Bands To Fans

In this interview, legendary KROQ DJ Richard Blade reflects on the golden age of alternative radio, crediting program director Rick Carroll's music-first philosophy for creating the environment that made the station's DJ lineup so exceptional. That lineup included our mutual friend, the late, great Dusty Street. Blade offers frank insights into today's radio landscape, which he describes as "a swamp" programmed by salespeople rather than music lovers, while sharing career advice about setting bold goals and the importance of knowing your audience. From breaking new wave bands in the '80s to his current role preserving that era's legacy, Blade discusses stories from his autobiography "World In My Eyes," including a Hollywood movie project in development based on his relationship with Berlin's Terri Nunn. Through industry changes and celebrity encounters, the interview reveals Blade's core motivation remains unchanged: he's simply a guy who loves sharing great music with people. We (Richard, myself, and my wife, Michele) recorded this interview backstage at the Carolina Theatre in Durham before Richard’s show with Howard Jones and Haircut 100.

When three seasoned Austin guitarists who grew up watching the same blues legends at legendary venues like Antone's and the Continental Club decide to collaborate, something special is bound to happen. That's exactly what occurred when Johnny Moeller—known for his work with the Fabulous Thunderbirds and backing artists like Marcia Ball—joined forces with Jesse Dayton and Ian Moore to form the Texas Headhunters.What started as a casual studio session between old friends has evolved into a powerhouse trio that captures the authentic spirit of Austin blues while pushing beyond traditional boundaries. Their debut album, recorded in just five days at Willie Nelson's studio, showcases not just their individual talents but their remarkable ability to weave three distinct guitar voices into a cohesive, electrifying sound.In this candid interview, Moeller opens up about the challenges and revelations of transitioning from a career spent primarily as a supporting musician to sharing frontman duties with two other guitar virtuosos. He discusses the delicate art of three-guitar arrangements, the organic songwriting process that drives the band, and how decades of friendship and shared musical heroes created the perfect foundation for this new venture.More than just another blues-rock project, Texas Headhunters represents something increasingly rare in today's music landscape: an entirely organic, human-driven collaboration that stands as a defiant response to the artificial intelligence and manufactured sounds dominating the industry. As Moeller puts it, this is about getting back to "the real shit"—authentic musicianship, spontaneous creativity, and the irreplaceable magic that happens when talented musicians trust each other enough to truly listen and respond.

I interviewed Lawrence Gowan of Styx. We discussed:

• Their new album, Circling From Above.
• When the listener is nervous to hear the new album because they loved the last album.
• The challenge of giving yourself only three days to write and record a song.
• The melody idea that would not leave him alone.
• Their continuing embrace of song vignettes.
• When the final version of a song is even better than the initial idea.
• Creating conflict and resolution within the span of one song.

“When I gravitated back to music, it was for the right reasons.” I interviewed Kenneth Nixon of Framing Hanley. We discussed:

• Their new song, "Mean It".
• The influence of Walt Whitman's "The Poet's Purpose".
• The advantage of growing up across the street from the library.
• Developing song ideas through humming.
• Why he stepped away from music for a few years.
• Persevering despite how the social media / streaming companies work to prevent musicians from connecting with their fans

I interviewed the band Secret Monkey Weekend -- Ella (bass), Lila (drums), Jefferson (guitar). From their bio - "Ella and Lila’s father Matt, a prominent area drummer who’d toured with Hüsker Dü’s Grant Hart, passed suddenly in 2012, when his daughters were aged just 4 and 9. Matt had played in bands with Jefferson and, after his friend’s passing, Jefferson started teaching Ella guitar. A relationship with their mom, Laura, slowly blossomed." What began as a hobby / therapy evolved into a family band.
We discussed:
- Their new album, "Lemon Drop Hammer"
- Starting so young, how Ella and Lila have adapted their playing as they have physically grown
- The song "So Much Joy" and its gritty happiness
- The quirky, fun title track 
- The great lyric "walking between raindrops" 
- How the music community embraced them after their dad died 
- The job title I have never seen in album liner notes before

I spoke with AJ Dean of The Wandering Hearts. We discussed:

• Deja Vu (We've All Been Here Before), their reimagining of the album by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young.
• The rare thunderstorms that bookended their recording sessions in the California desert.
• Veering away from the obvious choice of who should sing lead on a song.
• And more.

I spoke with the band Sister Hazel, specifically Ken Block, Drew Copeland, Jett Beres, and Ryan Newell. (Drummer Mark Trojanowski was warming up because they were about to go on stage.) We discussed:
- Their new album... Sand, Sea & Crash Debris
- Co-writing a song with Emerson Hart of Tonic
- Ken co-writing a song with his daughter 
- Which member of the band is "the unwriter"
- The songs "Hole In Your Life," "All Goes By So Fast," and "Lay Your Worry Down"
- And more

Vulnerability with volume. Talking about the song "Wild" with Kelsy Karter.

Talking with Matt Scannell of Vertical Horizon about the song "Everything You Want"

I interviewed Peter Holsapple, best known for his bands The dB's and the Continental Drifters, as well as his work with groups like REM and Hootie and The Blowfish. Topics and pull quotes:

• His new album, The Face of 68.
• "You want to kind of go for feral performances if you can. You want it to jump out of the grooves of the record."
• "There's the human jukebox that's running from the second I get up to the instant I fall asleep that I can't turn off."
• "It's got conversation that I'm having with him beyond the pale. I need that. I need to grieve somehow."
• And he proves he is an even a bigger music geek than I am.