The Future Is The Past: Amtrac's Spark Is Escape From New York

DJ, producer and recording artist Amtrac joins me to talk about his Spark, John Carpenter's seminal 1981 film Escape From New York.

The way we imagine the future changes constantly, but how accurate were the predictions made in the past about a future that's already happened to us? What difference does it make to a film when the director also writes the score? Will any other director ever have a run as incredible as the string of films Carpenter released in the '80's and 90's?

Amtrac and I tackle all of these questions and more!

Links:

Amtrac

Escape From New York

The Man, The Myth, The Legend: HAUSER Is Sparked By Elvis

Superstar cellist HAUSER spoke to me about his Spark, Baz Luhrman’s smash hit biopic Elvis.

What makes a great biopic? How can an actor channel the essence of a performer when the entire world knows their every move? How can artists persevere and make great art in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds? HAUSER and I have tackle these questions and so much more!

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HAUSER

Elvis

A Queer Fantastia: CHRISTEENE Is Sparked By Pink Narcissus

My guest is New York underground scene legend CHRISTEENE whose Spark is the New York underground queer film classic Pink Narcissus.

We talked about the impact Pink Narcissus has had on other art forms, the radical queerness depicted in it and the magical ability of artists to create incredible work with very few resources.

Links:

CHRISTEENE

Pink Narcissus

Andor

Finding Joy In What You've Got: Captain Kirk Douglas' Spark Is Soul

The Roots' guitarist and vocalist Captain Kirk Douglas joins me to talk about his Spark is Pixar’s animated feature film Soul.

Kirk and I speak about the meaning of happiness and how artists in particular are affected by the universal desire to achieve it. We also talk about finding your purpose in life and what that means to each of us as individuals.

Links:

Captain Kirk Douglas

Soul

Where The Magic Started: Phoenix's Thomas Mars' Spark Is It Was Twenty Years Ago Today

Phoenix front man Thomas Mars joins me to talk about his Spark, It Was Twenty Years Ago Today is a 1987 British-made television documentary about the 1967 Summer of Love.

We talked about the beginnings of Phoenix and how they drew inspiration from the Beatles' process and sound. We touched on the singular nature of The Beatles influence and they're lasting impact on culture at large. And most importantly, I hung out with one of my favorite musicians!

Links:

Phoenix

It Was Twenty Years Ago Today

A Land Of Magic And Wonder: Cavetown's Spark Is Adventure Time

Hello, World!

Singer, songwriter and producer Cavetown  joins me to talk about his Spark, the incredible animated series Adventure Time.

How can TV aimed at children change the minds and hearts of adults? Cavetown sees so much for adults to learn from Adventure Time and he's gained a greater appreciation for it from repeated viewings.  

We talk his favorite characters, the show's storytelling and world building and its broad emotional range.

Links:

Cavetown

Adventure Time

Life In The In Between: Lissie's Spark Is Katherine May's Wintering

Singer/songwriter Lissie spoke to me about her Spark, Katherine May's autobiographical book Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times.

How can we cope with times of transition? What can we do to live in the moment when our lives are in flux?

Lissie and I talked through the concept of liminal space and how relevant it feels to events of the last few years. Heartbreak and despair, hope and joy... all of life's biggest emotions are on the table in this deeply personal conversation.

Links:

Lissie

Wintering

Launch Your Career With Your Greatest Hits: MARO's spark is Simone's Face A Face

Portuguese singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist MARO spoke to me about her spark, Brazilian singer Simone’s breakout album Face A Face.  

Simone's voice is era defining and Face A Face is a genre melding collection of beautiful and romantic songs. She is a legendary song interpreter, as famous for covering songs by other artists as she is for recording original music.  

MARO and I talked about Simone's extraordinary ability to bring new life into old songs and  the genderless quality of her voice, as well as marveling over her incredible, near 50 year career.

Links:

MARO

Simone

Intimate Moments, Seismic Change: Rexx Life Raj's Spark Is Kid Cudi's Man On The Moon

Oakland rapper and vocalist Rexx Life Raj was inspired by Kid Cudi's major label debut Man On The Moon: The End Of Day from the moment he heard its lead single Day And Night.  

He joins me to talk about the personal connection Cudi creates with his listeners and the process of creating deeply personal music. We also dig into the different approaches hip hop artists take, from Cudi's confessional singing/rapping/humming hybrid to Kendrick Lamar's dense and highly exalted poetry.  

I also touch on my surprising Spark of the week: the reboot of Chip And Dale: Rescue Rangers on Disney+.

Links:

Rexx Life Raj

Man On The Moon: The End Of Day

Chip And Dale: Rescue Rangers

Even Wheat Can Be Moving: Goon's Kenny Becker's Spark Is Vincent Van Gogh's Wheatfield With A Reaper

Goon's Kenny Becker's joins me to talk about his Spark, Vincent Van Gogh's masterpiece Wheatfield With A Reaper.

How can a two dimensional painting feel like a vast three dimensional world? How did Van Gogh find beauty in the most mundane landscapes? Exactly how long did it take for Van Gogh's gloppy, impastoed paintings to dry? We tackled these important questions and so much more.

Links:

Goon

Wheatfield With A Reaper

Our Truth Must Be The Whole Truth: Cocoa Brown Is Sparked By Leroy Campbell's Standing Tall

Comedian and actor Cocoa Brown who joined me to chat about her Spark, Leroy Campbell’s mixed media piece Standing Tall.  

Cocoa was moved by Leroy Campbell's commitment to creating uplifting representations of the Black American experience. We spoke about the importance of representation in art, the dangers of omitting painful parts of our shared history from schools and the importance of building on the progress of our forebears.

Links:

Cocoa Brown

Leroy Campbell

Watcher

Live Long And Proper: Helen Hong Is Sparked By Star Trek The Next Generation

Comedian and actor Helen Hong speaks with me about her Spark, the sci-fi TV classic Star Trek: The Next Generation.  

We talked about representation in entertainment, we talked about in fighting between Star Trek fans and Helen schools me on the pronunciation of George Takei’s name.

Plus bonus some bonus Reading Rainbow chat get thrown in for good measure.

Links:

Helen Hong

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Escaping A Black Hole: UPSAHL Is Sparked By Interstellar

Singer/songwriter UPSAHL joins me to chat about her Spark, Christopher Nolan's mind-bending space odyssey Interstellar. UPSAHL and I pondered both the nature of the universe and our love of movies.

How do art and science intersect? How can we reconcile our emotional impulses with the limits of our scientific knowledge? And most importantly, would you go on a space mission to colonize another planet?

Links:

UPSAHL

Interstellar

Heartstopper

When Art And History Collide: BLKBOK Is Sparked By Green Book

Composer and pianist BLKBOK joins me to talk about his spark, the film Green Book.

BLKBOK is a neo-classical musician and there are many parallels between his career and that of Dr. Don Shirley, the subject of Green Book.  

We tackle lots of questions surrounding the intersection between music and the racist history of America:  How does the traditional classical music establishment treat Black musicians? Can all forms of music cut across racial and socioeconomic barriers? Can classical music reach younger, more diverse audiences?

Links:

BLKBOK

Green Book

The Heart Of The Human Experience: MILCK's Spark Is The Prophet

My guest today is singer/songwriter MILCK who spoke to me about her Spark, Kahlil Gibran’s globe dominating book The Prophet.

What's at the root of all religious doctrine? Is there common ground on which all of humanity can agree?  

MILCK and I tackle these giant ideas and also talk about humanizing our idols and embracing their flaws.

Links:

MILCK

The Prophet

MEN

The Art Of Succeeding As A Modern Artist: Sam James Is Sparked By Dave Matthews Band's Under The Table And Dreaming

Singer/songwriter Sam James joins me to chat about his Spark, Dave Matthews Band's chart topping major label debut Under The Table And Dreaming.

But we got into so much more than that! We talked about the state of the music industry, the pressure for musicians to promote their own work and make a name for themselves (particularly on social media) and as is the case with so many of my guests, we reminisced about the days of old when physical media was still a thing.

Links:

Sam James

Under The Table And Dreaming

The Lifeblood Of Pop: TATYANA Is Sparked By ABBA Gold

Singer/songwriter/harpist TATYANA joins me to chat about her Spark and our shared obsession, ABBA Gold.  

What makes a perfect pop song? How has a pop act like ABBA had such a lasting cultural impact on a massive international scale? 

TATYANA spoke to me about the effect ABBA’s music has had on the way she thinks about songwriting, as well as its ability to draw even the most reluctant listener to the dance floor.  

Links:

ABBA Gold

TATYANA  

Unabashed Joy In Song: November Ultra Is Sparked By The Sound Of Music

The spectacular singer songwriter November Ultra joins me for a joyful chat about her spark, The Sound Of Music.

November's work has drawn lots of inspiration from musicals, particularly those from the 1960's. She shared her childhood memories of watching The Sound Of Music with her grandfather, the emotional impact of its songs and the way her relationship with the film has grown and changed throughout her life.

November Ultra's fantastic debut album Bedroom Walls is out now.

Links:

November Ultra

The Sound Of Music

A Strange Loop

A Golden Country Glow: Lola Kirke Is Sparked By Miranda Lambert's The Weight Of These Wings

Lola Kirke joins me to talk about her spark, Miranda Lambert's chart topping double album The Weight Of These Wings.

Kirke, a native New Yorker, reminisces about her discovery of and subsequent love for country music. Her love for country music's storytelling, melodies and songcraft had a huge impact on her own songwriting.  

Lola Kirke

The Weight Of These Wings

Fighting The System From Within: Frank Turner Is Sparked By Fugazi's Instrument

Punk and folk singer songwriter Frank Turner joins me to talk about his spark Instrument, a documentary about seminal post-hardcore band Fugazi. What defines documentary filmmaking as a genre? How has Fugazi's approach to music making and marketing impacted the entire industry? How can artists create work in a way that stays true to their sociopolitical ideology? Frank and I dug into questions like these without taking ourselves or the subject matter too seriously.  

Links:

Frank Turner

Instrument

Interview Transcript