Tag: interview

Categories
News Podcasts

Inside Music Podcast #177: Scotter Ward (Cold)

After nearly a decade away, Scooter Ward and Cold are back with their most personal album to date.

Scooter Ward has spent the better part of three decades making music that has changed the lives of countless rock fans around the world. He has topped rock charts around the world, toured everywhere you can name, and influenced a generation of musicians to share their truth with unflinching honesty.

In recent years, however, Ward and Cold retreated from the spotlight to spend more time with family when it mattered most. Having long drawn from his life, he knew he needed time to live before he could create again. Through that experience, he gained a new perspective on life, and that only fueled his passion for music.

Now, Ward is back in the rock spotlight for the first new Cold album in eight years. The band is tighter than ever, and Ward credits the growth the group has experienced to the lessons learned during his time away from the road. In this episode of Inside Music, Scooter recounts why he had to go home, and how the events that transpired there pushed him to create perhaps his most powerful record to date. He also shares his recent experiences in the mountains of Pennsylvania where Cold is hard at work preparing for their long-awaited US headlining tour.

Cold’s new album, The Things We Can’t Stop, arrives September 13.

Prefer Spotify? We’ve got that:

Categories
Industry News News Podcasts

Inside Music Podcast #174: Bad Wolves (Tommy Vext)

Bad Wolves frontman Tommy Vext stops by Inside Music to discuss his career in music and much more.

Tommy Vext is no stranger to the world of music. A twenty-year veteran to touring and recording, Tommy reached a new level of success in 2018 when his band, Bad Wolves, topped charts around the world with a cover of The Cranberries’ hit song, “Zombie.” The exposure, coupled with a relentless touring schedule opening for some of rock’s biggest names, has given Bad Wolves a lot of attention in a relatively small amount of time. The band is gearing up to release their Sophomore record this fall, but expectations are already high, and they’re likely to rise further before the album arrives in October.

But how Tommy find himself in this position? How did a former fan and venue security guard reach the heights of rock and roll success with only one album? And furthermore, where will he go from here?

On this episode of Inside Music, Tommy Vext sits down with host James Shotwell hours before taking the stage in West Michigan to share his journey in entertainment. Tommy tells James about his early singing career, his time as a security guard at the iconic Key Club in Los Angeles, and how he found himself helping other musicians live a sober lifestyle. The pair also discuss Bad Wolves’ new record, Bad Wolves Nation, and the expectations the band has for their future in rock.

Prefer video? Weve got you covered

Categories
News Podcasts

Inside Music Podcast #172: Fit For A King

Amid of their busiest year yet, Fit For A King takes times to chat with Inside Music about how they got here and what comes next.

Despite the numerous ways people can discover music, no algorithm or platform can duplicate the impact of getting people to talk to other people about your music. Whether that happens through direct communication or by wearing your merchandise at events, fan to fan interaction is the most potent form of marketing on the planet. Fit For A King reaped the benefits of efforts like this, and today they’re speaking with us about it.

Blurring the lines between metal and hardcore as few groups in recent memory have, Fit For A King craft anthemic tracks that deliver hope and inspiration to those in doubt. Their music has lead thousands around the world to carry the group’s message into their communities and friend circles, which has helped the band grow at an unprecedented rate. Where they go next is anyone’s guess, but continuing success seems more likely than not.

But how did Fit For A King do this? How did a rock band create community and devotion in an era where listeners are more distracted than ever?

On this episode of Inside Music, host James Shotwell sits down with three members of the hard rock band Fit For A King to discuss the band’s growth in recent years. Fit For A King is a rare example of a group that has leveraged their fanbase to create a community that continues to expand in leaps and bounds whether or not they are actively churning out new content. The band explains their approach to marketing, as well as the work involved in creating their terrific music videos.

https://soundcloud.com/inside-music-podcast/fit-for-a-king

Prefer video? No problem.

Categories
Haulix News Podcasts

Inside Music Podcast #171: Saves The Day (Chris Conley)

Saves The Day frontman Chris Conley stops by Inside Music to discuss mindfulness, music, and the power of breathing.

Chris Conley has spent the majority of his life as the frontman for Saves The Day. Now in the latter half of his thirties, Chris has become an icon in alternative music who continues to inspire countless aspiring musicians with each song he writes. That kind of influence can be overwhelming, but as we discover in this episode, he’s possibly the most down to earth person you could hope to meet in entertainment.

Host James Shotwell recently sat down with Conley in Grand Rapids, MI with the intent to discuss music. Instead, the pair talked about mindfulness, the importance of breathing, and the literature shaping their perspectives on existence. Conley shares how a small number of books he read around the time the band began have made all the difference in the man he’s become. James tries to keep up, sharing the books influencing his perspective on life, and through doing so, finds common ground with Chris on the things that matter most to the human experience.

https://soundcloud.com/inside-music-podcast/saves-the-day-chris-conley

Prefer video? We have you covered:

Saves The Day is on tour with Joyce Manor this August. The band’s latest album, 9, is available now through Equal Vision Records. Spotify users can stream the album below:

Categories
Haulix News Podcasts

Inside Music Podcast #168: Hot Mulligan Strikes Back!

Before entering the studio to record their Sophomore album, Hot Mulligan returns to Inside Music to reflect on everything that has happened since the release of Pilot.

There is a lot of uncertainty in alternative music today. From declining music sales to allegedly high-profile tours that struggle to sell tickets, everyone is questioning whether or not the crossroads of punk, rock, and pop are in decline. Those previously considered ‘sure things’ are now wrestling with relevancy, and those on the rise are wondering where they can go that will elevate their profile as a whole. Hot Mulligan hasn’t figured it out yet themselves, but the Michigan band is doing something right.

In the sixteen months since Hot Mulligan released their debut album, Pilot, the pop rock group has seen their following increase with each new development. The band has traveled all over the world, supported bands considered to be top tier talent in their genre, and even headlined nationwide tour stretching well over a month in length. With each step, Hot Mulligan found more success as their competence and confidence rose.

Now comes the hard part. With their fans’ demand for live shows satiated and material for concerts exhausted, Hot Mulligan is preparing to record their Sophomore record. The band is remaining tight-lipped about what the album will entail, but they are promising something different. Rather than continuing to do more of the same, Hot Mulligan wants to keep fans on their toes, challenging them to grow with the members of the band instead of remaining the same.

On this episode of Inside Music, Hot Mulligan’s Chris Freeman returns to the Michigan headquarters for Haulix to discuss how life has changed for him and his bandmates over the last year. Chris details the lessons learned from the Pilot era, as well as how the group is changing their approach to songwriting with their upcoming album.

https://soundcloud.com/inside-music-podcast/168-hot-mulligan-strikes-back

Prefer video?

Categories
Haulix News Podcasts

Inside Music Podcast #159: Upon A Burning Body

Ruben Alvarez of Upon A Burning Body stops by the show to discuss ‘Southern Hostility’ and the ways your perspective on music can with age.

When Upon A Burning Body burst onto the international scene in 2010 they were heralded for delivering a crushing take on deathcore that combined unrelenting heaviness with a desire to have as much fun as possible. The Texas band sang about getting blackout drunk with their closest friends but also overcoming the things in life that held them down. Critics didn’t always get it, but the fans of the genre did, and the band continued to deliver similar material in the years that followed.

That is, until now.

Southern Hostility, Upon A Burning Body’s upcoming fourth studio album (out June 7 via Seek and Strike), finds the hard-partying antics of the group set aside in an attempt to showcase their metal chops. The band has doubled-down on their songs about surviving the struggle of existence, and in doing so the members have crafted what is undeniably their best work to date. Over the course of ten sizzling tracks, Upon A Burning Body aspires to inspire a generation of outliers to become more than they and their haters think is possible. They are, in their own unique way, trying to improve this often troublesome world.

On this episode of Inside Music, Upon A Burning Body co-founder and guitarist Ruben Alvarez stops by to discuss Southern Hostility at length. Ruben tells host James Shotwell about how changes in his and other band members’ personal lives has given the group a different perspective on life. He also talks about the decision to join Seek And Strike, moving out of the city, and growing older in an industry that praises youthfulness above all else.

https://soundcloud.com/inside-music-podcast/159-uabb

Prefer video? We’ve got you covered:

Categories
Haulix News Podcasts

Inside Music Podcast #158: Jayson Rodriguez (VEVO)

Inside Music is a podcast about the lives of professionals in the music business. Each week, host James Shotwell chats with an artist or industry tastemaker to learn how anyone can navigate the world of entertainment.

One of the leading voices and content curators in hip-hop stops by Inside Music to discuss the evolving role of journalism in music.

Let’s face it: Most of us spend far more time watching content online than we do consuming the thousands of articles published by music blogs and magazines every week. We discover music by browsing YouTube recommendations, learn about our favorite artists’ new singles by watching the track’s official video (or stream the song through a video), and some of us subscribe to one or more video critics that help us make sense of the increasingly crowded world of music.

But video isn’t a free-for-all where content is concerned. You can find anything you search for, of course, but the leading video platforms have teams of curators and Editors working hard to deliver high-quality content that promotes the best talent of the modern age. Jayson Rodriguez is one such person for VEVO, and today he’s appearing on Inside Music to discuss his role in the greater music dialogue.

Jayson Rodriguez is no stranger to the world of music journalism. Before helping plan and create some of the best video music coverage in recent years, Jayson was a writer working at some of hip-hop’s most notable publications. He used his talent and networking skills to meet leaders of the industry, and they, in turn, opened new doors that helped his career evolve in ways he never thought possible. He loves his role now, even though it’s a world apart from what he got into music to do, and he shows no signs of leaving the industry anytime soon. Experience his journey below:

https://soundcloud.com/inside-music-podcast/158-jayson-rodriguiez

Prefer video? We’ve got you covered:

Categories
News Podcasts

Inside Music Podcast #157: Memphis May Fire (Matty Mullins)

Memphis May Fire is evolving in a way that challenges longtime fans, and vocalist Matty Mullins is here to tell us all about it.

It seems like everyone in alternative music that rose to prominence around 2010 is trying hard to be someone other than the person they’ve been the last decade. From labels and publicists working behind the scenes to sign talent outside their comfort zone to established artists taking their sound in new directions, anyone who wants to continue working in music is scrambling to adapt to the changing nature of the industry.

Matty Mullins has seen and experienced a lot since entering the industry in 2007. The vocalist of Memphis May Fire, Mullins and his bandmates exploded onto the metalcore circuit with a series of strong early releases that quickly gained a devoted global following, which the band has since maintained through relentless touring and recording. Their most recent efforts find the group entering the world of active rock, and as Mullins will explain on our podcast, that decision comes with a lot of unexpected challenges.

On this episode of Inside Music, host James Shotwell calls Memphis May Fire frontman Matty Mullins for a conversation on growth in the entertainment business. Mullins and his band have been road warriors for over a decade now, and all the while they have carved a unique place for themselves in the world of music. The band’s latest release, Broken, finds the group entering the world of active rock with their hearts on their sleeve. It’s a move that did not come easily for the band, but as Mullins explains, it’s what they needed, and above all, it’s what they wanted.

https://soundcloud.com/inside-music-podcast/157-memphis-may-fire

Categories
Industry News News Podcasts

Inside Music Podcast #156: Palisades’ Lou Miceli Returns!

Taking a brief break from the road, Palisades’ vocalist fills listeners in on the band’s latest activity and sheds light on the reality of discussing hard times with fans.

Promoting emotional vulnerability has become the bedrock of many careers in music over the last decade. That is a stark change from generations prior, which largely heralded any band or performer capable of stringing together a catchy line that promoted escapism or grandiose ideas of self. Today’s music listener, it seems, wants to relate to performers above all else. Audiences want to know the people on stage are every bit as human as themselves, and that they struggle in the same way anyone else does. They need to know we’re all in this together, even if we’re all alone.

Palisades has always been a band known for wearing their hearts on the sleeves, but the group’s 2018 album, Erase The Pain, took that effort to new heights. The New Jersey rock favorites worked tirelessly with producer Howard Benson to craft a record that conveyed all the trials and tribulations they experienced not just as musicians, but as people living in the world today. The results have connected with music fans from all walks of life, and the band is now on the road trying to meet every person who feels moved by their music in person before 2019 is out.

On this episode of INSIDE MUSIC, Palisades vocalist Lou Miceli stops by to share his recent experiences touring the United States. Lou appeared on the show in late 2018 to discuss his band’s yet to be released album Erase The Pain, and now he’s back to talk about everything that has happened since the record his stores. Palisades is currently on tour, and they will most likely be in a city near you soon.

https://soundcloud.com/inside-music-podcast/156-palisades-lou-miceli-returns

Prefer video? We’ve got you covered:

Categories
Haulix News Podcasts

Inside Music Podcast #154: Basement (Alex Henery)

The UK rock favorites are currently playing arenas nationwide with Weezer and The Pixies.

It has never been easier for an artist to share their music with the world, but sharing music is not enough to build a career. A great song may get you far, and a good song will take you a long ways from nowhere, but anyone who gets ahead in entertainment often does so because they have more to offer the world than talent alone. That is a hard truth, and it is one gifted musicians everywhere must learn if they ever hope to make their art their life.

UK rock group Basement has that something extra. Describing it in full feels impossible but to say they have ‘it’ may undersell their gift. For the last decade, Basement has been winning over fans of rock and hardcore music with a sound that brings together the various sound of underground alternative music and funnels it into something both unique and universally relatable. The members wear their hearts on their sleeves, and they leave everything they have to give on each stage they grace.

Earlier this year, Basement received a call that they did not expect. Out of many bands vying to be included on a co-headliner tour featuring The Pixies and Weezer they were the group chosen. The band had a month to prepare for what would become their first-ever arena tour, and they did not let a moment go to waste.

On this episode of INSIDE MUSIC, host James Shotwell calls Basement guitarist Alex Henery to discuss his band’s opening slot on Weezer and The Pixies nationwide co-headlining tour. Alex tells James about his recent adventures on the road, the difference between clubs and arenas, and the lessons learned from the road. James and Alex also discuss Basement’s decade-long history in music, as well as what the future might hold based on the group’s recent successes.

https://soundcloud.com/inside-music-podcast/154-basement-alex-henery

Prefer video? We’ve got you covered:

Exit mobile version