When you’re young and dreaming about making music or art, the idea of actually starting can feel impossibly scary. The truth is, most of us would never take that leap alone. If it weren’t for the acceptance and excitement of friends who wanted to share in each other’s dreams, most of the bands and music you’ve ever loved would not exist.
I spent so much of my childhood pretending to be a musician that I almost knew how to be in a band before I was ever in one. Some of the most magical moments of my life happened in basements, in vans, on stages, and in bedrooms, surrounded by friends. We had no real skills yet, our tastes were still forming, but we had what mattered: love, support, and a genuine desire to make each other’s dreams possible.
On this week’s episode of Stop Wearing Seatbelts, Rudy Fischmann, Mathew Bell, and I talk with Paige Dearman, who was writing anthemic songs as part of the band Midget & Hairs. That band reaches back to the very beginnings of the Elephant 6 movement in Ruston, Louisiana, where a bunch of kids came together to make outsider music with their fellow “weirdo” friends. Paige’s circle, were no slouches.. it just happened to include some of my all-time favorite musicians: Robert Schneider (The Apples in stereo) running the tape machine, Hilarie Bratset (The High Water Marks) rocking, W Cullen Hart (The Olivia Tremor Control) singing and playing, and Jeff Mangum (Neutral Milk Hotel) drumming on the record and at the shows.
Paige opened up about her own journey.. growing up in a children’s home, reconnecting and losing her mom, facing recent health scares, and her current work as a psychotherapist. She also shared the story of when her band opened for her hero Elliott Smith, and how he wanted to trade his debut album for her band’s 7-inch. This conversation was so touching and warm.
One thing I have learned about music is that with your friends behind you, anything is possible. Long live weird kids. Long live their weirdo friends. And long live the art they create together, making each other’s dreams real.
Listen to the Podcast here.. https://www.patreon.com/posts/223a-dont-bother-138296890...
Speaking of friends huge thanks to Dave Gebroe for creating the greatest deep dive music podcast ever Discograffiti join the patreon today!
