The UnStarving Artist

Ryan Rosoff is making music for friendship and legacy. His band Little King explores the intersection of metal and prog rock. They have a new album out called Amuse De Q, now streaming just about everywhere. We talk about his travels, his roots in the Seattle sound of the 90s, music as a career outside of a career, leaving a legacy, practicing music and life for motivation, meditation, venturing into the world of TikTok and more. Ryan reminded me that the limitations of our time and existence are worth daily contemplation. I found our conversation and his outlook on life and music to be inspiring. Please enjoy my conversation with Ryan Rosoff of Little King. This episode is powered by Music Marketing Method, a program for indie musicians looking to grow their music career but don't know. Learn more! Support the Unstarving Musician The Unstarving Musician exists solely through the generosity of its listeners, readers, and viewers. Learn how you can offer your support. Mentioned in this Episode Related Episodes Resources The Unstarving Musician's Guide to Getting Paid Gigs, by Robonzo No Booker, No Bouncer, No Bartender: How I Made $25K On A 2-Month House Concert Tour, by Shannon Curtis Bandzoogle – The all-in-one platform that makes it easy to build a beautiful website for your music ConvertKit for Musicians More Resources for musicians Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means I make a small commission, at no extra charge to you, if you purchase using those links. Thanks for your support! Visit UnstarvingMusician.com/Podcasts for related links, episode transcripts and past guests. Sign up for the Unstarving Musician email newsletter at UnstarvingMusician.com Stay in touch! @RobonzoDrummer on Twitter  and  Instagram @UnstarvingMusician on Facebook  and  YouTube

Recording artist Amiena joins the podcast to talk about defeating a creative rut, her latest release, the stories behind her lyrics, changing producers, touring and working with producer Lars Deutsch (the good, the bad and the ugly). Amiena and I were introduced by producer Lars Deutsch, who was featured in episode 204 of the Unstarving Musician. At the time of this conversation, Amiena and Lars were looking forward to the release of a 4th single from her upcoming album. Her first three singles for the album include the songs Halo, Flare and The Great Escape. All three songs are fantastic, as are the videos that accompanied them. Amiena and I also discuss the ups and downs of releasing singles, religion and her music, the revelation that she was in a creative rut and unhappy with her then recent recordings, the challenge of switching producers, and how making music feels at times a lot cheaper than hiring a professional therapist. Her professional therapist comment was said in jest of course. Nothing beats quality therapy when and where quality therapy is needed. Please enjoy this conversation with Amiena. This episode is powered by Music Marketing Method, a program for indie musicians looking to grow their music career but don't know. Learn more! New Music Unstarving Musician friends Chris Taylor, Michael Gilbride and Peter Rand have new music out. These guys are all talented. If you'd like to check out their new music, see the show notes for this episode in your podcast app or UnstarvingMusician.com/podcast. Support the Unstarving Musician The Unstarving Musician exists solely through the generosity of its listeners, readers, and viewers. Learn how you can offer your support. Visit our Crowd Sponsor page Mentioned in this Episode Amiena.com Halo video Flare video Great Escape video The Murmur of Bees New Music by Michael Gilbride and Telco New music by Chris Taylor New music by Peter Rand Related Episode Artist Development And Struggles Of The Emerging Artists – Lars Deutsch (Ep 204) Secrets of Creativity–Chris Taylor (Ep97) A Musician with Over 800 Tracks on Kompoz–Peter Rand (Ep 177) Music As Therapy–Michael Gilbride (Ep 198) Visit UnstarvingMusician.com/Podcasts for related links, episode transcripts and past guests. Sign up for the Unstarving Musician email newsletter at UnstarvingMusician.com Stay in touch! @RobonzoDrummer on Twitter  and  Instagram @UnstarvingMusician on Facebook  and  YouTube

Lynz Crichton is the creator of Music Marketing Method, a program that shows musicians how to make money with their music. She is also a friend and mentor to me. I am part of the student body that is her Music Marketing Method program. Lynz believes that generating an income with music doesn't have to be about just playing live. She first appeared on this podcast in 2017, when she estimates her Twitter following was about 5,000 followers. Lynz's Twitter following is now at about 32k. She knows how to grow an audience on social media. Her music career was in fact build online. Today she's making money in many different ways. This is part of what she teaches in Music Marketing Method. Lynz has a background in education. I'm sure this is part of what makes her so good at disseminating information and explaining otherwise complicated topics. Some of the areas covered in Music Marketing Method include audience growth on social media, email list growth, live streaming, remote session work, Patreon, crowdfunding, endorsements, YouTube and much more. Students are also given access to biweekly Q & A / hive-mind sessions. Lynz also runs a private Facebook group that provides support and community for students. Please enjoy this episode and my conversation with Lynz Crichton. Support the Unstarving Musician The Unstarving Musician exists solely through the generosity of its listeners, readers, and viewers. Learn how you can offer your support. Among the many ways you can support the UM podcast is by joining Music Marketing Method via our Crowd Sponsor page. Visit UnstarvingMusician.com/CrowdSponsor to learn more! Mentioned in this Episode LynzCrichton.com Brooksie Wells Related Episodes Cracking the codes of social media and playlists – JJ Lovegrove (Ep 214) Songwriting with a Deadline–Lynz Crichton (Ep 49) Lynz Crichton on Building a Clan, Learning the Business, Songwriting, and Recording (Ep 14) Resources The Unstarving Musician's Guide to Getting Paid Gigs, by Robonzo No Booker, No Bouncer, No Bartender: How I Made $25K On A 2-Month House Concert Tour, by Shannon Curtis Bandzoogle – The all-in-one platform that makes it easy to build a beautiful website for your music ConvertKit for Musicians More Resources for musicians Pardon the Interruption (Disclosure)  Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means I make a small commission, at no extra charge to you, if you purchase using those links. Thanks for your support! This episode was powered by Bandzoogle. From garage bands to Grammy winners, Bandzoogle powers the websites for thousands of musicians around the world. Plans start at just $8.29/month, which includes hosting and your own free custom domain name. Go to Bandzoogle.com to start your 30 day free trial. Use promo code “robonzo” to get 15% off the first year of any subscription. Visit UnstarvingMusician.com/Podcasts for related links, episode transcripts and past guests. Sign up for the Unstarving Musician email newsletter at UnstarvingMusician.com Stay in touch! @RobonzoDrummer on Twitter  and  Instagram @UnstarvingMusician on Facebook  and  YouTube

JJ Lovegrove is breaking the codes of social media and playlists and discovering lots of new friends followers in the process. JJ Lovegrove is cracking the codes of social media and Spotify playists. We discuss this and much more in our conversation for the podcast. Among the topics we cover are our shared experience within Lynz Crichton's Music Marketing Method program and the beautiful connections we can make through conversation on social media. JJ used to view social media as an unpleasant place. We also discuss JJ's life of performing, events that prompted her to leave music, her return to music, what she learned from her exit and reentry, and the wonders Spotify playlists. JJ has a sultry voice and hypnotic songwriting style. Dig deep enough and you may find a couple of her primary influences, Kate Bush and U2's The Edge. Listen to her music first time and you'll want to turn it up. Support the Unstarving Musician The Unstarving Musician exists solely through the generosity of its listeners, readers, and viewers. Learn how you can offer your support. Visit our Crowd Sponsor page Mentioned in this Episode JJ Lovegrove Lynz Crichton Minus Cube Related Episodes Songwriting with a Deadline–Lynz Crichton (Ep 49) Lynz Crichton on Building a Clan, Learning the Business, Songwriting, and Recording (Ep 14) Resources The Unstarving Musician's Guide to Getting Paid Gigs, by Robonzo No Booker, No Bouncer, No Bartender: How I Made $25K On A 2-Month House Concert Tour, by Shannon Curtis Bandzoogle – The all-in-one platform that makes it easy to build a beautiful website for your music ConvertKit for Musicians More Resources for musicians Pardon the Interruption (Disclosure)  Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means I make a small commission, at no extra charge to you, if you purchase using those links. Thanks for your support! This episode was powered by Bandzoogle. From garage bands to Grammy winners, Bandzoogle powers the websites for thousands of musicians around the world. Plans start at just $8.29/month, which includes hosting and your own free custom domain name. Go to Bandzoogle.com to start your 30 day free trial. Use promo code “robonzo” to get 15% off the first year of any subscription. Visit UnstarvingMusician.com/Podcasts for related links, episode transcripts and past guests. Sign up for the Unstarving Musician email newsletter at UnstarvingMusician.com Stay in touch! @RobonzoDrummer on Twitter  and  Instagram @UnstarvingMusician on Facebook  and  YouTube

A good EPK will make your website inviting to music supervisors, talent buyers, bloggers and podcasters. This episode is based on a most informative blog post by our friends at Bandzoogle, the all-in-one platform that makes it easy to build a beautiful website for your music. Here's the blog post. The 8 things that should be in every band's electronic press kit We all hope fans will visit our website, sign up for our email list and buy our music. Another important category of prospective site visitors includes music supervisors, talent buyers, podcasters and bloggers. These are your promoters and this is where an EPK (electronic press kit) comes in handy. An EPK can also by thought of as a promotional package or media kit. It provides a great way to promote yourself to radio, industry pros, and venue bookers by giving them everything they need on one page of your website. As the Bandzoogle blog post points out, you want your EPK to showcase your music career and tell your story. Everything you include on your EPK page should focus on this. Bio Your EPK arguably starts with your bio. This is your introduction slash elevator pitch in two or three sentences. But it's more than this. Consider the varying needs of bookers, festivals and PR pros. You want to accommodate each of them by having different versions that vary in word count. To quote Bandzoogle, you want an elevator pitch (1-2 sentences), a short bio (1 paragraph), a medium bio (2+ paragraphs) and a long bio (4+ paragraphs). These versions can be all on-page or downloadable (or both). There are a variety of ways to display content like this. You can be creative, but make it all easily accessible. Photos Next, you'll need promotional photos. Display them in a way that makes them easy to download and consider the various sizes needed by different visitor types. Your photos should be usable for both print and online promotional use. Offer a variety of photos. Include band shots along with an action shot or two that conveys your style of music. If you're promoting a new album to music reviewers, include album artwork and photos that are on brand with your music. Also include vertical and horizontal plus a black and white options. Square images or easily cropped portrait images and landscape (wide) images will also help promoters, venues and bloggers cover all the bases for social posts. Music This is the place to showcase your most popular tracks. Include a music player that's playable on-page as well as streaming links. Music supervisors may want a quick listen. Others may want to see how your faring on streaming services. Include written descriptions of your songs and your music style. Reviewers and bloggers may want to write up something about your style and will appreciate any ideas that give them good writing prompts. Video Include a few videos on your EPK page. Festival organizers and venues sometimes embed videos to feature artists on their websites. This can serve to help festivals and venues promote upcoming shows. Adding descriptive content about your videos can drive promoters to take a closer listen, so describe the music within your videos. Press and reviews You can help media tell your story by sharing your existing media coverage. Reviews that talk up your live shows and music are also useful to media outlets. This could get you more shows and more media coverage. Keep reviews short and to the point, so that your EPK readers can easily and quickly scan the page. Highlights and achievements This is the place for awards, radio play, streaming success and noteworthy tours or festivals you've been part of As Bandzoogle says, this is the place to build buzz around you and your music. Social media links Social links should be included on every page of your site, but make them extra easy to find on your EPK, especially the ones on which your active and growing. Contact information This is the place for a clean looking contact form and any phone numbers you want to make available. If you have a team, include contact info for each of these folks too. In summary, think of your EPK as a snapshot of you, your band and your latest music or project summed up on a single page. Building out a band EPK with these elements will help you book more gigs. A solid EPK will also make it easier for  media and industry to promote your music. Make sure to update your press kit regularly as your career moves forward. You can use one of Bandzoogle's awesome EPK templates to make it happen. Go to Bandzoogle.com and use promo code ROBONZO to get 15% off your first year of any plan. And be sure to check out their blog post. The 8 things that should be in every band's electronic press kit Support the Unstarving Musician The Unstarving Musician exists solely through the generosity of its listeners, readers, and viewers. Learn how you can offer your support. Visit our Crowd Sponsor page Mentioned in this Episode Rolling Stones Tribute to Charlie Watts The 8 things that should be in every band's electronic press kit Related Episodes The Many Ways Musicians Are Adapting To Change–Dave Cool (Ep 185) Options for Musicians Amidst Uncertain Times – Dave Cool (Ep 142) The Adaptability of Startup Culture—Stacey Bedford, Bandzoogle (Morning Tempo podcast also hosted by Robonzo) Resources The Unstarving Musician's Guide to Getting Paid Gigs, by Robonzo No Booker, No Bouncer, No Bartender: How I Made $25K On A 2-Month House Concert Tour, by Shannon Curtis Bandzoogle – The all-in-one platform that makes it easy to build a beautiful website for your music ConvertKit for Musicians More Resources for musicians Disclosure Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means I make a small commission, at no extra charge to you, if you purchase using those links. Thanks for your support! This episode is brought to you by Bandzoogle. From garage bands to Grammy winners, Bandzoogle powers the websites for thousands of musicians around the world. Plans start at just $8.29/month, which includes hosting and your own free custom domain name. Go to Bandzoogle.com to start your 30 day free trial. Use promo code “robonzo” to get 15% off the first year of any subscription. Visit UnstarvingMusician.com/Podcasts for related links, episode transcripts and past guests. Sign up for the Unstarving Musician email newsletter at UnstarvingMusician.com Stay in touch! @RobonzoDrummer on Twitter  and  Instagram @UnstarvingMusician on Facebook  and  YouTube

Gabriel Sanchez is the founder, lead singer and principal songwriter for the modern rock band Hope Darling. We're mutual friends of Bruce Wawrzyniak of Now Hear This Entertainment. In fact Bruce introduced us. When Gabriel and I spoke, Hope Darling had been confirmed as the headliner of Rock The Park on July 1 of 2021 at Curtis Hixon Park in downtown Tampa, Florida. They had also recently headlined a sold out show in Lakeland, Florida. In 2020 Hope Darling was a winning finalist for the Jack Daniels and iHeart Radio National Battle of the Bands. They also performed at South By Southwest in March of 2019. At one point they'd even open up at the 97 Next Next Big Thing concert. The band has also performed at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Tampa. Hope Darling was in the studio finishing up a five song EP that was planned for release in late spring or early summer. They had a song placement in Spike Lee's She's Got A Habit series on Netflix. Their success story also includes a nomination by TouchTunes as a national breakout band. That means Hope Darling can be heard on any TouchTunes jukebox around the U.S. Plus Gabriel Sanchez was a winning finalist in the rock category for the song Lifeline in last year's John Lennon Songwriting Competition. We talked about all of this and Gabriel's sentiment that his band never comes in first place. He says they're always a runner up. I think he's okay with that. Second place ain't so bad. Just ask Adam Lambert. Checkout the music of Hope Darling at HopeDarling.com. Please enjoy this conversation with me and Gabriel Sanchez of Hope Darling. Support the Unstarving Musician The Unstarving Musician exists solely through the generosity of its listeners, readers, and viewers. Learn how you can offer your support. Visit our Crowd Sponsor page Mentioned in this Episode Now Hear This Entertainment Hope Darling on the web Effective Use of Digital Media for Musicians—Bruce Wawrzyniak (Ep 125) Visit UnstarvingMusician.com/Podcasts for related links, episode transcripts and past guests. Sign up for the Unstarving Musician email newsletter at UnstarvingMusician.com Stay in touch! @RobonzoDrummer on Twitter  and  Instagram @UnstarvingMusician on Facebook  and  YouTube

Heidi Webster is a pop singer songwriter, podcaster and business owner bent on positivity. She recently released her 5th single called Neon. The single has a well produced video featuring Heidi doing dance moves in glitter and glam. Heidi kicked off her solo endeavor during the pandemic. Prior to the pandemic, she was having fun performing in Vegas and dinner clubs as part of a re-imagined Rat Pack vocal ensemble called Lady Luck. She has also since launched the music media production company LightOn Creative. Heidi is also co creator of Pink Lemonade Stand, a podcast that puts a positive spin on life. We discussed the positive nature of her music, her podcast and outlook on life ad nauseam. I told her that her level of positivity makes me sick. But I was kidding–totally. Like she said, if you're into that kind of thing, she and her Pink Lemonade Stand co host Nicole Kaplan are there to give you a boost. I certainly got a boost speaking with Heidi. We discuss release strategy, strategic brand partnerships, charitable work,  sync, connecting with the music we make, and more. Please enjoy my conversation with the positively cheerful Heidi Webster. Support the Unstarving Musician The Unstarving Musician exists solely through the generosity of its listeners, readers, and viewers. Learn how you can offer your support. Visit our Crowd Sponsor page Mentioned in this Episode HeidiWebster.com IF Publicity The Lady Luck Group Pink Lemonade Stand podcast Visit UnstarvingMusician.com/Podcasts for related links, episode transcripts and past guests. Sign up for the Unstarving Musician email newsletter at UnstarvingMusician.com Stay in touch! @RobonzoDrummer on Twitter  and  Instagram @UnstarvingMusician on Facebook  and  YouTube  

Nineteen year old Edwrds has been writing, recording and self-producing music since 2016. We recorded this interview in May 20, 2021 the day before his single Look was released. To celebrate the release, we published an unedited video version of our conversation on May 21st. Hear and see our full conversation on the Unstarving Musician YouTube channel. Edwrds' music is a blend of hip hop and rap that he playfully calls bipolar vibes. This is a reference to his personal struggles with mental wellness. His focus is to be a voice for those who feel they are not heard. He wants to let those people know that they're not alone. Topics we cover in this conversation include his latest single Look, his upcoming 2021 summer tour, and mental wellness. We also touch on his interests in making the world a better place, helping people in need, and serving his community of direct supporters. Edwrds has a process for digging deeper into himself through his music. It's a process that sometimes occurs while he's actively writing. He says the process has helped him become who he is as a person and music artist. Edwrds has already experienced ups and downs as a recording artist. I can only imagine the challenge of being a young music maker of his generation. Edwrds was kind enough to elaborate on his personal struggles with mental wellness. This is a topic I try to talk about often on this podcast. My hope is that by doing so we can help anyone suffering mental wellness challenges. We're in this together, as Edwrds reminds us. It's okay to not be okay. Edwrds gives much of the credit for his success to his family. He's a very nice young man who genuinely wants to affect positive change in the world. Please enjoy! Support the Unstarving Musician The Unstarving Musician exists solely through the generosity of its listeners, readers, and viewers. Learn how you can offer your support. Visit our Crowd Sponsor page Mentioned in this Episode Edwrds.net @Edwrds999 on Instagram NamiWalks.org Prince's 2007 Super Bowl performance Related Episodes Full interview with Edwrds on Unstarving Musician YouTube channel (uncut, unedited) Visit UnstarvingMusician.com/Podcasts for related links, episode transcripts and past guests. Sign up for the Unstarving Musician email newsletter at UnstarvingMusician.com Stay in touch! @RobonzoDrummer on Twitter  and  Instagram @UnstarvingMusician on Facebook  and  YouTube

In this episode Tanya Winch and I meander through her journey in music, art and life. She and I are mutually acquainted with Brian Wolff. Brian is a musician and host of the Greetings From Wherever, a podcast about artistic inspiration and the creative process. Thanks to Brian for recommending I feature Tanya on this podcast. My conversation with Tanya is extra casual. I had a very nice time getting to know her. We chat about her single Cupid, her vinyl collection, her day job, her beginnings in LA, the making of the video for Cupid and Tanya's release strategy. We also talk about why I started the Unstarving Musician podcast. This leads us into conversation about The Unstarving Musician's Guide to Getting Paid Gigs. Tanya plays guitar and piano, she teaches music for guitar, piano and voice. I'm pretty sure she owns a pair of tap shoes. She's high energy and yet she shares a moment of humility and vulnerability that I left in the episode for you to hear. This was so I could say, she's totally worthy, and so are you. Whatever it is you're feeling unworthy of, stop that. As a fan of the podcast once said to me, accept whatever good things life brings and embrace it. Please enjoy my conversation with Tanya Winch. Support the Unstarving Musician The Unstarving Musician exists solely through the generosity of its listeners, readers, and viewers. Learn how you can offer your support. Visit our Crowd Sponsor page Mentioned in this Episode TanyaWinch.com 14 podcasts musicians should be listening to in 2021 YouTube live stream of this episode (uncut/unedited) Greetings From Wherever Episode 20- Tanya Winch (Songwriting) Related Episodes A Hidden Album Collection Discovery–Ezra Vancil (Ep 42) Visit UnstarvingMusician.com/Podcasts for related links, episode transcripts and past guests. Sign up for the Unstarving Musician email newsletter at UnstarvingMusician.com Stay in touch! @RobonzoDrummer on Twitter  and  Instagram @UnstarvingMusician on Facebook  and  YouTube

My guest Anna Larson shares her passion for music, story telling and beauty for this episode. I found her in my email inbox one day not long ago. She sent me a textbook perfect pitch asking if I'd be interested in having her on the podcast. We talk about that email and more. Anna has been playing piano since childhood, graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a music degree, is a piano teacher, and has a background in theater production, sound, lighting, and performing. She's recently taken to growing her knowledge for the marketing aspects of music. We drill down on why she champions her email list over Facebook and how she sees marketing as an essential aspect of her art and the sharing of beauty. Anna also explains her enjoyment of merging video with music. She gives a great example in her approach to the video creation and recording process used for her recent release Cocoon. I really enjoyed this part of our conversation, finding it both relatable and inspiring. I believe that Anna considers herself a writer above all else, and that her writing is a standalone gift that she merges with music and media. Support the Unstarving Musician The Unstarving Musician exists solely through the generosity of its listeners, readers, and viewers. Learn how you can offer your support. Visit our Crowd Sponsor page Mentioned in this Episode AnnaLarsonMusic.com Pond5 Royalty-Free Stock Video and Music Library A Hidden Album Collection Discovery–Ezra Vancil (Ep 42) Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means I make a small commission, at no extra charge to you, if you purchase using those links. Thanks for your support! Resources The Unstarving Musician's Guide to Getting Paid Gigs, by Robonzo ConvertKit for Musicians Bandzoogle – The all-in-one platform that makes it easy to build a beautiful website for your music No Booker, No Bouncer, No Bartender: How I Made $25K On A 2-Month House Concert Tour, by Shannon Curtis More Resources for Musicians Visit UnstarvingMusician.com/Podcasts for related links, episode transcripts and past guests. Sign up for the Unstarving Musician email newsletter at UnstarvingMusician.com Stay in touch! @RobonzoDrummer on Twitter  and  Instagram @UnstarvingMusician on Facebook  and  YouTube

Roopa Mahadevan is a leading Indian classical vocalist and crossover artist in the South Asian diaspora. She's normally based out of New York City, but had temporarily relocated to San Jose, California during the pandemic. She has roots in the South San Francisco Bay Area, so the move was an easy one. Roopa collaborates with a myriad of artists in jazz, world music, and R&B/soul genres. She also performs full-length Carnatic vocal concerts and accompanies some of the world's leading South Asian dancer/choreographers. We spoke about her then newish album Roopa In Six Yards: A Carnatic Playlist by Roopa Mahadevan. She shares her desire to do more albums with her crossover group Roopa In Flux and all the trepidation that comes with doing something new and different. We also chat about our mutual acquaintance with Bollywood blues artist Aki Kumar, who has appeared on this podcast three times. Find links to most everything discussed in the show notes for this episode. Find Roopa at RoopaMahadevan.com There's a bit of cutting room floor chit chat at the very end of the episode, post credits. Hope you'll stick around for that. And I hope you enjoy my conversation with Roopa Mahadevan. Support the Unstarving Musician The Unstarving Musician exists solely through the generosity of its listeners, readers, and viewers. Learn how you can offer your support. Visit our Crowd Sponsor page Visit UnstarvingMusician.com/Podcasts for related links, episode transcripts and past guests. Sign up for the Unstarving Musician email newsletter at UnstarvingMusician.com Stay in touch! @RobonzoDrummer on Twitter  and  Instagram @UnstarvingMusician on Facebook  and  YouTube Mentioned in this Episode RoopaMahadevan.com  Roopa on Patreon Bijayini Satpathy on Instagram Kitka Women's Vocal Ensemble Related Episodes Aki Kumar Signs With Sony Music India (Ep 118) Bollywood Blues Man Aki Kumar on Gratitude, Humility, and Band Dynamics (Ep 113) Aki Kumar on Chicago Blues, Bollywood Blues, Harmonica, and Performing (Ep 23) Unlocking The Voice Within—Kelly Atkins (Ep 145)

Justin Paul breaks down the history and evolution of DJ music and culture in this episode. He is a friend and business partner of producer musician David Franz, who was featured in episode 203.   Justin himself is an educator and consultant in the music space. He's worked in A&R, music production, television and as a performing DJ. I asked him a number of questions about the DJ world, confessing that I know little about  it. What he shared was an insightful look at the history and evolution of DJ music and culture. Justin also talks about his particular brand and style of music and why he fell in love with the DJ world. He restored my faith in musicianship by sharing that he prefers to include live instrumentation in his music.   There's an easter egg segment at the end of the episode, after all the credits and signing off. Hope you'll stick around for that too. Please  enjoy this conversation with me and Justin Paul.   Visit UnstarvingMusician.com/Podcasts for related links, episode transcripts and past guests. Sign up for the Unstarving Musician email newsletter at UnstarvingMusician.com Stay in touch! @RobonzoDrummer on Twitter  and  Instagram @UnstarvingMusician on Facebook  and  YouTube

Peter Rand is the co-writer of my latest release New Gods Part 2. He is also a two time offender on the podcast, first appearing in episode 177. Hear New Gods Part 2 Peter is a member of the collaboration platform Kompoz having contributed over 800 tracks. When I signed up for Kompoz last year, his track New Gods was among the first I heard. At that time it was keyboards only. I contributed a drum track via Kompoz and eventually asked Peter if we could create a private collaboration to be published by yours truly. He agreed and New Gods Part 2 was born. In this Interview Peter and I talk about the early stages of New Gods Part 2, the contributions made by bassist Steve Strom, guitarist/audio engineer Chris Raspante and myself, the evolution of the cover art and more. We also discuss my thoughts on releasing early demos exclusively for Robonzo Insiders. Please enjoy my conversation with Peter Rand. Visit UnstarvingMusician.com/Podcasts for related links, episode transcripts and past guests. Sign up for the Unstarving Musician email newsletter at UnstarvingMusician.com Stay in touch! @RobonzoDrummer on Twitter  and  Instagram @UnstarvingMusician on Facebook  and  YouTube

LA based producer Lars Deutsch shares his thoughts on artist development and the typical struggles of emerging artists. We're acquainted by way of mutual friends at SoundStorming, the musician/fan collaboration app for iPhone. At the time of our conversation in February of this year 2021, Lars was excited about an artist he'd been working with. That artist is Amiena. Our conversation was well timed on the heels of another artist development related episode with Davis Franz (episode 203). My discussion with Lars  touches on the artist development world, his own broad career, struggles of the emerging artist, audio branding, sync licensing, what to consider before engaging an artist development company, and more. Easter Egg After concluding the interview Lars shared more thoughts on the business of artist development We were still recording and I decided to let this part of our conversation be bit of bonus material. It's good stuff, so listen to the very end past the episode credits. You'll be glad you did. Check out Robonzo's new single New Gods Part 2 at Robonzo.com Mentioned in this Episode LarsDeutsch.net Lars on Behance 'Halo' by Amiena SoundStorming Online Collaboration And The Always-On Music Industry–SoundStorming (Ep 173)     Visit UnstarvingMusician.com/Podcasts for related links, episode transcripts and past guests. Sign up for the Unstarving Musician email newsletter at UnstarvingMusician.com Stay in touch! @RobonzoDrummer on Twitter  and  Instagram @UnstarvingMusician on Facebook  and  YouTube

In this episode I speak with David Franz, founder at Underground Sun, about career advice for musicians, productivity shame, how to best market yourself as a musician, and staying creative in crazy times like these. We also mention his biz partner Justin Paul, who will be featured in an upcoming episode of this podcast. David is also an instructor/content manager for LinkedIn Music Education (formerly Lynda.com), author of books on ProTools and home studio recording, videographer, and musician about to release his first album. At the time we spoke (Feb 2021), final tracks for his debut album had been sent for mixing. David will be an important case study for Underground Sun, as this is his first ever solo album. The album is planned for release this Fall of 2021. It was very fun to talk about his release, because at the time we spoke, I'd recently released my first ever single and was working on releasing my second. Our time speaking went fast. He's super fun to chat with. Hopefully we'll be back in touch soon. Please enjoy this conversation with me and David Franz. Visit UnstarvingMusician.com/Podcasts for related links, episode transcripts and past guests. Sign up for the Unstarving Musician email newsletter at UnstarvingMusician.com Stay in touch! @RobonzoDrummer on Twitter  and  Instagram @UnstarvingMusician on Facebook  and  YouTube

British guitarist and composer Timothy Reid found a creative outlet in online collaboration during the pandemic. He found this podcast on his daily train commute in Osaka Japan. Lucky me (and you). He and I share the common threads of Kompoz.com and Peter Rand, who is a prolific member of the collaboration website Kompoz. Like me, Timothy was drawn to one of Peter's compositions and has since recorded music with him. Timothy has also recorded with several other artists on and off of Kompoz. Our initial conversations leading up to this interview were about Timothy's enjoyment of this podcast, which was heartwarming to hear. Peter Rand co-wrote my latest release ‘New Gods Part 2,' which dropped last Friday May 28th 2021. This means you can stream, purchase and or download it on most of the popular music services. Find direct links to some of those platforms on my website Robonzo.com. New Gods Part Two is my personal homage to Zeppelin, Genesis and prog rock with a little social commentary. I hope you'll check it out, share it, download it and maybe add it to one of your playlists. Timothy and I talk at length about his collaborations on Kompoz.com, how Kompoz collaborations helped him during the pandemic, his past and more recent work, and his musician life in general. Both Timothy and Peter Rand are prolific and versatile writers. You can find them both on Kompoz.com. You can also find Timothy at TomothyReid.com.  See the uncut video version of this conversation on YouTube (link below). I hope you enjoy my chat with Timothy  as much as I did. Audio Note I recorded the intro and mid-roll for this episode in a hotel room using the Trackd Music app for iPhone. My usual usual microphone and audio interface setup didn't make their way into my suitcase. Trackd Music to the rescue. I could have used my iPhone voice recorder, but Trackd Music is built for making sonic sense of a room, wherever you are. Visit UnstarvingMusician.com/Podcasts for related links, episode transcripts and past guests. Sign up for the Unstarving Musician email newsletter at UnstarvingMusician.com Stay in touch! @RobonzoDrummer on Twitter  and  Instagram @UnstarvingMusician on Facebook  and  YouTube

Helene Jæger has an intriguing outlook on writing music and lyrics relying on the conscious and unconscious awareness plus intuition. She leans on stream of consciousness writing methods to create music under the moniker of Holy Boy. Helene was born and raised in Norway, completed much of her education in England and has been based in Los Angeles since 2016. At the time of this conversation, she had recently released a single covering The Doors classic ‘Riders On The Storm.' It was to be part of a collection released as a debut album in 2020. Helene made the decision to wait, in light of the pandemic and its impact on the music business. We speak about this plus her writing methods, the music of her childhood, L.A., her band, plans for live streaming, and the future of that unreleased album. Visit UnstarvingMusician.com for related links, episode transcripts and more. Stay in touch! @RobonzoDrummer on Twitter  and  Instagram @UnstarvingMusician on Facebook  and  YouTube

Multifaceted drummer Mike Dawson has refocused his career on studio work, teaching, visual arts and of course drum gear. Prior to the pandemic, he was a gigging machine, managing editor at Modern Drummer Magazine, and co host of the Modern Drummer Podcast With Mike And Mike. He's more recently become Chief Creative Officer at Drum Factory Direct, which as the name might imply is all about drum gear, including just about every tiny part imaginable. Mike's return to the Unstarving Musician was as much an opportunity for me to get caught up on all his recent life changes as it was an opportunity to celebrate episode 200 the Unstarving Musician. Mike also appears in episodes 1, 25 and 50 of this podcast, all three of which are among the our most popular episodes. In this conversation Mike and I talk about his increased involvement with the visual aspects of his work in music and drums. We also talk about recording, the details of his new gig at Drum Factory Direct, the future of upcoming events, a new podcast he was working on when we recorded this conversation, my drum kit, which has taken a climate beating here in Panama, his new home base of Pittsburgh, and re-prioritizing life. We also laugh a lot. That happens quite a bit here on the Unstarving Musician, laughing. Please enjoy my conversation with Mike Dawson. Please visit UnstarvingMusician.com for related links and episode transcript. To stay in touch, find me on Twitter and Instagram @robonzodrummer.

Create, cultivate and connect are words that carry special meaning for Joy Ike. They are the basis for a music coaching and mentoring program she calls Cultivators. Her professional background in PR and marketing enables Joy to offer unique perspective to the emerging artists with whom she works. She's also a freelance writer, which includes articles and blog posts for Bandzoogle. We recorded this conversation in late December of last year 2020, at which time I was on the cusp of releasing my first single ‘On Top Of The World.' It was the perfect time to ask what she sees in artists who are better at getting their work out into the world. Her response to this line of questioning wasn't exactly what I expected, yet it was enlightening. Also in this conversation, I attempt to understand what got her from publishing and PR to music artist and ultimately to artist consultant. We also discuss her strict childhood, house concerts, zoom concerts, her single Wearing Love (new at the time of our conversation), her percussive musicality and more. Joy is herself a very talented singer musician. I love her voice in fact. Check out her work at JoyIke.com. Please visit UnstarvingMusician.com for related links and episode transcript. If you'd like to reach out and say hi, you can find me on Twitter and Instagram @robonzodrummer.

Michael Gilbride somewhat recently released his debut EP 'my name is not kaiser' and the single 'Say Hello,' from that EP. The animated video for 'Say Hello,' which you can find at telcomusic.com or the show notes for this episode, is amazing. Michael and I discuss the animators behind the 'Say Hello' video, the stories behind the telco project, his biggest challenges writing and recording the EP, and how music became therapy for his OCD. At the time of our conversation, he had another single on the way. That song 'Minus Nine' was released on January 8th of this year 2021, which coincided with my first ever single release. He was apologetic about this, but I thought it was awesome. I just finally listened to 'Minus Nine,' and it's great. Michael's music has a great pop sensibility. I had a laugh at his mild preoccupation with aging out of music at 25. I'm old enough to be his dad, but we didn't get into that. Please enjoy. Please visit UnstarvingMusician.com for related links and episode transcript. If you'd like to reach out and say hi, you can find me on Twitter and Instagram @robonzodrummer.

Brian Wolff returns to the Unstarving Musician to discuss his transition from performing with a high energy rock band into live streaming as a solo artist, plus the changes that have brought him to a new chapter of his music career. We also discuss his live streaming setup, Patreon, nurturing his creativity through writing things down more often, the terrifying moment of doing his first live stream performance, including the absence of in-person feedback and his Greetings From Wherever podcast. You can hear me in episode 15 of Greetings From Wherever. This is Brian's fourth appearance on the Unstarving Musician. We met on the socials sometime in 2018, and I really enjoy speaking with him. I had the pleasure of spending time with him in Austin back in 2018. Great guy! I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. Please visit UnstarvingMusician.com for related links and episode transcript. If you'd like to reach out and say hi, you can find me on Twitter and Instagram @robonzodrummer.

Sylvia Rose Novak joins me for a round-two conversation from the great outdoors of Alabama. There are lots of birds and nature sounds in the background, which I think add to the experience of our chat. We recorded back in November of last year 2020. I asked about her then latest release Bad Luck, but she was hard at work on her next release. We talk about the forthcoming album too. In this conversation, Sylvia and I talk about her departure from folk to rock and her push toward a harder rock sound. She also shares her personal experience living with ADHD and bipolar disorder. I ask her about her many tattoos, how she gets out of her own head, and why she thinks some musicians struggle to get the gigs that they really want. Sylvia told me her forthcoming album has a punk rock sensibility. While that may be an oxymoron, I totally get it. The Unstarving Musician is all about independent music and doing what we love as musicians; so do your thing Sylvia Rose and have fun doing it. I hope to one day see Sylvia and her band play live. Please enjoy my conversation with Sylvia Rose Novak. Please visit UnstarvingMusician.com for related links and episode transcript. If you'd like to reach  out and say hi, you can find me on Twitter and Instagram @robonzodrummer. 

Since 1990 Reverend Raven has opened for B.B King, Gatemouth Brown, Pinetop Perkins, the Koko Taylor Band, Junior Wells, the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Tommy Castro among many others. He and I are acquainted by way of mutual friend The Worldwide West Side Guitar Man Johnny Burgin. Reverend and Johnny have been pals since '99. We recorded our conversation in November of 2020, during which time I had asked several former guests for their thoughts on personal branding. Johnny Burgin was among those asked and in his reply, Johnny suggested I speak with Reverend. We had a great conversation about his growing up on the South Side of Chicago, how his stint in the Navy helped him find success with Reverend Raven And The Chain Smoking Alter Boys, how he acquired so many amazing testimonials for the band, life since the pandemic, his predictions for the coming year, and some of the questions I've been asking as research for the 2nd edition of the Unstarving Musician's Guide to Getting Paid Gigs. And a wee bit more. Please visit UnstarvingMusician.com for related links and episode transcript. If you'd like to reach  out and say hi, you can find me on Twitter and Instagram @robonzodrummer. 

At the center of collaboration and music discovery is Trackd Music and Grant Tilbury-Jaiswal. Grant is head of Artist Relations and A&R for Trident Cloud Limited and Trackd Music. Trackd is a recording and collaborative platform for iPhone that is changing the way many musicians create and share music. In this conversation, Grant shares his thoughts on the latest version of Trackd, the art of attracting and retaining fans, the joy of music discovery, the demographic range of Trackd Music users, his weeky Facebook and Instagram lives with featured Trackd Music artists and more. Most exciting to me personally is the fact that Trackd Music is featuring my latest song New Gods Part 2 in a streaming exclusive on their platform. Please visit UnstarvingMusician.com for related links and episode transcript.   If you'd like to reach  out and say hi, you can find me on Twitter and Instagram @robonzodrummer.

Abe is extremely committed to the experience of recording records and playing live shows, because he loves connecting with people in the flesh. This is how he gets his music out into the world.  In this second appearance for the podcast, Abe and I discuss pandemic driven changes in music, painting, the release of his latest single, what a good gig looks like to Abe, why performing live is so important to him, his subscription based art club, and our shared pandemic pessimism. You can also hear Abe in episode 67 of the Unstarving Musician. Our conversation is somber at times, given the impact of the pandemic, but I found myself giggling like a little girl throughout. There was so much laughing and giggling on my part, that I decided to edit some of my laughter out. It's not that Abe's comedic per say. I guess I was just that happy to be spending time with him. He's an inspiring artist and human being. I'll likely post the uncut version of our conversation on the Unstarving Musician YouTube channel. Please enjoy this conversation with a wee bit less laughter.

Brian Wolff returns to the Unstarving Musician to participate in the Unstarving Musician survey, in which I ask some of the best independent musicians I know questions about creativity, social media, live streaming, community building and more. This is Brian's third appearance on the podcast, and I have a fourth interview with him in the can, so to speak. That interview will drop in late April or early May. Brian is a founding member of the Austin based rock band Fair City Fire, turned solo artist. Brian also has a new podcast called Greetings From Wherever, in which he interviews creatives about their creative endeavors. I checked it out, really like it and recommend you check it out too. It's available on all the audio platforms where podcasts are found. You'll even be able to hear me on an upcoming episode of Greetings From Wherever. Stay tuned for more on that. You can also find out about Brian's music on Patreon @BrianWolfMusic. Please enjoy this conversation of survey questions with me and Brian Wolff. Mentioned in this Episode Brian Wolff on Patreon Greetings From Wherever Podcast Touring, Podcasting and Rocking with Fair City Fire–Brian Wolff Please visit UnstarvingMusician.com for related links and episode transcript. If you'd like to reach out to say hi, you can find me on Twitter and Instagram @robonzodrummer.

Alyssa Trahan recently participated in a survey for the forthcoming second edition of The Unstarving Musician's Guide to Getting Paid Gigs. I decided to conduct the surveys by phone and to make an episode of this particular conversation, because Alyssa's responses are so insightful and inspiring. As a side note, Alyssa is is now an official two-timer, this being her second conversation with me for the podcast. The format is a little different, because I was conducting the interview based on survey questions. Consequently, I sound like I'm reading questions from a script, all while diligently taking notes. Kind of silly if you think about it, since we were recording. At the time, however, I didn't know I'd end up using the conversation for a podcast episode. It turns out I'm using a few of the conversations I had for the survey as episode material. This was a particularly good conversation though. Alyssa is firing on all cylinders, in my humble opinion. There are of course things she could be doing better, which she admits; but she's still killing it. Alyssa discusses some of the pandemic driven struggles she's experienced over the past year. She shares several openly vulnerable moments, and this is one of the many things I love about her. There was a ton of valuable stuff in this conversation. Possibly my favorite was what Alyssa had to say about new music release strategy as it relates to video and the importance of content in general. Please enjoy this conversation with Alyssa Trahan. Please visit UnstarvingMusician.com for related links and episode transcript. If you'd like to reach out to say hi, you can find me on Twitter and Instagram @robonzodrummer.

Steven Keene says his songwriting routine has never resembled work. To the contrary, he's always written in the moment and as inspiration strikes. Yet he's had a consistent and prolific songwriting career. Steven grew up in Brooklyn New York, and honed his skills in the Greenwich Village scene of the late 80s, early 90s alongside Beck and other noteworthies. The day we spoke, he had a new single out. That single was called “Cause I Can't Have You.” Since then, the full album “Them & Us” has been released. Steven toured regularly for years, but in 2019 decided to focus on writing and recording. He says he's had the pleasure and good fortune of doing so with players who have worked with the likes of Lenny Kravitz, Bon Jovi, and Springsteen. He told me that Dylan his #1 influence. Steven has actually played with a few of members of Dylan's Rolling Thunder Review tour and backing band. I had to ask Steven about playing at CBGB. He did not disappoint, sharing stories of gigs at there and The Bottom Line in the 90's, alongside Beck. We talk about his songwriting methods and routines, as well as his sentiments on the state of music amidst the pandemic. Yet Steven is thrilled to be recording and like all of us, he looks forward to a time when the music business has reshaped itself. Please enjoy… Visit UnstarvingMusician.com for related links, episode transcript and more.

Johnnie Gilmore is a songwriter and bass player of virtuoso caliber. He honed his chops and stage craft in part as a street performer in his hometown of Boston. L.A. is now home for Johnnie. He has a great EP out called When You Come Home. In this episode we talk about how the EP came together amidst the pandemic. Johnnie was brought to my attention by Zoe Sonnenberg (featured in episode 180). At the time of our conversation, Oct 2020, the pandemic was nearing its peak crisis status in the Los Angeles area, and his EP was newly released. He shares some of the ways in which this time period changed his career and life trajectory. Hear Johnnie's EP When You Come Home at JohnnieGilmore.com. Johnnie also shares his recent experience going from performing live to taking requests on Instagram. It was on one of the Instagram request hours that Zoe Sonnenberg's mom heard him play After the Gold Rush and consequently how Zoe learned of his work. Johnnie had also lost both of his grandparents to COVID on his mother's side, at the time of our conversation, which lead us to discuss the oddity of dealing with loss during the pandemic. The songs on When You Come Home  were recorded in April and May of 2020, and were intended to be part of a full length album. Johnnie thought he would record that album in the fall of 2020, but as life changed so did Johnnie's plans for this collection of songs. Please enjoy this conversation with the me and the talented Johnny Gilmore. Visit UnstarvingMusician.com for related links, episode transcript and more.

This episode features a conversation with singer-songwriter Lara Price. In this experimental episode, Lara interviews me about the release of On Top Of The World (out today, Friday January 8, 2021). Lara is an amazing singer, performer and songwriter, making this conversation a big honor for me. We met in San Jose, California some 18 years ago. Lara is currently based in Austin, Texas. Our conversation includes some dissection of my new song plus: publishing, marketing, sync placement, collaboration, collaborating, the art of storytelling and creating a bridge. Lara also shares many of her experiences and thoughts on songwriting and publishing. This turned out to be an informative and inspiring conversation. I hope you enjoy! Mentioned in this Episode On Top Of The World Tranquilo Retreat Synesthesia and the Evolution of SHAPESCENES–Chase Anderson/ Today's Indie Musician—Lara Price (Ep 166) Starting Over in Austin–Lara Price Humble Beginnings and Mean Business in Austin – Lara Price (Ep 004)/ HumTap TuneCore   Visit UnstarvingMusician.com for related links, episode transcript and more.

In this episode, Ezra Vancil interviews me about my forthcoming debut single On Top Of The World. We cover the history and process of my songwriting, using public proclamation as a source of accountability, various technical challenges I faced in writing and recording the song, the players involved, and the forthcoming video. On Top Of The World drops January 8th, 2021. Download it for free at Robonzo.com. Our discussion covers themes common among creative individuals. Taking the leap from "wanting" to singing one's own music to actually writing and recording a song is one example. Ezra and I are both acquainted with brute forcing our way through certain aspects of the creative processes that apply writing and recording music. We're also familiar with the dilemma of knowing when we're done with a song, its lyrics and even specific parts. When is a song good enough? These are among the many things that can keep musicians from moving forward with writing and recording endeavors. Our conversation also explores the uncertainties, insecurities and obstacles. This interview was put together as promotional piece for the song. Because Ezra is such a great songwriter and lovely human being, we were able to bounce between my experiences and his. The resulting conversation was helpful to me in many ways. I hope it will be equally so for you. Visit UnstarvingMusician.com for related links, episode transcript and more.

My guest for this episode is multi-instrumentalist and studio engineer Chris Raspante. Prolific and in-demand as both performer and sound engineer, Chris is regularly solicited for hire on various music projects. In this conversation we discuss his return to performing live, the logistics of recording remotely, our work together on my song On Top Of The World, and why he thinks his phone is always ringing.  We recorded this conversation in October of 2020, during one of the peaks of the pandemic. While this is Chris' second appearance on the podcast, this is our third conversation. Our proper second conversation will be coming out in the future...as a third episode. Don't worry about it. If you want to get caught up with Chris, check out his first appearance. Episode 2 with Chris Raspante This was a happy hour conversation of sorts, as we recorded during the evening hours over a few beers. As I told Chris, we definitely need to chat more often. Can't wait to see him play live again when we can all travel safely. Maybe I'll even have an opportunity to sit in on drums. "Doing a great job or trying to be good at what you do, being easy to work with and just being out there on people's radars, that is always going to be the best advertisement for yourself." –Chris Raspante, Musician & Studio Engineer Mentioned in this Episode Episode 2 with Chris Raspante Making Music with an Open Heart and Mind – Jon Christopher Davis Crossing Paths with Jace Everett On Top Of The World Visit UnstarvingMusician.com for related links, episode transcript and more.

Dave Cool of Bandzoogle returns for a second time on the Unstarving Musician. The last time he was on was episode 142, recorded on March 20th of this year at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Dave is VP of Business Development at Bandzoogle. In this follow-up conversation we discuss a wide range of topics, including: The newish partnership between CD Baby and Bandzoogle Ways musicians around the world are adapting to change What Bandzoogle's data says about fan support Naming your price with a minimum price for online music sales The increased output of resource articles on the Bandzoogle blog Bandzoogle features including EPK templates and the free review of your site service Keeping live streams alive Full disclosure: I'm a humble and honored affiliate of Bandzoogle, which means I make a wee bit of money if you purchase a plan using my promo code ROBONZO, which you can read more about below. Thank you for your support! Related to our conversation, my new song (and first ever single) is set for official release January 8th, 2021. Preview my new song and download it for free on Robonzo.com If you want to follow the saga of my release and become part of the Robonzo Collective by following me on the socials, @robonzodrummer on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Mentioned in this Episode Bandzoogle CD Baby Enter the Haggis Artist EPK Builder for Bands and Musicians | Press Kits | Bandzoogle Website design inspiration: best electronic press kits 5 creative quarantine hacks for album artwork Six Skills All Indie Musicians Need Today - Forbes Visit UnstarvingMusician.com for related links, episode transcript and more

My guest for this episode is Garret Laver of the trio Lucid Phase. The band's music style falls somewhere between roots, reggae, dub, jam, blues and world. He and his bandmates met at the Savannah College of Art & Design, Georgia, where they collectively studied film and sound design. They've put their studies to work for producing & marketing their music. Garret and I spoke on the heels of their then new single release, Roots Enterprise. We talk about that, his bandmates, collaborators, recording, his writing process, and more. Lucid Phase was well into a follow-up to their 2020 release, which is slated for release in 2021. These guys are somewhat new to the process of creating and publishing music, so the timing of our conversation is great, as I too am new to writing and publishing music. This is a great conversation with lots of takeaways. Mentioned in this Episode Lucid Phase Official Website Sensi Trails Official Website Nostradames_ on Instagram Tatanka - The Moment Dub Room Studio Grizzly Peak Official Website Visit UnstarvingMusician.com for related links, episode transcript and more

Blues guitarist, singer-songwriter Brian Young is a member of the Unstarving Musician community–the list. A while back, he reached out to check in with me. I'm always asking the community and you listeners how you're doing. Like Ezra said last episode, music is a collaborative experience between community and musician and I feel that extends into what I'm doing here. Brian took time out to thank me and to share his own personal update. He shared with me that he'd lost his wife Becky of 43 years to cancer. Becky was also manager of his blues band. Brian recently published the last album that he and Becky worked on with his band, Blues Station. In her honor he's been donating a portion of the proceeds of his latest CD to Stand Up 2 Cancer. We talk about all of this, how and where he and Becky met, his surprising early influences, his life and music memories, the greatness of blues jams and some great songwriting advice. Mentioned in this Episode Becky and Brian Interpretation of the Blues Listening for That Phrase—Johnny Burgin Part 2 (Ep 138) Why Musicians Shouldn't Have a Cell Phone on Stage – Rockin' Johnny Burgin Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) Visit UnstarvingMusician.com for related links, episode transcript and more.

Ezra Vancil joins me for his second feature on the podcast. I first spoke with him back in March of 2018 for episode 42 of the Unstarving Musician. Listen to Ezra's first appearance on the podcast This conversation was sparked by an email exchange we had where Ezra mentioned an arduous trip to Florida for a festival he was performing during the onset of the pandemic. In that email, he also said he'd decided to throw in the towel on his music career. Thankfully, he changed his mind on and continues to make music. In this conversation, we also discuss: Where he thought he was going next, and where he ended up following his travels to and from Florida His new album The Family Songbook, on which his daughter Cozy makes her recording debut His depression (bipolar), the changes in his life, and some of the tools he uses to cope His sentiments about live streaming A bit of tribute to a friend he recently lost, and something that friend recently did for him Subscription based fan support And much more... Visit UnstarvingMusician.com for related links, episode transcript and more.

Singer, songwriter and producer Otto just released the new single Tell Me Something, produced by Dave Stewart. If that last name sounds familiar it might be because you know Stewart's work with the Eurythmics or another of his high profile projects. Otto is based in Wales, but English by birth. I learned about him while researching the collaboration app Trackd. This was for an article I published on Forbes.com. In this episode Otto shares his experience as a Trackd user, how he came to be involved with Dave Stewart, a big songwriting tip, and how he got one of his songs a-listed with BBC Radio in Wales. We talk about recording on the go, his agenda following a flurry of career elevating activity and much more. He also gives me a tour of his home studio. See the episode show notes for details and photos of his gear. Visit UnstarvingMusician.com for related links, episode transcript and more.

Zoë Sonnenberg is a lifelong singer, frequent baker and a writer with a passion for supporting the performing arts. Relevant to this episode, she is also a PR professional with the agency Sacks & Co. Zoë represents musicians and other types of artists. She and I have worked together to book some of her clients on this podcast, including Danielle Eva Schwob (Ep 147) and Evangeline Gentle (Ep 171). With offices in LA, Nashville and New York, Sacks & Co has an international reputation for working with exceptionally talented individuals and organizations. Their clients include musicians, filmmakers, film producers, theater companies, arts presenters and entrepreneurial business ventures. In this conversation, Zoë and I talk about how she got into the public relations business, what PR firms do for clients and what she looks for in a prospective client. Additionally, Zoë breaks down what a working relationship between her and the artists she represents looks like. Visit UnstarvingMusician.com for related links, episode transcript and more.

Michael Sloan is the CEO of Streaming Promotions, a strategic streaming platform promotion company. Founded in 2015, Streaming Promotions works to increase their clients footprint on streaming services with music adoption and traction on streaming platforms, specifically Spotify. Michael was recently quoted in Rolling Stone discussing competition for ear-time on Spotify. In our conversation, Michael explains why streaming promotion is important and explains the related ecosystem of Spotify playlists, artists, consumers and labels. He also gives insight into Spotify curated versus independently curated playlists, how Streaming Promotions identifies playlists that matter, how they find artists they want to work with, scams to avoid, and what artists should be asking as they look into this world of streaming promotions.

This "rewind" episode features Mike Dawson from his first appearance on the the Unstarving Musician, which was episode 1 of the podcast. Mike has also been featured in episodes 25, 50 and the "best of" episode 100.  He is Managing Editor of Modern Drummer Magazine, a pro drummer, co-host of The Modern Drummer Podcast, and a music educator. This remains one of my favorite Unstarving Musician and is among the most popular episodes of the podcast. Our conversation covers Mike's prolific hustle as a gigging and studio musician, family life, music education, his early music influences, business, marketing, YouTube and more. Visit UnstarvingMusician.com for related links, episode transcript and more.

Peter Rand is a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter who I met on the collaboration platform Kompoz. You may have noticed my recent obsession with collaboration apps as of late, in which case you'll know about this article that I contributed to Forbes.com. These Three Collaboration Apps Are Changing The Way Music Is Created Peter and I have collaborated on some of the over 800 projects he has posted on Kompoz. 800! That's amazing. Ten of his Kompoz collaborations were recently published in the public digital domain. In this conversation, Peter provides a little insight into Kompoz, why we both like it and more. Visit UnstarvingMusician.com for episode transcript and links to just about everything discussed in this episode.

Markus K is a blues fusion player and master looper who performs street concerts around the world. He's also a user of the collaboration app Trackd, which he says allows him to record anywhere with great results. This is another in a series of episodes covering the online music collaboration space. Read my article about music collaboration apps on Forbes.com These Three Collaboration Apps Are Changing The Way Music Is Created Markus has worked in a wide range of studios and claims he can't say enough nice things about Trackd. He first learned about it through a friend. The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic prompted him to dig deep into the app and since then he's published multiple singles recorded with Trackd. In this conversation, we talk extensively about Trackd, street performing, Markus' travels and more. Visit UnstarvingMusician.com for related links, episode transcript and more.

This week Rachel Hearnden joins me for a conversation to talk about the collaboration app Trackd, of which she is a user and avid fan. A drummer at heart, Rachel is also a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter. It may sound corny, Rachel says, but Trackd has changed her life. We talk about the many reasons she loves Trackd, how she uses the app, why she thinks other musicians should try it and much more. Our conversation is related to an article I recently wrote for Forbes.com, covering the online music collaboration space. Here's a link to that article: These Three Collaboration Apps Are Changing The Way Music Is Created Visit UnstarvingMusician.com for related links, episode transcript and more.

This is the third in a multi-part series related to the world of online music collaboration, which has turned out to be much more than I expected. There are a number of truly innovative and interesting approaches happening. In this episode, I speak with Grant Tilbury of Trackd, the mobile app that allows musicians to capture and share ideas. Trackd is a collaboration platform and 8-track studio on your phone. Grant and the team at Trackd believe a new set of tools emerging in the collaboration space could help music artists make money with their craft and bring life to new music genres. We talk about this, trends the Trackd team are watching, questions they want artists to help them answer, their philosophy and approach to this growing space of online collaboration and much more. Mentioned in this Episode Download Trackd Studio Music at Long Distance – Online Creation and Collaboration Tools from Abbey Road Red Writing and Recording Music – Article by Robonzo These Three Collaboration Apps Are Changing The Way Music Is Created (Forbes.com article by Robonzo) Dave Stewart Global Songwriting Collaboration Related Episodes Online Collaboration And The Always-On Music Industry–SoundStorming (Ep 173) The Evolution of Music Collaboration–Raf Fiol of Kompoz (Ep 171) For full resources, show notes and episode transcripts go to UnstarvingMusician.com

This is the second in a multi-part series that covers the online music collaboration space. My guests this week, Alicia Rius and Arnau Bosch of SoundStorming, believe that online collaboration apps will feed the next iteration of the music industry and allow a new breed of fans to become part of the creative process. With fan engagement opportunities growing, online collaboration apps have the potential to help us re-imagine music discovery. Alicia was featured in episode 153 of the podcast where we discussed the inception of SoundStorming. Her partner Arnau is a music creator and together they're both passionate about what the SoundStorming team is building. In this discussion we talk about who's using their service, interesting trends on online collaboration, changes driven by the Covid crisis of 2020, the future of online collaboration and more. For full resources, show notes and episode transcripts go to UnstarvingMusician.com

Scottish-Canadian singer-songwriter Evangeline Gentle is set to release a debut album three years in the making. In this episode, they talk about writing the new album during a period of deep self-doubt as well as the struggle to preserve the softness and tenderness within. We also discuss homophobia and misogyny in the music business, what it's like being a queer person in the business, how the Covid crisis altered their path, the integration of Celtic folk music in their music, PR, indie record label representation and much more. For full resources, show notes and episode transcripts go to UnstarvingMusician.com

My guest for this episode is Raf Fiol of Kompoz, the online collaboration platform for musicians. This is one of a five episode series that is related to an article I published for Forbes.com, which covers the online music collaboration space. I'm trying to better understand the different approaches and models within the space. Online collaboration and the trends therein are extremely fascinating to me. It is also something I encourage other musicians to look into.  I'm a Kompoz user/member, having recently signed up, and have already submitted my first collaboration track. Among the topics Raf and I discuss are the evolution of Kompoz as a platform and community, Raf's thoughts on the future of online collaboration, why he started Kompoz, who the platform is best suited for and much more. For full resources, show notes and episode transcripts go to UnstarvingMusician.com  

Meet musician-turned-entrepreneur Michael Walker, Founder of Modern Musician. His team's mission is to help other musicians supercharge their fan base and career. And Michael doesn't just talk the talk. He's tested the same grassroots techniques and three core principles that Modern Musician teaches. These techniques allow musicians to achieve sustainable success, and also helped Michael's band Paradise Fears make waves on the alternative charts of iTunes. Michael and I discuss his music career, Paradise Fears, why and when artists come to Modern Musician for help, the process of identifying the ideal client profile, details on Modern Musician's core principles and techniques, and much more. Michael also gives an impromptu live performance from his home studio. Find episode transcript, show notes and resources at UnstarvingMusician.com

This episode's featured guests are Shannon Curtis and Jamie Hill. They're both alumni of this podcast, and were recently mentioned in my article Six Skills All Indie Musicians Need Today. Shannon is the queen bee of house concerts in my world. She led me to learn more about the house concert scene and is the reason I played my very first house show earlier this year, with Johnny Burgin. Jamie is Shannon's producer and faithful partner. My wife and I attended one of their virtual house shows earlier this week, which was more than just a music performance. Shannon and Jamie are working to create an immersive experience both musically and conversationally. This is all part of their devotion to the community that supports every facet of their music business and their lives beyond music. Shannon and Jamie are hosts of the Misfit Stars podcast, which is integral part of their community ecosystem. Episode Highlights In this conversation we discuss: The Shannon Curtis 2020 Virtual House Concert Tour The process of adapting to and pivoting for Covid-19 The structure and theme of their virtual house shows Recent changes that help them better serve their supporter community The framework of their new patronage model Their open-handed approach to everything they do Honoring the work we do with the words we use What Jamie wants for any artist he works with (as a producer) For more resources and show notes go to UnstarvingMusician.com

Caleb Lovely is a multi-instrumentalist, incredibly talented and good looking to boot. Based in Nashville, Tennessee, Caleb is growing his music career while occasionally working on an Alpaca farm - how cool is that? We discuss how writing about happy times can be even more challenging than writing about traumatic events. Relationships are a key aspect to his music. We also geek out on all things home-studio, EQ tricks for drums, experimentation with sound and much more. Episode Highlights We start by talking about his marriage of three years (10:00) and go on to discuss: (11:55) The hardest topic to write about (17:40) Growing up across 12 states (28:23) Top tips for EQ (42:25) How artists need to do it all (53:30) Getting involved with PR and entertainment groups For full show notes and resources go to UnstarvingMusician.com

In our final installment of the Today's Indie Musician series, my guest is Lara Price who I know from way back when in the San Francisco Bay Area. She has a new podcast called In The Trenches with Lara Price where she shares about her own mental health, interviews friends about the Black Lives Matter movement and more. Her latest album, I Mean Business, is so incredibly good and I hope you check it out. We discuss my various theories on what it takes for indie musicians to have a thriving career. We talk about building community both online and in person, getting comfortable with technology, digital distribution and more. Episode Highlights We start by talking about the need for a developed web presence (03:29) and go on to discuss: (06:00) Making use of the algorithm (14:30) Online tipping for online performances (20:50) Building community with exclusive content (25:40) The effect quarantine is having one some artists (31:47) Tips and tricks to get in front of more listeners For more information and show notes go to UnstarvingMusician.com