(*both laugh*) Episode 31: Tobias Nathaniel (The Red Step, Black Heart Procession)

Chances are, if you're familiar with Tobias Nathaniel, it's through the decades he spent primarily behind the keyboard as one-half of the duo at the core of San Diego's Black Heart Procession. (Okay, so maybe you know him from Three Mile Pilot. Or, sure, maybe you know him from playing keys on that Blonde Redhead song that got used as Evil Morty's theme on Rick & Morty.) Anyway, about a half-dozen years ago, Tobias moved from the West Coast to Belgrade, Serbia, where he lives with his now-wife. He started a new project called The Red Step, which finds him not only playing guitar but assuming lead vocal duties for the first time as well. The Red Step put out their long-awaited, self-titled, debut full-length last week on Pravda Records, and it's a really great piece of sometimes haunting, sometimes thrashing, sometimes punishing piece of post-punk. This was a fun conversation, covering a lot of ground that started with Tobias' musical upbringing and his decision to step out in front of a band for the first time, and with special importance played to the unique guitar that's been along with him for the duration (an Ibanez AM300, of course). Make sure you pick up The Red Step here: https://pravdamusic.com/album/1860124/the-red-step