That's How I Remember It

S.G. Goodman is my guest on this episode of That’s How I Remember It. She’s got an amazing record dropping in the next few days called Planting By The Signs and we talked about that as well as survival mode, pandemic isolation, losing her dog Howard, our modern relationship with nature, a breakup being like an addiction and letting a song “go about it’s business.” It was a really great talk with a...

Cassandra Jenkins is my guest on this episode of That’s How I Remember It. Cassandra is an amazing and inspiring songwriter and musician. She’s also a friend that I’ve made music with. We talked about growing up in a musical household, steel drums, “I Want to Dance With Somebody,” saving voicemails, our 2019 tour, her decision to re-record her most recent album, working in a flower shop, and so mu...

Alex Orange Drink, Alex Levine, is my guest on this episode of That’s How I Remember It. I’ve know Alex for a while now, and did a UK/Euro tour with him and his brothers’ great band The So So Glos. He also makes records as a solo artist, including a great new one called Victory Lap #23 which details the battle with cancer that he faced after being diagnosed in 2023. We also talked about Chuck Berr...

Bartees Strange is my guest on this episode of That’s How I Remember It. In February, Bartees released a great record called Horror, and he’s on the road now in support of it. We talked a lot about the record and also about Christian rock bands, which horror movies scare him, Bon Iver’s song "Skinny Love," writing short songs on purpose, hardcore as an inspiration, and so much more. Great talk, I...

Jim James of My Morning Jacket is my guest on this episode of That’s How I Remember It. I’ve been a big fan of My Morning Jacket since my old band Lifter Puller played a show with them way back in 2000. We talked briefly about that show as well as their fantastic new record, The Muppets, validation, depression, EMDR therapy, sleeping on tour buses, Danzig, The Doors, and so much more. Really a fan...

Adam Granduciel is my guest on this episode That’s How I Remember It. Adam is the principal behind the amazing band The War on Drugs and also produced my new record Always Been. We’ve been friends since a 2009 THS/TWOD tour which we spoke about here. We also got into rock and roll ephemera, his Live Drugs records, being flattered by bootleg merch, our 2008 joint European tour that never happened,...

Ben Nichols from Lucero is my guest on this episode of That’s How I Remember It. Ben just released an unplugged record which features him and Lucero piano player Rick Steff performing stripped-down versions of some Lucero classics and deep cuts. We talked about that as well as the first Violent Femmes record, The Nerves’ song “Hanging on the Telephone,” the Little Rock music scene, his brother Jef...

Stuart Murdoch is my guest on this episode of That’s How I Remember It. Stuart is the lead singer and songwriter of classic band Belle & Sebastian, who have consistently released amazing music since the mid '90s. He’s now also the author of a great new novel Nobody’s Empire, which mirrors his own personal experiences with chronic fatigue syndrome in the time leading up to the formation of B&S. We...

Patrick Radden Keefe is my guest on this episode of That’s How I Remember It. Patrick is an incredible non-fiction writer, he’s written a number of books including 2019’s amazing Say Nothing, about the troubles in Northern Ireland. The book was the basis for the successful TV series that was on FX last year. He’s also behind the Winds of Change podcast, which examined the potential of CIA involvem...

Matt Johnson from The The is my guest on this episode of That’s How I Remember It. The The started in 1979 and has released a number of classic alternative records. In 2024, they came back with their first studio album in 24 years, the excellent Ensoulment. We talked about that as well as Jamboree bags, penny chews, coal-tar soap, being open to love and using old colognes to trigger memories. Matt...

Tamara Lindeman makes music as The Weather Station and she is my guest on this episode of That’s How I Remember It. Tamara just released a fantastic record called Humanhood, which comes follows 2021’s breakthrough Ignorance and its 2022 companion How Is It That I Should Look at the Stars. We talked about the making of Humanhood, climate grief, trusting musicians, winds vs. synths, and making music...

Willy Vlautin is my guest on the first That’s How I Remember It episode of 2025. Willy is an amazing songwriter and novelist. He’s published seven incredible novels, most recently 2024’s The Horse. After leading the band Richmond Fontaine for years, he moved over to a pure songwriting role in The Delines, who are releasing a great record Mr. Luck & Ms. Doom next month. We talked about that as well...

Dave Pirner is my guest on this episode of That’s How I Remember It. I grew up a massive Soul Asylum fan so I was thrilled to have Dave here to talk about his excellent new record, playing trumpet in the Minnesota Youth Symphony, different roles producers play, honoring his deceased band member Karl Mueller, our mutual guitar teacher Chris Osgood, and whether he is the guy yelling at the police at...

Pete Yorn is my guest on this episode of THIRI. He’s had an amazing career as a songwriter, starting with his huge debut record musicforthemorningafter in 2001. Since then he’s made a ton of good records, including this year’s The Hard Way. We talked about that as well as liking sad songs as a young person, learning covers, Moleskin notebooks, being wary of producers, seeing one of Tom Petty’s las...

Jesse Malin is my guest on this episode of That’s How I Remember It. A complete legend of NYC rock and roll, Jesse suffered a spinal stroke in 2023 and has been rehabilitating since. His songs are covered in a new tribute album with a star-studded lineup. Many of these artists will be playing the Beacon Theater in December when Malin and his band take the stage for the first time since the stroke....

Kathleen Edwards is my guest on this very special episode of That’s How I Remember It. We were on tour together in September in Europe, and this was recorded live in front of an audience in Odense Denmark at the wonderful Nashville Nights festival before Kathleen and I also performed a show where we traded songs back and forth. On this podcast we talked about creating worlds where you’d want to li...

Katy Kirby is my guest on this episode of That’s How I Remember It. Her record Blue Raspberry came out in early 2024 and it’s one my absolute favorites from this year. We talked about making that record and also typing lyrics on an old school typewriter, “Hard Drive” by Evan Dando, worship chords, playing bass in a church band at 13 years old, 4 Loko, and much more. Great talk! Listen and subscrib...

Billy Bragg is a hero of mine and also my guest on this episode of That’s How I Remember It. He’s a fantastic songwriter, incredible performer, outspoken activist and so much more. We talked about him teaching songwriting to hospice patients, songwriting allowing us to say things we can’t always say, Johnny Marr playing on “Greetings from the New Brunette”, his portable PA system The Portastack, h...

Eef Barzelay of Clem Snide is my guest on this episode of That’s How I Remember It. I’ve known Eef a bit for a long time but never had this long of a conversation with him, which I loved. He’s just made a fantastic new record called Oh Smokey and we talked about that, resisting writing things down, the mystique of Led Zeppelin, bands not breaking up anymore, making his record with Josh Kaufman, Go...

Ian Felice from The Felice Brothers is my guest on this episode of That’s How I Remember It. I’ve admired Ian’s songs and performances for a long time, and the band’s new release Valley of Abandoned Songs is yet another great record from them. We talked about that as well as playing bagpipes, how he can remember whole pages from books, his painting, his relationship with Conor Oberst, going to the...

Beth Ditto is my guest on this episode of That’s How I Remember It. Earlier this year, Beth and her band The Gossip came back after a 12 year break to release the excellent Real Power LP. We talked about that as well as the first Gossip tour, Cindy Lauper, The Monkees, hair metal, Gossip records vs. solo records, and a beautiful party on a boat in Sydney Harbor in 2006 that we both attended. Amazi...

Alex Edelman is my guest on this episode of That’s How I Remember It. Alex is a brilliant comedian and writer who recently finished a wildly successful run with his one man show Just for Us, which won a Tony Award this year. I thought the show was really incredible, so I was thrilled to talk to him about it. We also spoke about his time as a ball boy for Boston College basketball, Ben Folds, doing...

Josh Kaufman is my guest on this episode That’s How I Remember It. Josh is a massively talented musician and producer. He plays in the band Bonny Light Horseman and also has produced records for Bob Weir, Cassandra Jenkins, Anais Mitchell, The Hold Steady, and myself. Outside of my bandmates, no other person has made such an impact on my musical life. I'm honored to have Josh here to have this con...

Ani DiFranco is my guest on this week’s episode of That’s How I Remember It. Ani is a true force of independent music and she’s done so much: over 20 studio albums, her own record label, a memoir, etc. Plus, she just finished a run performing on Broadway in the musical Hadestown. We talked about all of this as well as her new album Unprecedented Shit, working with producer BJ Burton, being proud t...

I am a huge fan of Arab Strap and I was so psyched to visit with Aidan Moffat and Malcolm Middleton and talk about their band and their great new record I’m Totally Fine With It Don’t Give A Fuck Anymore. We also talked about NYC restaurant Sammy’s Romanian, moving away from autobiographical songwriting, “Jolly Roger” by Adam & The Ants, the word “stotious”, and so much more. A fantastic talk, ple...