Thieves of Nashville

The Thieves rap with Brad Sativa, comedian, writer, actor, and producer. They talk about the important of traveling, and why stand up comedy is the hardest form of comedy. Brad explains his interesting last name, and how he uses his marketing and business degrees to promote his work. After our show, enjoy a clip from his album Petty.

Bo Latham joins the Thieves for the first stop on the Bo Latham Podcast Tour in Nashville. The boys discuss the pillars of the music business and artist retreats, country houses with studios and space. Bo and the boys also deconstruct connecting with other creative artists and the obstacles to doing so in Music City. Old Town Road, Slumerican, Printer's Alley, and everything therein. Stealing the culture. Giving it back.

Ryan and Zac sit with Nashville photographer Kept Frozen to discuss the importance of the portfolio and reputation. Professionalism leads to repeat business, especially from large, corporate clients. The Thieves talk about the technical aspects of photography and how to draft a creative brief. Work comes first for Kept Frozen, even before friends and family and usually before sleep or meals. Music City, he says, needs to show love to all genres. For creatives, school is probably overrated and overpriced.

The Thieves of Nashville talk with Jake White, founder of Darla's Bagels, one of the only dedicated bagel producers in Music City. They discuss loving your business process intrinsically, because being the best may not be what we think it is. Jake also speaks on filtering feedback as a small business owner. Some clients' opinions may not be worth the same as others. Grocery store bagels are filled with preservatives and are overly processed, which is why fresh bread products are made to be eaten day of. Many Southerners may not always recognize or value that. Jake is also the first guest to ask how the Thieves of Nashville got started. Stealing the culture. Giving it back.

The Thieves of Nashville sit with Mike Brady of Bad Mood Management. Mike is a former A&R and Manager at Cash Money Records and Universal Music Group, and he shares wild stories about Birdman, Young Thug, and many 3:00am studio business discussions. What is A&R (Artists and Repertoire)? What does a tour manager do? It's critical, Mike says, to let artists pursue what they find most interesting, but not without putting that vision into an understandable framework. Nashville labels aren't facilitating making music in terms of getting artists into studios as a primary stream of income, aren’t taking on that role. Nashville's rap scene has no unifying sound.

Live from Retrograde Coffee in Nashville, the Thieves talk with Steve Mabee and Beverage Director Jordan Thompson. The boys discuss the genesis of Music City's roasteries and coffee shops and how they really are the new community centers. What's the difference between drip, pour over, and espresso, and "fourth wave" coffee. And how to translate "farm-to-table," to coffee. Stealing the culture. Giving it back.

Designer and artist DeShawn Oravetz joins the Thieves to discuss his latest and upcoming work and how being skilled in different disciplines is an asset. DeShawn talks on how to execute projects at a high level, especially when working with Kim Kardashian West. Nashville is a music machine, but it's also an empty white room. His new project on empathy and togetherness will be out later this year.

Ryan talks with Pure Pasture Farms founder Travis Cole. The farm raises pastured chickens, turkeys, duck, lamb, and eggs just north of Nashville. Travis speaks on the differences between heritage breed poultry and conventional meat, how our health can be improved by eating pastured meat, and what community supported agriculture (CSA) programs are. Answer: they're the original Butcher Box, or Netflix for food. Zac is back next week!

The Thieves sit down with Jamie Bacalan, founder of Rooted, Nashville's only sneaker and designer apparel shop. Look to Japan, not Paris or Milan, for the next trend he says. The Thieves discuss e-commerce, and the protection of retail that you still have to try on shoes and clothes and can't do that online. Jamie stresses the importance of service, reciprocity, and supporting your neighbors.  Rooted is being of service to the community, value taught through faith.

Photographer Faux Landeaux AKA Orlando Watson, J.D. joins the Thieves to talk about the business in Music City. Instagram changes the resolution of your picture uploads, depending on your followers and endorsements. Ryan notes that photography, like the service industry, cannot be automated. Orlando tells us what's holding back Nashville's art culture. Zac moves to change the name of Music City to Country Music City. “You don’t have to come up with some grand thing of what it means to you or how it makes you feel, just look at it for a second, take a look at what I’ve done.”