Alchemy with Anthony Mason

The legendary Holland Taylor stars in the new Apple TV series Brothers, with Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson. It’s another iconic performance from the actress who also had memorable runs in Bosom Buddies, The Practice, and Two and a Half Men. We talk about all of those and her love of the stage where she got her start back in the ‘60s.

00:00 Inner Mansions

01:07 Playing Matthew McConaughey’s Mom

03:08 Building the Look: Wig, Tan & Jewelry

05:11 Bosom Buddies & Spotting Tom Hanks Early

06:35 A Theater Kid at Heart

07:42 First Broadway Show & Lamb Chops with Geraldine Page

11:07 Finding Stella Adler at 35

13:53 The Trouble with Method Acting

17:27 Broadway Debut in The Devils

19:38 Going On Unrehearsed for Janet Leigh

23:42 Replacing Eve Arden in Moose Murders

25:10 The Ann Richards Obsession

29:00 Opening in Galveston in a Tropical Storm

31:28 Why She Left Two and a Half Men

33:38 The Practice & Legally Blonde

37:13 Living Inside Ann on Broadway

41:19 “I Am Satisfied”: Her Final Performance

46:00 Life & Art with Sarah Paulson

49:14 Acidic, Alluring Women

52:30 Signing the Guest Book

New episodes of Alchemy every Wednesday. Follow us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and ⁠YouTube⁠ so you never miss one.

⁠Sign up here⁠ to get Alchemy in your inbox⁠. Stay connected with Anthony Mason on ⁠Instagram⁠⁠, ⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠ & ⁠Facebook⁠.

For brand partnerships: partnerships@collective.media

For press inquiries: dawn@thepresshouse.com

For bookings: rebecca@alchemy.show

About our Founding Sponsor, ⁠⁠The FLAG Art Foundation⁠⁠:

The FLAG Art Foundation is a nonprofit contemporary art exhibition space in New York's Chelsea Arts District. Since 2008, FLAG has staged more than 100 exhibitions celebrating nearly 1,000 artists, with innovative partnerships including the Parrish Art Museum, the Serpentine Galleries in London, and the Harlem Children's Zone. FLAG is free and open to the public. Follow FLAG on ⁠Instagram⁠⁠.

About Anthony Mason:

Anthony Mason, the host of Alchemy, is also a Special Correspondent with CBS News. One of the most versatile and experienced television journalists, Anthony co-hosted CBS This Morning: Saturday for seven years (2012-2019), and then the weekday CBS This Morning broadcast for two more. But he may be best known for his interviews with artists like Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin, Dolly Parton, Annie Leibovitz, Judi Dench, David Hockney, and André 3000. He has won a dozen Emmy Awards. In 2023, the Songwriters Hall of Fame presented him their Patron of the Arts Award. And for the past three years he has hosted the GRAMMY Hall of Fame Gala.

Over the past decade, Carly Pearce has been one of country music’s most successful female artists with half a dozen platinum singles. She's won four ACM awards and another three CMAs. Her new album, “Honest Woman,” takes a bold look at the price of that success.

00:00 "I lost the ability to see myself"

01:02 Dollywood at 16, Nashville at 19

04:46 "Dream Come True" and the house at the end of the cul-de-sac

07:27 The award, and the text messages the next morning

10:36 The heartbreak ballad that felt like career suicide

11:33 Cleaning Airbnbs in a ten-year town

13:32 The caveman and the diamond

15:32 "It was whiplash"

19:29 Was it all worth it?

20:53 Circus animals: the truth about touring

22:56 Going back to her bluegrass roots

25:30 "There's no timeline"

28:30 The weirdo music kid who started writing at 11

31:11 The songs that scared her

32:31 "Church Girl," faith, and the backlash

36:03 Finding her sound with Dan Tyminski and Molly Tuttle

38:20 Losing busbee and what he told her at the end

41:20 Kelsea Ballerini, her safe place

44:53 Her mom's note: "You are enough"

49:00 Finding the joy again

New episodes of Alchemy every Wednesday. Follow us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and ⁠YouTube⁠ so you never miss one.

⁠Sign up here⁠ to get Alchemy in your inbox⁠. Stay connected with Anthony Mason on ⁠Instagram⁠⁠, ⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠ & ⁠Facebook⁠.

For brand partnerships: partnerships@collective.media

For press inquiries: dawn@thepresshouse.com

For bookings: rebecca@alchemy.show

About our Founding Sponsor, ⁠⁠The FLAG Art Foundation⁠⁠:

The FLAG Art Foundation is a nonprofit contemporary art exhibition space in New York's Chelsea Arts District. Since 2008, FLAG has staged more than 100 exhibitions celebrating nearly 1,000 artists, with innovative partnerships including the Parrish Art Museum, the Serpentine Galleries in London, and the Harlem Children's Zone. FLAG is free and open to the public. Follow FLAG on ⁠Instagram⁠⁠.

About Anthony Mason:

Anthony Mason, the host of Alchemy, is also a Special Correspondent with CBS News. One of the most versatile and experienced television journalists, Anthony co-hosted CBS This Morning: Saturday for seven years (2012-2019), and then the weekday CBS This Morning broadcast for two more. But he may be best known for his interviews with artists like Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin, Dolly Parton, Annie Leibovitz, Judi Dench, David Hockney, and André 3000. He has won a dozen Emmy Awards. In 2023, the Songwriters Hall of Fame presented him their Patron of the Arts Award. And for the past three years he has hosted the GRAMMY Hall of Fame Gala.

We traveled to a special place this week: Long Pond Studio in upstate New York. It's the home and workplace of Aaron Dessner, a member of the indie rock band The National and a GRAMMY-winning producer behind some of this year's biggest albums. We discuss the alchemy that's happened there with artists like Gracie Abrams, Noah Kahan, Marcus Mumford and Taylor Swift.

00:00 Welcome to Long Pond

01:03 Sleep Well Beast, the first album made here

02:11 Building a studio that lets nature in

05:58 How folklore put Long Pond on the map

06:57 The chance meeting behind Mumford & Sons' Prizefighter

10:38 Taylor Swift's out-of-the-blue text

13:08 "Cardigan" arrives at 3 a.m.

16:49 Making space for artists in the room

19:29 How Aaron starts a song

25:02 Dad's drum set and growing up with twin Bryce

28:44 Music as a refuge

30:21 Where does music come from?

34:35 Producing without "peeing on a tree"

38:46 Chasing hits vs. the "ugly ducklings"

42:24 Meeting Gracie Abrams and writing in the room

46:25 Pop pressure and making "That's So True"

50:55 "I still feel like a kid"

53:05 What's inspiring Aaron now

New episodes of Alchemy every Wednesday. Follow us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and ⁠YouTube⁠ so you never miss one.

⁠Sign up here⁠ to get Alchemy in your inbox⁠. Stay connected with Anthony Mason on ⁠Instagram⁠⁠, ⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠ & ⁠Facebook⁠.

For brand partnerships: partnerships@collective.media

For press inquiries: dawn@thepresshouse.com

For bookings: rebecca@alchemy.show

About our Founding Sponsor, ⁠⁠The FLAG Art Foundation⁠⁠:

The FLAG Art Foundation is a nonprofit contemporary art exhibition space in New York's Chelsea Arts District. Since 2008, FLAG has staged more than 100 exhibitions celebrating nearly 1,000 artists, with innovative partnerships including the Parrish Art Museum, the Serpentine Galleries in London, and the Harlem Children's Zone. FLAG is free and open to the public. Follow FLAG on ⁠Instagram⁠⁠.

About Anthony Mason:

Anthony Mason, the host of Alchemy, is also a Special Correspondent with CBS News. One of the most versatile and experienced television journalists, Anthony co-hosted CBS This Morning: Saturday for seven years (2012-2019), and then the weekday CBS This Morning broadcast for two more. But he may be best known for his interviews with artists like Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin, Dolly Parton, Annie Leibovitz, Judi Dench, David Hockney, and André 3000. He has won a dozen Emmy Awards. In 2023, the Songwriters Hall of Fame presented him their Patron of the Arts Award. And for the past three years he has hosted the GRAMMY Hall of Fame Gala.

A few years ago, my daughter shared a song with me and said, “You need to listen to this band.” I've been a fan of MUNA ever since. Katie Gavin, Josette Maskin, and Naomi McPherson came together in college at USC back in 2013, and have since built a devoted following. The indie pop trio has supported Harry Styles, Kacey Musgraves, & Taylor Swift on tour. We spoke about their fourth album, “Dancing on The Wall,” mental health, taking creative risks, and why bands still matter.

00:00 Introduction

01:31 Meet MUNA

01:43 Are Bands a Dying Breed?

04:09 The Band as a Mental Health Support System

05:21 The New Album: Dancing on the Wall

09:06 How MUNA Came Together at USC

12:33 Katie's Origin Story & Naomi Becomes the Producer

16:04 Early Validation

26:50 Conflict, Creative Process & Working Alone

31:37 Katie's Solo Project & the "Open Marriage" of a Band

35:25 Friendship vs. the Band – MUNA vs. boygenius

37:07 What Does Music Give Each of You?

49:44 Drive, Ambition & the Need to Be Seen

53:09 Building Community and the Song "So What"

55:17 Getting Dropped by Their Label

58:41 "Silk Chiffon," Artistic Integrity & Taking Risks

1:01:29 Signing the Guest Book

New episodes of Alchemy every Wednesday. Follow us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and ⁠YouTube⁠ so you never miss one.

⁠Sign up here⁠ to get Alchemy in your inbox⁠. Stay connected with Anthony Mason on ⁠Instagram⁠⁠, ⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠ & ⁠Facebook⁠.

For brand partnerships: partnerships@collective.media

For press inquiries: dawn@thepresshouse.com

For bookings: rebecca@alchemy.show

About our Founding Sponsor, ⁠⁠The FLAG Art Foundation⁠⁠:

The FLAG Art Foundation is a nonprofit contemporary art exhibition space in New York's Chelsea Arts District. Since 2008, FLAG has staged more than 100 exhibitions celebrating nearly 1,000 artists, with innovative partnerships including the Parrish Art Museum, the Serpentine Galleries in London, and the Harlem Children's Zone. FLAG is free and open to the public. Follow FLAG on ⁠Instagram⁠⁠.

About Anthony Mason:

Anthony Mason, the host of Alchemy, is also a Special Correspondent with CBS News. One of the most versatile and experienced television journalists, Anthony co-hosted CBS This Morning: Saturday for seven years (2012-2019), and then the weekday CBS This Morning broadcast for two more. But he may be best known for his interviews with artists like Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin, Dolly Parton, Annie Leibovitz, Judi Dench, David Hockney, and André 3000. He has won a dozen Emmy Awards. In 2023, the Songwriters Hall of Fame presented him their Patron of the Arts Award. And for the past three years he has hosted the GRAMMY Hall of Fame Gala.

On this week’s episode, we’re catching up with an old friend. Ben Schwartz is on tour with his improv show “Ben Schwartz and Friends.” He’s voicing Sonic in the upcoming fourth film in the “Sonic the Hedgehog” series. And he’s just completed a passion project – a new TV series that he’s written, directed and stars in based on his popular Funny or Die web series “The Earliest Show.”

00:00 Intro

01:06 Four improv shows in two days

03:03 Walking onstage with no plan

05:42 How to escape a dying scene

07:22 Listening, callbacks and four empty chairs

11:19 Ben interviews Anthony

13:00 What he learned as a Letterman page

14:27 The pre-show ritual

16:38 Why stand-up felt lonely

19:25 FLAG Art Foundation

20:29 The Earliest Show: making TV independently

25:41 Betting his own time and money

30:03 Selling 13 scripts and getting none made

35:48 How to keep hope alive

39:20 Why Anthony started Alchemy

44:42 Sonic the Hedgehog 4

46:44 Finding comfort in '90s movies

48:06 "Creativity eats darkness"

New episodes of Alchemy every Wednesday. Follow us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and ⁠YouTube⁠ so you never miss one.

⁠Sign up here⁠ to get Alchemy in your inbox⁠. Stay connected with Anthony Mason on ⁠Instagram⁠⁠, ⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠ & ⁠Facebook⁠.

For brand partnerships: partnerships@collective.media

For press inquiries: dawn@thepresshouse.com

For bookings: rebecca@alchemy.show

About our Founding Sponsor, ⁠⁠The FLAG Art Foundation⁠⁠:

The FLAG Art Foundation is a nonprofit contemporary art exhibition space in New York's Chelsea Arts District. Since 2008, FLAG has staged more than 100 exhibitions celebrating nearly 1,000 artists, with innovative partnerships including the Parrish Art Museum, the Serpentine Galleries in London, and the Harlem Children's Zone. FLAG is free and open to the public. Follow FLAG on ⁠Instagram⁠⁠.

About Anthony Mason:

Anthony Mason, the host of Alchemy, is also a Special Correspondent with CBS News. One of the most versatile and experienced television journalists, Anthony co-hosted CBS This Morning: Saturday for seven years (2012-2019), and then the weekday CBS This Morning broadcast for two more. But he may be best known for his interviews with artists like Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin, Dolly Parton, Annie Leibovitz, Judi Dench, David Hockney, and André 3000. He has won a dozen Emmy Awards. In 2023, the Songwriters Hall of Fame presented him their Patron of the Arts Award. And for the past three years he has hosted the GRAMMY Hall of Fame Gala.