Don't Stifle Me Podcast with Jacob Stiefel

Davis Nix, a singer-songwriter from Montgomery, AL, stops by to chat with Jacob. They talk New Year's Eve gigs, almost drowning in the ocean, and who knows what else. Then Jacob, Davis and his guitar player TearDrop all play a song of Davis's at the end. Stick around and enjoy!

Visual artist Johnathan Lewis stopped by, kicked off his shoes and talked art, music, and even asked Jacob some questions about his life. Check out his artwork at johnathanlewispaints.com. Enjoy the conversation!

Eleot and Chris of the duo VOLK stop by and chat with Jacob about living and playing music in Berlin, Germany, moving to Nashville, the most embarassing shows they've played, and maybe even a few jokes along the way. After the talk they play one of their songs, "Hat & Boots". So stick around and enjoy!

Backline Tech and Multi-Instrumentalist for Old Crow Medicine Show, Robert Price, stops by to chat with Jacob about working with Old Crow, running sound and production at different venues in Nashville, and much more. Robert picks the mandolin a little for you at the end so stick around. Enjoy!

Evan Bartels is a touring Americana artist/singer/songwriter from Nebraska. Evan stopped by the studio to chat with Jacob while passing through Nashville on an acoustic tour. They talk touring, losing weight, family, coffee, and much more. THEN Evan sings a song at the end, so stick around. Enjoy!

Chris Wilson, of Chris Wilson and the Heresy, and Sean Doone of No Oil Paintings stop by to hang with Jacob. They chat about music, Ireland, tales of touring and much more, followed by some guitaring and banjoing. Stick around and enjoy!

The incomparable Jen Friend stops by to chat with Jacob. Jen is a session singer, sings at some of the bars in downtown Nashville, and also tours singing backup for the artist Tiffany. Jen and Jacob discuss her early singing career like making friends with Charlie Daniels, to singing in Nashville. They also discuss her experience of being robbed at gunpoint, and cover some handy hair tips for folks with frizzy locks. Then Jen sings an original tune at the end of the talk. Enjoy!

Kyle Everson currently tours with Martina McBride playing steel guitar. On this episode he stops by to chat with Jacob about music, touring, and maybe tell a bad joke or two. Then at the end of the talk they do some acoustic guitar pickin'. Enjoy!

Scott Campbell is a phenomenal commercial visual artist based in the greater Muscle Shoals, AL, area. Scott and Jacob sit down and chat about art, life, Nashville, Muscle Shoals, and much more. Enjoy!

Jenny Weaver of the group The Battlefield, out of Los Angeles, stops by to chat with Jacob. They talk Ukeleles, "Musical-Type Theatre", Exercise, Travel, and much more. Maybe even a couple jokes thrown in for good measure. At the end, Jenny plays some Ukelele while Jacob follows along on the harmonica. Enjoy!

Guitarist for country artist Keith Anderson, Tyler Powers, stops by to talk with Jacob. They chat on guitars, playing overseas for US troops, fishing, guns, and much more. Then they close it out with a nice little guitar jam. Enjoy!

On his grandma's 90th birthday, Jacob sits down and talks with her about her life from 1928 to now. While it's not a typical guest conversation for the podcast here, music, creativity, the ups and downs of life and other common topics all come up in their talk. Enjoy!

Brook Sutton is a bass player, recording engineer, and runs the jazz jam at Rudy's Jazz Room in Nashville, TN, every Sunday night. Brook stops by to chat with Jacob about Jazz, Nashville, peanut butter, and they might tell a joke or two toward the end. Then of course the episode ends with a little jamming, jazz-style this week. Enjoy!

Ryan "Slim" Cain is bassist for Country artists Brooke Eden and Johnny Mac. He's also had positions in tour managing, construction, cooking, road-case building, and that's just to name a few. Ryan stops by Jacob's for some conversation and Cuban rum followed by a little blues guitar picking. Enjoy!

Alex Quattlebaum is an advisor at the Mike Curb School of Music at Belmont University in Nashville, TN. He's also worked in artist merchandising for acts like The Eagles, Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, Ariana Grande, and more. Alex, Jacob, and guest host Chance Gray sit and talk about Alex's path in the music industry, tips for people interested in getting into the business, eating sushi in Little Rock, Arkansas, and much more. Enjoy!

David Henriksson, from Stockholm, Sweden, is currently on the road playing guitar for Country artist Tracy Lawrence. Having lived in the U.S. for less than a year, David stops by to chat with Jacob about the process of moving here from another country, Swedish instruments, opinions on beer and peanut butter, and much more. And of course at the end, the guitars come out for some pickin' and grinnin'. Enjoy!

Artist Manager Don VanCleave stops by to chat with Jacob about the responsibilities of an artist manager, his experiences working with Brent Cobb, Moon Taxi, Lenny Kravitz, helping start Record Store Day and much more. Enjoy!

George Shingleton, a singer-songwriter from West byGod Virginia, stops by to chat with Jacob. They enjoy some adult beverages, discuss awkward shows at strip clubs, people who might not should be singing in public, and a lot more that gets cloudier in memory as the talk progresses. Afterward, they grab the guitars and play a song or two. Enjoy!

Leroy Powell of Whiskey Wolves of the West stops by to chat with Jacob. Leroy played guitar for Shooter Jennings for several years and also has released music under "Leroy Powell & the Messengers." He and Jacob discuss music, life, peanut butter, and many other important things. Then they grab some guitars and jam a little at the end. Enjoy!

Landon Bullard is a touring singer-songwriter living in Austin, TX, and performing as Landon Bullard and the Mostly Sober. He and Jacob discuss South-by-SouthWest Festival happenings, day jobs while trying to chase the dream, getting equipment stolen out of their cars, and much more. They follow all that up with some music jammin' at the end of the talk. So stick around and enjoy!

Ben Danaher is a singer/songwriter originally from Texas, now living in Nashville. He stops by Jacob's and they chat about operating as an independent artist, Ben's new record, songwriting, peanut butter, and other really important things. Then Ben sings a song off the new album at the end of the talk. Enjoy!

Nashville songwriter Rob Snyder stops by to chat with Jacob. They discuss the ups and downs of his path so far, losing his close friend Ryan Dunn in 2011, how that fueled him to make the move to Nashville and chase his dream, and what he's doing now in Music City. At the end of the episode Rob sings a song of his, then he and Jacob do some jammin'. Enjoy!

Front man for the Rock & Roll band The Tip, Benny Carl stops by to hang with Jacob. They discuss music, nerd out on harmonicas as well as hunting and fishing, while discussing life over a few glasses of whiskey. After the talk, they jam out on some blues, so stick around to the end. Enjoy!

Jeffrey Krantz, of the band Krantz, stops by to chat with Jacob. They discuss early musical influences, moving to Nashville, Iowa horses, and philosophy YouTube rabbit holes. Krantz has a new single out, "Run Away With Me," available now. Their upcoming EP release, "The Pennock Tapes" is set to be released April 27. After the talk Jeffrey and Jacob do some acoustic jamming. Enjoy!

Singer-Songwriter Erin Enderlin has written songs like "Monday Morning Church" recorded by Alan Jackson, "Last Call" by Lee Ann Womack, "You Don't Know Jack" by Luke Bryan, and many more. She also has recently released an album of her own, "Whiskeytown Crier," available now wherever music is sold. Erin stops by the office to chat with Jacob about songwriting, inspiration, her new album, and they even play a song from it together at the end of the talk. So stick around and enjoy!

Amber Atnip is executive producer and on-air personality on the nationally syndicated "Taste of Country Nights" radio show. She stops by to chat with Jacob about her years of experience in country radio, trying new things in life, Garth Brooks's social skills, and much more. Enjoy!

Bass player for Dierks Bentley, Cassady Feasby, stops by to chat with Jacob. They discuss Cassady's start in music and how he went from high school band and cover bands to getting the Dierks bass-playing gig. They also reminisce about days in the cover bars of downtown Nashville, and many other ups and downs of life along the way. Of course they get some instruments out and jam at the end of the episode, too. Enjoy!

Chance Gray is the merchandise manager for Grammy-winning Americana artist Jason Isbell. He's also worked with Taylor Swift, Brent Cobb, St Paul & the Broken Bones, Olivia Newton-John, just to name a few. Chance and Jacob sit down and reflect on 2017, in both their careers and personal lives. They discuss booking shows, new cooking skills, Jeremy Pruitt becoming the new Tennessee football coach, the challenges of finding balance in life, and much much more. After all the conversation, and the wine, of course came the music. Enjoy!

Shakey Fowlkes stops by Jacob's for some coffee and conversation. They chat about Shakey's days in the Detroit music scene, tales of record deals, parties, Robert Bradley's Blackwater Surprise, Kid Rock, and much more. Enjoy!

Brandon Jenkins, an Oklahoma/Red Dirt music original, stops by to talk with Jacob about the beginnings of the "Red Dirt" scene, some demons he's had to overcome in life, moving to Austin, ultimately ending up here in Nashville, and much more. Music, drugs, record deals gone bad, you know just the standard... Afterward, Brandon and Jacob jam on two songs, Brandon's newest single "Be The Revival" and "Down in Flames," a song he co-wrote with Stoney Larue. Enjoy!

Drummer of The Steel Woods, audio engineer/producer, Canadian, and friend Jay Tooke stops by for Tuesday Taco Talk with Tooke at Jacob's house. They discuss the Canadian music scene, making the move to Nashville, tacos, coffee, and many more important things. Jay, who also plays guitar among other instruments, plays some rhythm while Jacob blows on the harmonica for you at the end of the talk. Enjoy!

Allen Thompson, of the Allen Thompson Band, stops by to chat with Jacob over coffee. They discuss music and life, along with college being overrated, Todd Snider, and Allen's back-breaking cliff jump and recovery. Great talk and a great little jam session afterward. Enjoy!

Larry stops by Jacob's and they discuss his path in music and life, his 35+ years playing for the group Alabama, The Righteous Brothers, Bill Medley (of the Righteous Bros), and currently The Texas Tenors. A multi-instrumentalist, Larry plays keys, guitar, saxophone, bass, and probably anything else you hand him. Enjoy!

Chris Weaver stops by to chat with Jacob. They cover Chris's early life getting started in music. They do reminisce about playing the downtown Nashville bar scene, talk about Chris's successes in Brazil and other endeavors. At the end of the episode they do some acoustic jamming. Enjoy!

“Cowboy” Eddie Long played steel guitar for Hank Williams, Jr. from 1980-1995, and has played for Jamey Johnson since 2005. Jacob and Cowboy sit down backstage at a venue in Nashville and chat about him making his move to Music City, stories from the Hank Jr. days, his battles with alcoholism, and much more. Enjoy!

Joey Green is a singer-songwriter from Fort Worth, Texas. Joey stops by Jacob’s and they talk about his path in music, some of the trials of being an independent artist, his upcoming clothing line, and more. At the end of the episode Joey plays and sings a song for you. Enjoy!

Currently the key player for The Brothers Osborne, Billy Justineau stops by to chat with Jacob. They discuss early musical influences, moving to Nashville, networking, touring life, and much more. At the end, Billy plays the guitar for you a little. Enjoy!

Matt Mackey, harmonica player and songwriter, and Mark Cardwell, percussionist, both play in the group Johnny Hayes & the Loveseats as well as for Jacob from time to time. They both stop by, and along with Chance Gray & Jacob, take part in an evening of friends, conversation, cocktails, and who knows what else. Take off your easily-offended shoes for this one, friends and neighbors. Stick around to the end to hear Matt Mackey sing you a song. Enjoy!

Sarah Tomek plays drums for Maggie Rose, Steven Tyler, and a handful of other artists and bands. She and Jacob sit down and discuss her life growing up in New Jersey, learning to play drums, struggles of having a day job while chasing what you love, hiking with Steven Tyler, and much more. Enjoy!

Shane Smith of Shane Smith & The Saints, out of Austin, Texas, sits down with Jacob while in Nashville for the Americana Music Festival. They discuss music, tennis, Christopher Columbus, and much more. Jacob plays along with Shane as he sings a song at the end of the episode. Enjoy!

BJ Golden is a guitarist and utility musician for country artist Brantley Gilbert. He and Jacob talk music, school, coffee, Jazz, Classical instruments, Lyle Lovett, beards and more. At the end BJ plays some guitar for you. Enjoy!

Tim and Jacob sit and chat at Tim’s Hendersonville, TN, home. Tim has been playing fiddle and singing, both in live shows and recordings, in Nashville for over 30 years. He’s played with artists such as Tammy Wynette, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Bill Monroe, Keith Whitley, Kid Rock, and many many more, in addition to hosting his own successful live show at Opryland and on the General Jackson Showboat in Nashville for over 25 years. Jacob and Tim finish up the talk with a fiddle and acoustic guitar jam. Enjoy!

Chris Canterbury is a Nashville-based singer-songwriter, born and raised in Louisiana. Chris stops by Jacob’s house for some coffee and conversation about making the jump from Louisiana to Music City, writing and recording original music, left-handed guitars, and more. Chris finishes the talk off with an acoustic performance of “Back to You”, a song off his recent release, “Refinery Town”. Enjoy!

Jimmy Nutt is a Grammy award-winning audio engineer, record producer and owns/runs his studio, The Nutthouse Recording Studio, in Sheffield, AL, just down the road from Muscle Shoals. Jacob stops by the Nutthouse to chat with Jimmy about his life in music, going from performing on stage to engineering to producing and ultimately owning his studio where he now gets to do all those things. Jimmy and Jacob close out the episode with a guitar and harmonica jam.

Soul-singin’ Bonnie Bishop stops by to talk with Jacob about her life in music, growing up in Texas and Mississippi, and her most recent album release “Ain’t Who I Was”. They also discuss her experiences working for and learning from her step-father, football coach Jackie Sherrill, and much much more. Then Bonnie plays and sings out the episode. Enjoy!

In this week’s episode, Jacob takes a few minutes to look back at episodes 001-022, giving a brief description of each guest. He finishes off the episode with a song. New guests starting back next week with Episode 024.

Longtime bassist for Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit, Jimbo Hart sits down with Jacob and guest co-host Chance Gray for a visit in an Austin, TX, hotel room. Jimbo discusses growing up in the greater Muscle Shoals, AL, area, how he got started in music, meeting Jason Isbell at early high school ages, the rough road that is the music business, and much more. Enjoy!

Chad welcomes Jacob into his home near Fort Worth, TX, to sit down with a bottle, two glasses, and two microphones, to discuss how he got to where he is. Call him a comedian, a motivational speaker, an “internet sensation”, call him whatever you want. He’s a passionate man who loves what he does and loves entertaining and inspiring people. Jacob and Chad have a great conversation and play a little music for you at the end. Thanks for listening! Enjoy, and share if you do!

Rio, John, Justin and Mike, of the band Copper Chief stopped by for a chat and some chips & salsa. They discussed how the band formed, how they each got their start in music, the trials and tribulations of starting a band, from booking to merchandise-handling to recording and much more. After their show that night, they all came back over and had a late night jam session with Jacob, some of which you can hear at the end of the episode… Hold on tight and enjoy!

Visual artist Eric Breish sits down with Jacob in San Antonio, where he lives, and talks about his path from school to the Marines to the Corporate world and his “epiphany” of realizing his life’s passion, and then acting on it and chasing it down. He and his mentor have a style of contemporary abstract art that is best consumed by seeing the art in person, but there are examples on the show notes page at dontstifleme.com/019. Enjoy the talk! Then go find something you love and do it.

Formerly of Matt Begley & Bitter Whiskey, now front man of Steel Penny, Matt sits down with Jacob in New Braunfels, TX, and they chat about Matt’s life growing up in East Texas, how he got into music, where his awesome goofy-ass hat came from, and more. They also do some pickin’ and grinnin’ at the end of the episode. Enjoy and go check out Steel Penny! www.steelpennyband.com