Voice & the Pen - A Songwriters Series

Join us as we talk with Mad Gallica in a deep dive of her career and how she began. She comes from a family of musicians and took up the piano at a very young age. From Wilmington to California and back, she's now planning her own tour with the most recently released EP titled "Into the Vortex." "This Town" is the latest single and you get to hear that right here! Mad Gallica has an exhilarating v...

Brian Roessler shares his longtime love of songwriting and creating with us today on Episode 23 of our series. Roessler uses an alternate tuning to write most of his songs, which sets him apart from most other acts; it has become a signature sound for him. Not only that, his lyrics are truly unique and his stories very detailed. This interview is truly one of a kind. You can find Brian's music on...

In our latest episode, we interview the lovely Katiana Vazquez! You'll learn that this native Wilmingtonian has been into playing musical instruments since she was just 13 years old. She recently started regularly playing shows around town and recording her own music. Check her out on Spotify with some of her recently released singles including, "By The Beach," "Happy For Us," and a live version o...

Our guest on this episode has travelled across the state to be with us. Val Merza comes to us from Charlotte, NC by way of New Jersey to share her story through songs. Be sure to check out her first release, "This Is My 23" on all streaming services! Follow her on Instagram @valmerzamusic!

Join us on our latest episode with Melissa Joiner and Chris Nelson! These two amazing musicians came to Wilmington from Myrtle Beach to talk about their songwriting and musical adventures in their lives of gigging! Join in for stories about Barcelona and becoming your own security at your shows! Oh, and listen in for the beautiful performances from both guests. Follow Melissa @melissajoinermusic a...

Joshua Starkey learned to play the guitar when he was around 14 years old. When he was 19, he started playing professionally just outside of a small town in Virginia, known as Altavista. In 2012, Joshua moved to Wilmington, NC and has been playing in the Port City for 11 years now. We got to catch up with him and really dive into what his original songs are about and how they come to be.

A native of North Carolina, singer/songwriter Zack Aaron has spent his life playing music and performing live. After retiring from American Aquarium in 2010, Zack has shifted his focus to songwriting. Drawing influences from different genres you can hear Neil Young, Jason Isbell, Tyler Childers and others. His debut album, "Wild Petunias," features a band of veteran Nashville musicians and was rel...

Churchyard Ghost is a local Wilmington jazz/blues-inspired band made up of lead singer/guitarist Andrew Covil, lead guitarist Paul Glaser, and John Wolfe on drums. After hearing their music, it's clear they could be in a genre all their own with their unique style of writing. Covil says he likes to write from the perspectives of others; almost like he's writing storylines for fictional characters...

Jim Ashley has been playing music for most of his life. His latest full album release, "Poetry & Pickin'" came out in 2020 and is available on streaming services. During our chat with him we learned where his love for writing came from and how he turned his poetry into songs. His guitar playing is absolutely phenomenal and his Shakespeare ain't too shabby. Jim is well-known as a local musician...

Monica Jane has been gracing stages in Wilmington for the past few years now and we were honored to have her on the show to talk about how she got started in music and what her path has led to thus far. She shares what it was like recording with Jim Kimball (who has been playing guitar for Reba McEntire for 20 years now) and shared some of her new songs with us. Look for "I Chose My Own Song" as h...

A fiery blend of rock and blues, Dead Fox No Groove is the product of two eccentric gingers with a burning passion for music. Join us today while we chat with Chapman Lee Richards & Blake Mitchell White. Follow them on IG @deadfoxnogroove

Today we welcome Joel Lamb also known as Rocket Man. He says playing piano is the same as breathing for him. Most recently, his band, the Brown Dirt Cowboys, put out a new record called "Golden in the Moonlight."

Daniel Shiv joins us this week. He is the lead singer of Wilmington band, Bad Genetics. Bad Genetics is a four piece alternative rock cover band bringing you their favorites from the 90's.

Join us as we talk with wife duo Courtney Lynn & Quinn about their journey in music thus far. Hear the blending of their gorgeous harmonies during their performance and find out about upcoming tour dates. Show less

We got to know Linda Draper after she moved to Wilmington from New York. Her most recent album is called Patience and Lipstick off her label South Forty Records. She tells us a bit about her songwriting process and landing a song in a commercial.

On this episode, we sit down with Sam Hatch of the Hatch Brothers to talk about how he got his start in music and what the future looks like for the band. He discusses his unique approach to writing songs and we even learned he was originally in school to be a doctor! Follow him on his social media and check out The Hatch Brothers' music on all streaming services.

Rebekah Todd joins us today to talk about her latest album, "Realign" and how the tracks came to be. We learn a little bit about the production and how she got to record in Sylvan Esso's studio. Tour season is picking up for Todd and she's been going out on the road with the full band!

Jaden Money has started to become a big attention draw on Instagram with her singing and videos, covering artists such as Coldplay and the Cranberries. She's just released her first single, "Fly" on all streaming platforms. On this episode, we learn a bit about how she finds inspiration for her writing and her style of singing. You also get to hear an exclusive performance of "Fly!"

On today's episode, we interviewed longtime Wilmington musician and realtor, John Hussmann. John is well-known around the community and can be seen playing shows almost every day of the week. He's most known for his skills on the looper pedal and his phenomenal guitar-playing.

Today we got to talk to Jessy Esterline about how he got his start in music. His writing process uses a stream of consciousness approach as he plays a chord progression on guitar. He also performs two original songs including "Tumbleweed" and "Water For Elephants." He is featured on the first volume of the V&P album on Spotify.

On our latest episode, we talk to local Wilmington musician and graphic artist, Delia Stanley. Her presence around town has grown in a big way over the past couple of years. You'll love her unique voice and learning all about her background in the arts and ethnomusicology.

On today's episode of Voice & the Pen, we interview Raleigh-based musician and songwriter, Ari Pappalardo. We talk about his process in writing, his tour, and his most recent release, "Minstrel Class."

Emily Burdette & CB Johnson interview Trent Harrison of Wilmington's most successful recording studio, Hour Glass Studios, about how he got his start and his thoughts on our music community. Harrison is also the owner of Live at Ted's, the only certified listening room in town.