Citywide Blackout

Rob Tonkin’s new book “Asshole” is an honest look at his own life, from self-destruction to eventual redemption, with a lot of hard-won insights into authentic living.

In this episode, Rob talks about his career in the music and radio industries, which while very successful, covered up wounds from his past. Rob talk about these experiences and what led him to get help from a variety of sources, and his new life on other side.

Rob g...

Hendrika de Vries was just a little girl when she experienced brutal violence and hunger in WWII Amsterdam. She immigrated to Australia as a professional teenage swimmer, and in her new book, “Open Turns: From Dutch Girl to New Australian,” she chronicles her experiences during this time, and how they reflect what young women go through today.

In this interview, Hendrika shares her youth in Amsterdam and the experience of growing u...

JP Behren’s new book is a crime noir book with a unique take. “Murder in the Monashee Mountains” is the second book in the Travis Daniels Investigation series. Here’s a look at the story: 

After escaping the cursed streets of Arkham and Miskatonic University, Travis Daniels is on the run with his ward, Leslie Owens. While searching for a safe place to hide, they witness a savage murder in the woods of Monashee Mountain. Now, he is ...

My next guests have had one hell of a 2024, with big wins at the Rock and Roll Rumble and Boston Music Awards. Let’s see how 2025 is going with The Ghouls.

Band members George Danahy, Peter Trainor and Jacob Babcock join me to talk about taking first place at Boston’s 2024 Rock and Roll Rumble and winning “Rock Act of the Year” at the Boston Music Awards.

We go into the release of the...

The Chelsea Curve have had a busy 2025.

From West Coast shows with the UK band Sharp Class to being back in the studio, this band — inspired by Boston and British culture — has done a lot, with much more to come.

In this episode, Curtis and Max talk with band members Linda Pardee and Tim Gillis about recent shows and tours of the UK, along with some of the great bands they’ve met and venues that they’ve played at. They dive into ...

My next guest’s recent single “Almost There” really caught my attention, and now he’s here to talk about this and a lot more. Singer songwriter Ben Hutcheson joins me to share the real-life inspiration behind his March release, “Almost There” as well as what motivates him to pick up the pen and write a new song.

Ben’s part of the UK country scene, which has been around for a few years now. We talk ab...

We’ve been a fan of the band Western Education for years now, and with their new full-length album, “Millennial Youth” they’ve hit a new high point with their music. Band members Greg Alexandropoulos (vocals, keyboards) and Will Hunt (bass, production) return to Citywide to talk about the stories told throughout the album, and how it all got started.

Will and Greg go into their favorite songs, and their criteria for how they went f...

I’ve been thoroughly enjoying the sounds of my next guest The Far Out and in just a week, they’re releasing their debut album. Ryan Fremont-Smith and Drew Phillips (AKA The Drum and Bass Connection) join me to talk all about the “Greetings From the Far Out,” out on July 11.

We take a deep dive into the sound of the new album, which includes a wide range of instrumentation and a story that brings it a...

Boston-based Hallelujah the Hills have released a brand new project called “Deck” a 52-song, four LP collection of music more than two years in the making. It’s an epic collection of songs that encompass all sorts of styles and has been in the mind of band member Ryan H. Walsh for the last 25 years.

In this episode, Ryan talks about the origin of “Deck” and the multi-year process to complete it. He talks about the distinct sounds...

The classic tale “The Little Mermaid” gets a futuristic spin in “Sea Change” by Susan Fletcher. In this story, a gene-hack gone wrong produces babies born with an extra set of lungs and gills. Here’s a look at the story:

“Living in a post-climate change world, one young woman lives peacefully among other gene-hacked friends off the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. But when she falls in love with a ‘Normal,’ someone without the gene mut...

Picture this: A fatal hit and run has been committed, and you think you know who did it. Problem is, it’s someone you know. Do you do the right thing, or protect a person who means the world to you?

That’s the choice given to Charlotte Oakes, in Karen Uhlmann’s debut novel, “Intersections” (She Writes Press). We talk all about Charlotte and how this decision impacts both her and the plot. Karen goes ...

It was two years ago on June 20 that Pamela N. Harris published her young adult thriller “This Town is on Fire.”

The book takes on the internet “Karen” and how protagonist Naomi Henry responds when her best friend Kylie is shown in a video calling the cops on two Black teens. The novel dives into contemporary issues that dominate today’s headlines, making it a must-read for the digital age.

Harris talked with us about how it feels ...

My next guest has just released two new singles, but she’s far from a newcomer to the world of music. In fact, Lana Carter has been recording since she was 10 years old, and her latest releases, “Only at Night” and “Venom” mark a reinvention of herself as an artist.

In this episode, Lana talks about what led to this new chapter in her musical journey and how she’s grown as an artist. She goes into he...

For this episode, we’ll taking on a very serious topic. Babs Walters’ memoir, “Facing the Jaguar” (June 17, She Writes Press) shares her story of surviving childhood sexual abuse (CSA), and her journey of healing after 70 years of secrecy. 

In this interview, Babs talks about her past, and how she embarked on a journey of healing that continues to this day. We talk about her parents, their own background and the decision to write t...

We all like taking the train, right? So safe, so reliable, so what if there’s a chance you’ll be murdered before getting to your stop?

Well, that’s the real risk of public transit in the new five-issue comic series “Kill Train,” out through Mad Cave Studios. In the story, we meet Vanessa, a struggling artist and mother in the midst of a nervous breakdown, who discovers that she, herself, is on a Kill Train, the randomized extermi...

For this episode, we’re taking a trip to the town of Cedar Plains, just a quiet place where not a lot happens…except for murder….a lot of it. Joining me is author Maggie Giles for her soon-to-be-released novel, “The Art of Murder.”

Maggie talks about the town of Cedar Plains, the real-life inspiration behind its creation and how the murders rock the quiet community. She shares the dichotomy of main c...

In 2020, author Michael Bland introduced is to Dray Quintero and his fight for freedom in “The Price of Safety.” Now, he’s bringing that story to a close with his final book in the trilogy, “The Price of Freedom.” Here’s a look at the story:

It’s 2047. The rebellion has been crushed. The Agency is reestablishing control. 

Rebel leader Dray Quintero languishes in his cell, struggling against his captors' manipulations. His daughter ...

This interview is a unique one, because the next guest on Citywide Bytes isn’t calling from the studio or their home, they’re on road, and among the stops will be Boston Calling.

Brady Heck and Rebekah Rafferty of the band Holy Roller join me to talk about how it feels to be back on the road after a month away and their upcoming performance at Boston Calling on May 23. We talk about their set and whi...

From Dropkick Murphys to the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, the punk band Rebuilder has some memorable times on stage — and later this month, they’ll be making some new memories when they play at Boston Calling.

Sal Ellington (vocals, guitar) joins us to talk about what’s in store for their set, and the bands he’s looking forward to seeing. We talk about their times with the Murphys and Bosstones and other story-worthy shows they’ve done...