Citywide Blackout

From self-destruction to redemption in “Asshole”

Rob Tonkin’s new book “Asshole” is an honest look at his own life, from self-destruction to eventual redemption, with a lot of hard-won insights into authentic living.

In this episode, Rob talks about his career in the music and radio industries, which while very successful, covered up wounds from his past. Rob talk about these experiences and what led him to get help from a variety of sources, and his new life on other side.

Rob goes into the writing process and the challenges of revisiting certain parts of his life. He talk about the unique title and cover photo, how both came to be used, as well his hopes for readers. 

From Amsterdam to Australia

Hendrika de Vries was just a little girl when she experienced brutal violence and hunger in WWII Amsterdam. She immigrated to Australia as a professional teenage swimmer, and in her new book, “Open Turns: From Dutch Girl to New Australian,” she chronicles her experiences during this time, and how they reflect what young women go through today.

In this interview, Hendrika shares her youth in Amsterdam and the experience of growing up during the war. She talks abut the family’s immigration to Australia and how she got into swimming, even shattering a few records in the process.

Hendrika shares how she views current events and their similarities to what she went through as a child, as well as how she found the courage to overcome these struggles. She talks about th writing process and what it was like to revisit this part of her life.

Citywide Bytes—A murder mystery with a side of the paranormal

JP Behren’s new book is a crime noir book with a unique take. “Murder in the Monashee Mountains” is the second book in the Travis Daniels Investigation series. Here’s a look at the story: 

After escaping the cursed streets of Arkham and Miskatonic University, Travis Daniels is on the run with his ward, Leslie Owens. While searching for a safe place to hide, they witness a savage murder in the woods of Monashee Mountain. Now, he is tasked by competing interests in the town of Tonasket to discover the truth behind the murder and recent sabotage to the local logging operation. The clock is ticking as ancient rivalries threaten the innocent people of the nearby towns, the local Native American Tribes, and the tenuous peace held between the sasquatch and were-wolves. 

In this interview, JP talks about the first book in the series, “Missing in Miskatonic,” and how his new book picks up where the last left off. He talks about the creation of Travis Daniels and Leslie Owens and their roles in the new story. He goes into the two sides— sasquatch and were-wolves, and how he weaves these groups into the book. He also talks planning out the third book, and working with Crystal Lake Publishing.  

Citywide Bytes—The Ghouls recap an epic 2024

My next guests have had one hell of a 2024, with big wins at the Rock and Roll Rumble and Boston Music Awards. Let’s see how 2025 is going with The Ghouls.

Band members George Danahy, Peter Trainor and Jacob Babcock join me to talk about taking first place at Boston’s 2024 Rock and Roll Rumble and winning “Rock Act of the Year” at the Boston Music Awards.

We go into the release of their debut album, “Handle With Care” and the sold-out show at the Middle East. The guys also share some details of what to expect later on this year.

Closing out this interview is the single “Pocket of Gold,” from the debut album.

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.