The Bandwich Tapes

On this episode of The Bandwich Tapes , I sit down with drummer Richie Morales for a wide-ranging conversation about groove, versatility, preparation, and a career spent playing alongside some remarkable musicians. Richie takes me back to his early years in Chicago and New York, where an eclectic musical upbringing and a willingness to learn opened doors to gigs with Ray Barretto, the Brecker Brot...

On this episode of The Bandwich Tapes , I sit down with twin brothers Chad and James Hampton , founders of Huntin’ the Truth Ministries, pastors, outdoorsmen, authors, and hosts of Twin Factor. Their work brings together faith, hunting, mentorship, and a simple question that has become central to their ministry: What are you hunting for? Chad and James grew up hunting with their father, beginning...

Episode Summary On this episode of The Bandwich Tapes , I'm joined once again by actor, writer, and songwriter James Woods for the second installment of our three-part conversation about his new album, The Killer's Wife. After exploring James's transition into songwriting and the beginnings of this remarkable project in our first conversation, we return to take a closer look at the music itself, t...

On this episode of The Bandwich Tapes, I sit down with guitarist Oz Noy for a conversation about the musical path he has built over three decades in New York, the players who have helped shape his music, and why clarity and groove remain at the center of his approach. Oz talks about arriving in New York after already establishing himself as a working musician in Israel. Interestingly, becoming a s...

On this episode of The Bandwich Tapes , I sit down with Sarah Anderson and Paul DeHaven of Heavy Diamond Ring for a conversation about a musical partnership that has lasted more than two decades, the evolution of their approach to making records, and the band’s new EP, Let Love Be Enough . Sarah and Paul first met when they were young musicians in Colorado and quickly began making music together....

On this episode of The Bandwich Tapes , I sit down with mandolinist, singer, and recording engineer Ethan Setiawan to talk about his new album, Little Storms , and the musical relationships that have shaped the band behind it. Ethan talks about meeting his bandmates during his years in Boston and why chemistry, listening, and simply getting along can be every bit as important as technical ability...

On this episode of The Bandwich Tapes , I sit down with keyboardist, composer, producer, and bandleader David Garfield for a conversation that quickly turns into a history lesson, a rhythm-section master class, and a look at what it actually means to spend a lifetime making music with other people. David takes me back to his formative years in St. Louis, where he started on drums, discovered jazz...

On this episode of The Bandwich Tapes , I sit down with Brian Sachs , drummer, songwriter, and co-founder of Mynd Reader , for a conversation about returning to music, discovering songwriting later in life, and learning to approach creativity with a different set of priorities. Brian’s first musical life took place in New York City with The Authority, a band that came up alongside the Spin Doctors...

On this episode of The Bandwich Tapes , I sit down with singer-songwriter Coyle Girelli for a conversation about melody, singing, collaboration, and the experiences that have shaped his songwriting. We spend a lot of time talking about his album Out of This Town and its deluxe edition, a collection with an unusual history that stretches back roughly a decade and grew out of his remarkable songwrit...

On this episode of The Bandwich Tapes , I sit down with drummer, recording engineer, and educator J oel Rosenblatt for a conversation that goes well beyond drumming. Joel has spent his career moving between remarkably different musical environments, including Michel Camilo, Spyro Gyra, Pure Prairie League, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Broadway productions including In the Heights and Hamilton, and co...

On this episode of The Bandwich Tapes , I sit down with South Carolina country artist Kile Antone for a conversation about music, songwriting, faith, identity, and finding your way back to something you thought you had left behind. Kile’s path to country music has been anything but conventional. He began playing guitar as a teenager, but life eventually took him into law enforcement, ministry, and...

On this episode of The Bandwich Tapes , I sit down with James Woods for a conversation centered on a part of his creative life that may surprise people who primarily know him as an actor: songwriting. James talks about the remarkable burst of creativity that has produced more than 75 songs and a series of concept albums created alongside Shooter Jennings and Bob Wayne. We dig into his upcoming alb...

On this episode of The Bandwich Tapes , I sit down with drummer and educator Nate Morton for a wide-ranging conversation about musicianship, preparation, versatility, listening, and the skills that build a career long after you leave the practice room. Nate is best known to many listeners as the drummer for NBC’s The Voice , a gig that requires him to move effortlessly between rock, pop, country,...

On this episode of The Bandwich Tapes , I sit down with legendary drummer Joey Baron for one of the most thoughtful conversations I’ve ever had about what it truly means to make music. Rather than talking about chops or technique, Joey takes us deep into the ideas of touch, tone, sound production, and why a musician’s relationship with space is just as important as the notes they choose to play. W...

On this episode of The Bandwich Tapes , I sit down with acclaimed percussionist Joby Burgess for a fascinating conversation about life as one of the world’s most in-demand recording musicians. From film scores and orchestral performances to contemporary classical music and solo projects, Joby shares what it really means to build a career grounded in versatility, collaboration, and an endless curio...

On this episode of The Bandwich Tapes , I sit down with singer-songwriter Aubory Bugg for a conversation about songwriting, collaboration, musical identity, and the experiences that shaped her forthcoming album, I Think I Had Something Once . Aubory grew up in Granite City, Illinois, just outside of St. Louis, and we talk about how that small-town perspective continues to find its way into her wri...

On this episode of The Bandwich Tapes , I sit down with multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger, producer, and engineer Giulio Carmassi for a conversation about instinct, perseverance, and the unexpected turns that shape a life in music. Giulio takes me back to his childhood in Pisa, Italy, where he began on drums before discovering jazz harmony at the piano. By his teens, he was improvising on...

On this episode of The Bandwich Tapes , I sit down with drummer Pat Steward for a wide-ranging conversation about groove, feel, listening, and the experiences that shape a musician over a lifetime. Pat has spent decades behind the kit, including a long history with Bryan Adams, and I had the chance to see him perform in St. Louis shortly before we recorded this conversation. Watching him play rein...

On this episode of The Bandwich Tapes, I sit down with SAVNT, lead singer of Ghost Hounds , for a conversation about the band’s new album Justified , vocal interpretation, storytelling, musical identity, and the unexpected path that brought him into the group. We spend a lot of time talking about SAVNT’s approach as a singer. Sam Cooke was one of his earliest and most important influences, but his...

On this episode of The Bandwich Tapes , I sit down with multi-instrumentalist and recording artist Erik Hall to talk about his evolving relationship with minimalist music. We begin with his large-ensemble interpretation of Simeon ten Holt’s Canto Ostinato , created in collaboration with Metropolis Ensemble and Sandbox Percussion following a performance at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Erik takes me...

On this episode of The Bandwich Tapes, I sit down with Italian guitarist, composer, producer, and sound engineer Emanuele Naima. Our conversation begins with Steve Reich's music and expands into a thoughtful exploration of sound, collaboration, and the freedom to pursue more than one creative path. Emanuele tells me how his interest in minimalist music and academic research led him to reimagine al...

On this episode of The Bandwich Tapes, I sit down with Chris Malpass of The Malpass Brothers for a conversation about traditional country music, brother harmony, gospel, and the music that Chris and his brother Taylor have carried with them since they were kids. A big part of our conversation centers on their gospel project Satisfied and why making the album felt less like exploring new territory...

On this episode of The Bandwich Tapes, I sit down with Jeff Bush, director of the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra , for a conversation about swing music, leadership, ensemble playing, education, and the responsibility that comes with carrying one of American music’s great band traditions forward. Jeff first joined the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra more than two decades ago when Buddy Morrow was leading the band,...

On this episode of The Bandwich Tapes, I sit down with singer-songwriter Josie Sal to talk about her new single “Cowboys & Barbies,” songwriting, finding her sound, and what she is learning as she begins building a career in music. “Cowboys & Barbies” started as an idea Josie carried around for nearly two years before deciding she was ready to write it. We talk about working with co-writer...

On this episode of The Bandwich Tapes , I sit down with singer-songwriter David Mead for a wide-ranging conversation about singing, record-making, fatherhood, and the changing place of music in our culture. David takes me back to his earliest experiences as a singer, from hearing his mother sing around the house to studying with vocal teacher Norris Brandstrom. Those lessons began to make sense wh...