Bein' Ian With Jordan - Heaps & Heaps W/ PILE | Bein' Ian with Jordan Episode #163

Episode Date: September 10, 2025

In Episode 163, Boston rock band PILE (singer Rick Maguire & drummer Kris Kuss) join Ian to talk about some of the best punk/rock music of the past few decades, controlling fire with your mind, & Batman Forever. Sub to the Patreon for early episode access and bonus Patreon only episodes/content:   / beinianpod   IAN FIDANCE | WILD HAPPY & FREE | FULL STAND UP SPECIAL:    • Ian Fidance | Wild Happy & Free | Full Sta...   JORDAN JENSEN | DEATH CHUNK:    • Jordan Jensen DEATH CHUNK   Podcast Merch Here!: https://www.coldcutsmerch.com/collect... -Try your first month of BlueChew for free, just pay $5 for shipping. Use code SKA at https://www.bluechew.com -Support the show and get 10 FREE MEALS from Hello Fresh! Go to HelloFresh.com/SKA10FM Follow Jordan Jensen: @jordanjensenlolstop   / jordanjensenlolstop   See Jordan Live! - https://punchup.live/jordanjensen Follow Ian on Twitter, Twitch, and Instagram: @ianimal69   / ianimal69   See Ian Live! - https://punchup.live/ianfidance Follow PILE here:   / pilemusic   Buy PILE's new album Sunshine and Balance Beams here: https://pile.ffm.to/sunshine See PILE on tour! - https://pilemusic.com Please RATE, REVIEW, and SUBSCRIBE to Bein Ian with Jordan on all platforms! Produced by: Ethan Dupree   / e.dupree   Edited by: James Webb   / thechicagopro   Intro song: “Bein Ian with Jordan” by Wesley Schultz and Ian Fidance Outro song: Title Holder “It Doesn’t Matter” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Telling jokes and having smokes Riding bikes all through the night It's a wild ride When you're being in Coffee ice no matter what Now you know he likes it in the butt It's a wild ride When you're being in

Being in Life is shit with you're positive Let's find out what it's like to live Alight Being in Being Ian With Jordan I haven't

I've been I was good That was good Welcome back to another episode of B and Ian without Jordan. She is on assignment. I don't know where she is. I think she's desperately trying to get her YouTube page back. Jordan's YouTube page got nuked.

Why? What happened? I think she, like, advertised some, like, mushroom thing that's, like, not allowed for some reason. Apparently it's, like, an illegal drug that she promoted for something like that. Yeah. So it's, like, completely nuked. So she's on assignment, desperate. banging down the doors of YouTube

and the algorithm. But in the meantime, I am here holding down the fort, and I couldn't be more excited. Where to go? Where'd the album go? Oh, it's right behind you. Oh, yeah, good call. We've got the great pile on with the new album, Sunshine and Balance Beams,

Rick and Chris. Thanks for having us. You guys don't sound as excited as I am. Well, no. I mean, no. More enthusiasm. Yeah. I don't know. Do you want me to match you? Yeah. I feel like that.

I've listened to the show. I've seen the show. I don't know if that's possible for me. I'll do my best. Well, thank you. I appreciate that. I'm glad you guys are here. You made the trip from East Providence.

That's incredibly kind. Thank you. Yeah, I took the train from Boston this morning. Really? Even further, yeah. Oh, my God. Yeah. Well, I would like to give you a gift.

One toothpick. from Zippix which sponsors your show it's a nicotine toothpick oh I'll try there you go Rick would you like I I it's rude if you say no okay all right dude I've been sucking on these guys and they've been helping to not smoke all the time that's why but then I go and then I take it out and I go I got I got the I got the little spike in me I got to satiate myself with some real nicotine I see. So you double-dip, kind of.

Oh, so, yeah. And doubling. Yeah. Get ready. We're going to suck fucking rip six. Get ready, Chris. Cristobald. Nice.

Oh, you got to hold the mic up to your face. Got you. Dude, it's so funny. Musicians never ever get the, they never hold the mic up to their face. This guy knows better. I'm a drummer, so I have a little mic anxiety at times. You should be like, um, fuck, what was that band? with the singer

there was a drummer they had that song you know they had that song Phil Collins no it was like that they had like a one hit wonder not dead I dick fuck I'm not gonna know what this band is

I used to listen to them on 937 WSTW in Wilmington Delaware oh shit yeah yeah I also there's that band Squid they're like a they're occurring band on Warp. Drummer of lead.

Drummer singer. Fuck, it was like a really annoying song. You should be like that guy. Sick, sick. Annoying, yeah. I could try. I could try. Dude, this is going to like bother me forever, but I'll figure

it out like six months and then like let you know. All right. So your guy's record is coming out in two days. I'm fucking stoked. And then you're going on the road for three months, which is wild.

My buddy's band Haywire went on the road for a hundred days, a show every day. Which is crazy. In a van, did all their own merch, all load ins, load outs, all places you can drive to. I mean, dude, yeah, they picked up gigs in every state

and, like, we're cobbling it together. Like, oh, shit, we forgot Delaware. And then they picked up Delaware, like, two days out. And by the end of the tour, they had to move venues to get bigger cap venues. It was like the lead The legend of the band was, like, growing along. Now, you guys have been around for 15 years, longer.

We've been playing together for about 16 years. Right. And are you guys doing vans, or do you guys have, like, a bus? Or do you have, like, a band camp? Like, what's a... We got, we got a van. We got six of us in a van. Four people in the band, front of house, merch.

We did do one of those tours, 70 shows, 69 days. Good. We did not do... God. That in 2015. Yeah, yeah. And it was wild because I personally felt like when we got back. It was also a thing where we did that, came home for 10 days, went out for another two weeks, came home for three days, and then went to Europe for the first time.

And by the end, I felt insane. But the end of the first tour, that was 70 shows and 69 days, it felt like... How many days? 69. You know. For those you know, 69. each other. That's your cue.

That's your cue. That's a word of the day, folks. So at the end of the tour, were you guys like, because, hey, why, I was with them on one of their last dates, because I have this travel show called Ian Do, an odd guy doing odd jobs. And I go and I do jobs with people. They teach me on do their job,

and I do it. This weekend in Chicago, I'm canine training. I'm going to a facility to train canine police dog security dogs and show dogs for competitions. They have, like, those courses. anything. I can't wait to wear that suit and get tackled by a German Shepherd. It's going to be amazing. So I rodee for them and dude, it like it gave me such a profound respect. I respect musicians and bands but like the work you guys put in is so like under the radar of what it

takes to load in, load out, just carry the burden of like every single aspect. People just show up and they see you guys play and they don't see everything that goes into it. And by, dude, middle of the day, I was like, I can't do this anymore. You know, we were talking about it on the drive down and just talking about how, like, talking to members of your family about it,

that's like, they don't understand. They think that it's like, oh, well, you get to play to people every night and that, and they like you. Yeah. And that's, so don't complain. Yeah. But it's the, it's really the everything else that, yeah people just don't understand how hard it is to be constantly be in a different place

the loading in the loading out sitting in a van not only that but dealing with the worst level of autistic sound engineers that at every venue they for some reason 9.999 out of 10 percent of sound at New Jerseyers are like the most touchy dicks ever I don't know what that's about you've experienced that over the years we've fortunately lucked well not luck but planned into having a consistent good sound person. Oh, where do you bring your own? Huge. Yeah, yeah.

Game changer. It is. Even like when we have done the live podcast, it's like they're the most touchy, like, oh, I, we've got it. And then it turns out, you don't got it. Oh, yeah, yeah. And New York is pretty bad.

Oh, yeah. In my history as a drummer, me and sound people, we are at odds. Yeah, I've seen it. You don't look like the type, but have you thrown some fistic cups, So you got some wide wrist So you can pack a punch,

It's not quite that vibe But it's just as a New York in particular They always want you to use the house kit Yeah Which is I've learned that that can be okay But I also know that oftentimes it's very bad Yeah

So I bring my kit And I've argued with many sound people About setting up a drum set What do you think that is? It's like, dude, One common thing in music is sound The sound guys always suck and German fans are the worst.

It's like, what is that commonality that exists? I think it's like just a weird level of directness that just is completely unnecessary in communication. Yeah, I mean, and the German thing, it's not that they're the worst fans, it's the most disorienting reaction. Yeah. It's like, we find that with foreigners too.

Like when there's a crowd of all foreigners, it's like there's something law. in translation between like emoting and like enjoying they their reactions are so skewed and and then like at the merch table they'll be like I enjoyed it better last time I will take an M shirt yeah yeah it's a coldly critical yeah assessment of the of the whatever you've just done yeah all right cool the fifth song was not so good but the seventh song was good maybe considered not drinking before performance. My friend was playing out in Germany and knew, like, I guess, there was someone there that came

up to the merch team was like, uh, your set was good. The third song was, okay, the fourth song I didn't really like. And they were just listening like this. And he was like, I'm just fucking with you. I'm from Philly. You all were great. No, that's awesome. Shout out Philly.

That's great. That rules. Yeah, it's so weird because, I mean, music like you get I mean both like the energy is so important in carrying a show and if there's a couple people I know for comedy that are off it'll fuck the energy up in the whole room

and a lot of times it's city clubs you know like I'm very fortunate I've like carved out my own audience so like the people that come to see me no foreigners but I in the in the city it's like very touristy so it's very like people coming from Europe and it's like dude the fucking

European foreigner I hate them so much It's just so like I do not get And you're like god damn it Just fucking try Yeah yeah I mean we don't deal with it so much

Have it being Like we're playing so like yeah It's very few options to interject Yeah exactly I feel like I mean when you're telling jokes You're like looking for a response Oftentimes when we play Which is like

Maybe to our detriment At times Like, we kind of turn inward and, like, are playing to each other. Yeah. So it's like, this is just to be observed. Yeah. You know, and some people get into it, and they're, like, I feel like more so back in the day, people would, like, move around and be, like, have some, like, celebratory aggression, but.

Well, that guttural yell on don't touch anything, that makes me so excited. And I can imagine that, depending on what's happening, can have more of a visceral. Well, it's kind of. fun because it's either our people are into it and then they're all in it together or they're not into it and then it's also fun because it's just like i still am going to do that yeah and it's a little bit more confrontational yeah so it kind of it's it's a way of hedging my bets well the way you said sometimes you guys will just look at each other reminded me of um stevie nix and lindsay buchingham in the live performance of silver spring have you ever seen that i have not oh dude do you know silver springs

by Fleetwood Mac? Not by name, but I'm terrible with names. It's a song Stevie Nix wrote about her breakup with Lindsay Buckingham who was a guitarist of Fleetwood Mac. And it like cuts to the soul. Like she's a line that's like, I could have loved you, but you would not let me.

And while they're performing it at their reunion show, she's singing it at him, staring daggers because it's about him. And then I just imagined you guys doing that together. But I I've been making me and my friends in my group chat laugh Because I had a secret thing with a guy My age my age from 11 to 22 I have to say my age

But it's so funny to imagine me singing that song about him We even talked in a decade Anyway so you guys excited about the new album Oh yeah Dude, you got to watch Silver Springs. They said their songs are just, like, about the tour bus and stuff, but it's just, like, it's coded, so they're just singing to each other. Huh?

In our version. Yeah, on their version. Oh, yes. About the tour bus. Yes. We did have a song that regularly had a section where Rick would change the lyrics every time. Oh, that's fun. Still do.

Often, yeah, oftentimes, like, singing about our guitarist or whatever happened to be happening was going on. Yeah, whatever's happening. Do people pick up? on that? Do you see people be like, yeah, but I feel like you didn't know until like we had been playing the song for like eight years. What is this? A Marlowe? Do you like one? Marlboro Red? I'll try one.

You've never had one? No, no, I'm just kidding. Oh, you have your own pouch right there. Yeah, I very, very rarely ever will smoke a Taylor made so bad. I love corrupting the youth. Yeah. You need a light? Yeah. Oh, no, I'm good. Who's the old guy on the cover of which good boy

I don't know that's the name of the album right dripping dripping why did I say good boy's a song baby boy baby boy god damn it oh I was thinking about what I like to be called in the bedroom anyway

you don't know who the old guy is I don't know who you find him my girlfriend at the time just drew it and our guitarist was like that should be the album cover oh no shit yeah because I was talking to my friend Mac in this being Cosmic Joe They're the shit.

You guys should check them out. Shout out. And we were talking about you guys. He's like, dude, the fucking album with the old guy on it. I was like, I got to ask him who that is. And it's funny. He's no meaning. No meaning at all.

Yeah, a lot of people think it's William S. Burroughs. It may or may not be. I doubt it. Yeah, I don't think so. She would draw people on the street and people in daily life. Yeah, yeah. I mean, it was based on some photo, but I've never seen the photo. Got you.

When she would draw people on the street, she'd take a photo. and draw it or just like in that moment I feel like you would know better than I would I think it I think more in like daily life just like draw them yeah sitting at a cafe kind of thing I'm always afraid of that

like I'm always afraid of being in a viral video of like some artist being like I drew this of you and it's like the most grotesque like balding you and I'm on video side to be like oh thank you oh my god thank you so much oh dude last night um I was have you guys

ever been to Veselka? No. If you get a chance, you should go. It's incredible Ukrainian food, great pierogues. The cold borsh. But I was there last night, and this guy recognized me and came up to say hi, and he was like, Mr. Feinberg, huge fan. And I just had to eat it.

I just had to be like, yep, thank you. And so now I'm Feinberg. It's me. Yeah, it's me, Feinberg. Heisenberg's cousin. You didn't feel comfortable correcting them It was like in passing And then a part of me was like

Is he fucking with me? But I've also gotten Feinberg before Which I don't know like What that disconnect is But I mean would you If someone was like Hey I love your band Palleli Or whatever

Peel I guess I would just let it go So Yeah I had to eat it At a show the other night This guy came up I was selling T-shirts at a show And the t-shirts are $30

And he was like Hey, can I get a T-shirt in large? It's like, yeah, sure. And he was like, I got a 20. And I was like, oh, and he was like, keep it. And I was like, dude, I guess. But he had like a weird thing. And that was like, I'm not going to engage.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Take the hit. Yeah, this guy had like kind of a lumpy head and a girl that looked like he stole her from a renaissance fair. So I was just like, okay, get go. Thank you. I'm Feinberg. You know. Yeah.

I feel like with the band name Nobody wants to Assume that it's regular old P-I-L-E So it's a lot of that explanation Really? People like Pyle How do you spell that? Like the way that you've always spelled it

Yeah I keep I keep I've said Pyle along before I'm like That's not right That's not right Yeah, yeah So you guys have been playing music for 16 years And what like You started in the Boston area

Did you ever play the Middle East in Boston? Oh, yeah. Great venue. Our first, that was our first show that wasn't a basement. Hell yeah. The first time I actually played a show with Rick. We were playing two separate acts, but. No shit.

How did you guys link up? We worked at Trader Joe's together. No way. Really? And you're still wearing the shirt. That's so nice. Oh, damn. You're in the Sunday home, bitch.

Damn, so you worked at Trader Joe's and you were both playing music? You're like, let's just fucking go. Well, I was in a band. That band broke up and I was like, I kind of want to start something else. And our friend, Lindsay Boss, was like, Chris plays drums. And then we jammed and it was great. Yeah, right from the beginning. When, at what point did you quit Trader Joe's?

February 15th, 2015. Yeah. I love that. I was shortly before that. He got fired because he was late. But I was a way worse employee. Yeah, it's true. Did you have like a big like, fuck you, I'm leaving or was it just like quiet quitting?

I, no, I gave my two weeks notice three months in advance. What? I was because we were about to go on that long-ass tour I was talking about. And I was like, I'm just going to live in the practice space. I'm out of here. So I just, I remember the last day of work. It was a blizzard. and no one was coming in

and like who wants to leave early and it was my last day and I was like I'm out of here Hell yeah And uh Did you take a mango and spike it on the ground What I used to do My favorite story to tell is when customers were shitty to me

I would uh Because shitty customers always bought bananas Not everyone that bought bananas was shitty But I Whenever they would Buy bananas and I would put it in the bag I would squeeze the shit out of them

Yeah Just to get my Revenge. Yeah, yeah. Good for you. It backfired, though. It did backfire. He tried, well, you tell.

Well, someone bought nothing but a frozen pizza. They were an outlier. They didn't have bananas. So you put a broken banana in their bag? Well, I tried to break their pizza. Shut the fuck up. But I hurt my hand. What?

Yeah. You broke your hand on a dejoino? I didn't break my hand. No, no, no. It's the Trader Joe's version. Yeah, exactly. Trader Geotas. Yeah.

That's right. Yeah. I used to hustle people for. drinks at this bar called duffers there was a one of those punch machines and i had like the high record and i would always win and uh one time like you you punched it and this guy i i would always because i'm like a little guy i was like hey if you beat me in the punch machine let let's uh punch for drinks they'd always be like all right and i'd always win they'd have to buy me a drink and one time this guy was like all right and he slapped it which is like cheating he's like you

owe me motherfucker and i was like oh okay yeah no no big i got you so get him back i hawk to Lugie and his core is light and I was like here you go for you brilliant yes yes that was my version of our revenge squeeze and bananas yeah sweet revenge sweet sweet sweet revenge yeah I really showed him blacking out and waking up in the parking lot that night nice lessons learned do you guys party on the road less these days yeah historically we did we did But we're getting a little older. How old are you guys? Long in the tooth.

40. Yeah. I'm turning 40 on this upcoming tour. Nice. When? September 5th. Ooh. Scorpio.

No, I don't know. Yeah, we're both going to have a birthday. I'm September 1st. He's the 5th. Oh, that's cool. I'll be in the middle of nowhere for my birthday and we'll be in Seattle for years. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Nice.

Where, do you know, where for years are? Just think North. Dakota maybe nice dude I played I played Wapiton North Dakota once I've never even heard of that dude I know it was crazy it was it was in the it was like February 2015 and it was so cold coming out of the hotel my snot froze in my mustache classic it was gnarly and they were it was a couple years so did you ever hear boomtown it was like 2008 when they developed horizontal drilling and so it was like another oil boom and they created in the these like dead field areas they created these towns that they called boom town because of this renewed oil boom and they had these man camps and they had three to a three to a dorm and they needed so much work that they were just hiring without background checks like hiring felons and like crime it was like the wild west so they built up all these towns huge commerce economy and when i got there in 2015 it was like falling out of favor and so i talked to

to these people after shows, and they're telling me about this. Like, yeah, the town's kind of turned into a ghost town now after nobody planned for this to ever end. And it was just like the most desolate, like depressing area. But these motherfuckers are so rich

from working these jobs. They make like $35,000 in like two weeks, just like in the oil fields. 18 years old, it was crazy. Damn. Yeah. That makes for a wild culture. Yeah. Oh, dude. It was not. So many kids were dropping on a high school at 18 to work in the fields that they started incentivizing if you go to college, we'll pay you.

And it was just like all these young, dumb kids driving like $35,000 trucks, just like burning coal running down the road. It was gnarly. And all these people were like dying because I would get the job. You'd get hired and I'd train you. And then you'd get hired, you'd train him. And then down the line, it was just like safety protocols. calls were out the window and then people would just die because they like down the chain of command it was just like yeah you just do that and then figure it you know what i mean damn

neglect yeah so hopefully you're not in old boomtown no we're playing in fargo which this will be the oh that's cool yeah our first time in the dakota is playing nice yeah i've always wanted to go to fargo just for that movie and then say we can take care of it in brainard yeah i've i've there's a few states still that we haven't gone, so I'm excited to, like, play in a new state. Yeah, yeah. I haven't played Wyoming, Alaska, Hawaii, or South Dakota.

I think that's the same for us. Oh, really? Oh, cool. Nice. I've always learned to play Hawaii. I mean, of course. Yeah, sounds awesome. I know.

Getting our gear over there sounds challenging. Whatever. We just borrow whatever. Who cares? Yeah, true. What's the worst airline for gear travel? you're like nightmare stories and I'm just breaking guitars

and be like oh sorry no we've been pretty fortunate I mean there was going to Europe even going to Europe we did have that one situation with Becker where he

cursed out that guy in Spain yeah it didn't start until what was that 2022 yeah yeah that we ever had any issue with that yeah it was pretty good until then

I don't even remember what that was I don't remember what it was and do you remember what he said said to him. You said eat shit. You fucking, was it, was it eat shit, you fucking fascist? Yeah, you thief, maybe.

Oh, you fucking thief. Yeah, that's exactly what it was. Because he was trying to charge us for, like, extra for baggage or something. Yeah, and it was, like, very, I kind of, he was just, like, pretty smug and pompous about it and trying to negotiate it. And it was just a pain in the ass.

And Becker, our old guitarist, was with us on this trip. And he, you could just feel his energy behind. And then he just sort of fucking out of nowhere. You almost like jumped over somebody to, like, get in this guy's face. Oh, I love it. Dude, nothing beats exasperated, like, phrasing of your feelings in that moment. Yeah. Like, whenever I do it, my voice raises an octave.

Like, other people have feelings. I'm like, what am I talking about? I got banned from a comedy club. And I got into. who was like the owner and then there was a sign that was like club waters for club comedians only I went back in and got a water he goes hey you don't work here anymore put that water down I went water is a human right just like marched out and I'm on the street like what the fuck am I talking about yeah we fortunately we're a relatively calm crew so mostly yeah we don't come into a lot

angry situations. What comparisons have you guys gotten for like, oh, you guys sound like X, Y, and Z? Because you mentioned you, oh, but for cursive. And I was like, you guys, and I mean this in a good way. I hope it's so insulting. But you guys remind me very much of, like, Cold World Kids meets cursive in, like, the best way possible.

Okay. Because I love those bands, and I feel like it's very much, like, kind of that feel. Is that insulting or is that, like, a, I don't know much of Cold War Kids. No. And I didn't know much of, cursive before touring with them.

I had known the ugly organ and I thought that record was cool but it was just that it wasn't a band that stayed on my radar and then through touring with them it was just awesome and I was like man this is a really good fit dude they're great they have a song called red handed sleight of hand

oh yeah just like oh my god that was like my song crushed live too oh I bet really great our father who wanted heaven see me from the wreck I'm about to adrenaline I was gonna get that tattooed on my collarbone when I was younger I think that's too many words. I get a bigger chest.

Smaller font. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Tiny, tiny font. Size eight, please. For when everybody's real close. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Intimate moments only. Who do you guys get compared to the most in, in like, a kind way and an insulting way?

Well, I mean, I remember, like, playing a show and someone be like, you guys remember me the foo fighters. Whoa. And I was like, I mean, but at that, I don't think that we sound like that band, but I don't, I also was like, all right, cool. Maybe this guy really likes the food fighters, and this feels like a good comparison. So I feel like it kind of ranges from, there's like a bunch of stuff.

Yeah, we don't have like a direct line influence in that way. So people, we get kind of across the board stuff. You know, especially with Rick playing, you know, it's starting with more solo guitar-based stuff. And, like, he also plays solo a fair amount. Like, there's a lot of parallels to songwriters that, like, the band as a whole doesn't sound like Neil Young, but maybe some of his songs will fit that bill. Is that one of your guys, Neil Young?

Big Ten. When I was in the woods, I was listening to Neil Young looking at my fire I built. Oh, man, that sounds like a dream. Dude, for those of you at home, I was in the woods. Everyone I told I'm going to the woods. It's like, cool, who are you going with? I go alone, and they go, are you all right? I'm like, I never been better.

I figured out not taking my meds Really gives me clarity Nice I'm on my meds But yeah it was amazing I woke up with the sunrise on my last day there And I built a fire in the morning I watch the sun come up over the valley And I just played Neil Young

Harvest Moon and Everybody knows that this is nowhere And then a bunch of like Fleetwood Mac and Skinner And I was just like sitting there Just like chain smoking entertained by a fire and I was like this fucking rips Yeah

Fire is an easy thing to be entranced by Yeah great way to spend four hours Dude well at one point I am not afraid to admit I did try to control the fire With my mind Oh I sat there and I was like if I concentrate enough Move

Move and the fire didn't listen But you gotta give it a shot sure yeah why not Yeah especially when you're alone Yeah yeah yeah yeah You could have said that it did, and we know one would have known. Or I could have not broadcast it to hundreds of thousands of people that I tried to move fire with my mind. What are you going to do in the woods? You know?

That's true. Try a little. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, but Neil Youngman, I always had a thing where secretly, like, I, every girlfriend I've ever had, I've had this dream of putting on Harvest Moon and dancing with them in my kitchen. And every girl I've tried that with has been like, what do you do? doing.

I'm like, don't worry, I'll find the one. The one that finds Neil Young Romantic. Yeah. Oh, yeah, and I was also jamming out to Warren Zvon, too. You got Zivon heads or no? I haven't listened to much. I wouldn't say a head. Man.

Maybe like a neck. Come on, guys. Oh, Zivon's the best, man. I love him. His book, I'll sleep when I'm dead, the dirty life in times of Warren Zivon. If you're looking for a fun read about a guy that it'll make you like really interested in him in his catalog. If you have like a little taste

to him, it'll really satiate you, but that sounds cool. Yeah, the narrative helps sometimes just like knowing someone's story. Yeah, for sure. Yeah, we were just, I was just having a conversation with somebody he was talking about. I mean, he was talking about Bono's book, but how it just opened him up to

a world of music that he was never interested. That's wild. I've never they're one of those bands that I'm like, I just don't get it. and they're huge, but I've never met someone who's like, I'm a Bono guy. They make it real hard these days.

Yeah. Like, I mean, I think they're not doing themselves any favors. No, by injecting them all into our iPhone. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

That was fucked up. Remember, do you remember what, like, the press release said from Bono? It was like, I just feel like it's like punk rock, very in your face. And I was like, yeah, working with Apple.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. To make sure that every single person that has their product has your album. Right. The, the number one. tenant of punk rock right absolutely yeah no choice yeah we all know i do i will say i forget there hug me kiss me thrill me please me or whatever on the batman forever yeah yeah yeah that was a killer soundtrack that was a killer soundtrack i had that shit on cassette yeah yeah yeah me too

one of the most referenced soundtracks in my life i think yeah i feel like whenever talking about classic soundtracks from the 90s that comes up well dude speaking to soundtracks yesterday was 11 years since Robin Williams died. I saw that, yeah. So me and a friend rode our bikes into the city and I keep a boombox on my bike because loud pipes save lives. You got to let the motherfuckers know you're coming. Absolutely.

So we put on the Aladdin soundtrack. Oh, nice. And I was going down the bridge and this motherfucker was coming up in, coming up towards me on my side going down the bridge. And I, we, we collided. And I'm like, yo, what the fuck are you doing? And there's no sign for which way to go And they got a blunt hanging out of their mouth

And I'm like, yeah, there is And then they're like, no, there's not I've never done this before And that's when I went from like anger mode To like, okay, well here's what you got it And I like showed them which way to go But while it's happening You've never had a friend like me is playing

So it's just like Wee-Wat-Wat, wah, wah, wah, wah, wah, wah, So what a beautiful New York moment. Yeah, yeah, truly. Anything can happen here. Yeah, you can make it here, you can make it anywhere As long as Aladdin fuels you Absolutely

Breaks down the barriers too Dude, I feel like sound, I was I'm still into like soundtracks and scores Like the 48 hour score With Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy is incredible Oh, okay, I don't listen to that Yeah, and obviously like my favorite is Ghostbusters I feel like that fuels a film so well

But have you guys ever been asked to be a part of like a soundtrack Or scoring movies? I wish Yeah. Yeah. You did a little. I did a short film once, and that was really fun. You acted in it?

Well, I did that as well. I did like, but that was a long time ago. But I did a, like a score for a short film. Yeah. And then I did another one. They were like, hey, so can. And it's always, it's always like, hey, can you do something that's like Philip Glass? And it's just like, I mean, probably not.

But like, I'll try to. It's like, you just like. You just like that song. Yeah. And if you want me to try to do something that sounds like that song, it's just going to sound like that song. We need Hans Zimmer meets Danny Elfman. Yeah. And so I did it.

And then I was like, and I admit, because I think it was kind of annoyed by this particular project, I totally fucking phoned it in. Really? And then he was like, it's not exactly what I'm looking for. And I was like, that makes sense. Let me give it another shot. And so I that I actually tried. And he was like, I don't really like this either. And I was like, all right, well, let me know what you want.

And then I just never heard from him again. So I got half the money And then I was like I think that I'll just take half the money And I never followed up with them Really? Yeah, yeah Is the film out? I don't know

Like really never followed up with them Yeah, yeah I assume Yeah, I don't know I assume they just found something else Well me and a buddy wrote a film And we're working on funding now Oh yeah

You guys are up to being in a film Sure to being in a film Take it easy Okay I I mean, I wasn't volunteering. We'll put you through some auditions. You're nice.

Cass, it won't get back to you. I understand. No, no, for the soundtrack, we're going through and like picking songs, but the, the budget is, it's just, like, having to be reworked and reworked. Like, it's very hard to find funding for films right now, but we are very excited. A lot of good things are happening, but nice. But, yeah, I find soundtracks aren't as important to film. as they used to be. I mean, I almost disagree.

I feel like they're still depending on the film, but like... Just to clarify here, are we talking soundtracks or we talk in scores? Oh, well... Because if we're talking, because back in the day, it was like soundtracks. Yes. Like we got Godzilla where it's like kind of all the same songs that you know, but they've got like Godzilla screeching in the background and that's what makes it exclusive to that movie.

But now there's not like... And it was like, that was when, like, CDs were a thing. So it was like, that was what they sound like. Well, dude, one of the best soundtracks I felt was Can't Hardly Wait. That was, I remember that being a really big one. Yeah. That was a lot of soundtrack. That's why I feel like now currently, like, scores or whatever, I don't find there as many, like, incredible scores as they used to be.

But it's, it just seems like there's, like, in Transformers, there's no, like, real, it's just, like, sounds a little bit. Yeah, yeah. But, like, soundtracks, I don't find to be. backbone of films the way they used to be. It definitely felt like that that was like a companion to the release of the movie. I mean, this soundtrack and score to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is like a character in and of itself. That is true. I mean, I also have a very special place in my heart for that movie.

They're re-releasing it in theaters. Are they really? 17th and 18th of August. Oh, shit. Oh, yeah. Before we leave. That's why they got fucking Ninja Turtles and Hello. kiddie at McDonald's

Yeah, why is this Dude, that that opening That first of all, it's just like When the New Line Cinema comes up, that to me is like, it just holds this like just this visceral memory in my head And then the like,

kind of like oboe or like bamboo Playing of like them on the streets Like stealing the wallet And then it seamlessly goes into the Dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun It's perfect. It's true. I think that was like the first movie I saw in the theaters and it was one of those like got the VHS and it was I think now if I watch it even however many years later it's like I know the cadence oh yeah I rewatch it the other night yeah it's incredible nice but that that was a film that like elongated its relevance through the cartoon just like Ghostbusters and real Ghostbusters I don't know like what I was a film that like what

I can't even think of, like, a good recent movie that could translate to also, like, a cartoon. Maybe I'm wrong, and I just don't see enough films. I don't know. What do you think? Superman? Yeah, they're making Marvel movies left and right. They're...

Yeah, but those are, like, slop. Yeah, and the cartoon was, like, a classic. They're not redoing the cartoon. I wonder, though, because... I don't know when you first saw Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I'm assuming you were very young. Oh, yeah. I wonder how kids now would feel about that.

I saw Marvel movies being like, this is incredible. There's all these superhero movies coming out, like, every year, and they're great, and they hold this special place for me. Yeah, but I feel like because Ninja Turtles was, like, one, two, and then three was kind of whatever, and then it just disappears. You hold on to it more because you don't have as many, like, things to grab at, and then now they just come out so often, I feel like it gets lost in the sauce. Yeah, fair enough.

Or maybe I'm just, like, a sucker for, like, nostalgia. but I feel like if you have too many of something, you don't appreciate what is out there. I think both can be true. Yeah. Yeah, I'm inclined to agree. It's like, there's an insane amount of media being made. So it's like everything's diluted by just overwhelming amounts.

Well, that's that I think I talked about it on here before. Forgive me if I did out there. But like the idea of nostalgia, like they're very like ephemeral like things that grab on to in our minds of like nostalgia going back to like TV and film and music of when we were growing up. But now since there's so much media and there's such a quick turnaround,

I wonder what nostalgia will be for like kids and like teens growing up now. Like and maybe I'm just disconnected from like the entertainment that's going on. I'm just an old man yelling at the clouds and like you know, oh there's

nothing really but I really wonder like what the fuck kids are going to grab onto is like a nostalgia thing yeah memes and 30 second videos i guess yeah yeah i wonder if it'll just be like embedded in certain like nuggets of their experience like certain milestones in their life that they attach to like just very specific things of like oh yeah or even like memes and stuff like it's so fleeting like maybe they'll just get like a brain zap of something and then like move on instead of like a whole just like full thought out thing I don't know.

Yeah. I did watch, what was it, Y2K that movie that Kyle Mooney made not too long ago. It was like very nostalgia heavy. And considering that was like a pretty big time in my life, like, it brought up a bunch of feelings. And thinking about if they were to make a nostalgia-based movie about now, Yeah. Yeah. Would that actually, it feels like it would be static of, yeah, it would just be a bunch of different, like, timelines of distractions from giving us the Epstein list.

Right. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, that is what we're living. It would just be called, like, Trail of Lies. Right, right. It would just be, like, a bunch of things that don't matter to get us away from the fact that we're countries being run by a bunch of pedophilic psychos. It's true. Yeah, it could just be this, like, very quick montage with, like, a constant, a consistent.

It's like super imposition of Epstein's face over all of it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, that sounds like a good movie. Oh, cool. Do you guys want to do the soundtrack for it? Sure, yeah. Sign us up. Sign us up.

Have you guys been getting a push from your, because you said you're on a new label, right? What label? Super. Mm-hmm. Now, are you getting a push for promo and, like, media and, like, social media promo, like, are they like, you got to do this?

You got it. do that. No. I mean, Glenn, he's like... Glenn, that's the name of my cat.

It is. Yeah. You've been talking to? Good hands. Yeah. It's a sign. Very talking. Yeah.

You're a good guy. Yeah, he's been very just like, he'll throw ideas out there, but it's, I'm also, I feel pretty committed to, like, doing the thing and doing the thing well, like,

trying to get people to come out to shows and listen to the record and stuff. So it feels, um, there's no, misalignment there of him being like maybe do this and I'll be like all right it sounds cool yeah so I don't really

because if he wasn't there I probably would be trying to strategize that stuff anyways he he does take on a lot of that responsibility of trying to figure out what the best way of promoting a record no no I'm good for now thank you yeah I mean also

that arc of like trying to promote with social media started before this record label yeah and like we had to deal with that you specifically had to deal with that for years leading up to this so you've already had to kind of gauge your relationship with that i've definitely learned what i have zero patience for which is like the ad stuff where it's like learn how to target audiences through meta and it's like i'm so lost on that i have zero patience uh anytime that i even go into that portal

or whatever, it's, yeah, it infuriates me. I'm of the mind of like, I can't figure this out. Like, I'm such an old man. This pissed me off. One of my group chats, I was asking questions, and my buddy was like, dude, just use chat, GPT. It'll answer everything your ass. I'm like, no, that's going to isolate us.

And I want the human experience of you explaining and me questioning. And then going back and forth. And I know I'm annoying, but fuck you. Yeah, I know. But I have no patience for figuring these things out. And I'm like, all right, well, if my, I can't figure out, like, the meta ads of, like, these weekends, like, I'll just fucking sell it out the next time I'm going to down. Like, I'm not pressed to, like, get, like, oh, it's got to be now. Like, I know it's everything's happening.

And it's the journey and I'll just get it on the next time. Sure. Rather than stress out and, like, worry about all this shit that just is bogging me down and, like, depressing me. Yeah, for sure. Because it's like, what do you really actually? like it's ultimately in service to your art but it's like is it really it's so indirectly in service to your art

that you're actually serving this awful thing and also just I think I mean wait I feel like it's a waste of my time to try to like figure this out like I should I should make more stuff totally yeah there's this weird thing I don't know if you got to notice it but these bands and they're usually like bad

or it's like a single performer or something thing. They'll spam their Instagram accounts with the same 15 seconds of like a song over and over until it like releases. And then it gets in the algorithm and it's either people being like this is so trash. This is awful. Like you still have time to not release this or whatever. But it pushes it in the algorithm and more people see it. But at the same time, it's like they almost become like a joke. And then I noticed that these videos have like a million views. views and comments and shares, but their following count doesn't go up, but they're still like, well, my music's out there.

And it's like, yeah, but at what cost? Yeah. Honestly, it reads as contempt for a music listener. It's like, I want to make music and I do not care about you. You are a number to me. You just are, your only value is hearing what I'm doing. And that just feels, what an awful way to approach making stuff. Yeah, or like looking at the thing you're creating as an ends to a means of like,

like once you create something and make it, it's kind of, like I felt this way about my special. It's like it's going to be what it is with the views and the consumption, but I made a thing. I put time into it. I put money into it. I put effort into it. And that is the reward of it. Whatever happens happens. But I felt icky, like exploiting it so many times of just like trying to get views.

And there's almost a piece in being like, It'll get what it gets, but looking at these, like, little musicians just, like, pimping their stuff out over and over. It's like, well, yeah, you're getting the views, but at what cost? Again, you're just, like, almost becoming, like, there's these guys. Oh, fuck, they're like a country brother duo called Landlaw or something. And they've got this country song that's, like, God awful. And they just keep putting out the same chorus from this song of them. recording it in different parts of the woods and i i'm obsessed with it because it's like so bad

but i would never purchase their music i would never so it's almost like you sacrifice the longevity of your audience and people rocking with you for the immediate like share and watch of it even if it is negative i find it so counterintuitive to creating good art music and and entertainment maybe that's not the intention for them maybe it's just like i just want to be huge right now in this very specific way. I hate that. I hate that. I mean, genuinely think that it's a good song. They're like just, you know, all the criticism, they're like, fuck it.

Yeah. I mean, I guess what, like. But they're delusional. Or if, like, they really think it's a good song, is it like, is that really honoring it? By just, like, playing the same 15 seconds over and over and over. So people are like, I mean, I don't know. Especially on a platform where it's like, nobody's asking. You're just giving it.

Well, I think people also see those things where something gets picked up and they become like a superstar from TikTok. So they just do this model of like, all right, well, they did it and it work. So I'm going to do it. And it's just like, well, I don't know. I just think it's so short-sighted. And like it's a flash in the pan. And I see it with comics too of like these like front facing people will get big and then they get like road dates. But they don't have an hour.

They don't even have like a fucking half hour. and it's like all right cool get get the gig sell it out and then next time you go to that town no one's going to see you because you've given them a poor show you know so it's like what I mean but again it's like far be it for me to like judge I I I shouldn't be like poo pooing that I think it's their life it's their thing I feel well having having done this for a little while I do acknowledge that the I'm not entering this now for the first time.

I wonder what it would be like now if we were just like we're starting about that because I think about that with comics like you're gonna be out of your fucking mind. Oh yeah. To try this now. Yeah. Like you're fucking crazy.

Right. Yeah. I mean, if I go to shows and there's young people trying new things I'm like, thank God. Yes. This sounds overwhelming. If I hadn't already been doing this

20 years like yeah i don't know why i would feel motivated oh yeah and i do kind of feel like we entered into it at like a very good moment yeah like band camp was like a thing and people were into it and it hadn't been sold yet uh it was just like it was really good for us and we had a record it was like pay what you want yeah and it was oh no shit and we were and we were torn on it like crazy and it got enough traction to where it was like it was like like when people would download it for free, we would get their email addresses, and then we would send them emails,

and it, like, cultivated this thing. So it was like, and that was, like, in 2010? Yeah, but we had already established that we were going to practice a bunch just to hang out and work on music. That's true. And we made a record, and we would go and play shows to nobody,

but we knew that we could entertain the three people in the room. Yes. And always play it, like it's fucking powerful. It was kind of more fun when it was empty because it was like talking about like playing to each other. It was like practice is fun. Like we get to work on these songs and like dig into it. You don't have to worry about entertaining people. But I do think it's kind of entertaining that like we're vibing so well with each other.

And we're also at that time we were we were drinking pretty heavily. So we would probably just get pretty hammered and then just like have a good time. Yeah. But I say that all the time. I'd rather play for like third. 35 people that fucking rock with me Then a whole room of people who were like Yeah, I just came because there's nothing to do

Or like whatever like some of those shows can be the best And and it's funny because when you're I know for me like starting out It was that it was not even 35 people that liked me It was 35 people that were like I don't know what this is And the being with my back against the wall Like I'm gonna make this fucking like it's a biggest thing ever And not appalling oh there's no one here It's like nobody wants that.

nobody wants that yeah you know these people fucking paid money give them a fucking show don't shame the people that did show yeah exactly like yeah that's it treating them like they're insignificant like oh no one's here it's like yeah but then it for us for years we toured and played to very few people but each time we would go to some small town the next time it would be those three people and their five friends yep and then some random folks and now it's like we're going back to Chicago where we played in a warehouse that probably should have been condemned and now we can

play in a beautiful theater with all those people like a bunch of those people still come to the show yeah crash at their house now they have nice places yes or at least bigger places yeah yeah yeah that I mean that's such a gift of itself and that's also the longevity of like creating for you rather than like creating for this like I need it now because when you see that growth it's so much more rewarding especially you know coming back to a town you're like holy shit i remember when i played here and it was like fucking like i i played buffalo helium two weeks ago and the last time i played it i opened for a tell and it was like three years ago and then prior to that in like 2019 i played a bar show called milk at this bar called milkeys and when i came back to play buffalo this band i did called spaced shout out they asked me to be

in their music video at milkeys and i was like this is sick and when i played milkeys there was like 15 people there you know and like it was just like one guy was in like a fucking wheelchair you know like but it's so cool to have that and also it's like what are you going to do in the meantime but just keep at it and if you get it all when you start it's like well them what you know yeah yeah that's true i i have thought about that a good amount just being like that there have been times where i know that i wouldn't have been ready. Totally. If it was like,

if we just showed up and things had like blown up and like I would, I don't know how I would have managed. Yeah, we were, I mean, just talking about the touring thing too.

It's like I was just relaying that like, you know, you can see bands that are doing great, but they're, a bunch of them are some of my favorites are touring constantly. Yeah. All over the world.

And it's like, that's overwhelming. If you're not prepared. For it totally yeah It will destroy your life Yeah A certain regard At least outside of that

Yeah Have you guys found it hard To maintain relationships Being a Constantly like touring band Well I mean I

Some Some yeah I mean for me I've got a pretty good deal By my wife Is our sound person So Get out of here

Yeah yeah Wow thank God I didn't Poo your sound people Two for one insult Nice. Yeah. Oh, that's incredible. So you get to bring her on the road.

Yeah, yeah. Oh, that's amazing. Yeah, we toured together for like a year and then, uh, and then we found out. Oh, that's great. Yeah, yeah. Good for you. And it seems like you're alone. No, no.

I've been, I've been in a relationship for 14 years. That's awesome. That's so cool. How do you make it work being away so often? Do you bring them on the road or is it? She came on the road once with us for a whole, European trip. Cool.

And then she's gone on a few one-offs. We've gone to play a festival here and there. But, you know, realistically, when we met, it was like two weeks before I left for a big tour. And she moved to New York from Boston. So our first year was long distance. And it really established that, like, we're going to have to be intentional when we're together.

And we're going to have our independence when we're not. Yeah. But, and now we can. Supported, well, she supports me through, like, being gone and taking care of the house and stuff like that. But I am, you know, after a long time, I'm going to take next year away from touring so that I can reinvest into that and other relationships too. And, like, it's not easy. That is the hardest part for me, at least. Well, what you said is so important being intentional.

Yeah. You know, like I've only recently found out what that means in terms of. of like dating and finding partners like being intentional and not just like well we'll figure it out when and I've I I keep treating dating like um like a job interview and like putting them on probation you know like my first like interactions are very question heavy of like well what do you think of this what do you think of that what do you what do you do you do here and then it's like kind of like a trial period and then I've been like intentional on that of like I think I'm looking for something more than this and I don't think that it would work But I'm kind of nervous about dipping my toe into something like very serious because, you know, it's just so hard. Yeah, yeah. And you're, you travel a lot too. Yes. It's a wild balance.

I mean, it takes a, my partner, she's an exceptional person. That's great. It takes a very special. It really does. It really does. Handle what I put out as far as schedule at the very least. Well, especially like, because, you know, touring and being creative, it is very alluring. you know the idea of like oh i love that you're so busy in this and then after a while it's you know

you're really like i wish i could plan something yeah yeah yeah yeah and then like i but even so like i'm never home and when i am home i don't want to leave my house right yeah unless it's for work because you know i have my cats and i really value my alone time so even if i dated someone up the street it would be like long distance in a way or a war of attrition of like no you come over I'm not leaving you come over I think that's a balance that a lot of artists do with too yeah definitely

yeah our bass player specifically has to like get alone time because it's like I just need this yeah he's started a relationship that he's excited about and I'm stoked for him yeah but it's also like I can see he's like

really wants to spend time with them and also I can see in his psyche's like I haven't had a lone time in long too long I need to get home and be alone. Yeah. And like, it's, it's going to be, you know, and especially the next three months is going to be, like, pretty intense.

Just commit to disappearing from my life. I do kind of like it, though, because I get to say things like, I got to hit the road soon. Yeah, yeah. I don't be around if I'm just a tumbleweed blowing through town. Yeah, got to hit the old dusty trail. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I feel like Steve Bouchemy and Armaged at it. Like, I'm going out for a while. I might not come back, you know. It's, it's real. I got a buddy who. he's so desperate to tour and he's on tour right now actually um but he every time we part ways it's like well it's nice knowing you see you forever or no see you never like this might be the end yeah may never see you again yeah i like saying i'll see you when i see you yeah yeah i try to

i'm trying to like put a positive spin on the endings of my interactions and just be like see you soon yeah you know well i've i've been saying See you on the other side That's something I like saying Leaves it leaves it vague enough I've been doing this too I've been going I'm going to kill myself Oh yeah

And how's that? People respond well to that So you better get your fun in now Enjoy this while it's still alive I'm gonna be hanging out Not in a fun way You guys are fantastic man So you got the new record

Tell people what you want them to check out and let the world know. The new record, I'm stoked. It's sunshine and balance beams. It comes out August 15th. And then a week later, you guys embark on a three-month tour. And you're hitting how many states. You said, what, 60 shows in 90 days?

So we got 39 shows in North America and then 24 shows in Europe. God damn. Yeah. Come see us. Yeah, a lot of places. Come see us and bring some money to buy a record. There it is. Where can they get tickets?

The internet. Pilemusic.com. Thank you for the specifics. The internet is a wild, wide world. Check out some giant corporate website and that'll link you to us. Perfect, perfect. And you can see me on the road to eimfinance.com. I am on the road forever and I'm loving it.

Providence, Rhode Island, Edmonton, Irvine, Oxnard, Chicago We're working on dates in San Francisco New Year's Eve, San Diego Two shows American Comedy Company Ianfinance.com for tickets Subscribe to my YouTube, YouTube.com slash Ian Fightance Comedy

putting up stand-up all the time every day and my travel show will be coming out once I get a big fat load of subscribers Patreon.com slash be an Ian pod and we'll see you next time. Thanks everybody. Punchup.com slash Jordan Jensen for her dates. Her special comes out, September 9. Check it out.

Bye, bye.