John Gallagher Jr. on Paul Westerberg, The Replacements and a Gift From Winona Ryder

Tony Award-winning actor and acclaimed singer-songwriter John Gallagher Jr. (Spring Awakening, The Newsroom, 10 Cloverfield Lane) joins Adam to chat about his Spark: The Replacements' front man Paul Westerberg’s raw, soulful 1993 solo debut, 14 Songs.

John opens up about discovering the record during a blue period with his own songwriting and how Westerberg’s "not taking it too seriously" studio philosophy became his ultimate creative mantra.

What’s inside this episode:

• The Actor’s Rental Car Epiphany: How a film shoot in California led John to a deep-dive into Westerberg’s post-Replacements catalog.
• The Winona Ryder Vintage Tee: A wild, exclusive story about acting opposite Hollywood icon Winona Ryder and the piece of 1991 rock history she pulled out of a grocery bag for him.
• The Songwriting Mantra: Why "What would Paul Westerberg do?" is the exact framework John uses in the studio to embrace mistakes and stop overthinking the music.

John Gallagher Jr.’s brilliant new EP, Almost OK, officially releases on May 29th.

The Spark Parade is a podcast that dives deep into the films and albums that have inspired today’s creative icons. Hosted by Adam Unze, each episode features a unique conversation with an artist about their chosen film or album, and how it sparked their artistic journey.

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