There it is. What's that dripping sound? It's the hydroponic plant. Oh.
Do we ever eat those hydroponic plants? I just made that pesto out of the... Oh, you did. Yeah.
That's why it looks all hacked away. It's cool. The cats aren't like fucking going crazy enough. They don't seem to eat it.
Thank God. They like being in that window now occasionally though. Yeah, they're liking all the windows. Uh-huh.
They're discovering windows. I can't even see them. Yeah. You've taken your hair out of your little side pony.
I don't want anyone to know that I regularly wear a ponytail. Except for our listeners. No, I'm... well.
Nobody knows. They don't know. I don't want the people walking by my house or watching me at this post office. I don't want to wear a ponytail to the post office.
I don't know why. I'm not ready for that. I'm not ready for a ponytail to the post office. That's okay.
I'm not a ponytail snob. Okay. And I have no problem with people with ponytails. Okay.
I think they're cool. I think it's fine. They can be very hot. You know, depending on who's sporting the pony.
I was thinking that I think my hair is at a length where you could make... You could give me braids. Oh, yeah. Really cute braids.
In Scandinavia, men often, like hipster men, wear braids. Adorbs. It's really adorable. I mean, and you're growing into this really cool look right now.
Do we reveal what I've been... what the path I've taken us down now? What? The TV path?
Oh. So, some of you might know that the only TV show we were watching was Virgin River. And that's currently... we've gone as far as we can go.
There's no more seasons. So we're waiting for a new season. Yeah, Jack and Mel are married. It's Puyler Alert.
Yep. And Jack and Mel are married. Good thing Murph isn't listening. Because he's only watched two seasons.
And I said, dude, there's like seven seasons now. He's like, whoa. Oh, yeah, he's got a catch up. I know.
He's got a catch up. But yeah, so Virgin River for anyone who doesn't know. We don't really watch TV very often. That's right.
Adele and I, but that's changed recently because we found that it's a wonderful distraction. Yeah. Anyone need a distraction right now? Turns out there's this wonderful thing already available.
TV. Oh, it was perfect. Yeah. Happy birthday to you.
Yeah. Happy birthday, Emo. Emo, my album, my solo album. I'm old.
I'm old. I'm old. I'm old. I'm old.
I'm 20. Wow. Not a teen anymore. Emo is exactly, almost exactly as old as my oldest child.
Yeah. The oldest one turned 20 and Emo turned 20. Yeah. Landed the same time, right?
Yeah, she was born outside. Well, apparently the album, I've looked this up. I thought for sure that, I mean, I think over the years, over the 20 years, this is not surprising that over the 20 years since it's been released, I've created a sort of my own story about it and like, you know, tweaked the details. Yeah.
But apparently it was released on January 25th. Oh, so before she was born. Yeah. My child was born on the 27th.
Yeah. And on the 26th, I was in Oakland, California, playing a show. With the Sabado? No, solo.
I was doing a little bit of pre, like, you know, before the album came out, I did a couple of shows. Okay. And I was hyping my record and I played a show in Oakland and I ran into Eric Gaffney and saw him for the first time in like ages. What?
And like, almost since he'd left the band in Oakland, in Oakland, January 26th, January 26th, we hung out. Really? Yep. We got high.
Wait, so did he come to your show? He did. He was there because he was living there. So he came to the show.
We talked a lot. We smoked some bad weed. It was awesome. And then I got the call that.
The kid was on her way. The kid? Oh, wow. Yeah.
The kid was on the baby was on its way. So I rushed back to Los Angeles. We try to protect the older children now, you know, because it's like when you get older, they don't want to be like talked about on your podcast. And you know, the older child was on her way.
She was on her way. Yeah. So I got an urgent call from a friend and I'm like, you got to get down here. Right.
The baby's coming. The baby's on its way. So I jumped on a flight. I forced my way.
Not really forced. They were okay with me forcing my way onto a flight. I asserted myself, which was unusual. I asserted myself onto a flight that was not the flight that I was intended to be on.
Unusual for me. But actually that was the beginning of my journey as a father. Because as a father, you have to kind of assert yourself. I didn't have to grow a pair as they say and stand up a little taller and be a little more responsible for myself.
And it began that day in January 27th. Well, that'll get you out of your high, your bad weed high. Hello. Hello.
I got shit to do. I didn't feel that high. It was good. Yeah.
So, yeah. So I rushed back to LA. He was born and my life changed. Yeah.
And the next day on the 28th, I was supposed to play, you know, a show to promote, to hype the record at Amoeba Records in Hollywood. Oh, wow. The best record stores in the world. Yeah.
Record DVD, everything else. Media stores in the world. Amoeba. So I had to call and cancel.
And I called and canceled my performance at Amoeba. I called Amoeba on the 27th later in the day and told him that I would not be playing. Hey, guys. Can I make this one?
Well, do it some other time. We never did, unfortunately. Which I kind of regret because I love playing, doing it in store at Amoeba, whether it be the one in San Francisco, whether it be the one in LA, it was always kind of a... And the one in LA is now moved.
I don't want to. I guess. I think it did. So I don't know where it's located now, actually.
But I believe it's moved. It was so great. If anyone knows, you know, it was a great store. So, Amoeba came out January 25th.
Lou Barlow's solo album. We called it my first solo album, although it was not my first solo recording album, but it was the first one that I used my name on. Okay. So, Amoeba, no weird name that's related.
I called myself Centro now before that. Who played the other instruments on the album then? Oh, I had different people in every song. Oh, okay.
So, I just like... But Amoeba, a mod wasif played on quite a few, did some absolutely gorgeous guitar work on several of the songs. Amoeba, who does solo work under his name. He also plays with the yayayas.
You might have heard of them. You had a band called Lower Case. Lower Case. We had a kid that opened for Sabado.
Alaska, right? Alaska, yeah. Alaska going for awhile with Russell Pollard, who was a member of Sabado. Anyway, but yeah.
Who else played on it? Jason Lowenstein played on it. He did? I didn't know that.
Yeah, I brought him. I did some sessions. I did a house session in Nashville. Really?
I kind of... The record was really, I would say, a labor of love. Okay. Self-funded.
I really kind of... Don't put it out, merge. Okay. Which I was really lucky to have merged to do that record because they were a great record label.
They were great to work with and the record did pretty well. It was like at a period where I was... I think I've talked about this before. The beginning of the 2000s were not great for me.
I was kind of coming out of the fog of the late 90s and some real disappointments. I felt very humbled, not that I've ever felt particularly brash or confident about anything, but I've been really... I've taken some hits going into the 2000s and making that record was a real way out of it for me. Also, it coincided the release of the record that year.
Shortly after that, the record was released. That's when I was invited by the manager of dinosaur junior to rejoin dinosaur junior. So there was a tide was turning and things were changing. There was some motion in the world.
You said you're a father, you've got a solo album next to you. You know you're back in dinosaur junior. Oh, okay. Yeah, it was a real...
It was a recovery. And the record making the record itself was like a really... I kind of dug deep for it and got some confidence that I felt I had lost. And it was a real loving production for me.
Every song I really... I did them all. All the songs kind of differently and with different people. We played drums on it.
There really are no drums on it. That's not true. You're asking me... Every song is different.
I recorded one song out here in Massachusetts with Marc Miller who is now the engineer for another project I'm working on. Right. I'm working on a secret project. Marc is an engineer for that.
Marc actually recorded one of the songs for you. And Abby, my sister Abby played shallow. Abby played shallow on it. How did that happen?
Did you do that Massachusetts too? Yeah, I did it here. I did one song here called Puzzle. And then I did...
There's 14 songs on it and it's kind of all over the map. But it's all kind of quiet. And there was one song called Legendary. I've yet to play that on the podcast because it turns out I've played a lot of songs for me.
I swear I thought you've played Legendary. I looked at the master list. Okay. Well, if we played it enjoyed again.
Yeah. The cool thing about Legendary was it got sliced. Yes. Which is like pretty much...
It's kind of one of the only ways that musicians can really make money now on your music because you kind of don't make any money. Some music. Some of the music. You got to sort of like babbas little records to make money.
No. Yeah, people don't. Anyway, getting a song placed is pretty much. And I got Legendary was placed on the OC.
Yeah. Sure that I've never seen. Oh my God. That's catching up to two.
It was the end credit song for on season two, episode 18. The episode was titled The Risky Business. I think two main characters almost kissed. Yes.
I don't think it was the ending. It's a scene. You know what I'm talking about? Yes, of course.
Of course. Well, I know now. I didn't know at the time that... You know what I mean?
Who was attached to the song or whatever? I didn't remember the scene or anything. But, Alendi, who we know who was a friend of ours, said to me, she was watching the OC. She said to me a year or two ago.
She was like, oh, she was born. Well, no, I mean, she's watching it now. She was a toddler. No, she wasn't watching it then.
She's watching it now because that's what the gen... I understand. What are they? She's gen Z.
I'm just remarking that she was a toddler when it originally aired, which means nothing. She doesn't mean she can't watch it now. Okay. Right.
You're missing the whole point, which is kids like watching older shows. Anyway, she's going to be 27. She's not that young. So my point is that she was watching it.
Let me get to the goddamn finish line here for everybody. And she was like, all of a sudden, this pivotal scene, she heard a singing and a song and she was like, oh, that sounds like Lou. She recognized my voice. Yeah, I believe so.
And she looked it up and said it was a song legendary. And I was like, oh, holy shit. Oh, god. Oh, no.
I got such a bassoon. Sorry. I got such a dongy and it sounded like one two. Happy birthday to you.
You live in a so. You look like a donkey and you sound like one two. That's my favorite version of the Happy Birthday song. So my point was that she then told me that.
She was like, that was so good. She was impressed that you had a song in the OC. Yeah. I made a couple thousand dollars with that.
Yeah. Catching. Yeah. And so I watched the OC maybe only like a couple of seasons, you know, like the beginning of it.
I didn't stick around for the end. So because I loved loved the intro theme song by Phantom Planet as well, California. Oh, yeah. It's so fucking good.
You love that song. It's so good. It makes me crazy. Anyway, you made me love that song.
First I was kind of mildly annoyed by it, but then I'm like, Hey, I like it too. Yeah, it's a good damn good song. So, so then I thought, Oh, I didn't actually know that song was in the OC. Now, Alendi has informed me it was in the OC and then I think you also informed me it was in the OC.
So then I googled legendary in the OC and the scene comes up. You can watch the scene. Yeah. So yeah, it's like the scene where they're in the kitchen and they're like, maybe about to kiss or something.
The two main characters, Misha Barton, is that her name? Who I used to see her sometimes around LA, which is kind of funny. I've been at the bar next to Misha Barton more than once and silver like that one bar that was near. That was very good celebrity stories.
So you speak of Elliott Smith, we were talking about Elliott Smith earlier today. And you know where the mural is there on Sunset? It used to be Solutions Audio. Yes, exactly.
Bazaar music store. There was a bar right next to it. And anyway, Misha and me, both there. I haven't had a drink so far.
Oh, so you weren't proximity to Misha Barton? I was more than once. And then another separate time at the 4100 bar in silver like I think she maybe she lived in silver like I don't know guys it was a cool place to be. I was there.
We didn't even know each other was there, but we were there. So you got to play a song. We're gonna. We're gonna screen down.
Wait, so you're gonna play legendary? Yeah. Wow. Okay.
Wow. That's why we're talking about so damn much. This is also one of your most popular songs, right? It is.
I think it is. Put the mic down. I know I wanted more than you could give to me. I know that comedy I understand.
Until then I'll be trying to solve your mystery and wonder why I couldn't make you stay. Smelling through denial. My speciality. I thought that was a good thing for a while.
You gave me all your secrets were you testing me and how could I do anything but smile? So we enact your legendary tragedy. And do to me what has been done to you is that the only part to owe this. Is there any reason I should cry next time?
And you gave me all I believe next time. And you gave me all you had. I will believe you loved me. Legendary.
Legendary. Email. I guess I could say I wrote that song for John Davis. Like after we split up, you know, we had the full conclusion, you know, in 99 and we did this really emotional record for us called One Part Low By.
And we had to separate like right when we finished the record for personal reasons for both of us. And I felt like we would never speak again. And he and I reunited, you know, in 2000. Well, we started talking again in 2020, I guess.
And of course, you know, now we're. How can that be five years ago? Wow. 2025?
I keep feeling like when I say 2020 that was just last year. It's, man, so much has changed in just five years. Oofta. Well.
Yeah, but, um, yeah. So that's that song. That's an emotional. Yeah, sometimes I'd play it a few times, you know, to warm up and I'm like, oh, I'm like, I'll just play it now.
And I'm like, oh, yeah. It's kind of emotional. I'd say so. Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah. But I was going to play another song. Okay.
This one is called Monkey Be Gun. Okay. A little lighter. I remember, remember, um, when we were friends, I gave you the record.
Yes. Because the record to me was like, um, I thought, well, this is like my big positive. We might have already spoken about this on podcast, but I gave you the record. I was like, check this out.
It's my super. Have you ever heard this record? This is my solo record. So good.
Because I knew that you liked one part lullaby. I'm like, hey, this is this really also a really accessible upbeat record, you know, and I gave it to you and then the next time I saw you, you just gave me this grave look. You're like, are you okay? You're like, this is clearly a cry for help.
That album was so sad to me. I couldn't. I was like, I listened to it and I felt like I was just thinking, I'm like, is this like, what is this? It was so funny.
It was terrifying. Because I thought you'd be able to come back to me like, oh yeah, that's a really, you know, super catchy, accessible, happy record. And you just looked at me as if something you got some really terrible news. Listen, that's not to say the music isn't beautiful.
It's incredible. It's a really good album. It just, I think in context for me, getting to know you was a friend and then you handing that to me and just having the sort of disconnect between what you were handing to me and what I listened to. I don't know if I'm going to fight this one before me.
It stops us. Play it. For balance and control. A battle rages in my soul.
Am I monkey, am I man? One thing you're holding back the damn, damn. Confusion was all right. Until it kept me at bat night.
Every breathing okay. Until it took my breath away. Now I feel like I'm just being gone. I feel like I'm just being gone.
But no, don't wear it when all undone I feel I just be Life has just begun Have I ever overcome to dance? Have I ever been untrue? I've been over and through Nothing but Jane, although there's so much more to do I feel like I'm just being gone I feel I've just been gone No, no, no, no races What I feel I've just been Life has just begun Something ended Before it ended Something ended I've seen sunset in your eyes Something ended I feel a sunset in your eyes Your voice is sounding so sweet I like singing So pretty I feel like I should probably play some solo shows this year Yeah, let's do it, let's schedule some I didn't do it last year I get into these modes where I just feel like it doesn't matter If I play, I don't know That's your insecurity talking? Yeah, they're still there I get so wrapped up in doing other things That I sometimes don't think about I just sort of feel like it doesn't matter But then playing these songs Today, I was thinking about playing them yesterday But the episode was meant to end You listeners won't hear it, but the theme song actually was playing Can you move it to the end?
I can move it to the end I was just thinking, boy, your voice sounds really sweet right now I think because of my ear thing, it's making me more appreciative You're also actually singing really confidently There's like a pause in you, it's really holding things You're not rushing Yeah That's kind of different Yeah, that's what singers do Oh, I just realized before we say Is that we were telling this whole story about Virgin River And then I never said this look that you're going toward now Not intentionally or anything, but it's sort of coinciding with me discovering And dragging Lou along with the Outlander So some of you may know that show Good hair, actually, the Scottish Scotland 1700 is definitely hair inspiration And definitely something that I am, I'm kind of modeling a little bit You're just, god, here's some really foxy It's a lot of Wildlander vibe Longer than it's ever been It's so good, those of you, you people are watching this on YouTube Yeah, I'm fondling my beard I don't have to be too careful, can you? Alright, we gotta wrap it up