Wheels Off With Rhett Miller

This week, legendary drummer John Densmore joins Rhett to talk about his life with The Doors - “we had a kamikaze maniac as a lead singer” - and the other characters he’s written about in his new book The Seekers: Meetings With Remarkable Musicians (and Other Artists). Rhett and John discuss the importance of silence, the wonders of transcendental meditation, and talk about the house that Rhett lived in that may have had some Doors magic in the air.   John Densmore is a musician, songwriter, author and actor from Los Angeles, California, best known as the rhythmic engine of The Doors. Responsible for some of the most famous beats in rock history, Densmore founded the rock band and was the drummer from 1965 to 1973. In fact, he was the only drummer in the Doors’ history and appeared on every recording made by the band. Densmore is also a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He has also written three books, and explored avenues of creativity in filmmaking and acting. Densmore’s latest book, The Seekers, is

In this episode of Wheels Off with Rhett Miller, singer-songwriter Liz Phair joins Rhett from her home in LA to talk about her creative journey as a musician. The two discuss how being home during the pandemic has changed their lives, why social interaction is crucial for creative inspiration, and dig into her memoir Horror Stories. Liz explains why you “just have to go for the ride” in order to conquer feelings of self-doubt and shares a few other savvy insights gleaned from her extraordinary career.   Liz Phair is a two-time Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter from Chicago who came to prominence in the early 90’s, thanks to the emotional authenticity of her lyrics and the lo-fi instrumentation in her music. She has been a recording artist and touring performer for over twenty-five years, paving the way for countless music artists, particularly women, who cite her among their major influences. Her 1993 debut studio album, Exile in Guyville, is ranked by Rolling Stone as one of the 500 Greatest Albums of All T

In this episode, Ben Schneider, guitarist and singer for the critically acclaimed indie band Lord Huron, joins Rhett from his studio in Los Angeles. Ben tells Rhett about the early days of his career and the moment he realized that he wanted to play in a band. He explains why living in Los Angeles helps him push through creative obstacles, the impact that nature has on his writing, and the importance of collaboration in his creative endeavors.   Lord Huron broke out in 2015 with their hit song “The Night We Met,” which has been streamed over 700 million times. Their intimate take on indie-folk borrows influences from lap steel-laced desert-country, while retaining a modern sound that’s well ahead of the curve. Ben Schneider is at the helm of their efforts, providing authentic and rich textures in his singing and guitar playing. Their latest album “Long Lost”, is available now.   Wheels Off is brought to you by Osiris Media. Hosted by Rhett Miller. Produced by Rhett Miller.  Co-produced by Kirsten Cluthe in pa

In this episode, singer and multi-instrumentalist Pete Yorn joins Rhett to talk about his lifelong journey as an artist. The two discuss the harsh realities behind signing a record deal, grappling with the demons that present creative obstacles, and they reminisce over the excitement of hearing their songs mixed for the first time. Pete tells Rhett about the wisdom of his grandfather and the lessons he’s learned that carry him forward.  Pete Yorn has released over a dozen albums as a solo act. Yorn gained recognition around the world after releasing his debut album Musicforthemorningafter in 2001, which has gone on to sell over half a million copies. His latest release, New Rooftop EP (20 years of musicforthemorningafter) was released earlier this month in celebration of the 20th anniversary of his seminal debut LP. It includes four tracks: “Rooftop,” an unreleased outtake from the musicforthemorningafter sessions and three live versions of tracks from the album including Smiths cover “Panic”, “Life On A Chai

Writer Tony Weaver Jr. joins Rhett from his home in Atlanta, Georgia to discuss the creative projects that he’s working on, including a new graphic novel series called “Weirdo.” Tony tells Rhett about his intent to provide hope and guidance for young people through his storytelling, and how stumbling into poetry convinced him to become a writer. The two discuss navigating times of uncertainty, optimizing for mental health, and the importance of self-acceptance.  Tony Weaver, Jr. is an award winning writer and educator creating diverse stories that make young people feel seen and valued. After recognizing the impact that media stereotypes had on students in his community, Tony embarked on a journey to create new media narratives that would challenge the status quo. Wheels Off is brought to you by Osiris Media. Hosted by Rhett Miller. Produced by Rhett Miller. Co-produced by Kirsten Cluthe in partnership with Nick Ruffini (Revoice Media). Editing byJustin Thomas (Revoice Media). Music by OLD 97’s. Episode artwo

Author and podcaster Zibby Owens joins Rhett from her home in New York City to talk about her uninhibited creative process, her detailed approach to research and the importance of trying new things. Libby explains the genesis of “Moms Don’t Have Time To…” and why you will probably have to invent your dream job.  Zibby Owens is the creator and host of the award-winning podcast Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books. Zibby, named “NYC’s Most Powerful Book-fluencer” by New York Magazine’s Vulture, conducts warm, inquisitive conversations with authors, making her show a top literary podcast as selected by Oprah.com in 2019 and 2020. She also created the Moms Don’t Have Time to Lose Weight community and hosts the accompanying podcast. Zibby is the Editor-in-Chief of Moms Don’t Have Time to Write, a Medium.com publication. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Masi Asare is a composer, lyricist, and a musical theatre professor at Northwestern University. She has provided music for theatre productions including The Family Resemblance, Rishvor, Monsoon Wedding, Mirror of Most Value, and many others. In this episode Asare and Rhett talk about finding your voice of expression in art, “collective imagining” amongst theatre audience members, staying creative when inspiration feels elusive, and much more. Rhett relates his musical experience to Asare’s despite the two being from completely different musical realms, and Asare provides experienced, battle-tested insights for young musicians.   Upcoming episodes of Wheels Off include author Zibby Owens, writer Tony Weaver Jr., The Doors’ John Densmore, author Lily Brooks-Dalton, Lord Huron’s Ben Schneider, Liz Phair, and more. Wheels Off is brought to you by Osiris Media. Hosted by Rhett Miller. Produced by Rhett Miller, Kirsten Cluthe, and Nick Ruffini. Editing by Justin Thomas. Music by OLD 97’s. Episode artwork by Katheri

David Wax is one half of the duo David Wax Museum, which he formed in 2008 with his wife Suz Slezak. He joins Rhett from his home in Charlottesville, VA. to talk about how the pandemic enabled him to build a studio and dig into the process of home recording, and the two discuss why music is more important than ever right now. David explains how he handles self doubt by finding opportunity in crisis, and tells Rhett about the time they blindfolded an audience during a live performance. The new David Wax Museum album Euphoric Ouroboric is out now. Upcoming episodes of Wheels Off include composer/playwright Masi Asare, writer Tony Weaver Jr., The Doors’ John Densmore, author Lily Brooks-Dalton, author Zibby Owens, and more. Revisit Season One of Wheels Off with Rosanne Cash, Rob Thomas, Will Forte, Lydia Loveless, Allison Moorer, Ted Leo, Paul F. Tompkins, Jen Kirkman, and more.  Wheels Off is brought to you by Osiris Media. Hosted by Rhett Miller. Produced by Rhett Miller, Kirsten Cluthe, and Nick Ruffini. Edit

Pop artist Ashley Longshore joins Rhett in this episode to talk about growing up in Alabama, discovering her path and how she approaches the business side of being an artist. Ashley and Rhett talk about the things that inspire their work, and how to handle the fear and anxiety that comes with living a creative life. Ashley Longshore is a New Orleans-based, self taught artist. She has built an empire in the art world and challenges the traditional business model of art galleries. As a powerhouse artist and pioneer in social media marketing, she has exploded into a global brand and uses her platform to encourage positivity and authenticity. Longshore aspires to “Have a career like Andy Warhol and leave a legacy like Peggy Guggenheim.”  Upcoming episodes of Wheels Off include musician David Wax, composer/playwright Masi Asare, author Lily Brooks-Dalton, and more. Revisit Season One of Wheels Off with Rosanne Cash, Rob Thomas, Will Forte, Lydia Loveless, Allison Moorer, Ted Leo, Paul F. Tompkins, Jen Kirkman, and

In this episode, singer-songwriter Parker Millsap joins Rhett from his home in Tennessee to talk about his new album Be Here Instead, what he’s been listening to for inspiration, and discusses his latest single, “Vulnerable”. The two geek out over how to play a major 2 chord, and Parker explains his process for writing through creative obstacles. Parker Millsap is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who plays a blend of blues, country, rock, Americana, and folk music. Named one of Americana Music Association's 2014 Emerging Artists of the Year after the release of his eponymous album, Millsap garnered attention with his song "Truck Stop Gospel". His musical style has drawn comparisons to early Elvis Presley. In addition to singing, he plays guitar, harmonica and banjo. His latest album Be Here Instead drops on April 9. Upcoming episodes of Wheels Off include artist Ashley Longshore, musician David Wax, composer/playwright Masi Asare, author Lily Brooks-Dalton, and more. Wheels Off is brought to you

In this episode, award-winning writer/director Jenny Turner Hall joins Rhett from her home in Maplewood, NJ to talk about the creative projects she’s working on, including a scripted series inspired by New York’s infamous Brill Building. Jenny tells Rhett about growing up in a family of storytellers, why she prefers collaboration, and that time she ran an artist’s speakeasy out of her basement. Jenny and Rhett reminisce about being a young creative in New York City and Jenny reads a letter that she wrote to her 21-year old self.  Jenny Turner Hall is a Peabody Award Winner and a Writer/Director at the forefront of multi-platform storytelling. She has projects in film, television, podcasting, immersive theater, and fiction. With her friend Marcy Thompson, Jenny writes and produces for STUDIO B, a home for experimental theater, live performance, and hybrid art.  Wheels Off is brought to you by Osiris Media. Hosted by Rhett Miller. Produced by Rhett Miller, Kirsten Cluthe, and Nick Ruffini. Production assistance

Singer-songwriter Robert Ellis joins Rhett from his home in Fort Worth, TX. to talk about life in the music business, the struggle of self-promotion, and his recent pivot to producing music. Robert explains why he tells his students to make an audio mood board when writing music, and tells Rhett about moving a piano to the top of a mountain to get the cover shot for his album, Texas Piano Man.  Robert Ellis is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who blends country, pop music and jazz. His most recent album is Texas Piano Man (2019).  Wheels Off is brought to you by Osiris Media. Hosted by Rhett Miller. Produced by Rhett Miller, Kirsten Cluthe, and Nick Ruffini. Editing by Justin Thomas (Revoice Media). Music by OLD 97’s. Episode artwork by Katherine Boils. Show logo by Tim Skirven. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Author Lauren Groff joins Rhett from her home in Gainesville, FL. to talk about her creative process, facing her fears through writing, and how she handles the pressure of publishing her work. Lauren explains what she learns from reading poetry, what it means to ‘allow failure’ into your writing, and why index cards are one of her go-to writing tools. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Bestselling author Julia Cameron joins Rhett from her home in Santa Fe to talk about channeling creativity during the pandemic, what it means to ‘step past your inner censor’, and why her book The Artist’s Way caught on. Julia tells Rhett about the critic that’s been with her since she was 18, and what she learned when she decided to become a teacher. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sportswriter Calvin Watkins joins Rhett from his home in Plano, TX. to talk about his career, the lessons he learned as a young writer, and what it’s like to cover major sports activities, like the NFL draft, during COVID. Calvin Watkins covers the Dallas Cowboys for the Dallas Morning News. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Writer and comedian Karen Kilgariff joins Rhett this week to talk about why she pivoted from acting to writing, creating her podcast network, Exactly Right, and tells Rhett about the moment she realized she wanted to be in show business. Rhett and Karen talk about the understated brilliance of Elliott Smith and Fiona Apple, the importance of appreciating your uniqueness as an artist, and why you shouldn’t judge your own work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Lucero front man Ben Nichols joins Rhett from his home in Ohio to discuss learning how to create graphic novels, writing music through the pandemic, and the work ethic that is the engine behind his band’s success. Ben describes the band’s early days in Memphis and the pivotal moment when keyboardist Rick Steff joined the band. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Norah joins Rhett from her home in New York to talk about her writing process, finding quiet time to be creative, and how she learned how to navigate through the early success of her career. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rhett welcomes author David Daley, whose new book "Unrigged: How Americans Are Battling Back to Save Democracy" documents nationwide grassroots efforts to make democracy more inclusive.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.