Before country music was trendy enough to be on everyone’s playlists – there was Jill Johnson holding the fort. This week’s brilliant dream guest, the Swedish country and pop singer-songwriter Jill, is nothing short of a pioneer with her career spanning over 30 years.

Desperate to become part of Jill’s hit TV-show Jills veranda, Al sends out an open job application as the shows own “Swedish comic masseur”. As Al and Jill entertain the idea of putting together a band, they also try to tackle the week’s audience question “If marriage is truly worth the trouble?”. Finally, the Al Pitcher team together with Jill Johnson sings the audience off to a merry christmas with their 5-second-sing-along. Find Jill Johnson here: https://www.instagram.com/jilljohnsonmusic/ https://www.jilljohnson.se https://open.spotify.com/artist/2aaGbpl5Y2ykZsNFZM6ofw?si=SCjViD6dQz65ckUtLZip6Q Perhaps Sweden’s most celebrated international comic Al Pitcher, continues to make us ponder and laugh at all things funny and Swedish with his third season of Dream Guest Podcast. Recorded from his studios in Skärholmen, Stockholm, Al’s ambition is to spread his love of Sweden abroad, while bringing in stars and topics of a global scale. The season premiers the day before the American presidential elections on November 4th, 2024. Between a giant ficus tree and a neon sign, Al invites an impressive line-up of guests to sit down with him for a laugh. The celebrated satirist and program host, John Oliver, kicks off the season by sharing with the audience his pre-election jitters. This season, joining Al in discussing topics that range from childhood pranks to identity crises, are comedians Russell Howard and Evelyn Mok, as well as musicians Jill Johnson, Chris Kläfford, and James Bay. Co-hosts: Soma Manuchar / https://www.youtube.com/@UCAfzYIR4n4ko30xip8PUK-g / https://www.instagram.com/homeofsoma Simon Larsson / https://www.instagram.com/simonwithdrums Buy tickets to Al's new tour "Tid för skratt" here: https://www.alpitcher.com Find out more about Al here: official webpage: https://www.alpitcher.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alpitcher TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@alpitcher Management/sponsorship inquiries: Anna Gauffin / anna@annamgmt.se This podcast is produced by SOSI Studios - soma@sosistudios.com

(00:00:00) Intro

(00:00:56) An icon in this country
(00:01:46) What instruments can you play
(00:04:38) Country is cool again
(00:04:49) Jill knew what she wanted to do when she was 4
(00:04:55) Al wanted to be a horsing commentator
(00:05:06) Dalahäst
(00:06:02) Did Soma know what she wanted to be?
(00:10:49) Jill doesn't wear hats until recently
(00:12:06) It only took a minute for my country to love country
(00:12:29) Pickle balls and pickle back
(00:13:48) Making jokes about silly Swedish traditions
(00:14:29) Al wants to go to Nashville as a Swedish masseur
(00:15:12) Skåne audiences like outside the box
(00:16:05) Country music didn’t work at all in middle of Sweden
(00:16:22) Al's research on country
(00:19:36) Country band name generator
(00:21:09) Do you do merch Jill?
(00:22:06) Question: Is marriage worth the trouble
(00:25:01) What does AI say
(00:26:24) AI in music
(00:27:42) Night rider tour bus
(00:29:41) Jill would sleep in the car when she was little
(00:30:27) Christmas Tour with Jill
(00:34:27) Outro

EPISODE 17 - RUSSELL HOWARD

Al describes this week’s dream guest, comedian Russell Howard, as his best mate - hilarious, likable and punchable at the same time. Russell describes Al as a paranoid, low-esteemed old lady in need of a body pillow. As the two comedians go down the memory lane and reminisce about the quirky events at Al’s wedding, we find out what Russell thinks of the great Swedish warship Vasa. On this week’s Al’s Advice, an audience member wonders if Al and his guest ever run out of inspiration. Russell digs deep and quotes Bob Dylan.

Find Russell Howard here: https://www.instagram.com/russellhoward/

https://www.youtube.com/@russellhoward

https://www.russell-howard.co.uk/ Perhaps Sweden’s most celebrated international comic Al Pitcher, continues to make us ponder and laugh at all things funny and Swedish with his third season of Dream Guest Podcast. Recorded from his studios in Skärholmen, Stockholm, Al’s ambition is to spread his love of Sweden abroad, while bringing in stars and topics of a global scale. The season premiers the day before the American presidential elections on November 4th, 2024. Between a giant ficus tree and a neon sign, Al invites an impressive line-up of guests to sit down with him for a laugh. The celebrated satirist and program host, John Oliver, kicks off the season by sharing with the audience his pre-election jitters. This season, joining Al in discussing topics that range from childhood pranks to identity crises, are comedians Russell Howard and Evelyn Mok, as well as musicians Jill Johnson, Chris Kläfford, and James Bay. Co-hosts: Soma Manuchar / https://www.youtube.com/@UCAfzYIR4n4ko30xip8PUK-g / https://www.instagram.com/homeofsoma Simon Larsson / https://www.instagram.com/simonwithdrums Buy tickets to Al's new tour "Tid för skratt" here: https://www.alpitcher.com Find out more about Al here: official webpage: https://www.alpitcher.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alpitcher TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@alpitcher Management/sponsorship inquiries: Anna Gauffin / anna@annamgmt.se This podcast is produced by SOSI Studios - soma@sosistudios.com

(00:00:00) Intro

(00:02:56) At school - is your dad funny
(00:03:18) Frank makes a prank call
(00:05:59) My name is luca prank call
(00:06:30) The frank prank call
(00:09:33) Best friends
(00:10:15) Confidence
(00:12:22) Chiaua
(00:12:56) Travel pillow
(00:15:09) Setlist
(00:17:28) 60 cm
(00:18:06) Russell is comming to Uppsala
(00:18:54) Wedding
(00:20:48) Wedding rice
(00:22:56) The guy with a rainbow beard
(00:24:29) VASA
(00:26:10) Finding porrige bars
(00:27:14) Al’s advice
(00:29:37) Al answers question
(00:30:53) Russell on creativity and comedy writing
(00:32:38) Finding comedy on tour
(00:33:12) Ai pitcher answers
(00:34:54) Al on his friendship to russell
(00:35:29) Al on laughing
(00:35:47) Asshole joke
(00:36:01) Pranking
(00:36:56) Russells brother stealing bits
(00:37:54) Shorts like Saddam
(00:38:55) Bath during zoom
(00:39:14) Als and russells chat
(00:40:17) Russell hitting brother in wheelchair

EPISODE 16 - JAMES BAY The Grammy-nominated English singer-songwriter and guitarist James Bay sits down with Al to discuss his incredible process of recording the latest album with some of his idols. Al asks James about the origin of his iconic fashion style, and James being the generous spirit that he is – pays tribute to the musicians that came before him. Al reveals the one thing that’s always on his tour rider while James decodes the previously misunderstood Frank Sinatra rider in a matter of seconds! This week’s Al’s Advice features an audience question from “James from UK”. This puts the entire room in utter confusion and laughter like never before! Find James Bay here: https://www.instagram.com/jamesbaymusic/ https://www.youtube.com/@JamesBayMusic https://open.spotify.com/artist/4EzkuveR9pLvDVFNx6foYD?si=pRFnRntDSySoUU-MKZvxHg https://www.jamesbay.com Perhaps Sweden’s most celebrated international comic Al Pitcher, continues to make us ponder and laugh at all things funny and Swedish with his third season of Dream Guest Podcast. Recorded from his studios in Skärholmen, Stockholm, Al’s ambition is to spread his love of Sweden abroad, while bringing in stars and topics of a global scale. The season premiers the day before the American presidential elections on November 4th, 2024. Between a giant ficus tree and a neon sign, Al invites an impressive line-up of guests to sit down with him for a laugh. The celebrated satirist and program host, John Oliver, kicks off the season by sharing with the audience his pre-election jitters. This season, joining Al in discussing topics that range from childhood pranks to identity crises, are comedians Russell Howard and Evelyn Mok, as well as musicians Jill Johnson, Chris Kläfford, and James Bay. Co-hosts: Soma Manuchar / https://www.youtube.com/@UCAfzYIR4n4ko30xip8PUK-g / https://www.instagram.com/homeofsoma Simon Larsson / https://www.instagram.com/simonwithdrums Buy tickets to Al's new tour "Tid för skratt" here: https://www.alpitcher.com Find out more about Al here: official webpage: https://www.alpitcher.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alpitcher TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@alpitcher Management/sponsorship inquiries: Anna Gauffin / anna@annamgmt.se This podcast is produced by SOSI Studios - soma@sosistudios.com

(00:00:00) Intro

(00:00:37) Simon thinks people don't read titles anymore (00:00:49) Al falling for click baits

(00:02:20) Al talks age

(00:04:32) Cats have 9 lives

(00:05:18) Where Al met James for the first time

(00:08:19) James talks about coming out of recording vibes

(00:09:52) Touring as a comedian versus musician

(00:11:04) The pressure to perform at a friend's wedding

(00:11:34) James on being extrovert and introvert

(00:12:32) James' tour will come to Stockholm

(00:13:17) James started a trend in Sweden

(00:15:16) Kevin Bacon played James Bay in a commercial

(00:16:14) James gives credit where credit is due

(00:18:04) James celebrating his musical community

(00:19:40) What's the writing process like

(00:20:40) James went to Utah to record with some of his idols

(00:22:15) Is James' album about parental tiredness and changing diapers?

(00:22:39) Does James Bay have a special rider?

(00:25:05) Frank Sinatra's old rider

(00:26:34) AL's Advice

(00:27:48) What James thinks of Swedish people

(00:29:02) Al teaches James Bay about Swedish fika

(00:29:50) Swedish versus English queuing

(00:31:27) Outro

(00:31:58) Being bad