HITMAKERS

OK, not really a holiday episode, but Dan's new book makes a great "holiday gift." As for the interview, it's real and it's spectacular. DAN OZZI is a New York-raised, LA-based writer. He's got a new book called “Sellout: The Major-Label Feeding Frenzy That Swept Punk, Emo, and Hardcore (1994–2007)". He's written for outlets you've read and interviewed bands you know (Blink 182, anyone?). We talk about his own evolution, cultural trends, and of course, what it means to sell out.

We're (momentarily) back baby!! On this EXTRA SPECIAL BONUS EPISODE, your regular HOST is the GUEST!! From March, in his other guise as SUNNYSIDE UPPERS on "I Like Your Style", a podcast hosted by Elder Brycen of the GOLDEN PLATES, a band out of San Diego USA. We're releasing it on the eve of the new Uppers single "MARY" (streaming everywhere Fri 13th!!) Topics include the death of rock'n'roll, other people's opinions, happiness, Bob Dylan, Anne of Green Gables, altered-state adventures and much more!!!

Our regular-season finale! Who better to cap things off with than longtime pal Adam Warren? Ryan and Adam first met as drum students in a university jazz program who shared an affinity for '90s skate punk. They formed a mathy punk band, then a mathy post-hardcore band ("GLORY GLORY") which morphed into a "psychedelic dance party." These days, Adam is making pure pop music as WAANTS and producing tracks for others (including your host). He's got a new record out next month. We discuss it and much more.

Josh has followed his unusually keen interest in music from the outskirts of Yarmouth, NS, to a year in music school (where we first met), a slew of East Coast bands, two independent labels, the studio and the open road, to his current gig as an industry guy in Toronto. He actually thought he might quit the kit in favour of the straight job at one point, but it quickly became apparent what an essential part of life music-making is for those of us who need to. We get into it. Great chat. Enjoy.

Matty is a gal of many projects, much like your humble host. Accordingly, we kick off this chat by discovering that we both have ADHD! Well, technically it starts with gear and home recording. We talk about growing up as a small-town outsider, discovering punk rock, local bands, playing in multiple bands, being self-taught vs “schooled” as a musician, embracing her trans identity, the medical system, the pandemic life, the aging process that inexorably leads us all to crave early shows, and much much more.

dewayne is the groove machine behind halifax noise-rock stalwarts BOTFLY. that is, when he’s not ripping pop punk tunes with CROSSED WIRES or bummer punk with FUTURE GIRLS. he hasn’t been able to do any of it for a little while now (thanks, c19) but that just means he’s got a huge backlog of recordings awaiting your earholes. we talk about all of the good stuff: the early days, the scene, practicing in quarantine and current/future projects. an instant classic.

A classic episode!! Dylan is a punk rock brother-in-arms and a true lifer. We mean that literally. He started playing at 2 and doesn’t recall life before the drums. Drumming also got him through a very intense bout with cancer at age 19. It’s a wild tale and you need to hear it directly from him. These days he’s making mathy post-punk with Alright Already and hooky pop-punk with Cluttered. A wide-ranging 2hr+ chat. You don't need to be a drummer to enjoy this one, but if you are, you're in for a treat.

Brohan, uh, rips the tubs (that’s something people say, right??) for Toronto-via-Charlottetown indie-pop rifflords Kiwi Jr. Their sophomore album “Cooler Returns” has been a favourite of 2021. A little something for everyone here - for the drummer, discussion about stick weight; for the indie fan, the time they met Thurston Moore while touring the UK; for hardcore fans of the show, old PEI bands (there’s even a reference to bombing down the Blue Shank Road); and for all of us, the Montreal Canadiens.

rob is a former classmate from his jazz saxophone days, and a fellow traveler in the halifax music scene. his own musical path has led him to nashville, tennessee, where he now drums with country superstars midland (when he's not doing sessions on bass or keys). we sat down for a wide-ranging chat about music, education, pocket, and the unexpected joys of being in the right place at the right time.

michael is one of our favourite singer songers. he’s got two new records out. “harmonize the moon” is gorgeous, meditative piece of work. and one of his many side projects, allstar instrumental combo bell orchestre, just released their first album in a decade, the mesmerizing "house music." both this past friday. and so it goes. we sat down for a wide-ranging chat about creativity, inspiration, his musical path and projects, working with what’s in front of you, and much more.

An AXXION-PACKED EPISODE! OK, that's the only pun we'll make. Emily drums for the Toronto metal band AXXION! She's a lefty! She started playing on a beat up Westbury kit as a 13 year old (respect), took lessons for a couple years, then her teacher kicked her out, saying she knew everything she needed to! From there she started playing in bands, which has taken her across Canada, across the pond, and most recently to 10 acres in Muskoka, Ontario, where she spoke with us from her home studio. Tune in to hear all about it!

Trevor’s been making music on the East coast for years. He's been in bands, runs an independent label, works as a publicist and hosted a radio show championing local music for a decade. He's been making moves on his own recently - he's got a new solo project called “Sluice”!! In fact, he's got a new single coming out this Friday!! In fact, we’re going to play it for you right here on the show!!! Tune in to hear all about it; stay for our thoughts on the current state of independent music-making.

Eric Miko Findlay has been with SoCal alternative/post-hardcore band Seahaven since they formed in high school (he actually started on bass and switched to drums after auditioning for his own band!) They had a great run in the early-mid 2010s, then went dark for 2 years, then made a new record and got ready to hit the road juuuuuust in time for touring to get cancelled. We talk about that, recording in the Costa Rican jungle and more. Great convo. If you're a drummer, make sure you listen to the end to hear how to get the most out of your practice time.

WE'RE BACK BABY! Our first of 2021 and features none other than NATE MORTON from the HOUSE BAND on THE VOICE!!⁠ Nate grew up banging on pots and pans, idolizing Animal from the Muppets. Through studies at Berklee and a move to LA, he's played with loads of people whose names you know. And while his current gig brings him to your living room every week, he says he's still 4 years old banging on pots and pans up there.⁠ Of course, that belies his incredible ability and musicianship as a player (we get into that too - for a couple of guys who claim to know nothing about technique, it does get a little nerdy). We talk about lessons learned from the great Ian Froman at Berklee, why he decided not to be a concert pianist, "what's his secret" for landing gigs and much more. Great dude and incredibly patient with our technical difficulties.⁠ We know you'll enjoy this one. Listen now or download it for later!!!!!!!⁠

Looks like we made it! Our final episode of 2020 is an interview with none other than BRENDAN BUCKLEY! He’s a touring/recording freelance drummer based in Los Angeles, California. You may know him from his work with Perry Farrell, Shakira, Tegan and Sara, many others. Originally from New Jersey, he started drumming the way many of us do - seeing a drumkit and thinking “that thing looks so cool! i want to do that!” So he picked up a few beats from MTV and taught himself to play them on the drums at school during his lunch breaks. He subsequently declared that he was a drummer when he got to high school. This led to some pretty intense musical studies, which led to the University of Miami, which led to a decade of living and playing there. He decided on his 30th birthday that he had to move somewhere, which wound up being LA, and he’s been there (though not for more than a month at a time until now) ever since. Tune in to hear all about it. If you’re a drummer, this is an amazing episode full of goodies for you. Enjoy this one and we’ll see you in 2021. For show notes, past episodes and more, check learndrums.ca.

Clare rips the kit (and the glock) with Halifax indie-pop superstars Hillsburn. Before dropping out of Humber, moving back home and joining a touring+recording band, she'd been considering a career in chemistry. She even applied for a job at a place that made cymbal cleaner. But as everybody knows, music is a much more stable path (hehe) and here we are! Tune in to hear us reminisce about our band-geek days, trash talk Toronto, discuss the proper pronunciation of "glockenspiel" and so much more.

Tyler is a session drummer in Los Angeles, California. He was raised on top 40 and classic rock in Sacramento, but it was a Blink-182 show in the early 00s that sparked his love of drumming. Since then, he's toured the world as a backline tech for artists like Usher, Demi Lovato, the Chainsmokers and Anderson .Paak. He's drummed with Charlie Puth, Noah Cyrus, Kiiara and many more. He's played Coachella, Rock in Rio, Ellen, The Tonight Show. How does one land those gigs? What's he doing now that touring is on hold? Tune in to find out all about it.

We finally did it! People have been saying “you should get Loel on the show” since we started this thing. For listeners on the East coast (maybe Canada in general), this man needs no introduction. For those who don't know, Loel is the drummer for WINTERSLEEP. he has also worked with acts like HOLY F*CK, COLD SPECKS, MATT MAYS, CONTRIVED, THE HOLY SHROUD and more. These days he’s living the quarantine life on the shores of Nova Scotia. We discuss his own musical beginnings, the evolution of his main project, and the current state of music making - things like "how awkward are livestreams" and like “what kind of mics are you using on your kit?")

Sean Winchester is a Los Angeles studio & touring drummer with credits including Everclear, Buckcherry, Smash Mouth, Strung Out, Giants of Rome, Josh Todd and the Conflict, and more. A graduate of the Berklee College of Music, Sean currently spends most of his time working out of his North Hollywood studio Wolf Den Recording. We talked about music school, the current state of gigging, the current state of the music industry (vs the HEYDAY! by which we obviously mean THE 90s!!!), listening, improvisation, ADHD, recording remote sessions, and much, much more.

Tucker Rule has been in the game for a minute. A hardcore kid from New Jersey who discovered underground music via skateboarding, he formed the band Thursday with his friends in order to open shows in a basement (it should be noted that these shows were headlined by bands like Saves The Day, At The Drive-In and Hot Water Music). DIY touring led to a surprise hit on MTV and the band blew up, only to get lost in the kind of major label shuffle familiar to anyone who’s followed punk rock since the 90s. Thursday went on indefinite hiatus in 2011; he toured with UK boy band The Wanted and filled in with acts like My Chemical Romance and Yellowcard. Thursday’s been back at it recently. He’s also a new dad. Tune in to hear all about it. More info at learndrums.ca

How does a kid from Houston, TX become the drummer for a legendary California punk band that’s been around longer than he’s been alive? What’s it like winning the Guitar Center drum-off? These and other questions answered as we chat with Isaias Gil! Originally from Acapulco, Mexico, Isaias has been working as a session drummer in Houston since his teens. He’s been in Modern Drummer, recorded for Macy Gray and performed with David Lee Roth(!!) He’s also a nice, positive, down-to-earth dude who’s serious about the craft and doesn’t take any of it for granted.

"Timothy Crofts is a true 21st Century pianist. His main focus is improvisation and world music aesthetics. In performance, Timothy explores the full sonic capabilities of the acoustic piano through extended techniques and a wide range of piano preparations. He is able to coax a variety of colour and extreme dynamic contract through employing traditional and non-traditional techniques in tandem." That's what his bio says. Tim is also a professor at Dalhousie University and co-director of SuddenlyLISTEN in Halifax. The layperson would probably call what he does "avant-garde" or "experimental" music. As you'll hear, though, he's interested in all types of music as well as its social/cultural context. We talk about the art-school origins of a lot of popular music, going deep into whatever you're learning, his own start as an 80s guitar guy, and more.

Change begins at home. Your faithful host and his younger brother (beloved MTL comic James Brown, known for his work with the iconic SQUAD LAUGHS) decided a few months ago to read a book on systemic racism and record a podcast talking about what they learned. They chose this one because it seemed to be circulating, they'd heard of it, seemed like a good starting point. This is not so much a book review as a wide-ranging discussion about these ideas, the system and our place in it.

The new DOG DAY album is out THIS FRIDAY (Aug 14)! The first one in 7 years! We sat down with KC and Meg from the band to talk drums (they're both drummers and multi-instrumentalists, with such acts as NOT YOU, DIAMONDTOWN, CENTURY EGG, GEMSTONES, BAD VIBRATIONS etc), astrology, touring in other countries and much more!!!

Paypal Visit? Papa'll Visit? Is The Pope on the show? Elon Musk? Your dad? You'll have to listen to find out. JK, Papal Visit are Pierre Cormier and Adam Mowery. A recording project that became a live band (with help from some of Saint John's heaviest hitters), they have a new single out called "Destroy the Hive." To these ears, the A-side sounds like Joy Division doing garage rock, while the B-side is like Mike O'Neill fronting The Smiths. We talk about the band's past and present, illegal teenage fun in Northern New Brunswick, good and bad band names, and much more.

we're going biweekly - starting next week - tune in to hear the latest or just enjoy the nice weather while it's here

A-hyuk hyuk hyuk!

Chad is the singer and songwriter from the band Kestrels. Their new album "Dream Or Don’t Dream" comes out THIS FRIDAY, July 10, 2020. If you miss the "alternative rock" people made in the 90s, you’ll dig Kestrels. J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr plays on the record. We talked about that, meeting Steve Albini, touring, recording, Eric Clapton, Myspace, buying $25 CDs, DOD guitar pedals, the creative process and so much more. As a fun bonus, this was recorded on July 6, 2019. What a time capsule!

holiday episode. no guest this week. skip to about 22:30 to hear a new "classic rock" styled song for your bbq if it's kind of a sad bbq. inspired by joni and neil for you canucks, and references both the beatles and stones. probably zeppelin too. feelings of futility and getting out of your own way. listen to the entire episode if you want our host's thoughts on how come people don't trust the system.

Chris Murdoch has been drumming in the Halifax, Nova Scotia hardcore scene since the turn of the millennium. By his own count, he's been in about 20 bands. He's played with Envision, Outtacontroller and currently Souvenir, fronted Word On the Street, and recently authored "Black Dots: An Afropunk Primer", available via Pentagon Black, which you should buy right now because it's only $2 and all proceeds go to Black Lives Matter Solidarity Fund NS until the end of June. An instant classic episode.

Ben Hardy, PhD is an organizational psychologist and bestselling author. His blogs have been read by over 100 million people and are featured on Forbes, Fortune, CNBC, Cheddar, Big Think, and many others. He is a regular contributor to Inc. and Psychology Today and from 2015-2018, he was the #1 writer, in the world, on Medium.com. He's got a new book out called "Personality Isn't Permanent" and he stopped by (virtually of course, he's in Orlando) to talk about it. We talk about making a break from the past, designing the future and how it all applies to musicians.

What a world. If you need a break, here's over 2 hours of nothing really important. This episode was recorded way back on May 30th with Nova Scotian musicians, sweethearts and jokesters Corey Isenor and Liam Frier. Listen to the end for a live performance (not the one they attempted to do over live stream from different locations, that one is kinda cool but kinda weird. keep going). Check out Corey's music at https://coreyisenor.bandcamp.com/ (All 3 of us played on his most recent album, "Absinthe & Smoke". It's a bit of a who's who.) Check out Liam's music at https://liamfrier.bandcamp.com/ And Corey's photography at http://coreyjisenor.com/

We sat down with singer-songwriter, recording engineer and host's-younger-brother MICAH BROWN for a wide-ranging chat on bands, the east coast vs the big city and an exclusive live performance! (almost) ZERO TALK ABOUT COVID-19! ENJOY!!!

WE'RE BACK BABY! The Season 3 home opener is something a little different. HITMAKERS: AFTER DARK is our live TV show, happening every Saturday night at 11pm (Atlantic Daylight Time) until quarantine ends and we can go to shows again. For the kickoff episode, we sat down with Saint John singer-songwriter JASON OGDEN (also of the bands PENNY BLACKS, PAPAL VISIT and HOSPITAL GRADE) to discuss the Neil Young biography "Shakey," which we discovered via Instagram that we were both reading right now. Let us know what you think of the new format! Show info, social links and more at learndrums.ca.

(Please don't sue us, Allen Klein or Tom Scharpling) One for the true heads! Let's get (meta)physical! Where have we come from? Where are we going? We're going to borrow a descriptor from a Vice article about Metallica recording "Ride The Lightning" and tell you that this is a "wild ass" tale of how one man's career crossroads led him to the streets of Saint John. Season 2 is done! Binge the whole thing! Season 3 drops when it's good and ready! ✌️

LEAKED! A brand-new track from the Halifax shoegaze darlings' debut EP "Thin Veil", out later this week. Just call us Julian Assange, without all the... actually... don't. Instead, press play! Rock hard!

Jo rules. She works as a theatre tech and puppetry teacher here in Saint John. She left behind a career as a painter for film in Vancouver, working on projects with celebrities like Nicolas Cage and.... I wanna say Denzel Washington. She's no stranger to moving around the country, first as a minister’s kid, then in a touring hardcore band, then just following her own muse. Great episode. Come hang.

Surprise!

A classic drum episode! We talk about stuff we like and stuff we can't stand. Clinton is more of a Groovy Gus than a Charlie Chops, if you catch our drift. Inspiration, tone, thoughts on Jojo Mayer, Dave Elitch, Ash Soan, Anderson .Paak, Hal Blaine, Jim Keltner, Jay Bellarose, Ringo Starr, Bernard Purdie, John Bonham, ?uestlove, Carter Beauford and more. We even find time for a laugh or two.

My best piece of drum advice at 38:29! Surrounded by info on the past and future of this podcast and its theme song, thoughts about streaming music and much more. *(the title is a Bad Religion reference if u did not get it it) (it's the worst bad religion song)(im playling guitar in a bad religion cover band s00n)

John Mullane is a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, engineer, bandleader, Haligonian about town. We found what appeared to be an interview room created specifically for this episode at the Rodd Charlottetown during ECMAs to talk about bands, recording, touring, making music for film and TV, sustaining a career and much more.

Krista is an industry pro who works with artists on grant applications, PR and strategy. She's got a new podcast ("Granted") coming out on the subject of the Canadian grant system. What it is, how to use it, and some horror stories. It's a huge part of the music industry in this country and an inevitable part of building a career. Tune in to learn what to do and what not to!

No full-length show this week. Here's what's up.

Had a fun chat with these BBQT's over a couple of Caesars and a Moosehead Pale Ale (the true Saint Johner's beer of choice) at the Lunar Rogue in Fredericton. BBQT are, like, a pop-punk band (but not like Blink) from Montreal via NL and NB. Very via - drummer Allison Graves currently lives in St John's and commutes for gigs. Tune in to find out how that works. Plus: we discuss the scene all over Eastern Canada and clown on some bands. Enjoy.

Stefan is a Fredericton-based drummer and visual artist. He was in town this past weekend for Quality Block Party, as one half of the Jane Blanchard band. This coming weekend, the two of them are putting on the 5th annual Flourish festival in Fredericton. It's a small, independent art and music festival. We talked about Flourish, the NB festival scene, hidden music communities, doing it on your own and much more.

Stealing Bill Burr's idea. Comics apparently love that. Solo project this week. Delivering  Saint John lore, internet pop culture videos, the history and current state of the learndrums empire, tips and insider info for getting the most out of music lessons, thoughts on popular music and much more.

Paul Milner is a recording engineer right here in Saint John (via PEI, via Toronto, via Quebec, via the UK). He's worked in Barbados with Eddy Grant (of "Electric Avenue" fame) and at Quebec's famed Le Studio with Keith Richards (of "The Rolling Stones" fame). And made approximately 498 other records along the way. We had a great chat about the music industry past and present, and doing it on your own. 

Clinton is a legend. A drummer who's also a singer-songwriter (or a singer-songwriter who also drums) and all-around cool cat. Was excited to talk to him as he bridges a few different things we're trying to do with the show this season. We talked about having different roles onstage, musical context, cover bands, jazz, the local scene, focusing on one instrument (or not wanting to) and kept it rolling for close to 2 hours before discovering that the recording software had a metronome running the whole time. Thought there might be a repetitive "click" sound through this thing. Fortunately there isn't, but even more fortunately, it's a great episode. Part 2 coming some day.

Jason (or JVo) has played with literally millions of bands. Literally. Not bad for a guy who started out playing upside-down acoustic guitar, idolizing KISS. We catch up on his latest projects (a disco band, for one). He takes us through his early days (you won't believe what happened at his first gig). We discuss his love of metal, jazz and the bass. And he lays down some deep thoughts on listening, leaving space and how it all fits together.

Erin Muir is a singer-songwriter who makes moody, affecting music under the name Wrote. We talked about making art, the Maritime vibe, children's activities, depression and more. Fun episode!

MARCH BREAK! Quick one! Our reporter gets a candid assessment of a secret concert from a local showgoer.