Don Letts

Don Letts on the Culture Clash of Punk and Reggae and ‘There and Black Again’

Don Letts introduced punks in the 1970s UK scene to reggae, kind of. He was a good friend of Bob Marley, sort of. He is the embodiment of punk’s ethos of empowerment, freedom, and individuality, totally!

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Butch Vig on Recording Drums, New Garbage Album, and Producing Nirvana

You know Butch Vig as the drummer and producer of Garbage, or the producer of mammoth 1990s recordings from Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins. But there is a lot more to him than that. For one, he has been playing with most of the people he makes music with for nearly 40 years.

Huey Lewis is pictured on the cover of his 2020 album, "Weather."

Huey Lewis and the News on His Hearing, the Power of Love, and More

Huey Lewis: Some of his lies are true, including the ones about stowing away on a plane to Europe, playing soccer with Black Sabbath and Ozzy, and being dressed by Phil Lynott of Thin Lizzy. He also touches upon his meteoric rise to fame in the 1980s and his struggles with Ménière’s disease.

Lee "Scratch" Perry is shown performing in 2016.

Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry on Bob Marley, Dub, Reggae, and Production

Lee “Scratch” Perry passed away on August 29th, 2021. We were fortunate enough to interview the Upsetter in 2020, for the 50th episode of the Music is My Life podcast. What follows is a very surreal interview about his life, dub, reggae, and revolution.

Man with a guitar writing a protest song.

How to Write a Protest Song

If you’re looking to express your anger and frustration, especially now in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter protests, put your feelings to song.

Eddy Grant on ‘Electric Avenue,’ Heart Problems, and Lost Luggage

Eddy Grant began his career in the 1960s with the Equals, and 20 years later he made some of the biggest hits of his life, like “Electric Avenue” and “I Don’t Wanna Dance,” by fusing rock, reggae, and elements of electronic music. He continues to pioneer new sounds like soca and ringbang.

Spider Stacy on the Pogues, Lost Bayou Ramblers, and ‘A Fairytale of New York’

Spider Stacy met Shane MacGowan at a Ramones gig in England when they were both teens. Shortly after, they formed the Pogues, which meant Spider had to learn to play the tin whistle pretty quickly.

Red Sox and Patriots DJ TJ Connelly on Playing Music for the Masses

TJ Connelly is the DJ for the 2018 World Series Champs, the Boston Red Sox, the 2019 Super Bowl Champs, the New England Patriots, and more recently the Boston Bruins and the Boston Celtics. He got his start as a DJ at a comedy club!

Gary Lucas on Playing with Captain Beefheart and Jeff Buckley

Gary Lucas is best known for playing with Captain Beefheart in the 1980s, and Jeff Buckley in the 1990s. But that’s only a fraction of his accomplishments.

Commercial Appeal

The music industry is in such rough shape that some of your favorite bands have resorted to selling automobiles.