LaunchLeft

Today on the podcast Rain is joined by writer and musician, Kathleen Hanna. Their conversation travels from shared memories of being in bands in the 90’s, Kathleen’s thoughts on feminism today, how anger can motivate and harm creativity, the importance of self care and why it’s best to ditch toxic relationships. Kathleen’s memoir REBEL GIRL is out now. We then hear from the...

Welcome back to LaunchLeft! Today we are celebrating our 150th episode! This episode is a unique one, where Rain left voicemail questions for singer, songwriter and guitarist, Jonathan Richman. We then hear Jonathan’s responses in the form of voice memos, answering Rain’s inquisitive questions from how music found Jonathan, to learning his purest form of eroticism, and everything in be...

On this episode of LaunchLeft, Rain welcomes Dean Wareham and Britta Phillips of LUNA. They talk about how they first met, how music found them, performing live versus the recording studio, and the volatility of the music industry. Dean shares what’s up next for them, both as a duo and as solo artists. Dean & Britta launch Ryder the Eagle to close the show and we hear about the new singl...

On this episode of LaunchLeft, Chan Marshall of Cat Power joins Rain to introduce Linqua Franqa. Chan and Rain talk about everything from how they first met, how Cat Power was formed, the connection that music brings to people and how changing people’s perspective around money and the American Dream might  solve many of the problems we have today. Chan also shares what led her to Bob Dy...

Ian MacKaye imbues 2024 with all goodness through his inspiring take on life and music. His knack for expressing the way he lives and what punk rock means to him dominates and radiates through this conversation with Rain. They discuss everything from spirituality to Fugazi, living life joyfully, and the importance of doing the work. We then launch The Bobby Lees and Sam shares about their decision...

Mike Mills of R.E.M. joins Rain to introduce The Lemon Twigs. Mike and the sibling duo, Brian and Michael, who make up The Lemon Twigs, prioritize harmony in their musical style. In today's conversation, Mike and Rain delve into politics, exploring how political language and ideas can create division within a family. Mike shares a personal anecdote about discussing with his uncle, each taking a di...

Tune in to today's episode of LaunchLeft, where Rain Phoenix is joined by MC Taylor of Hiss Golden Messenger to launch Johanna Samuels. Rain and MC engage in conversations about the artistic process, exploring how the emotions and creativity of artists contribute to the final musical outcomes. They agree on the irreplaceable human element in music creation and songwriting, asserting that AI will n...

Join Rain on LaunchLeft today as they welcome Oscar-nominated Son Lux to kick off Qasim Naqvi's launch. Tune in for an engaging conversation with Ryan, Ian, Rafiq, and Qasim Naqvi as they discuss their unique experiences and creative processes in music-making. This versatile group excels as a live band, studio recording artists, and composers, embracing various aspects of the art they cherish. As...

Rain welcomes Jim White who launches Ane Diaz today on LaunchLeft. Jim and Ane have an interesting history of 20 years, culminating in collaborating in the recording studio for her new record Despechada . Jim's ascent to fame followed an unconventional route that few artists experience. An author, composer and musician, Jim shares how David Byrne had a lot to do with lifting him up early in his ca...

Rain welcomes Peaches to launch Isis Salam on LaunchLeft Podcast today. Peaches describes her performing style and explains why humor is an effective way to reach an audience. Peaches also shares her journey into the music realm as an independent artist- then Isis and Peaches talk about how they met and why they bonded. Stay till the end to hear Isis Salam’s track “Free D Hard Way&rdqu...

Rain welcomes Jim James to LaunchLeft today, where he launches Jenny O. Jim shares his history with Jenny O. and discusses her distinct musical style. In addition, they delve into Jim's band and the vital role that effective communication between its members has contributed to its success. They also explore the challenges of touring, being away from loved ones, and fatigue. This episode is fast, f...

Rain welcomes John Vanderslice to LaunchLeft today.  John launches Spacemoth, and together we discuss how getting away from the handbook and taking risks can make a lasting piece of art. John doesn’t hold back on his views of creativity, production, artists' treatment, and more. Spacemoth joins in to discuss recording studios and her music. Stay tuned to the end to hear Spacemoth’...

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Alex Ebert joins LaunchLeft and launches Try. Is there such a thing as a “happy accident?” Can a human fail in ways AI cannot? Tune in for thoughtful conversation with Rain, Alex and Sam i + Shmuck the Loyal from Try. Try music was born during the pandemic, and you will hear about their new, innovative, and creative process. Listen to the end to hear Try’s mus...

Founding member of pioneering band The Raincoats, Gina Birch joins LaunchLeft to discuss the independence she has shown throughout her career, her love of the arts and the transformative impact creativity has had on her life. Gina’s new album, I Play My Bass Loud, dropped on February 24th on Third Man Records. Gina pays it forward by launching Tianna Esperanza and her fantastic debut record Terror...

Ben Lee and Ione Skye join this episode of LaunchLeft. They discuss how a couple can work together and thrive, activism, and quantifying success. Later in the show, Ben and Ione Skye launch Emily Wurramara, an Australian songwriter who composes her music in English and her native indigenous language. She performs her song “Stay the Fuck Away from Me” acoustic to close this genuinely inspiring epis...

Rooney Mara joins Rain on LaunchLeft and launches Suay Sew Shop. The conversation begins with family, film, music, and activism before welcoming Lindsay Rose Medoff, CEO and Lead Designer of Suay. Lindsay tells us about the mission and services that this unique retail shop provides. The best news is that Suay is cultivating a workforce of textile recyclers dedicated to eliminating post-consumer wa...

Johanna Warren joins LaunchLeft to talk about her new album, Lessons for Mutants, and share her thoughts about the creative process. Johanna is also involved in writing a play, The Buckeye, and will do a live workshop in Bristol, England, in February. In addition, Johanna speaks boldly about how she has found energy and creativity in nature and discusses rebelling against parts of society that put...

JJ Kramer, who is rebooting Creem Magazine , joins LaunchLeft today. JJ shares about the  impact of Creem Magazine and what it means to bring back the iconic magazine his father started in the 70s. He launches Zachary Lipez, the Editor at Large, who discusses his love for writing, music and even going into the office. Listen in on this enthusiastic conversation between music lovers about the histo...

Carey, Wisconsin-based multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer, joins LaunchLeft. Most notably as the drummer and backing vocalist of Bon Iver, S. Carey shares with Rain how he balanced writing a very personal album while collaborating with other artists to create Break Me Open . He also talks about his experience growing up with his music teacher father, finding his love for percussion, a...

Scout Willis has always been musical throughout her life, but she didn’t know she would end up focusing on music in such a big way. Choosing to do a solo record was a big decision, leading to her first self-titled album, Scout Larue Willis. On this episode of LaunchLeft, Scout shares with Rain about the art of creative collaboration, her earliest musical memories, and excitement about performing h...

The Steens, Elijah and Isaiah, are two brothers from Orange County, CA, who formed their band in 2021. Growing up in the music and TV production industry, the brothers had a lot of influence from early on in their lives. Tune in to hear the brothers and Rain talk about growing up with music and how they used it to evolve into the duo they are now.  -----------------  LAUNCHLEFT OFFICIAL WEBSITE ht...

Today’s special guest is poet and multi-platinum singer-songwriter Jewel. Her new album, Freewheelin’ Woman , was written to encapsulate a feeling of empowerment and freedom that she’s gained in her life. In this episode, Jewel shares with Rain about recording her new album, her journeyed musical career, her personal life dealing with trauma, and much more. Be sure to tune into today’s enlightenin...

Fences is an American Indie Rock band formed by lead vocalist and guitarist, Christopher Mansfield. On this episode of LaunchLeft, Rain is joined by Chris and producer Dru DeCaro as they talk about their short film and music project ‘Destination Angels’ honoring Jack Kerouac and narrated by Norman Reedus. The episode closes with a live performance of the title track from the film.  ---------------...

On this episode of LaunchLeft, Rain is joined by members of Starcrawler, a rock band from Los Angeles. Drawing inspiration from many artists and bands, the group has its own signature raw and eclectic sound. They talk about starting a band and creating their third album at such a young age and the music they drew inspiration from while growing up. Tune in to learn more from Starcrawler. ----------...

Diamanda Galás has spent a lot of her life representing the underrepresented. While working on music, she also created work dealing with AIDS, genocide, and mental disease, as well as compositions for voice and piano set to the works of exiled poets. On this episode of LaunchLeft, Diamanda and Rain have a great conversation about her work, artist collaborations, and how she uses music and art to t...