Podcaster and comedian Jon Lovett is an avid gamer who discovered the acclaimed Outer Wilds in the thick of COVID lockdown. The game's sweet simplicity provided a perfect escape from the pandemic bleakness surrounding him and it quickly became his favorite game of all time. Eschewing the violence that is so prevalent in many of the gaming world's biggest titles, it is a meditative space adventure broken up into 22-minute cycles. The joy of low-stakes exploration struck such a chord with Lovett that he gets emotional when he speaks about his love for Outer Wilds.
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!
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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.
Chris Gethard Is Sparked By Grosse Pointe Blank: Finding The Humanity In Comedy
This week, I had an incredible conversation with comedian Chris Gethard about his spark of inspiration, the John Cusack starring comedy Grosse Pointe Blank.
But it’s also so much more than that. We talked about Chris’ relationship with Judd Apatow as well as Judd Apatow’s movies. We talked about Andy Kaufman. We talked about Cameron Crowe. We talked about comedy in general.
It’s a wide ranging and very exciting and super fun conversation. Seriously. I really, really loved this one and I can’t wait for you to hear it.
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Johnny Flynn's Spark Is The Song Of Wandering Aengus: Ancient Threads In Modern Cloth
Actor and musician Johnny Flynn (Stardust, Netflix' Lovesick) joins me to talk about his spark, William Butler Yeates’ poem The Song Of Wandering Aengus.
We dive into Johnny’s personal connection to the poem, which stems from a variety of sources, including seeing his friend Jez Butterworth’s play The River which opens with this poem and his childhood wanderings through the natural world. But we also dig into broader concepts, like the influence of ancient folklore on modern art and the notion that there are no new ideas.
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Embracing The Weirdness: Conor Oberst On Northern Exposure
Get ready for some post-election joy! I got to reminisce with legendary singer/songwriter Conor Oberst about one of my favorite '90's TV shows, Northern Exposure. We talked about the show's glorious weirdness, it's unforgettable characters (including one who was Conor's first crush) and also dug into the value of subverting expectations in art. It's a real hoot!
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