The (unofficial) Lifers Database

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Person

Elvis Costello

Referenced in 22 episodes

Episode 240 cover
🎸 Replacements

#240: Vinnie Dombroski

November 21, 2025

Scott Lucas from Local H interviews Vinnie Dombroski, lead singer of the band Sponge, about touring together recently and Dombroski's long career in music. They discuss the challenges and joys of being on the road for extended periods, Sponge's musical influences, and swap stories about the Detroit music scene. The hosts and Dombroski also play a game picking their favorite songs by Detroit artists.

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#212: Dag Juhlin

March 21, 2025

Dag Juhlin discusses his music career, including playing with the band The Slugs, joining Poi Dog Pondering, and recently touring with "The R.E.M. Experience" tribute shows featuring Michael Shannon and other musicians playing R.E.M. songs. Juhlin reflects on what keeps him passionate about making music and his aspirations to continue creating and writing in the future.

Episode 196 cover
🎸 Replacements

#196: Jesse Malin

November 8, 2024

Musician Jesse Malin discusses his music career, from early punk bands to going solo, as well as challenges he's faced including a rare spinal stroke he suffered in 2021. Malin talks about his friendships and collaborations with Bruce Springsteen, Joe Strummer, and Martin Scorsese. The episode closes with Malin and the hosts each sharing some of their favorite songs by The Clash.

Episode 180 cover
🎸 Replacements

#180: Vic Bondi

July 19, 2024

Vic Bondi, punk rock veteran of bands like Articles of Faith and Jones Very, discusses his 40-year music career, the Chicago punk scene in the 80s, and his viral essay "The Last Fourth of July". Bondi expresses deep pessimism about the direction of the country, predicting the U.S. will become a fascist one-party state under Trump, and voices concerns about climate change going unchecked by Republicans. The hosts and Bondi also discuss their favorite 70s punk songs from bands like the Ramones, Sex Pistols, Television and Blondie.

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#171: Bali High

May 17, 2024

In this episode, the hosts Lucas, Gabe, and Ben discuss various music-related topics while Scott is on vacation in Bali. They pay tribute to recently deceased music producer Steve Albini and actress Susan Backlinie from Jaws. The hosts then play a game called "What's the Best Song That Saves the Chorus Until the End", debating whether certain songs like "Don't Stop Believin'" and "Hey Jude" qualify. Scott also shares some stories from his trip to Bali.

Episode 167 cover
🎸 Replacements

#167: Jake Burns

April 19, 2024

Jake Burns, lead singer of the punk band Stiff Little Fingers, discusses the band's early days in Northern Ireland during the Troubles in the late 1970s. He talks about the influence of The Clash on Stiff Little Fingers' songwriting, getting support from BBC DJ John Peel, and the band's decision to participate in Rock Against Racism concerts. Burns also explains the factors that led to Stiff Little Fingers' initial breakup in the early 1980s before later re-forming.

Episode 160 cover
🎸 Replacements

#160: Bobby Talamine

March 1, 2024

In this episode, photographer Bobby Talamine discusses his long career photographing rock bands. He talks about starting out shooting industrial bands in Chicago in the 1980s, and his approach of capturing moody, high-contrast black and white photos. Talamine also shares anecdotes about photographing bands like Depeche Mode, New Order, and The Replacements over the years.

Episode 148 cover
🤘 Iron Maiden

#148: Joel Spencer

December 8, 2023

Joel Spencer, formerly of the band Menthol from Champaign, Illinois, discusses his music career and current work as a librarian. Menthol recently reunited to play shows after disbanding in the late 1990s when they were dropped from Capitol Records.

Episode 147 cover
🎸 Replacements

#147: Michael Tedder

December 1, 2023

Michael Tedder discusses his book "Top 8: How MySpace Changed Music" and shares his thoughts on selling out in the music industry. The guests also play a game picking their favorite songs from 2003.

Episode 143 cover
🎸 Replacements

#143: Freddy Herrera

November 10, 2023

In this episode of the Lifers podcast, Scott Lucas, Gabe Rodriguez, and Ben Reiser interview guest Freddy Herrera, the bass player from the band Everclear. Freddy discusses his musical journey, from starting out playing punk rock in California to eventually joining Everclear in the 2000s. The group also plays a game where they each name their picks for the best bass performances and bass lines in songs, with selections ranging from the Jackson 5's "I Want You Back" to Iron Maiden's "Killers".

Episode 117 cover
🎸 Replacements

#117: Tommy Stinson

May 12, 2023

Tommy Stinson, founding member of The Replacements, discusses his early start in music, playing bass in The Replacements from age 11, the band's trajectory and breakup, and his later work with Guns N' Roses and other projects. He reflects on the music industry, learning experiences, and his continued passion for making music despite the challenges.

Episode 110 cover
🤘 Iron Maiden

#110: Jimmy Flemion

March 24, 2023

Jimmy Flemion, founding member of the band The Frogs, discusses the band's history, creative process, and upcoming documentary in an interview. He shares anecdotes about collaborating with notable artists like Sebastian Bach and Beck, and discusses The Frogs' unique blend of catchy pop songwriting and controversial, comedic improvised home recordings.

Episode 77 cover

#77: Kay Hanley

August 5, 2022

Kay Hanley discusses growing up in Boston in the 1970s, the formation and success of her band Letters to Cleo in the 1990s, and her more recent work as a songwriter and composer for TV shows like Doc McStuffins. She also talks about her experiences filming the movie 10 Things I Hate About You and recording a cover version of a Local H song.

Episode 76 cover
🎸 Replacements

#76: Max Crawford

July 29, 2022

Max Crawford, a multi-instrumentalist who plays trumpet, works the scoreboard at Wrigley Field, and has been a bartender at Metro in Chicago for 30 years. He has played with bands like Poi Dog Pondering and Wilco, and shares stories about his music career starting in Austin before moving to Chicago. Some of his favorite shows he's seen at Metro include Prince, Bob Dylan, and Tom Jones.

Episode 71 cover
🤘 Iron Maiden

#71: Ed Valauskas

June 24, 2022

Ed Valauskas, a producer and bassist who works at Q Division Studios in Boston, discusses his music career and involvement with the annual Hot Stove Cool Music charity event. Ed shares stories about playing with various artists like Graham Parker, making records with Juliana Hatfield, and the untimely passing of his friend and Fountains of Wayne member Adam Schlesinger.

Episode 69 cover
🎸 Replacements

#69: Pete Beeman

June 10, 2022

Pete Beeman, drummer of the band Killer Hill, discusses his musical history including playing in the bands Guzzard and Burning Brides. The hosts and Beeman have an amusing debate about favorite bands and movies, and whether one's favorite has to be considered the objective best. They also discuss Killer Hill's heavy metal sound and Beeman's experiences touring with bands like Mastodon.

Episode 50 cover

#50: David Yow

January 21, 2022

In the podcast, David Yow discusses his music career with the bands Scratch Acid, The Jesus Lizard, and Flipper, as well as his acting career and work as a photo retoucher. He shares stories about recording albums, touring, and interacting with other musicians.

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#49: Joe Dapier and The French Dispatch

January 14, 2022

In this podcast episode, Scott Lucas, Gabe Rodriguez and Ben Reiser discuss the movie The French Dispatch and other pop culture topics with their guest Joe Dapier, who was the drummer for the band Dovetail Joint. They debate the merits of various Wes Anderson and Woody Allen films, reminisce about the 90s Chicago music scene, and argue about Led Zeppelin songs.

Episode 36 cover

#36: Brian Blockinger

October 15, 2021

Scott Lucas and his bandmate Ryan both tested positive for Covid in the middle of their tour, forcing them to cancel several sold-out shows and quarantine at home. Despite feeling relatively okay, Scott is bummed about having to miss shows right as the tour was hitting its stride. However, the band plans to resume the tour at the Shaky Knees Festival in Atlanta which will take place outdoors.

Episode 20 cover

#20: John McCauley Part Two

June 25, 2021

John McCauley discusses his early years working at a movie theater, his love of horror films like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and the moment he decided to pursue music seriously despite naysayers. The conversation touches on his move from Nashville back to New England with his family, his musical tastes and influences, and funny tangents about movies and pop culture. Throughout, McCauley displays a laid-back, humorous rapport with the hosts.

Episode 10 cover

#10: Michael Shannon

April 16, 2021

In this podcast episode, Scott Lucas, Gabe Rodriguez and Ben Reiser interview actor Michael Shannon. They discuss Shannon's theater work in Chicago in plays like Killer Joe and Bug, his transition into film, and his experiences working with directors like Martin Scorsese, William Friedkin and Curtis Hanson.

Episode 6 cover

#6: Josh Caterer

March 19, 2021

Scott Lucas interviews Josh Caterer, lead singer of the band Smoking Popes, about their upcoming album The Hideout Sessions which releases on March 26th. They discuss the album's mix of classic American songbook covers and reinterpreted Smoking Popes songs, Caterer's songwriting influences, and the ups and downs of the band's career. Caterer also shares plans to record another live album called The Space Sessions in May.