Episodes

In the final segment of the UpClose & Personal conversation with multi-Grammy and multi-Dove Award winning vocalist, John Schlitt, we dig into the Petra years. From his arrival as Petra's new vocalist and working with power producers, John and Dino Elefante, John peels the curtain back and and gives us unfettered access to what went on behind the scenes. We touch on some of Petra's biggest albums like, Back to the Street, This Means War, Petra Praise, and Beyond Belief. John shares with us what ...

In Part 1 of this Upclose & Personal conversation with multi-Grammy and multi-Dove Award winning vocalist John Schlitt, we spend considerable time walking through his formative years and the impact of bands like The Beach Boys and Beatles. Long before he was the vocalist of the most powerful and impactful band in Christian Rock history, John found success in the Rock band, Head East, where drug and alcohol abuse would bring him to the lowest of low points. But that is NOT the end of John's journ...

Jaimee Harris isn't merely a rising star in the Americana-Folk-Singer/Songwriter universe. With the release of her new album, 'Boomerang Town," Jaimee steps up to the mic and stakes a claim among her peers and shows that she stands shoulder to shoulder in storytelling, melody-making and song crafting, with many of those whom she looks up to. Though closer to the beginning of her adventure than many Journey to the Stage guests, Jaimee has a story worth hearing and music that is thoughtful and th...

Blue Water Highway stands at the top of the list of bands I have come across in the last several years, so it was a real honor for me to sit down with founding members Zack Kibodeaux (primary vocalist and multi-instrumentalist) and Greg Essington (multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, would-be zombie apocalypse survivor). In this fun and insightful conversation, we dig into the band's origins, their recording history and the hard work they've put into getting to where they are in an often hostile mu...

Stephen McCarthy has been at the leading edge of genre creation, a claim few can make. With the founding of The Long Ryders in the early 80s, the band was helping lay the foundation for what would eventually be called "Americana." Stephen walks us through the rise, fall, and return of The Long Ryders. We dig into the band's BRAND NEW album, 'September November," and play the song, "Seasons Change," a McCarthy composition. Stephen and I spend some time chatting about how he joined Americana grea...

Trapper Schoepp is a musical force to be reckoned with. His brand new album, "Siren Songs," is his strongest effort to date, and was recorded in the Cash Cabin, a retreat and private recording studio built by the legendary Man in Black, himself, Johnny Cash. With fourteen songs in hand, Trapper arrived at the fabled cabin with Jayhawks multi-instrumentalist, John Jackson, and Wilco basset, Pat Sansone to produce Trapper's new album. Trapper and I dig into his musical journey and how he ended u...

This is part two of a very in depth and open conversation I had with Glen Phillips. In this portion of our chat, Glen shares what led to the demise of Toad the Wet Sprocket and how those relational patterns have changed in a way that allows the band to stay together after reforming. Glen shares about how the band sought to differentiate themselves from their contemporaries in the music world and how that trait has helped them maintain an audience. We dive into deep topics like grief, the endurin...

Jon Shabaglian is an award winning singer, songwriter and recording artist, with a growing catalog of soul stirring albums. For decades Jon has been writing, performing and recording music that reflects and reveals the heart of God. With a voice filled with overtones of Soul and R&B, Jon continues to write music that is often anthemic, often poignant, and always beautifully exulting. In this episode, Jon, my dear friend and former bandmate, talk about how Jon found his way as musician, vocalist...

As a founding member of multi-platinum selling Soul Asylum, and super group, The Golden Smog, which features members of Wilco, The Jayhawks, Big Star and Run Westy, Run, Grammy Award-winning Dan Murphy has spent decades creating a catalog of great music. Despite his success, in 2012 Dan put his guitar in its case and walked away from music, citing burnout and a lack of joy in playing. After roughly ten years away, a chance meeting of singer/songwriter Jeff Arundel would reignite Dan's dormant lo...

It was an honor to connect with one of my favorite vocalist, songwriters and lyricists, Glen Phillips. Glen is the voice and principal songwriter for Toad the Wet Sprocket, a band he helped form when he was just 15. This "Upclose & Personal" special interview is filled with an honest and open dialogue about the early years of the band, how critics impacted Glen, and the realization that there is beauty in embracing grief. Glen opens up about how the community that formed online around his music ...

"Sir, Please" is a brilliant band whose days of making a splash on the musical scene are just getting started. In a Journey to the Stage first, I was joined by the entire band, which includes twins Shane (vocals) and Josh (bass) Cronin, Michael Leese (guitar) and drummer David Kohn. We dig into the band's origin story and all the fun and challenges that come with developing a unique sound. In this blast of a conversation, the band discusses what it's like playing to a packed venue in support of ...

Singer, songwriter and guitarist, Mike Stand has been making music for over four decades. When the Altar Boys brought their anthemic brand of righteous punk to the So. Cal. music scene in the early 80s, their fans knew they had found something special. In this most memorable conversation, Mike and I trace his musical journey through the tragedies and triumphs, from his childhood, to adulthood, to parenthood. We chat about his various bands, that along with the Altar Boys, includes Full Circle, C...

I had the pleasure of catching up with Thundermother's founder and guitarist, Filippa Nässil, as she sat in a Swedish pub, fresh from returning from the road, where her and her band toured the United States with Rock legends, The Scorpions. Filippa and I chat a bit about her path as a musician and songwriter and discuss the joys of touring the world with one of the most iconic bands in Rock. Thundermother have made a name for themselves as a powerhouse Rock band that takes no prisoners. We play...

Michael Lockwood has had a long and fascinating musical career. He has worked with artists like the late (and former spouse) Lisa Marie Presley, Aimee Mann, Fiona Apple, Carly Simon, Susanna Hoffs and many more, as a songwriter, producer, touring or studio musician. This one-time son in law of Elvis Presley had his first foray into the musical spotlight with his band, Lions & Ghosts, where Michael was a cowriter and guitar player. Lions & Ghosts' first album, "Velvet Kiss, Lick of the Lime" has ...

Ben Balmer and I had such an enjoyable chat, and I hope you thoroughly enjoy it. Ben is a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist of great talent. His harmonica playing drips with great emotive resonance and brings a unique feel to his music. Ben's new album, "Honky-Tonk Macbeth" is truly worth checking out. Its songs are flavored with Americana, the Blues, and just enough twang to stir the soul. Ben is a gifted songwriter and has a voice that is simultaneously smooth and gritty, the perfe...

With several decades in the music industry, Wayne Kirkpatrick has had a monumental career that shows no signs of slowing down. In the early 80s, Wayne formed partnerships and friendships with Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith and would go on to co-write with both of them for many years and many albums, helping to write some of the most popular songs in the CCM space. The impact Wayne has had in the careers of those two great talents cannot be overstated. Along with Tommy Simms and previous Journey...

Wayne Everett is a gifted multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and songwriter with a musical history that spans decades. He has been an integral part of bands like The Prayer Chain, Starflyer59, The Lassie Foundation and CUSH- all bands that have made incredible music but are criminally underexposed. As a solo artist, Wayne has written and recorded two solo albums, the latest of which is titled, "Two Ghosts," a collection of wonderfully-crafted songs with echoes of Laurel Canyon reverberating throug...

I was overjoyed to welcome back to the artists throne the one and only Dennis Diken! Dennis and I chat about the rerelease of the wonderful album, "Christmas with the Smithereens." Dennis takes us back in time and shares stories about the songs they selected, recording and the what this album means to the band, both then and now. We play a couple of tracks and talk about waking up Christmas morning to streets of snow and cold outside, and the latest Beatles album under the tree! This will be a f...

I had the distinct pleasure of chatting with the lovely and talented Jenn Whiteman and Samantha Ayers of the modern Folk duo, RYVOLI. These friends and musical partners have created a melodically stunning new album titled, "Not in a Bad Way." The album is filled with beauty and carries an intimate sound and feel, making it easy to fall in love with. We play a couple of songs ("Oleika Sunset," and the title track, "Not in a Bad Way") and chat about their backstories. If you love acoustic beauty, ...

You might not know the name Ron Hicklin, but you certainly know his voice. Ron and his singing group, "The Ron Hicklin Singers," sang on over 100 #1 hit songs with artists like Sinatra, Elvis, Dean Martin, Neil Diamond, Barbara Streisand, Ringo Starr, Glen Campbell, Michael Jackson, The Carpenters, and many, many more. His group is considered "The Wrecking Crew" of vocalists, and frequently recorded on albums with that famous group of world class studio musicians. Ron's group provided the vocals...

The Elvis Presley of the 1970s long ago achieved caricature status. The Elvis impersonators and the Pop Culture icon of the true Elvis have little in common. In this Special Edition of Journey to the Stage, Rock n Roll historian, John Jackson, helps us dismantle the ever shortening narrative of 70s Elvis that has been reduced to the point of excluding most of the highlights. With his vast and extensive study into the life and career of arguably the most famous music and movie star the world has ...

As a 35 year fan of the music of The Smithereens, it was a genuine pleasure to chat with founding member and drummer, Dennis Diken. We discuss the path the band has traveled, navigating the heights of success and the sadness of losing singer an band mate, the late Pat Dinizio. Dennis and I spend most of our time discussing The Smithereen's brand new album (out now!!!), which was recorded in the early 90s with Pat on vocals, and how it sat until recently when it was made ready for release. We pla...

Trevor Kowalski is a composer, pianist and arranger of immense talent, and it was an honor to have this most memorable conversation as the coda of Season 1 of my podcast. Trevor's music has been streamed over one hundred million times, and music he has in various films and videos have been listened to over one billion times. He has worked with award-winning filmmakers, game developers, orchestras, and soloists. The music Trevor creates is soul-stirring and evocative, filled with nostalgia and b...

Rain Perry and I sat for delightful chat about her brand new album, "A White Album." This album is a wonderful collection of songs filled with powerful storytelling and melodic beauty. We play two songs from the album and spend a bit of time talking about the story they tell, which is a fascinating portion of our time together. Along with creating a lovely catalogue of work spanning over two decades as a recording artist, we discuss the documentary film that Rain made. Her film, "The Workshop," ...