In September 2016 I started a journey that didn't have an end goal. I just wanted to do something that I would always enjoy and have no hesitation on consistency or passion. 249 episodes later I've interviewed over 200 guests ranging from DJs, producers, agents, talent buyers, entrepreneurs, and more. The most rewarding part is the relationships and friendships that have come from SITB. There has been a lot of ups and downs but sitting here today I can say for certain that this is my calling. Th...
Jul 23, 2025•1 hr 2 min
So you want to be a touring music artist? This live panel in Denver Coloardo will give you some perspective on how to make that happen. Featuring founder of 128 Productions and Denver talent buyer, Alex Padgett, DJ/Producer/Podcast Host Lizzy Jane, and DJ/Producer Housewife.This conversation goes into the realities on what it takes to go from a local DJ to a touring act and offers insights on how to get booked, build your brand, and create opportunities. Key Takeaways: -Why is it so hard to get ...
Jul 11, 2025•1 hr 26 min
Episode 249 features Chicago based but Detroit rooted DJ Nanoos - a Palenstian Armenian DJ who is making a big splash in the scene.We had an absolute blast sitting down in person and getting her full story and perspective on some hot topics in the industry right now. Nanoos is a real one on so many levels and there's good reason for his quick rise in following - she's a really good selector on the decks and fuses tons of different genres together in her sets creating one of a kind experiences fo...
Jun 13, 2025•1 hr 22 min
248 features an artist that I have over 50 tracks from and play at least 1 every set I perform. He goes by the name of BVRNOUT and if you aren't familiar with the name, I guarantee you've heard one of his remixes.Chris has an amazing story and it was so much fun talking about his journey from day 1 through now. He is a prolific producer with an expertise in remixes but has now started focusing on originals and creating his own label- BVRN'D Records - as a way to give himself a platform for his s...
May 16, 2025•1 hr 18 min
I can't begin to tell you how excited I am to share this interview because I've been a long time fan of this amazingly talented DJ/Producer who goes by the name of Max Styler! 🎸I caught up with Max from his studio in Las Vegas and had such a blast getting his full story 📖In 203 we got it all in and discussed:•Journey Into Dance Music: Born and raised in a small town outside of San Luis Obispo in Southern California, Max found his love for music early on. Although he grew up in a small town, he...
Apr 20, 2025•1 hr 51 min
Our guest for today is Brad Sweet - the co-founder of Same Same But Different Festival and co-host of the Different Paths PodcastWe had such a great time getting into the origins of SSBD - for those that haven't heard of it, you need to. It takes place in Lake Perris, CA just outside of LA and San Diego. It's grown so much since their first run in 2018 and have had artists like Griz, Polo and Pan, Louis The Child, Big Wild and What So Not on - and that's just to name a few. We talked a lot about...
Apr 11, 2025•59 min
Episode 246 features SoCal based DJ/Producer XIE - We have been trying to line up a date for an interview for a minute and I'm so glad we found some time to connectXIE is truly a unique talent not just because of her history as a classically trained musician but also her approach and perspective on what her intentions are on her journey as an artist.It's all about the music to XIE and I couldn't agree more - we got deep on topics like purpose, finding your sonic identity, support DJ sets vs head...
Mar 20, 2025•50 min
SITB 245 features Chicago House Music legend Terry Hunter - a 3x grammy nominated DJ, Producer and label owner who needs no introduction. Many of you know how passionate I am about the history of Chicago House Music and to have a 1-1 conversation with this icon just a few blocks away from the Warehouse is truly surreal. Terry and I got connected through Chicago Music Nexus where he sat on a panel that I moderated called Adapt Or Die: Cultivating Resilience. His attitude on the past present and f...
Mar 14, 2025•1 hr 7 min
We have a returning guest and dear friend of mine who many of you know - the wildy talented Colton Bachar! Our conversation last year was so well-received that we knew it was time to run it back. Colton's experience as a videographer and editor goes far beyond the basic levels of creativity - he takes everything to the next level and it's been really special to see the work he has been putting out and the people he's collaborating with.We can't help but get deep whenever we talk and this episode...
Feb 20, 2025•1 hr 37 min
There is nothing better than meeting an internet friend, especially when it's the one and only R3Wire!! Timing worked out perfectly because he was playing in Chicago for his first ever US Tour and we got together on a Sunday afternoon to chat it up. What a great conversation from start to finish - he is seriously a real one on every level. He is one of the most prolific DJ's in the game and has hit after hit which only amplifies his live sets and not to mention he's the A&R and label manager...
Feb 07, 2025•1 hr 33 min
Episode 242 features Chicago based DJ/Producer duo Pods! My boys Mike and Dom stopped by and we had such a great conversation the entire time. Many of you are already familiar with Pods because I've had 2 really successful collaborations with them and more on the way - they are really talented producers with good heads on their shoulders too. I believe in their vision and am a huge fan of them. This interview has it all and it was so much fun swapping stories, talking shop (music and basketball ...
Jan 10, 2025•1 hr 55 min•Ep. 242
We've got Jackin House master hailing from NYC - the one and only Pinto! I had so much fun talking with Joey about his journey as a producer, dj, label owner and growing up in NYC. Pinto is a wildly dope producer who has carved out his own lane during the course of his career. His music has garnered support and respect from artists like Carl Cox and the Blessed Madonna and was the #5 Jackin House producer on Beatport. His talents as a DJ have taken him all over the world and his label Jack City ...
Dec 06, 2024•1 hr 5 min
Episode 240 features the incredibly talented Perry Donta'e - creative director and leader of The Pack Drumline! I'd be willing to bet you know who they are even if you think you don't... they're the official drumline of the Chicago Bulls, The Chicago Sky, and recently are now the drumline for the Colts AND they've been finalists on America's Got Talent - they even won over the toughest judge of them all, Simon Cowell. Needless to say they are a one-of-a-kind group that is changing the entire lan...
Oct 24, 2024•1 hr 54 min
Ladies and gents, Dani Deahl is BACK on SITB and it's an absolute honor. Dani is doing some incredible things right now in dance music but for this episode we mostly focused on Chicago Music Nexus and her involvement in the event. Dani is one of the panelists on the "Adapt or Die" portion of CMN and I wanted to get Dani's take on a few things leading up to the conference. As a multi-faceted individual in dance music, her unique perspective and experience deserves all the respect in the world. Th...
Oct 04, 2024•30 min
Hood Politics is a reminder that there should never be politics when we are all from the same neighborhood. We all live on the same street and are part of a much larger community that has to support each other in order to survive. Hood Poli for LIFE! Featuring Sherm, DJ Susan, CJ., Jenny Voss, Chris Diaz, Smith & Sorren, Michael Jay, Dr Mar, Proppa, Rich DietZ, and more
Sep 27, 2024•37 min
This is the FIRST co-hosted episode with my fellow podcaster, friend and business partner Olivia Mancuso. Some of you might have seen but Olivia and I are hosting a 1 day conference and networking event later this year called "Chicago Music Nexus" CMN was created to help fill a massive void in the US dance market where artists can learn, grow, and collaborate together in a space outside of the club or festival. Our mission is to help artists, entrepreneurs and music business professionals elevat...
Sep 20, 2024•32 min
Very special episode today for you all. Alex Kislov has been in my life since I first got to Chicago and we decided that this is officially the 3rd chapter in our friendship especially considering it's his 3rd time on the show. But this is no ordinary episode, we are here to talk about his debut album "Dream Sequence" - a true masterpiece and work of art that is years in the making and you can tell right away how much went into creating it. "Dream Sequence" is a 10 track album featuring the voca...
Aug 16, 2024•1 hr 30 min
Many of you know his name and it's for good reason - episode 235 features DJ/Producer Jake Shore! Jake was in town after his massive headline show at Prysm and I'm so glad we were able to do this in person. Always a blast choppin it up with Jake - our goal everytime we do content like this together to make sure the listeners walk away with real value, advice and of course a big ole smile. Even though it's been 2 years since Jake was a teacher, you should still take out your pen and paper because...
Aug 09, 2024•1 hr 31 min
234 features afro-house DJ/Producer Val Fleury - a multifaceted creator and artist, Val has positioned herself as one of the biggest upcoming talents in dance music today. I really enjoyed our conversation - she has a such a pure love for music and backs up that passion with raw and authentic talent. Val is a champion of the underground and the LGBTQ community who consistently shows up for the scene. Her talents as a DJ and Producer should not go unnoticed. She's played across the world - litera...
Aug 02, 2024•1 hr 7 min
Episode 233 features Justin Sances - a highly regarded and talented audio engineer that focuses in the dance music space. Some of you may know Justin or have worked with him directly, but he comes to the table with experience not only as an audio engineer, but previously as a DJ and Producer (a very dope one at that!) Justin is also the engineer for Hood Politics and does the final mix/master on 99% of the tracks we release. He plays a major part in ensuring that the label puts out the highest p...
Jul 12, 2024•1 hr 37 min
Episode 232 features the incredibly talented DJ/Producer Goshfather! When I say this interview has it all, I really mean it. We talked about the state of the industry and what the future looks like for artists, building your community and how to engage with that community as an artist, how he released 1 track every week for a year, social media and so much more. I found myself completely engulfed in his stories and perspectives ranging from incredibly profound to absolutely hilarious. I know thi...
Jun 28, 2024•1 hr 29 min
As many of you know, I love to have guests on that are behind the scenes in the music industry because they are a pivotal factor as artists grow throughout their career. Today's guest is someone who does exactly that. Episode 231 features Todd Mercer of Sherwood Management who oversees Cloverdale and his label Vibrancy along with Vibrancy Festival. Many of you are familiar with the high-octane DJ/Producer Cloverdale but Todd was there on day for the project. In fact, Cloverdale was the one who s...
Jun 14, 2024•1 hr 46 min
Honored to have the established and wildly talented DJ/Producer who goes by the name of @itsyourfetish We have been crossing paths a lot lately and it's been so much fun getting to know him. I've been a fan for a few years but he's certainly someone that everyone knows about these days with his impressive sound, lively dj sets and incredible content. This interview was filled with valuable topics like building your brand and sound, going viral, staying true to yourself, and so much more. I have ...
May 31, 2024•1 hr
What up y'all!! SITB 229 features the dynamic and wildy talented producer duo Manics! Jordan aka Baby J (a former SITB guest) and Chris aka TYGRBYT are some of my favorite people I've met in the music industry. The amount of raw creative talent these two have not only as dance music artists but also as graphic designers, event curators, and label heads - just to name a few of the many dope things they do. This was such a fun interview and we had a blast talking about some of their recent release...
May 15, 2024•1 hr 28 min
Episode 228 features one of my dear friends and confidants in the music industry - Mario Danza! Mario comes with a wide array of experience ranging from promoting, event curation, physical and digital marketing and what he's most known for - artist management. Mario just recently officially launched his management company called Define Group that rosters artists like Truth x Lies, longstoryshort, Ryan Case, and more. Believe me when I say that Mario is one of the hardest working guys I know and ...
Apr 26, 2024•1 hr 5 min
We are chugging right along baby and today we have a truly awesome episode for ya featuring one of the hottest DJ/Producers in the game who goes by the name of @gudfellaofficial Kyle is a wildly talented guy who's had an insane 365 days. We got it all in and had so much fun discussing his journey as a producer, soundcloud's role in his growth, collaborating with Tiesto, and what lies ahead in his near and distant future. He might be young, but he's got a really genuine passion for music and you ...
Apr 19, 2024•1 hr
SITB 226 features LA based DJ/Producer ON_1 and WOW does this episode take you on a ride. I've known Forbes for a few years and it was so much fun getting his full story and hearing about his hard-earned journey to where he's at now. He's on a righteous path that comes from a very genuine place of love and passion. Also he's hilarious and cracks me up. Enjoy!
Apr 03, 2024•1 hr 36 min
We are here today to get the full story of one of my favorite DJ/producers in the game Proppa. A Chicago native, Proppa has been in the game for a minute and deserves all the praise this city and the industry can offer. We had so much fun chopping it up and talking about his viewpoints on what it takes to really make it in this business. He's full of great advice and I learned so much from him during this episode. We went deep but it still felt like it flew by!! Thanks so much for coming on my f...
Mar 19, 2024•2 hr 5 min
It is officially 2024 and I hope everyone had a fantastic end to the year - 2023 was quite the year but we are kicking this year off with one of my favorite episodes to date. 224 features my dear friend Colton Bachar - many of you know Colton from his incredible work as a videographer but there is so much more to him that you will all hear about coming up. We had such a great conversation chatting about his journey and I have an even deeper level of admiration and respect for him on so many diff...
Jan 10, 2024•2 hr 13 min
We have another special interview for you all today SITB 223 features fellow podcaster and dance music reporter Olivia Mancuso! I've known Olivia for a few years and I've always been impressed with her wide array of skills. From her days as a reporter, to her entrepreneurial pursuits, to interviewing some of the worlds biggest dance music acts at EDC Vegas and now her newest project called "Elevated Frequencies" - a podcast devoted to digging into the real lives of musicians. It's always so much...
Nov 29, 2023•1 hr 31 min
