The Digression Sessions - Ep. 144 - Mike Lowry! (Touring Drummer of Future Islands)

Episode Date: December 8, 2014

Hola! Twitter & Instagram @JoshKuderna – Josh Kuderna @MikeMoranWould – Mike Moran @Luvean – Mike Lowry @DigSeshPod – For Podcast Updates! Hola DigHeads! This week Josh and Mike are grateful to have Baltimore drummer Mike Lowry as their guest. You've seen him perform all over Bmore and all over the world with such bands as Lake Trout, Big and Japan and even recently, on the Late Show with David Letterman, while touring with Future Islands! Josh and Mike have a great conversation with Mike about touring, drumming, sobriety, relationships, and lots more. Honestly this was just one of those magic eps where the energy and love flowed! Please do the Dig Sesh boys a solid and subscribe to and rate us on iTunes, or Stitcher! Say hi on Twitter and Facebook. And check out the rest of the Thunder Grunt podcast network!

hey everybody i'm josh kaderna and i'm mike moran and you're listening to the digression sessions podcast a baltimore-based comedy talk show hosted by two young, handsome stand-up comedians slash improvisers. Join us every week as we journey through the world of comedy and the bizarreness of existence. As we interview local and non-local comedians, writers, musicians, and anyone else we find creative and interesting. Yes. Who's the guest this week? Mike Lowry is the guest on this week's program. He is the touring drummer for Future Islands currently.

And you can find him on Instagram. His username is Levine, L-U-V-E-A-N. And he's taking a bunch of pictures of the travels that he's on with Future Islands as they travel across the world rocking and rolling. And yeah, Mike was awesome, man. He had some great stories. Very nice guy. Hung out afterwards. Played my electronic drums.

Gave me some tips. But Mike Moran and Mr. Mike Lowry, they're friends of Bill. They're in AA, as they call it, allegedly. I'm removing the anonymous part. But yeah, they met through that program and both still in it. So Mike came over to talk music and his story and background playing drums here in Baltimore and touring with other bands before Future Islands. And then he talks about his struggles with alcoholism and he's on the other side of it now and he's doing really well and it's one of those interviews where like you learn that there's way more going on in a person's life and you get to hear about like

the cool aspects of what he's doing now versus like him thinking that life was over and bands breaking up and marriage is going bad and then then he got sober, got his stuff together, and he's kicking ass. So it was a really inspiring episode, but fun at the same time. And yeah, okay. So let's get into it without me rambling too much in my basement. Sorry, I'm exhausted. Just got back from New York and trying to put this out for you fine people. All right. So a couple of things to plug here at the Dig Sesh HQ, me, Josh Kaderna. You can find me on Twitter. I am at Josh Kaderna. That's right. Big change, people. Used to be Better Robot Josh. It is now just Josh Kaderna. And it's the same name

on Instagram. So find me on there, speaking of Instagram. And I got a show to plug this week, Wednesday, December 10th at the Auto Bar here in Baltimore. I will be a part of Chuckle Storm. It's a live comedy talk show, sketches, interviews. Santa will be there. Pretty big get. Pretty excited about that. And then I have a big New Year's Eve show.

Two shows in Lorton at the end of the month in Lorton, Virginia at the Workhouse Arts Center. It's going to be really, really cool. So if we got some dig heads in the Virginia area, please come out to those. I'm very excited to be on that. And Mike Moran has some shows as well. You can go to digressionsessions.com slash calendar to stay up to date on all that. I don't have them in front of me, but I'm sure Mike has some shows. You can read his articles over at brightestyoungthings.com as well and follow him on Twitter. Big change in his name. He is Mike Moran Wood, as in what would Jesus do? So follow him there. Yeah, I think that's it. I'm

done rambling for this intro. Thank you to everybody for listening. Check out Future Islands if you haven't heard them before. Their new album Singles is great. They have a ton of really good albums. All their stuff's good. And they're one of the best live bands I've ever seen. So it's great that everybody else is kind of figuring it out too. They've been popping up here and there, but we've been spoiled in Baltimore to have one of the best live bands in the country, in our city. So I'm so excited for Mike and all those guys.

So this was awesome. Very excited for you guys to hear it. I think that's it. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Rate and review the guys to hear it uh i think that's it follow us on twitter and instagram rate and review the podcast share with a friend that's it all right let's talk to mike lowry let's talk to mike bye-bye everybody mike lowry Let's see. Oh. Yeah, so just hold that thing right up to you. Before we start, have we started yet? I mean, it's recording, but we can cut, whatever.

How comfortable or uncomfortable are you talking about sobriety stuff? Totally. Totally comfortable. Totally uncomfortable. In fact, I'm going to leave. I'm drunk right now, actually. I couldn't handle it. I had to get drunk before I got here.

This was the thing that broke your heart. I'm just going to have three years on the 12th. The pressure of doing well on the dig set. Letterman is one thing. Degression sessions. Steve Allen Theater does not compare to the basement of Josh Kederner. That's for sure. Was it Steve Allen? I thought it was Ed Sullivan.

There it is. Sorry, I'm drunk, too. We're all drunk. We're all drunk. It's the middle of the day. Were they both former Tonight Show hosts? I hope so. I think so.

Jack Parr. Jack Parr. I think it was Steve Allen, too. I don't know. It was the Jay Leno Theater, I believe, right? Right. The Conan O'Brien. Team Coco Theater. Team Coco Theater, I believe, right? Right. The Conan O'Brien. Team Coco Theater.

Team Coco Theater, yeah. All right. Sorry. All right. Mike Lowry? How do you say it? Lowry. Lowry.

Just like in Bad Boys. Perfect. Perfect. Spelled the same in everything. There's a character named Mike Lowry in Bad Boys? Yeah, Will Smith. Really? Yeah.

And you were the inspiration for that character? I was the inspiration. Yeah. How close did they get i'm looking at you you're a lot tougher than he is yeah i'm tougher i'm better looking you know more famous have a higher ranking in the church of scientology exactly yeah you're doing you're getting up there number one with a bullet i audit myself you know what i mean i don't need anyone else to do it for me so more mike lowry uh drummer for future islands is it official are you in the mix are you just a touring drummer i'm pretty much just a touring dude i don't want to like jinx myself and say like yeah i mean i'm not but i mean i've only been with them since February. And before that, there was another guy for a tour. And before that, they didn't have a drummer.

It was just the three of them. Well, I think when they first started, way back in the day, they had a drummer. And then maybe their first record, they had one. And then for a long time, they were like, we're just going to have a bass drum and a kick. Yeah, I think they said that their drummers kept quitting really yeah so like they were just like we're just gonna just go with the three of us yeah it's got to be tough at practice when they're just pointing to the drum machine right hey get your shit together you're easily replaceable very always have a drum machine in practice just Just pointing to it. Yeah. But yeah,

I think that I'm the guy that they're going to be using. You know what I mean? But I definitely has, I'm definitely not like a part of their writing process. Right. I was going to say, is there anything that they're hinting towards? Like,

oh, let's work on a new song. You're like, yes. They're talking about recording, like starting to write for the next record like soon have they used live drummers on the old record yeah okay on all of them uh definitely the one that we're touring off of now that was the guy that they used before okay but you really really really awesome drummer

named Denny Bowen he's the plan um double oh okay yeah so he's used to playing the fast stuff and that type of thing yeah yeah yeah but he's got like his own i think he had like he's got like a bunch of his own projects going like right so he couldn't really like commit he's like letterman i'm a little bit busy get me dave on the line yeah so i'll call him back uh how long before uh david letterman before performing on The Tonight Show, or no, that's not The Tonight Show. Late Show. Late Night, Late Show, excuse me.

I'm getting everything wrong about The Letterman Show. How long before that did you start touring with them? Like the month before. Really? That was in March, and I started with them in February. Jesus. That's pretty quick. They quick like an underplay they call it like underplay when you go out and do like a like some smaller size venues to like do ramp up to when the record comes out you know so we did like

this sort of insane nine show run that was like new york la eng LA England Paris like it was just like a bunch of like major markets it was all over like two weeks that's a very expensive quick tour yeah we're going to Japan next right and then LA right and then that sort of that went really awesome and then yeah and then Letterman happened and then we went out to South by southwest and yeah and that's still like the buzz was like huge at that point did a ton of people come out to that show what south by southwest so we played we played like eight shows out there like that week so we were just kind of like hustling all around texas like you know waking up really early like they would go and do like interviews for like hours and then we would just start playing shows every day.

And I don't think, to me at least, I could definitely tell when we got there that the buzz had sort of preceded us on the way out there. Right. We had sort of toured out with Wy-Oak, you know what I mean? Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I guess we could tell the letterman thing was kind of like ramping up but we were sort of out on the road and didn't really it wasn't at least to me it just felt like we were playing shows like they were doing they do they were doing well

anyway like before so yeah they had a nice steady build i mean yeah their band that was always touring always put on a good live show yeah those guys work i mean they're definitely always i mean they played 200 some shows a year was like that's what that's how they've been doing it yeah like the last eight years and then they get done record a record start all over again right right holy shit so um road dogs but it wasn't until like we got to maybe like the second or third show at south by that we were just sort of started seeing all the shows just like escalate ramp up and then everybody and everyone's like oh you're the show everyone wants to come see and stuff like that we're just sort of like oh okay that's nice yeah um and it was weird for me i mean for those guys like i feel like

um they have just been like working their butts off like for so long like they have just been working their butts off for so long. They're just such hard. They've just been diligently just going at it for so long. Just hardest working dudes. And so for them, I don't think it was that. It was like, oh, yeah, of course it's like this now. The Letterman is definitely helping to propel it a little faster. And they signed a 4AD.

And that helps, obviously. But they're definitely just starting to reap the benefits of all this hard work that they've put in. I just sort of came on. I know. Are they hazing you, 80s rock star style? No, there's no hazing. No, there's no hazing. Well, there should be if you're just coming on. There's kind of hazing you 80s rock star there's no no there's no hazing no there's no hazing but there should be if you're just coming on there's kind of hazing like you have to be careful like where you fall asleep like or like how you fall asleep because like one of the guys

like has a thing where he like takes pictures of you while you're asleep you know uh-huh and um caught you and that's it he stopped there He just stopped there? Yeah. And he, I don't know what he does with him after that. Well, no, but then he just sort of, like,

busts him out, like it, you know. He, like, puts him on the projector on stage. Right,

right. With your mouth wide open. And I always sleep with my mouth open. There's one with me, one recently that he got of me where I had sunglasses on,

I had headphones on, and I was just, like, in the van, just, like, out. And I totally just in the van, just out. And I totally looked like Stephen Hawking or something. Like a genius, I guess.

Right, right. And it's like the most embarrassing picture. But it's like all of us, everyone... I've discovered that everyone on an airplane sleeps with their mouths open. Really? It's impossible to sleep with your mouth shut on an airplane. Really?

Yeah. Is there just not enough oxygen or something? I don't know what it is, but I always am hanging over into the aisle. Maybe he's sleeping, sitting up. Maybe. I can't really picture anyone sleeping without their mouth open sitting up.

Yeah. But he's got thousands of pictures of me because i'm always the one that first one to fall asleep just like drooling and my mouth open and like i guess that's the closest to hazing well that's pretty good you're not waking up in a tub of ice missing a kidney or yeah yeah no nothing like that okay not so far anyway yeah fingers crossed yeah but i mean this i mean it just has to be so insane like were you friends with these guys before uh because you've been playing like you i'd known i i guess i was more friends with like sam like because he's just sort of like a really outgoing dude you know what

i mean he's all over and i'd seen i'd seen the other dudes like around like we weren't not friends but we were just sort of at like each other we would just sort of see like i'd see him around and just sort of be like hey what's up well garrett just seems like the quietest dude on the planet as is because i was big into moss of aura as well and i like his side project and i was uh he gave me his albums for free because i saw him at a show and then i hit him up the day after and i was gonna buy his albums and he was like oh dude don't worry about it you obviously came to the show i'll send them to you for free. And it ended up being this back and forth where he's like, meet me at Rocket to Venus.

I was like, oh, I can't meet you this day. And then it just never synced up. He's like, look, dude, just fucking take them. I was like, okay. And then I saw him at Rocket to Venus, I think, a few weeks later, and I was kind of drunk. And I was like, hey, man, here's $10. I'm the guy with the thing.

And he's like, dude, don't worry about it. I was like, get away from it get away from me and then i was like i'd love to get you on my podcast he's like i wouldn't say anything i was like okay what's that he's so silent he's stoic he's the guitar he's not he's not stoic he's just okay silently silent and i'm very observant yeah you know what i mean yeah it seems like I'm going to take myself out of the equation. Yeah, yeah, but he'll pull shit out. He's like one of the funniest

people I've ever met. He's a sharpshooter then. Yeah, yeah, yeah, but he's just, you've got to watch out for him. The silence is like, you know, he misses nothing.

Yeah, exactly. Doing the research and then he'll just like, boom. Yeah, exactly. Get you. That's his whole vibe so so you kind of knew these guys because you played in bands when did you start playing in bands then when i was 14 wow it's a long time so was that always in baltimore yep well and uh

i played in this band called uncle for like from 2007 to 2011 and they were based out of the uk yeah so like i would just like go to the uk for the summer and then we would like tour around and then i'd come back like at the end of yeah because i was looking like october yeah i saw you played with them big in japan big in japan and i remember trout and yeah and we have mount royal too that's like a new kind of thing. Uh-huh. Big in Japan. I saw you guys.

I didn't even realize it. But did you guys play shows with Grand Buffet before? Possibly. Lake Trout did. Did? Oh, really? Yeah, yeah, yeah. We did the last.

Before the dismemberment plan broke up, us and Grand Buffet did their last tour. Oh, that's a cool show. That's a weird pairing, but good. Yeah. This memory plan's awesome. We had to follow Grand Buffet, and it was like, that was rough, man. It was like, those dudes just are on it. Well, they're basically like comedians themselves.

Totally. Talking shit in between songs. Yeah. Hilarious. And then you guys are like, here's our serious songs. Yeah, here's our sad, serious songs. And these guys before us are jumping around and have tunes about taking big dogs for a ride. You know what I mean?

That's pretty intimidating. Bubble gum. And they just took the piss out of everyone. If anyone started heckling them, they would just be on top of it and just totally squash it. By the end, you're just totally like pro grand buffet yeah i mean and like then we like get up there and we're just like hey we're like here's our delay pedals yeah totally our spacey rock yeah exactly yeah good dudes though really awesome dudes yeah yeah i was a big fan of them what they would do shows in annapolis sometimes

so they like blew my mind when i was a kid i was like they're so funny yeah it's just two dudes and a cd player right like just killing it yeah totally they were awesome so okay so you were in the scene for a while so you're running into these guys and then you find out that they want to bring a drummer on tour they called me oh there you go because the one guy that they were using like he his other band had a tour booked and it conflicted with the february run so they were like hey can you like so i was a sub like for for him and i was just like yeah i can do it and uh-huh and um yeah and that was that was it were you a fan of their music before totally yeah, yeah. So you were pretty familiar with all the songs and stuff. Yep, yep.

Is there a discussion, like, when you guys are jamming, of what you can do to kind of, do you have license to kind of add some fills and things like that? Absolutely. Open up the high-rider lyrics. They're way into it. Like, I sort of show up, and I feel like my job is to kind of, like, in my mind, I want to just try to add as much dynamic as I can to like to like what they're doing and try to accent what I can and and uh

you know if there's like a big moment I want to really accent that I really want to make it like as big as it can be right you know what I mean um so I'll like I'll come to them with like a bunch of ways to like do things and then as we like run the tunes they'll sort of be like yeah that's really cool or i don't like that or hey can you change this or uh-huh you know but they're i'm always like pushing to that's awesome to add stuff or like and they're you know and and we've played so many shows this year that like you know this the stuff kind of naturally evolves i don't stray too far from like what is on the track but i try to add as much as i can from the backing tracks like to the kit because the drum was all like the drums are always the just the skeleton basically just

mostly just bass drum right but there's a lot of like percussion stuff sort of happening a lot of those tracks so like i'll try to add like that kind of stuff and um and like i said they'll just kind of you know if something's working they will be like yeah that's great or like i'll add like you know some build-ups or something like that but they're totally open to that's cool just you know and how are how are you with taking that or they're like hey man close the hi-hat you're like oh okay yeah i mean it's it's totally cool with me i want them to have as i want them to my job is to just give them options you know what i mean so like if you know i'm cool with whatever it's their it's their music you know and so like you know if i'm like hey i'm you know have you did you

notice this or did you notice that and a lot of times they'll be like no i didn't notice it i guess it's i guess it's cool yeah um or or they'll be like yeah can you like hit a little harder on this chorus or like you know can you you know close the hi-hat here or something like that i'm just like yep sure no problem you know what i mean yeah yeah you're the boss yeah because i was watching the we were talking about in the kitchen the uh austin city limits thing like i loved inch of dust where it's like the the snare and the hi-hat like opening up at the same yeah well that's on the track i was just trying to trying to mix the um because because it's just kick and snare like on the track but it's got

this like heavily affected kind of scoop sound yeah there's like air to the yeah so i was trying it's just me trying to duplicate that right just with like the two just by hitting the two together you know it was cool i it's i mean there's such a good live band, but then you do realize when there's drums to it, like it gives it way more like oomph. Yeah, yeah, yeah, totally. So how many shows have you done with them so far? Because like you were saying, they tour like crazy. Exact number. Exact number.

Probably around 100. Holy shit. Yeah, because I didn't do April or May. So that was like maybe like 50 or 60 shows that i didn't but then i came back in june so i did february march and then june july august september october um and i think they said that they've already played like 150 shows so like wow so like yeah about i'm probably close to 100 something like that i mean that's just incredible like you're going all around the world too right like yeah some stuff in europe yeah yeah we just were in europe for like seven weeks so you did shows with uncle in like england and stuff where you go that was all over europe

too okay so you're kind of used to that japan and australia and stuff yeah how did you jump from like local drummer to international traveling drummer the um well like lake trout had kind of wound down and big in japan was sort of because there are three members of big in japan like the rhythm section of big in japan basically it was like of lake trout it was me the bass player and then our keyboard player had been doing big in japan as like a side thing to like make money and um and that was like instrumental yeah like all improvised all instrumental not like solo based really but just sort of like we were like the background music at the bar you know i mean that was our that was our whole vibe right you know um and then um we kind of started to be like well let's write like a record of like songs and you know see

where that goes so we were sort of in the middle of trying to write this record and uncle's u.s manager was a really good friend of ours he works for red light which is like um dave matthews like the guy that manages dave matthews it's his like management company based out of charlottesville and this guy randy he we'd known him for years just he had managed bands and stuff like we just known him for years and he was uncle's u.s manager and he was like um uncle is becoming like a live thing because before it was never a live band it was just like djs yeah yeah um and they're like shows are already booked and it's like six weeks out, and there's like

no band. So they were like, why don't you guys record yourselves doing some of these songs? I'll send it to them, and they'll see. So they sent us like three tunes. We went into our friend's studio and played them and sent them back and then got that gig. And so the three of us went because they just were sort of pressed for time. They wanted dudes that had been playing together for a long time.

Right. And they didn't want a bunch of session dudes. Yeah. They wanted to sort of bring a vibe to the band. And then we did that and it ended up working out like really great you know um and then our bass player ended up staying and like writing like the next two uncle records and then he just ended up staying and wow so now him and he and the four and the other sort of half of uncle this guy pablo sort of split off and they uh they live in brighton and they open their own studio and now they're doing like sound soundtracks no shit like that

yeah so what's that like when he's like no i'm gonna stay i'm gonna write the record you're like oh that was a huge bummer for me because he was like he was like he's like my brother like the brother i never had you know what i mean Like my mom considers him like her other son. How long have you known him? Like 20 years. Right. Something like that. We've known each other since we were like 18.

So like, and we've been playing music together the whole time. And like he and I were the ones that always like got apartments together and stuff like that. And like I had actually gotten married. So like it was at this time or like when he was like i don't have anything going on in baltimore like i'm gonna stay like i have to take this opportunity like i don't know what else i would do so you can't like uproot your life and then yeah like i was i was married and had just gotten married and was just kind of like um like all right well i mean i was i was super bummed out when he stayed and i sort of felt like

because i had to go back and like get back to work like we're waiting tables you know and he sort of stayed and was doing what i wanted to be doing living that life yeah yeah yeah so uh i it was really tough for me um especially and it's like your best friend you know what i mean like you're like support is not in the country anymore you know what i mean right and then your biggest collaborator too i'm right right it's like hey so big in japan kind of stopped and then yeah our guitarist from lake trout he started playing bass and then we started writing music and then that became mount royal so like and then katrina started singing from celebration katrina ford yep uh-huh and uh and

so it turned out to be a good thing because we like wrote this mount royal record like that got picked up by um bella union and we put that out and we toured a little bit off of it cool but that was sort of all happening to like when the future islands thing started happening so like i just got and then you know katrina's got celebration like then future islands is really busy like and then everyone's just sort of busy so like mount royal has become kind of like a side yeah thing you know well it seems like the baltimore scene that it's so it's a tight-knit scene so there's a lot of cross-pollination too like lots of people guest on records and stuff like jen waster was on future islands record and guys touring together so it seems like everybody's so talented too that it's just like hey we should

all jam together yeah and then it goes a little it goes far and then it's like well this thing's happening so it's like not bad blood or anything it's just sure everybody's going in their own direction yeah yeah everybody's just got their hands in a lot of pots yeah what i mean yeah which is great yeah it's a good problem to have so it's like right before future islands we had that gene clark tour that was like uh-huh uh you know it was like the band was like alex and victoria from beach house and then like um this guy steve stromeyer and then jeff from lower dens and then like half of celebration and like robin from fleet foxes and daniel from grizzly bear and hamilton from the walkman well this is one band yeah what is this the gene clark it was uh based it was alex and

victoria are like huge fans of this guy gene clark he used to play in the birds okay um he wrote like eight miles high and like um that's the name of that song right I'm not too familiar with the birds I know that they're like but like he was like one of their main like songwriters and he went off on his own and yeah I guess in the 70s he put out this like record called no other that was a really really big record for Alex and Victoria like influence wise and they wanted today like Beach House had sort of wound down their last like touring cycle and we're taking time off.

And he was like, I really want to put a band together and like do this record, like play the, do the show. That's just this record. Wow. So, and it's this really insanely like overproduced,

like record, you know, from the, from the seventies. And so we did a tour that was like just playing that record like down the east coast and how many pieces last january was like 13 and like jen was in it and like uh-huh it was just it was like everybody was like basically superstars right right but it was like everybody who plays together was like in that fleet foxes isn't local are they no where are they from they're from

seattle yeah portland something like that i feel like that's right i'm just gonna say canadian but they had different they had different weird white people place they had different singers for every song so like robin sang a tune and daniel sang a tune and hamilton sang a tune, and then Daniel sang a tune, and Hamilton sang a tune. That's cool. And then this guy, Ian Matthews, he used to play in a Fairport convention in the 60s. Okay. And he sang a couple of tunes. Wow. It was really an amazing, it was such an amazing experience. It was really intense.

So I sort of did that, and then a couple weeks later, that February tour happened. Wow. What a great run. Yeah, it was a good year, because two years before that, I was just working, just waiting tables and trying to write, just trying to stay busy. I used to be a touring musician. Did you think that it was kind of over? I did, yeah, yeah. I was just like, yeah, I don't know when it's going to happen again.

I was sort of thinking like- So you were in five but then it became rocky six i was in like rocky four really you're traveling to russia no it was like no i maybe like rocky three and then it became rocky four yeah and then you ran up a mountain and you shot a drago i dragged yeah i dragged a log up a mountain in the snow. Sorry about your friend Apollo, by the way. Yeah, it was a real bummer. That's tough times. At least you had that robot chauffeur. That was pretty cool.

Yeah, did you bring the robot? And I had one of those old-timey cars that I could just drive around my mansion with my son. I understand, man. It's tough in the mansion sometimes. It is. It gets lonely. It's hard to get around. You never, you know. But, I mean, it. It's tough in the mansion sometimes. It is. It gets lonely. It's hard to get around. You never, you know.

But, I mean, it's so incredible. I mean, that tour sounds so artistically fulfilling, too. It was amazing. It was probably just like, you know what? That was great. That was great. That was a good run. Yeah.

I was stoked. Well, that had happened. And they both kind of started happening at the same time. So, I was rehearsing for both, like at the same time, just on my own. Right. Like preparing. Yeah. And, yeah, preparing. Yeah. And yeah, it was intense.

I just really like being super busy with music stuff. So I was just like, yes. But I mean, it didn't come without a price. I sort of was seeing someone. And I went out on tour did the gene clark thing and then did the uh did the first two weeks and then did the letterman february run and then i came back and she was like a man peace you know what i mean so like wow it definitely like i definitely saw like well if this happens like this is gonna it's gonna drastically change. And I'm going to have to get used to some things.

Because you're going to be gone. I'm going to be gone. Wow. So that's, like, that was a hard. It's still, like, a hard pill to swallow. You know what I mean? Like, I feel like it's hard enough finding people that you're, like, compatible with. But then when you're just like, oh, and I'm gone, like, all the time.

Yeah. Like, huh? You know what I mean? But wait, there's more. people that you're like compatible with. But then when you're just like, oh, and I'm gone like all the time. Like, huh? You know what I mean? Like, but wait, there's more. You put that on your OkCupid profile.

Yeah. Yeah. I'll pretty much never be there. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. But it's not. Good opportunity to cheat. Yeah.

Oh God. Yeah. Oh wait, I think I just opened a box. No, no, I'm not. I'm a,

I'm, I'm Mr. Monogamous. I was going to call you that. I know that's how you do it. Is that your stage name? Yeah, Mr. Monogamous. Mr. Mono for short. And on the drums, Mr. Monogamous.

Yeah, I noticed you said you were married at the time. I was married until 2000 what's 14 i was married till uh 2011 uh-huh yeah is that like right around when like the stuff with uncle like you're done with that tour and you came back yeah well there was that um that like uncle was sort of done right they weren't doing any more shows yeah and then like i was pretty fucked up at the time and like let the like all it all sort of came to a head like uncle like my sort of drinking had gotten like to a point where like it just progressed all the way through like uncle and my sort of wife was just sort of

bearing the brunt of a lot of it and then by the end of that year it was just like you know right 2011 yeah yeah just a total shit show right you know so like she was i sort of used, she was just done, like exhausted. Yeah. Just kind of done. And like, yeah, so that was that. Damn. Are you on good terms with her now? I mean, we just don't really, I don't know if there's bad blood, but we don't talk. Right.

You know what I mean? Yeah, I've had relationships like that where you don't hate each other, but you just can tell the other person doesn't want to. Yeah, but I mean, what's really bizarre is that we were together for like 11 years, and now we're just like total strangers. Yeah. You know what I mean? Like we could be in like at the Diz or something,

and I could see her at another table, and it would just like something like a stranger like an acquaintance like yeah yeah and that's just really bizarre yeah that's you know what I mean things about I mean with just breakups but then being married to adding to that yeah break up even if it was a bad breakup it's just something you're so used to like I mean even what you were saying about like you're the bass player like the band mate like hey we should oh yeah you're not here right or like think about like going to get food or going to see a movie like why should pick up something for oh yeah that's you know me and the teddy bear i think i think also like 10 years like i think like 10 years everybody's

sort of different than they were oh yeah years ago you know what i mean like 10 years, everybody's sort of different than they were 10 years ago. You know what I mean? Like 10 years is a good kind of like you're a totally different person. And we were both like sort of – we didn't like have really anything in common anymore. You know what I mean? Was she artistic at all? Like into the – She did like not so much like music or – she did take like photos for a while. But she was really into like yoga and she was sleeping she was a nurse you know what i mean so like she was kind of like like legit

you know what i mean and i'm like i'm like waiting tables and getting home at like two in the morning well then she has to wake up at five the restaurant life is completely different you know where it's like your cycles are like oh i'm waking up at three going to work at four or whatever right going to sleep at two yeah have a couple beers our lives just weren't like and i was like shit faced all the time so like so you know and that's how you met mike right like yeah yeah through getting shit faced yeah x getting shit facers uh-huh yeah how is the how's sobriety been sobriety is a trip man it is a wild trip like it is the most psychedelic thing i've ever experienced you sure you're sober getting fucked up was like way easier than like than like like than being sober you know like drowning everything out putting blinders on. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Anesthetizing. Actually taking reality in 24-7. It's intense. Right. And it's just a constant learning process. That must be crazy on the road, too. I mean, what's that like going through Europe? Yeah, what are the other guys?

They probably have a couple beers here and there. Yeah, we're not like a huge party band, really. It doesn't seem like you can be. there yeah we're we're not like a huge party band right at least we weren't we weren't on the last bunch of tours like last two the last us and the last europe tour like like there just was no time you know what i mean like your schedule it doesn't seem like it even allows for it yeah i mean you're sort of there and then you leave and then you even not like like we were on a bus on the europe tour and the bus was just like super chill like we were on a bus on the europe tour and the bus was just like super chill like we were always just like either asleep or like watching a movie or something like

it wasn't ever just like super party vibes yeah yeah um i forget who's behind the music it was but they were just like we don't know how bands did that like how do you like yeah i think i remember hearing that every night right that's how I feel about life. And then be on top of your game, you know, like, with what you're doing and writing and stuff like that. Like, I can barely do the few things that I have on my plate sober. Like, how do people do it? Exactly. Totally. But it was tough, man.

Like, I didn't. Could you go to meetings on the road? No, man. I didn't hit one meeting in, like, seven weeks. Were you worried about it uh well i didn't with me it's not so much like um like it's gonna not hitting meetings just gonna make me pick up a drink but like i'll just go crazy you know what i mean like i'll just like i'll just start obsessing over shit and like whatever my last obsession was like i'll just

go to that and like that just sort of drives me crazy i mean i was talking to myself i had like a network of people i was kind of talking to like all the time yeah yeah yeah like my sponsor and stuff like that dude i had i was just all day every day there was a couple like the first three weeks like was just really really tough and like the first three weeks of sobriety or the tour? The first three weeks of the tour. Okay, so you didn't, like, have to get sober, like, and then go right out on tour.

No, I was sober for, like, two years before touring happened. So it's, like, it's kind of worked out that, like... Yeah, that's a nice... You know what I mean? That's a nice amount of time to normalize and get used to it. Yeah, yeah, get used to it. And this was actually the longest amount of time I'd ever gone without, like, meetings and stuff like that.

So I sort of figured, like, well, if it came up, then I must be able to like handle it. But I was like, I'll hit meetings on like days off. But it's like, you know, you're in like Croatia or something, you know, you're in like or like or like Slovenia. And it's like, oh, shit, the English speaking meeting was yesterday or it's like tomorrow. You know what I mean? Like there's not just, you know, i mean like there's not just you know and then you're only there or like the venue is like 20 miles outside of town and you're just there all day i have heard i've never attempted this but i've heard people say that they've gone to

like foreign speaking languages meetings and like still it's gotten the message or whatever yeah i don't know i'm i'm i'm too i guess i'm too afraid or something i just wouldn't do i don't think i would really i don't know if i would either i tried like online stuff you know but it was just kind of like i'll just text my sponsor or like call my sponsor or something but he was just like if it wasn't for him like i would have i would have totally picked up because it was just like just the obsession like just your mind like i'm part of like what my disease is is that my mind just like uh is like trying to kill me you know what i mean like it's it's just like it's just oh it never has anything good to say to me

and there's no that's how i am when i'm in a bad place and there's no off button for it right and you know it and like the more sober you get the more you can recognize it you know it you know when it's like coming but i but i can't do anything about it like i can't turn it off i can't stop it so it just drives me wow nuts you know so what what are you obsessing on like uh whatever it's like whatever the last thing whatever the last sort of big traumatic thing that happened. Oh, just think about like how it went down, different scenarios. Right, right. How it could resurface.

Why couldn't I control this outcome? Do you worry a lot? Are you like a warrior? I used to be. I'm kind of, it's gotten a lot less. But for me it was like, for a lot of it was, I had broken up with this person in April or whatever. And that was really, really hard. And then the day we left, I found out she was with somebody else.

Even though it was six months later. And it's like, you totally are in your right to be with someone else, obviously. You're like, how dare you? I wasn't even mad i was just thinking about me constantly yeah the way i obsess over you yeah why aren't you shaping your own happiness around me can't you have the decency to obsess about me from afar as well right right but then i was like i'll never find i'll be alone forever like who's gonna want to be with this guy that's never around and like blah blah

yeah let's just say i like met somebody else like on the road who like moved back to baltimore and it's like wow really really awesome and like that's that's going great but like before that happened i was so that's sort of what i was going through like she's with this dude i'm with no one it was all very sort of self, you know. Yeah. Like all sort of me, like my ego just couldn't handle it. Yeah. I mean, that's, you know.

With somebody else. I don't think you're the first male in the world to feel like that. Yeah. Or the first person in general. But it was like, it was really tough. And it was a tough adjustment to just touring like all the time. Yeah. Well, I was going to say say too i mean it seems like with

the the aa thing it's like you like you're saying you have a network there's like that support sure that's there and then when you go on tour with these guys where you're not really in the band but you're in the band you're not you're not you're cool with everybody but you're not as tight as they are probably so it's kind of like getting there yeah i mean yeah yeah we spend a lot of time i'm sure you do but i feel like when you first go out on that big tour they probably don't like you they probably talk about you behind your back you smell terrible right right no that's what i mean like where you kind of feel like um i you know you broke up with this person there was somebody else you would you know what i mean like you're just kind of adrift like good things are happening but you're focusing on like exactly like i've had the

most amazing year yeah and you'll find the two or three things that aren't perfect one thing that's just sort of like and and it wasn't even like it was uh it was like not this thing that was meant to be because we'd sort of been on again off again for a while you know what i mean it was just sort of like all right we're just gonna you assume it's gonna get at some point you guys are gonna get back together or something maybe i don't know but but we both knew that that wasn't healthy right like we already sort of tried twice and it just wasn't yeah working out you know what i mean totally but but i've never i've never been in a relationship with someone where we like broke up because that was like the adult thing to do like it's always it's always been like i can't still like with my wife it was

like you're a fucking mess and like i've developed all these resentments towards you and like all these all these things and like i just can't do it anymore you know what i mean like there's some sort of catalyst that's like yeah you know we don't like each other like i can't even look at her so like we're breaking up you know it wasn't like that so it was like a lot it was almost worse right it's like you're evil right right exactly you are you know i've just drained my ex-wife of like all of her love i guess i don't know um so you win that round yeah good about that at least yeah i feel i feel pretty good about it but um but yeah i mean but i mean those guys are really um super i mean they were super supportive they're always like they're they they've included

me and so like every i mean they they don't treat me like I'm not a member of the band. You know what I mean? Like, they're very, like, inclusive, like, with everything. Like, they're just, like, those kinds of dudes. Yeah. And, like, Sam always introduces the other members of the band. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, it's just cool.

So I definitely feel a part of, you know what I mean? But it's definitely, like, and I wouldn't feel right. Like, these guys have, have like worked so long and hard to like get where they are like like they deserve to sort of reap these like they should be reaping everything that they're getting right now and like i've only been on since february like i've i've been on like the easy part the like sort of just like best part watch the so great of like that's part watch like breaking let me just hop into the van now I kind of feel like that sometimes like you know like man these guys have like they've really really put their

time in and I'm just sort of you know I haven't earned that that sort of level of in in the organization yet you know what i mean like i've only been like i said i've only been around since like february but still i mean it sounds like you put in your time other places yeah like playing music and yeah you know none of this is new to you i mean maybe the extent of the shows and the touring yeah it's crazy it's crazy yeah what i mean it's it's got to be so cool like from a comedic standpoint uh like when mike and i do shows like we're always trying to win the audience over because they don't know who the fuck we are but then when you work with bigger names you see that those people are showing up

for that person right so what's it like playing a show where like everybody knows the songs like when you come out they're already like yeah you don't have to do anything it's like oh the fact that they're here made our night it's very um because it was like that with uncle too where like everybody knew their tunes it's just a thing that you just one less thing to worry about right or obsess over in my case like before the show like is anyone gonna be here yeah i'm really nervous that people are gonna start leaving if they don't like it you know what i mean like all of that's kind of totally out of the equation yeah then you just start releasing me then i'm like am i gonna fuck up like you know uh-huh um do you get nervous before shows still i i don't i used to when i when i was not even letterman no because with letterman like

we got you get there at like 8 a.m andm. And, like, because it's so, like, there's so many, like, union guys there. Like, you can't, like, you sort of load in, but you, like, can't touch any of your gear. Because it's, like, union. They have to take it in. They have to, like, take it in. And then you, like, set up. And then they're, like, all right, like, we have to take a break. So, like, they have, like, the. We've been working three to take a break so um like they have like the

we've been working three minutes yeah yeah it's like it's like they are there i mean obviously they might be there from like six to seven and then you like load in and they're like all right set up and then come back at like 10 so then we come back at 10 they're like yeah just like run through the song see if you're uh see if everything's like working so we do that and they're like all right come back at 1130 and we'll do like blocking, like light blocking or something. So by the time the show airs, you've run the song like 15 times

and you've like been in the theater like all day. Interesting. So like you're sort of, anything that's sort of scary is like been really sort of less, you're very comfortable like in the space. And the theater only holds like 300 people or something like that so it's not even like that huge of a like crowd or anything

right but in your mind are you conscious of the cameras like this is beaming to like a million people no i wasn't really thinking about that i was just sort of thinking about like i'm glad i didn't talk to you beforehand yeah so you're to follow like and then there's this uh so you're not worried no yeah there's this um like you're in the green room so like the show's taping and you're like in the green room like watching it and it's just like you're watching tv tv so it's not like you're just like oh like letterman's on and like we're watching it and then someone comes down and is like all right like go up to like makeup and you know get that stuff done which is that's weird and then like and then they're like okay

you know you'll be on in like two minutes or something so then you like go back behind the thing and we had to follow this dude that was like, he'd gotten like, he was like, I think he was like a vet or something like that. And he had, he'd gotten like arm transplants. So he had gotten like new arms. Like robotic. No, no, like real arms. Whoa. Really?

Yeah, yeah. Holy shit. Or like hands or like something. And he was just told this incredibly moving powerful story and like we were just sort of standing there like everyone's just like everyone's just like crying you know what i mean and like uh dave even like like the guy said something like you know that like you know being able to put my hand over my heart like is insane you know everybody's like it's fucking crazy yeah and like even dave like swore

you know what i mean and like as soon as this guy flew through the theater right right they released some dubs yeah uh and as soon as he like sort of goes off like this the stage runner looks at us and is like man tough act to follow we were just like yeah so like our performance was just sort of like and now here's a song about a breakup. Right, right. And now here's Future Islands. Sort of like, you know. And everyone sort of, you know.

You could tell he was in. Dave like really liked it. Yeah. You could tell he was like really. Well, that was the thing. He was super stoked. It became like a meme for him. Like in the shows afterwards, like two or three days later, like Dave would do a joke.

He'd be like, let's dance. And then they would play the monologue. I didn't know that. Oh, wow. And they would show like Sam dancing and stuff. Like Dave loved it. Really? I didn't know that.

Yeah. He was really, he seemed really, really genuinely into it. But I mean, when we were done, like literally like you finish and then they're like all right everybody get out like i mean like by the time you see like worldwide pants come on the screen like people are filing out of the theater oh that's like i'm an idiot you're breaking your shit down yeah it's like so i mean and it's like seven o'clock so and like dave's gone no like literally he's like hey nice to meet you hey nice to meet you and then he just walks off and like that's it yeah you. I hear about him, too. They have to clear the hallway before he comes out.

People aren't allowed to make eye contact with him. Well, you shoot every single day, almost. Every weekday, all year long, no summer break. He probably just wants to get the fuck out of there. Oh, I get it. I get it. We were in the basement, so we didn't really see him. Shut up and get in the basement.

Yeah, exactly. But I talked to Paul Schaefer for like a second. Really? I didn't get, is everyone, I guess there's a thing that like Dave is really into drummers apparently, and he's always like, what kind of kid is that? He didn't say that to me or shake my hand. Oh, really? So like, he sort of shook Sam's hand and shook garrett or william's

hand and then he just like split and uh two out of four and so i tell you yeah so then i talked to paul for like a second but then we just like broke down and uh you know people are like what was it like after the after the show it's like well we packed up it was like snowy outside and we like drove home and like got a flat tire on the way oh shit yeah like it was just like welcome back to reality right what uh what's that what did paul say to you he was like where are you guys from again i was like baltimore and he's like oh baltimore you're so great like everything sounded so great you know it's just really bizarre and like zach braff was the guest such we were kind of like we heard the night after like Fantagram was

on and those guys had toured together and like Michael Keaton was the guests and we were like why couldn't we get like Michael Keaton like not Zach Braff you know Who was Zach Braff? The dude from Scrubs and like Garden State yeah oh yeah I mean he was he was he was nice or whatever. We were like, Michael Keaton. Like, I want to see Michael Keaton. Yeah. Yeah, me and my girl just saw Birdman two days ago. Heard it was amazing.

Yeah. He's incredible. Yeah. I've heard it. I've heard it. You're thinking of Batman. That's it. Michael Keaton was in Batman.

Yeah. That's it. That's it. Does he have a line that's like, I'm Birdman? Yeah. Really? He wrestles with, it's weird because his whole character is about like a guy that was in a superhero movie and now he's trying to be. Called Birdman?

Yeah. And now he's trying to be a legitimate actor. And like Birdman is like a voice in his brain like, fuck all this. You're great. He's like, get out of my head. It's done really well. Really cool tracking shots. I can relate to that.

I can relate to that voice. Oh, yeah? You got your own Birdman. What are you doing? You're going to fail. Stop it. Just give up what are you doing you're gonna fail stop just give up now well you're doing there's some jameson's over there why don't you that'll make you feel just fuck it all up yeah just go for it the bottle like opens up like a puppet and starts come on over mike it'll be just like old times yeah and you're like am i drunk already that's

a good i'm gonna that's the voice now that's gonna be in my head like a construction worker yeah yeah 70s like totally how you doing or like baby herman you know from roger rabbit i don't think i've seen the movie since it was in theaters when i was like seven wow i've seen it more than that well and we'll leave it at that yeah yeah he's watching it right now i'm sorry he's watching roger excuse me what i gotta close that window on my phone uh well i i mean it's such a you have a great story man because it's exciting to hear that stuff like i get really into the the things where like you don't know what's gonna pop up like where it seems like well the credits are rolling that's the end of my movie you know right right this shit pops up

you could never imagine totally which is so cool you just have to like and i and you know i sort of saw this uh end of this relationship that i was in is just like sort of this is a period and like this is a period of a chapter in my life and i really you know i don't want this to happen and you know life is you know i'm gonna be unhappy for that's how i was and alone and stuff like that but but it really now i'm like oh if i hadn't done that like i wouldn't have space wouldn't have be been created to like do this to like meet this other person and for her to meet whoever she's with now that's like a better thing you know what i mean like right

but at the time like i can't see that all i can see is just like this fucking sucks yeah it's weird it's weird yeah like one event is like the defining thing but you don't realize that it's just a string right stuff right like i i mean now sort of where i am now i like look back at the last two years it's like oh that was like a transitional time and like now is like yeah sort of where i am now i like look back at the last two years it's like oh that was like a transitional time and like now is like sort of where i'm supposed to be yeah yeah me too um and and that's sort of i don't know sometimes like hard to it's hard to accept sometimes like that things are going well yeah yeah because i'm used to everything just going to shit well you know what i mean like i'm used to everything just sort of like it's gonna get it's gonna be bad and it's just gonna get worse and that's how you condition your brain too like totally you get used there's

muscle memory totally things being shitty yeah so your brain's like are you sure we're having fun like and that came like with getting sober but like i still i i mean i've you know i'll have three years in a couple of weeks and Congratulations, man. Oh, thanks. Well, you know, three weeks from now. If I make it. Knock on wood. Come on, Mike. Don't you miss me? I'm tasty.

Quiet down over there, Jameson's. I don't know why we give that guy a microphone. Just a mic from a bottle. But I think that I still not i still there's still a trace of like everything's gonna be terrible you know what i mean like and i don't i don't trust in the process they're like no like good things are gonna happen to you like if you're just like work hard and like a good person yeah you know what i mean like there's like it like good things like it's not just gonna keep getting bad right you know you're like you'll go through something that kind of sucks but you'll learn from it you

won't just keep repeating it which is when i was drunk all the time that's what's sort of the mo you know because you're not really you can't grow you can't learn yeah anything and you just sort of stay in these and it's a self-fulfilling prophecy where you're like everything sucks like yeah if you keep drinking all day right right i don't see what it's just keep having all the time or or just that and just like what it does to your you know like i used to think i was like a depressed person but it's like when you're drinking like you know a 12 pack every night and then putting shots on top of that like over a certain amount of time probably eating like shit depressed yeah eating Ninos every night at like 2 in the morning. Yeah, exactly. It's going to like, you're going to not feel so hot. That sounds pretty awesome, I'll be honest.

A lot of the time, you know. Right, right. Of course it sounds awesome to you. You're just like me. So what was the divorce, the impetus to get sober, to go to AA? Well, I had been thinking about it like i had sort of had this year where like i was kind of like i think i might have like a drinking problem and like um i like earlier that year like because it just got into the point where like every i could stop drinking for periods of

time like a month or like two months or something like that but as soon as i would start again it would just be like right to a blackout like and i just couldn't not drink until i blacked out and it was like and it was sort of like uh that last year and a half sort of two years was um that's sort of how it had it progressed very quickly like my wife and i like weren't that happy like the uncle thing was kind of winding down and like we were broke and like you know there's just like all these all these like stress on top of that so i think it made it like progress faster there's no doubt in my mind that i would have gotten to that point had you know everything been great but all that stuff kind of falling apart yeah right around the same time and i was thinking in my head for like the last two years sort of like last year like i'm i'm i think i i have a drinking problem and then we had this like work christmas party where like um i my friend had

come back to town he came back like every christmas and he'd come back to town and he was going to come with me to this christmas party and when i left the house my wife was like i'll be there in a couple hours like and she'd already gotten to the point where she had to be like now make sure you're not like blacked out by the time i get there you know like she'd already gotten to the point where she felt like she had to warn me and be like now remember like you don't don't drink too much you know and was like, all right, I won't. I'll be fine. And two hours into being at this party where everything was free, one of the bartenders was like, hey, Mike, we're all doing a shot of Powers. Do you want to do a shot of Powers?

And I was standing next to this dude, Paul, and I looked at him, and I was like, if I do this shot, it's over. It's all over. And I did it this shot like it's over like it's all over and i like did it and then it was just like like that just like i'll do another one yeah yeah and that's when i was like you're saying your marriage is over or no just the night is over like i'm done oh yeah i'm going right i'm blacking out you know what i mean and like and i did and i couldn't and i remember thinking to myself that it was ridiculous that i like couldn't stop drinking like i remember just being like i can stop drinking like that's

ridiculous you know like like i've done it before like i can i can control how much i drink like in a certain and then i did that but i knew that if i took this shot of whiskey yeah like it the night would just it was just gonna go south right you know what i feel the pull and then that's what happened and i like you know caused a lot of uh caused a lot of people to worry and i remember like crawl like i was crawling down the street like preston street like at the end of the night and my wife was like yelling at me like she was just so at the end of her rope you know right and um and i had like this pizza i was like trying to hold on to this pizza as i'm like you're pushing a pizza i'm like crawling across enemy lines like like pushing it she's like i'm calling a cab and i'm

sort of like fuck you like i'm gonna walk home like and i woke up the next day and was like i'm 36 and i get so fucked up that I can't even walk down the street. You know what I mean? And that just really hit me. I'm a grown man who gets so drunk regularly that I can't walk. And that's when I was just like, all right. I am awesome. Nice job.

All right. I made it. I had myself on the back. And then that was the- you roll over the pizzas next but you know i love you pizza yeah you'll never leave me just like roll it get cheese all over my shirt like gravy fry crap all over my pants so i remember being like if i'm really wasted i'll just eat gravy fries and i won't be hung over in the morning that was the solution i think like just eating gravy fries and not drinking would make

me hungover in the morning gravy fries i could wake up at like four hours of sleep feeling like a million bucks i don't think i could ever eat gravy fries and feel like a million bucks within the same month yeah and i haven't eaten any of that shit since you know like it's just been no um call for it but there's also there were also like signs like along like before that like i worked with someone who was in aa and i was sort of always my my father was actually in aa i like grew up going to aa with him interesting so like the seed was always kind of planted and i was always like well i gotta be careful because my dad was recovering and stuff um but there was someone at work who was like who i just kept sort of fishing about it you know i

was like so is it like this like you know and she seemed to be like happy and like managing her life and then i saw some other people like why are you happy yeah i saw yeah like how are you so happy why are you so happy all the time and then uh i did i spent some time with like nick cave and warren ellis who should and uh i just did like they were doing a soundtrack to a movie and um they just needed like drums on like two things so like i went it was in brighton because nick lives in brighton okay and i like went in and like um you know both of those guys are kind of famously sober. Right. Really?

For the last, yeah, Nick and Warren for like, you know, 15 years. Really? 11, 15 years, something like that. But like Nick was like, he used to go for it. You know what I mean? Like he just like did everything. Oh, yeah. And I remember like getting to the studio and it was like 8 a.m. or like 8.30 a.m. on like a Monday, you know, like getting to the studio and I was like 8 a.m. or like 8 30 a.m. on like a Monday you know like

getting to the studio like they're like three-piece suits like just fucking like hard at work already just cranking it out you know just super busy super productive creative juices like flowing and like that was just sort of the first time i'd seen like oh like these guys are sober and they're like just just so productive and so just like on it you know what i mean like like you know they had like warren all their shit was set up and they were just going for it you know and they just worked like that like every day and then my friend james who lives in brighton who used to play in big in japan and stuff we went to paris for like vacation and we went warren lives in paris and we went to his house to like give him a microphone or something and uh we were sort of hanging out and he would sort of

he wouldn't i don't know if they like did the program necessarily but like he just sort of talked about like like being sober or just like the way he was acting like he had this you know beautiful life like he had these two great kids who'd like never seen him fucked up and like right he was having like a barbecue for them and he was like on top of it like cooking all the food and hanging out with us and being like do you guys need like drinks or anything i can run down to the store and get you like whatever like it was just sort of like he wasn't missing out on anything and he wasn't like sweating that people were drinking around him or whatever and i sort of that was just so attractive to me right i was just like he's figured it out he's

figured it out his own lane and he's making it work for him right and he's like happy and productive and his life is awesome and you know they're just like doing soundtrack after soundtrack and writing bad seeds records and like you know just really cracking on with the business of like yeah their careers you know totally and um that was like i was like i want to be like that yeah like just busy and like right on it and you realize too like how much drinking like thinking thinking about it as like well I'm just doing this tonight but then it just fucks you up the next day where you're hungover and you're waiting at the end of like so

like what you're saying like they couldn't do that at 830 in the morning right you're losing out so much time like it just keeps totally into other things my first over my first year of sobriety I remember were you like what am I gonna do with all this time well no i was i was feeling the time like crazy like people had to be like you have to like my therapist was like you have to slow down because i was like i've wasted so much time like right i need to like i'm old like i've wasted so much time i need to like get on it you know and i like took on all these like projects and started practicing all the time and like all this stuff and just like wore myself out for like but i needed to do that for the first like year or two i've started to

kind of level out now but it's like you know i definitely still feel like i need to be just busy you know yeah it's a good feeling the clock's ticking yeah if it's stuff that you love doing like there's no better feeling than that like yeah working on stuff that you don't give a shit about sucks oh that'll wear you out yeah yeah but like doing stuff that you love like there's no better feeling than that like yeah working on stuff that you don't give a shit about sucks oh that'll wear you out yeah yeah but like doing stuff that you love like there's i don't know there's just nothing better than like putting in the time and like even if you're like stressing out about it like the final product comes yeah the feeling of accomplishment yeah definitely absolutely now is that uh is that where improv came into it where you're like i want to try an improv class yeah yeah because i I remember telling my therapist like I've never

been I had to like go out to a bar and get a few drinks at me before I felt like I could be social I had a lot of like social anxiety yeah so I was like if I go do this improv class like I helped me like get out of myself I like learn how to talk to people uh- can be like, you know, Mr. I can still be funny. Because when I got drunk, in my mind, I was like, I'm funny. I'm handsome. I'm loose.

Like, you know, totally relaxed. Like, people like me. So I was sort of like, if I take this improv class, maybe that can help me get to that point without any drinks. You know what I mean? Can I get a location? Like, who are you? Never mind.

I'm out of here. So, yeah. And that was great. But like I said, I need to keep doing it because I felt pretty sharp at the end of the eight weeks and then it just kind of...

I love that you did that. That's so cool. Yeah. I can't wait to do it again. I didn't know you were sticking in pro class. Yeah, it was great. With Big?

Yeah. Yeah, Mike and I. Up on Cold Spring Lane. Yeah, at the synagogue. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I took? Yeah. Up on Cold Spring Lane. Yeah, at the synagogue. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I took classes there. Yeah, we're both with Big. Oh, cool.

So we do shows all the time. That's awesome, man. Yeah, all of those. I loved it. It was like one of the best experiences of my life. Yeah. I mean, it definitely changed my life a lot. I mean, that's how Josh and I both got started in comedy.

And it's always like, at least in our class like the people who wouldn't expect to be like funny at all we're like the funniest people yeah you know like the most sort of straight like the straighter or more like square the person seemed to be like a funnier they were yeah you know what I mean yeah you don't have to be the guy it's like hey yeah there was a guy like that in the class and i felt like he always he was really funny but he had like always had like a preconceived force yeah so it was always hard like there was always like lots of like hesitancy in the scenes because he was doing voices and he was doing all you know he had like a preconceived like thing yeah that's the worst when you yeah i went to a friend's

showcase his intro showcase and they were doing a bus bench where like it's two people on a bench and then one person leaves another person comes on and this one guy he he comes on he's like here how you doing i'm like oh george bush is here great like he knew he was gonna do that the whole time right your first class like there's gonna be stuff like you can't like blame he was telling me, he's like, he does that every class. Really? Yeah. He does George Bush every class. Yeah, like, any scene.

It's like, hey, Georgie Bush is here. How's it going today? A lot of Christopher walking every now and again. Oh, man. That's a Gilbert Godfrey. Yeah. There's nothing worse than a bad walking. Oh, yeah.

And everybody does them. Yeah. Yeah, everybody. Yeah. I actually had, like, a joke for a while. Like, you know, yeah, and everybody does them. Yeah, everybody. Yeah, I actually had a joke for a while. I'm trying to stand out. I'm trying to be original, so I'm going to do a Christopher Walken impression,

and that was it. I couldn't really think of a tat. That would get a laugh and an applause, but then I couldn't think of anything beyond that. You wouldn't do the impression? No, because I didn't want to actually do an impression. I wanted to joke that everybody does a Christopher Walken impression. Right.

And I tried walking on stage and being like, hi, I'm Chris. Chris for walking, but that didn't quite. It's a little too cerebral. Really? It's too high. And now he's playing Captain Hook. Yeah. Oh, dude. Did you see that see and i saw the ad for that

i was like is this a fucking joke i just got so serious dude dude i saw those commercials yesterday he looks like he's dead yeah he looks he looks completely checked out like not just like health wise but like his demeanor looks like why am i doing this yeah like it's like and christopher walken is captain hook and he's just like it reminds me of like did you ever see that scrooged with like bill murray and like the uh the like their promo spots for their like christmas yeah television like pro it looks like one of those like this is fun we're like lee majors comes and like save santa from the ninjas you know what i mean it's totally and we have christopher walker yeah it looks like his arms are on strings and he's like catatonic he's like one step above like

working at a restaurant it's like the captain yeah your table hello you are our specials what what are we having i was just like wait what like i go away for, like, a couple weeks. I, like, get back. I'm just like, what happened? What happened? Yeah. It's the apocalypse. Yeah, yeah. I miss so much. Oh, yeah.

The Republicans took over Congress. Like, you know, Christopher Walken's playing Captain Hook. What's the world coming to? He's, like, dressed as a woman. What? Doing, like, a Tyler Perry movie or something. Oh, man. Yeah, he's Madea.

Like, the Broadway play. Michael Ferguson and Bill Cosby. Fuck bill cosby fuck yeah that's weird that shit is heartbreaking i know you guys got to stop touring everything's falling apart i know right like that's bill cosby shit is just blowing my mind man like yeah um i don't i don't think we should necessarily convict him like socially just yet it's weird that he hasn't said anything about it like I always it's always weird to me when people are like accused of something like did you kill your wife like

no I did not and I want to find like if somebody's accusing me of raping 16 women I'd be like no and drugging them but he's just like you do it like that at your press conference? No! Yes! Wouldn't you?

Yeah, probably. Of course not! I think there's a science for celebrities to not giving something too much credence so that it doesn't become... But I think it is already past the point. Giving it zero? Yeah, it probably is past the tipping point of like, this is going to be on your record forever.

And I could see if it was like, you know, you sort of question when like one or two people come out, like, okay, maybe this could be people fishing for money or for something, which is fucked up anyway. Yeah. But 16 women that like all have the same story. Yeah, over decades. It's like over decades.

Like the dude's a serial. Bill Cosby is a serial rapist that drugs his victims. And gets off on it. Gets off on drugging them. Why does he have to drug people, though? That's my question. He had a bit about Spanish Fly, too.

Which is the only way. It's like, yeah, you put it in a drink and the lady's like, what? I heard that he did, but I haven't listened to it. Oh, my God. I mean, so you think that that's like his fetish? Is like. Well, it's definitely part of the.

Yeah. Because he could get laid. Right. He could. That's what I'm saying. Like, he just throws in the, like, drug. It's like a control. I don't know.

I'm not like a profiler or anything. But no, it definitely seems. My psychological analysis. That's part of the deal. You know what I mean? Like, i've watched enough law and order sv so some guys like don't have to do that but do it anyway yeah for the control like they get off on the control probably yeah like the power didn't they didn't wasn't

there an accusation that uh whenever he would do letterman all the young female staffers had to watch him eat curry before he go on yes in Yes, in silence. Yeah, I don't know about that. That sounds nuts. Had to watch him eat what? Curry. And no one was allowed to talk. That's why. Did you guys request that when you were on?

We didn't request anything. Ladies go to the basement. We were just happy to be there. We're not going on. Until we get a bowl full of curry in a room full of young staffers. I remember their publicist, we were just sort of sitting downstairs and someone came down and was like,

yeah, so you'll have about an hour. You guys can go to makeup if you want, makeup and hair. And we were like, I don't think we need to go to makeup and hair. And the publicist was like, yeah, they'll be up in like 10 minutes or whatever. We were all just like,

oh, do we? Sorry. Yeah. Put some, put some stuff on. I do have an oily T-zone. Yeah. Got to get that shine off.

Yeah. That'd be funny if they just like turned you into a completely different band. Right. Like we came out one direction or something. All right. As we, as we wrap this up. So future islands is a touring until the end of time

basically like what's what's the i hope so what's the plan i mean for this record uh from what i've heard it's supposed to go till the end of next summer but that there's not any like there's no more as of right now there's no more like six week things everything's just sort of like a week here a week there yeah we're gonna go out monday to do a couple of shows and i'll be back like wednesday and then we go out like the following monday christmas is gonna happen all that stuff well we are done the 14th for the rest of the year oh awesome and then january starts back up and it's you know a run down the east coast for a week and then australia for three weeks and then just lots of like fly off

fly out like one-off things like i think in february we're doing one show where it's like we're playing in atlanta and then we like fly to mexico city from atlanta do a show in mexico city and then just like come home wow so it's like's like a lot of like that kind of popping. That sounds awesome. Yeah. I mean like a lot of people it seems like don't like the touring life, but I think it'd be great. I think airports are fun.

Well, it's definitely. It's a grind. It's a grind. Like if you're, like you, it's one of those things where like you have to be really into what you're doing or you would just hate it. Sure. Like I remember like when my, when Uncle would tour and my wife would come along, it's so boring for people that aren't playing music

or aren't a part of the organization or just don't have anything to do. Because you're doing stuff and they're like, am I in the way? You're like, no, no, you're good. Just stand there. We'll be here for the next four hours. Can't you explore the city and stuff during that time?

Not really, though, right? We couldn't on the US tour, but on the Europe tour we did. We were on like a bus so it was easy. Like we'd wake up in a new place and we'd have like all day and that was like that made all the difference, man. Because we only had like four days off

the whole month. So like getting there and being able to do touristy things was just like like it was awesome it was the best tour i've ever been on really the last uh europe run that has to be so insane too running into or doing shows for people that don't speak english you know or like coming out to your shows yeah there was one place in um i think it was like bordeaux france uh-huh where like uh like william was like setting up his stuff and there was like aordeaux France uh-huh we're like like William was like setting

up his stuff and there was like a dad and his kid like kids like young kids and like older people are like like really are into future islands really yeah so like so there's like a good contingent of like kids you know sometimes and like this dad and his kid was there and William was like so what's your what's your favorite song like to the kid and the kid just kind of looked at his dad like i don't know what this guy's saying to me and the dad couldn't really speak english either so someone standing next to them was like oh uh he asked what you know that said in french like oh he asked what your son's favorite song is and like and he was like seasons and so william came back and. And so William came back and he was like, hey, Sam, when we play Seasons,

like make sure you dedicate it to this kid that's like in the front row or whatever. And so like right before we do it, Sam's like, this song's for you, little man. And he's like pointing to the kid. And he's like, I was like, this must be so terrifying. You didn't know what he said because you don't know what the – He's like, this is for you, little man. Like I heard it was your favorite song. It was like a really sweet, like cute thing. But I saw saw the kid he had these little like earplugs in his ears

i saw the kid just kind of like look up at his dad like did i just get yelled at or like what did he say i have to leave and the dad had to like explain to him that it was like good yeah it's good but i love it american like you what did i do i love you like you get out um and like and in some places like you know sam would like tell jokes or something or he like he likes to talk between songs and he would like say you know like it has this like you know stage banter and it would just be like silent and i'd be like no one can understand what he's saying you know what i mean all right next song one two or he'd like he'd like say something kind of self- what he said you know what i mean yeah all right next song one two or he'd like he'd like say something kind of self-deprecating you know like anywhere else

would get like a like a good laugh or you know take some of the tension out of the room or whatever and like it was just silent like he'd be like okay i'm gonna stop talking like let's but there'd be like no yeah you could be like oh right be like no, yeah, you could be like, oh, right, we're in like, you know, Slovenia. Right. No one speaks English. But they still love the music. Yeah, yeah. I can't get over it.

It's incredible. They still sing along to all the words and stuff. It's crazy. My buddy, Zach, he plays bass in this band, Pianos Become the Teeth. And they did a festival in Spain. He said there was a guy up front that was like, Zach! Really? Zach! Nice. He was like, huh? He had huh like he had no idea yeah can i have your pick and he's like oh sure like it's incredible to me like a guy

in another country knows my friend that i grew up with you know like and doesn't speak the language at all i had a weird sorry no no that's it it's just i think it's so cool like how music travels like that experience with us where like uh somebody in washington state thought that i had a brother had a half brother because they were confusing me with you oh for with the podcast yeah oh yeah like how's your how's your half brother doing you're like who do you know what are you talking about what are you talking about yeah it is weird when we find out like the people listen to the podcast i was in dc did i tell you about this i was in dc doing an improv show and they're like oh you did the podcast with so-and-so and i was like yeah they're like oh i thought you'd look different it's like what do

you mean like i thought you'd have a shaved head i was like well you seem kind of nazi shaved head voice yeah that's like i didn't hear any air flapping around. Yeah, exactly. That's bizarre. I wouldn't peg you for a shaved head guy with your voice. Well, maybe if you listened instead. I don't know. Yeah, I don't know. My deep tones, you know? My deep shaved head tones.

All right, so this has been great, man. This is really fun. Thanks for having me. Thank you for doing this. I didn't really know what you were getting into. Yeah, well, I was like, is this going to gonna be about future islands because i'm not really in the band you know what i mean i was just i didn't i didn't like work on the record or anything like i felt kind of bad i was like oh if they want future islands guys like i should call william or garrett

and be like hey yeah well i i've talked like i said i've talked to them before like we just wouldn't say anything yeah okay cool william william would yeah william would yeah yeah yeah he's he's quite the he's quite the cut up oh is he yeah i would yeah i mean you're welcome back anytime if you want awesome all you guys yeah yeah come to my basement talk talk shit i don't care yeah we don't even have to be here right it doesn't even have to leave a key under the mat yeah yeah you can come in and you keep it down down there yeah my girlfriend are trying to have dinner yeah but yeah the fact that you did improv and all that stuff that's so cool i would love to get back into it yeah oh yeah you said uh it was like one of the best experiences uh ever uh why have you ever been late oh just because i felt

uh and i think i might have partly been like pink clouding it because it was like in my first year of like sobriety where i was just like everything's so awesome because i've never been sober this long you know what i mean cloud is i don't know oh yeah you're just like every you're just like radiating positivity because you're just like so i didn't really get that for a couple years honestly honestly. Really? I was pretty depressed my first year or two years. I got it really hard for the first nine months. And it's just been a struggle ever since. Yeah.

Like reality comes back and you become just a normal person again. Totally. But that's really something for like you're radiating so much good energy that you're attracting so much. Yeah. Like sort of positivity. Not so much. But that wasn't really my focus. But the improv stuff, I just felt like before when I was drinking, I had such social anxiety that like i would never even do it

you know what i mean like i never would have done it in the first place right and i like met some cool people like did this thing sort of like conquered a fear i like wasn't afraid to do it and that was like a new feeling and it was like really exhilarating and i just felt really like free you know what i mean like and i was sort of like when you're when you're wasted all the time you're you're always talking about shit you're gonna do and you never do it right you know what i mean like and i was sort of like when you're when you're wasted all the time you're you're always talking about shit you're gonna do and you never do it right you know so like this was like i'm gonna take an improv class and i went online and signed up and took it and you did it and i did it and it was great so it was like that whole thing was just like yeah like i thought of something and like did it and it was like really awesome i didn't just talk about it

for a year and i get bummed because i couldn't get it oh yeah i had like a fantasy band that i was going to start for like seven years it never happened yeah all the stuff like what you're going to name your first record i remember like describing my band to somebody while i was drunk and they're like so when can we see you guys and i'm like oh well it doesn't exist yet like this is what i'm planning on doing as soon as i get band members i will let you know and learn how to play an instrument yeah so that's um and that's why i just felt so free like i just hadn't felt that free ever wow you know what i mean like in my entire life incredible man so like i was just like and and it was like you know and sobriety like they you learn how to just like take action even if you don't believe what you're doing, just still just, like, fake it until you make it.

And the fact that you did it is its own accomplishment. Right. Even, like, results. But, like, look, I tried. I did it. I did it. Yeah. So it made me just sort of get on this course of just, like, always just trying to take action.

Yeah. And, like, not just, like, talk about something. Right. Just shut up and do it. And then improv, too, is a thing, too, where you're, like, oh, it was all, like oh it was all like me like i had this in me like stuff you don't even realize like i love that when like doing a show and then you say something you're like where did that even come from you know right it's so cool it's such a good feeling it was so hard to like get to the point just switching that thing off in your brain it's like because you know you play that game where like

it's uh you're standing in the circle and you're like doing the like clapping thing and it's like yeah 10 things you do when you wake up or whatever but then if you start to stall you can be like fly out a window like anything go kick the donkey in the mouth you know what i mean like but it's hard to because you don't do those things in the morning you know you start trying to think of things you actually do in the morning yeah but then it's hard switching your brain to like, you can say anything. Yeah. You know what I mean?

And like, it's all real. It's all true. I feel like even seasoned improvisers have difficulty with that particular game and not just saying the first and like really thinking about it, trying to take that like second and a half to think about it while everybody else is clapping. You know what I mean?

It's weird. Like how that it's like so hard to undo that uh yeah that like control you know and it's so different than like stand-up you know what i mean like i i sort of always equated the two as being like oh yeah like the same like sort of the same like if you're good at this you'll be good at that yeah what i mean but it's like two totally different yeah yeah i love them but i feel like they like i've seen improv groups try to do improv stand-up and it's just shambolic like you're just like oh my god you know like just go back to the two fishermen you know what i mean like right like like yelling out like you know somebody give us a topic and we're just gonna tell stand-up jokes about it like it's just yeah so that's almost impossible yeah it's like these guys like you know it's a

craft you like work on and hone and like you know you've told these jokes a million times to yourself by the time it actually gets to the stage exactly um i never could i still don't have the i feel like i don't really have like the stand-up thing in me you know what i mean but the group i really like sort of the interaction of the group like i i think about too from a musician standpoint it's almost like you're jamming with people because you are it's exactly that because you're speaking a a language that's kind of unspoken like when you're jamming like oh this is a good groove i'm gonna switch up here let's ride this a little bit.

So you're communicating in one way, but secretly in another, like once you know the rules of improv and the rules of like playing music and that type of thing, like you were saying with uncle where you have, where they wanted a band that knew each other versus like session people. So once you've been improvising with people a lot, you're like,

Oh, I know how they're going to react to this. And yeah, it's so cool. The language improv is the same, like across the board. Like, you know, I studied i studied a lot of uh i played a lot of improv like in college of various various kinds and that idea of like listen agree and add is like the same thing it's the same principle in playing music yeah jamming with people like there's nothing

you can really do wrong except not follow somebody. Or like, that riff sucks. No. Just like, nope. While I'm walking away from this, not being supportive. Yeah.

It's the same thing. There's parts of me that really misses playing that way, but I totally got that button pushed during improv with people. Awesome. And then when you see someone way but i totally got that button pushed like doing improv that's awesome awesome and then like when you see someone who's just like so obviously like just a natural it's just amazing like just watching like how did you like i'll be like how did you ever come up with that you know what i mean like right off the bat and like i said it's always the most unassuming people

yeah and you're just like man you're like one of the funniest people i've ever met and i would like never know it you know you would never in their sort of normal life you would never see that side of them totally right so it's uh yeah i hope hopefully i'll get it i'll get it together enough or be around long enough to to uh be able to take the class yeah you should come out to some shows too yeah i would love that we do uh yeah we're doing a bunch we do a fun um mashup show too where we have a stand-up go up and do their act to do like eight to ten minutes of their normal act and then the improvisers improvise off of that using that as the input and it's a lot of fun oh cool do you do it at like my goobies no we do it we have our own theater the mercury theater

it's right uh right by the tapas place yeah it used to be the strand to work oh okay used to be the strand you worked at the tapas yeah yeah yeah and i still say like like oh well you don't wait tables anymore i'm just like i don't wait tables right now you know what i mean like i did that when i when i was with uncle i remember like getting the call i was at work polishing silverware i remember getting the call that I was at work polishing silverware. I remember getting the call that we got it, and I literally wanted to just take my apron off and just walk out the door. And I remember we got it, and I got all the tour dates,

and it was like three months all over the world. And I was just like, I'm out. Peace, dudes. And the manager was like, halfway through, I'd come back home for a week or something. And she was like, so did you want us to keep you sort of in the loop if you want like come back home for like a week or something and she was like so did you want us to like keep you like sort of in the loop like if you want to come back and I was like no I'm done with waiting tables like fuck that you know and uh and then like 2011 I was like hey can I like get my job back yeah and I like learned a hard lesson that just like you know like I I

those guys that place I'll tell you like they've been like nothing but like supportive to me they've always sort of fostered my like sort of musical ambition and let me come and go and like and always taking me back and so like yeah i feel like if they ever need anything like i'll i'll i'll show up you know what? And so, like, and they're sort of, I've been there for so long. They really are like family. And even though I, like, I can't, I just got to the point where I just can't wait on people for a while. You know what I mean? Like, I just, I can't, I couldn't even, I wasn't even, like, it was hard to just, I was faking it.

Like, I just couldn't, like, I just didn't care. I didn't want to talk to anybody. Like, I was just pissed. Yeah. You know what I mean? And, so I think this break is really good.

I'm definitely not going to be like, I'm never waiting tables again. Yeah. Because then I'll be like, all right, well, we're done touring and we're not putting on a record for a year.

So, see you next year. Yeah, find your apron. Right, right. So, I'm very careful to just be like you know

if they need me like i'll be there no it's great to have like a home base like that you know you can go back to but on the other hand it's like well maybe it's time to like find something else you know what i mean like get into like teaching or get into some sort of like service something right right you know that can like like giving individual lessons or like working at like a school or like you know something yeah i think i think now i think before i really needed to be like grounded in that job especially like when i first got sober i just needed like consistency yeah like a schedule and before that i just never thought that i would be able to find anything that would be flexible and then i would make as much money and like all this stuff and

now i'm sort of like oh maybe there's something else out there and yeah you know maybe it's something the universe is trying to tell me the to move on move on and like you know try to be of good to someone other than like selling just selling them a bunch of food. Delicious food. It's good food. At reasonable prices. So why not stop on by? Stop on by at a tapas teatro. That's the reason I'm here, if I could get to that. And there's tapas. You want us to plug that in the beginning?

You can. They have a new place, too. Penn and Quill, like next door. Used to be the Chesapeake. Really good. Yeah, I checked that place out. Not bad. Good stuff. Mike, this has been fucking awesome yeah man thanks for having me one of those like interviews where you're like oh holy shit like there's so much there like yeah i love it love it so thank you for coming by man thanks for having me are you on twitter or anything or no i'm on facebook and instagram okay you want us to follow your grams, your Instagram? Yeah, sure. That'd be great.

What's the username? Throw it out there. Oh, Levine. It's L-U-V-E-A-N. Oh, that makes sense. That's my grandmother's name. My dead grandmother, who I loved very much. No, I wasn't being sarcastic.

That's her name. Who helped raise me. She's an angel on Earth. She had replacement hands put on right right uh but yeah it's and uh i do i take a lot of lots of photos like on the road cool um so like you can sort of follow what we're doing yeah i love that stuff having access to all that shit like the behind the scenes stuff yeah i'm trying to i've been trying to take like a lot of pictures i feel like i'm at a point where at least with them,

that I'm close enough that I was like, somebody needs to be documenting this whole time. Absolutely. How often do you get to do something like that? Yeah, every picture I take of a new place or a new something, I'm just in my mind. I'm like, I might never see this again. They might make it.

What if something happens and they fire me tomorrow? At least I can be like, look at all this stuff that I did. Yeah, I did this. Yeah. Totally. Totally. Mr. Moran, anything to plug? Well, this is going to be a shock, but I forgot to write down my upcoming dates.

Okay. Well, digressionsessions.com slash calendar or mikemorancomedy.com. I think maybe in the last three and a half years, I've remembered once, and that was the last one we did. And that took a while. Yes. But I do have a new column up on Brightest Young Things. Okay.

And other than that, just go to my website. Check it out. Just check it out. Follow Mike on Twitter, at MichaelMoran10. No, I changed it. Really? At Michael, no. At Mike Moran Wood. W-O-U-u-l-d okay mike moran wood mike moran wood

gentlemen all right like w-o-o-d no i just spelled it oh w-o-u-l-d mike moran has wood out there for a second i was just looking right at you just like not not even listening just totally tuned out so how do you spell that me follow me on twitter and instagram I'm at better robot josh digressionsessions.com slash calendar for upcoming shows

the one I want to plug is New Year's Eve I'll be in Lorton I'll be featuring there'll be two New Year's Eve shows at the I forget the name of it's like the lorton work work house where is that lorton virginia it's actually it's a really cool venue it used to be like an old school jail like with a bunch of different buildings like uh cool hand luke style oh um but now they've converted them into like art spaces and

theaters and stuff it It's really nice. And the headliner is a guy that writes for John Oliver's Last Week Tonight, so I'm excited about that. So come out to those. That'll be fun. And I think that's it. Follow me on Twitter. The podcast is at DigSushPod, right?

As far as I'm aware. Yep. And then our podcast network, ThunderGrunt.com. Yeah, that's right. We got a network. Baltimore has a podcast network. Have you heard the Curiosio? No. It's so good.

Is it? I love it. That's awesome. Yeah. Nice. Yeah, we got a bunch of good shows over there. So check that out. Mike, thank you again.

Thank you. It's my pleasure. Thank you again. Thank you. And then he says it again. I said thank you. I just keep going back and forth. All right.

Well, it's been great. Thank you, everybody, for listening. We love you. Bye-bye back and forth. All right. Well, it's been great. Thank you, everybody, for listening. We love you. Bye-bye. Thanks, guys. Bye. Thank you.