Amy Ziff - Singer, Songwriter, cellist

Amy Ziff is the acerbic wit behind the award-winning Indie Rock trio, Betty. She is also a singer, songwriter, cellist, activist, and mom. On today’s episode, this multi-talented artist chats about song placements, the art of collaboration, electronic cellos - and of course, how to navigate these times as an artist.

--------------------

In addition to being a pop icon and touring the world with the band BETTY, 

Amy has appeared in movies and TV, including Showtime's The L-Word, and originating the roles of "Mom and "Ida" on the ABC series Edith Ann. 

Amy has also written and performed her one-woman shows, Superlatives and Accident in several festivals and theaters across the U.S. and Canada. 

She has also co-written an opera about Typhoid Mary, called A Danger to Us All.

Be sure to grab a ticket for BETTY’s latest concert series and tour! Hellobetty.com

------------------------
Produced and Edited by Arts and Craft.
Theme Music: Sound Gallery by Dmitry Taras.

Transcript

00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:06.900
<v Amy Ziff>If you're in a band, and then you're in a band for a while, and people are maybe think, oh God, really?

00:00:06.900 --> 00:00:16.560
<v Amy Ziff>And then if you're in it for a really long time, maybe it becomes cool again, because then you become iconic as opposed to just like, has-beens, you know?

00:00:16.560 --> 00:00:20.820
<v Peter Michael Marino>She is the acerbic wit behind the award-winning indie rock trio, Betty.

00:00:20.820 --> 00:00:25.060
<v Nancy Magarill>She is also a singer, songwriter, cellist, activist and mom.

00:00:25.060 --> 00:00:28.580
<v Peter Michael Marino>The multi-talented Amy Ziff joins us on today's episode.

00:00:30.460 --> 00:00:32.140
<v Nancy Magarill>My name is Nancy Magarill.

00:00:32.140 --> 00:00:36.200
<v Nancy Magarill>I'm a singer, songwriter, composer, performer, graphic and web designer.

00:00:36.200 --> 00:00:41.280
<v Peter Michael Marino>And I'm Peter Michael Marino, and I'm a writer, producer, creator, performer, and educator.

00:00:41.280 --> 00:00:44.540
<v Nancy Magarill>We are New York-based artists you may or may not have heard of.

00:00:44.540 --> 00:00:48.840
<v Peter Michael Marino>And we are here to introduce you to other artists you may or may not have heard of.

00:01:25.420 --> 00:01:30.520
<v Peter Michael Marino>Amy is our first guest who we have not seen on our platform.

00:01:30.756 --> 00:01:35.156
<v Peter Michael Marino>Riverside, that was a plug, who we have not seen while we're doing the interview.

00:01:35.156 --> 00:01:36.316
<v Nancy Magarill>Riverside FM.

00:01:36.316 --> 00:01:39.936
<v Peter Michael Marino>She could be making all kinds of faces and things that we don't know about.

00:01:39.936 --> 00:01:41.956
<v Peter Michael Marino>She could be smoking a hookah.

00:01:41.956 --> 00:01:45.096
<v Peter Michael Marino>She could be smoking a hookah, or better.

00:01:45.096 --> 00:01:47.296
<v Amy Ziff>She could be, but she's not.

00:01:47.296 --> 00:01:47.916
<v Peter Michael Marino>She's not.

00:01:47.916 --> 00:01:50.796
<v Nancy Magarill>Oh, don't tell us that, it was fun to just imagine.

00:01:51.076 --> 00:01:53.136
<v Amy Ziff>Okay, imagine if you will, then.

00:01:53.136 --> 00:01:54.216
<v Amy Ziff>Imagine.

00:01:54.216 --> 00:02:01.376
<v Peter Michael Marino>Amy, I was talking about you just the other night because I was having a viewing party for some homosexuals who had never seen the movie Flashdance.

00:02:01.376 --> 00:02:05.916
<v Peter Michael Marino>And I know, that's my job is to make sure that they are educated.

00:02:05.916 --> 00:02:08.356
<v Peter Michael Marino>And we saw Flashdance and it's fantastic.

00:02:08.356 --> 00:02:15.376
<v Peter Michael Marino>And then we were talking about Jennifer Beals because she's so great in it and does not one tiny bit of dancing in it, actually.

00:02:15.376 --> 00:02:23.576
<v Peter Michael Marino>And it turns out one of the gays is really good friends with the stunt dancer who they make no effort to try to not look like someone else.

00:02:23.576 --> 00:02:24.656
<v Nancy Magarill>I didn't know that.

00:02:24.656 --> 00:02:25.956
<v Peter Michael Marino>Oh yeah, yeah, yeah.

00:02:26.216 --> 00:02:33.696
<v Peter Michael Marino>It's just, if you're like me, you can't not stare at every pore of the other person's face and go, that's not her.

00:02:33.696 --> 00:02:40.036
<v Peter Michael Marino>Anyway, as we all know, or maybe some of our listeners don't know, Jennifer Beals is fabulous.

00:02:40.036 --> 00:02:47.496
<v Peter Michael Marino>And Jennifer Beals is one of the stars of The L Word, which Betty, your band, wrote the theme song for.

00:02:48.096 --> 00:02:55.496
<v Peter Michael Marino>So, for the past three days, I've been singing, Beautiful.

00:02:55.556 --> 00:02:58.516
<v Peter Michael Marino>Because I think I was actually singing it in the correct key as well.

00:02:58.516 --> 00:03:06.056
<v Peter Michael Marino>I watched that show religiously, and now I think I have to revisit it because the theme song is so damn great.

00:03:06.056 --> 00:03:06.636
<v Amy Ziff>Thank you.

00:03:06.636 --> 00:03:11.556
<v Amy Ziff>I haven't revisited it in a long, long, I don't think ever actually.

00:03:11.556 --> 00:03:15.796
<v Nancy Magarill>What was that process to write a theme song for a television show like that?

00:03:15.996 --> 00:03:25.376
<v Amy Ziff>You know, when that theme song was on TV, we actually had eight theme songs running at that same time.

00:03:25.376 --> 00:03:26.536
<v Amy Ziff>I know, isn't that crazy?

00:03:26.536 --> 00:03:38.856
<v Amy Ziff>We had a couple for Discovery, we had one for Comedy Central, we had one for, yeah, I don't know, but we figured it out that there were eight of them.

00:03:38.876 --> 00:03:40.096
<v Nancy Magarill>That's fantastic.

00:03:40.176 --> 00:03:41.076
<v Amy Ziff>How does that happen?

00:03:41.076 --> 00:03:46.536
<v Peter Michael Marino>Is there a manager who's like pushing you on, pushing Betty on producers or word of mouth?

00:03:46.536 --> 00:03:48.896
<v Nancy Magarill>We're a music supervisor that just loves you.

00:03:48.896 --> 00:03:50.216
<v Amy Ziff>Yeah, we were asked to do them.

00:03:50.676 --> 00:03:57.716
<v Amy Ziff>And Eileen Chaykin came to see us doing a big benefit in Chicago during our show.

00:03:57.716 --> 00:04:01.036
<v Peter Michael Marino>And she's the producer, I believe, of L Word, right?

00:04:01.036 --> 00:04:07.636
<v Amy Ziff>Right, she was, and asked us to submit a theme song, us and I think maybe five other bands.

00:04:08.816 --> 00:04:12.296
<v Amy Ziff>And so we did, and she liked that one, so she kept it.

00:04:12.296 --> 00:04:14.036
<v Nancy Magarill>That's so fantastic.

00:04:14.036 --> 00:04:19.636
<v Nancy Magarill>So basically we can't see your huge palatial estate that you're in right now.

00:04:19.636 --> 00:04:20.696
<v Nancy Magarill>Somebody have a phone number.

00:04:20.696 --> 00:04:23.356
<v Peter Michael Marino>My dad, yep, that's me, it's because it's retrograde.

00:04:23.356 --> 00:04:24.756
<v Nancy Magarill>Turn that sucker off, right?

00:04:24.756 --> 00:04:26.376
<v Amy Ziff>Peter.

00:04:26.376 --> 00:04:29.536
<v Nancy Magarill>Do you guys believe in Mercury in retrograde?

00:04:29.536 --> 00:04:30.836
<v Amy Ziff>I believe in everything.

00:04:30.836 --> 00:04:32.136
<v Nancy Magarill>Yeah, I do too.

00:04:32.136 --> 00:04:33.036
<v Nancy Magarill>I do too.

00:04:33.036 --> 00:04:36.796
<v Nancy Magarill>And it definitely is this week, it absolutely hands down is in retrograde.

00:04:36.856 --> 00:04:38.436
<v Amy Ziff>Well, it feels like, yeah.

00:04:38.436 --> 00:04:47.516
<v Peter Michael Marino>When you're sensitive of a sensitive person, not that I am, when you're sensitive, you really, you feel like it just, like you feel it in your brain.

00:04:47.516 --> 00:04:49.656
<v Amy Ziff>Yeah, you feel it in your brain.

00:04:49.656 --> 00:04:54.636
<v Nancy Magarill>Well, on top of everything that's going on in the world, it's also, you feel it everywhere.

00:04:54.636 --> 00:04:58.956
<v Amy Ziff>I don't know how everybody's going to get through it, but I guess it's just one step at a time.

00:04:59.076 --> 00:05:00.116
<v Amy Ziff>One day at a time.

00:05:00.116 --> 00:05:02.456
<v Peter Michael Marino>Aren't you glad you're not in DC anymore?

00:05:02.456 --> 00:05:03.976
<v Amy Ziff>Gosh, that was a long time ago.

00:05:03.976 --> 00:05:04.616
<v Peter Michael Marino>Yeah.

00:05:04.616 --> 00:05:05.256
<v Nancy Magarill>Where are you?

00:05:06.216 --> 00:05:08.356
<v Peter Michael Marino>But you still gig there, right?

00:05:08.356 --> 00:05:09.496
<v Amy Ziff>Yeah, we do.

00:05:09.496 --> 00:05:10.556
<v Peter Michael Marino>Hometown band?

00:05:10.556 --> 00:05:10.996
<v Amy Ziff>Yeah.

00:05:10.996 --> 00:05:14.836
<v Amy Ziff>I mean, they claim us, New York claims us, a lot of people claim Betty.

00:05:14.836 --> 00:05:17.176
<v Amy Ziff>Whoever wants us can take us.

00:05:17.176 --> 00:05:19.156
<v Amy Ziff>That's what I feel.

00:05:19.156 --> 00:05:20.276
<v Nancy Magarill>Where are you from?

00:05:20.276 --> 00:05:24.876
<v Amy Ziff>Well, my parents were from New York, and we never lived here as children.

00:05:24.876 --> 00:05:26.336
<v Amy Ziff>We grew up all over the place.

00:05:26.336 --> 00:05:31.356
<v Amy Ziff>And then Betty was birthed or born in DC.

00:05:31.936 --> 00:05:33.476
<v Nancy Magarill>At the 930 Club, right?

00:05:33.476 --> 00:05:35.676
<v Amy Ziff>Well, yeah, actually.

00:05:35.676 --> 00:05:46.456
<v Amy Ziff>We were in another band, and Dodie Bowers asked us to sing because she'd heard that the three of us, Alice and Elizabeth and myself, did special stuff, a cappella, and just kind of broken down songs.

00:05:46.456 --> 00:05:48.376
<v Amy Ziff>And she asked us if we would play for a party.

00:05:48.376 --> 00:05:49.456
<v Amy Ziff>So we did.

00:05:49.856 --> 00:05:51.516
<v Amy Ziff>And that was 40 years ago.

00:05:51.976 --> 00:05:53.556
<v Amy Ziff>Almost 40 years ago.

00:05:53.556 --> 00:05:53.716
<v Nancy Magarill>Wow.

00:05:53.716 --> 00:05:55.436
<v Amy Ziff>Isn't that crazy?

00:05:55.876 --> 00:05:57.416
<v Nancy Magarill>That's wonderful.

00:05:57.416 --> 00:06:03.496
<v Peter Michael Marino>Well, how did you, when was Amy Ziff the musician birthed?

00:06:03.496 --> 00:06:08.996
<v Peter Michael Marino>Like, when did you know this, I guess I'm a musician, this is what I'm gonna do.

00:06:08.996 --> 00:06:13.196
<v Amy Ziff>They came and showed string instruments when I was in sixth grade.

00:06:13.196 --> 00:06:18.216
<v Amy Ziff>And I saw that the cello player, the cellist got to sit down.

00:06:18.216 --> 00:06:20.856
<v Amy Ziff>So I said, yeah, that's what I'm gonna do.

00:06:20.856 --> 00:06:23.356
<v Nancy Magarill>Basically, you're lazy, and so that was it.

00:06:23.716 --> 00:06:26.376
<v Amy Ziff>Oh, yeah, always have been, always will be.

00:06:26.376 --> 00:06:27.896
<v Peter Michael Marino>You have to carry it around.

00:06:27.896 --> 00:06:30.936
<v Amy Ziff>I've never carried my own cello, never.

00:06:30.936 --> 00:06:32.536
<v Nancy Magarill>Oh my God, lucky you.

00:06:32.536 --> 00:06:37.316
<v Nancy Magarill>But I gotta say, you can't be lazy and play the cello, because that's a bitch of a thing to play.

00:06:37.736 --> 00:06:37.996
<v Nancy Magarill>She is.

00:06:37.996 --> 00:06:39.096
<v Nancy Magarill>It's gorgeous.

00:06:39.096 --> 00:06:40.396
<v Nancy Magarill>It's a gorgeous instrument.

00:06:40.396 --> 00:06:42.896
<v Nancy Magarill>I love, I fell in love with the cello.

00:06:42.896 --> 00:06:46.716
<v Nancy Magarill>I wrote one song once that all of a sudden I was like, I need a cello for this.

00:06:46.716 --> 00:06:51.656
<v Nancy Magarill>And then everything had to have cello, because it's just such an emotive instrument.

00:06:52.216 --> 00:06:55.156
<v Amy Ziff>I played, I've been playing the electric cello with Betty for quite some time.

00:06:55.156 --> 00:06:56.336
<v Amy Ziff>Yeah.

00:06:56.336 --> 00:07:03.196
<v Amy Ziff>I tried to play the acoustic and amplify it, and there were a whole bunch of sound crazy problems.

00:07:03.196 --> 00:07:08.436
<v Amy Ziff>So then I was sponsored by NS, which is an electric cello.

00:07:08.436 --> 00:07:11.756
<v Amy Ziff>And I thought, okay, well, how different could it be?

00:07:11.756 --> 00:07:17.396
<v Amy Ziff>And Elizabeth and I went to go do something fun in Lisbon, and I'd never tried it before.

00:07:17.396 --> 00:07:23.816
<v Amy Ziff>And I got there and tried to start playing it right away and had some problems, but that was a long time ago.

00:07:23.816 --> 00:07:24.816
<v Amy Ziff>Now I'm okay.

00:07:24.816 --> 00:07:26.456
<v Nancy Magarill>What helped you get used to it?

00:07:26.476 --> 00:07:38.896
<v Amy Ziff>I think it's like a stick, you know, it looks like a, so you just have to know that you're not, you know, your finger isn't resting, your thumb isn't resting on the crook of it, and just relearn a couple of things.

00:07:38.896 --> 00:07:43.916
<v Nancy Magarill>Is the action a lot lighter than when you're playing a real cello?

00:07:43.916 --> 00:07:45.996
<v Nancy Magarill>Yeah, I would imagine it would be.

00:07:45.996 --> 00:07:47.276
<v Amy Ziff>Are you a string player as well?

00:07:47.276 --> 00:07:48.396
<v Nancy Magarill>I'm not a string player.

00:07:48.396 --> 00:07:52.156
<v Nancy Magarill>I'm a composer and a singer, and I use a lot of strings.

00:07:52.376 --> 00:07:54.716
<v Nancy Magarill>I've used a lot of strings in a ton of my music.

00:07:54.716 --> 00:07:57.096
<v Nancy Magarill>I used to play with the Sirius String Quartet.

00:07:57.096 --> 00:08:04.936
<v Nancy Magarill>You probably know Dave Agar, Ron and Gregor Huber, like Ron Lawrence.

00:08:04.936 --> 00:08:05.756
<v Nancy Magarill>So I played with them.

00:08:05.756 --> 00:08:06.836
<v Nancy Magarill>We did a record together.

00:08:06.836 --> 00:08:07.856
<v Nancy Magarill>It was so beautiful.

00:08:07.856 --> 00:08:09.196
<v Nancy Magarill>And I just love it.

00:08:09.196 --> 00:08:11.096
<v Nancy Magarill>I absolutely love strings.

00:08:11.096 --> 00:08:15.156
<v Nancy Magarill>I think they're just a gift to the music world.

00:08:15.156 --> 00:08:18.536
<v Peter Michael Marino>Well, strings come in handy for scoring, right?

00:08:20.116 --> 00:08:22.576
<v Peter Michael Marino>Which Betty has done a lot of as well.

00:08:22.576 --> 00:08:23.416
<v Peter Michael Marino>Yeah.

00:08:23.416 --> 00:08:25.616
<v Amy Ziff>I guess all of us right now are composers.

00:08:25.616 --> 00:08:28.916
<v Amy Ziff>So we all have different things that we work on and do.

00:08:28.916 --> 00:08:32.976
<v Amy Ziff>And Betty has, you know, the three of us have different projects that we like to do.

00:08:32.976 --> 00:08:41.516
<v Amy Ziff>And then we come together for other things and everybody has kind of like a, I don't know, maybe a speciality or something or think about things differently.

00:08:41.516 --> 00:08:42.196
<v Amy Ziff>I don't know.

00:08:42.196 --> 00:08:43.816
<v Nancy Magarill>What is your specialty?

00:08:43.816 --> 00:08:45.836
<v Amy Ziff>I guess I'm trying to find out.

00:08:45.876 --> 00:08:46.696
<v Nancy Magarill>Yeah.

00:08:46.696 --> 00:08:47.696
<v Amy Ziff>No, I mean.

00:08:47.696 --> 00:08:48.336
<v Nancy Magarill>That's great.

00:08:48.336 --> 00:08:49.616
<v Nancy Magarill>After all these years.

00:08:49.616 --> 00:08:53.516
<v Amy Ziff>No, I think I think I'm the comic relief of the band most of the time.

00:08:53.516 --> 00:08:59.756
<v Amy Ziff>I mean, I'm a monologuist and I like to act as well as, you know, to be in a band.

00:08:59.756 --> 00:09:01.256
<v Nancy Magarill>Do you have a preference?

00:09:01.256 --> 00:09:02.536
<v Amy Ziff>Oh, gosh, I don't know.

00:09:02.536 --> 00:09:06.296
<v Amy Ziff>I haven't been doing very much acting, but maybe I'll start doing some more of it.

00:09:06.296 --> 00:09:11.576
<v Peter Michael Marino>Well, I just saw you at the tank in a great one act where you played five or six characters, I think.

00:09:11.576 --> 00:09:12.756
<v Amy Ziff>That was a fun piece, right?

00:09:12.756 --> 00:09:15.056
<v Peter Michael Marino>And I was like, Amy is perfect for this.

00:09:15.356 --> 00:09:16.416
<v Peter Michael Marino>This is perfect.

00:09:16.416 --> 00:09:19.436
<v Peter Michael Marino>Like you added, you know, you have this great gift.

00:09:19.616 --> 00:09:32.136
<v Peter Michael Marino>And I think, I mean, I have known of Betty and have I don't know how many times I saw it at the zipper because I used to hang around with Nicholas Nogler and was sort of studying to become a producer around that time.

00:09:32.136 --> 00:09:34.876
<v Peter Michael Marino>So I just I was part of that whole freaking process.

00:09:34.876 --> 00:09:36.836
<v Peter Michael Marino>And it's in my neighborhood, which is nice.

00:09:36.836 --> 00:09:49.056
<v Peter Michael Marino>But your presence, like you just walk on stage and we know that there's going to be a levity, there's going to be an inside levity, if that makes sense.

00:09:49.056 --> 00:09:52.776
<v Peter Michael Marino>You know, you have like a, you have a wink about you.

00:09:52.776 --> 00:09:54.036
<v Nancy Magarill>Oh, I love that.

00:09:54.076 --> 00:09:54.836
<v Peter Michael Marino>Yeah.

00:09:54.836 --> 00:09:55.316
<v Peter Michael Marino>Yeah.

00:09:55.316 --> 00:09:58.716
<v Peter Michael Marino>You know, that's just a, it's just a, it's a thing.

00:09:58.716 --> 00:10:00.176
<v Peter Michael Marino>And you're very lucky to have it.

00:10:00.176 --> 00:10:02.736
<v Peter Michael Marino>And it really was great to see that in that one act show.

00:10:02.736 --> 00:10:03.796
<v Amy Ziff>Thank you so much.

00:10:03.796 --> 00:10:04.796
<v Peter Michael Marino>Yeah, absolutely.

00:10:04.796 --> 00:10:17.436
<v Peter Michael Marino>And this, and the same with Betty as well, that, you know, okay, I know I'm focusing on Amy during this because she's going to be, you know, I don't know, bringing the extra, the extra juice to the comedy.

00:10:17.436 --> 00:10:18.736
<v Peter Michael Marino>Does that make sense?

00:10:18.736 --> 00:10:20.956
<v Amy Ziff>Oh, well, thank you very much for saying that.

00:10:20.956 --> 00:10:28.556
<v Amy Ziff>I actually, Anna Stroud, who produced that, is another parent at the school where my children go.

00:10:28.556 --> 00:10:30.176
<v Amy Ziff>And she, she's wonderful.

00:10:30.176 --> 00:10:34.556
<v Amy Ziff>And she was involved with, she worked with Nicholas for a while too.

00:10:34.556 --> 00:10:41.976
<v Amy Ziff>So she said that she and her husband, Jesse, were going to be, I guess, involved with this, this particular piece.

00:10:42.276 --> 00:10:46.176
<v Amy Ziff>So she asked if I would be interested in doing a couple of different characters.

00:10:46.176 --> 00:10:47.916
<v Amy Ziff>And I thought, yeah, why not?

00:10:47.916 --> 00:10:54.196
<v Amy Ziff>And I looked at the schedule and Betty had a whole bunch of different shows in February because it was our anniversary month.

00:10:54.196 --> 00:10:58.676
<v Amy Ziff>So I did it anyway, which was kind of cuckoo, but super fun.

00:10:58.676 --> 00:11:04.416
<v Peter Michael Marino>Yeah, it was fun also to see the legions of Betty fans at the show.

00:11:04.416 --> 00:11:05.896
<v Peter Michael Marino>I mean, I was sitting amongst them.

00:11:06.016 --> 00:11:11.376
<v Peter Michael Marino>I was like, I know, this is Maggie Moore, this person, this person, everybody was there.

00:11:11.376 --> 00:11:13.076
<v Peter Michael Marino>It was really, it was really awesome.

00:11:13.076 --> 00:11:22.696
<v Peter Michael Marino>And it does seem like you, like that Betty is, I mean, maybe I've been out of touch, but it seems like Betty is sort of having this resurgence right now.

00:11:22.696 --> 00:11:24.736
<v Peter Michael Marino>You have a new album out.

00:11:24.736 --> 00:11:25.616
<v Amy Ziff>Yeah.

00:11:25.936 --> 00:11:29.696
<v Peter Michael Marino>You're doing these gigs at Joe's Pub.

00:11:29.696 --> 00:11:30.396
<v Peter Michael Marino>Was it Joe's Pub?

00:11:30.396 --> 00:11:31.136
<v Peter Michael Marino>Is that the last place?

00:11:31.136 --> 00:11:34.536
<v Amy Ziff>Well, this last one that we did was at the Green Room.

00:11:34.556 --> 00:11:36.016
<v Amy Ziff>The Green Room, right.

00:11:36.016 --> 00:11:38.576
<v Amy Ziff>And we'd never played there before, but we thought we'd do a series there.

00:11:38.576 --> 00:11:38.936
<v Amy Ziff>It was fun.

00:11:38.936 --> 00:11:40.196
<v Nancy Magarill>It's a nice room, right?

00:11:40.736 --> 00:11:41.876
<v Nancy Magarill>It was fun.

00:11:41.876 --> 00:11:44.336
<v Peter Michael Marino>And Everett sat in with you guys, right?

00:11:44.336 --> 00:11:44.576
<v Nancy Magarill>Yeah.

00:11:44.816 --> 00:11:46.156
<v Peter Michael Marino>Covered Bradley.

00:11:46.156 --> 00:11:46.596
<v Amy Ziff>Right.

00:11:46.596 --> 00:11:50.836
<v Amy Ziff>We had a couple of fun guests and it was, yeah, it was a really fun experience.

00:11:50.836 --> 00:12:01.056
<v Amy Ziff>It was a little bit too, I think, labor intensive for me because every week we were doing a different music from our 40 years, from our 39 years.

00:12:01.056 --> 00:12:02.676
<v Amy Ziff>So that was kind of crazy.

00:12:02.936 --> 00:12:11.816
<v Amy Ziff>But, I mean, I think for a while, if you're in a band and then you're in a band for a while, and people are, maybe think, oh, God, really?

00:12:11.816 --> 00:12:20.596
<v Amy Ziff>And then if you're in it for a really long time, maybe it becomes cool again, because then you become iconic as opposed to just like, has-beens, you know?

00:12:20.596 --> 00:12:26.876
<v Nancy Magarill>Well, it also probably depends on what's going on in the world as well, especially with the kind of work that you guys do.

00:12:26.876 --> 00:12:30.976
<v Nancy Magarill>This is actually a really good time to have a voice like yours, right?

00:12:31.876 --> 00:12:33.516
<v Nancy Magarill>With the work that you guys do.

00:12:33.516 --> 00:12:38.196
<v Peter Michael Marino>Wait, you went, is it too much responsibility?

00:12:38.196 --> 00:12:41.796
<v Amy Ziff>Well, I just can't believe we're all doing this still, after all these years.

00:12:41.796 --> 00:12:43.156
<v Amy Ziff>I mean, we just...

00:12:43.156 --> 00:12:44.396
<v Nancy Magarill>It's insane.

00:12:44.396 --> 00:12:52.236
<v Amy Ziff>We have a nonprofit and we were doing some work with the State Department before when we had real people that were in charge and with Hillary.

00:12:52.236 --> 00:13:02.136
<v Amy Ziff>And then when we came back from doing a couple of things around different countries for the LGBTQ community and women and girls and people trying to find their voice.

00:13:02.136 --> 00:13:10.576
<v Amy Ziff>Gloria Steinem, who's been a friend and a great inspiration for us for many, many years, said that we should continue the work in a nonprofit situation.

00:13:10.576 --> 00:13:12.396
<v Amy Ziff>So we have been trying to do that.

00:13:12.396 --> 00:13:17.276
<v Amy Ziff>And God, it's just really and truly a couple of steps forward.

00:13:17.276 --> 00:13:20.316
<v Amy Ziff>And then you have all this all this work to keep doing.

00:13:20.576 --> 00:13:22.096
<v Amy Ziff>It's disheartening sometimes.

00:13:22.096 --> 00:13:23.456
<v Nancy Magarill>It's very disheartening.

00:13:23.456 --> 00:13:36.116
<v Nancy Magarill>I think it's something that I feel like we've taken for granted so much in this country, that this is a huge wake up to so many of us who just sort of took so much for granted.

00:13:36.116 --> 00:13:39.996
<v Nancy Magarill>And I think that as, you know, God knows where this is going.

00:13:39.996 --> 00:13:55.976
<v Nancy Magarill>But hopefully, hopefully, whatever this is that we're facing will shake us up enough to make the people who have been silent and not doing anything understand how vitally important it is to fight and constantly fight and stay on top of everything.

00:13:56.436 --> 00:14:02.376
<v Nancy Magarill>Because it's just, it is, it's a huge fucking wake up call, you know?

00:14:02.376 --> 00:14:22.396
<v Amy Ziff>Scary, there's so much divisive things that were happening actually on both sides, you know, before the election and they continue to be, but what's happening now and, you know, in our communities and for women and our reproductive rights is just, it's unfathomable actually.

00:14:22.396 --> 00:14:28.236
<v Peter Michael Marino>How are you working with these departments and how is your music being incorporated into all that?

00:14:28.236 --> 00:14:31.376
<v Amy Ziff>You know, I mean, we've never been super political with our music.

00:14:31.376 --> 00:14:39.616
<v Amy Ziff>I think just our kind of the fact that we are, that we exist as is kind of political in and of itself.

00:14:39.616 --> 00:14:41.056
<v Peter Michael Marino>It's a really good point, yep.

00:14:41.056 --> 00:14:49.456
<v Amy Ziff>And especially these days, you know, with African American and Jewish women together and queer and straight women together.

00:14:49.456 --> 00:14:56.776
<v Amy Ziff>And I think that there is a conversation that always is being had with everything that's happening in the world right now.

00:14:56.776 --> 00:14:59.756
<v Amy Ziff>So, I mean, we avail ourselves to different things.

00:14:59.756 --> 00:15:05.756
<v Amy Ziff>And I think that's what you, your responsibility is as artists, you guys do the same, I'm sure.

00:15:05.756 --> 00:15:14.356
<v Amy Ziff>So for different things that are there and that ask us if we can help or, I mean, you always need music in a revolution, don't you?

00:15:14.356 --> 00:15:16.396
<v Nancy Magarill>Yeah, absolutely.

00:15:16.396 --> 00:15:17.836
<v Peter Michael Marino>Do y'all do covers?

00:15:17.876 --> 00:15:19.516
<v Amy Ziff>We do sometimes.

00:15:19.516 --> 00:15:20.596
<v Amy Ziff>I mean, we do.

00:15:20.596 --> 00:15:27.876
<v Amy Ziff>And this record, our new record, Eat, we have What the World Needs Now is a cover.

00:15:27.876 --> 00:15:35.736
<v Amy Ziff>And we recorded that in Mexico City and in New York, and the producer asked us to slow it down.

00:15:35.736 --> 00:15:38.416
<v Amy Ziff>And when we did slow it down, it's acapella.

00:15:38.416 --> 00:15:43.096
<v Amy Ziff>And I don't know, do you do music on, you put in music sometimes?

00:15:43.096 --> 00:15:46.196
<v Peter Michael Marino>We would love to have music on our podcast.

00:15:46.316 --> 00:15:47.116
<v Nancy Magarill>Absolutely.

00:15:47.116 --> 00:15:56.936
<v Peter Michael Marino>And we will talk to you about, listener, if you hear music come in right now, that's because they own their music and the publisher and everything said it's okay.

00:15:56.936 --> 00:16:03.996
<v Peter Michael Marino>If you don't hear music right now, Amy, can you sing us a little bit of your part of What the World Needs Now?

00:16:03.996 --> 00:16:05.016
<v Amy Ziff>Oh yeah.

00:16:05.016 --> 00:16:08.956
<v Amy Ziff>I don't think it would really do it justice, but no, probably not.

00:16:33.836 --> 00:16:36.276
<v Peter Michael Marino>What was the process like for this latest album?

00:16:36.276 --> 00:16:38.116
<v Peter Michael Marino>Because time has passed since your last one.

00:16:38.216 --> 00:16:40.896
<v Peter Michael Marino>You have kids, I mean, the world is upside down.

00:16:40.896 --> 00:16:41.776
<v Peter Michael Marino>What was different?

00:16:41.776 --> 00:16:49.536
<v Amy Ziff>We worked with Jason Carmer a long time ago, and he actually came up in DC when we were coming up.

00:16:49.536 --> 00:16:55.416
<v Amy Ziff>And then he became a big producer and won a couple of Grammys and things like that.

00:16:55.416 --> 00:17:05.956
<v Amy Ziff>And we sent him some of our music, and he said, wow, I'd really like to go back to some of the things that you were doing originally as a band, kind of that 80s feel with a techno, a contemporary feel.

00:17:06.276 --> 00:17:12.556
<v Amy Ziff>So we didn't really understand what he was saying, but then when he started, then we started recording, we do understand it now.

00:17:12.556 --> 00:17:15.896
<v Amy Ziff>And it seemed that it's one of the most exciting things we've done in a while.

00:17:15.896 --> 00:17:18.336
<v Amy Ziff>And people have been really responsive to it, so.

00:17:18.336 --> 00:17:25.656
<v Nancy Magarill>Well, what is the difference for you in performance when you're doing live shows with this kind of a record versus what you've done in the past?

00:17:25.656 --> 00:17:28.516
<v Amy Ziff>This record in particular has a lot more tracks.

00:17:28.516 --> 00:17:32.536
<v Amy Ziff>And so Elizabeth is kind of in charge of that for the band.

00:17:32.696 --> 00:17:39.596
<v Amy Ziff>So it's a lot of kind of meshing with live vocals and tracking and our instrumentation as well.

00:17:39.596 --> 00:17:44.576
<v Nancy Magarill>And are you programming and triggering sounds and things like that as well?

00:17:44.576 --> 00:17:46.156
<v Amy Ziff>Yeah, we've done that for a while, though.

00:17:46.156 --> 00:17:48.216
<v Amy Ziff>But this one is pretty track heavy.

00:17:48.216 --> 00:17:58.336
<v Amy Ziff>And then but then we do also do a cappella and, you know, so and then our own instrumentation, too, which is the cello and bass and guitar, keyboard, that kind of thing.

00:17:58.376 --> 00:17:59.096
<v Nancy Magarill>That's really cool.

00:17:59.576 --> 00:18:00.736
<v Amy Ziff>Yeah, you're gonna have to come.

00:18:00.736 --> 00:18:01.276
<v Nancy Magarill>Oh, yeah.

00:18:01.276 --> 00:18:02.736
<v Nancy Magarill>When are you playing in New York next?

00:18:02.736 --> 00:18:03.876
<v Amy Ziff>Oh, let's see.

00:18:03.876 --> 00:18:09.756
<v Amy Ziff>Oh, we're doing a big benefit on Saturday for Night of a Thousand Gowns.

00:18:09.756 --> 00:18:12.916
<v Amy Ziff>And that's the benefit of the LGBTQ community.

00:18:12.916 --> 00:18:14.036
<v Amy Ziff>That's a couple of songs.

00:18:14.036 --> 00:18:15.556
<v Amy Ziff>And then, when are we playing?

00:18:15.556 --> 00:18:16.276
<v Amy Ziff>Are we playing?

00:18:16.276 --> 00:18:16.976
<v Amy Ziff>I'll have to look.

00:18:16.976 --> 00:18:18.196
<v Amy Ziff>I'll have to look and tell you.

00:18:18.196 --> 00:18:19.996
<v Nancy Magarill>So what is next for you guys?

00:18:19.996 --> 00:18:21.316
<v Nancy Magarill>Is it a big tour?

00:18:21.316 --> 00:18:24.216
<v Nancy Magarill>Is it writing some more music?

00:18:24.496 --> 00:18:25.616
<v Nancy Magarill>Where are you guys at?

00:18:26.156 --> 00:18:27.456
<v Nancy Magarill>Is it moving to another country?

00:18:27.456 --> 00:18:28.296
<v Nancy Magarill>Just kidding.

00:18:28.296 --> 00:18:30.896
<v Amy Ziff>Well, a lot of our friends have moved to different countries.

00:18:30.896 --> 00:18:32.396
<v Nancy Magarill>Already?

00:18:32.396 --> 00:18:41.036
<v Amy Ziff>We have a couple of friends that moved to Portugal and Spain and the south of France and also Brittany.

00:18:42.816 --> 00:18:49.996
<v Nancy Magarill>Portugal seems to be the big spot everybody's talking about, but you have to have like 500 grand to just move there to invest in it.

00:18:49.996 --> 00:18:51.296
<v Nancy Magarill>I've already been researching this.

00:18:54.436 --> 00:18:58.996
<v Amy Ziff>We almost did that for a couple of years ago, and it wasn't so expensive.

00:19:00.996 --> 00:19:03.216
<v Nancy Magarill>It's crazy that we're having this conversation.

00:19:03.256 --> 00:19:04.596
<v Nancy Magarill>It's so bizarre.

00:19:04.596 --> 00:19:06.156
<v Amy Ziff>It's really bizarre.

00:19:06.156 --> 00:19:11.076
<v Nancy Magarill>The Atlantic had a piece, they have a piece on that about how to move overseas.

00:19:11.076 --> 00:19:15.836
<v Nancy Magarill>I feel like by the time I'm ready to do it, they'll be like, we know more Americans.

00:19:15.836 --> 00:19:16.716
<v Amy Ziff>Yeah.

00:19:16.716 --> 00:19:17.856
<v Amy Ziff>I think it's hard.

00:19:17.856 --> 00:19:24.996
<v Amy Ziff>I think when you have children, but also if you're Jewish, you always think you never can wait until it's too late.

00:19:24.996 --> 00:19:28.176
<v Nancy Magarill>Well, also, being Jewish, where can we go?

00:19:28.176 --> 00:19:29.296
<v Nancy Magarill>I'm Jewish as well.

00:19:29.296 --> 00:19:34.776
<v Nancy Magarill>And I think about this, I'm like, I don't know if I feel safe anywhere, to be honest.

00:19:34.776 --> 00:19:35.196
<v Nancy Magarill>Yeah.

00:19:35.196 --> 00:19:53.316
<v Amy Ziff>I think after October 7th of last year, I think when you're in the Jewish community, I think it's, it was, it's a very, it was daunting, and it still is, to see the rise of the propaganda and the anti-Semitism and the mis, just everything that was happening online.

00:19:53.316 --> 00:20:02.636
<v Amy Ziff>And if you expressed any support for Israel, then you were immediately bombarded by it, by the most insane things that anybody could write ever.

00:20:02.636 --> 00:20:06.756
<v Amy Ziff>It was just the misinformation that is there and rampant online is scary.

00:20:06.756 --> 00:20:08.636
<v Nancy Magarill>And the lack of understanding of history.

00:20:08.996 --> 00:20:09.476
<v Amy Ziff>Yeah.

00:20:09.476 --> 00:20:10.796
<v Nancy Magarill>Really fascinating.

00:20:10.796 --> 00:20:14.456
<v Nancy Magarill>And it's also just, it's also like the whole black and white.

00:20:14.456 --> 00:20:26.316
<v Nancy Magarill>It's got to be black and white for people instead of, there's a whole thing, there's a whole history, there's a whole lot of stuff going on that people just, you know, they just want to make quick, easy judgments and it's really fucked up.

00:20:26.316 --> 00:20:40.616
<v Amy Ziff>I think a younger generation is much, you know, that just get their information in little tiny bits and little tiny dots and are so anxious to be standing for something, maybe chose some of the wrong things to stand for.

00:20:40.616 --> 00:20:41.816
<v Peter Michael Marino>How old are your kids?

00:20:41.816 --> 00:20:43.536
<v Amy Ziff>Are you ready for this?

00:20:43.536 --> 00:20:44.336
<v Peter Michael Marino>I'm not.

00:20:44.336 --> 00:20:45.656
<v Amy Ziff>Okay.

00:20:45.656 --> 00:20:49.476
<v Amy Ziff>I have a two-year-old and a five-year-old.

00:20:49.476 --> 00:20:58.916
<v Amy Ziff>I married somebody much younger than myself and I thought when she said she was thinking about maybe having some children that she would forget, but she didn't.

00:21:01.116 --> 00:21:02.616
<v Nancy Magarill>And what happened when she didn't?

00:21:02.616 --> 00:21:03.976
<v Nancy Magarill>Were you like, wait a minute?

00:21:04.236 --> 00:21:06.296
<v Nancy Magarill>Were you just like, okay?

00:21:06.296 --> 00:21:11.256
<v Amy Ziff>I said, well, I guess you shouldn't be penalized because you're with somebody older.

00:21:11.256 --> 00:21:14.316
<v Amy Ziff>And she said, well, you shouldn't be penalized because you're with somebody younger.

00:21:14.316 --> 00:21:17.676
<v Amy Ziff>And then we've been together for 15 years.

00:21:17.676 --> 00:21:19.796
<v Amy Ziff>And at that point we'd been together for 10.

00:21:19.796 --> 00:21:29.016
<v Amy Ziff>And she, and we had other friends that were in a similar situation with an older and a younger and everybody, uh-oh, are they coming for all?

00:21:29.076 --> 00:21:31.196
<v Peter Michael Marino>I mean, it's just, it's New York, everybody.

00:21:31.456 --> 00:21:32.816
<v Nancy Magarill>Yeah, it's New York.

00:21:32.816 --> 00:21:33.696
<v Amy Ziff>Anyway.

00:21:33.696 --> 00:21:37.216
<v Peter Michael Marino>Listeners from outside of New York City, this is what our lives are like.

00:21:37.216 --> 00:21:37.796
<v Amy Ziff>I know.

00:21:37.796 --> 00:21:43.216
<v Peter Michael Marino>Talking about our kids here, and we've got ambulances driving by.

00:21:43.216 --> 00:21:46.396
<v Amy Ziff>Anyway, they, we did it and they're wonderful.

00:21:46.396 --> 00:21:51.276
<v Amy Ziff>And it's, it's, it's a very strange experience to have them at this point in my life.

00:21:51.276 --> 00:21:55.416
<v Peter Michael Marino>But does your five year old know what you do for a living?

00:21:55.416 --> 00:21:57.436
<v Amy Ziff>Oh, they love our, they love our music.

00:21:58.096 --> 00:22:04.696
<v Amy Ziff>She loves, she loves our, yeah, they both, they, Sailor's come and yeah, she's, she's at almost at every show.

00:22:04.696 --> 00:22:06.496
<v Nancy Magarill>Her name's Sailor?

00:22:06.496 --> 00:22:07.636
<v Nancy Magarill>Oh, I love that.

00:22:07.636 --> 00:22:08.176
<v Amy Ziff>Yeah.

00:22:08.176 --> 00:22:11.576
<v Nancy Magarill>And she comes to, do they come in the studio with you?

00:22:11.576 --> 00:22:13.396
<v Amy Ziff>In the studio?

00:22:13.396 --> 00:22:15.136
<v Amy Ziff>No, but they come to the live shows.

00:22:15.136 --> 00:22:30.516
<v Amy Ziff>I mean, she and her little classmates have come to, which is different for a Betty show, I guess a lot of children, even though we've done a children's show on television, we didn't, and usually our shows haven't been that kid-centric, and they still aren't, but they...

00:22:30.616 --> 00:22:33.996
<v Peter Michael Marino>You don't want to keep people from going because there might be kids there, right?

00:22:34.016 --> 00:22:41.736
<v Amy Ziff>No, but it seems like at the very last song, they want to come on stage and dance, and that's okay too.

00:22:42.376 --> 00:22:43.476
<v Amy Ziff>Yeah.

00:22:43.476 --> 00:22:47.696
<v Peter Michael Marino>Is the five-year-old showing any signs of interest in the world of music?

00:22:47.696 --> 00:22:48.216
<v Amy Ziff>You know what?

00:22:49.056 --> 00:22:52.456
<v Amy Ziff>She's pitch perfect, and so is her brother, Slate.

00:22:52.696 --> 00:22:53.876
<v Nancy Magarill>Oh, that's great.

00:22:53.876 --> 00:22:54.576
<v Nancy Magarill>Both of them are.

00:22:54.576 --> 00:22:58.816
<v Amy Ziff>They sing all the time, and they are performers, but she's very interested in bodily things.

00:22:58.816 --> 00:22:59.996
<v Amy Ziff>So maybe she'll be a doctor.

00:22:59.996 --> 00:23:00.356
<v Amy Ziff>Who knows?

00:23:47.347 --> 00:23:50.247
<v Nancy Magarill>Okay, where did you get the names Sailor and Slate from?

00:23:50.247 --> 00:23:53.207
<v Nancy Magarill>Those are the best, so unique, I love it.

00:23:53.207 --> 00:23:53.907
<v Amy Ziff>You know what?

00:23:53.907 --> 00:24:04.107
<v Amy Ziff>Sailor was originally gonna be named something else, but Christy had a difficult pregnancy, and a difficult birth, but then it was great, and everything worked out wonderfully.

00:24:04.107 --> 00:24:12.387
<v Amy Ziff>But when she came out after a really long labor, she was all red and swollen, and she had her little hands up, like she really weathered the storm.

00:24:13.247 --> 00:24:21.327
<v Amy Ziff>And Elizabeth, my sister, said that she should be named Sailor, and that was something that we had kind of considered, but not really, but she is Sailor.

00:24:21.327 --> 00:24:24.227
<v Amy Ziff>And the nurse was looking at me, and she said, what's her name?

00:24:24.227 --> 00:24:25.827
<v Amy Ziff>And I said, you know, I think it's Sailor.

00:24:25.827 --> 00:24:29.067
<v Amy Ziff>And she said, ah, hey, Sailor.

00:24:30.627 --> 00:24:30.767
<v Nancy Magarill>Ah!

00:24:31.087 --> 00:24:31.847
<v Nancy Magarill>Hi, Sailor.

00:24:31.887 --> 00:24:33.167
<v Nancy Magarill>I know.

00:24:33.167 --> 00:24:35.087
<v Amy Ziff>And that seemed to stick.

00:24:35.087 --> 00:24:41.487
<v Amy Ziff>And she's this Celtic beauty of inside and out, and joyous and wonderful, and yeah.

00:24:41.507 --> 00:24:43.447
<v Nancy Magarill>Is it SAI or SAY.?

00:24:43.487 --> 00:24:44.447
<v Amy Ziff>SAY., yeah.

00:24:44.447 --> 00:24:46.927
<v Nancy Magarill>I was thinking the same thing.

00:24:46.927 --> 00:24:47.627
<v Nancy Magarill>That's great.

00:24:47.627 --> 00:24:51.867
<v Amy Ziff>And there's a song that I wrote for her and that she sings with me sometimes on Eat.

00:24:51.867 --> 00:24:52.807
<v Amy Ziff>It's called Sailor.

00:24:52.807 --> 00:24:53.607
<v Amy Ziff>Listen to it.

00:24:53.607 --> 00:24:54.007
<v Amy Ziff>You'll love it.

00:24:54.007 --> 00:24:54.407
<v Nancy Magarill>Yeah.

00:24:54.407 --> 00:24:59.107
<v Nancy Magarill>What is your process for writing singly, like on your own and then as a group?

00:24:59.107 --> 00:25:00.187
<v Amy Ziff>Yeah, we do that.

00:25:00.887 --> 00:25:04.887
<v Amy Ziff>We write by ourselves, and then we come to the group to arrange.

00:25:04.887 --> 00:25:08.267
<v Nancy Magarill>Ah, so each of you are your own songwriters.

00:25:08.267 --> 00:25:09.327
<v Nancy Magarill>Do you ever write together?

00:25:09.647 --> 00:25:10.327
<v Amy Ziff>Sometimes.

00:25:10.327 --> 00:25:11.447
<v Amy Ziff>It's a little bit tricky.

00:25:11.447 --> 00:25:14.207
<v Amy Ziff>I don't really like that process, but...

00:25:14.207 --> 00:25:15.107
<v Nancy Magarill>Why not?

00:25:15.107 --> 00:25:15.527
<v Amy Ziff>I don't know.

00:25:15.527 --> 00:25:20.407
<v Amy Ziff>I think I'm more territorial about what I write and not a real group player, maybe.

00:25:20.407 --> 00:25:21.267
<v Amy Ziff>That's what it is.

00:25:21.267 --> 00:25:22.667
<v Amy Ziff>Can you believe I'm admitting that?

00:25:22.707 --> 00:25:23.827
<v Peter Michael Marino>Do you think they are?

00:25:23.827 --> 00:25:26.467
<v Peter Michael Marino>Would they say the same thing about you or about themselves?

00:25:26.467 --> 00:25:30.027
<v Amy Ziff>They would say the same about me, but they wouldn't say the same about themselves.

00:25:30.027 --> 00:25:31.787
<v Amy Ziff>They like to write as a group.

00:25:31.787 --> 00:25:36.547
<v Amy Ziff>And they always say, B-52s write together, and it's always better that way.

00:25:36.547 --> 00:25:38.687
<v Amy Ziff>And, you know, they have the same...

00:25:38.687 --> 00:25:39.027
<v Amy Ziff>Anyway.

00:25:39.267 --> 00:25:48.687
<v Nancy Magarill>I think it's a really important thing to know what it is that you do and what works for you, because collaborating is a whole thing that if you...

00:25:48.687 --> 00:25:55.047
<v Nancy Magarill>You have to be on the same wavelength to collaborate, and I think that's really great that you know that about yourself.

00:25:55.047 --> 00:25:57.547
<v Peter Michael Marino>Like the give and take in the collaborative process.

00:25:57.547 --> 00:25:58.927
<v Peter Michael Marino>Who is...

00:25:58.927 --> 00:25:59.647
<v Peter Michael Marino>Yeah.

00:25:59.647 --> 00:26:00.927
<v Nancy Magarill>Well, it's a whole process.

00:26:00.927 --> 00:26:05.027
<v Peter Michael Marino>I almost said who is leading, and like that's not really what collaboration is.

00:26:05.027 --> 00:26:11.247
<v Peter Michael Marino>However, myself, when I'm collaborating, I like to know who's moving this thing forward.

00:26:11.247 --> 00:26:12.407
<v Peter Michael Marino>Like who's...

00:26:12.407 --> 00:26:12.987
<v Peter Michael Marino>I don't know.

00:26:13.707 --> 00:26:15.487
<v Peter Michael Marino>I feel like, well, I guess it's tough.

00:26:15.487 --> 00:26:15.927
<v Nancy Magarill>I don't know.

00:26:15.927 --> 00:26:16.767
<v Nancy Magarill>I have a thing about...

00:26:16.767 --> 00:26:18.987
<v Peter Michael Marino>The collaborator is a person with the paycheck.

00:26:18.987 --> 00:26:23.367
<v Peter Michael Marino>I mean, the person making the decision sometimes is the person with the check, right?

00:26:23.367 --> 00:26:27.947
<v Peter Michael Marino>The person is like, well, I'm funding this thing, and I really need to have this sound in this thing.

00:26:27.947 --> 00:26:28.807
<v Nancy Magarill>Well, it doesn't really work.

00:26:28.807 --> 00:26:29.867
<v Peter Michael Marino>That just sounds bratty.

00:26:29.867 --> 00:26:31.687
<v Peter Michael Marino>Let's not use any of this.

00:26:32.787 --> 00:26:39.547
<v Nancy Magarill>But it doesn't work that way when you're collaborating on a song, unless you're like, if it's, if somebody, it depends on what the project is.

00:26:39.547 --> 00:26:47.167
<v Nancy Magarill>But if you're collaborating, if you decide you're collaborating, you, it generally, it's not really to me a leading thing.

00:26:47.167 --> 00:26:50.987
<v Nancy Magarill>It's that somebody has an idea, somebody takes it in one direction.

00:26:51.227 --> 00:26:53.087
<v Nancy Magarill>You just bounce stuff back and forth.

00:26:53.087 --> 00:27:02.207
<v Nancy Magarill>And when, for me, like, I have two rules when I collaborate with people is that we, it's not done until we both go, yeah, it's done.

00:27:02.207 --> 00:27:07.407
<v Nancy Magarill>Like we both go, I love it, because you can love something and somebody else is like, it's not right.

00:27:07.407 --> 00:27:14.727
<v Nancy Magarill>But if you love that person's work and you trust them, then you can keep going with them until you both get there.

00:27:14.727 --> 00:27:19.507
<v Nancy Magarill>And then it's a decision of, we're going to keep going until we both get there.

00:27:19.907 --> 00:27:24.347
<v Nancy Magarill>If not, all of us that write on our own can write whatever we want on our own.

00:27:24.347 --> 00:27:27.787
<v Nancy Magarill>And that's fine too, because we all have that ability.

00:27:27.787 --> 00:27:36.747
<v Nancy Magarill>So I think it's hard because when you have an idea of what something should be, then you can take it to fruition and it's fine.

00:27:36.747 --> 00:27:41.007
<v Nancy Magarill>And it's a great piece, you know, so it's, Yeah, I see what you mean.

00:27:41.127 --> 00:27:44.507
<v Amy Ziff>I think, and we've collaborated with other people as well.

00:27:44.507 --> 00:27:47.467
<v Amy Ziff>And I've collaborated with other people.

00:27:47.467 --> 00:27:49.667
<v Amy Ziff>I've written an opera with someone.

00:27:49.667 --> 00:27:57.867
<v Amy Ziff>And it's just very difficult because sometimes with Betty, I mean, we've worked together for a long time and we love each other, we respect each other.

00:27:57.867 --> 00:28:04.547
<v Amy Ziff>But sometimes, you know, we can trigger each other and their egos get in the way and yeah, it's a little bit.

00:28:04.547 --> 00:28:07.027
<v Nancy Magarill>It's like you're writing with your sisters basically.

00:28:07.027 --> 00:28:08.427
<v Amy Ziff>Well, they are.

00:28:08.427 --> 00:28:10.567
<v Nancy Magarill>Well, one of them is, right?

00:28:10.567 --> 00:28:12.507
<v Nancy Magarill>One is your sister and the other is not, though.

00:28:12.507 --> 00:28:14.807
<v Amy Ziff>I mean, at this point, Alison is my sister.

00:28:14.807 --> 00:28:18.747
<v Amy Ziff>I mean, we live through so many things together.

00:28:18.747 --> 00:28:21.407
<v Amy Ziff>I mean, births and deaths and sickness.

00:28:21.407 --> 00:28:25.307
<v Amy Ziff>And I mean, there's just a whole myriad of things.

00:28:25.307 --> 00:28:27.207
<v Amy Ziff>You live long enough, I guess.

00:28:27.267 --> 00:28:28.247
<v Amy Ziff>Right?

00:28:28.247 --> 00:28:29.067
<v Peter Michael Marino>Yeah.

00:28:29.067 --> 00:28:33.087
<v Peter Michael Marino>Has anybody turned your band into a comic book or a cartoon yet?

00:28:33.087 --> 00:28:35.567
<v Amy Ziff>You know, almost.

00:28:35.567 --> 00:28:37.427
<v Amy Ziff>We were, we were, yeah.

00:28:37.427 --> 00:28:48.527
<v Amy Ziff>And then we were working with Scholastic and then we were sitting at the table to sign a contract and somebody said, you know, we can't do this because there's too much content about your band.

00:28:48.527 --> 00:28:51.647
<v Amy Ziff>Now, now I think it wouldn't be that much.

00:28:51.647 --> 00:28:56.367
<v Amy Ziff>I think that would then if we'd waited a couple of years, it probably wouldn't have been that much of an issue.

00:28:56.507 --> 00:28:58.487
<v Amy Ziff>But now, I think it's going to be an issue again.

00:28:58.487 --> 00:29:02.587
<v Peter Michael Marino>I was just going to say, maybe now actually isn't going to be.

00:29:02.587 --> 00:29:08.267
<v Peter Michael Marino>You can start working on it now, maybe in four years or three years and nine months.

00:29:08.267 --> 00:29:13.087
<v Amy Ziff>I think to do Betty rules, maybe as a graphic novel or something like that.

00:29:13.087 --> 00:29:18.247
<v Peter Michael Marino>Yeah, that's what that feels like it, a graphic novel with an accompanying soundtrack.

00:29:18.247 --> 00:29:19.087
<v Amy Ziff>See?

00:29:19.127 --> 00:29:22.047
<v Nancy Magarill>Yeah, Pete's always got the ideas.

00:29:22.047 --> 00:29:24.347
<v Peter Michael Marino>Oops, sorry, I always give people assignments.

00:29:24.347 --> 00:29:27.927
<v Nancy Magarill>Yeah, it's a little early for that because we're not quite at the end of the podcast.

00:29:27.927 --> 00:29:29.967
<v Nancy Magarill>It's usually at the end of the podcast, Pete comes over.

00:29:29.967 --> 00:29:31.267
<v Peter Michael Marino>I know, but I'm inspired.

00:29:31.267 --> 00:29:32.067
<v Peter Michael Marino>I can't help.

00:29:32.067 --> 00:29:33.667
<v Peter Michael Marino>I can't keep it inside.

00:29:33.707 --> 00:29:35.407
<v Peter Michael Marino>Amy, I want to know about this.

00:29:35.407 --> 00:29:37.707
<v Peter Michael Marino>You said one of your kids is two.

00:29:37.707 --> 00:29:45.047
<v Peter Michael Marino>So I've been doing this family-friendly interactive show for three to 10-year-olds for like six years.

00:29:46.647 --> 00:29:51.547
<v Peter Michael Marino>And I'm working on a project now with the Kennedy Center.

00:29:51.547 --> 00:29:56.967
<v Peter Michael Marino>This has been going on for a while, which is for very young audiences.

00:29:56.967 --> 00:30:01.607
<v Peter Michael Marino>So zero, I like to say it's for kids who shit themselves.

00:30:01.607 --> 00:30:02.767
<v Peter Michael Marino>They don't like that that much.

00:30:02.767 --> 00:30:13.007
<v Peter Michael Marino>Anyway, so I've been doing these test shows of the three-to-ten-year-old show, but now for zero-to-four, five-year-olds, and did one yesterday.

00:30:13.227 --> 00:30:17.567
<v Peter Michael Marino>And I was so tired after that 45-minute show.

00:30:17.567 --> 00:30:19.747
<v Peter Michael Marino>What are they doing to me?

00:30:19.747 --> 00:30:21.867
<v Peter Michael Marino>Are they stealing my energy?

00:30:21.867 --> 00:30:24.147
<v Peter Michael Marino>Are they absorbing my light?

00:30:24.147 --> 00:30:24.967
<v Peter Michael Marino>I love kids.

00:30:24.967 --> 00:30:26.747
<v Peter Michael Marino>I mean, that's why I do family-friendly theater.

00:30:26.867 --> 00:30:28.307
<v Peter Michael Marino>I love, love, love, love kids.

00:30:28.307 --> 00:30:35.187
<v Peter Michael Marino>But my God, 20 kids there, and I came home feeling like I had just been out drinking all night.

00:30:35.187 --> 00:30:36.987
<v Amy Ziff>I understand it.

00:30:36.987 --> 00:30:41.587
<v Amy Ziff>I mean, we have a staff, so of course I'm not that tired, but no, I'm kidding.

00:30:42.567 --> 00:30:42.927
<v Peter Michael Marino>Thank you.

00:30:42.927 --> 00:30:43.967
<v Peter Michael Marino>I'm so glad you're kidding.

00:30:43.967 --> 00:30:45.747
<v Peter Michael Marino>I was like, oh, that's ugly.

00:30:45.747 --> 00:30:50.747
<v Amy Ziff>I mean, we do have a lot of people that have to work with us.

00:30:50.987 --> 00:30:52.247
<v Peter Michael Marino>It's a village?

00:30:52.247 --> 00:30:52.587
<v Peter Michael Marino>No.

00:30:52.587 --> 00:30:56.547
<v Amy Ziff>I mean, we have nannies because I'm 100 years old and I don't want to do it.

00:30:56.547 --> 00:31:02.587
<v Amy Ziff>I told Christy I don't want to, and I don't want to change diapers at this point, and I never have changed a diaper.

00:31:02.587 --> 00:31:07.487
<v Amy Ziff>And I teach them how to read and how to sing and things like that.

00:31:07.547 --> 00:31:11.547
<v Peter Michael Marino>When you said staff, I did imagine someone named Giles was answering the door.

00:31:12.467 --> 00:31:18.807
<v Amy Ziff>It's not Giles, but they're wonderful, wonderful women, and they, yeah, I would be lost.

00:31:18.807 --> 00:31:19.807
<v Nancy Magarill>Lost without them?

00:31:19.807 --> 00:31:20.927
<v Amy Ziff>Yeah, of course.

00:31:20.927 --> 00:31:26.427
<v Peter Michael Marino>So what you're saying is there won't be a Betty show for babies?

00:31:26.427 --> 00:31:27.507
<v Amy Ziff>Of course there could be.

00:31:27.507 --> 00:31:27.887
<v Amy Ziff>Why?

00:31:27.887 --> 00:31:30.467
<v Amy Ziff>I mean, we did a television show for children.

00:31:30.467 --> 00:31:30.647
<v Amy Ziff>Yeah.

00:31:30.647 --> 00:31:33.467
<v Amy Ziff>I mean, it was, wrote a lot of children's songs.

00:31:34.207 --> 00:31:35.607
<v Amy Ziff>So there might be.

00:31:35.607 --> 00:31:35.907
<v Amy Ziff>Yeah.

00:31:35.907 --> 00:31:37.127
<v Amy Ziff>I mean, I love children too.

00:31:37.127 --> 00:31:39.727
<v Amy Ziff>I love my children, but it's exhausting.

00:31:41.887 --> 00:31:43.327
<v Peter Michael Marino>It's like crazy.

00:31:43.327 --> 00:31:45.227
<v Amy Ziff>And I've never been high energy.

00:31:45.227 --> 00:31:46.687
<v Amy Ziff>I'm not that person anyway.

00:31:46.687 --> 00:31:48.007
<v Amy Ziff>I've never been like the person to-

00:31:48.007 --> 00:31:49.527
<v Peter Michael Marino>It's not your vibe.

00:31:49.527 --> 00:31:50.207
<v Amy Ziff>No.

00:31:50.207 --> 00:31:51.827
<v Amy Ziff>I'm never going to run up.

00:31:51.827 --> 00:31:53.487
<v Amy Ziff>Let's go chase the balls.

00:31:53.487 --> 00:31:54.487
<v Amy Ziff>Like, come on.

00:31:54.487 --> 00:31:55.947
<v Amy Ziff>No, I can't do that.

00:31:55.947 --> 00:31:59.887
<v Amy Ziff>And I mean, Christie can, but I don't, I know.

00:31:59.887 --> 00:32:04.887
<v Amy Ziff>And I don't say that because I don't, I'm trying to be like elitist or anything like that.

00:32:04.887 --> 00:32:12.687
<v Amy Ziff>But at this point, if you know what your limitations are and you really want your children to be happy, then you have to have people help you care for them.

00:32:12.687 --> 00:32:13.967
<v Peter Michael Marino>That's so smart.

00:32:13.967 --> 00:32:18.167
<v Peter Michael Marino>Do you bring your kids to family events?

00:32:18.167 --> 00:32:20.627
<v Peter Michael Marino>Like these people who came to my show yesterday?

00:32:20.627 --> 00:32:25.307
<v Peter Michael Marino>You know, do you go to, do you seek out quote unquote family entertainment?

00:32:25.307 --> 00:32:28.927
<v Amy Ziff>Yeah, we're going to come find your thing Wednesday night, you're doing it.

00:32:29.667 --> 00:32:31.567
<v Peter Michael Marino>It's every Saturday in Dumbo.

00:32:31.567 --> 00:32:32.747
<v Amy Ziff>Okay, we'll come.

00:32:32.747 --> 00:32:33.587
<v Peter Michael Marino>Okay, yeah.

00:32:33.587 --> 00:32:35.047
<v Peter Michael Marino>Actually, Maggie wants to come too.

00:32:35.107 --> 00:32:36.167
<v Peter Michael Marino>She mentioned that, so.

00:32:36.167 --> 00:32:36.907
<v Amy Ziff>Okay, good.

00:32:36.907 --> 00:32:38.427
<v Peter Michael Marino>We'll have a group, we'll have an outing.

00:32:38.427 --> 00:32:40.507
<v Peter Michael Marino>Oh, maybe you guys can open for me.

00:32:42.367 --> 00:32:43.367
<v Amy Ziff>Look at that.

00:32:43.367 --> 00:32:44.727
<v Peter Michael Marino>Ridiculous.

00:32:44.727 --> 00:32:46.987
<v Amy Ziff>We had an outing with Maggie and her kids.

00:32:46.987 --> 00:32:48.787
<v Amy Ziff>You know, Maggie's in the same position as I am.

00:32:49.767 --> 00:32:50.527
<v Amy Ziff>Maggie, here's the story.

00:32:50.527 --> 00:32:52.147
<v Peter Michael Marino>We're talking about Maggie Moore, by the way.

00:32:52.147 --> 00:32:54.947
<v Peter Michael Marino>She's an actress and singer and bon vivant.

00:32:54.947 --> 00:32:59.167
<v Amy Ziff>We were invited to play for Reykjavik for their Gay Pride.

00:32:59.167 --> 00:33:04.367
<v Amy Ziff>And something happened, this was 10 years ago, and something happened.

00:33:04.367 --> 00:33:05.547
<v Amy Ziff>Allison couldn't go.

00:33:05.547 --> 00:33:08.227
<v Amy Ziff>So Maggie said, I'll come.

00:33:08.227 --> 00:33:11.527
<v Amy Ziff>And we said, okay, Allison, do you care?

00:33:11.527 --> 00:33:13.147
<v Amy Ziff>And she said, no, absolutely, go, go.

00:33:13.147 --> 00:33:14.427
<v Amy Ziff>We'll let Maggie take, you know.

00:33:14.427 --> 00:33:18.467
<v Amy Ziff>So we tailored a couple of things to Maggie and redid our set.

00:33:18.467 --> 00:33:22.267
<v Amy Ziff>And Maggie fell in love with an Icelandic girl.

00:33:22.267 --> 00:33:24.747
<v Amy Ziff>And then that was history.

00:33:24.747 --> 00:33:28.167
<v Amy Ziff>So now, then Saga came back to here, to this country.

00:33:28.247 --> 00:33:28.707
<v Amy Ziff>What?

00:33:28.707 --> 00:33:29.747
<v Amy Ziff>And they got married.

00:33:29.747 --> 00:33:33.387
<v Amy Ziff>And then Maggie was around my age, I guess.

00:33:33.387 --> 00:33:35.567
<v Amy Ziff>And Saga, who's around Kristi's age.

00:33:35.567 --> 00:33:37.907
<v Amy Ziff>They have two children that are our kids' age too.

00:33:37.907 --> 00:33:39.567
<v Nancy Magarill>Oh, that's hysterical.

00:33:39.567 --> 00:33:44.207
<v Amy Ziff>And when Maggie and I get together for dinner, for drinks, we, for the first half hour, we don't talk.

00:33:44.207 --> 00:33:46.027
<v Amy Ziff>We just stare at each other.

00:33:48.207 --> 00:33:49.707
<v Amy Ziff>And then we take it from there.

00:33:49.707 --> 00:33:51.307
<v Amy Ziff>Maggie has that babysitters too.

00:33:51.307 --> 00:33:52.627
<v Amy Ziff>You can't, nobody can do this.

00:33:54.367 --> 00:33:59.987
<v Peter Michael Marino>I am not, I don't want you to think that I was be smirching the fact that you said staff.

00:33:59.987 --> 00:34:05.927
<v Peter Michael Marino>In my head, staff is like a very British kind of like, people who run the whole house.

00:34:05.927 --> 00:34:08.807
<v Peter Michael Marino>But in a way, you're saying that is what they do.

00:34:08.807 --> 00:34:10.067
<v Amy Ziff>Of course they do, Pete.

00:34:10.067 --> 00:34:10.307
<v Peter Michael Marino>Yeah.

00:34:10.527 --> 00:34:16.387
<v Amy Ziff>And as I said, we have a staff, I lit my cigarette and then put it out on the ground and crushed it.

00:34:16.387 --> 00:34:17.887
<v Amy Ziff>There's nothing wrong with that.

00:34:17.947 --> 00:34:18.767
<v Peter Michael Marino>I love it.

00:34:18.767 --> 00:34:19.687
<v Peter Michael Marino>You've earned this.

00:34:19.767 --> 00:34:20.487
<v Amy Ziff>I have earned it.

00:34:20.487 --> 00:34:22.647
<v Peter Michael Marino>You have done 18,000 albums.

00:34:22.647 --> 00:34:24.087
<v Peter Michael Marino>You've scored movies.

00:34:24.087 --> 00:34:25.107
<v Peter Michael Marino>You've written jingles.

00:34:25.107 --> 00:34:28.107
<v Peter Michael Marino>You did a kids TV series.

00:34:28.107 --> 00:34:29.947
<v Peter Michael Marino>You need a bigger staff.

00:34:29.967 --> 00:34:31.387
<v Amy Ziff>There you go.

00:34:34.347 --> 00:34:38.567
<v Peter Michael Marino>So there and Nancy, see I'm giving my good advice at the end.

00:34:38.567 --> 00:34:39.547
<v Peter Michael Marino>You need a bigger staff.

00:34:39.547 --> 00:34:40.787
<v Peter Michael Marino>Who doesn't want to hear that?

00:34:40.787 --> 00:34:41.527
<v Peter Michael Marino>Pete told me.

00:34:41.527 --> 00:34:43.227
<v Peter Michael Marino>I just met him on Zoom.

00:34:43.227 --> 00:34:43.867
<v Amy Ziff>I know.

00:34:43.867 --> 00:34:47.907
<v Amy Ziff>Let's get them all over here and Giles at the same time now.

00:34:47.907 --> 00:34:51.927
<v Nancy Magarill>I have to say if I had a kid, which I don't, I would feel like I would need that too.

00:34:51.927 --> 00:34:53.607
<v Nancy Magarill>I don't know how people do it.

00:34:53.607 --> 00:34:54.787
<v Nancy Magarill>I really don't.

00:34:54.787 --> 00:34:55.307
<v Amy Ziff>I don't either.

00:34:55.307 --> 00:35:01.087
<v Amy Ziff>It's so much, especially because they do it when they're in their 20s, or maybe even in their 30s, or maybe even in their 40s.

00:35:01.087 --> 00:35:03.067
<v Nancy Magarill>They're not even ready to do it mentally.

00:35:03.067 --> 00:35:04.027
<v Nancy Magarill>It's crazy.

00:35:04.047 --> 00:35:04.767
<v Nancy Magarill>It's crazy.

00:35:04.767 --> 00:35:05.667
<v Peter Michael Marino>I think a big part.

00:35:05.667 --> 00:35:16.027
<v Peter Michael Marino>I mean, what I see when I see kids, even three and four and five year olds, parents coming, I believe that they are looking for social things to do.

00:35:16.627 --> 00:35:23.967
<v Peter Michael Marino>I feel like they want their kids, like maybe subconsciously, they want their kids to be around other kids.

00:35:23.987 --> 00:35:25.527
<v Nancy Magarill>And they want them to be engaged.

00:35:25.527 --> 00:35:26.907
<v Nancy Magarill>And engaged.

00:35:26.907 --> 00:35:27.567
<v Nancy Magarill>Interesting.

00:35:27.567 --> 00:35:30.507
<v Nancy Magarill>I think if I had kids, I would want that too.

00:35:30.507 --> 00:35:31.847
<v Nancy Magarill>I think most people want that.

00:35:31.847 --> 00:35:35.767
<v Nancy Magarill>They want them to be, to see culture, to be, to experience things.

00:35:35.767 --> 00:35:35.987
<v Nancy Magarill>Yeah.

00:35:36.027 --> 00:35:36.687
<v Nancy Magarill>I think that's great.

00:35:37.027 --> 00:35:39.307
<v Nancy Magarill>When you live in New York, it's everywhere.

00:35:39.307 --> 00:35:40.727
<v Nancy Magarill>So it's fantastic.

00:35:40.727 --> 00:35:46.367
<v Amy Ziff>I mean, when we were kids, we just, we could go outside and play and things like that, but you can't do that here.

00:35:46.387 --> 00:35:50.867
<v Amy Ziff>No, you have to have play dates and everything has to be very well.

00:35:50.867 --> 00:35:53.547
<v Peter Michael Marino>Then you have to also get along with the parents, right?

00:35:53.547 --> 00:36:01.027
<v Peter Michael Marino>That's a whole other dynamic that like, you know, sailor has a best friend and their parents are impossible.

00:36:01.027 --> 00:36:01.987
<v Peter Michael Marino>Who knows?

00:36:01.987 --> 00:36:04.927
<v Nancy Magarill>This is like arts and craft and kids.

00:36:04.927 --> 00:36:09.327
<v Amy Ziff>I think, I think, yeah, I talk about that in therapy.

00:36:09.387 --> 00:36:12.727
<v Peter Michael Marino>Yeah, the social parts are hard.

00:36:12.727 --> 00:36:17.007
<v Nancy Magarill>Do you feel like when you once you had kids, your writing changed?

00:36:17.007 --> 00:36:18.567
<v Amy Ziff>Yeah, it did.

00:36:18.567 --> 00:36:23.067
<v Nancy Magarill>And was it because it became focused on taking care of them or did it just change your perspective?

00:36:23.067 --> 00:36:26.087
<v Nancy Magarill>Like, can you talk a little bit about that?

00:36:26.087 --> 00:36:29.527
<v Amy Ziff>Oh, did you mean like, did I get all mushy and gushy and things like that?

00:36:29.547 --> 00:36:30.427
<v Nancy Magarill>Or anything?

00:36:30.467 --> 00:36:33.447
<v Amy Ziff>I think I'm still as acerbic as I used to be.

00:36:33.447 --> 00:36:43.847
<v Amy Ziff>And I mean, I guess a couple of songs are different, but you get a little bit more circumspect about your life and maybe your mortality.

00:36:43.847 --> 00:36:45.727
<v Amy Ziff>And that's what sailor is about, really.

00:36:45.727 --> 00:36:47.007
<v Amy Ziff>But let's see.

00:36:47.007 --> 00:36:48.967
<v Amy Ziff>I guess that did that answer it?

00:36:48.967 --> 00:36:54.627
<v Nancy Magarill>Yeah, I think mortality is an interesting thing just from where we are anyway.

00:36:54.627 --> 00:37:01.427
<v Nancy Magarill>And then also being artists, it's something I've always sort of thought about, actually, even since when I was really younger.

00:37:01.427 --> 00:37:08.327
<v Nancy Magarill>So I think it's an interesting topic for with music, because music always lives on, we don't, right?

00:37:08.327 --> 00:37:09.627
<v Nancy Magarill>Right.

00:37:09.627 --> 00:37:10.247
<v Amy Ziff>Yeah.

00:37:10.247 --> 00:37:12.607
<v Nancy Magarill>I mean, hopefully it does.

00:37:12.607 --> 00:37:14.407
<v Amy Ziff>Are we getting really more of it right now?

00:37:14.407 --> 00:37:15.107
<v Nancy Magarill>I know.

00:37:15.487 --> 00:37:16.527
<v Peter Michael Marino>It's a good place to say goodbye.

00:37:16.527 --> 00:37:20.527
<v Nancy Magarill>It's kind of where Mercury is in retrograde episode.

00:37:20.527 --> 00:37:23.687
<v Peter Michael Marino>The sky is going to, I mean, I'm looking at the sky right now, it is black.

00:37:23.687 --> 00:37:27.307
<v Peter Michael Marino>It is going to open up and we're going to hear those sounds.

00:37:27.307 --> 00:37:39.827
<v Peter Michael Marino>But maybe the sky is just raining down a cleansing, a breath of cleansing air and maybe tomorrow will not be as retrograde-ish.

00:37:39.827 --> 00:37:40.307
<v Nancy Magarill>Hopefully.

00:37:40.307 --> 00:37:42.967
<v Amy Ziff>Pete, you're so optimistic.

00:37:42.967 --> 00:37:44.667
<v Peter Michael Marino>It's really disgusting.

00:37:44.667 --> 00:37:46.687
<v Nancy Magarill>The sun will come out.

00:37:46.687 --> 00:37:48.727
<v Amy Ziff>So do you have to write a new show every week?

00:37:48.727 --> 00:37:49.987
<v Amy Ziff>Is that what happens?

00:37:49.987 --> 00:37:52.867
<v Amy Ziff>You do a show, a different show every week in Dumbo?

00:37:52.867 --> 00:37:53.707
<v Peter Michael Marino>Oh, hell no.

00:37:53.707 --> 00:37:55.207
<v Peter Michael Marino>No, but you're close.

00:37:55.307 --> 00:38:00.067
<v Peter Michael Marino>It's the premise of the show is that I am helping out my friends set up.

00:38:00.127 --> 00:38:04.987
<v Peter Michael Marino>I warm the audience up with object, tactile things and stuff like that, questions.

00:38:04.987 --> 00:38:08.567
<v Peter Michael Marino>And then it's time for the show, and my friend has not shown up.

00:38:08.567 --> 00:38:14.687
<v Peter Michael Marino>So I, who quote unquote knows nothing about kids or putting on a show, needs them to help me.

00:38:14.687 --> 00:38:18.067
<v Peter Michael Marino>So they help me pick out a character and costumes in a setting.

00:38:18.287 --> 00:38:19.907
<v Peter Michael Marino>But it's Mad Libs Live.

00:38:19.907 --> 00:38:20.807
<v Amy Ziff>That's fun.

00:38:20.947 --> 00:38:22.187
<v Peter Michael Marino>Yeah, it's super fun.

00:38:23.027 --> 00:38:32.927
<v Peter Michael Marino>And it actually, I believe, based on what the parents said after yesterday's tryout show, while they're holding a baby, they were like, that was so entertaining.

00:38:32.927 --> 00:38:36.067
<v Peter Michael Marino>I'm like, all right, great, good.

00:38:36.227 --> 00:38:46.607
<v Peter Michael Marino>You do see a baby, literally a baby, just staring at a scene where they can't possibly understand the language.

00:38:46.607 --> 00:38:47.667
<v Nancy Magarill>Well, they're seeing colors.

00:38:47.667 --> 00:38:48.907
<v Nancy Magarill>They're seeing movement.

00:38:49.827 --> 00:38:53.707
<v Nancy Magarill>They might not be getting it, but there's a visceral thing happening probably.

00:38:53.707 --> 00:38:56.727
<v Peter Michael Marino>Yeah, it's kind of magical.

00:38:56.967 --> 00:38:57.927
<v Peter Michael Marino>It's kind of magical.

00:38:57.927 --> 00:39:02.107
<v Peter Michael Marino>And I saw a show at BAM last week, which was for babies also.

00:39:02.107 --> 00:39:06.007
<v Peter Michael Marino>And I watched the babies watching the show and they were just mesmerized.

00:39:06.007 --> 00:39:06.667
<v Amy Ziff>Yeah.

00:39:06.667 --> 00:39:11.527
<v Peter Michael Marino>So I suddenly added a new line item to my budget, a lighting designer.

00:39:11.527 --> 00:39:13.227
<v Peter Michael Marino>You have to have really good lighting design.

00:39:13.227 --> 00:39:14.447
<v Amy Ziff>That's true.

00:39:14.527 --> 00:39:15.547
<v Amy Ziff>You really do.

00:39:15.547 --> 00:39:17.367
<v Peter Michael Marino>You got to be able to get blackouts in there.

00:39:18.647 --> 00:39:21.867
<v Peter Michael Marino>So now there's a club scene in my new show for babies.

00:39:21.867 --> 00:39:23.367
<v Nancy Magarill>Where is it?

00:39:23.367 --> 00:39:25.727
<v Amy Ziff>So it's in an actual theater, right?

00:39:25.767 --> 00:39:30.367
<v Peter Michael Marino>Well, it's always been in a theater, and in the past, theater rentals are outrageous.

00:39:30.367 --> 00:39:35.187
<v Peter Michael Marino>And I refused to charge more than $15 or $18 a ticket.

00:39:35.187 --> 00:39:36.987
<v Peter Michael Marino>I want to make my shows affordable.

00:39:36.987 --> 00:39:40.527
<v Peter Michael Marino>And I fell into the world of doing the shows at comedy clubs.

00:39:40.527 --> 00:39:46.027
<v Peter Michael Marino>So I did it at QED in Astoria, and I do it at The Rat in Brooklyn.

00:39:46.507 --> 00:39:53.807
<v Peter Michael Marino>And parents drink in the middle of the afternoon and hang around and talk to each other afterwards.

00:39:53.807 --> 00:39:55.507
<v Peter Michael Marino>And it's good for everybody.

00:39:55.507 --> 00:39:56.827
<v Nancy Magarill>It's actually perfect.

00:39:56.827 --> 00:39:59.207
<v Amy Ziff>Okay, I'm a fan.

00:39:59.567 --> 00:40:01.307
<v Amy Ziff>I'm a devotee now.

00:40:01.307 --> 00:40:02.367
<v Peter Michael Marino>Alli amelio.

00:40:02.367 --> 00:40:08.267
<v Peter Michael Marino>It's so up your alley, Amy, because it's so on the edge of like, what is he going to do with this mess?

00:40:08.267 --> 00:40:10.267
<v Peter Michael Marino>How is he going to make a show out of this?

00:40:10.267 --> 00:40:10.887
<v Nancy Magarill>Oh, yay.

00:40:10.887 --> 00:40:12.367
<v Peter Michael Marino>And I do.

00:40:12.367 --> 00:40:13.487
<v Amy Ziff>I'm excited.

00:40:13.547 --> 00:40:13.747
<v Peter Michael Marino>Great.

00:40:13.747 --> 00:40:15.727
<v Amy Ziff>And Nancy, what's your next thing?

00:40:15.727 --> 00:40:18.507
<v Nancy Magarill>I'm actually working on a one-woman show.

00:40:18.507 --> 00:40:19.327
<v Nancy Magarill>And so that is-

00:40:19.327 --> 00:40:20.627
<v Peter Michael Marino>With Gretchen Cryer.

00:40:20.627 --> 00:40:20.867
<v Nancy Magarill>Yeah.

00:40:20.867 --> 00:40:35.667
<v Nancy Magarill>Well, I'm not working with Gretchen right now, but I started, I did her workshop and I'm just starting to really dig into it, which I came up with an idea that I won't go into right now about the show that I think is going to take it in the direction I'm really excited about.

00:40:35.667 --> 00:40:37.707
<v Nancy Magarill>So I'll keep you guys posted.

00:40:37.767 --> 00:40:38.087
<v Nancy Magarill>Yeah.

00:40:38.087 --> 00:40:38.947
<v Nancy Magarill>Yeah.

00:40:38.947 --> 00:40:41.667
<v Peter Michael Marino>I feel like you might need some cello underscoring.

00:40:41.667 --> 00:40:42.907
<v Nancy Magarill>Oh, I always need cello.

00:40:42.907 --> 00:40:44.187
<v Nancy Magarill>There's never.

00:40:44.187 --> 00:40:46.727
<v Peter Michael Marino>Magic happens here at Arts and Craft friends.

00:40:46.727 --> 00:40:47.587
<v Peter Michael Marino>Magic happens.

00:40:47.587 --> 00:40:47.947
<v Nancy Magarill>Yeah.

00:40:47.947 --> 00:40:50.727
<v Nancy Magarill>I always, I love cello in my music.

00:40:50.727 --> 00:40:52.547
<v Nancy Magarill>It's, I can't live without it.

00:40:52.547 --> 00:40:53.487
<v Amy Ziff>So yay.

00:40:53.487 --> 00:40:53.847
<v Nancy Magarill>Okay.

00:40:53.847 --> 00:40:55.447
<v Amy Ziff>Well, whatever you need.

00:40:55.447 --> 00:40:55.827
<v Nancy Magarill>Yeah.

00:40:55.827 --> 00:40:56.567
<v Nancy Magarill>Cool.

00:40:56.567 --> 00:40:58.387
<v Peter Michael Marino>Amy, thank you so much.

00:40:58.987 --> 00:41:04.967
<v Peter Michael Marino>I like was nervous to have this today because I've just been such a fan of yours for so long.

00:41:04.967 --> 00:41:12.447
<v Peter Michael Marino>And it's just really great to chat with you and get a little insight into how your brain works.

00:41:12.447 --> 00:41:13.547
<v Amy Ziff>Do you have it now?

00:41:13.547 --> 00:41:14.367
<v Amy Ziff>I wonder.

00:41:14.367 --> 00:41:15.187
<v Peter Michael Marino>I said a little.

00:41:15.187 --> 00:41:16.927
<v Peter Michael Marino>I have a little insight.

00:41:18.267 --> 00:41:19.887
<v Peter Michael Marino>That's all I can handle today.

00:41:19.887 --> 00:41:20.387
<v Amy Ziff>Oh, I get it.

00:41:20.387 --> 00:41:23.267
<v Nancy Magarill>The real question is whether you do or not, Amy.

00:41:23.267 --> 00:41:25.087
<v Amy Ziff>I don't, but I'm searching for it.

00:41:25.087 --> 00:41:26.707
<v Amy Ziff>I will, Nancy, one of these days.

00:41:26.707 --> 00:41:28.347
<v Nancy Magarill>It's a lifelong search, right?

00:41:28.347 --> 00:41:28.747
<v Amy Ziff>I know.

00:41:30.067 --> 00:41:31.127
<v Peter Michael Marino>Hey, thanks for checking us out.

00:41:31.127 --> 00:41:33.927
<v Peter Michael Marino>Links to today's guests can be found in the show notes.

00:41:33.927 --> 00:41:38.907
<v Nancy Magarill>Don't forget to subscribe, like us, rate us, and tell all your friends about Arts and Craft.