Episodes

We’ve been Aqueous fans since we started this podcast, and we’re so impressed with how they are maturing as a band, from their process, to their sound and even their identity. It’s great to see and hear. So we caught up with Mike Gantzer, lead guitar and vocalist with the band to talk about the new Burn it Down EP and much more. 

Featured Songs:

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. 

Featured Songs:

Featured Songs:

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.

Featured Songs:

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. 

Featured Songs:

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.

Featured Songs:

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. 

Featured Songs:

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

Featured Songs:

Featured Songs:

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. 

Featured Songs:

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. 

Featured Songs: