Surprise Cast

Surprise Cast #228 Becca Hannah

Dear Becca,It was so much fun sitting down with you on Surprise Cast to unpack your new album, 'Tonight in my Dreams' and a whole lot more.Our conversation was wide-ranging. Hearing your perspectives on songwriting, live performances, the recording process, and what it means to be "intentional" was fascinating.I loved hearing about the album's songs, such as "Caramel", "Empathy", and "Future Trip", and the stories behind each one. The collaborative process with band members seemed engaging and memorable.Thank you so much for opening up about personal growth in 2025, moving from cautious to curious, and how those shifts influenced your music. Your candidness about ADHD, the gifts and challenges it brings, family life, and your endless creativity were extraordinary to hear.Thank you for giving it your all during our conversation. Your storytelling, vulnerability, humor, and craft are to be admired, as is your ability to relate and feel for others. The world needs more empathetic people like yourself. Follow Becca: https://linktr.ee/beccahannahAdditional Music by https://theblackkeys.com/
Additional Music by Blondie: https://blondie.net/
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Surprise Cast #227 Leon Joyce Jr.

Greetings, Leon!I'm grateful to have seen you perform in San Francisco in 2025. From the moment you picked up the sticks, I knew my eyes would be filled with wonder.
In our podcast conversation, you did a great job sharing your personal experiences, including your positive childhood, Marine Corps duties, and, of course, your extraordinary journey as a musician.
What really made me smile was hearing about your relationship with your father. I hope everyone who listens to this podcast can appreciate the quality of friendship you two built together, especially when talking about baseball.
Thank you for a conversation that didn't miss a beat. It was lively, smooth, and confident, just like your fabulous drum playing. Keep hitting those beautiful notes of life.
Follow Leon Joyce Jr: https://www.leonjoycejr.com/Please support other musicians featured in this podcast:https://fatsdominoofficial.com/pages/the-life-of-fats-dominohttps://www.ramseylewis.com/Follow Surprise Cast: Amazon, Apple, iHeart, Podbean, Spotify, or YouTube

Surprise Cast #226 Worm School

Dear Worm School,I love your youth, spirit, and infectious energy!All of you shared interesting stories about how music plays a central role in your lives. It was great fun to jump behind the scenes of your incredible single, "Jacob's Ladder," a song as good as any in the dreampop/shoegaze world. I enjoyed learning about the band's creative process.May 2026 and beyond be filled with more great music and memorable live shows. I know this is only the beginning of great things to come your way. You'll play an important role in the musical landscape. 
Follow Worm School: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7sOjGIpf4A
https://craftingroomrecordings.bandcamp.com/Follow Simon Scott: https://spsmastering.blogspot.com/
Follow Ben Easton: https://www.instagram.com/beneastonmusic/
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Surprise Cast #225 The Sundries

Dear Sundries,From a former teacher to current teachers, thank you for a lovely conference about life as musicians!I love listening to how music impacted each one of you whilst growing up. You focused on the role of art and its true impact, which was great to hear. I appreciated how you shared sharp insights on songwriting ideas, importance of simplicity and figurative language in your lyrics. You released one of the most sparkling albums of 2025, so thank you for taking a deeper dive into its sound, production, and thoughts behind it. May your 2026 shine brightly and look forward to hearing more of your infectious music. The band received an 'A' in my grade book!Follow The Sundries: https://thesundries.bandcamp.com/
Follow https://janglepophub.home.blog/
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Surprise Cast #224 Callière (Andrew Rose)

Dear Andrew,I was so looking forward to our conversation because I knew you'd bring your A game, and you did with great success.I loved hearing about your sparkling new album, 'Solar,' and the amazing stories behind it. Listening to your journeys along the Camino de Santiago was fantastic—it makes me want to get out on the trails one day to soak up the incredible vistas.Thank you for sharing all the granular details, including personal encounters on the trails, your appreciation for Chameleons/Slowdive/Robin Guthrie, and the writing and production process that inspired your latest work.I know you're filled with gratitude at this stage of your life, which I have to say is a great thing because it adds layers and depth to who you are as an artist and, most importantly, a person.Thank you for taking us along on your travels. I love the backstage access to your tales along the road of life. Follow Calliere: https://calliere.bandcamp.com/
Follow Shore Dive Records: https://shorediverecords.bandcamp.com/
Follow Robin Guthrie: https://robinguthrie.com/
Follow Slowdive: https://slowdiveofficial.com/
Follow Chameleons: https://chameleonsband.com/
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Surprise Cast #223 Peter Coyle

Greetings, Peter!Thank you for participating in Surprise Cast. The time went by too quickly. 
I loved hearing about your musical awakenings, including Johnny Cash, Hank Williams Jr. David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, and Iggy Pop. All the artists that I admire greatly. I can see why they whetted your appetite for emotional integrity and emotional truth within your musical pursuits. Thank you for sharing such candid stories about your family history--including strong memories of the loss of your sister, tough upbringing with your father, etc. I think people will appreciate such vulnerability and deep connections to your past.The podcast listeners get an inside look at the making of the Velvet Crunch album and the ESP project: I could hear your appreciation for Tony’s cinematic production approach, the warm, textured mixes, and the band's adventurous arrangements that balance melody and dissonance. Thank you for explaining your lyrical process and the album’s nature-centered imagery and themes of death-as-beginning. Amazing!
Throughout the conversation, it emphasized art as a devotional act, the spiritual recharge of nature, and creative partnership as a force that pushes you into such unique territory. I know fans of art rock, post-punk, new wave, and the songwriting process will benefit greatly from our conversation. Your creative vision will always remain deep, wide, and quite tall!Follow Peter Coyle: https://petercoyle.com/peter-coyle
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Surprise Cast #222 Zoe Allan

Dear Zoe,What a sensational time I had with you on my podcast feature, Surprise Cast!Thank you for allowing me to shine a spotlight on your work as an aspiring performer in the UK. I loved hearing about the wonderful relationship you have with your parents and the deep support you feel from the two of them. Hearing about your infinite love for theatre and acting was impressive. You handled all of the quotes with great aplomb. Your responses showed depth and great understanding of your craft. It was a blast listening to your experience on Reception: The Wedding Present Musical. From preparation to showtime, and your friendship with Matt Aston, it sounded like an incredibly enriching experience for you and all of the cast. Total team effort!May you continue to shine on and off the stage. Your career seems to be taking off in a manner that feels right for you. Thanks again for helping me pull back the curtains on your life. Bravo! Follow Zoe Allan: https://www.instagram.com/zoeallanxo/
Follow Surprise Cast: Amazon, Apple, iHeart, Podbean, SpotifyFollow The Wedding Present: https://www.scopitones.co.uk/
Follow Matt Aston: https://www.instagram.com/mattastontheatre/Follow Heritage: https://linktr.ee/heritage.uk?
 

Surprise Cast #221 Sea of Days

Dear Shane,
In this intelligent and thoughtful episode, you discussed candidly important topics such as influential music, COVID, The National, Cocteau Twins, and the fabulous album, Wound. Your insights were nothing short of enlightening.
Thank you for guiding the listeners and me through the intricacies of the songwriting process, inspired guitar textures, and lyrical ideas. I loved how you delved into your recording approach, shared your views on live performance, and talked about your connections with other talented artists like Maud Anyways and Rachael Benjamin. All good stuff!
Our conversation about your dual life as a music teacher and a parent was particularly inspiring. Your strategies in the classroom and your approach to mentoring adolescents have clearly shaped your music in unique and profound ways.
This was an episode that was candid, spirited, and deeply connected. Thank you for being such a positive, warm guest on Surprise Cast. Your ability to shine brightness into the world's darkness brings tremendous comfort and joy.
Follow Sea of Days: https://linktr.ee/seaofdays
Follow Shore Dive Records: https://shorediverecords.bandcamp.com/
Additional podcast music by:The National: https://www.americanmary.com/
Matt Berninger: https://www.instagram.com/mattberninger/
Cocteau Twins: https://cocteautwins.com/
Robin Guthrie: https://robinguthrie.bandcamp.com/music
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Surprise Cast #220 Montjuïc

Dear Ian and James,I can't believe this was our 5th conversation in some capacity--thank you for being on Surprise Cast. It's always a pleasure speaking with you, whether it be for your work with The Orchids, One Dove, or Montjuïc. I loved how our conversation flipped between personal stories and artistic choices. We hit on a few important topics: growing up queer, carrying and reclaiming shame/identity, and maintaining hope during dark political times. Thank you for talking about the magnificent album 'Things Must Change' and its reception from the general public, and your personal insights. I loved hearing about the creative process behind some of the notable songs. You did a great job reflecting on aging, artistic growth, and confidence, and learning how to just be yourselves over the years. May love, acceptance, and resilience continue to be major themes of future work and personal lives--it's deeply inspiring and what the world always needs more of...rest assured. Follow Montjuïc: https://montju1c.bandcamp.com/music
Follow Pascal Blua: https://www.bluartwork.com/
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Surprise Cast #219 Blueshift Signal

Dear Ron and Jason,Thank you so much for diving into your feelings about your band, Blueshift Signal, the new album Eventide, and other fun topics.
I loved how we kicked off the show with some lighthearted icebreaker questions about comedy movies. It was fun hearing about your appreciation for Jim Carrey and Charlie Chaplin. You walked the listeners and me through the history and emotional core of the new album, and how the songs grew from rehearsals and moods, your approach to sequencing sonbx, and the narrative arc threaded throughout the entire album. You discussed the right balance between lyrical minimalism and finding an atmosphere on two standout songs. I appreciated hearing about the production, working with producer/Painted Air owner Michael Vitrano. He did a great job shaping the vinyl project and art direction.I believe the listeners can expect an emotional, thoughtful conversation about the importance of your work, songwriting, and strong collaboration. There's plenty of good material that will never leave the listener adrift. Follow Blueshift Signal: https://blueshift-signal.bandcamp.com/album/eventideFollow Surprise Cast: Amazon, Apple, iHeart, Podbean, and Spotify