This week we have indie band/married couple Anne Williamnson and Brandon Walters of MY NAME IS YOU. We talk about gear, required music lessons that kept them playing as kids, and the completely dizzying immigration system they were (finally) able to navigate. Check out their music (and instagram feed) Here:WEBSITE: http://hellomynameisyou.comINSTAGRAM: @MYNAME IS YOUFACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/mynameisyouband 

SHARKBRAIN PODCAST

MY NAME IS YOU

This week we have actor James Babson on the program. We talk about navigating the murky waters on Hollywood, fighting obscurity, and staying sharp. Get it! 

JAMES BABSON

Here's the anticipated follow up to last week's interview with David Hodges, we get even artier and more metaphysical on this one folks, two guys who write songs for a living getting all heady like they own the place. Check it out! 

DAVID HODGES PT 2!

Hey Friends,        This week in the SharkBrain Labs is David Hodges, songwriter and producer and founding member of Evanescence who has worked with numerous talented luminaries including Celine Dion, Jason Mraz, Christina Perri, and of course, Jake Newton. Boom. We talked for so long and had such a good conversation at that, it became necessary to cut this into a two parter (Kill Bill style). In this first half we discuss origins, what got him into music and more specifically the craft of songwriting, dropping out of college, being consumed by the muse, and of course 90's Christian Rock.  Dig on this. Part Two comes out next week.and be sure to check out David on the inter webs: WEBSITE: www.DavidHodgesMusic.comTWITTER:https://twitter.com/hodgesmusic 

DAVID HODGES PT 1

Hey Everybody,          So the Oscar season came and went, and yet I find myself empty handed again. No reward for my wishing and hoping. No reward for my thinking I should start writing that script. I was not given a lifetime achievement for my perceived potential. What a bummer. Oh well.  What's on Hulu? Do we still have those cheese pretzel combos or did we eat them all? Right? Time to get off our duffs and call our bluffs (see what I did there? I'm a songwriter, I can DO that). Now I know there is the viewpoint that Hollywood is vapid with short attention spans, and that we only care about that which is immediately in front of us, like liberal elitist goldfish. But get off of my cloud, imaginary guy who said that. This show follows my brain down the rabbit hole to find out what it is to validate your work, to seize the opportunity to call yourself a full fledged artist. It also explores what it is to claim artistry, and to take the leap into the unknown. I talk to a friend and compatriot Jesse Thomas about taking the huge leap into depending on your art to keep you fed and clothed. It's worth the risk ladies and gentlemen. it certainly is. Be sure to check out Jesse's Tour dates at her website www.iamjessethomas.comas well as Marvel's Agents of Shield wherein I shoot at people with impunity. check out a clip of it here: http://youtu.be/OpBFL5mPKlo?t=1m42s

Quit Your Job and Do What You Love.

Hello All!      How goes it? This week’s mania hasn’t settled down and I’m stealing time to write you this highly pressurized tidy email. It’s funny when you schedule yourself within an inch of your life what your brain decides to focus on. For some reason when I have more responsibilities I worry less. Is that a thing? Is this just a fluke? Maybe I’ve got a massive breakdown right around the corner but for now I feel great. Not in a rested, “let’s go get waffles!” kind of way, but in a “1/2 way through a marathon and I just got over shin splints” kind of a way. My Brain has to prioritize and it can’t let itself get cannibalistic. Good for me I guess.    In this week’s episode of SharkBrain I talk once more about the myth of the ordained artist. It’s something that’s been building up within me for a while, and I apologize if I keep on going down some of the same roads. But I guess it bears repeating if I keep thinking about it. The crux of the whole thing really is that it’s ok to be a blue collar artist.  Now what do I mean by that? I’ll tell you.    Many times when when artists are written about or interviewed, they get portrayed by the writer (or worse, the artist THEMSELVES!) as these indelible forces of nature, floating on a golden cloud in favor of the Muse, songs and novels spewing forth from their pens. They need merely open their mouths and manna comes spewing forth  in double album form, fully real ized. The gods just smiled upon them and they farted out the poetry of our age. How Lucky we are to know them.    Well I call shenanigans. This process merely takes the egalitarian nature away from the people trying to find their creative voices and puts it in this secret society of the accomplished. It’s creative hoarding. And It’s damaging. So how can we change it?    Well for one thing we as artists in positions of accomplishment or power can stop with the “chosen one” syndrome. Yeah, sometimes art comes easy. You were at the right place and the right time holding a pen. But guess what? That same spirit that came to you comes to all of us. And it can leave as fast as it comes. So let’s not leave out the parts about us banging our heads against the wall. Let’s remember to tell people how we sat down in the chair to write/paint/rehearse/practice when we DIDN’T WANT TO. That it’s work, great work, rewarding work (sometimes), but all the same, a job. If we demystify creativity we become less precious about it when the road is bumpy, and in the end our unique voice shines clearer.    ok. end of rant.   This week on the show we’ve got musical renaissance man Bill Meyers. In his career as a session player and arranger he’s had the opportunity to work with Madonna, Lou Rawls, Earth, Wind, and Fire, Justin Timberlake, Destiny’s Child, Brian McKnight, Holy Crap the list goes on. We talk about the ever changing face of music, about avoiding the pitfalls of rock and roll, and a crazy story about Frank Sinatra. Dig in, this is a good one.   

BILL MEYERS

Good Lord People. Don't have pipes break in your house. It's garbage. This week we have Singer/Songwriter Joel Eckels on the show. We talk about growing up a Navy kid, finding music as an escape, and touring till the wheels fall off. Get this episode, and check out Joel's Pledge music page  HEREhttp://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/joeleckelstwitter: https://twitter.com/JoeleckelsFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/joeleckelsmusicWebsite: http://www.joeleckels.comI also got the opportunity to work with Photographer Jeff Newton (No relation) on a series he's put together on coffee culture and the music and people surrounding it. The tune I play is a new one from the record I'm currently trying to wring out of my subconscious called, "All For You". Click on the screen shot to be taken to it. 

JOEL ECKELS

Good Evening.Morning.Gracious.Gravy-             The Olympics are in full swing and all I can think of are sports that I otherwise don’t know exist. Now I’m not typically a sports guy by ANY means. As a matter of fact They bore me to tears and get my bile roiling. But the Olympics guys. I’m a sucker for the pomp and circumstance. For the personal stories. For the shattering of records. “Ahh The triumph of human grit and determination!”, he mused from the couch.    I think I’m going to go off Social media for a while this week. I’ll keep a journal for when I emerge again to the cloud to report my findings. My sneaking suspicion is that I’ll be far more of a balanced and fulfilled person, at least I hope I will be. I just can’t take anymore of this curated image management social media seems to bring out it all of us. It always leaves me feeling like my life should feel better than it does. I am the fatted calf meant for veal when I’m on social media. So I’m going to give it up for a bit.    That’s not to say that I’m not going to be an email hound for brief (BRIEF I SAY!) moments throughout the day. Just in case anybody really needs me. THERE IS A LINE PEOPLE!   This week on the show we have Matt Sucich, a great singer-songwriter from out of Queens. We talk about day jobs, finding the guitar in college, and our mutual love for Red Wing Boots. Get it!    You can check Matt's music at these places: WEBSITE: http://www.esmatteo.comFACEBOOK.COM: https://www.facebook.com/MattSucichTWITTER: https://twitter.com/EsMatteoI got a piano off of craigslist. I have had it tuned. I am opening my mind back up again. More songs are coming, slowly over the hill, I can just see the tops of their heads. I’m coaxing them from the ether. I’ll keep you guys apprised to how it’s all going.    Be Well,  JN

MATT SUCICH

Good Morning/Evening/Night,             What a punch to the gut. I loved Phillip Seymour Hoffman’s work. I’d go drop 14 bucks to see anything he was in. Such a discerning eye and open nerve. He brought such pathos, such angst. I remember a few years ago while on tour in Hershey, Pennsylvania  a few of us went to see Before the Devil Knows Your Dead at a tiny art-house movie theater roughly the size of a mall bathroom. What he brought to his role in that movie unsettled me, just as he always unsettled me. He made the awkward, tense, virile, prosaic, and despotic parts that we all share into crystalline moments to be studied. His work made us feel the weight of the absurdities of our modern life, to give credence to the flaws and sleek grace in equal measure. Fearless. I wanted to be more like him.    I had no idea about his struggle with drugs. I’ve been lucky enough to avoid heroin and other serious pitfalls, but I haven’t been a complete stranger to addiction. I’m not going to sit and proselytize about the dangers of our choices and drugs. I don’t pretend to know anything about being strung-out on opiates. I have however at times wanted to die, or at least not feel anything anymore. Like something in my brain’s chemistry had ripped off my eyelids and torn open my chest and all I could do was burn and let everything collide through my me until I found a way to numb. I can sympathize with the need to turn the volume down.    We ask so much of ourselves as artists. We take the most sensitive people in the whole of existence, carefully hone them into the most intricate of instruments with years of study and training, then set the wolves of industry upon them. You have to have the mental fortitude of Job to withstand the atrocities of success. I’ve only known a few people who’ve navigated it to some success, and they are my touchstones.    This week on the podcast we have singer/songwriter/former screenwriter Joshua Radin.  I’ve known Josh for a few years now and it was good to sit down at (not a bar) and talk at length about his whirlwind entrance into the music industry, floundering broke in New York City, and the power of timing to help your success. This is the first of my mobile interviews I’ve done with the zoom h4n and I had a bit of technical difficulties with it, i.e. lost the first 20 minutes of the interview. So while kicking myself on the ride back from his place i struggled to remember and write down the things we covered that didn’t make the recording. I’ll go through them in the intro. Suffice it to say, I think I’m going to run that mobile recorder through its’ paces a few more times before I use it again.    Back to the other thing for a second.    we are here for such a very short period of time. I know it hurts, I know it feels like too much. But let’s not risk making our lives even shorter, or by that same token, missing it completely by means of escape.    

JOSHUA RADIN

Aly Tadros is a Texan by way of New York City. She'd been playing for years, but had a moment nearly a year ago that threw her headlong into going pro. I had a great talk with Aly about family, addiction, facing disappointment, and what it means to be her own brand of artist in the 21st century climate. She's a great person, talented musician, and an easy conversationalist. check out our in-depth conversation here: And of course be sure to check Aly's music and blog here:  WEBSITE: http://www.AlyTadros.comTWITTER: http://www.twitter.com/AlyTadros MUSIC&VIDEOS: http://alytadros.com/media/ 

ALY TADROS

Hello Everyone,    How’s the depths of winter treating you? You still holding on to the giddiness of starting fresh in the new year? Has the rubber hit the road? I’ve gone through 4 new selves already and it’s not even Valentine’s Day. I don’t know what’s necessarily wrong with the self I am right now, but by gum I’m going to reinvent it. Not in a David Bowie, “I’m the White Duke now” kind of vibe, or a Garth Brooks, “I’m this Chris Gaines dude with hair” thing. It’s more of me cleaning up after myself like a grown human. Emailing people back because that’s considerate. You know. Less self-absorption. More color coding.                                                                                     I'm trying to write a new record folks. It’s coming slowly. The key is to trick myself into writing and not fall off into distraction. Does anyone out there have a cabin in the woods with slow internet (or no internet) so I can get this thing DONE? Right now I’m trying to work through the self-centered themes, and move on to anything else, like war, fa mine, disease, but with a danceable beat. Kidding, just trying to break the rut. I’ll get back to you on that next week.    But This week on the program we Have Scott Luhrs, a Los Angeles based comedian who happened to be my college roommate. DIG THAT! We try not to get too inside jokey, but it’s a great talk. Wonderful to catch up with him and how life’s been treating him. You can check out his twitter for shows and info HERE:  @LuhrsMan   As always, thanks for listening. Continue to spread the word about the show, I love and appreciate all the positive feedback (and if you’ve been listening long enough, you know I NEED IT)   JN

SCOTT LUHRS

Hello All,       Are you frozen? Beating your way through the tundra of abandoned mid-size sedans to get sundries and victuals at your local McMegaMart? Are you part of this polar vortex? Or are you one of those smug Californians (ME) Who raises his glass of pulverized kale juice to the many crisped to solid ice on our nation's rougher coast? Can you smell my smug sense of sun-drenched entitlement? Do you hate me? Well don't, when an apocalyptic earthquake cuts off my water supply you can laugh over your plate of authentic Sicilian (Fill in name of that thing you always get).  That's enough talk about the weather, I am not 80. We're coming up to awards season. This is my Football season. I could care less about what happens in the realms of professional sports. I've tried. I watch the Super Bowl for commercials and Halftime. I become visibly upset if I have to sit through a live game. I'd rather watch paint dry. But I do love movies. I love them more than food. And I was a fat kid. So this is my Super Bowl, my March Madness, my World Series. I root for my teams, I have favorites, I compose fantasy teams. The whole kit. Last night was the golden globes. As I type this Sunday Afternoon, I'm ACTUALLY EXCITED! Now I know that these shows are symbolic vague forms of self-congratulation veiled in pomp and circumstance meant to instill a sense of reverence for an industry rife with corruption seeking money at the cost of human decency, BUT IT'S FUUUUUUUN!I'll climb up on my high horse named after Marshall McCluhan after I find out who won best picture. This week on the podcast we have actor/comedian Jonathan Kite, a master impressionist best known for his role on the sitcom "Two Broke Girls". We talk about growing up outside of Chicago, working within sketch comedy, and remaining a student of life. Great Talk.  

JONATHAN KITE

Hello All,       This week we have Composer/Songwriter/Producer/Engineer Dan Romer in the SharkBrain Labs. If you're unfamiliar with the name you are likely familiar with his work with Ingrid Michaelson, Jenny Owen Youngs, Lelia Broussard, and the Beasts of the Southern Wild soundtrack. We talk about New York vs. LA, composing, and how jazz has failed us all. Take a listen below:and Check out Dan on the web: Twitter: https://twitter.com/Dan_romerFacebook:HEREWebsite:http://drawingnumberone.comLet's not get all disenfranchised about our New Year's resolutions. Let's commit to being better, what do yousay?JN 

DAN ROMER

Hello All,        I'll keep this short and sweet. Imma sick person. Boom. There. I'm not PERFECT! IS THAT ALRIGHT FOR YOU JEAN??!?!??!This medicine is starting to kick in. so here's my quick postcard from fever dream city. letting you know I love you and want you to have the best of holidays. SO GET OFF MY BACK WITH ALL THAT UNICORN BLOOD TALK! Ok, I'm going to go lie down. be well, JN 

Crispy Christmas

Good Gravy.       I've lost any and all resolve at these Holiday Parties. I eat and eat and eat. It's like I enter this strange drone like state wherein calories don't count and I can have as much of the cheese plate as I want without any consequences. (cut to later that night when my wife wants to divorce me for methane emissions). I have to make this brief as this week has decided to explode with responsibilty. Thank you all so much for the great feedback on these last few shows. I'm honored to have your attention in these frenetic times. This week we have the DIY master Ari Herstand on the show. Do yourself a favor and check him out on the web after you get done listening to this episode, Hell, maybe even during this episode, you're good at multi-tasting right?Find Ari on the web:website: http://ariherstand.comtwitter: https://twitter.com/ariherstandfacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ariherstandBlog: http://aristake.comBe well my friends, JN

ARI HERSTAND

A podcast about the creative process, personal stories, and getting through the blocks that keep you from being your true self.

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SHARKBRAIN PODCAST

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