Today, former Bluejuice frontman Jake Stone launches a brand new project, after introducing us to his new band with a song about weed last month.
Keeping the subtle weed vibes flowing, Stone is launching a new video and audio podcast today, called ‘Hash It Out With Jake Stone’, thanks to two debut pilot episodes featuring chats with Jordan Shanks (Friendlyjordies), Dave Rennick (Dappled Cities) and Dan Mac (Art Vs Science).
To mark the podcast’s debut, Stone took some time out of his schedule to discuss the project with Music Feeds, as well as the influence of his “podcast idols”, the big names he’d like to have on the show and his experiences with podcast stage fright.
Read the full chat below ahead of the official launch of ‘Hash It Out With Jake Stone’ on Podbean later today, before it arrives on iTunes, Spotify and other outlets.
Music Feeds: First off, can you sum up the concept behind the podcast in ten words or less?
Jake Stone: We have funny, interesting conversations with funny, interesting people.
MF: Now let’s go a little deeper. What inspired you to make something like this happen? And what are you guys hoping to achieve with this new project? (i.e. is it just for shits n’ giggles or do you have some kind of loftier vision?)
JS: I have spent so much of my life working with interesting people in the arts, from comedy, music and film to theatre, television and online media.
I’m also a big fan of practising and watching MMA and combat sport, and was inspired to combine the two things when I saw ‘The Joe Rogan Experience’ [podcast] for the first time.
Joe Rogan is the colour commentator for the UFC, a standup comic, and also hosts the Joe Rogan Experience, one of America’s most popular podcasts. He effortlessly combines politics, entertainment, comedy and UFC shit talk, and does so with very high level guests.
My producer and mastermind Adele Stewart is also a music industry professional, and loves ‘The Joe Rogan Experience’. We talked regularly about internet hosts and political commentators, and agreed there was a gap for that type of show in Australia.
One of Joe Rogan’s regular guests is ex-Huffington Post Live host and my school friend Josh Zepps. Josh also runs his own podcast ‘We The People, Live’. His cousin Ben is my lifelong friend.
When I saw Josh was a guest on ‘The Joe Rogan Experience’, I sent him a message on Facebook, and he gave me a shoutout on the actual show! Joe Rogan called me a ‘fucker’, live. He said he used the word affectionately, the way Australians say ‘cunt’. I was hooked.
Joe Rogan, Josh Zepps, Bill Burr and Marc Maron are my podcast idols. Our show ‘Hash It Out’ is about great guests in relaxed conversation about culture, the profane and funny things in life and work, and themselves in passionate detail.
MF: Why did you decide to go with a podcast rather than a vlog or some other medium?
JS: I think the podcast is misleading in this case, as we are recording everything to video, for broadcast. You’ll be able to listen and watch, or just listen. We’ll even chunk it down into clips the way ‘The Joe Rogan Experience’ does.
MF: What can we expect from the first two pilot episodes? Did the conversations with Jordan Shanks (Friendlyjordies), Dave Rennick (Dappled Cities) or Dan Mac (Art Vs Science) take any unexpected turns?
JS: The unexpected turn was that the guests were all funny and really engaging.
Union worker Emily Holm was on the Friendlyjordies episode, was extraordinarily intelligent and politically aware, and set a great and challenging pace to keep up with.
I can only say I loved hosting the chats, and am proud that my guests are funny and interesting.
I’ve actually got a case of stage fright and haven’t listened back to the episodes yet! I might not listen back to the episodes ever!? Who knows, it’s the first time I’ve done it. And it’s recorded live, so it’s exciting.
MF: And what’s the plan going forward, can we expect new episodes to drop regularly?
JS: Yeah, we’ll do it at least once a month, but it might be once every two weeks if we can afford to do it.
MF: Any spoilers on potential future guests? Who’s on your wishlist?
JS: I’d like to interview young up-and-coming actress, comedian and writer Nina Oyama, who is making her television debut on Utopia, and is writing and directing for the Fresh Blood series on ABC.
I’d like to talk to Tom Tilley of HACK, and turn the attention back on him for a change [laughs].
I’d like to talk to Tim Commandeur, the ex-drummer from Operator Please, who is about to support Pnau’s comeback tour as a solo act, Commandeur. He’s a deep, talented and hardworking kid.
I’d love to talk to my friend Jess ‘Montaigne’ Cerro about soccer and singing. Or my friend Caitlin Thwaites from the Australian Diamonds, our national netball team.
I’d love to talk to more band people, and the girls from my sister’s band All My Exes Live In Texas. People like Nick, Sam and James Littlemore.
I’d like to talk to my friends from my MMA gym, Janice Yee, Simon Patmore and Billy McAlees about fighting. If I could, I’d love to interview Australian UFC star Robert ‘The Reaper’ Whittacker.
If I could get overseas-based guests, I’d love to talk to Josh Zepps and Joe Rogan, Dave Chappelle, Bill Burr, Kristen Wiig, Rose Byrne, Dr Jordan Peterson, Lauren Southern, Conor Macgregor, Nate and Nick Diaz, and other UFC fighters that people may not be familiar with.
I’d love to talk the editors of Reductress and The Onion.
I’d love to interview Louis C.K. and Will Ferrell, Tiny Fey and Amy Poehler, Tim and Eric, David Cross and Bob Odenkirk, Tony Jones, my ex-girlfriend Sophie (who hates me), and my film effects-making nerd friends Nick, Christian and Boris.
Who else? Well, anyone I see or meet who can hold a great conversation!
MF: And the most important Q: how can people tune in?
JS: We’ll be uploading on iTunes, Spotify and all the other outlets, as well as YouTube.
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‘Hash It Out With Jake Stone’ launches today on Podbean, and will soon arrive on iTunes, Spotify and other outlets.
