Mike is joined by the Podfather himself, WTF host Marc Maron. They discuss Marc’s unusual life balancing a podcast that is at least somewhat about himself with starring in a TV show where he plays a podcaster and comic named Marc Maron, who is

55: Baron Vaughn, Overcoming Adversity, and Having So Much In Common

Apr 11th, 2016 1h 3m

Host Open Mike Eagle has really found something of a soulmate in actor and comedian Baron Vaughn. The two talk about growing up with cable television, setting fires no one knew about, and coping with rampant drugs in their communities. We also

54: Nick Thune, Jesus, and the Guitar

Apr 4th, 2016 47m 57s

Mike welcomes the comedian and actor Nick Thune for an in-depth and broad-ranging discussion. The two of them cover everything from why Nick gave up both one-liners and the guitar in his act to who Jesus would want to hang out with if he was ar

53: B. Dolan, White Privilege, and ODB

Mar 28th, 2016 48m 32s

Mike chats with rapper, activist, and spoken word artist B. Dolan about what white rappers owe the Black Lives Matter movement, how white privilege can give you a leg up in the hip-hop world, and their mutual love for Ol’ Dirty Bastard. Mike a

52: Chuck Klosterman and New Music

Mar 22nd, 2016 1h 6m

Mike talks with writer and critic Chuck Klosterman about changes in publishing and criticism, the gamble that comes with being interesting, and the fear of accidentally living life wrong. Plus, what is the right way to listen to music anyway? S

51: Slug, Laundry, Being Who You Are, and NEW MUSIC

Mar 14th, 2016 53m 25s

Release day is coming up for Mike’s new release, Hella Personal Film Festival, a collaboration with Paul White. You can hear the track “Admitting the Endorphin Addiction” on this episode. You can also listen to Mike’s story about almost but not

50: Jean Grae and Artistic Adventure

Mar 7th, 2016 53m 34s

It’s the 50th episode of Secret Skin and Mike is joined by his friend, the rapper and all-around artist Jean Grae. They discuss everything from black Netflix tropes to Mike’s picky eating (or rather, Jean’s crushing dismay when she learns about

49: John Hodgman and How to Be Who You Are

Feb 29th, 2016 58m 42s

In this open and candid conversation, Mike talks with his friend, the actor/comedian/author John Hodgman, about the overabundance of entertainment and the necessity of doing things that are terrifying. John discusses getting on the Daily Show

48: Chris Gethard and Mike’s Sister, Too

Feb 23rd, 2016 54m 34s

This time around, Mike talks with Chris Gethard of Fusion TV ‘s The Chris Gethard Show. Their wide-ranging conversation covers Chris’s eccentric television program full of human fish, 36-hour no-sleep marathons, and fans who become staff member

47: Anthony Fantano and Appreciating Lil B

Feb 16th, 2016 53m 42s

Mike responds to some listener questions, including one about how to feel about white people singing along at rap shows using the n-word. Then, a conversation with Anthony Fantano, creator and host of The Needle Drop, the influential website an

46: Hannibal Buress and New Music, Too

Feb 8th, 2016 1h 21m

On this special episode, Mike welcomes the world-famous comedian and Mike’s old college pal, Hannibal Burress. Mike was even Hannibal’s RA at Southern Illinois University. They talk about growing up in Chicago (including Hannibal’s mooning inci

45: J-Zone and What to Do When Things Don’t Work Out

Feb 1st, 2016 57m 14s

Mike welcomes the rapper J-Zone on this edition of Secret Skin and J-Zone opens up about discouragement. He tells the story of one of the last shows he played before dropping out of rap for a while, a show that Mike was one of the only people i

44: Nick Thorburn, Serial, and Dictatorship

Jan 26th, 2016 48m 16s

Mike joins us from Europe where the tour with Serengeti is wrapping up and things have been going much better than last week. We also hear Mike’s interview with Nick Thorburn, notably of the bands Islands and The Unicorns. Nick also composed mu

43: Fat Tony and the Perils of Touring Europe

Jan 19th, 2016 1h 2m

Open Mike Eagle joins us all the way from Germany, where he is on tour with his Cavanaugh bandmate Serengeti. They have been gathering many memories as they play or attempt to play dates on the continent and they have many stories to tell. Some

42: Intuition and What He Gets Out of Rap

Jan 11th, 2016 49m 52s

Mike and his good friend T-shirt are on hand to not only answer questions from their mailbag but to sing about it as well. In the interview portion, Mike is joined this time around by the rapper, podcaster, and video maven known as Intuition. B

41: Uncommon Nasa, Prog Rap, and Yoga Class Pronunciations

Jan 4th, 2016 46m 45s

Mike is in New York City talking to his old friend, professionally known as Uncommon Nasa. They talk about identity, balancing running a record label and being an artist, and what the musical form known as Prog Rap is all about. Plus, Mike goes

40: Marcella Arguello and How It’s OK to Be Mean

Dec 28th, 2015 44m 50s

Marcella Arguello comes from the world of stand-up comedy, and met Mike Eagle while doing comedy battle rap. It’s a form that Mike has struggled with, losing every match he enters. See, Mike is used to rap battles getting kind of mean, which i

39: John Robinson, Real Names, and a Serengeti Road Trip

Dec 21st, 2015 39m 21s

Mike is adjusting to the flow of a weekly show, which means finding extra time to record intros. And THAT means talking to his Cavanaugh bandmate Serengeti en route to a show in San Diego. Sometimes Mike and Serengeti start to sound like two ha

38: Free the Robots and What It’s Like to Throw a Party for Eight Years

Dec 14th, 2015 44m 4s

The artist known as Free the Robots joins Open Mike Eagle to talk about a variety of topics, including growing up in Orange County and taking risks with music. He also talks about owning and running the restaurant/music venue known as The Cros

37: Eliza Skinner and Comedy Rap Battles

Nov 30th, 2015 46m 54s

It’s all about freestyling on this episode of the podcast. Mike walks us in with a freestyling intro and then we meet comedian and comedy rap impresario Eliza Skinner. She talks about life in a rap battle, life in a television writers’ room, an

36: 2Mex and the Value of Hard Work

Nov 16th, 2015 47m 23s

Host Open Mike Eagle sits down with the rapper 2Mex for a broad-ranging discussion about making music, listening to music, and living life. Other people might sell more records, but when it comes to putting on shows and creating something to re

35: Kitty and How to Deal With Things

Nov 2nd, 2015 48m 18s

Host Open Mike Eagle chats with Kitty, aka the artist formerly known as Kitty Pryde, about being there for her fans and how that has both advantages and disadvantages. Kitty tells about shedding her child prodigy past and her Florida hometown a

34: The Gaslamp Killer and Why You Need to Dance

Oct 19th, 2015 49m 24s

Mike talks with esteemed DJ The Gaslamp Killer about entering hip-hop with no footsteps to follow in, the perils of knowing too much about someone through social media, and how to get fired from a bunch of record stores. Plus, the premiere of a

33: DJ House Shoes on the Detroit sound

Oct 5th, 2015 50m 11s

DJ House Shoes talks about the Detroit sound and his work and friendship with J Dilla. Mike’s T-shirt returns to the show, although he won’t take Mike’s calls anymore.

32: Ras Kass on Major Labels and Ghostwriting

Sep 21st, 2015 46m 45s

Ras Kass talks about the struggles of being on a major label, ghostwriting in hip hop, and Semi Hendrix, his collaboration with Jack Splash. Also, Open Mike Eagle’s new t-shirt raps.