A lot is happening in the world, the government is shut down, and massive kookery all around. I work a lot, no days off, if you know me personally you’ve heard me complain about all the working. But, but, this week is my birthday, in the past I’ve done a joint bday show with Jeff Shuman, live from Musso & Frank, we also did a live from Disneyland. I’ve had my mother and sister on. Maybe it’s a little self indulgent, but in this cultural hellscape—what isn’t.

I thought I’d play some A sides today, songs that may remind me of my bday, maybe remind me of bdays in the past, I’ll have some clips. I Want you to know—Birthday 2025

Singer/songwriter/screenplay writer Hashemi is returning to talk about her new EP, the progress on her script, and the link between songwriting and scriptwriting, and for the first time ever—we have a live performance on our show—she

I Want You To Know singer songwriter/writer Hashemi

My next guest is the returning champ, audience favorite, and I think we may be a little buzzed in the interview…full disclosure. She’s a film columnist, and a writer, she recently finished her book “Born to lose: The misfits who made dog day afternoon”.

We dig into all sorts of talk in this episode—from 90’s crime films, our writing rituals, and we offer a mix to send off a summer.

I Want You To Know—Rachel Walther

My next guest is a time traveller. She manages to make melodies that sound familiar, classic, predetermined in the souls of the soulful, she has a folksy accent, modest demeanor… yet She seems other worldly, esoteric, with futuristic arrangements, and sensibilities, blending several genres at once—to create her own genre, she seems almost alien, wearing clothes that appear like a costume…a costume that someone from another time would believe a groovy art pop person would wear.

Full disclosure, this is also one of the strongest guests playlists I’ve ever received.

I Want You To Know Sunny Moonshine

I talk with content creator, comedian, disruptor, and social critic—Chelsea Gods. Chelsea and I unpack the current social climate, contemporary politics, comedy, her ability to enrage the right, and hear her critique of the left.

Chelsea brought some songs that shaped her life, and tells her story, and she shares some personal truths.

My next guest is a visual artist, not quite a musician (he makes music), a radio host and jock—at times. But, above all else, he’s someone with an artistic mind. When you’re with him, talk to him, or working with him—he doesn’t quite process things in a conventional and linear way. He brings his entire life story into his process. It’s truly an artistic mind. I had a mentor once tell me “treat every project you do as if it’s an art project”—and thankfully, (and unfortunately) it’s mostly easy for me to operate that way.

My next guest clearly never struggled with that modus operandi.

I Want You To Know Colin Sjostedt

This is a remixed episode. It’s sort of a rerun with footnotes, updates, and revisiting themes. Since a lot of my show is interviewing my friends, or people I’m criss crossing within projects—often themes and events are revisited.

In some cases, a show’s theme will change with time—I guess that’s the nature of life, but reverberations can be tracked, lines (jagged and linear) drawn back to an event or episode or person.

Recently, while gathering mailbag questions, a writer named Sam asked about my experience on stage (as a performer and actor). I told them to refer back to episode 4 (we are on episode 160 something) with Devin Mcgregor Ketko, where Devin and I unpacked a DIY play she produced at her home, the heat of the summer. The material was intense, harrowing, and hot.

Devin and I have grown to be even closer friends (trauma does that), and I just wanted to celebrate her resolve, and all that were touched by the play she produced and starred in.

So, one last time in the heat—I want you to know Devin McGregor Ketko

This week on I Want You To Know—It’s a mailbag show, I answer your pressing questions like: Do I still wrestle with insomnia? What was my happiest childhood moment? Rivette or Rohmer? And why do I diss David Bowie sometimes? And many more!

Also, we have new music by The Kerosene Hours, For Joris, Sunny Moonshine and Indigo, and a world premiere by Ssleepiing Desiress