Pod of Never

On today's episode, I talk with actor/comedian/writer and host of the Smashing Pumpkast Frank Garcia-Hejl! We talk about how he got involved with comedy, doing a commercial with Bautista, auditioning at SNL, and his passion project, the Smashing Pumpkast podcast, and much more! Need a re-brand or to start your brand off on the right foot with clear messaging and visuals? Check out ⁠⁠⁠Chapters Creative⁠⁠⁠ for all of your brand strategy needs. Listen to Swans of Never on ⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Apple Music⁠⁠⁠, or ⁠⁠⁠Bandcamp⁠⁠⁠! ⁠⁠⁠Buy my merch⁠⁠⁠! Enjoy the episode? ⁠⁠⁠Tips ⁠⁠⁠are accepted!

This episode is a conversation I had with Jordan Divecha from Everyday Innovation! We talked about how I navigated integrating my passion for creating and storytelling into my non-linear career. Enjoy! Need a re-brand or to start your brand off on the right foot? Check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠Chapters Creative⁠⁠⁠⁠ for all of your brand strategy needs. https://www.chapterscreative.com/sixsignsbrandstrategy Listen to Swans of Never on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Music⁠⁠⁠⁠, or ⁠⁠⁠⁠Bandcamp⁠⁠⁠⁠! ⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy my merch⁠⁠⁠⁠! Enjoy the episode? ⁠⁠⁠⁠Tips ⁠⁠⁠⁠are accepted!

And we're back with a new mini episode talking about the lessons I learned from the series finale of Loki and what it means to have a "glorious purpose" in building your art or business! Need a re-brand or to start your brand off on the right foot? Check out ⁠⁠⁠Chapters Creative⁠⁠⁠ for all of your brand strategy needs. Listen to Swans of Never on ⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Apple Music⁠⁠⁠, or ⁠⁠⁠Bandcamp⁠⁠⁠! ⁠⁠⁠Buy my merch⁠⁠⁠! Enjoy the episode? ⁠⁠⁠Tips ⁠⁠⁠are accepted!

On today's episode, I talk with Steve Babcock about his new gig at Marketing Architects, his time working with Gary Vaynerchuk, his time in the music scene with Hudson River School, and more! Need a re-brand or to start your brand off on the right foot? Check out ⁠⁠Chapters Creative⁠⁠ for all of your brand strategy needs. Listen to Swans of Never on ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Apple Music⁠⁠, or ⁠⁠Bandcamp⁠⁠! ⁠⁠Buy my merch⁠⁠! Enjoy the episode? ⁠⁠Tips ⁠⁠are accepted!

On today's episode, Tim Crisp from the Better Yet and As You Were podcasts drops by to talk about how he got into punk, how living in a house show duplex forged his DIY ethics, how wrestling influences his work, his foray into web development, and bringing all of yourself into what you do. Check out Better Yet, As You Were, and https://www.riffin.io/demohttps://www.riffin.io/demo! Need a re-brand or to start your brand off on the right foot? Check out ⁠Chapters Creative⁠ for all of your brand strategy needs. Listen to Swans of Never on ⁠Spotify⁠, ⁠Apple Music⁠, or ⁠Bandcamp⁠! ⁠Buy my merch⁠! Enjoy the episode? ⁠Tips ⁠are accepted!

On this episode of the Pod of Never, I talk to Jono Diener! We talk about the process of being a band dude to a professional creative and how they intersect! All of this and more in this episode of Pod of Never! Check out Jono's LinkedIn, 84 Tigers' tour dates, and No Trigger's tour dates! Need a re-brand or to start your brand off on the right foot? Check out Chapters Creative for all of your brand strategy needs. Listen to Swans of Never on Spotify, Apple Music, or Bandcamp! Buy my merch! Enjoy the episode? Tips are accepted!

In this episode of Pod of Never, I talk to Andrew Zell! We talk about his formative years in Lancaster, PA, where he grew up in the metalcore scene. We talk about how he got his start, playing with One Year Later, his time working with CI Records, his move to Milwaukee to run a flipping business, and his current work with Zoom! We also talk about important lessons from being in the music industry that has translated into the professional world. All of this and more in this episode of Pod of Never! Check out Andrew's LinkedIn and One Year Later! Need a re-brand or to start your brand off on the right foot? Check out Chapters Creative for all of your brand strategy needs. Listen to Swans of Never on Spotify, Apple Music, or Bandcamp! Buy my merch! Enjoy the episode? Tips are accepted!

What's the similarity between product and brand marketing and being in a band? In this episode, Anthony Pierri talks about how product marketing helped his band Good Hangs succeed and how bands and businesses can do the same. We also talk about important lessons from being in the music industry that can help professionals! All of this and more in this episode of Pod of Never! Check out Anthony's LinkedIn and his band Good Hangs! Need a re-brand or to start your brand off on the right foot? Check out Chapters Creative for all of your brand strategy needs. Listen to Swans of Never on Spotify, Apple Music, or Bandcamp! Buy my merch! Enjoy the episode? Tips are accepted!

In this episode, I talk to Jack Longman from Longman Media! He's a social media manager who learned the foundations of his professional craft while being in a band and helping others run their social media accounts. We talk about what he learned while playing and touring with his former band Giants and how it helps him professionally. Check out Jack's LinkedIn and Longman Media! Need a re-brand or to start your brand off on the right foot? Check out Chapters Creative for all of your brand strategy needs. Listen to Swans of Never on Spotify, Apple Music, or Bandcamp! Buy my merch! Enjoy the episode? Tips are accepted!

FINALLY, the return of Pod of Never! There's no better way to come back than to have one of my favorite creators on the show, Finn McKenty (The Punk Rock MBA). We talk about his history growing up in the DIY scene and how he found his way through his professional career in light of what he learned and what *not* to do because of the scene. If you grew up going to punk shows and want a career for yourself, this is the show for you. Need a re-brand or to start your brand off on the right foot? Check out Chapters Creative for all of your brand strategy needs. Check out Finn McKenty on The Punk Rock MBA and his personal YouTube channel. Listen to Swans of Never on Spotify, Apple Music, or Bandcamp! Buy my merch! Enjoy the episode? Tips are accepted!

Big episode today! Today I chat with one of my favorite songwriters, Chris Browder from MANSIONS. We talk about his songwriting process, learning how to record, getting tips from producer Mike Sapone, why he decided to focus on his 9-to-5 career, and much more. Also, listen to the first sneak peek of my new song "Work (Baptize Me When I'm Dead)", a song I did with Dan Whitesides from The Used! Enjoy! Check out Mansions! Listen to Swans of Never on Spotify, Apple Music, or Bandcamp! Buy my merch! Support the show on my Patreon! Enjoy the episode? Tips are accepted!

Miss out on me and Brighton's Beatles nerd-out session on the Spotify-exclusive Pod of Never Radio? Never fear! Here's the audio from that episode along with a very special Beatles power rankings! Enjoy! Enjoy! Check out Neuer Geist! Listen to Swans of Never on Spotify, Apple Music, or Bandcamp! Support the show on my Patreon! Enjoy the episode? Tips are accepted!

A guest bailed, but I wanted to make sure I have some content out for the hardcore Pod of Never fans! In this episode, I talk about pushing through discouragement when working on artistic projects! Enjoy! Listen to Swans of Never on Spotify, Apple Music, or Bandcamp! Enjoy the episode? Tips are accepted!

Today’s podcast is with my friend Derek Ballard. I’ve known him for many years from the punk and hardcore scene in Salt Lake City. He plays in the hardcore band Despite Despair and him and his wife Brighton lead their design agency Neuer Geist and their printing arm of the business Riso Giest. Along with the client work they do, they also create great merchandise featuring their talents like t-shirts, beanies, and popular culture and politics-inspired prints like their Wes Anderson-themed posters and one of my personal favorites, their Midsommar and Avatar: The Last Airbender tarot cards. In this episode, we get into his love of the outdoors, how he got into politics through hardcore, and the power of graphic design in activism. Enjoy! Check out Neuer Geist! Listen to Swans of Never on Spotify, Apple Music, or Bandcamp! Enjoy the episode? Tips are accepted!

It's wild to be able to talk to an artist only days after falling in love with a song. Well, that's just what happened to me when I got to interview Snow Ellet. Someone had tweeted Snow's song "To Some I'm Genius" into my Twitter timeline and it blew me away. I rushed to DM Snow to set up an interview and two days later we had this conversation and I'm very glad we did because did we just become best friends? YEP. We talk about writing songs, recording his EP Suburban Indie Rock Star, dealing with sudden notoriety in the emo sphere, and we get really nerdy about recording in Logic. Also, stay tuned for when Snow tells me about one of his friends critiquing my music (but don't worry, I'm okay). Enjoy this episode with your new favorite artist! Listen to Snow Ellet on Spotify! Listen to Swans of Never on Spotify, Apple Music, or Bandcamp! Enjoy the episode? Tips are accepted!

I'M BACK! Even though I've had some episodes in the past few months, I'm back to a regular schedule now that I'm back in the Land of the Salty Lake. This episode is with my friend Miranda Reinert. She creates zines, newsletters, and she co-hosts a podcast. She has a great point of view on music, the music business, and she has a great way of melding her views on music with her vulnerability. We talk about how got into zines, how she makes them, what it's like having your favorite writers notice you, and her positive experience of quitting law school. Check out Miranda's work on her website! Listen to Swans of Never on Spotify, Apple Music, or Bandcamp! Enjoy the episode? Tips are accepted!

I'm back with a retrospective on this past year! I talk about a few things that I've learned through my experiences being in lockdown, working jobs, and trying to maintain my creative output. Listen to Swans of Never on Spotify, Apple Music, or Bandcamp! Enjoy the episode? Tips are accepted!

A VERY special episode where I talk to one of my biggest influences, Jonah Matranga. We talk about home recording, writing songs, how to know when a project is finished, and inspiring others to create. But before that, I premiere my new single "Reservations (For The End of the World)". Also, I have a couple of big life announcements and get a little personal, so if you want to fast-forward to the Jonah conversation go to 17:10. Don't worry, I'm not offended if you skip. :) This one means a lot to me so check it out! Check out Jonah Matranga on his website! Listen to Swans of Never on Spotify, Apple Music, or Bandcamp! Enjoy the episode? Tips are accepted!

A VERY special episode where I talk to one of my biggest influences, Jonah Matranga. We talked for a *very* long time so this is part one of two podcasts where we talk about his philosophy "The Zen of Suck", being a trailblazer for modern music business practices, dealing with hecklers, and much more. This one means a lot to me so check it out! Check Jonah Matranga on his website! Listen to Swans of Never on Spotify, Apple Music, or Bandcamp! Enjoy the episode? Tips are accepted!

Josaleigh Pollett is back! A lot in the world has changed since the last time we spoke way back on episode three. I catch up with her to talk about how COVID and protests have changed her views on the promotion of her great album, No Woman Is The Sea, and so much more. Check out Josaleigh Pollett on Spotify and Bandcamp! Listen to Swans of Never on Spotify, Apple Music, or Bandcamp! Enjoy the episode? Tips are accepted!

On this episode, I am joined by Greg Jehanian from mewithoutYou and Geology! We talk about how he's been weathering COVID, how he created his latest Geology record, the responsibility of the artist in times of social upheaval, and his hilarious and fun Instagram livestream. Check out mewithoutYou and Geology! Listen to Swans of Never on Spotify, Apple Music, or Bandcamp! Enjoy the episode? Tips are accepted!

The episode title explains it all! I talk about my maiden voyage livestreaming with high-quality sound on Facebook and I tell you how to do it and repurpose it for your Patreon or other! Also, you get to hear my first livestream for yourself! Download Blackhole here. Listen to Swans of Never on Spotify, Apple Music, or Bandcamp! Enjoy the episode? Tips are accepted!

This week I talk to my friend, Dusty Redmon of Beloved! We talk entirely too much about Cookout, resetting Beloved's 2020 plans with the postponement of Furnace Fest 2020, being a "lifer", and the positives of being the "chill" person in a band, and MORE. Enjoy the episode? Tips are accepted! Check out Beloved and Crenshaw Pentecostal! Listen to Swans of Never on Spotify, Apple Music, or Bandcamp!

On this episode, I catch up with my friend and former roommate, Jeff Stuckel, but you might know him as Keyoung. As Keyoung, he creates hip-hop-inspired spoken word centered around his brutally honest takes on faith and social justice. I talk to him about his ups and downs with art, Christianity, and his love for sewing and repurposing clothes. It was great to catch up with him and I hope you enjoy it! Check out Keyoung! Listen to Swans of Never on Spotify, Apple Music, or Bandcamp! Support the podcast by tipping me through Paypal!

If this is your first time listening to the show, welcome! My goal of the show is to have conversations with artists and professionals and learn about their origin stories and processes of how they create and share their work. This episode is close to my heart. Today, I talk with one of the longest friends and former bandmates, in our high school band My White Room and later on in Gaza, Casey Hansen of the bands Cult Leader and Sympathy Pain. In Cult Leader, he plays drums and is one of the most skilled, creative, and absolutely brutal drummers that I have ever played with. But on the flip side, he’s also one of the most talented musicians with an ear for beauty, and you can hear that with this music in Sympathy Pain. In our conversation, we talk about how growing up in a musical religious family shaped his love for music, finding like-minded musicians in a small conservative town, and the importance of roles in bands. We have a lot of fun in the episode I hope you enjoy it. And if you stick around, you might just hear some music from our first band so make sure you listen all the way through. Check out Cult Leader and Sympathy Pain! Listen to Swans of Never on Spotify, Apple Music, or Bandcamp!

SUPER excited about this one. This episode is with my friend, manager of mewithoutYou, Mike Almquist. We get into how he ended up in the band's social circle as a superfan and how he ended up the band's manager. We also talk how the band moved through the ups and downs of the underground scene, putting out Ten Stories DIY-style, and how COVID threw a wrench into the band's 2020 farewell tours. You'll love this episode if you're a fan of mewithoutYou or if you were ever curious about the behind the scenes of how a medium-sized band operates. Visit mewithoutYou online! Listen to Swans of Never on Spotify, Apple Music, or Bandcamp!

This week on the podcast is my friend, Meg Earle from Hello Sailor Tees. She creates merch inspired by pop culture and feminism that I personally love and I have a feeling that you would too. We met over 10 years ago while I was working at a record store and she’s been one of my favorite people to talk music with. She’s got an incredible taste in culture and art and I think that shines in her work. We talk about how feminism and pop culture inspires her work, her family’s roots in the movie industry, and how she became successful just because she simply started with no expectations. We also get into her favorite movies and music, because honestly, having her on without breaking down her favorites would be such a missed opportunity. If you have a creative project that you’re scared to share or not quite sure how to get started, then I think you’ll enjoy this episode. www.hellosailortees.com Check out the Swans of Never Patreon! Check out Swans of Never music!

Sometimes podcasts are a great way for me to get back in touch with friends and this one is no exception. Today's podcast is with my friend, Joel Timen, VP of A&R and Publishing at Curb|Word Entertainment. We talk about his humble beginnings of running a venue in southern Oregon, his experiences being in a band, managing artists when he had little experience, and working his way up the music industry ranks in Nashville, Tennessee. He also gives great advice to those who want to break into the music industry as a manager or in A&R or as an artist/songwriter. Lots of great information here, so enjoy! Join the Swans of Never Patreon! Pre-save Perfect Wine on Spotify! Listen to Swans of Never on Spotify.

This week I sit down with an old friend of mine in rock and one of my favorite songwriters, Eric DeLong. We talk about his history playing music, his new Patreon, and we sit and talk shop about how to cultivate fan support on the platform. It was a great conversation that was very helpful for me in starting my own Patreon. If you were ever curious about Patreon or needed encouragement to share your art, this episode is for you. Join the Swans of Never Patreon! Listen to Swans of Never on Spotify. Listen to Eric DeLong on Spotify.

You may have heard the rumors. Yes, they're true. I'M NOW A FREE AGENT. In this quick episode, I talk about why I left my job, freelancing, and I announce that I'm launching a SWANS OF NEVER Patreon! Take a listen and find out more! Music by my musical project, Swans of Never. Check out my new Patreon here! Listen to the new single, Celestial Skies, here!

In this episode, I chat with one of my best friends, Ben Meszaros. We talk about his process of learning more about racism and his story of becoming a better ally, spurred on by the adoption of his black son. It's a personal episode and we tackle some hefty subjects, but it's worth it! Music by my musical project, Swans of Never. Listen to the new single, Celestial Skies, here!

This one's kind of a heavy one! Not going to lie. I have no guests on this one but I talk about the past few weeks, George Floyd and navigating race, and the difficulty of creating and promoting art that matters during social unrest. If you're a musician/artist/professional, you might relate to this. If you have any thoughts about this, reach out to me on IG @ swansofnevermusic or on Twitter @ matthewnanes. Listen to Swans of Never on Spotify here.

The tables have turned! Adam Tolman (AT) comes on the podcast to grill me about everything Day Two. The idea came up on the band text thread and the band thought it'd be a good idea and it turns out that it was! I had a blast talking to AT about the days of being Day Two. ALSO, it's the premiere of my band Swans of Never's new single CELESTIAL SKIES. Enjoy! Listen to Day Two on Spotify here. Listen to Swans of Never on Spotify here. Pre-save Celestial Skies on Spotify here!

Join me in a DAY TWO DETOUR (really though, I hit a scheduling issue) with NATE ALLEN. I asked the audience questions about creativity and I thought what better person to answer these questions than my friend Nate. He's played over 1,000 shows and has released over 100 songs so if there's anyone that knows a thing or two about the music world and creating, it's him. In this episode, we take a walk through his career and then answer your questions. This is a great interview for any musician or creator. Listen to Good Saint Nathanael on Spotify here. Listen to Swans of Never on Spotify here.

In this episode, I talk with Day Two singer, Kevin Corkrey! We talk about sharing music with siblings and how influential it is, Kevin becoming a frontman, violence onstage, and opportunities to learn about yourself. This is a long one but we touch on some emotional subjects and it was such a good time to catch up with him. You're going to love it. Enjoy! Listen to Day Two on Spotify here. Listen to Swans of Never on Spotify here.

This episode features Day Two guitar player Jake Fowles! We talk about how being a Guitar Center employee got him the Day Two gig, not fitting in the "hardcore" mold, why he left our Warped Tour 2004 run, and switching careers halfway through your life. There's a lot to learn here even if you aren't a Day Two fan. Also, listen to Day Two's "Goulet"! It's a fun one! Listen to Day Two on Spotify here. Listen to Swans of Never on Spotify here.

This episode features Day Two guitar player Sheldon Priest! We talk about his side of the story meeting Matt Sweitzer, booking tours, and witnessing me being an idiot in front of Dallas Green from City and Colour/Alexisonfire. Also, get the exclusive online premiere of Day Two's cover of "I Just Died In Your Arms Tonight". It's a fun one! Listen to Day Two on Spotify here. Listen to Swans of Never on Spotify here.

This special episode is with Day Two drummer, Matt Sweitzer. We talk about parenting through COVID-19, how we met guitarist Sheldon Priest, lessons learned on Warped Tour, and post-Day Two life. Listen to Day Two on Spotify here. Listen to Swans of Never on Spotify here.

This episode is a special one where I talk about how my time in Day Two has changed me as a person and as a professional. Also, I share a pretty special announcement regarding Day Two. You're going to want to listen! Check out my band Swans of Never on Spotify. Listen to Day Two's Vlad on Spotify.

This episode is with CMO of Wooly, Nick Stagge. I've spent some time working with him at ExpertVoice and he's also spent 10 years at Zumiez. We talk about proving things to yourself, my layoff story at ExpertVoice, what it's like to have to lay people off as well, and skate culture and how it applies to his work. This is a pretty personal episode and I think you'll gain a lot from the conversation. Check out my "new" collection of songs The Solo Years on Spotify here.

This is a different kind of episode! Today, I'm taking my "drive to work" and doing a quick podcast on my new normal and what your new normal might mean to you. It's much shorter but I hope you like the unpolished nature of this episode. Check out my "new" collection of songs The Solo Years on Spotify here.

This week I'm back from a small break due to the COVID-19 virus to tell the story of my friend Josh Thompson, a touring musician affected by the virus. I get his background story and how he found out his work came to a halt no thanks to the virus. If you're curious how the virus has affected a musician, this is a must-hear story. Check out The Solo Years on Spotify here.

In this episode, I talk to Dan Fletcher. My story with Dan is that we’ve been in the same scenes for years and went to school with each other. My band at the time Day Two would play with his vegan straight-edge hardcore band, Cherem. I would see him from time to time at the University of Utah and since then, our paths have taken similar trajectories. He’s a family man like me, but he hasn’t abandoned his love for music, making music of different stripes playing hardcore to folk music to his latest project, Milk Money, which I 100% recommend. In the podcast, we talk about if our former selves would call ourselves sellouts, how the punk world has helped us in our journey in marketing, and how working for a massive company doesn’t necessarily mean we need to abandon our DIY roots. If you have any background in music and working in marketing, this one’s for you.

In this episode, I talk to Josaleigh Pollett! We talk about growing up in Ogden, Utah, learning how to record music on GarageBand in its infancy, the power of community, and being open with your feelings on social media. Listen to the new Swans of Never single, "Two Swans". Listen to the new Josaleigh Pollett single, "Craiglistless".

In this episode, I talk to my friend Andrew Goldring! We talk about growing up in a musical family, being a guitar wunderkind at an early age, getting into recording and mixing music, and moving to Nashville. Listen to the new Swans of Never single here: https://open.spotify.com/track/24Jy4nwiRQyMFMbgy42ibY?si=JLbLYIFGRHuDxI_v1SgqTw Listen to the new Andrew Goldring single here: https://open.spotify.com/album/5X3paiRXi9ehb7KC8vSkW1?si=VwSVRzQFQZu2ZZHrNsPUsw

Why, oh, why does this podcast exist? Does it need to exist? Your host, Matthew Nanes, goes into deep detail of why Pod of Never came to be, what to expect, and an exclusive listen to the new Swans of Never single, "Two Swans". Listen to the new Swans of Never single on Spotify here.