recorded Live in Urbana Illinois)

In this live talk, recorded at the Audiofeed Festival in Urbana, Illinois, Stephen Roach encourages listeners that the value of a dream is not contingent upon its coming to pass. The value of a dream, he says, is in the dreaming.

For anyone, who has grappled with the death of a dream or the pain of letting go, this talk will encourage you that a dream can take many shapes and forms and that nothing is wasted.

S13 E09: To Mend The World with Charlie Peacock and Andi Ashworth

What does it mean to be a culture maker in a world of hurt and wondrous possibility? And what does it mean to mend the world, to bring healing and hospitality through our art and the details of our everyday lives?

Today’s episode features multi-Grammy winner Charlie Peacock and his wife and author, Andi Ashworth. Charlie and Andi have recently published a wonderful book together titled, Why Everything That Doesn't Matter, Matters So Much: The Way of Love in a World of Hurt The book draws from their 50 years of marriage and lifelong experience working with artists in community.

In this conversation, Charlie and Andi share from their book on what it means to mend the world through honest, meaningful relationships and a hopeful imagination.

Patrons of the podcast can hear additional interview segments with Charlie and Andi on the power of writing letters and keeping a consistent practice of journaling.

Visit patreon.com/makersandmystics to gain access.

S13 E08: Come And Save Me with Danielson and Chris White

Film director Chris White and songwriter Daniel Smith of The Danielson Family have crafted an 8-minute short film/music video titled "Come and Save Me," a poignant exploration of acceptance and community as a cure to the loneliness epidemic of our post-pandemic world.

In this episode, Daniel and Chris share about the film’s inception, working with lead actor and comedian Fred Armisen, and why the arts play a central role in addressing social concerns.

S13 E02: The Vocabulary of Encounter with Kaleb Moten

Kaleb Moten is a singer, songwriter, composer, music producer, and musician, dedicated to revealing beauty and meaning, and liberating other artists to do the same.

Kaleb has released four studio albums to date and is currently producing two more. In addition to his solo work, Kaleb also works as a music producer, with credits for artists such as Victory Boyd and Abbie Gamboa.

In this episode, Kaleb shares one of the foundational encounters that shaped him as an experimental, musician, as well as his journey of developing a vocabulary to encapsulate some of the deeper experiences of his music and life.

In keeping with this season’s theme of community and culture, Kaleb shares about the impact of leaning into particular expressions of art not only as an individual but what happens when an entire movement of people collectively express the same heart.

Kaleb will be joining us along with Victory Boyd at The Breath and the Clay creative arts event, March 22-24, 2024.

S12 E09: Heritage and Innovation with Qais Essar

Qais Essar is a contemporary Afghan composer, instrumentalist, and producer who channels his melodic designs through the rabab, a 2,500 year old instrument from Afghanistan. He has toured extensively, sharing his new genre of music nationally and internationally. He has contributed original music to feature film and television also, composing for 2021’s Oscar-nominated film, Three Songs for Benazir. In 2017, Qais was recruited by director Nora Twomey to compose an original song for her Oscar-nominated film, The Breadwinner (produced by Angelina Jolie). He earned a Canadian Screen Award for “Best Original Song” for his piece, The Crown Sleeps.

In this episode, Qais shares his deep connections to this ancient instrument and how the rebab has become an extension of his own voice.

Following our theme of Art & Identity, this conversation offers a beautiful perspective on how culture, tradition and innovation shape the people we become.

S12 E06: Confronting The Empty Page with Andy Squyres

Andy Squyres is a singer-songwriter born and raised in the mountains of Northern California but after moving east in the late 1990’s, he’s spent the last few decades carving songs out of the foothills of his North Carolina home.

Andy is Heavily influenced by the poetics of Leonard Cohen and the lyrical tradition of artists like Bob Dylan and The National. His passion for words convey a raw and unmatched honesty that bring listeners face to face with overlooked parts of our own humanity and weave together a tapestry of heartbreak and hope.

In this episode, Andy and Stephen talk backstage at the Loom creative arts gathering about Andy's creative process, confronting the empty page and what it takes to build a sustainable lifestyle of making music and making a living.

Patrons of the podcast can enjoy an additional interview segment with Andy of the making of his latest release Death Defying Joy which you’re hearing throughout this episode.

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S12 E04: From Self, With Love | Lowland Hum

Lowland Hum is the musical work of husband and wife duo Daniel and Lauren Goans of Charlottesville, Virginia. Their indie-folk sound is characterized by winsome haronies, poetic songwriting and raw, authentic craftsmanship.

The band has spent the past eleven years touring the nation and sharing stages with artists just as Josh Ritter, Oh Hellos and Penny and Sparrow.

Today on the podcast, Daniel and Lauren talk with Stephen Roach about their collaborative process, how changing seasons impact the creative process and our sense of self.

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S12 E01: The Glorious Dark with Victory

Victory Boyd is a Grammy award winning singer/songwriter from Detroit Michigan. She is one of nine siblings who got her start singing in the Boys & Girls Choir of Detroit, founded by her father, John Boyd.

Victory made her first solo recording on Jay Z’s Roc Nation label and went on to collaborate with Kanye West for his 2019 album Jesus is King.

Her most recent album, Glory Hour is an inspirational 18-track collection marking her first gospel album.

In this episode, Victory shares about her upbringing in a vibrant musical family, the discipline of spontaneity, along with the deep spiritual roots that inform her work as an artist.

Speaking to our season theme of Art & Identity, Victory shares about the journey of finding her identity rooted in inheritance rather than in striving after acceptance.

S11 E12: The Personal and Universal with Aisha Badru

Aisha Badru is a singer/songwriter based in New York. The magic of her music lies in distilling an often-tangled human experience into simple truths, quieting the inner cacophony of emotions to pave a path toward healing.

To date, her soulful music boasts over 135 million streams, critical praise from the likes of NPR Music, Okayplayer, and is featured in commercial work for brands such as Volkswagen.

In this episode, Aisha discusses how the personal stories of heartbreak and healing often found in her lyrics move beyond individual experience and lend themselves to a broader even universal connection with listeners.

S11 E10: In The Moment with Julianna Barwick

Julianna Barwick is a Los Angeles based composer, vocalist, and producer who makes deep, reflective compositions rooted in the human voice.

Over the years she has made six critically acclaimed records as well as contributed her sound to the world of film scoring.

Her self-released debut “Sanguine” came out in 2007, followed by "Florine" in 2009, and “The Magic Place” in 2011.

In 2013, she released "Nepenthe," an album which marked Barwick’s first steps into collaborating, working with producer and film composer Alex Somers in Reykjavík, Iceland.

Her 2020 release "Healing Is A Miracle," features notable artists Jónsi (Sigur Rós), and earned Pitchfork's coveted 'Best New Music'.

In todays episode Juliana talks with Stephen Roach about her experience growing up in Louisiana, singing in choirs and the development of her experimental soundscapes.

Bonus Interview: Half-Handed Cloud

John Ringhofer, the man behind Half-handed Cloud, is as joyful and frugal as his music. An economical thinker, Ringhofer prefers the subway over a taxicab, is a recycler of plastic, a compulsive note-taker, and a habitual optimist. Half-handed Cloud started as a home-recording project in Chattanooga, TN in 1999. Ringhofer was later based in the California Bay area for over a decade (where he worked as a part-time custodian) before moving with his young family to Helsinki, Finland in 2015 for his wife’s linguistics research. Half-handed Cloud is able to ensconce complicated theological concepts into catchy and sublime playground songs that refuse to condescend to its subject or its listener. He has collaborated with artists Sufjan Stevens, Daniel Smith of the Danielson Family and is currently an Asthmatic Kitty recording Artist.

In this bonus episode, Stephen talks with John about the creative process of his latest album, Flutterama as well as the mischief of Jesus, satire and how environment shapes the art we make.

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S10 E12: Artist's Round Table P1: Re-Creation of Meaning

What does Kendrick Lamar, Taylor Swift, Radiohead, Beck, Nick Cave, Miley Cyrus, Madonna, Lady Gaga, Andy Warhol and Mark Rothko have to do with singer/songwriter, John Mark McMillan, art-instigator, Stephen Roach, author/illustrator, Vesper Stamper & visual artist/designer, Brandon Willett? You’ll find out in this Artist’s Round Table.

My guests and I discuss the “Re-creation of Meaning” and what it is like for the artist as he/she gets older, experiences change and seeks to re-invent themselves.

Such re-invention is a vital part of restoring the heart of the artist. Listen in to Part One of this Roundtable discussion and learn why.

*Patrons of the podcast can listen to an early release version of Part Two of this discussion, “Fire Dragons and Jackalopes” on our Patreon.

S10 E09: Subjects in Motion with Young Oceans

YOUNG OCEANS is a neo-alternative worship project that evolved from a gathering of musicians, re-imagining hymns in a New York City apartment.

Untethered from the expectations of a traditional congregational format, these artful re-renderings gave birth to a sound that is at once familiar and refreshingly innovative. The musical ethos of Young Oceans emerged as more a companion to reflective prayer and meditation than to a typical church experience.

In this episode, Stephen Roach talks with Young Oceans founder and songwriter, Eric Marshall about his latest project, Subjects In Motion. This full-length album features an all-star line up of artists such as Amanda Cook, Josh Garrels, Molly Pardon, Liz Vice, John Mark Pantana and many others, each singing new versions of previously released Young Ocean Songs.

*Patrons of the podcast can enjoy further discussions with Young Oceans on motivations in art making, radical individualism and collaboration.

S10 BONUS: The Welcome Wagon

The Welcome Wagon is a musical duo comprised of married couple, Vito and Monique Aiuto. heir musical style is steeped in sacred song traditions presented with minimalist Alt-Folk sensibilities.

Their musical journey began with Asthmatic Kitty Records in 2008 with the debut album, Welcome To The Welcome Wagon produced by Sufjan Stevens.

In this bonus episode, Vito and Monique share with me about the creative process behind the making of their latest release, Esther.

*Patrons of the podcast can enjoy an additional interview segment with The Welcome Wagon on balancing art and family.

S9 E13: Electric Jesus with Chris White

Chris White is an award-winning filmmaker who has spent over a decade writing, directing, and producing a variety of feature length and short films. His most recent project is the music-centric, coming of age comedy Electric Jesus, which explores the world of a fictional 1980's Christian hair metal band called 316.

The film follows the band's journey from playing Bible camp talent shows to larger rock venues and gives an amusing look at youth culture during the time when heavy metal music was bathed in controversy.

The film stars Brian Baumgartner (better known as Kevin from The Office), also Judd Nelson (from The Breakfast Club), and newcomers Shannon Hutchinson (Assassinaut) and Andrew Eakle (Creepshow, The Glorias).

In addition to writing and directing Electric Jesus, Chris White also co-wrote original songs for the film, collaborating with composer/indie rock legend Daniel Smith of the Danielson Family.

In this episode, I talk with Chris about the making of the film, the art of satire and why thinking about humor as a spiritual practice is not funny.

Patrons of the podcast can enjoy additional segments of this conversation at: http://www.patreon.com/makersandmystics

S9 E09: Speaking Into The Chaos with Joshua Luke Smith

Joshua Luke Smith is a British rapper, poet, and producer with a dramatic, socially conscious style rooted in explorations of the Christian faith. He was born in London raised in Pakistan, and holds a degree in philosophy, which informs his music with a unique perspective on the world both from his education and experience.

In this episode, I talk with Joshua about his upbringing, his creative process as well as well as philosophy and overcoming addiction.

You can see the show notes of this episode for links to Joshua’s new book Something You Once Knew and for additional patron only interview segments in our creative collective.

S9 E06: Composing Through The Multiverse with Son Lux

Son Lux is an experimental, electronic trio whose music strives to question deeply held assumptions about how music is made. The band started in 2008 as a solo project of founder Ryan Lott, then expanded to include creative collaborators Ian Chang and Rafiq Bhatia.

Most recently, the band scored the new Daniels film, Everything Everywhere All At Once, featuring collaborations with Mitski, David Byrne, Randy Newman and Moses Sumney among others.

I had the chance to talk with Ryan about his creative process, collaboration and what it was like composing music for a bizarre film based on the multiverse, one which the New York Times has called “an exuberant swirl of genre anarchy.”

If you’ve been following the podcast this season, you’ll know I’ve been talking with my guests about mental, emotional and spiritual health as it relates to the creative artist. I asked Ryn for his comments on this subject as well which I’ve made available for our patrons at patreon.com/makersandmystics

Summer '21 Series E02: Artist Manager Jay King

Jason “Jay” King is the founder and owner of World Citizen Media and a twenty-year veteran of the music industry. He manages Los Angeles based duo JOHNNYSWIM, Propaganda, and Pop writer/artist TRELLA. World Citizen’s core mission is to help BUILD, LAUNCH, and ACCELERATE meaningful projects, with strong foundations, that contribute good back into the world.

Jay’s background includes working with renowned artists including Platinum selling hip-hop group GRITS, 4th Avenue Jones, Hillsong United, Grammy award winner Israel Houghton, All Sons & Daughters, Fonzworth Bentley, Daniel Bashta, John Mark McMillan, Rhett Walker Band, and more. He has also worked along side brands such as Tumi Luggage, Macy’s, Fiat, General Motors, Southwest Airlines, St. Jude, and more in order to bring campaigns for his clients to life.

He held the title of VP of A&R positions for both Gotee Records (Universal Music Group) and Integrity Music (Sony BMG) before establishing World Citizen Media.

In this bonus episode, guest-host, JOHN MARK MCMILLAN, interviews Jay King about the role of artist management and navigating the “business” of art making.

S8 E15: Moving Through Space with My Brightest Diamond

Shara Nova is a classically trained vocalist and self-taught multi-instrumentalist. She records dazzling, shapeshifting music under the moniker My Brightest Diamond.

Her music resists the conventions of genre, blending elements of rock, art pop, and chamber music into a sound totally her own.

Over the span of her career, Shara has released multiple ground breaking albums, as well as composed a baroque chamber opera titled, "You Us We All.” She has recorded as a guest vocalist with notable artists such as David Byrne, The Decemberists, Sufjan Stevens, and many others. Her extensive collaborations with visual artists include contributions to the works of Matthew Ritchie, Matthew Barney and more recently, performance artist and vocalist Helga Davis on a collaborative film project titled Ocean Body.

In today’s episode, I talk with Shara about her background as an artist and some of the motivations informing her work.

If you are a patron of the podcast you can enjoy an additional episode segment with Shara on her experience as a working artist navigating our current cultural landscape.

Visit patreon.com/makersandmystics or see the show notes of this episode to sign up as a patron today.

S8 E06: Rivers & Robots: On Context & Creativity

Rivers & Robots is an independent band from Manchester, UK whose sound explores acoustic and electronic elements beneath layers of devotional lyrics and worship themed motifs.

In this episode, Stephen talks with founding members Jonathan Ogden and Nathan Stirling about the creative exploration within their music and how context influences the art we make.

S7 E15: An Ethos of Healing with Elephant Heart

Elephant Heart is the husband and wife musical collaborative of Jason and Victoria Evigan. Jason Evigan is an award-winning producer and songwriter responsible for some of today’s biggest hits from artists such as Maroon 5, Madonna, Ellie Goulding, and Rufus Du Sol. Victoria Evigan is a musician, visual artist, set designer and stylist known for using make up, hair, environments, and fashion to create contemporary expressions of the Elephant Heart ethos. Victoria is also the principal operator of Picture This, Elephant Heart’s not for profit organization.

Patrons of the podcast can listen to additional interview segments with Jason and Victoria about Picture This, making their own instruments and Jason’s work as a music producer.

In this season finale episode, Stephen talks with Jason and Victoria from their home studio in Los Angeles, California about the spiritual dynamics and creative processes within their music.

S7 E14: The Path Became A Ghost with A Boy & His Kite

A Boy & His Kite is the music project by Colorado singer-songwriter and producer, Dave Wilton. In this episode, Stephen talks with Dave about the silence of God, expressing joy and grief through art, and the creative process behind his latest release, The Path Became A Ghost.

S7 E12: Pillars Of The Earth with Turtledoves

Turtledoves is the new musical project of Ashley and Alex McGrath. Exploring the balance between lo-fi electronics and acoustic instruments, the husband/wife duo creates harmonically rich soundscapes consisting of labyrinthine melodies, ambient textures, and layered vocals. Turtledoves exist in the liminal spaces - messengers between seen and unseen - ambassadors to the now from the not quite yet. Residing in Cincinnati, OH, the band recently released their second EP, titled, “Pillars of The Earth. Their first, “The Rest is Yet to Come”, was released in 2018.

In this episode, Stephen talks with Ashley and Alex about their collaborative process as a husband and wife duo.

Watch the Music Video for Soft Speaker