The Sound of Success with Nic Harcourt

Musician, writer and filmmaker Stuart Murdoch is the lead singer and songwriter for the Scottish band Belle and Sebastian. The group's first album 'Tigermilk' was released to critical claim in 1996; sparking a career that has seen them put out a series of singles, 9 ep's and 12 albums, the most recent, 'Late Developers was released in 2023'. Stuart says "We definitely wouldn't describe ourselves as a 'rock band', we aspire toward what we would call 'classic pop music.'" They highlight pop records from 1979 onwards as the style that unites the passions between the band members.

Actor, writer, and musician, Jason Schwartzman began his acting career in 1998 when, at the age of 18, he starred in Wes Anderson's 'Rushmore'. Since then he has taken roles in an eclectic array of both film and television projects. His movies include, 'Marie Antoinette', 'Saving Mr. Banks', 'The Grand Budapest Hotel' and 'The Polka King', his most recent films are Wes Anderson's 'Asteroid City' and 'The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Among his television credits are 'Mozart in the Jungle', 'Fargo' and 'The Righteous Gemstones'. Jason has musical roots; when Nic first met him, he was the drummer in Phantom Planet. More recently he has released solo material under the Coconut Records moniker.

Former USMNT soccer star, Alexi Lalas exploded onto the international stage during the 1994 FIFA World Cup, a summer in which Americans embraced the world's most popular sport. He went on to become the first American to play in Italy's Serie A; and when Major League Soccer kicked off in 1996, he returned to the US and spent the rest of his playing career helping launch the league, with stints at the New England Revolution, Kansas City Wizards, and LA Galaxy; where he won numerous competitions, including the MLS Cup, before retiring from playing in 2002. His post playing career included gigs as general manager of the San Jose Earthquakes, New York Red Bulls, and LA Galaxy. He currently works as an analyst for Fox Sports and hosts the State of the Union podcast. Last year, he released his eighth album of music, 'Melt Away'. In this episode Nic get's to speak about two of his favorite things, soccer/football and music!

Beginning with her debut album 'Red Shoe Rebel' in 2002, Singer-songwriter and musician Grace Potter has released 5 albums under her own name, and another four with her band Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. At the time of this conversation in October of 2023, her most recent release 'Mother Road' finds Grace deconstructing her deepest fears and darkest regrets, charting the fallout with brutal honesty and emotional daring. Grace talks with Nic about the four cross country trips that inspired the songs on the album, her evolution as an artist, and dividing her time between her hometown of Waitsfield, Vermont and Topanga, California.

Musician, songwriter, and singer Johnny Marr was the guitarist and co-songwriter of The Smiths (from 1982 thru 1987). He has at one time or another been a member of The Pretenders, The The, Electronic, Modest Mouse, The Cribs; as well as becoming a prolific session musician. In the last decade he has worked in film, collaborating with Hans Zimmer on scores for movies such as 'Inception', 'The Amazing Spiderman 2' and 'No Time to Die', whilst carving out a successful solo career with a series of critically acclaimed albums. He is also a published author, his autobiography 'Set the Boy Free', was published in 2016; and his new coffee table book 'Marr's Guitars' was released in October of 2023, when this episode was recorded.

When he was just two years old musician, Kofi Owusu-Ansah (known professionally as Genesis Owusu) and his family emigrated from Ghana in West Africa to Australia's capital city, Canberra. In a town where his family were the only black people he knew, he immediately found himself an outsider and had to learn as he says, "how to be myself from a young age." His early efforts at music included collaborations with his older brother Kojo, who releases music as Citizen Kay; before self releasing a series of singles that led to his debut album in 2021 'Smiling with No Teeth'. At that year's ARIA Music Awards, (Australia's Grammys) he won four trophies for Album of the Year, Best Hip Hop Release, Best Independent Release and Best Cover Art. His follow up, 'Struggler' is catching ears around the world and Nic caught up with him in Los Angeles, where he recorded the bulk of the new album.

It was perhaps inevitable that Emily Haines would become a writer/lyricist and musician; her dad (Paul Haynes), was a revered Avant Garde poet and musician. Emily formed her first band at age 15 (Edith's Mission) with school pal Amy Millan (STARS). She spent her University years in Vancouver (UBC) and Montreal (Concordia) before meeting James (Jimmy) Shaw in 1997 and forming the band that would become Metric. 2023 finds the group celebrating the 20th anniversary of their debut album 'Old World Underground, Where are You Now' and releasing their ninth full length LP, 'Formetera II'.

Singer, songwriter and composer Natalie Merchant got her start when she joined the band 10,000 Maniacs in 1981 at age 17, becoming the lead vocalist and primary lyricist for the group. She made seven albums with the band before setting out on a solo career and in 1995; her debut album 'Tigerlilly' was an immediate success with singles 'Carnival', 'Wonder' and 'Jealousy' helping the album sell over 5 million copies. She has since released nine studio albums as a solo artist exploring a diverse range of musical styles. At the time of our conversation, her most recent album is 'Keep Your Courage'.

Liverpool born, Manhattan based broadcaster, podcaster, and filmmaker Roger Bennett hosts multiple podcasts and TV shows focussing on soccer/football through his Men in Blazers Media Network. He's also a published author releasing his memoir 'Reborn in the USA: An Englishman's Love Letter to his Chosen Home' in 2021; which debuted at #1 on The New York Times Bestseller List.

Lyle Lovett began performing by playing acoustic sets at bars just off of the Texas A&M University campus, while studying for bachelor degrees in German and Journalism. His career has been typically associated with country music and he's won four Grammys, including awards for Best Male Country Vocal Performance and Best Country Album. He's also incorporated gospel, blues, jazz and swing into his body of work and acted in television and film; most notably in four movies for the late director, Robert Altman.

This week's guest is songwriter, producer, (and let's just say it) rockstar, Noel Gallager. Noel was the main songwriter, lead guitarist and co-lead vocalist of the band Oasis (the most popular and successful UK band of the 90's) from 1991 until their split in 2009. He has written nine UK number-one singles and ten UK number-one studio albums. After leaving Oasis, he formed Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, who have put out four albums; the most recent 'Council Skies' was released June 2, 2023 (two weeks before this conversation was recorded). He is widely considered to be one of the most influential songwriters in the history of British rock music. Nic caught up with Noel on his US tour backstage at the Greek theater in Los Angeles

John Gourley is the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the band Portugal. The Man, a group who after five independently released albums and another three on Atlantic Records, found crossover success around the world with their 2017 album ‘Woodstock' and it's hit song "Feel It Still” which scored the group a Grammy for Best Pop Duo/Group performance in 2018. Like many in the creative community the band's career was put into neutral during the pandemic, but they are back on the road this summer (2023) with a new album 'Chris Black Changed My Life'.

Lucinda Williams is one of the most celebrated singer-songwriters of her generation. Her first two albums 'Ramblin' on My Mind' and 'Happy Woman Blues', recorded in 1979 and 1980 respectively, received critical acclaim. Her 1988 self titled release opened the doors to a career that has has seen her mix of Rock, Blues, Punk and Country Americana establish her own unique lane in the music business. Her 1988 release 'Car Wheels on a Gravel Road' earned her a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album; the follow-up, 'Essence' released in 2001, hit the Billboard 200, peaking at No. 28, and garnered three Grammy nominations, winning the award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance for the single "Get Right with God”. Other albums include 'Blessed', 'The Ghost Of Highway 20', 'Good Souls', 'Better Angels' and at the time of our conversation she was readying the release of her 16th studio album, 'Stories from a Rock n Roll Heart'. Lucinda recently published her first book, a memoir, 'Don't Tell Anybody the Secrets I Told You'.

Alex Gibney is a documentarian and film maker whose body of work includes 'Enron, The Smartest Guys in the Room', 'Taxi to the Dark Side', which won an Oscar, 'Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief', 'The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley' (about Elizabeth Holmes), 'The Forever Prisoner', and most recently, 'Boom! Boom! The World Vs Boris Becker'. He has an Academy Award, multiple Emmys, a Grammy, a couple of Peabody Awards, and Writer's Guild of America Awards. Gibney is also President of Jigsaw Productions, which produces independent films, documentaries, and television series. He's currently in the early stages of production for his next film, 'Musk'

Judy Greer has appeared in most of your favorite films and tv shows of the last 20 years, including early roles in the films Jawbreaker, What Women Want, Elizabethtown and Love & Other Drugs. Judy's other film roles include 13 going on 30, The Village, Adaptation, Carrie, the Planet of the Apes reboot series, and she joined the Marvel Universe for Ant-Man and Ant-Man and the Wasp. Judy also played Karen, the daughter of Jamie Lee Curtis's Laurie Strode character, in the recent Halloween and Halloween Kills movies.On television, she is known for her starring voice role as Cheryl Tunt in the FXX animated comedy series Archer, and as Lina Bowman in the FX sitcom Married She has also appeared in The Big Bang Theory, Arrested Development, Two and a Half Men, it's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and more recently The Thing about Pam, Reboot and White House Plumbers. She made her directorial debut with the comedy-drama film A Happening of Monumental Proportions in 2017.

Robert Hilburn was music editor for the Los Angeles Times from 1970 to 2005; his thought provoking reviews, essays and profiles appeared in the Times as well as other publications around the world. His work helped shine a light on the nascent careers of a diverse range of artists from Elton John, Tom Petty, Patti Smith and Elvis Costello to Prince, Guns and Roses, Public Enemy, Eminem and The White Stripes. Robert has also written a memoir Corn Flakes with John Lennon: And Other Tales from a Rock 'n' Roll Life, and best-selling biographies of Johnny Cash and Paul Simon.

You probably know Zach Braff from his work on the television series 'Scrubs' which ran from 2001 to 2010 (nine seasons); and his 2004 movie 'Garden State', which he wrote, directed and co-starred in. The film, which was based on Zach's real life experiences, received positive reviews and won a grammy for Best Compilation Soundtrack album for a Motion Picture Television or other visual media. The soundtrack also elevated the careers of many of the artists featured, most notably, 'The Shins'. Since then Zach has been beyond busy with all sorts of cool projects. He has executive produced documentaries, including 'The Internets Own Boy: the Story of Aaron Swartz', he's directed several music videos, done voice work for movies and video games, (most notably the titular character in the film 'Chicken Little' and it's spin off video games). He's worked in theater, both as an actor and writer, and as we recorded this convesation in late January 2023, Zach is readying the release of his new film 'A Good Person' starring Morgan Freeman and Florence Pugh, which he wrote, directed, and produced.

Steve Kilby, singer, songwriter and bass player for the legendary Australian band, The Church, has amassed an impressive body of work with over 1000 original songs registered with the Australasian Performing Rights Association. The Church have released 25 studio albums, their most recent 'The Hypnogogue' arriving in February 2023. Their 1989 single 'Under The Milky Way' was a massive hit around the world and is still a favorite of film and television music supervisors. Steve's solo career has also been prolific with 17 albums and countless collaborations. He's also a published author with three books. A collection of his paintings have been released as a tarot deck called 'The Tarot of the Time Being'The Church have gone through several personnel changes over the years with various members coming and going, coming and going again, and today's lineup finds Steve, up front as always, and at the time of this conversation, touring the US.

Actor, producer, author and activist Jamie Lee Curtis' career has spanned multiple genres in both television and film, including the role of Laurie Strode In the 'Halloween' series and comedies such a 'Trading Places', 'A Fish Called Wand and Freaky Friday. She won her first Golden Globe for her work on ABC's 'Anything But Love', and a second for her role in James Cameron's 'True Lies' opposite Arnold Shwartzenegger.Her recent work includes the TV show 'Scream Queens' and the movies 'Knives Out' and 'Everything All At Once', for which she received her first Academy Award nomination for best supporting actress.

Benjamin Gibbard is the lead singer and guitarist of the band Death Cab for Cutie. The group released their debut album, 'Something About Airplanes' in 1998, and quickly built a fan base throughout the next five years with a series of independent releases before breaking into the mainstream with their fourth album, 2003's 'Transatlanticism' followed by their major label debut, the platinum selling 'Plans' for Atlantic Records in 2005. The group have been a favorite of music supervisors and critics through the years, and their most recent release, 'Asphalt Meadows', their 10th album came out in the fall of 2022.Ben has multiple strings to his bow, with several side projects, most notably The Postal Service, with Jimmy Tamborello and Jenny Lewis. That band's only album 'Give Up' released in 2003, included the hit single 'Such Great Heights'. Ben stayed busy through the pandemic streaming shows from home, and more recently has been back on the road with Death Cab touring with the 'Asphalt Meadows' album.

Rita Wilson's film appearances include 'Sleepless in Seattle', 'That Thing You Do!' 'Runaway Bride' and 'It's Complicated'. She has produced a whole bunch of movies, including the smash hit 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding', 'The Mama Mia' movies and the new film “A man called Otto" starring her husband, Tom Hanks. Rita co-wrote the theme song for the movie, 'Til You're Home' the with David Hodges and co-sang it with Sebastian Yatra. She's also performed on Broadway and has appeared in a slew of great tv shows including 'The Good Wife' and 'Girls'. As a singer/songwriter, she has released five albums, most recently 'Now and Forever' an album of duets with a group of amazing artists, including Jackson Brown, Smokey Robinson Josh Groban and Willie Nelson.

Sandra Bernhard is perhaps best known for portraying Nancy Bartlett Thomas on the ABC sitcom 'Roseanne' from 1991 through the end of the show in 1997. More recently she played Nurse Judy Kubrak in the FX drama series 'Pose' and Fran in the current season of 'American Horror Story'. Her other work includes Martin Scorsese's "The King of Comedy" where she played a crazed fan, who along with Robert De Niro's Rupert Pupkin, kidnaps talk show legend Jerry Langford played by Jerry Lewis; and she's also released 19 albums of both comedy and music!

Moby's early days in the music world found him playing in underground punk bands before moving to New York City and turning to electronic and dance music, finding success as a DJ and remixer throughout the first part of the 90's. He's considered to be one of the most important dance music figures of that decade. His career exploded in 1999 with the LP 'Play' which became the most licensed collection of songs ever released as an album. Subsequent releases include '18', 'Hotel', and 'Last Night'. More recently he has been recording ambient music, his latest album, 'Reprise' was released in May 2021. Moby is also the author of four books, including a collection of his photography and two memoirs: 'Porcelain': A Memoir' (2016) and 'Then It Fell Apart' (2019). Moby is also an activist, known for his veganism and support for animal rights and humanitarian aid.

Composer producer and performer Jean-Michel Jarre is a pioneer in electronic and ambient music as well as massive outdoor spectacles featuring his music, along with laser displays large projections and fireworks.His 1976 album, 'Oxygène' (recorded in a home studio on analog synthesizers) and its 1978 follow up 'Équinoxe', heralded the arrival of an international star, and in 1979 Jean-Michel performed to more than a million people at the Place de la Concorde in Paris. That concert laid down a blueprint for his future performances around the world. Several of his albums have been released to coincide with large-scale outdoor events. He was the first Western musician officially invited to perform in the People's Republic of China and saw in the new millennium performing at the pyramids of Giza. He holds the world record for the largest-ever audience at an outdoor event for his Moscow concert on 6 September 1997, which was attended by 3.5 million people. Jean-Michel's new album 'Oxymore' is out now.

John Lloyd is an English television and radio comedy producer and writer whose work includes Not the Nine O'Clock News, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Spitting Image, Blackadder and QI. He is also the author of the book "1,411 Quite Interesting Facts to Knock You Sideways", a collaboration with John Mitchinson and James Harkin. John is currently the presenter of BBC Radio 4's The Museum of Curiosity.

Fran Healy, songwriter, lead, singer, and guitarist for the band. Travis. The band's first studio album, 'Good Feeling' released in 1997, recorded in the famous Bearsville Studios in Woodstock, New York garnered them early praise, and the follow up release 'The Man Who' and its single "Why Does It Always Rain On Me” saw the band find mainstream success. A number one album, a slew of awards, including best album and best band at the 2000 Brit Awards and headlining slots at major festivals like Glastonbury and T In The Park saw the band achieve rockstar status. The group's next release 'The Invisible Band' also scored a UK number one and more awards and world tours. In the years since, the band have consistently released fine albums, taking a little more time in between releases. Their most recent being the 2020 album '10 songs". Fran also released a solo album in 2010 ‘Wreckorder'.

This week's podcast is a "minisode"; occasional interviews and conversations that don't quite fit our format, but that we think you might enjoy. This episode features a Proust like questionnaire about music and life with 21 questions for the legendary musician and cultural icon, Willie Nelson.Born during the Great Depression and raised by his grandparents, Willie wrote his first song at age seven, joined his first band at 10 and went on to become one of the most recognized artists in American music. Before the hits, he worked as a disc jockey at radio stations in Texas and the Pacific Northwest while simultaneously honing his song writing and singing skills with songs like "Funny How Time Slips Away", "Hello Walls" and "Crazy". He has recorded. 97 studio albums, has acted in over 30 movies, co-authored several books and is also known for his activism for the use of biofuels and the legalization of marijuana.

Writer, director and producer, Adam Mackay and Nic actually met almost 20 years ago when Nic was asked to help make some music suggestions for his film 'Anchorman: the Legend of Ron Burgundy'. Adam's comedy credits include 'Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby', 'Step Brothers', and 'The Other Guys'. Along with his then business partner Will Ferrel he also co-produced the HBO series 'Eastbound and Down', and in 2007, launched the comedy video site, funny or die, On a more serious note, he's a producer on the multiple Emmy award winning HBO show 'Succession', and wrote and directed the film adaptation of the Michael Lewis book 'The Big Short', for which he received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Director and won the Academy Award for best adapted screenplay for his work on that film. His other credits include 'Vice' and 2021's 'Don't Look Up', a satirical look at climate change, a subject vey close to his heart. Adam's musical influences are as wide and varied as his work, from the Classic Rock of his childhood to his teenage and young adult love of early Hip Hop and onto Alternative and Indie Rock.

Tara Lipinski is the 1997 world champion and 1998 Olympic champion in women's singles figure skating. She was the first woman to complete a triple loop, triple loop combination jump in front of judges, and when she turned professional, she won every competition she entered during her professional skating career. Her second career as a broadcast commentator and tv host began when she joined NBC, teaming up with commentator Terry Gannon and her now good friend Johnny Weir, she bought a bright, fresh, fun, and accessible approach to figure skating commentary that she has now expanded into a larger role as an analyst for both the winter and summer Olympics. In her conversation here with Nic, Tara talks about her admiration and respect for Kristi Yamaguchi and Scott Hamilton, transitioning into her broadcast career with Johnny Weir, and shares her opinion on the seemingly endless ways Russia finds to cheat in the sport, most recently in the Beijing Winter Olympics. Tara also talks about the music that has played a central part in her life. From winning medals skating to the soundtrack of the animated movie 'Anastasia' to the songs of Stevie Nicks, Bob Seger, NSYNC, Motown and her favorite artist of all time, Dave Mathews Band.

Patti Smith is a singer songwriter, poet, author, and visual artist who was at the forefront of the New York city punk movement. Her 1975 debut album 'Horses' announced her arrival, and since then she has carved out a career that allows her to speak truth to power in and outside of her work, and is cited by many artists including Michael Stipe, Johnny Marr and Shirley Manson as an important influence on their own work. In this wide ranging conversation with Nic, Patti talks about getting back out on the road and connecting with audiences after the seclusion of pandemic lockdown, why climate change is the issue of our time, and her upcoming "Evidence" exhibition with 'Soundwalk Collective' at Center Pompidou in Paris. Patti also shares her first live music experience, attending the Motown Revue bus tour with Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye and "Little" Stevie Wonder in Philadelphia in 1963, her stairwell conversation with Jimi Hendrix at the opening of his Electric Lady Studios just three weeks before his tragic death and her love of Opera, orchestral movie soundtracks, and many different styles of popular music.

When David Gray released his 'White Ladder' album in 2000, he had nothing to lose. After three critically acclaimed but commercially unsuccessful albums, he found himself adrift, without a record label and an unsure future. Freed of the "write a hit" shackles, he enlisted the help of a couple of trusted friends and essentially recorded 'White Ladder' at home in his bedroom. The rest is history, the album including hits like "Babylon", "This Year's Love", "Please Forgive Me" and "Sail Away" was a massive success around the globe and bought him the freedom to be true to himself as an artist and having a career on his own terms. On this episode David talks about that album and the (pandemic delayed) 20th Anniversary tour as well as the music that has influenced and inspired him. With nods to early loves The Boomtown Rats, Madness, The Smiths and Prefab Sprout, the Sinatra/Jobim song "Corcovado", and recent discoveries from Khruangbin and Molly Herron & Science Ficta. Listen in as David gives us a deep insight into his career and the music that makes him happy.

From her early days in radio and local television to high profile anchor gigs at NBC and CNN, and more recently hosting and producing her own syndicated weekly talk show 'Matter of Fact' Soledad O'Brien has covered live breaking news, Presidential elections and Hurricanes. She has also produced and hosted documentaries on the experiences of Black and Latino families in America, and co-hosts a podcast 'Everyday Wealth' covering personal finance. Her musical tastes range from Soft Cell and New Edition to Anita Baker, Patty Larkin and Tracy Chapman. Soledad also remembers singing Whitney Houston songs into her teenage hairbrush and shares guilty pleasures Duran Duran and Taylor Swift, the latter artist also being someone she finds "so thoughtful and intelligent", a sentiment I fully agree with!

With his mix of guitar, slide guitar playing, vocals and musical styles, Ben Harper's career has taken him around the world. From full band rock records and searing shows to intimate solo albums and performances, he's a busy guy. Ben is also in high demand for his production skills, helming projects for many greats, including Mavis Staples, The Blind Boys Of Alabama and Charlie Musslewhite. Nic caught up with Ben in Paris where he is currently based, as he prepared for the release of a new instrumental album 'Winter Is For Lovers' and a series of European concerts and festivals. His first album? Jimi Hendrix' - "Smash Hits", his first concert? Allen Ginsburg! Oh, and he takes a skateboard with him, wherever he goes.

Rosanna Arquette has a pretty impressive list of credits, moving seamlessly from movies like 'Desperately Seeking Susan', 'Pulp Fiction' and 'Crash' to Television shows like 'What About Brian', 'The L Word' and 'Ray Donovan'. Rosanna has also been a constant advocate for causes she believes in, and in this episode shares her response to the US Supreme Court striking down Roe v Wade. She also shares memories of her parents taking her to Greenwich Village Coffee shops as a toddler, and her love for the music of The Jackson Five, James Brown, Laura Nyro, Odetta, Brian Wilson, Peter Gabriel, Jeff Buckley, Radiohead, Laura Marling and Faye Webster.

This weeks podcast is a Minisode; occasional interviews and conversations that don't quite fit our format but that we think you might enjoy. This episode features a Proust like questionnaire about music and life with 21 questions for actor, comedian, writer, producer and musician Fred Armisen. Fred has carved out an extensive career in the worlds of television film and music, he spent eleven years a writer and cast member on Saturday night live, has appeared as a guest star on pretty much every cool tv show of the last 20 years and co created and co stars in the ifc shows 'Portlandia' and 'Documentary Now', and for HBO, the Spanish language series 'Los Espookys'. Fred is also the official drummer and band leader for 'Late Night with Seth Myers' and if you haven't seen his Netflix special 'Stand Up For Drummers', please do yourself a favor and put it on your watch list.

Brett McKenzie is best known as one half of the music and comedy duo 'Flight of the Conchords' and along with his partner in crime Jemaine Clement created the BBC radio series and HBO television series of the same name.On the solo tip Brett has worked extensively as a songwriter in film and television, most notably on the last two Muppets movies, (he won an academy award for best original song for “Man Or Muppet” for the 2011 "The Muppets' movie). He has also written songs for the Simpsons, played a couple of elves in "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" trilogies and as he joins us on the 'Sound Of Success" he's readying his debut solo album "Songs Without Jokes”.

Actor, Comedian, Writer, Director and Producer, Dave Foley is a co-founder of the sketch comedy group The Kids In The Hall, whose groundbreaking show ran on CBC in Canada and HBO and later CBS in the U S from 1988 through 1995. Dave went on to star in the NBC sitcom NewsRadio, and his numerous acting and voice over credits include 'Flik' in "A Bug's Life" and 'Terri and Terry' in "Monsters University". Nic chats with Dave about his early stand up days (age 17), meeting the guys who would become his compadres in KITH, getting the band back together for the new series on Amazon, and how Roland Kirk's "Volunteered Slavery" Jazz piece helps him deal with sadness; and his love of artists David Bowie, Elvis Costello and Miley Cyrus.

Amanda Palmer is a best-selling author, feminist songwriter, community leader, pianist, and ukulele enthusiastic!She began her career with the highly regarded theatrical punk cabaret duo, the Dresden Dolls, before moving on to diverse solo work such as the groundbreaking crowdfunded "Theater is Evil" album, which debuted at the top of the billboard 200 in 2012 and remains the top funded original music project on Kickstarter.In 2013, she presented her Ted talk, The Art of Asking, which has been viewed over 20 million times, later expanding it into the New York times bestselling memoir. "The Art of Asking: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let People Help". Amanda was an early adopter of the Patreon platform to fund her artwork with an average of 15,000 patrons micro supporting her creations each month. In 2019, she released her album. "There Will Be No Intermission" and spent the next year touring the record with its themes and songs of life, death, abortion, and miscarriage.Amanda joins Nic to talk about the two years she spent in New Zealand riding out the pandemic, her thoughts on the evolution of Social Media and some musical guilty pleasures, including Katy Perry and Shakira.

Actor, Musician, Comedian, Director and Producer Harry Shearer, aka This Is Spinal Tap's Derek Smalls, aka The Simpsons' Mr. Burns, Waylon Smithers, Principal Skinner, Ned Flanders, Reverend Lovejoy, Kent Brown and many more, joins Nic this week and talks about his first gig (aged 7!) with Jack Benny, his early years creating satirical news on the radio in LA, and how Spinal Tap came to be (It almost didn't!) as well as the music that has been a constant in his life and some recent discoveries.

Classically trained on both piano and cello and a student of music theory, Julietta Venegas horrified her parents when her first live concert was with a Ska band in Tijuana. They shouldn't have worried. Julieta's career has spanned 30 years, in which she toured the world becoming an international star winning multiple Grammys, Latin Grammys and other awards. She plays 17 different instruments and is constantly evolving stylistically, from ska to traditional music to pop and indie rock, always looking for new sounds. In the process she has sold over 30 million albums worldwide. Julietta moved to Bueno Aries Argentina in 2017 and discusses her debut as an actress performing "La Enamorada" a work by Santiago Loza, working on new music during the pandemic and discovering new artists and music through her eleven year old daughter's love of memes.

Paige Sara began her wide ranging career at age 12 when she purloined her family's point and shoot camera during summer vacation. On this week's episode of the Sound Of Success Paige tells Nic about how editorial fashion layouts in magazines like Vogue inspired her career choice, her early love of boy bands and Justin Bieber's music, how she came to work with artists like Billie Eilish and Greta Van Fleet and discovering Jazz through vocalists such as Blossom Dearie and Julie London.

Mike O'Malley, actor & writer, hosted the early 1990s children's game show Nickelodeon Guts before moving to Los Angeles later that decade to star in his own sitcom for NBC called The Mike O'Malley Show. He is best known for his role as Jimmy Hughes on Yes, Dear, a CBS series which aired from 2000 to 2006. He was nominated for an Emmy Award for his role as Burt Hummel on the Fox series Glee. He's currently shooting the second season of the wrestling drama Heels for which he is both showrunner and plays the villain. Charlie Gully. Mike is also a published playwright and co-wrote the book for the Broadway musical Escape to Margaritaville.

Congressman Ted Lieu, Colonel in the United States Air Force Reserves, joins Nic on the latest episode of Sound of Success to discuss how he and Congressman Cicilline were moved to act inside the Capitol on January 6th, Russia's weakness and former President Trump's alleged appetite for classified documents. Congressman Lieu reveals his fear of flying and why the theme music for Hawaii 5-0, Blondie and Christmas carols all hold special significance for him.

Singer-songwriter Chris Pierce joins Nic this week. His latest album, American Silence, is filled with soulful, stirring songs that stay stuck in your mind and your heart. His music has been praised by NPR Music, Rolling Stone and LA Weekly among other publications, and his songs have appeared on several episodes of the NBC hit, This Is Us. He's also collaborated or shared stages with a variety of artists, including Sarah Bareilles, BB King, Jill Scott, Al Green and so many more over the years. Here, he talks with Nic about getting his start on the cult-favorite '80s kids show "Kids Incorporated" (fellow cast members included Fergie), being a teenage mod, and the hilarious interaction he had with his hero, Bill Withers.

Susan Orlean joins Nic to talk about her latest book, On Animals, a collection of essays on all creatures great and small originally published in the New Yorker, where she has been a staff writer for the past thirty years. Orlean is the author of seven books, including Rin Tin Tin, The Library Book, and The Orchid Thief, which was made into the Oscar-winning film Adaptation. Orlean describes her lifelong appreciation of animals, as well as the extensive research she puts into all of her pieces to create the vivid work she's known for. She also discusses her early love for the Beatles, Cat Stevens, and the Grateful Dead, as well as her current favorites, Neko Case, First Aid Kit, and Bonny Light Horseman.

They Might Be Giants' John Flansburgh joins the Sound of Success this week to discuss the band's 40-year-career and its 23rd studio album, BOOK, out now. He talks to Nic about how Flansburgh and bandmate John Linnell make it work four decades later, the glory of the Beatles and why 'Get Back' is so damn long, his unpleasant introduction to Frank Zappa live, his love for Missy Elliott, Tierra Whack, Wet Leg, Mitski, and more.

Jason Flom is an influential figure in both the social justice and music worlds — he is a criminal justice reform advocate and has also served as the former chair and CEO of Atlantic Records and Virgin Records/Capitol Music Group, discovering Tori Amos and Stone Temple Pilots, before launching Lava Records and the careers of Lorde and Katy Perry. He is the founding board member of the Innocence Project and is also the host of the popular and influential "Wrongful Conviction" podcast, featuring interviews with men and women who have spent decades in prison for crimes they did not commit. He joins Nic to talk about his work righting the wrongs of America's badly flawed justice system and the songs and artists that have made him the person he is today.

Bill McKibben is one of the world's foremost environmentalists and experts on climate change and is a regular contributor to the New Yorker and the Guardian. He is also the author of several books on the climate crisis, including his watershed work The End of Nature. Bill joins Nic on this episode to talk about his recent project, Third Act, an organization of people over the age of 60 dedicated to fighting climate change, and the generational power of protest music. He also talks about the songs that bring him up when he's been writing about the ruinous effects of the fossil fuel industry all day, his love for Raphael Saadiq and Diana Ross, and why Questlove's Summer of Soul is the best music video he's ever seen.

When Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon isn't running Wall Street's biggest investment bank, he's scratching his itch to be an EDM DJ, spinning in clubs—and even appearing on the Billboard dance charts—as "DJ D-Sol." His hobby has inspired much head-turning from peers and the media, but as he tells Nic on this episode, it's simply a way for him to exercise the creative side of his brain. He also discusses the realities of "Succession," DJing for his daughters, his love for the Boss, the childhood joy he felt listening to "Hair," and getting the party started with new wave gem "Echo Beach."

Emmy-winning actor, screenwriter, author, and musician Michael Imperioli joins Nic on the Sound of Success this week to discuss his time on the Sopranos as tortured wiseguy Christopher Moltosanti, the new book he's publishing about the show, and the upcoming music he's recording with his band Zopa. Michael also discusses the power of Freddie Mercury, David Cassidy, De La Soul, the Raincoats, Hole, and more.

Writer and video producer Carrie Courogen works for the seminal music website Pitchfork, and is also writing a much-anticipated book about the life of famously press-shy screenwriter and director Elaine May, due out in 2023 on St. Martin's Press. Carrie joins Nic to talk to him about the difficult art of writing a book about someone who makes it a point not to give interviews, the precision she puts into crafting sad playlists, and having the childhood musical taste of a boomer.