Podcast appearances and mentions of John Stirratt

Immediately after Uncle Tupelo co-leaders Jay Farrar and Jeff Tweedy parted ways 30 years ago, bassist John Stirratt and his fellow bandmates followed Tweedy into a new band, Wilco. Now Stirratt and Tweedy are the only members left from that original lineup, and Stirratt reflects on Wilco's exciting, turbulent early years as well as the more stable past two decades with the same lineup. Then there's Stirratt's other band, the Autumn Defense, which he and multi-instrumentalist Pat Sansone (who joined Wilco later) formed to highlight their melodic songwriting and sweet lead vocals. Ten years have passed since the last Autumn Defense album, but a new one is coming. From playing with the unpredictable Alex Chilton while a young man in the South (and singing his songs later) to entering the hospitality industry from his current home in Maine and being on call for Wilco, the ever-gracious Stirratt has many adventures to share.

Near the start of his recently released book World Within a Song, Jeff Tweedy admits there's probably some parallel timeline where this one is his first, not third, book. It is, after all, dedicated to a subject he's “thought about the most by far: other people's songs.”  Through a series of comical stories and humble reflections, the Wilco leader puts together a playlist with the book. It's a wide ranging one at that, covering the spectral, alt-country slow-core combo Souled American to gospel purity of The Staples Singers to the abrasive rapture of Suicide. Songs, Tweedy insists, teach us how to be human, how, to quote Tweedy ”universally vast the experience of listening to almost anything with intent and openness can be. And most importantly, how songs absorb and enhance our own experiences and store our memories.”  Tweedy has penned plenty of songs that fit that bill for me personally, and that's why I'm so glad to welcome him to this week's installment of Transmissions. This year, Wilco celebrated a milestone: 20 years of the band's current lineup: founding members Tweedy and bassist John Stirratt, guitarist Nels Cline, multi-instrumentalist Pat Sansone, keyboard player Mikael Jorgensen, and drummer Glenn Kotche. They aren't commemorating with a rest. They're staging another installment of their Solid Sound Festival, June 28-30th at MASS MoCA In North Adams, MA. And they've got a new EP on the way too, Hot Sun Cool Shroud, out June 28 via their dBpm label, which they'll debut at the festival.   Aquarium Drunkard is supported by our subscribers. Head over and peruse our site, where you'll find nearly 20 years of playlists, recommendations, reviews, interviews, podcasts, essays, and more. With your support, here's to another decade. Subscribe at Aquarium Drunkard.  Transmissions is a part of the Talkhouse Podcast Network. Visit the Talkhouse for more interviews, fascinating reads, and podcasts. This episode is brought to you by DistroKid. DistroKid makes music distribution fun and easy with unlimited uploads and artists keep 100% of their royalties and earnings. To learn more and get 30% off your first year's membership, visit: distrokid.com/vip/aquariumdrunkard

New Orleans singer/songwriter Lynn Drury helped Rob get over his irrational Jeff Tweedy/Wilco bias and fully embrace their 1999 release, 'summerteeth'. Tweedy and multi-instrumentalist Jay Bennett combined intricate studio experimentation with pure pop to craft a wonderfully ambiguous gem of a record. Songs discussed in this episode: Thirteen - Wilco; Blue, Fade - Lynn Drury; The Palace at 4 A.M. - Jay Bennett; I Can't Stand It, She's A Jar - Wilco; Baby Do Right - Lynn Drury; A Shot In The Arm, We're Just Friends - Wilco; Mountain Girl - Blue Mountain; I'm Always In Love, Nothing'severgonnastandinmyway (Again), How To Fight Loneliness, Via Chicago, My Darling, When You Wake Up Feeling Old, In A Future Age - Wilco; High Tide - Lynn Drury

In this episode of Shoving Wilco, hosts Todd Rossnagel and Tim Arnold sit down with John Stirratt, the venerable bassist who has been a cornerstone of Wilco since its inception. Stirratt provides an unparalleled glimpse into the band's history, offering insights into the pivotal moments and the unique chemistry that have sustained Wilco through the years. From the early days to the realization that Wilco was destined for longevity, Stirratt's reflections illuminate the passion and dynamics behind the scenes. Stirratt shares stories about touring, recording, and crafting the distinctive "Wilco sound" - his stories are enlightening and entertaining. He recounts memorable stories, such as the real story behind "Passenger Side" and what he was truly singing during "I Am Always in Love." This episode is a treasure trove for Wilco fans and anyone intrigued by the stories behind the music. Don't miss the chance to dive deep into the world of Wilco with John Stirratt's firsthand account. Have an idea for a show? Email the show: shovingwilco@gmail.com

The boys explore the theme of addiction in the context of Jeff Tweedy's past struggle with opiate addiction. John Stirratt's steady influence on the band is celebrated.

Wilco's fourth studio album, the quirky-yet-beloved 'Yankee Hotel Foxtrot', is widely considered to be the band's masterpiece. So of course Rob dismissed it as overhyped alt-rock critic-bait for 20 years. Returning guest Steve Carroll patiently unwraps the storied tropes and mythical symbols of Jeff Tweedy and co., revealing a pretty fantastic rock record underneath. Songs featured in this episode: Jesus, etc. (Live at Sydney Opera House, 2013), Via Chicago - Wilco; After The Gold Rush - Neil Young; Drown - Son Volt; Forget The Flowers - Wilco; Black Horse - Gastr Del Sol; I Am Trying To Break Your Heart, Kamera - Wilco; Isi - NEU!; Radio Cure, War On War, Jesus, etc., Ashes Of American Flags, Heavy Metal Drummer - Wilco; American Girl - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers; Strutter - Kiss; I'm The Man Who Loves You - Wilco; Apeman - The Kinks; Pot Kettle Black - Wilco; In Between Days - The Cure; Poor Places, Reservations - Wilco; Phonetic Alphabet NATO - The Conet Archive; I Am Trying To Break Your Heart - JC Brooks and The Uptown Sound

Stream an interview with Wilco bassist John Stirratt on the latest episode of 'The JamBase Podcast.'

Welcome to a special edition of A Week of Mornings, recorded in the afternoon live from MASS MoCA in North Adams. This is Being There with Wilco. A conversation at the kick off to Wilco's 2022 Solid Sound Festival. On this episode you'll hear from Wilco's John Stirratt, Pat Sansone and Nels Cline. And we'll hear from Wilco founder-Jeff Tweedy, his sons Spencer Tweedy and Sammy Tweedy, and even a distant guest appearance by Sue Miller Tweedy-the matriarch and creator of The Tweedy Show. Plus comedian Nick Offerman-Tweedy? And will Mikael Jorgensen make it from his solo performance in time to join the broadcast? We'll chat with Mark Greenberg from Team Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and the manager of Wilco's The Loft. Mass MoCA visual artists Kellie Rae Adams and Amy Yoes as well as our Being There with Wilco winners Rachel Gordon and Josh Hillsdon from Greenfield. While you'll hear us all talking a lot about Wilco's new album Cruel Country you won't hear the actual songs in this podcast. But do go buy the album! And now, A Week of Mornings presents Being There with Wilco.

On this week's show, we... celebrate 20 years of American aquarium drinkers assassin-ing down the avenue with Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot spend quality time with new records from Kurt Vile & Aldous Harding  spin fresh tracks from Neko Case & Laura Veirs All this & much, much less! Debts No Honest Man Can Pay is over 2 rock-solid hours of musical eclectica & other noodle stories. The show started in 2003 at WHFR-FM (Dearborn, MI), moved to WGWG-FM (Boiling Springs, NC) in 2006 & Plaza Midwood Community Radio (Charlotte, NC) in 2012, with a brief pit-stop at WLFM-FM (Appleton, WI) in 2004.

On this episode Kevin explains Wordle to Jason and then the boys listen to John Stirratt's AM outtake “Those I'll Provide”. Visit abcwilco.com to find all of the ways to support the show. Please support the show by leaving a rating and review in your preferred podcatcher. Instagram - instagram.com/abcwilco Twitter - twitter.com/abcwilco Facebook - Facebook.com/abcwilco Reddit - reddit.com/r/abcwilco -------------------------------------------------------- Email - abcwilco@gmail.com Voicemail - anchor.fm/abcwilco/message -------------------------------------------------------- Merch - teespring.com/stores/abcwilco Patreon - patreon.com/abcwilco -------------------------------------------------------- Jason's Instagram - instagram.com/hessisbest Jason's Website - hessisbest.com Kevin's Instagram - instagram.com/kevinvinyl --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/abcwilco/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/abcwilco/support

Mary and Meredith (the Mares) return for a second pre-season 2 bonus episode, because Mary got to see Wilco! Live! At the Oxbow River Stage in Napa! This discussion leads to further Wilco shows reminiscences and talk of other recent concert-going experiences, Wilco and non-Wilco. The plan is to be back soon with a whole new season of episodes - this time with interviews. Stay tuned.

Camp Black Dog was the nickname given to Route 1 Recording, a studio that doubled as the headquarters of Black Dog Records. For about a week in the summer of '98, Marah, Blue Mountain, John Stirratt (Laurie's brother and bassist in Wilco), Tyler Keith (singer and guitarist for my beloved Neckbones), and a low-key multi-instrumentalist named Noah Saterstrom all essentially camped out in this studio located in a patch of woods just south of Highway 84, an hour and a half west of Hattiesburg and closer to New Orleans than Oxford. The musicians jammed, smoked, drank, told stories, experimented, wrote some new songs, recorded some old songs that didn't fit in other projects, and ultimately emerged with a 10-track collaboration called Camp Black Dog Presents Rock & Roll Summer Camp '98.Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/pantsfucious)

Meredith was referencing "An Empty Corner" when she sang "You've got family out there." Did you catch it?Wilco is going back on tour, rescheduling a whole bunch of previously canceled dates, and here is their schedule. Also, did you know that there's a feature to request a song? Pretty sweet!The Tweedy Show has been the livestream highlight of the pandemic - you can watch all past episodes on the @StuffInOurHouse IGTV, but you can see them with comments preserved on YouTube.Here's the hundredth episode in which they adopted all of the clients, here is the union that has formed, and here is the Tweedy Show website with some of the merchandise they've sold for charity.Looks like Gary Louris of the Jayhawks livestreams through Patreon.Touring has started again, and it looks like Sue Tweedy is at least trying to bring Tweedy Show fans along.Here's an example of some of the stuff in the Tweedy house: this gruesome medical kit, mentioned as Susie's favorite thing in an interview she graciously granted Meredith.Take a listen to Nels's newest release!Here's Pat Sansone's photography book 100 Polaroids.And here is Pat's most recent production project, dedicated to its co-producer Josh Shapera who passed away in late 2020.Here's Meredith's Single Song Shows thing Mary mentioned. It's also on YouTube.John Stirratt's hotel Tourists Welcome looks cute, and we wish we could go there now.Jeff Tweedy's book How To Write One Song came out during the pandemic, and it is delightfully encouraging.Here is the Facebook Group called A Shot in the Arm full of kindhearted, welcoming folks.Here is our fellow Wilco podcast: Alpha Bravo Charlie, the Alphabetical Wilco."Love is the King" by Jeff Tweedy, featuring Sammy and Spencer Tweedy, came out during the pandemic, too. (And it ended up on Barack Obama's playlist.)AZLyrics.com reflects George Saunders's contribution to "A Robin or a Wren."Sammy, Spencer, and Jeff Tweedy were all in the Lincoln in the Bardo audiobook. Look at this cast list!Here is Fox 8 by George Saunders.This conversation with Nick Offerman was very, very fun, and we're sorry if you missed it.Here's the Largo's Instagram account - Tweedy pal "Flanny" manages it.And here's the Conan episode of The Tweedy Show.A big thank you to our contributors: Portola Studios, Greta Stromquist, and Adam Nash.And a big thank you to all of YOU!

The star of the show: the "Everyone Hides" music video!"Love is Everywhere" will get its own episode soon, of course, but it's also the other upbeat song Mary mentions in this episode.There are some examples here of Pablo Picasso's skill in figure drawing, different from his later, more experimental work.The shamisen is a cool instrument, but it's not what Nels plays in this song. It's pretty clearly just a slide - but a real nice slide, of course."Low Key" - the Tweedy music video the Mares love featuring Nick Offerman as an ape man and a whole host of other fun cameos (John Hodgeman, Michael Shannon, Mavis Staples, Chance the Rapper... whew!).Here's what a Divvy bike is for any non-Chicagoans.Maybe Lyft didn't originate in Chicago, but it sure is prevalent there.The Marina Towers, AKA the "Wilco Towers"Wrigley Field is a pretty historic ballpark and the Cubs play there.Pat Sansone pops into the Music Box Theatre in the "Everyone Hides" video - the Peter Sellers movie and Wilco album namesake Being There is on the marquee.A Beatles fan site wrote about their Rickenbackers.Here are the Beatles playing "Don't Let Me Down" during their famous rooftop concert.Apparently Paul McCartney has lost his very famous Höfner bass?Certain Sparks Lompoc: where Meredith bought her partner's McCartney style bass.Wikipedia's Beatles timeline lets you know when their last show was, when they broke up, and so much more.If you want to go down a Help rabbit hole... here.And here's a video of the great Jimmy Hendrix. Did you have a Hendrix phase like Mary?McCartney, the first solo Paul McCartney album, is musical comfort food.So is Ram.The Wilco guys running to get to their hiding spots reminded us somewhat of this clip from A Hard Day's Night (minus the being chased part).Here's a sad Ringo scene - his specialty in Beatles films.The Beatles had the best rooms in Help.Some details about the house where all of The Monkees lived together in their TV show.Next week's track: "White Wooden Cross"

On this episode, the boys take a peak to an alternate reality version of Wilco, where Jeff isn't the only songwriter, via John Stirratt's lone contribution to the Wilco albums, A.M.'s pedal steel infused “It's Just That Simple”. (Recording Date: March 20, 2021) Wilco "It's Just That Simple" A.M. (1995) Visit abcwilco.com to find all of the ways to support the show. Please support the show by leaving a rating and review in your preferred podcatcher. Instagram - instagram.com/abcwilco Twitter - twitter.com/abcwilco Facebook - Facebook.com/abcwilco Reddit - reddit.com/r/abcwilco -------------------------------------------------------- Email - abcwilco@gmail.com Voicemail - anchor.fm/abcwilco/message -------------------------------------------------------- Merch - teespring.com/stores/abcwilco Patreon - patreon.com/abcwilco -------------------------------------------------------- Jason's Instagram - instagram.com/hessisbest Jason's Website - hessisbest.com Kevin's Instagram - instagram.com/kevinvinyl --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/abcwilco/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/abcwilco/support

Blue Mountain emerged from tha washboard splinters of HILLTOPS which featured future Wilco mainstay John Stirratt.⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ B. Mo though would have plenty of their own success with an inescapable (where I lived) radio hit called "Blue Canoe" released in '95 but would fit right in today with tha alt-country domination.⁣⁣⁣ ⁣ We learn all about the before, during and after with Blue Mountain's Laurie Stirratt and Wilco's John Stirratt who collaborated throughout their musical careers!

In the Winter of 2003, twin siblings Laurie and John Stirratt found themselves living in the same city for the first time in many years. Taking full advantage of the reunion, the Stirratts decide to make a record. For Episode 18 of In Loving Recollection, John Stirratt (Wilco, The Autumn Defense, Uncle Tupelo) and Laurie Stirratt (Blue Mountain, Teardrop City) tell the story of their 2004 album Arabella. Recounting the events that led to the album’s creation, the Stirratts discuss the process of writing and demoing songs while living in the Ukrainian Village neighborhood of Chicago as well as the inspiration drawn from their childhood spent in close proximity to New Orleans, Louisiana.

In today's episode of Favorite Songs By, we are featuring not just an artist, but an entire group; a first for this podcast. Hailing from their loft in Chicago, Illinois, Rolling Stone has described them as “one of America's most consistently interesting bands”, and I couldn't agree more. Ladies and gentleman, today we give you Wilco. Rising from the ashes of roots rock band Uncle Tupelo in 1994, Wilco was formed by frontman Jeff Tweedy along with other Uncle Tupelo members, Max Johnston, John Stirrat and Ken Coomer. Their lineup has been a bit of a revolving door over the years, but the music has remained distinct and highly crafted. Categorized as alternative rock and alternative country, they matured into an eclectic indie rock ensemble with a number of critically acclaimed albums to boot. Wilco saw their first major success after a highly publicized dispute with their label, Reprise, from which they were dropped after their 2001 album, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was deemed by the label head as “unmarketable”. Wilco proved that there was, in fact, an audience for their sound when they subsequently released the album for free on their website and sold out a string of US shows as a result. They were later picked up by Nonesuch records, sold over 55,000 copies in the first official week and debuted at number 13 on the Billboard pop-album chart. And, in 2004, they won their first Grammy for Best Alternative Album for another one of their more ambitious releases, A Ghost Is Born. Today they have their own label, dBpm Records, and the current Wilco lineup includes Jeff Tweedy, John Stirratt (bass), Pat Sansone (multi-instrumentalist), Glenn Kotche (drum), Mikael Jorgensen (piano and keyboard), and Nels Cline (guitar). Tweedy is a songwriting force and is thought of as one of the best of his generation. Wilco as a whole have redefined the role of record labels today and have truly tested the boundaries of “alternative” music.

This week, Spencer has an earnest conversation with Wilco bassist and fellow Mainer John Stirratt about how this whole pandemic shit show is effecting he and his family and, like the rest of us, his ability to play music. Naturally, there are plenty of lighthearted observations and an uplifting conclusion, but this is real for everyone, and it’s nice to hear the perspective of a well travelled musician that many Maine people admire.

**ENGLISH BELOW**In Basgasten interviewt Hidde Roorda bekende bassisten over wat ze heeft gevormd tot de muzikant die ze zijn. Welke albums, bassisten en baslijntjes zijn belangrijk voor ze? In aflevering 11 is John Stirratt (1967) te gast. John is vooral bekend als lid van americana-legendes Wilco, maar recenter ook van zijn samenwerking met Ray Lamontagne.Alle genoemde nummers zijn te vinden in de Basgasten Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/user/hidderoorda/playlist/6YOFD8pqFXK2OET1oupRpAVragen? Suggesties? Klachten? Mail naar basgasten@hidderoorda.nl**ENGLISH**In Basgasten Hidde Roorda interviews well known bass players about what made them the musician they are. Which albums, bass players and bass licks are important in their life?In episode 11 my guest is John Stirratt (1967). John is mainly known for being a part of Americana legends Wilco, but also for his collaboration with Ray Lamontagne.All songs mentioned can be found in the Basgasten playlist on Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/user/hidderoorda/playlist/6YOFD8pqFXK2OET1oupRpAQuestions? Suggestions? Complaints? Send an e-mail to basgasten@hidderoorda.nl.

Monte works a double shift and takes over Joan Holliday's afternoon show to broadcast live from Mass MoCA with Wilco in anticipation of the band's takeover of the museum for their Solid Sound Festival. We talk Jeff Tweedy's new book. What it's like to have the band back together after a year and a half hiatus. Is there a new album set to drop? John Stirratt's new hotel down the street from the museum. And we spin the "Wheel-co" with listener questions for the band. #I'mAWheel

This year brings with it several anniversaries for songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Pat Sansone: 2019 marks his 50th birthday, two decades as part of The Autumn Defense (formed with Wilco bassist John Stirratt) and subsequently 15 years within Wilco itself. Entering the band during a pivotal shift between A Ghost Is Born's riveting complexities and the more serene nature of Sky Blue Sky, Pat has been a welcome key to the influential sextet since day one, serving up piano, guitar, vocal harmonies and a myriad of other accoutrements. On today's milestone 100th episode from his home in Nashville, Pat reflects on his family's strong ties to show business, the upcoming loss of his neighborhood record shop Fond Object, creating album artwork from thousands of unearthed slides, why John Lennon’s death sparked his deep dive into the Beatles and how Big Star's third album changed his life. Follow Pat on Instagram @sansonic1, and keep current on tour dates and more via wilcoworld.net and theautumndefense.com. 

Tom Irwin grew up admiring and learning songs by the likes of Grand Funk Railroad, Led Zeppelin, and Thin Lizzy. He was a participant of the 80s New Wave scene, but eventually found himself drawn to life as a solo artist. He's been musically genrefied as folk rock and alt country. Willie Nelson once said to Tom about his band's performance after they opened for Willie & Family in 2001, “I like your shirt, and your music, too.” Tom was wearing a Hank Williams, Sr. shirt. He has recently worked with John Stirratt of Wilco, who was involved in the production of Tom's latest release All That Love. He's a music journalist for the Illinois Times and a gigging machine. Music and journalism have helped him build a network of lifelong friends. Some of these friends have become studio collaborators. Tom's journey as a solo artist started after he witnessed fighting among his bandmates. These particular bandmates were also his best friends; and the fighting was an event he tells me he never wanted to experience again. The release of Tom's latest album was a long road traveled during changing times in the music industry. He rolled with the industry changes and eventually made his latest release happen with the help of a Kickstarter campaign that raised almost $10,000.  To hear Tom talk about this 5-year journey, you wouldn't get the impression that he found it all that challenging. He obviously learned some things along the way, but he comes across as nothing more than grateful and humble when discussing it. The quintessential indie artist I recorded our interview on a day when Internet service was down at my home studio. The audio isn't great, but that's mostly on my end. Tom (the important guy) sounds pretty good. I mention this because I'm so glad we went through with the interview, in spite of the tech issues. In the episode intro, I refer to Tom as a "statesman" of indie artists, but that was the wrong word. I should have said that Tom is the "quintessential" indie artist. A music column that Tom writes for The Illinois Times is somewhat the reason that we connected. Tom met Rockin' Johnny Burgin at Central Blues and wrote a piece on him for the Times. They became fast friends. Rockin' Johnny told me I should have Tom on the podcast. This all strikes me as fairly typical. It seems that Tom has developed many friendships through music and journalism. This reminds of the savvy musician adage, "Be cool, and don't be a dick." As we spoke about his relationships and music journey, it became quickly evident that he is kind and genuinely pleasant to be around. A case in point is a chance meeting he had with John Stirrat of Wilco in 2012. Tom was playing at a venue called The Castle in Bloomington Illinois, opening for Candy Gold, a band featuring Ben E Carlos of Cheap Trick and Stirrat. Following a fortuitous mix up in performance scheduling, Stirrat arrived at the venue during Tom's set and liked what he heard. Stirrat appreciated Tom's music enough to engage in a conversation, and eventually to coproduce All That Love. This point of Tom's journey could have been marred by the changing music industry. When the project was ready to market and distribute, both Tom and Stirrat were surprised by changes that meant labels were no longer providing a clear path to distribution. While All This Love was being created, all things distribution had changed. Labels were no longer investing in artists as they once had.  According to Tom, this came as a disappointing surprise to Stirrat. Things had changed, but Tom forged on–enter Kickstarter. Kickstarter put Tom back in the driver's seat A friend suggested to Tom that he look into Kickstarter. While I'm sure that all of Tom's recording projects have been important to him, this one had to be especially so. Not only was Stirrat co producing and performing on the record, but he also recruited Greg Wieczorek (aka G. Wiz).  The album was released in 2017. Where labels had cited lack of "bandwidth" on their part and lack of "traction" on Tom's part, Kickstarter put Tom back in the driver's seat. This was a familiar place for Tom, as he'd been marketing and distributing his own music for years. This time, however, it was on a bigger scale. The Kickstarter campaign, Tom says, gave him funds for media promotion and I'm sure helped with the finished product. Although he  learned some lessons about media promotion, it's clear that Tom is thankful for the success provided by his Kickstarter campaign. He shared with me that Kickstarter also helped him from a planning and accountability standpoint. “I got to go stick my head in the back room, and watch them make the sausage." All That Love is available pretty much anywhere that digital music can be found–and on vinyl through Tom's website. On the subject of digital distribution and royalties, Tom gave me a better picture of what streaming does for an artist's paycheck. We had a good laugh talking about a recent statement from CD Baby that included a couple of album sales, followed by page after page of fractional streaming royalties. I'm reminded of a quote from a friend who regularly posts on Twitter: "Buy the music you like." A pleasant surprise for Tom is that vinyl sales are doing very well. Turns out people still appreciate a physical product version of their music. He shares advice on selecting the right company for producing vinyl versions of your album. According to Tom, there aren't a lot of companies to choose from, but he learned that location, weight, and shipping are worth careful consideration. In this case, Tom says that the company with the lowest price isn't necessarily the most cost effective choice. He chose to work with Fat Possum Records. This leads me to my favorite quote from our conversation. In recanting the day he took in-person delivery of the finished vinyl LP product, when he also got to see the Fat Possum production facilities, Tom said “I got to go stick my head in the back room, and watch them make the sausage." You can also hear this podcast on Apple Podcasts, iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play Music, iHeartRadio, YouTube & Spotify. SHOW NOTES TomIrwinMusic.com Rockin' Johnny Burgin IRS Records Electra Records John Stirratt Wilco Yep Roc Records Bloodshot Records Greg Wiz Single Lock Records Lannie Flowers Dave Da Silva Fat Possum Records Illinois Central Blues Club Illinois Central Railroad Tom's Weekly Column in The Illinois Times Memphis Record Pressing NRBQ RESOURCES FOR MUSICIANS The Unstarving Musician's Guide to Getting Paid Gigs, by Robonzo Growth Farming the Seth Godin Way, a FREE ebook by D Grant Smith More resources for musicians

Tom Irwin grew up admiring and learning songs by the likes of Grand Funk Railroad, Led Zeppelin, and Thin Lizzy. He was a participant of the 80s New Wave scene, but eventually found himself drawn to life as a solo artist. He's been musically genrefied as folk rock and alt country. Willie Nelson once said to Tom about his band's performance after they opened for Willie & Family in 2001, “I like your shirt, and your music, too.” Tom was wearing a Hank Williams, Sr. shirt. He has recently worked with John Stirratt of Wilco, who was involved in the production of Tom's latest release All That Love. He's a music journalist for the Illinois Times and a gigging machine. Music and journalism have helped him build a network of lifelong friends. Some of these friends have become studio collaborators. Tom's journey as a solo artist started after he witnessed fighting among his bandmates. These particular bandmates were also his best friends; and the fighting was an event he tells me he never wanted to experience again. The release of Tom's latest album was a long road traveled during changing times in the music industry. He rolled with the industry changes and eventually made his latest release happen with the help of a Kickstarter campaign that raised almost $10,000.  To hear Tom talk about this 5-year journey, you wouldn't get the impression that he found it all that challenging. He obviously learned some things along the way, but he comes across as nothing more than grateful and humble when discussing it. The quintessential indie artist I recorded our interview on a day when Internet service was down at my home studio. The audio isn't great, but that's mostly on my end. Tom (the important guy) sounds pretty good. I mention this because I'm so glad we went through with the interview, in spite of the tech issues. In the episode intro, I refer to Tom as a "statesman" of indie artists, but that was the wrong word. I should have said that Tom is the "quintessential" indie artist. A music column that Tom writes for The Illinois Times is somewhat the reason that we connected. Tom met Rockin' Johnny Burgin at Central Blues and wrote a piece on him for the Times. They became fast friends. Rockin' Johnny told me I should have Tom on the podcast. This all strikes me as fairly typical. It seems that Tom has developed many friendships through music and journalism. This reminds of the savvy musician adage, "Be cool, and don't be a dick." As we spoke about his relationships and music journey, it became quickly evident that he is kind and genuinely pleasant to be around. A case in point is a chance meeting he had with John Stirrat of Wilco in 2012. Tom was playing at a venue called The Castle in Bloomington Illinois, opening for Candy Gold, a band featuring Ben E Carlos of Cheap Trick and Stirrat. Following a fortuitous mix up in performance scheduling, Stirrat arrived at the venue during Tom's set and liked what he heard. Stirrat appreciated Tom's music enough to engage in a conversation, and eventually to coproduce All That Love. This point of Tom's journey could have been marred by the changing music industry. When the project was ready to market and distribute, both Tom and Stirrat were surprised by changes that meant labels were no longer providing a clear path to distribution. While All This Love was being created, all things distribution had changed. Labels were no longer investing in artists as they once had.  According to Tom, this came as a disappointing surprise to Stirrat. Things had changed, but Tom forged on–enter Kickstarter. Kickstarter put Tom back in the driver's seat A friend suggested to Tom that he look into Kickstarter. While I'm sure that all of Tom's recording projects have been important to him, this one had to be especially so. Not only was Stirrat co producing and performing on the record, but he also recruited Greg Wieczorek (aka G. Wiz).  The album was released in 2017. Where labels had cited lack of "bandwidth" on their part and lack of "traction" on Tom's part, Kickstarter put Tom back in the driver's seat. This was a familiar place for Tom, as he'd been marketing and distributing his own music for years. This time, however, it was on a bigger scale. The Kickstarter campaign, Tom says, gave him funds for media promotion and I'm sure helped with the finished product. Although he  learned some lessons about media promotion, it's clear that Tom is thankful for the success provided by his Kickstarter campaign. He shared with me that Kickstarter also helped him from a planning and accountability standpoint. “I got to go stick my head in the back room, and watch them make the sausage." All That Love is available pretty much anywhere that digital music can be found–and on vinyl through Tom's website. On the subject of digital distribution and royalties, Tom gave me a better picture of what streaming does for an artist's paycheck. We had a good laugh talking about a recent statement from CD Baby that included a couple of album sales, followed by page after page of fractional streaming royalties. I'm reminded of a quote from a friend who regularly posts on Twitter: "Buy the music you like." A pleasant surprise for Tom is that vinyl sales are doing very well. Turns out people still appreciate a physical product version of their music. He shares advice on selecting the right company for producing vinyl versions of your album. According to Tom, there aren't a lot of companies to choose from, but he learned that location, weight, and shipping are worth careful consideration. In this case, Tom says that the company with the lowest price isn't necessarily the most cost effective choice. He chose to work with Fat Possum Records. This leads me to my favorite quote from our conversation. In recanting the day he took in-person delivery of the finished vinyl LP product, when he also got to see the Fat Possum production facilities, Tom said “I got to go stick my head in the back room, and watch them make the sausage." You can also hear this podcast on Apple Podcasts, iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play Music, iHeartRadio, YouTube & Spotify. SHOW NOTES TomIrwinMusic.com Rockin' Johnny Burgin IRS Records Electra Records John Stirratt Wilco Yep Roc Records Bloodshot Records Greg Wiz Single Lock Records Lannie Flowers Dave Da Silva Fat Possum Records Illinois Central Blues Club Illinois Central Railroad Tom's Weekly Column in The Illinois Times Memphis Record Pressing NRBQ RESOURCES FOR MUSICIANS The Unstarving Musician's Guide to Getting Paid Gigs, by Robonzo Growth Farming the Seth Godin Way, a FREE ebook by D Grant Smith More resources for musicians

From 2011: Candy Golde had me at “Bun E. Carlos.” If this band is intriguing enough for the drummer of Cheap Trick to take a flyer on, who am I not to be curious? The band, which includes John Stirratt of Wilco, Rick Rizzo of Eleventh Dream Day and my guest, Nick Tremulis, made its debut at South By Southwest in Austin this past March. Its self-titled debut EP, Candy Golde, is now available for download on iTunes and Amazon.

Wilco is now recognized as one of the best and most beloved American rock bands of the last 25 years. But once upon a time, Wilco was a burgeoning project started by Jeff Tweedy in the aftermath of Uncle Tupelo's acrimonious breakup. Teaming up with John Stirratt, who had initially joined the Uncle Tupelo crew as a guitar tech just a few years prior, Tweedy set about forming a new band that would eventually transcend the alt-country label. Before a recent show in St. Paul, Steve met up with Jeff and John backstage to talk about the band's early days, and how the band evolved dramatically between its 1995 debut, "A.M.," and 1996's "Being There." (Both of those records will be reissued in special expanded editions Dec. 1.) Steve also found out which song from "Being There" makes Jeff choke up each time he plays it.

Free mix training with Lij at MixMasterBundle.com Get yourself a T-shirt at: RSRockstars.com/Tshirt  Theme music: SkadooshMusic.com My guest today is my good friend Pat Sansone, a prolific, and talented multi instrumentalist, songwriter, and Grammy nominated producer.  Pat’s early bands included playing guitar with Beagle Voyage and Stretch Armstrong, a rock band influenced by Black Sabbath and the Butthole Surfers, and then his own power pop band Birdy. In 1999, Pat formed The Autumn Defense, in New Orleans, with his friend John Stirratt of Wilco. He has worked with many great musicians and artists along the way including: Dawes, Jamie Lidell, Phil Selway of Radiohead, The Future Monarchs with Josh Shapera, Elizabeth Cook, Garrison Starr, Richard Julian, Will Kimbrough, Joseph Arthur, Andrew Bird, Josh Rouse, Mavis Staples, Swan Dive, Jenifer Jackson, Ryan Adams, and The Clientele In 2004 Pat joined Wilco following the departure of multi-instrumentalist Leroy Bach. And now Pat plays guitar, keyboard, maracas, and several other instruments, as well as singing backup vocals with Wilco. He was also involved in the writing and recording of Wilco's albums: Sky Blue Sky, Wilco, and co producing The Whole Love in 2011.  Get the full show notes at http://RSRockstars.com/68

Wilco es una de las bandas más importantes de los últimos veinte años, un grupo sólido sin grandes éxitos que ha conquistado al público gracias a unos álbumes redondos alabados por la crítica. En el programa de este viernes, Alfonso Cardenal nos trae su entrevista con John Stirratt, bajista de la banda desde su fundación, que presenta las canciones del quinto álbum de The Autumn Defense, su otra banda junto a Pat Sansone -también en Wilco-

Wilco es una de las bandas más importantes de los últimos veinte años, un grupo sólido sin grandes éxitos que ha conquistado al público gracias a unos álbumes redondos alabados por la crítica. En el programa de este viernes, Alfonso Cardenal nos trae su entrevista con John Stirratt, bajista de la banda desde su fundación, que presenta las canciones del quinto álbum de The Autumn Defense, su otra banda junto a Pat Sansone -también en Wilco-

Pat Sansone and John Stirratt play together in the bands Wilco and the Autumn Defense. The pair met in New Orleans and began working together in 1999, when the Autumn Defense was formed. Sansone eventually joined Wilco in 2004 and that band has kept both men incredibly busy. Still they find time for the Autumn […]

We're rocking out this week with Glenn Kotche and John stirratt of the band WILCO. Backstage before a show in Chicago we talk about life on the road, the Americananrama festival, great merch and our overall love of the band WILCO.

John Stirratt of Wilco: Audio Interview

Our first Fundamental Tracks Volume features members of Wilco. John Stirratt and Pat Sansone have another project called The Autumn Defense and just released their third album - the self titled... Current Music News and Interviews with Andy Pulliam from Fundamental Records