Secrets From The Scene

Latest Episodes:

Ep. 20: Behind the Scenes at Green Room with Tanner Montague Feb 14, 2024

Show notes

For our first local VENUE feature, I’m so happy to have Tanner Montague join the podcast for a behind-the-scenes look at one of the Twin Cities’ newest and finest live music venues. Green Room opened up at the start of 2023, and it’s already made a name for itself amongst local bands. With its musician-first ethos, beautiful aesthetic, balanced sound, full bar/kitchen, and convenient location, Green Room is definitely becoming one of my favorite venues in town.

And the man making it all happen is Tanner Montague. Tanner is also a musician, playing drums in multiple bands and graduating from McNally Smith. Tanner shares his journey from growing up in Washington, drumming on cruise ships, to running a live music venue.

In this episode, you’ll get a glimpse behind the curtain at what it takes to run a venue like Green Room and what’s expected of artists who want to play there. We cover topics such as:

promoting shows
setting ticket prices
proper etiquette on show day
what makes a live show a “success”
live-recording options
tips for improving your stage presence
and more

Enjoy!

Episode Links and Mentions

🌐 Turf Club

🌐 Icehouse

🌐 The Garage

🌐 Keg and Case Market

🌐 Nate Walker

🌐 331 Club

🌐 7th Street Entry

🌐 Fine Line

🌐 Amsterdam Bar and Hall

🌐 The White Squirrel Bar

Connect with the Guest:

🔗 Green Room Website

🔗 Green Room Instagram

🔗 Tanner Montague Instagram

🔗 Valors

🔗 Covalent Blonde

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Secrets From The Scene is made by Helvig Productions, a Twin Cities recording studio for artists and bands.

Ep. 19: Becoming Irreplaceable - Isaac Levy's Approach to Music Feb 07, 2024

Show notes

Let’s be honest… It isn’t exactly hard to find a guitar player. It’s not even that hard to find an incredibly talented guitar player. But now try to find a great guitar player who can also handle musical director responsibilities, manage your in-ear monitor rig, and produce and play all the instruments on your record. That level of utility really starts to thin the herd.

Meet Isaac Levy, an immensely talented and hard-working jack-of-all-trades. Isaac has been following in his father’s footsteps (Noah Levy) and is making quite a name for himself in the Twin Cities music scene and beyond. His credits include working and playing with the likes of Ryan Lewis, Julia Cole, Chase Bryant, Jonah Marais, Michelle and Todd Rundgren, Greg Hawkes, Cory Wong, Yam Haus, Quinn Sullivan, and Grayson DeWolfe.

And perhaps the most impressive part? He’s only 21. So how has Isaac managed to accomplish so much, so quickly? His secret: He’s learned how to be irreplaceable.

In this episode, we discuss how to go the extra mile and over-deliver on expectations. We dive into the importance of adding value to everything you’re involved in, the power of self-teaching, staying curious, avoiding burnout, and more.

I am extremely impressed by Isaac, from his laundry list of talents and musical abilities to his down-to-earth demeanor and humble attitude. I loved our conversation, and I think you’ll find a lot of great insight as well. Enjoy!

Episode Links and Mentions

🌐 Noah Levy

🌐 The Honeydogs

🌐 Brian Setzer

🌐 Ryan Lewis

🌐 Julia Cole

🌐 Chase Bryant

🌐 Jonah Morais

🌐 Michele Rundgren

🌐 Greg Hawkes

🌐 Cory Wong

🌐 Yam Haus

🌐 Quinn Sullivan

🌐 Grayson DeWolfe

🌐 The Go-Giver (Book by Bob Burg)

Connect with the Guest

🔗 Isaac on Instagram

🔗 Isaac's website

Get new episodes by email: Join the Secrets From The Scene newsletter.

Secrets From The Scene is made by Helvig Productions, a Twin Cities recording studio for artists and bands.

Ep. 18: Insider Tips For Improving Your Stage Sound with Joey Vesuvius Jan 31, 2024

Show notes

Think back to the last show you were at that had absolutely great sound. It makes for such an amazing experience, right? Now think of the last show you attended or performed at where the sound was not so good, maybe even awful. It can completely ruin the moment.

Unfortunately, dealing with bad sound is a sad reality all local musicians face at one point or another. Sometimes it simply can't be avoided - the room or venue you're playing in has terrible acoustics, the PA is half broken, or the sound engineer working that night is hungover and unwilling to help.

But what if I told you that there are some simple tricks to help you improve the things you have control over? In the event that you find yourself in a bad-sounding space without a pro engineer like my guest, they just might be your saving grace.

On this week's episode, Joey Vesuvius joins us to talk about all things live sound. Joey is an accomplished audio engineer, having toured with the likes of Keshi, Mike., and JPEGMAFIA. Joey has also mixed front-of-house in stadiums and at festivals as large as Coachella.

We discussed the basics of getting the most out of your soundcheck, from setup to communicating with your engineer, to mindset and attitude when things aren't ideal. Joey drops a ton of great insights throughout our conversation that will be particularly helpful if you've been struggling with having a successful soundcheck.

We also talk about Joey's career path into the live sound industry, hear one CRAZY touring story involving a stolen 18-wheeler, and get great overall advice about the importance of reflection and constructive self-talk. Whether you're in need of some soundcheck help or curious about the world of a touring sound engineer, this episode has a little something for you.

Episode Links and Mentions

🌐 JPEGMAFIA

🌐 Keshi

🌐 Mike Stud

🌐 Danny Brown

🌐 Emotional Oranges

🌐 Electro-Voice

🌐 Allied Productions and Sales

🌐 The Armory

Connect with the Guest:

🔗 Joey Vesuvius Instagram

🔗 Wasted Potential

Get new episodes by email: Join the Secrets From The Scene newsletter.

Secrets From The Scene is made by Helvig Productions, a Twin Cities recording studio for artists and bands.

Ep. 17: The Music Release Maze: Essential Steps To A Pro Release Jan 24, 2024

Show notes

If you’ve ever gone through the process of uploading and releasing your music on all the streaming services, you know how much work goes into it. Of course, the writing and recording of the music in the first place is no small task, but then trying to navigate the entire upload process with all their questions, random codes, unfamiliar acronyms, and miscellaneous option features can be quite overwhelming the first time you attempt it.

Do you have your royalty splits? What distributor should you use? Will the credits show up correctly? What about the extra features that are offered? Should I opt into ______??

If you’ve got new music on the horizon and you’re looking at going through this process for the first time, this episode is definitely for you. And if you have released music previously but, like many of us, still aren’t confident you did it all correctly, you may be in luck, too.

Over the years, I’ve spent a lot of time helping local bands and solo artists release music that we’ve recorded together at my studio. After getting the same questions over and over, I decided to make a helpful and comprehensive guide that would walk someone through the entire process of getting their music released professionally, without the massive headache.

This episode breaks down the essential parts of the process and covers the most common roadblocks to releasing your music professionally. Topics include:

preparing for upload
picking a distributor
common upload questions
claiming your artist accounts and profiles
how to register for all your streaming royalties

Whether you’re completely new at this or could use a refresher, this episode has a lot of useful information on the release process. Plus, I’ve got a free music release guide that accompanies this episode and goes way more in-depth on everything we discuss, plus a whole lot more. If you could use some extra help in this department, grab the free guide and give this episode a listen. Enjoy!

🌐 My free guide that goes with this episode!

Episode Links and Mentions

🌐 Cosynd.com

🌐 musixmatch.com

🌐 CD Baby

Get new episodes by email: Join the Secrets From The Scene newsletter.

Secrets From The Scene is made by Helvig Productions, a Twin Cities recording studio for artists and bands.

Ep. 16: Creating Content That Actually Works with Taylor Lewin of Underscore Audio Jan 17, 2024

Show notes

Being an independent artist today is becoming synonymous with being a content creator. As much as many of us would like to deny that fact, it’s happening. But it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. If you approach it right, it might end up being your differentiator that connects people to your music.

I think the first step to “getting in the game” is actually to step backward and figure out what you want it to look like for you. If you start by asking yourself, “How can I connect/help/entertain the people I want to reach?” instead of, “How do I get my song to go viral?” you may end up with a strategy that is sustainable, and in turn, actually yields results for you someday.

Emmy award-winning composer and sound editor Taylor Lewin sat down with me to talk all about content creation. Taylor has a diverse background in the scene, from playing in bands to producing records, and from making YouTube videos to now owning his own post-production company, Underscore Audio, where he works on content for global brands regularly.

Taylor has always been a creator in some fashion, and I wanted to get his take on what makes content “good.” Our conversation went way deeper, and I really enjoyed the mindset and strategy tips that came of it. In this episode, we discuss content creation topics such as:

Establishing the right mindset in content creation
Leaning into your uniqueness and strengths
Seeking objective feedback to grow
The importance of consistency
The power of collaborations
The role of experimentation

If you’ve been struggling with where to begin as a “content creator” or feel like your efforts haven’t yielded any results, this episode will hopefully help give you some motivation and advice to get you started or improve your results. Enjoy!

Episode Links and Mentions

🌐 Humans Win Agency

🌐 Lance Conrad

🌐 Lissie

🌐 Verve Records

🌐 "Behind the Glass" Book by Howard Massey

🌐 "So Good They Can't Ignore You" Book by Cal Newport

🌐 FINNEAS

Connect with the Guest:

🔗 Taylor Lewin Instagram

🔗 Taylor Lewin YouTube

🔗 Underscore Audio

Get new episodes by email: Join the Secrets From The Scene newsletter.

Secrets From The Scene is made by Helvig Productions, a Twin Cities recording studio for artists and bands.

Ep. 15: Launching Your Career In the Church Music Scene with Derek Droogsma Jan 10, 2024

Show notes

The “church music scene,” or “church circuit,” for lack of any better term, has always been something I’ve known a little bit about but never really understood. I’ve met so many incredible musicians that have come out of playing churches, that it’s really piqued my interest. It seems to be a launchpad for musical talent. But why?

In this episode, my good friend and musical colleague, Derek Droogsma, sheds light on what these church gigs can all entail. Derek has been making a career for himself playing the church scene for the last few years. He breaks down the entire picture: from gig selection to rehearsals, and production scale to performance expectations.

Outside of being a steady way to play music for a living, church gigs also provide an awesome way to network with other talented musicians, as well as a weekly opportunity to hone your skills. From working with click and cues to getting comfortable with in-ear monitors, these performances involve gaining experience with high production value that isn’t often found at the local level.

Derek is an extremely talented guitarist, producer, musical director, and podcaster. If you’ve been interested in learning more about playing in this part of our local scene, you’ll love this episode.

Episode Links and Mentions

🌐 Mateus Asato

🌐 John Mayer

🌐 Jadan Sorenson

🌐 Ian Allison

🌐 Eagle Brook Church

🌐 River Valley Church

🌐 Wooddale Church

🌐 Anabel Johnson

🌐 SuperMegaCast

🌐 Huberman Lab Podcast

🌐 Charlie Puth

🌐 One Republic

Connect with the Guest:

🔗 Derek Droogsma Links

🔗 Derek Droogsma Instagram

🔗 Droogsma Spotify

🔗 Catching Up With.. Podcast

Featured Song

🎧 Listen on Spotify

👀 Watch on YouTube

Get new episodes by email: Join the Secrets From The Scene newsletter.

Secrets From The Scene is made by Helvig Productions, a Twin Cities recording studio for artists and bands.

Ep 14: Insights From a Professional Singer-Songwriter with Chris Koza of Rogue Valley Jan 03, 2024

Show notes

Chris Koza is a successful singer-songwriter based in Minneapolis and Denver. Koza discusses his solo career as well as collaborations with his band Rogue Valley and shares his experience of working with notable artists, including Brandi Carlile, Gordon Lightfoot, and Stephen Kellogg. With music regularly featured on popular shows like ABC's General Hospital, 60 Minutes, and Good Morning America, Koza talks about his process of creating music, collaborations, and achieving longevity in the music industry.

We cover topics such as staying present during big opportunities, accepting and honoring fan support, the importance of taking breaks, and a whole lot more. Koza’s 20-year+ journey as a working, independent artist is inspiring, and I hope you find some great bits of advice. Enjoy!

Episode Links and Mentions

🌐 Brandi Carlile

🌐 Gordon Lightfoot

🌐 Ingrid Michaelson

🌐 The Jayhawks

🌐 Neko Case

🌐 Kathleen Edwards

🌐 Dan Wilson

🌐 Stephen Kellogg

🌐 Willie Nelson

🌐 O.A.R.

🌐 Kevin Bowe

🌐 In the Groove Music

🌐 Black Label Music

🌐 Grey Ghost

🌐 Justin Lansing

🌐 The Okee Dokee Brothers

Connect with the Guest:

🔗 Chris Koza Website

🔗 Chris Koza Instagram

🔗 Rogue Valley Website

🔗 Rogue Valley Instagram

Featured Song

🎧 Listen on Spotify

Get new episodes by email: Join the Secrets From The Scene newsletter.

Secrets From The Scene is made by Helvig Productions, a Twin Cities recording studio for artists and bands.

Ep. 13: Breaking Into The 'Work For Hire' World As A Musician with Max Greene Dec 27, 2023

Show notes

“Work for hire” gigs can be a critical part of a musician’s career. If you’re trying to make a living by playing your instrument, for many, this is where it’s at. But what does it take to break into this side of the industry? If you get hired to do a gig, how do you make sure it’s successful?

In this episode, Max Greene, a seasoned musician and engineer, speaks about the fundamental aspects of preparing for a 'work for hire' gig. Whether it be for live shows, recording sessions, music videos, or church services, understanding the song, the part, and the specific expectations of the person who's hiring you, are all critical. Max discusses the mindset needed for such gigs, emphasizing the necessity for consistency in performance, flexibility, and a positive attitude. Moreover, we both stress the importance of good communication, being prepared with one's instruments, and understanding the environment and requirements of the gig. Max's journey of self-improvement through learning from past experiences and pushing himself past his comfort zone, provides helpful insights for budding session musicians.

Episode Links and Mentions

🌐 Jordan Carlson

🌐 Villain of the Story

🌐 Steve Goold

🌐 Matt Patrick

🌐 The Library Recording Studio

Connect with the Guest:

🔗 Max Greene Instagram

🔗 Half Moon Instagram

Get new episodes by email: Join the Secrets From The Scene newsletter.

Secrets From The Scene is made by Helvig Productions, a Twin Cities recording studio for artists and bands.

Ep. 12: Branding and The Power of Being Authentic with Nur-D Dec 20, 2023

Show notes

If you’ve done any sort of research on how to market your music or grow your fanbase, you’ve likely heard the phrase “building your personal brand” somewhere along the way. “Branding” is a hot buzz word amongst social media influencers and online educators. But the truth is, it’s always been a key part of any successful business or organization. But knowing that it’s important, and knowing how to actually utilize it for your self or your band, are not the same.

That’s why I’m so excited about this conversation with Nur-D (Matt Allen). Nur-D fully demonstrates all the ways that having a strong personal brand can benefit your musical career. Besides his long list of industry credits and accolades, Nur-D has a dedicated and growing fanbase, tons of media attention, and new opportunities coming in everyday.

The best part, is that Nur-D has created this brand simply by being his true, authentic self online. It’s not the only way to develop a brand, but it is one of simplest. And often, it’s the most sustainable strategies for a solo artist.

I think there is A TON of helpful stuff in here if you want to see the big picture of branding for musicians. And when you’re ready to start doing the work yourself, I’ve got a free branding guide that can help you get started.

Episode Links and Mentions

🌐 Ludacris

🌐 Migos

🌐 Logic

🌐 First Avenue

🌐 Twin Cities Collective

🌐 Tyler the Creator

🌐 Wu Tang Clan

🌐 The Timberwolves

🌐 Minnesota United

🌐 Minnesota Wild

🌐 Khalid

🌐 T-Pain

🌐 Soundset

🌐 Augie5000

🌐 Sophia Eris

🌐 N.E.R.D

🌐 Brother Ali

🌐 Mae Simpson

🌐 DJ Hayes

🌐 The Kennedy Center

🌐 KDWB

🌐 Paisley Park

🌐 Soulja Boy

🌐 Chance the Rapper

🌐 Lil Nas X

🌐 DJ Bonics

🌐 Wiz Khalifa

Connect with the Guest:

🔗 Nur-D Website

🔗 Nur-D Instagram

Featured Song

🎧 Listen on Spotify

👀 Watch on YouTube

Get new episodes by email: Join the Secrets From The Scene newsletter.

Secrets From The Scene is made by Helvig Productions, a Twin Cities recording studio for artists and bands.

Ep. 11: Songwriting Philosophies with Leslie Rich & Annie Enneking Dec 13, 2023

Show notes

This episode explores the art of songwriting with Leslie Rich (Leslie Rich and The Rocket Soul Choir) and Annie Enneking (Annie and the Bang Bang). These two veteran songwriters have been fronting bands and writing songs for decades. Leslie and Annie share their unique insights into the songwriting process. They discuss their personal approaches to creating music, emphasizing the importance of authenticity, the role of emotions, and the benefits of collaboration. We cover overcoming creative blocks, the process of revising drafts, the organic evolution of ideas over time, and more.

If you’re a songwriter looking to learn from others, or someone who has just started dabbling in the art form, this episode has a ton of great insights, advice, and techniques to soak up and try in your own process.

Episode Links and Mentions

🌐 Emily Ryder

🌐 Hounds of Finn

🌐 Cindy Lawson

🌐 Indigo Girls

🌐 Shawn Colvin

🌐 Throwing Muses

🌐 Linda Berry (writing exercises)

🌐 Jeff Tweedy's book

🌐 Natalie Goldberg (Writing Down the Bones) [Book]

🌐 Susan Enan's "Moonlight"

🌐 Luka Bloom