Citywide Blackout

Chelsea Curve has new music you’ll “Kindawanna” hear

The Chelsea Curve have had a busy 2025.

 

From West Coast shows with the UK band Sharp Class to being back in the studio, this band — inspired by Boston and British culture — has done a lot, with much more to come.

In this episode, Curtis and Max talk with band members Linda Pardee and Tim Gillis about recent shows and tours of the UK, along with some of the great bands they’ve met and venues that they’ve played at. They dive into their love of mod style and sound and the unique fashion they’ve been sporting at their shows.

The band has a new single out today, July 18, called “Kindawanna” and shares what the fans can look forward to. We also talk about two recent releases, a cover of “Hey Sah-Lo-Ney” and the Andy Lewis remix of “Jamie C’mon,” and the unique sounds of both songs.

Closing out this interview is the Andy Lewis remix of “Jamie C’mon,” a truly amazing creation.

Citywide Bytes—Ben Hutcheson takes us through the UK country scene

My next guest’s recent single “Almost There” really caught my attention, and now he’s here to talk about this and a lot more. Singer songwriter Ben Hutcheson joins me to share the real-life inspiration behind his March release, “Almost There” as well as what motivates him to pick up the pen and write a new song.

Ben’s part of the UK country scene, which has been around for a few years now. We talk about how it’s influenced in part by country music in the U.S., but also the ways it stands on its own. Ben talks about his 2022 self-titled EP, which he did as a project for his commercial music major. He also talks collaborations and what is next for him.

Closing out this interview is “Almost There,” and I hope you’ll give the rest of his music a listen.

Western Education grows with sophomore album

We’ve been a fan of the band Western Education for years now, and with their new full-length album, “Millennial Youth” they’ve hit a new high point with their music. Band members Greg Alexandropoulos (vocals, keyboards) and Will Hunt (bass, production) return to Citywide to talk about the stories told throughout the album, and how it all got started.

Will and Greg go into their favorite songs, and their criteria for how they went from 16 tracks to 13. We talk about the upcoming release show and how it’ll feel to perform the entire album. Six singles from the album were released over 2024, and we talk about the strategy behind this and the response from the fans.

Closing out this interview is the title track, “Millennial Youth.”

Citywide Bytes—A musical ride with The Far Out

I’ve been thoroughly enjoying the sounds of my next guest The Far Out and in just a week, they’re releasing their debut album. Ryan Fremont-Smith and Drew Phillips (AKA The Drum and Bass Connection) join me to talk all about the “Greetings From the Far Out,” out on July 11.

We take a deep dive into the sound of the new album, which includes a wide range of instrumentation and a story that brings it all together. The guys share what it was like working with the one and only Sean McLaughlin and what they have in mind for future releases.

Closing out this episode is the song “Laurel,” released on May 30 and one of the amazing tunes you’ll hear in the new album.

Hallelujah the Hills’ “Deck” encompasses more than two years of music

Boston-based Hallelujah the Hills have released a brand new project called “Deck” a 52-song, four LP collection of music more than two years in the making. It’s an epic collection of songs that encompass all sorts of styles and has been in the mind of band member Ryan H. Walsh for the last 25 years.

 

In this episode, Ryan talks about the origin of “Deck” and the multi-year process to complete it. He talks about the distinct sounds of each LP, as well as the artwork he created and the app that people can use to make their own 13-song collection from “Deck.”

Ryan shares the album release at Deep Cuts on June 21 and some upcoming summer shows. The album saw a ton of support on Patreon and Ryan goes into naming each supporter as an executive producer on the project.

Closing out the episode is “Crush All Night,” one of the singles released ahead of the album. 

Worlds come together in Susan Fletcher’s new book

The classic tale “The Little Mermaid” gets a futuristic spin in “Sea Change” by Susan Fletcher. In this story, a gene-hack gone wrong produces babies born with an extra set of lungs and gills. Here’s a look at the story:

“Living in a post-climate change world, one young woman lives peacefully among other gene-hacked friends off the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. But when she falls in love with a ‘Normal,’ someone without the gene mutation, and finds out that her father has been released from prison for the gene-hack accident, Turtle must choose between being herself among her fellow mer-friends and family or choosing to change herself to fit into the world of her love.” 

Susan talks about the origins of the book and how “The Little Mermaid” influenced “Sea Change.” She shares who Turtle is, the “Normal” that she falls for, and the world they live in. We also dive in to her many other novels, which span a wide range of stories.

Citywide Bytes—"Intersections” gives the impossible choice

Picture this: A fatal hit and run has been committed, and you think you know who did it. Problem is, it’s someone you know. Do you do the right thing, or protect a person who means the world to you?

That’s the choice given to Charlotte Oakes, in Karen Uhlmann’s debut novel, “Intersections” (She Writes Press). We talk all about Charlotte and how this decision impacts both her and the plot. Karen goes into the origin of the book and how her “pantser” writing style led to some interesting changes in the story. We also talk about her shift from short stories to novels and the fun had in the writing process.

A two-year anniversary for 'This Town is on Fire'

It was two years ago on June 20 that Pamela N. Harris published her young adult thriller “This Town is on Fire.”

The book takes on the internet “Karen” and how protagonist Naomi Henry responds when her best friend Kylie is shown in a video calling the cops on two Black teens. The novel dives into contemporary issues that dominate today’s headlines, making it a must-read for the digital age.

Harris talked with us about how it feels to hit this milestone and the book’s relevance to today. She talks about Naomi and Kylie and how their friendship is impacted by the viral video. We go into the YA audience and how it influenced the writing of the book, as well as an upcoming release later this fall.

Citywide Bytes—Lana Carter’s new sound

My next guest has just released two new singles, but she’s far from a newcomer to the world of music. In fact, Lana Carter has been recording since she was 10 years old, and her latest releases, “Only at Night” and “Venom” mark a reinvention of herself as an artist.

In this episode, Lana talks about what led to this new chapter in her musical journey and how she’s grown as an artist. She goes into her first song at age 10, and the different topics she’s captured in her music since then. She also shares the stories behind the new singles and what led to their very different dance-pop and pop ballad sounds. We talk social media strategy, live performances, and what’s next.

Closing out the episode is “Only at Night,” which the artist said was inspired by her time going to college in New York.

Citywide Bytes—New book explores surviving, healing from childhood sexual abuse

For this episode, we’ll taking on a very serious topic. Babs Walters’ memoir, “Facing the Jaguar” (June 17, She Writes Press) shares her story of surviving childhood sexual abuse (CSA), and her journey of healing after 70 years of secrecy. 

In this interview, Babs talks about her past, and how she embarked on a journey of healing that continues to this day. We talk about her parents, their own background and the decision to write this book.

Babs goes into the writing process, which was a struggle at times, and her perspective on what happened to her once the book was complete. She also shares the message for readers and her hopes for how they too can feel empowered to speak their truth.