Andy Frasco's World Saving Podcast - Fights, Relapse, and Tour Chaos: The Real Life of Langhorne Slim

Episode Date: April 28, 2026

Langhorne Slim gets real in this one. He talks about getting kicked off a tour with the Violent Femmes after a drunken backstage meltdown, fighting his own bandmate in a parking lot, and the chaos of those early touring days. From there it shifts into the bigger stuff, including addiction, relapse, and what it actually takes to get sober. He breaks down why ambition can mess with your happiness, how fatherhood changes your priorities, and what it's like missing moments at home while you're on the road. There's also a deeper look at the difference between chasing success and actually enjoying the ride, plus how creativity holds up without drugs or alcohol. It's a mix of wild stories, honest reflection, and real perspective on what "making it" actually means. If you're chasing something big or just trying to figure things out.

One thing you learn when you become a parent is that people are fucking lying all of the time. I know, that's what I'm talking about, dude. It's a fucking thing. Like that meme, the Star Wars meme? As soon as I got into the parent like friend group, then you start hearing moms talk real, real. And it would blow. At least for me, it blew my mind. Like right before I was, my partner had a daughter before I came onto the scene.

Give us some dirt. Give us some Nashville mom dirt. I just, I think it's probably universal of just, like, Like, just letting it rip of just like how hard it is, how fucking tired what the kid did made me want to like screw his head off. And you're like, are the like, should I be calling child services or something? And you realize, no, they're just blown off some steam. Wow, here he is. One of the last folk birds of our generation.

Langhorstim. How you doing, buddy? Is that fat? It is now. I'm very curious. You're how. Dude, before Steve Polts left that neighborhood. That whole area.

You had Aaron Ray, one of my best friends and soulmate, kind of. And Pultz and you all in the same neighborhood in Nashville. What did they call that, Little Hollywood? It's funny how so many people feel that Aaron Ray is a soulmate. Yeah, isn't that crazy? Well, who? Well, give me names because I'll fucking find them. Okay, give me names.

You're friends with a couple of them. Oh, fuck. I don't think it's like that. I think actually it is due to the, impeccable soul that she does carry within her physical body. She lived with you. How is that? It's great.

She's one of my best friends as well. I own, I think, one of the most cool, special houses anywhere, which is this little pink house in a part of East Nashville, which I haven't lived for a couple of years. And, of course, here comes the dogs. I love it. I said dogs, don't do it. but don't do it when I'm working dogs.

They don't listen. She was a great, as you know, Andy, and I'm sure the other people that are there, just because you're friends with somebody doesn't make it that it will be a successful living situation or touring situation. And I felt, you'd have to ask her opinion, but I felt we coexisted very well.

Oh, she says you're her best friend. That's good. And she's just a real, just a sweet, sweet, sensitive. beautiful freak of a soul. Oh, yeah. My favorite people. Yeah.

So, you know, I asked her for a little dirt from you, bud. So I have a couple questions from her. Yeah, she's actually got some dirt, so. Your mutual friends, his old bass player, Paul told Aaron

how he almost got them kicked off the Violent Thames Tour for being too wild. What happened? That is true. My drummer took this. There's no lies detected in that. Okay, let's start with this.

One of my favorite bands of all time is the Violent Fems. And when I was first starting and making a record in my early 20s, I wanted to do like pull from like punk rock and bluegrass and country. And I'm there in my friends downstairs studio who I just met, who was recording a record and playing drums. His name's Malachi DeLorenzo. I said, I want to do a record like a violent femmes inspired kind of vibe. And then my other buddy pulled me aside and he goes,

do you know that Mal's dad is the original drummer and the Violent Femmes? And I go, oh, my God, I had no idea. So Malachi, my drummer and dear also soulmate friend, for two decades, his dad played in the Violent Fems, was on all those classic records. So I love that band. We got a chance in the earlier days when we were just a three-piece, me, Paul and Mal, to open some shows for the Violent Fems.

Well, violent femmes, like many bands who have been around for a long time, have some internal drama. Of course. Of course. So part of an element to their internal drama was that, and maybe this is, it struck me back then as a young touring dude. Now I guess I could understand it. We still don't have our own dressing room. Anyway, moving forward. These motherfuckers all have their own dressing rooms.

So your opener didn't have a dressing room because they had three dressing rooms? No, no, no, we still did. We were playing in like casinos and, you know, big fans for us, particularly at the time, you know. So we were put in our room, which was fine, which was great. You know, it was an upstairs little room at this particular show in Atlantic City. So I grew up going to Atlantic City a ton because I'm from a suburb of Philly. My grandparents lived by Atlantic City. That was really fucking exciting. We were going to play a casino in Atlantic City every other weekend. Since I'm a baby, pretty much, I would stroll with my grandparents and my brother through these casinos. So we're going back to AC.

That's a thrill. We're playing, opening it up from one of my favorite bands. There's more people in the crowd than certainly we're used to playing for. So I'm just like in heaven. Well, don't go into the other dressing rooms. Don't go into this part of the backstage

because that's where the violent femmes are. Okay, great, we get it. We know our place. What they did was they gave us endless amounts of Jameson and beer and we all like to drink. Yeah. And so we just, we would finish a bottle and be like, is it possible for us to get another bottle?

They go, of course. So, you know, we played. I thought we did a pretty great job. It was 30 minutes. But we got fucking wasted. Paul has a friend who is at the show and the violent femmes, at least they used to bring up these horn, like people from the crowd and people that brought horns and stuff to play on a song or two. So that one of the dudes was going to play, at least I think what I was told, one of Paul's friends happened to be there and was going to get on stage with the violent fens. So Paul goes drunk off his ass looking for his friend, but like walks across the stage, not realizing what he's doing.

Jesus. Yeah. And. Oh, my God. Jesus fucking Christ. Violin Femm's, you know, tour manager or one of their guys comes up to Paul just like, what are you fucking? doing and Paul drunk off his ass not a guy that likes to be you know all of us had a little bit of an issue with authority and being yelled at I'm a silly I'm a silly yeah I'm a silly yeah yeah and we're

peaceful loving dudes but your instincts kick in and he just like goes after this fucking guy and it turned into a whole mess and then Paul and I wound up getting into a very sloppy fist fight in the parking lot it was terrible it's funny now to look back on so we we drive let me finish by just saying this and I'll shut up. We drive all the way, I think like D.C. is the next day. Heard nothing. You know, it was just terrible. We got into a big fight.

He wound up staying in some awful motel. If you've ever spent time in Atlantic City, there's some bad areas in Atlantic City. He goes and stays at some terrible motel. And we pick him up the next day and I'm just like, I'm sorry, man. I love you. Come on. Let's do it. And we fight and we hug.

And we're in my grandmother's Toyota Camry plowing to the next show with the Violin Fems. And we walk in. and they're like, you guys can't be here. We're like, what do you mean? We're on the show. And they're like, now y'all have been thrown off the tour. Whoa. So we called whoever we worked with and they talked to whoever.

And they're like, all right, you guys, you can do the rest of the tour. You know, which was like three more shows. But like, you got to load your stuff in at this particular time. And when you're done, load out and basically be gone. Oh, they didn't want to fucking see you. They didn't want to see us. They wanted us to do our 30 minutes. I don't even know that the band themselves.

knew or cared about it, but, you know, some other people behind the scenes. Yeah. But that was one of the tales from the early days. So, you know, first off, I'm glad you beat his ass, to be honest. You can't deserve it. Seems like he deserved it. Seems like he deserved it. Seems like he deserted.

But also, you know, you know, like sometimes we take it to the limit. You know, I'm a big drinker, my band parties. And sometimes I have to kind of knock some sense into people. Now that you're sober, how do you approach those same things with, you know, because we all still are passionate about what we do. But now that you're sober, how do you approach that type of dialogue without beating someone's ass? I'm not in those situations as much as I used to be.

And just in case Paul does hear or see this, I didn't say I beat his ass. I threw a couple punches. You didn't hear her if you say I beat his ass. Well, I'll clap to being honest. Andy. Yeah, bud. I think part of the reason I got into music is, that I used to get into a lot of fights,

and I can honestly say, I don't think I've ever beaten anybody's ass. But I definitely tried to beat. I mean, many ass. You know, you are one of the fucking troubadores, man. You are one of the punk rock kids who are, that's what I'm like, my question is like, you know, is it harder to speak your mind now

with everyone just kind of, it's black and white and no one's really hearing inside the gray? Or is it easier for now to really speak your mind about things? So you are such a troubader. You are so inspiring and like you're one of my guys. You, Craigie, Polts, you guys are my guys. And like, tell me about that. I think that for most of us and for artists and musicians and creative people,

you live more in a curious place than the black and white. So now politically, socially, online, so many things are black and white that it hurts. fucking hurts because there's so much nuance and there's so much interesting things that when you're not just like so certain about shit. And so that hasn't changed for me. I've always resented and not really trusted those who come off as being a thousand percent certain. And I gravitate toward people that are that are curious.

Right. And I mean, same, bro. I think it's corny as hell when people know exactly what to fucking do. Like, I wake up in the morning, kind of strung out some nights and kind of wake up on Monday and fucking don't even know how I'm going to exist. But I'm going to try, you know, I'm going to figure out a way to try. You know, what do you feel about the new age music industry? Like when you wake up and what keeps you going and keeps on fighting the good fight, you know, for your words? Well, there's a world of the music industry and the career bit that you understand what I'm talking about when I say. And then there's the world of one's creativity. So those are two totally different worlds.

It's when I'm able to stay in the space of being creative for the love of being creative and playing music, that's like there's a lot of a lot of room to play. when, because I just put out a record and I'm promoting the record and then the ego turns on a little bit and then it's how many tickets are we selling in Chicago and all of this kind of shit then it kind of gets, it can get hairy

because, and that that hairiness is too hairy and it can block you're right. Yeah, there's too much hair. Yeah. And I'm on anti-hair pro hair for those that like to have hair I don't want to get canceled for Sean

I don't want to be anti-hair what I'm trying to say is that's the part that gets me moody and bummed out and all that kind of stuff is when I kind of lock into like I got a lot of ambition and a lot of passion and I've always had that and then I have

like expectations and when I found when I have expectations and I'm putting out a record or going on tour, oftentimes I can feel like I'm not getting where exactly I want to be. And it's taken me a long time to just like, there's no fucking mountain top. Like the, you know, it sounds cheesy, I know,

but like the journey is truly like the part to enjoy. And if I could look back at the 20, whatever years I've been doing, it's like I've been so many places, done so many cool things. But I wouldn't say I really was fully there or enjoyed it. And so there's like, there are these ideas. Well, I do think that we're born into a culture and a mindset that is, I think, capitalistic and is materialistic. And it's difficult to dance between, I think it's great to have ambition.

I just think that the ambition, I can only speak for myself, the ambition can get totally fun. fucked over by these ideas of what it means to succeed or what it means to be to yeah like that's all I wanted to do when I was a little kid like I would be surprised if you didn't get into a little a bit of trouble as a kid yeah I would be shocked I certainly did and yeah just a little and yeah just a little and all I wanted to do was um was travel around with my friends and and play music so like I'm achieving that all the time. But it gets, it goes sideways, I think,

when it's like, well, I haven't achieved enough because I haven't reached this place when all of the while you're in motion and you're creating and you're doing stuff. So it's a weird, it's a weird dance, brother. Hey, guys, it's Andy, and I want to talk a little bit about volume.com. Yes, volume.com.

Our sugar daddy, yes, our sponsor. And we are doing a only, Frasco subscription. For five bucks a month, we're going to have extended videos of the podcast. You're going to have a live stream once a month of the band. You're going to have live streams of us making the new record. So head over to volume.com slash Andy Frasco, subscribe. It's only five bucks. I got a cup of coffee today. It was $7.50. You could just spend one cup of coffee and get all the frasco you want. So head over to volume.com slash Andy Frasco and subscribe. Support you guys. Maybe I'll even pay Nick.

more. You never know. So do you think I wrote this down so I didn't forget it? You think ambition is what causes the expectation to be successful? I think ambition is ancient in us. And the expectation is more conditioned as to what, what then are our ideas of success for ourselves, right? Like, does that make sense? Yeah. I think it does make sense to you. Yeah, definitely. So with the expectations, though, so let's go into your personal life. You know, you're expected to stay sober and then you went into a relapse. How did that fuck with your psyche a little bit?

Bad, bad, bad, bad, bad. Let's talk about it. I, yeah, when you are, when you get sober and then, you know, that's a public thing to my friends and to my family and then to people that know my music and follow along with my career and everything like that. So when you kind of backslide, well, even when I was just first running,

the way that I would drink and do drugs, I wasn't open about it to the extent that I would do it. Like I'm the kind of dude that would drink a bottle of wine and then go meet you for our first drink and then have to go to the bathroom and do. So like that's how I. roll. And then if you have a bag of something, say you got a bag of something in your, in your

tote bag and you go to have a smoke or take a piss, I'm going to take a look at what you got in there and help myself to a little bit. Oh. And not because I want to be a thief, but because I can't help myself. When that is there, it is the, the, what I am fixated on beyond any. So I'm just like, it's out of control. And it's like less vulnerable that way. Yeah, less vulnerable, yeah.

Because if you do it by yourself, you don't feel judged. I would do drugs with friends. And then when they weren't looking or when I thought that they weren't looking, I would take some more of it. And it's like they were already giving it to me. I didn't have to take it. But you're right. I didn't want them to know the extent of my cravings and my neediness for it.

So, yeah, I've had a few Bay members exactly like that. And, you know, it's tough, man. Some people can just turn on the party and turn it off. And some people can't turn off the party when the party is happening. And for you to realize that sometimes you just can't turn it off. And we're all going to fuck up. Like, you shouldn't feel bad, Sean, about fucking relapsing a little bit. At least you're fucking trying, dude.

You know, like, at least you're trying to clean. You learn that the shame of it doesn't help you. And so there are, there are, there are, there are, things that one does, like in recovery to, to help get over that shame and you make amends and you're honest with people and all that sort of thing, which helps. But of course, when you're living with your own little secret and you're lying and you're stealing and you're cheating, there's a ton of shame in all of that. Or to think that you're, if you know you're out of control with something and you still can't

help yourself, there's just personal shame in that. Like, why aren't I strong enough to control these urges? Why can't I just beat this by myself? Because so many of us have tried to beat it by ourselves. And I think if one is lucky enough, I was lucky enough to finally surrender to the knowing that I can't do it on my own. Well, you know, I'm a clap to that too for fucking being, fucking find some help, dog. Let's go.

And relapse is a normal part of recovery. I think relapse is a normal part of recovery. And whether you're an alcoholic or an addict or not, we all need a little help along the way. Yeah. Yeah. Let's not get it twisted. And let's not get it twisted.

Cold turkey anything? Food, pussy, or dick, whatever you're doing, is hard. Food is an underrated one. Literally and integratively. Yeah. Exactly. You talk about shame, you know, like, did you have, you have shame when you say something inappropriate on stage or is like that's different than

you're feeling shameful for or like writing a song in the past when you're thinking somewhere else do you have shame for that or is it just the drug part that you feel shameful oh what do you mean like if i say some you know like do you ever like regret saying anything on stage or regret doing a song? Probably, but I forget what I say when I'm on stage. So I don't know. So the drugs thing, the relapsing. Yeah, go ahead, Sean. The only thing that I could say to that is there are sometimes where I'm saying something on stage and I think that I'm being funny. Yeah. And I'm clearly being sarcastic or telling a joke. And then somebody like two years later is like, oh, that time when you did this thing. And I'm like, but you said it on stage. And I'm like, okay, well, no

fucking idea. But no, I don't feel shame about that, I don't think. Yeah, so why feel shame about relapse in a little bit? Who cares? You get? Yeah? I don't now. I did then, but I don't now. Well, that's great.

Six years ago, and every day, baby, every day. Do you ever still want to just like fucking rip the bag? Just fucking smash a bag? Yeah, I bet, dude. Don't give him a craving, man. I don't know. I'm just asking because I'm trying to understand.

I'm trying to understand because I'm slowly windling down from taking drugs. I'm trying to like slow it down a little bit. All my producers are looking to me fucking crazy. But I am trying to at least slow it down and go to the gym and take care of myself. And like I think that's the first step to trying to get better, right? Just got to execute. Here's the thing. For me it was completely.

getting to the point where I felt broken. If I could do a little bit here and a little bit there, then I would do a little bit here and a little bit there. But yeah, it's just I've proven to myself that I cannot do it. And so when I do it, I get myself into such a place where I'm just

I lose myself, I lose my connection to all that I do it to gain connection, to the divine, to the things that I feel connected to and that I love. And that worked in the beginning and it worked for a while. And I could drink something or take something and that would help my creativity. It would help me chill the fuck out.

It would help quiet my mind and warm my spirit and my heart. And then it totally flips and it gets real fucking dark. So I'm not against drugs and alcohol for those that it works. It's a lovely tool. but there are there's a percentage of us that just can't do it in a way that is that is cute

and at least you're strong enough to a fucking admit it you know a lot of people are even aren't strong enough to fucking admit that they can't do it you know like I'm like that with chocolate

I don't it's like I fucking can't eat sweets dude if I eat sweets I'm gonna eat a whole fucking whole everything mine's potato chips holy shit oh fucking low potato chips

that once you pop you you can't stop things. You know, that totally true for me. That Pringle lifestyle, dog. So, Sean, so tell me about, so tell me about, like, you know, you talk about that finding that divine. How hard was it or how long did it take for you

to find that divine and creativity without being wasted finding it? Not very long. I mean, that was a beautiful gift is that one time I was, I was schvitzing in a steam room with a dear friend of mine who'd been sober for a long time. He's a beautiful artist. and we're sitting there and we're sweating.

And I had this concern that so many have before me and so many will after. And I go, but it's part of that, like, getting so out there that I think helps me write songs and be creative. And he looked me in the eye and said, you're fucking very strange guy. And you will create songs regardless of what substance you're on or not on. And I believed him because he is a strange guy

who I love, my best friend in the world. And he creates things without it. So it was, you know, some people like artists and musicians and stuff have that fear. I won't be able to write or be creative without it. Some people have a fear. I won't be able to talk to the girl or the guy or be funny or whatever the fuck it is. And then what winds up happening is, at least for me, is I stopped. I had the experience of, oh, wow, I just wrote a song that I really like.

And that gives you. little bit of confidence and a little bit of security that, okay, maybe I can do this without without a bottle and whatever else by my side. I mean, that's fucking epic. I mean, isn't it amazing, like the people that, the unexpected people giving you advice about shit like that are like the advice we take the most. Like this guy is like, you know, your friend, but like he gave, he opened you up to saying, hey, I get get out of this like idea that I need something to do something. Randomly in a sauna Instead of like a fucking sauna

Instead of like an intervention A sauna is a great place to get some life lessons But I think that's the stuff that sticks with me Isn't from necessarily an academic perspective But some real life Somebody that's gone through something Has been through something And is sharing from that place

That's the shit that hits I did So fucking I love seeing you in this part of your era You know like I wish I knew you When you were partying But I said no I don't wish I knew you when we were parted.

But, you know, we probably would have to thought. I was a pretty happy drunk on the outside. Yeah, same. When I got home. Yeah. Yeah. What, um, how is like your relationship, like when you're going, how long you've been with your wife now? We've been together four years.

We've known each other for a long time, but we've been together for four years. Yeah. So, um, now that you have a kid and like, uh, you know, congratulations, you have two kids now, right? Or one? Yeah, I've got a nine-year-old step. though I don't like the term stepdaughter, but nine-year-old stepdaughter and a two-year-old son. Mazel tub, buddy.

So how is, how hard, how hard is it to go on the road now more and more, like longer tours or does she understand that? Is it tougher with having a young kid? Do you feel like you're being selfish or how do you, how do you departmentalize that in your brain to follow your path and your dream still? Well, my partner understands completely. and supports completely. I don't feel like I'm being selfish when I'm away.

It's sort of rewritten the script of like this being my career in a sense where I'm like going out, making money to provide. And so I want to be very fucking present and really like put on great shows every night. And I think of my family at home. And so it gives me this extra boost, which is beautiful.

The part that I, don't like one I've also you tour all the time I know I used to tour nine months 10 months out of the year for years haven't done that for a while and I'm definitely brought it down even more since the kids now with the new record out I've been touring and when you got a

two year old two and a half year old they start saying more shit every day I know it's crazy they can take a nap and wake up and they're a little bit taller I mean it's it's wild. So for me, it's like I just wanted to be a musician, you know, for my life and make music. And I also wanted to be a dad. And I was raised by my mom and saw my dad, you know, on Sundays and whatever. And that didn't quite feel like enough for when it was my turn. So that's the part that I do struggle with is being away. And as he gets older, you know, figure.

figuring out how to do that dance where I'm not missing shit. And it's wild to now have something that has reached, if not surpassed, my priorities. But they also go together because I need one to do the other. And they do feed each other if that makes sense. Yeah. Literally, I figured feeding them. Yeah. And that's what I'm thinking.

Like, you know, like everyone talks about the good moments of being a parent. But what about what are something like the difficult moments? Oh, there's so many. One thing you learn when you become a parent is that people are fucking lying all of the time. I know, man. It's a trap. It's a fucking thing. Like that meme, the Star Wars meme.

Yeah. I wouldn't say that people are full on lying, but it's like as soon as I got into the parent like friend group, then you start hearing moms talk real, real. And it would blow. At least for me, it blew my mind. Like right before I was, my partner had a daughter before I came onto the scene. and her and some of the other mom. Give us some Nashville mom dirt. Nashville mom.

I just, I think it's probably universal of just like, yeah, yeah, yeah. Just letting it rip of just like how hard it is, how fucking tired what the kid did made me want to like screw his head off. And you're like, are these, like, should I be calling child services or something? You realize, no, they're just blown off some steam. It's probably healthy.

But it is, whoever made us, you guys, was very, very, very clever because they made the little people, the babies and the toddlers so incredibly cute. And then biologically, they made us, like, to me, there's nothing more beautiful than my son, right? You might see my son be like, that's not that cute of a kid. But to me, like, I could stare at them all day. And there's something so ancient and innate in that, that even when he is, he loves Shrek. so we've been watching Shrek, and I think he learned how to say shut up, because I think somebody says shut up and Shrek, and he's just walking around the house and being like,

shut up, shut up, shut up. And there's a part of you that just wants to be like, motherfucker, and then that other part that is just like, it's also incredibly cute that you're walking around the house. And hilarious. I don't know. And hilarious. Quick break from the interview.

I want to talk about our lovely sponsor. Gardenista. Garden Issa is the freshest, most delicious, ready-to-serve cocktail, and it's unlike anything you ever tasted. It really isn't. It's really nice, actually. It's made with natural ingredients,

green herbs, ginger, lime juice, organic cane sure. I didn't know that it had organic cane sure. That's what I taste in it. I love the jalapino. The jalapeno is nice. A subtle kick of perfectly balanced with premium spirits,

tequila, vodka, or bourbon. You could pick between these green juices having tequila, vodka, or bourbon, which is pretty sick. My favorite is the vodka. vodka one. It feels good with the spice. Tequila's good. And the tequila is my favorite. Yeah. It's only 98 calories. Damn, I didn't know that. It's only 98 calories. Oh, a little skinny bitch over here. Yes, bitch. I'm a little skinny bitch when I drink gardenista. It's 98 calories

per serving and 15% alcohol. Abv's alcohol. Alcohol by volume. Wow. That's strong drink. No wonder. I normally pull it out when I have those 3 a.m. parties after the bars. And it's fucking bomb. It's kind of like a nice talking. Like you feel like I put some ice in it and it's a nice conversational piece. So you could order it at their shop, drink, gardenisa.com. And for listeners of the World Saving Podcast, please use the code Frasco for 20 to get 20% off your first order. That's Frasco, the word for F-O-R-20. I love this shit.

I know you will too. And Jason, who runs the company, is just a great guy. That's not what he said to say. He said, oh, he told us to say. also my best friend Jason has a huge hog and that's true. So grab Gardinista and let them know Frasco and Jason's huge hog sent you. All right, goodbye. Enjoy the interview.

Are you afraid of teaching them some things like as a father? Like they're sponges. So like, yeah. Yeah. Do you want him to be an entertainer? Do you want him to be an artist? Do you want him to do something else? Like, what do you want him to do?

Well, I'm going to give you the answer that everybody, I want him to be happy and I want him to be, I mean, happy. I don't even know what that means. I want him to be, I want him to know who he is. I want him to be secure in himself. And if he wants to play music or do art or anything like that, I certainly feel like I could be a positive guiding person in his life for that. But I mean, the dude is two and a half years old. He does love to sing and he loves to break guitars and sort of play them in a very kind of avant-garde way. Hell yeah.

So, you know, we'll see. I love that, you know. And like, you know, I keep thinking about, do you, you know, after 20 years of you, I, you know, you went to new school, right? No, no, I went to purchase college. Where's that? Westchester, New York. in White Plains, New York. Do you feel like at first you were an entertainer

and then you feel like you had to learn songwriting? Did you always feel you like you were a songwriter? That's good shit. An entertainer first. A natural-born entertainer. Everything else has taken work. Yeah. Yeah.

I got in trouble for it too, but I could get people's attention from a very young age and learn some truth. tricks of the trade, how to make people laugh and the power of that. People relate us together. People relate us together. They knew that we were going to be buddies. Like, I was an entertainer too before.

Writing songs was, it's still the most difficult thing, but I'm learning. Were you like a class clown type? Yeah. What was your, how did you know that you were a born entertainer? I have a memory, which is wild that I do. because I don't have that many memories of a lot of things. But I have a memory of elementary school and there was a girl. I can't remember what was going on, but she was crying and there was something,

something was making her real upset. And I went over to her desk and I have no recollection of what I said or what I did. And she just started to smile and to laugh. And something came over me that was like, holy shit, that is energetically, whatever, that just was such a powerful. powerful feeling that somebody was in tears and then all of a sudden laughing. That's a very early memory of just sort of the power of that, I guess, that I had. But I was always, you know, it was hard to sit still.

I didn't like to be told, probably like yourself, my brother. Didn't like to be told where my assigned seat was or when it was time to eat when it wasn't and learn things that I just couldn't wrap my mind around. And I just wanted to feel connected to something that I thought was higher than what I was experiencing at the time. You know, school was really, really tough. And then I got asked to leave the public school system, which I gladly did. And wound up, I was very fortunate that my mom found this little kind of art alternative school in Newhoe, Pennsylvania. And I went there and I still was getting in trouble.

And then finally something clicked where they... About what? Like what type of trouble? Issues with it. already. Yeah. Issues where, that's my guy.

Issues where in the public school even more so because I did really love and trust some of the teachers and grew to really love and trust the teachers

in the art alternative high school. That place I still have so much so much love for. But there was the idea of like sit and be quiet

and do what you're told because what I'm telling you is the way to go. And if you can't fit into this, then you're dumb. You know, I had a teacher in like fifth or sixth grade. You're going to wind up in jail. Now, it wasn't totally wrong. But there was a lot more to me that could have been seen.

And I was just not wanting to hear. I was not wanting to pick up what they were putting down. I didn't understand it. It wasn't being presented in a way that was, that I could connect to. So what's a kid going to do other than act, you know, act out? And in my case, was to try to be funny. Four times I was angry and tried to fight. So it was all coming out in all kinds of ways.

And then I, you know, found guitar. And then I also found drugs and alcohol. And then I found, you know, girls. And so then as a young person, you kind of, I was going full force at, at all of that stuff and seeing seeing what worked. Music is the one that has sustained me the longest. Girls are still nice too.

I've had a great girl, but... Yeah, yeah. I'll clap to that. The big three. The big three. Yeah. Guitar, drugs, and women. Let's go. Now, Sean, I got a question about

entertaining as a kid. Were you entertaining as a kid because you're lonely and we're trying to make people happy? Or were you entertaining as a kid because you're bored? As a kid, am I entertaining now for the same reasons?

I don't know. Well, it's all that. I mean, I have these existential crises too about like, you know, I'm just naturally good at entertaining. And sometimes I'll go into autopilot. I think within a lot of us, there's a natural, there's a connection to something. It's natural. It's within us. It's been since we were born probably.

There wasn't really another option. It was either like doing this. or, you know, being a burglar or something, at least for me. And I also think that within a lot of entertainers, creative people, artists, there is certainly a loneliness, there is some sadness, there is some discontent, and that's why we are reaching to create things and connect with others through it. So, I mean, that was there as a kid. I just didn't, there were just times I didn't know that I could be okay.

And I wake up often in the morning. And it's, you know, my partner, she gets up in the morning, not to say that she, like, is happy every morning, but she can get up and just kind of get out of bed. I need a good, like, 15, 20 minutes to just, like, deal and, like, get in my body. I fucking love that. And this is after, you know, six years of, sobriety, therapy, lexapro. Yeah.

You know, my life is pretty good. I've got, you know, beautiful kids. You know, it's a lot of, a lot of beautiful stuff and a lot of love around me. But still, I don't always feel okay. So does that go back to like my daddy wasn't around enough? I think that that, I think that there's something in there for sure. It's a lot of Freudian stuff. Yeah, I also think I was born a little odd.

Yeah. and and with like with the with like the knowledge within me even at an early age that that I wanted to make things and I wanted to connect with other people and and just be fucking weird I mean yeah I mean this is why we're doing this we're doing the 1% gig so we could try to be ourselves every day I mean like we could have been accountants we could have been anything we wanted we decided the hard route of like you know like it goes back to that thing of like expectations to get famous versus the expectations of just living who you really are. Well, that's the thing.

When I got in trouble in the art alternative school, I remember they were considering throwing me out. And they're like, you're a nice guy. You're smart. Why do you have to be such a little shit? And I said, because none of this applies to me. I'm either going to be on the beach, like homeless with my guitar, or I'm going to be a fucking big star, you know, and everybody's going to know me. And what I didn't take into account is that there's a lot of gray, like we were talking

about before, a lot of gray zone in between. Yeah. And that there's still so much, that is where the beauty is. Right. And I think it, now I look back at that and I think, okay, so I was already setting myself up for, well, I'm either going to what I consider that at the time being like potentially failing at or succeeding both ends of the extreme and wasn't prepared at all psychologically or emotionally, I think, for having a real life, you know, the realities of what a life in it really is.

Yeah, I totally agree, man. You know, like, I want to go into, like, thanks for being honest, dude. This is great. I hope you're enjoying, you know, sorry I'm grilling you. I'm like, this is what we need. I mean, this is what I want to talk about. I don't want, you know, I know you have a new record and shit, but everyone knows. all that shit.

We don't have to talk about that. I want to talk about you. They'll find it. Now, I want to get to know you. Because, you know, everyone, all my friends are gush about you and how you're the fucking goat. And I want to, you know, I'm learning that you are the goat. And so I was like wondering who. You sure know how to butter up a mouse bog.

I will fucking, I'll hit the gland too if you want me to. Oh, my God. I'll just get in there, dude. I'll just get in there. All right. Good to know. Holy shit. You got a nursing degree.

You got a nursing degree. Yeah. So, you know, talk about these troubadours, these great troubadours. Who are your guys? Who are the ones that you fucking think are, you know, Mount Rushmore? Oh, man. I mean, like some of my early favorites, you know, Dylan, of course. I got turned on to Harry Smith Folk Anthology.

You ever fuck with that? No, what's that? So Harry Smith, this was a, my high school sweetheart's dad turned me on to Harry Smith Folk Anthology. This guy, Harry Smith, went all over and did these field recordings. And so what became the Harry Smith Folk Anthology, from what I've read and been told, that helped to sort of inspire the folk renaissance in the 60s. A lot of these guys were listening to that stuff. Like Maggie's Farm, for instance, is taken from a song called Poly. Farm. I think it's called Polly's Farm.

Oh, wow. Okay. But there's just all this incredible folk stuff that hadn't been heard until this guy put together these collections of just amazing music from churches to porches to farms, all this incredible stuff. So that really blew me away. I loved minor threat.

Still love minor threat. Fuck yeah. Otis Redding, Muddy Waters. All guys with great state's presence. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, Halen Wolf. I mean, if you've ever seen videos of him perform, one of the greatest presence.

So yeah, I always love, regardless of if the music was like soft, as in a sweet song on an acoustic guitar or like minor threat, you know, style, like that all kind of just hit me in a similar way as a kid. It still does. And just like, these motherfuckers are really trying to say something. There's a lot of spit and vinegar in it. There's just a lot of, it all just felt like rebellious music.

I got to set you up with Amigo the Devil in Nashville. You know? Yeah. I know him by Danny. Yeah. I don't know him personally, I don't think, but I know him by me.

That's crazy. You guys would tour. You guys were fucking besties. Yeah, he listens all that fucking metal. And he does a one-man show, and you guys are, you guys are going to be fucking bastards.

Yeah, yeah. What about these guys like Todd Snyder? What do you think about his story and how, it ended. Well, I mean, how it ended. I don't know all the details. I mean, it sounds pretty awful and tragic and horrible. Todd was somebody that I'd heard about a lot.

I'd never met Todd personally. Really? When I, yeah, never met the guy. Wow. But people at shows for years and years, as people say about you to me. Like, you guys must be real tight and you guys must play together and all this sort of stuff. And I'm like, well, I bet him a few times. I've been in your basement a couple times, but I wasn't home.

But you weren't home. Aaron used to live there. Oh, that's right. Oh, the people that have been through that basement and pooped on my toilet. Oh, yeah. There was an open door policy to beautiful traveling freaks. I love it. Yeah.

What the fuck we were talking about? I can't remember. Todd Snyder. Yeah. So when I moved to East Nashville, like 15 years ago, I wound up a couple years after I moved and got to town. I wound up buying the house that you were at. And that was Todd's old neighborhood. Yeah.

And Stop Grounds. And he had left the area before I got there. So there was sort of some, you know, overlap with the two of us, but it never, and then good friends of mine like Craigie and Polts. Oh, yeah. Polts is across the street. That was sick. Yeah. Yeah, the street was crazy.

But, you know, knew a decent amount of his music, just heard, you know, amazing things about his show and all that. But yeah, I never met the man personally. And, of course, was, as everybody, very sad. Yeah, it's tough. To see his life come to an end in the way that it did. Yeah. Yeah. You know, I look at Snyder and I look at Pultz and how, you know,

Polts got through the addiction part and how Snyder was just kept on pushing them back in and pushing them back in, you know, because Pultz is my guy. I mean, I write all my records with him. He's just, yeah, he's my dude. He's my, he's my goat. But also a guy that you work with who, if I'd ever go gay before, you know who it is. Do you know who it is? I don't know who you're talking about.

John motherfucking Craigie. dude. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's my goddamn guy. That could have been anybody really. Yeah, true, true, true. But, you know, we got to give a, we got to give some flowers to the man who is, who's very, dude, that's why I went to your show. I went to both your show. You opened for, or you guys did a co-bill thing at the Botanic Gardens. Oh, sir.

We did a co-bill one, and then I opened for him at the gardens thing. And that was the first time I'm actually watching you, Sean. I'm like, damn, this motherfucker's bad of the bone. And like, you didn't need a band. You were just there fucking dick out, just fucking rocking. I actually did that you asked me if I have any shame about anything and actually taking my dick out at that show I felt a little bit at the Cougar Dan at the botanical gardens at it was a probably wasn't the right move I was just trying to sell some extra t-shirts that night but it didn't it was manipauspalooza over there it was a menopalooza um no but can we talk about you know Craigie and a little bit you know like you know when you got how did you guys get to know each other and talk about how special that man is.

He is special. He's great at what he does. We met at Newport Folk Festival and I didn't even realize how you said you would go gay for Craigie. I didn't I knew that he was a handsome man

but then going on the floor with him and seeing the gays watching him and watching the audience. Gays love Craigie. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, oh, I just mean the gays. He means G.A. Z. E. He said,

I'm my dude, dude. The gays love Craigie, dude. Probably yes, but he means GAZ. Oh, G.A. Z. The gays. It's so funny. I didn't take a poll. I didn't take a survey of, like, who everybody was sleeping with it in the crowd. Oh, that's so funny. I'm like,

that's totally true. That's so funny. I'm sure the gays also are fans. Yeah. But yeah. Handsomeness is. The ladies. And I would imagine some of the men. Also, but, uh, He does a thing that I admire and connect with and love, which is he's capable of dancing in all of these sort of emotional spectrums.

He's hilarious, but also can bring a tear to your eye. The songs are great. So I feel like that guy needs to have a Netflix special. Play-Sap. Yeah. Interesting, yeah. And really put his show in a great little theater and film I'm sure he's either not a bad or...

I think about that. You know, like, you know how you, like, kind of like chips away at a bit? Chips away at a bit? What's your approach at bits and, like, chip it away through storytelling? Or is it, are they all impromptu to you? Do you just like...

It's very different than what Craigie does. Yeah, what's your philosophy on that? So I've toured with Craigie, and I've done some touring with just some, like, stand-up comedians and watching, and Craigie, He doesn't, he does like some stand-up comedian stuff, but it is obviously isn't just that. But yeah, to watch them chip away at it. For me, it's more like something will just fall out of my mouth and it'll feel good or I'll get a response that I like and maybe build that in.

And then I try not to hold on to it forever and never and ever. You know, it's okay when I see. There's one thing seeing people tell jokes over and over again. there could be a rhythm of it that's different. It's still compelling to me and interesting to me, and if the joke is good, it's funny. But if you just have some like banter that you're doing, and it's the same, and you see that person doing it over and over again

kind of gets a little flat. I agree. I agree. You know, sometimes, like, I had this bit going on, what it was about P. Diddy. Like, we have a song called Try Not to Die, so I dedicated the song to P.D.D.D. And I realized, as it got less relevant,

I still was forcing it. It didn't feel right. You know, it's like... Well, you can tell in your body, right? Yeah. When it feels right, when it doesn't. Yeah. If you don't think it's funny, they're definitely not going to be it's funny.

You got any bits that you still think are just awesome? I don't know. Do I have any bits that I think are awesome? Give us a type five. You still awesome. Like, you still do the bit every, you know, you've been doing it for 20 years. You don't maybe not do it every night, but like you'll pull it out. Yeah, I feel a little silly saying.

But one thing that I do say and I've been saying for a while is I'll play a certain song and I'll be like, you know, if you know the song, if you know this music, you know, I'd love for you all to sing along, which some people love and some people hate, of course, because to have the guy on stage being like, sing the song is fucking obnoxious. But I like it when I'm on stage. And if you don't know the song and you're here on like a Bumble date and you're just hoping the night goes fast. and you have a few drinks and you get home and everything goes well and you get lucky.

I say, just sit back and enjoy yourself. And if the spirit moves through you and you're enjoying the song, just make some shit up. That's what I'm fucking talking about. That's great. That's the kind of thing that I've continued to say and try to... I fucking love that. I mean, it's so true, man. I mean, you are true, but you're one of the ones, dude.

I don't want to blow smoke up your ass just because you're my guest. really are. How everyone gushes about you. And now I get it, dude. You're charming as hell, dog. So thank you for your time. I appreciate it. Where do you think that the saying

blowing smoke up an ass, blowing smoke up your ass came from? I don't know. Boofers. That's a really good question, actually. You think people were booing? I use that as well. But boofing, I feel like,

so I've heard, is more of a solo project, isn't it? Yeah. You need someone to blow it in your asshole, though. Like, I've never booved it. Neil, you're... Oh, I don't know. Our producer might have boof something.

Neil, have you ever boofed anything? I don't believe him. I don't believe him. Never boost. Yeah, right. You're the human booth. I thought Boothin was just, like, putting a little something up there. I didn't realize somebody had to blow it up there.

You need a straw. I think it depends on what it is. You got like... I think a powder, yes, but a pill. A pill, yeah. You could... Yeah, or an enema. Anyway.

Yeah. I've tried a few things in my day. but I never had a... I don't feel like I've got some good friends, but... Not really that good. I don't want anyone to touch my ass. Not that good. No. No, I'm gross. I'm like, I'm a walk.

I don't want people fucking deep in that shit. The way I already do it, it's fine. It's working. Yeah, it's fine. I'm doing fine. Buddy, thanks so much for your time. I really appreciate... Al-Assad, tell me about your new record for a second. Sorry, it's... What's it called? Give it to me.

Give me the whole thing. It's called The Dream and Kind came out like two months ago, and we're torn and our booties off. We'll start the second leg next month I don't know when this will come out But we start the second leg in April And we'll be going all over the West Coast You go to Denver?

Be in Denver, is that where you live? I live in Denver, yeah Cool, hit me up, man, I'd love to see you. Yeah, let's hang out. I'm in Nashville, I write all my tunes in Nashville with Chris Galbuta and Polts Let's go fucking, let's do one together Let's do it.

Hit me up anytime, brother. Fuck yeah, dude. I got one last question. You know, yeah. have a stage name. Is that, do you enjoy having a stage name so people don't like really know where to find you? Or like, do you feel like it is like a wrestler?

Like, I love wrestling and I love, you know, what's your take on this? I came up with my stage name Langhorne Slim when I was like 18, something like that. Yeah. And I don't know that I thought that it would stick with me. Yeah, until my late 90s where I am right now. No, dude. But there was something I really liked about, like, hip-hop artists and old blues players. And I really dreamt of having a band and having a band name,

but I didn't have a band in Langhorne, Pennsylvania growing up. So, like, coming up with the name, I enjoyed it, and then I started playing, like, open mics in Philly and in New York City. And I would write down on the open mic, you sign your name in, so I'd be Langhorne Slim. And they called me up. And then people started calling me Langhorne Slim, and I kind of liked it. So it's so cool.

It's a sick name. It's cool. Anything is slim. Langhorne Slim is cool. It's so fire. Dude. Before I even knew you, like some of that songs,

some of your old tunes, I was like, damn, this is a cool ass motherfucker. Yeah, he's cooler than us. He's cooler. I mean,

I'm in the jam scene. I want to be what this guy is. Just for our fans, though. He's playing May 2nd at Bluebirds. Yeah. Well, I'll get you on tour with us,

dude. I think we'd be a perfect tour. Yeah. We would be a great tour. It's like athletes want to be musicians and musicians want to be athletes or some shit like that. Yeah.

I just want, anyway, I just want Nassel to accept another Jew into this community, you know? Oh, come on, man.

The fourth. I don't know how I'm, I'm accepted in certain ways. I don't know. It's weird though, dude. Is that weird? Some of these guys are kind of racist Jews on the song rights here.

Ooh. Hot take. You know, I don't want to name names. I'm about being cool, Andy. It's not the, coolest time to be a Jew, is it?

No, no, no. Yeah, I got to chill out with the Jew stuff. But yeah, I don't think you do have to chill out. It's just we're living in a wild-ass time. Yeah, and I'm not like an Israeli Jew. We're American Jews. You're Jewish, right? Even if you, I am Jewish.

And even if you were an Israeli Jew, you're not part of the fucking Israeli government. Right, right. The same way that... Americans are part with Trump. Exactly. Right. Yeah. So, again, we're talking.

talking about some of the nuance and the gray zone that I think gets lost in the culture we live in. Well, we're going to start a, what do they call that, coalition, Jews for Nashville. Okay. I'll be in it, even though I'm not part of the tribe. We're going to start a union, Jews for Nashville, where we're going to write songs for the country. I'm not chosen, but I'll help you guys out. Well, do, is there any, like, full Jewish jam band? Are there a lot of Jewish?

Every Jew. Every band in the jam band. in the jam scene is Jewish, dog. I didn't know that. Dude, we are... If you're Christian in the jam scene, you're a minority. Yeah, you're...

Wow. So, you're... Welcome home, dog. Come on in. Get in there. That's hilarious. I'll give you a warm blanket. Do you ever do like a Baroca tucker?

I do. And like, just jam it out for 30 minutes. I do the horror every night. We'll do 10,000 people doing the horror. That's amazing. Yeah. Oh, that's amazing. Are there any Jewish jam bans?

It's the funniest question. Dude, that's the breakout. That's the breakout. That's the breakout, probably. One doesn't know the things that one doesn't know. I know. I know. Well, brother, you're going to go on tour. I'm calling my agent.

You're doing, we're doing a run together. Let's do it, brother. All right, bud. Thank you so much, Langhorne. You're the man. Yeah, thanks for your time, guys. Tell your wifey congrats on the baby. Let's go.

Keep staying sober. Keep staying proud of your music and keep just being happy that we're fighting the good fight and doing the 1% stuff that we're supposed to be doing. Back at you, man. Back at you. Hell yeah. Appreciate it. You're making people happy.

Let's go, baby. Thank you. You rule.