Bands To Fans

Joey Stuckey’s new EP, King of Strings, is the first album recorded in Les Paul’s studio in decades. He cut it on Les Paul’s 1957 tube console in a single 10-hour session, mostly in one or two live takes. When we sat down to talk, I wanted to know what it’s like to make music in the room of the master. Joey, a blind guitarist, producer and educator, told me why he asked for Les Paul’s own guitar t...

Joel Hoekstra has played guitar for Whitesnake, Night Ranger, Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Cher, and before that he did everything from wedding gigs to playing bass for the Turtles. Through it all he has kept making his own music with Joel Hoekstra's 13, whose latest album, From the Fade, is its heaviest yet. In our conversation, he talks about writing vocal melodies on guitar first, and he laughs...

Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal (Asia / Sons of Apollo / Guns N’ Roses) talks about his album, Returns, how creating instrumental songs can be like scoring an imaginary movie, collaborating with Steve Vai and Brian May, and letting the art be what it is going to be. “Whatever feels right and gives a genuine piece of your soul to somebody for them to experience and connect with.”

It’s amazing what a 40-year hiatus can lead to. I spoke with Nick Heyward and Graham Jones of  Haircut 100  about  Boxing the Compass , their first album since the early 80s. We discussed the eclectic nature of this album and how that relates to the title, how they kind of like it when a string breaks during a concert, and that perspective is one of the key elements to creativity.

I spoke with Dennis Atlas about the making of his new solo album, Principle. We discussed writing instrumentals with the same intention he brings to lyric‑driven songs. Dennis talked about collaborating with the album’s special guests that included his Toto bandmates Steve Lukather, Joseph Williams, and Warren Ham, as well as drummers Marco Minnemann and Shannon Forrest. We also delved into the ro...

In this interview with Johnny Manchild we discuss his new album, Side Effects, as well as how singing live is not about looking pretty, adjusting his creative process to the manic and depressive episodes of his bipolar disorder, and how he benefited from the Oklahoma City music scene.

I talked with songwriter Andrew Morse about The Tasty Kings’ new album The Kindness of Numbers. My quick description: imagine if Lou Reed sang with the Rolling Stones. As you will see, that went over well with Morse. The Tasty Kings are a different kind of band. Their website uses the term “collective.” Morse writes the songs and then gathers some seriously impressive musicians to bring them to li...

In this interview with Jeff Marino, drummer and Music Director for Darius Rucker, we discuss how his relaxed power comes from economy of motion, a minimalist kit, and an obsession with feel. We also talk about the advice Kenny Aronoff gave him years ago that still guides him, the use of tension and release in crafting a set list, and his business developing the live of shows of young artists.

Paula Boggs has always believed music should take you somewhere. On Sumatra, her new album with the Paula Boggs Band, she makes good on that promise — opening with Gregorian chant recorded at a Seattle cathedral and closing with a joyous civil rights anthem featuring Valerie June and the Blind Boys of Alabama. Rooted in American roots music but ranging freely across folk, gospel, jazz, and spoken...

After 40 years together, the Southern California roots band Marley's Ghost shows no signs of slowing down — and their latest album proves it. Honky Tonk is a deep dive into the music that shaped them, featuring songs from Hank Williams, Waylon Jennings, and other giants of country music, recorded live in the studio with producer Larry Campbell. It's an album that smirks and stomps, carrying the we...

The Funeral Portrait's Lee Jennings on Arena Rock, the song “Dark Thoughts,” and Dealing with Sadness After a year of spending 290 days on tour, the success of the album Suffocate City, and a lineup change, Lee Jennings of The Funeral Portrait has arrived at something rare: clarity. Recorded before their performance at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, Jennings opens up about learning to stop running...

Steve Gorman spent nearly three decades providing the backbeat for one of rock’s most turbulent bands — and he’s got the memoir to prove it. In his book, “Hard to Handle,” the Black Crowes’ drummer laid bare the dysfunction, drama, and grind of life inside a band that was as volatile offstage as it was electric on it. Now, with the Crowes nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Gorman dee...

In this intimate and wide‑ranging conversation, musicians Dwight Ritcher and Nicole Nelson open up about the creative forces, personal histories, and emotional truths behind their new album. They reflect on apocalyptic imagery, artistic integrity, and the healing power of making music. Nicole shares how she finds beauty even in turbulent times, while Dwight reveals the quiet, meticulous process be...

Guitarist and composer Nili Brosh returns with Eventide, an album that blends retro‑modern synth textures, genre‑bending arrangements, and an unexpectedly emotional undercurrent. In this conversation, she opens up about writing away from the guitar, the color‑driven instincts that shape her music and visuals, and the internal intensity that fuels her playing. From the retro‑futurist artwork to the...

In this illuminating conversation, Joel Ekelöf, vocalist of progressive metal band Soen, discusses the philosophy behind their album Reliance. From exploring the tension between darkness and hope to examining how technology shapes modern society, Ekelöf offers insight into the band's creative process, their willingness to embrace vulnerability, and why sometimes less is more. He also reveals how w...

Folk music veterans John McCutcheon and Tom Paxton discuss their collaborative album "Together Again" with interviewer Cris Cohen. The conversation explores their songwriting philosophy of addressing macro issues through intimate personal stories, their creative partnership that has flourished through Zoom co-writing sessions, and their optimistic view of folk music's current health. They reflect...

Singer-songwriter Afton Wolfe discusses his album "Ophiuchus," named after the 13th zodiac constellation. He explores themes of astronomy versus astrology, the balance between high concepts and intimate moments, vulnerability in songwriting, and navigating the attention economy as an artist. Wolfe also shares the deeply personal story behind "Crooked Roads," written the night before his wife's bra...

Singer-songwriter Bernie Barlow opens up about her latest album "Walking Around This Town," sharing decades of wisdom from both lead and backing vocal work. In this in-depth conversation, Bernie discusses the craft of songwriting, the value of life experience in music, and what it means to be an independent artist later in career. 

Cory Marks doesn’t fit into boxes, and he’s not interested in starting now. The Canadian singer-songwriter has built a career on bridging the gap between country and rock, two genres that don’t always play well together in the industry’s carefully segmented landscape. But Marks isn’t concerned with what should or shouldn’t work. From touring with hard rock heavyweights like Theory of a Dead Man an...

In this interview, The Rasmus frontman Lauri Ylönen discusses the creative process behind the band’s album “Weirdo,” revealing how personal experiences fuel his songwriting… from the revenge-driven “Rest in Pieces” written at 3 a.m. after a friend’s betrayal, to the deeply personal “I’m Coming For You,” a confessional song for his 17-year-old son about balancing career and fatherhood. Ylönen share...

In this interview, legendary KROQ DJ Richard Blade reflects on the golden age of alternative radio, crediting program director Rick Carroll's music-first philosophy for creating the environment that made the station's DJ lineup so exceptional. That lineup included our mutual friend, the late, great Dusty Street. Blade offers frank insights into today's radio landscape, which he describes as "a swa...

When three seasoned Austin guitarists who grew up watching the same blues legends at legendary venues like Antone's and the Continental Club decide to collaborate, something special is bound to happen. That's exactly what occurred when Johnny Moeller—known for his work with the Fabulous Thunderbirds and backing artists like Marcia Ball—joined forces with Jesse Dayton and Ian Moore to form the Texa...

I interviewed Lawrence Gowan of Styx. We discussed: Their new album, Circling From Above. When the listener is nervous to hear the new album because they loved the last album. The challenge of giving yourself only three days to write and record a song. The melody idea that would not leave him alone. Their continuing embrace of song vignettes. When the final version of a song is even better than th...

“When I gravitated back to music, it was for the right reasons.” I interviewed Kenneth Nixon of Framing Hanley. We discussed: Their new song, "Mean It". The influence of Walt Whitman's "The Poet's Purpose". The advantage of growing up across the street from the library. Developing song ideas through humming. Why he stepped away from music for a few years. Persevering despite how the social media /...

I interviewed the band Secret Monkey Weekend -- Ella (bass), Lila (drums), Jefferson (guitar). From their bio - "Ella and Lila’s father Matt, a prominent area drummer who’d toured with Hüsker Dü’s Grant Hart, passed suddenly in 2012, when his daughters were aged just 4 and 9. Matt had played in bands with Jefferson and, after his friend’s passing, Jefferson started teaching Ella guitar. A relation...