Citywide Blackout

Dany Horovitz shares stories of love, loss, and life in “Free Times”

BONUS TRACK: Leezy talks about her battle with addiction and how it inspired “Sierra”

 

Singer-songwriter Dany Horovitz is back, and he has some big news to share. His debut album “Free Times” is now available! Dany joined me last fall to talk about his singles “Seasons Change” and “Moving On,” and along with these two songs, the album features another eight with an array of sounds and tales.

 

Dany and I talk about the response the album has seen from fans and music journalists in Canada, where he lives. He shares his poetry and how it ties into his music as well as the real-life connection behind the songs. Dany worked with some amazing people in bringing this album to life and he talked about the process. In addition to the album, a music video release for his song “Scar” was released and we go into how the two mesh.

 

Following our discussion, enjoy “Scar,” one of my faveorite tracks from the album.

 

 

And in the second interview, Chicago-based artist Leezy dives into “Sierra,” a new single that takes us through her battle with addiction when she was 18. Leezy talks about how it all began and the work she put in to become sober a year later. Leezy's mother inspired the song, and was a pillar for the young artist as she sought treatment, and even had a brief role in the music video for “Sierra.”

 

As the episode comes to a close, check out “Sierra,” which shifts from a mellow tune to a rock-themed sound, matching the artist's battle.

Rich Woodall talks the state of indie comics and epic horror tales

It was last November at the Rhode Island Comic-Con that I met comic writer and artist Rich Woodall. After a little schedule tag, we got the chance to talk all things comics. Rich's resume in the field is lengthy, and includes working on major titles such as Savage Dragon and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as well as his many indie creations.

 

In this episode, Rich and I talk about his work as co-publisher of Black Caravan. An imprint of Scout Comics, Black Caravan publishes horror and sci-fi comics, and we look at the various titles they have out and what is planned for the near future. Rich shares his origins in the comics industry, how he met the folks that gave him his start and the many amazing people he's worked with over the years.

Matt Jatkola shares a positive message with his debut album

Boston-based artist Matt Jatkola of JATK is back, and he has some big news to share—his debut album, “Shut Up and Be The Light” is set to drop on April 15 in CD, digital and vinyl format.

 

In March 2020, when everyone was avoiding hospitals due to the oncoming pandemic, JATK was headed directly into one. The songwriter, musician, and multi-instrumentalist had just been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, and the subsequent cancer journey, treatment, recovery, and everything else that has happened in the two years since shaped the album.

 

In this interview, Matt talks about his mindset two years ago and why making a new album was such an important goal. Matt worked with 20 different artists, and we look at who these people are and how he made such a massive collaboration happen. The album was recorded and mastered entirely from Matt's home and we see if this has become his new preferred method of music production.

 

Matt talks about his own way to “Shut Up and Be The Light” and how we can keep negative, toxic thinking out of our lives as well as what he hopes people take from the listening experience.

 

Following this, enjoy “Conscious Wonder,” one of the tracks off the new album. I genuinely enjoyed the diversity of sounds, and hope you do too.

A family story leads to a debut novel in “One April After The War”

Picture this—you're cleaning out the home of a relative who's passed on when you find a scrapbook and the message “Please finish this story.” What's your answer? For author G.S. Boarman, that answer was “Yes,” and we all benefit with the new book “One April After The War.” Here's a quick synopsis:

 

Fresh from concluding a counterfeiting sting in Cincinnati, Secret Service agents Merritt and Argent are tasked by President Ulysses S. Grant to convince Miss Warner to return with them to Washington, D.C. For the two Treasury agents, this simple assignment to escort the socially awkward and willful young woman on an 800-mile railroad journey from Louisville, Kentucky to the White House proves far more interesting and difficult than the men could have ever thought possible. And, in the face of danger, it may just turn out that Mary is more of an asset than a problem for the two agents.

 

In this episode, G.S. and I talk about the discovery and what led them to complete the story, a gripping historical adventure set right after the Civil War. We're introduced to the origins of the Secret Service, a much different organization than the one we know today. We also learn about the main characters, Secret Service agents Merritt and Argent and Mary Warner, and the work that went into creating them.

 

This book explores the themes of mental illness and sexism and what is was like to be mentally ill in the late 1800s. G.S. and I also look at the endless research that was done (enjoyably so) to make this book happen.

A long-held secret drives Kristine Ochu’s “Campfire Confessions”

Annie’s devoted her life to raising four sons and volunteering wherever she’s needed. Most people consider her a saint—but they don’t know she’s hiding a big secret. When this secret finally catches up with Annie, best friends Jo and Sondra rush to her side. An adventure in the great outdoors leads to a sharing of pasts among the three friends in Kristine Ochu's debut novel, “Campfire Confessions,” now available through BooksFluent.

 

In this episode, Kristine and I talk about Annie, Jo, and Sandra and what each brings to the story and how they drive the plot. Kristine goes into the creation process and how she crafted this cast.

 

Kristine has a pretty diverse background as a log-rolling champion, international human resource executive, motivational speaker, and longtime screenwriter and we look at how all these experiences factored into the story.

Arechan is back with a brand new series, “Senorita Cometa”

BONUS TRACK: Constellation Myths talk about their unique cover of “Young Lions”

 

This interview is one that I've been looking forward awhile now. Why? Because web comic creator Arechan has announced her new series, “Senorita Cometa!” This comic will be available only on Webtoon on March 25, and I am here for it!

 

This comic takes a much darker turn, with main character Alex investigating the disappearance of her friend. This story touches on the real-life situation in Mexico, where organized crime runs rampant in some areas, and authorities having little or no means to stop them. Arechan shares some of her experiences with this and how it influenced certain scenes. We also talk about the challenges she faced writing such a serious story after recently completing the light-hearted romance series “LUFF.”

 

We also talk about the main characters—Alex, the hero of the series, along with Detective Puig, and Adalmundo. Each has a great story behind them, with Arechan's husband being the mind behind Adalmundo.

 

After this interview, I am joined by the band Constellation Myths, who will be releasing their rendition of “Young Lions,” one of their favorite Constantines songs from the 2003 album “Shine a Light.” We do a deep dive into their version of the song, which is far different from the original, and the origin of their cool, laid-back country tune.

 

As this episode wraps up, enjoy Constellation Myths' “Young Lions” and be sure to get your copy when it drops on March 18.

Jason Loo shares the origins of “The All-Nighter” and winning awards

I'm very excited to welcome back comic artist and creator Jason Loo to look at the ComiXology Originals series “The All-Nighter.” The series is now complete and will be available in print on March 16.

 

Main character Alex is bored—flipping burgers for strangers all night is no way for a vampire to live. But he and his fellow vampires Joy, Cynthia, and Ian have agreed to blend into human society. Inspired by superhero movies, one of few passions in his un-life, Alex decides to don a cape and start fighting bad guys. But his decision will have bigger consequences than he realizes—for himself and for everyone he wants to protect.

 

Jason and I talk about the origin of the series and working with co-creator Chip Zdarsky, with whom Jason worked with for “Afterlift,” another ComiXology Originals title. That project went on to win the Eisner Award, and Jason shares the experience at winning one of the biggest awards in the comics industry.

 

Marvel is one of the many companies that Jason has worked with, and he talks about getting to do the art for some of his favorite titles. His life is a busy one, with a day job on top of his comics projects and gives some insight into how to balance such a busy schedule.

Ariane Torres blends feminism, domestic space, and women’s invisibility in debut novel

Mark those calendars for March 1^st, because Somerville-based author Ariane Torres has some big news to share! Her debut book, “We Are The Kings,” is set to release through Bold Story Press.

 

The story centers around Marcella as she grieves the death of her grandmother, unearths family secrets, and refuses to settle for a predictable life or a boring man. While Marcella is sifting through her family’s conflicting and fading memories, she puts into words what no one else will say out loud, revealing not only what may or may not have happened, but what is truly at stake when a woman tells her story.

 

In this interview Ariane and I talk about Marcella, her role in the story and the personal traits that she shares with people in the author's life. We look at the different themes and how they're explored in the book as well as why Ariane wanted to include them.

 

Ariane's background includes majoring in Russian Studies and English Literature and graduate work in prison architecture and aging in prison. These played a role in the book and its writing and we talk about how it happened.

Emilya Naymark returns to Sylvan with a page-turning domestic suspense

As we're recording this episode, author Emilya Naymark is getting set for the release of her brand new book, “Behind the Lie,” which picks up where “Hide In Place” left off. In this sequel, her character Laney Bird’s closest friend vanishes in the aftermath of a shooting which may implicate Laney’s son. We look at how the two books connect as well as how they can be read as standalone stories.

 

Laney as a character has become someone very close to Emilya and we talk all about how the close connection influenced the plot. We also talk about how Laney came to be and how she takes on the different challenges that the story offers.

 

Emilya's husband, an NYPD officer for 20 years, contributed to the process by providing his take on the story, which helped to craft a more accurate and realistic book. We look at what elements made it into the final story and what were left behind.

YAQI makes a great horror movie villain!

Welcome back! After a brief hiatus to deal with some personal issues, we return with LA-based pop artist YAQI. She's just dropped her newest single “I'm On It,” and there are some cool stories behind this song. We go into the sound of the song, her precise rapping style and how this all came together over a six-plus hour session.

 

A theme of the song is about focusing on your goals and not doing what others tell you, and this certainly reflects YAQI's own life. In addition to her music, she has a Master's Degree from the New York Film Academy and has been in a number of short films. She talks about her different villain roles and how it's so comfortable for her....yeah, I'm a little concerned too. We also look at her dream role and the person she'd like to work with above all others.

 

After this, enjoy “I'm On It.” I know I did!