The Passion Collective Podcast

From the ashes of a sidewalk in the South Bronx.. The Passion Collective Podcast returns with the announcement of Zachary Andrew Franck's first book 'Slingshot Diaries Through Stained Glass Windows. He is joined by SC Static and producer Ben Durland to discuss the past, present, and future; the process of bringing the book to life, visiting Hunter S. Thompson's home base in Colorado, getting arres...

Drugged out lunacy on the back blocks of Paterson, my first Yankee game, Eastern Shore self-checkout lines, A Bronx Tale, and more. INTRO MUSIC: SPACE BACON - CONE

Musings from the past nine months: addiction, recovery, relationships, honesty, change, life.

Zach is joined by keyboardist Eli Winderman of Dopapod and keyboardist Chris Gironda of Space Bacon to discuss the current state of Dopapod and their upcoming show on 4/20 at Sony Hall, the inspiring risk behind full band improvisation, the influence that musicians like John Scofield and John Medeski have on younger players, creating Octave Cat with Jesse Miller of Lotus, the grind and psychology...

In this episode Zach is joined by Chef Robert Scully. Born and raised in the New York Metro area, he is now based in Los Angeles County. He's worked in a number of kitchens over the years and has proved himself in a wide variety of culinary situations. He is now embarking on his journey as a business owner as he gears up to launch Golden Goat. He said it best, "I think of Chinese food when I think...

This is a story of pain, experience, strength, and hope. Life was never easy this gentleman, but he persevered time and time again. Ryan Caldwell, CRPA-P is a Peer Specialist at Center for Recovery in Newburgh, NY and the Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Council of Orange County. Since entering this role, Mr. Caldwell has been working to help those who live with addiction find sobriety and recovery. He i...

Driving to Costa Rica from Queens in the midst of a pandemic sounds bonkers, but it's an incredible story jam-packed with adventure and love.  Alex packed up her Suburu with her boyfriend and hit the road. Her passion for travel is deeply inspiring. She speaks on the importance of experiencing different cultures, eating new cuisines, and doing what you can to get out of your bubble so you can see...

Keyboardist Aron Magner of the Disco Biscuits sits down at his piano to discuss navigating COVID, jazz piano giants, life-altering moments, the Grateful Dead, the power of creative inspiration, the Biscuits' new album, the future of SPAGA, the future of Camp Bisco, and more. Intro by Jack Willard

In this episode, Zach is joined by Brooklyn singer-songwriter Mary Hood. Originally from the Hudson Valley of New York, her sound is built upon unique fingerpicking and abstract lyrics that are heartfelt and poetic. They discuss her new release 'Come Back Earth', her upcoming release, the beauty of music, people and places that inspire creativity, being an artist in NYC in 2022, sonic influences,...

In episode 21, Zach is joined by Jack of Space Bacon. They discuss all things Space Bacon, Amtrak rides along the sea, regional cuisine, why New York City is the greatest city in the world, Jack's biggest guitar influences, the owner of a New England seafood eatery berating customers, Space Bacon's upcoming show at The Bowery Ballroom, and so much more. INTRO & OUTRO BY JACK Photo by Billy Murray

In this episode of The Passion Collective Podcast, Zach is joined by one of his closest friends, Sam Brown aka @hambinooo. We discuss his journey through gaming and live-streaming. Days turned to weeks, weeks turned to months, and months turned to years of dedication. It took a lot of sacrifice, but he built a legitimate platform and eventually became a Twitch partner. After dropping out of colleg...

FROM WOOKERY TO RECOVERY. A plot that some people may come to know as their own. Zach is joined by Dave Weiner to discuss his experience, strength, and hope. It's a tale that spans from nitrous tanks to love in the sunshine state. Dave has committed himself to the path of recovery and has shown tremendous growth by doing what needs to be done. He's been a shining light and power of example in the...

After a brief hiatus, Zachary Franck is back with The Passion Collective Podcast. Episode 18 features SC Static and Ben Durland of The Studio At Old Ridge. Three kids from the same high school. Three different lives. Zach shares the experience, strength, and hope of his addiction and path to recovery while they discuss growing up in the midst of the opioid epidemic as it tore through small town Am...

In episode 17, Zach is joined by keyboardist Becca LeVan of Solar Circuit. Together they discuss her and the bands origin, their inspirations and growth, and the current state of their musical journey. They delve into the intention behind their new album, 'Pulling At The Source', and discuss the tracklisting and feedback from listeners. They've been grinding and deserve all the recognition. As alw...

In this episode, Neal "Fro" Evans talks drums, Dopapod, and music in general. From his upbringing in Colorado to eventually moving to Boston to study at Berklee College of Music, his journey has been non-stop music from start to finish. Intro Music: Tide Motel- Daylight

In episode fifteen, Zach and Ben are joined by keyboardist Chris Gironda of Space Bacon. Chris is a talented musician/producer based in Brooklyn, NY. Besides spearheading Space Bacon, he produces music and DJ’s under the moniker, Tetracube. After doing a Zoom call with him in the fourth episode, it was nice to get him in studio to sit down and have a conversation. The main focus of the podcast was...

In Episode 14, guitarist Tim Palmieri joins Zach to discuss his early life, introduction to guitar, his Stratocaster heroes, forming The Psychedelic Breakfast and Kung Fu, an impactful moment at a Phish show in 1997, seeing the Disco Biscuits play "jamtronica" at The Wetlands for the first time, getting introduced to Lotus' sound and style, touring and sitting in with Lotus years later, and most r...

In episode 13, Zach is joined by Sky Society. The DJ/Producer has spent countless years honing his craft as a producer that prides himself on collecting and spinning vinyl. Not only has he released multiple projects under the Sky Society moniker, he's performed in rooms and clubs all over the world. His upcoming single 'Holy Time' is his biggest release yet. To celebrate the release, he's performi...

In episode twelve, Zach is joined by artist Elliott De Cesare. Elliott is a lifetime multidisciplinary artist from New York City. After transferring from Parsons New School, he received his BFA at the School of Visual Arts. Since graduating in 2011, his career has been colorful and prosperous. You can see his work at elliottdecesare.com - the “ELMNOP” exhibit that he curated for the Spring/Break A...

In this episode, Zach is joined by Nicole Zimmermann. Originally from New York but living in Los Angeles, her journey has been inspiring to witness. Not only has she traveled the world as a model, she also obtained her BA in Psychology and is currently a mental health coach, breath work facilitator, and writer. Nicole is open about her struggles with alcoholism and addiction and hopes to help othe...

In episode ten of The Passion Collective Podcast, Zach is joined by drummer Kito Bovenschulte. Kito is a talented musician that has worked tirelessly at his craft and reputation as a gigging drummer. He currently plays in multiple projects spanning across various genres of music. Most notably, he toured with jamtronica band Particle for a few years. Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, his routine of...

In this episode, Zach is joined by Mr. Bobby Deitch. He is a multi-instrumentalist with a primary focus on composition and drums. Bobby attended Berklee College of Music and has had a wonderful career as a music educator at SUNY Rockland while playing various styles of music with numerous projects. He met his soulmate Denise at Berklee, she's also had a succcessful career as a teacher. Their son A...

In this episode, Zach is joined by Dan Lyons. As a drummer, he's played in multiple projects over the years, most notably Horizon Wireless. He's also the founder of the Movie Blues Podcast - a must listen for anybody that considers themself to be a movie buff. We talk about drums, movies, jamtronica, playing shows, being a creative, growing up and much more.... Intro: Tide Motel - Daylight

In this episode, Zach is joined by guitarist/singer Scott Hachey of The Magic Beans and founder of Beanstalk Music Festival. They discuss adapting to COVID as a touring band, the Beans' At The Drive-In Event, playing Red Rocks for the first time, goals as a creative individual with a hustler mentality, the current lineup of the Beans, his current gear setup, their upcoming album, and much more. Th...

In episode 6, Zach is joined by drummer Mike Greenfield of Lotus/Electron. They discuss the early stages of his life as a musician, his influences, the early 2000's jamtronica scene in Philadelphia, joining The Ally and becoming friends with the Disco Biscuits, Brothers Past, and Lotus, playing in side projects with all of them over the years, the story of him eventually joining Lotus, and so much...