The Music Biz Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Werewolves (Sam Bean) Jan 19, 2021

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Australia's Werewolves burst onto the international death metal scene in early 2020 with a ferocious debut album that quickly garnered praise from critics and fans alike. Unable to tour, the band focused their energy on creativity, writing enough material to fill six full-length albums. They also found time to record their second album, What a Time To Be Alive, which hits stores on January 29, 2021, through Prosthetic Records.

Some may say Werewolves is cursed. After all, production on the band's debut album coincided with history-making wildfires that burned across Australia. The COVID-19 pandemic almost immediately followed the release of the album. What A Time To Be Alive is arriving just weeks after the riots at the US Capitol and the recent discovery of a more infectious strain of the coronavirus.

But Werewolves have a different outlook on life. Perhaps the chaos surrounding us is the world trying to prevent the most exciting death metal group in recent memory from dominating the planet. Maybe the universe understands the righteous power the band possesses, and it is going to great lengths to prevent them from growing even stronger.

The truth is anyone's guess. On this episode of Inside Music, host James Shotwell connects with Werewolves' bassist and lyricist Sam Bean to discuss his group's new music and his outlook on the insanity that is life in the modern age. Sam tells James about his writing process and even shares the hysterical truth behind some of the band's most iconic song titles.

American Teeth (Elijah Noll) Jan 12, 2021

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2020 was a disaster for most artists, but not American Teeth. The vision of musician Elijah Noll, American Teeth is a genre-blurring musical project that capped off a year of strong singles by signing with Fearless Records.

Given his quick rise to fame and the potential for an absolutely massive new year, host James Shotwell called Noll while he was in transit amid a busy day in Los Angeles. Their conversation coincided with the riots at the US Capitol, which is a topic the pair discuss briefly in between a much longer talk about marketing, creativity, and preparing for an unpredictable year. Noll doesn't know what will happen in the months ahead, but he's an optimist, and his hopefulness radiates throughout our time together.

Good Bison (Pablo Alvarez) Dec 23, 2020

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Pablo Alvarez has a problem, and he believes it has hurt his career. Despite releasing a steady stream of music that fans and critics alike praise, he fears he never pushes his work as wee as he can. Like many artists, Pablo is obsessed with his craft. He pours himself into each song and project, pushing every ounce of creativity he has within himself to the absolute limit. It's an exhausting effort of self-expression that has built a healthy following, but he believes he's capable of more. If he can find the drive to promote himself as much as he works to create, Pablo is confident that he will excel in ways that have previously felt out of reach.

Good Bison's new EP, Scattered Storms, is Pablo's chance to live differently. For the first time in his career, Pablo is determined to make this release as big and inescapable as possible. He's working hard on promotional materials, press opportunities, and fan engagement. He's doing everything artists are taught to do if they wish to succeed, and he's finding a lot of joy in the process. What comes of it remains to be seen, but Pablo can rest knowing he's fully committed to doing the work.

On this episode of Inside Music, one of Pablo's many interviews ahead Scattered Storms, host James Shotwell asks about the creative process behind the first EP of 2021 that everyone needs to hear. Pablo shares how his family and life experiences inform the material on the record, as well as stories behind some of the EP's most notable tracks. Check it out!

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VRSTY (Joey Varela) Dec 15, 2020

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Joey Varela is the mastermind behind VRSTY, a genre-bending rock project that recently released its debut EP, Cloud City, through Spinefarm Records. He uses his time on Inside Music to discuss songwriting, finding bandmates, and maintaining creative momentum amid a global pandemic. It's a must-hear conversation for DIY artists everywhere, and we couldn't be more excited to share it with you today.

Mina Caputo (Life of Agony) Dec 09, 2020

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Life Of Agony founder Mina Caputo stops by Inside Music to discuss her new solo record and much, much more.

The goal of every musician is to develop a singular voice. Being the best of all-time barely compares to being your true self. Authenticity is something you cannot package and sell, but it does more for your soul than analytics or sales figures ever can. It’s the kind of thing people spend their entire lives pursuing, and even then, only a select few pull it off.

Mina Caputo is a revolutionary voice in rock. For more than two decades, Mina has consistently released engaging and challenging music that is hard to classify yet fiercely relatable. She touches on the pains of existence without wallowing in the despair of being. She writes songs that tackle the topics that matter to her, and she’s historically unwilling to compromise.

Best known as the voice behind Life Of Agony, Mina is also a celebrated solo artist with numerous albums. These works provide Mina space to further explore her artistic capabilities while giving fans a steady stream of fresh content whenever LoA takes a break. It’s rare to find anyone capable of making two or more projects work, but Mina makes it seem easy.

Recently, Mina stopped by Inside Music to discuss her career, her critics, and how she became a vocal supporter of doing whatever you want with the limited time we have on this planet. Some may consider her views to be incendiary, but they are true to her feelings, which is what Mina aspires to achieve in every act of self-expression. Enjoy.

Dorian Pintaric (Year Over Year) Nov 12, 2020

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Since the dawn of the digital age, no year has been as difficult for indie artists to navigate as 2020. Between the lack of performance opportunities and the fact that everyone is distracted by the numerous fires (both literal and figurative) raging around the world, staying afloat without a label's support is hard. Many musicians have put their careers on hold in hopes 2021 is better, but the bravest artists are forging ahead and adapting in whatever ways they can. Dorian Pintaric is the type to never give up or give in, and music fans everywhere are the beneficiaries of his unflinching dedication to creative expression.

In this episode of Inside Music, host James Shotwell chats with Pintaric about his work as Year Over Year. Dorian shares the work that went into the band's EP and details his creative process. The pair also discuss the legitimacy of so-called "writing tips" offered in books and blog, as well as their hopes for 2021.

Nick Tieder (Frontiers Records) Oct 21, 2020

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If you don't know the name Frontiers, then you might be a fake rock fan. Few labels are betting on rock and roll the way Frontiers has for the last quarter-century, especially in 2020. The label is home to the best emerging and legacy acts in the industry, and they've somehow mastered a powerful marketing approach for both.

In this episode of Inside Music, host James Shotwell speaks to Frontiers' Head of Marketing, Nick Tieder, about the company and his role in it. Nick shares the challenges of marketing amid a pandemic, his optimistic outlook for the future, and why AC/DC is the comfort listening all rock fans need right now. Learn more on our blog: http://haulixdaily.com.

Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown RETURNS! Oct 14, 2020

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Tyler Bryant represents everything good and pure in rock today. For more than a decade, Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown has worked tirelessly to establish themselves as the next band to change someone's life. They play blues-laced rock and roll with a heart that takes listeners on a sonic journey through the pains of being human. They make music to serve as the soundtrack to a life fully lived without fear or regret. It's about seizing the moment and wringing every last bit of emotion from it that you possibly can.

Tyler probably didn't enter 2020 planning to release an album. Then again, nobody's plan for 2020 has unfolded precisely how they imagined that it might. COVID took the entire music business by surprise, but a fortunate few found the strength and creativity needed to forge ahead. Tyler is one of them, and in this episode of INSIDE MUSIC, he tells James Shotwell how his new album, Pressure, was born.

Bloodbather (Kyler Millo) Oct 07, 2020

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The biggest secret in hardcore is about to become public knowledge. Florida's Bloodbather will release their Rise Records debut EP, Silence, on October 9. The album combines the chaotic energy of early-2000s bands such as The Blood Brothers and Norma Jean with the ferocity of more modern talent. It's a unique release in an age of sonic redundancy, and we cannot recommend it enough.

In this episode of INSIDE MUSIC, host James Shotwell chats with Bloodbather's Kyler Millo about his band's underground legacy. Kyler recounts signing with Rise Records, the long wait to release music from within the entertainment industry system, and how the band is coping with life in a time when touring is impossible.

Tommee Profitt Sep 30, 2020

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In this episode of INSIDE MUSIC, host James Shotwell talks with super-producer Tommee Profitt about his journey in the music industry. Tommee tells me how he built a career in production from his childhood home in West Michigan, and how a recent move to Nashville made an already busy schedule more hectic. Tommee also shares information about his long-awaited debut album, set to arrive before the end of 2020.