BEYOND + BACK PODCAST: Episode 5 with Robert Lopez a.k.a. El Vez

5: Come Rain or Come Shine with Robert Lopez

TRT 1:03:51 // ORIGINAL AIR DATE: 9/29/18

From Seattle, Washington, we go beyond & back with musician and entertainer Robert Lopez.

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Perhaps best known as El Vez, the Mexican Elvis, Lopez is a lifelong creator, starting in his teenage years in the Los Angeles punk scene and continuing to make art today with his latest creation, Mr. Bob and The Unhappy Hour.

He is a singer, songwriter, actor, a sincere trickster. He'll make you laugh and cry. He’s calculated and spontaneous, regal, radical, and subversive, his personal is always political. He is many things at the same time. 

This conversation rattled me a bit and I spent a lot of time reflecting on it. I invite you to listen for yourself, please forgive if I am more clumsy than usual, and at the end I’d like to share with you what I’ve learned. 

I talked with Robert Lopez in the kitchen of his beautiful Seattle home.

 

AUDIO featured in this episode:

  • Theme music by Davíd Garza.

  • First song: “Sonica USA” by Alejandro Escovedo

  • Second song: “Don’t Push Me Around” by The Zeros

  • Third song: “Esta Bien Mamacita” by El Vez

  • Fourth song: “En el Barrio” by El Vez

  • Fifth song: “Samba Para Tí” by El Vez

Special thanks to our episode sponsor:

The Tractor Tavern


LINKS:

BEYOND + BACK PODCAST: Episode 6 with Jerry Harrison, Musician & Producer

6: The Noise Floor with Jerry Harrison

TRT 1:03:51 // ORIGINAL AIR DATE: 10/13/18

From Mill Valley, California, we go beyond & back with songwriter, musician & entrepreneur Jerry Harrison.

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Jerry Harrison may be best known for being in two extremely influential bands: The Modern Lovers and Talking Heads. He’s had great success as a music producer with bands including Live, No Doubt, and most recently Le Butcherettes, He’s been involved in film, start-ups, he’s in the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame, he’s maintained a creative career for over 50 years and he has a knack for knowing where to invest his energy. 

In this conversation we talk about self-doubt, family bonds, ghosts, art & academia, and collaborating with large personalities. I want to thank Jerry for how present and forthcoming he was in this conversation, and I’m excited to share it with you. 

AUDIO featured in this episode:

  • Theme music by Davíd Garza.

  • First song: “Remain Calm” by Jerry Harrison from Walk on Water

  • Second song: “Life During Wartime (live)” by Talking Heads

  • Third song: “Girlfriend” by The Modern Lovers

Special thanks to our episode sponsor:

Bananas At Large - specializing in equipment for music, audio and video production since 1974.



BEYOND + BACK PODCAST: Episode 7 with Tunde Adebimpe, Artist, Musician & Actor

7: At Ease with Tunde Adebimpe

TRT 1:02:31 // ORIGINAL AIR DATE: 10/27/18

From Los Angeles, California, we go beyond & back with musician, actor & visual artist Tunde Adebimpe of TV on the Radio.

Tunde Adebimpe is probably best known as the singer of TV on the Radio, one of my favorite bands. The band was founded by Tunde and Dave Sitek in 2001 in Brooklyn and they’ve released 5 studio albums, but as we’ll find out Tunde didn’t intend to become the lead singer of a successful band. He actually went to New York for film school, but while he was there he explored all avenues to his creativity. Now, In addition to being a musician, he’s also a working actor, often collaborates with other artists, and when we spoke, he was preparing for his first solo art show at a gallery in LA. 

In this conversation, we talk about giving ourselves permission to do more than one thing, how art can save lives, and how we can use our creative outlets to help process the difficulties and trauma we experience. We talked in Tunde’s garage studio, so do enjoy the sound of passing cars in the background. 

I talked with Tunde for about an hour and 40 minutes. I had to edit out a lot of great stuff to keep this episode to an hour! If you’d like to hear the entire unedited interview, please visit my Patreon page.

AUDIO featured in this episode:

  • Theme music by Davíd Garza.

  • First song: “Staring at the Sun” by TV on the Radio from Young Liars EP

  • Second song: “I Was A Lover” by TV on the Radio from Return to Cookie Mountain

  • Third song: “You” by TV on the Radio from Nine Types of Light

  • Fourth song: “Trouble” by TV on the Radio from Seeds

  • Fifth song: “Wolf Like Me” by TV on the Radio from Return to Cookie Mountain

  • Sixth song: “Family Tree” by TV on the Radio from Dear Science


BEYOND + BACK PODCAST: Episode 9 with Aimee Mann

9: Practice Pays Off with Aimee Mann

TRT 1:01:39 // ORIGINAL AIR DATE: 11/24/18

From Los Angeles, California, we go beyond & back with musician, singer & songwriter Aimee Mann.

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Aimee Mann began her career as a musician in the 1980s. Early on, she had a breakout hit, “Voices Carry” with her band Til Tuesday, but that experience has not defined her career. Since then she has created a body of work as a solo artist, winning Grammy Awards and nominations for an Oscar and a Golden Globe for her work on the soundtrack to the movie Magnolia. She maintains her own signature voice and songwriting style, yet she’s adept at collaborations and transitions, including a successful move from a major record label to releasing work on her own independent label for over a decade.

In this episode we talk about talent versus hard work, her approach to songwriting, and why Aimee thinks it’s important to say yes. We spoke in Aimee’s home in Los Angeles, California.

I was so surprised to hear Aimee describe herself as not having musical talent when she started out.  But it’s oddly encouraging, isn’t it? “It’s not all bolts from the blue” means that with practice, determination and focus, we can get better. And why do we need to have innate talent in order to give ourselves permission to pursue creativity? Why not let ourselves be beginners, why not see where practice can take us? Choose that thing we love or feel obsessed with, and begin to put in those 10,000 hours. I’ll admit, I know what it’s like to attempt something creative, be unhappy with the initial results and then tell myself maybe I’m not cut out for it. It’s easy to be hard on ourselves in that way. But what happens when we commit to a creative practice, when we approach our creative desires with devotion?

Aimee Mann says that hard work pays off, and she’s got a successful career to prove it. So let’s say yes to opportunities and devote ourselves to our creativity, whether it’s songwriting, gardening, cooking, whatever it may be. Who knows where that hard work will take us?

THANK YOU TO LARGO AT CORONET FOR SPONSORING THIS EPISODE

This episode is brought to you by Largo, the legendary nightclub in Los Angeles known for live music, comedy & collaborations. Located at the old Coronet theatre on La Cienega Blvd, this venue is devoted to listening and laughter. Largo has hosted a community of performers including musicians, comedians and actors, such as Jon Brion, Aimee Mann, Fiona Apple, Elliott Smith, Tig Notaro, Judd Apatow, Phoebe Robinson & many more. The vibe at Largo is always intimate and special, so do visit whenever you’re in LA. 

AUDIO featured in this episode:

  • Theme music by Davíd Garza.

  • First song: “Save Me” by Aimee Mann from Magnolia soundtrack

  • Second song: “Crazytown” by Aimee Mann from Charmer

  • Third song: “Voices Carry” by Til Tuesday from Coming Up Close: A Retrospective

  • Fourth song: “Rollercoasters” by Aimee Mann from Mental Illness