Split Peak Soup
Welcome to Split Peak Soup Podcast! I’m your host, Neal Kearney. I feel very blessed to have been born and raised here in Santa Cruz, California. Santa Cruz is a hotbed for talented individuals, including, but not limited to: professional surfers and skaters, master surfboard shapers, internationally renowned artists, expert musicians, boundary pushing intellectual thinkers, and out-of-this-world explorers of consciousness.
Working as a professional journalist for the past twenty-plus years, I’ve had the opportunity to sit down with these extraordinary humans and in-depth and insightful chats. While these discussions have helped inform many written pieces that I’m proud of, I oftentimes felt that I was leaving a lot of meat left on the bone, as the few quotes I’d incorporate into my writing oftentimes seemed to strip my interviewees of their own authentic voices.
Luckily, we are entering a brave new world, where the podcast has risen as a popular form of storytelling and media consumption. From Joe Rogan to Conan O’Brien, podcasters have officially taken over. And now, I’m joining the fray. The Split Peak Soup Podcast is my way of using my skills as a story-teller to offer long format conversations with those whose stories deserve to be told.
So, what are you waiting for? Pull up a cozy chair, grab a napkin and your favorite spoon, and get ready to dig into another savory serving of Split Peak Soup!
Split Peak Soup
Split Peak Soup Podcast Episode 3--Shane Rafferty
Shane Rafferty is a force to be reckoned with in the Santa Cruz music scene. From his early days in the punk rock scene as lead singer of Lost Cause, to his exploration of Outlaw Country with his latest band, Wagon Wreckers, Rafferty has left robust musical mark. In addition to his musical pursuits, here we chat about the frustrations of surfing, battling addiction, raising children, being a brother of three, working in the solar energy business, and spiritual evolution. Shane is one of those individuals who isn't afraid to tell it like it is, and would give you the shirt of his back. In the many years I've known Shane, he's always been like an older brother to me, and it was a blast going down memory lane and having some serious chuckles with our effortless banter. So, for the love of God, check this one out, and don't forget to finish every last drop of SOUP!!!