Andy Frasco's World Saving Podcast - EP 317: Dan Rodriguez & Steve Poltz

Episode Date: April 29, 2025

Hey there... we heard about you. Yeah, that's right you're one of those fine human beings that enjoys a real good podcast, huh? Well, hold onto your butts, cuz got one doozy of an episode for ya this week. Frasco opens the show with some advice: listen to that body of yours and marinate in some DOWN TIME. Or better yet, find yourself in the company of some friends like the superbly talented Dan Rodriguez and the inimitably effervescent Steve Poltz! It's a deep dive into the art of songwriting with three of the most disarming and emotionally moving artists that this humble podcast episode description writer has had the pleasure of writing a podcast episode description for...  Suffering from aphantasia and need a visual aid to accompany your podcast? Well, fear not. We gotchu. Watch this episode now, exclusively on Volume.com We're psyched to partner up with those buddies of ours at Volume.com! Check out their roster of upcoming live events and on-demand shows to enrich that sweet life of yours. Call, leave a message, and tell us your opinion on Gilmore Girls: [phone]  Check out our new album!, L'Optimist on all platforms Follow us on Instagram @worldsavingpodcast For more information on Andy Frasco, the band and/or the blog, go to: AndyFrasco.com Produced by Andy Frasco, Nick Gerlach, Joe Angelhow, & Chris Lorentz Audio mix by Chris Lorentz Featuring: Mara Davis

All right. And we're live. Andy Frasco's WorldSaving Podcast. Hi, I'm Andy Frasco. How's everyone doing out there? How's our hearts? How's our minds? Are we staying out of the darkness that is depression and social media?

Oh, why am I clapping for that? Yeah, actually, fuck it. Clap for that. We can't let depression get to us. We can't let depression get to us. We can't let depression get to us. We can't let depression get to us. We can't let depression get to us.

We can't let depression get to us. We can't let depression get to us. We can't let depression get to us. We can't let depression get to us. We can't let depression get to us. We can't let depression get to us. We can't let depression get to us. We can't let depression get to us.

We can't let depression get to us. We can't let depression get to us. We can't let depression get to us. We can't let depression get to us. We can't let depression get to us. Depression and social media. Oh, why am I clapping for that? Yeah, actually fuck it clap for that we can't let depression we can't let depression Get us down it's gonna get us down a bench, of course, it's gonna get us down, but it can't control every ounce of our life Sometimes we just gotta take a deep breath and realize, fuck, this sucks right now. That's okay, it's not gonna last forever because that's the beautiful part of life. There's these ups and downs and ever flows of life that we forget about when we're fucking depressed.

It's a hard concept to think about. I understand and I know I'm taking light on it, but it's also a mind state that we have to say, not today, devil, we will not let this fucking thing take us down all week. Cool, let it take me down for a couple hours, a day. But the minute we start marinating our shit and believing that this is only what life is gonna be,

it's the minute we start getting deeper into that sadness. There's always light on the other side of the tunnel. You just have to open your eyes and see other beautiful parts to look at. We could look at the dark stuff all the time. I look at it a lot. I was having a real dark day yesterday. Just been hitting it hard. Got back from Mexico. I've been on tour for

like two and a half months and then we've been looking at this property. Me and Scott Morrill. Shout to Scott Morrill from Cervantes. My boy! I fucking love that dude. Just hitting it. And then from, I was was in Mexico then I did Baja Wondergrass and flew straight from Mexico to Denver Copper Mountain. Did a show and I was just depleted. Yesterday I was in my sats. I knew what I had to do. I had to fucking melt on my couch, rot on my couch, marinate in that shit, sleep for 10 hours and keep it moving. And now today, I feel fucking fantastic. So, you know, listen to your body people. Listen to your body. You got to listen to your body. If you don't listen to your body or listen

to your brain, then we're just not like my ear thing. I'm like, fuck, still shitty ear infection kind of doesn't hurt, but just smells. I smell like, fuck yeah. Still shitty ear infection, kinda. Doesn't hurt, but just smells. I smell like a dog right now sometimes. It's crazy. It's driving me nuts. But, you know, gotta figure it out. I'm at the, I'm going to the doctor again.

We're figuring it out. We're cleaning it out, and I think I got some fungus or something in there, but fuck, it's gross. But anyway, gross. Right before we talk about our guest tonight, shout out to volume.com. I have a subscription. I have a subscription service, guys, every month.

It's only five bucks a month. You get all this deeper. You can get deeper into the Frasco world. We're gonna be giving out live streams once a month from the band. We're going to be doing Monday morning motivations where everyone's in chat room. We're talking.

It's a great thing for people who can't see me play all the time. So sign up, volume.com slash Andy Frasco, and sign up for Only Frasco. OK, our guest, one of my songwriting partners, Mr. Steve Poults. Yes, we wrote Life Is Easy together. He wrote Steve's on, because my record comes out May 23rd, pre-save it guys. By the way, this is the most download we've ever gotten on a tune, you know, in a few

releases. I just want to say thank you so much for listening to Life Is Easy. Steve, me Steve and Chris Galbuta wrote it. And with some help with some friends from Daniel Donato and Mr. Billy Strings and Mike Gordon, shout out to them for helping. I wrote this tune with Steve and Chris Galbuta. And just thank you so, your guys are reacting to it so well. And I'm glad it's like a perfect time to release it because all the shit going on in the world. I have Steve as my guest and this was a fun

this was a fun interview and Dan Rodriguez formerly from Elephant Revival who's no fucking slouch at a fucking right in the song that guy's a fucking goat and he loves basketball this was a great interview but the cool thing that was different about this interview is they brought their instruments and they're singing songs and talking about the songs and talking about life. And I think you're really going to enjoy this one. My producer Joe says this is one of his favorite episodes of ours, which is fucking cool because I felt like I know Steve so well. He's one of my closest friends and I'm starting to

learn Daniel, but I've been such a fan of Dan Rodriguez's music. He just got off tour with Lumineers. He's just a really good songwriter and he lives in Boulder. So I think you're gonna really love this interview. So without further ado, please enjoy Steve Pultz, Dan Rodriguez and myself talking about the art of songwriting.

talking about the art of songwriting. Wow, what a beautiful day for a beautiful friendship podcast. We have Steve Pultz and Dan fucking Rodriguez in the building tonight. Hey boys, how you doing? So good. Great. What's up? To be here with you and your lair makes my heart feel like it's on fire.

Really? Yeah, your lair is a special lair and I love what you've done with the place and you know, nothing changes. That's what I like. Yeah. It's like the same season. Your house is like that too. All the time.

Yeah. It's very comfortable. Yeah. and your house is like that too all the time yeah it's very comfortable yeah it's the kind of place that breeds dna samples on couch i do airbnb it so there's probably so much calm everywhere in this house i think what do you do in an airbnb what do you do in an airbnb steve when you doing in Airbnb? What are you doing in Airbnb, Steve? When you're in Sharon are running Airbnb. Boys, I want to start the show with a song. You guys are on tour.

What are you doing? How's the process of this tour going? Tell him, Dan. This is Dan, by the way. He was in a band called Elephant Revival and then he broke off to go solo and you're going to hear his voice now. Check it out.

Like Tupac. He's like Tupac. Yeah. Tupac over here. I picked up Poultsy at the airport the other day. I was blaring, you are the wind beneath my wings with all the windows down. And we just cruised on, man. We had a nice lunch at Snooze and then got on stage touched

each other's noses yeah private parts and isn't it that's your coffee yeah I should grab that we grab that for me um isn't it such a special look at a freaking reach he's like I'm telling you he's a football player she's a brawn he is isn't it special though Dan when when we get our moments with Steve? It's really special. It really is. He doesn't realize how fucking special this fucking man is. Yeah, I feel like I'm hanging out with like an angel.

Oh my God. I've like learned how to write songs just hanging out with Steve Pultz. Yeah. Well, I've learned about life from you. How to enjoy life, how to be who you are, and that's a good skill. You got skills far beyond your years.

Yes, don't worry, this will be a therapy session soon, Dan. Don't worry, we're gonna love each other. We're just gonna, this is gonna be like, we're gonna lube this up for a second. How many rings are on your hog? Because that's how you can tell how old someone is. Ring, hold on, explain that. Just your hog gets old and weathered and beaten and it gets rings, like rings around a tree. Just weathered. You ever look at your hog and you're like, God, this thing's beat up.

I call it old steampunk dick. Just tired and just blows steam. Steve will count the rings for you if you haven't. I saw a guy with a bubonic dick. Bubonic? No, what's like when, like a metal dick? Like he put like things in it to pleasure women. Oh. Damn.

Like put like barrels, like balls in there. Oh, I saw a dick like that once. But they had this guy, they called him the Diver and he lived in Sunderland, England and we were in a bar in Newcastle and he pulled his dick out. My friend, check out his dick. He's got pearls all in it and he's the Diver

and he was a Diver and would dive down to do welding under the ocean and he put pearls in his dick to pleasure his partner, whoever he met that night or whatever. I don't know that he had a single. I don't think. Old mermaid dick. Yeah.

I know that when he came. Brings a whole new meaning to pearl necklace. Yeah, it does. It really does. That's what happened to me too. The guy just came up to me in the bar and said, do you want to? I knew the guy. I never knew about him that personally, but he was like, Hey, you want to see this? And he just pulled it out. And it's like, there's like, like pearls in there, like each side. But anyway, I want you guys to play a song. I was like, damn, that's impressive.

I'm like, I'm going to have to like stretch my dick out really hard to like put those things in. It's like, it's not like a thing. Did you do it at all? I really hard to like put those things in. It's like it's not like a thing Did you do it at all? I did actually. Yeah, it's weird. It's like I smell your fingers He's actually pretty clean. Shout out to Adam That's his name Adam Karsten. He knows he doesn't he's not afraid about it. I mean he pulled it out the fucking bar Wow, but he's the guy who does all my art for everything. Oh, I love your art. He's great. I'm going to give him a nice shout out. You should shout out. Hey Adam, you do a really good job on that. And Daniel and I could use a poster for our show tonight.

But I think this, our show might already be done by the time you're here. So have you guys ever written songs together? We've started, but we have not finished one. Not as you and I have, but it's in us. Show us a part of a song that you guys are working on. OK, we'll just make one up right now. Let's just make up a song so that if somebody's out there listening and they just go, you know I've always

wanted to write a song, How do you write a song? Well, all you do is you just pick a key. So you go D and you got a chord right there and you only really need two chords. So you could go D to G and go. And then just start scat singing stuff about what you see around you or whatever you're feeling. This is the best.

So think about your day and you'd be like this. Damn the traffic was bad again but we've come to expect this. Just like I come to expect your indifference. How many times must I ask to get a spare moment with you? Where did the times go wrong? But don't let it go, keep it in your heart if you can Share it with me, don't you know I'll always be your man I won't let you go Like the others did I'm yours I'm yours I'm gonna cry dude see so then you just do that Time Steve every time every time Steve every time. Every time, Steve. Every time. You like this too with

him? I'm just in awe. Every moment I'm with Steve. It's crazy. You just make something up and then record it in your phone. I'm fucking crying, dude. You are. I am. And then, you know, fix what you want to fix in it, but at least you got a start. That's

why I like writing songs with other people. Me too. Because I really believe a rising tide lifts all boats. I believe in that. Right. So when I'm with other people, they're amuse. Right. Do you write a lot by yourself, Dan?

I do. Well, I've been starting to write a lot with other people. I find it easier to write with other people. Because when I'm writing with myself, I get a little bit critical. Right. Like I want everything to be perfect, but when I'm writing with someone else, I'm like, oh, I don't give a fuck. And that's the attitude to have. Like if you don't give a fuck, it just flows.

Was there pressure writing for Elephant Revival? No. The pressure was like selecting songs for a record. Yeah. Because then it was like selecting songs for a record. Yeah. Because then it was like five people, five songwriters. Oh God. A lot of emotions. Yeah.

That's a lot. Yeah, totally. Who was the most prolific? What about like, here you go first. Well, who was the most prolific in it, would you say? I think probably I wrote the most just because I was obsessed. But Bonnie got most of the songs on the record just because of her talent. Yeah. How hard was it to write these real personal songs and then have Bonnie there?

It was pretty easy. I don't know. It was kind of a good little duo. Very creative. Everything was very... What about when she's like, no, we're not putting that song on? Oh yeah. Yeah. She had a lot to say.

Damn. So was it a democracy? Bonnie and Bridget were like the law layers. They were? Her last name was law, Bridget law. Oh yeah, it is. So was it a democracy or did somebody have more power? You know, it was a democracy. You're about to get gang banged on this interview right now.

Here we go. It was a democracy but like, in a very emotional democracy. So like, emotions influenced everything. The songs are so heavy too. They are. They are. I love the Elephant Room. I mean, I love you. Me too. You are always been. Yeah. Yeah, I love them. I mean, I mean, I love you

You're my second you you are you are one of my guys. Yes, man You I put you just as much as the top three of my guys right now Polts Craigie Thank you guys are goats and like those songs are fucking heavy I was like, oh my god, I know it's like in relationships with each other. I'm like, oh my God. I know, once I get in relationships with each other, I'm like, oh my God, this is fucking heavy. It's like Fleetwood back up in there. It was. Do you still sing a lot of the songs that you wrote if they were about Bonnie?

And if you do sing them, how do you feel? I think in my songwriting, I kind of kept, I kept everything pretty abstract. Gotcha. So it would be like, maybe it would start out about someone, but it would kind of enter into a more broader abstract perspective. So isn't that the goal of songwriting too? Yeah.

Can't be so specific. It's got to be still specific enough to you, but in a broader theme. Like what's your take on on trying to write a song that everyone can get high on? I think you nailed in what you just said. Keeping broad strokes, I think, a lot of times, keeps the shelf life longer on the song. Yeah, for sure.

Yeah? Yeah. I really believe it. I wrote a lot of breakup songs. Why don't you play one for us? Yeah. Here, I'll hold your tape. I can't exist without a capo.

You got one? Yeah, I got one. Oh my God, this is my fucking dream podcast. Yeah, buddy, this is fun. This is good stuff. People want to know, people are afraid to write songs, man. I know. I think I got the fucking masters here We're gonna fucking have we're gonna have this is it. This is an educational podcast. I like it. We're gonna

We're gonna feel some shit today All right, let's see. Whoa So many breakup songs, which one do you play? Play the one I wrote with Wes from the Lumineers. Cool. It can be so hard just to soften up And melt away my little buttercup. It takes a little time, they say, to dig a lover's grave.

You can't be in the dark and in the light. You can't be in the dark and in the light You can't escape the poison of your mind It takes a little wine, they say, to dig a lover's grave As you held your vow of silence, flowers on the highway I swore they'd put those crosses for us And you said I'll never blame you, we left the Venice strangers Have you had enough singing like you mean it you were happy just to be here and the audience was small see behind the curtain they were cheering you were hurting It's the only time you call Oh my God

I stared into the sea red and green And every set of taillights looks the same It takes a little while, they say To dig a lover's grave As you held your vow of silence, flowers on the highway I swore they'd put those crosses for us Sing it like you mean it, you were happy just to be here And the audience was small See behind the curtain, they were cheering, you were hurting It's the only time you call

Singing like you mean it You were happy just to feel it And the audience was gone See, inside the shadow You were staring down the barrel It's a long way down to fall. Singing like you mean it, you were happy just to feel it, and the audience was gone. Jesus fucking Christ! That was beautiful, buddy.

That was beautiful, buddy. Dan Rodriguez! Dan Rodriguez. Daniel Rodriguez. Dan, how do you, how do you go, how do you not like feel something singing those songs? Oh, I feel it. I saw you get into the mode of having to sing that song. That was beautiful. Do you?

That's because it's early in the day. Yeah, I bet. It's mostly at night sometimes. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Is it, does it torture you to sing these songs? That's because it's early in the day. Yeah, I bet. It's mostly at night sometimes. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Is it, does it torture you to sing these songs? I think I'm kind of just like generally tortured. Yeah, what do you think caused that?

The torturing? Yeah. I don't know, probably religion. Yeah, guilt? Guilt. Are you Catholic? My dad grew up in Argentina and he was, they were Catholic. And then my, on my mom's side, my grandfather was a Baptist preacher. My grandmother, his wife just passed

today. Oh no. Yeah. She was the fucking best. Yeah. Best lady. Damn, she must be old. She was 96. Damn, let's clap to that. Yeah. Let's clap to that. Tell us what. Shout out, rest in peace queen. Love you babe. Oh. But it's crazy, what about, I mean,

you're kind of in the same situation. You dated Jewel, and you were riding that whole album with her. Yeah, life is bizarre, the things that hands us and where art comes from. And it's all so fleeting, but so perfect. Everything is just the older you get, the more you stop giving a shit. And that's what makes it better when you play a show, I think.

You just cease worrying about what the audience is thinking and get off for yourself. And I think if you do that, that people will then vibrate towards it. I truly believe that you cry three or four times a night. Some yeah, cry, laugh, everything. Just let it fly. It's one of the best. It's weird, but that song he just sang was so gorgeous about the whole idea of,

did you say how to dig a lover's grave? That's a great line when you think about it. I love darkness and graves and all that. Oh yeah, they wrote, they made the cross for us. Yeah. Holy shit. Oh, I was listening to the record.

He picked me up at the airport yesterday. I say, play me the record you made with the guy from the Lumineers, Wes and another guy named David. And he made it in Woodstock. Who's David? David Barron. Oh, you- He's great, dude.

Did you go to the barn right next to- No, David's got a studio in his basement, and he's making like all, all like hit records right now. Michael Marcage. Oh, wow. He's sick. Yeah, yeah. So Daniel picked me up, and I said, play me the record, and

we listened to it all on the drive and we didn't even talk. It was beautiful. You know, sometimes you play some of your record and they're like, who's playing this? What's going on here? Right. You know, and you're the guy that's the artist.

Right. Sometimes you're like, can you just listen? Yeah. And I feel like we didn't even hardly say who did the... Everyone's going to offer us the... After the song would end, like Steve wouldn't say anything and it would go into the next song and I'm like... What is it?

What do you think? How do you feel? But then on stage you gave it the five stars. Well I had to let it all gestate and I got to tell you listeners out there, Daniel is sitting on a really special record and I think he didn't even know when he went out there working with Wes from the Lumineers. I didn't know what to think. And with David, they really underproduced the record.

So you're listening to something where you're hearing the crack in his voice, you're hearing the emotion, and it's a special record you made. So how many, yeah, and like that's you, D. You don't need to overproduce anything. That's you, that's how, that don't need to produce anything. That's you That's how that's where I see you strike. I say with you Steve. Oh, totally

I see I see when I really I get so emotional at your fucking shows Both yours. You should produce my I went to your show too. I want I think e town Cervantes Oh Cervantes Yeah, I like the band that was fun. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I liked the band. That was fun. Yeah, you can hide behind a band, which is nice. But you- You'd be a good producer.

I'm getting better. For like a solo songwriter, because you feel music. It's really interesting. Like a lot of people, if they just know Andy Frasco as the Andy Frasco on stage, like throwing shrooms out to the crowd, drinking out of a bottle.

Yeah. I need to go to your show. Then when they see, when they really get to know you, you're like this tapestry and there's all these different layers behind the tapestry where the stuff you're listening to is like heartbreaking. And I think that's what's so cool. You taught me that. I remember my first song, Work Work Work. Yeah. Ugh. But you're really, like you would be a good producer too,

don't you feel like it now? Yeah, I'm getting better at being confident enough. Like, of not putting too much shit. We could always add more shit, but then it doesn't become us. Yeah. It's just like, we're just adding to add, right? The most beautiful songs were those naked songs. Yeah. Like how was, songs were those naked songs. Yeah.

Like how was, um, you were meant for me. How did that come about when with Jewel, like was it a naked song? Like how'd that approach? Were you guys naked? Were you naked? Were you making love? We had just woken up and we were in Mexico and that's a lot of times if you're next to somebody in bed, I think that's a good of times if you're next to somebody in bed, I think that's a good time to write a song because that person's next to you and you just woke up, you haven't showered or anything, you're still in bed.

You don't have any clothes on and you got a guitar leaning against the back of the bed or something. You reach over and then grab the guitar. And then next thing you you know it's like you know like a snow globe how it's all the snow is crazy in the snow globe it's all settled in the morning and sometimes you can see things better and then you just start writing the song especially if it's somebody you're with or something yeah that's a beautiful thing too but I mean we're just lucky that we get to

create and I'm telling you listeners out there that record dude You're gonna dig it the my can't wait. Do you was that song is that sex? It's you? Yeah. Yeah, please that song on there Yeah, yeah. Oh god West wanted me to name the record dig a lover's grave and I was like, oh, it's so heavy I don't know if I could do that. So heavy. That's a good idea. Yeah, I change it to harboring harboring pearls. I love that Can you play a little bit of that jewel song for people to remind people? Yeah I hear the clock at 6 a.m. I feel so far from where I've been Got my eggs, got my pancakes too Got my meat, well syrup, everything but you So, scrape the yolks, make a smiley face I kinda like it in my brand new place

I wipe the spots off of the mirror, don't leave the keys in the door I never put wet towels on the floor anymore Cause dreams last for so long Even after you're gone And I know that you love me and soon I know you will see You were meant for me and I was meant for you Fucking Steve Poults, dude! He turned it into a punk song last night. Oh my god, last night.

Play it, play it, play it. Dreams last so long, even after you're gone I know you love me, sir I know you'll see You're f**king meant for me, you're f**king meant for me I was meant for you, oi oi oi I was meant for you, I was meant for you. Oi, oi, oi. I was meant for you. I was meant for you. Fucking meant for you. Oi, oi, oi. We mean it, man. Holy shit. I got a clap for that.

Isn't it crazy how a melody can change how we perceive the lyrics completely? Totally. You ever, what other songs How a melody can change how we perceive the lyrics completely. Totally. What other songs you feel like? Just in movies. In movies too. Like Bob Dylan, Buckets of Rain.

Yeah. Start that song. Check. Remember what he does like in a movie if you were to hear this? Let me hear it. Start it down. Buckets of rain, buckets of tears Got all them buckets coming out of my ears Buckets of moonbeams in my head You got all the love, honey, baby, I can stand I've been meek, been hard like an oak Seen pretty people disappear like smoke Friends will arrive, friends will disappear If you want me, honey baby, I'll be here Little red wagon, little red bike I ain't no monkey but I know what I like

I like the way you love me strong and slow I'm bringing you with me, honey baby when I go Life is sad, life is a bust All you can do is you do what you must You do what you must do And you do it well I do it for you Honey, baby, can't you tell? I do it for you, honey, baby, can't you tell? Oh, I can't wait for this show tonight, dude. I can't wait for this show tonight. How good is that Bob Dylan song? Yeah, tell me why that song's so important to you.

Well, we just discovered we both knew it last night backstage, five minutes before we went on, and we did it, and it was like transcendent. And we did the extendo jam. It was just a great moment. Just that line, life is sad, life is a bust. All you can do is do what you must. Do what you must do and do it well.

Shit. Do it for you, honey, baby, can't you tell? That's just like. It's crazy how much he talks about love and he's such a commitment-phobe. Like everyone, he's like, did you watch the new Bob Dylan movie? Yeah.

I loved it. Yeah. Shalomé? I was prepared to hate it. I was prepared to hate it too, because those things, I'm normally shitting on that shit. Shalomé? I was prepared to hate it. I was prepared to hate it too, because those things, I'm normally shitting on that shit. Yeah. Shalomé kicked ass.

But it also kind of gave me a different light on Bob. You know? Right. He's always just insecure about himself, being Zimmerman or whatever, you know? He's just like, and I feel that this like imposter syndrome, do you guys have imposter syndrome? Like when you're off stage, you know who you are?

I mean, Steve, I don't know about Steve as a positive syndrome. Or maybe you do. What do you think? What's when I was younger, I did, but I don't feel like I do now. I feel like I totally belong in my shoes, in my shoes. How long did it take you for you to realize that thousands of shows? I turned 65 recently. so it's like, I was just that, I don't know, man.

I got my Medicare and I just went to the doctor and she examined me and gave me a clean bill of health and right at the end she put on a glove and lubed up her finger and then she put it in her ass. And she was pushing it around in there and she goes, it feels good in there. And I go, it sure does. And then she's like, just go, then go left.

That's where the gland is. Wait, wait, wait, wait. Just a little left, a little left, a little left. Daniel, do you get imposter syndrome? How do you feel? I think so, but I'm still confused sometimes. I don't even know if it's imposter syndrome. I feel like I'm always kind of checking my intentions,

you know, like making sure I'm still on the original intention, just like, give myself goosebumps, you know. But yeah, sometimes I feel that, sometimes I'm like, am I fake? You know? Yeah, I feel that way too sometimes. Like what am I doing?

But then I'm like, no, I'm not a fucking fake. Right, you're a fucking king. Yeah. Yeah, I feel that way too sometimes. But then I'm like, no, I'm not a fucking fake. Right, you're a fucking king. Yeah. Yeah, you are. What about when, what were you going through when, Elephant Revival was like kinda, everything was kinda falling apart. How are you then?

Oh god, man, I was falling apart. Yeah, what, give me the run through. So it was, you know, Elephant Revival started with Bonnie and I, you know, I met her at an open mic night I was running, when we were like 19. Really? Yes.

20. Were you dating yet? We weren't dating, but she came in, she sang at it, and like everybody in the whole place was like, holy shit, including me. She instantly had it back then. Oh yeah, she's had it. She's always had it. I love her.

And then we just, we played music all night on a rooftop until the sun came up. Yeah. And I was like, oh, I'm pretty sure I love you. Yeah. And she had a boyfriend and I was like, fuck. And then she came back into town and I had a girlfriend and she didn't have a boyfriend and I was like, fuck. But I broke up with my girlfriend and Bonnie and I went out west and we started Alpha Revival.

Where were you? What city? I was in New London, Connecticut. You're Connecticut kid? Yeah. Wow. So is Bonnie? No, she's from Oklahoma.

Okay. But she, we had a mutual friend in Connecticut. Wow. My damn, that's a real Southern instrument for fucking Connecticut. Totally. Totally. Fucking Connecticut. Totally, totally. So we came out west and we started dating and we were together for 15 years. Yeah, holy shit.

That was all like elephant revival was together for that long too. I mean, they're still together. But, you know. What's it like dating your business partner? Yeah. It was tough, dude. I fucking bet, dude.

It was so tough, because you're all up in all the business together. I know. You don't have a break. Zero break. And then also, if you have a creative, like, hey, why don't you, I like your song, but what if you didn't go to that part?

It was like personal. It was like, rah, you know? Is it't go to that part? It was like. Personal. It was like, rawr, you know? Is it because of what I said about your mother yesterday? Yeah. You know, it's like. It was tough. Yeah. It was really tough. I mean, it lasted fucking 15 years.

And there's some beautiful art that came out of it. So beautiful. Yeah, yeah. What about that first moment you guys played Red Rock? Oh God, that was, because Red Rocks is pretty insane to begin with. Yeah.

The first time we played, we played with a symphony. Yeah, I didn't know. So that was like insane, insanity on top of insanity. I was like, I got out there and I was like, just felt like I was floating, you know? That was insane. What was the first song that gave you like, cause it, it kind of grew real quick in a sense.

Like was it always just popular here or was it other places in the West Coast too that started to start taking off? Yeah, like, you know, Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, on down. Wow. You know, we would go out to New York City and sell out Bowery Ballroom and stuff like that.

But we couldn't do that at all. We couldn't do Red Rocks all over the place. No. And Red Rocks, people fly in for that. Red Rocks itself sells tickets, you know? Yeah, well, it's so weird, Alec. A lot of our bands everywhere will sell a thousand and then Red Rocks will sell 10,000.

You know, it's just such a weird. It's like, how are we doing this? How the fuck is this happening? Part of it is like people want to go to Red Rocks, and they all. I just think it's Denver. I think the culture here is just, everyone supports all the music.

Like, we just, we did 3,500 tickets at a Mission Ballroom. And that's the biggest crowd for tickets. You know, we're a 1,200, you know, 800 to 1,200 people band. Dude. You did 3,500 tickets? 35. That's good. But it's also like, well, it's like that local effect.

Like, you guys are local out here, right? Yeah, this is where we grew up. Exactly. Yeah, yeah. So like, I think once they feel like it's home, like look at fucking Lumineers, dude. Yeah. Well, they're different because they're huge everywhere. But selling out Coors Field. Dude, they're doing two nights at Fenway Park this summer. And you were on, you did the baseball tour. I did Coors. Yeah, I did Co course with them. I need to talk to you about this What do you like playing these really soft strong emotional songs? for a fucking baseball field

Well, you know, it was like such a cool billing cuz Gregory Allen Isaac off was there too So it was like it was like super emo for a couple bands and then I was Then I was just like pumping You know what I learned is like how you can get across best is just fucking be yourself, whether it's 50,000 people or two people, you know? So that's- Did you throw up?

Were you nervous at first? No, it was almost easier. It was weird. Because you don't see eye contact? Just faces? Yeah, just like looking out. It was funny at Coors when we first started our set, there was maybe 20,000 people there.

Oh my God. But at Chorus, it looked like there was no one there because it's so huge. So I was kind of like, at first I was kind of pissed. I was like, where the fuck is everybody? But just one little strand of Ch cores is like Red Rocks. Yeah, it's like 5,000. Yeah.

So I was like, oh wait, there was a lot of people there first. That's what I was saying, I'd get it in my head. If I don't see, is there a big gap of people in the infield, or where'd they set up the stage? In the back, in the right field, or center field? Or do they set it up by the... I think it's by home plate.

So were they on the lawn? Can you get on the lawn, or is it up by this? I think it's by Home Plate. So were they on the lawn? Can you get on the lawn or is it all just seats? No, the lawn was blocked off. See, that'd be crazy. Yeah, yeah. That's how you felt like no one was fucking there. Yeah, pretty much, yeah. You ever do shit like that, Steve?

Yeah, playing big shows is crazy. I like them. I like any show, but we did Woodstock 99 and it was 500,000 people. Oh, what? Yeah. And that was nuts. What? You got to explain this to me. What was it with? So that was with Jule and we went on right before the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the final day in Woodstock 99.

And there was a half a million people. It's just this sea of people and it just feels so bizarre. You just see faces, faces, faces as far as it goes back. And it's kind of powerful. I mean, it's, it's intoxicating. Was it it's kind of like getting a fix? Yeah, it's a drug, you know, just like have you ever sang a national anthem at a ballgame?

Well, no, I'm too scared to do that Yeah, that's it. I've done it quite a few times at different ball parks Padres and then the giants I did on memorial day and that's like 55 000 people, you know sold out and it's scary Is it Jesus and I did it with guitar expecting you to be fucking and it's the national anthem and people are so, you know, like they don't want to see that screwed up. I know. But it goes by so fast, but I like big moments like that. How'd you do it?

Did you do a different approach to it? You turned into a punk song? No, I just went, I did the thing where I just went. ["The Big Mouth"] Started it in A so it's low, because it ends high, so it was like, Oh say can you see by the dawn's early light What so proudly we hailed

And I went through the whole thing, you know, at the twilight's last gleaming How'd you do the high note? Um... And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there Solid! solid oh say does that star-spangled banner yet wave o'er the land of the free fucking steeple and the home of the brave. Play ball. Fucking play ball, Steve.

Are you worried about like fucking up the words? Yeah. That's gotta be fucking hard. Scary. But like one guy was like, make sure you say perilous. Perilous. Not paralyze. Perilous fight.

Perilous. See like this one guy was really into the grammatical way of saying everything and he kind of helped me a bit. But right before I went out, Bruce Bochy, who was the manager of the Giants at the time, they won three World Series under his stewardship. And it was Memorial Day and Barry Zito was pitching. It was against the Diamondbacks. And Barry Zito is this left-handed pitcher with pinpoint control.

And right before I went out and I knew Barry, I know him. And he goes, don't blow up Poultsy. And he threw a ball and whizzed it right by my ear. And then Bochy goes, hey, Poultsy, when you go out to sing the anthem, make sure you don't do it too slow. We hate to sit through a long Alright and I was really nervous and he goes and don't get all Mariah Carey on it I did it kind of straight ahead. Did you have like relationships with these guys? Yeah, I know them all yeah

I've always loved baseball. Yeah, And I got to know them when they were Padres, you know? And so it was really fun being able to do it, you know? Hey, Poulsey, you still owe me $867 for a mini bar you threw out of my hotel window. You got to write me a song called the Mini Bar Blues. Hold on. Is that real? Yeah. Did that happen? Tell me the story. What happened? I used to follow the Padres around when Bochy was the manager of the Padres before he went to the Giants. And now he's with the Texas Rangers.

I would follow the Padres around because I was like best buddies with the second baseman from years ago named Tim Flannery. And then he became the third base coach. So whenever the Padres would go on the road, I would book tickets and fly out alone and just get drunk, smoke cigars with these guys. I'd play them songs in the dugout. And I was staying in their hotel

and I just got too familiar with them. And one night I threw Bruce Bochy's mini bar out of his hotel window. We all coked up with the coke. I was drunk out of my head. I don't think I was doing coke that night, but I was drunk. And then they had a team meeting.

And Tim Flanagan called me aside and he goes, hey, we had a team meeting with the traveling secretary and you're not allowed to stay within 100 yards of our hotels anymore. You're not allowed to stay in our hotel. And I was like, fuck. So I'd have to stay far away and then still show up to the game. Play me that song.

Do you know it? Which song? The song? Oh, did you write? Did you actually write that song? No, I still own the minibar, but every time he comes to a show of mine, I'll ad lib a minibar blues song. Like I just wrote it and I'll just make one up on the spot and he will laugh so hard.

That guy's great. Were they party animals as baseball players? Yeah, man. They would have like these bowls of back in the day, they called them greenies and it was speed. And there were green pills and they were all on greenies. They were just greenies up. They go grab some greenies. And then after the show, the show after the game,

they would eat pot cookies. The baseball players? Yeah, the probably like for landing gears because they're all methed out. I mean, I think baseball players, it's 140 games. 162. 162 games. Yeah. And you have to be on.

It's more than the NBA double. And like, I get why they're probably all on meth. Makes sense. I mean, it's a crazy, crazy sport. And back then it was like, they were sliding into each other fighting. Now everybody's got sponsorship deals and they're a little too precious.

None of the pitchers hit anymore. Both leagues use the DH. What do you like about baseball? Like, why do you love it? What I like about baseball is it's like a game of chess and when it starts it's this blank slate and you don't know what's about to happen. You might think you have your ace on the mound throwing heat, your best pitcher, but for whatever reason this guy's off a little bit that day and then they're trying to decipher where is he off. They're looking for a sign. Is he tipping his pitches?

Meaning, are they watching his hands so they know he's going to throw a screwball? Is he hiding in his glove? Did they steal the signs from what the catcher's saying? Is the shift on in the outfield because of this guy they know he's pulling everything to the right side of the field, so they put a shift on? And it's a chess game and you know who's coming up next You know where to play your outfield by the guy that's coming up because they might be trying to manufacture a run And the game of small ball is so beautiful where a guy walks to get in steals second Sacrifices him over to third and then there's a long sack fly to right field where they get a run in just manufacturing runs It's a beautiful thing

I just love the game of coming the music industry when you're putting out a record it is singles and yeah You're approaching a single how you're approaching like when you get away, then you have to do a big tour You know, it's like I fuck I haven't been falling in love with baseball lately. Yes, I love it All the games now. I watch every party mostly NBA like you. You have sports? I love it. I watch all the games now. I watch every podcast. Mostly NBA like you. Oh, you're NBA? Oh yeah, yeah.

That's cool. What do you see the parallels in sports music? Well, I watch a Frasco show online and you're just like jumping off of amps and pianos. I'm like, that's where athletics and music comes in. What about like with as like you're a band leader for five people like a point guard. Do you consider, do you see it that way? Yeah, I see myself as kind of like a benevolent leader, but in sports I was never that. No. You know, it was usually the point guard that was. You played in college, right? I played a year and a half in college. Yeah. Really? Yeah, what'd you play? I

Was like a small forward. Yeah, you shot a shooter. I shot and I could dunk and you could come. Oh, yeah How tall are you? I still can actually Yeah, what school was it? It was called Endicott. It was Division three. Where was it? Just north of Boston. Nice. Yeah, we won our division. Did you play in high school? Yeah. Which high school? St. Bernard's High School, Catholic school. Why'd you quit? Yeah, we won a lot of games. Were you a center? No, we had a 6'11 kid on our team. So you're a power forward? Yeah, I was like, well sometimes I would play center, but I wouldn't always be in the paint, you know.

What did you think of the Lakers picking up the dude from Luka Donchik? Luka Donchik. You know, I was like, this is fucking sketchy. What the fuck is going on? I agree. And then I think the NBA forced their hand to get, because the ratings were so low.

Totally. Yeah. Really? Yeah. I think they said, we just signed this billion dollar deal, and no one's watching this thing. We need to spice spice it up and put the best young player on the Cuban's man that's also why I think pretty well using ratings just because they'll fake players are just going to whatever team kind of like the March Madness now and I

am taking out the March Madness out of it because of the portal. Yeah, the NIL is fucking everything up. So now everyone's just going to go to the number one team. Now you get paid. Oh yeah. You get paid to be on a team. What's NIL stand for? National something. I forgot.

My buddy, though, is one of the founders. I mean, he's one of the sugar daddies for a college team. What is it? Bulldogs, Georgetown. He pays the bill for the teams. He says, basketball, you know people are getting around four million dollars. Players are getting four million dollars.

College. The Georgetown Royals? Yeah, just to play Georgetown. Think about Duke. Think about where the boosters are crazy for basketball. Like Royals? Yeah, just to play Georgetown, think about Duke. Think about where the boosters are crazy for basketball. Like Cooper flag. Yeah, Cooper. Yeah.

But then think about football that actually makes money. Those guys are making $10 million a year. What's Deon making to coach? He's making like 15 million a year, 13 million. You should get him on your podcast. I'm really close to getting him. I think that would be great. I met him.

Yeah, he seems cool. Yeah. I was just writing poetry at a coffee shop in downtown Boulder, and he was walking by me. And I was like, I go, Dion! And he goes, what's up, baby? That's what he said? Did he come over and talk to you?

No, no, no. He was just like, what's up, baby? And then he walked on down the road. Oh my god. It was awesome. That was a good day. Yeah. This is fun. This is so fun. I was just like, what's up baby? And then he walked on down the road. What's up baby? That was awesome, that was a good day. Yeah. This is fun.

This is so fun. Can we, you guys got time, can we keep doing this? Yeah. Okay, I wanna hear another. Yeah, do it. I want another song from your record. Sure. That's cool.

Yeah, totally. And I also wanna hear. No, I love this. I wanna hear Wrong Town from you. I wanna know why you wrote that. That song is my most played song right now. Whoa. And like, I'm trying to figure out

why you wrote that song. So I want to talk about that too. Yeah baby. I can't wait. And then we'll let you go do your sound check. Have you ever had Shador? No. Shador?

Shador Sanders? Yeah. I don't think he wants to fuck with me. Can I have a sip of that? He won't come on this? Which one? Yeah, tea. a sip of that? He won't come on this? Which one? Tea, yeah thanks bro. He won't come on this. Why not?

I don't know. Athletes want to get paid to be on it. Oh they do? Like I'm really close to getting Dennis Rodman. Whoa. How much he want? 10 grand. To be on it?

He wants 10 grand. But I think we're, let's go. I'm going to do a GoFundMe for Dennis Rodman show. He's my favorite athlete of all time. I understand him. He's a partier, but he just does that so he can get into the right head space

to fucking be excellent. Jordan was like that too actually. Jordan was a gambler, fucking drinking. He used to play two rounds of golf before a fucking game. Psycho, and he gambled on them. He gambled on them and then he still smashed 40 points in your face. And just take over. Yeah.

Psychopath. And guard the one, the guy. Yeah. So what's this song called? Abilene. Abilene, okay. She's harboring pearls, sleeping in the alleywaylet Candles on the dashboard Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh

She said, give me some truth Let's undeniate Reflections from the inside Truth that's undenied Reflections from the inside Deep roots and shooting stars The constellation of a broken heart Eveline, it is the loneliest parade I hear you singing anyway, Ebeling Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh American dreams, cottonwood trees

Some grow tall, some fall, some dam the streams Deep roots, and shooting stars The constellation of a broken heart Ebeling, Ebeling It is the loneliest parade I hear you singing anyway, Ebeling Ebeling Ebeling It is the loneliest parade I hear you singing anyway

Dan Dad beautiful buddy. What's the story beyond that song? I started right now when I first came out to Colorado when I came out with Bonnie and my friend Sam Libby. Oh, yeah You know you remember Sam. Yeah Yeah, my friend Sam Libby. I first yeah. You know, you remember Sam. Yeah, my friend Sam Libby. I first came out to Colorado with him. And he used to write for the New York Times. He'd get his articles on the front page of the local sections.

And then he got busted grilling pot, which is legal here, but back in Connecticut, not so legal. And he got locked up. And then he was on the front page for doing that. And he's written a couple books. Anyway, we were best friends. And he passed away a few years ago. So songs about him.

He was an interesting fella. He was? Oh, man. I really found him interesting. I really enjoyed being around him, but you knew, it was like you were around Charles Bukowski or something. Yeah, he was a real... Well like you knew he was sad.

Kind of dirty, disheveled and... Kind of sad in his eyes? I don't know if I would call it sad. I would call it world weary. What do you think? Well, you know, he was like, he used to say, you know, I'm Jewish only on my mother and father side. So he always was like kind of weary about world politics.

Yeah. And yeah, and he was, he was kind of a grifter, but the way he grifted was with like intelligent, like very high intelligence. Right. Wow. He was a grifter. Libby.

Rest in peace, buddy. I like that word. He was a grifter. So, man, are you going back to, why are you going back to Toto Santos? I was, I'm looking to buy a property there with, uh, Scott Morrill and Strasburg AG. Wow. We're going to, We're looking at buying a hotel. Like an artist compound thing. Where at, which part?

Downtown near La Posa, that hotel. Oh yeah. La what? La Posa. Yeah. Right in the heart of Todos? It's kind of a little, it's near the, more on the water. Steve brought me down there for the first time. Yeah, I love that town, man. It's a of a little, it's near the more on the water. Steve brought me down there for the first time.

Yeah, I love that town, man. It's good community. It's a great community. And then Baja Wondergrass is there. Oh yeah. You know who I think would like your record a lot is Eddie Vedder. Come on.

Send it to Eddie, baby. Come on, send it to Eddie. Don't you think he would? Yeah, of course. No, I really, I have this weird instinct. You got to send it to me. I'm obsessed. I need to hear it.

I love the strip down. Dan, that's my dude. It's good. Eh? Yeah. I think that this is an important thing we've come to discover today that we've made some good ground and we're going to achieve world peace pretty soon due to this records release. Right.

And you're putting it out on your own. Yep. We tried labels, but do you know this guy works hard? I know he left a band that was very established and I brought him down to Toto Santos. His heart was broken. Yeah, and I brought him down and just hugged on him Well, I did I said you need to come down. I live here Dan. So you ever want to fucking hang out? I'm serious I'll come out and I'll find your ass. Right on. You know what was funny?

It was yesterday, Dan goes, for some reason Andy's not following me on Instagram. Really? And he used to. And I said, that would be a mistake. And he goes, don't bring it up. And I go, I don't want to. No, no, my manager unfollowed everyone

because they saw that I was following 7,500 women. Oh shit. And they figured that Danielle... I've been trying to slowly like get everyone back in. Oh, and that wasn't personal. Yeah, it wasn't personal. And I go, Andy loves you. I love you. I was just like, it's funny how it's like kind of petty sometimes.

No, I'm the same way, dude. Yeah. I'm the same way. I was like, well, maybe he actually didn't ever follow me and we just wrote to each other. Oh no, I told, I'm up that ass, Dan. I fucking love you. I'm deep in that ass.

Your manager unfollowed everybody. The manager you have now? Eva, she's like, hey, you know, we should probably like, stop following like porn stars. I'm like, all right, where is she? She said that? Oh my God, I love that. I respect it, all right, where she said that. Oh my God. I respect that.

You know, like this is why I needed estrogen in my life. You know, I'm just, you know, I'm just like, I don't know. Cause this is my personal page too. It's not just like my band page. I didn't realize that it's like a professional page. Do you still hear from your old manager? Yeah. We're homies Schwartz.

Yeah. Yeah. We still talk. Cause Phil will be there tonight. Oh, cool. Yeah. We're still homies. Um, Steve, before we, we still talk. Because Phil will be there tonight. Oh cool. Yeah, we're still homies.

Steve, before we go, this is the last thing I want you to do. You play this song that makes me cry every time. Makes you cry? It's a really sad song about just you being thankful you're alive or... Huh. What is it called? All My Friends. All My Friends?

No. Oh, I know All My Friends. Which song are you thinking about? I think it's All My Friends. Like I want All My Friends to be happy. You talk about jizz. That's the part that makes me cry every time. Let me move this microphone. What song is it? There's just one song. You're just so thankful. Hey, our single's coming out. Oh yeah. Should we play that? Yeah, we can play that.

Dan can play a lead. Wanna play a lead on it? It's good to practice it. Okay. G? Steven and I wrote a song. I guess that's why we should, I guess we should promote that. Life is Easy featuring Steve Pulse, Galbuta and me, Steve and Galbuta wrote it. We got Billy Strings on it now. It's a gang bang of collaboration. We got Billy Strings. Did Billy write it?

No, me and you did. And Galbuta. He wrote like a guitar lick on it. Yeah, let's play it. The water is poisonous. I love your voice. The government's treasonous. This camp trail's in the sky. I love your voice. I'm burning down the trees to build a new forest Yeah, the crabs in the pot will try to pull you down

And the folks who thought we were friends could start to bum You asked me to put the gears all worked together If they're greasy But if you let it be Life is easy I started it so slow You did, a little bit But it's got...

I kind of like the slow one, isn't it? It's kind of like a little strug now Sing the second verse Okay The heat is horrible The poison's pourable. They got depression on demand and now it's storable. The judge is guilty.

The pinball's tilty. Such a fuckin' pulse line, aren't they? Everything I ever loved's not trying to kill me. Amen, brother. Yeah, the crabs in the pot will try to pull you down. And the folks you thought were friends can start to bump you out but the gears all work together if they're greasy if you let it be life is easy yo the bridge

the TV says the bombs are gonna fall yee haw The TV says the bombs are gonna fall Everybody run for cover from it all And I walk outside the birds are singing a song Take a jam at least. Take a jam at least. Yeah! I don't know if James got nothing on this one. Man, that boy good, man! I don't know if James got nothing on this, bro. Man, that boy good, man. Play Blackbird.

This has been such a treat. Thank you guys so much for being here. What's the last verse say? Um, uh, the heat is horrible. Oh, hold on. The bullies teasing us. No one's pleasing us. They're lighting up the grill and trying to season us But we're all eating up

The shit they're feeding us They're selling us the blood while they're all bleeding us Yeah, the crabs in the pot will try to pull you down and the folks you thought were friends can start to bum you out but the gears all work together if they're If you let it be, life is easy If you let it be, life is easy Blackbirds singing in the dead of night Take these broken wings and learn to fly Life is easy I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, Life is easy. Just like how we rehearsed it.

Dan Rodriguez, Steve Polz, thanks for being my friends and fucking thanks for being on this ride with me, brothers. Steve, never change. Life is easy. Have a good night. You've just tuned into the World Saving Podcast with Andy Frasco, produced by Andy Frasco, Joe Angelhow and Chris Lorenz. Please help us save the world by subscribing and rating the show on volume.com,

Apple, Spotify, or wherever you're listening so we can spread the word and save the world. Follow us on Instagram at world saving podcasts for updates for tour dates, merch, and whatever crazy special event Andy thinks of next. Check out andyfrasco.com. Special thanks to this week's guest, courtesy of our talent booker, Mara Davis, That's Me, or Andy's other mother. Be your best and we'll talk to you next week for another great episode of the World Saving Podcast.