Citywide Blackout

Senseless Optimism talks musical origins and her unique style

In this episode, Boston-based bedroom pop artist Senseless Optimism and I talk about what led her to produce and release three EPs and several singles since last July. She talks about the evolution of her style of music and what she's learned as a self-taught artist.

 

We also look at how she's grown as a musician and what led her to include of her personal life in her music, including her most recent release, “Half a Home.” And I'm very excited to ask about her upcoming virtual show for ONCE Somerville and the unique path she took for her performance.

 

Following this, enjoy her song, “Lonely Daze.” Thanks go out to Mark Kaye of Hear Now Live for his help arranging this interview.

Joe Aubrey and Eric Peterson introduce us to the Space Bastards

Think the future's always going to be a great place? Prepare to have those expectation shattered with the new comic series “Space Bastards.” Writers Joe Aubrey and Eric Peterson join me to explore the universe that they have created, one in which the Intergalactic Postal Service is staffed by a pack of insane, blood-crazed mercenaries.

 

We meet Manny Corns and Davey Proton, the two main characters of the series and dive into their origins and some of the potential directions they're going into in future issues (but no spoilers!). We also talk about the artwork by The Boys artist and co-creator Darick Robertson and the process of bringing the story to life.

 

This is Joe and Eric's first title and we look at the buildup to the release of the first issue earlier this month and their reactions to the many positive reviews.

Author Michael Shutz shares his scares in new haunted house story

Just what scares a horror writer? It's a question that author Michael Shutz answers in this episode and connects to his newest book, “Plank Children.” In this story, Miles Baumgartner follows a trail of rumors and half-truths after seeing a photo of his deceased nephew (looking very much alive) on Facebook. His search leads him to St. Hamelin's, but soon learns that this abandoned reformatory is not as empty as it appears.

 

Michael and I talk abut the creepy cover that he chose for the book, and how he likes to take on his own fears when writing. We look at the true history that gets woven into the story, and some of tropes he worked to avoid in the writing process.

 

We also talk about the journey from concept to publication and some of the different publishers that he's worked with, as well as how self-publishing has evolved to become a legitimate option.

 

Jerry Hull embarks on a variety of stories and sounds with his new albums

A year and a half ago, I first interviewed England-based singer/pianist Jerry Hull. Since that time, he's been anything but idle, putting out two albums and a compilation. Jerry and I talk about the different stories he takes on in the new releases, “They're Looking for Me” and “Ordinary Man,” as well as the signature sounds of each one.

 

Jerry is originally from Memphis, Tenn., but moved to England 19 years ago. As he approaches this major milestone, we talk about life in the town of Hull and how he's adapted, as well as if he ever considers returning to the U.S. We also look at how he's kept his creative energy going since last March.

 

After this interview, enjoy three of Jerry's songs—“1969 Mexico Connection,” “Antoinette,” and “Victim of Circumstance.”

Kieran Lancini returns to the country scene after 18 years with new music

After an 18-year hiatus, Kieran Lancini is back in the music scene in a big way. This UK-based country singer-songwriter from North Queensland, Australia saw success at an early age after being named Star Maker Winner at the 2002 Tamworth Country Music Festival. This led to worldwide traveling and touring.

 

Things happened and Kieran thought his music career was a thing of the past, but after attending the Star Maker 40^th anniversary show, he felt the fire inside him and decided to jump back in with two singles, “The Reason,” followed by “I Need You.” We talk about the process of re-becoming a musician and how it felt to once more release new songs.

 

Kieran looks back to his time with Star Maker and some of the more memorable experiences at the show and other highlights of his music career. He also talks about the future and what plans he's got in store.

 

Following this interview, enjoy “The Reason” and “I Need You.”

Author David Rohlfing shares his killer thinking in debut novel

In this episode, David Rohlfing talks about the writing process for his debut novel, “Deliberate Duplicity.” Originally at nearly 200,000 words, a heavy editing process gave Rohlfing a lot of writing lessons, mainly on how much detail is enough.

 

This novel explores the twisted, vengeful mind of a serial killer, and follows the dedicated detective, Sasha Frank, who’s hell-bent on solving the mystery behind a string of gruesome crimes. Rohlfing talks about what makes a good villain for this kind of book, as well as the story behind the main character.

Hanna Barakat shares stories about the music scenes in Boston and Austin

My first episode of 2021 features Austin-based rocker Hanna Barakat talking about her debut album “Siren,” which encompasses 10 years worth of music. We talk about the production process and the different sounds that the album showcases.

 

Hanna is originally from Texas but spent some time in my old stomping grounds of Boston as a student of Berklee College of Music. She shares the story of how this came to be and some of the unique lessons she learned while in the city. Ironically, much of her band also went to Berklee, though they wouldn't meet until after that time.

 

Like many other artists, Hanna has seen her career suffer during the pandemic, and talks about some of her plans for 2021, which will include some new music.

 

Following this, I've got two tracks from the album, “In the Night,” followed by “Siren.”

Annette Berkovits' poetry book offers a portrayal of a mother's anguish

When Annette Berkovits' son was taken to the hospital for a stroke, she found writing to be a comfort, putting down her thoughts on faith, hope, and guilt. At the time it was just meant for her own eyes, but as she continued to write, the decision was made to collect these poems into her new book, “Erythra Thalassa: Brain Disrupted.”

 

Annette talks frankly about what led to her son's stroke and his life today, particularly his love of music. We talk about her faith in science and how she kept it during this time, as well as how she stays positive. Annettee also shares one of her poems during the interview.

Arechan returns to discuss the final episodes of LUFF

Webcomic creator Arechan is back on the show to discuss the final episode of her amazing LUFF series on Webtoon. This one is full of spoilers as we go in-depth on the final episodes. We talk about the story's conclusion and what it means for the cast, just what happens to them following the conclusion of LUFF, and perhaps most importantly, which guy was the perfect match for Beatriz Torres. We also look at the song “Someone Else's Deam” by Absofacto, which was used in the final episode.

 

Arechan and I also look at the meaning behind the series and the message that she hopes all the readers took away once LUFF concluded. She talks about the different directions that the story went in and how she planned it all out. She also talks a bit about some other ideas she's hoping to begin work on.

 

It's no secret that Arechan and LUFF have a slew of fans, and for this episode, we asked them what they'd like to know. The response was tremendous, as around 100 people posted questions to Instagram and Twitter. These include whether Beatriz, Daniel, and Julian enter into a polygamous relationship, the mixture of the romance side of the story with the political, and what led to her to pursue webcomics in the first place.

Hazel-Eyed Rose shares a personal journey of healing in her new single

In this episode, Birmingham-based pop artist Hazel-Eyed Rose talks about her recovery from psychosis, anxiety, depression, and escaping from an abusive relationship in her new single “Out In My Mind.” Hazel talks about that journey, and how she views recovery, whether it's a mark on the road or a longtime process.

 

Hazel shares her experience being in the recording studio for the first time and what led her to choose electronic pop as a genre, as well as what other styles she's considering. We look at the music scene where she lives and some of the places she would go to prior to the pandemic.

 

Following this, enjoy her debut single “Out In My Mind.” I really dug the style and her vocals are amazing.