Jam Notes Podcast

About Jam Notes Podcast

BW Derge (drums) and Nick Ring (Guitar) - 20 years of jamming together, few actual songs written, no band name (yet?) – but 100s of recorded jams. So we’re talking about them on the podcast. All rights reserved.

Publisher

BW Derge

Category

music

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

20 Feb 2025

Latest episode

10 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

20 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   10 Sept 2026

   Real-Life “Backrooms” Encounters and Vintage Drum Gear

   The session begins with a discussion about a newly acquired drum kit that is twenty-one years old, a timeframe highlighted as a Fibonacci number and older than the host's children. Although the drum heads have been replaced, the original rims and shell remain sturdy. During the conversation, the hosts handle hardware pieces from a high hat stand, examining how the clamp holds its position, while also noting an extra cowbell that came with the set. This leads to memories of early drumming experiences, including a story about carrying a bass drum, snare, and tom on a thirty-minute bus ride while using kitchen chopsticks before obtaining actual drumsticks. One host points out a drumstick customized with a black coating by Alonzo Fisher in 2004 that has surprisingly survived twenty-two years of use. They contrast this current kit with an earlier, lower-quality drum set used by the band Flames of the Ice Age, which produced a noise akin to a trash can during garage sessions.Looking ahead, they outline plans to interview a film producer who worked on Transformers movies as well as the 2012 Wolverine film. One host hopes to ask him how an unestablished writer can get a script in front of key industry figures and whether joining a major movie writing team is worthwhile. Driven by a desire to improve the world after becoming a father, the producer wants to discuss flow states. The hosts connect this idea to their own musical jams, noting that true flow occurs when they stop overthinking, anticipate each other's movements, and execute smooth transitions.They also express surprise over their listener demographics, revealing that seventy percent of their overall audience is in Indonesia, and seventy percent of those Indonesian listeners are female. Nostalgia surfaces as they recall browsing in a Borders bookstore, debating whether to buy CDs by Smashing Pumpkins, Barenaked Ladies, or the City of Angels soundtrack, before choosing Smashing Pumpkins. They fondly mention their friend Mike Laws, who once memorized the entire song One Week in college and currently hosts a film review podcast named Clearing the Queue.The conversation turns to eerie topics as they explore the Backrooms urban legend and share unsettling personal encounters. One host describes getting lost late at night in a hotel basement full of laundry facilities following a Les Claypool concert in Cleveland, briefly stuck inside a buttonless utility elevator. The other host recounts a college memory from the College of Santa Fe, where he explored a vacant dorm floor and found a room containing only a poster of Jesus, a sleeping bag, and an unlocked wooden box filled with five thousand dollars in twenty-dollar bills. Finally, they reflect on past band dynamics, recalling how conflict arose in Flames of the Ice Age because their keyboardist refused to improvise. Despite past hurdles, the hosts express gratitude for their ongoing musical collaboration and podcast discussions as they prepare for their upcoming guest interview.

2. 

   12 Jun 2026

   Cave Dive or Sing on Stage?

   Would you rather cave dive or sing in public? The Jam Notes podcast is back for season 2! With StarCraft talk! Trying something a little different this go around. Switching up the formats each episode - adding things, streamlining stuff. Jamming begins around 10 minute mark. This episode we’re talking about our creative endeavors next to a drum kit in a shoebox. Nick’s doing solo work, original songs and covers, and playing with his band JACK FUNK (https://jackfunkmusic.com/)! New album coming soon! Same with Ben’s book… hopefully. 2027 for sure. Tandem release party? Cave diving, the Wild Kratts, and singing in public. Shout out to Gus and Woody at Dive Talk (https://divetalk.com/)! To follow up on later episode: are there caves in every single mountain? Are mountains hollow? And then there’s a live jam… after a beer is spilt. CLICK HERE TO LEARN ABOUT UPCOMING SCIENCE FICTION FANTASY NOVEL (https://bwderge.com/remember-me-nothing-novel-by-bw-derge)

3. 

   20 Mar 2026

   Breaking Math and Illusions of Understanding: Jam Notes Podcast Season 1 Finale

   Nine Inch Nails, Sublime, Mars Volta… these bands arementioned in the seasonal finale of the Jam Notes podcast. There’s also discussions about math, ghosts, bigfoot, and more! Closing season one out with some follow-ups on bandnames, drumhead logos, and back pain. Ben explains why math is inherently incomplete and then there’s tangents about bigfoot and ghosts. Musically, we’ve got references to Nine Inch Nails, Sublime,and Mars Volta. And finally, a little reflection to close out the first season of the podcast. Also featuring: Jungle beats The triviality of directions Bird-watching honor system Tight ponytails and Puscifer concerts Mold tests and snakes in the ceiling The Smattering! Are we really a top podcast in Norway? More music on the way! Ben and Nick will return in Avengers: Doomsday 20 years of jamming together, few actual songs written, noband name (yet?) – but 100s of recorded jams. So we’re talking about them on the podcast. All rights reserved. Jam Notes (ep. 19): The Incompleteness Theorem and Bigfoot Conspiracies

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

204,327

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Podcast Authority Score: 50 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

65

Social presence

0

YouTube

86

Engagement

0

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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