Blue Water Highway stands at the top of the list of bands I have come across in the last several years, so it was a real honor for me to sit down with founding members Zack Kibodeaux (primary vocalist and multi-instrumentalist) and Greg Essington (multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, would-be zombie apocalypse survivor).…
Stephen McCarthy has been at the leading edge of genre creation, a claim few can make. With the founding of The Long Ryders in the early 80s, the band was helping lay the foundation for what would eventually be called "Americana." Stephen walks us through the rise, fall, and return…
Trapper Schoepp is a musical force to be reckoned with. His brand new album, "Siren Songs," is his strongest effort to date, and was recorded in the Cash Cabin, a retreat and private recording studio built by the legendary Man in Black, himself, Johnny Cash. With fourteen songs in hand,…
This is part two of a very in depth and open conversation I had with Glen Phillips. In this portion of our chat, Glen shares what led to the demise of Toad the Wet Sprocket and how those relational patterns have changed in a way that allows the band to…
Jon Shabaglian is an award winning singer, songwriter and recording artist, with a growing catalog of soul stirring albums. For decades Jon has been writing, performing and recording music that reflects and reveals the heart of God. With a voice filled with overtones of Soul and R&B, Jon continues to…
As a founding member of multi-platinum selling Soul Asylum, and super group, The Golden Smog, which features members of Wilco, The Jayhawks, Big Star and Run Westy, Run, Grammy Award-winning Dan Murphy has spent decades creating a catalog of great music. Despite his success, in 2012 Dan put his guitar…
It was an honor to connect with one of my favorite vocalist, songwriters and lyricists, Glen Phillips. Glen is the voice and principal songwriter for Toad the Wet Sprocket, a band he helped form when he was just 15. This "Upclose & Personal" special interview is filled with an honest…
You might not know the name Ron Hicklin, but you certainly know his voice. Ron and his singing group, "The Ron Hicklin Singers," sang on over 100 #1 hit songs with artists like Sinatra, Elvis, Dean Martin, Neil Diamond, Barbara Streisand, Ringo Starr, Glen Campbell, Michael Jackson, The Carpenters, and…
The Elvis Presley of the 1970s long ago achieved caricature status. The Elvis impersonators and the Pop Culture icon of the true Elvis have little in common. In this Special Edition of Journey to the Stage, Rock n Roll historian, John Jackson, helps us dismantle the ever shortening narrative of…
As a 35 year fan of the music of The Smithereens, it was a genuine pleasure to chat with founding member and drummer, Dennis Diken. We discuss the journey the band took, navigating the heights of success and the sadness of losing singer an band mate, the late Pat Dinizio.…
I was thrilled to be joined by Isa Holliday, lead vocalist and bassist for Belgian shoegaze band, Slow Crush. In a matter of a few years, Slow Crush has developed a solid international following with their dreamlike, swirling, sound. Isa and I chat about the band's new album, "Hush," and…
John Elefante, former lead vocalist for Kansas, has done it all in music. His brand new solo album, "The Amazing Grace" is out NOW and can be found on https://johnelefante.com/. John has four Grammys to his name and has produced (many with his brother Dino) countless albums by artists such…
Bill Mallonee is an Americana Rock music legend. As a founding member of the Vigilantes of Love in the early 90s, and a solo artist since the end of that great band, Bill has written songs that are earthy, beautiful and evocative. As a gifted storyteller and troubadour, Bill remains…
