Where The Living Room Used To Be

On this episode I speak with Jon Pagano where we go all the way back to his early days playing music, what it was like relearning Weak Teeth songs for their reunion show, how showing up early for rehearsal one day landed him a spot in Best Practices, as well as how his latest band Sullest came together and what their writing process is like. Sullest debut full length album is coming out on Dec. 13th via Armageddon Label and you...

Frankie Ranks shares some of his favorite things from his home state and home town. From his favorite record shops , to where he loves to hike... we cover a lot about The Ocean State. Did we talk about hot wieners and coffee milk? Tune in to find out.

Listen to the end to hear a great track from Boo City entitled "We'll Be Just Fine" from their mixtape, Midnight Folklore.

// Interview recorded October 9, 2024 via Google Meet // In...

Frankie shares this thoughts on where a musician should fit within a song, how theory and technique come into the writing process, exploring new opportunities, and what movement means to him.

Listen until the end to hear a live track by Frankie Ranks & The Freeloaders recorded at The Parlour in Providence on February 17, 2018. (audio credit: Michelle Ferreira)

// Interview recorded October 9, 2024 via Google Meet // Intro musi...

On this episode I speak with acclaimed multi-instrumentalist, Frankie "Ranks" Moniz. From playing saxophone in bands such as The Agents, Soulshot and Boo City... to guitar in his country project Frankie Ranks & The Freeloaders and the indie folk group High Planes, as well as running his own music education studio...we cover it all in this interview.

We get into how he joined these bands, his technique for writing, the experienc...

I was able to catch up with Jon Hope to talk about his latest album, High Hopes. This came out earlier this year and we have an in-depth track-by-track discussion about everything that went into the making of these songs, as well as the overall message he's looking to share with everyone. High Hopes - as well as Jon's other stellar albums - are available now wherever you stream music, on Bandcamp, and directly through him at jon...

Francis Anderson shares some of their favorite things in Rhode Island including an interesting collection... in an interesting place, where they enjoy supporting local businesses, pizza and drink spots, and where they've found great connection in the Ocean State!

Listen until the end to hear one of my favorite songs by Franny Keeps, which is a single that was released in April 2023 entitled "A bientôt et tant pis"

// Interview reco...

Francis Anderson passes along an intense rhythm practice technique, as well as how they've walked through counter-productive advice, their songwriting practice and how they've reached over 850 songs in their portfolio. Plus, Francis shares an impressive take connecting music from around the world!

At the end of the episode I've included a performance by Franny Keeps live at Doomed Records in Cranston, Rhode Island (audio credit: Pe...

On this episode I have a chat with Francis Anderson who performs under the name Franny Keeps. They have a stellar new record coming out on August 2nd, that after I got to check it out is seriously in the running for "album of the year" for me.

In our conversation we talked about the long process it was to put this piece together, the deep emotional weight behind their songs, and the humble and admirable goal they have for this albu...

The rap duo, Metermaids, are not from Rhode Island but they do have a strong connection to the state. On this episode I chat with Sentence and Swell about the origin of their group, the variation of sounds they achieve from album to album, and how they linked up with Strange Famous Records. Speaking of that, Metermaids will be performing at The Met on June 8th alongside labelmates Sage Francis, Cas One, Early Adopted, Mopes, Je...

Daryl Black Eagle Jamieson shares some of his favorite things in Rhode Island... from the places he enjoys most, the restaurants he's fond of, and the events that are dear to him in the Ocean State. Black Eagle also shared a story of the incredible character he has as a performer and as a person! 

At the end of the episode I share one of my favorites off of Medicine Singer's self-titled album. The song is "Sunset" and I hope you en...

On this episode Daryl Black Eagle Jamieson shares how blues music helped build his confidence. We also talked about what simply being good to people can lead to, as well as some of the lessons that were instilled in him early in life. Please listen to the end because I've included a song that was a music collaboration between Eastern Medicine Singers and the wonderful Mary Lee Partington who recently passed. She was a special pe...

My guest on this episode is Daryl Black Eagle Jamieson from Eastern Medicine Singers. It's an honor and privilege to talk with him as we cover some of the differences in sounds of Native American music across North, South, East and West. We also cover how his group evolved into blending both traditional and experimental music, the true emotion behind what they create, and how the core of why they started this project is still param...

Deer Tick's John McCauley shares some of this favorite things about his home state. Learn where he used to & currently buys his records, the RI drink he loves so much he has a tattoo of it, the event he looks forward most to each year, and the variety of pizza he enjoys in the ocean state!

At the end of the episode, I shared my favorite version of "The Real Thing" by Deer Tick. This is from their Live In Studio promo video Denn...

On this episode John McCauley talks about his approach to recording, as well as his thoughts on what kind of person you have to be to be a touring musician. You'll also hear the authors that inspire some of John's writing...which may surprise you. In the full episode that came out last week we covered Deer Tick's experience playing Newport Folk Festival for the first time and the ensuing post-festival concerts they did for nearl...

My guest on this episode is John McCauley from the band Deer Tick, as well as side projects Middle Brother and Diamond Rugs. In our conversation, John shares some amazing stories about his early days as a musician growing up in Providence, what the process was like for him touring during that time, and how seeing DIY shows in Olneyville as a teenager influenced his stage performance to this day. We also cover the writing and record...

Chuck Staton of Senior Discount shares some of his favorite things about Rhode Island included his go-to spot to shop for records, the drink he created that he always gets at a local coffee shop (I hope they hear this and start calling it "The Staton" on their menu), why his hometown area is so special, his choices for pizza when he's on his own or with a group, and the impact a concert series had on this life.

At the end you'll he...

Musician and director, Chuck Staton, shares how he's made it through some tough times while working with others in creative spaces. If you listen to the end you'll hear Senior Discount's "VBW song" as a prime example of this. Plus, he shares about how to work past self doubt and how you can best set yourself up for success. Chuck also shares a story about an interesting feud between a couple of his famous bosses I think you'll like...

For this episode I connected with Chuck Staton of Senior Discount to talk about his long history in music and podcasting. In our interview we cover how he went from starting a band before he knew how to play guitar to performing in front of thousands of fans on some of New England's biggest stages, and all the way up to getting signed to Paper + Plastick Records. We also discuss the role of creating entertaining videos early on wit...