Lauren Longbine Bartlett is a Country Radio Promotion Executive based in Scottsdale, Arizona. Over the last decade, she’s helped garner 33 #1 hits for artists including Luke Combs, FGL, Megan Moroney, Old Dominion, and dozens more. Previously, she worked as Sr. Director of Promotion & Artist Development at Sony Music Nashville and was a Regional Director of Promotion & Marketing at Big Machine Label Group in Nashville. Currently, Lauren works independently on releases for artists including Chris Janson, Brandon Lake & Jelly Roll, and more with her company Gregory Brand Collective.

Follow Lauren: @laurenlbartlett

Recorded on November 18, 2025 at the Hilton Garden Vanderbilt hotel in Nashville, Tennessee.
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Thank you to our show sponsors:

The Victory Theatre: Located in the heart of downtown Evansville, Indiana, The Victory Theatre is a historic 1,950-seat venue hosting world-class entertainment such as Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Louis C.K, Deana Carter, and Eddie Griffin, to name a few. Managed by Venuworks, the 124-year-old theatre is also home to the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra and Signature School, Indiana’s first charter school and a top-raked charter school in the nation. See all upcoming events at victorytheatre.com.

Thru-Line Development Company: Based in Evansville, Indiana, Thru-Line Dev Co. is a boutique coaching practice made for the highly-committed developing and established artists in need of clarity of vision, strengthening of identity, and realignment of the systems and structures surrounding their careers for authentic, scalable growth. Rooted in a practice of supportive inquiry and deep creative alignment, Thru-Line exists to help artists move beyond burnout, misalignment, and inherited industry beliefs to build careers that scale with clarity rather than compromise. Learn more at artistdev.co. 

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Everybody Else is a podcast dedicated to pulling back the curtain on the lives and work of the music people you don’t see. From producers and publicists to label execs, venue managers, and beyond, this show dives into the real stories, strategies, and lessons from those building and running the business of music. Whether you're an aspiring artist, a curious fan, or someone working behind the scenes yourself, Everybody Else offers a candid look into what it takes to build a meaningful, lasting career in the always-evolving world of music through engaging dialogue between host, Wes Luttrell, and a plethora of interesting guests.

Follow Wes: Main link
Music by Jim Noir
Artwork by Ethan Douglass
Distributed by Transistor 

Chris Rusecki is the Head of Campaign Management at Soar Music Group, a Netherlands-based, multi-faceted music promotion company focused on playlisting, press, and live bookings. Based in Manchester, England, Chris previously earned a Masters Degree in Music & Management at the University of Leeds started his career in music as a Senior A&R at Liberty Music PR. Chris is also co-founder of The Nineties, a consultancy firm focused on advising independent artist in the area of music marketing.

Follow Chris: @chrisrusecki
Follow Soar Music Group: @soarmusicgroup
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Thank you to our sponsor, Symphonic. Founded in 2006 by former music producer Jorge Brea, Symphonic Distribution provides thousands of new and established record labels, managers, and artists with global digital music and video distribution to hundreds of retail and streaming platforms, playlist pitching, release promotion, and a comprehensive suite of label services.

A shortlist of Artists and Record Labels who have had their work distributed through Symphonic include: Ok Go!, Jon Batiste, Doechii, Melissa Etheridge, Sean Paul, CloZee, Odesza, LS DREAM, Sarah McLachlan, Wally Opus Records, and many more incredibly talented creatives across various genres.

Switch to Symphonic to get your music onto all major platforms and utilize their growing set of tools and offerings with 25% off your first year of a Starter Package by visiting:  https://symphonic.com/starter/  and entering the promo code "everybodyelse" (case sensitive) at check out.

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Everybody Else is a podcast dedicated to pulling back the curtain on the lives and work of the music people you don’t see. From producers and publicists to label execs, venue managers, and beyond, this show dives into the real stories, strategies, and lessons from those building and running the business of music. Whether you're an aspiring artist, a curious fan, or someone working behind the scenes yourself, Everybody Else offers a candid look into what it takes to build a meaningful, lasting career in the always-evolving world of music through engaging dialogue between host, Wes Luttrell, and a plethora of interesting guests.

Follow Wes: Main link
Music by Jim Noir
Artwork by Ethan Douglass
Distributed by Transistor 

Dr. Perry Burnett is an economics professor at the University of Southern Indiana where his primary research areas are in urban and regional economics and the economics of religion. Perry's research has been published in leading international journals, such as the Journal of Regional Science,  Land Economics, Social Indicators Research and the Journal of Policy Modeling. In 2022, he discovered the band Lorna Shore and has since become a devote listener and audience member of the genre Deathcore where he's discovered a sort of spiritual medicine in the music.
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Thank you to our show sponsor, The Victory Theatre, for bringing great entertainment to our little city and for believing in this show.

Located in the heart of downtown Evansville, Indiana, The Victory Theatre is a historic 1,950-seat venue hosting world-class entertainment such as Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Louis C.K, Deana Carter, and Eddie Griffin, to name a few. Managed by Venuworks, the 124-year-old theatre is also home to the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra and Signature School, Indiana’s first charter school and a top-raked charter school in the nation.

Visit the Victory Theatre website to browse tickets: https://www.victorytheatre.com/home
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Everybody Else is a podcast dedicated to pulling back the curtain on the lives and work of the music people you don’t see. From producers and publicists to label execs, venue managers, and beyond, this show dives into the real stories, strategies, and lessons from those building and running the business of music. Whether you're an aspiring artist, a curious fan, or someone working behind the scenes yourself, Everybody Else offers a candid look into what it takes to build a meaningful, lasting career in the always-evolving world of music through engaging dialogue between host, Wes Luttrell, and a plethora of interesting guests.

Follow Wes: Main link
Music by Jim Noir
Artwork by Ethan Douglass
Distributed by Transistor 

The Mothership is a multi-faceted music venue and rehearsal space located in Mansfield, Ohio. Founded in 2018 by owner Jeff Ulery, The Mothership was converted from an old doctors office into a 16-room facility housing practice spaces, a 100 cap live venue, free lodging for touring musicians, and (soon) a full-service recording studio. Nate Daniel is the venue’s General Manager who leads operations including booking bands such as The Toxhards, Wynton Existing, Hippies and Cowboys, and Leo Lovechild, to name a few.

Follow The Mothership: @theemothership

Website: https://mothership.love/
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Thank you to our sponsor, Symphonic. Founded in 2006 by former music producer Jorge Brea, Symphonic Distribution provides thousands of new and established record labels, managers, and artists with global digital music and video distribution to hundreds of retail and streaming platforms, playlist pitching, release promotion, and a comprehensive suite of label services.

A shortlist of Artists and Record Labels who have had their work distributed through Symphonic include: Sublime, Ok Go!, Jon Batiste, Doechii, Melissa Etheridge, Sean Paul, CloZee, Odesza, LS DREAM, Sarah McLachlan, Wally Opus Records, and many more incredibly talented creatives across various genres.

Switch to Symphonic to get your music onto all major platforms and utilize their growing set of tools and offerings with 25% off your first year of a Starter Package by visiting:  https://symphonic.com/starter/  and entering the promo code "everybodyelse" (case sensitive) at check out.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Everybody Else is a podcast dedicated to pulling back the curtain on the lives and work of the music people you don’t see. From producers and publicists to label execs, venue managers, and beyond, this show dives into the real stories, strategies, and lessons from those building and running the business of music. Whether you're an aspiring artist, a curious fan, or someone working behind the scenes yourself, Everybody Else offers a candid look into what it takes to build a meaningful, lasting career in the always-evolving world of music through engaging dialogue between host, Wes Luttrell, and a plethora of interesting guests.

Follow Wes: Main link
Music by Jim Noir
Artwork by Ethan Douglass
Distributed by Transistor 

Aaron Mones is a touring musician, producer, and multi-instrumentalist based in Rifton, New York. Credited with millions of streams, Aaron has played or produced on recordings for Paul Moody, Leo Lovechild, The Shivers, Ghost Prom, and numerous others. He and his twin brother, Wyatt Mones, release original music under their artist moniker, Spillway.

Follow Aaron: @desdreamer
Follow Spillway: @spilllway
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Thank you to our show sponsor, The Victory Theatre, for bringing great entertainment to our little city and for believing in this show.

Located in the heart of downtown Evansville, Indiana, The Victory Theatre is a historic 1,950-seat venue hosting world-class entertainment such as Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Louis C.K, Deana Carter, and Eddie Griffin, to name a few. Managed by Venuworks, the 124-year-old theatre is also home to the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra and Signature School, Indiana’s first charter school and a top-raked charter school in the nation.

Visit the Victory Theatre website to browse tickets: https://www.victorytheatre.com/home
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Everybody Else is a podcast dedicated to pulling back the curtain on the lives and work of the music people you don’t see. From producers and publicists to label execs, venue managers, and beyond, this show dives into the real stories, strategies, and lessons from those building and running the business of music. Whether you're an aspiring artist, a curious fan, or someone working behind the scenes yourself, Everybody Else offers a candid look into what it takes to build a meaningful, lasting career in the always-evolving world of music through engaging dialogue between host, Wes Luttrell, and a plethora of interesting guests.

Follow Wes: Main link
Music by Jim Noir
Artwork by Ethan Douglass
Distributed by Transistor 

Show host Wes Luttrell shares his approach and experience as a music producer through five stories of projects he's worked on over the previous decade - first, as the artist producer, Para Doc, then as a producer for Midwest artists like The Strangers, Swamp Eyes, Jax Fleming, and Maggie Hollis. In this solo episode, he reflects on how setting a vision for the project early on carries the music across the finish line and sets the conditions for "magic to happen". 

Follow Wes: Instagram
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Songs featured in this episode (in order):
"Tuesday Feels" - Para Doc
"Electric Love" - The Strangers
"Cheers" - Swamps Eyes
"Superficial" - Jax Fleming
"Second Best" - Maggie Hollis
"Sky Blue Waters" - The Chugs

As mentioned: The Strangers Story - A Mini Doc  

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Everybody Else is a podcast dedicated to pulling back the curtain on the lives and work of the music people you don’t see. From producers and publicists to label execs, venue managers, and beyond, this show dives into the real stories, strategies, and lessons from those building and running the business of music. Whether you're an aspiring artist, a curious fan, or someone working behind the scenes yourself, Everybody Else offers a candid look into what it takes to build a meaningful, lasting career in the always-evolving world of music through engaging dialogue between host, Wes Luttrell, and a plethora of interesting guests.

Follow Wes: Main link
Music by Jim Noir
Artwork by Ethan Douglass
Distributed by Transistor 

This week, we go behind-the-scenes of the podcast dedicated to behind-the-scenes of music. Inputing the transcripts of the first 19 episodes combined with prompts that dive into how the show was conceived, how it was launched, and where it's headed, host, Wes Luttrell, reflects on starting Everybody Else and what he learned from the first 19 episodes by answering questions provided by ChatGPT. This is "Current State".

Follow Wes: @wes_luttrell
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Everybody Else is a podcast dedicated to pulling back the curtain on the lives and work of the music people you don’t see. From producers and publicists to label execs, venue managers, and beyond, this show dives into the real stories, strategies, and lessons from those building and running the business of music. Whether you're an aspiring artist, a curious fan, or someone working behind the scenes yourself, Everybody Else offers a candid look into what it takes to build a meaningful, lasting career in the always-evolving world of music through engaging dialogue between host, Wes Luttrell, and a plethora of interesting guests.

Follow Wes: Main link
Music by Jim Noir
Artwork by Ethan Douglass
Distributed by Transistor 

Ethan Douglass and Christian Schmitz are visual artists and scene makers based in Newburgh, Indiana. They are the co-founders of Baggy Genes, an annual art-centric event featuring an original curated art exhibit and live music that draws hundreds of young people from across the Tri-State (& beyond). Ethan is also the drummer of the band, TRUCK, as well as the visual artist responsible for branding the Everybody Else Podcast.

Follow Ethan: @ethandouglasss
Follow Christian: @cljschmitz
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Thank you to our show sponsor, The Victory Theatre, for believing in this show.

Located in the heart of downtown Evansville, Indiana, The Victory Theatre is a historic 1,950-seat venue hosting world-class entertainment such as Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Louis C.K, Deana Carter, and Eddie Griffin, to name a few. Managed by Venuworks, the 124-year-old theatre is also home to the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra and Signature School, Indiana’s first charter school and a top-raked charter school in the nation.

Visit the Victory Theatre website to browse tickets: https://www.victorytheatre.com/home
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Everybody Else is a podcast dedicated to pulling back the curtain on the lives and work of the music people you don’t see. From producers and publicists to label execs, venue managers, and beyond, this show dives into the real stories, strategies, and lessons from those building and running the business of music. Whether you're an aspiring artist, a curious fan, or someone working behind the scenes yourself, Everybody Else offers a candid look into what it takes to build a meaningful, lasting career in the always-evolving world of music through engaging dialogue between host, Wes Luttrell, and a plethora of interesting guests.

Follow Wes: Main link
Music by Jim Noir
Artwork by Ethan Douglass
Distributed by Transistor 

Kadin Rea is the bassist of The Band Feel, a St. Louis-based vintage-meets-modern rock band known for their classic aesthetic and exciting live performances. Having opened for acts like ZZ Top, The Black Crowes, and Dirty Honey, Kadin and his bandmates are represented by Red Light Management and United Talent Agency (booking). A native of Santa Claus, Indiana, where he runs live sound for venues in Holiday World Theme Park between tours, Kadin started as the bassist and a founding member of The Strangers, the first band ever signed to Wally Opus Records. He recently started River City Music Collective, a booking and show promotion company aiming to grow the live music scene in Evansville, Indiana.

Follow Kadin: @kadin_rea
Follow The Band Feel: @thebandfeel
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Thank you to our show sponsor, The Victory Theatre, for bringing great entertainment to our little city and for believing in this show.

Located in the heart of downtown Evansville, Indiana, The Victory Theatre is a historic 1,950-seat venue hosting world-class entertainment such as Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Louis C.K, Deana Carter, and Eddie Griffin, to name a few. Managed by Venuworks, the 124-year-old theatre is also home to the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra and Signature School, Indiana’s first charter school and a top-raked charter school in the nation.

Visit the Victory Theatre website to browse tickets: https://www.victorytheatre.com/home
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Everybody Else is a podcast dedicated to pulling back the curtain on the lives and work of the music people you don’t see. From producers and publicists to label execs, venue managers, and beyond, this show dives into the real stories, strategies, and lessons from those building and running the business of music. Whether you're an aspiring artist, a curious fan, or someone working behind the scenes yourself, Everybody Else offers a candid look into what it takes to build a meaningful, lasting career in the always-evolving world of music through engaging dialogue between host, Wes Luttrell, and a plethora of interesting guests.

Follow Wes: Main link
Music by Jim Noir
Artwork by Ethan Douglass
Distributed by Transistor 

Space Monkey Records is a multi-faceted record store located in Evansville, Indiana. Founded in 2019 by long-time DJ and serial entrepreneur Patrick Holl, Space Monkey carries over half a million vinyls, cassettes, and CD’s along with an array of vintage and HiFi stereo equipment. Alongside Pat, Meredith Rausch helps run the store’s many offerings including free monthly shows to support local bands. With additional vendor mall locations, the primary store is also home to one of the Tri-State's largest collections of rock memorabilia and local popular-music history.

Follow Space Monkey: @spacemonkeyrecords
For location and hours of operation, visit Space Monkey's Website
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This episode of Everybody Else is brought to you by Wally Opus.

Proudly based in Evansville, Indiana, Wally Opus is a record label and artist management company serving a handful of recording artists and bands with distribution, marketing, and management of their projects. With a roster stretching coast-to-coast including acts like The Chugs, Ghost Prom, Leo Lovechild, Jax Fleming, Cathryn Lovett, and more, the small, spirited team of doers helps develop and advance artists in their work and lives through holistic, long term planning and common sense support of their creative endeavors.

Visit https://wallyopus.com/ to see all the fine details.
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Everybody Else is a podcast dedicated to pulling back the curtain on the lives and work of the music people you don’t see. From producers and publicists to label execs, venue managers, and beyond, this show dives into the real stories, strategies, and lessons from those building and running the business of music. Whether you're an aspiring artist, a curious fan, or someone working behind the scenes yourself, Everybody Else offers a candid look into what it takes to build a meaningful, lasting career in the always-evolving world of music through engaging dialogue between host, Wes Luttrell, and a plethora of interesting guests.

Follow Wes: Main link
Music by Jim Noir
Artwork by Ethan Douglass
Distributed by Transistor