Rock 'n' Roll Grad School

Joshua Radin's music comes from deep inside. His songs feel secret and whispered, shared with listeners looking for a connection. Joshua's new record  The Ghost and the Wall is another fascinating study, written and recorded in the time of Covid. We talked with Joshua about his writing process, his recording process and where he goes from here. For more information, you can check out Jos...

Since 1994, Sweet Relief has been dedicated to helping uninsured musicians get the care they need. They've been raising money for this cause from concerts, compilation albums, merchandise sales and, of course, donations. We talked with Aric Steinberg, the Executive Vice President of Development & Artist Relations about the vital mission of the organization and how the pandemic has only in...

Kenny Lee Lewis has followed the music his whole life and it's led him down some fascinating roads. From his time creating new parts for guitars in the 1970s, to a decades-long stint with the one and only Steve Miller Band, Kenny has been following the music. For more information, check out his website.

If you want to talk about independence, you want to talk with Cherry Vanilla. So, this Fourth of July weekend, we're revisiting our conversation with Cherry. We cover all the basics- David Bowie, Andy Warhol, Roger Waters... just your run of the mill conversation with Cherry. For more information on her, check out her website. Her book, Lick Me, is also available in both paperback and as an a...

Don't cry for Tag Team's DC Glenn the Brain Supreme. While other musicians try their best to wrestle with their fame, Glenn is looking ahead, trying to find ways to keep rolling on and to keep being successful. Our talk is fascinating, as we learn about DC's approach to music promotion and how he's been so successful. If DC can't motivate you with his story, no one can. Fo...

Love may be the drug, but music ain't too bad either. That's what we learned while talking with Roxy Music's Phil Manzanera. Phil has collaborated on a new EP with Tim Finn that is out now, and a new album that comes out in July. We talked about Covid collaboration, debunk a certain popular Roxy Music meme going around, and... is Roxy Music getting back together? For more informatio...

This week we're living on the edge of a broken heart. Why? Because we're talking with Lorraine Lewis, the lead singer of Vixen, and the former leader of Femme Fatale. Life as a rock goddess isn't all it's cracked up to be, but as you'll find, Lorraine took it all in and, even now, is still rocking loud and strong. For more information, you can follow Lorraine on Twitter ,...

Quinn Sullivan started playing music at an early age. It was his skill that got him up on stage playing with folks like Buddy Guy and BB King, and performing on such shows as Oprah and for Ellen Degeneres.  Quinn's new album  Wide Awake is a continuing exploration as he finds his voice in both lyrics and on his guitar. For more information and tour dates, check out Quinn's website.

Drew McManus used the past year the best he could- he headed for the mountains with his family and wrote. After finding success with his first few records, Drew insisted that his band Satsang record their new album in Montana because, in Drew's words, 'I wanted to make a Montana record.' "All. Right. Now." by Satsang is available this Friday, June 4th. For more information...

The music of Van Dyke Parks has always taken you on a journey, replete with exquisite sounds and thoughtful concepts.  His most recent collaboration is no different- he never met Veronica Valerio, but the resulting album is no less compelling. We talked with Van Dyke about the new album, finger foods in Berlin, the Twentieth Century Fox theme music and the various books of the bible in this wide-r...

This week, we switch it up, and move over to jazz and standards with Aubrey Logan. Aubrey is a trombone player and singer, who just released her new album of standards, titled,  Standard. We talked with Aubrey about her musical education and the joys of jazz. For more information, check out Aubrey's website .

This week we sat down with musician and songwriter Roger Starr and drummer D'Mar. Roger has written with music greats like John Ellison and D'Mar spent over a decade playing with Little Richard. We talked about their new single "Bridges of Faith (One World" and their personal history with soul music. 

Alan Hewitt is a fascinating musician with a fascinating career. He started out co-producing with Maurice White of Earth, Wind and Fire and in 1990 had a hit record when he co-wrote and played on Warrant's Cherry Pie . These days, Alan writes scores for TV and film. He also tours with The Moody Blues, where he's been involved with them since 2010. He also has his own band, Alan Hewitt &a...

You may not know the name, but you will definitely know the voice. Dolette McDonald has toured the world, singing on stage and on record with musicians like Talking Heads, The Police, Don Henley, the Rolling Stones, Sting and Juan Gabriel. Her role as a back up singer gave her an interesting look at the behind the scenes of a large-scale tour as she continued to grow and learn about herself and he...

This week we talked with the legendary Steve Cropper. "Hey, hold on a minute Slappy(s)," we hear you say. "'Legendary' is strong words." You're right, it is. But when you're talking about someone who co-wrote "Green Onions," and "Soul Man" and "Sitting on the Dock of the Bay," forgive us for throwing around the 'L' wor...

You may know Greg Gilmore from his work in the influential band Mother Love Bone. But, before he joined them, he played in a punk band called The Living with a young bassist & songwriter named Duff McKagan. (Recognize that name?) They were considered an incredibly influential Seattle punk band. Now, one or two years or so after they broke up, the studio recording by this early group is being r...

If you're looking for an American band, you can do no wrong in pulling up Grand Funk Railroad. Mark Farner was the lead singer, songwriter and guitarist of the band, and he's still out there, writing new music and touring with his new group, Mark Farner's American Band. He has a new live DVD, Live From Chile, With Love. To order a copy of the DVD (and it'll be signed by Mark!)...

Suzi Quatro is a rock legend and an inspiration to musicians everywhere. We talked with Suzi in the spring of 2019, about her then new documentary, Suzy Q . She also just released her most recent album. On top of that, we also talked about a rejection letter to the members of Roxy Music, which led us down a rabbit hole, learning about the music of James Last. It's something to behold.

Most people will tell you jazz is an American art form, but, Dr Pascal Bokar has some other ideas. Dr Bokar has studied the history of music prior to the 1880s, (the date most musical experts cite as the birth of jazz) and has done the research to offer a look at the historical basis on which jazz was built. Our conversation is a fascinating one, one definitely worth listening to. For more informa...

You may not know the name, but you know the voice. Martha Wash has played a key role in the evolution of dance music over the decades. From her work with Sylvester, to the Weather Girls' classic, 'It's Raining Men,' to her work with C&C Music Factory, Martha has her fingerprints over popular music. We talked with Martha about her past work, and her current endeavors, includ...

Ann Magnuson lives her life as a work of art. You can see her turning to everything around her as she creates her music, video and art pieces. We had a great talk with Ann about how her artistic life has run parallel to her life, and some of her many influences. For more information, or order some of those art pieces, or to pick up one of her great albums, check out her website .

John Ellison is music royalty. As a member of the Soul Brothers Six, John wrote Some Kind of Wonderful ,  a song that became an instant classic and that has been covered by the likes of Q-Tip, Joss Stone, Conway Twitty and, of course, Grand Funk Railroad. We talked with John in the summer of 2020, in the midst of the Black Lives Matter protests, and learned about John's story and the song he...

The riffs were big, the hair was bigger. The 1980s were a high point for hard rock and the new book Nothin' But A Good Time takes you deep into the madness that was Poison, Kix, White Lion, Bon Jovi, LA Guns and so many more. We talked with authors Tom Beaujour and Richard Bienstock   about their journey to put together the be-all and end-all of 80s biographies. Nothin' But a Good Time  ...

BrownMark is a music legend, due to his work with Prince and as a member of Prince and the Revolution. And in his book, My Life in the Purple Kingdom , Mark recounts some of the crazy times and events he experienced as a member of one of the greatest bands of all time. You can follow Mark on his Facebook page and Twitter to learn about upcoming performances and new music.

Chris Hillman is alt country royalty. Between his work in the Byrds & the Flying Burrito Brothers, Chris played a key role in combining country and rock. In his new memoir, Time Between: My Life as a Byrd, Burrito Brother and Beyond is a fascinating look into his memorable and long-running career. For more information, check out Chris' website.