Ep558: John McCrea of CAKE

John McCrea of CAKE discusses their elusive catalogue on vinyl, rarities of the band, upcoming Australian tour, new recordings, record nerdery and more.

Tickets & info on CAKE's Australian tour is here

Topics Include:

• John McCrae discusses collecting records, revisiting old favorites like Perez Prado
• He describes "chasing goosebumps" — the feeling of rediscovering great music
• Shares vivid teenage memory seeing Led Zeppelin at Knebworth, England
• Recalls dancing to washing machine rinse cycles as a toddler
• Names early formative records: Beatles, Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie, Arlo Guthrie
• His parents played accordion and folk guitar, shaping his musicality
• Discusses his dad's Eastern European minor-key accordion versus polka music
• Talks about "Rancho Seco," his first recorded song, a protest track
• Song addressed a nuclear plant illegally releasing radioactive steam locally
• Connects Dylan influence and poets to his built-in social justice streak
• Reflects on growing up near Sacramento, Berkeley, and Nevada City, California
• Compares old Bay Area culture to today's flashier Silicon Valley wealth
• Describes Cake's early '90s formation, self-financed four-song EP release
• EP funded through show earnings and merch, later expanded into album
• Album got European distribution and unexpected early popularity in France
• "Rock and Roll Lifestyle" got college radio play before wider fame
• Cake signed to Capricorn Records, a small Southern rock label
• East Bay Ray advised McCrea to fight for keeping album masters
• McCrae says most bands don't retain their masters like Cake did
• Vinyl of Cake albums historically hard to find, tied up licensing
• Discusses 2014 box set now reselling for $700–$1,000 secondhand
• New Cake album is finished, awaiting mixing, targeted early 2027
• Explains he avoids forced album themes, focuses song by song
• Reflects on why Cake albums come infrequently, citing family, industry fatigue
• Criticizes modern music industry as increasingly exploitative and financially unsustainable
• Explains reduced touring due to travel dislike and environmental concerns
• Considers eco-friendly vinyl options and shifting kids' preference toward CDs
• Discusses Cake's DIY visual identity, homemade posters, and lino-cut aesthetic
• Talks rare live vinyl pressings, including $300 Crystal Palace release
• Wraps up promoting Cake's Australian tour dates and Sydney ticket sales

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