dedicated to all things Propagandhi
- david1170
- 16 hours ago
- 2 min read
Razorcake interview Greg Soden and Keith Gough about ‘Unscripted Moments: Conversations with Propagandhi’
Unscripted Moments is a podcast dedicated to all things Propagandhi. It originally started as a song-by-song analysis by Greg Soden and Keith Gough. (Keith has since left the podcast and Steve Foster replaced him.) Since the podcast began in 2020, it has had interviews with fans, academics, musicians, and the band. The last one is what comprises this book.
(Full disclosure: Propagandhi is one of my favourite bands, I’ve been on the podcast twice, and I interviewed Keith and Greg for Razorcake’s website.)
The interviews in Unscripted Moments are taken from the podcast. All the band members have multiple interviews. This includes not only current players, but also former ones: John Samson Fellows and David “Beaver” Guillas. The interviews complement the analysis of specific songs. Bassist Todd Kowalski reflects on “Fuck the Border,” and guitarist Sulyn Hago talks about their initial excitement of “The Only Good Fascist Is a Very Dead Fascist.” The interviews go in-depth and cover many nuances of the band’s catalogue.
One of my favourite interviews was Greg and Keith speaking with Todd and his brother, Kent, about Propagandhi. It was a special thing to read the older brother, Kent, a university professor, talk about what his brother’s music meant to him. It’s not often that we get insight into what the families of musicians think of them.
Beyond the interviews, there are colour photos of the band from the ’90s to the present. After each interview, there are QR codes to audio of the original interview and websites or interviews related to the content discussed. As a bonus, if you order the book directly through the publisher, it comes with a two-CD compilation of Propagandhi covers by fans of the podcast.
If there are any downsides to the book, it’s the editing. As someone with a copy editing background, there are things I’m particular about that occurred here (spacing, proper use of quotation marks, italics, and so on). This doesn’t take away from the overall enjoyment of Unscripted Moments, but if you’re a stickler for proper style, there are some issues here and there. The other downside is that since Greg transcribed the interviews almost verbatim from the podcast, the text doesn’t always flow smoothly, as people may use “like” or “yeah” excessively. However, the flip side of that is if Greg had done edits to make it read easier, he would’ve had to make changes that the listener would notice if they compared it to the podcast. It’s a difficult decision, but one that may affect some readers.
These are minor points. Overall, if the Canadian four-piece falls in your top ten favourite bands, you owe it to yourself to pick this up. Greg and his co-hosts have created something special with the podcast and now with the book of the same name. It’s essential reading for fans of one of the most politically and socially conscious acts of our time.
Kurt Morris – Razorcake
You can order Greg Soden's ‘Unscripted Moments: Conversations with Propagandhi (2020-2025)' book direct from Earth Island Books now to receive an A3 poster and double CD of Propagandhi covers along with it, free of charge.
Comments