Local Open Mic

Today we introduce you to Nicola Vazquez! Professionally known as Nicola, her amazing career has seen her releasing four successful CD projects, along with a number hit single releases in-between.

As if her resume isn't impressive enough, this independent singer/song writer, spent two years on Broadway as part of the cast of Le Miserables.

 Stories abound in this interview, not the least of which is the story behind her latest release, The Distance! It is a deeply personal song, written as lock downs and long-time relationships were ending. The music transports you to another place and time, experiencing the highs and lows of love that has gone the distance!

In addition to the release of The Distance, Nicola talks about the stories behind two more songs that will make you want to become a fan and follow her career!

First, join Nicola's mailing list at her website, next share her interview with all your friends!

Shimna Higgins! Shimna is a highly regarded Celtic fiddler, she has travelled and performed extensively throughout Australia and New Zealand with internationally acclaimed, Celtic Illusion, as their featured fiddler. Hear about her musical journey as a fiddler, starting at a very young age. She brought three songs that showcase her talent, along with the backstory of each, you will be a fan after the first 8 bars!

David Shanhun Update! David has been busy since we last spoke to him, catch up with this amazing singer and loop artist!  Hear about the touring and his move to Twitch for live events!

dshanhun@gmail.com

On Facebook just search for David Shanhun

YouTube

Eric Ramsey! Eric is an artist that got his start in music later in life and it wasn't until his wife told him to 'go for it' that he mustered the courage to begin his musical journey. That was seven years ago, and in that time Eric has performed all around the country, found success in music competitions, like his recent showing at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN. where he won in the Solo/Duo category. It doesn't end there, he also won the Memphis Cigar Box Guitar award for Best Guitarist in the Solo/Duo category and… (deep breath), he won the People's Choice Award at the Wildflower Arts and Music Festival Al Johnson Performing Songwriter Contest! His music is a combination of blues, folks and country with lyrics penned from his experiences in life. We will hear three of his songs and their backstories today.

Email: erramz@gmail.com

Linda Sussman! Linda has been a lifelong musician, but the singer/songwriter phase of her life began some five or so years ago. In that time Linda has managed three full album releases and is on the cusp of her fourth…yes, all in four years. She considers herself a roots folk singer but has some amazing blues tunes that will leave you in awe of her versatility. She regularly appears on the roots folk charts and has garnered radio airplay all along the way. We will share with us, the backstory to three deeply personal songs including one of her blues tunes. Join me, for a dive into the musical journey of Linda Sussman.

The ACT Americana Trio! The ACT Americana Trio is a group that "gets" the whole modern folk vibe with tight harmonies, meaningful lyrics and an earthy, organic musical sound. Andre, Chris and Taryn began their relationship of collaboration some five years ago, finding common ground in the Americana sound. The backstory to each of the four songs we will hear today are sure to make you fans. Their recently released EP, "True North", is already getting airplay in both Canada and the US.

Taryn Laronge! Taryn has been keeping busy during the pandemic, writing and co-writing songs and starting a new folk style group called The ACT Americana Trio. (Look for the interview with her new band members in April 2022.)  Taryn is keeping a hand in her own solo career with more songs in the pipeline too.

Josie Bello! Josie Bello picked up guitar about seven years ago at the pleading of her teenage son...to find a hobby!

Not long after starting to play guitar, Josie discovered she had things to say and found her voice in the amazing songs she creates. Already a veteran performer, her music is catching on both in North America and Europe! Her style ranges from folk and country to bluesy tunes that show case a classic sound sometimes compared to Mary Chapin Carpenter.

We will hear the stories to three of her songs today; Josie selected them especially for Local Open Mic listeners. These stories and the songs will leave you changed for the better.

Eyvindur Karlsson! Eyvindur Karlsson hails from Iceland. The first thing you'll notice about him, his english accent sounds like he was born and raised in the mid-west of the United States! I kid you not.

The next thing you'll notice is how passionate he is about music and these days, especially teaching experienced songwriters to be better! He hosts a successful podcast entitled The Strong Writing Podcast, with at least one Local Open Mic alumni in his catalog. Along the way to all of this, Eyvindur has written music for theatre productions that have taken the show on the road, throughout Europe. His writing style is engaging since all of his songs tell a story. We get to hear the backstory to three of his songs, all while enjoying discussions about his musical journey

Marianne Sveen! Marianne Sveen, from Oslo, Norway, is a truly gifted singer/songwriter and arranger! She is best known as a member of the European pop group, Katzenjammer! Her most recent solo release album, Next of Kin, is a deeply personal project that even includes the a cover song, a reinterpretation of the 80's song by Simple Minds, "Don't You Forget About Me". It is utterly brilliant, not to be missed. The music and lyrics on Next of Kin are powerful, bringing you into her private spaces in a way that will both disarm you and change you. She shares with us the backstory to four songs that reveal much about her personal musical journey.

Reinhardt Buhr! Reinhardt Buhr is an exceptionally talented ambient music artist. From the early days of picking up his first guitar in a place called, Wilderness, South Africa to living in Cape Town, Reinhardt has demonstrated a natural ability to learn new instruments. He stumbled into the ambient music space quite by accident but it suited him and the rest may be thought of as history. He has been busking for years and along the way found his moral footing in his Christian beliefs. He is not preachy about such things but offers a clear account of his conversion later in the podcast. As a busker, Reinhart is no stranger to performing for a transient audience, but after recording a full day of busking in Cape Town, just two years ago, five his live creations were posted to YouTube and his career lifted off. Each of those songs rocketed past 1 million views and continue to climb. One song is at nearly 7 million views!

For Reinhardt, there is no formula to the his success, at least not one he can articulate. You see, each of Buhr's creations are unique, one-time events. When he starts to play, he concedes that he does not really know where the moment will take him. He doesn't let a little thing like 'time' limit him either, for example, the four songs he brought just for this interview are all in excess of 9 minutes. We will hear the backstory to each song and so much more today.

One thing to note at this point, during the interview we will listen to only a portion of each song, however, each song can be heard at the end of this interview, complete and uninterrupted.

Judy Rodman! Judy Rodman has certainly made her mark in the music industry.

Let me list a few of her accomplishments:

• Her 1986 self-titled, breakout album that included her #1 hit, Until I Met You
• ACM Female Vocalist of the Year
• Writer of a song recorded by an unknown LeAnn Rimes, that sold over a million copies and put Rimes on everyone's radar
• A-lister backup vocalist in Nashville, a prestigious situation for any singer
• An in-demand vocal coach
• Producer

Reinvention is one of the hallmarks that make her musical journey extraordinary. Judy gives us the backstory to four of her songs, include the #1 hit song she wrote that was recorded by LeAnn Rimes.

Email: JudyRodman@gmail.com

Rosie Bans! Rosie Bans is a singer songwriter from Glasgow, Scotland who gravitated to playing piano at a young age. Rosie plays a number of instruments and even includes the lowly recorder in that list. In her 20's, this self-taught pianist found herself in London for five years, she describes this as a dramatic time in her life and incredibly educational, playing 4 and 5 Star hotels and restaurants, and even the House of Lords. She recounts that on one occasion she was let go from one of her regular gigs and replaced by a modern player-piano. That's right, just plug in the memory card and the piano starts to play, keys and all. She laughs about it now, not so much then.

Her main project these days is called, Be Radical, Make Music, it is also a Facebook group anyone can join! In addition to the group, she hosts Be Radical, Make Music seminars for more in-depth learning.

Rosie has some amazing stories of self-discovery and travel that any musician is sure to identify with. She will also tell us the back-story to two of her songs that she brought for us to play. So stay with us for this wonderful interview with Rosie Bans!

Email: hello@rosiebans.com

Jason Blume! You already know Jason Blume, at least from his body of work in the music industry. Jason has written and co-written songs for many of the biggest stars over that past 30 years. From The Oak Ridge Boys, Collin Raye, and John Berry, to Britney Spears, the Back Street Boys and Jesse McCartney and more. These days, Jason finds fulfillment in teaching the craft of writing songs, or as he put it, 'rewriting songs'. Jason will be the first to tell you, nearly all hits songs get rewritten many times before they are ready for prime time! He shares the backstory to the writing of a couple of the hit songs has co-written and a couple of song writing tips just for Local Open Mic podcast listeners!

Email: Jbsongdoc@gmail.com

Sarah Smith is the perfect example of Canadian rock artistry. She has shared a stage with Thundermug's Bill Durst, 54-40, Melissa Etheridge, Brian Adams and others. Sarah even developed a following in southern Texas before the pandemic put a pause on live gigging. Her unique rock sound remains in front of her fan due to extensive touring in both Canada and Europe. Her lyrical styling from early gospel influences in her life, to the edgier rock she came to embrace as she grew in her musical journey will all be explored in this episode as Sarah shares four of her brilliantly produced songs. If rock is your thing, you'll become a fan after sampling the Sarah Smith sound!

Email: sarah@sarahsmithmusic.com

Izzie of Izzie's Caravan! Izzie has a 'caravan' of various musicians coming in and out of his band… by design. Izzie has a classic heavy rock expression to his music with introspective lyrics. After years of a lifestyle that dragged him down, Izzie decided enough was enough and embarked on a self-recovery path, lifting himself up and out of the dark holes he found himself in. He tossed out the alcohol, changed his diet and began to exercise his way back to health. We'll hear about that dramatic time in his life. In today's interview, the songs Izzie will discuss are covers from an important band from his past, The Ramones, that played a role in his recovery. We will play those songs, you don't want to miss his heavier rock versions of some classic Ramones tunes.

Email: izzie@izziescaravan.com

Tedi Brunetti! Tedi is in the midst of a career resurgence, hitting #82 on the World Indie Charts with her recent project release, "Queen of Pittsburgh". Some of you may know her from her successful 80's band where she played drums for "The B Girls", produced by Debbie Harry of Blondie. Her break from the music business came when she decided that raising her family was more important to her than the lights of the stage. A few years ago, Tedi started to gig again and resumed writing music. It didn't go unnoticed either, the Janice Joplin meets Steely Dan description of her musical style is apparent in her songs. Join us as she shared the stories behind her music and some great tales from her 70's and 80's bands.

Stella Cole/Emma Scotson! It would seem Tik Tok is the new place to be discovered, at least that is how is was for Stella Cole! She found a niche in singing classic 1940's and 50's era American Standards and drawing in fans with her sultry, better-than-Disney vocals. But it was when James Taylor (that's right, You Got A Friend, James Taylor) reposted some of her videos, that Stella began her crescendo on social media. This led to working with one of his long time producers on their upcoming release. But Stella isn't writing her own songs, that talent is coming from Emma Scotson who is already demonstrating the 'it' factor for lyrics and melody. It's the beginning of a classic duo writing/performance team that is the stuff of legends, and we get to witness the magic in it's infancy. The Stella and Emma brought three of their songs for us to hear, along with the back story to each.

Nico Padden! Nico Padden is singer/songwriter whose background started in opera, with formal training while attending university. She abandoned the course she was one for the one that suited her better, that of a singer/songwriter. With the release of her 2016 project, A Light in the Dark, Nico stepped onto a global stage, presenting her lyrical landscapes, wrapped in punchy music that resonate with her ever expanding fan-base. One song from this project, White Flag, took on a life of its own. The a cappella song has been embrace by high school choirs throughout the US and Canada to great success, a truly unexpected viral experience. The song is especially meaningful because it was inspired by her late grandmother, whom she cared for in the later years of her life. Nico tells us the stories behind four songs she brought today, some of which are on her upcoming, January 2022 album release, Pirate Queen.

From performing in a major London West End theatre production to managing successful and growing music career, Charlotte Campbell has stories to tell! Charlotte is best understood as the eternal upbeat artist. Her songs could fit in just about any 'feel good' movie or tv show, even Disney productions. Never one to add filler lyrics to her music, we play an amazing song that is just 2:15 minutes, now that is brave. She was cast in a theatre production (think NYC's Broadway) on the West End of London at a young age, she dreamed of being an actress and musical theatre star but her dancing skills fell short. It was during this time that Charlotte's mother suggested she learn guitar telling her she could still sing, all while standing still! After playing guitar for five years, Charlotte began to busk and by all accounts has developed a loyal and growing international following across many platforms. We play five of Charlotte's songs and get the backstory to each as we explore her musical journey!

Email: charlottecampbell@live.co.uk

Jeff Curtis is a guitar instrumentalist, one might even say, guitarist extraordinaire! If you admire guitarists like Phil Keaggy, then you will truly be amazed by Jeff's personal creations. Curtis does not do covers, as a rule, he prefers the uncharted territory of original music. With the release of his latest project in early 2021, Jeff has an impressive body of work for any fan to enjoy. We'll hear the stories behind four of his favorite tunes, along with a remarkable story about Jimmy Page's guitar case from 1972 that fell into Jeff's hands.

Email: curtisjef@aol.com

Shane is an amazing singer with a very uncommonly accurate 'Karen Carpenter' sound! She launched onto the YouTube scene in 2011 with a Rascal Flatts cover and by 2012 was already appearing on local television shows. Winner of internationally acclaimed singing competitions by 2016, Shane became a YouTube star when people heard her version of Karen Carpenter's "You". Since then, Shane Ericks has gained nearly a quarter million YouTube subscribers and continues to climb in dramatic fashion. Writing her own songs or collaborating with established artists, Shane's music is both engaging and authentic. We get to hear four of her songs, along with the back stories to each. Join us and hear first-hand, Shane Ericks personal musical journey.

Sean Leahy updates our fans with the latest happenings at Dublin City Today since our original interview.  You'll recall that Dublin City Today is a premier busking channel on YouTube, featuring new and experienced buskers.  A few of these buskers are making huge career strides because of what Dublin City Today does for them.

Alan Brewer, originally from New York, has worn many hats in his five decade long career. From contributing musician and arranger to full producer for major movie releases and even a publisher, Alan has found himself working with many of the who's who in the music and movie industry, including the likes of Rick Wakeman, Pete Townshend and Arlen Roth. While still in a successful band in the late 70's, he was approached with the idea of leaving his band to be one of the new front men for Jefferson Starship… before Mickey Thomas. We play six songs that Alan had a hand in producing, including a few that wrote and played on. His skill as a musician will never be overlooked and as an arranger, he is always in top form. The stories behind the songs are as diverse as his career.  You'll love the story about Pete Townshend.

Arlen Roth is an artist with an amazingly diversified resume, so where does one start in talking about Arlen Roth. Here, I'll give you the short list of accomplishments, his band was the only band to play at the Second Annual Woodstock Festival to a crowd of 50,000 fans, he played with the Bee Gees during a 1974 tour in Canada, he was in the first skit on SNL in 1978 with Dan Akroyd and John Belushi that shortly evolved into the Blue Brothers, he was the last to record with the legendary Johnny Winter, before his passing in 2014. Arlen has many more stories to tell, both professional and personal, including the back stories to four songs we'll hear in the episode.

Today we're talking with Ivan Bodley aka Funkboy! If you like funk music, you will love this episode! This is one cool cat! Ivan has a book, available on Amazon entitled, "Am I Famous Yet?: Memoir of a Working-Class Rock Star". We will be talking about the book along with his musical roots. Before his career as a working-class rock star, Ivan worked for major record labels as a publicist and has eight platinum and multi-platinum records he has contributed too, but who's counting! These include projects with Joan Jett and the Black Hearts, Michael Jackson and Bad, Luther Vandross, even Weird Al Yankovic and his platinum Fat project that was a parody of Michael Jackson's big hit. As a performer he's played on two grammy nominated records, with Pete Seger and Raphael Cruz. We'll hear four of his original funk tunes and get the back story for each. Let's bring in Ivan!

Tara Jamieson! Tara Jamieson is a Canadian singer/songwriter living and attending university in Dublin, Ireland, with aspirations of being a medical doctor! Funny thing happened on the way to her Hippocratic Oath, she auditioned for Ireland's Got Talent and made it all the way to the semi-finals. With classic Canadian politeness, she writes songs of personal experiences in her life, and along with the back story to each of the three songs we'll hear in this episode, you'll not only feel as though you know her but you will like her too.

Dakota East is a country singer/songwriter, living in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. She just released her first song, 'Runaway', that is already being added to several major iTunes Playlists. Dakota spent time in the trenches, playing rock, blues and jazz before finding her passion in a country sound that only she can bring. Hear the song and the story behind it, along with other details of her musical journey.

Welcome to the first episode of Season 2 of the Local Open Mic podcast! In this first episode of season 2, we talk with Kevin Kelly. Kevin, is a well-known and highly regarded producer/recording engineer and musician in the New York City area. Among his credits is recording the earliest known demo by Blondie, that's right, Blondie and it is from 1975! Four out of the five demo songs went to Gold Record status and yes, they were the versions he recorded with the band. He has worked with many of the best artists from the 70's and 80's, recording live performances with Hall and Oats, Billy Joel, The Police, Edgar Winter and many more. Many of these recordings made it to the artist's 'live' album/cd releases. He was the bass player in several successful bands in the 70's, even touring with the Bee Gees throughout eastern Canada in 1974. By 1989 he changed gears and turned to teaching, becoming a tenured professor at a local Long Island college. Twenty five years later and about five minutes after retiring, Kevin launched a studio again, The Workshoppe East. He will talk about all of these things and the never before heard stories behind five songs we'll be playing in this interview.

Tom is 'modern easy'. He takes life one day at a time and has managed to remain a viable performer during the challenges in the past year due to public health concerns. He has a nearly unmatched repertoire of cover songs he can perform on request. You'd be wrong to think of Tom Scott as a cover artist though, he in fact has released some amazing music that we'll hear, along with their back stories. His faith in Christ contributes to his unpretentious approach to life, so much so that he only mentioned an American Idol contestant covered a song of his after the interview was over! He is a rare find and worth your time to listen.

Facebook: tslionsong

Toby Tobias, grew up in South Africa, leaving his homeland after high school for an music education in Israel and eventually immigrating to the United States and settling in Long Island, New York. He is passionate about his musical journey and has produced a live show about it called, "Journey From Johannesburg", performed across the United States, from New York to California. Toby writes and produces all his own music and has a decided South African feel it. He brought four songs for us to hear and each has a great backstory you won't want to miss. Let's get right to the interview.

Del Puckett, his motto, "6 strings is 3 strings to many", explains a lot about an amazing lead guitarist who discovered 3-string cigar box guitars! Handy with his hands, he also discovered quickly that he could take these simple boxes into beautiful instruments. His craft has put him at the top of YouTube cigar box luthiers. In addition to Del's successful lead guitarist roll and founding member of the early 2000's group, Soular, his family as achieved industry props all on their own too!  He'll discuss all of this and much more in this episode of Local Open Mic!

Today's guest is Rorie Kelly, she lives on Long Island, NY and was firmly embedded in the music scene in the Big Apple, New York City, playing several nights a week and earning a fine living doing so. She hosts a regular show on YouTube, Facebook and Twitch called "Monday Night Muses with Rorie Kelly", it streams live… you guessed it, on Monday's. Rorie has four songs to share from her up coming album release, entitled "Shadow Work", long with the very interesting back story to each.

Barry Leef or Baz to his friends, has a long and storied career as one of Australia's most recognizable musical voices. Baz started his career in the late 60's with a couple of #1 hits on the New Zealand charts before moving to Australia and joining the progressive hard rock band, Bakery in 1972. His talents though, were never exported commercially to the world like his contemporaries. Baz was under an internationally binding contract during this time, so when Frank Zappa came calling, asking him join his band the opportunity had to be turned down. He continued his string of musical successes through the 80's with the highly regarded band, Supermarket. Leef's most recent release, entitled "Rythmized", is a solo effort with his favorite music from the 60's and the 70's. It is a fresh interpretation of music from that era, it's full of blues, soul and pop music and we get to listen to four of these tracks in this episode.

Mona and Lisa form the band, MonaLisa Twins, a musical duo, residing in Liverpool, England, that take their love of all things Beatles to the stage and YouTube by performing songs that commanded their attention as young girls, growing up in Austria. Coming from a family that was embedded in the European music scene for decades, by way of a successful recording studio, they had a chance to see and learn music at a young age from observing many world class performers that came through the studio. Their engaging and accurate Beatles productions landed them a Cavern Club residency that lasted for some three years, finally ending with their 100th show at the Club, in 2018. We will hear all the stories that brought them to the prominence they now enjoy as one of the very best musical duos on YouTube! They brought some of their original music for us today, along with the back stories for each. By the end of this episode you will feel as if you know Mona and Lisa. Stay with us as we have a conversation with MonaLisa Twins!

Corey Pryor, famously known as an early member of Newsboys, makes his home in the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. Professionally, he is a highly regarded and award winning DJ, producer and song writer and was a driving force in some early #1 hit songs the Newboys released. He'll take about all that and more. You can still hear that classic style in Corey's current music today. We'll play a few of his song during this episode Local Open Mic, so be sure to stay with us for the ride!

Email: corey@coreypryor.com

Lewin Barringer is the musician you want to be, he is accomplished playing many instruments, he produces and mixes professionally with great success, especially in the Philadelphia area, where he was born and raised. In addition to all of that, as if that is not enough, his YouTube channel, GarageBand and Beyond, is the longest running home recording channel on YouTube! Before folks knew what YouTube could do for them, he was already a YouTube trailblazer! We talk about that along with many other details of his musical journey. We play four songs from his Music Monday feature, where he writes and produces the complete song and then publishes it all on Monday! Stay with us to the end and you can hear a bonus track from Lewin to close out the show.

In Episode #11 of Local Open Mic, we interview David Shanhun.  David is a musician from Auckland, New Zealand. A place where the locals say you can't be a full time musician in New Zealand and yet he's been doing it for nearly 11 years now. How does that work exactly? He even has the streaming cred to prove it with a #1 iTunes song from July 2020. David Shanhun cut his teeth as a busker and loop artist and has been known to release full MTV style videos in support of his amazing original music. His live performances continue to draw fans all across New Zealand where ever he plays. In this Episode of Local Open Mic, we get to know him!

Email: dshanhun@gmail.com

Facebook:  @davidshanhun

Instagram: @davidshanhun