Dealing The Mobile Sound

Before she became one of Mobile's busiest singer-songwriters, Kat Deal was a kid from Troy who begged her parents for guitar lessons, but had to wait until hunting season ended. She picked up the instrument at seven years old and never looked back. In this episode of Dealing the Mobile Sound, host Eric Erdman sits down with Kat to talk about growing up on George Jones, Patsy Cline, Tammy Wynette,...

Before they were selling out arenas and winning awards, the Red Clay Strays were just a group of South Alabama musicians trying to get anyone to pay attention. In this episode of Dealing The Mobile Sound, host Eric Erdman sits down with Red Clay Strays bassist Andrew Bishop and his father, Jack Bishop, for a conversation about the band's early days, the friendships that started it all, and the uni...

In this episode of Dealing the Mobile Sound, host Eric Erdman sits down with Hosea London–one of Mobile's most respected musicians and cultural leaders. Hosea shares how a band director's decision in elementary school steered him from trombone to trumpet–a choice that shaped the rest of his life. From playing at church teas and fundraisers to studying music in college, Hosea built a foundation as...

On this episode of Dealing the Mobile Sound, host Eric Erdman sits down with Mobile music venue legend Noell Broughton — the man behind Monsoons, The Brickyard, and some of the most unforgettable nights in Gulf Coast music history. Noell reflects on his first concert — the night his dad’s band opened for KISS. Also the wild BayFest years, and when artists like Herbie Hancock, Incubus, and The Outf...

Eric joins singer-songwriter and Mobile music icon Grayson Capps. Grayson traces his path from studying theater at Tulane to fronting bands in New Orleans, landing a record deal at 21, and eventually making the leap to full-time musician after teaching John Travolta songs for the film *A Love Song for Bobby Long — all while landscaping or running a jackhammer during the day. Grayson talks about th...

On this episode of Dealing the Mobile Sound, host Eric Erdman sits down with singer-songwriter Ryan Balthrop, whose music blends island rhythms with ’70s acoustic and Gulf Coast Soul. Ryan tells about his first gig at the Sundowner in 1994, the early days of his band Slow Moses, and coming up in the early years of the Mobile music scene. He shares stories of chasing music to St. John in the Virgin...

On this episode of Dealing the Mobile Sound, host Eric Erdman sits down with singer-songwriter Johnny Hayes.  Johnny traces the moment he first “anted up” in music—from nervously asking to play a few songs during a bar break in Tuscaloosa to landing his first gig (it paid $50). Johnny shares stories from Nashville, writer’s rounds, and a moment when a song didn’t land the way he expected. He also...

On this episode of Dealing the Mobile Sound, host Eric Erdman sits down with singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Molly Thomas. Molly talks about gigging in high school in a jazz quartet—learning to improvise and get paid—then moving through orchestra work, folk bands, and rock and roll. She played in one of Mobile’s favorite bands, Slow Moses, before heading to Nashville in search of big...

On this episode of Dealing the Mobile Sound, host Eric Erdman sits down with Phil Proctor and Stan Foster — a duo whose music is at the heart of Callaghan’s Irish Social Club. Phil was the first musician to ever play Callaghan’s, starting out solo before years with Dog River Boys, Deluxe Trio, and ultimately Phil and Foster. Stan moved to Mobile in 2005 from Birmingham, where he played in regional...

On this episode of Dealing the Mobile Sound, host Eric Erdman sits down with singer Emily Stuckey, whose path to the stage took time and courage. Emily shares how she didn’t begin performing until her mid-to-late twenties, held back for years by shyness and a fear of vulnerability. At the time, she was working as a dental hygienist, spending her days cleaning teeth while soulful music played overh...

On this episode of Dealing the Sound of Mobile, host Eric Erdman sits down with songwriter Garrett Howell, who first picked up a guitar at 19 after returning home from seminary—a run that lasted about one gig. Years later, Garrett found his way back to music. Raised in Lucedale, Mississippi, Mobile always felt like the natural next step. Garrett recently took a leap of faith, leaving his construct...

On this episode of Dealing  The Mobile Sound, host Eric Erdman sits down with singer Symone French, whose musical story begins early and comes back around in its own time. She won a fourth-grade talent show singing a Destiny’s Child song with her best friend, formed a tiny band called Charmed, and played one birthday party before stepping away from music for nearly 15 years. While working at Mello...

In the first episode of “Dealing The Mobile Sound,” Abe Partridge talks about starting songwriting in his mid-twenties while pastoring a church, creating music for himself as a way through hard seasons. He shares why mystery matters in art and how painting and songwriting helped him navigate loss of faith and community. Abe performs “I aint sacred no more” and reflects on recording with Steve Shel...

Dealing The Mobile Sound is a podcast about the songs and stories behind Mobile music. Hosted by Eric Erdman and recorded around a poker table in the back room at Callaghan’s Irish Social Club, the show brings together local musicians to talk about the music that shaped them — and the city that shaped the music. New episodes drop starting January 19.