This week’s guest is Laura Jane Grace! In addition to being the singer and founding member of Against Me!, Grace is also an author and an accomplished solo artist. Before setting out on “The Carousel Tour”—which will take place all around the U.S. throughout the month of May, including a May 2 show at The Rave—she spoke to My First Band host Tyler Maas about the collaborative tour (which also features Anthony Green, Tim Kasher, Mikey Erg, and more), other recent solo shows, and her extensive musical history.
Over the course of the conversation, Grace talked about listening to her dad’s music collection as a kid, starting bands in middle school, the early years and steady evolution of Against Me!, some of the most memorable artistic experiences she’s had over the course of her career, and things she hopes to do in the years to come. Along the way, Grace talked about a song that was at least partially inspired by The Rave swimming pool and Maas showed his lack of Florida geography knowledge.
My First Band is sponsored by Mystery Room Mastering, Lakefront Brewery, and Music Go Round Greenfield. The show is edited by Jared Blohm. You can listen to My First Band on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, and wherever else you get podcasts. You can also listen to rebroadcasts of previous My First Band episodes on WMSE every Wednesday from noon to 12:30 p.m. CST. Music used in this episode comes courtesy of Devils Teeth (“The Junction Street Eight Tigers”) and Laura Jane Grace (“The Swimming Pool Song”).