Pinkerton Raid Loves Birch Beer and a Bonus Episode

02/10/22 • 18 min

1 Listener

When I think about [Squamscot Birch Beer] I’m so full of nostalgia from my childhood growing up in New Hampshire.

Music conjures up memories from the past, but it’s certainly not the only thing that bubbles up such recollections. On the latest episode of Bubble Bottles, Jesse James DeConto from the band Pinkerton Raid shares the sense of nostalgia connected to birch beer from Squamscot. This non-alcoholic specialty soda is a mix between cream soda and root beer. DeConto recounts feeling a sense of freedom and independence while heading off to the corner store with his own money to buy baseball cards and a Squamscot.

It came in glass bottles, which made it feel antique.

When DeConto and host, Sloane Spencer, finish talking about specialty sodas, they dip over to partner podcast, One Hit History to talk about his favorite one hit wonder, “Somebody That I Used To Know,” a 2011 hit for Gotye that features Kimbra on guest vocals. Two podcasts for the price of one!

I was fascinated by the production of it...The way Gotye and his team interwove acoustic instruments with samples and synthesizers was fascinating.

Thank you for your 5 Star ratings and hilarious reviews of our podcasts in your favorite podcast app. They make a huge difference in spreading the word. You can leave reviews for both Bubble Bottles and One Hit History with this double feature episode. We appreciate you.

Playlists

Thanks to Charles Hale for this episode’s show notes. You can follow his radio show Ajax Diner Book Club and look forward to his upcoming episode of One Hit History.

AI Transcript

Sloane Spencer 0:07 Well hey y’all, let’s learn Spencer and you found us here at our new podcast called bubble bottles where we talk with music people about their favorite carbonated beverages. Thanks so much to everyone who has joined us in our launch. It’s only been a couple of weeks and y’all are digging what we’re doing. We also have a partner podcast called one hit history where we talk with music people about their favorite one hit wonders. We’re gonna give you a double shot episode today starting with our bubble bottles conversation with Jesse James DeConto of Pinkerton raid. And at the end, we’ll add on our conversation about his favorite one hit wonder stick around. One of my favorite things to talk about backstage with musicians and music people is about their favorite beverages. Often when folks travel, they’re looking for something new and different in those regional brands. And regional beverages can be quite special or memorable, not always in a good way. So we’re talking today with Jesse James DeConto of Pinkerton raid and when I first saw at my favorite music festival albino skunk Music Festival in Greer, South Carolina, they can be found at Pinkerton red.com. They’ve got a new single called magical flying rowan tree with an amazing animated video as well. Jesse James DeConto. Welcome.

Jesse James DeConto 1:22 Excellent. Yes. Really good to talk with you.

Sloane Spencer 1:25 My pleasure. So we were talking a little bit about favorite beverages. So I’ll just hit you with the big question. What’s your favorite carbonated beverage?

Jesse James DeConto 1:34 There’s a small soda company, I’m going to use the word soda, which is go...

When I think about [Squamscot Birch Beer] I’m so full of nostalgia from my childhood growing up in New Hampshire.

It came in glass bottles, which made it feel antique.

I was fascinated by the production of it...The way Gotye and his team interwove acoustic instruments with samples and synthesizers was fascinating.

Playlists

Thanks to Charles Hale for this episode’s show notes. You can follow his radio show Ajax Diner Book Club and look forward to his upcoming episode of One Hit History.

AI Transcript

Jesse James DeConto 1:22 Excellent. Yes. Really good to talk with you.

Sloane Spencer 1:25 My pleasure. So we were talking a little bit about favorite beverages. So I’ll just hit you with the big question. What’s your favorite carbonated beverage?

Jesse James DeConto 1:34 There’s a small soda company, I’m going to use the word soda, which is go...

Previous Episode

LadyCouch Loves It Cold and Fruity

2 Recommendations

If it’s cold and fruity. We’re happy with it. — Allen Thompson and Keshia Bailey of the 12-person jam band, LadyCouch

How does a band of 12 people travel around and perform shows? With lots of snacks and bubbly water, at least if the band is LadyCouch. Keshia Bailey and Allen Thompson, two of the band members, discuss their favorite carbonated beverages — of which they have a lot.

That’s what makes us work with the crew of humans we have as well as we do. We have 12 stars in the band but they are in the same band and no one is the star of the band — we’re a constellation... a galaxy, if you will.

What are the dream bubbly water flavors of these two, plus host Sloane Spencer? Find out more by giving this episode a listen, and prepare to be extra thirsty thanks to these musicians’ passionate opinions on drinks and life in Nashville.

80 percent of our group text thread is about a new flavor of bubblies: LaCroix or Wild Basin or Pickers. There’s no real good grape ones of any kind. Everybody f**** up a grape flavor, and the watermelon flavor too!

List of links

Beverage Mentions

LaCroix
Picker’s Vodka and Picker’s Unplugged canned cocktails (similar to Truly)
Wild Basin
White Claw
Jolly rancher in a Zima

Don’t forget to give Bubble Bottles a five star rating!

AI Transcript

SLOANE SPENCER Well, hey, y’all, this is Sloane Spencer. And you have found us at bubble bottles at the brainy podcast where we ask music people, what’s your favorite carbonated beverage one of my favorite backstage conversations to have with folks. And these answers have been all over the place. I have a couple of folks with a band I have seen twice spread out pre pandemic. And then just recently as well, we haven’t checked out lady couch yet you need to catch their brand new record. And they’re on the road quite a bit as well. But have them introduce themselves. So you get a little bit of background. Hello.

KESHIA BAILEY Hello, I’m Keshia Bailey here.

ALLEN THOMPSON And I’m Allen.

SS tell us real briefly what’s been going on with LadyCouch.

KB Oh Lord,

AT we just put out our first full length record on September 10. With Blackbird record label out of Los Angeles, it’s called the future looks fine. And we’ve really just kind of been spending the last few months working on that and doing all the necessary things you’re apparently supposed to be doing when you put out a record album.

SS Well, if y’all have not had a chance to see Lady couch, live, there are a number of folks on stage. And the core of the band is Alan and Keshia and their voices together are absolutely mesmerizing and memorable. And each amplifies the others like it, it will be a touch your heart kind of show. And that’s not something I say very often like I really mean that truly, like I saw y’all recently, as we were saying, and it was like, Wow, this was really just an emotionally powerful moving experience. And so I think a lot of us are seeking that these days.

KB Oh my god. Well, thanks. I don’t even know what to say for that. I mean, genuinely, it’s a powerful and moving experience for me every time but I think I really got to feel it through Americana fest here in town for my first one this year, and it was nutty. So to hear anyone else feel the way that I feel is I’m pretty nutty but yes, it’s strange. We cry a lot and we cry a lot sometimes in happiness and sometimes in what the hell do I do?

AT Well, so sometimes, you know, we’re not exactly doing tear in our beer kind of songs these days. However, beverages are an important part of daily life.

SS So hit me what is your favorite carbonated beverage?