Where The Living Room Used To Be

On this episode I chat with Mike Delehanty, who some of you may know simply as Mike D or as Sir Books A Lot. This year marks 30 years of Mike putting on shows, which is incredible! In out conversation we go back to what got him into bring a booker, the venues he's worked at, and how the music scene has changed over time.  We also talk a lot about the people Mike's worked with both the folks he's b...

Keith McCurdy of Vudu Sister shares some of his favorite things about The Ocean State... one of them you may be surprised to find out  The end of the episode features Vudu Sister's "Monster Boy," a favorite of mine from their new album Adynata. // Interview recorded March 6, 2026 via Google Meet // Intro music by  Cedros // Hosted by James Toomey //  

Keith McCurdy of Vudu Sister shares his thoughts on what it's like to be a working-class musician, passes along some advice he received from his father, and tells us the beauty of open mic nights Listen to the end to hear "Under the Light of the Moon" from Vudu Sister's new album Adynata // Interview recorded March 6, 2026 via Google Meet // Intro music by  Cedros // Hosted by James Toomey //

On this episode I speak with Keith McCurdy of the band Vudu Sister. We talk about their new album Adynata and what's changed with this record. We also go all the way back to his early bands, Vudu Sister's first album Bastard Children, and what it took to write songs in Latin and ancient Greek. Make sure to check out Vudu Sister's album release show at Myrtle on March 20 and stay to the end to hear...

Jon Pagano shares his favorite record store from back in the day as well as his top shop currently (you can probably guess if you know who out out the new Sullest album). We also cover the summer treat he enjoys most, a special spot here in RI, the full circle music event in his life, and Jon shouts out some tasty places to get pizza! At the end I've included one of my favorite tracks, "Darren Fai...

Jon Pagano shares some stories from the Squid Amps days, as well as what the true experience of touring really is! Listen to the end to hear Sullest performing "Robinette" live at Fete in Providence, RI on March 17, 2023 // Interview recorded November 21, 2024 via Google Meet // Intro music by Cedros // Hosted by James Toomey //

On this episode I speak with Jon Pagano where we go all the way back to his early days playing music, what it was like relearning Weak Teeth songs for their reunion show, how showing up early for rehearsal one day landed him a spot in Best Practices , as well as how his latest band Sullest came together and what their writing process is like. Sullest debut full length album is coming out on Dec. 1...

Frankie Ranks shares some of his favorite things from his home state and home town. From his favorite record shops , to where he loves to hike... we cover a lot about The Ocean State. Did we talk about hot wieners and coffee milk? Tune in to find out. Listen to the end to hear a great track from Boo City entitled "We'll Be Just Fine" from their mixtape, Midnight Folklore. // Interview recorded Oct...

Frankie shares this thoughts on where a musician should fit within a song, how theory and technique come into the writing process, exploring new opportunities, and what movement means to him. Listen until the end to hear a live track by Frankie Ranks & The Freeloaders recorded at The Parlour in Providence on February 17, 2018. (audio credit: Michelle Ferreira ) // Interview recorded October 9,...

On this episode I speak with acclaimed multi-instrumentalist, Frankie "Ranks" Moniz. From playing saxophone in bands such as The Agents , Soulshot and Boo City ... to guitar in his country project Frankie Ranks & The Freeloaders and the indie folk group High Planes , as well as running his own music education studio...we cover it all in this interview. We get into how he joined these bands, hi...

I was able to catch up with Jon Hope to talk about his latest album, High Hopes. This came out earlier this year and we have an in-depth track-by-track discussion about everything that went into the making of these songs, as well as the overall message he's looking to share with everyone. High Hopes - as well as Jon's other stellar albums - are available now wherever you stream music , on Bandcamp...

Francis Anderson shares some of their favorite things in Rhode Island including an interesting collection... in an interesting place, where they enjoy supporting local businesses, pizza and drink spots, and where they've found great connection in the Ocean State! Listen until the end to hear one of my favorite songs by Franny Keeps , which is a single that was released in April 2023 entitled " A b...

Francis Anderson passes along an intense rhythm practice technique, as well as how they've walked through counter-productive advice, their songwriting practice and how they've reached over 850 songs in their portfolio. Plus, Francis shares an impressive take connecting music from around the world! At the end of the episode I've included a performance by Franny Keeps live at Doomed Records in Crans...

On this episode I have a chat with Francis Anderson who performs under the name Franny Keeps . They have a stellar new record coming out on August 2nd, that after I got to check it out is seriously in the running for "album of the year" for me. In our conversation we talked about the long process it was to put this piece together, the deep emotional weight behind their songs, and the humble and ad...

The rap duo, Metermaids , are not from Rhode Island but they do have a strong connection to the state. On this episode I chat with Sentence and Swell about the origin of their group, the variation of sounds they achieve from album to album, and how they linked up with Strange Famous Records . Speaking of that, Metermaids will be performing at The Met on June 8th alongside labelmates Sage Francis,...

Daryl Black Eagle Jamieson shares some of his favorite things in Rhode Island... from the places he enjoys most, the restaurants he's fond of, and the events that are dear to him in the Ocean State. Black Eagle also shared a story of the incredible character he has as a performer and as a person!  At the end of the episode I share one of my favorites off of Medicine Singer 's self-titled album. Th...

On this episode Daryl Black Eagle Jamieson shares how blues music helped build his confidence. We also talked about what simply being good to people can lead to, as well as some of the lessons that were instilled in him early in life. Please listen to the end because I've included a song that was a music collaboration between Eastern Medicine Singers and the wonderful Mary Lee Partington who recen...

My guest on this episode is Daryl Black Eagle Jamieson from Eastern Medicine Singers . It's an honor and privilege to talk with him as we cover some of the differences in sounds of Native American music across North, South, East and West. We also cover how his group evolved into blending both traditional and experimental music, the true emotion behind what they create, and how the core of why they...

Deer Tick 's John McCauley shares some of this favorite things about his home state. Learn where he used to & currently buys his records, the RI drink he loves so much he has a tattoo of it, the event he looks forward most to each year, and the variety of pizza he enjoys in the ocean state! At the end of the episode, I shared my favorite version of "The Real Thing" by Deer Tick. This is from t...

On this episode John McCauley talks about his approach to recording, as well as his thoughts on what kind of person you have to be to be a touring musician. You'll also hear the authors that inspire some of John's writing...which may surprise you. In the full episode that came out last week we covered Deer Tick 's experience playing Newport Folk Festival for the first time and the ensuing post-fes...

My guest on this episode is John McCauley from the band Deer Tick , as well as side projects Middle Brother and Diamond Rugs . In our conversation, John shares some amazing stories about his early days as a musician growing up in Providence, what the process was like for him touring during that time, and how seeing DIY shows in Olneyville as a teenager influenced his stage performance to this day....

Chuck Staton of Senior Discount shares some of his favorite things about Rhode Island included his go-to spot to shop for records, the drink he created that he always gets at a local coffee shop (I hope they hear this and start calling it "The Staton" on their menu), why his hometown area is so special, his choices for pizza when he's on his own or with a group, and the impact a concert series had...

Musician and director, Chuck Staton , shares how he's made it through some tough times while working with others in creative spaces. If you listen to the end you'll hear Senior Discount 's "VBW song" as a prime example of this. Plus, he shares about how to work past self doubt and how you can best set yourself up for success. Chuck also shares a story about an interesting feud between a couple of...

For this episode I connected with Chuck Staton of Senior Discount to talk about his long history in music and podcasting. In our interview we cover how he went from starting a band before he knew how to play guitar to performing in front of thousands of fans on some of New England's biggest stages, and all the way up to getting signed to Paper + Plastick Records . We also discuss the role of creat...

On this episode Aaron takes us back through a history of what Thayer Street in Providence used to be like in the early 90s, the specific way he likes a certain drink and which RI staple is a sham in his eyes, a touching generational story with his family, how often a nearby pizza place would deliver to The Living Room, and the magnificent energy a long-running annual DIY festival was at the beginn...