John Gallagher, Jr. is a NYC-based musician and actor. He released his debut solo record, Six Day Hurricane, in 2016. He has numerous film and TV credits, including a lead role on HBO's The Newsroom, and has starred on Broadway in musicals and plays, having earned a Tony award for his performance in Spring Awakening at the age of 22. Listen in as J…

Frankie Boots is an Americana singer-songwriter from Northern California, currently residing in New Orleans. He has two full-length albums with his band, Frankie Boots and the County Line, and released his debut solo record, "Pagan Ranch," in December of 2016. Listen in as Frank reveals his real name, talks about being ready for inspiration when it…

Justin Levine is a NYC-based composer, writer, performer, music director, and arranger. His wide range of credits include serving as the music director for and performing in the Broadway musical Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson and Love's Labour's Lost at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. Listen in as Justin discusses growing up in a musical famil…

Sean O'Neill is a Portland, OR-based musician, songwriter, and cartoonist. His band, Otis Heat, has toured the U.S. extensively, and his cartoons have been featured in The New Yorker and The Harvard Business Review, among other publications. Listen in as Sean talks about growing up in suburban Maryland, the many forms and paths his creativity has t…

Jans Ingber is a Portland, OR-based singer, songwriter, and percussionist. Jans recently parted ways with his longtime band, The Motet, after 17 years of touring to spend more time at home and to focus on a new project, Jans Ingber's Funk Fellowship. Listen in as Jans recounts his momentous first encounter with Stevie Wonder's "Innervisions," talks…

Annalisa Tornfelt is a songwriter and musician originally from Alaska and now based in Portland, OR. She is known for being the singer and fiddle player for Black Prairie (with members of The Decemberists). Her 2015 solo release, The Number 8, was recorded during the month of August, on an 8-track recorder, in the span of eight hours. She often per…

Ben Hunter & Joe Seamons are an American roots duo based in Seattle. They won the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN in January 2016, coming in first place out of 94 acts from 16 different countries. Their two albums, The North Wind and the Sun and Take Yo Time, represent a broad range of pre-war American music, from pre-blues a cappella …

Kate Ferber is a NYC based musician and songwriter. Her one-woman original show One Child Born, The Music of Laura Nyro has been widely acclaimed in New York and beyond. She starred in Ghost Brothers of Darkland County, written by John Mellencamp and Stephen King, with musical direction by renowned producer T Bone Burnett. Her forthcoming solo albu…

The Bengsons are a married duo based in NYC. They've written an indie folk opera, had their music featured on the hit TV show So You Think You Can Dance, and just earlier this month they embarked upon a brand new project...parenthood! Listen in as Shaun and Abigail Bengson discuss their respective musical roots and influences, what it's like to be …

Tommy Alexander is a Portland, OR based indie folk singer-songwriter. His upcoming album, Old News, is scheduled for release on March 23, 2016. Listen in as Tommy discusses working with producer Mike Coykendall (of other notable acts such as M. Ward, She and Him, Blitzen Trapper, and Bright Eyes) on the new record, opening for Michael McDonald, his…

Derek Clatterbuck (who performs and releases music under the moniker Oil Derek) is a native of the Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia. Listen in as Derek talks about his family's deep musical roots (his grandma was best buds with June Carter and his great-uncle wrote the "Tennessee Waltz"), his attraction to the cowboy lifestyle, becoming friends…

Making up one-half of the banjo-driven folk duo The Lowest Pair, Kendl Winter calls Olympia, Washington home, but spends most of her days on the road. Listen in as Kendl shares her thoughts on what it's like to be a perpetually traveling musician, her love of running, and the many pet turtles she had as an 11-year-old. www.thelowestpair.com…

Lech Wierzynski is the Polish-born frontman and bandleader of The California Honeydrops. An internationally touring band, the Honeydrops draw upon elements of R&B, funk, Southern soul, Delta blues, and New Orleans second-line to create an infectious sound and an energetic, undeniable live show experience. Listen in as Lech discusses his personal mu…

Chris, Ellen, Asarr, Sam, and Anthony are collectively, Chamber Band. Based in Brooklyn, they play music about love, heartbreak, and dragons. They recently released their second full-length album, Careers. Listen in as they discuss how the band came together, their wide array of backgrounds and influences, and their decision and process of using th…

Brad Parsons is a Portland, OR based songwriter and purveyor of rock and roll music. You can catch him performing around town often, both solo and with his band Brad Parsons and the Local Talent. He is also part of the nationally touring Portland-based folk-rock band, Horse Feathers. Listen in as Brad discusses his Idaho upbringing, shares a few de…

Benjamin Scheuer is a New York City based songwriter and playwright. His award-winning one-man autobiographical musical play, The Lion, was originally mounted at Manhattan Theatre Club in the summer of 2014. Since then, Benjamin has been performing the show in various cities to wide acclaim. Listen in as he talks about his unique artistic path, the…

Moorea Masa is a Portland, OR based singer-songwriter, with distict soul/pop influences. Formerly of the Ruby Pines, and currently a singer with Ural Thomas and the Pain, Moorea has been cultivating her solo career in recent years and just released her debut EP, Oh Mother. www.mooreamasa.bandcamp.com…

Ben Darwish is a Portland, OR-based pianist, composer and songwriter. His collaborative project with Shook Twins is called Morning Ritual, and he also plays keys in the soul band, Ural Thomas and the Pain. Listen in as Ben discusses his least important fingers, how being a weirdo actually helped him as an 11-year-old, and how 80s teen idol Tiffany …

Thanksgiving is the best holiday! Some of my guests from the previous year share a musical artist for whom they are epecially thankful.

Sam Chase is the valiant leader of SF bay area band, The Sam Chase. With his band, Sam has released two studio albums, "The Sam Chase Will Never Die" and "The Sam Chase Will Lead Us To Victory". As albums, they are triumphant, and as statements, they are true. Listen in as Sam discusses his dream of being a ninja turtle, refraining from throwing hi…

Steve Poltz is the consummate folk singer, and then some. Having toured the globe for over 30 years, his collective stories, paired with his unparalleled energetic stage presence, make for live shows that are equal parts magnificent, hilarious, and heartwarming. Listen in as Steve discusses the origins of his wild spirit, his somewhat legendary lia…

Patrick Cooper is a blues and Americana musician based in New Orleans. Listen in as he chats about his geographical trajectory (Japan to Louisiana to California and back to Louisiana), his influences from John Prine to Allen Toussaint, and his former life as a lawyer. www.patrickcoopermusic.com

Xander and Orion Hitzig (aka The Hitzig Brothers) hail from southern West Virginia, and have been touring the country over the last six years with Brown Chicken Brown Cow Stringband. Now the two are turning their focus on a duo project, a brotherly mix of folk, bluegrass, and celtic-influenced tunes. Listen in as the Hitzigs discuss things like: be…

The Coffis Brothers and the Mountain Men are a rootsy rock n’ roll band born and raised in the Mountains of Santa Cruz, California. The band, fronted by brothers Jamie and Kellen Coffis, released their second full-length album, Wrong Side of the Road, earlier this year. Listen in as the 5-piece discusses growing up together, their common influences…

Formed in Santa Cruz, California in 2012, Marty O'Reilly and the Old Soul Orchestra throw a resonator guitar (O'Reilly), a double bass (Jeff Kissel), and a dirty fiddle (Chris Lynch) into a blender, and churn out a haunting, bluesy, and driving musical sound that is at once uniquely theirs, and also reminiscent of some of the delta greats with a ge…

Liana Stampur is a New York City based musician and music educator, and a co-founder of the non-profit organization ArtStrides, which provides free early childhood arts education for New York families. Listen in as Liana discusses the path that led her to teaching, her love for and special connection to Pete Seeger, and her impending motherhood! ww…

The Brothers Comatose are a 5-piece string band based out of San Francisco. Over the past few years, the oft-touring band has shared the stage with the likes of The Devil Makes Three and Yonder Mountain String Band, and have played prestigious festivals such as Outside Lands, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, and High Sierra. Listen in as the fellows of B…

KC Turner is a San Francisco Bay Area music promoter and musician. In 2013, his production company "KC Turner Presents" put on nearly 100 concerts. He's come a long way from growing up in small-town Missouri and impersonating Elvis for his family as a kid. Here, KC talks about taking the leap to pursue a full-time career in the music industry, the …

John Elliott is a San Francisco-based songwriter and musician, who recently released his eighth album, entitled Good Goodbyes. Listen in as we rap about our theater school backgrounds, John talks about growing up in Minnesota, and sheds a positive light on LA, where he lived for 12 years. www.thehereafterishere.com…

Randy Schwartz is a drummer based in the San Francisco bay-area. He played and toured with Brett Dennen for six years, and now performs with Oakland-based Ethiopian jazz band, Sun Hop Fat. Listen in as Randy discusses his influences and his interest in mixing different musical genres, what it means to approach music as a "sculptor" rather than a "p…

Happy 2014! Today's episode features Irish-born, California-bred music producer/engineer/mixer Cian Riordan. Cian is currently based in Los Angeles, working at Barefoot Recording, a state of the art recording studio owned and run by esteemed music producer, Eric Valentine. Listen in as Cian talks about his journey in recorded music, the many hats a…

Mike Brun is a NYC-based musician and songwriter. In addition to creating and performing his own material, he often collaborates with Shaina Taub (he makes up one-third of her band, the Shaina Taub Trio), and recently served as musical director for the off-Broadway hit, Mr. Burns. Here, Mike discusses his musical beginnings playing a stolen guitar …

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody! For this special edition of 11 Things, I appealed to all my previous guests and asked them share a musical artist for whom they are particularly thankful. Listen in, reflect upon who/what YOU are thankful for, then go devour a mountain of delicious foooood!

Todd Almond is a NYC-based musician, composer, and playwright. He has collaborated with many of today's top theatre artists, and performs his own solo material as well. Here, Todd candidly discusses growing up in a small midwestern town, his embarrassing first couple of gigs, knowing and focusing on what you're good at, and his decision not to be a…

Grace McLean is a New York City based singer, songwriter, and actor. Both as a solo artist and along with her band, Grace McLean and Them Apples, she's been busy seducing audiences with her clever and dynamic songs, sharp wit, and magnetic stage presence. Here, Grace ruminates on her upbringing in the OC, the rewards of teaching, and the musical sh…

Miko De Leon is a New York City based singer-songwriter, and frontman of the indie folk/pop band, Miko & the Musket. Here, Miko talks about how his ethnicity informs his role in the music scene, transitioning from a very personal to a more universal songwriting style, and his dream of playing at the White House. Also, Miko and I are both visited by…

Olivia Quillio is a singer/songwriter currently based in Albany, NY. Her vivid folk-inspired lyrics and melodic jazz vocals are only topped by the raw emotion she packs into her songs. Here, Olivia talks about being influenced by the dynamics of the family unit, what artist in the whole world she'd like to hear cover one of her songs, and being don…

Holly McGarry is a folk singer-songwriter originally from Sandpoint, Idaho and now living in Boston. Just 20 years old, Holly already has three albums and several tours under her belt. Here, she talks about becoming enamored with and determined to play the guitar very early on, her influences from Gillian Welch to The Who, and how age has informed …

Jason Anderson is a force of nature. When he performs, a tangible energy fills the room and one can't help but sing along to his catchy, often soul-stirring tunes. Here, the oft-touring Jason talks about growing up in small-town New Hampshire, his compulsive songwriting process, and how different variables play into the way he approaches his live s…

Justin Goldner is a NYC-based bassist, guitarist, songwriter, and producer. His versatility as a musician has enabled him to work within a broad range of genres and with countless bands and artists around the country and abroad. Here, Justin discusses his influences from Bach to Joni Mitchell to the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, why he sees himself as …

Nick Blaemire is a NYC-based actor and composer, and front man of Nick Blaemire and the Hustle, a band for which he invented the meme "nerdsoul" (more on that within the interview). Nick has worked extensively in theatre as well as film and TV, and at the age of 23, became one of the youngest composers ever to mount a show on Broadway, short lived …

The McCoy Tyler Band is a Santa Cruz, CA based alt-country trio consisting of McCoy Tyler on guitar and lead vocals, Chad Bowen on bass and vocals, and Clinton Brown on drums and vocals. Their tight three-part harmonies and impressive musical chops make for a rollicking live show. Here, they discuss their formation back in 2011 with the help of Cra…

Singer-songwriter and Alaska native Michael Howard joins me for this week's episode. As sounds of passing floatplanes fill the air, Michael discusses the advantages and disadvantages of being an Alaska-based musician, his influences from Josh Ritter to Dr. Seuss, and turning a blip of emotion into a full-fledged song. www.facebook.com/michaelhoward…

I am excited to have author and music journalist Robert Greenfield as my guest on this week's podcast. Bob has written books on the Rolling Stones, Jerry Garcia, famed rock promoter Bill Graham...the list goes on. His vast knowledge of rock and roll history comes from first hand experience, and he generously shares some of his fascinating stories h…

Songwriters Daniel Steinbock, Ayla Nereo, and John Craigie join me in an RV in the middle of the Black Rock Desert to record an episode live from Burning Man. Listen in as they meditate on playa dust, awkward onstage moments, and the role that location and environment plays in their songwriting. Each guest plays a tune and also divulges details of …

Anna Tivel is a Portland, OR based folk musician who performs under the moniker Anna and the Underbelly. Anna, who also plays fiddle with the Shook Twins, began writing her own original music only two years ago, and has already released her debut full-length album, entitled Brimstone Lullaby. Here, Anna talks about her many influences, her early da…

Cyber Camel is the electro-rock solo project of Portland, OR based musician Niko Daoussis, aka Niko Slice. Here, Niko (who's also a band member of Shook Twins) talks about his influences from Leadbelly to Katy Perry, his very first gig sitting in with a blues band at an LA club at the tender age of 13, and his fantasy of someday incorporating an ep…

Ayla Nereo is a Northern California gal through-and-through. Born in Sonoma, learned at Stanford, and now based in Nevada City, the entrancing singer/songwriter talks about appreciating and making peace with the "ebbs" of the creative process, her enduring love of John Williams and ABBA, and getting a song out a traffic ticket. www.aylanereo.com…

Buckman Coe is a singer/songwriter based in Vancouver, BC. Listen in as Buckman discusses his identification with the Hapa community, incorporating messages of social and ecological justice into his work as an artist, his struggles and successes tapping into the U.S. music scene as a Canadian, and his past as an impish 11-year-old. www.buckmancoe.c…

The 11th episode of 11 Things!!! Over the past few years, Shook Twins (Katelyn and Laurie Shook) have been spreading their unique and infectious brand of quirky folk to steadily growing audiences. Originally from northern Idaho and now based in Portland, OR, Shook Twins have become regulars in the northwest festival circuit. Listen in as, over pedi…