Mid-Riff

Latest Episodes:

052 / Natalie Morrison and Stephanie Lamond (ReVoicing the Future) on Legitmate Gear Apr 01, 2022

Show notes

Nebulous business cards, instrument gender stereotypes, “booth girls,” and podcasting are part of Hilary’s conversation with Natalie Morrison (D’Addario) and Stephanie Lamond (Recording Academy) of ReVoicing the Future: A Women of NAMM podcast. Plus, the Diversity in Music Gear Resource List.

Huge thanks to this episode’s sponsors!

EarthQuaker Devices- extra special effects pedals made by hand in Akron, OH!

Stompbox Sonic- personalized pedal curation and sales in Somerville, MA!

Holcomb Guitars- custom guitars and mobile guitar repair in RI/MA!

NATALIE’s BIO

Growing up in a family of musicians, Natalie learned the ins and outs of the industry at a young age. Aside from her work as Co-host and Co-Producer of ReVoicing the Future, a Women of NAMM Podcast, she is currently the Brand Communications Strategist at D’Addario, the world’s largest music accessories manufacturer. Over the years, Natalie has worked with organizations across the industry including, Little Kids Rock, Alfred Music, Giles Communications, and The NAMM Show working on their PR Team. When she’s not working, you can find her bustling around New York City at a record store, coffee shop, yoga class, concert or Broadway show.

STEPHANIE’s BIO

Stephanie Lamond is a Creative Producer and Artist based in San Francisco, CA. After starting out on the NAMM Show's seasonal PR Team, she's worked her way through music industry nonprofits, music education programs, and recording studios, and most recently finds herself producing industry-focused events and podcasts, while writing/releasing music as Lucky Lamond (debut album Carry Them All out now!). When she's not doing something music related, you can find her exploring her home state, hiking and camping or on her '83 BMW R65 motorcycle.

MENTIONS

NAMM / D’Addario / Little Kids Rock / Alfred Music / Warm Audio / Yamaha / Kala / Logic / Reaper / Neuman / Harmon / Audio Technica / Kit Culpepper / Julia Olsen

GUEST LINKS

ReVoicing the Future Podcast

Lucky Lamond Website

Stephanie on Instagram

MID-RIFF LINKS

Diversity in Music Gear Resource List

Thanks for rating/reviewing on Apple Podcasts!

Support Mid-Riff by shopping on Reverb!

Bumper Music: “White Lighters” by Lucky Lamond

Theme Music: "Hedonism" by Towanda

Artwork by Julia Gualtieri

051 / Donna Diane (Djunah) on Touching Your Gear Mar 14, 2022

Show notes

Inventing bass organ techniques, dressing like Steve Albini, mentorship, the impact of trauma therapy on music and beyond are all part of Hilary’s conversation with Donna Diane from the band Djunah. Plus, representation days vs. months vs. years.

*content warning for general discussion of trauma, suicidal ideation, and eating disorders

Huge thanks to this episode’s sponsors!

EarthQuaker Devices- extra special effects pedals made by hand in Akron, OH!

Stompbox Sonic- personalized pedal curation and sales in Somerville, MA!

Holcomb Guitars- custom guitars and mobile guitar repair in RI/MA!

DONNA’s BIO

Multi-instrumentalist Donna Diane pulls triple duty in Chicago noise duo Djunah—simultaneously playing guitar, singing, and pulverizing a Moog bass organ with her feet. Drawing a broad range of comparisons from PJ Harvey to Melvins, Djunah pairs her powerful, unrestrained vocal style with crashing guitar riffs and heavy, punishing drums. She’s been featured on Premier Guitar's Rig Rundown and her own mini-YouTube series called "Can I Touch Your Gear?”

DONNA’s MENTIONS

Moog Synthesizers / God City Instruments / Emperor Cabinets / Sunn Amplifiers / Imelda Marcos (band) / Kurt Ballou

DONNA’s LINKS

Bandcamp

Instagram

YouTube

*SUPPORT

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

National Alliance on Mental Illness

National Eating Disorder Association

MID-RIFF LINKS

Thanks for rating/reviewing on Apple Podcasts!

Support Mid-Riff by shopping on Reverb!

Bumper Music: “Animal Kingdom” by Djunah

Theme Music: "Hedonism" by Towanda

Artwork by Julia Gualtieri

050 / Samantha “GhettoSongBird” Hollins on Having a Stage for You Feb 10, 2022

Show notes

Telling untold stories, the wildest first amp ever, getting bossed around in the studio, and music as a family affair are part of Hilary’s conversation with Samantha “GhettoSongBird” Hollins. Plus, reassessing what we value in hiring.

Huge thanks to this episode’s sponsors!

EarthQuaker Devices- extra special effects pedals made by hand in Akron, OH!

Stompbox Sonic- personalized pedal curation and sales in Somerville, MA!

Holcomb Guitars- custom guitars and mobile guitar repair in RI/MA!

SAMANTHA’s BIO

Samantha “GhettoSongBird” Hollins is an independent Culture Rock singer-songwriter-guitarist from North Philadelphia. Since 2001 she has been blazing stages at legendary Rock venues including CBGB’s (NYC), The Bitter End (NYC), The Whisky A Go-Go (L.A.), The Troubadour (London) and The Overthrust Winter Mania Metal Fest in (Botswana). She was also the curator of her own festival Wingdomfest (2005-2008) and presently her digital publication The Culture Rock Griot.

GhettoSongBird recorded her “Alley Of The Earth” EP in Los Angles (2002) with the help of her mentor Rosa Lee Brooks (a recording artist in the 60's, who wrote and recorded with Jimi Hendrix). The first single “landed" the Songbird on the classic B.E.T. show 106 & Park and sharing the stage with many legends.

GhettoSongBird’s message music has made a lingering impact playing throughout the USA, Australia, the U.K., Brazil and Africa, breaking rules along her extraordinary journey.

SAMANTHA’s MENTIONS

Tracy Chapman / 4 Non-Blondes / Sister Rosetta Tharpe / Bo Diddley / Prince / Grace Slick / Rosa Lee Brooks / Jimi Hendrix / Johnny “Guitar” Watson / Santana / Jackie Venson / Crate / Tascam / Roland / Boss / Epiphone / BC Rich / Vintage / Jim Dunlop / Danelectro

SAMANTHA’s LINKS

Samantha’s Instagram

Samantha’s Facebook

Samantha’s Bandcamp

Culture Rock Griot website

Culture Rock Griot Instagram

MID-RIFF LINKS

Thanks for rating/reviewing on Apple Podcasts!

Support Mid-Riff by shopping on Reverb!

Bumper Music: “Alley of the Earth” by Samantha “GhettoSongBird” Hollins

Theme Music: "Hedonism" by Towanda

Artwork by Julia Gualtieri

049 / Ellis Hahn (LEH Guitars) on No Problem Basses and Spaces Jan 13, 2022

Show notes

Preventative mansplaining, empathy-building, and the science of 5 string basses are all part of Hilary’s conversation with Ellis Hahn, founder and luthier at LEH Guitars. Plus, the “right” time for change.

Huge thanks to this episode’s sponsors!

EarthQuaker Devices- extra special effects pedals made by hand in Akron, OH!

Stompbox Sonic- personalized pedal curation and sales in Somerville, MA!

Holcomb Guitars- custom guitars and mobile guitar repair in RI/MA!

ELLIS’s BIO

Ellis Hahn, founder of LEH guitars, spends their days designing and building kickass electric basses for kickass musicians.

Ellis’s approach is simple: “I design instruments that are personally exciting to me, that I think are awesome. I design instruments that sit well and feel good in your hands—instruments that I wish existed. My focus is on comfort and playability while creating something that is at once visually familiar and uniquely different.”

Ellis’s career officially began in 2002 with an apprenticeship in Chicago learning guitar repair. Ellis realized that they were more interested in designing and building instruments than repair work. In 2005, Ellis moved to NYC to work for, arguably, the best guitar shop in the city: Sadowsky Guitars. They spent thousands of hours working in all levels of the production process— fretwork, body sanding, final assembly— ultimately taking on shop manager duties in 2013. “That gave some time and experience to find out what works and why, talk to players about their needs, and then after hours: prototype a lot of different designs to see what works.”

As of this summer, LEH has a new shop space in Portland, Oregon. The move out west has opened a new chapter of creativity and prototyping for Ellis. Expanding on the success of LEH’s current offset models — new ones are in the design stage. “We’re always changing, we’re always evolving and improving. Life is an ever shifting tone quest and I’m as much on that journey as my customers are.”

ELLIS’s MENTIONS

EarthQuaker Devices / Ableton / Genzler / Marshall / ProCo / Sadowsky Guitars / How to Make Your Own Electric Guitar by Melvyn Hiscock

ELLIS’s LINKS

MID-RIFF LINKS

Thanks for rating/reviewing on Apple Podcasts!

Support Mid-Riff by shopping on Reverb!

Theme Music: "Hedonism" by Towanda

Artwork by Julia Gualtieri

048 / Lisa Machac (Omni Sound Project) on Clear Signals and Parameters Dec 16, 2021

Show notes

Creating strong social ties and inclusive virtual classes and spaces in audio and helping venues to diversify their booking are part of Hilary's conversation with Lisa Machac, founder and director of Omni Sound Project. Plus, niceness and discomfort.

Huge thanks to this episode’s sponsors!

EarthQuaker Devices- extra special effects pedals made by hand in Akron, OH!

Stompbox Sonic- personalized pedal curation and sales in Somerville, MA!

Holcomb Guitars- custom guitars and mobile guitar repair in RI/MA!

LISA’s BIO

Lisa is a musician based in Austin, Texas. After recording her own album in 2010, she became interested in audio engineering and took courses from Women's Audio Mission in San Francisco. Upon returning to Texas, Lisa started dreaming about creating a community of women+ in audio in Austin. In February of 2020, Omni Sound Project was launched with over 20 local, in-person events scheduled for the year. Just a couple of months later, all of our classes were shifted to an online format to respond to the pandemic. Overnight, Omni became a global community of musicians, producers, and engineers who identify as female, GNC, trans, and allies. Lisa believes that the frequency and quality of Omni's classes taught by welcoming, inclusive teachers makes the organization a genuine community that is steadily increasing gender representation in the audio industry.

LISA’s MENTIONS

Lakland / Gibson / Casio / Yamaha / Buck Meek / Women’s Audio Mission / Focusrite / Logic / Baby Audio / Goodhertz / Art of Gathering by Priya Parker / Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell

LISA’s LINKS

Omni Sound Project website

Omni Sound Project Instagram

MID-RIFF LINKS

Thanks for rating/reviewing on Apple Podcasts!

Theme Music: "Hedonism" by Towanda

Artwork by Julia Gualtieri

047 / Krystal Flowers on Another Type of Feedback Dec 02, 2021

Show notes

User experience design in music gear, left-handed guitar options, and John Popper’s harmonica fishing vest are all part of multi-instrumentalist Krystal Flowers' conversation with Hilary. Plus creating community in music retail spaces.

Huge thanks to this episode’s sponsors!

EarthQuaker Devices- extra special effects pedals made by hand in Akron, OH!

Stompbox Sonic- personalized pedal curation and sales in Somerville, MA!

Holcomb Guitars- custom guitars and mobile guitar repair in RI/MA!

KRYSTAL’s BIO

Krystal Flowers is a multi-instrumentalist from Chicago, Illinois. She grew up in a household that played a plethora of artists ranging from Smokey Robinson to Led Zeppelin and developed a love for music at a young age.

Krystal made her transition from music lover to musician when she began playing in bands at 18. Since starting her music career, she has been both a session musician and co-collaborator in various ensembles. Krystal finds excitement in diversity and enjoys playing post-punk, metal, funk and neo-soul.

She has played at venues such as Beat Kitchen, House of Blues and has opened for Brown Mark of Prince and the Revolution fame at Martyrs.

KRYSTAL’s MENTIONS

Epiphone / Agile Guitarls / Revelation Guitars / Keeley / Line 6 / Digitech / TC Electronic / Walrus Audio / Orange / Jim Dunlop / Ibanez / Schecter / Paul McCartney / Green Day / Nirvana / Dave Navarro / Fishbone / Bad Brains / John Entwistle / She Shreds

KRYSTAL’s LINKS

MID-RIFF LINKS

Thanks for rating/reviewing on Apple Podcasts!

Theme Music: "Hedonism" by Towanda

Artwork by Julia Gualtieri

046 / Matt and Carl (Electrofoods) on Putting Your Money Where Your Heart Is Nov 18, 2021

Show notes

Living your company values, non-binary presentation and representation, threatening hi-hats, and Peavey Peavey Peavey are all covered by Matt McDonald and Carl Platts (Electrofoods and Booklegger) in their conversation with Hilary. Plus, 7 ways music retailers can support parents.

Huge thanks to this episode’s sponsors!

EarthQuaker Devices- extra special effects pedals made by hand in Akron, OH!

Stompbox Sonic- personalized pedal curation and sales in Somerville, MA!

Holcomb Guitars- custom guitars and mobile guitar repair in RI/MA!

MATT and CARL’S BIO

Carl Platts (he/him) is a radiology tech, a player of all drums and stringed instruments, songwriter, and all around gear fixer and cat snuggler. Matt McDonald (he/she/they) is a nonbinary transfem mechanical engineer, guitarist, songwriter, poet, and graphic designer. Together they design and build pedals, and make very loud noises with too many amps and excessively large cymbals.

MENTIONS

Peavey / Electronic Audio Experiments / Gallien-Krueger / Faital Pro / Ludwig / DDrum / Paiste / Amy Mills / Couch Slut / Neurosis / EarthQuaker Devices / Fender

MATT and CARL’S LINKS

Electrofoods website

Electrofoods Instagram

MID-RIFF LINKS

Thanks for rating/reviewing on Apple Podcasts!

CREDITS

Bumper song: “Handaxe” by Booklegger

Theme Music: "Hedonism" by Towanda

Artwork by Julia Gualtieri

045 / That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore Nov 04, 2021

Show notes

Why are some jokes funny to some people and offensive to others?

Hilary got sick and used this solo episode as an excuse to research and break down the function of jokes and implications for music gear spaces and workplaces-- and why you should use Venn diagrams rather than walk on eggshells.

Huge thanks to this episode’s sponsors!

EarthQuaker Devices- extra special effects pedals made by hand in Akron, OH!

Stompbox Sonic- personalized pedal curation and sales in Somerville, MA!

Holcomb Guitars- custom guitars and mobile guitar repair in RI/MA!

MID-RIFF LINKS

Thanks for rating/reviewing on Apple Podcasts!

REFERENCES

Benign Violation Theory (BVT) basics

BVT and power

CREDITS

Theme Music: "Hedonism" by Towanda

Artwork by Julia Gualtieri

044 / JJ Gonson on Photo FOMO and Venues During Covid Oct 21, 2021

Show notes

Co-writing a song with Elliott Smith, Nirvana crashing at your house, documenting the early hardcore scene (without getting killed), and running a safer venue during a pandemic are all on the table as Hilary talks with photographer and venue owner, JJ Gonson.

Huge thanks to this episode’s sponsors!

EarthQuaker Devices- extra special effects pedals made by hand in Akron, OH!

Stompbox Sonic- personalized pedal curation and sales in Somerville, MA!

Holcomb Guitars- custom guitars and mobile guitar repair in RI/MA!

JJ’s BIO

JJ Gonson began photographing bands in the ‘80s hardcore scene on the East Coast and later in the early ‘90s music scene in the Northwest. She is known especially for her photography of Elliott Smith, including the cover of his self-titled album and "Roman Candle." She has documented bands such as: Nirvana, the Descendants, Jane’s Addiction, Black Flag, Pussy Galore, Motorhead, and 7 Seconds. She managed Elliott Smith’s earlier band, Heatmiser and booked and managed other bands, as well, which, in addition to her time as a chef and experience catering, led her to open the music venue ONCE in Somerville, Massachusetts.

JJ’S LINKS

JJ’s Photography

JJ’s Instagram

ONCE Somerville’s Website

ONCE Somerville’s Instagram

MID-RIFF LINKS

Thanks for rating/reviewing on Apple Podcasts!

CREDITS

Theme Music: "Hedonism" by Towanda

Artwork by Julia Gualtieri

043 / Amy Mills (Retrofret, Couch Slut) on Harp Guitars and Accidental Luthiery Oct 07, 2021

Show notes

Valuing femininity, Vampower amps, mandolin emergencies, and trans representation are part of Hilary’s conversation with Amy Mills (Retrofret Vintage Guitars, Couch Slut, Epistasis). Plus, the problem with “most guys.”

Huge thanks to this episode’s sponsors!

EarthQuaker Devices- extra special effects pedals made by hand in Akron, OH!

Stompbox Sonic- personalized pedal curation and sales in Somerville, MA!

Holcomb Guitars- custom guitars and mobile guitar repair in RI/MA!

AMY’s BIO

Amy Rose Mills is a queer trans woman, photographer, luthier, and musician (among other things) living and working in NYC.

AMY’S LINKS

Amy’s website

Amy’s Instagram

Amy’s TikTok

Amy’s solo work on Bandcamp

Couch Slut on Bandcamp