An Evening With Puscifer: "Normal Isn’t" & the Art of Creative Freedom

Under the stars at LA’s historic Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Allison Hagendorf sits down with Puscifer — Maynard James Keenan, Karina Round, and Matt Mitchell — for an intimate screening party and the first-ever listen of their new album, Normal Isn’t. Fresh off hearing the record come to life for the very first time, the band opens up about what makes Puscifer different: no rules, no fixed lineup, total trust, and the freedom to follow ideas wherever they lead even when that means comedy and heaviness living side by side. The conversation dives into: ⚡️ Experiencing Normal Isn’t for the first time with an audience ⚡️ Puscifer’s 20+ year evolution and ever-rotating creative family ⚡️ Why “anything goes” is the band’s true mission statement ⚡️ Balancing humor, intensity, and instinct ⚡️ Making records in hotel rooms, studios, and on the road ⚡️ The album’s sonic palette, guitars, synths, and aggression ⚡️ New characters, storylines, and the expanding Pusciverse via graphic novels ⚡️ What Normal Isn’t would taste like… if it were a wine 🍷 This is Puscifer unfiltered, playful, thoughtful, uncompromising, and deeply human. Subscribe on Substack for more behind-the-scenes from our magical night 👀 Watch next: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwh7qo7VAe4&list=PLl6dGiHr9hXCBsHHe9qR0PiTgxkpdjRyI&index=2 🎧 Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts: https://play.megaphone.fm/sxhb2ibzrw-vle8ombutpa ❤️ FOLLOW & SUBSCRIBE TO ALLISON ✅ Substack: https://allisonhagendorf.substack.com ✅ YouTube: https://youtube.com/AllisonHagendorf ✅ Official Website: https://allisonhagendorf.com ✅ Instagram: https://instagram.com/allisonhagendorf ✅ TikTok: https://TikTok.com/@allisonhagendorf ✅ X: https://x.com/allihagendorf 00:00 – Intro 02:55 – Hearing Normal Isn’t With an Audience for the First Time 03:55 – Puscifer Backstory (20+ Years In) 04:52 – Why Revolving Musicians Matter 06:30 – The Core Dynamic of the Band 07:04 – The Mission Statement: No Rules, Anything Goes 08:45 – Friendship as the Foundation 09:59 – How Puscifer Has Evolved 10:40 – Balancing Comedy and Intensity 12:08 – The Meaning Behind Normal Isn’t 12:58 – The Album Process (Arizona, LA, On the Road) 14:35 – Sonic Identity & Musical Palette 16:07 – New Characters & The Graphic Novel Universe 19:55 – If Puscifer Were a Wine… (Tasting Notes) 21:20 – Fan Questions 27:46 – What Inspires You Most About Each Other? 31:51 – Outro #Puscifer #MaynardJamesKeenan #NormalIsnt #RockCulture #MusicInterview #HollywoodForever An A-Game Production Co-Produced by Raw Content & Ones To Watch/Live Nation Raw Content Directed by: JT Boehme Shot by: Ben Feldman Sound by: Jimmy Ward Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices