My First Band Podcast

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21 – JP Harris (JP Harris and the Tough Choices, Flat Iron String Band) Jul 26, 2019

Show notes

JP Harris is less than a year removed from putting out his third full-length solo record, Sometimes Dogs Bark At Nothing. On top of releasing outstanding records, the established Nashville country music staple tours relentlessly. Oh, and he might have the most interesting backstory of all-time. Born in Alabama, Harris moved to Las Vegas in adolescence (where he discovered music and started a punk band) before leaving home at 14 years of age to move to Oakland. From there, he spent some time at an Arizona desert commune, rode the rails and hitchhiked throughout the nation, and finally wound up settling in a remote cabin without electricity or running water in Vermont. It was there that he learned to play banjo and fell in love with traditional Appalachian string music. That set the stage for his Flat Iron String Band and, later, Harris' solo project.

Back in June, during one of the tireless musician's many tours, Harris invited My First Band host Tyler Maas into his to van to talk about his path from Sin City punk kid to up-and-coming country artist. Amid the steady sound of raindrops falling outside and jets passing over the X-Ray Arcade, Harris graciously shared his incomparable life story, his thoughts on the modern-day music industry, his path to his thoughtful songwriting approach, his disdain for most of the internet and the sage advice he gleaned from Lena Dunham of all people.

My First Band is sponsored by Boulevard Brewing and 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"), Flat Iron String Band ("Mustache Max") and JP Harris ("When I Quit Drinking").

20 – Brett Newski (Brett Newski & The No Tomorrow, The Nod, Three Blocks to Murdock) Jul 19, 2019

Show notes

Brett Newski has been called the "loudest acoustic act ever," and that might not be an overstatement. Since embarking on his solo project in his late 20s, the tireless troubadour has earned a reputation as one of Wisconsin's — if not one of the Midwest's — hardest-working musicians. That wouldapproach has given Newski the opportunity to tour internationally on numerous occasions and play shows in massive venues with internationally known acts like the Pixies, Violent Femmes, Barenaked Ladies, Manchester Orchestra, New Pornographers, Better Than Ezra and countless others. Along the way, he's also endured his fair share of hardships during his "crusty adventures," including having his equipment stolen, enduring some super sketchy shows, and falling ill in Asia. Through the highs and lows, he's stayed positive and he's managed to make a living solely as a touring musician.

During one of his rare spells of relative inactivity, Newski met up with My First Band host Tyler Maas at Milwaukee Record headquarters. There, the two talked about the singer-songwriter's experiences playing the world over, his humble start as a kid learning to play music and all the astounding experiences that came in between. Newski talked about rocking the suburbs in his first band, playing basketball at UW-Eau Claire, moving to Madison and being in a popular college band, eking out a living writing jingles while living in Vietnam (including a tampon ad), and moving back to the states to play hundreds of shows a year ... before ultimately burning out and learning to adjust his approach.

My First Band is sponsored by Boulevard Brewing and 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"), Brett Newski ("Devil's Haircut") and Three Blocks To Murdock ("Corner").

19 – Sean Tillmann (Har Mar Superstar, Calvin Krime, Heart Bones) Jul 12, 2019

Show notes

This week's guest is Sean Tillmann. You probably know him much better as Har Mar Superstar. The Minneapolis music legend has made a name for himself throughout the Midwest — and far beyond — with his entertaining and ever-changing material. He's written songs with mainstream pop stars. He's made cameos in films like Whip It and Pitch Perfect, on TV shows like Broad City, and he currently leads the "Skeleton Crew" on Netflix's Mystery Science Theater 3000. Last year, he also found the time to start a great new project called Heart Bones. Before any of that, though, Tillmann was a kid growing up in the small town of Owatonna, Minnesota with an insatiable passion for music.

Prior to his performance at last month's PrideFest Milwaukee festivities, Tillmann was kind enough to invite My First Band host Tyler Maas to join him in his car for an interview about his musical beginnings. There, Tillmann talked about winning the coveted "Ole Of The Day Award" from Taco John's, his upbringing in a musical family, renting VFW halls and park chalets for shows in middle school as part of bands with names like Chinchilla Hardware and Loaded, getting serious about music in his high school band Calvin Krime (which toured with Fred Armisen's band), as well as the unusual and unexpected turn of events that set Har Mar Superstar into motion.

My First Band is sponsored by Boulevard Brewing and 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"), Calvin Krime ("Die Beautiful"), and Har Mar Superstar ("Lady, You Shot Me").

18 – Scott Schoenbeck (Dashboard Confessional, Promise Ring, Alligator Gun) Jul 05, 2019

Show notes

If you've watched Dashboard Confessional at any point in the past 17 years, you've surely seen Scott Schoenbeck. Though the bassist has traveled the world and shared the stage with some of the planet's biggest bands as a supporting member of Chris Carrabba's popular project, Schoenbeck has been involved with a few other notable acts long before he joined up with Dashboard.

A few weeks before Dashboard Confessional's headlining set at Summerfest, Schoenbeck stopped by Milwaukee Record headquarters to tell host Tyler Maas about starting out in a Waukesha-based band called Cleveland Bound Death Sentence in the late '80s, before finding some success with Alligator Gun in the '90s, and latching on with Pele and The Promising Ring thereafter. They also talked about his current work in projects like Rx Drugs and Mini Meltdowns, and the events that led to him become part of Dashboard Confessional.

My First Band is sponsored by Boulevard Brewing and Rushmor Records. 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"), Cleveland Bound Death Sentence ("The Struggle"), and Alligator Gun ("Sinker").

17 – Margaret Butler and Nick Ziemann (GGOOLLDD, Number One Fan, The Wildbirds) Jun 28, 2019

Show notes

Before GGOOLLDD formed and made its rapid ascent to Midwestern music supremacy, members of Milwaukee's — and now Baton Rouge, Louisiana's — premier party-pop project had significantly different artistic aspirations. During the band's return to Milwaukee prior to their June 28 headlining set at Summerfest, singer Margaret Butler and bassist Nick Ziemann met up with host Tyler Maas at Milwaukee Record headquarters to talk about the group's unlikely start as a one-off Halloween party act that turned into much, much more.

As they took down a few Boulevard beers apiece, the trio talked about Ziemann's obsession with guitar as a home-schooled kid in Northeast Wisconsin, which he put to use in Number One Fan — a band that played shows with Maas' high school group and signed a deal with a Universal Records subsidiary — as well as The Wildbirds and Hugh Bob & The Hustle. At that same time, Butler was living in a trailer in Louisiana and teaching herself to play guitar (in exactly the wrong way) by listening to Death Cab For Cutie before the pair forged a long-distance relationship. Once united and settled into life in Milwaukee, Butler formed GGOOLLDD and ... eventually let Ziemann join her venture. The rest was history.

My First Band is sponsored by Boulevard Brewing and Kesslers Diamonds. 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"), Number One Fan ("Come On"), and GGOOLLDD ("GGOOLLDD").

16 – Cedric LeMoyne (Remy Zero, Alanis Morissette, Gnarls Barkley) Jun 21, 2019

Show notes

You probably recognize the bass lines of Cedric LeMoyne in songs by Alanis Morissette and Gnarls Barkley. You might be aware of his work with his new band, Milwaukee's own Rose of the West. However, LeMoyne's first band also wasn't too shabby. Remy Zero — a group he started with friends when he was a teenager living in Alabama — was signed by a major label, dropped by said label, scooped up by another major, relocated to Los Angeles and put on tours with the likes of Radiohead, Travis and many more mainstream music heavyhitters while they waited their turn for rock and roll superstardom. That turn ultimately never came, but along the way, Remy Zero wrote the theme for Smallville, had a song on the Garden State soundtrack, toured the world and collected a ton of amazing stories.

Following a session with Morissette and prior to what has the makings of a busy summer for Rose of the West, LeMoyne stopped by Milwaukee Record headquarters to tell host Tyler Maas about his uncommon and incredible experience with his first band, as well as how he wound up in Alanis' arsenal, what it was like to be a part of Gnarls Barkley at the height of their popularity and the band management philosophy he puts into play with acts like Warpaint and his own project.

My First Band is sponsored by Boulevard Brewing and 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"), Remy Zero ("Save Me"), and Rose Of The West ("Roads").

15 – Brendan Kelly (Slapstick, The Broadways, The Lawrence Arms) Jun 14, 2019

Show notes

Chicago punk-rock legend Brendan Kelly is probably best known for his work with The Lawrence Arms, his previous output in Slapstick and The Broadways, and the hilariously bleak things he tweets as his "Nihilist Arby's" internet alter ego. Additionally, Kelly bolsters his sterling musical reputation with The Falcon and the misunderstood masterpiece that is his Brendan Kelly and The Wandering Birds solo endeavor. While you likely know and possibly love at least one of those bands, you almost certainly have no awareness of Kelly's preceding projects like Vegetable Train, J.P.B and Gladhand.

Kelly recently met My First Band host Tyler Maas in the back room at Gman Tavern in Chicago, where the two talked about the prominent punk rocker's modern-day material, writing songs like "Nuts, Nuts, We Want Nuts" as a grade schooler, playing his first shows in high school, the unexpected rise (and rapid fall) of Slapstick, making kids cry tears of disappointment in The Broadways, and The Lawrence Arms' slow build over the course of their 20 years together. Kelly and Maas both also spent some time discussing the important role Mike Park, of Dill Records and Asian Man Records, played in their musical past.

My First Band is sponsored by Boulevard Brewing and 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"), Slapstick ("February One") and Brendan Kelly and The Wandering Birds ("Black Cat Boy").

14 – Joseph Huber (The Rogues, .357 String Band) Jun 07, 2019

Show notes

Before he made a name for himself in roots and Americana music as the front man and primary songwriter of a band that bears his name, Joseph Huber was a punk kid living in the country. While growing up on the outskirts of New London, Wisconsin, the mohawked Huber learned how to play guitar on an Ibanez before spending much of his high school years playing in The Inserts and writing regrettable songs in The Rogues. After moving to Milwaukee for college, Huber hit it off with Jayke Orvis and the rest was history.

Prior to leaving for a West Coast tour and shortly before the release of his forthcoming album, Moondog, Huber joined host Tyler Maas at Milwaukee Record headquarters and told him about his formative shows in northeast Wisconsin, regretting some of his early songwriting decisions, teaching himself banjo in exactly the wrong way and how .357 String Band formed and subsequently took the Milwaukee music scene by storm.

My First Band is sponsored by Boulevard Brewing and 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"), The Rogues ("Reading Is Dumb") and Joseph Huber ("Rivers Of Smoke").

13 – Samiam May 31, 2019

Show notes

Over the course of the band's 30-plus-year existence, Samiam has done it all. Since starting out on Gilman Street in the late '80s, the legendary punk band has released eight influential albums and a mess of excellent EPs. They've toured extensively, played all over the world, spent time on a major label and shared the stage with some of the planet's biggest bands. Though the band has experienced some lineup changes and members have become involved in lots of other bands along the way, Samiam is still going strong.

Earlier this month, when Samiam came to The Back Room @ Colectivo to play its first Milwaukee show in more than 15 years, four members of the band spoke to My First Band host Tyler Maas. While opener Off With Their Heads prepared to play and folks filed into the venue, Sergie Loobkov, Sean Kennerly, Chad Darby and Jason Beebout allowed Maas to come backstage, where they told him about all the projects that came before (and after) this artistic endeavor, the start of Samiam, the interesting way Darby wound up in the band, touring Asia with Green Day post-Dookie, their disdain for major labels and what keeps them making music together after all these years.

12 – Mary Joy (Fox Face, Saebra & Carlyle, Witch Bolt) May 24, 2019

Show notes

If you live in or around Wisconsin and you like punk and garage rock, you're probably familiar with Mary Joy's work in Fox Face. The Dirtnap Records band has toured Europe, played SXSW and has rightfully earned a spot as one of Milwaukee music's heavy-hitters. On top of her work in that project, Joy also plays bass in Saebra & Carlyle and she just started a new band called Witch Bolt. Oh yeah, and she's also an invaluable figure in the Ladies Rock Milwaukee organization.

Prior to Riverwest FemFest, which features all three of her bands, Joy came to Milwaukee Record headquarters to discuss the importance of the festival before talking about growing up as a ska kid in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. After taking in some of her first shows at Mission Coffee House, Joy formed a high school band called Nobody's Housewife before (briefly) moving to New Orleans for college and almost instantly being displaced by Hurricane Katrina. She wound up in Milwaukee, playing in bands like International Datelines, Pussy Collector and The Olives — and the rest is history.

My First Band is sponsored by Boulevard Brewing and PrideFest Milwaukee. 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 Nobody's Housewife ("Sold" and "Devil Eyes").

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