Show Notes
Legendary record executive Michael Alago talks to Matt about signing Metallica to their first major label deal, causing near riots with John Lydon (AKA Johnny Rotten), making Nina Simone's final album, and how Patti Smith helped him through one of the darkest moments of his life. Michael is the subject of the now re-released documentary "Who the F*&$ is That Guy? The Fabulous Journey of Michael Alago" (available on Amazon, Youtube & Google Play), and the title of his memoir "I Am Michael Alago: Breathing Music|Signing Metallica|Beating Death" proves to be a perfect roadmap for he and Matt to discuss both the extreme highs and lows of his life working with some of the most influential musicians of our time. Follow Good Things with Matt Wells on Instagram. Follow Matt Wells on Instagram. Produced by Greater Hood Productions. Theme Song: "Good Things" written by Walter Schreifels and performed by Rival Schools.
More from A Sucker for Possibility
After a two-month break, I come back to something uncomfortable: maybe the thing getting in the way… is me. Inspired by Radiohead and Walt Whitman, this episode is about self-pressure, identity, and finding something sacred in the mundane - even in a moment at the airport.
A phrase we have all heard and have all used - "can't complain". But let's be honest... most days we could. With a little lyrical help from a song by the same name, and some words written by Cameron Crowe, Matt dives into that space between what we say... and how we truly feel. What a sucker!
What if art isn’t about being seen, celebrated, or paid... but about staying human? In this episode, inspired by Patty Griffin, Matt explores creativity not as achievement, but as survival. When life feels too heavy, you don’t need answers… sometimes you just need to make a pie.
Inspired by a subway station busker, this episode circles the idea of being lonely when we're surrounded by people and the fear of not being seen... even when there are eyes everywhere. Follow us on Instagram @suckerforpossibility. Follow Matt on Instagram @mattawells. Theme song: "Fire" by @seanmccannsings.
In the first episode of 2026, Matt reflects on a Rolling Stones lyric that’s aged into wisdom, a frozen New Year’s morning that didn’t go as planned, and the quiet shift from discipline to discernment.