Nevermind the Music

What’s the perfect playlist to bring you from rage to bliss? This week, we welcome writer and Tedx speaker Sadie Higgins. Sadie talks to us about how we can use music in our everyday lives to regulate our emotions and find a sense of community. Will Nichole actually sing on-mic? Join us for a fun co...

Is this the most “L.A.” band of the 2000s? This week, somewhere between the sacred silence and sleep is System of a Down’s 2001 rock hit “Toxicity.” Nichole talks us through the idea of cognitive dissonance, and ends up aiming her sights in the general direction of this band, while Mark takes us thr...

What motivates an artist to go beyond performative tweets and truly advocate for a cause they care about? This week, we are joined by Jessica Ilyse Kurn and Michael Stewart Foley, co-hosts of Against the Grain: The Farm Aid Podcast. For over forty years, the Farm Aid music festival has brought legen...

Is 47.5 times through a guitar riff enough? This week, we grab a ticket to anywhere with Tracy Chapman’s thoughtful 1988 ballad “Fast Car.” Nichole relates this song to people’s sense of whether they are in control of their lives, and, Here in episode #89, Mark finally starts listening to lyrics, an...

Is that episode title just a joke? Mark definitely wishes it was. In this week’s Sidetrack, our hosts give their lists of songs that get the waterworks flowing. Join us for some really awesome music and some major over-sharing! See you next week for a regular, sob-free episode! Music heard in this e...

When is the right note actually a wrong note? This week, we’re burning down the highway skyline to The Killers’ 2006 anthem “When You Were Young.” Mark shares how this is one of those songs where are the melody seems to almost ignore the chord progression. Nichole connects those broken expectations ...

Who better to judge Boomer music than a member of Generation Alpha? In this Sidetrack, Mark’s son makes a surprising and controversial proclamation about the production of the universally-acclaimed 1977 Fleetwood Mac opus, Rumours . Mark takes us through the innovations of multi-track recording that...

What’s a good way to get through a breakup? Record a hit single! In this episode, we are entranced by Fleetwood Mac’s 1977 masterpiece “Dreams.” Nichole talks through the grief that accompanies the end of a relationship, which somehow with this band led to some terrific songs. Mark then dreams about...

Would you rather make music with your grandma or your ex? In this week’s Sidetrack, Mark and Nichole create a family tree of iconic family bands and artists. From twins to parents and uncles, we talk through the superpowers these groups get through their family connections. Check out a full episode ...

What happens when you have to replace an iconic voice? This week we rock out to Linkin Park’s 2003 hit “Numb.” Mark compares live performances of the band’s big hits across two very different lead vocalists and what changes the band had to make to keep their sound. Meanwhile, Nichole wonders whether...