The Musicians Guild with Steve Choi

The Musicians Guild welcomes Josh Staples (The Velvet Teen) Dec 22, 2023

This week we are joined by Josh Staples a bassist/vocalist who plays in The Velvet Teen, The New Trust and sometimes Loma Prieta. In addition to being an all around lovely human, one of Josh's powers is having a conductivity of creative energy through his sense of humor, knowledge and humility. He makes everyone around him better at what they do. Josh makes cool stuff and is a cool dude. In this conversation we chat about The New Trust tour with The Good Life, swimming in craters, the Loma Prieta pizza tour, odd habits of pets, bad sounding venues, more pizza talk, and lots more!

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The Musicians Guild welcomes Summer Swee-Singh Dec 15, 2023

We are honored to have Summer Swee-Singh with us for this episode. Summer is a highly skilled pianist and composer who has everything from a law degree to playing on stage with one of your favorite indie bands on her resumé. Summer is very humble and kind beyond what one could expect of someone with her level of skill and training, but it's not all technical, Summer can shred from her soul. In this conversation we talk about playing shows on keys with Circa Survive, working best under pressure and deadlines, performing at Outside Lands with a K-Pop group, why weighted keys are great, conductors not moving the baton on beat and lots more! Thanks for listening and keep enjoying your time on Earth.

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The Musicians Guild welcomes Nick Reinhart Nov 28, 2023

So nice to be back with all of you. This week we catch up with Nick Reinhart as he returns to chat with us not long after his return from being on tour with DeathGrips for a couple months. He catches us up on how he's been decompressing and getting back into home mode. In this episode we discuss his tour with DeathGrips, coyotes in his neighborhood, his favorite fried chicken sandwich at the moment, his busy year on the road which included opening for, and then playing bass in Pinback, how he enjoys his life in LA as a musician, getting into earplugs on stage, enjoying activities solo, intensive movie collections and lots more! Thanks for listening. You are unique, valuable, and make the world a better place.

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The Musicians Guild welcomes Gunnar Olsen (Puscifer) Oct 12, 2023

This week we welcome Gunnar Olsen of Puscifer to The Musicians Guild. Gunnar is a drummer/musician that has recorded/toured with artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Big Data and many others. We've known each other for over 20 years since our bands met at a random show in Poughkeepsie, NY. Following that meeting RX and his band at the time,The Exit, did a fair amount of touring together and I'm honored to remain a friend and contemporary. Gunnar is from New York City and is one of the finest drummers in the city without a question. In this conversation we get into chatting about why he doesn't use in-ear monitors anymore, having lots of gear and maintaining it, difficulties of being creative on the road, working with Mr. Springsteen, finding where a drum wants to be tuned, Lay's Sour Cream and Onion chips, whats in his hi-hat drink holder and lots more! Thanks for listening.

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The Musicians Guild welcomes Tim and Brittany (Catbite) Sep 27, 2023

This week we caught up with Tim and Brittany of the Philadelphia based band Catbite. We chatted on a relaxed Sunday evening and had a lovely time. Catbite does a really legit modern take on two-tone ska that also conjures punk, soul & new-wave with top-notch musicianship. Whether it's your thing or not, you can't really deny the vitality in their musical aesthetic and they will easily expose those who can dance and those who can't. In this conversation we talk about vocals and horns competing for space in songs, going to the merch table after your set, Brit's formal vocal education, Tim's hip replacement, their first sold out hometown show, Tim's culinary prowess and lots more!

Thank you for listening, and please rate the pod if you can find it in your hearts! Much Love.

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The Musicians Guild welcomes Jeff Schroeder (The Smashing Pumpkins) Sep 07, 2023

This week we have Jeff Schroeder of The Smashing Pumpkins joining us in the hall of discussion. We caught up with Jeff on a day off while in New Mexico on a headlining tour. It was great getting to have such a down to earth chat with someone playing in one of the biggest rock bands of not only our generation, but arguably in the history of modern rock. As always, we really enjoy getting to chat with someone as humble and real as Jeff. In this conversation we get into the Korean-American experience, reluctantly attending Korean Church for the food, our love for Jazzmasters, current stage setups, Jeff's beginnings in music, home life, pre and post show meals and lots more! Thanks for listening, as always.

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The Musicians Guild welcomes Casey Cavaliere (The Wonder Years) Jul 27, 2023

This week we are blessed to have Casey Cavaliere of The Wonder Years join us at The Musicians Guild. Casey plays guitar in the band and also has his own pod called The Record Process. In addition to being a musician Casey is also an engineer/producer and also is involved with managing artists through the Lesser Matters entity. Casey is a humble and earnest musician dedicated to his craft and one of my favorite types of people to chat with as he is well spoken and self-aware. In this conversation we get into what its like being in a band for him, musical sensibilities of the U.K., learning musical rules so we can break them, Casey's touring style and what he likes on the rider, gear talk including his preferences in guitars and amps and lots more!

Never forget that we are all connected and made of the same stuff, but you as an individual are unique and powerful in your own way.

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The Musicians Guild welcomes Alex Estrada Jun 15, 2023

This week we are honored to have Alex Estrada who owns and operates Pale Moon Ranch studio with us at The Musicians Guild. Alex is an engineer, producer and musician. He has made recordings for bands such as Joyce Manor, Touché Amoré, NAILS, and Xibalba among many others. Alex is also a legit vegan cook and walks the talk as he is a strong reference point for great plant based recipes and meals. Alex approaches his musical work and living style with a thoughtfulness and intent that I find carries an energy in a strong and great way; both seriously and with a sense of humor. We talk about Alex growing up with his father being a well known mariachi leading Mariachi Sol De Mexico, how bands can rehearse better, helping music scenes thrive on both a large and small scale, his vegan version of El Pollo Loco, tending to a rural property, excessive mix revisions from bands, preferred approaches to making records and lots more. Thank you all for being wonderful.

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The Musicians Guild welcomes Rich Balling (The Sound Of Animals Fighting) Jun 08, 2023

This week we have with us a bandmate, collaborator and brother to me by the name of Rich Balling. Many of you will know Rich as leader of The Sound Of Animals Fighting but he has also has created projects such as Pyramids and Hospital Gown. In addition to being a musician/producer Rich is also an educator by trade, devoted family man, and high level film buff specifically in the horror genre. After finishing our last TSOAF shows of the year Rich and I sat down and had an excellent chat that unfortunately requires you to listen to my stupid laugh more than I'd like anyone to endure. In this conversation we talk about Rich's breakfast game, egg cooking techniques, his band merch collection, the magic of certain lead singers, being present with our age, his daughters making fun of him for being cringe, Braid's Frame and Canvas, his love for Del Taco and lots more. Thank you esteemed members of The Guild.

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The Musicians Guild welcomes Lizzie Killian (Teens In Trouble) Jun 01, 2023

Greetings to all of you esteemed members of The Guild. This week we are honored to have Lizzie Killian from Teens In Trouble with us. Teens In Trouble are signed to Asianman Records and they have been working hard af. We catch up with Lizzie right after she returned home from one tour while getting prepared to leave for another run of shows. In addition to being a musician Lizzie owns and operates her own PR firm, so naturally we discuss the balance between her work/music life, her songwriting process, road snacks, long drives, her upbringing in South San Francisco, her advice for artists trying to get themselves our there and lots more. Thanks for listening!

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The Musicians Guild welcomes Isaac Bollivar May 25, 2023

Good to be back. This week we have Issac Bolivar joining us in the study. Isaac is a guitarist/musical director from California who has played shows with a diverse list of artists including Seal, Taking Back Sunday and Harry Hudson among others. The two of us have known each other a long time, and even in collecting photos for this episode Isaac sent me a photo of the two us together in Australia back in 2010 while both doing the Soundwave tour which really stoked me out. Isaac has reached a place in his life where his authenticity seems to be fueling his connection with his craft and we talk about that while also getting into talking about beloved studio musicians behind the scenes, our Bay Area origins, being hyper nostalgic, climbing to high vantage points to feel small, and lots more.

You the listener are appreciated and valued by The Musicians Guild and I hope you feel the respect for your ear and your time. Thank you for listening, more episodes to come!

The Musicians Guild has the lights kept on by Evergreen Podcasts and Sound Talent Media, and we appreciate everyone involved very much!

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The Musicians Guild Field Reports: Brian Diaz (Guitar Tech Blink-182/Fall Out Boy) May 02, 2023

A Field Report from friend of the pod Brian Diaz last summer while he was working with Bush, on tour with Alice In Chains. While he is in the middle of Arkansas he took the time for a chat and we thank him for his Field Report.

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The Musicians Guild welcomes In The Defense Of Ska Mar 09, 2023

This week we are featuring a nice long conversation with Aaron Carnes and Adam Davis from In The Defense Of Ska podcast. This is one of the longer conversations we've had inside The Guild so if you're on a long drive or have a full day of work this might be a good episode for that. Aaron is author of the book also titled In the Defense of Ska which came before the podcast. These two fine humans were kind enough to come to my home and we sat in my den by the fire and discussed how Ska got hated on so much, the new face and direction of Ska, Ska fashion crimes, older punks going MAGA, seeing Fugazi live, bad driving while searching for music, Adam's kids disliking LEGO, 17 band bills, and lots lots more. Thank you for being you.

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The Musicians Guild Field Reports: Dave Jun (Guitar tech - Miley Cyrus) Feb 23, 2023

This week we have a Field Report from my fellow Korean-American brother Dave Jun soon after arriving home from a run in South America with Miley Cyrus. He fills us in on an emergency landing their jet had to make upon being struck by lighting in a bad storm, their festival run, zig-zagging across the continent and sketchy bad weather stages. Thank you to Dave and thank you esteemed members of this guild.

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The Musicians Guild Field Reports: The Sound Of Animals Fighting tour 2023 Feb 16, 2023

Greetings wonderful humans. In this episode I take you through vibes and sounds of this last T.S.O.A.F. tour we just finished a couple weeks ago. You'll get a peak inside my routines, habits, and preferences on tour in a style similar to an amusement ride, meaning you just sit back and take it all in at the pace already set. You'll also get to be a fly on the wall for different conversations during the tour; you'll be listening from a hotel room, a dressing room, a hotel room, in an alley and on the street. After this episode we will continue to roll on with more Field Reports and more full length conversations with guests. Thanks for being a member of The Musicians Guild

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The Musicians Guild Field Reports Jan 03, 2023

...And 3 days before I leave for tour, we are back! Today's session includes introducing our new 'Field Reports' series and reintroducing myself to your time and attention which I always appreciate. Just in this episode you'll be with me In a dressing room, walking through a forest, and in a Van in NYC. More long from conversations and Musicians Digest coming along with plenty of Field Reports with former guests and new friends of the pod. Thanks for listening! Thank you Sound Talent Media and Evergreen Podcasts!

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The Musicians Guild welcomes Megan Holiday (KROQ) Feb 18, 2022

This week we are very happy to have radio personality and host Megan Holiday with us. Although Megan is on the other side of the aisle from us musicians, she is part of the crucial balance I speak of where musicians and non-musicians need each other to maintain the balance of the industry as we know it while it quickly and continuously changes. People like Megan are true advocates for music and musicians so her way of approaching her role in this whole structure is a valuable asset to us creatives. We get into how Megan got her start in radio so naturally we also get into her story of recovery and sobriety after the inevitable rock bottom, and emotions run high. This is delicate vulnerable stuff after all, but it also facilitates gratitude and appreciation of life and sobriety through Megan's story. We also get talk about her 1st times live on air, manifesting people into her life, getting a glow necklace from Aaron Paul at Coachella, tripping hard at Shoreline Amphitheater and lots more! Thanks for listening and being part of the guild.

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The Musicians Digest: State of Play Feb 04, 2022

Another installment of editorial ramblings. I sort out some thoughts on the RE-20 regarding new technologies around music, positions in the music industry, interpersonal band dynamics and Get Back, the film about The Beatles and their recording/rehearsal sessions. This episode feels very music nerdy, could be extra boring. Thank you for listening. Be excellent to each other.

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The Musicians Guild welcomes Nick Reinhart Jan 21, 2022

This intro was a bit longer and I feel like I didn't necessarily do the subject justice. But I'll just keep trying to improve! Toki has made a new bed near my recording desk and has been present for all of the making of this episode.

This week we are very honored to welcome innovative musician, righteous guitarist, and legit-ass human Nick Reinhart to the hall of discussion. You might know Nick from his band Tera Melos who were label and touring mates of RX during our Sargent House days, or you might know him from his more current projects such as Disheveled Cuss, Undo K From Hot, or Vertical Scratchers. Nick has a very hefty and droppable list of names of bands and musicians he's played with including playing with Best Coast on late night tv performances and jamming with various indie and mainstream legends. All the while, Nick maintains his authentic and vibrantly stoic vibe while always asking questions of how we listen to music.

In this conversation we talk about burritos, Nick's sonic inspirations, home studio setups, whether or not we'd make music for a McDonals commercials, over stuffing guitar racks and pedal shelving and lots more!

Be Excellent to each other.

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The Musicians Guild welcomes Matt Rubano (Angels & Airwaves/Taking Back Sunday) Jan 07, 2022

"Perhaps the mission of an artist is to interpret beauty to people - the beauty within themselves." - Langston Hughes

The Earth is changing rapidly. Will we change quick enough with it?

No no I haven't totally gone past the point of no return, I just like to inject random thoughts and ideas wherever I can. A Public notepad if you will. Very stoked on this week's guest, a musician's musician and righteous human by the name of Matt Rubano. Matt is a bassist and currently plays in Angels & Airwaves. Matt has also played in such bands as Taking Back Sunday, All American Rejects and like former guest Will Yip has worked with Lauryn Hill having played bass on two tracks that were on The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill. Two banger tracks I might add. In this conversation we talk about his current role in Angels and Airwaves, the last time we hung out in Australia and it unknowingly being the end of his time in Taking Back Sunday, 6 string basses, the omnipotent and corrosive nature of our current form of capitalism, self work through gratitude and lots more. Please rate and comment on apple podcasts please you can haz cheeseburgers I love you all thank you.

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The Musicians Guild welcomes Barry Johnson (Joyce Manor) Dec 31, 2021

This podcast is brought to you by the rainy and cold Northern California weather. Maximum coziness achieved while putting this episode together, The Musicians Guild hopes you can continue that cozy work.

This week we are pleased to welcome Barry Johnson to the discussion den. Barry is lead singer and guitarist in Joyce Manor and a delightful human. I'm still inspired by those people I come across with big props and attention that live in spite of the accolades, totally unaffected by the glory with very little ego to detect, and Barry is definitely one of those people. This is a really relaxed conversation and I hope you can get as much comfort and laughs out of it as I did. In this conversation we get into how Barry can't appreciate jazz, his path in higher education, the old chestnut of hometown show stress, limiting video game time, Long Beach drivers, the fickleness of the underground and lots more. The Musicians Guild loves you.

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The Musicians Guild welcomes Colin Frangicetto Dec 24, 2021

Wishing you all safe travels and mellow times during the holidays. The pod rolls on. This week we have with us a wonderful human called Colin Frangicetto. Colin is guitarist of Circa Survive as well as a visual artist and podcaster. I admire Colins calm and resolute presence and he is a great example of what it means to feel everything deeply while exercising grace. This conversation was recorded back in August and we are living in such a hyperbolic time that it has a time-capsule effect even though it is within the same year. This was both intentional and accidental so it adds a cool effect. In this conversation we discuss moving back to the east coast, how Circa Survived the pandemic, new live pedalboard setup, work vs. life flow, evil corporations falling upon accidental altruism and much much more. Thank you all, you're the absolute best.

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The Musicians Digest: Breakfast Tangents Dec 17, 2021

This weeks offering is on par with Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey although it contains many earnest and sincere attempts at articulating something meaningful. A handful of musings, perhaps monologues or intros that never saw life beyond the incubator. Perhaps this might spark some questions or conversations for you to have. Thanks for listening!

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The Musicians Guild welcomes Will Yip Dec 03, 2021

This week we are honored to have Will Yip with us for an episode of the pod. Will is a drummer and musician who has worked with Lauryn Hill among other artists as well as a Grammy nominated producer who has made records for Circa Survive, Turnstile, Code Orange, Touché Amoré, Angel Dust, Tigers Jaw and many many more.

In this conversation we discuss his time playing for and working with Lauryn Hill, his approach to making records, how he got his start playing drums, coming up as an Asian-American and son of immigrant parents from China, daily routines and lots lots more.

Hate to ask but if you haven't already and could spare some time it would be awesome if you could rate and review the pod on iTunes. It would be immensely helpful to the pod. If you're not into doing that sort of thing all good, I appreciate you anyways. Thank you for being you.

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The Musicians Guild welcomes Rod Castro Nov 19, 2021

This week we are honored to speak with guitarist Rod Castro. Rod plays with Beyonce, Bebe Rexha, Natasha Bedingfield and Bootsy Collins among others. It is wonderful to meet another musician with such a humble and soulful approach to playing their instrument. I rarely use the word 'soulful' but it is most applicable in this context. In this conversation we get into talking about his time playing in a band with actor Tom Sizemore, being neat and organized with gear but messy in all other aspects of life, getting by in a studio session, visualizing playing the guitar through shapes and patterns and lots more. Thanks for listening, thank you for being involved.

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The Musicians Digest: Gate 26B Nov 12, 2021

So good to be back, and thanks for joining us again for another season of The Musicians Guild. We will be starting this new season off with a story about being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but still managing to find a way to get free so you can make the show and play. You are an important part of The Musicians Guild. Thank You.

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The Musicians Guild welcomes Brian Diaz Jun 10, 2021

Greetings earthlings. This week we are very happy to welcome someone with an enormous wealth of experiences and knowledge who is called Brian Diaz. Brian is a musician who has played in bands such as Edna's Goldfish and The Reunion Show but his main gig is as a guitar/bass tech for bands such as Fall Out Boy, Guns n' Roses, Garbage, Primus, Bush and many many more. In addition to being a top notch conversationalist, Brian is a great hang and provides tons of laughs, so getting to talk with him for an extended period of time was a real pleasure. In this conversation, we get into our first tour together in 1999, Brian's amazing singing voice, skipping out on a Brazilian festival with Anthrax, his bass setup for his band, slowing down to refocus our work, working for Primus, Fall Out Boy's stage talk-back setup, and lots lots more.

Musician's Guild merch? Hmm.

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The Musicians Guild welcomes Aaron Nagel Jun 03, 2021

Welcome back. This week I get to sit down and talk with one of my oldest and closest friends, Aaron Nagel. In his previous life, Aaron was a musician and played trumpet in Link 80 and then guitar in DESA. Now, he is an acclaimed and revered painter/artist, devoted creative and all around fascinating human being. I really enjoy getting to find the connection between Aaron's musical self and his visual artist self. Aaron also has recently published a hardbound art book which you can find at Aaronnagel.com. Before going to eat some Amy's Drive Thru we get into discussing details of Aaron's creative process, his painting idiosyncrasies, how he can do hundreds of burpees within a matter of minutes, the inevitable chaos of hometown reunion shows, touring without gps or mobile phones, all the Jawbreaker shows he attended, how Jazz doesn't allow fakers, and much much more.

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The Musicians Guild welcomes Matt Bettinelli-Olpin May 20, 2021

This week we welcome movie Director and old friend Matt Bettinelli-Olpin to the hall of discussion. Matt is the director of the latest Scream which is the huge horror movie franchise created by legend Wes Craven that is set to be released in January of 2022. Matt was also the original guitarist and one of the founding members of Link 80 who was on AsianManRecords. Matt and his 2 other partners make up the film making group Radio Silence, and their last film, Ready Or Not is available on most streaming services if you would like to get a feel for their work. Growing up in the Berkeley, CA Matt shares my affinity or 90's Bay Area punk and many other things from that era. I get a chance to catch up with an old friend while getting ask all the questions I want to a real Hollywood movie director and Matt graciously obliges me. I also get to see how he transfers his musical ethos into his filmmaking. In this conversation we get into what it's like to take over a film from a legend like Wes Craven, his early days playing East Bay punk shows, our time hanging out in Santa Cruz together, how catering on set suffered during pandemic, his normal morning oatmeal, the politics of making a movie and so much more. Thank you for your time and mind.

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The Musicians Guild welcomes Steve Evetts Apr 29, 2021

The Musicians Guild is honored to have producer engineer Steve Evetts in our hall of discussion. If you're a fan of anything within the galaxy of punk/metal/hardcore then you already know Steve's work. He has made/worked on albums for bands such as Dillinger Escape Plan, Saves The Day, The Wonder Years, Kid Dynamite, Sepultura, Every Time I Die, Torch, The Cure and so many more. His sincere and earnest approach to making great sounding records with sonic integrity comes through in his work and we were very lucky to get inside his mind for his methods as well as some really cool stories. We talk about life in Long Beach, his favorite working lunches, working with The Cure, mixing the Dillinger/Mike Patton ep, trying to manage his candy addiction, and lots more about the numerous albums he has worked on. Thank you so much for enjoying the pod and sticking with us as you are an integral part of The Musicians Guild. Thank you for all your ratings and reviews, please keep them coming in! Much love and gratitude.

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The Musicians Guild welcomes Elliot Babin (Touché Amoré) Apr 15, 2021

Greetings Earthlings, and welcome back for another episode of this pod. This week we welcome Elliot Babin, drummer of Touché Amoré to the hall of discussion. I love Elliot's drumming style and his attitude towards life and it was great to discuss life on the road as well as life at home with such a fine musician and human. Among those things I just mentioned, we also discuss European punk squats, through hiking the John Muir trail, pre-show routines, playing songs too fast live, practicing habits, preferred drum attire, the importance of fresh produce, and lots more. Thank you again for joining us! You are great, keep on living the best you can.

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The Musicians Guild welcomes Ken Vasoli (Vacationer, The Starting Line) Mar 25, 2021

Welcome back! Good to be back. Good to have you here, thank you. I had to drop some heavy claims in my intro but you know how it goes. This week we are honored to have a very old friend step inside The Musicians Guild, a true musical craftsman and all around great human Ken Vasoli. You may know Ken(ny) as Vacationer or as fronting The Starting line. As always it was great to catch up with an old friend. We start the conversation with a decent bit of gear talk but we also get to discussing Ken's home studio, morning routines with the new dog, Vacationer song in a Superbowl commercial, his first tour, the recent Starting Line live stream concert and tons more. Thanks for supporting the show, for spreading the word, and all of your nice reviews and comments!

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The Musicians Guild welcomes Amber Carew (Saddle Creek Records) Feb 18, 2021

This week we welcome Amber Carew to The Musicians Guild. Amber is A&R for Saddle Creek and if you don't know what that is we discuss the former and current meaning of that title somewhere in the conversation. I really appreciate the existence of people like Amber in the music industry as her ethos is informed by her coming from one of the most amazing places on earth; New Orleans. The sincerity and honesty with which she approaches her role in signing new artists as well as how she exists within this reality we all share is truly great. Also in this conversation we get into discussing the kind record deals to NOT sign, manic home cleaning, my industry person radar, how sobriety inevitably disappoints certain people, Amber growing up in New Orleans and coming up in the New Orleans music scene, how things get harder after you sign a record deal and much much more.

You, yes you. You are a great person, and I really appreciate you listening to my pod and taking interest in anything I make. I would be nothing without it, so thank you thank you thank you. I'll never stop being so grateful for it. I'll never stop saying it. Get over it.

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The Musicians Guild welcomes Brian Moss (Hanalei) Feb 11, 2021

This week the Musicians Guild welcomes Brian Moss (Hanalei) to the hall of discussion. Brian is a musician from the Bay Area who now teaches high school but that hasn't slowed him down as he just finished a new Hanalei full length album which is set to be released on AF Records. Brian is a prolific songwriter as well as being a new father, surfer, and avid outdoorsman. In this conversation we discuss taking time off of teaching to go on tour, his minimalist beach dad approach with his baby, his early years growing up in Berkeley playing Gilman st and Berkeley Square, working on the latest Hanalei record, and lots of reminiscing amidst our many other talking points. Thanks so much for continuing to support the pod and thank you so much for all of your kind reviews and messages. You are an important part of The Musicians Guild.

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The Musicians Digest: Taking Hits from the Song Feb 04, 2021

Musical musings downstream of consciousness feeding the cascade of activity. Thank you for being a part of The Musicians Guild!

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The Musicians Guild welcomes Porter McKnight (Atreyu) Jan 28, 2021

We are back in session and this week we welcome Porter McKnight who is the bassist of Atreyu as well as a photographer and graphic designer. Porter is a human of many talents that has been able to focus his high energy self into accomplishing many tasks and maintaining a very high creative output. We catch Porter on a fine Saturday in January from his family farm in rural Alabama to discuss our approach to life, creativity, love, and existence. In addition to those things, we also get into Atreyu's process in completing their latest album, mastering our anxiety, Porter becoming a Twitch streamer, how I am not a real guitarist, how finding our passion is a true privilege, our meditation practices, how I am a master of failure, long drives from Alabama to California and so much more. Thank you for being a part of this forum.

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The Musicians Guild welcomes Brendan Kelly (The Lawrence Arms, The Falcon) Jan 07, 2021

This week we are honored to invite Brendan Kelly into the hall of discussion. Brendan plays bass and sings in The Lawrence Arms and The Falcon and has other projects such as Brendan Kelly and The Wandering Birds. Brendan has also written for The Onion and creates some of your favorite articles for The Hard Times with this wonderfully dark sense of humor. We linked up on a Sunday evening during the holidays and had a nice time catching up and having a lot of laughs. In this episode we get into our love for Bay Area punk, why Fender Jazz basses are the coolest, coming up at The Fireside Bowl, the power of Op Ivy, being a father in a band, playing the War On Christmas show with an untreated case of pneumonia, and lots more. Thank you for being a part of this podcast. NO REALLY, THANK YOU SO MUCH. Ok I'm done yelling at you I'm sorry.

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The Musicians Guild welcomes Lucie Barinkova Dec 31, 2020

This week we welcome Lucie Barinkova into the discussion hall. Lucie is a live sound engineer, tour manager, and production manager. Lucie has toured with Thundercat, Flying Lotus, The Hives, Refused, RX Bandits, Spoon, B-52s, The Knife, Spoon, Gaslight Anthem and currently is production manager for Usher and 88 Rising as well as working for many other bands that are not listed. Lucie is from Austria by way of Czech Republic. We get into a brief history of how her family fled communist Czechoslovakia and how she got into being a front of house engineer. In addition to her history, in this conversation we discuss her always having an accent in all the different languages she speaks, her first show doing sound for Oi Polloi, her production manger rider, studying to become a healer, her favorite kinds of bands to mix, feeling gratitude during the show, sneaking her way back across borders, dealing with The Hives onstage insanity and their sweaty stage suits and lots lots more. Thank you for listening!

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The Musicians Guild welcomes Joey Vannucchi (From Indian Lakes, Joe Vann) Dec 17, 2020

This week The Musicians Guild welcomes Joey Vannucchi (From Indian Lakes, Joe Vann). Joey is a musician and songwriter from California and after spending a while in Harlem after starting a coffee shop there, he returned to the land he grew up on to build his own tiny house and settle. We talk about that and also get into recording an album at Sound City Studios, his entrepreneurial ethics, his love for Deftones, music we dislike but still listen to for research & development, some family history including how his grandfather was a kicker for the 49ers, and lots more. Thanks you for listening and spending time with us!

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The Musicians Guild welcomes Peter Tsouras (Be Well, Fairweather) Dec 10, 2020

This week we welcome Peter Tsouras into The Musicians Guild. Peter is a guitarist from Washington DC and plays in Be Well and Fairweather among other bands. Peter is also a museum technician in the museum wonderland of DC, and his museum focuses on Byzantine and Pre-Colombian art. Among many other things we discuss his museum work, what he likes to listen to in his workshop, the Gibson Goldtop Les Paul, when Fairweather and RX toured together in 2003, old guy skateboarding, seeing Fugazi at the 9:30 Club, the Rock n Roll Ramada in Detroit, Green Jello (the band), how the Be Well record is a youth crew record for grown-ups, Jawbox, and sleeping positions for his old man body. Thank you so much for all the kind reviews and feedback. I can never say it enough; THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for the support, the DMs, and the kind words about the podcast. Just you listening is more than I could ever ask for. Wishing you all love and stable happiness.

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The Musicians Guild welcomes Charlie Saxton (Much Better, Netflix's Troll Hunters Trilogy) Dec 03, 2020

This week The Musicians Guild welcomes Charlie Saxton into the forum of discussion. Charlie is a musician and fronts his band Much Better. Charlie is also an actor and stars in Netflix's Troll Hunter Trilogy created by Guillermo Del Toro as well as being in production for the Troll Hunters feature-length film. In addition, Charlie has also starred/appeared in HBO's HUNG , New Girl, and Silicon Valley among many other popular shows and films. It's always nice to hang and/or chat with successful humans who are down to earth and just plain cool, and Charlie epitomizes those values perfectly. Among many other subjects, in this conversation we discuss what it's like to make a feature film remotely recording himself, Charlie getting rescued from the pit at an RX show in Philly, his parents being musicians, practicing bass to Jackson 5 songs, moving back to NJ, making kimchi waffles, and his love for warmed up frosted mini wheats. Thank you so much for listening and supporting the show!

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The Musicians Guild welcomes Vinnie Caruana (I Am The Avalanche, The Movielife) Nov 26, 2020

This week's guest is my very close friend Vinnie Caruana. Vinnie comes from Long Island, NY but now resides in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. In addition to being in I.A.T.A. and The Movielife, he is also in Constant Elevation and is a bandmate to me in Peace'd Out. Vinnie was out in CA working on a project for some friends and I traveled to Bright Mountain studios where we caught up and had a good time hangin. Among many other things, in this conversation we get into The Movie Life's first tour to the west coast, the truth about food in the UK, boring old guy youtube videos we like, English footballers and their horrible taste in music, how the newest I.A.T.A record was written to be the listener's companion, the joys of peeing outside, and his headphone technique while recording vocals. Thank you so much for all of your support! The positive feedback has been overwhelming and I can not express the heights of my gratitude. Thank you so much for listening.

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The Musicians Guild welcomes Augusta Koch (Gladie, Cayetana) Nov 19, 2020

Augusta Koch is a singer/songwriter based in Philadelphia. Her old band Cayetana opened for RX back in 2015 and I've enjoyed her vocal stylings ever since. We catch up from her studio/creative getaway in the Pocono Mountains and in this conversation we discuss being prolific out of insecurity, Gladie releasing 2 eps and a full length in 2020, her getting into making stained glass, feeling like the Celestial Seasonings bear, quitting drinking, how she met Mike Park and signed to Asianman Records and good/bad memories from listening to our older works. We also get into a lot more than that. Hope you enjoy, thank you so much for your support and for listening.

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The Wedding, The Funeral, and The Heart attack with Jon Sortland (The Shins, Broken Bells, Cigar) Nov 12, 2020

The Musicians Guild welcomes Jon Sortland. Jon is a musician and drummer extraordinaire and plays in The Shins, Broken Bells, Cigar, EV Kain and Hot Summer. When he isn't touring or recording he also makes amazing music videos . In this episode we discuss his recent heart attack, his surgeon playing The Shins on the stereo while operating on his heart, his early days in Grass Valley, his first band in Bones skate parts, zoning out while on stage in Australia in front of 15,000 people, his low sodium diet, and the latest video he put together for The Shins performance on The Late Late Show with James Corden. We also talk about a LOT of other stuff as this is the longest conversation inside The Musicians Guild so far. Thanks for tuning in and supporting the show, you are wonderful.

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The Musicians Digest: Turn it UpDown Oct 29, 2020

In this Musicians Digest I chat about people who blast music in public spaces, my panic disorder, and becoming what I used to resent.

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The Musicians Guild welcomes Kam Franklin (The Suffers) Oct 22, 2020

Kam Franklin fronts the band The Suffers from Houston, Texas. She got her start singing in the churches of Houston as she honed her gospel chops but quickly branched out into every aspect of music she encountered. When she's not on stage with The Suffers she stays busy working on music and all the business required to run a band. In this conversation we discuss how she and her band collected 70 (YES SEVENTY) songs to choose from for their current record, the advice Dave Chapelle directly gave her, pre-show and post-show routines, performing on David Letterman, gross backstage veggie trays, and my process of becoming a recovered hater. Yet another friend/guest I could talk to for hours so I will ask her to come on the show again sooner than later. Thanks for all your support and thank you so much for listening.

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Ed Breckenridge (Thrice) Oct 15, 2020

Ed Breckenridge is the bassist of Thrice and plays in many other bands you've heard of. He is an exceptionally kind and thoughtful human who takes pride being the best he can be in his many crafts outside of music. In this episode Ed and I discuss capturing our inner child when rocking out on stage, a twisty timeline of Thrice from beginning to hiatus to present, being socially anxious on tour, musicians we miss, skateboarding, and many other things I'm forgetting. Although I can say this for everyone that will be on the pod, I love talking with Ed. Edward and I have a particular resonance that happens when we get into longer conversations and I appreciate the energy it creates very much.

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The Musicians Digest: Tour (Or lack thereof) Oct 08, 2020

In this first installment of The Musicians Digest I began with intention of sharing some thoughts on tour and what I missed about it. I didn't get into the working parts or details so much as that is better done with my future guests and their expertise and experiences. However, this episode became a bit of a therapy session for me as I realize how much time I spent on the road not appreciating it or the gigantic amount of satisfaction I got from it. Like clockwork I feel super insecure about being so open and vulnerable even about something innocuous like this but if you remember what Matt and I discussed in the last episode, you'll know the type of energy I'm trying to evoke. Thank you for being you.

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Matt Embree (RX Bandits, Dispatch, The Sound Of Animals Fighting) visits The Musicians Guild Oct 01, 2020

For the first full length episode of The Musicians Guild I wanted to stay close to home, and there are few people I've shared my musical home with longer than my brother and bandmate Matt Embree. Vocalist, guitarist, songwriter, and deep thinker are just some of the many trades and titles he has collected over the years. In this conversation we discuss early touring days of RX, songwriting and creative habits/tendencies, Frank Zappa, Metallica's use of subpar drumming and many other things I'm forgetting. It's not uncommon for Matt and I to have phone conversations that last an hour or two so this conversation was just a fraction of all the things we normally discuss. I can already tell that I'll have to have him back for more episodes. Enjoy.

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