Wait, who does that as a response to a book interview?! Is this what happens when someone is too much of a LOST fan?!  

Normally, I’d object to such imagined questions. Rude! But there is that title, and it is Christmas. OK let me explain. 

So you see, my LOST videos are the ones I’ve referenced but haven’t posted on my podcast feed until now. Clearly, the previous sentence is not about the TV show LOST.

This is about the kinds of conversations everyone has around the dinner table—or at least the kinds I want to have at dinner and elsewhere but don’t always get to, when I’m bewildered by the world or frantically racing through some arbitrary to-do list because everyone else is doing it.

Along the way, I’ll share some of the defining moments and strange encounters over the past few years that have shaped me into the person I’ve become. 

Sharing this now because soon I’ll need to make some decisions about what comes next, and that includes whether or not to keep the podcast going and in what form. So I figured I’d post the videos as podcast episodes, just in case doing so can help clarify things for me and for any of you wrestling with similar questions. 

This wouldn’t be a Christmas-minded story without a guiding spirit or a star of wonder to point the path to a better way, so there’s some of that as well. Oh, and there are also a couple of scattered references to the TV show LOST … 

Some episodes are on the podcast feed but are best experienced as videos.

Merry Christmas everyone! 

LOST Video I: Destiny or Delusion—an Anna Kendrick Question

LOST Video II: Coincidence or Connection—Taylor Swift/Anna Kendrick, JFK/CS Lewis, & Ralph Waldo Emerson

LOST Video III: Defending Elon Musk, Reevaluating Tom Hanks & Stephen King

pic.twitter.com/ms7sAjkzAW
Congratulations to Elon & co. for getting compensation approved!

I defended Elon early in the year and got flack for it from showbiz swamp.

Defending Elon Musk, reevaluating Tom Hanks and Stephen King—an unconventional, freewheeling conversation.

— Nick Savides (@nsavidesPRO) November 6, 2025

The post The LOST videos: A Strange Christmas-Minded Story Regarding Anna Kendrick, Taylor Swift, and Elon Musk  appeared first on NICKSAV Film & Music SHOW.

Bluebird premiered at SXSW 2019 but had a stronger reception at Nashville Film Festival several months later, where festival organizers ended up giving it four screenings to accommodate audience interest. I saw the film while attending the Nashville Film Festival and got to interview Brian there.

Some of the things we discuss include

• How he was able to get a number of prominent musicians like Taylor Swift to be in his film
• Why The Bluebird Cafe is such a memorable venue
• The challenges of shooting and/or performing in a confined space

Commentary

After I did the interview, certain subsequent news stories involving Taylor Swift came out, and they did affect my take on the film. Since Taylor Swift was prominently featured in the Bluebird documentary and discussed in my interview with Brian, I decided to do a supplemental commentary track to expand on my thoughts about her and how she affected my interpretation of the documentary.

Playlist

Here’s the playlist I put together of related songs, some of which I discovered while exploring the musicians featured in the film. Others are songs I revisited while trying to rekindle the magical spark of inspiration that is the Nashville music scene.

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Sponsors for this Episode

nsavides productions 

I make friendly, engaging videos for earnest people. Some of my videos are here.

I want to get better at connecting with others, so I’m putting together a couple of videos as an experiment. This is the one I made while attending the Nashville Film Festival, and it does include a photo of me and Brian.

Say hello: podcast@nsavides.com

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MasterClass

Online training from some of the world’s best filmmakers, musicians, and creative leaders.

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My MasterClass recommendations for this episode

Ken Burns, the filmmaker behind the Country Music docuseries, shares his insights about capturing nuanced human drama on screen.

Reba McEntire shares her insights on country music and building a music career.

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Related Episode

I liked Bluebird enough to include it in my top five picks from Nashville Film Festival 2019. In this episode, I elaborate on why I picked it and share my other recommendations from the festival.

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Related Things

• The Bluebird film page.
  • Facebook, Instagram, Twitter
  • The first tweet from Bluebird_Movie
• More of my podcast coverage of Nashville Film Festival
• Ghost-writing trends as reported by WORLD Magazine

• Shortcut for the podcast: nicksav.show

Additional music for the show provided by Rob Costlow.

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If You Liked the Show

• Donate $1 to help keep the show going.
• Sign up for The nsavides Newsletter.
• Subscribe or leave an honest review:

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Overcast

• Say hello on Twitter:  @nsavidesPRO

Thank you for visiting!

The post Regarding the Bluebird Cafe and Taylor Swift appeared first on NICKSAV Film & Music SHOW.

Jason was so captivated by Daniel’s music that he became his manager, helping him release his first album at the age of 65. More albums followed as did press from the BBC, Rolling Stone, and other renowned publications. Under Jason’s guidance, Daniel began getting booked to perform at prominent music events, including SXSW and the Black Deer Festival in the UK.

Not content to merely be Daniel’s manager, Jason also put together a music documentary to raise awareness of Daniel and his music. The Sheriff of Mars is what resulted, an affirming, on-screen demonstration of how it’s never too late to start a music career or to revitalize once-abandoned dreams.

If the vision is there, you need collaboration to make it happen, but if you compromise the vision—if you have a good vision—it’s not going to turn out well.“
– Jason Ressler

Jason is the first manager-director I’ve met, so I invited him on the show to get his take on finding success in film and music. Some of the things we discuss include

• How he got a BBC profile for Daniel
• How to persevere when beset by failure
• Collaborating with music producers and engineers to create an album that’s right for an artist
• The interview he did with James Brown before he died and the impression that left

If you listen all the way to the end, you’ll get to hear Daniel’s song “Fish Bait Blues,” which is also featured in the film.

Sponsors for this Episode

nsavides productions 

I make friendly, engaging videos for earnest people. Some of my videos are here.

I want to get better at connecting with others, so I’m putting together a couple of videos as an experiment. In the one below, I explore the New Orleans Art Museum, its surrounding sculpture garden, and a few places nearby.  I also address some of the underlying issues that get in the way of connection, at least for me, and I try to do so with playfulness and honesty.

Say hello: podcast@nsavides.com

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MasterClass

Online training from some of the world’s best filmmakers, musicians, and creative leaders.

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Learn from and get inspired by Hans Zimmer, the composer on Gladiator, Interstellar, The Lion King, and more.

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Related Episode

In the interview, Jason mentioned being impressed by what Hannah Leder and her co-director were able to put together with a limited budget. On this episode, I interview Hannah about how she and her co-director pulled off a compelling film with just a two-person crew.

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Related Things

• Sheriff of Mars
  • Facebook, Instagram, YouTube
• Daniel’s music on Spotify
• More of my podcast coverage of Nashville Film Festival
• My take on Frank Capra, for old time’s sake

• Shortcut for the podcast: nicksav.show

Additional music for the show provided by Rob Costlow.

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Shows Mentioned

• Black Panther
• Gardians of the Galaxy
• Grey Gardens
• The Lion King 
• Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
• The Planters 
• Salesman
• Searching for Sugar Man
• The Sheriff of Mars
• Sid Bernstein Presents…
• Wonder Woman 

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Musicians Mentioned

• Adele
• The Beatles 
• Bob Dylan
• Daniel Antopolsky
• Drake 
• Emmylou Harris
• James Brown 
• Jessye Norman
• Justin Townes Earle
• Mississippi John Hurt
• Ray Charles 
• Steve Earle
• Taylor Swift 
• Townes Van Zandt
• Willie Nelson

Book Mentioned

• A Confederacy of Dunces 

If You Liked the Show

• Donate $1 to help keep the show going.
• Sign up for The nsavides Newsletter.
• Subscribe or leave an honest review:

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Overcast

• Say hello on Twitter:  @nsavidesPRO

Thank you for visiting!

The post Sheriff of Mars: the Long-Lost Musician Who Inspired Townes Van Zandt appeared first on NICKSAV Film & Music SHOW.

Afterwards I share some updates about some possibilities on the horizon.

My conversation with Tom Piazza:

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My commentary about Treme and the interview with Tom:

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Related Episodes

On this podcast commentary from the 2018 Cutting Edge Music Conference, I share some takeaways about the New Orleans music community. My interviews episode from Cutting Edge 2018 includes a story about Clarence “Frogman” Henry.

The post Commentary: HBO’s Treme, The Wire, & Tom Piazza appeared first on NICKSAV Film & Music SHOW.

I met with Tom at the historic Columns Hotel in New Orleans to talk about his work and the city that has shaped so much of it. Some of the things we discuss in the episode include

• Highlights from the 50th anniversary of Jazz Fest
• How to write about a place like a local
• What not to do when writing music criticism
• Research that went into his album notes for Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues
• How the writing room on Treme worked together to flesh out challenging story points

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Related Episodes

One of the bands featured in Treme is Papa Gros Funk. On this episode I interviewed the filmmakers behind Do U Want It, a documentary about the band that focuses on their final performances before their indefinite hiatus.

This episode features an interview with Laura Cayouette, a New Orleanian actress who played Kay, a recurring character on Treme. Laura is often recognized for her role in Django Unchained, where she played the sister of Leonardo DiCaprio’s character.

The post Treme & Why New Orleans Matters: Writer Tom Piazza appeared first on NICKSAV Film & Music SHOW.

She’s also written four books on the music industry and is an internationally recognized speaker who has spoken at conferences around the world including SXSW, Vivid Sydney, Hubspot Ignite, and Campus Party London. Her work has been recognized in publications ranging from Oprah, CNN, Wired, Billboard, Forbes.com, and The Washington Post, just to name a few.

Ariel came on the show to share her engagement insights. Some of the things we discuss include

• How to develop a personal narrative
• Fun things to post on social media
• How music saved Ariel’s life and why it matters
• What not to do when trying to get attention for your music
• Compelling campaigns that caught Ariel’s attention
• How to develop relationships with writers

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More of my videos are here.

Say hello: podcast@nsavides.com

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Related Episode

One prominent musician that Ariel has worked with is Bree Noble, an awarding-winning musician, speaker, author, and founder of Women of Substance Radio & The Female Entrepreneur Musician. Bree also shares some resources for musicians looking to build sustainable careers in this podcast interview.

The post How to Be Engaging Like a Rock Star: Ariel Hyatt appeared first on NICKSAV Film & Music SHOW.

SXSW isn’t just a prominent film and music festival. It’s also where presidential hopefuls and thought leaders gather to share their perspectives on the world, and so the festival can serve as a bellwether for where the culture is heading.

This episode is a little different than the typical coverage I do, but it does allow for a more in-depth discussion on some of the ideas and political outlooks behind the films and music at the festival. It also gave me an opportunity to share some things on my heart.

I hope some of you will find it helpful.

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Related Episode

The first episode I did on SXSW 2019 highlights some of the memorable films, music, and experiences that stuck out for me.

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The post Big Ideas & Politics at SXSW 2019 appeared first on NICKSAV Film & Music SHOW.

Part I of my coverage includes some general observations about the festival, what captured my attention and why, and some of my favorite film and music experiences

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Nick Savides (@nsavides)

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Related Episode

Producer Sam Claitor from Fable House helped me put together my coverage of SXSW 2019. Back in 2018, I did this live episode of the show as an official event of SXSW 2018:

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The post SXSW 2019: Notable Films, Music, & Experiences appeared first on NICKSAV Film & Music SHOW.

Frontman Ben Hardesty came on the show to discuss

• The story behind their evolving sound
• What went into making their latest music video
• How they create a unified experience for their fans across the country
• What getting signed by a label has meant to the band
• Staying true to one’s values while building an audience

Make fans that are friends.” – Ben Hardesty

After the interview, you can hear Last Bison’s song “Dark Am I.”

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Related Episode

Want to hear more music-interviews from SXSW? Check out this interview I did with the singer from Gothic Tropic from SXSW 2018.

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The post Last Bison: Southern Folk Rock Returns to SXSW appeared first on NICKSAV Film & Music SHOW.

Some of the things we discuss include

• How to build a music career that lasts for years
• How to get music on TV show like NCIS: New Orleans
• What it takes to get established in a discerning music community
• How New Orleans has influenced Lynn’s sound and outlook
• Collaborating with musicians to put on a great show
• Staying inspired in spite of heartache

Making music is knowing when to be quiet.” – Lynn Drury

Lynn’s songs that we discuss include “11:11,” “Anniversary,” “Blue Streak,” “Butterfly,” and “Northern.”

After the interview, you can hear Lynn’s song “Blue Streak.”

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Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen enjoyed seeing Lynn perform at Tipitina’s back in December.

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Commentary Track

In this track I share some of my takeaways from the interview and related thoughts.

Some of the things I discuss include

• How to be more effective as a performer
• Building quality relationships over quantity
• The role of the artist in the world at large
• Things that get in the way of trying to make the world better in some way

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Related Episode

To hear more about the New Orleans music scene, check out this interview I did with the filmmakers behind the Papa Grows Funk documentary, Do U Want It?

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The post 20 Years of Making Music in New Orleans: Lynn Drury appeared first on NICKSAV Film & Music SHOW.