Salt of the Sound have been making some of the most beautiful music I've come across in the last several years. The husband and wife duo, Ben and Anita Tatlow, continue to create music for prayer, contemplation, worship and meditation. In this conversation that is near to my heart, Anita shares about the musical and life journey they have been on. Touched by a period of heartache and uncertainty, some of the most personal and hope-filled music The Salt of the Sound has made, finds itself on...

In this final segment of my extensive conversation with singer/songwriter Steve Wynn, we spend time talking about The Baseball Project, Steve's upcoming memoir (coming in August 2024), his upcoming solo album (also releasing in August 2024) and the shear power of early Dream Syndicate live performances (and much more!). One thing that has become crystal clear to me since Steve and I spent nearly two hours in conversation in February of 2024, and the relistening to that chat as I edit, is that...

The Dream Syndicate is one of the few bands that have been a part of starting a new movement in the Rock world. With equal doses of The Velvet Underground, Black Flag, Neil Young and Bob Dylan, The Dream Syndicate helped create what would later be known as Alternative Rock. In this two part conversation, Steve Wynn and I track his personal musical journey, through his first band at 9 years old, all the way through his next solo album coming out this year. Steve and I dig into his earliest...

Emmaline is an artist who can take a song decades old and bring it to life with her magic touch in arranging and sultry vocal delivery. Beyond adding a fresh coat of paint to the great songs of a bygone era, Emmaline writes songs that are fresh and exciting, yet are laced and graced with the feeling of musical nostalgia; songs that will put in a Jazz club of days gone by. In this delightful conversation, Emmaline and I chat about her musical journey and the joys of rearranging songs to create...

There are some bands that when you hear them for the first time, they just stop you in your tracks and draw you in. That's what happened the first time I heard Shannon Clark and the Sugar. I was honored to be joined by Shannon Clark, the bands vocalist and principle songwriter, for a great chat about music, struggle, and life.    Shannon and I talk a bit about the band's history and how personal loss caused this family musical group to walk away from music for a while. With great stories to...

Malcolm Guite is truly a delight to speak with, which made interviewing him a thing of beauty. In this second and final segment, Malcolm and I converse about the film adaptations of the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit books, Malcolm shares one of his own beautiful sonnets, and much, much more.   I hope those who listen will find this insightful and encouraging. If you have not listened to Part 1, you can find that episode on the platform you are listening on now. My interview with Malcolm and...

Malcolm Guite is a man of many facets. He is a poet with a deep appreciation for the classical form and higher realms of language. Equal parts songwriter, author, ordained priest in the Church of England, avid reader and academic, Malcolm brings these beautiful colors into one of the most fascinating conversations I have had on my podcast.  Malcolm and I cover a wide range of topics with one of the highlights of this first installment being a reading he does from The Fellowship of the Ring....

Veteran singer-songwriter Maia Sharp proves once again that she has great songcrafting and storytelling skills with her latest album, "Reckless Thoughts." Maia has written for artists like Trisha Yearwood, Bonnie Raitt and Cher. I first became familiar with Maia's work when she teamed up with Buddy Mondlock to help write and record an album ("Everything Waits to Be Noticed") with legendary vocalist, Art Garfunkel. Maia and I had a great chat about her journey, the twists and turns and...

In this special episode, Sally Stevens and Ron Hicklin give us insight into the creative world of James Horner like very few can. Ron and Sally began working with James in the early 80s as studio vocalists and vocal contractors and their voices can be heard on so many Horner scores like Glory, Apollo 13, Sneakers, Jumanji, Casper, Red Heat, and many more. The stories my guests tell, paint an intimate picture of what it was like to spend countless hours in the studio with James, his work...

Beth Bombara is a wonderfully gifted singer, songwriter, musician and storyteller. While she has drawn comparisons to Aimee Mann and Jewel, she brings her unique voice that paints her songs with authenticity and warmth. Those traits shine brightly in and through the conversation we shared on a Fall afternoon. Along with chatting about her journey as an artist and musician, we dive into her latest album, "It All Goes Up," which is one of the best albums I came across in 2023. We play my...

In 2008 Denny Tedesco took the world of music storytelling by storm with the release of the multi-award winning film, "The Wrecking Crew." That hit film told the story of a group of elite studio musicians in Los Angeles that played on countless smash hit songs and albums for every huge artist you can name. As the son of Tommy Tedesco, who is the most recorded session player in history and was part of The Wrecking Crew, Denny had a birds eye view into that world, which helped him tell that...

Singer-songwriter, Robin Taylor Zander, son of Cheap Trick vocalist, Robin Zander, took advantage of the instruments he grew up around by learning to play a variety of them. Spending summers on the road with his dad and soaking in the sonics of Rock from his earliest days helped form RTZ into a songwriter with an exceptional sense of melody and songcrafting. As a touring member of Cheap Trick, where he has filled in on drums, bass, and lead guitar as the need arose, RTZ has become an integral...

In this final segment of my in-depth conversation with the Queen of Bass Guitar, Carol Kaye, we chat about her work with Motown, which was kept very quiet and we examine some of Carol's most iconic bass lines and how they were created. Carol talks about how her intro to "Wichita Lineman" was an accident in some respects. I get Carol's thoughts about what it was like to work the biggest artists and producers, names like Quincy Jones, Brian Wilson, Phil Spector and others. As one of the last...

Carol Kaye is a towering musical legend who's considered to be one of the most prolific bassists in Rock and Pop music history. With over 10,000 recording sessions under her belt, and an integral part of The Wrecking Crew studio musicians, Carol recorded with them all- The Beach Boys, Glen Campbell, Frank Sinatra, The Righteous Brothers, Simon & Garfunkel (to name a few), and helped give birth to Rock n Roll by playing on songs like "La Bamba" and "Donna" by Ritchie Valens. In the Spring...

Very few people had the distinct pleasure of singing with the King of Rock n' Roll, Elvis Presley, but both of my guests DID! Ron Hicklin and Sally Stevens are two living legends in the vocal world. Many have heard of "The Wrecking Crew" studio musicians who played on endless smash hits on some of the greatest music ever made. Sally and Ron, and their respective team of vocalists are the equivalent to that famous group of musicians.  Listen in as Ron and Sally answer the question: What was it...

In this concluding portion of my in-depth conversation with legendary guitarist and artist, Phil Keaggy, we cover a wide range of topics. We talk about what makes his playing style unique, what it was like to meet and play music with Paul McCartney, and what Phil prefers these days to being on the road. The conversation moves to things like when Phil feels most creative, what advice would he would share with his younger self, and the joy of collaboration, and much much more.  Phil plays two...

This UpClose and Personal conversation with legendary guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer, Phil Keaggy, is truly one of the greatest I've had since starting Journey to the Stage. Phil has won 7 GMA Dove Awards and has been nominated for multiple Grammys. Our chat is filled with laughs and wonderful storytelling by one of my great musical heroes. We cover lots of ground in Part 1 of this extensive deep dive into the events that have helped shape Phil, both as a man, and as an artist....

Florence Dore and I sat for a great conversation about her journey as a singer, songwriter, author and professor. Florence's latest album, "Highways and Rocketships" is a delightful blend of Rock, Americana and Folk. The songs are wonderfully crafted, filled with melodic hooks, superb musical performances, and Florence's lovely voice and creative lyrics. With production and creative assistance by original dB and current Steve Earl band drummer, husband Will Rigsby, this album was destined to...

In the final segment of the UpClose & Personal conversation with multi-Grammy and multi-Dove Award winning vocalist, John Schlitt, we dig into the Petra years. From his arrival as Petra's new vocalist and working with power producers, John and Dino Elefante, John peels the curtain back and and gives us unfettered access to what went on behind the scenes. We touch on some of Petra's biggest albums like, Back to the Street, This Means War, Petra Praise, and Beyond Belief. John shares with...

In Part 1 of this Upclose & Personal conversation with multi-Grammy and multi-Dove Award winning vocalist John Schlitt, we spend considerable time walking through his formative years and the impact of bands like The Beach Boys and Beatles. Long before he was the vocalist of the most powerful and impactful band in Christian Rock history, John found success in the Rock band, Head East, where drug and alcohol abuse would bring him to the lowest of low points. But that is NOT the end of...

Jaimee Harris isn't merely a rising star in the Americana-Folk-Singer/Songwriter universe. With the release of her new album, 'Boomerang Town," Jaimee steps up to the mic and stakes a claim among her peers and shows that she stands shoulder to shoulder in storytelling, melody-making and song crafting, with many of those whom she looks up to. Though closer to the beginning of her adventure than many Journey to the Stage guests, Jaimee has a story worth hearing and music that is thoughtful and...

Blue Water Highway stands at the top of the list of bands I have come across in the last several years, so it was a real honor for me to sit down with founding members Zack Kibodeaux (primary vocalist and multi-instrumentalist) and Greg Essington (multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, would-be zombie apocalypse survivor).  In this fun and insightful conversation, we dig into the band's origins, their recording history and the hard work they've put into getting to where they are in an often hostile...

Stephen McCarthy has been at the leading edge of genre creation, a claim few can make. With the founding of The Long Ryders in the early 80s, the band was helping lay the foundation for what would eventually be called "Americana." Stephen walks us through the rise, fall, and return of The Long Ryders. We dig into the band's BRAND NEW album, 'September November," and play the song, "Seasons Change," a McCarthy composition.  Stephen and I spend some time chatting about how he joined Americana...

Trapper Schoepp is a musical force to be reckoned with. His brand new album, "Siren Songs," is his strongest effort to date, and was recorded in the Cash Cabin, a retreat and private recording studio built by the legendary Man in Black, himself, Johnny Cash.  With fourteen songs in hand, Trapper arrived at the fabled cabin with Jayhawks multi-instrumentalist, John Jackson, and Wilco basset, Pat Sansone to produce Trapper's new album.  Trapper and I dig into his musical journey and how he...