The Hustle

When you talk to keyboardist Roddy Bottum, the word "privileged" comes up a lot. He was privileged to grow up in San Francisco as a gay man. Privileged to play keys in Faith No More and Imperial Teen. Privileged to have the foresight to be an early investor in Apple that has since made him a multi-millionaire. Privileged to have had close friends like Kurt and Courtney. He recounts this unique life in a new memoir, The Royal We, which is out now and totally fascinating. Roddy joins us this week to discuss the book and flesh out details like this (and shoot down others). We even have a copy to give away. Enjoy! The Hustle Podcast | creating podcasts | Patreon

This week's guest is Saint Tim! The Charlatans have been one of the most reliably great British bands over their 35 year history. Tons of hits and many great albums. Their profile changed drastically over lockdown when Tim began his Listening Parties on Twitter which managed to unite the entire music world in good vibes at a tenuous time in history. The whole band is back together for their first album in eight years, We Are Love, and are kicking off a UK tour this weekend. Tim discusses coming back for this album after some time off, but also how the Listening Parties evolved into a massive undertaking. We also discuss some deep cuts and chapters in the band's life - some good and some bad, not to mention the artists that have influenced him over the years. Tim has made the world a better place and we're blessed to have him. Enjoy! The Charlatans - We Are Love - Out Now The Hustle Podcast | creating podcasts | Patreon

The 80s weren't a fertile time for blues on the radio. Eventually, acts like Stevie Ray Vaughn, Robert Cray and this week's guest the Fabulous Thunderbirds captured some attention and kept the torch lit. In fact, "Tough Enough" also happens to be one of the greatest singles of the decade, but it was the T-Birds biggest and only crack at the pop charts. Eventually, tastes changed, Jimmie Vaughn left the band, and things settled back down, but the they've never stopped delivering blistering blues for six decades now. Frontman Kim Wilson is here to discuss his great new solo album, Slow Burn, but also to give a tutorial on the history of the blues. He's a great dude and still doing what he does best. The Fabulous Thunderbirds The Hustle Podcast | creating podcasts | Patreon

Ivy might be the least likely band to release new music in 2025. After the loss of leader Adam Schlesinger to COVID early in the pandemic, the band had no choice but to end things. Luckily, surviving members Dominique Durand, Andy Chase and Bruce Driscoll came together to flesh out some songs Adam hadn't finished and released the new album Traces of You recently as a proper tribute to their former bandmate. All three of them join us this week to explain how the album came together and if there will be more, what it was like competing for Adam's attention with Fountains of Wayne, and everyone's other side projects. Ivy was special. It's a shame they and Adam are gone, but we have some incredible records to remember them by including Traces of You. IVY • Official Website The Hustle Podcast | creating podcasts | Patreon

The great Australian singer-songwriter Paul Kelly is back again. Last week he released his 30th album (!) called Seventy and it's evidence that this genius shows no signs of slowing down. Paul returns to the podcast to discuss some of the key tracks, what his process is at this stage, and what he still has left to prove. The man is as good at 70 and he has been his whole career. We're lucky to have him. Paul Kelly The Hustle Podcast | creating podcasts | Patreon

It's been a bumpy road for Pete Droge the last few years and the acclaimed singer-songwriter knew exactly what to do about it. First off, after years of not feeling right, Pete was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome about ten years ago. This changed how he would have to approach his career which, as an independent artist, was already a full time job. Then, he decided the time was right to find his birth mother who, it turns out, passed away just months before he found her. These themes permeate his latest (and best) album, Fade Away Blue. Pete lays out the challenges of the last few years, how he kept afloat, and what to expect from here. We also get the scoop on his sadly short-lived supergroup the Thorns with Matthew Sweet and Shawn Mullins. He's a wonderful guy and hugely inspiring. Enjoy! Pete Droge The Hustle Podcast | creating podcasts | Patreon

Producer Mark Saunders has done a lot of things, but amidst it all he's responsible for two of the most revolutionary albums of all time. The first is Neneh Cherry's debut Raw Like Sushi featuring the game-changing "Buffalo Stance". The second is the debut album Maxinquaye from Tricky which rewrote the rules as far as what music could sound like. Just those would be enough for some people, but we also hear about The Cure, the Chameleons, Erasure, Madness, a-ha, Ian McCulloch, Lisa Stansfield, Cyndi Lauper, and an absolutely bananas experience with John Lydon. Plus, we get the full scoop on the historic night when Bowie and Jagger recorded "Dancing in the Street". It's 3 hours and not a second is wasted on this instant classic. Don't miss it! Mark Saunders — Producer | Mixer | Remixer | Composer | Audio Engineer The Hustle Podcast | creating podcasts | Patreon

Liverpool's The Farm capitalized on a moment in the early 90s when their debut album Spartacus captured the Baggy sound in the UK perfectly. It featured a couple of evergreen hits with "Groovy Train" and "All Together Now" and even did well in the states. But, as Baggy wound down, so did the Farm and after a couple more albums they called it a day. Miraculously, they came back this year to release their first album in almost 30 years, Let The Music (Take Control), and it's excellent. Frontman Peter Hooton joins us this week to discuss this wild ride, what they've been doing for 30 years, and how this new album even happened. Enjoy! The Farm - All Together Now - Groovy Train The Hustle Podcast | creating podcasts | Patreon

Author Greg Prato joins us this week to discuss his new book Alternative for the Masses. The book argues that Nirvana didn't just happen out of nowhere. The seeds had been planted with bands like the Pixies and Jane's Addiction that prepared a way for Nirvana (and the whole grunge movement) to flourish. The book is an oral history featuring dozens of key voices from the scene (many of which are former guests) who share their recollections of that period including indie record labels, the drugs, Lollapalooza and key songs and albums, which Greg and I debate as well. It's a lively discussion with a great writer about an important chapter in music history. We're also giving away a book. You don't want to miss it! Quarto At A Glance | The Quarto Group The Hustle Podcast | creating podcasts | Patreon

What can you say about the great Thomas Dolby that hasn't already been said? We know about the hits (like "Science" and "Hyperactive"), we know about the innovation and the tech businesses he's started, and we know about Live Aid. In this conversation we set out to fill in some of the gaps like how did he get Jerry Garcia and Eddie Van Halen to play guitar with him? Did he ever meet Prince, who he is so similar to creatively? We know Howard the Duck didn't work, but what about his incredible soundtrack? What happened when he produced Joni Mitchell? It might be a slightly different conversation than you're used to. All of this is to promote his North American tour which kicks off on the east coast this week. Hope you enjoy hearing from the master! ThomasDolby.com The Hustle Podcast | creating podcasts | Patreon

Richie Zito checks a lot of boxes for the Hustle. For one, he was a noted session guitarist in the 70s for artists like Neil Sedaka, Hellen Reddy, Leif Garrett, and Elton John. Then he eventually became one of the most successful producers of the next decade working with people like Eddie Money ("Take Me Home Tonight"), Cheap Trick ("The Flame"), Bad English ("When I See You Smile"), the Cult, Heart, and Poison. In between, he hooked up with Giorgio Moroder and played on everything he did for a while including "Danger Zone", Berlin, Donna Summer and tons more. There is a mountain of gold to cover in this one and I have a feeling we just scratched the surface. Enjoy! The Hustle Podcast | creating podcasts | Patreon

Jon Dawson has been keeping Third of Never going for almost 20 years now and on their latest album, Damage the Pearl (Original Soundtrack), he has enlisted former guest and Connells frontman Doug MacMillian as his musical partner. Jon and Doug have written some primo songs and released one of the best albums of the year. We discuss the logistics of how this project works, what attracted them to each other, and what exactly this album is a soundtrack for. And we have a vinyl of the album to give away. Enjoy! Official THIRD OF NEVER website The Hustle Podcast | creating podcasts | Patreon

Everything seemed possible in hip-hop in 1992. Creativity was abundant and groups like P.M. Dawn, Public Enemy, De La Soul, and Arrested Development could all flourish. This led to AD's debut album becoming a watershed moment in music, selling millions, having hits and winning Grammys. Unfortunately, once gangster rap got its hooks in everyone, it devoured everything else and has remained largely that way ever since. Despite this, AD have been releasing excellent albums in their unique style consistently since reforming and have a new one called Adult Contemporary Hip-Hop that is one of their best. Frontman Speech joins us this week to give his thoughts on where rap is today, straightening out their bumpy career, and where they go from here. It's a hugely inspiring conversation. Enjoy! 2 time Grammy Winners | Arrested Development The Hustle Podcast | creating podcasts | Patreon

First time author Jay Nachman has accomplished something special. His new book, Graham Parker's Howlin' Wind tells the origin story of how the great Graham Parker came to be the songwriter we know him to be and how that first album with the Rumour came to be. Starting from his pre-fame days in the town of Deepcut, we learn of Graham's blue-collar upbringing and how the fates of him and the band Brinsley Schwarz came together to form a perfect team. Jay's been good to the Hustle over the years as a PR rep for many prior guests, but this time he brings on Graham himself to discuss the book. Enjoy! Graham Parker's Howlin' Wind: Nachman, Jay: 9798299219296: Amazon.com: Books The Hustle Podcast | creating podcasts | Patreon

It's pretty much a fact that if you appeared on a Steely Dan album, you're a made man. Especially on the big ones like Aja and Gaucho. For acclaimed drummer Rick Marotta that's only one chapter of his long, amazing career. His resume also includes Aretha, Donny Hathaway, John Lennon, Jim Croce, Hall & Oates, the Jacksons, Bryan Ferry, and Paul Simon. We discuss all of these and many more. Rick is one of the best storytellers we've ever featured on the show. You'll love every second of this one! The Hustle Podcast | creating podcasts | Patreon

Throughout the 80s and 90s, filmmaker Arlene Sidaris and her late husband, director Andy Sidaris, released a dozen movies under the philosophy of the three Bs - Bullets, Bombs and Babes. Films like Malibu Express, Savage Beach, and the immortal Hard Ticket to Hawaii showed the Sidaris's combining sexy playmates with huge explosions and tropical locations for some of the most enjoyable movie watching experiences around. These were the glory days of USA Up All Night and hundreds of B movies at the video rental store. Arlene tells us how the movies were made, behind the scenes stories, their current upgrade to 4K, and tons more. There's never been anything like a Sidaris movie. That era is long gone, but it was sure fun while it lasted! Shop | Malibu Bay Films: The Andy Sidaris Collection The Hustle Podcast | creating podcasts | Patreon

I'll bet you don't have 8 Grammy's. Very few people do. Our guest this week is one of the chosen few. Producer Kevin Killen has been one of the best in his field since first coming up under the tutelage of Steve Lillywhite on U2's War album. From there the list of collaborators includes David Byrne, Elvis Costello, Los Lobos, Howard Jones, Lindsey Buckingham, Kate Bush, Shawn Colvin, Tori Amos, Mr. Mister and many more. One year he won Grammys for working with David Bowie, Shakira and Yo-Yo Ma. Talk about diversity! We're so fortunate he gave us some of his time this week! The Hustle Podcast | creating podcasts | Patreon

Madness has become their own institution in the UK. There's an entire culture built around their every move, like a ska version of Jimmy Buffett. Sometimes even legends need a break and to just "make music with their friends" and that's what bassist Mark Bedford has done. "Bedders" has paired up again with mates Simon Charterton and Terry Edwards of 2-Tone band the Higsons to release a new album, Tritone, under their side project The Near Jazz Experience. The NJE's music is an instrumental blend of jazz and funk and makes for easy on the ears listening. Bedders joins us this week to discuss how this band satisfies his creative urges and the state of the mighty Madness. Enjoy! Music | The Near Jazz Experience The Hustle Podcast | creating podcasts | Patreon

Our latest Book Club is a blast. Music writers David Goggin and Martin Porter have collaborated on a fascinating new book, Buzz Me In, detailing the history of the Record Plant studios. The story begins with business partners Gary Kellgren and Chris Stone but includes the juicy in-studio stories of Jimi Hendrix, Sly Stone, the Eagles, Stevie Wonder and John Lennon and what it takes to extract as much money as possible from artists like these. Sex, drugs and rock and roll are in abundance. You won't want to miss this great book! The Hustle Podcast | creating podcasts | Patreon

England's mighty FM have been bringing the hard rock goodness to their small but devoted fan base for 40 years. Frontman Steve Overland took his love for bands like Bad Company and mixed it with classic r&b to become one of the greatest rock singers since Paul Rogers. The band have taken breaks over the years, but are back in full force right now with a tour and a brand new album, Brotherhood, which is their best in many years. Steve joins us this week to discuss this latter day resurgence in popularity, working with legends like Ruper Hine, Desmond Child, Mick Ralphs and tons more, why they never quite broke through, and why he's in literally about 12 other bands. He's the best and so are FM. Enjoy! FM Official - The Home of British Rock Band FM The Hustle Podcast | creating podcasts | Patreon

Gino Vannelli is a wizard. He has to be to create the music he makes, especially during his hyper creative 70s period. No one has ever sounded quite like him. If all you know are the big hits like "Living Inside Myself" and "I Just Wanna Stop", you're missing a crucial part of the picture. Unfortunately, Gino lost his wife of almost 50 years last year and that loss inspired his recent album The Life I Got (To My Most Beloved). It's an album that deals with grief, but also celebrates life. As you can imagine, Gino is a spiritual seeker as well, and that journey has put him in a good place "when the rubber meets the road" like now. We discuss all of this including his rough 80s period, working with his brothers Joe and Ross for his whole career and tons more. Enjoy! Gino Vannelli - Official Website The Hustle Podcast | creating podcasts | Patreon

We are deliriously honored to have Nick Heyward return to the podcast to discuss his upcoming tour with Howard Jones (starts on the 2nd) and Deep Dive some of the Pelican West album with us. I say "some" because he only had an hour and we only covered five songs. BUT, there are enough goodies in the conversation, I have no doubt you'll enjoy hearing about how he made this perfect album (and the only one he made with the band before going solo). It's so nice having Haircut 100 a growing concern again after so many years. This tour is going to be amazing! Look for me at the Salt Lake City show! Haircut 100 - Official website The Hustle Podcast | creating podcasts | Patreon

Pop music doesn't come much better than the work of the Primitives. They're probably best known for their 1988 hit "Crash", but the three albums they put out in that era are perfection. By 1991, they felt they weren't progressing and decided to call it a day with everyone doing other projects. Thankfully, they came back in 2012 with a new album and another in 2014 and have been on the festival circuit ever since. Frontwoman Tracy Tracy and guitarist/primary songwriter Paul Court join us this week to tell us what it takes to keep their little band going. If success truly went to the most deserving, this band would be among the giants. As it is, they're simply one of the best to ever do it. Enjoy! The Hustle Podcast | creating podcasts | Patreon

First published in 1994, author Brian Sweet's book on Steely Dan, Reelin' in the Years, has been recently updated and reprinted to incorporate the last few years of the band's legacy. We discuss the band's unique way of working, their mysterious personalities, why they're considered "cool" when so many others of that genre aren't, why so many musicians lined up to work with them and how Brian came to write the only book on the band of its kind. Plus, we're giving a copy away to a Patreon supporter! Enjoy! The Hustle Podcast | creating podcasts | Patreon

Why does some of the best music go largely unheard? It's the eternal question. Granted, Jimme O'Neill's bands have done pretty well and he's made a living being the great songwriter he is, but we all know he deserves a bigger audience. Starting out in Glasgow in the 70s with his post-punk band Fingerprintz had his career going in one direction, only to go a completely different direction when they broke up and he started his jangly pop band the Silencers. He discusses how both bands came to be, growing up with the guys in Simple Minds, moving to France the latest album Silent Highway, and tons more. Check out both of these bands. They deserve it. The Silencers Tour 2025-2026: Silent Highway The Hustle Podcast | creating podcasts | Patreon