Ana Marie Cox and Open Mike Eagle

Do I Keep Going?

Added 2025-08-20 10:00:14 +0000 UTC

Rhett Miller has been making music in bands and by himself professionally since the 90s. He’s toured the world, played late-night TV, and built a steady career. But in this episode of Past Due, Rhett gets real about the parts that don’t make the highlight reel: the depression, the doubt, the decades of DIY survival, and what it means to keep going when the industry has changed... and so have you. We talk about the mindset it takes to endure, the economics of staying relevant, and the creative hunger that refuses to die, even after thirty years.

Here’s what stuck with us:

Longevity takes reinvention. Rhett talks about the balance between honoring the past and staying open to new projects, new collaborators, and new creative identities.

Success doesn’t mean certainty. There’s no point where you “make it” and stop worrying about the next gig, the next bill, or the next phase of your career.

You need more than talent. Surviving as a musician requires grit, business savvy, and emotional resilience, not just good songs.

No one does this alone. Rhett opens up about what it’s meant to have a partner, a band, and a support system that kept him grounded through it all.

Hope is a muscle. The only way to stay in it this long? Believe that the next thing you make might be the best thing yet.

“ Money is still there, but it's a lot more humble now. I'm in a house that I've been in for 22 years and I've made every mortgage payment. Had to refinance a couple of times, but, you know, whatever. It's life. I've put two kids halfway through college. It goes on and on... But the hustle is real. And most of its gig money, which means that I leave [home a lot]."

Why This Matters

This episode is for anyone staring down year 5… or year 25… wondering if it’s worth continuing. Rhett’s story is proof that there is no finish line in creative work, just seasons, shifts, and second starts. It’s about how you hold on to joy in the middle of a long road, how you redefine success over time, and how you stay open to what might still be ahead. Even if you’ve already accomplished more than you thought possible.

Listen to Rhett’s music, podcast, and more at rhettmiller.com