John Andrew Fredrick: The Black Watch Abides

Spotlight On

Today, the Spotlight shines On John Andrew Fredrick of The Black Watch.

After thirty-seven years of making indie rock, the band’s latest album, For All the World, boasts an energy and vitality that surprises even John. John’s a great guest: His creative process remains rooted in uncertainty, he reads more about music than he listens to it, he draws inspiration from everything from Dostoyevsky to David Bowie, and believes the best songwriting comes from not knowing too much about where you're headed.

John talked with me about his philosophy of creative doubt, his daily ritual of playing guitar, and why staying uncertain after all these years keeps the music feeling alive.

(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from The Black Watch’s album For All the World)

–

Dig Deeper

• Visit The Black Watch at their Facebook page
• Explore The Black Watch's discography on Bandcamp
• John Andrew Fredrick's author page and novels at Verse Chorus Press
• Shimmering & Shining with The Black Watch
• Out of My Tree: An Interview with the Black Watch’s John Andrew Fredrick
• Pennyblackmusic: Interview with John Andrew Fredrick
• Dig into this episode's complete show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com

–

• Did you enjoy this episode? Please share it with a friend! You can also rate Spotlight On ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

• Subscribe! Be the first to check out each new episode of Spotlight On in your podcast app of choice.

• Looking for more? Visit spotlightonpodcast.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Spotlight On email newsletter. You can also follow us on Bluesky, Mastodon, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

• Be sure to bookmark our new online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com

---

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.