All Things Aloud

A questionable yet wild theory about magic mushrooms aiding human evolution and the seminal classic Withnail & I collide to form "Stoned Ape" — the closing track on Apollo 6 and the final episode of season 2. Thank you very much for listening and for your support! Apollo 6 is available to stream everywhere. • Listen to Apollo 6 on Bandcamp: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://aloud.bandcamp.com/album/a...

We all know folks whose relationships deteriorated during the pandemic lockdown. "Stranger in the Alps", the penultimate track on Apollo 6 , drew inspiration from such breakdowns. Join Henry and Jen as they talk about the writing and recording of this song, plus the unexpected role Walter Sobchak played in titling this song. • Listen to Apollo 6 on Bandcamp: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://aloud.bandcam...

Henry and Jen illuminate the genesis of the album's namesake, "Apollo." They share how an old mission control recording from NASA's Apollo 17 mission, a lyric from a Fiona Apple record, and intrusive thoughts of imminent demise converged to form an uplifting and existential composition. • Listen to Apollo 6 on Bandcamp: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://aloud.bandcamp.com/album/apollo-6⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ • Si...

Jen and Henry unravel the backstory of the song "Ride On!" Surprisingly, the source of inspiration for this track came from an unexpected very place—unique in the Aloud catalog—thanks to a well-timed subscription to a streaming service during lockdown. They also delve into the heavy influence of 60s French pop, odd time signatures, and how maintaining a loose, fun atmosphere in the studi...

In this episode: Jen and Henry dive into the depths of "Big Blue." Henry shares how his Twitter dependency over the pandemic served as grist for the creation of "Big Blue". The episode also explores how the July 2021 protests in Cuba became the emotional trigger point for the writing of this song. • Listen to Apollo 6 on Bandcamp: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://aloud.bandcamp.com/album/apollo-6⁠...

Jen and Henry unravel the story behind the Side A's closing track, "The Origin of the Hourglass is Unclear." As the oldest and most collaborative composition on Apollo 6 , the duo recounts the divergent perspectives which met during its creation in Jen's parent's garage one winter in North Carolina. "Hourglass" not only inspired the segues between tracks on the reco...

As the dawn breaks, Henry shares with Jen the story of awakening early in the morning, endeavoring to reconnect with his inner songwriter. Through the pages of a Carl Sagan book, the serendipity of a gas pump's "Word of the Day," the comforting ritual of making coffee, and a reflective stroll through their neighborhood, Henry reveals the surprising sources of inspiration which breath...

Jen and Henry dissect Apollo 6's third track "Meditation for the Housebound." They discuss the sonic experimentation behind the recording, the joy of blindly receiving recorded parts from bandmates, and the incorporation of new sounds to Aloud's palette. Jen shares the personal inspiration behind the song, revealing how being housebound during lockdown and coping with anxiety led...

Jen and Henry dive into the heart of Apollo 6 's first single, "The Comeback Kid." This track marked a turning point in the album's creation, as it was not only the first song expressly written for Apollo 6 , but also a test run to see how well or not they could adapt to remote recording. Learn the origins of the song's lyrics, which emerged from Jen ad-libbing over a looped...

Good god, it's finally happening after eight long years: Season 2. Jen and Henry kick things off by talking about what led to writing and recording the new Aloud album Apollo 6, Henry's writer's block, and the album's opening track "Somewhere To Be'. • Listen to Apollo 6 on Bandcamp: https://aloud.bandcamp.com/album/apollo-6 • Sign up for Aloud's weekly e-mail list: ht...

* BONUS EPISODE: The long lost third episode of the Aloud podcast, recorded 5/19/2015. In the van on the way back from a gig, Frank spends his final 30 minutes as Aloud's drummer orating an epic takedown of the Academy Award-winning film, Whiplash. (Spoiler alert: he hated it.)

You say pecan, I say pecan. Charles Murphy joins the podcast as Aloud shares tales of eating on tour, getting sick on the road, bad burritos, and Jack White's (not Jack White's) famous guacamole recipe.

Jen and Henry chat about their first songs, share strikingly disparate experiences writing "Back Here With Me Again", and Charles and Frank read some of the pair's questionable teenage lyrics as poetry. Plus: upcoming Aloud shows in Boston and NYC.