Life In The Stocks

Joining me for Episode 338 of Life In The Stocks is Johnny Marriott from the band Pet Needs. Unbeknownst to me, Johnny has been listening to the podcast for years, so it was a pleasure to welcome him onto the show as a guest. Pet Needs are one of my favourite new UK bands, and their productivity is astounding: since the pandemic they've released three albums and toured all the UK and America with Frank Turner and The Bouncing Souls. If you like this conversation, be sure to check out their music if you're yet to do so. And go see Pet Needs on tour with Laura Jane Grace later this year. Follow me on Facebook / Instagram: @mattstocksdjMy first two books (Life In The Stocks Volume One & Two) are also out NOW and available to buy from all reputable online book stores. Signed copies can be purchased direct from the publishers: rarebirdlit.com

Sam McTrusty from Twin Atlantic is my guest for Episode 337 of Life In The Stocks. I was one of the first people in the world to play Twin Atlantic on the radio back in the Kerrang! days, and I was a big champion of the band in the lead up to the release of their second album, Free. But I've not really seen or spoken to Sam since that time, so it was a genuine pleasure to jump on the mics and catch up on the last decade of our lives. We talk line-up and record label changes, and the past, present and future of Twin Atlantic, including the band's forthcoming album Meltdown, which for my money is the best thing they've done since Free. It comes out in August and it's probably the band's definitive musical statement to date. You heard it here first. Follow me on Facebook / Instagram: @mattstocksdjMy first two books (Life In The Stocks Volume One & Two) are also out NOW and available to buy from all reputable online book stores. Signed copies can be purchased direct from the publishers: rarebirdlit.com

Bobby Nerves from the excellent not-new-but-could-very-well-be-new-to-you band Bad Nerves joins me for Episode 336 of Life In The Stocks to discuss the band’s ten year trajectory to get to where they are now, touring with The Darkness and The Hives, how Bobby is building himself up to be a frontman in the same vein as Justin Hawkins and Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist, songwriting and creativity, the difficult second album, and the greatest second album title ever...Follow me on Facebook / Instagram: @mattstocksdjMy first two books (Life In The Stocks Volume One & Two) are also out NOW and available to buy from all reputable online book stores. Signed copies can be purchased direct from the publishers: rarebirdlit.com

My guest for Episode 335 of Life In The Stocks is one of the greatest frontmen alive. And his band are perhaps the most criminally overlooked rock 'n' roll group on the planet. I'm talking about the enigmatic Eric Nally from Foxy Shazam, who I'm so thrilled to welcome onto the podcast.We have a lot to discuss, from working on the self-titled Foxy Shazam album with producer John Feldmann to some of the amazing guests musicians who played on it, including Steve Jones from the Sex Pistols and the world's best drummer for hire, Josh Freese. We also talk about working on The Church of Rock N Roll record with Justin Hawkins, and the Gonzo album with Steve Albini.We chat about Eric's friendship and creative partnership with Macklemore, including the smash hit single 'Downtown' that they worked on together, how Macklemore inspired Eric to get sober, and the ways in which his life has changed and improved as a result - creatively, physically & spiritually.Finally, we discuss the dynamic with his band mates in Foxy Shazam, and Eric teases some new music in the not-too-distant future. I absolutely love this band and I urge you to check out their amazing back catalogue if you're not familiar with their music. I honestly think they're one of the greatest rock 'n' roll bands of the last 25 years. Eric is such a powerhouse performer. I was thrilled to have him on the show. Enjoy!Follow me on Facebook / Instagram: @mattstocksdjMy first two books (Life In The Stocks Volume One & Two) are also out NOW and available to buy from all reputable online book stores. Signed copies can be purchased direct from the publishers: rarebirdlit.com

American broadcast journalist, political commentator and published author Alisyn Camerota joins me for Episode 334 of Life In The Stocks to discuss her memoir Combat Love, which is out now on Rare Bird Publishing - the same publication company that put out my two books, Life In The Stocks Volume One & Volume Two. As well as her book, we also talk about growing up in New Jersey and discovering punk rock as a teenager, the formative experiences she had during that time, how working in hospitality prepared her for a career in live broadcasting, how she prepares for interviews with politicians and world leaders, the impact of social media on the news and how hard it is to discern the truth nowadays, and the ways in which the TV and media industry has evolved over time.We also talk about going back and making peace with the past through the process of writing her book, healing old wounds, dealing with trauma and sexual assault, and finding true love and happiness with her husband. It's a great talk with a really lovely lady. I hope you find it as insightful and inspiring as I did. Follow me on Facebook / Instagram: @mattstocksdjMy first two books (Life In The Stocks Volume One & Two) are also out NOW and available to buy from all reputable online book stores. Signed copies can be purchased direct from the publishers: rarebirdlit.com

Multi-disciplinary artist and all-round awesome human being Brittany Elliott joins me for Episode 333 of Life In The Stocks. I first met Brittany on the Kiss Kruise in 2022 and we became fast friends. In this conversation that you're about to hear, we talk about meeting on the Kiss Kruise, Brittany's love of music and all things rock n roll, how she fell in love with tattooing and the culture around that art form, the incredible work that she does with her Heavy Metal Tables project, how music and art have the power to heal, her relationship with creativity, her childhood, losing her mum to addiction, how her dad was her all-time hero, dealing with bouts of sadness and how important it is to stay positive, and so much more. This is a wonderful conversation with a truly beautiful soul. I hope you get something positive out of it, as I did talking to Brittany.Follow her work on Instagram and be sure to show her some love: @bzelliott / @heavymetaltablesFollow me on Facebook / Instagram: @mattstocksdjMy first two books (Life In The Stocks Volume One & Two) are also out NOW and available to buy from all reputable online book stores. Signed copies can be purchased direct from the publishers: rarebirdlit.com

Josh Fleming from the Vandoliers joins me for Episode 332 of Life In The Stocks. This episode was recorded back in February when we were on tour together with Bowling For Soup and Less Than Jake. I have such fond memories of that tour, and I'm grateful for Josh's friendship and company and the conversations we shared on the road, both on and off the mic. Here, we discuss purpose, recovery, healing and hustling, our mutual love of Frank Turner and The Bronx, and Josh schools me on country and Americana music. Be sure to give the Vandoliers a follow on social media, and check out their music on the streaming services. They're a great band and a lovely bunch of guys. Follow me on Facebook / Instagram: @mattstocksdjMy first two books (Life In The Stocks Volume One & Two) are also out NOW and available to buy from all reputable online book stores. Signed copies can be purchased direct from the publishers: rarebirdlit.com

Welcome to Life In The Stocks Episode 331. This is Frank Turner's third official appearance on the podcast.Here, we break down Frank's recording output now that he’s ten albums in, and dissect all the peaks and valleys of his solo career and how the music industry has evolved during that time, including the rise and infiltration of social media.We also talk about dealing with negative energy online, using your platform as a successful artist to affect positive change, how working with younger bands like Pet Needs and The Meffs has invigorated Frank as a songwriter, and what it's like to be in a band that doesn’t fit in with any larger musical movement or scene. We also throw in some chat about our mutual friend Fat Mike and how Frank recently became buddies with Kiefer Sutherland, and why I believe Frank should write his autobiography already. Thank you, as always, to my great friend Francis for coming on.Follow me on Facebook / Instagram: @mattstocksdjMy first two books (Life In The Stocks Volume One & Two) are also out NOW and available to buy from all reputable online book stores. Signed copies can be purchased direct from the publishers: rarebirdlit.com

I've got an extra special guest joining me for Episode 330 of Life In The Stocks. It's my dear friend Lzzy Hale from Halestorm. I've known Lzzy for 13 years, but this is her first official appearance on the podcast - the Soundtrack Apocalypse episode during the pandemic doesn't count!And we make up for lost time by diving right into it. We discuss growing up and getting older, moving through life, self-improvement, self-development, being a role model, inspiring others, paying it forward, losing yourself, rediscovering your sense of purpose, going through therapy, songwriting, creativity, connection, cultivating an authentic relationship with your fanbase, showing up for your band mates and them showing up for you, the importance of community and camaraderie, singing with GWAR and Skid Row, Halestorm, obviously, and a lot more more. I've been doing this podcast for nearly eight years and I've done 330 episodes to date, and this one ranks amongst my all-time favourite episodes. Thanks so much to Lzzy for such a lovely conversation, and for being such a great friend to me over the years. Happy listening!!!Follow me on Facebook / Instagram: @mattstocksdjMy first two books (Life In The Stocks Volume One & Two) are also out NOW and available to buy from all reputable online book stores. Signed copies can be purchased direct from the publishers: rarebirdlit.com