"Talking At The Diner" Podcast

This is a very special episode of TatD. I mean verrrrry special. During a "social media day" we shared back in February, I was thrilled to hang out with my fellow bandleaders of Asian American Pie II coming up on May 17th at MilkBoy in Philadelphia.Carissa Matsushima is the powerhouse band leader of Kikashima.Judah Kim is AAPie co-founder and my first two-time guest on the show.Listening back to the conversation, which happened at the West Chester Diner in lovely West Chester, PA, I think both Judah and I were more than happy to focus on hearing Carissa tell the story of her upbringing in southern California, where she had a very different  cultural experience than we east coast Asian kids. She eventually moved to New York to attend NYU where she studied experimental theater and began writing songs. Only after college and her eventual move to Philly did she really begin sharing her music and her stunning and unique voice with the world.In addition to learning about Carissa's early life in a predominantly Asian / Latino community, we discussed the pressing matters of eating Taco Bell in the light of day, and what ever happened to RC Cola. Suffice it to say, the three of us get along swimmingly. I hope you enjoy this episode and if you're checking this out before May 17th, 2025, you should absolutely come out to Milkboy and get yourself a slice of Asian American Pie!

I recently got a chance to hang out at one of my favorite haunts - the Broad St. Diner in south Philly - with my friend Taylor Kelly. Taylor caught the music bug as a young school kid in upstate New York and moved to Philadelphia from Boston after college in 2016. By the time she was in her early 20's, she was already a seasoned touring musician, playing trumpet in a big band (an actual 18-pc big band!) and getting a degree from Berklee College of Music. Taylor occupies a space in the music scene that I am honestly not as familiar with as I'd like to be but she is now my gateway drug into the world of modern Philly soul,  jazz, and R&B.My first exposure to Taylor was the Iris Music Showcase. Inspired by Black Lily, the weekly early aughts jam session that highlighted early performances by neo-soul artists like Jill Scott and Erykah Badu, Iris is an incredible monthly music event Taylor created to celebrate femme voices of the past, present, and future. Having attended several of these shows myself, I have only seen Taylor actually perform at one of them, as she selflessly puts a laser focus on the artists while drawing minimal attention to herself. She is a true embodiment of community building in Philadelphia and she happens to also be a badass artist and songwriter in her own right. But the magic in Taylor Kelly lies in her voice - a smooth, soulful, and powerful instrument, equally capable of quiet introspection, hip hop attitude, and even hard rock fury. Her latest single is a trippy remix of “Take Me” a track originally released on her 2024 EP "The Spins." This new version features a rap verse from Richmond, Virginia artist Tennishu.In our conversation, Taylor and I chat about her early musical life, her love of the band Butcher Brown (the hip hop / soul project fronted by the aforementioned Tennishu) and the importance of being intentional with your decisions in music and in life. It's a really fun episode and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!Check out the Iris Music Showcase on IG @irismusicshowcase and Taylor's official website https://taylorkellymusic.com~ JKF ❤️

I met Philly musician / singer / songwriter Deirdre French in 2019, less than a year before Covid, when she walked into the open mic I was hosting at the Khyber in Philadelphia, and basically silenced a loud, chatty room with a pin-drop performance showcasing her impressive vocal and songwriting chops. In the intervening years, she's done a lot of personal and artistic exploration and now she's just released her debut full-length album "Sensitive Girl," an eclectic blend of her many artistic shades, from 90's rock bombast, to Costello-esque lyrical snark, to jazz-inflected introspection.Deirdre's music can make you think, it can make you laugh, and, as stated in her bio, it can leave you sorta scratching your head.. but in a way that only makes you curious to find out more. I was thrilled to get the chance to sit down with her at the iconic Penrose Restaurant in south Philly, where I quickly found myself in the midst of a great conversation covering topics ranging from our favorite bass players to making it through your 20's, to showing up for your friends. This was honestly one of my very favorite TatD conversations and I hope you'll stream Deirdre's album and give a follow on IG @sensitivegrrl .Enjoy!~ JKF ❤️

Happy 2025, diner buddies!
I am so excited to begin the new year of "Talking At The Diner" with this conversation. Tyler Asay is the lead singer and band leader of The Tisburys, a Philly-based indie band who are close to my musical heart because they are at the forefront of what I like to think of as a Philly power pop renaissance, which has been bubbling under with fellow torch bearers like Log Flume, Second Grade, and the Jette Planes. Tyler is one of those musicians who loves the lineage of music in a particular genre or scene, and the Tisburys land squarely in the Philly pop rock tradition that can be traced back to Todd Rundgren, through the A's and the Hooters, and indie bands like Flight of Mavis and Buzz Zeemer. I have a feeling that if we were contemporaries in the aughts, IKE and the Tisburys would have done a LOT of shows together. But sharing stages will hopefully come to pass in 2025! In the meantime, The Tisburys are working at an impressive clip. Their newest single "The Anniversaries" is out now and their previous albums "Exile On Main Street" (2022), "Sun Goes Down" (2020), and "Wax Nostalgic" (2019) are all great and full of killer songs. With a healthy dash of Springsteen-esque energy and grandeur, this band is a rock and roll anthem machine!You can find them at their official website: http://thetisburys.com
And on IG: @the_tisburys  By the by, Tyler is a talented music writer and journalist and you can find him on Substack at: thetisburys.substack.comEnjoy our chat!
~ JKF ❤️

I met up with Brendan Johnson - guitarist and primary songwriter of Stella Ruze, a band that he started in 2014 with vocalist / mandolin player Katie O' Donnell, keyboardist Mason Hunter, and trumpet player Alex Styer. In the ten years the band has been together, their sound has evolved past early comparisons to The Lumineers and Mumford and Sons to a more complex marriage of modern folk melodicism and jam band experimentation, dropping beautifully melodic gems with four-part vocal harmonies that can morph into psychedelic instrumental odysseys at any moment.Celebrating their tenth year as a band, Stella Ruze has spent much of 2024 navigating all the pivots and adjustments that come with sticking around for a decade. Personnel changes and realignments are part of the deal, but through all that they completed their third studio album - “Origin” - and are doing what they need to do to “keep the train on the tracks.” Do yourself a favor and GO see this band at their album release party for “Origin” at Ardmore Music Hall on 12/21/24. Appearing with them will be fellow Philly folk mainstays Hezekiah Jones and Brittany Ann Tranbaugh.I hope you enjoy my conversation with Brendan. He's a thoughtful, kind, and curious person. And a pretty damn talented one at that!~ JKF ❤️

I first met Camille Peruto when she was just 14. We were the designated opening acts for 80's rocker John Eddie at Coffee Works - a long gone music venue located in a shopping center in Voorhees, NJ. Even then, you could tell she had something special.In the decade-and-a-half I've known her, she's gone from Coffee Works, to American Idol, to her current life as a can't stop / won't stop gig machine. Self-managed and self-reliant, she can be seen playing solo acoustic shows all over her home state of New Jersey practically every night of the week.  
At the same time, she has also amassed an impressive catalog of original songs - three full length albums (Sparrow, From the Sea to the Sky, and Perfect Vision) - that are packed with great songwriting, memorable arrangements, and seemingly effortless vocal prowess.You can listen to Camille on Spotify here.Now a married woman at the front of her 30's, Camille has put in her time and become a bonafide music veteran. She's played literally thousands of shows, and still to this day maintains an incredible singing voice, although we commiserated about how sometimes we both just need to tune our guitars a half step down to save our vocal cords.  
Full disclosure: I often tune mine a full step down ;)We had a wonderful hang at the Stratford Diner in Stratford, NJ, where I asked her how she stays creative as an original music artist while playing multiple nights a week on the cover circuit. We also chatted about her experience on season 15 of American Idol back before she could legally drink in the places where she now entertains the masses. As my friend Brian Seymour said in a previous episode of this show, “everyone gets to heaven their own way” and Camille has found true happiness in sharing her voice with people who perhaps don't fully realize how good they have when she's serenading them.You can find Camille on Instagram and TikTok @camilleperuto or at her website camilleperuto.com. And on well over 200 nights a year in the state of New Jersey, you can also find her in the wild, singing her heart out.Enjoy!
~ JKF ❤️

I recently met up with Philly podcast host and longtime musician Dan Drago at the Penrose Diner in south Philly and before we even walked in he kindly hooked me up with a bag of homemade goodies made with stuff from his own garden. I scored jars of homemade tomato sauce, salsa roja, pickled green tomatoes, and even figs. FIGS! I got all that, and all he got was a John Faye Power Trip CD from 1999.. somebody got the short end of the stick there! ;)If you don't know Dan, he is the host of 25 O' Clock - Philadelphia's longest running music podcast.. he thinks. I am a devout follower of this pod, not only because it's named after a great song by XTC's side project the Dukes of Stratosphere.. but because Dan is a genuinely smart, genial, and curious interviewer.With 330+ episodes and counting, 25 O' Clock is celebrating its tenth year of amplifying Philly musicians and the music scene in general. I am proud to have appeared as the guest on two of these episodes, which you can check out here:20182023In addition to celebrating a decade of his show, Dan is also giving back to the Philly music community with the release of a great compilation called “Want to play a song?.. Live on 25 O'Clock Vol. 1" The album features 10 live musical performances from his past guests and all proceeds go to the Philly Music Fest, which has given over 500K to local music and arts non-profits since its inception in 2017.You can pick up that release at 25oclockpod.bandcamp.comGet all the 25 O' Clock you can handle at the official website:https://www.25oclockpod.comHope you enjoy the show!!~ JKF ❤️

I'm super excited about Ep. 38 of the show because I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Olivia Rubini.. now, those of you familiar with my story know that the last name Rubini is a very important one in the long arc of my musical life. Ritchie Rubini has been my partner in crime with the Caulfields for three decades. His late brother Rudy played a huge role in getting the band signed to A&M. Suffice it to say I am deeply connected to the Rubini family.  So, it is particularly cool to have been privy to the journey and the ascent of Olivia, daughter of "Richard," as she likes to call him.Liv has been making music for several years now but her career got a major boost when she was chosen to compete on Season 25 of the hit NBC program The Voice. She made it into the top 20, receiving incredible national TV exposure, which she is now parlaying into the next steps of her music career, making sure that the audience she gained from the show is well aware that she is a true original artist and songwriter, with her own vision of who she is.We met up at the Metro Diner in my old hometown of Newark Delaware where we discussed her six month odyssey on The Voice, the lore of her very first performance at a zoo, and the Caulfields transition from 90's rock band into a budding amateur pickle ball league.Liv recently celebrated the release of "Heartless Woman (Olivia's Version)"
Check it out hereFollow Olivia on IG and TikTok: @oliviarubini  Enjoy this super fun conversation!
JKF ❤️

As the 2-headed driving force behind onyx&honey., Rob Perna and Nikki DiGiorgio are a musical love story that has become the heart and soul of the music scene in West Chester, PA.West Chester is a bit of an island unto itself.. it's not too far from Philadelphia but it is not what you would call a Philly satellite either. It's a unique scene that has had its fair share of cyclical change and Grateful Dead cover band over-saturation.

This episode of the pod brought me back to The Tasty (see Ep. 31).. a lovely vegan spot in south Philly, where I met up with singer / songwriter / producer Max Davey and her partner in crime, multi-instrumentalist and producer Steve Novoa. I've known Max for a lot of years - we first met in the early 2010s when I was the open mic host at Dobbs on South St., but that really feels like a lifetime ago for both of us. In much more recent history, Max Davey has made a mark in the Philly music scene in 2023-24 with a string of eclectic singles. In addition to some killer originals, Max and Steve have released some intriguing cover versions of songs by Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Dave Matthews Band, and Deathcab for Cutie.Both Max and Steve have come a long way in their personal journeys, processing tragedy and grief in their lives to come to new perspectives on the creation of their art and the value of being present. They are wonderful humans and a musical force to be reckoned with. I hope you enjoy this conversation!
JKF ❤️

I'm still smiling about my hang with Katie Feeney at the Oregon Diner in south Philly. Katie is a no-nonsense belter with a voice capable of delivering melodic Americana twang with a healthy dose of Robert Plant bravado. Hence, perhaps, the name Roberta Faceplant. At once an alter-ego and a band moniker for the well-oiled country-inflected machine she's been leading into venues all over the greater Philadelphia area, "Roberta," as she affectionately calls it, started as a way to for Katie to land a gig she wanted for an artist that sounded way more rootsy than her funk rock collective You Do You. And so, on a lark in 2018, Katie planted the seeds of a character she has no problem leaning into, unabashedly yee-hawing in front of crowds just trying to match her energy.The debut Roberta Faceplant EP - "Yee Haw Stuff" - drops on July 26, 2024. The songs range from honky tonk ravers like the title track and "Lucille," to the sincere country balladry of "Morning Joe."In addition to fronting Roberta Faceplant, You Do You, and playing a big role in RF bassist Nick Anastasi's passion project Honey Butter, Katie is also one of Philly's most beloved open mic hosts, running Tuesday nights at Milkboy South St. after having done time at Dobbs on South (my old haunt when it was called "Legendary" Dobbs), and all the way back to pre-pandemic days at Connie's Ric Rac in the Italian Market.This was honestly one of my favorite conversations for this show and I know you're going to be thoroughly entertained by her takes on such diverse topics as Mexico, Steely Dan, and clowns like me!

I met up with my friend Jace Miller at Silk City on Spring Garden St. for this latest episode of TatD. A revered Philly diner - a little more on the upscale side than your typical greasy spoon - Silk City has vibe to spare. It's also a spot that hosts full-on rock shows and other eclectic musical events in its back room. You could hear someone sound checking for a show around the time we sat down to catch up on a Wednesday at 5:30 - that no-man's land between the end of the afternoon and the beginning of the evening. Over a beef short rib grilled cheese (me) and a meatball salad special (him), we got into all kinds of topics from the panic of thinking your cat ran out the front door during a washing machine delivery, to tales of sadly departed former bosses in the concert booking industry (RIP Bryan Dilworth), to realizing your band sounds better with fewer people in it.Since the early aughts, Jace has been the frontman and band leader of Alright Junior, one of Philly's most consistent alt-rock juggernauts. The band has an impressive tenure as well as an impressive resume of prestigious opening gigs, having shared stages with Incubus, Toadies, Young The Giant, Cake, and many more. Their own brand of 90's infused rock has never gone out of favor, and they deliver it with impressive precision both live and on record.Catch Alright Junior at Brainfest on May 25, 2024 at Broken Goblet Brewing. Wheatus will be headlining the show and all proceeds benefit the American Brain Tumor Association.I hope you enjoy this fun diner convo!~ JKF ❤️

 **Host's Note**Streaming platforms have become a huge pain in my a$$ by flagging recent episodes for what I can only assume is the use of very short clips of both my and my guests' music. It didn't used to be this way, but here we are. So, unfortunately, episodes on said platforms will no longer contain music clips or even my own theme song, which I now kind of regret releasing as a single. I'll be using an acoustic version of “Talking At the Diner” for intro / outro bumpers and, sadly, no guest artist music clips. However, episodes that DO contain all that good stuff will henceforth be made public on my Patreon after one week of exclusivity to my subscribers. So, while I will still post these altered episodes on streaming platforms for continuity, I encourage you to listen on Patreon and subscribe if you would like to further support the show. Thanks! ~ JKF ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------For this episode of "Talking At The Diner" I went back to my home state of Delaware to a spot in Wilmington called Goober's. I got to sit down with my good friend and Grammy-nominated artist Darnell Miller.Darnell came up through the Pentecostal church and began a decades-long music career playing gospel music at Faith City, which is a church I had always heard about as a kid in Newark, DE. The circles Darnell fell into through that experience took him on countless tours with gospel superstar Tye Tribbett and he's got some great stories about his life on the road.Darnell is also a solo artist, band leader of the Souldaires, a music educator, and on top of all that.. he is a bonafide metal head! Prepare for Stryper, Whitesnake, Poison, and "Balls To The Wall" by Accept to be name-checked!

I first became aware of Kelsey Cork and the Swigs during pandemic times when my Instagram was blowing up with posts referencing their snarky single “That's Cool (Good 4 U).” Since that time Kelsey and the Swigs have been on a creative tear, releasing the EP “Weird Bones” in 2021 and the full length album “Lollygagger” in 2023. All of their releases are packed full of fun, catchy songs with just the right amount of sass and punk rock attitude.Kelsey, her bandmate Jacinda Arellano, and I - yes, this is the first episode of TatD with two guests(!) - had an incredibly fun time chatting about music, Jacinda's new job managing a toy library, and Kelsey's second career as a hypnotherapist, while noshing on tater tots (smothered in bacon jam) at the Broad Street Diner in South Philly. Coincidentally, I happened to meet up with these two rock 'n' roll badasses on International Women's Day.Kelsey, who plays guitar and sings, and Jacinda, who plays bass, have been making music together for a long time, and although the Swigs have seen their share of personnel comings and goings, these two form a tough-as-nails core, which keeps the band's heart beating strong at all times. Kelsey and Jacinda are also housemates, and together with their partners they run one of Philly's coolest DIY house venues, the Dumpster Out Back. Having attended a couple shows there last year, I found it to be the warmest, most welcoming DIY space in Philly, with good vibes and smiles for miles.Our conversation definitely put a smile on my face and I'm sure it will put one on yours too, so without further ado, I encourage you to check out this fun episode with two mainstays of the Philly indie scene.JKF ❤

I met up with Katie Hackett at a south Philly vegan diner called The Tasty. Katie is the driving force behind The Lunar Year, an art rock project that serves as an umbrella for a very broad spectrum of sounds and styles. Since its inception in 2017, the band has gone from dreamy piano-based songs to to guitar-based ferocity, which can include everything from beautiful melodic moments to onstage poetry readings to envelope-pushing sonic storms of feedback depending on the mood of the band.In my conversation with Katie, I found her to be interesting and introspective, a musician whose unique journey as an artist really captivated me. As yet another member of the Philly music community who successfully balances her creative life with the challenges of the music business and simply surviving in the world, Katie is definitely a voice to be reckoned with.In addition to being the driving force behind the Lunar Year, Katie is also a co-creator of the Sweet Juice Fest - a now annual all-day music - art - and food experience entering its third year. I had the opportunity to attend last year's Sweet Juice and it was - for me - honestly one of the best shows and best days of 2023.I left The Tasty feeling inspired and excited about what's to come for all Katie's endeavors in 2024 and beyond. I hope you enjoy our conversation.~JKF ❤You can follow The Lunar Year on IG @thelunaryearofficial and you can also check out the website for Sweet Juice Fest at sweetjuicefest.com 

My special guest for this episode of the podcast is none other than Jim McGuinn.. no, not the guy who sang for the Byrds in the 60's. This Jim McGuinn is a Philly musician, who has seen the music business from more sides than most. He's been a songwriter, guitarist, and bassist in many bands, including his latest project The No Good Crowd, he's also run his own indie record label, and most people know Jim from his long career in radio. He's currently the assistant program director at WXPN in Philadelphia, but I met him almost three decades ago during his tenure as program director at TWO major modern rock stations in Philly.. WDRE and Y-100, both of which were instrumental in launching the Caulfields to the next level. Jim has lived in several parts of the country. He just returned to Philly last year after 13 years as program director at The Current - a Minnesota Public Radio station in Minneapolis, and over the span of his radio career, Jim has met and befriended countless bands and artists, many of whom are household names. I was particularly excited to sit down with Jim because we really share a lot of things in common, including our deep love for the genre we most get associated with as artists: you guessed it - power pop! He had some great stories to tell about all this and more when we met up at Sam's Morning Glory diner in south Philly. Please enjoy my conversation with Jim on this very special 30th episode of "Talking At The Diner!"

Jeremy Savo is a super-talented musician and songwriter who is originally from the greater Philadelphia area - south Jersey to be precise. His band Out of the Beardspace has spent the last decade PLUS as one of the most popular groups in the regional jam scene, not only due to the fact that literally every member of the band is a bonafide virtuoso on their instrument, but because they single handedly created and nurtured one of the biggest independent music festivals on the east coast. Beard Fest began in 2012 in the band's guitarist Zach LoPresti's back yard and blossomed into the annual 3-day celebration of creative energy it is today. BUT in 2024, things are a little different because in Jeremy Savo now lives in Maui. That's right - he packed his bags and his guitars and moved to Hawaii to begin a brand new adventure in both music and life.When I visited my sister in Hawaii recently, I got a chance to spend the day with Jeremy - he took a short flight from Maui to the island of Oahu and we saw some incredible sights, hit an open mic, and had a great conversation at the Liliha Bakery (which I regret to say I mispronounced as "Alihi" in the podcast.. go 'head make your dyslexia jokes ;). We talked about all kinds of stuff but I was particularly interested in how he made the decision to make a fresh start and move 5,000 miles away from a pretty well-established music career. I'm confident that Jeremy is the kind of guy who will succeed wherever he calls home!

I met up with singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Rob Tait at Little Pete's, which is tucked away in a 60's-era high rise called the Philadelphian. Rob has been methodically building up to the 2024 release of his full length Americana album called Here and Now with a couple of killer singles in 2023 - “Matilda” and “Space Fire.” His third single “End of the World” is out now and you can hear a nice snippet of the song in the pod. You can stream Rob's other songs HERE. This was my first opportunity to really sit down and chat with Rob, who in addition to leading the Rob Tait band, also plays drums with quite few notable Philly artists including John Gilbride, Emily Drinker, Brittany Ann Tranbaugh, and more.Our conversation went off in all kinds of interesting directions from nerding out on great drum performances (like Gilson Lavis's sick pocket on "Tempted" by Squeeze) to discussing how an artist trying to find their audience navigates the music business in the streaming era.I hope you enjoy my chat with Rob!~JKF ❤

Over the past couple of years, Emily Drinker has released a full length album, played at Firefly and the Philadelphia Folk Festival, and opened for artists like Pat Benatar and JD Souther, and along with her band and housemates has brought the Philly music community together with a festival thrown in her backyard called CINNAMiN Fest. Her soulful folk pop goes down smooth whether she's performing with her powerhouse band the Funky T or in a more intimate format incorporating live looping, Emily is an artist who has found a way to do what she does using every weapon in her considerable arsenal.She is someone I personally consider a top-shelf vocalist and she has had some incredible and unusual experiences in her travels as a working musician. She's also happens to be so much of a regular at Bob's Diner in Roxborough that they know to save a corn muffin for her anytime she stops in.I hope you enjoy my wonderful conversation with Emily at Bob's Diner.. where they offer a monumental eating experience!

I recently met up with my friend and fellow songwriter Brian Seymour at the Blue Jay Restaurant at 29th and Girard in north Philadelphia, where we encountered a charming, cash-only gem of a restaurant (tax evasion anyone?), run by a kindly Greek couple, who clearly have a deep history there. From the vintage booths, to the timeworn handwritten menu hung clothesline-style behind the counter, the Blue Jay was a veritable time capsule, as charming as your great aunt's Hummel collection. Brian and I chatted about all kinds of topics - how times have changed since his days in the early 2000's singer-songwriter scene, when he would regularly play in coveted venues up and down the east coast (Berlin Under A in New York, Club Passim in Boston), fly out to LA to do shows and rub elbows with artists like Grace Potter, and become a mainstay at long-gone Philly venues like the Tin Angel and the North Star Bar (both places I knew and loved as well). Now in the post-pandemic world of 2023, Brian has a brilliant new record called "American Courage" and has jumped back into the fray with a killer collection of songs and a different outlook on his methods and motivations for sharing his considerable gifts.I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did!

On Episode 25 of "Talking At The Diner," I ventured into the outer Philly burbs to Phoenixville, PA to meet up with singer songwriter Alexis Cunningham, a powerful and charismatic performer who has done some very cool things in her still-ascending career.In 2022, she appeared on American Song Contest on NBC, where she performed her song “Working On A Miracle” and completed against some serious musical heavyweights like Jewel and Macy Gray. She's also developed a long-lasting creative partnership with Eric Bazilian from Philly rock legends the Hooters and gauging by the last time I saw her perform, Alexis writing the best songs of her career. Trust me when I tell you she's got songs.I actually got an opportunity last year to sing back-ups on a stripped down version of "Working On A Miracle" with Alexis and Joey DiTullio during a show with David Uosikkinen's In The Pocket. Check it out HERE. I diner'd up with Alexis at the brilliantly named “YOUR MOM'S PLACE,” located at the far end of Phoenixville's bustling downtown. I had a great time catching up with her and I hope you enjoy our conversation!

My guest on this episode of TatD is Philly guitarist and songwriter Ben O' Neill. One might accuse me of some form of nepotism having Ben as a guest on the pod because he happens to be married to my dear friend and IKE V1.0 bassist Joann Schmidt, but he's more than earned his bona fides in the music world.

Hey all! I am so excited to bring you this convo with Blue Barnett, who is the lead singer, primary songwriter, and driving force behind Philadelphia's Best Bear - a band whose 2022 debut album When had me singing along and practically sobbing in my car over dozens of listens last year.I have known Blue as a friendly acquaintance over the past decade - they are yet another great singer / songwriter to have emerged from the South Jersey coffeehouse scene of the 2010's, but only now is Blue truly getting their taste of much deserved recognition, having landed airplay a much coveted live session on Philly radio station WXPN.I got a chance to sit down with Blue at Geets Diner and Bar in Monroe Township, New Jersey and we chatted about songwriting, band dynamics, avoiding money pits, and how some of the best songs come from our biggest emotional letdowns. I truly enjoyed our conversation and I hope you do too!Learn more about Best Bear at their website!Check them out of Spotify!

Episode 22 of "Talking At The Diner" features a fellow musician, whom I first met in 2005 when he was an undergrad in Drexel University's Music Industry Program, where I had just started teaching that major's required course in songwriting. Jayson Verdibello was part of a stellar group of young music industry students who took that class and I'm lucky to say I've kept in touch with him and many of his contemporaries to this very day. Watching Jay progress as a musician, songwriter, and human has been a real privilege. I've worked with him at several stages in his career, from his time in the bands Craet to Venice Sunlight to goodnight/goodluck (which, for a time featured And Bocca, a previous guest on TatD, on lead vocals). Now his journey has brought him to small graves, and the personnel looks much the same as it has for quite a few years, as Jay and his band mates Eric Zrinsky, Ed Taylor, and Alex Brown (all four from gn/gl) continue to make music but with a brand new spirit. When I caught the band's debut live show recently in Philly, it had simultaneous new band energy while the group still came  off like a well-oiled (if still feisty) rock and roll machine.I met up with Jayson at one of our shared Philly haunts: South St. Diner. We were the only customers there for most of our conversation, which pointed the discussion in some very interesting directions. I hope you enjoy this spirited chat!JKF ❤

Alyssa Garcia and I met when she was a student and I was a songwriting professor at Drexel University in Philadelphia. Before she ever took my songwriting class, she was one of a handful of private-lesson students I taught each term in a dusty and desolate 4th floor practice room in the campus "Main Building".. the room had a piano and one working power outlet from the early 20th century. During that 10-week term, I got to see Alyssa's talent as a musician and songwriter close-up. One of the songs she wrote during that time became her course project, which we recorded together in GarageBand and it ended up on one of her EPs. You can check out "Apart" on Spotify HERE.Even before she attended Drexel, Alyssa was already a seasoned musician with a lot of career accolades, including sync placements for her song “Loved Actually” which landed on several episodes of The Young and the Restless and in the Netflix original movie The Starling. In 2015, she won the Philadelphia Songwriters Project annual contest AND if I'm not mistaken, her 2018 Hometown Heroes Homey Award for Best Pop Song made her the youngest ever recipient of that award.As a female Filipino-American musician, she has faced a number of challenges head on, taking inspiration from Grammy winning Filipino artists like Steve Lacey and Beabadoobee, and showcasing her talent on several instruments and in high profile settings, like Music Fest in Bethlehem, PA. Her stated credo that "Music Is The Cure" resonates loud and clear with her supports and with me!I hope you enjoy this great conversation!~JKF ❤

I am so excited about this episode with my friend Jamie Salvatore - the man who puts the "Jamie" in Jamie and the Guarded Heart. JatGH is honestly the type of band you can't help but root for. Their name is fitting yet a little deceptive, because so many of Jamie's anthemic songs wear their rock 'n' roll heart right on their sleeve for all to see. I appreciate Jamie doing this episode of the pod with me because when we got together at Andy's Diner & Pub in Conshohocken, PA (Conshy to the folks from the area), the band had just endured a heartbreaking gut punch. They had just sold out an upcoming theater show - weeks in advance, I might add - only to have the venue pull out of the event the following day, leaving several months of work, preparation, and promotion in a rubble pile, which - yes contained some valuable lessons - but also left the band wondering how to recover and ultimately bounce back. So much of what working musicians go through involves such tests of resilience in the face of these types of horror stories but not everyone is willing to talk about it so candidly, because we're conditioned to think that we have to present our lives and careers as perpetually sunny-side-up all day, every day, and that is just not how it goes. So let's get real I hope you enjoy this great conversation!~ JKF ❤ 

I got a chance to sit down with my dear friend Jason Miraglia (the 'G' is silent, as you'll hear ;) at Olga's Diner in Marlton, NJ. When I first met Jay, he was the drummer in one of the most popular Philly bands of the 2000's - Fat City Reprise. He would later sit behind the kit in the last lineup of IKE and also play drums on all of records I did with John & Brittany. He currently still played with our pal Brett Talley in their cover band Bangarang and on Brett's prolific solo catalog.Our convo at Olga's runs the gamut from some of my other, dare I say, more niche podcast ideas, to our embrace of awkwardness, to an overview of his journey as a musician. Lately, he been reconnecting with his former Fat City bandmates Mike Vivas and Nick Anastasi in a new project called Honey Butter (although, as you'll hear, Vivas has been coyly non-committal ;) I had an absolute blast talking with Jaybles and hope you enjoy listening in!!

Well, my friends, it was bound to happen. This is officially the first episode of this podcast where my guest got a flat tire on the way to the diner. Melissa Menago hit a gigantic pothole on Rt. 476, barely making it off the highway to the relative safety of a parking lot next to a hair salon. Luckily, Melissa was no worse for the wear after she Uber'd over to the Springfield Diner, in the heart of Delco.  Melissa and I go way back. We met roughly 15 years ago when she was a music industry student at Drexel University and I was her song writing teacher. Even then, her songwriting and vocal talent was impressive - so much so, that when I left academia in 2020, the first person I thought of to recommend for the job was Melissa.. and guess who the current songwriting professor at Drexel University is!  In the 2010s Melissa formed June Divided, a killer rock band that played all over the country on the Warped Tour, and had turned out to be an enduring collective of musicians that she still fronts today.  Melissa is also a great solo artist, and she has a brand new record coming out in 2023 that leans more “sad girl” (as she puts it). It's that more introspective sound that informs a very special holiday duet she wrote just a few weeks ago, called “I Never Liked The Holidays (Before I Met You)"  All I know is.. I never met a parenthetical title I didn't like, so I felt super-fortunate that Melissa thought of me to sing this song with her. Check it out on all streaming platforms now!  In this conversation over mushroom omelettes and pancakes, we talk about our struggles as music "lifers" (both with Delaware roots and a vocal coach in common), who still sometimes have to answer the age-old question: You still doing the music thing?  Which begs the question: Do we really have a choice?  I hope you enjoy this wonderful conversation! JKF ❤

In the early 2000's (aka the aughts), Derek Fuhrmann's band Omnisoul and my band IKE were very simpático.. we played many shows together and eventually had the same management. Derek actually interned for IKE when he first started working with our manager Jim Johnson and he also played the lead role (of a cocky young rock star) in our music video for our song "Deathbed (Na, Na, Na)" which was an extremely ambitious homage to Citizen Kane.   Within a couple of years of rising up the ranks of the music scene, Ominsoul changed their name to the Crash Motive, signed a deal with Wind Up Records, and hit the road, but fronting the Crash Motive was not to be the path to Derek Furhmann's success, although it would be a very key starting point.   The band's A&R guy, Greg Wattenberg (producer of Train and many other big names) saw something in Derek that kept them in touch well beyond his time on  Wind Up and eventually Derek became a songwriter and producer under Wattenberg's Arcade Songs publishing company, Since the 2010's, Derek has written and / or produced songs with artists like the Goo Goo Dolls, Phillip Phillips, James Bay, Andrew McMahon In the Wilderness, Rascal Flats, and many, many more. He also just signed a new record deal with a subsidiary of Universal Music group with an animated project called MASCOT, which puts him back in his old role of using his killer voice as a lead vocalist again.   I'm excited to share our conversation from the ORIGINAL Bob's Big Boy in Burbank, CA on this episode of TatD!!  ~ JKF ❤

I have known Nicole Zell for a little over a decade. Over those years I have watched her come into her own as an artist with some pretty unusual twists and turns along the way. She has toured as the guitarist for alt-rock band American Wolves and fronted the synth-pop band THRILLCHASER, and although I would consider her a seasoned musician and songwriter, she is, at 27, just about to release her debut record as a solo artist.   At seven tracks, Asleep To My Own Magic is somewhere in between an EP and an LP, and yet it feels like a complete journey, the kind of record self-reflective songwriters feel compelled to make. During our conversation at Minella‘s Diner in Wayne, PA, Nicole and I hit on all kinds of topics from religion, to the perils of the music business, to keeping one's inner child alive.   I really enjoyed connecting with Nikki and I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did!  JKF ❤

After just celebrating the 20th anniversary of a band he was reluctant to name after himself, Anthony Renzulli has earned the right to say he's in it for all the right reasons. You have to be when you decide to put our a solo record in 2022 that sounds like it could have been made in 1932. Anthony has played just about every sub-genre of rock in his career, starting out as a drummer in metal and rap rock, then shifting to being a band leader on the instrument that was always within arm's reach since before he could even play it - the guitar. He came into the blues through the portal of 60's rock - Cream, Zepplin, Hendrix - and found his way back to the Delta Blues from the early 20th century, devouring music from artists like Robert Johnson and Elmore James.  Anthony recently finished a full-length blues record, aptly titled Mad, Mad Blues and I was lucky to be able to preview a vinyl test pressing, which honestly transported me to a place I don't usually visit in a musical sense.   Anthony and I met up at Meadows Diner in Blackwood, NJ and we talked about his long strange journey to get back to right where he started from. As with several of the conversations I've been having lately on TatD, this one could have easily made two episodes, but I think I got the essence of who Anthony Renzulli is as an artist, and a truly good dude who has dedicated his life to his love of music. Enjoy!!

Maggie Poulos is a fascinating example of a talented musician, who is also deeply embedded in the business side of the music world. She's fronted numerous bands such as the all-female NYC trio The Crushes. And as the founder of Mixtape Media, Maggie has done PR for such high-profile clients as Robert Plant and Allison Krauss, Cake, Fitz and the Tantrums, and Duncan Sheik. Since moving from New York back home to the Philadelphia suburbs, she has become the go-to publicist of the Philly indie rock scene, working with Mo Louda and the Humble, Don McCloskey, and some band known as the Caulfields.. Most recently she landed some amazing press for a 1-woman theatrical production called “Queen of Fishtown.” She's a great conversationalist with strongly held beliefs and a passion for that thing called rock 'n' roll, simultaneously nostalgic for the MTV-era musical icons she grew up loving, yet constantly on the lookout for great new artists and ways to help them succeed in the musical landscape that we're all facing today. During our extended lunch at Nudy's Cafe in Paoli, PA (where we were kicked out, having lost track of time for close to hour after the place was technically closed), we chatted about songwriting, politics, and presidential assassination attempts, among other things. ❤

Underestimate Annalise Curtin at your own peril! She may be diminutive in size but so many things about this dynamo of a human are BIG.... big personality, big smile, big laugh, big talent (I am in perpetual awe of her finger picking abilities on guitar), and big, BIG voice.   I met Annalise back in 2011 at an open mic (the weekly "Late Night Series" at Drexel University in Philadelphia, where I was the songwriting prof at the time). She's come (and gone) a long way since then, having lived and immersed herself in several different music scenes (Cleveland, Milwaukee, Seattle) over the span of several years, while always keeping her connections to Philly strong. Even when she lived in different parts of the country, she always made a point to hit me up when she came back east to visit, and we've shared many a laugh at many diners since she's been back living in Philly the past few years.   After a long hiatus releasing recorded music, Annalise took the 2020 lockdown as an opportunity to get back in the game, releasing a string of killer singles and collaborating with artists across genres (and geographical borders), expanding her musical horizons and putting her name in the conversation of Philly artists to watch.   She and I have been doing more shows together and we have our first collab single ("Ghost Writer") in the pipeline to be recorded later this year!

Joe Trainor first landed on my radar as the front man of the aptly named Joe Trainor Trio, known to us super fans as JT3.. his Ben Folds-y piano rock was a first-state staple for a full decade in the earlier part of the 2000's but then he moved into a different musical space entirely, forming The Rock Orchestra, an entity that features multiple large lineups of various musicians playing the music of the classic bands that inform Joe's musical sensibilities. On top of all that, he's also a key member of the team over at Gable Music Ventures, the promotional juggernaut responsible for all kinds of events, like the beloved Ladybug Festival.  Joe and I met up at the Marsh Road Diner in Wilmington and among other things, one of my favorite parts of this conversation has to do with both of us sharing what it's like to feel the inevitable pull of aging as a rock musician and what our own strategies might be as we show no signs of stopping. We also do an unexpectedly deep dive into Styx.. the band, not the river. This podcast could have been twice the length it is now, but rest in the knowledge that you're getting the absolute crème de la crème of our conversation!

I met up with my friend Erin Fox recently at the Fishtown Diner in Philly to have breakfast for dinner and we had a fascinating conversation that actually lasted long after the lavalier mics were turned off, but what we did capture in the recording was the backstory of a person who truly embodies the name of her alt rock band Resilient, because she has faced down some serious life and career challenges to stay the least. Whether it was playing bar gigs in her Mom's cover band since the age of 7, or signing shady music biz contracts by the time she was in her teens, or having brain surgery in her 20's, Erin Fox has survived things that would absolutely have broken some people. Yet, she pushes forth and just keeps getting better at her craft. Her 2021 album Fuzzy Logic sounds like a lost mid-60's baroque pop classic, with soaring melodies, sophisticated chord changes, and lush instrumentation.  I'm extremely grateful she took the time to have this conversation with me.  I hope you'll take a listen and enjoy!

Judah Kim is one of my favorite songwriters and vocalists in the Philly music scene. I was particularly excited to meet with him and break bread for the first time because we share a lot of experiences in common as Asian American musicians. Interestingly, our initial encounters over a decade ago when I was playing in IKE and he was in his band Stonethrown were perhaps not so feel-good, but I just chalk that up to "where our heads were at" during that time of our lives and point on our respective musical journeys. These days, I can say I got nothing but love for the guy, as he is a truly talented writer, guitarist, and singer.  Judah and I recently hit up the Penn Restaurant in Oreland, Pennsylvania - a blink-and-you'll-miss-it establishment that just so happens to be just down the road from Forge Recording, where we both have done our share of projects. Judah is currently working with my good pal, Ron Disilvestro, having Ron mix an ambitious collection of singles that Judah is releasing at the breakneck pace of one a month. In 2022 alone, he's put out killer songs like “Right Where We Belong,” “Back Door,” “Hey There Kids,” and a brand new gem called "The Real Kind."

Friends, it was bound to happen: "a very special" Talking At The Diner is upon us.  Don't worry: nobody gets hurt or molested like in those questionable episodes of Webster or Diff'rent Strokes from back in the day. But while the premise of this podcast has always been that it's a show in which I have stimulating conversations with fellow musicians in the comfortable confines of the diner of their choice, this episode's conversation takes place not inside the diner, but on the way to it, and on the way back from it. Why, you may ask? Well, because the diner... WAS CLOSED!!  However, since we were already mic'd up on our one-mile trek to the Whitman Diner in Turnersville, NJ,  Joey DiTullio and I just kept right on walking and talking! For the uninitiated, Joey DiTullio has been a major figure in my musical life for close to a decade now. I met him when he was a teenage guitar prodigy and he has since evolved into one of the best all around musicians I know. He's a multi-threat instrumentalist, one of my favorite singers to harmonize with, he's now also a producer, engineer, go-to session musician. He does it all. He's been a cornerstone bandmate of mine and there is no doubt that he is the OG Meddling Kid. Please enjoy this great conversation!

As a musician who grew up in Delaware and spent many years trying to find myself, my tribe, and my opportunity to shine, I really relate to Sug Daniels. This diminutive powerhouse of an artist is fast becoming (if she isn't already) the beating heart of the Delaware music community. She's a musician, who in some ways is just starting to gain the recognition she deserves - her band Hoochi Coochi broke into Philly just this past year, gaining the coveted opening spot at WXPN's Xponential Fest. As a solo artist, she's a genre-bending electric ukulele-playing dynamo.. a little bit folk, a little bit soul and R&B, and she's even done collabs that veer into the punk/garage rock realm. In other words, she can not be pigeonholed. In addition to her musical pursuits, she is an ardent booster and facilitator for her fellow musicians, with a music blog that amplifies new releases and notable shows, and a series of info-packed videos on the best practices for indie artists who are trying to navigate the music business in 2022.  We had a great conversation at the Melrose Diner in south Philly, mere blocks from her new digs in the City of Brotherly Love. Hope you enjoy listening!  By the way.. if you're in the Philly area, you can catch Sug at the City Winery on 2/16/22 as part of the Black Opry Revue - a collective of black country, folk, blues, and Americana artists.

I like to think that "Talking At The Diner" digs a little deeper than your garden variety music-related podcast. I want to gain insight about the things that make musicians tick.. and I think I got that with my friend - musician and songwriter Andrea Nardello. Andrea is an indie musician who tours smart, cares about her fans, and releases wonderful music with a level of care that is above and beyond. Buy a physical copy of one of her CD's and you'll see that even the packaging is next-level. Our conversation at Ponzio's Diner in Cherry Hill, NJ covered many topics from how musicians are reevaluating their ideas of success and connection, to the buzz one can get from exchanging energy with just a few like-minded people, to the fact that the human buttocks is an endless source of fascination and hilarity.  In our decade of friendship, Andrea has been there for me in ways I can't begin to thank her for. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did!!

Brianna Sig - or B-Sig as her friends call her - is the drummer Soraia, the Zou Zou Mansour-led Philly rock band signed to Little Steven's Wicked Cool Records label. For the past five years, she has anchored a band that otherwise has seen more than its share of personnel changes. She has played the drums since she was in her early teens and has fought her way up the Philly rock ladder to tour the US and Europe, open shows shows for the likes of Joan Jett, and become one of the musicians I respect the most. She's an honorary Meddling Kid, and it is her kick ass drumming you hear on my 2016 singles "Miss America" and "Puzzle Piece." She also knows a good pun when it hits her and she ain't afraid to say it out loud!   We got together a while back at Michael's Restaurant in Glenside, PA, a place with one of the best-maintained salad bars I've ever enjoyed. They also do their baking on premises. As long as you don't get a booth too close to the bathroom, you are golden!   Please enjoy this fun conversation with the incomparable Brianna Sig!

Jesse Lundy has been a key fixture in the Philadelphia concert biz for two and a half decades. He's put on huge shows, intimate shows, rubbed elbows with music royalty, curated the bill at the Philadelphia Folk Festival, booked the legendary Main Line venue The Point, and helped out li'l ol' me on many occasions, even against his better judgement.. like when I named a short-lived songwriting collective the “Semen Brothers” back in the early aughts. He's also an accomplished guitarist, who plays regularly in the city with numerous bands. Throughout the pandemic, he's been a straight shooter, a mensch, a friend, always honest, invariably entertaining. He's got stories, he's got opinions, and he's not afraid to share them. Hope you enjoy our conversation in which we discuss rock star run-ins, how many books he can read in a year, and how we're both fairly certain that getting murdered is how we're going to die!  Enjoy our convo from Greg's Kitchen in the lovely Manayunk section of Philadelphia!

Ang Bocca embodies so much of what I love about the musicians I'm here to celebrate on this podcast.. she's a hustler, a survivor, she leaves it all out on the stage, and to coin her own phrase.. she can sing her d*ck off.  I met Ang a decade ago when I was the host for a very strange little battle of the bands at Legendary Dobbs on South St. in Philadelphia, where I was also the weekly open mic host. Ang and the Damn Band didn't win, but that was just a minor bump in the road.  In the past ten years, Ang has done her thing in Philly, New York, and LA, with projects ranging from the aforementioned Damn Band, Angenue, The Mean Redz, a stint with indie rockers goodnight/goodluck, and more.  Having overcome adversity, loss, sexism, and a bad production deal, she's now on the precipice of another new chapter in her musical life with the release of her new unabashedly pop EP "First Love Records."  Check out our great conversation at the south Philly institution - the Oregon Diner!

If you don't already know Reece Ratliff, you will. Trust me. I've known him for what we estimated to be about seven years. I started out as his vocal coach and eventually became a producer on his debut EP - I'll Take The Fall from 2018. Since then, he has co-written with some of the biggest songwriters in Nashville, booked his own national tour dates, released his first full-length album Compass, become an artist manager, and.. oh yeah.. JUST GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL!  In our conversation at the Bethany Diner in Bethany Beach, DE, Reece and I discuss the full plate of his music career and he explains to me how somebody who is pretty much good at everything stays humble.

In this “inaugural” episode of “Talking At The Diner,” John goes to the Dining Car in N.E. PHL with longtime “fixer” and bandmate from both IKE and the Caulfields - Brett Talley. Topics of discussion include: Brettman's preference for “well done” fries, his issues with condiments that are not ketchup, the state of the upcoming Caulfields concert movie 26 Candles (which Brett is directing and editing), the significance of his Nine Inch Nails tattoo, his musical origin story, and more!  Annotations..  A number of people are named or referred to with no further context, so for those who are new to John & Brett's musical universe, here is a handy reference guide (hopefully in order of appearance):  Frank Lafaro - Longtime studio client and confidant of Brett's. Frank is the frontman of the Doo-wop group Frankie & the Fashions, which formed in the early 60's before all four members went off to fight in Nam. Sometime in the 2010's, Frank offered to “treat John to lunch” at the Dining Car for the purpose of “picking his brain” regarding the music business, but, in fact, just needed help setting up a YouTube account. At the end of the meal, the diner's then-cash-only policy, coupled with an out-of-order ATM, led to John having to pick up the tab.  Phil - Phil Murphy, lead singer of Brett's band Outset, as well as the front man of Bangarang, his cover band in which Brett plays lead guitar.  Sue / Susie - Susie Steen, bass player in Outset, IKE v2.0, and mother of Brett's son.  Joann Schmidt - Bass player in IKE v1.0, who gives John “lighthearted shit” about the number of songs on the band's third album Where To Begin.  Jason Miraglia - Drummer in IKE v2.0 and Bangarang, who, like Brett, is an avid Pearl Jam fan.

Hear the origin stories, brushes with stardom, and general $hit-talking of musicians and other creatives in this fly-on-the-wall podcast hosted by John Faye, a musician and songwriter whose 30-year career has allowed him to see the music business from all sides - as a major label artist with his 90's alt-rock band The Caulfields and as an independent / DIY artist since the early 2000's with his projects IKE, John & Brittany, John Faye Power Trip, and John Faye & Those Meddling Kids.   If you like getting a behind the scenes look into the lives of the boys and girls in the band, then this is the show for you. Everything is on the table when we're talking at the diner.