The indie rock pioneer, known for his work with The Dream Syndicate and The Baseball Project, joins the podcast for a freewheeling conversation centered around his 'redemptive' new memoir, I Wouldn't Say It If It Wasn't True.
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Today, the Spotlight shines On trailblazing songwriter and now memoirist Steve Wynn.
Steve first hit public consciousness in the early 1980s with his band The Dream Syndicate, frequently mentioned in the same breath as REM and The Replacements as the pioneers of American indie rock.
The Dream Syndicate’s initial run did not outlast the decade that birthed them, but Steve’s career did, with over 30 years of solo albums and collaborations to his credit—including a relaunched Dream Syndicate in the early 2010s.
Steve’s latest projects are something of a pair—I Wouldn’t Say It If It Wasn’t True, a memoir recounting his early life through the initial run of The Dream Syndicate, and Make It Right, a new album of music inspired by the writing and reflections for the book.
Our conversation spanned Steve’s formative years, his musical relationships over time, his process, roads not taken, and a glimpse into his near-term future activities, which include a bunch of time on the road promoting the book and dates with the indie rock “supergroup” The Baseball Project.
(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Steve Wynn’s album Make It Right)
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0:00 Introduction
1:50 Early memories of Golden Smog shows
3:39 The diverse musical landscape of the late 70s and early 80s
5:57 Steve's experience working in a record store
7:13 The evolution of recording technology
11:58 The democratization of music creation
13:23 Steve's radio influences growing up
16:25 Writing process for different projects
20:56 The Baseball Project and fantasy baseball addiction
23:35 Steve's complex relationship with baseball teams
27:54 Early exploits as a sports writer
30:08 Reflections on band longevity and collaborations
35:05 Writing process for different musical projects
38:04 On being a baseball fan
41:42 Steve's current baseball loyalties
47:54 Influential sports writers
50:46 Upcoming tour plans and book promotion
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Visit Steve Wynn at https://www.stevewynn.net
Purchase Steve Wynn's memoir I Wouldn't Say It If It Wasn't True from Bandcamp → https://stevewynn1.bandcamp.com/merch/i-wouldnt-say-it-if-it-wasnt-true
Bookshop → https://bookshop.org/p/books/i-wouldn-t-say-it-if-it-wasn-t-true-a-memoir-of-life-music-and-the-dream-syndicate-volume-1/21199982?ean=9781916829060
Powell's → https://www.powells.com/book/i-wouldnt-say-it-if-it-wasnt-true-a-memoir-of-life-music-the-dream-syndicate-9781916829060
Barnes & Noble → https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/i-wouldnt-say-it-if-it-wasnt-true-steve-wynn/1145125515?ean=9781916829060
or Amazon → https://a.co/d/g4ZRuSw)
Purchase Steve Wynn's album Make It Right from Fire Records → https://www.firerecords.com/product/steve-wynn-make-it-right
Qobuz → https://www.qobuz.com/us-en/album/make-it-right-steve-wynn/wt6pp10h348da
or Bandcamp → https://stevewynn1.bandcamp.com/album/make-it-right
and listen on your streaming platform of choice → https://album.link/i/1746352891
Follow Steve Wynn on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/cultartist
Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/stevewynn
Threads → https://www.threads.net/@cultartist
and YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/stevewynnsite
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#SteveWynn #DreamSyndicate #IndieRock #BaseballProject #MusicMemoir #podcast