My First Band Podcast

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**My First Band Podcast**

Each Friday, My First Band features a long-form interview with a different notable musician about all of the projects that preceded what you know them for. We discuss their musical origins, and we trace a few of their embarrassing high school bands and other associated bands that happened before they broke out. This show digs deeper than any Wikipedia page or band bio would ever dare to go. And, sometimes, the guests will even share some of their old songs. You can expect to hear a lot of interesting, informative and hopefully entertaining anecdotes about all of the bands along the way.

My First Band is sponsored by Boulevard Brewing. It is hosted by Tyler Maas, of Milwaukee Record, and edited by Jared Blohm.

Latest Episodes:

WMSE Special Announcement Nov 25, 2020

Show notes

This short episode is a special announcement about My First Band now being broadcast on Milwaukee's own WMSE!

90 – Dan Wilson (Semisonic, Trip Shakespeare) Nov 20, 2020

Show notes

You probably know Dan Wilson as the lead singer of Semisonic, the seminal band that brought you "Closing Time." Though his output in that long-tenured alternative rock outfit is certainly remarkable in its own right, Wilson has made even more significant contributions to entertainment as a songwriter. Over the last 20 years, the songwriter and producer has worked with some of modern music's biggest names, including collaborations with Taylor Swift, John Legend, Pink, Halsey, Chris Stapleton and Jason Mraz. Most notably, he's also won two Grammys for songs he wrote with Adele — including mega-hit "Someone Like You" — and The Chicks. Long before he was crafting some of the world's most popular songs, Wilson was a Minnesota kid who was scoring a play at his high school.

Recently, My First Band host Tyler Maas was able to speak with Wilson about his prolific co-writing résumé, the new Semisonic EP and his "Words + Music In 6 Seconds" inspirational cards. Eventually, the conversation turned to Wilson's extensive and impressive musical history. Over the course of the hour-long discussion, the Grammy-winner opened up about family singalongs on the beaches of North Carolina, beginning to play guitar, playing with his brother (former My First Band guest Matt Wilson) in Trip Shakespeare and other groups, nearly giving up on music prior to the start of Semisonic, what it's like to hear "Closing Time" out in public, and what he strives to bring to his collaborations with internationally beloved musicians. Along the way, he talked about the time Matt kicked him out of a band while he was taking a bath.

My First Band is sponsored by Mystery Room Mastering and Lakefront Brewery. The show is edited by Jared Blohm. You can listen to My First Band on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, and wherever else you get podcasts. Music used in this show comes courtesy of Devils Teeth ("The Junction Street Eight Tigers") and Semisonic ("You're Not Alone").

89 – William Bush (Immortal Girlfriend, Black Challenger) Nov 13, 2020

Show notes

These days, listeners know William Bush for his work alongside his brother, Kevin, in Immortal Girlfriend and on his own in his new Black Challenger solo project. Years before William was making waves in electronic music circles both in Wisconsin and far beyond, he and his sibling were cutting their teeth in metro Milwaukee's once-burgeoning screamo scene.

A few weeks after putting out Black Challenger's debut album — the downright awesome Vigilance — and about six months after the release of Immortal Girlfriend's long-awaited sophomore EP, William talked to My First Band host Tyler Maas about those two releases, playing legion hall shows with Kevin in anime-influenced bands like Starwind and Hawking and Ari Armada, starting Immortal Girlfriend, the duo's unexpected rise to local notoriety, and some of his favorite on-stage moments so far.

88 – Jon Snodgrass (Drag the River, Armchair Martian, Scorpios) Nov 06, 2020

Show notes

Not even a pandemic can slow Jon Snodgrass down. In recent months, the long-tenured and accomplished punk troubadour recorded and released a new album on A-F Records, put out a children's record and continued his cross-continental collaboration with Frank Turner. Along the way, he's also written enough new material for yet another album. Though current conditions don't permit him to tour, Snodgrass continues to be a lighthearted and eternally optimistic musician who, fortunately, has decades worth of great stories to draw from his time on stage.

Last week, Snodgrass called My First Band host Tyler Maas to talk about Tace — his new album that features accompaniment from members of Rise Against, The Lawrence Arms, Bad Cop/Bad Cop and Lagwagon — and how he's keeping active during his downtime. Of course, the conversation eventually turned to his upbringing in Missouri, formative musical experiences as a teenager, his move to Fort Collins and the ups and downs from his time in seminal bands like Armchair Martian and Scorpios. Over the course of the discussion, Snodgrass also talked about his beloved Colorado Rockies, shared some of his favorite memories from his lengthy musical career and even performed some impromptu jingles for our sponsors.

My First Band is sponsored by Mystery Room Mastering and Lakefront Brewery. The show is edited by Jared Blohm. You can listen to My First Band on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify and wherever else you get podcasts. Music used in this show comes courtesy of Devils Teeth ("The Junction Street Eight Tigers") and Jon Snodgrass ("Bad New Lands").

87 – Kelsey Kaufmann (Cactus Club, Cougar Den, Body Work) Oct 30, 2020

Show notes

Milwaukee music is incredibly lucky to have Kelsey Kaufmann. The owner of the Cactus Club has booked literally hundreds of shows, helped produce large-scale festivals, and was at the forefront of changing laws that prohibited all-ages shows at certain venues in Milwaukee. After managing the iconic Bay View club for a few years, further bolstering its already-sterling reputation, and bringing some impressive acts to town, Kaufmann bought the bar this February. Just over a month after officially taking over, the world turned on its head. Though times are unexpectedly tough for Cactus Club, Kaufmann and her staff are committed to keeping the business running and continuing to give interesting artists a platform.

Earlier this week, My First Band host Tyler Maas caught up with Kaufmann to ask her about some of the struggles venues around the country are facing in the midst of a pandemic, some of the interesting things she's doing to bring in revenue and keep Cactus Club active during this unprecedented time and some of the positive and affirming things that have happened during her time as the bar's owner. Of course, the conversation eventually shifted to her experiences as the drummer for past and current projects like Cougar Den, Centipedes, Gallery Night and Body Work. Along the way, Kaufmann also discussed booking tours for her bands as a teenager, falling in love with D.I.Y. culture, being stranded in rural Utah for a week when Cougar Den's van broke down and some of the favorite concerts she's ever brought to Milwaukee.

86 – Trevor Smith (Wood & Wire) Oct 23, 2020

Show notes

As the banjo player in Wood & Wire, Trevor Smith has traveled all around the county, shared the stage with some legendary acts, released four excellent albums (five, if you count their live record), played hundreds upon hundreds of concerts, and was even nominated for a Grammy. While the band's plans to hit the road for most of 2020 were dashed, Wood & Wire was still able to release a new album — the wonderful No Matter Where It Goes From Here — at the end of August, and are continuing to reach new listeners all around the world.

Long before Smith was plucking his heart out as a founding member of the accomplished Austin, Texas, bluegrass outfit, he was cutting his teeth and playing keyboard in hardcore bands in his native Arizona. With Wood & Wire not on the road for once, Smith had time to talk to My First Band host Tyler Maas about the process of making Wood & Wire's latest record and how he's keeping busy at the moment before the conversation shifted focus to his musical past.

Over the course of the conversation, Smith talked about his formative years in the Tucson hardcore scene, discovering bluegrass in his teens, dropping out of high school (with the encouragement of his parents!) to move to Austin and join Green Mountain Grass, the year he spent in Asylum Street Spankers, and the experience of both being nominated for a Grammy and attending the awards ceremony in quite possibly the coolest suit ever. Oh, and apologies for the background noise on Tyler's end of the conversation.

85 – David Quinn Oct 16, 2020

Show notes

David Quinn is quickly making a name for himself in country music circles with a relentless show schedule (at least until recently, of course) and ever-evolving material. The Chicago-based singer's catalog will grow by 10 more songs on Oct. 23 with the release of his latest and greatest album, Letting Go. Long before Quinn was building a reputation as the front man and namesake of a country project though, he was playing drums in a suburban Chicago rock band called Best Defense.

This week, in the days leading up to the release of Letting Go, My First Band host Tyler Maas got in touch with Quinn to talk about the process of recording the forthcoming album, getting an impressive cast of backing musicians to lend their talents to the record, and ways he's keeping busy in a year that's left him unable to tour. Over the course of the hour-plus interview, Quinn also talked about his days as a drummer in rock and blues projects, his formative year living in California, the early stages of writing his own material, and his eventual move to country music. Along the way, Quinn also talked at length about his love of Thunderbird Wine.

84 – Jon Gabrus (High And Mighty, Action Boyz, The Gino Lombardo Show) Oct 09, 2020

Show notes

We broke format a little this week to talk all things music with a guest who has no musical experience of his own. Jon Gabrus is an actor (Guy Code, Younger, Brooklyn Nine-Nine), comedian and veteran podcaster. Though he's not a musician by trade, the host of High And Mighty, Action Boyz and The Gino Lombardo Show has a wealth of musical memories and no shortage of great stories about concerts he's attended through the years.

Prior to the start of Season 2 of The Gino Lombardo Show, Gabrus spoke with My First Band host/longtime "shithead" Tyler Maas about his various podcasts and how he's holding up during the nightmare that is 2020. Of course, the conversation eventually turned to music, as Gabrus talked about what he's listening to now, his love of Sylvan Esso, the music scene in his native Long Island, some of the first shows he attended, blowing all the money he made in his 20s on concerts in New York, almost getting kicked out of a Radiohead show, musical tropes in action movies and so much more. Along the way, Gabrus also discussed Billy Joel and Eddie Money while Maas fought the urge to make a bunch of High And Mighty callbacks.

83 – Bob Nanna (Braid, Hey Mercedes, The City on Film) Oct 02, 2020

Show notes

Listeners all over the world know Bob Nanna as the voice of Braid (one of the most influential emo bands of all time), as well as celebrated projects like Hey Mercedes and The City On Film. Long before he was making a name for himself with those bands, Nanna was a drummer who was keeping time for lesser-known suburban Chicago outfits like Slaphappy and Friction.

Recently, My First Band host Tyler Maas spoke to Nanna about the unconventional recording process for his new solo album, Celebration States, and how he's both staying creative and keeping busy in isolation. Over the course of the roughly 80-minute conversation, the emo icon also talked about his pre-Braid projects, the highs and lows of Braid and Hey Mercedes, the wealth of other musical endeavors that came after those seminal bands, and the process of building a network of musicians for his Downwrite custom song business. Along the way, Maas also accidentally referred to Michael Cassady as "Neil Cassady" and Nanna talked about playing a recent socially distant backyard show to an audience of seven people.

82 – Arlo McKinley (The Great Depression, Headstall) Sep 25, 2020

Show notes

If you haven't heard of Arlo McKinley yet, you should know he comes with John Prine's seal of approval. Before Prine's heartbreaking death this spring, the legendary folk singer handpicked McKinley to join his Oh Boy Records label, an honor granted to only a handful of musicians over the last couple of decades. This August, McKinley released Die Midwestern on the independent label, and his follow-up to 2014's self-titled debut has been receiving high praise from music media and fans ever since. Before McKinley was releasing sad country ballads on the label of one of his musical heroes though, he was playing in Cincinnati punk and hardcore bands and teaming up with one of his buddies in projects that spanned more than a decade.

McKinley recently joined My First Band host Tyler Maas via WiFi to discuss his first exposure to musical performance as a boy in his family's Bapist church, digging through his dad's extensive vinyl collection as a kid and forming his first band, Mourning Child, as a teenager. Over the nearly hour-and-a-half-long discussion, McKinley also discussed being recruited to join Breaking Point, a punk rock band that he sang in, as well as how he talked himself into becoming the bassist in Headstall, a hardcore band, before he even knew how to play the instrument. After he left Headstall, McKinley quit performing for a few years and taught himself how to play guitar. A chance conversation with fellow Cincinnati musician Jeremy Pinnell led to McKinley joining a band called Latter Day and then playing with Pinnell for more than a decade in a handful of projects, including a memorable run as an indie folk duo called The Great Depression. Finally, McKinley revealed how he slowly made the transition from Tim Carr, his birth name, to the alter ego performing moniker of Arlo McKinley and how that endeavor has grown beyond his wildest dreams.

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