Citywide Blackout

Former Citywide co-host Jeff Royds returns with a brand new project, Burnt Endz, and the debut album, “Soundtrack to the Apocalypse.” It's a rock-infused EMD collection with a story of alien invaders that hit the human race with a zombie apocalypse.

 

Jeff is best known for his work with the band We Are Bullethead, but the kind of music in Burnt Endz has been a love of his for years. In making the album, he dove into the genre and found some great new artists. Jeff and I talk about the different things he had to learn or re-learn when making the album.

 

Following this, enjoy three songs from the album—“Now Let's Go Kill Some Mutha F@_King Zombies,” “The Sky is on Fire,” and “Zombies v Aliens.”

He's back! Sterling Golden—DJ, radio personality, and writer—joins me to talk about the upcoming third season of his podcast, The Sterling Perspective. He's got a brand new panel—Racine In the City, Tanya the Empress and Jeniffer Mariel Ruiz—and shares how they all met and what led to them joining the program.

 

The Sterling Perspective has had an interesting two seasons, and we talk about some of the more memorable episodes, including one in which Sterling dives into his journey to Brazil. It's one of my favorite episodes. Sterling also looks back to Season 2, which almost didn't happen due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But, as he explains, telling him that something cannot happen often yields the opposite result, and we learn how he made the show go on.

 

BONUS INTERVIEW—LA-based pop artist Sheer explains the story behind her new single

 

I've been loving the new comic series Hailstone, and in this episode, I sat down with writer Rafael Scavone to talk all about it.

 

Taking place near the end of the Civil War, the series is set in the small town of Hailstone, Montana. A brutal winter has closed the roads and left nothing for the town to eat. But even worse, people have been disappearing one after another! Sheriff Denton Ross and his deputy Tobias start down a dangerous path as they investigate the disappearances, the army's factory, and just why it is in this isolated place.

 

Rafael and I go deep into the origins of the story and the team he worked with. It's one of his first creator-owned titles and he talks about what this allowed them to do. We look at Sheriff Ross and his role in the story, and give a few hints into his history in Hailstone.

 

After the break, LA-based pop artist Sheer goes into her new single “Beep,” which is being released on June 18. The message behind the tune not settling for less than your worth, and we explore how this came to be. Sheer and I talk about the recent music video that was made for “Beep” and the chemistry with her fellow cast member that made it work.

 

Following the interview, enjoy the new single. I really liked the unique elements that make it stand out from similar pop songs.

 

In “Closer to Fine,” author Jodi Rosenfeld brings a coming-of-age tale set in Boston, where she lived for many years. The book showcases Rachel Levine, a twenty-something Jewish, bisexual woman finding her adult footing. While not an autobiography, Jodi did look to her time in Boston when creating the world for the book.

 

Along with the background for the story, we talk about Rachel, the many teachers met and the lessons that each offered. Jodi talks about the editing process and what that this debut writer learned. We also look at She Writes Press, which published the book, and what it was like working with them.

Author Patry Francis' third book, “All The Children Are Home,” follows a foster family through 12 years of dazzling triumph and wrenching heartbreak. The book is full of wonderfully diverse characters, and we talk about the creation of each and what they bring to the table. Patry also looks at the real-life story that influenced the book.

 

This book is very different from her first two, and Patry talks about what brought about this change, as well as the new experiences that came with it.

Though they never met, writer Robin Clifford Wood felt a powerful connection with Rachel Field—so much so that she decided to write “The Field House.”

 

Rachel Field was a National Book Award-winning novelist, a Newbery Medal-winning children’s writer, a poet, playwright, and rising Hollywood success in the early twentieth century. When Robin found herself standing in Rachel Field’s on an island near Maine, she began writing the first-ever biography on Field.

 

In this interview, Robin talks about the research process and the many people who helped, including members of Field's family. We look at what is included in the book and how she knew when to stop writing and seek out a publisher.

A few months ago, I interviewed Tara Kelly to talk about her newest music video. This time, we cover a lot more ground as we look at her decision to move to Los Angeles, what it's been like, and how her music has flourished.

 

Tara's folk-infused style has changed a lot over the last year. We look at the new direction she's gone in during the pandemic, when shows and touring came to a halt. We also talk about her personal style and how it reflects her music.

 

Tara's music career is still in its early stages, and we look at her goals, both in the short-term and down the road.

 

Following this, enjoy Tara's new single “Play With Fire.”

Murder meets the absurd in “Summer Club,” the debut novel by journalist Katherine Dean Mazerov. In this interview, we talk about what led her to go from writing the news to writing her own book, and the real-life drama that inspired it.

 

Katherine dives deep into her main character, Lydia Phillips, who is herself a former journalist. When a dead body shows up at the Meadow Glen Swim and Tennis Club, Lydia resumes her role as a reporter to get to the bottom of the mystery. We also look at the lessons and challenges that awaited Katherine in the world of book writing.

In this episode, author R.B. Wood takes us to New Orleans for his book “Bayou Whispers.” Jeannine LaRue, the sole survivor of her family after the devastation brought on by Hurricane Katrina, uncovers a family history of dark voodoo magic and an unholy alliance with an ancient evil Haitian god.

 

R.B. and I talk about the story behind the story and his own experience in New Orleans, both before and after Hurricane Katrina. He provides an in-depth look at the characters and the roles they play in the book. We also look at the lengthy world building that took place and research R.B. did to prepare for the writing process.

 

R.B. also talks takes us through the Word Count Podcast, which he hosted for 100 episodes. Writers are invited to record audio versions of short stories, usually based on a prompt. We talk about the many writers he's worked with and some potential future show ideas.

 

In her new book, ““Lemons in the Garden of Love” (available May 11 from She Writes Press) Ames Sheldon looks at her ancestor who helped found the Birth Control League of Massachusetts, now known as Planned Parenthood. She talks about what it was like to explore her family history and how she adjusted it for her characters, Cassie Lyman and Kate Easton.

 

Ames and I talk about women in literature and how her characters fit into this world, as well as how they stand apart. Ames looks at her past works and the new directions she goes in.