The Emerald Gem

It was such a pleasure getting to meet and hang out with Ollella during day 2 of Belltown Bloom! Ollella was a finalist for this years NPR Tiny Desk Contest with her song "Tea Kettle Tea" a powerful song that shares a moving story which has resonated with her audience. We had fun chatting about our favorite foods, how Ollella found her way to pursing a career in music, her influences and...

I had so much fun getting to hang out with Aryana during day 2 of Belltown Bloom! I was surprised to discover Aryana was a teacher during the pandemic! so much respect to her and its part of why I love getting to do this job because I learn so much about the folks I admire from afar! We talked about brunch, finding the power of music during the pandemic, mental health and the importance of treatin...

Hillary is a badass, and I said badass probably over a dozen times in this episode because of it. She fronts Linda From Work and is also the manger, social media director and primary song writer for the band. I admire her ability to juggle so much as an entrepreneur with a creative business. We had fun talking about some of the struggles and challenges we face as entrepreneurs, why we love music w...

Nate Louis has been a mover of the Seattle music scene for years. From his podcast "Raised on Rhythm" to his weekly show calendar listings through Bands of Seattle, Nate has been a champion for supporting local artists in Seattle. He is respected around the city and I am grateful to call him a friend and to have gotten brilliant advice and support over the years. We had a great chat talk...

I got to hang out with Talker while she was in town for Belltown Bloom from LA! We had a blast talking about how we found our way to music, what we would do if we had to break a car window, how we maintain perspective on this path and so much more! Listen to Talker's new album on Spotify and follow her on Instagram! She returns to Seattle on July 18th w/ La Fonda at Fun House!

I had so much fun getting to hang out with Shayla during Belltown Bloom! Shayla comes form a family of artists and has been the bass player for Linda From Work for the last two years. Linda From Work is one of the most hard working bands in Seattle having just completed their first western half tour of the U.S. and performing at festivals this year including Number Shoot, Capitol Hill Block Party...

A few weeks ago I got to hang out with Shay De Castro when she came to town to perform at Cafe Racer! Shay is an established techno DJ who lived in Seattle after leaving her hometown of Boise post high school graduation. Since then, Shay has traveled the world through her music performing for audiences across Europe, North and Central America. Originally from Boise, Shay found her way to music aft...

Weep Wave was my introduction to the Seattle music scene when I moved here from Austin Tx in 2020. I found their tape "Amassing A Mess" at Easy Street Records in West Seattle and saw their live show just a couple weeks before the shutdown. Weep Wave is releasing their latest vinyl record "Speck" Friday April 5th with a release show to kick off their 2024 Spring Tour at Sunset T...

A couple weeks ago I got to meet and hang out with Seattle singer-songwriter Natalie Hanes. Natalie is originally from North Carolina and moved out to Seattle to start a new life and to pursue a career in music. Here in Seattle she has found community, growth and a new home. She has released 3 EPs and 3 singles over the last few years and will be returning to the studio this Summer to record her 4...

I had a blast getting to meet and hang out with Ives, an up and coming Alternative Rock Musician local to Seattle. Ives has a passion for performing and has the rockstar energy her blood! With a background performing in theater arts, Ives made her transition into pursuing a career in music during the pandemic after returning to Seattle from NYC. Since then, she has been writing and assembling her...

After living abroad for a year in Ireland, I got to catch up with my friend Anna Eisch at Cafe Racer's brand new artist green room designed by Vivid Presents! Anna has her own solo project where she has released a collection of EPs and Singles. Her music could be described as dark sad girl pop, and I absolutely love it! She is a very talented singer song writer and I love the sounds she is abl...

I had a blast hanging out with my new friend John Thornburg. John is known in Seattle for fronting Asterhouse but has just released a new solo record titled, "Oh The Places I've Been", a concept album about his time growing up in Seattle and reflecting on his youth. John has an infectious energy and brought such a good vibe to Cafe Racer! I had so much fun, laughed a bunch and just h...

Last week I got to meet someone that I've been a fan of for a couple years! J.P. fronts the latin funk band Reposado and hosts the Monday Night Open Jam at The Sea Monster in Wallingford! Reposado blends latin, soul, funk and afrobeat music into a large ensemble band. I first saw Reposado during the Summer of 2022 when Balcony Bridge shared the stage with them at a local music festival in Pion...

I was so excited to get to meet and hang out with Erick Irons on The Hiyu for episode 7 of The Emerald Gem! Erick carries such a welcoming light about him and I really enjoyed our time on the podcast. Erick and Balcony Bridge had similar starts in Seattle; from playing open mics at the likes of the legendary Conor Bryne in Ballard to having our own episode features on The Slap Shack. I've been...

I had a blast getting to know Chris Anderson while at the Hiyu on Lake Union. Chris has had an extensive career with a long list of accomplishments. He has found commercial success through his time with the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble and has made a name for himself in seattle as The Pike Street Drummer. From street performing as a music student in Chicago to touring around the world with bands as big...

Just before taking off for the holidays, I got to meet and hang out with Hannah Duckworth at the legendary Cafe Racer! Hannah fronts her own pop punk project and in just one year, has performed across Seattle at some of our biggest venues! I was over joyed to discover that Hannah got her start as a Seattle musician after being inspired as a fan of the local music scene! The inspiration she felt fr...

I had a blast getting to know my new friend Henry Mansfield! I recently saw Henry at Barboza, performing with my friend Liv Victorino and Eric Irons for Winter Prom! Henry leads a ten piece ensemble of highly talented musicians; culminating in a show that is full of fun and impressive theatrical songs! If you like Young The Giant, Panic! At The Disco, Lin-Manuel Miranda; and whimsical ballads abou...

I had a great time chatting with my friend Juliet Daniel who fronts her own pop project called JUL!ET. We will be sharing the stage together on January 14, 2024 at Neumos for a benefit concert for Food Lifeline! I have great respect for Juliet's work ethic and passion for choosing a life in music! I enjoyed getting to see how much fulfillment she receives in experiencing growth as a musician a...

Liv and I have known each other for a couple years now! We both had similar starts in Seattle through the U-district underground scene while we were students at UW! Liv is a very talented singer song writer and performs professionally across Seattle. From the beginning I recognized the work ethic, passion and drive Liv has for pursuing a career in music. We enjoyed chatting about our early days at...

I got to sit down and hang with Marshall Hugh of Marshall Law Band on the hottest day of the year back in August just one day before Balcony Bridge embarked on our first West Coast tour! I have so much respect for the work Marshall does to connect people through the power of music! The vibes were high and we had a blast talking about what we think Seattle needs to restore its status as a music cit...