INDUSTRY TACTICS with FRIENDLY RICH

We dive into the rich career of cellist/composer Cris Derksen. We talk about everything from musicians' health to classism in classical music. We even get a sneak peak into Cris' upcoming 4th release, "The Visit", due out this Fall. Dig in to this lovely chat with the prolific, Cris Derksen.

This week on Industry Tactics, we dive into the prolific career of none other than JG Thirlwell. From his early days as Foetus, to Xordox, composing for film, television (Archer, Venture Brothers, etc...) and much more, this episode is rich with wisdom for any aspiring creative. Enjoy!

Friendly Rich MARSELLA and Christine DUNCAN are set to release a new LP of original duet songs titled "BRIGHT". In this special episode of Industry Tactics, Friendly Rich interviews Christine Duncan and producer Kevin Breit on their journey in making this unique recording. BRIGHT features the Upper York Mandolin Orchestra, and it releases internationally on all streaming platforms (and vinyl) on April 25th, 2025.

An incredible chat with bassist and all around super human, Arif Mirabdolbaghi. From Whitby to Tehran, we get into it. We unpack Arif's path, playing in Protest the Hero and other bands in Canada, through to his journey to Iran and his incredible musical output since.

A breath of fresh air! This interview with the great pianist, composer and bandleader, Diane Roblin really showcases the many lanes she occupies in music. We unpack her new album "A Breath of Fresh Air", talk about her multiple collaborations, and what keeps her inspired to keep creating. What a heartfelt, fluid interview with Diane Roblin.

What a treat to get speak with the great indie sensation, Julian Mayorga. From his studio in Madrid, this interview unpacks his amazing career, and his latest gem of an album CHAK CHAK CHAK CHAK. We discuss cowardice, composition, aging parents, poets, rats eating rich people's bones and much, much more!

Join us for a joyous ride through the life and career of cellist and songwriter, Helen Gillet from her home in New Orleans. We get into the art of looping, anti-fascist musical works, long time collaborations and much more. Helen is a DIY workhorse with 14 albums under her belt. Buckle up, we're driving stick shift with one of the greats for over an hour in this episode! This podcast is syndicated every Monday at high noon on CFRU 93.3fm in Guelph, Canada.

A special return visit from Tom Richards, who is set to release a new triple album in early March. Monophilia is a 30 minute triple-album and installation piece which will be presented at the Halifax Library for Cecilia Concerts' Sensory Accessible Music series. Was great to catch up with Tom and talk about new and innovative ways to release truly beautiful music in 2025. We dissect a piece from Monophilia and this interview gives a glimpse into the beauty that's coming soon. Get into it!

From his space in Chezzetcook, on the rural coast of Nova Scotia, Friendly Rich catches up with Darcy Spidle, aka Chik White. A lovely saunter through his career as a sound artist and sound explorer. Darcy has toured the world performing his unique sound, lately as a solo artist on jaw harp and other. His latest recording "Clowning the Town" is a fresh approach to voice and guitar. We talk collaboration, touring, film, the ocean and much more. Dive in!

What a time catching up with the great Rob Mosher from his apartment in New York City. We get into a heavy conversation about collaboration, carrousels, 8-bit chips and a case of egg nog. Put on your festive sweaters and let's get into some serious tactics with the creative force, Rob Mosher!

Juliet Palmer's music has come to life under a highway off-ramp, in a swimming pool, in the plastic flotsam of a remote beach and in concert halls across North America, Europe and Oceania. Originally from Aotearoa New Zealand, Juliet makes her home in Toronto where she is artistic director of Urbanvessel, a platform for interdisciplinary collaboration. In this episode of Industry Tactics, we get into Juliet's creative process and a whole lot more. Prepare to be dazzled!

We get into the nooks n' crannies with Tim Shia, drummer and creator extraordinaire in this episode of Industry Tactics. Tim leads The Worst Pop Band Ever, who will soon be celebrating their 20th year anniversary in 2025. He's also very active on the Toronto jazz scene. What a joy to discuss family, health, industry nonsense and much more with the sharp-witted wonder, Tim Shia!

ZINNIA is the extended art of Rachael Cardiello - a classically trained violist raised in the mountains of Montana who has spent half her life touring performing and recording in Toronto as a session player. ZINNIA can often be found in full band collaboration with Chris Pruden, Kat McLevey and Mackenzie Longpre. ZINNIA's upcoming album Dollar Store Disco marks an epoch of triumph and perseverance: one part broken, one part rage, and one part escapism with a heavy nod to 1970s Italian disco. Due out in early February 2025 on the Montana label Anything Bagel.

Friendly Rich Marsella sits down with his long lost American cousin, Brian Marsella for a deep chat about why we music! Brian fell in love with it at the early age of 3, growing up in Philadelphia and has not looked back. Performing alongside so many greats, including John Zorn, Cyro Baptista, Trevor Dunn and so many more, Brian Marsella has established himself as one of the great pianists and composers of our time. Don't miss his upcoming new 3-CD release, "Brian Marsella's Imaginarium - Medietas" which comes out this Fall. Let's gig deep into the imaginative musical mind of Brian Marsella!

Such a lovely time speaking with Melissa Boraski, aka Eiyn Sof from Waterloo, Ontario. We get into a rich body of work that spans decades and genres! This episode is full of goodies, we talk comfort levels, muppets, improv, collaborations with Rick White and much, much more. Dig in to this wonderful discussion with an incredible artist, Eiyn Sof.

Friendly Rich recently sat down with Alex Brownstein-Carter and David Sigler of the band Primpce. They discussed the inspiration for their new recording "The Beauty of Blisterpacks" (Urglehorse) coming out July 26, 2024. We talk about touring, New Orleans, freshly getting married, freshly getting COVID and so much more. Prepare yourselves to get PRIMPCED!

A delightful saunter through the musical life of Evelyn Charlotte-Joe, from Montreal. We get into the influence of Dr. Barry Harris on their music and even relation to jazz. We talk about gear, performing with Wax Mannequin, even on how to relax. This episode if full of wisdom, so enjoy every moment!

What a lovely dance through the career of composer and professor Christopher Butterfield. From his creative space in Victoria, British Columbia, Christopher gives us some important reflections on his relationship performing Schwitters' Ursonate over the last 40+ years. Enjoy the ride!

Live from Grandads Donuts in Hamilton, Canada we get into the original glazed glory of Tor Lukasik-Foss. A lovely chat, where we talk about his work in visual art, music, theatre, community and much more. We will hear fantastic new tracks from his "tiny record" The Devil Will Give You Candy and much more.

Leah Hennessy is a New Orleans-based musician writing some amazing music both solo and with her trio project, The By and By. A graduate of New England Conservatory of Music, Leah is the interim Executive Director of Music Box Village in New Orleans. Her upcoming EP "before / during / still" is a meditation on separation and longing from the first several months of the covid-19 pandemic. Leah is a very thoughtful community-minded artist, get into this new recording ("before / during / still"), streaming everywhere today!

A fabulous interview with the award-winning musician Charles Spearin (Broken Social Scene, Do Make Say Think, etc). We journey through his storied career in music, and unpack his fascinating new release, "Music For 32 Phones Played Simultaneously". Enjoy the ride!

In this episode, Friendly Rich speaks with Dutch avant-garde composer and legendary performance artist Jaap Blonk. The talk focuses mostly on Blonk's expertise in performing Kurt Schwitters' seminal 1932 sound poem "Ursonate". Blonk is one of the great masters in performing the Ursonate. We get into it and much more. Enjoy this saunter into the wild mind of Jaap Blonk.

We kick off 2024 with an inspiring talk from singer, songwriting, coach and overall creative soul, the great Kristine Schmitt. She's worked for years supporting other great artists such as Bob Wiseman (Episode 19), Fiver and more, she's been writing and releasing her own incredible records for over a decade to critical acclaim! A lovely early morning interview to start your year!

He's worked with everybody from The Arcade Fire to The Hidden Cameras to Zoon. In this episode, we go post-cello with the great Michael Peter Olsen. His new record "Narrative of a Nervous System" is out now on Hand Drawn Dracula and it's receiving rave reviews. We talk touring, production, venues, new projects, the value in a good deadline, early days and much more! Get ready to be schooled in this episode of Industry Tactics.

We get into epic territory very quickly with award-winning poet and scholar, Christian Bök in this delightful episode. Buckle up as we take a dive into Bök's wondrous career, but also begin our deep dive into the work of Kurt Schwitters and his Ursonate. Pure joyful nonsense, just what the doctor ordered!

An open discussion with Bry Webb about his new record Run With Me, out November 3rd, 2023 on Idée Fixe Records. We talk about the nine year break between studio albums, the state of poetry, music, venues and much more. So genuine, this is an easy listen hope it goes down as smoothly as this glass of Carlo Rossi Wine!

Creative mogul and super sweet human Dimitri Simakis shares all that he's learned over a storied career in the arts. One of the masterminds behind Everything Is Terrible, Dimitri unpacks how he has managed to continue living a very creative and collaborative life. Buckle up, everything is wonderful in this here episode!

Let's talk fire, animals, the Earth's core, libraries, and more with Jeff Mattsson. A member of the legendary group Crash Worship, Jeff's got some stories. He currently runs an incredible arts space in the Bywater neighbourhood of New Orleans, nothing will prepare you for this chat with the legendary Jeff Mattsson!

A lovely chat on a hot summer night with Macula Dog, from their respective studios in Queens and Brooklyn, New York. We talk with Ben & Matt about their recent tour experiences, their process in creating a super-unique sound, and how to stay true to yourself as artists. The real deal, coming at you in stereo, it's MACULA DOG!

We get into it with one of the greats in American experimental music...Weasel Walter! Centred around his work leading The Flying Luttenbachers, this discussion goes deep into the persistence and struggle that it takes to be an artist in a challenging industry. It's hot outside, spend some time in the underground with Weasel Walter!

Surprise! Let's get into the story of Vivienne Wilder. This episode unpacks her incredible career to date, from Bach to Lizee to Zeppelin to her own music, Vivienne's musical diet is rich. An open discussion about creativity, the joys and challenges that come with it. We drop some bombs in this episode, including love announcements, preparing fan mail & cancelling Mahler...enjoy!

What a delightful chat with LA-based artist, the funk wizard, CHAKI. We talk about growing up in the valley scene of Los Angeles, his influential musician father, how to pitch a venue, and many more important tactics. Buckle up, and for funk's sake, BE KIND!

A stellar chat with Cone McCaslin of Sum41. This chat unpacks those early days making "All Killer, No Filler" at Metalworks Studios with producer Jerry Finn, where Friendly Rich acted as a runner. Through to an illustrious career in music, Cone shares openly what he has learned along the way. Prepare to be dazzled!

Such a lovely talk with Nobu Adilman. The self-proclaimed professional amateur has lived many artistic lives, from hosting ZED on CBC to founding Choir! Choir! Choir! we talk about how he fell in love with creativity, and the influence of his family. We discuss the importance of rejection and ridicule in any career. Buckle up, this one's full of wisdom, a caffeine-inspired saunter through the mind of Nobu Adilman.

It's release day! Friendly Rich's MAN OUT OF TIME is now available on all streaming services and vinyl (ships internationally from https://friendlyrich.bandcamp.com/album/man-out-of-time) Go behind the scenes with Rich in this special episode to listen to each track, and some bonus material! Check out live dates at https://friendlyrich.com/tour/

Rob Higgins is a polymath with a heart of gold. We talk about his band Dearly Beloved, the early days coming up in Change of Heart, a new pandemic record "Walker Park" (Sonic Unyon) and much more. We even talk about Rick Vaive. Enjoy!!!

A supercut edition of Industry Tactics, dedicated to the memory of Mendelson Joe. This episode features appearances by Selina Martin, Maylee Todd, Trevor Dunn, Dave Clark, The Nihilist Spasm Band, Allison Cameron, R. Murray Schafer, Kid Koala, Bob Wiseman, Annelise Noronha, Nicole Rampersaud, Hawksley Workman, Renaldo & The Loaf, Homer Flynn, Robin Hatch and more! This Friday, we begin syndicating the podcast on CFRU 93.3FM, weekly every Friday from 10pm to midnight!

Described by some as a “Renaissance Woman”, multi-talented Terra Hazelton is a Canadian singer, Genie Nominated actress, and radio personality. Originally from B.C., Terra became involved in professional theatre and comedy at the ripe age of 14, studying with the Internationally acclaimed Loose Moose Theatre Company. It was at that time she made friends with the FUBAR comedy group, and has played the character Trish ever since. We get into how she studied in New York City, eventually made her way to Toronto, and met Jeff Healey, who she worked with for years. From Crow's Nest Pass, enjoy this lovely conversation with Terra Hazelton!

A lovely little conversation with painter extraordinaire, Gregory Jacobsen. We discuss that beautiful line between visual art and experimental music, which Gregory has explored in such projects as Lovely Little Girls and Ritualistic School of Errors. From gregoryjacobsen.com "The work is absurd, grotesque, and a bit brutal, but I try to bring the viewer in with lush and glowing surfaces, creating a disorientating and hilarious balance of revulsion and attraction...I also paint glamourous cats". We talk about everything from the gallery hustle, NFT's, Stockhausen on The View, fresh cantaloupe and much more...dig in to the colourful universe of Gregory Jacobsen!

What a dynamic discussion with composer, performer, bandleader and lovely human - Sam Shalabi. Sam Shalabi is an Egyptian-Canadian composer, improviser and guitarist living between Montreal and Cairo. Starting out during the late 70s punk era, his work has evolved into an experimental synthesis of modern Arabic Music that incorporates free improvisation, traditional Arabic music, noise, classical, text, and jazz. Other than his numerous solo albums, he is a founding member of Shalabi Effect, a free improvisation quartet that bridges western psychedelic music and Arabic Maqam. He has also released four albums with Land Of Kush, the experimental 30-member orchestra which he directs. He has appeared on over 30 albums and toured Europe, North America and North Africa. Dig in to this incredible episode of Industry Tactics with the great Sam Shalabi!

An incredible discussion with composer and musician, Melody McKiver. Melody's musical work integrates electronics with Western classical music to shape a new genre of Anishinaabe compositions. A proud member of Obishikokaang Lac Seul First Nation, Melody is currently Assistant Professor of Indigenous Music (tenure-track) with the Desaultels Faculty of Music at the University of Manitoba and a member of the Mizi'iwe Aana Kwat (LGBTQ2S+ Council) within the Anishinaabe Nation of Treaty #3. We delve into their wonderful career to date, ranging from score and theatre work, to studio releases and much more. Chock-full of golden tactics, enjoy this special episode!

Friendly Rich sits with Mr. Let's Paint TV himself, John Kilduff from his studio in LA to talk about independent art and culture. John ran his own live public access show which continues to this day on YouTube and other platforms. He's painted alongside special guests such as Eric André, Zach Galifianakis and more, usually while on a treadmill or stationary bicycle! John Kilduff received comedic training at The Groundlings, and a Master of Fine Arts degree from UCLA. In order to avoid working a day job, Kilduff sells many of his paintings at art fairs around California. He has appeared at several art shows throughout Southern California, often running on his treadmill, painting, and doing various other activities. Buckle up for an interview with DIY art legend, John Kilduff!

A rare live taping of Industry Tactics! From Sept 16th 2022, co-presented by Guelph Jazz Festival and IICSI (International Institute for Critical Studies in Improvisation), this incredible episode expands upon our first chat (Ep. 62) with talented creative force - Nicole Rampersaud. We talk whale music, adjusting to East Coast living, perfect pitch, practicing and creating through a pandemic and so much more. Recorded generously by our friends at CFRU and hosted by SILENCE in Guelph we welcome back with (distanced) open arms and ears...the Jazz Master, Nicole Rampersaud!

From Brooklyn, New York we catch up with composer, guitarist and bandleader Simon Hanes. We talk about pep talks, his chamber ensemble Tredici Bacci, his music education, the mentorship of folks like JG Thirlwell and much more. Get into the wild universe of Simon Hanes!

An inspiring chat with Italian composer, performer and scholar, Luciano Chessa. We discuss his music education, his professional career and of course, the Italian Futurists. Chessa wrote the renowned book "Luigi Russolo, Futurist: Noise, Visual Arts, and the Occult", we discuss Russolo and the Futurists at length. Let's get noisy with the mastic tree, himself, Luciano Chessa!

We sit down with jazz legend Brodie West to unpack some of his early jobs, his music education and even a phone call from his father. What a career in music, from studying noise (and jazz) at the Amsterdam Music Conservatory with Misha Mengelberg, to musical encounters with percussionist Han Bennink as well as The Ex -- Brodie has led such a rich musical life to date. He still seems to be living for that one musical moment, putting out so much incredible music along the way, from Ways (with Evan Cartwright), to Eucalyptus and his own quintet. Dig in to this piss-powered episode, and we'd apologize for the audio quality if the conversation wasn't so stunning. "Sometimes, a great boss has to make you cry..."

A talk with a true creative polymath, Keram Malicki Sanchez. We talk about his unique musical path, working with such artists as Alex Lifeson (Rush), Carmine Rojas (David Bowie) and much more. This episode certainly celebrates longevity in the creative arts. From his early days acting on the hit television series Catwalk, through to running a record label and curating his own a virtual reality conference, Keram squeezes the most out of life. Get ready to learn a bunch!

A great chat with Jay Pennington (aka Rusty Lazer), a New Orleans-based musician and organizer. He's best known as the live DJ and creative partner of Sissy Bounce rapper Nicky Da B, and as the onetime manager of Big Freedia. In 2006 he co-founded the artist-driven nonprofit organization New Orleans Airlift. He helped create the Music Box Village, where every house can be used as in instrument. We get into the music industry from Jay's unique perspective -- prepare to be dazzled!

A lovely late-night chat with multi-instrumentalist Aurora Nealand from New Orleans. We unpack Nealand's 2017 masterpiece, "The Monocle" and much more. Whether you're a searcher or a believer, believe this: Aurora is a heavy-hitter who will leave you smiling. Get into it!

From Rhino Party HQ we catch up with their fierce leader, Sébastien CoRhino. We not only talk about some inside party tactics, we also unpack his career in music with the collective LE GGRIL out of Rimouski, Quebec. Sébastien does a COVID test during the episode, and pure chaos oozes from nostril from there: including an historic appointment, a thickening of the caucus, if you will (and you won't). Get into the politics of music and madness with none other than the chef pachyderm himself, the legendary Sébastien CoRhino!

We get to talk with an accordion legend, Michael Ward-Bergeman a passionate performer, songwriter and composer. In 2011 he launched his GIG 365 project, which saw him performing at least one gig for every day of 2011. Performances took place at an incredibly diverse range of venues in over thirty-five states and nine countries. Highlights included performances at Gainesville Correctional Facility, Danish Radio Concert Hall, and on the streets of New Orleans. Ward-Bergeman's electro-acoustic compositions have won international awards and he has premiered new works at Carnegie Hall. In 2011 he was commissioned to compose for Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Project. This episode is chalk full of wisdom, hope you dig it!