Kreative Kontrol

Toronto’s METZ were recently asked to reunite for a performance on Everybody’s Live with John Mulaney, and so I dug into my archives for my first conversation with the band’s Alex Edkins. My digging led me to our second conversation as well, so I’ve combined them here for you and other METZ fans. Alex and I had met a number of times at METZ shows before our first interview, which was a phoner that took place on Tuesday December 14, 2010, at 2:00 PM ET. Our next interview, again via telephone, took place on Tuesday June 12, 2012, at 1:00 PM ET, and we discussed the band’s big news: they’d finished their debut album, and were about to start working with Sub Pop Records.To hear this entire conversation, subscribe to Kreative Kontrol on Patreon at the $6 tier or higher (a reminder that an annual subscription includes a discount compared to a monthly one).Related episodes/links:Ep. #854: METZEp. #850: You’ve Changed Records is 15!Ep. #719: Iain ReidEp. #687: Weird NightmareEp. #570: METZEp. #351: METZEp. #201: LIDSEp. #184: METZ

Ian Blurton and Rob Taylor discuss the return of Change of Heart and In the Wreckage, their first album since 1997, Rob’s 1992 departure and its impact on Ian who carried on, the savvy lawyer who oversaw Change of Heart’s major label deal and helped them retain their masters, whether we might see reissues of Tummysuckle and Steelteeth, why they made a new album, Toronto themes and socio-political tones within their respective and collaborative songwriting, remembering Mike Armstrong and Al Miller, why Change of Heart are only playing two shows, other future plans, and much more.EVERY OTHER COMPLETE KREATIVE KONTROL EPISODE IS ONLY ACCESSIBLE TO MONTHLY $6 USD PATREON SUPPORTERS. This one is fine, but please subscribe now on Patreon so you never miss full episodes. Thanks!Thanks to the Bookshelf, Planet Bean Coffee, and Grandad’s Donuts. Support Y.E.S.S., Pride Centre of Edmonton, and Letters Charity. Follow vish online. Support vish on Patreon!Related episodes/links:Kreative Updates: The Week of April 21, 2025Ep. #880: Guided By VoicesEp. #707: Ian Blurton’s Future NowEp. #487: Ian BlurtonEp. #334: Change of Heart

William Tyler returns to discuss his alluring new album, Time Indefinite, moving home to Nashville from Los Angeles during a pandemic, our perspectives on a paradigm shift and political contentions about a nebulous status quo, utilizing lo-fi media sources out of necessity to write songs and make films, the state of documentation and cultural erasure, exploring family histories, trusting artistic phases, touring, other future plans, and much more.EVERY OTHER COMPLETE KREATIVE KONTROL EPISODE IS ONLY ACCESSIBLE TO MONTHLY $6 USD PATREON SUPPORTERS. Enjoy this excerpt and please subscribe now via this link to hear this full episode. Thanks!Related episodes/links:Ep. #773: William TylerEp. #633: Marisa Anderson & William TylerEp. #631: Steve GunnEp. #492: I Remember Me and David BermanEp. #481: David BermanEp. #266: William Tyler

On the afternoon of Thursday, September 17, 2009, I interviewed Nick Cave in (what I recall was) the Park Hyatt's restaurant located in the Yorkville area of Toronto, Ontario. The occasion was to discuss his then new novel, The Death of Bunny Munro, and we also covered his work with Warren Ellis and the filmmaker John Hillcoat to score the film, The Road, why his new novel’s depiction of sexuality was revealing for both men and women, the marvels of emerging app technology and Apple's fledgling iPhone, compartmentalizing his songwriting and literary work and heading to an office every day to get those things done, and other subjects as well. This interview was originally broadcast on the Mich Vish Interracial Morning Show! on November 11, 2009. See Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds on their Wild God Tour. Thank you Nick.hear this entire conversation, subscribe to Kreative Kontrol on Patreon at the $6 tier or higher (a reminder that an annual subscription includes a discount compared to a monthly one).Related episodes/links:Ep. #922: The Saints ’73-’78Ep. #849: Jim White and Guy PicciottoEp. #642: Warren EllisEp. #323: Nick Cave and Warren Ellis

Yves Jarvis returns to discuss his astounding new album, All Cylinders, artistic growth and personal maturity, musical colours and poetic symbolism, dynamic inspirations like Paul McCartney, Prince, Stevie Wonder, and King Crimson, employing multi-instrumentalism, the admirable autonomy of stand-up comedians, expressing every single thing, tour, other future plans, and much more.EVERY OTHER COMPLETE KREATIVE KONTROL EPISODE IS ONLY ACCESSIBLE TO MONTHLY $6 USD PATREON SUPPORTERS. This one is fine, but please subscribe now on Patreon so you never miss full episodes. Thanks!Thanks to Blackbyrd Myoozik, the Bookshelf, Planet Bean Coffee, and Grandad’s Donuts. Support Y.E.S.S., Pride Centre of Edmonton, and Letters Charity. Follow vish online. Support vish on Patreon!Related episodes/links:Ep. #965: Marlaena MooreEp. #942: Nap EyesEp. #899: GhostkeeperEp. #581: Yves JarvisEp. #488: Yves JarvisEp. #410: Chad VanGaalen

Erik Denno and brothers James Wall and John Wall discuss their work together in Kerosene 454 and the Solid Brass reissue of their second album, Came By To Kill Me, the band’s history, the roads that brought them from Arizona to D.C. to California, getting into punk rock, touring with Hoover and filming some of their sets, the connection between their album art and the film The Crow, how they relate to the music and lyrics they created decades ago, whether they might play together again, other future plans, and much more.EVERY OTHER COMPLETE KREATIVE KONTROL EPISODE IS ONLY ACCESSIBLE TO MONTHLY $6 USD PATREON SUPPORTERS. Enjoy this excerpt and please subscribe now via this link to hear this full episode. Thanks!Related episodes/links:Ep. #966: Regulator WattsEp. #921: TsunamiEp. #900: Fugazi and Jem CohenEp. #891: Bed MakerEp. #878: Ted LeoEp. #849: Jim White and Guy PicciottoEp. #835: J. RobbinsEp. #819: ScreamEp. #745: The Casual DotsEp. #732: Soulside

I recently shared a new conversation with the band Regulator Watts, so it now seems fitting to share an older talk I had with their distant cousin, Reggie Watts, the gifted comedian, musician, and actor. Reggie and I first spoke on Wednesday May 9, 2012, at 3 PM ET, ostensibly about his then new special, A Live at Central Park, but we also covered his comedic and musical influences, his interest in Canadian television, opening for Conan O’Brien on his Legally Prohibited From Being Funny on Television Tour 2010, which I saw at Massey Hall, a question from Nick Flanagan, a forthcoming television adaptation of the Comedy Bang! Bang! podcast he was co-starring in, and other things too.To hear this entire conversation, subscribe to Kreative Kontrol on Patreon at the $6 tier or higher (a reminder that an annual subscription includes a discount compared to a monthly one).Related episodes/links:Ep. #966: Regulator WattsEp. #894: “Weird Al” YankovicEp. #818: Jon DoreEp. #498: Lauren Lapkus! Jon Dore!Ep. #458: Paul F. TompkinsEp. #254: Scott Aukerman

Alex Dunham and Areif Sless-Kitain from Regulator Watts discuss The Mercury LP, Alex building a new house in Minnesota, Areif’s stint drumming in Bluetip and his love of Hoover, why Hoover broke up and how Regulator Watts began, the cinematic nature of the band’s sound, Regulator Watts reconvening recently and recording new songs at Electrical Audio, whether this means the band might play shows again, other future plans, and much more!EVERY OTHER COMPLETE KREATIVE KONTROL EPISODE IS ONLY ACCESSIBLE TO MONTHLY $6 USD PATREON SUPPORTERS. This one is fine, but please subscribe now on Patreon so you never miss full episodes. Thanks!Related episodes/links:Ep. #947: FACSEp. #900: Fugazi and Jem CohenEp. #835: J. RobbinsEp. #732: SoulsideEp. #636: SofaEp. #496: Iggy PopEp. #184: METZ