Episode 474
with Casey Cep, Matteo Lane, and Samantha Crain
Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello talk "do-overs" this week and hear from listeners about their finicky unfinished projects; New Yorker staff writer Casey Cep discusses her debut book Furious Hours, which follows a mysterious Alabama murder case that captivated beloved author Harper Lee; comedian Matteo Lane questions the job description of pharmacists; and singer-songwriter Samantha Crain details how her days as a child powerlifter prepared her for a life of touring, before performing "High Horse" from her album A Small Death.
Casey Cep
Author
In her captivating non-fiction debut, Casey Cep pulls back the curtain and shows you the true story behind a beloved author’s struggle to follow-up her first book. In Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee, Cep follows the To Kill a Mockingbird author as she attempts to write a true crime account of the complicated Alabama case of Reverend Willie Maxwell. Both a Harvard grad and a Rhodes Scholar, Casey Cep has written for The New Yorker, The New York Times, and The New Republic, among others. Website • Twitter
Matteo Lane
Comedian
There are Renaissance men, and then there is Matteo Lane. Prior to launching his comedy career, Lane lived in Italy and worked as an oil painter and opera singer, where his singing range of six (yes, six!) octaves was put to good use. Today, the New York-based comedian can be seen on Netflix’s The Comedy Lineup, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Late Night with Seth Meyers, and HBO’s Crashing, and is currently developing a pilot for Comedy Central. Lane is also fluent in five languages — and when you add the form and rhythm of stand-up comedy, that makes six. Website • Instagram
Samantha Crain
Singer, Songwriter
Samantha Crain is a recipient the Indigenous Music Award and is a two-time Native American Music Award winner. Her genre-spanning discography has been critically acclaimed by media outlets such as Rolling Stone, SPIN, Paste, No Depression, NPR, The Guardian, NME, Uncut, and others. She has toured both nationally and internationally over the past 11 years, both with her ambitiously orchestrated shows and her intimate folk-leaning solo performances. Website • Twitter • Spotify