This week on The Never Seen It Podcast, we’re joined by the one and only Kyle Mabson — the musician behind our theme song, “Don’t Think I Can Stay,” and member of Burn Cycle. We dive into Kyle’s creative process, from making noise music and absurdist art to crafting iconic mashups on his Instagram account @selfies_food_and_pets. He shares how he met Alex, how he approaches making sounds that shouldn’t work but do, and why chaos is sometimes the best creative fuel.
In this episode of The Never Seen It Podcast, we sit down with Kyle Mabson — the wildly creative mind behind our theme song, “Don’t Think I Can Stay,” and part of the project Burn Cycle. Kyle talks about how he builds music that sounds like no one else’s, how he and Alex first crossed paths, and his hilariously strange Instagram page @selfies_food_and_pets, where pop culture gets twisted into something new (and usually unhinged).
We talk artistic process, meme aesthetics, internet chaos, and why Kyle’s approach to sound and humor stands out in a noisy world.
👉 Like what you hear? Don’t forget to like, follow, and drop us a comment!
And definitely check out Kyle’s work on Instagram: @selfies_food_and_pets
Welcome to a special recording, a special bonus
of the never seen a podcast
something we don't do very often, but when we do, you know, it means something
tonight
We are doing a special little interview with our friend, friend
of the show, Mr. Kyle Mapson
who has done the music.
He made the music the track called Don't Think I Can Stay Which We've Been Using as the theme
to this show for a very long time now
It's our anthem.
It's not just our theme.
It's our anthem.
So thank you for that, Kyle.
I do appreciate that
Alex, let's take it on to you
our connection through Kyle's through you.
How did you guys meet?
Talk to us about that really quick
When I first started doing shows, one of the first bands I became friends with was
This band called No Paws, No Lions
I believe that Kyle
It was introduced to me by Sam Woodson
you guys kind of rammed the same circles and everything like that.
Yeah, even though he lived they were based in Riverside
Did you play a lot of shows in Riverside
No, no, no.
They played more shows in L.A. on it
There's a lot slimmer options for show playing
in Riverside than in L.A., obviously.
Yeah, that's true
Then you and I, I had you booked for
a show.
It was a
Jim Mercen's monster mash.
And that was with one of the former members of Captain Ahab
How do these vans get on
any of those shows over there
Actually, back in the day
I think just
knowing the people that do the stuff there
I mean, because I started going there when I was like
14.
Something like that
And then I started doing sound there when I was like 18.
So
Yeah, for a long time
I've been involved doing stuff there
Tell me about
how you started getting more involved with
doing stuff with
film now
which is that you kind of talked about
that movie you might be involved with with Aziz Ansari
How'd that come about
Yeah, I don't.
So I haven't seen it yet
So I don't know if the thing I did is even in there,
but I made something for it that's in the movie
So hopefully it is when it comes out.
I don't know
Yeah, I got asked to do it
I'm good friends with
Aziz's brother, Anise, who is also a writer on that movie.
Nice.
And he, I became friends with him through
my Instagram.
So
He knew that I could make the
thing that they wanted to be made for it, basically.
Okay.
Um, Are you from California originally, Kyle, or where you from originally?
Yeah, born and raised in LA.
Okay.
Both parents born and raised in LA
Yeah, this is this is living by road.
I don't intend on going anywhere else.
So, yeah
I'm curious about sort of your process and stuff because
I discovered your YouTube fairly recently,
and I saw that the theme charter show is on there as
a video that you put together together.
I think using just stock footage.
So I'm curious about
like, what made you decide to put that together in that way?
Like what was your process like for that?
For which thing
for the I think I can stay a music video Oh,
My friend made that, actually.
My friend Matt, who's a director and has directed a bunch of things.
He made that during
the early days of the pandemic when
couldn't really do anything.
And he was like, I'm going to make a video out of just stock footage.
And I said, all right.
Cool.
So, obviously, chicken before the egg, right?
The track came first.
And then he later on put the images to it
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Or like I, yeah, I sent it to him when it was made, and then he made, yeah, that.
And how did you, so how did you
Nice.
make the track itself.
Like, what was your process for that
I don't even remember..
I mean.
It seems so long ago.
I've seen so long ago that we've been using this track for so long.
Because I think I made
that song in probably like 2019.
I would think
because that came out like in spring of 2020.
So, yeah, I probably like made it in like 2019 sometime.
Nice.
Yeah, I don't know.
I just started...
I was just making all these songs and that was like, I think that's the first
song I put out as this project.
That's the first one that came out ever
I was going to say, speaking of processes, you could you talk about a
little bit about your process with the visual memes that you create on Instagram?
I think they're're very interesting.
If someone' somebody who's like new to you and first person time
of you, seeing your stuff, like what, like, how would you explain your art to them?
Just like
I guess different things from pop
culture that you wouldn't necessarily think would go together
is maybe
Digital collage of, yeah, some pop
culture from all realms of it
Because I seen one with like, I think it was I think it was McCaulay
Culkin, and then it was like a S calibber in front of it.
And then I read.
This is a long time ago, I read like an interview on it.
It's something like he just randomly pop popped up to a wrestling match that you were
at and you kind of that was kind of like your inspiration for that.
Is that kind of like how most of your works come about?
Yeah, most of the things I make, I don't really
have an idea before I start making it.
It's just like, or I'll think of like one thing
and then I look that up and then I'll find an image I like
and then I'll be like, and then that makes me think of something else and then I'll look that up
I like this one with Nathan Fielder.
There you go.
That's fantastic.
Yeah, I usually don't
Yeah.
have any sort of idea going into it.
It's just like as I'm doing it, I'm like making it up as I'm going.
How long does it take you to make one of those?
That's cool.
It depends.
It could take like
15 minutes it could take like an hour
it just depends on, yeah, the thing, but somewhere in there, usually
You have 32,000 followers.
I just noticed that, by the way. 32,000 followers on
Instagram, how much engagement do you have with people that follow you on there?
Out of curiosity
Like, like, what do you mean?
Like, do you do you talk?
Do you interact with your followers on that platform a lot?
Or is it pretty passive
I'd say for the most part, pretty passive.
Like some people I do, but not many
That's a good I wish we had $32,000 fall.
I'm not like hashtagging shit or anything like that, you know
Gotcha.
See, that's the most impressive thing to me.
It's like
I've known you for like over 10 years, this is beautiful.
I love that.
Larry D.
Yeah.
Sorry, go ahead.
Since I think I would say at least 2008, right?
And Around there, yeah.
I find that very, very impressive that you've been like
able to connect with like really cool
collaborators, you know, like just through your art.
You know, like you had that, uh, people just kind of like,
they, the people who ran Complex Con hit you up to do that, that, uh, booth there.
Um, You've done collaborations with bands.
What's the most interesting like
collaboration that you've been involved with because of your art?
I don't even know.
I don't know, because I'm very much like
I'm very much about, yeah, like experiences and like
doing like very
Like, if an opportunity comes up to do, like, a weird,
like, niche thing, like, I'm gonna fucking take it for sure.
Just to say I did it
Like, it's not like
I'm more about
Like, yeah, like some weird experience than like,
I don't know, getting money or, I don't know.
It's like that's more, I don't know, more of an important thing or something
Yeah, I mean, that's that's that feels kind of like you and
I, our relationship, how it's been historically,
like, I I'd hit you up, tell you about something like, interesting that I'd want to do with you.
And you're like, yeah, let's do it
And it feels like that's kind of
the vibe that she tried to go for.
Like, like money has never been a a driving point for you.
No, it's.
I'm sure like when
I've done a show with you or with anyone.
I'm never like, how much does it pay?
Or that's not the first
that comes to mind because it's
more about if I if I want to do something, I want to do it.
It's not
Yeah, I'm never going to ask.
If I want to do something, I'm never going to ask, how much does it pay?
That's not the first
thing to come to mind to be like, oh, I need this to find out first.
Like, that's the most important thing.
We've talked about that with this show, right?
Like, and I tell people all the time, like, I don't I don't do this show because I expect it to ever make money out of it.
It would be nice if we could eventually.
But for me, it's a hobby that that
I think we all do for just because we're passionate about talking about movies.
And
it's, you know, it's's an excuse to hang out virtually and, and talk movies, right?
And kind of yuck around a bit for an hour and a half
I think that's a great mindset to have.
Yeah.
I feel like
People always expect you to monetize everything that you are interested in.
It's like, you don't have to, necessarily, you know?
No
I feel like that.
I mean, that's the whole reason like I was like, yeah, let's hang out with Kyle.
I haven't talked to Kyle in, like, at least a couple of years.
And like in this kind of form.
I mean, the last time we hung out was like here at the mall in San Diego.
There's a chance I might be there soon coming up.
So.
Yeah, yeah.
Hit.
In. Yeah.
Yeah, yeah.
Hit.
And I have to say, Kyle, I don't scroll. the main Instagram feed when I go on there.
I mostly just go through stories here and there.
But when I see your post at the tub of my feet, I always have to look at it because I always know it's going to make me
it's one of those little things that like, if you're having a bad day and I see something
like that, it brings, it brings up, you know, the mood a little bit for me.
So, so I have to thank you personally.
Here we go.
I'll take that for sure.
It's honestly the only thing in my feed worth looking at them.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I'm being honest with you, because everything else is
you know, on Instagram.
It's ads and it's just other random shit.
Some bullshit that doesn't matter or you don't care about it.
I understand
That's why I don't follow anybody
Yeah, Oh, really?
You look at my account.
I remember that day.
I was like
I saw your, I went to your Instagram feed and I was
like, oh, man, you just in followability I mean.
That's like very admirable
It's been years.
I've never fallen anyone in years
Yeah, you're right.
Zero following.
But you have 3,511 posts, my friend.
That's impressive, man.
Well, for a while, I was doing it every day.
So, yeah, it adds up
That's great.
And how do you grow a fall?
Did you just grow it organically?
Just people just find your stuff and
Yeah.
Okay.
Yeah, like I've never
Started falling?
paid for an ad or, yeah, like I said, another hashtag
anything like I'm not doing anything.
I'm over here trying to like ask Chat GPT best SEO for our podcast.
Hashtags all that good stuff..
And like, you know, we have 100 followers on TikTok, 200 something on Instagram
20 on YouTube.
And I'm like, I need more, damn it.
What's the, what's the secret sauce?
You know, so yeah, I don't actually know.
I have no idea
I don't know.
That's so interesting.
Well, here's the thing I learned was like, don't buy shit, just be charming.
And I feel like that kind of fits, Kyle's mold.
Like, Kyle has always been like a very charming guy.
And I
like, you know what I mean?
Like I' I've heard people like like
talk about you and it's always been
like, I've never seen Kyle mad
He's always been a very, like, happy guy
he's always like very approachable.
Like like How do you do that?
Nobody has a bad thing to say about you.
I mean, I mean, haters.
Like, they kind of like.
There's this one guy who was telling me, I saw it on his Instagram.
He reposted one of your things.
Like
He showed like a meme.
He's like
How is this comedy
I remember something you said is like
And it was something completely separate from what
this conversation was, but I think you said that
It's not meant to be a joke.
Your art's not meant to be a joke.
It's actually art
What's funny?
There's no, yeah, I'm not putting a text or a punchline or anything.
So it's open interpretation, whatever you think.
Yeah, I don't care
That's the point of art, right?
Yeah.
It's whatever it invokesing you, that's it.
Exactly.
Whatever you like that mindset
Hey, I'm just curious.
Like, you do a lot of stuff.
You have your hands and a lot of things, right?
Like you DJ, you make art, and do music.
But how do you structure your day?
Like, it's just like so many different artistic things.
I wonder, like, how do you decide what gets love that day or what are you going to be working on?
Like, do you structure it a certain way or you just kind of go with it
kind of go with it.
Like
I've never had like
a nine to five job in my entire life
And like, or any.
You're not missing much.
Yeah, I don't think.
I feel like it It's too late to start now.
So I'm like.
So I've never had like some like
work schedule to myself of like, oh, this,
I got to get this done in this time or anything like that.
So it's, yeah, it's very just like
loose and going with the flow, I guess
Yeah, I have a nine to five, and as grateful as I am to be gainfully employed
it's hard to be a creative person and have an office job because there's
You're not supposed to be creative in that type of an environment.
Like, I'm sorry.
You're just not.
Like, people will say, oh, but you can now.
No, like, I can't.
You know, I need.
That's why we, I love doing this show
this is an escape for me.
Outside of reading and doom scrolling, this
is like, you know, the best form of escapism for me.
Because, man, yeah, you're not, you're really not missing much in
the corporate world, if you will.
Definitely not
you mentioned earlier, like uh, you know, the weirder the project, the better for you.
I was just wondering if you've ever, you know, uh, been proposed a project
that kind of scared you or like, you were kind of intimidated by it because it seems
like you're pretty, you know, you're you're pretty much open for anything
Not that I could think of, but I think like in general
when I have something like coming up that I know I have to do, I'm like
real stressed about it leading up to it no matter what it is.
Sure.
It's not just everything in that sense, but like
There hasn't been anything where it's like, oh, that's like too stupid
or too goofy that I can think of offhand
I like the idea of the
down of Mson, you know, like you just kind of do things as you go.
You take it as they come.
And like you I've
almost tried to model my
The way I do things
like you, but I also have this kind of weird
back in the day structured, like I used to work at the nine to five
So that I have that upbringing, but then like I I
love how you you say like you've never had a nine of five, but you've been able to make it.
It kind of like
the kinds of sacrifices you've had to do to make,
like in order to do this, like to forego
I don't I'm not saying you have this extravagant life
But like you definitely have been able to
live
The life that you want
Have you ever ever been like
had that desire to ever
I want to just be a normal guy, you know
No.
It's like
Definitely like there's been times when it's been like
I've like worried like month to month about like rent or something like that.
And it's like, oh, am I going to make rent?
Am I going to be able to pay for this?
And blah, blah, blah.
But it's like
It always works out.
It's always fine.
I'll never, you know
been in a situation
where I wasn't okay and it's like
Obviously, like there's been, you know, when
you're like freelance and you're kind of going month to month, there's like times
there's months that are shittier than others
But then there's ones that are way better than others
it evens out.
And I don't think
Yeah, it would be tough to just like
Yeah, have like a
office that I went to like every day for eight hours and like
was just like in the schedule of doing that
I don't remember the last time I woke up before
you know, 9:30 in the morning.
I am jealous of you.
Hold.
Do you have kids?
No.
Oh, okay.
Don't have kids.
Yeah.
That'll upend your entire sleep schedule.
Of course, no.
None of that, so I don't have to worry that back.
I like to live by the coda that Kevin Smith has
said, but just surround yourself by people who say, why not?
Like, if you want to do something
Surrounding yourself with people, yeah, sure, why not?
Let's do it
And, uh that's worked out pretty good for me so far.
You know, I was on a little film project just the other day with a friend of mine.
He's like, I want you to play this part.
You don't really have any lines.
You're just playing like a dirty hobo.
I'm like, yeah, fuck it.
Let's do it
You know, we've been we've been podcasting together, Alex and I, at least for what
well, over 10 years at this point, Alex, right?
So I'm like, yeah.
At least since 2012.
And we're still here And we're still doing it
I think it's it's it's been a fun ride
being able to meet people like Kyle and other people that we've had on the show, you know, like
I would never meet anybody other.
I don't leave the house.
So it's like, I'm not we're going to meet anybody if I don't if I don't get up on the show somehow.
I feel like that's
it's hard for people to let go of like certain
comforts
Are there any comforts that you feel like you've had to let go of this in order to
Say yes
to a lot of the
stuff that you want to do
Probably not because I never had them to begin with
So I don't know what I'm missing
That's fair.
That's fair.
Yeah, yeah.
So I don't, I don't, I'm sure there's a bunch of
a bunch of shit that I've been missing out on that
I don't even experience or have it on a regular basis.
I don't even
think about it
Well, I mean, just kind of just taking it back to like the whole film aspect of our thing.
There's like a movie that I recently watched called Perfect Days
about this guy who have you seen it
No It's about this Japanese guy who
Like he lives in Tokyo and he has a job as a
restroom cleaner.
He just goes around.
He's a janitor
he seems to be have like the happiest of life.
He's like, very, very content with everything.
And
in that movie, you find out that he's had to let go of
a lot of things in his life in order to find that balance of happiness
When I watched that movie, I thought of you
Because of like
I see this balance in your life.
And like, yeah, you said you've had the struggles of
I think that's what I was trying to get at.
It's like, I've
I want to be able to fight
I'll be able to strike that balance as well, because I think that's kind of like the trajectory of my life
Like, I want to be able to do creative things
that's why I do this podcast podcast still.
And like I want to get back into doing events and like being able to do fun things like
The Creed Knight.
Creed Knight.
Talk about that.
How did that come about
thought, you know
People
People need an event based around some divorced data rock
And we can be the ones to provide that
One three, the first two I DJed
And then the last one, I was kind of just like
Let me just come up with a bunch of dumb shit
Like, I don't need a DJ.
Just let me be in charge of the dumb shit
And it was great.
I was in charge of the dumb shit and it was cool.
Had like some
Nice.
dudes like punching doors and going through doors and
had a
guy dressed like Captain Jack Sparrow doing vape tricks.
Damn it.
It was great.
Why wasn't I there for that?
I know you have some involvement with pro wrestling
And I saw that you had some pro wrestlers.
Like, how did that
aspect come about
Well, I just I thought
if I'm doing like a
2000s like over compensating masculine night.
You need some pro wrestling, right
Like that's part of it
the theme songs from a lot of pro wrestling
came from that era, too, so I'll be classic one.
Exactly.
So it's like very on brand.
It's like
You're watching, yeah, you're like chugging a monster energy
you're like watching like Bar Rescue and then like wrestling comes on and you're going to turn on that wrestling
Sitting on your leather couch It's cool
Well, I have a question for you guys
How do you guys find, especially you, Kyle, as a creator of music, an an artist?
How do you find, what's the best way to find new music
I, I guess I, because I go to shows a lot
So a lot of
I want to go see, like seeing who's opening for that and being like, okay.
And then even just like
looking on your like Spotify or Apple
Music at like artists you really like and then looking like at
the bottom of like, what do other people listen to?
And you're like, oh, I haven't heard of this band.
Let me check this out.
I feel like just stuff like that.
Because it's also like when I'm
driving around.
I don't
I don't listen to playlists at all.
I listen to like just like full albums with bands.
So it's like
I'll do that and then it'll show up like, oh, these other albums you might like.
And I go, oh, let me check these out.
And then some of them I'm not gonna, and then some of them I might.
And then you go from here and it just keeps going
I find it, like, typically just
because I've, you know, been following a lot of the same bands
and labels and stuff like that, and then, like, venues, they'll post
flyers and stuff like. like that, all the shows that they're involved with.
And a lot of times I'll like hear a song that's on
on that post.
And I was, oh, that sounds pretty cool.
I'll go check it out.
And I'll check out the flyer, who's on that flyer.
And I'll just search them on Spotify.
And like if they're on if they're not on Spotify, then I'll check Bandcamp
I like to find like local artists, first off.
And so like that's how I expose myself to new music lately.
And then, you know, social media helps a lot because then I could look at that artist and see who they're following.
It kind of shows me what they're inspired by or what it sounds made derived from.
And then so I just it just turns into like a
never ending search of like, oh, let's see what this sounds like.
Let's see what this artist is.
And then social media
because of the way it's set up, right, it just starts recommending
stuff to you once you've seen enough indie artists.
Gotcha.
And you know, you land a few good ones doing it that way.
So at least I know only one local band here in Denver, they're called the White Moms
because they're all adopted by white people, and they themselves are not white
So it is a great name
It makes a pretty good It makes a pretty hot
track because you just check them out if you're on Spotify or whatever
Good stuff
I have one more question.
you've been like wanting to like start a new band
How's that going
Not good
Which is fine.
People are very flaky
which is, you know
T it goes.
It's fine
Why do you think that is, by the way?
Are you think it's just flaky in the music scene or a flaky in general
In general
It's also like people
as we get older, have a lot of ideas of what they want
to do, but then when the time comes, it's like, well, actually, I got all this other stuff to do
That's why I think it's important to surround yourself by people who say, why not
I'm very much like a person like if I say I'm
doing something like I'm doing it no matter what
Like if I told you I'm doing it
I'm fucking doing it no matter what is going on
So it is like hard for me to grasp when people just like
bail or ghost and it's like
Okay
What the fuck is this
I think that's the way
people should live their lives, you know
But I like
take it to like the point where it's like a detriment to me
Or it's like, if I'm not like feeling good or like I have worked all day, but I like, oh, I said I
said I'm doing it so I have to do it
So it's not it's not great.
But yeah, but I'm very much like that.
So when people are the opposite, I'm like, all right, I got time for this
What's the new saying?
Lock in
You got to lock in.
Oh, yeah...
Mark him
Lock in
Every day
Hey, Donnie mentioned a book earlier.
Do you want to plug your book or tell us what that's about?
Tell us where we can find it or any other projects you may have?
Oh, that was
That was me
Oh, I don't think you can find it anymore.
Yeah, I don't think those are gun.
Well, what is it?
It's just it's a book of your art.
What is I'm curious.
Yeah, from like, shit.
Does that have the year on that
I know I picked it up in person
It was when
Nathan from Waves had that shop down in Chinatown.
That's where I picked it up
It was before the pandemic, for sure.
Of course.
That's what I'm saying.
That's probably like eight years ago or something is what I mean.
There might not be a year on there.
But yeah, it's been over six.
I'll say that.
So I don't think those are around anymore.
2019.
Six years
There you go.
I think I'm pretty sure there are like a hundred of those books made
They're out there somewhere.
There's a hundreds out there in the world, yes
All right.
Do you want is there any other projects you want to
plug before we wrap it up, Kyle
I don't got anything right now, no
Well
You are on Instagram, as we've talked about
Follow Kyle on there.
Selfies, underscore food, underscore and underscore pets
Did I get it?
That's it.
It took me a while, man, but I finally got it
But yeah, no, thank you for being on the show both
in our previous episode where we talked
about the substance and this little bonus episode
I think it's nice to put a face to a name
get to hear from you and know about you.
So really, thank you so much for taking the time to do this with us
Guys, Alex, Donnie, anything you guys want to share?
Anything before we wrap up
Oh, I just wanted to second that.
Thanks again, man.
We appreciate you taking the time to hang out with us
Yeah
Miss you
Thanks again, Kyle.
Hope to see you soon again.
If you're ever in Denver, hit me up seriously, we'll go to brunch.
Let's go.
Let me know
All right.
Yeah, cool.
And as far as the show, obviously, follow us.
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So if you have the YouTube Music app or if you don't, download it, you will find us on YouTube
if you want to see our beautiful faces and video form, here we are
That's pretty much it for the show.
So any final words
No.
That's a Justin thing.
Damn it.
Arnold's not going to do a dance move
Oh, that's right.
Arnold likes to be our
Our resident dance guy
Yeah!