PODCAST: The Heart and Humor of Jason Molina

September 22, 2025 - REDACTED BLOG (Los Angeles, CA) 38 MIN PODCAST: “The Heart and Humor of Jason Molina” with Shelby and Piper

Hosts Shelby and Piper talk with Tommy Nickoloff, the director of the feature-length documentary, You Fuckers Figure It Out: A Jason Molina Story. Tommy discusses his personal connection to Molina and his mission to portray a fuller, more nuanced picture of his late friend. We talk about some of the most magical moments with Jason (including a joke with a 23-year punchline), the experience of exploring his life and career through the medium of film, the bursts of hope that kept him going through the rough patches, and what it means to be able to share who Jason was to him—the biggest goofball he’d ever met.

“You wouldn’t believe this, but people here don’t know who he is. And even if they do know who he is, like a lot of people kind of either couldn’t give a shit less or they’re super fans. You know, in the ’80s and early ’90s, when we lived here, like everyone was pushing us to get out. So now, there’s a little bit of this attitude of like, “Well, you guys all left.” And it’s like, no, no, no, no. There were no opportunities. From ’83 or ’84, I can remember people saying, “Go to college, get a job, and get the hell out of here.” So we all did. Anybody that could, did.”