The Wandering Wolf Podcast with Yoni Wolf

Episode 76- Dessa (Doomtree). On a tour rapper/singer, Dessa, and Yoni’s band WHY? are on together, the two new friends sneak off after soundcheck to have a talk in the tour van. They discuss Dessa’s teenage karaoke career, running away from home, her career writing creative nonfiction, Turkey, touring, diet, religion, philosophy, slam poetry, and future aspirations.

Episode 75- Daniel & David Smith (Danielson Famile) & Josiah Wolf. Right before a WHY? set at Union Transfer, the Smith bros. and the Wolf bros. get together for a quick talk in the tour van. They talk about growing up with a songwriter father, Danielson’s beginnings, being outsiders as Christians in the secular scene and too weird for the Christian scene, work process, producing for other artists, spirituality vs. religion, and love vs. judgement.

Episode 74- Aaron Weiss (mewithoutYou). Yoni and Aaron meet up for a get-to-know-you talk backstage at the Union Transfer in Philadelphia before WHY? soundcheck. They discuss remaining autonomous within a relationship vs. giving yourself over, reaching towards monastic tendencies, spirituality, Aaron’s unique blend of Judaism/Christianity/Sufi Islam, they get meta and talk about the talk they are having, Aaron’s musical roots, being a non-exclusively Christian band in a Christian hardcore scene, writing, and the record making process.

Episode 73- Liz, Josiah, Kiely, Jamey Brill. In Athens, Georgia for their friends’ wedding reception, Yoni, Liz, Josiah, and Kiely sit down outside at a cafe and discuss anxiety stifling creativity, focusing on an audience of one, writing words vs. music, psychoactive drugs vs. sober meditation, and learning how to be alone. Yoni’s friend since high school, collectable toy producer, Jamey Brill, is in Cincinnati for a wedding. The two old friends meet up at Whole Foods and talk about methods of separating work and leisure for the self-employed, how Jamey got into the toy game, and what he’s currently working on.

Episode 72- Lou Barlow (Sebadoh, Dinosaur Jr., etc.). Yoni and Lou are both in Indianapolis to play a festival with their respective bands, WHY? and Sebadoh. They take a moment out to get to know each other a bit in the basement of Joyful Noise label head, Karl’s basement. They talk about keeping it fresh after all these years, the mid nineties heyday the for the underground indy rock scene, playing high, Lou’s roots and moving back east to be close to family, home recording, and Neil Young.

Episode 71- Ben Nicholson (Lightborne). Down at Lightborne (video production company) headquarters in Cincinnati, Yoni and Ben sit for a chat. The two discuss Ben’s upbringing, falling prey to a porn and eventual sex addiction after being molested as a young boy, finding spirituality in an intense way and discovering the gifts of the spirit, being delivered of his addiction, and his career making tour visuals for today’s biggest pop stars.