I love interviews. Eliciting stories and recollections from friends old and new is just plain fun, and if I do it right, lots of great stories get sunlight. I’ve gotten pretty good at asking a question and then… not talking. Believe it or not, awkward pauses are my best friend because that’s when the best stories finally surface. Let the shameless name-dropping begin.
Can my work help your business? Contact me!
BLOG POSTS:
I’ve spoken to a variety of musicians and radio personalities in recent years with the specific intent of finding out two things: what new music are they listening to and where did they find it? I always keep the target audience in mind, and questions revolve around what that audience would most like to know.
Musician Chip Kinman For Hip Therapy Music
West coast punk pioneer Chip Kinman is an icon. Growing up in North County San Diego, in 1977 he and brother Tony created the Dils, a legendary and influential mainstay of the punk scene, whose left-leaning and politically charged lyrics affect punk rock to this day. Always evolving, the brothers brought a we-don’t-need-no-stinking-rules attitude to their next band, the genre-bending and critically praised country-roots-rock outfit Rank and File. A noise band, a blues band and even a children’s album would follow in his ever-restless journey... (Read the entire interview)
Radio Personality Mike Zara For Hip Therapy Music
Mike Z has been a fixture on Inland Empire airwaves for more than 20 years. A “metal kid” at heart, he insists on staying fluent in all types of music that are simply good, regardless of genre. With his current show “Wired In The Empire” on KCAL 96.7/Redlands-San Bernardino, Mike guides listeners to all the shows that matter in the IE, highlighting bands on the air in the days leading up to their SoCal live performances. Mike is an ideal source of info for new music and where to see it.
I spoke with Mike recently about who’s new, who’s under-appreciated and how he came to be so “wired.” (Read the entire interview)
Musician Victor Krummenacher For Hip Therapy Music
While researching new music posts for HipTherapyMuisic.com, I have repeatedly encountered the name Victor Krummenacher: working with Dave Alvin’s “Third Mind” project, working on a video with X’s John Doe, playing with X drummer DJ Bonebrake’s new “Two Heads” project, and so forth. Like Butch and Sundance, I, too, asked, “Who IS this guy?”
Several emails and one 90-minute FaceTime conversation later, I now know: Victor Krummenacher is talented, generous, smart, and something of a “Zelig” in alternative music. He co-founded Camper Van Beethoven and played with Cracker. He knows TONS of people and has toured with even more. Most importantly to this website, he’s been crucial to a variety of well-received major new projects. Who knew? (Read the entire interview)
Can my work help your business? Contact me!
RADIO:
In the olden days, when radio played new music, I took pride in talking to bands just surfacing with their first hit. These two examples were new to fame and their POV was still fresh and unguarded.
311 | Nick Hexum & SA w/Warren Harkins on X103.9, Riverside/Redlands/San Bernardino
Crazy Town | Shifty Shellshock & Squirrel w/Warren Harkins on X103.9, Riverside/Redlands/San Bernardino
Can my work help your business? Contact me!
ACADEMIC/NOT FOR PUBLICATION:
My MBA program required interviews with successful people whose careers I might like to emulate. I managed to talk to some pretty high-powered executives with the understanding that the conversations would be academic only, and not for public consumption. (I will divulge that one interviewee began with, “If you’re going into the music industry, I’m NOT talking to you!”)
Can my work help your business? Contact me!
— Pandora.com, Tim Westergren, Founder & CEO
— Burt Bacharach Music Group & Frank Sinatra Music Group, Bob Fead, President
— Shout! Factory Entertainment, Bob Emmer, CEO
— Rhino Entertainment, Kevin Gore, Executive Vice President & General Manager
MISCELLANEOUS
Sometimes you bump into the most interesting people, and they agree to answer a few questions. The perpetrator of Woodstock‘s notorious “Fish Cheer” and the keeper of the flame for Tarzan’s legacy were both fascinating.
Can my work help your business? Contact me!
— Woodstock Music Festival Performer, Country Joe McDonald, Musician
— Edgar Rice Rice Burroughs Publications, Inc., Jim Sullos, President
