web02.fireside.fm Sun, 05 Apr 2026 07:04:57 -0500 Fireside (https://fireside.fm) For Songs - Episodes Tagged with “#Indierock” https://forsongs.fireside.fm/tags/%23indierock Thu, 29 Feb 2024 21:30:00 -0500 This podcast is for those who love music but can't write a tune to save their lives. We talk with singer/songwriters of all stripes, professional touring musicians to those who can't quite catch a break. Maybe you'll hear something you'll like. Maybe not. But you will come away with a greater appreciation for the gift of songwriting, and how hard it really is. Now sponsored by @thepugdc! en-us episodic A podcast for and about songs and songwriting Rob Thormeyer This podcast is for those who love music but can't write a tune to save their lives. We talk with singer/songwriters of all stripes, professional touring musicians to those who can't quite catch a break. Maybe you'll hear something you'll like. Maybe not. But you will come away with a greater appreciation for the gift of songwriting, and how hard it really is. Now sponsored by @thepugdc! yes songwriting, punk rock, guitar, music, folk, rock, singer/songwriter, podcast, songwriters Rob Thormeyer robthormeyer@yahoo.com Episode 66: For Songs Singles! Tell Me This, Sons of Silver https://forsongs.fireside.fm/66 ec736a97-8528-46a5-b025-0fae9789608d Thu, 29 Feb 2024 21:30:00 -0500 Rob Thormeyer 66 For Songs Singles! Tell Me This, Sons of Silver full 1 Rob Thormeyer If there’s one lesson songwriters learn over and over again, it’s that sometimes you just gotta let go. That’s the trick my next guest leaned on for his band’s latest single. Peter Argyropolous, lead singer and songwriter for LA-based rockers Sons of Silver, returns to For Songs to discuss Tell Me This, a classic, 70s-esque rocker released in early 2024. Coming off the heels of Sons of Silver's blistering 2022 EP Ordinary Sex Appeal, Peter opens up about the difficulties he had in finishing the song, especially its off-kilter lyrics. So dig in and welcome one of my favorite recurring guests Peter Argyropolous back to For Songs. 33:27 yes If there’s one lesson songwriters learn over and over again, it’s that sometimes you just gotta let go. Sometimes you just gotta let the song work its way out on its own schedule. Just let it go. That’s the trick my next guest leaned on for his band’s latest single. Peter Argyropolous, lead singer and songwriter for LA-based rockers Sons of Silver, joins me to discuss Tell Me This, a classic, 70s-esque punk rocker released in early 2024. In addition to being a great friend of the show, Peter is also a fantastic interview. Coming off the heels of Sons of Silver's blistering 2022 EP Ordinary Sex Appeal, Peter opens up about the difficulties he had in finishing the song, especially its off-kilter lyrics. Peter also goes into detail about the band’s struggles in dealing with new personnel and refurbishing their sound. We cover a bit of everything here—songwriting, guitar tech, and gearing up (hopefully) for a year of touring. So dig in and welcome one of my favorite recurring guests Peter Argyropolous back to For Songs. Peter Argyropolous, Sons of Silver, tell me this, indie rock, punk rock, rock n' roll, women in rock, grunge rock If there’s one lesson songwriters learn over and over again, it’s that sometimes you just gotta let go. Sometimes you just gotta let the song work its way out on its own schedule. Just let it go. That’s the trick my next guest leaned on for his band’s latest single. Peter Argyropolous, lead singer and songwriter for LA-based rockers Sons of Silver, joins me to discuss Tell Me This, a classic, 70s-esque punk rocker released in early 2024. In addition to being a great friend of the show, Peter is also a fantastic interview. Coming off the heels of Sons of Silver's blistering 2022 EP Ordinary Sex Appeal, Peter opens up about the difficulties he had in finishing the song, especially its off-kilter lyrics. Peter also goes into detail about the band’s struggles in dealing with new personnel and refurbishing their sound. We cover a bit of everything here—songwriting, guitar tech, and gearing up (hopefully) for a year of touring. So dig in and welcome one of my favorite recurring guests Peter Argyropolous back to For Songs.

]]> If there’s one lesson songwriters learn over and over again, it’s that sometimes you just gotta let go. Sometimes you just gotta let the song work its way out on its own schedule. Just let it go. That’s the trick my next guest leaned on for his band’s latest single. Peter Argyropolous, lead singer and songwriter for LA-based rockers Sons of Silver, joins me to discuss Tell Me This, a classic, 70s-esque punk rocker released in early 2024. In addition to being a great friend of the show, Peter is also a fantastic interview. Coming off the heels of Sons of Silver's blistering 2022 EP Ordinary Sex Appeal, Peter opens up about the difficulties he had in finishing the song, especially its off-kilter lyrics. Peter also goes into detail about the band’s struggles in dealing with new personnel and refurbishing their sound. We cover a bit of everything here—songwriting, guitar tech, and gearing up (hopefully) for a year of touring. So dig in and welcome one of my favorite recurring guests Peter Argyropolous back to For Songs.

]]> Episode 29: A Conversation with Matt Easton of The Jenny Thing https://forsongs.fireside.fm/29 174d4243-6eb8-48d2-9856-3d3ee1005167 Wed, 23 Jun 2021 16:00:00 -0400 Rob Thormeyer 29 A Conversation with Matt Easton of The Jenny Thing full 1 Rob Thormeyer It certainly sounds like it wouldn’t work—blending the lush orchestration and bright pop of 80s bands like Erasure, New Order, and Peter Gabriel with the sparse, textural feel of 90s mainstays Nine Inch Nails. But for Matt Easton and his Berkeley, Ca.-based band The Jenny Thing, the result is masterful. The Jenny Thing first came to be in 1991. They came close to hitting it big during their nine-year run up and down the West Coast, but the band called its quits in 1999. If the masses weren’t ready for such a blend back then, they certainly might be now. Join me as Matt Easton talks about The Jenny Thing’s first album since 1999 called American Canyon. Matt talks about the band’s songwriting process, and just what a 90s band influenced by 80s music sounds like. Tune in! 39:29 yes Depending on where you live, one could say that we’re going through a bit of a renewal. COVID cases are dropping, people are eating out, and as we’ve chronicled, live music is back! So it’s appropriate, then, that my next guest and his band are going through a rebirth of their own. Berkeley, Ca., based The Jenny Thing (www.thejennything.com) first came to be in 1991. Their music blended 80s synth pop with the industrial rock sound popularized by 90s bands like Nine Inch Nails. The band was a West-Coast touring mainstay before calling it quits in 1999. As we get ready to venture back out into the world, The Jenny Thing is giving it another go as well. On this episode of For Songs, I speak with Matt Easton, lead singer and co-songwriter for The Jenny Thing. We talk about what led to the band’s return engagement—American Canyon, released in early June 2021. We discuss four songs off the album: Paper Angel, American Canyon, Lightfield, and Waiting for the Knife. Matt talks about how the songwriting process works between himself and guitarist Shaom Rao, and just what a 90s band influenced by 80s music sounds like. Sometimes texture and space is just as important as driving bass and fresh guitars! So tune in! the jenny thing, berkeley, indie rock, 80s, 90s, synth pop, cinematic rock Depending on where you live, one could say that we’re going through a bit of a renewal. COVID cases are dropping, people are eating out, and as we’ve chronicled, live music is back! So it’s appropriate, then, that my next guest and his band are going through a rebirth of their own. Berkeley, Ca., based [The Jenny Thing](www.thejennything.com) first came to be in 1991. Their music blended 80s synth pop with the industrial rock sound popularized by 90s bands like Nine Inch Nails. The band was a West-Coast touring mainstay before calling it quits in 1999. As we get ready to venture back out into the world, The Jenny Thing is giving it another go as well. On this episode of For Songs, I speak with Matt Easton, lead singer and co-songwriter for The Jenny Thing. We talk about what led to the band’s return engagement—American Canyon, released in early June 2021. We discuss four songs off the album: Paper Angel, American Canyon, Lightfield, and Waiting for the Knife. Matt talks about how the songwriting process works between himself and guitarist Shaom Rao, and just what a 90s band influenced by 80s music sounds like. Sometimes texture and space is just as important as driving bass and fresh guitars! So tune in!

]]> Depending on where you live, one could say that we’re going through a bit of a renewal. COVID cases are dropping, people are eating out, and as we’ve chronicled, live music is back! So it’s appropriate, then, that my next guest and his band are going through a rebirth of their own. Berkeley, Ca., based [The Jenny Thing](www.thejennything.com) first came to be in 1991. Their music blended 80s synth pop with the industrial rock sound popularized by 90s bands like Nine Inch Nails. The band was a West-Coast touring mainstay before calling it quits in 1999. As we get ready to venture back out into the world, The Jenny Thing is giving it another go as well. On this episode of For Songs, I speak with Matt Easton, lead singer and co-songwriter for The Jenny Thing. We talk about what led to the band’s return engagement—American Canyon, released in early June 2021. We discuss four songs off the album: Paper Angel, American Canyon, Lightfield, and Waiting for the Knife. Matt talks about how the songwriting process works between himself and guitarist Shaom Rao, and just what a 90s band influenced by 80s music sounds like. Sometimes texture and space is just as important as driving bass and fresh guitars! So tune in!

]]> Episode 28: A Conversation with Sandra the Pie Lady and Tony T. of the Pug https://forsongs.fireside.fm/28 8a39d395-c14a-4770-a9e4-ec8f3711393d Wed, 09 Jun 2021 16:00:00 -0400 Rob Thormeyer 28 A Conversation with Sandra the Pie Lady and Tony T. of the Pug full 1 Rob Thormeyer Live music is back! But that doesn't mean everything is okay for the music industry, especially independent venues and the ecosystem that they support. In this episode of For Songs, we speak with Sandra the Pie Lady of the Pie Shop in DC and Tony T of the Pug about what they're going through as they get ready to reopen. Yes, live music is back--but those venues that it this far are barely hanging on. Listen in! 13:08 yes Live music is here! And not just outdoors! But actual music in actual clubs--like it used to be before March 2020! As things open up, though, our favorite bars and clubs don't just flip a switch and go back to normal. Here in DC, many bars and clubs have been closed for a year and half! That's 18 months of no money, no people, no music, no drinks, nothing. It's not just been a slow week or month--it's been nothing coming in for almost two years! If any bars and clubs made it this far, they are barely hanging on. This episode of For Songs is a snippet from the online #saveourstages benefit (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SySNmoCdRvA&t=1s). We brought in eight amazingly talented and diverse bands and they talked about their favorite venues while also performing a number of awesome tunes. Go check it out now! The video included an interview with Sandra the Pie Lady, owner of the Pie Shop, and Tony T, owner of For Songs-sponsor The Pug, both in DC. The Pie Shop and the Pug have been closed since March 2020. They are getting ready to reopen. What do they need to do to get ready? What can you expect as a customer? When can you expect shows to start up again? Let Sandra and Tony take it away... live music, indie rock, saveourstages, independent venues, for songs, pandemic, bars, clubs Live music is here! And not just outdoors! But actual music in actual clubs--like it used to be before March 2020! As things open up, though, our favorite bars and clubs don't just flip a switch and go back to normal. Here in DC, many bars and clubs have been closed for a year and half! That's 18 months of no money, no people, no music, no drinks, nothing. It's not just been a slow week or month--it's been nothing coming in for almost two years! If any bars and clubs made it this far, they are barely hanging on. This episode of For Songs is a snippet from the online #saveourstages benefit (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SySNmoCdRvA&t=1s). We brought in eight amazingly talented and diverse bands and they talked about their favorite venues while also performing a number of awesome tunes. Go check it out now! The video included an interview with Sandra the Pie Lady, owner of the Pie Shop, and Tony T, owner of For Songs-sponsor The Pug, both in DC. The Pie Shop and the Pug have been closed since March 2020. They are getting ready to reopen. What do they need to do to get ready? What can you expect as a customer? When can you expect shows to start up again? Let Sandra and Tony take it away...

]]> Live music is here! And not just outdoors! But actual music in actual clubs--like it used to be before March 2020! As things open up, though, our favorite bars and clubs don't just flip a switch and go back to normal. Here in DC, many bars and clubs have been closed for a year and half! That's 18 months of no money, no people, no music, no drinks, nothing. It's not just been a slow week or month--it's been nothing coming in for almost two years! If any bars and clubs made it this far, they are barely hanging on. This episode of For Songs is a snippet from the online #saveourstages benefit (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SySNmoCdRvA&t=1s). We brought in eight amazingly talented and diverse bands and they talked about their favorite venues while also performing a number of awesome tunes. Go check it out now! The video included an interview with Sandra the Pie Lady, owner of the Pie Shop, and Tony T, owner of For Songs-sponsor The Pug, both in DC. The Pie Shop and the Pug have been closed since March 2020. They are getting ready to reopen. What do they need to do to get ready? What can you expect as a customer? When can you expect shows to start up again? Let Sandra and Tony take it away...

]]> Episode 18: A Conversation with Michael Patrick F. Smith https://forsongs.fireside.fm/18 877690ab-3b53-43b6-94cc-8c3c9a7c6f87 Fri, 08 Jan 2021 16:00:00 -0500 Rob Thormeyer 18 A Conversation with Michael Patrick F. Smith full 1 Rob Thormeyer Join me as I catch up old friend Michael Patrick F. Smith about his latest album The Great Away. Michael & I go waaayy back, elementary school! We haven’t seen or talked to each other in 25-plus years. Over that time Michael has written plays, songs, and now a book, which comes out next month. He’s shared the stage with Ramblin’ Jake Elliot and #forsongs veteran @Palefaceonline. In this episode, we talk about his latest album The Great Away, which came out last fall. We talk about his influences, writing styles, and how he goes about his work. Its not everyday you chat w/ someone you haven’t seen in 25-plus years! 42:18 yes Lots of really bad things have come about because of the internet, Facebook, Twitter, etc. But one good thing is catching up with friends you haven’t seen or heard from in decades. In this episode of For Songs, I speak with singer/songwriter/playwright/author Michael Patrick F. Smith. Michael and I went to elementary school together in the small town of Ijamsville, Md. Not a streetlight or traffic light when we grew up there, but it was home. We went our separate ways after high school--he ventured out to Baltimore and eventually New York to write music and much more. He’s shared the stage with legends like Ramblin’ Jack Elliott and Paleface. Michael is a true renaissance man, as his first book comes out next month about his time in the oil/gas fields of North Dakota. In this episode, we talk about four songs from his most recent album The Great Away, available on Spotify. Listen in as we catch up, chat about life, music, and much more! You can find out more about Michael here: www.thegoodhand.org! indie rock, folk, folk rock, MPFS, The Good Hand, Woody Guthrie Lots of really bad things have come about because of the internet, Facebook, Twitter, etc. But one good thing is catching up with friends you haven’t seen or heard from in decades. In this episode of For Songs, I speak with singer/songwriter/playwright/author Michael Patrick F. Smith. Michael and I went to elementary school together in the small town of Ijamsville, Md. Not a streetlight or traffic light when we grew up there, but it was home. We went our separate ways after high school--he ventured out to Baltimore and eventually New York to write music and much more. He’s shared the stage with legends like Ramblin’ Jack Elliott and Paleface. Michael is a true renaissance man, as his first book comes out next month about his time in the oil/gas fields of North Dakota. In this episode, we talk about four songs from his most recent album The Great Away, available on Spotify. Listen in as we catch up, chat about life, music, and much more!

You can find out more about Michael here: www.thegoodhand.org!

]]> Lots of really bad things have come about because of the internet, Facebook, Twitter, etc. But one good thing is catching up with friends you haven’t seen or heard from in decades. In this episode of For Songs, I speak with singer/songwriter/playwright/author Michael Patrick F. Smith. Michael and I went to elementary school together in the small town of Ijamsville, Md. Not a streetlight or traffic light when we grew up there, but it was home. We went our separate ways after high school--he ventured out to Baltimore and eventually New York to write music and much more. He’s shared the stage with legends like Ramblin’ Jack Elliott and Paleface. Michael is a true renaissance man, as his first book comes out next month about his time in the oil/gas fields of North Dakota. In this episode, we talk about four songs from his most recent album The Great Away, available on Spotify. Listen in as we catch up, chat about life, music, and much more!

You can find out more about Michael here: www.thegoodhand.org!

]]> Episode 17: It's a For Songs Christmas! https://forsongs.fireside.fm/17 c52a07f1-1af6-47ba-a88c-156455deec7d Thu, 17 Dec 2020 18:30:00 -0500 Rob Thormeyer 17 It's a For Songs Christmas! full 1 Rob Thormeyer It’s the holidays! We know it wouldn’t be #Christmas without Christmas music, so for the last episode of For Songs this year, I feature four different and unique non-traditional holiday songs. We’ve got two covers—indie-rock legend Paleface’s tender take on the Pogues’ classic Fairytale of New York and DC-based world-music trio Veronneau’s evocative rendition of Joni Mitchell’s River. Then we highlight two originals: The Sweet Lizzy Project’s stunning This Christmas I’m Not Coming Home and Scott Miller’s Americana hymn The Kingdom Has Come. So sit back, drink some eggnog, or any kind of nog, curl up by the fire and listen in as we feature four holiday classics. 54:33 yes It’s not Christmas without Christmas music, right? So for the last episode of For Songs for the year, I wanted to highlight some of the best non-traditional holiday music of the last few years. We’ve got two classic covers—anti-folk/indie-rock legend Paleface’s tender, stripped-down version of the Pogues’ Fairytale of New York and DC-based world-music trio Veronneau’s romantic, evocative take on Joni Mitchell’s River. Then we wrap up with two originals—the stunning This Christmas I’m Not Coming Home from Havana-by-Nashville-based Sweet Lizzy Project and the Americana Christmas hymn The Kingdom Has Come by Appalachian rock-n-roller Scott Miller. All these songs are available on Spotify, Amazon, iTunes or however you listen to music these days. Or just get the CDs so you can really actually hear the music! The Spotify playlist is available here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6DlT3QfkbSdyALBkZdbZ9V?si=XFSfwzjfQN632budqGNj0w Christmas, music, holiday music, Christmas music, Sweet Lizzy Project, Paleface, the Pogues, Fairytale of New York, Scott Miller, Veronneau, SLP, indie rock, V-Roys, roots rock, Americana It’s not Christmas without Christmas music, right? So for the last episode of For Songs for the year, I wanted to highlight some of the best non-traditional holiday music of the last few years. We’ve got two classic covers—anti-folk/indie-rock legend Paleface’s tender, stripped-down version of the Pogues’ Fairytale of New York and DC-based world-music trio Veronneau’s romantic, evocative take on Joni Mitchell’s River. Then we wrap up with two originals—the stunning This Christmas I’m Not Coming Home from Havana-by-Nashville-based Sweet Lizzy Project and the Americana Christmas hymn The Kingdom Has Come by Appalachian rock-n-roller Scott Miller. All these songs are available on Spotify, Amazon, iTunes or however you listen to music these days. Or just get the CDs so you can really actually hear the music!

The Spotify playlist is available here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6DlT3QfkbSdyALBkZdbZ9V?si=XFSfwzjfQN632budqGNj0w

]]> It’s not Christmas without Christmas music, right? So for the last episode of For Songs for the year, I wanted to highlight some of the best non-traditional holiday music of the last few years. We’ve got two classic covers—anti-folk/indie-rock legend Paleface’s tender, stripped-down version of the Pogues’ Fairytale of New York and DC-based world-music trio Veronneau’s romantic, evocative take on Joni Mitchell’s River. Then we wrap up with two originals—the stunning This Christmas I’m Not Coming Home from Havana-by-Nashville-based Sweet Lizzy Project and the Americana Christmas hymn The Kingdom Has Come by Appalachian rock-n-roller Scott Miller. All these songs are available on Spotify, Amazon, iTunes or however you listen to music these days. Or just get the CDs so you can really actually hear the music!

The Spotify playlist is available here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6DlT3QfkbSdyALBkZdbZ9V?si=XFSfwzjfQN632budqGNj0w

]]>