My guest this week is Lauren Frihauf. "A rising star in the music industry whose talent was featured in NPR Music's 2022 Tiny Desk 'Top Shelf' and showcased her vocal prowess on Season 19 of NBC's "The Voice," where she impressed on Teams Gwen and Legend, making it to the Knockout Rounds. In 2021, when her promising neo-soul duo project came to a halt before its album, “The Latona EP”, was released, Frihauf found her calendar cleared at a time when most musicians were getting back to touring. Pr...
May 22, 2025•57 min
I first met The Wildwoods at The Zoo Bar in Lincoln, NE back when they were just getting started at 14 and 15 years old. I was roughly 21 and on one of my first (if not very first) tours. We've stayed in touch, played shows together, and run into each other at hotel lobby bars at music conferences. Their sound goes beyond acoustic instruments and in-tune harmonies, they're poets with high-level musicianship and arranging abilities. Their success on the road and on social media (nearly 250K follo...
May 06, 2025•59 min
My guest this week is Shane Smith of Shane Smith & The Saints. This show is a rerun of episode 109, which was released on January 25, 2023. It was great getting to catch up with Shane just a few weeks after my band (modestly titled, Andy Sydow) got to open for his band at a sold out Ogden Theatre in Denver. We first met back in 2018 when I got to do an opening slot for Shane Smith & The Saints at the Bluebird Theatre (also in Denver). I'm glad we've stayed in touch over the last few year...
May 02, 2025•1 hr 6 min
"Raised on Vancouver Island, Canada, Zachary is an internationally recognized award-winning actor, musician and writer. Best known for his performances as Buddy Holly, Zach was coined a “dead ringer for dead singers” by the Victoria Times Colonist for his portrayal of the legendary rock 'n' roller as well as Hank Williams, Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis and Phil Ochs. In 2018, Zachary won the prestigious "Jeff" Award in Chicago for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading R...
Apr 22, 2025•1 hr 16 min
"With a quarter million miles under her belt and counting, North Carolina native Emily Scott Robinson travels the dusty highways of America's wild country, capturing the stories of the people she meets and expertly crafting them into songs. Robinson received critical acclaim for her debut album Traveling Mercies-- Rolling Stone named it one of the “40 Best Country and Americana Albums of 2019.” In 2021, Robinson signed with Oh Boy Records, the label founded by the legendary John Prine, and relea...
Mar 26, 2025•1 hr 3 min
Susan Gibson has a wealth of knowledge in her decades-long songwriting career. She penned "Wide Open Spaces" which was recorded and made into a mega-hit by The Chicks in 1998. She now travels around in her cargo van performing at venues, house concerts, and songwriter festivals. All the while, she educates other writers and judges song competitions. Though she spends lots of time on the road, Texas is home for most of the year, and she spends time in the summer at a family cabin in Montana. Thou...
Mar 06, 2025•17 min
Colorado based artist and label head Austin Ash Lemon joins me on this week's Middle Class Rock Star. In our conversation, we chat about the origin story of his indie label, Needlejuice Records, as well as Lemon's brand new record, "Backstage" which is released under the artist name, The Odd Ditties. Quoting from Needlejuice Records' website: "Needlejuice Records is an independent record label specializing in strange alternative music. Formed in September 2017, our first release of King Gizzard’...
Feb 20, 2025•45 min
In this episode, I chat with Seattle, WA based singer/songwriter, Racyne Parker about what it's like moving to a new music scene and how much location is a factor in the age of social media. We also discuss different release strategies, the validation of song contests, and what the future might hold. If you enjoy the podcast, please let others know, subscribe, or write a review! IF YOU'D LIKE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST IN A MONETARY WAY, I'M NOW ON PATREON! Please note: new Patreon members get to pi...
Dec 05, 2024•1 hr 2 min
This is part 4 of a 4 part series chatting with entertainment/music attorney, Adam Barraza. Adam works at Axley Attorneys in Wisconsin, but is also licensed to practice in Tennessee. He flew out to my studio in Nashville and we talked about a number of current hot button issues in the music industry. In this final segment, I ask Adam about the role of music lawyers and when an indie artists might need to call upon one. A DISCLAIMER ABOUT THIS EPISODE: "This video is solely for informational purp...
Nov 15, 2024•13 min
This is part 3 of a 4 part series chatting with entertainment/music attorney, Adam Barraza. Adam works at Axley Attorneys in Wisconsin, but is also licensed to practice in Tennessee. He flew out to my studio in Nashville and we talked about a number of current hot button issues in the music industry. In this third part, we talk about lawsuits involving generative AI in music and actually play through and discuss real examples involving Suno and Udio. A DISCLAIMER ABOUT THIS EPISODE: "This video ...
Nov 12, 2024•36 min
Hey folks, Adam here. I have a slight elaboration on the copyright infringement damages issue: Andy’s hypothetical asked the question whether he could file suit for infringement of a song before it was registered with the Copyright Office. His hypothetical did not include the publication/infringement timeline, but I just wanted to clarify that if a work is already published at the time of infringement, the author can claim statutory damages if the work is registered either (1) before the infring...
Nov 07, 2024•40 min
This is part 1 of a 4 part series chatting with entertainment/music attorney, Adam Barraza. Adam works at Axley Attorneys in Wisconsin, but is also licensed to practice in Tennessee. He flew out to my studio in Nashville and we talked about a number of current hot button issues in the music industry. This first part is an introduction to Adam where he talks about his musical upbringing and how he got into the business that he's currently in. A DISCLAIMER ABOUT THIS EPISODE: "This video is solely...
Nov 05, 2024•18 min
Matt the Electrician is Matthew Sever, a quirky, sincere folk/pop singer songwriter based in Austin, TX. He has self-released 11 studio albums, and 2 live CDs since 1998. His most recent release, “The Ocean Knocked Me Down” came out on February 2nd, 2024. (matttheelectrician.com) I first became aware of Matt in college when a friend of mine was playing his clawhammer banjo cover of "Osaka In The Rain." I was stopped in my tracks by the song and when my buddy told me who the original artist was, ...
Apr 19, 2024•56 min
“Ameri-kinda.” That’s how Natalie Price describes her music, a combination of catchy melodies and smooth, clear vocals that fit firmly into the Americana genre, with a quirkiness weaved into her lyrics that bends toward indie-folk. During her visit to Nashville last week, Natalie dropped by to chat with me about her self-titled record produced by Mary Bragg (with a slew of other special guests), her journey into writing and performing, the balance of a day job while pursuing art, and co-writing ...
Apr 10, 2024•53 min
Goldpine is Kassie and Ben Wilson, a husband and wife duo reminiscent of Shovels and Rope with huge vocals. I first met and became friends with them at Kerrville Folk Festival in 2022. We were both there in attendance as 2021 finalists in the songwriting competition. There's so much that goes in to being an indie artist these days: writing and recording great music, making content, touring, making content, stage presence and image, making content, booking emails.... you get the idea. Ben and Kas...
Jan 18, 2024•48 min
A special holiday episode featuring Sam Robbins and Halley Neal. The musical couple is currently on tour promoting their holiday record, "You and Me on Christmas Eve." It's just beautiful, and we had a fun convo chatting about their first duo release, the economics of holiday music, and their journey back home from Nashville. If you enjoy the podcast, please let others know, subscribe, or write a review! IF YOU'D LIKE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST IN A MONETARY WAY, I'M NOW ON PATREON! Please note: new...
Dec 13, 2023•47 min
This week, I spoke with Christian drag queen singer-songwriter, Flamy Grant. We first met as Kerrville Finalists back in May of this year, where Flamy ended up being one of the winners. In July, their album, "Bible Belt Baby" and single, "Good Day" went to number 1 on the iTunes Christian charts on the same day. They've also been the feature of two articles in Rolling Stone in the latter half of this year. Flamy is a wonderful artist, songwriter, and singer and I enjoyed getting to chat with the...
Nov 09, 2023•1 hr 5 min
This weeks episode is a conversation with Schyler Allyn and Mitch Lagge of Big Sky Bonus Tracks. BSBT (based in Red Lodge, MT) films artists singing songs and telling their stories. It's all very high quality, from the filming locations, to the mastered audio, to the video cameras. Since 2022, they've been curating great music from Montana and Wyoming and abroad to build a community out of what they love to do. If you enjoy the podcast, please let others know, subscribe, or write a review! IF YO...
Nov 02, 2023•43 min
My guest this week is keyboardist, Bill McKay. It's impossible not to hear Bill's name when you're a musician in the Denver area. He's everywhere and plays with everyone! McKay first moved to Colorado for college in 1987, and immediately started playing in bands while working on his degree at Colorado College. He toured with "soul 'n roll" outfit, Band Du Jour from 1990-1995 right out of college, then moved to Atlanta to join The Derek Trucks Band as the lead singer and keyboarding from 1995-200...
Oct 24, 2023•1 hr 3 min
Katie Boeck is this weeks guest and yet another artist I met through the Kerrville Folk Festival. We were both finalists in the 2023 New Folk Songwriter Competition (Katie was a winner!). Boeck's story is a page turner... she studied theater at UCLA, spent years in her early 20s immersed in the rich Laurel Canyon music scene, toured India, and played the lead in the musical "Spring Awakening" on Broadway in New York. This was all before moving to Nashville to study the craft of songwriting. Kati...
Sep 28, 2023•1 hr 11 min
I first met Jordan at the Durango Songwriters Expo about 10 years ago. We've stayed in touch through the years and even jammed together at the Casio booth at The NAMM Show in Anaheim this past February. During the pandemic, Jordan started calling himself "Piano Jordan" on TikTok. He used the platform to play his favorite songs and invite others to sing with him. This grew him a following of over 600K on on the platform. During our conversation, we chat about Jordan's songwriting process, his car...
Sep 14, 2023•46 min
After a moving hiatus, Middle Class Rock Star is back this week with Erik Stucky. We're both Colorado boys that are currently calling the greater Nashville area home. Erik came over to the new home studio to record this episode live. I don't get to do them live very often these days! (from Erik's website bio): "Growing up in the rugged mountains of western Colorado, Erik Stucky picked up his first mandolin at the age of 8. Following the release of his debut album Stray Clouds in 2017, Stucky pac...
Aug 29, 2023•55 min
I'm a big fan of Sam Burchfield's music. I was first introduced by a friend several months ago, and he's been in regular Spotify rotation since. We had a great conversation about tai chi, being a touring musician who is also present for their family (not just financially), gigs vs shows, and how Spotify actually CAN help an indie artist pay their bills. If you enjoy the podcast, please let others know, subscribe or write a review. 5 star ratings and reviews on Apple Music as well as subscribing ...
May 23, 2023•52 min
Jeremy Facknitz has been entertaining audiences with his lovingly crafted music and high-energy performances for over a quarter century. Since the 2002 break-up of his Detroit-based band "The Ottomans" (they earned a 2001 Detroit Music Award for Best New Alternative Band, beating out "The White Stripes"), Jeremy has performed primarily as a solo act, marrying folk-rock and jazz stylings to showcase his intimate stories of life, love, and self-discovery. But from 2003 to 2017, those stories seeme...
Mar 23, 2023•1 hr 1 min
Joel Ansett moved to Denver, Colorado in 2014 and started playing every local open mic he could find. He has since found fans all over the country with more than 14 million streams online, a song placed in Marvel’s “The Punisher” , and the title of “songwriter to watch” from The Huffington Post. The songs combine folk and R&B to great effect, and beyond the genre, Artist Review wrote: “This music is soul therapy.” (joelansett.com) Joel and I have been pals for several years now, but we've ne...
Mar 09, 2023•1 hr 12 min
"Edward David Anderson is an American songwriter and veteran of the road who spent his formative years fronting the revered Illinois band Backyard Tire Fire. Known for infectious melodies and memorable messages he penned 9 releases for the band and played countless shows across the US and Canada. When BTF went on hiatus in 2011 EDA continued to write and play solo and with his band Black Dirt Revival. Backyard Tire Fire returned to the stage to headline the inaugural Black Dirt Music Festival in...
Mar 02, 2023•1 hr 11 min
Jackson Emmer is an award-winning singer, songwriter, and producer from Carbondale, Colorado. His work blends humor with heartache, and tradition with exploration. Emmer’s writing is often compared to that of John Prine and Guy Clark. He has toured the US since 2009, collaborated with Grammy-winners, and co-written 40+ songs with folk music legend, Tom Paxton. Emmer has opened for Robert Earl Keen, Sierra Ferrell, and Tim McGraw. His work has been featured in Rolling Stone, Billboard, 1200+ Spot...
Feb 15, 2023•1 hr
My guest this week is session keyboardist, producer, and founder of the Little Village Foundation, Jim Pugh. His international performing music career spans 40 years and includes multiple Grammy Award, platinum and gold records. He has recorded and performed with a star-studded array of musicians including B.B. King, Etta James, John Lee Hooker, Robert Cray, Boz Skaggs, Syl Johnson and Van Morrison. He created Little Village Foundation in 2014 to share the diverse music that has always inspired ...
Feb 09, 2023•1 hr 6 min
Singer-songwriter, guitarist, and performer Sunny War is my guest this week. Extreme emotions can make that battle all the more perilous, yet from such trials Sunny has crafted a set of songs that draw on a range of ideas and styles, as though she’s marshaling all her forces to get her ideas across: ecstatic gospel, dusty country blues, thoughtful folk, rip-roaring rock and roll, even avant garde studio experiments (like the collage of voices that closes “Shelter and Storm”). She melds them toge...
Feb 02, 2023•57 min
My guest this week is Shane Smith of Shane Smith & The Saints. It was great getting to catch up with Shane just a few weeks after my band (modestly titled, Andy Sydow) got to open for his band at a sold out Ogden Theatre in Denver. We first met back in 2018 when I got to do an opening slot for Shane Smith & The Saints at the Bluebird Theatre (also in Denver). I'm glad we've stayed in touch over the last few years and finally got to sit down to talk for a while. In our conversation, we ch...
Jan 26, 2023•1 hr 6 min
