The Tone Mob Podcast
The year was 2015. Show host Blake Wyland intended to start a podcast where he took a deep dive with his guests from the guitar world to explain their rigs. What happened was that, but also a whole lot more. The show quickly evolved into discussions about people's lives. Guitars, pedals, amps, etc. are the central hub of the show, but it really is more about the PEOPLE behind all of it. Both the musicians who use the gear, and the folks that create these magical tools of expression. You can expect chats about songwriting, favorite bands, family, loss, addiction, conspiracy theories, philosophy, and most of all....... food. This podcast goes all over the place. Come take a ride.
Episodes
July 14, 2025 • 91 mins
What do Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean, Line 6's Spider amps, and some of the wildest custom guitars on earth have in common? Rich Renken. In this episode, Rich walks Blake through decades in the gear trenches—starting as a bassist in church bands, engineering records with 90s rock royalty, helping invent products that changed the amp game, and now running the show at James Tyler Guitars.
He tells the origin story of the legendary ...
Mark as Played
July 7, 2025 • 72 mins
Matt Hoopes is back on the show! Blake and Matt catch up on all things Relient K—from packed DIY shows at Brown’s Diner to opening for Avril Lavigne and Simple Plan. They dive into what it means to be a touring musician as a grown-up, the joys of building a “new boat” for the band, and why some of the most meaningful shows don’t happen on giant festival stages.
They also nerd out on pedal design, with Matt revealing the evolution ...
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June 30, 2025 • 71 mins
What happens when a guitar wizard stumbles face-first into Hollywood? JD Simo is back, and this time he’s not just laying down licks. He’s coaching movie stars, babysitting vintage synths, and fixing million-dollar screwups the prop department didn’t even notice.
He walks us through how a phone call from producer Dave Cobb turned into a full-blown creative rescue mission on two major films: the Elvis biopic and the upcoming Bruce ...
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June 23, 2025 • 71 mins
Way back in the sepia-toned past of podcasting (circa 2016), I sat down with Joel Korte of Chase Bliss Audio — before the blinking lights took over the world and before I fully understood how microphones work.
Can you believe that this episode is almost a decade old? What a wild ride it's been!
This episode has it all:
– Engineering nerdery
– Emotional whiplash
– Mild Midwestern awkwardness
– And at least one questionable Pau...
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June 16, 2025 • 68 mins
Jay Leonard J turned 40 and decided to do everything all at once. Theater? Check. NAMM emcee? Check. Launching a new Yamaha Pacifica? Sure, why not. Recording a full-length album in the middle of a life tornado? Of course.
In this episode, Blake catches up with his longtime pal and one of the internet’s finest tone freaks to talk about the wildest year of Jay’s life. It involves getting choked onstage in Cambodian Rock Band, haunt...
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June 9, 2025 • 73 mins
From anonymous attic guitars to Travis Tritt’s guest room, Dillon Weldon’s story is a country song in the making.
Blake sits down with the host of The Drifting Cowboy Podcast to talk about how a kid with no industry connections, a busted Taylor, and a Johnny Paycheck cassette somehow wound up at the heart of Nashville's old-school revival. They cover everything: going viral on TikTok (by accident), how a single prayer led to a mil...
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June 2, 2025 • 61 mins
In this episode, Blake sits down with legendary singer-songwriter Mary Gauthier for a deep, honest, and surprisingly gear-heavy chat. Mary didn’t pick up songwriting seriously until her mid-thirties—after years as a Boston-based chef, restaurant owner, and, as she puts it, a total mess. But once she got sober and started hitting open mics, everything changed.
They talk about her early love for Taylor guitars, her eventual obsessio...
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May 27, 2025 • 89 mins
This week on The Tone Mob, Blake hangs with bassist Zephyr Avalon—a man whose musical journey started with jazz camp and ended up on stadium stages... with a few detours through punk bands, upright bass trauma, and a destroyed childhood guitar along the way.
They cover Zephyr’s early years surrounded by classical music, gigging through college, touring with Haley Reinhart, and stumbling into the rocket ship that is Zach Bryan’s ri...
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May 19, 2025 • 77 mins
Blake is joined once again by Nick Diener—founder of Oneder Effects and guitarist/vocalist for The Swellers—for a wide-ranging chat that hits everything from vintage SGs and Freebird lore to dad life, Discord burnout, and the existential dread of messy workspaces.
Nick shares stories of playing Gary Rossington’s actual guitars, visiting Ocean Way Studios in Nashville, building pedals in cluttered chaos, and trying to stay creative...
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May 12, 2025 • 66 mins
In this episode of The Tone Mob Podcast, Blake Wyland is joined by Amico Demuzio—pedal steel guitarist and multi-instrumentalist for Charles Wesley Godwin’s band. They dive into Amico’s unexpected journey from welding school dropout to full-time touring musician, fueled by a love for lap steel, vintage Peavey amps, and weird-sounding pedals.
If you’re a gearhead, there’s plenty to sink your teeth into: Boss Slicers, Jerry Garcia t...
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May 5, 2025 • 70 mins
On this episode of the Tone Mob Podcast, Blake is joined by Jesse and William of Top House for a conversation that starts with a ghost in the machine and ends somewhere between band mythologies and pizza philosophies. They unpack the chaotic beauty of songwriting, the grimy reality of touring (spoiler: pee when you can), and why having a fake country band called “Cornfield Boys” might just be the secret to creative freedom.
The tr...
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April 28, 2025 • 68 mins
This week on The Tone Mob Podcast, Blake Wyland sits down with Steve Cobucci — guitarist, gear junkie, and founding member of Wolves at the Gate — to talk about the beautiful mess that is making music for a living.
Steve kicks things off with the story of his first guitar: a classical hand-me-down from his mom, followed by a hard-earned Gibson Les Paul — because if you're gonna make noise, you might as well do it right. From his b...
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April 21, 2025 • 88 mins
From Garage Bands to Gibson: Mike Lawson’s Wild Ride Through the Music Industry
In this episode of The Tone Mob Podcast, Blake Wyland sits down with Mike Lawson—musician, publisher, gear designer, and all-around music industry lifer. From his early days jamming in Florida to shaping the future of music education and publishing, Mike's career has spanned decades of innovation, reinvention, and pure love for the craft.
They dive d...
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April 18, 2025 • 73 mins
I've been working on this for months now, and it is finally here! Introducing my new podcast that I created with my friend, business partner, and Tone Mob Podcast alumni, Scott Marquart. If you like the... odd side of music, you'll enjoy these tales.
You can find Tape Spaghetti on the same platforms you get The Tone Mob Podcast as well as video episodes on YouTube.
Here is the description for this episode that I copied from the m...
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April 15, 2025 • 79 mins
On this episode of the podcast I have my good buddy Joel Korte of Chase Bliss back on the podcast to tell the tale of how he and the legendary AnalogMike came together to create the Brothers AM.
We also get into some of the behind the scenes details of how Chase Bliss operates, and the harsh realities Joel & Co have had to navigate.
It ain't all sunshine and rainbows, but it is fascinating! Enjoy!
Check it out HERE https://www.c...
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April 8, 2025 • 66 mins
Andrew Spann is a guitarist/musician/frontman for the band low before the breeze. I met Andrew through the podcast itself, and I really, really enjoy the band's output. Plus being a gearhead, he was a natural fit for the show!
We discuss Andrew's early experiences with music, the role of gear in his creative process, and the development of his vocal techniques. The conversation also gets into the personal themes present in their m...
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April 1, 2025 • 52 mins
On this episode of the podcast I experience another one of those "pinch me" moments!
Red Fang has been a huge influence on me in both a musical sense and in some of my personal gear choices.
Bryan and I discuss a whole bunch of stuff on this slightly condensed episode, including:
Soundgarden, and their influence on the band
The Sunn Beta Lead Amplifier (of course)
Intra-band creative conflict and how to manage it
Tuner pedals
...
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March 25, 2025 • 70 mins
Emily Wolfe has returned for another episode!
Since I have her by herself this time, I wanted to chat with her about her career since we recorded her last solo episode.
There is a ton of "life" talk on this episode as we get caught up, and we cover a ton of ground including:
Her new Tone Pack with STL Tones
The importance of separation in personal and professional life
Creativity can be sparked by discipline, not just inspirati...
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March 17, 2025 • 59 mins
The Bouncing Souls are an iconic melodic punk band from New Jersey. They are a personal favorite of mine and have been for over 20 years.
Pete is also the owner of what I consider to be one of the raddest guitars in music history. It is a 1979 White Les Paul Custom that has the most iconic legit playwear that I have ever seen!
We talk about that and a lot of other stuff like:
The early days of the Bouncing Souls
Recording music...
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March 11, 2025 • 72 mins
If you love guitar, gear, synths, or effects pedals... There is a good chance that you have heard of the company Meris.
Meris makes some of the most awesome signal processing/producing devices that are currently available on the market. I absolutely love their stuff!
And if you know about Meris, then you have been exposed to Jinna's incredible handiwork on the brand, the wonderfully inspired launch material, user interfaces, and ...
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