Only In The Green Room

In this episode of Only in the Green Room, we sit down with Stephen Inglis, Barry Sless, Rob Barraco, and Pete Sears of Skeleton Crewe to explore the unlikely beginnings of the band and the musical chemistry that brought them together. Stephen shares fascinating stories from growing up immersed in Hawaiian musical culture, including a remarkable connection to Israel Kamakawiwoʻole's iconic recordi...

In this episode, we sit down with Ivan Neville and Tony Hall of Dumpstaphunk backstage at the High Sierra Music Festival for a lively conversation about friendship, family, and the unmistakable sound of New Orleans funk. From their teenage years playing alongside musicians connected to The Meters and The Neville Brothers to their individual journeys and eventual partnership in Dumpstaphunk, Ivan a...

What happens when an artist stops trying to be perfect and starts trusting exactly who she is? Cassandra Lewis joins Only in the Green Room for an unfiltered conversation about cosmic Americana, heartbreak, psychedelics, creativity, and learning to trust her own voice. She takes us through the wonderfully strange mix of influences that shaped her music, the relationship that inspired Lost in a Dre...

Nashville-born singer-songwriter Maisie Owen joins Only in the Green Room at High Sierra for a conversation about finding her own voice, making music without hiding behind production, and the unexpected influences that shaped her sound. Growing up in a musical family, Maisie initially gravitated toward painting, writing, photography — and classical music. Years of playing viola ultimately shaped t...

What happens when the spotlight takes you away from the music that made you want to step onstage in the first place? Backstage at High Sierra Music Festival, Paul McDonald joins Tami and Dennis for a candid, funny, and heartfelt conversation about finding his way back. From an unexpected American Idol audition to the whirlwind of Hollywood, Paul reflects on the experiences that shaped him—and the...

In this episode, we catch up with Boy Golden backstage at High Sierra Music Festival for a conversation that goes well beyond the music. The Winnipeg singer-songwriter opens up about The Church of Better Daze , why songwriting has become a spiritual practice for him, and his belief that music and creative expression can be deeply healing. We also get into the story behind the name Boy Golden, his...

What was supposed to be a conversation about the Grateful Dead quickly becomes something else entirely when photographer Jay Blakesberg and singer-songwriter Steve Poltz join us at High Sierra. The two give us a preview of Working Man’s Dead , their wonderfully unpredictable live collaboration combining Jay’s iconic Grateful Dead photography and storytelling with Steve’s music — including songs he...

What if a dream changed the course of a band? Don Was joins Jay Lane and Only in the Green Room for a remarkable conversation about Bob Weir, Rob Wasserman, Wolf Bros and the music that continues to connect them all. Don shares the story of the phone call from Bob Weir that started with something extraordinary: Rob Wasserman had come to Bob in a dream — and told him why he had introduced Don and B...

What started as a conversation about Bob Weir and RatDog turned into one of the most personal stories we've ever captured. In this episode of Only in the Green Room , drummer Jay Lane shares what it was like joining Bob Weir and Rob Wasserman despite knowing very little about the Grateful Dead, learning songs from Heaven Help the Fool , navigating unpredictable RatDog setlists, and witnessing Bob'...

Michael Mullins (trombone) and Bradford Lewis (guitar) — two more members of the Legacy Coalition, and bandmates in their own project — join us to fill in the rest of the story. They walk us through how the Coalition really came together: an idea years in the making, a chance meeting at a recording session, and the moment a teenage keyboard player named River showed up and made the whole thing cli...

Backstage at the New Orleans Jazz Museum during French Quarter Fest, we caught up with Cyril Neville, his son Omari Neville, guitarist Jake Eckert, and his son River — the teenage keyboard player who rounded out the lineup of the Legacy Coalition, a band built entirely from the sons and daughters of New Orleans music royalty. The conversation moves through what it means to inherit a sound rather t...

Trumpet player and vocalist Jennifer Hartswick sits down with us in the green room at Jazz Fest to talk about her decades-long love affair with New Orleans — a city she calls "its own planet" — and the musical relationships that have shaped her career.  Jennifer recounts her first New Orleans gig at the Maple Leaf, an overnight set that ran from 3am to sunrise, and reflects on what it took to earn...

Singer-songwriter Kristin Diable joins Only In The Green Room at the New Orleans Jazz Museum during French Quarter Fest — and the conversation goes deep. We talk about what it really means to lose your creative voice, how traumatic experiences can freeze a songwriter's ability to be vulnerable, and what it took to come back from that and finish her long-awaited album Impossible Things — out now. K...

Recorded live at Bayou Boogaloo during Jazz Fest in New Orleans — two of our favorites in one green room. Eric Krasno (Soulive, Lettuce) and Wally Ingram (percussionist, collaborator extraordinaire) join us for a wide-ranging conversation as the golden-hour sun goes down over the bayou.  We get into the deep connection between the Grateful Dead world and New Orleans music, what it was like for Eri...

🎟 WIN PIT ACCESS + A SEAT AT OUR FESTIVAL INTERVIEW Buy tickets at highsierramusic.com and enter code GREEN at checkout. You’ll be automatically entered to win front-of-stage pit access for all shows + an exclusive seat at a live Only In The Green Room podcast interview at the festival. High Sierra Music Festival · July 2–5 · Grass Valley, CA 🎸 In this episode: — The New Orleans roots of High Sie...

🎧 Listen + full episode, transcript & more: https://onlyinthegreenroom.com/episodes/meels-interview  Only in the Green Room interviews Mill Valley-raised artist. "Meels" after her Sweetwater stage set, discussing her local upbringing and current life in Pasadena living with her 86-year-old grandmother - after five years in New York and attending NYU’s Clive Davis Institute.

🎧 Listen + backstage photos, transcript & more: https://onlyinthegreenroom.com/episodes/pink-talking-fish-interview A playful, lively, and informative conversation with all members of Pink Talking Fish (Eric Gould, Zack Burwick, Cal Kehoe, Richard James) moments before their recent performance at Sweetwater Music Hall in Mill Valley, CA. The boys delve into some of their favorite stories, inc...

🎧 Listen + backstage photos, transcript & more:  https://onlyinthegreenroom.com/episodes/steve-poltz-interview Backstage at Sweetwater Music Hall in Mill Valley, “Only in the Green Room” interviews singer-songwriter Steve Poltz, co-writer of Jewel’s multi-platinum “You Were Meant for Me,” as he tours promoting his new green-vinyl album Joy Ride.

🎧 Listen + backstage photos, transcript & more: https://onlyinthegreenroom.com/episodes/greg-loiacono-stingray-interview In this episode of Only in the Green Room , we sit down with Greg Loiacono & Stingray, a Bay Area super-group built on deep respect, serious groove, and a whole lot of joy. What started as a solo recording session for Greg Loiacano quickly turned into something much big...

🎧 Listen + backstage photos, transcript & more: https://onlyinthegreenroom.com/episodes/jon-chi-interview Marin County singer-songwriter, community and music collaborator Jon Chi joins “Only In The Green Room” as the first guest under the show’s new banner—recorded in the Sweetwater Music Hall Green Room before Jon played to a packed house for his birthday show at the iconic venue. In a conve...

🎧 Listen + backstage photos, transcript & more: https://onlyinthegreenroom.com/episodes/jonathan-mchugh-interview In this episode of Ta les From The Green Room , recorded backstage at the 2025 High Sierra Music Festival, the hosts sit down with veteran film producer, director, and music supervisor, Jonathan McHugh. Jonathan shares his experiences growing up in New Orleans, starting in college...

🎧 Listen + backstage photos, transcript & more: https://onlyinthegreenroom.com/episodes/karina-rykman-interview In this episode of Tales From The Green Room, recorded backstage at the 2025 High Sierra Music Festival, host Dennis Strazulo sits down with hardcore New Yorker and bad-ass bass player, Karina Rykman. Karina shares her experiences growing up in a highly intellectual family, her earl...

🎧 Listen + backstage photos, transcript & more: https://onlyinthegreenroom.com/episodes/amy-helm-interview Fresh from bri nging the spirit of the Midnight Ramble to the High Sierra Music Festival stage, Amy Helm sits down with the hosts for a moving and unflinching conversation about family, recovery, and carrying forward a legacy. Recorded backstage among the festival magic, this episode ble...

🎧 Listen + backstage photos, transcript & more: https://onlyinthegreenroom.com/episodes/chaparelle-interview In this episode of Tales From the Green Room, the hosts welcome Chaparelle, the Texas-based pop, folk and classic-country band created by Zella Day , Jesse Woods , and Beau Bedford . The trio discuss their unique musical lane, inspired by a blend of romance, personal experiences, and a...

🎧 Listen + backstage photos, transcript & more: https://onlyinthegreenroom.com/episodes/andy-frasco-interview