Jonathan speaks with his old friend and great American fiction writer, Willy Vlautin. Willy is the author of seven novels, including his most recent, The Horse, which helped earn him the 2025 Joyce Carol Oates Prize. Three of his books have been adapted into films, including Night Always Comes, The Motel Life and Lean on Pete. In addition to his writing, Willy is a musician and songwriter—first with Richmond Fontaine and now with The Delines. Whatever the medium, Willy is always channeling a sad ballad with a tear on his cheek and a smile on his face.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHzj0CG30y8
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FreshFacePod_Evison
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freshfacepod.evison/

Today I talk with famed music journalist Peter Blackstock about his time discovering and reviewing bands in Austin, Nashville, North Carolina, and Seattle. Together with his partner Grant Alden, Peter launched the roots music magazine, No Depression. What started as an AOL discussion group on "Alternative Country," No Depression (named after an Uncle Tupelo song) helped define a new genre of music that includes such bands as Wilco, Son Volt, Old 97's, Jayhawks, Whiskeytown, Alejandro Escovedo, and the Bottle Rockets. We talk about how Seattle's own alt-country scene developed in the shadow of grunge with local heroes like Pete Droge of Ramadillo and Kitchen Radio. Lastly, we get into a few new music suggestions from one of the most connected men in music.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHzj0CG30y8
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FreshFacePod_Evison
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freshfacepod.evison/

Turns out the idea of nature vs. nurture is an overly simplistic way of describing how our genes correlate with our environments. For 150 years, scientists, sociologists, theologians, politicians, and philosophers have argued over this binary idea of determinism. My guest today, Professor Dalton Conley, writes that the answer is more like nature & nurture. In his book "The Social Genome," Dalton illustrates how our genes are activated, or subdued, by our social environments. He also talks about the emerging science behind the Polygenic Index (PGI). This is a predictive data model that can show your likelihood to succeed in life, college, love, etc., based on your genome. It's a whole new way of understanding genes.

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/782431/the-social-genome-by-dalton-conley/9781324092636

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHzj0CG30y8
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FreshFacePod_Evison
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freshfacepod.evison/