Bands To Fans

I spoke with Logan Tabor of alltheprettythings. We discussed: Their album Prose His hodgepodge methodology for collecting potential lyrics Creating a song like "New Teeth," heavy rock that you can dance to His pre-tour vocal workouts The different extremes within the song "Carousel" From the song “Teenage Lines” the lyric “How you were reaching for the stars again / and only pulling down the empty...

I interviewed Kyle Pfeiffer of Blacklite District. We discussed: - Their album You Can Do Better - How they have adapted their tours to make things easier for their fans - How getting sober has influenced his music and his lyric writing - Being influenced by Black Sabbath but sounding very different from them - And more Blacklite District website: https://blacklitedistrict.net/  

I spoke with Kesly Karter. We discussed: The new album by Kelsy Karter and The Heroines, Love Made Me Do It. How the opening track, which sets the tone for the whole album, almost wasn't on the album at all. Being influenced by Quentin Tarantino. "I was in a Metaphorical mosh pit fighting for my place as a woman in rock music." The first instrument this rocker learned to play was the flute. And mo...

I interviewed rock singer / violinist Ginny Luke. We discussed: - Her new album, Devil At My Heels - Approaching the violin as another voice - "I like being a bad bitch on stage." - Covering Deep Purple's "Burn" with guitarist Nili Brosh - And more

I interviewed new artist Slaw. We discussed: - His debut album "Here I Come" - The art of telling full stories in songs - How he was influenced by everything from Motown to Bluegrass - Learning to release your soul into your music - And more

What Kim Wilson of clients The Fabulous Thunderbirds said about Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top joining the Tbirds on their new song “Payback Time”.

Part 2 of my interview with Matt Scannell of Vertical Horizon. You can find Part 1 at  blog.bandstofans.net Highlights from this conversation: - "There was a way that (Seinfeld) described the art of stand-up comedy that... I felt there were through lines to what we do." - "The tone that we want to set when we start a show is that we're in this together." - "The feeling I get when I walk on stage w...

Join us for an in-depth interview with Lawrence Gowan of Styx as he shares insights on the band's iconic live performances, the story behind his spinning keyboard mishap, the creative process of song vignettes on albums like 'Crash of the Crown,' advice for his brother upon joining the band, and much more.

I interviewed Laura Arias and Andrew Stern of the band 3 Pairs of Boots. We discussed: Being artists that do no fit neatly into a box or category / Their new album, Boot Scootin' (To be released 9/27/24) / Their songs "Dark Sun Rising" and "My American Boy" / How the work of classical composers have influenced their country - rock - Americana creations / The similarities between creating a great d...

I interviewed Barrett Smith and Graham Sharp of Steep Canyon Rangers. We discussed: Their album Morning Shift / The song "Ghost of Glasgow" / Their very collaborative songwriting and song recording process / The influence new member Aaron Burdett has had on the band / The instrumental "Old Stone House / Handlebars / Chimney Rock” / The dark, intense song “Second In Line (Junior)” / And more Bands...

I interviewed Peter Holsapple of The dB's. We discussed: The re-release of their influential debut album, Stands For deciBels. How he has changed as a musician since the album was first released and how he is the same. "Without The dB's I could not have gotten as far in this business we call music." How growing up in Winston-Salem, NC influenced him as a rock musician. The interesting guitar solo...

I interviewed Dean Roland of Collective Soul. We discussed: Their new album, Here To Eternity The decision to release a double album Recording at Elvis Presley's house in Palm Springs, CA Walking the line between exploring new territory and going off course And more

I interviewed singer-songwriter Stephanie Sammons. We discussed: - Her new album, "Time and Evolution" - The challenge of being an empath and a songwriter - Studying with Jonatha Brooke - "I have a runnning list of interesting observations, things that move me, things that resonate with me" - The lyric "I don't want to die, but I don't want to live like this" - And more

I spoke with singer / songwriter JM Stevens. We discussed: His new album, Nowhere To Land The lyric “I heard you sneaking in / Guess you forgot to WD40 the hinge”  The Gibson J45 guitar he wrote about in the song "Cherry Sunburst"  Also being the album producer and mixer  And more JM Stevens website:  https://jmstevens.net/

I finally got to do an in-person interview with bassist John Pierce of Toto. We discussed: - How learning to play the drums has influenced his bass playing - Playing with Toto drummer Shannon Forrest - His quest to play less and make each note more meaningful - Sessions with Huey Lewis, Mick Jagger, and Tom Petty - Toto's "With A Little Help From My Friends" album - And more

I interviewed Cassius King of Cassius King and The Downtown Rulers. We discussed: - Their album "Last Call For The Blues" - A dream 25 years in the making - "A giving musician is always trying to make the song better without necessarily standing out." - The wonderfully gritty song "Bettern Man Blues" - How his offstage, behind-the-scenes work influences his on stage performance - And more

Drummer Mike Portnoy likes that they did not road test the new The Winery Dogs songs before recording them.

Cris Cohen interviews Will McBride of the Will McBride Group. They discuss: The new single, "Hit Song". Embracing irony in songwriting “I’m not a love song writer.” Opening for Styx The influence of Elvis Costello How he prefers a guitar tone that sings rather than growls And more Bands To Fans bandstofans.com

Cris Cohen interviews John McCutcheon. They discussed: His new album with Tom Paxton, "Together" Co-writing songs via Zoom Intertwining hope and heartbreak in the song "Ukrainian Now" Writing lighter tunes like "Same Old Crap" And more bandstofans.com

Cris Cohen interviews ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro. They discuss: His new album, "Grateful" Playing rock songs on the ukulele versus playing songs written for ukulele "Embrace being a lifelong learner" His cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Have You Ever Seen The Rain?" The challenge of creating loops live during the concert And more BandsToFans.com

Cris Cohen interviews percussionist Daniel de los Reyes of the Zac Brown Band. They discuss: The album "The Comeback" The song "Don't Let Your Heart" Meshing with drummer Chris Fryar Percussion instruments that resonate even when they play baseball stadiums And more Recorded January 27, 2023

Cris Cohen interviews singer-songwriter Danny O'Keefe. They discuss: Having his songs recorded by artists such as Elvis Presley, Waylon Jennings, Jackson Browne, and Alison Krauss How he can "feel sad songs coming before they even get to be songs." His new album, "Circular Turns" And more Danny O'Keefe's website: https://dannyokeefe.com/ --- Bands To Fans: Project administration and content market...

I interviewed bassist Jett Beres of Sister Hazel. We discussed: The 20th anniversary of the album "Chasing Daylight" Why this is his favorite Sister Hazel album The song written in a hot tub How the role of the bass in a song mirrors his role in the band What he learned from getting a degree in Architecture that applies to his work as a musician And more Recorded February 10, 2023

Cris Cohen interviews bassist Billy Sheehan. They discuss: The new Talas album, "1985" With live performing, "If you think, you stink." "Chaos on a leash" The two songs that made him pull his car to the side of road so he could listen more intently And more Recorded October 2022 bandstofans.com

Cris Cohen interviews Dennis Diken of The Smithereens. They discuss: - Their new release, "The Lost Album" - The emotional aspect of listening to the late Pat DiNizio singing on these tracks - "Playing for the song is the best approach a musician can take." - Being influenced by drummer Buddy Saltzman, best known for his work with the Four Seasons - "It's like you are having a dialogue musically"...