All Things Aloud

A questionable yet wild theory about magic mushrooms aiding human evolution and the seminal classic Withnail & I collide to form "Stoned Ape" — the closing track on Apollo 6 and the final episode of season 2.

Thank you very much for listening and for your support! Apollo 6 is available to stream everywhere.

We all know folks whose relationships deteriorated during the pandemic lockdown. "Stranger in the Alps", the penultimate track on Apollo 6, drew inspiration from such breakdowns. Join Henry and Jen as they talk about the writing and recording of this song, plus the unexpected role Walter Sobchak played in titling this song.

Henry and Jen illuminate the genesis of the album's namesake, "Apollo." They share how an old mission control recording from NASA's Apollo 17 mission, a lyric from a Fiona Apple record, and intrusive thoughts of imminent demise converged to form an uplifting and existential composition.

In this episode: Jen and Henry dive into the depths of "Big Blue." Henry shares how his Twitter dependency over the pandemic served as grist for the creation of "Big Blue". The episode also explores how the July 2021 protests in Cuba became the emotional trigger point for the writing of this song.

Jen and Henry unravel the story behind the Side A's closing track, "The Origin of the Hourglass is Unclear." As the oldest and most collaborative composition on Apollo 6, the duo recounts the divergent perspectives which met during its creation in Jen's parent's garage one winter in North Carolina. "Hourglass" not only inspired the segues between tracks on the record, but also led to two other songs, "The Ghost at the Feast" and "The Noise that Roared in the Space Between Worlds".

As the dawn breaks, Henry shares with Jen the story of awakening early in the morning, endeavoring to reconnect with his inner songwriter. Through the pages of a Carl Sagan book, the serendipity of a gas pump's "Word of the Day," the comforting ritual of making coffee, and a reflective stroll through their neighborhood, Henry reveals the surprising sources of inspiration which breathed life into "Morning Moon".

Jen and Henry dissect Apollo 6's third track "Meditation for the Housebound." They discuss the sonic experimentation behind the recording, the joy of blindly receiving recorded parts from bandmates, and the incorporation of new sounds to Aloud's palette.

Jen shares the personal inspiration behind the song, revealing how being housebound during lockdown and coping with anxiety led to her discovery of meditation.

Jen and Henry dive into the heart of Apollo 6's first single, "The Comeback Kid." This track marked a turning point in the album's creation, as it was not only the first song expressly written for Apollo 6, but also a test run to see how well or not they could adapt to remote recording.

Learn the origins of the song's lyrics, which emerged from Jen ad-libbing over a looped riff before the final lyrics were… uh… cemented… and how this single became the catalyst for the musique concrète-inspired sound effects throughout the entire record.

Good god, it's finally happening after eight long years: Season 2. Jen and Henry kick things off by talking about what led to writing and recording the new Aloud album Apollo 6, Henry's writer's block, and the album's opening track "Somewhere To Be'.