The Self Portrait Gospel :: Podcast

It's been almost a year since we last spoke to Nastanovich, and what a year it's been, to say the least. From touring to moving to Maco, GA, to an official docufiction about the band called "Pavements", and everything else in between, the group's lyrical legacy and existential existence have only grown over the decades, and we're here for every second of it. Nastanovich is one of those critical characters in the sonic story who takes you out on the harmonious horizon for the views, while simultaneously educating you on the elements along the way. Having been a member of Pavement for over three decades, Nastanovich has navigated all the visceral valleys and mountains of madness that bands experience, and lives to tell the tale. Now one of the most celebrated and influential acts of their generation, Pavement is an iconic institution for indie artists everywhere. Join us on this episode of The Self Portrait Gospel Podcast as we traverse through the shadows of the past, present, and future to carefully collect the melodic memories and spellbinding efforts of one of the best to do it. Oh yeah, we also talk about plastic surgery, corporate corruption, building appliances, Chris Rock, and much more.

Since 2016, the LA-based supergroup, cover band, and iconic institution for all things Dead-related, Grateful Shred, has been a presence on the sonic scene for the last decade, emerging as one of the most well-respected and highly regarded acts of thier generation. Blending the essential efforts found within the Dead's early energy from the 1960s psychedelic era with the cosmic countryside of the early 1970s, the Shred, and its creative core have captured with incredible accuracy, the electrifying essence of the band with poetic precision. After a lightning-in-the-bottle moment on Shakedown Street in 2017 during a Dead and Co. show at the Hollywood Bowl, the group's luck changed overnight when a viral video, "Busted at the Bowl," was uploaded to their YouTube channel, and the rest became harmonic history. On this episode of The Self Portrait Gospel Podcast, we sit down with Horne and McCutchen to chat about the group's origins, favorite eras/albums of the Dead, the Shred's debut album "Might As Well", Dan's Dubs, Blade's Boards, and much more.

On this episode of The Self Portrait Gospel Podcast, we sit down with the wizard behind the flowing crimson curtains of all things Uknown Mortal Orchestra, Ruban Nielson, to talk about his favorite cult classic horror films and how the unique process and trailblazing approach to some of those classics from the 1980s have inspired him on his melodic journey from the group's monumental 2011 self titled debut to their most recent EP "CURSE." Over the years, Nielson has kept a humbling philosophy on how he deals with the sonic success, and overall reality of being in a band that has not only transcended the cultural confines of "indie rock," but continues to create, and establish, exciting new melodic methods to bring out the best within. Having recently stepped into the wide and winding world of jam band culture and the tonal tenacity of the tape trading subculture that iconically came about during the Grateful Dead's radical reign on society, Nielson eagerly encourages fans to document UMO shows by using analog equipment such as film cameras, reel-to-reel machines, and other various tape recording instruments to not only capture the essence of the band live, but to be a part of something much bigger than the band istself.

On this terrifyingly spooky and melodically macabre episode-well, not actually that terrifying at all-of The Self Portrait Gospel Podcast, we had the wonderful privilege to sit with the great Cass McCombs to discuss his brilliant new effort, "Interior Live Oak," and other atmospheric anecdotes such as how West Coast skateboard culture adopted him, made him one of the thier own, his late friend and musician Travis Graves (Mt. Egypt), recording the labum on both the West and East Coast, his cosmic connection with songstress Chris Cohen, life on the road, the importance of music overall, and much more.

Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Zachary Cale first came onto the scene with his 2005 debut "Outlander Sessions" some 20 years ago, if you can believe that. Having navigated an eclectic era that's far beyond different from the one we currently occupy, Cale has kept a steady pulse on the melodic machine, while simultaneously sharing the stage with the likes of the great James Toth (Wooden Wand), Deer Tick, Ben Chasny (Six Organs of Admittance), Kurt Vile, and several others over the course of his multi-layered career. Following up on the brilliant release of last year's "Next Year's Ghost" with the veteran musician's instrumental debut "Love's Work," we sit down with Cale to speak about his poetic perspective on this day, and age's so-called industry, while carefully balancing the hardships of life's complicated curveballs.

Embedded in the collected consciousness of popular culture, cinema, and creative charisma for the last four decades, legendary actor, filmmaker, and author Crispin Hellion Glover has danced on the elusive edge of artistic freedom, while simultaneously inhabiting an abstract atmosphere  like no one else of his generation. His almost alchemical approach to his craft is unparalleled and unpredictable, as he carefully uncovers the macabre mysteries of the human experience through characters you know and love. Having starred in such cineamtic classics as Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter, Back to the Future, River's Edge, What's Eating Gilbert Grape, The Doors, Hot Tub Time Machine, among several others, Glover's complex career on the big screen has truly cemeneted him as one of the greats of our time. On this episode of The Self Portrait Gospel Podcast, we sit down with Glover to chat about his most recent film, "No! YOU'RE WRONG. or Spooky Action at a Distance," which was shot entirely on 35mm film negative over the course of several years, and what seems like a lifetime since its critical conception. Followed by a short tour in select theaters to showcase the industrious intensity and intimate imagery of this spellbinding effort, Glover pulls us into his incredible imagination by swiftly displaying the timeless tones and electrifying elements of the Dada/Surrealist movement, which has undeniably influenced the actor throughout his compelling career. Set to premiere at MoMA in New York City this Thursday, October 2nd, the film will continue to run through the spooky month with more available dates on his site below. https://www.crispinglover.com     

Now based in East Nashville, not too far from our little operation here in Tennessee, the subliminal songstress and mistress of melodic mastery, Marissa Nadler, has been gracing the alchemical airwaves for nearly two decades with her majestic meditations on life, death, love, memory, and several other elements of the human experience. Having signed with the Brooklyn-based label Sacred Bones Records in 2013 for the release of her monumental classic "July." She has since carved a captivating path of poetic perfection and otherwordly observations into the heart and soul of some of the most trepidatious topics that her peers Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan articulated so well throughout their careers.  We sit down to speak with Nadler about her new album "New Radiations" and just how private and personal this material is compared to her previous releases throughout her incredibly disciplined discography over the years, while simultaneously balancing being your own boss in the radically opinionated world that is the internet. "New Radiations" is a brilliant collection of songs that uplift the soul from the overwhelming depths of darkness by shining a lavish into the cryptic corners of the room, only to reveal the spiritual significance of beauty in its simplest form.

We're back for another exciting episode of The Self Portrait Gospel Podcast with our friend, the talented multi-instrumentalist, artist, and fellow Nicolas Cage enthusiast, IIyas Ahmed. Pulling up a digital chair to chat with us about his visceral vision of the world and the people in it, the never-ending landscape of jazz, and its related juxtaposition, Ahmed tells the tonal tale joining the melodic machine that is Grails, his favorite films, a solo career that spans over two decades, and the intimate instincts it takes to be an artist in this day and age. Having come from a Greek/Pakistani background, Ahmed, like most of his generation, connected with the critical climate of the punk and hardcore bands of the 1980s before establishing a more spiritual setting on the melodic meter of self-discovery and existential expression. While exploring the atmospheric alchemy of instrumental music and its cinematic nature, Ahmed's overall style and approach are undeniably universal, as he confidently communicates a language that is both lyrical and legitimate.  

From the shapeshifting subleties of his spiritual practices in sound, tonal texture, and electrifying emotion, to the carefully cinematic essence of his eager expressions behind the scenes, there isn't much the West Coast-based, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and composer Blake Mills can't do. He's come a long ways since his classic 2010 debut "Broken Mirrors," while simultaneously capturing the critical chemistry of some of your favorite artists in between his sonic shifts and radical responsibilities in the studio.  On this episode of The Self Portrait Gospel Podcast, we sit down with Mills for a long-awaited chat to discuss his most recent effort with legendary bassist and all-around master of melody, Pino Palladino, "That Wasn't A Dream." A breathtaking entry into the fundamentals of fusion, ritualistic rhthms, and lucid language between two incredible artists, Mills take us on a journey through his unique process, atmospheric approach, and tonal theories, while we kick back and marvel at the totality of his techniques, amighty attention to detail, and much more.

Chicago-based drummer, producer, and multi-displinary artist Spencer Tweedy has played music as long as he can remember. Growing up in a musical household, to say the least, Spencer gravitated towards his father Jeff Tweedy, founding member of such notable acts as Unlce Tupelo and Wilco, and his profession by quickly navigating his very own unique path in music. On this episode of The Self Portrait Gospel Podcast, we speak to Spencer about the critical connection he has with music, participating in bands like Case Oats, Tweedy/Jeff Tweedy, who is set to release their brand-new triple LP "Twilight Override" later this year, touring with Waxahatchee, the balance of life, and work, the climate of the music industry, and much more. 

Hailing from a period in time that, to this day, continues to birth bands and artists all around the world, New York-based multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, and one-half of perhaps one of the most influential bands of its time, The Holy Modal Rounders, Peter Stampfel has been creating music, and art for well over half a century. From the Rounders to the death-defying dynamics of The Fugs, and a million other lives inbetween, Stampfel's poetically prolific body of work is compelling to say the least, as the veteran musician takes us on a journey from one end of the galaxy to other end of the table in a cosmic conversation that ignites the spirit of creative change. His most recent effort, "Song Shards," carefully captures the essence of youth, eager advertisments of the past, and a friendly reminder to stop and appreciate the small things as the 46-track collection unfolds into a beautiful flower of friendliness. 

Sharing the same timeline as ATL-based singer-songwriter, poet activist, and lyrical legend Speech, born Todd Thomas, of the acclaimed American hip hop group Arrested Development, is something that should bring us all a little comfort and peace in these crazy times. Having first established the groundbreaking group nearly four decades ago, Arrested Development pried open our culture's sore soul with perhaps one of the most influential albums, not just in hip hop and conscious rap, but in American music, 1992's "3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days In The Life Of...." Over the next three decades, the artist would go on to record several albums with the group, as well as eagerly establishing a solo career that covers just as much groovy ground as time continues moving forward, and history horrifically repeats itself. On this episode of The Self Portrait Gosple Podcast, we speak to Speech about his more formative years growing up in Tennessee before planting poetic roots Georgia in the mid to late 1980s, the influence of Southern hip hop on the world at large, the polarizing politics of the Trump administration, music's melodic meditation on the mind, the group's new album "Adult Contemporary Hip Hop," which was intentionally released on the Fourth of July, and much more.

Jack Cooper is one of those musicians you follow no matter the artistic anatomy of the individual's journey into the universally unknown. His atmospheric approach is organic and built on the brilliance of his peers, while bravely bridging the gap between the contagious contents of the 1980s and 1990s soundscapes. From his time in Mazes, The Beep Seals, and everything he eagerly evaulated, and put all his poetic power into his latest outfit, Modern Nature.  On this episode of The Self Portrait Gospel Podcast, we speak to Cooper about his rural upbringing in the UK, the influences of bands such as Oasis, The Smiths, The Stone Roses, to name a few, the critical conditions of the world, and our place in it, and eventually forming Modern Nature. Releasing a series of titles on Bella Union, Cooper has returned to the sonic stratosphere with perhaps the band's most epic effort yet, "The Heat Warps."

From his homeland in New Zealand to the Big Apple, to Boston, where he formed one of the most influential bands, Galaxie 500, to the sophisticated sounds of Luna with his now wife Britta Phillips, Dean Wareham has accomplished so much in his forty-plus-year career. Settling in New York in the mid to late 1970s, the veteran musician caught some of the most anarchic acts of the decade, such as The Ramones, and Richard Hell and the Voidoids, before relocating to the city's sister scene in Boston to attend HU, where he met his future friends, and bandmates Naomi Yang, and Damon Krukowski, and the rest is, well you get the idea.  With one foot forward, a swift wind of whispering words left in his wake, Wareham doesn't look back. His poetic prolificacy is pure, passionate, and personal, and nothing is more liberating than keeping the tonal truck running. For this season premiere of The Self Portrait Gospel Podcast, we're honored to have Wareham on to tell his sonic story, while simultaneously exploring the past, present, and future of music and melodic memory. We touch on our shared obsession with Dylan, his new album "That's The Price Of Loving Me," returning to his home in LA, and certain events that have taken place, the legacy of Galaxie 500/Luna, and much more.

In this episode of The Self Portrait Gospel Podcast, we wrap up the 7th season of the show with the wonderful oppurtunity to finally sit down with one of our harmonic heroes, the great Will Oldham of Bonnie "Prince" Billy. Someone who needs no introduction, Oldham has been on our hearts, and minds for many years as we spin a youthful yarn of memories and reflection on some of the world's greatest artists who are no longer with us, such as David Berman and Michael Hurley. Oldham breaks down his latest masterpiece "The Purple Bird," which was released earlier this year on No Quarter, as well as the back-to-back "High and High and Mighty," and the brilliant "Hear The Children Sing The Evidence" with fellow friends and musicians Nathan Salsburg and Tyler Trotter. We prasie our mutual friend, and incredible inspiration Ryan Davis, Bill Callahan, and cover Willie Nelson's abstract approach to guitar playing at this stage in his career. Oldham remains one of the most intense and softly sophisticated songwriters of his generation, with a career that has challenged the mind, body, and soul in ways that still stir the evidence of something extraterrestrial. We couldn't be more honored to occupy the same frame in history as him, and so many others out there doing brilliant work. 

In this episode of The Self Portrait Gospel Podcast, we speak with British-born, Chicago-based musician, producer, and all-around man of the times, James Elkington, a household name in Chicago's rich and complex music history. From his early days with the math rock outfit Elevate back in the UK to joining Thrill Jockey's long-running supergroup Brokeback, led by the legendary Douglas McCombs of Tortoise, Elkington has navigated a challenging landscape of hard work, unwavering dedication, and a keen eagerness to learn and explore the endless possibilities found in music's melodic memory bank. With a solo career steeped in radical descents into the poetic psyche, Elkington's atmospheric ability to evoke both the past and present is showcased in release such as "Ever-Roving Eye," "Me Either," and 2025's "Pastel De Nada." Reflecting critical changes in today's music, art, and culture, Elkington discusses the contrast between writing and recording his music versus producing others, generational gestures from one person to another, the Golden Era of 1980s culture, future works, and much more..

"GWW, "A Life Of Scare," The New Man, and much more" Just like our little operation, Evan Laffer and Ian Grant first launched their podcast, Jokermen, during the paralyzing pandemic to not only shed lyrical light and spin an endless yarn on the liberating legends that stand as their subjects but to find perfect peace and creature comfort in their harmonious heroes during one of the most horrendous times in contemporary history. Revealing the melodic meditation and stunning zeitgeist of some of the greatest minds in music, art, and cosmic culture, from The Beach Boys to Lou Reed, Van Morrison, Randy Newman and, or course, our subliminal soothsayet and sonic savior, Bob Dylan, Laffer, and Grant have provoked the ultimate unity by focusing on these legends in a way that is both tasteful and wildly addicting.  Laffer, who is also a poet, first found soalce in Dylan's work some years back and has since dedicated a great deal of his life, time, and radical research to the complex chameleon and his ever-changing landscape of lyrical liberation and esoteric energy. While this episode acts as a meeting of the minds of two people who are indefinitely obsessed with the "Great White Wonder," it will also mostly likely provoke a series of creative conversations and "Dylanistic" digestion into the daring depths of society's subconscious without a lifeguard in sight. Join us as we begin to peel back these lysergic layers of history by introducing a more abstract approach to a world that hass been scoured by scholars, where a "Simple Twist Of A Fate" will take you much further in this life of tremendous twilight that you ever could have imagined. 

From the intimacy of Iranian culture and its historical heritage, New York-based musician and artist Rahill Jamalifard grew up in Michigan in a family who vauled music with great admiration. Having placed herself in the creative core of her community's music scene, Rahill fell in love with the land of Lou Reed on a simple trip to "The City Of Dreams" before deciding to move there indefinitely over a decade ago. Influenced by her surroundings and their anciet teachings, Rahill pulled from the great Brion Gysin and his Dream Machine while effortlessly embodying the city's atmosphere and befriending its poetic population. While occupying a gig in the fashion industry, she began fronting bands such as Habibi and Roya before embarking on a wonderful solo career that has shapped her into a fierce force of soulful sound and a destination for melodic meditation. While a huge Spring tour supporting La Luz is on the horizon, Rahill has established an electrifying entry in music that will age gracefully as time progresses.

We're back after having lain dormant since our last episode back in December, and we're thrilled to announce our return to the streaming stratosphere with Susan Dietrich, known to many within the Outer Rim as The Space Lady. A colleague among the brave cosmos, Dietrich has lived many lives since first immersing herself in the disillusioned depths of creative culture in the 1960s. While busking under the sun and moon with poetic perserverance to evade the cruel draft of the Vietnam War alongside her partner, Dietrich's story is uniquely universal, filled with a wealth of inspiration, hardships, and melodic reflections that have carried her singing spirit to hell and back. Now in her early 70s, The Space Lady's legend has come full circle as she performs worldwide, driven by planetary performance and sonic storytelling. 

Mays says, "The craft of songwriting is 100% what I'm about. That's what keeps me going. My goal is to just live a long life and write a ton of good songs." And while the essence of his outstanding career, which dates back to this 2009 debut "The Good Feeling Music of Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele" on Paw Tracks, is something built entirely on melodic magic and sonic sweat, the multi-faceted musician has only expanded his harmonious horizons over the years into a brilliant catalog of pure odyssey and imagination.  On this episode of The Self Portrait Gospel Podcast, we explore May's youth growing up Mississippi, writing songs as young as seven years old, our mutual fascination and connection to the nostalgic narrative of the past, present, and future, the influential zeitgeist of Creed, May's most recent album entitled "What's For Breakfast," and much much more. Enjoy!