The Real MP3s

I hate camping. So naturally, I've spent years camping at music festivals. In this episode, I'm sharing stories from Bonnaroo and beyond, including the time I accidentally snuck into the festival, the borrowed air mattress that immediately betrayed me (and covered me in ants), and why I ended up getting yelled at by Billy Joel? We'll also discuss the absolute IRONY of having your purse stolen at a...

Kyle Morris from The Unlikely Candidates joined me this week, and somehow we ended up talking about a temporarily one-armed drummer, a months-long prank involving Blue October, inflatable llamas, the Goo Goo Dolls, and Andrew McMahon. In other words... my kind of conversation. Kyle shares some incredible stories from the road, including how the band's drummer continued performing after an injury,...

One year later, we’re bringing back the episode that launched The Real MP3s: my interview with Billy Corgan. When this interview originally happened, I was completely in my own head. I was nervous, intimidated, overanalyzing everything, and fully preparing myself for a terrifying experience. Turns out? Billy was actually much easier to talk to than I expected, which somehow shocked me more than an...

This is the story of how a disastrous job interview somehow became the best thing that ever happened to my career. I walked into an interview feeling wildly underqualified… and accidentally started a career in rock radio. A very chaotic reminder that sometimes if it’s meant to be… it’ll be.

If you’re married to a touring musician, I have a question for you: How do you do it?! Because based on one particular night while my husband was out on tour… I’m not entirely convinced I’m cut out for this lifestyle. I’m sharing the story of the night my alarm system started going off while I was home alone and I was absolutely convinced someone was breaking into the house. What I thought was hap...

A Zoom interview with Amy Lee... but make it cozy. We’re talking a hiking injury in Nashville, a boot, stuffed animals, and a conversation that felt way more like FaceTime than a formal interview. It was soft. It was wholesome. It was not what I expected… and I loved every second of it.

Free stuff sounds great… until you’re offered a dragon tattoo, paid in chicken wings you didn’t ask for, and accidentally taken out by a THC cookie. In this episode, I talk about the weird, random, and sometimes questionable “perks” that come with my job... including things I’m very glad I said no to. Consider this a reminder that just because something’s free doesn’t mean it’s a good idea.

This week’s guest: Alex Weeden Alex is one of those musicians who makes you realize just how small (and wild) the music world really is. We go way back decades , from his early days playing for Miranda Lambert to now touring massive arenas with Parker McCollum. We swap memories, embarrassing nicknames, and stories that casually include Dave Grohl being cool, an awkward moment in front of Reese Wit...

In this episode, I talk about two artists I’d love to sit down with for very different reasons. What I didn’t know while recording was that one of those wishes was about to come true. This is your reminder to knock on wood before you say anything out loud.

This episode is a reminder that doing the work and being a good person still matters. I talk about my conversation with Lee Jennings from The Funeral Portrait... someone who truly embodies patience, hustle, and heart. We covered everything from music influences to Buc-ee’s, and it turned into one of those conversations that sticks with you.

Apparently “working in radio” means I personally control all concert tickets… again. In Part 2, I dive into the unhinged requests and awkward messages I get asking for free tickets. I didn’t plan on getting this fired up, but here we are. Consider this a public service announcement.

I’ve been thinking a lot about how many people say “I want to start a podcast”… and then never do. In this episode, I talk about why I finally started The Real MP3s , how it came together, and the insecurities I still battle every time I hit publish. If you’ve been waiting for a sign, this might be it. Start the damn podcast.

If Part 1 was about nostalgia, Part 2 is about whiplash... in the best possible way. One of these shows made me feel everything at once, and the others made me question my hearing (worth it). New year, same obsession.

I wasn’t planning on releasing an episode this week, but once I started thinking about the concerts that defined my 2025, I couldn’t stop. In part one of my Top 5 concerts of the year, I’m talking about wildly different shows that all left a mark, from intimate, emotional moments to full-blown legendary performances. Merry Christmas!!

A solo night seeing Andrew McMahon turned unexpectedly magical. After signing every petition available (including the sea turtles... you’re welcome, ocean) and making a few donations, I somehow landed backstage with another passionate fan. The perfect follow-up to last week’s listener story.

This week, I’m sharing a listener’s powerful story about how Jack’s Mannequin helped pull her out of depression, and the full-circle moment she had when she finally met Andrew McMahon. She even sent in a poem she wrote. It’s raw, honest, and pretty freakin' beautiful.

This interview with Wes Scantlin lives rent-free in my brain… mostly because nothing went right. He spent ten minutes trying to remember a song, didn’t know what year Come Clean came out, and a dog barked the entire time. Let’s relive it, shall we?

Midwestern Thanksgiving vs. Southern Thanksgiving: who wins? I'm diving into the foods, the culture shocks, the family traditions, and the hotdish crash course… Fourteen years in Tennessee and the "you guys" streak continues.

Remember that one in-studio interview with Seether, masked up and fully sanitized? Here's a peek of what it was like in the world of radio during Covid. No, you can't win concert tickets, but... here's a free pizza?

In this episode, I share a story I never thought would see the light of day. Let’s just say professionalism took a backseat at a music festival when I mixed up Nothing More and Whitechapel. I was ready for poetic lyrics… and got guttural screams instead. Oops.

I’m not mad... I’m just burned. From awkward call-ins to questionable shoutout requests, I’m sharing the stories that prove radio is way weirder than it sounds. I'm keeping it real, and maybe a little petty.

Just in time for Halloween, I finally meet the king of shock rock himself, Alice Cooper. From his killer (literally) marriage advice to a surprise chokehold and my weird snake phobia, this one’s a graveyard smash.

I was just looking for an interview moment… instead, I got marriage advice from Alice freakin’ Cooper. This Halloween, hear how he dropped some shockingly good love lessons and proved that even rock’s wildest legends have a soft spot.

This isn’t a paranormal podcast...but it is October, and apparently, Nashville’s music scene has some unexpected “guests.” From historic venues to music offices with haunted reputations, these stories might make you leave the stage lights on.

The best concert I’ve ever seen wasn’t on the calendar. My Halloween plans tanked, and suddenly I found myself at The Hives instead. What happened next? Let’s just say no show has ever topped it.