Artist Connection Podcast

Welcome to Episode 307 of The Artist Connection Podcast! My guest today is Courtney Moorehead Balaker! She is an award-winning filmmaker, producer, director, writer, and co-founder of Korchula Productions. Her latest project “Little Pink House” is available now for streaming, VOD, and DVD. It tells the true story of one woman’s struggle to save her home from corporate redevelopment in her area. She is up against Pfizer and the government in this emotional tale of the importance of fighting for what you love, even if the odds are against you. I watched the film and thoroughly enjoyed it. I didn’t know anything about the story going into it, but I was instantly hooked. Courtney and I talked a lot about the film, as well the impacts of Eminent Domain on small communities. We also talked about her experiences as a theatre director in New York City, life in Los Angeles, and her studies in Colorado and London. If you reach out to Courtney, please let her know that you heard her here first. Enjoy! Special Thanks: To

Welcome to Episode 306 of The Artist Connection Podcast! My guest today is actor & musician Ben Rauch! His latest track “The Emoji Song” has recently won Best Comedy Song in the USA Songwriting Competition. It also won four Silver Medal awards for Outstanding Achievement in the Global Music Awards. This praise and recognition is well deserved. It is such a fun song! Be sure to check out the video, as well. Both “The Emoji Song” and Ben’s holiday hit “Jersey Christmas” are featured with this episode. Once you hear them, I know that you will want a copy for yourself. His full length album “Tales from the Turnpike” is due later this year. His acting credits span the stage, television screen, and the big screen. He is such a talented and versatile performer. I had a good time with Ben, and we shared a lot of laughs during our conversation. I hope to have him back very soon. If you reach out to him, please mention that you heard his interview and music on my show. Enjoy! Special Thanks: To my good friend Tim B

At long last...The wait is over...Episode 305 of The Artist Connection Podcast is here! My guest today is musician Jason Klahr. We have been friends & brothers for 36 years and I am so excited to share his story with you. We start at the very beginning and discuss his earliest musical influences, his time in the US Navy, the places that he has called home, and his life in Hawaii. He is one of my favorite guitar players, and the first person to make music a tangible thing for me. Songs went from being something that only existed on vinyl and the radio to now coming alive through him and his Ibanez Roadstar. He has taught me so much over the years. The thumbnail pic for this episode is from one of our many jams way back in 1993. Those were great times! We talk often, and this interview gives you a glimpse into what those conversations sound like. I hope that you have as much fun with it as we did. I plan on having him back very soon to do a track by track of his latest album "God's Not Done Yet." If you rea

Welcome to Episode 304 of The Artist Connection Podcast! My guest today is Actor-Musician-Producer Eric Walker. His latest album “Brand New Day” is available now. Three of his tracks are featured throughout this episode. After you listen to the interview, be sure to pick up your own copy. I will provide links below. Eric has the distinction of being my first guest from the Star Wars universe! As a child actor, Eric was cast as Mace Towani in “Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure” & “Ewoks: The Battle for Endor.” He also appeared in “Less Than Zero” as Robert Downey Jr’s younger brother. It was cool to talk through those early roles with him. We also talked about growing up in Hollywood and his various experiences there. This conversation was a lot of fun. I hope to have him on again very soon. If you reach out to Eric, please let him know that you heard his interview and music on my show. Enjoy! Special Thanks: To my good friend, Tim Binder from New Ocean Media. I appreciate his support, and making

Welcome to Episode 303 of The Artist Connection Podcast! My guest today is music legend Mark Slaughter! I have been a fan of his since the 80’s, so having the chance to speak with him was a real thrill for me. His new solo album “Halfway There” is available now. Three tracks from it are featured throughout this episode, along with a Van Halen cover that he recorded in 2007. After you listen to the interview, be sure to pick up your own copy of the album. I will provide links below. We also talked about his growing up in Las Vegas, the music business, and how important being a songwriter is to his life. For Mark, it all begins with the song. He shares some amazing advice during our conversation. I had so many things that I wanted to ask him about, and he was open to all of my questions. If you reach out to Mark, please let him know that you heard his interview and music on my show. Enjoy! Special Thanks: To my good friend, Tim Binder from New Ocean Media. I appreciate his support, and making episodes like this

Happy Independence Day to all of my fellow Americans celebrating on this beautiful 4th of July Weekend! I have a very special episode on deck today. Musician Joie Calio returns to the show to catch me up on all of the work that he’s been doing with dada and 7horse. He and his bandmates are about to kick off a new set of dates for the dada tour. I will be there when they come to Philadelphia in September. Learn more at www.dadaforever.com. Joie allowed me to feature some of my favorite dada & 7horse tracks with this episode. I provide a nice mix from both bands, and things close out with the brand new 7horse track called “Swagger.” Learn more at www.7horsemusic.com. Joie is a great guest and is always so generous with his time. If you reach out or catch Joie on tour, please let him know that you enjoy his appearances on my show. This is a big one. I hope you like it as much as I do! We do not own any copyrights to the songs played on this episode. We have special permission by the artists themselves to pla

It is hard to believe that the 6th anniversary of this podcast is only a few days away. I have met some amazing people along the way and I am honored to have the opportunity to share these conversations with you. Today’s episode starts off with “Swagger,” the brand new single from the band 7horse. Learn more about them at www.7horsemusic.com, and be sure to stop by Amazon or iTunes to grab your own copy of the song. After that you will hear my interview with comedian Brad Williams. I had so much fun with him and we covered many topics. Brad is out on the road now. Learn more at www.bradwilliamscomedy.com. Also look for the podcast that he does with Adam Ray called “About Last Night.” Thank you all for listening to each episode of my show and for all of your support through the years. Please reach out to me at www.artistconnectionpodcast.com and like my Facebook page. If you reach out to either 7horse or Brad, please let them know that you heard them here first. Enjoy! We do not own any copyrights to the songs

Welcome to Episode 300 of The Artist Connection Podcast! My guest for this milestone is my good friend Stewart Kenny. Stew is a singer/songwriter from Dublin Ireland, and longtime listeners know him from his many appearances over the past several years. It is always great to catch up with him. His brand new album “A Better Place” is available now at iTunes (https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/stewart-kenny/id327768932). Please check it out and pick up a copy of your own. If you connect with Stewart, please let him know how much you enjoy listening to him on this show! We do not own any copyrights to the songs played on this episode. We have special permission by the artists themselves to play their music on the show for promotional purposes for the artists.

The Artist Connection Podcast is back and bigger than ever! Today’s guest is musician Jim McCarty. He is best known as the drummer for The Yardbirds, but there is so much more to the story. We talked about his early double life as a London Stockbroker by day and drumming Mod by night, and his family’s reaction to his career in the music business. He shared stories about his life post-Yardbirds, and how it all came back around for him. Jim also has amazing solo albums available. I sprinkled in songs throughout the episode that fit in nicely with the conversation and really set the mood for the topics that we covered. I don’t throw around the word “legend” a lot, but Jim has certainly earned this distinction. It was an honor to speak with him. His music spans the decades, and his influence can be felt in many ways. Musicians like Jim set the tone early on, and many of us are still trying to catch up. Learn more about him at www.jamesmccarty.com and www.theyardbirds.com. If you reach out, please let Jim know tha

Today’s returning guest is a musician, podcaster, author, and world traveler. George Hrab does it all! He was one of my first guests back in 2011 and his podcast was a major inspiration behind my desire to start this show. He gave me advice in those early days that has stayed with me through the years. I was so happy that he took time out of his busy schedule to stop over and catch up. George shared some highlights of 2016, why he chose to plant roots in Bethlehem PA, and his thoughts on social media. You will find some fantastic music sprinkled throughout our chat. He gave me complete access to his catalog and allowed me to pick some favorites to share with you today. I selected songs from each of his six studio recordings, and you will get the added bonus of hearing the story behind the tracks. He may be influenced by Frank Zappa, Yes, King Crimson, and Talking Heads…but what comes through his work is a style that is unique and all his own. Learn more at www.georgehrab.com and be sure to pick up your copies

I am very excited to share this episode with you! Today’s guest is musician Chris Butler. Even though this is his first appearance, he plays a big part in the history of the show. As I planned out the podcast back in 2011, Chris was on my original list of people that I wanted to speak with. I am thrilled that I now have the opportunity to feature this talented artist and share his story and music with you. I first learned about Chris back in 1982. He was the founder/guitarist/songwriter of The Waitresses. I have been a fan ever since, and it is where I start the interview. Chris told me about his early days in Ohio, what the music scene was like, his early bands, moving to NYC, and how The Waitresses got their start. The second part of our conversation focuses on the historic recording techniques that Chris has experimented with, and tasting success in Europe with Kilopop! Music from various eras of his career are mixed in throughout the conversation. We wrap things up in the final segment by talking about hi

Today’s guest is Joie Calio! This episode explores the many sides of this cool musician through music and conversation. I am a huge fan of his band “7Horse”, and meeting him to talk through his life and musical career was a great experience for me. He shared stories about growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, when music first took hold of him, and his many adventures in the 90's and beyond. Joie has been a working musician his whole life, and you can still hear the excitement in his voice when he talks about getting signed for the first time with his band Dada and what life on the road is like. He lives for this stuff. The new 7Horse album “Livin in a Bitch of a World” is out now. After you listen to this episode, be sure to pick up a copy and check out his other albums. He allowed me to play some of my favorite tracks from Dada, his solo work, and 7Horse to compliment the interview and give some added perspective to our chat. Learn more at www.7horsemusic.com. If you reach out to Joie, please let him k

Today’s guest is Actor/Rocker/Renaissance Man Michael Des Barres! This episode gave me the opportunity to explore the many sides of this legendary performer through music and conversation. I have been a fan of his for as long as I can remember, and meeting him was an absolute thrill! He doesn’t normally talk about the past in great detail, but he gave me a glimpse during our hour together because he knew how much it meant to me. He has contributed so much to the pop culture landscape and I wanted to hear about the experiences that got him to where he is today. He opened up his musical vaults and allowed me to play some of my favorite tracks to compliment the interview and give some added perspective to the topics that we were discussing. Be sure to check out “The Michael Des Barres Program” on SiriusXM Radio as part of “Little Steven’s Underground Garage.” He is also very active on social media, so please look for him at his website (http://michaeldesbarres.com/) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/MDesBarres/

The Artist Connection Podcast is back! My good friend Jade Starling returns to the show to break my summer long hiatus, and it was great to speak with her again. She has a brand new single out now on Tazmania Records. Jade joined Mike Ferullo on "Party 2 Life." Two versions of this high energy track are featured here. I love it, and I know you will, too. Jade and I covered some heavy topics in this interview. We talked through some recent events that are happening in the world which haven't been so bright. I appreciate her for being so open with her opinions, and for always being so positive with her music. It's artists like Jade that give you hope when things seem darkest. Visit her online at www.jadestarling.com, Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/LikeJadeStarling/?fref=ts), Twitter (https://twitter.com/JadeStarling?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor), and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/jadestarling/). If you reach out, please let Jade know that you heard her here first. Enjoy! We

Today's guest is my good friend LAW! He's been featured here many times and we always have a lot to talk about. It's been about six months since we last spoke, and we lost many musical greats in that time. We paid tribute to many of them during our conversation, but our primary focus was on Prince. His music meant so much to both of us and it was nice to share our memories and favorite musical moments. LAW has such respect for the people that came before him and influenced what he is doing today. We also talked about David Bowie, LAW's upcoming shows in NYC, and setting the record straight on the cultural impact of "Uptown Funk." Follow LAW on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. If you reach out to him, please let him know that you heard him here first. Enjoy! If you are looking for an easy way to support this show that won't cost you anything extra, please click through this LINK whenever you shop at Amazon. It goes a long way in keeping the lights on around here. Thank you in advance!

Introducing UK singer/songwriter Emily Capell! This episode mixes music and my conversation with this dynamic performer. Her songs are catchy but also make you think. These are the same qualities that attracted me to The Clash in the early 80's. Through Emily, I learned about Winston Silcott and Smiley Culture. These may not be household names in the States, but they are very significant in England. Five of Emily's songs are featured with this episode, as well as the story behind each. We also covered Northern Soul, Frank Sinatra, the East Coast/West Coast Rap feuds of the 90's, and all points in between. Her knowledge of music and music history blew me away. I have many more topics to cover with her, so hopefully this episode will serve as an introduction with many more appearances in the future. Learn more at www.emilycapell.com and follow her on Twitter (https://twitter.com/emily_capell). Please reach out to Emily and let her know that you heard her here first. Enjoy!    If you are looking for an easy way

My guest today is singer/songwriter Angela Elia! She lives in NYC and we had a lot to talk about! We covered topics as varied as social media, life in the Big Apple, technology, and various social issues. The thing that linked everything together is music. Even though we just met, it was if I'd known Angela for years. Her single is called "Be Okay" and it is featured with this episode. After you hear it, I know you will want your own copy. Angela has an active presence on Instagram, and Twitter. You can also stay up to date with all of her projects and appearances atwww.angelaeliamusic.com. Please reach out to Angela and let her know that you heard her here first. Enjoy! If you are looking for an easy way to support this show that won't cost you anything extra, please click through this LINK whenever you shop at Amazon. It goes a long way in keeping the lights on around here. Thank you in advance! We do not own any copyrights to the songs played on this episode. We have special permission by the artists thems

My guest today is singer/songwriter Clay Snyder! Clay grew up in Hawaii but is now living in Erie, PA. His musical mission is to “Spread the Aloha lifestyle, the positive vibes that heal” and he more than accomplishes that goal! Three of his songs are featured here to give you an idea of what this means. It was so cool to speak with him about his life, experiences, influences, and the importance of having the confidence to get on stage and perform. Clay is very active on social media, so be sure to reach out and let him know that you heard him here first. Find him at ReverbNation, Soundcloud, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Enjoy! If you are looking for an easy way to support this show that won't cost you anything extra, please click through this LINK whenever you shop at Amazon. It goes a long way in keeping the lights on around here. Thank you in advance! We do not own any copyrights to the songs played on this episode. We have special permission by the artists themselves to play their music on the show f

Today's guest is Philadelphia area singer/songwriter Cliff Hillis! His brand new EP "Love Not War" is being released today, and Cliff joined me to tell me all about it. I have been a fan of Cliff's music since seeing him open for Smash Palace last year and I'm happy to share his story with you on this special day. We had a great conversation about his early days, the musicians that he works with, our shared love of vinyl records, and our common influences from the late 70's and early 80's. Visit him at www.cliffhillis.com to stay current with his tour dates and learn more about him. Three of Cliff's songs are featured with this episode. Once you listen I'm sure you are going to want to buy the rest. If you reach out to Cliff, please let him know that you heard him here first. Enjoy! If you are looking for an easy way to support this show that won't cost you anything extra, please click through this LINK whenever you shop at Amazon. It goes a long way in keeping the lights on around here. Thank you in advance!

Today's guest is Rachael Sage! She is a vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, dancer, visual artist, songwriter, and producer. Rachael is no stranger to life on the road, performing over a 100 dates per year. Her latest tour begins in Austin on 3/16/16 at SXSW. Keep up to date with all of the tour stops at www.rachaelsage.com. We had a nice conversation about her life, music, and experiences. She has been releasing albums since 1996 and I am a huge fan of her work. Three of my favorite songs are featured with this episode, and I'm looking forward to the new album. Rachael has also studied at the School of American Ballet in her teens, and her music has been featured on the show "Dance Moms". I feel like I barely scratched the surface of her incredible career and hope to have her on again very soon so we can continue the story. Please reach out to Rachael and let her know that you heard her here first. Enjoy! If you are looking for an easy way to support this show that won't cost you anything extra, please click th