On the heels of his new album, "A Matter of Time" (Sept 23, 2022), Kalyn Beasley is quickly becoming an established facet of the Wyoming and Montana country music scene. We met and became friends this past summer at the Red Lodge Songwriter Festival in Red Lodge, MT and the Yellowstone Songwriter Festival in his hometown of Cody, WY. Kalyn also holds the distinction of being my only podcast guest who has also interviewed me. In our conversation, we talk about music and songwriting, rodeo, managi...
Jan 11, 2023•1 hr
David Starr keeps a busy schedule between touring and running his own music store (Starr's Guitars) in Cedaredge, CO. He also manages to consistently release music. His 2021 album, "Touchstones" features one original and 11 creatively interpreted cover songs. He released one song per month, following the "new school" path of releasing music. In 2020, Starr released "Beauty and Ruin," a concept album produced by John Oates (Hall & Oates) based on a book written by his grandfather. I think you...
Jan 02, 2023•56 min
This weeks guests are Sav Buist and Katie Larson from The Accidentals. It's hard to know where to start when talking about the 3-piece Nashville based (by way of Traverse City, MI) punk-folk outfit. They've made an album and toured with a full orchestra, scored a film, received acclaim from NPR and Billboard, and collaborated with the likes of Tom Paxton, Mary Gauthier, Kim Richey, and Dar Williams. On top of that, Sav just won the overall grand prize in the USA Songwriting Competition. I think ...
Dec 24, 2022•59 min
I met Shane McLaughlin at FARM (Folk Alliance Midwest) just outside of Chicago back in October. I was blown away by the performance of his band, Buffalo Rose. Reminiscent of Nickel Creek or Punch Brothers, the 6-piece group is a feel good, high energy group that puts on a theatrical live performance. On top of releasing a group of songs as a collaboration with Tom Paxton back in February, Buffalo Rose just released their newest full length effort, "Again Again Again" on November 18. You can find...
Dec 21, 2022•57 min
It was great to have Jason Grishkoff back on the podcast this week. The last time we talked, (April 2020) the world was just learning about Zoom, which opened me up to the possibility of interviewing people not just outside of my room, but on the other side of the world. Jason, who resides in South Africa, founded Indie Shuffle about 15 years ago as an avid music fan. He used his knowledge as a coder and web developer to create his own easy-to-use blog site. At its peak, (2013) Indie Shuffle was...
Dec 14, 2022•1 hr 4 min
This week I got to chat with my pal, Bryan Reynolds. Reynolds, who goes by Seven Pound Thesaurus when dealing with all things music, is a Washington based singer, songwriter, musician, and producer. We first met at the Durango Songwriters Expo back in Ventura back in February and immediately hit it off. Bryan is all about the song. From the weave of the lyrics, to the vocal melody, to the production and seeing the song come to life, his focus is on the song. In our conversation, we chat about hi...
Dec 07, 2022•1 hr 1 min
A native of North Louisiana, Ever More Nest’s Kelcy Wilburn (“Kelcy Mae”) is as equally influenced by the gospel, country, and blues of her Bible Belt hometown as she is by the emotional rawness of the artists that consumed her generation: Cranberries, Counting Crows, Tori Amos, Radiohead, et al. At 18, she moved to New Orleans, where open-mindedness and acceptance gave her the freedom to be herself and to find her voice. As a student of creative writing, she fostered a love of language evident ...
Dec 01, 2022•57 min
My guest this week is Canadian singer-songwriter, Taylor Abrahamse. Our paths first crossed virtually last year when we were both finalists in the Kerrville New Folk Songwriters Competition (Taylor was a winner!). We had the pleasure of meeting in person when he stayed with me and my wife back in August during his pilgrimage west to see South Park at Red Rocks. Our conversation is filled with an array of topics (such as our mutual love for Randy Newman), but the core of this episode explores the...
Nov 18, 2022•55 min
We made it!! Episode 100! A big thanks to all the support that's been given to this podcast over the last four years. My guest for this centennial episode is Michigan based singer-songwriter, Kyle Rasche of Chain of Lakes. Our paths first crossed last year when we were both finalists in the Kerrville New Folk Songwriters Competition. Neither of us were winners, but Kyle got a second shot this year, as he was named a finalist yet again! The competition will take place at Kerrville Folk Festival a...
May 19, 2022•59 min
This week, I caught up with my old friend, Jacob Larson. Though we've both been around the Denver music scene for quite some time, our history connects more through Little League baseball. Jacob is my little brothers age, and I was both an assistant coach on my brothers teams as well as an umpire in the league for several years. Egan (my brother) and Jacob were teammates at one point and I got to know him and his family through weekly practices and games. In the music realm, Jacob leads his own ...
Apr 28, 2022•1 hr 5 min
Shanna and I had much to catch up on during her second interview on Middle Class Rock Star. She and I first sat down over zoom and chatted back in June of 2020 (episode 44). At that time, Shanna was living in Boulder and was in the midst of winning nearly every notable songwriter competition, including the prestigious Kerrville New Folk Competition. Now, she's living in Nashville (she moved almost 6 months ago) and is finding her stride and place in music city, while also touring all corners of ...
Apr 13, 2022•56 min
My guest this week is Nashville based tour manager, Joe Lentini. As of late, Joe has been touring the country working as the tour manager for Daniel Donato. Prior to joining Donato's team, he interned at Relix Magazine and the Brooklyn Bowl in Nashville. This podcast episode was truly unique in the way it all came together. I was in Nashville playing a couple gigs in early March. On my off day, I went out to discover a new brewery. What I found was Southern Grist in east Nashville (highly recomm...
Apr 06, 2022•52 min
My guest this week is Colorado based singer-songwriter and performer, Sweet Virginia. Leading up to her debut record (out April 29 on Gitcha Records), Sweet Virginia has two singles out, "Blue Skies" (Feb 18, 2022) and "Hallelujah, Michael" (March 18, 2022). During our conversation, we chat about the process of making a record, songwriting, promoting yourself, and hair. If you enjoy the podcast, please let others know, subscribe or write a review. 5 star ratings and reviews on Apple Music as wel...
Mar 24, 2022•48 min
My guest this week is entertainment and copyright lawyer, Max Hass. After attending school at Tulane in New Orleans, Max did anything except for law to start his career in the music business. Instead, he worked in almost every other part of the industry as a performer, promoter, manager, and more. After settling in Colorado, Max joined Parlatore Law Group as a partner. His focus is intellectual property and entertainment law, as well as copyright & trademark law, business law, intellectual p...
Mar 03, 2022•1 hr 8 min
I first met Marcus at The Blues Can in Calgary. I was traveling through town with my band after playing a week long residency at Blues On Whyte in Edmonton, AB. The next time through town, Marcus sat in with my band and played guitar for a set. At the time he was only about 19 or so! Fast forward a couple of years, and Marcus is calling me saying that he's on a "right of passage" road trip through America and is coming through Denver. We got together for coffee, then he came back to my place and...
Feb 24, 2022•48 min
My guest today is Nashville based singer-songwriter and performer, Erin Rae. She joins me on the show just days after releasing her latest album, "Lighten Up" (Feb 4, 2022). Produced by Jonathan Wilson (Father John Misty, Billy Strings, Conor Oberst, Erin Rae) and distributed by Thirty Tigers, "Lighten Up" gives us a modern yet retro take on indie folk music. Erin has been making a name for herself in the scene for several years now touring both solo and with a band, and opening for acts like Ja...
Feb 18, 2022•42 min
My guest this week is Nashville based singer-songwriter and performer, Sam Robbins. Sam and I first became acquainted through the 2021 Kerrville New Folk Songwriters Competition. We were both selected as finalists, and Sam was one of the six winners. We've had a steady back and forth conversation happening on Facebook for the past few months, so it was great to finally sit down and talk with him for a while. During our conversation, Sam talks about auditioning for The Voice, attending Berklee Co...
Feb 14, 2022•1 hr 2 min
I've known Tony Mason for quite some time. He was one of, if not the first person to put me in a real venue as a college student at CU Denver. A lot of local musicians can say that about Tony. He started off by putting together shows under his promotion company name, Tone Dynamix, then moved on to be the talent buyer at Herman's Hideaway, and eventually became the senior talent buyer for Lost Lake, Larimer Lounge, and Globe Hall. The last time Tony was on the podcast was the last episode I did i...
Feb 09, 2022•58 min
My guest today is Canadian based singer and songwriter Pura Fé. Pura Fé, whose name means "Pure Faith," was born in New York City and an heir to the Tuscarora Indian Nation. She is an artist, an activist, and much more. Her musical journey, running the gamut from folk to mainstream through an artful use of the blues, reflects the concerns of an artist who grew up in the Motown era, while citing Buffy Sainte-Marie, Charley Patton and Joni Mitchell as her true mentors. And, more widely, “tradition...
Jan 28, 2022•53 min
My guest today is Asheville, NC based DJ, Bruce Swan. Bruce went to college after of high school and earned his degree just a few short years later. Or at least that's what he thought. Nearly 25 years later, he was informed that he didn't quite finish and would need to go back to fulfill his final requirements. Upon his return to Hunter College in New York, NY, he discovered the college radio station, WHCS. He filled out an application and went in for an interview, and at the age of 50, began hi...
Jan 20, 2022•58 min
My guest today is award winning singer-songwriter, guitarist, and harmonica player, Ray Bonneville. When it comes to playing rack harmonica, Ray might just be as good as it gets. To accompany his truth telling lyrics, he's able to seamlessly pull off complicated finger picking patterns and play elaborate counter melodies on the harmonica between verses. Often called a “song and groove man,” Bonneville has lived the life of the itinerant artist. From his native Quebec, he moved to Boston at age t...
Jan 13, 2022•56 min
My guest today is Colorado based producer, Joe Michaels. Though residing in the town of Broomfield (northwest of Denver) Joe does a large portion of his work at Dockside Studio in Maurice, LA. (I was first put in contact with Joe because I was heading to Dockside to record a record in July of 2021 and had a couple of questions about the studio). He's been taking bands and various collaborations there to record for years. We chat about some of his experiences at Dockside, his early life first get...
Jan 06, 2022•55 min
My guest today is LA based singer-songwriter, performer, and composer, Abby Posner. As a solo artist, Posner considers herself to be "genre-fluid" mixing elements of folk, roots, pop, soul, and bluegrass into her music. She's also a successful composer, having scored four films: Across Land Across Sea, Through Their Eyes, Elizabeth Sees, and Lady Buds (2021). At the end of the episode, we get a live performance of her song, Wishing Well, off of her new album, "Kisbee Ring." If you enjoy the podc...
Dec 30, 2021•1 hr 12 min
This episode of MCRS is a little bit different. Rather than an interview with an artist or industry professional about their career, this is a discussion about Randy Newman's somewhat controversial 1974 album, "Good Old Boys." This interview was recorded by Dan Cable for his podcast, Dan Cable Presents (I DIG RECORDS ep. 29). He invited me on his show to discuss one of my favorite records and this is the one I picked. It's not running music, or even cleaning the house music, but there's somethin...
Dec 16, 2021•1 hr 15 min
Welcome to season 4 of Middle Class Rock Star! It was nice having a break, but I'm excited to bring a bunch of new, wonderful guests to the show this season. This first episode of the new season (84th overall) features Crystal and Pete Damore (Duh-more)of Ordinary Elephant. The Louisiana based husband and wife folk duo is a melting pot of their favorite influences(such as Gillian Welch, Guy Clark, and Anais Mitchell)yet have a sound that is completely their own. During our conversation, we discu...
Dec 09, 2021•59 min
My guest today is singer-songwriter, guitarist, and harmonica dude, Nic Clark. Nic is the "chairman" of the Middle Class Rock Star guests. He's been on the show more than anyone. Five times to be exact. Three times as a guest, and twice as a co-host (17. David Dondero and 68. Mickey Raphael). His accomplishments include playing harmonica with Big Head Todd & The Monsters at Red Rocks, being a finalist in the International Blues Competition, and being the best cheerleader for all of his music...
Aug 07, 2021•1 hr 7 min
My guest today is singer-songwriter and pianist, Pamela Machala. We first met through the dueling pianos company, Howl At The Moon in Denver. I trained there for about six months but decided to go a different direction. Pamela joined the team after I left, but since my roommate at the time was still playing there, I got to know her through him. She eventually left the gig as well to pursue a solo career as a songwriter. (copying from her website): The Boulder, Colorado-based singer/songwriter ca...
Jul 30, 2021•1 hr 5 min
My guest today is saxophonist, clarinetist, and founding member of Brothers of Brass, Armando Lopez. Armando and I go back to our teenage years. I had just joined the acclaimed dixieland jazz ensemble at CU Denver, The Claim Jumpers, at the beginning of my sophomore year. Armando (just finishing high school at the time) joined us on reeds and blew everyone away. He was very comfortable with his instrument, and spoke the style fluently. As someone just learning about traditional jazz, I listened ...
Jul 23, 2021•1 hr 5 min
My guest today is bassist, Todd Smallie. After his family moved to Atlanta at the age of 14, Todd got very involved with the local scene and attended the Atlanta Institute of Music, where he got to learn from the likes of Jimmy Herring. Connections with Herring, Tinsley Ellis, Col. Bruce Hampton, and others led him to an audition with The Derek Trucks Band in his early 20s. He toured and recorded with Derek up until 2010 when Derek teamed up with Susan Tedeschi to start Tedeschi Trucks Band. Tod...
Jul 10, 2021•43 min
My guest today is Omaha based blues guitarist and singer, Hector Anchondo. Though he's been in the scene for two decades, Hector's name was finally heard around the globe when he took home first place in the 2020 International Blues Challenge (solo/duo). He also won the Memphis Cigar Box Award for best solo/duo guitarist. We had a great conversation about his upbringing, his love for blues, an 18 month tenure in Chicago, living on the road, and the International Blues Challenge (IBC). He's a rea...
Jul 02, 2021•1 hr 15 min
