The Creative Asylum Podcast

This week we sit down with Hiro Yamamoto — co-founder and original bass player of Soundgarden, one of the most important bands from the Seattle Music explosion that changed the course of rock forever. Hiro’s musical journey is rich and expansive. From the thunder of early grunge to the expansive psych-rock of TRULY, and his instrumental surf-punk band, the Bellingham-based Stereo Donkey, he's now back into the spotlight with the re-release of TRULY’s seminal Fast Stories…from Kid Coma (which includes an upcoming tour that’s got fans buzzing). Recently inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as one of the founders of Soundgarden, Hiro reflects on a lifetime of riffs, risks, and reinvention.This episode however goes well beyond his musical journey. Hiro and I talk about how the experience of being a Japanese-American — and a person of color has shaped some of his attitudes. At a time when our country is wrestling with disturbing echoes of its worst moments, the racially targeted rhetoric to threats against due process and a codified rejections of basic human rights, Hiro identifies why it's important that your voice be heard if you have a platform to speak from. We explore how those challenges intersect with art, identity and community, and why voices like his matter now more than ever. Join us for an episode that’s equal parts musical history, genuine reflection, and the urgency of the challenges that face us as a nation.  * * * * PLEASE FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA:Website: https://www.TheCApod.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCApod/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CreativeAsylumCA/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, a deep and wide-ranging conversation with Victor Krummenacher — songwriter, bassist, and creative heart behind Camper Van Beethoven, co-founder of Monks of Doom, and a singular voice in alternative music with a remarkable catalog of solo records to his credit. Victor’s musical journey has always been adventurous, exploratory and deeply human and with that, we talk about The Third Mind, his most recent collaborative band that he's a part of with Grammy-winning singer/songwriter/guitarist Dave Alvin (The Blasters), drummer Michael Jerome (Richard Thompson, Better Than Ezra, John Cale), guitarist David Immergluck (Counting Crows, John Hiatt), and singer/songwriter Jesse Sykes (from Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter)Well past his influential musical career, we talk about the state of art and music-making in the age of AI. Victor shares candid views on why he believes the current AI push may not be the boon many claim will be the future for the creator economy, and what that means for musicians, storytellers, and the future of creative work. The question in my mind is: HOW do we stake out our claim in the creative world where technology threatens to replace the very humanity of real creative energy and effort? * * * * PLEASE FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA:Website: https://www.TheCApod.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCApod/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CreativeAsylumCA/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Few cartoonists have captured the anxious, abrasive, and darkly hilarious spirit of American life quite like Peter Bagge. Best known as the creator of HATE, the iconic Fantagraphics series that defined a generation of alt-comics readers, Bagge’s work blends elastic cartooning, savage satire, and razor-sharp social observation. Mentored early on by Robert Crumb during his time editing Weirdo, Bagge absorbed the underground tradition and detonated it—filtering punk attitude, suburban dread, and grunge sensibilities into a style that’s unmistakably his own.In this episode, Bagge reflects on a career that moves effortlessly between the margins and the mainstream. Based in the Pacific Northwest, he’s brought his distinctive voice not only to Fantagraphics and independent comics, but also to unlikely institutions like MAD Magazine and even Marvel, where he put his stamp on an issue of Spiderman. The conversation dives into influence, craft, cultural satire, and longevity—offering insight from an artist who has never stopped pushing at the boundaries of what comics can say, or how loudly they can say it. * * * * PLEASE FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA:Website: https://www.TheCApod.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCApod/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CreativeAsylumCA/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kira Roessler is a rare artist whose creative impact started in the 1980s as the bassist for Black Flag during one of the band’s most explosive and influential eras. She later co-founded dos with her then-spouse, Mike Watt, writing deeply personal, minimalist music that pushed punk’s emotional and structural boundaries to new areas of exploration.Beyond the world of SoCal punk, Kira has managed an equally remarkable path in the film industry, building a career as a sound editor that culminated in winning an Academy Award as part of the team for Best Sound Editing for Mad Max: Fury Road. In this conversation. Kira reflects on creativity, diligence and focus as templates for a work style that spans different areas of expertise. Always maintaining her DIY ethos, Kira remains passionate about staying true to her values while also being disciplined with how she approaches her work and creativity. * * * * PLEASE FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA:Website: https://www.TheCApod.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCApod/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CreativeAsylumCA/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a fun one - a conversation with Jeff “JD” Pinkus, best known for his work with the legendary Butthole Surfers as well as his stint as the bass player with Melvins. Jeff's approach to music is unique - he has his own sense of warped psychedelia, a genuine reflection of his sometimes wildman mind. In this episode, we begin to understand his fearless spirit and boundary-pushing ethos, qualities that have made him a cult icon and a relentlessly creative visionary.Beyond the distortion and zany demeanor, JD brings a singular voice with his trippy solo banjo work, an experience that has to be experienced live to fully appreciate. We talk about his early days first getting onboard with one of the most uncompromising bands in indie rock, the playfulness behind some of his more beloved projects, and the unpredictable journey of making music on his own terms. This is a conversation with a true architect of some weird and wonderful sounds. It was great to catch up with him! * * * * PLEASE FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA:Website: https://www.TheCApod.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCApod/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CreativeAsylumCA/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joe Lally is one of those bassists whose playing has largely defined ideas of what punk and post-punk can be. Best known as a founding member of Fugazi, Lally’s deeply, sometimes dub-inflected feel and tight rhythm-forward approach have influenced an entire generation as a critical component of Fugazi’s fiercely independent and uncompromising approach to being in a band. In more recent years, he’s continued to push boundaries with The Messthetics, a band that he plays in with Fugazi drummer Brendan Candy and Jazz virtuoso guitarist, Anthong Pirog. While sounding nothing like Fugazi, The Messthetics create a textural, instrumental intensity that is every bit as compelling as their lineage.In this episode, Joe talks about how he approaches creativity in his work—then and now—offering insight into collaboration, restraint, and the power of groove as a form of expression. If you’re a lifelong Fugazi fan or are someone fascinated by the true spirit of independent music, this conversation goes deep into the mind of a musician who has always played with purpose and intent. * * * * PLEASE FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA:Website: https://www.TheCApod.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCApod/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CreativeAsylumCA/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this kick-off to the second season of The Creative Asylum, I have a conversation that was an honor and a delight. From growing up inside one of the most unconventional, creative, and publicly scrutinized families in American pop-culture, Moon Zappa has lived a life defined by both extraordinary visibility and deeply personal exploration. In her memoir, Earth to Moon, she offers a vivid, emotionally charged, often funny, equally heartbreaking account of navigating identity, fame, family legacy, and the search for a personal authenticity in her own life.In this episode, Moon opens up about the stories behind the book. She openly discusses her growth, discovering revelations, and the paths she’s travelled both in and beyond the Zappa universe. With her trademark wit, insight, and self-awareness, she reflects on childhood, creativity, survival, and the lifelong process of making sense of where we come from and who we become. If you’re fascinated by memoir, personal transformation, or the complex human realities behind iconic cultural figures, this conversation is one that you don’t want to miss. * * * * PLEASE FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA:Website: https://www.TheCApod.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCApod/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CreativeAsylumCA/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode—the final episode of the first season—a conversation with a very old friend, the endlessly creative Roderick Wolgamott — founder and front-facing soul of the Seattle-based psychedelic dream-pop collective Sky Cries Mary. Outside of music, he’s also a visionary designer behind dozens of hand-built treehouses in locations all over the world. Roderick takes us on a journey through his life, both in sound and in structure, revealing how music, nature, and craft have always been intertwined in his artistic DNA.From the early days of Seattle’s experimental music scene to the meditative process of shaping wood and space in the canopy, Roderick shares stories that are spiritual in nature while also being a person with a scientific/analytical mind. We talk about living wholly as an artistic animal, the communal energy of Sky Cries Mary, and what it means to build spaces—musical and physical—that invite people to step outside themselves. It’s an inspired, free-flowing conversation with a creator who has spent decades following his own compass, someone whose work continues to blur the lines between art, environment, and spirit. * * * * PLEASE FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA:Website: https://www.TheCApod.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCApod/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CreativeAsylumCA/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Just in time for Christmas, in this episode, I sit down with legendary DIY filmmaker David Markey for a broad-ranging conversation about his life behind the camera. Markey, known for his raw, uncompromising and irreverent approach to documenting underground culture, opens up about the creative journey that led to his upcoming film 'The Secret Lives of Bill Bartell,' a project that I think is perhaps the most remarkable film of his career.We discuss his decades-long relationship with Bartell, the eccentric musician and scene-staple whose chaotic brilliance inspired the film, a testament to one of the most individualistic lives in the L.A. punk scene of the 1980s and '90s. Markey talks about those early days, the cultural history that he's been part of preserving. and his unruly spark that keeps him pushing himself into new territory. * * * * PLEASE FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA:Website: https://www.TheCApod.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCApod/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CreativeAsylumCA/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sluggo Cawley has been in bands most of his life. From Hullaballoo and Aint to The Grannies and REQ'D, Sluggo has spent over four decades creating guitar-based mayhem. A longtime friend, we have an in-depth conversation that digs into the stories behind the music: the chaos, the creativity, the hard-won wisdom and the pure joy of staying creative and making noise. With an art degree in hand tempered with the perspective of a veteran of punk rock, Sluggo looks back over the years, many of those experiences covered with the release of his first book GUITARGONAUT, an often funny, unfiltered chronicle of a life lived without compromise.  * * * * PLEASE FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA:Website: https://www.TheCApod.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCApod/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CreativeAsylumCA/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, a conversation with Bootsy Holler — the lens-and-light maestro who captured the raw energy, the DIY grit, and the creative perseverance of Seattle's indie, rock and punk music. With her new book MAKiNG iT: An Intimate Documentary of the Seattle Indie, Rock & Punk Scene, 1992‑2008, Bootsy talks about her journey — from a young photographer showing up at clubs with a camera and her passion, to witnessing and framing a cultural moment that has since attained mythic status. We discuss some of the bands that defined the period, but also the artist behind the lens: how she navigated being a woman in that scene, how photography became her tool of memory and connection, and how her book is both a chronicle of an era and a personal blueprint to the unapologetic drive needed to make art. * * * * PLEASE FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA:Website: https://www.TheCApod.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCApod/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CreativeAsylumCA/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From her early days as a founding member of the Riot Grrrl band, Bratmobile to an impressive career as a music executive, Molly Neuman has lived a life steeped in creativity, community, and change. As a musician at the forefront of a burgeoning musical subculture, she helped shape a movement that gave voice to a new generation of feminist artists; as President of CD Baby, she continues to champion independent musicians everywhere, helping them build sustainable careers on their own terms.In this conversation, Molly reflects on her journey from the punk underground to the executive suite—sharing perspectives and insights about the evolving music industry, artist empowerment and maintaining a DIY perspective in all aspects of life and work.  * * * * PLEASE FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA:Website: https://www.TheCApod.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCApod/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CreativeAsylumCA/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, an in-depth conversation with acclaimed documentary filmmaker Doug Pray, whose work over the past three decades has captured the raw spirit of several American subcultures.Doug’s films — including Hype!, Scratch, Surfwise, Art & Copy, Levitated Mass, and Love, Lizzo — have explored everything from the explosion of Seattle’s grunge scene to the pioneers of hip-hop DJ culture, the power of advertising, and the artists and outsiders who redefine what’s possible. His documentaries are celebrated for their empathy, energy, and authentic connection to the people and movements they portray.Doug reflects on his filmmaking journey, the stories behind his most iconic works, and how he finds truth and emotion through documentary storytelling. We discuss his process — from gaining trust with subjects to finding meaning in the edit room — and how decades of filmmaking have shaped his perspective on creativity and collaboration.Whether you’re a filmmaker, music fan, or creative of any kind, this episode is an inspiring look into the craft of storytelling from one of the best in the field. * * * * PLEASE FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA:Website: https://www.TheCApod.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCApod/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CreativeAsylumCA/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Conan Neutron is a singular force in the world of indie music — a songwriter, performer, and overachiever whose creative restlessness has fueled his Protonic Reversal podcast which has been running strong for an impressive 11 years! We talk about his current band, Conan Neutron & The Secret Friends as well as his previous groups, Replicator and Victory and Associates. In this energetic conversation, we dig into his uncompromising approach to doing everything he does and the DIY ethos that fuels his ambition and seemingly endless reserve of infectious energy.  * * * * PLEASE FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA:Website: https://www.TheCApod.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCApod/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CreativeAsylumCA/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, I sit down with an old friend, Nabil Ayers — music executive, host of The Identified podcast and author of an acclaimed memoir 'My Life in the Sunshine,' which explores his experiences growing up as the son of legendary jazz musician Roy Ayers, a father that he never knew as a kid. The book AND the podcast explore questions of identity, race, and what constitutes family in environments that don't necessarily conform to "traditional" expectations. From his early days as a drummer and record store owner to his current role as a major figure as a music business executive, Nabil reflects on the experiences, lessons and epiphanies that have help to define his creative life. * * * * PLEASE FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA:Website: https://www.TheCApod.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCApod/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CreativeAsylumCA/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, a rare and unfiltered conversation with Laurie Lipton, the Los Angeles–based artist whose painstaking black-and-white pencil drawings have captivated collectors, critics, and art lovers around the world. Over decades, she’s built a reputation for works that blend obsessive detail, a wicked gravitas and dark wit — forceful visual meditations on mortality, consumerism, politics, and the absurdity of modern life.If you’ve seen Laurie’s work and felt drawn into their labyrinthine detail, this conversation will peel back the layers — revealing the philosophies, humor and emotional connections that make her work so haunting and luminous.Laurie’s Website: LaurieLipton.comLaurie’s Instagram: Instagram.com/LaurieLiptonDrawings LINKS TO BUY HER REMARKABLE BOOKS:=================================Day of the Dead / Dia de Muertos (2005): https://amzn.to/47ez6Mo The Extraordinary Drawings of Laurie Lipton (2010): https://amzn.to/4hgXWQhThe Drawings of Laurie Lipton (2013): https://amzn.to/4nh21FH Laurie Lipton Drawing (2022): https://amzn.to/3LeCYFM  * * * * PLEASE FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA:Website: https://www.TheCApod.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCApod/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CreativeAsylumCA/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stuart Gray, better known as Stu Spasm, is the manic mind behind the legendary Aussie noise-rock band Lubricated Goat and his latest, the explosive Art Gray Noizz Quintet. A true underground icon, Stu’s career spans decades of confrontational performance, genre-defying experimentation, and raw sonic intensity. From the gritty stages of 1980s Australia to New York's avant-garde scene, his work blends punk, noise, art-rock, blues and chaos into a visceral experience. In this episode, we dive into the madness, music, and legacy of one of noise rock’s most fearless creators. * * * * PLEASE FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA:Website: https://www.TheCApod.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCApod/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CreativeAsylumCA/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jack Endino is a man of many hats. He was the guitarist and co-founder (with your host, Daniel House) of the Seattle-based band Skin Yard. He's a recording engineer, and has recorded hundreds of records including all the early stuff for Sub Pop, including Nirvana, Soundgarden, L7, Mudhoney, TAD, The Fluid, the Afghan Whigs and SO MANY more! We talk about the early days, and what it's like living out in the country and what's in store as he continues to look ahead. * * * * PLEASE FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA:Website: https://www.TheCApod.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCApod/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CreativeAsylumCA/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jason Blackmore, one of the founders of the '90s Kansas City legends Molly McGuire, has been in another dozen or so bands since then and since he moved to the west coast some 25 years ago. His new project is the second record by SISTERS, 'Wings of Deliverance' and as we discuss in this episode, he's literally right in the middle of recording a FOURTH Molly McGuire album! * * * * PLEASE FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA:Website: https://www.TheCApod.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCApod/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CreativeAsylumCA/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Best known as the drummer for Minneapolis band, Babes in Toyland, Lori Barbero is the queen of Rock 'n' Roll. She's managed bands, she's been a booker, she had a small indie record label for a time and she was a disco queen in NYC in the 1970s! * * * * PLEASE FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA:Website: https://www.TheCApod.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCApod/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CreativeAsylumCA/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.