55. Half Handed Cloud

55. Half Handed Cloud

Author: Markly Morrison May 19, 2022 Duration: 50:33
 Since the start of the millennium, John Ringhofer has been making hundreds of bite-sized kaleidoscopic story songs under the name Half-Handed Cloud. I became a fan of his work when I first heard his bedroom-production sunshine pop (with an avant-garde leaning). Years later, I found myself playing a pile of instruments for his touring band in Europe. In today’s interview John visits the studio via Zoom from his home in Finland. He discusses his tape recorder’s role as a band member, raising an artistic family, writing songs about some of the more unpleasant subjects in the Bible, and his new album “Flutterama” out this June on Asthmatic Kitty Records. He also gives an exclusive performance: 11 Half-Handed Cloud songs in 2 sets. You’ve gotta see it, and thanks to TCTV Studio, you can see this whole episode on video on lowprofilepodcast.com at your leisure! The video version is a bit longer as there are parts of the show that don’t work without a visual element. My guest co-host today is KAOS DJ Scott Eaton who has been hosting the show “God’s Misfits” since 2000. Live Setlist A1. We Don't Know How It Grows [2002] 2. Handles [2022] 3. Titus Three [2014] 4. Tongues That Possess The Earth Instead [2006] (briefly) 5. Out On The Ice, We Face Our Hearts [2010]  Live Setlist B 1. Buffet... [2006] 2. Thumb/Toe Collection [2005] 3. In You Now But Still Below [2006] 4. Baldy Knees [2002] 5. The Netherworld Squints At The Sight Of You [2022] 6. You Came To Disappear [2016]Find Half-Handed Cloud music and Merchandise athttps://half-handedcloud.bandcamp.com/Low Profile receives support from you on patreon.com/lowprofile as well as in-kind support fromSan Francisco Street Bakerysfsbakery.comRainy Day Records and Tapes@rainydayolympiaSchwartz’s Deli@schwartzsolympiaOld School Pizzeria@old_schoolpizzeriaScherler Easy Premium Shitty American Lagerscherlerbeer.com This episode was recorded at Thurston Community Media in Olympia WA by Andrew Ebright.Tcmedia.orgThe portrait artwork for all season five episodes including this one is painted by Nathan Berko-Gibson.Artists and musicians! Want vinyl records but can’t afford to order 1000 and wait 8-12 months? Check out our friends at Lathecuts.com. They will make you vinyl singles in quantities as low as 50 as quickly as 3-4 weeks. All of their pricing is ala carte and they can help pick a package that fits your budget. Email Mike at Lathecuts@yahoo.com and Mention Low Profile to get a 10% overrun on your order for free!

There’s a whole world of essential music made by people who never became household names. Low Profile with Markly Morrison seeks out those artists, producers, and behind-the-scenes figures, blending their stories with the music they created. Host Markly Morrison, an audio journalist and musician based in Olympia, Washington, approaches these conversations as oral history-less about fame and more about the craft, the context, and the often overlooked contributions that shaped sounds we love. You’ll hear intimate, detailed interviews that pull back the curtain on influential work, paired with the tracks that define these careers. The show originates as a radio program on KAOS 89.3 FM but finds its enduring home as a podcast distributed by Ruinous Media, allowing these deep-dive stories to be savored anytime. Each episode is a chance to discover not just new music, but the rich human experiences behind it, focusing on the genuine artistry that exists far from the glare of the mainstream spotlight. This podcast is for anyone who believes the most compelling stories in music are often the ones you haven’t heard yet.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Low Profile with Markly Morrison
Podcast Episodes
89. Anne-Tina [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:18
Today, we’re examining a hidden gem from 1984 lovingly crafted by a nineteen year old keyboardist living in Denmark by the name of Anne-Tina, whose debut album was reissued in 2025 on Frederiksberg Records. To help us ex…
88. Shudder To Think [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:39
After moving to D.C. in 1985, then 16-year-old Craig Wedren helped shape Shudder To Think into a standout act within the Dischord Records scene, evolving from a raw hardcore-adjacent sound into a complex style that event…
Kento Oiwa - Olympia Music History Project [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:03
Musician Kento Oiwa interviewed by Markly Morrison for the Olympia Music History Project. Formed in the mid-1990s by Japanese immigrants Kento Oiwa and Michiko Swiggs, IQU was a group unlike anything folks in Olympia–or…
Low Profile Classic: Swamp Dogg [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:36
Swamp Dogg is coming to Olympia this weekend 7/13/2025! First, he'll be performing at Scherler Sundays, it's a free show that starts at 3pm. After that, Olympia Film Society will be hosting a free 8pm screening of the ne…
Pat Maley - Olympia Music History Project (Bonus) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:59
Today, instead of your usual Low Profile programming, I’m sharing an interview I conducted with Pat Maley in 2023 for the Olympia Music History Project. The whole transcript is available at olympiamusichistory.org . Pat…
87. Dick El Demasiado (Season Finale) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:12
When I first developed an interest in rough-around-the-edges cumbia music, a friend (thanks Matt!) introduced me to the music of Dick El Demasiado, purveyor of “cumbias lunaticas.” Over the years I’ve managed to glean a…
Olympia Music History Project: John Foster [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:53
It’s been a minute since I’ve put out a new show, and so I thought maybe I’d let you in on what has been keeping me so busy. A couple years ago, I started working on an oral history project funded by the city- appropriat…
Margo Guryan (Revisited) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:27
It's an election day bonus episode! Today we’re gonna be digging way back in the archive to episode 4: Focusing on Margo Guryan. This was recorded in early 2019, when I was still figuring out this show’s format. At that…
86. April March [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:52
If there was such a thing as the American ambassador to 60s French Pop it would have to be Elinor Blake, better known as April March. Elinor began her professional career in the world of animation back in the early 80s b…
85. Chris Schlarb of Psychic Temple [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:18
Psychic Temple is the extended-family project of Chris Schlarb, the proprietor of the retro-chic Big Ego studio in Long Beach, California. Chris is an old friend of mine, going back to the turn of the century when I live…