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Four Strings and the Truth

Four Strings and the Truth

Written by: Sandy Smallens
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About this listen
 "Four Strings and the Truth: The Bassists Who Changed Music" features intimate conversations with players who have changed the course of the music that came after them, and continue to do so. We'll uncover their four-string mindset - their influences, approach, artistic practice, and how they go about practicing, playing, composing songs, being in a band and living their lives. Host Sandy Smallens, an indie- and major label-recording artist and bassist of 40-plus years, shines a light on the sometimes unsung (or at least under-sung) heroes who continue to redefine the bass's role in contemporary music, channeling his experience as a music writer and founder of Spotify's original content department. Check out the official pod playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2NJT1Dpc6eGi09uJOuQWKs?si=4d76eeff2b5c4615. Theme music: "TRIBES" by Surface Wound. To purchase that track, check out: https://surfacewound.bandcamp.com. Yell at me here: fourstringspod@gmail.com "Four Strings and the Truth" is an Audiation Original production.2024 Music
Episodes
  • The Ballad of Leigh Gorman (Bow Wow Wow, Adam & The Ants)

    The Ballad of Leigh Gorman (Bow Wow Wow, Adam & The Ants)
    Nov 5 2026

    Strap in for a rollicking journey through the musical evolution of not one but two influential bands - Bow Wow Wow and Adam & The Ants - with the bass player behind the sound, Leigh Gorman. We interviewed Leigh over a year ago, in two three-hour sessions, and are excited to present his humorous and detailed recounting of developing his unique, hyperactive style alongside a bevy of famous characters, most notably Malcolm McLaren, for whom Bow Wow Wow was his post-Sex Pistols project du jour.

    There's no one who plays like Leigh, and you will soon understand why.

    Bow Wow Wow

    Adam & The Ants

    Bow Wow Wow live dates

    Leigh on Facebook

    "I Want Candy" Live on Swedish TV, 1983

    "Afrodisiac" Live at the Whiskey a Go Go, October, 2026
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 44 mins
  • "Loud Bands Playing Terrible Music" - The Bass-Forward Bands of Caterwaul

    "Loud Bands Playing Terrible Music" - The Bass-Forward Bands of Caterwaul
    Sep 22 2026

    Normally this show features a famous (at least, famous in our world) bassist we've been listening to for decades. But for today's episode, I went in a different direction.

    Back in June of this year, I took my second pilgrimage to the Caterwaul Music Gathering, an underground-noise-punk-whatever weekend-long fest that's taken place in Minneapolis, MN for the last five years. In addition to capturing this episode's snazzy cover photo, I came away extremely amped about a slew of new-to-me bands who were putting the bass front and center and squeezing new sounds out of it.

    So in true "FSATT" fashion, I bit off more than I can chew and conducted four interviews…starting with one of the festival's co-founders and curators, musician/podcaster/style maven Conan Neutron.

    So here goes a longer-than-usual episode which provides the added benefit of hipping you to some new(ish) bass-forward bands that deserve your attention. Just be glad I didn't try to feature all of them, huh.

    Caterwaul on Instagram

    "Loud Bands Playing Terrible Music" Stickers and Other Caterwaul Merch

    Conan Neutron on Instagram

    Conan Neutron & The Secret Friends on Bandcamp

    Conan Neutron's Protonic Reversal Podcast

    BirdHands on Instagram

    BirdHands on Bandcamp

    BirdHands "Jungle Boogie" / "The Glow Up" Split Single with Violenteer

    BirdHands live at Chicago Music Exchange Video

    Burned or Buried on Instagram

    Burned of Buried on Bandcamp

    Burned or Buried live at Reggie's Video

    Baby Gurl on Instagram

    Baby Gurl on Bandcamp

    Baby Gurl "Smack My Bishop" Video
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 43 mins
  • His Band is Better Than Your Band with Damien Sayell (Mclusky, The St. Pierre Snake Invasion)

    His Band is Better Than Your Band with Damien Sayell (Mclusky, The St. Pierre Snake Invasion)
    May 7 2026

    Coming to you live and direct from the posh green room of Brooklyn club Warsaw, we sit down with gentle giant/Mclusky bassist and singer Damien Sayell, who's been in the band more than a decade now and is finally feeling like a full-fledged member. Find out how hearing the band's 2002 classic, "Mclusky Do Dallas," changed his life at the tender age of 18; what it's been like participating in the glow up of one of noise/punk's most essential power trios; and how one of the band's best new songs was composed by his three-year-old son, Magnus.

    Mclusky on Bandcamp (https://mcluskymclusky.bandcamp.com/)

    The St. Pierre Snake Invasion on Bandcamp (https://tspsi.bandcamp.com/)

    Damien's photo-rich Instagram account (https://www.instagram.com/damiencsayell/)

    Magnus's moment of genius (https://www.instagram.com/reels/DVx2zasNnTj/)

    An explosive live-in-the-studio set from FRET12 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNf3ls53rM0)

    Upcoming tour dates around the world (https://ipecac.com/tours/) - scroll to "Mclusky"
    Show More Show Less
    48 mins
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