The Tonearm
The Tonearm
The people and ideas moving culture forward. With host Lawrence Peryer.
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The Tonearm
Latest Episode

Peter Knight: Hand to Earth's Sonic Homecoming

From garage bands to the Australian Art Orchestra, Knight traces his path to Hand to Earth, an ensemble whose new album *Ŋurru Wäŋa* honors Indigenous song traditions while exploring electroacoustic possibilities with producer Lawrence English.

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Recent Episodes

Oct. 30, 2025

Peter Knight: Hand to Earth's Sonic Homecoming

From garage bands to the Australian Art Orchestra, Knight traces his path to Hand to Earth, an ensemble whose new album *Ŋurru Wäŋa* honors Indigenous song traditions while exploring electroacoustic possibilities with producer Lawrence English.
Oct. 23, 2025

David Harrington of Kronos Quartet: The Musician Listens

David Harrington reveals the philosophy behind Kronos Quartet's genre-defying repertoire and explains why the ensemble has "barely scratched the surface" after half a century.
Oct. 16, 2025

Jeff Parker: The Return of The New Breed

The guitarist and member of Tortoise discusses how his landmark solo album 'The New Breed' merged jazz improvisation with hip hop production, marking his transition from collaborative work to solo artistry.
Oct. 9, 2025

Hampus Lindwall: Blizzard of Organ

Swedish organist and composer Hampus Lindwall talks about 'Brace for Impact,' his collaboration with Stephen O'Malley, and why treating the pipe organ like a huge mechanical computer opens unexpected compositional possibilities.
Oct. 2, 2025

Chris O'Leary: Rebel Rebel - Blogger, Author

Writer Chris O'Leary discusses his revised book 'Rebel Rebel,' revelations from the past decade of David Bowie archival releases, and why chronicling artists may become impossible for future generations.
Sept. 25, 2025

Donny McCaslin: From Stadium Jazz to Lost Lullabies

The saxophonist behind David Bowie's 'Blackstar' discusses ‘Lullaby for the Lost’, his genre-defying new album, creative partnerships with Tim Lefebvre and David Fridmann, and finding artistic authenticity through controlled chaos.

About the Host

Lawrence Peryer Profile Photo

Lawrence Peryer

Executive Producer & Host

LP is a lifelong music fan turned industry innovator who has spent his career helping artists forge meaningful connections with their audiences. From pioneering early digital communities to producing Grammy-nominated box sets and award-winning retail experiences, his work lives at the intersection of creativity, technology and fandom. He's hosted The Tonearm since it initially launched as Spotlight On in February 2020.

Reviews

Curiosity

"Whether I’m considering science, poetry, carpentry, or music, nothing opens the door to enlightenment wider than the (spoken or unspoken) phrase “I’m curious…” If there’s a secret sauce to Spotlight …"

Harry Landers | April 8, 2025

Excited for future episodes!

"It feels like we get to hear a behind the scenes conversation. Thanks for providing insight from key leaders in the live events industry!"

Ashley Bland | April 29, 2020

An easy yet insightful listen

"It’s special to get a behind the scenes look of how guests on the show have navigated their life to live out their passion in music and reflect on how they got to where they are today."

815ams | Aug. 4, 2022

Interesting and Insightful

"I love hearing interviews with people from all spaces of the pop culture spectrum. Lawrence is a natural host and the podcast always has the most interesting questions. I look forward to seeing who t…"

JNO(ctrl) | Aug. 4, 2022

Keep getting better!

"Great series of podcasts and interviews from people across the entirety of the live music space. Such a treat to hear LP speak with his guests about life, music, art and everything in between. 10/10 …"

relly124 | Nov. 11, 2022

One of the More Entertaining Music Chat Podcasts Out There

"I think Lawrence is one of the best under-the-radar podcast interviewers in podcast-land. These shows feel like fly-on-the-wall conversations, with Lawrence often prompting his guests into pleasantly…"

General Zubon | Sept. 22, 2023

Brilliant

"As one of Lawrence’s interview subjects, I can tell you I was really impressed with his preparation and insightful questions as well as his professional and comfortable vibe. I really enjoyed chattin…"

joebrent | March 12, 2025

Just what we needed

"This is exactly what the industry needed at this time - measured insights and analysis from various sectors. Please keep them coming."

jimilayne | April 29, 2020

Very Insightful and Thoughtful Conversation

"Really enjoyed the first episode and learning more about Ben and his other projects. Keep em comin’!!!"

cheftricci4 | March 5, 2020

Peak behind the curtain

"Super fun to finally see these interviews come out!"

lperyer | Feb. 6, 2020

So fun!

"A great inside look at the music industry!"

Jonny_electric | Feb. 6, 2020