Meet Matthew Slusser of Getting Stoked in Tempe

Today we’d like to introduce you to Matthew Slusser.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Matthew. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I began Getting Stoked in January of 2017 when I was playing in an indie, surf-rock band called Phantom Party. I found myself meeting all kinds of interesting people I wouldn’t have met otherwise and having just as much fun goofing around and talking in various parking lots as I was on stage. I’ve been religiously listening to podcasts for years and always wanted to start my own, but I couldn’t quite get it right. Either the friend was unreliable, not a great co-host, whatever the case may be; it just never quite worked. Eventually I saw the opportunity to merge the two worlds I loved the most and took it. The first episode was recorded with a handheld H4 Zoom mic that I placed in a high top Nike SB sneaker to keep it from falling over. We’ve come a long way!

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s been remarkably smooth for the most part, save for some gear issues and a small hiatus I took within the first 6 months. I wasn’t planning on falling off the wagon and breaking stride, but I didn’t quite have the vision for what it was going to be. It was just this fun thing that I did but I didn’t quite understand the hustle that it would take to really push it to the next level. About 6 months later, I started up again and haven’t missed an episode since.

Getting Stoked – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Getting Stoked sets itself apart from other music centered talk programs in the valley by being completely uncensored and open to ANY dialogue. I have questions ready for most guests but I scarcely use them. My show is much more conversational than anything, I that’s exactly what I wanted it to be. I want my listeners to actually get to know the people behind the craft instead of just what they’re selling/hyping/promoting, whatever. I encourage tangents, I love going into deep, dark, subversive subject matter and I do everything I can to be as honest and candid as humanly possible.

The Good Dog Sessions began earlier this year as a way to shed more light onto the artists who come onto the show in another candid way. It’s named for my dog, Daisy, who ended up being a kinda-sorta mascot for the show as she’s overwhelmingly loving and would jump onto guests during the podcasts or audibly rolling around on the ground.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
My proudest moment was being able to do a live podcast at the Nile Theater with a Chelsey from Fairy Bones! Performing and being in front of people are extremely important to me, so being able to do the show in front of a live audience was absurdly surreal.

Pricing:

• T Shirts – $15
• Cassette Tapes Featuring Artists From the Show – $5

Contact Info:

• Website: Gettingstoked.net
• Email: matt@gettingstoked.net
• Instagram: @gettingstoked
• Facebook: Facebook.com/gettingstokedpodcast
• Twitter: @gettingstoked

Image Credit:
Erica Torres (photos where I’m wearing the troubled minds shirt)
The Sleepy Nomad (Hallway shot)
Athena Burton (Getting Stoked With Matthew Slusser photo)
Andrew Lara (photo where I’m drinking a beer outside)

Getting in touch: VoyagePhoenix is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.