Rough Pumpkins
Rough Pumpkins with Travis Gray is a hangout for anyone who accidentally built a life outside the traditional 9-to-5. After 15 years on the road as a working musician, Travis sits down with fellow artists, musicians, and creative entrepreneurs to swap stories about the highs, lows, chaos, triumphs, and questionable decisions that come with chasing a life on your own terms.
Some episodes are hilarious. Some get real. Most are both.
If you’ve ever slept in a van, quit a “real job,” followed a wild idea, or wondered how the hell anyone makes a creative life work… this is your place.
Rough Pumpkins with Travis Gray
“Real stories from people who should’ve gotten real jobs.”
Rough Pumpkins
Episode 9: Rich Derbyshire
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In this episode, I sit down with Rich Derbyshire, bass player for Wild Adriatic/ Andy Frasco and the UN, for a grounded, honest conversation about musicianship, taste, and what it actually means to jam.
We talk about why real jamming isn’t about showing off chops, but about listening, understanding the room, and knowing when less is more. Rich breaks down how knowing your instrument — and knowing your role — shapes better musicians and better bands.
We also get into:
- The difference between playing at music and playing with people
- Why taste and restraint matter more than speed
- Learning to hear genres, keys, and feel in real time
- Growing as a bass player and a bandmate
- Choosing a life in music when stability was an option
Rough Pumpkins- real stories from people who should have gotten real jobs.
🎧 New episodes every Thursday
📍 Recorded in Upstate New York
https://youtube.com/@roughpumpkinspodcast?si=D0hwyyaWNi2mrCwI