Surprise Cast

Dear James, I'm thankful that you returned to Surprise Cast for a third time; that means a great deal to me. I had a wonderful time celebrating the spirit of Halloween, as well as enjoying an old Maps tune and your new album, 'Welcome to the Tudor Gate'.  You explained how the project began — moving into a new house near a "creepy" old inn, vintage photographs (from dad) that conjured spooky image...

Dear Jonathan, I loved our chat on Surprise Cast. Thank you for making it authentic and intimate. I learned a great deal about your craft regarding being a photographer and film writer--two things that you're quite good at doing. It was cool to learn about your path from Pennsylvania to Los Angeles, early work with concert promoters, and long and collaborative relationship with Trent Reznor and Ni...

Dear Sice and Tim, It was a fun, engaging, and relaxed conversation on Surprise Cast. I loved our playful icebreaker topics about childhood memories of Halloween traditions and horror movie favorites--and the Tigger outfit! It was cool hearing you reflect candidly on the making of the 1995 album, "Wake Up!" and its aftermath. Hearing you two recall studio tensions between ambition and execution, a...

Dear Stefanos, Thank you from the bottom of my heart for joining me on Surprise Cast for the third time. You're a great songwriter and bassist for the band. I had a wonderful time discussing many interesting topics with you.   I loved hearing about your influences, such as Nirvana, Ride, Depeche Mode, The Chameleons, and Interpol, also your musical upbringing in Greece, and how specific songs affe...

Dear Minaxi, What a great time I had speaking with all of you on Surprise Cast. I really enjoyed our conversation about technology, collaboration, and the making of your superb album, 'Z of A'.  I loved how we opened up our discussion about artificial intelligence, its creative limitations, and accountability. It was interesting to hear the varying opinions.  Thank you for allowing me to use the e...

Dear Jem, I'm elated that we had the opportunity to chat. I really enjoyed hearing your reflections on so many interesting topics! We covered your experience of fatherhood and the important relationship with your son, which included how parenting reshaped priorities, lessons about supporting a sensitive teenager, navigating education, "failure" as a learning milestone, and how to balance encourage...

Dear Ian, Thank you for coming back to Surprise Cast! I truly enjoyed our chat about music, family, and the creative process behind your magnificent work. It was wonderful to hear about your sharp reflections on journalism and songwriting. I also appreciated hearing your perspective on the significance of Robert Redford's work. I didn't realize All the President's Men had such an impact on you, bu...

Dear Tim, I'm glad we finally connected and had a conversation about music and life on Surprise Cast. The discussion covered Jeff Tweedy's (Wilco) ideas about focusing on verbs rather than nouns, the importance of process, and the creative “lightning bolt” moments that happen when inspiration meets preparation. You shared your past struggles as a young musician, how parenthood and teaching influen...

Dear Chris, It was an exhilarating experience to have you on Surprise Cast! I loved learning about your upbringing in Brighton, family life, deep musical influences, and how dyslexia affected your life in both positive and negative ways. We discussed your formative years at art college and your extraordinary friendship with Vaughan Oliver and 4AD, along with behind-the-scenes stories from key albu...

Dear Vox, Thank you for participating in the Surprise Cast show. Our intimate conversation about life on the road, creative rebirth that manifested during Covid, and your sharp perspective on self-awareness/personal growth was such an honor to hear.  I loved listening to your musical influences, including T-Rex, The Fall, and The Beatles. Hearing your relationship to Manchester and how other citie...

Dear Highspire, Our episode did a solid job discussing the band's arc--from your Philly roots and many-year hiatus to the creation of your awesome new album, 'Crushed'. A must own! I enjoyed learning about your cinematic influences, including Steven Spielberg and Stanley Kubrick. Our talk delved into music influences such as My Bloody Valentine, Stone Roses, The Charlatans, and more.  You spoke ca...

Dear David, I had such a wonderful time connecting with you. We explored many important topics such as cultural trauma, family history (what a story), and of course, your everlasting love for music and business.   Hearing your personal reflections on how 9/11 affected you in both a positive and negative manner was quite interesting. Listening to your vulnerable story about being adopted and how it...

Dear Marina, I'm grateful for our conversation. Thank you for joining me on Surprise Cast. I had a great time discussing topics with you.  It was fun learning about how you were raised across multiple countries and the story behind your name. All of these things inform your artistic perspective. I enjoyed listening to your early musical memories, chanting along in your father's car and finding you...

Dear Laura and Liam, Thank you for joining me for Part 2. I had a blast deep diving into the band James: their B-sides, priceless live moments, upcoming North America tour, and James Fanzone.  Listening to your numerous concert experiences, it's clear that their shows never feel the same twice, with different setlists each night, and spontaneous actions by band members on stage, which was amusing...

What a wonderful conversation! Thank you so much for sharing about your life and artistry. I love learning how family and great music influence your creative work. I appreciate how our discussion flows smoothly between music culture, visual art, and personal stories. And I truly value hearing your honest memories of your parents and how your father's work ethic and independence have impacted you....

Dear Miki and Ollie, Thank you for a wide-ranging and entertaining conversation! I enjoyed our discussion on your magnificent new album, Tripla, your upcoming North America tour, friendship, and of course, the creative collaboration. You brought wonderful and belly-tickling laughter, sharing candid stories and behind the scenes insight into life on the road and in the studio. It was fun hearing ab...

Dear Ryli, Thank you — Rob Good (guitar, harmony, recordist), Yea-Ming Chen(lead vocals, songwriter), and Luke Robbins (bass, backing vocals) — for celebrating the release of your shimmering new album 'Come and Get Me' and for reliving a standout release show at the Four Star Theater in San Francisco. What a performance! I appreciate that our conversation covers quite a bit of territory, including...

Dear Ryan, You're a talented songwriter, musician, and educator. I love exploring the unique energy of Berkeley and college-town life, the importance of community for creative work, and how place shapes artistic expression. Articulated beautifully! You discuss the duality of emotion using the "two wolves" metaphor, explaining how music helps you navigate joy, fear, anger, and longing. You describe...

Dear Susanne, Your openness and generosity of words brought tremendous warmth to our conversation. You're a talented Norwegian composer, pianist, and public health nurse that provides many gifts to our dark world. I'm impressed how you juggle a career as a nurse, wife, mother, and a recording artist.  It was fun exploring your ep, Travel Back, and full album, 'Fragile'. I learned quite a bit on wh...

Dear Bret, Thank you for being on Surprise Cast. I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation about life experiences, music, movies, Eardrum Buzz Radio and Cruel World Festival, 2025.  The way you unfolded story after story offers the listeners a rich blend of deep wisdom and podcast entertainment. I feel confident the audience will appreciate the important themes of connection, personal growth, and resi...

What impresses me about Robert's commitment to evolving as a musician?  I sit down with musician Robert Sekula, known for his involvement with the indie band 14 Iced Bears, to discuss his life, inspirations, and new EP 'Asyd Mouse.' He takes listeners on a journey through his life in Camberwell, South London and Brighton. He reflects on his early days of being inspired by The Beatles, The Monkees,...

What makes Peter's insights and musings on music and life quite fascinating?  I engage in a profound conversation with the renowned musician and producer Peter Kember, also known as Sonic Boom. He passionately articulates how complex interactions within vocals and melodies create profound harmony. Pete delves into his political views and challenges listeners to question political norms and educati...

How do we unravel the magic of music and the arts with Ken Sweeney?  Surprise Cast welcomes back Ken, a multifaceted creative who is an entertainment writer, playwright, radio documentarian, and musician. He shares his experiences as a writer in Ireland, reflecting on the vibrant Irish culture and his unique role in covering events, theater, and movies, offering an insider's perspective on what's...

What makes this dynamic duo such a fabulous team? We delve into the lives and minds of two influential musicians, Amelia Fletcher and Rob Pursey, members of bands like Heavenly, Swansea Sound, and The Catenary Wires. They provide a personal reflection on historical events, political perspectives, the Heavenly reformation, and concerns about A.I. Rounding off with exciting updates, the duo talks ab...

What makes a die hard Wedding Present fan?  This episode explores the fascinating journey from concept to reality as Matt shares his experience of bringing the TWP music to life on stage. He recounts his own journey from being a music fan to directing theater productions, detailing how university life opened his eyes to new ways of thinking and ultimately led him into the theater world. Matt discu...