Charlie Dirksen & Ellis Godard of the Mockingbird Foundation conducted a quick Q&A with Mike Ayers, author of the new book Sharing in the Groove: The Untold Story of the ‘90s Jam Band Explosion and the Scene That Followed. Mike is a veteran music journalist who has written for places including Billboard, Rolling Stone, the Wall Street Journal, and Relix. This is his second book, following 2020’s One Last Song: Conversations on Life, Death and Music, which Variety picked as one of the best music books of the year.

Sharing in the Groove is told in an oral history format. Why did you decide to go this route?

I love these types of books and thought that this time period would be best explored this way… I was there during that time, obsessing about all the acts in the book, and I knew what was happening in the world I, the fan, was in. But not so much the artists. Once I started talking to people, it was clear that there were a lot of trials and tribulations that everyone was going through. It just validated that this approach was the best …people would learn more hearing it directly from the source versus me. Plus, do fans want to read a written narrative, driven by my thoughts? Probably not!

What are some of your favorite Phishy stories within?

Without giving too much away — because I think they come at such great moments, and knowing the context, make them even more powerful…. But there are some great moments that I love regarding the recording of Junta, Picture of Nectar, and Billy Breathes…plus the Clifford Ball and Big Cypress. There’s a story about recording “Esther” that is just ***chef’s kiss***.

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