ALL Interviews Episodes

The Kitchen Dwellers are on the rise, and are quickly becoming a staple on the Bluegrass scene and within the larger Jam Band community. They recently released a new record that they funded with a highly successful Kickstarter campaign. In fact, they invited Chris Pandolfi of the Infamous Stringdusters to produce this record. It’s a solid effort so we tracked down mandolinist Shawn Swain to talk about the record, its songs and much more. For more on the Kitchen Dwellers, visit kitchendwellers.com. 

November 8th marks the release of Fruition's latest record Wild as the Night. I can say without any doubt, that this is one of my top records of the year. It is such a gorgeous presentation of lyrics, melodies, musicianship and a laid back vibe. More to the point, the record is a coming of age project for the band, which helps them shed any neo-bluegrass tags it may have had and presents a more complete aesthetic of what they've become. We've chatted with Kellen and Jay in the past, but fortunately we were able to track down Mimi Naja to talk about this metamorphosis and what it means for the band and their fans. To learn more about the band, including tour dates, visit frutionband.com. 

Yes Darling are a duo made up of Hayley Jane and Ryan Montbleau. Ryan is a veteran of the American and Jam Band scene with his own solo work and guest appearances, while Hayley is well known for her work with The Primates and her solo work in that same scene. Together they make music across many genres, focused on the give and take of relationships, in their case, between men and women. Their whimsical take is fun, and in each song is full of great vocal performances and real genuine emotion. So naturally we wanted to get these two on to talk about the project. You can follow their story on social media or check out yesdarlingmusic.com.

If it’s your first time hearing about Madisen Ward and the Mama Bear, it likely won’t be your last. The duo, of Madisen and his mama bear Ruth, are absolutely exceptional musicians, who blend voices and acoustic guitar playing for a truly genuine auditory experience. We’ve been big fans of the folk duo since their first release, and can’t get enough of the music they make. So on the news that there was a new record, we tracked the pair down. Check out madisenwardandthemamabear.com for tour news, videos and links to their albums.

The latest release from Robert Randolph and the Family Band, "Brighter Days" is a wonderfully full record. Not just with songs, but with inspiration, faith, and terrific musicianship. Robert Randolph never fails to deliver incredible performances on pedal steel, and the rest of the fam is equal to the task. We caught up with Robert, who we've chatted with before, in another life, and it was just like old times. He is an incredible musician, but an even better person. The man can play, and will go down as probably one of the top sacred steel players of all time. You'll definitely want to check him out live when you have a chance. For tour dates, and lots of great videos visit robertrandolph.net. 

Last Friday, Trigger Hippy released their sophomore record Full Circle and Then Some. This is a band that has sort been on quasi hiatus at least from the public for quite some time, and that record, five years in the making brings them back into the spotlight. The band, comprised of bassist Nick Govrick and Steve Gorman, now includes Ed Jurdi and Amber Woodhouse. They’ve had several other members in the band over the years including Audley Freed, Jackie Greene and Joan Osborne. Their music blends stuff we love like rock, soul, Americana and more, so we were delighted to hear they had a new record.

Everything old is new again with The New Deal. This jamtronica band who basically invented the genre in 1998 have released a new album Phoenix, and have welcomed Davide Di Renzo to the drummer's chair. For those unaware, Di Renzo was actually the trio's drummer at their first gig back at the University of Guelph some two decades ago. This three piece made up of Jamie Shields on keyboards and synths, Dan Kurtz on guitar and now Davide Di Renzo are back on the road exploring one another, their music and their relationship with their fans.

Old Crow Medicine Show shouldn’t really need any introduction. After over two decades of making pure Americana Music, their body of work is well known. They’ve won awards for their six studio records and they have been mainstays on tours and festival lineups. This veteran outfit has played all the big rooms and virtually everyone I know knows the song Wagon Wheel. So with the announcement that they were releasing a live record, fittingly one whose tracks were recorded at The Ryman, I knew I had to get someone to talk with us. So we sat down with mandolin player Cory Younts to get the low down on the new record and well, lots more. For more on Old Crow Medicine Show visit crowmedicine.com and seriously listen to Live at The Ryman wherever you get music. 

Spafford dropped their EP The Gaff Tapes late last week, specifically on nugs.net as a preview for fans who wanted to see what they were up to. Today that EP is available everywhere you listen to music. Like me, fans on-line got very excited about the new tunes and were anxious to share their thoughts on them. We've always had a great relationship with the band, so we decided to get in touch with Brian Moss, the band's guitar player, and one of their vocalists to discuss The Gaff Tapes and the band's plans for their upcoming fall and winter tour. Our conversation started, when I asked Brian why the quartet decided to put out this EP now. For more information on The Gaff Tapes and their tour schedule visit Spafford.net.

The New Mastersounds are a Funk/Soul/Blues/Rock outfit that blend all of those sounds and more into a really brilliant mix that you have to hear. The band has always added extra pieces here and there from horns to extra percussion, and this album seems them add vocalist Lamar Williams Jr.20 years in, this four piece continues to evolve and led by Eddie Roberts there is no end in sight. We caught up with Eddie to talk about New Mastersounds, Shake It and his label Color Red, based in Denver, Colorado. To learn more about New Mastersounds visit newmastersounds.com, and do yourself a favor and check out Color Red Records at color-red.co

Colonel & the Mermaids is a project from Alex Koford, a Bay area native who has been toiling for the most part at Phil Lesh's Terrapin Crossroads the last seven years and has been a part of The Terrapin Family Band amongst other side projects. Colonel & the Mermaids is Alex's chance to create his own music, shape his own band's future and create his own future in the industry and community. That is no small task, but as you'll hear, it's one that he isn't taking lightly and one that he is prepared to invest a lot of time, energy and money. We sat down with Alex who is about to come east for a small tour and our conversation started when I asked what the sonic aim of the band is. If the effort, and indeed the music is any indication, I suspect we will be hearing from Colonel & the Mermaids for quite some time. You can learn more about Colonel & the Mermaids including tour dates at colonelandthemermaids.com. 

You know all about Marco Benevento if you have been part of the jam band scene for a while. What probably isn’t obvious based on his most recent works, is that he hasn’t always been the singer-songwriter he is now. His new record Let it Slide drops September 20th, and as you’ll hear his focus has always been more on instrumental music, but this record is filled hot dance piano rock, and he sings on almost every track. Another great feature of this record, besides the pop-py tones and throw back sounds is the role Marco Benevento's bassist Karina Rykman plays as a vocalist. It’s all good fun and certainly a departure from previous work. We dig Marco a lot, so we dialed him up and our conversation started when I asked specifically about his new role as singer in the band...For more information on Let it Slide and to check tour dates visit, marcobenevento.com. 

With festival season almost wrapped up, I wanted to bring your attention to one of the best keep secrets going. Borderlands Festival which takes place this year September 20th and 21st on Knox Farm in scenic East Aurora, NY. I attended last year, sadly for just one day, and this year, we’ll be back for both days. So we wanted to talk Jennifer Brazill who heads up the festival. Sounds like an incredible festival in our midst. Excited to see so many great friends and bands but mostly share in the Borderland Festival community. We look forward to seeing you too. For more info and to buy tickets visit borderlandfestival.com.

Old Salt Union has been making string music for about 7 years now, and what’s impressive aside from their talent is their eclectic sound even though they are a string band who play very traditional music. They blend several styles to make up their own very unique sound. Jesse Farrar is a vocalist and bass player with the band. He probably has the greatest insight into their music and place within the bluegrass and larger music community, so it was great to sit down and talk all things Old Salt Union. For tour dates at some cool videos visit oldsaltunion.com.

The Adam Deitch Quartet is a side project for one of the busiest drummers on the go. Aside from his work in Lettuce and Break Science, Deitch is always matching up with other players, and in fact producing music. We get into some of those details during our conversation, but suffice it to say, this dude is talented beyond measure. Perhaps the only thing that is bigger than his talent, is his appetite to play music that inspires him. Such is certainly the case with the Adam Deitch Quartet's debut record Egyptian Secrets. Is it a hip-hop record, a jazz record, a soul record, or straight ahead funk. The answer is "yes" to all of the above. For more information on the Adam Deitch Quartet and all things Adam Deitch visit deitchbeatsdontquit.com or or fanlink.to/egyptiansecrets.

We’re big fans of Holly since her debut of Tahoe Tweezer piano composition. For the uninitiated, Holly takes songs by both Phish and The Grateful Dead, transcribes each members parts and then builds out a new composition where she plays everyone’s parts. It’s phenomenal stuff. Aside from her solo work, Holly plays keyboards in Ghost Light another band we love, and is always around for guest spots. To say she’s busy doesn’t do her calendar justice. So we're delighted that she made time to chat about Live at the Old Church and much more. Our conversation started when I asked Holly how she keeps up with everything she’s up to. You can learn more about Holly’s solo work at hollybowling.com and for Ghost Light info visit ghostlightband.com.

Jay Cobb Anderson will be releasing a solo EP August 23rd entitled, "Everything is Gonna Work Its Own Self Out". Jay as you may recall or know is part of new grass outfit Fruition, though you wouldn’t know he is in a string band if you listen to the new EP. It’s full of electricity, big riffs and more. We caught up with Jay working on a new Fruition record which we’ll get too, but our conversation started when I asked what inspired this solo effort.  For more on Jay Cobb Anderson visit jaycobbanderson.com and for Fruition updates visit fruitionband.com.

While we’ll get into some Umphrey’s business throughout the discussion, our focus is actually on a book he co-authored with Matt DeCoursey “The Realist’s Guide to a Successful Music Career”. It’s a great read with fabulous insight and a no BS approach to advice. Lots of musicians give some candid interviews too like Huey Lewis, Jake Cinniger, Taylor Hicks, to name just a few and some pretty cool music industry types like Pete Shapiro. I have a great deal of admiration for anyone who sets out to find their passion and attempts to build a career around it. In Joel’s case, he’s had success, and now he is sharing some secrets to help others get to their goals while avoiding some pitfalls. The book, is available on Amazon, Kindle and will be on sale at UM shows and at the UM online store. For more visit umphreysmcgee.com or search for Joel Cummins at Amazon.com.

While he isn’t specifically a typical “jam band” musician, G.Love has found a home within the community. Kind of makes sense when consider this delta blues/hip-hop musician not only saw the Dead as a kid, but has been on the scene for years. He was recently in Toronto on tour with Blues Traveler and moe. and we caught up to talk about well, just about everything. For more on G.Love visit philadelphonic.com. 

moe. is on tour with Blues Traveler and G.Love, while also spending time at festivals including their own, moe.down held earlier this summer. moe. has long been on our radar since their early days playing tiny shows here in Toronto, while they made their mark on the Jam Band scene through the mid 90s. So it was great to catch up with Rob Derhak who had a significant health scare and put the band on hiatus for a bit, but they are back as fierce and jammy as ever. For more on moe. including tour dates and such visit moe.org (yes, that’s how long they’ve had a website). 

The Jam Band community owes a debt of gratitude to Blues Traveler, who in many ways pioneered the neo Jam Band scene back in the late 80s and early 90s. In fact, they supported the post Garcia Jam Band scene by putting on the HORDE festival, which is the pre-cursor to Lockn' or even Bonnarroo for that matter. I've always been a fan of the band and fondly remember listening to them lots and going to see them. But it's been a while since I had, but they came through Toronto recently, after a long hiatus and wanted to catch up. Chan Kinchla, the founding guitarist made some time, which was a thrill for sure. Our conversation started when I reminded Chan of his Canadian heritage, since he was born in Hamilton, a stone's throw from Toronto. To learn more about Blues Traveler's tour schedule and other happenings visit bluestraveler.com

Turkuaz recently released Afterlife Vol. 2, a collection of songs that didn't make their last album, Life in the City or the first EP Afterlife Vol. 1 and it features tracks that continue to see the band evolve and experiment. "Better Get Ready" as an example stretches the boundries of funk into what can only be described as a rock sound. We're impressed that they are bold enough to take chances and try new things. Thats brave. So we caught up with Dave "Blue" Brandwein to talk about the second volume of Afterlife to see what the band has going on, and what their plans are for the future. Our conversation started when I suggested to Dave that this final Afterlife EP puts a nice two year bow on all the band has been working on. To find out more visit turkuazband.com. 

ALO have just released a new EP Creatures, Vol. 1: Spark. The EP features four great tracks, by the the ALO quartet of Zach Gill on keyboards on vocals, Dan “Lebo” Lebowitz on guitars and vocals, Steve Adams on bass and vocals and Ezra Lipp on Drums. Lipp has joined the band officially now as Dave Brogan departs for personal pursuits. We are big fans of ALO music, and the band members. Getting to talk to them, is like old home week, and we generally gel and laugh right out of the gate. So I decided to get Zach and Lebo on the line to talk about the plan for these new EPs and more. You should definitely check out alomusic.com for news, tour dates including details on Camp Deep End and much more. 

Wanted to tell you about a new Jazz trio called Spaga.  They make interesting stripped down acoustic jazz music, and feature Aron Magner on piano. Of course, you know Aron from his other prominent project The Disco Biscuits, but as luck would have it, he has carved out some time to get back to his original passion, jazz piano. He created this project as an ode, to his humble beginnings, and wanted to test the limits of his abilities and those of his co-horts on this project. For my ears at least, sounds like they've done a great job. For more on Spaga, visit spagaband.com.