The famed musician and songwriter discusses the definition of power pop, his days with Velvet Crush, and his exciting transcontinental band, The Small Square.
Today, the Spotlight shines On singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Paul Chastain.
Paul is one half of the duo The Small Square, with drummer, percussionist, and vocalist John Louis Richardson. He is also a songwriter for and co-founder of the group Velvet Crush and has worked with Matthew Sweet, Roger McGuinn, Susanna Hoffs, the late Tommy Keene, and many others.
Paul and John released the second record from The Small Square, Ours & Others, on Farm to Label Records in October 2023. While separated by a continent and ocean (Paul lives in Japan, John in Wisconsin), they co-produced the record and created a modern sound using modern techniques rooted in classic songwriting and musicianship in the Beatles, Beach Boys, and Big Star tradition.
Enjoy!
(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from The Small Square’s album Ours & Others)
• Did you enjoy this episode? Please share it with a friend! You can also rate Spotlight On ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. • Subscribe! Be the first to check out each new episode of Spotlight On in your podcast app of choice. • Looking for more? Visit spotlightonpodcast.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Spotlight On email newsletter. You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Mastodon. • Check out Spotlight On’s next live event at The Royal Room in Seattle on Saturday, June 22! More info here.
Your donations help support us while we support independent artists and thinkers. If you like the way that sounds, please donate today. Any amount is appreciated. Thanks.
Some bands burn bright and fast, leaving behind only tantalizing fragments of legacy. Afterimage, a post-punk group that briefly lit up the Los Angeles scene in the early '80s, is a case in point.
Inspired by the conversation between Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark frontman Andy McCluskey and Spotlight On producer and guest host Michael Donaldson.
Ed Neumeister is a trombonist, composer, arranger and educator operating at the forefront of creative music for more than forty years, including work with Jerry Garcia (in the band, Reconstruction), backing up the likes of Chuck Berry, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan and Frank Sinatra.
The famed musician and songwriter discusses the definition of power pop, his days with Velvet Crush, and his exciting transcontinental band, The Small Square.
Today, the Spotlight shines On singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Paul Chastain.
Paul is one half of the duo The Small Square, with drummer, percussionist, and vocalist John Louis Richardson. He is also a songwriter for and co-founder of the group Velvet Crush and has worked with Matthew Sweet, Roger McGuinn, Susanna Hoffs, the late Tommy Keene, and many others.
Paul and John released the second record from The Small Square, Ours & Others, on Farm to Label Records in October 2023. While separated by a continent and ocean (Paul lives in Japan, John in Wisconsin), they co-produced the record and created a modern sound using modern techniques rooted in classic songwriting and musicianship in the Beatles, Beach Boys, and Big Star tradition.
Enjoy!
(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from The Small Square’s album Ours & Others)
–
Dig Deeper
• Purchase The Small Square’s Ours & Others from Qobuz, Bandcamp, or directly from Farm to Label Records. You can also listen to the album on your streaming platform of choice
• Follow The Small Square on Facebook and Instagram
• Velvet Crush | Trouser Press
• Hyōgo Prefecture | Japan Experience
• How Do YOU Define Power Pop?
• A beginners' guide to the heyday of power-pop, 1972–1986
• Matthew Sweet
• 'Til Tuesday | The Music Museum of New England
• Moldy Old Tapes: White Sisters - The Kind Words sessions
• The Providence Music Scene, Then and Now
• Eight Badfinger Masterpieces That Have Faded From Music Fans' Memories
• The Raspberries: the story of the band
• The History of ADAT: How Alesis changed Digital Recording
• R. Walt Vincent
• Shoes
• Five Sounds With Mitch Easter
• Paul Chastain Talks Synthesizers, Songwriting, and The Small Square’s ‘Ours & Others’
–
• Did you enjoy this episode? Please share it with a friend! You can also rate Spotlight On ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
• Subscribe! Be the first to check out each new episode of Spotlight On in your podcast app of choice.
• Looking for more? Visit spotlightonpodcast.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Spotlight On email newsletter. You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Mastodon.
• Check out Spotlight On’s next live event at The Royal Room in Seattle on Saturday, June 22! More info here.
Your donations help support us while we support independent artists and thinkers. If you like the way that sounds, please donate today. Any amount is appreciated. Thanks.
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