The Zak Kuhn Show

Backboard Entertainment

Each week, Zak gives his audience an all-access pass to the biggest names in music and entertainment. These are not your typicle PR-polished interviews – they're candid discussions about the challenges, triumphs, and pivotal moments that shape careers. Whether you're a fan curious about the inner workings, an aspiring musician or an industry professional, you'll find actionable advice and inspiring stories in every episode.

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Episodes

Steve Schnur

Steve Schnur is the Worldwide Executive of Music for Electronic Arts, the largest video game producer in the world. Not a piece of music makes it into an EA game without his approval. We talk about how he builds some of the most influential playlists in games like Madden, how the music and gaming industry will continue to collide, why Nashville is important to him and so much more. The Gaming industry today is bigger than the film and music industry combined. Tune in to find out why.

May 12, 2020•1 hr•Ep. 6

Jon Cohen

Jon Cohen is the co-founder of Vagrant Records. Throughout his legendary career as a label head, Cohen signed bands like The 1975, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes, Dashboard Confessional, Alkaline Trio and so many more. Now Cohen has created a brand new company called Big Noise Music and recently signed Nashville star Travis Tritt. If you want to know how to build a label from the ground up, from someone who has done it twice, then this episode is for you!

May 05, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 5

Craig Balsam

Craig Balsam is the co-founder of Razor & Tie. Originally a lawyer with a love for music, Craig went from creating compilation CDs in an apartment, to building one of the most successful indie label brands of the modern music industry. Hear about the company in the early days, how Kidz Bop was created, his current career as a Tony Award winning Broadway Producer, and so much more!

Apr 28, 2020•44 min•Ep. 4

Joe Galante

Joe Galante ran RCA Records and Sony Music Nashville. In his legendary career, he worked with and signed acts like Waylon Jennings, Dolly Parton, Alabama, Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, and so many more. Listen to how a guy from Astoria New York became a power player in Nashville Tennessee.

Apr 21, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 3

Thomas O'Keefe

Thomas O'Keefe is the current tour manager for Weezer. Before that, he was out with Train, Ryan Adams, Third Eye Blind, and Sia. Thomas talks about life on the road, how he got his start with Ryan Adams, and how a punk rocker from Connecticut ended up touring with some of the biggest acts in the world.

Apr 14, 2020•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 2

David Ross

David Ross is the founder of Music Row, one of the most prolific trade magazines in Country Music. Hear Ross' story about creating the publication, running it for over 30 years, meeting a young Taylor Swift, and ultimately selling the company to get back to his original passion, writing songs.

Apr 07, 2020•56 min•Ep. 1

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