Music And We

In the middle of editing another episode, jamilah had an ADHD moment and decided to record instantaneous thoughts regarding this latest episode of the 'Sheeran debacle'.  She actually has a whole response about the debacle at large (which is part of a longer episode and has not been uploaded yet); therefore, this one comes first, as the chain of events has been happening quickly.   She really DOES hope this is the last she'll talk about this guy.   If you have any thoughts on this debacle, we're at: [email protected].  

(RECORDED ON AUGUST 21, 2026) Throughout our lives, we may meet anywhere from dozens to thousands of people, either virtually or (hopefully) in person.  Most of those we meet, it may only be for a moment.  Other times, it may develop into a friendship. jamilah met mother and son Anne and Russell Watson at a dinner, facilitated by mutual friend Anthony, who (with his sons) made a documentary highlighting the Metallica community.  jamilah and Russell immediately bonded in their own ways, and after that meeting she began texting with Anne, ultimately forming a friendship.  In the course of these few years, jamilah has gotten to witness Russell's precociousness (without the pretension) and his musical growth and journey- where currently, he's formed his own band, and is a Gibson artist.  Anne has been there watching the growth, navigating the protective role of a parent, while simultaneously letting go, in order for him to explore this life's journey on his own terms.   In their conversation, they discuss everything from feeling supported, the gift of letting go, having space to be oneself, foundations, being a creative person in the age of generative AI, trusting intuition, being a Gibson/G3 artist, and Metallica as a spiritual band, and our shared experience of Lars Ulrich entering our lives at the most emotionally crucial moments.   Thanks for listening! (The intro song is 'Mother And Child (The Ballad Of Anne And Russell)', by Teodora's Fist) If you're interested in staying aware of Russell's journey, go to https://russellwatsonguitar.com/. If you wanna send us a word (or two, or several), we're at: [email protected].    

(RECORDED ON AUGUST 13, 2026) Napalm Death is a band which was birthed in 1981; throughout the various creative and lineup shifts, there has been one constant:  their message.  She cannot remember where she specifically learned about them, but it was sometime in the 90s where jamilah 'discovered' them, connecting with their messages- thus becoming one of her favorites, to this day.   Barney Greenway (Napalm Death's vocalist since 1990) has been considered to be an major inspiration for many, including jamilah.  Anyone could utter a bunch of lyrics; however, the reason why Barney has been met with a great ton of respect is because of his sincerity, honesty, and conviction.   Because of this, she had been hoping for years to have a deeper conversation with him (beyond what she hears in the music, or possibly, interviews he's given).  Given that Barney is an incredibly busy individual, she does not take for granted that he, like anyone else who comes on the podcast, took a bit of time out of his swamped schedule to expound on several of his positions on life, politics, music, and human relationships. Being familiar with some of Barney's very public positions, jamilah anticipated there would be some ideological differences in the conversation.   Both Barney and jamilah ultimately agree on the same objective- peace; the difference is in the path in which they achieve it.   In an environment where differences in ideas and approaches are defined as negative/opposition; episodes like these are what we absolutely look forward to, whether it's discussing music, politics, or anything else.  The key is in approaching all conversations in a humanistic way.  It also helps to sharpen the muscle that is the brain.  'Echo chamber' podcasts- where everyone concurs with every single point, every single time, are boring.  They also ignore that people have varying life experiences which have led us to the points we currently are.  And where we are now isn't even static.   We knew Barney would come through, and would not disappoint.  They say the older one gets, the less they are willing to adapt to change; either that, or they become more conservative or right wing.  jamilah has had far too many experiences which counter this- the conversation with Barney being one of those. More than anything, amid these differences in ideological paths was unity on a majority of things.  After the conversation, jamilah developed an even greater respect for Barney for again, never wavering from his convictions, while simultaneously having an openness to learn and grow/change, if that contributes to the larger objective of liberation of all beings. Hopefully more conversations could be had between them in the future, whether it's on the podcast, before or after a show, or in a random place in the world- it could be about politics, noisy music, cats, cinema, humor...  or anything. They spoke on everything from honoring the spectrum of human experiences and emotions, how to not be jaded, accessibility of venues, the path to peace (of course), 'dying with dignity', rejecting heroism, toxic 'fans', and more! Thanks so much for listening! If you'd like to talk about how Napalm Death inspires you, your favorite songs/moments/etc...  or if you just wanna send a word of encouragement, we're at: [email protected]

(RECORDED ON JULY 21, 2026) From the land of what is (to jamilah) the most beautiful song on earth ('Only Shallow' by My Bloody Valentine)*, Music And We is once again connecting in an intercontinental way, as we speak with Gavin Malone, host of That Sound Podcast. Based in Ireland; having only been around for a couple of years, That Sound Podcast is a baby in the podcast game- however, they've increasingly been a recognizable face to many in the rock community in particular.  The latest episodes have focused largely on coverage of Metallica's latest leg of the tour for their M72 tour, but they discuss many other bands as well, from Thin Lizzy to Ghost...  and more. While Gavin and jamilah discuss podcast life (the beginnings, the inspirations and lessons); they also discuss doing away with hierarchies, Ireland (history, culture,  indigeneity/connecting to roots, geographical ignorance and community and structural contradictions); bassists...  and of course, Thin Lizzy and Metallica.   Thank you for listening!!! To check out That Sound Podcast, go to https://www.youtube.com/@ThatSoundPodcast, or any of your podcast platforms! If you'd like to send us a word, we're at: [email protected] *It is not her favorite song in the whole world, but for her, it is the most beautiful.

(RECORDED ON MAY 15, 2026) (Because we're not sure if people actually read these episode descriptions, we'll put it here at the top- jamilah checked after recording the episode, and was very glad to be stood corrected- because Stevie Wonder actually IS listed in the NYT piece!  Everything else stands.) This quick episode was off the dome, as jamilah did not expect to record an episode; however, she felt inspired to, after shedding some tears while watching a Stevie Wonder tribute- where the great Greg Phillinganes (who has a long history with Stevie) put his foot in it, because there were some surprising deep cuts sprinkled in.   This led her to think about the (as stated) infamous New York Times piece, where they, after some apparent deliberation, they chose a series of songwriters, producing a ton of obvious controversy.  Many were upset that Tom Waits and Randy Newman, for example, were missing.  A list of 30 people is going to limit who gets chosen, and if you asked 10 people who should be on this list, you are going to get 10 different answers. There is a plan to do a more in depth episode, but for now, here's some late night/very early morning ramblings.   A melodica makes an appearance at the beginning, and Watch-o! the cat knocking something over makes an appearance at the end.   Thanks for listening! Who are some of your favorite writers?  Let us know at: [email protected]