Citywide Blackout

From Boston to LA and back again: Stephanie James shares stories of a coast-to-coast musical journey

In April of 2020, singer-songwriter Stephanie James and I discussed her (at the time) recent move from Boston to Los Angeles. Now, she’s calling Beantown home once more and there’s been a lot learned along the way.

 

In this episode, Stephanie and I reunite to talk about her experiences on the West Coast—the people, the places and of course, the music. She talks about some of her favorite spots to catch shows or just grab a slice of pizza. We look at the life lessons her time in LA taught her and how she’s grown as an artist.

 

Stephanie dives into life in Boston and the people she’s happiest to be around. Of course, she’s been playing lots of shows, including some with Sofar Sounds, and we talk about the venues she’s been a part of as well as changes to the city’s musical world. We also discuss her recent single releases, “I Could Use a Laugh” and “Just Like Me.” Both come from some tough experiences, but you may be surprised to learn just who they’re about. I know I was.

 

Opening the show is an excerpt from “I Could Use a Laugh” and “Just Like Me” closes out the interview. There’s lots more in store, so be sure to check out her site and socials for all the details.

It’s a musical playground with The Humble Cartel and Typical Light

Joining me for this double-header are the bands The Humble Cartel and Typical Light. The guys from HC— brothers Kye (vocals) and Jesse (guitar) Mykietiak, Andrew Logsdail (guitar and keys), Dylan Cave (drums) and Pierre Konan (bass)–are up first, and the band is described as genre defying with a sound that spans the musical spectrum….and you know what? That’s very true. We talk about their unique style and how it’s evolved since the band formed. We talk about their recent release “Dance with You” and the new paths it goes down from previous singles.

 

Following this it’s the synth-pop duo of Typical Light— Hélène (vocals, synthesizer) and Hakim (vocals, guitar, bass, drums, synthesizer). They formed in 2020 and have since released a debut EP, “Sweet,” and a single, “Imaginary Ride,” off their soon-to-be-released album through H1Massive. I have been loving the music and we look at how these two came together and the unique sound that they’ve created. While Hakim has been making music for years, Hélène is very new and we look at how she’s learned along the way.

 

To close things out, give a listen to “Imaginary Ride,” with much more to come.

The crew from Plus 1s share a romantic story with an important message

It’s been awhile since we’ve featured a filmmaker, and this a great way to dive back into this world. Joining me to talk about their soon-to-be-screened short film “Plus 1s,” is Writer/Producer Liz Eng and Co-Directors David J. Curtis and Katelyn Grace Reddy.

 

“Plus 1s” is an independent, romantic-comedy short film featuring two best friends determined to find their plus-ones for their best friend’s wedding. This romantic-comedy embraces inclusivity, especially in celebrating WOC and the LGBTQIA+ community.

 

Liz, David and Katelyn talk about the story behind the film, shot over eight days, seven locations, a cast of 15 and crew of 35 (plus one dog!) and a budget of around $18,000. We look at the themes of inclusivity and the communities represented and why this was important to the creators. We also talk about the upcoming film screening, being held this Friday, June 23, at 7:30 p.m. at the Museum of Fine Arts. There will be a Q&A following the screening.

 

Also, this episode was on the short side, but we’ll be doing a more in-depth interview (or two!) in the very near future.

Nick Roberts blends real life and terror in new collection

When last we spoke with Nick Roberts, it was for his terrifying release, “The Exorcist’s House.” Nick is certainly not one to sit idle and in this episode, we talk about the upcoming release of “It Haunts the Mind,” available on June 16 through Crystal Lake Publishing. These 15 stories balance the terrors of the supernatural with real-life horrors, confronting demons both real and imaginary.

 

Nick and I go into the theme of addiction—which we see in many of the stories—and why this was important to him. Nick talks about the amazing artist who did the cover and we go into some of the more memorable covers we’ve come across. Many of these stories are years old and Nick goes into what updates he made for this new collection. 

Authors share tales of their world

In this episode, we’re pairing authors Kris Spisak and Daniel Kim to talk about their books. Thanks to Books Forward PR for arranging these interviews!

 

Kris Spisak takes on a tour of her family’s history with her debut fiction novel, “The Baba Yaga Mask.” When their Ukrainian grandmother is lost on a trans-Atlantic flight, sisters Larissa and Ira are swept into a quest across eastern Europe to find the woman who had always told more tales than truths. Kris talks about the real-life events that factor into the book, which has two intertwined stories—one in the past and the other in the here and now. We talk about the extensive research and the unexpected error that was caught. This novel also has an audiobook version and Kris shares how this changed the story in a great way.

 

Daniel Kim, at only 14, has published six books with his brother Benjamin on the environment, the animals who call it home and our role to make things better. They’ve made waves in Korea and on June 8, the books make their U.S. debut with “The Whale Who Refused to Poo.” In this interview, we talk about how the brothers discovered their love for the environment and what inspired them to become activists. We look at the book series and how they work together on the writing and illustrations. Dan also shares his hopes for the series.

Plastic Angels talk about life in Nashville, favorite stages and new tunes

I’ve known the duo of Plastic Angels (Bethany and Jeff Lawson) for years and when I heard they moved to Nashville, a catch-up interview was always on my mind. Well, here we are! Bethany and Jeff talk about what prompted the move and those early days, especially as COVID set in. We look how things were in Nashville during the pandemic and the work to keep the legendary music scene on track. Compared to where I live in Massachusetts, it’s a very different experience.

 

Everyone knows Nashville is a haven for the best of the best of the music world and I hear about the big names they’ve encountered in the most random situations (one story involves onion rings). We look at the influence of being among such greats and if it’s had an impact on who they are and what they do.

 

Since Plastic Angels became Nashville residents they’ve been very active, both on stage and off. I ask about live shows and some of their favorite places—trust me, it’s a nearly endless list of options. We hear about the recent releases, “I Want Me” and “Living Proof” and the stories behind them plus their plans for the future.

 

Wrapping things up is “I Want Me,” a truly powerful song. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get my bags packed, ‘cause Nashville is calling.

Miles Gunter brings us a world of ghost KOs in “Grammaton Punch”

Writer Miles Gunter, artist Briane Andan, colorist Lee Loughridge, and letterer Taylor Esposito have created “Grammaton Punch,” an action-packed comic book series about a boy who sees and fights ghosts, available only on Comixology. I’ve been loving this series and getting the chance to talk with Gunter about how it came to be was a blast.

 

Gunter and look at the series origins, including the concept and working with Andan, Loughridge, and Esposito. He and I dive into the horror and video game influences, with a bit of anime thrown into the mix. We talk about main character Van Nguyen, who has the ability to see and touch ghosts, his struggles in the role of protector, and how he approaches being the hero in the series.

Michael Bland’s second book pushes his character to new limits

In Michael Bland’s debut novel, “The Price of Safety,” we’re introduced to Dray Quintero and his mission to save his daughter from a crime she didn’t commit. As intense as that was, things get taken to a whole new level in “The Price of Rebellion.” Here’s a look at the synopsis.

It’s 2047. Secrets have been revealed. And Washington wants revenge. Dray Quintero learned an ugly truth: the leaders in D.C. are fake. Using his technology, they’ve stolen the identities of those duly elected to Congress and are determined to stay in power. After revealing the dangers of their government-mandated implants to his fellow citizens, Dray joins the already-underway rebellion. Before he can strike, The Agency attacks with devastating consequences. Dray and the other survivors are forced to run as Agents hunt them.

 

Michael and I talk about how Dray has grown as a character from the first book and the challenges that await in the second. We look at how Dray learning his tech has led to the takeover of D.C. affects him and how he manages as a part of the rebellion.

In the future, everyone has a microcomputer in their brains and computer-screen lenses in their eyes. Kind of like what we have now. Michael tells me how current technology and politics influenced that of “The Price of Safety” and what awaits us in the next book.

The truths about leadership training and being a caregiver

This episode has some great lessons to share. To open, Jonathan Kroll has taken his 20 years’ experience as a leadership trainer and provided the best lessons in his new book, “Preparing Leadership Educators.” In this book, Kroll helps leadership educators who want to refresh their pedagogical knowledge and revitalize strategies. We talk about what makes a strong leader, elements of leadership from the past that need to change in 2023 and what the book provides that sets it apart from the many others on this topic.

 

Following this, Suzanne Marriott and I talk about her soon-to-be released book, “Watching for Dragonflies: A Caregiver’s Transformative Journey.” The book follows Suzanne as she becomes her husband Michael’s caregiver after he’s diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. We talk about how she took on the role and the changes it created for their relationship, both good and challenging. We also look at the resources she had access to, how it helped her, and how she’s transformed from the experience.

New sound, new album from Dany Horovitz

It was just one year ago that I first interviewed singer-songwriter Dany Horovitz and it was such a blast I figured “Let’s do it again!”

 

So here we are, recording one year exactly from the date the last interview dropped and so much has happened. Earlier this year he released a new EP, “The Candle is Worth the Game,” and since then he’s dropped the singles “Don’t Look to Me” and “Sorry From the Road,” both of which will be on his next album, “Phanerorhyme,” named in part for mind-altering drugs. Yeah, you can bet I ask what that’s all about.

 

Along with the new album, Dany and I spend some time talking about the new sounds and instrumentation he’s explored while recording the new tracks. We go into the folks he’s worked with, what they’ve brought to the table and the amazing music that’s come from it. His debut album “Free Times” was released a little over a year ago and we talk about how he’s grown as an artist.

 

Afterward, kick back and enjoy “Sorry From the Road” and “It’s No Use Trying to Change Me.” If you’ve heard some of his earlier work, you’re gonna like the new paths he walks with these.