Michael Imperioli is an Emmy award-winning actor, writer, novelist, and musician best known for his role as Christopher Moltisanti in the HBO series "The Sopranos". Since 2006 Michael has fronted the indie rock band "Zopa", and is currently working on a new album with our very own John Agnello. In this episode, Michael talks with our hosts about the parallels between acting and music performance and production, his musical influences, writing songs and screenplays, working on the new record, and whether you can know if a project is going to be a hit.

In this special Gear Club episode, we celebrate the post-Beatle life of John Lennon, who would have turned 82 this year on October 9th. After The Beatles broke up, John and Yoko moved to New York where John produced, recorded, and played songs that spoke to the post-60s generation as they struggled for justice and an end to war. John Lennon impacted the lives of all those he came across, and that impact continues to live on.

To mark the occasion of his birth, we’ve collected first-hand accounts from the producers and engineers who worked most closely with John as he wrote and recorded songs from “Imagine” to “Starting Over”. These people include Shelly Yakus, Jack Douglas, Rod O’Brien, Ed Stasium, Jay Messina, and Greg Calbi.

Dave Darlington is a Grammy award-winning engineer, producer, mastering engineer, and musician who has recorded, mixed, composed, and played in just about every genre of music. He’s worked with the likes of Wayne Shorter, C+C Music Factory, Sting, and Miles Davis among many others. In this interview, Dave takes us through his journey to becoming an engineer, the joys and trials of running his own studio, Bass Hit, shares his recording ethos and inspiration, and gives some key advice on how to get ahead in the industry. 

In this episode, John & Stewart chat with GRAMMY award-winning engineer and producer, Steve Marcantonio. Steve is a staple of the Nashville music scene but got his start in New York at The Record Plant under the instruction of the likes of Roy Cicala and Jay Messina. Listen in as Steve discusses his journey through the ranks at The Record Plant, his move to Nashville, and shares some insights on how to get a leg up as an engineer.

Matt Wallace is a producer, engineer, and musician with over 30 years in the industry, working with the likes of Maroon 5, The Replacements, Faith No More, O.A.R, and Paul Westerberg. Lately, Matt’s been working extensively on new and catalog mixing in ATMOS from his studio in Van Nuys, CA. In this interview he takes us through the technical and artistic aspects of ATMOS mixing, his production philosophy, working with Faith No More and The Replacements, and why making records isn’t about the gear. 

In this episode, we talk with Grammy award-winning guitarist and vocalist, Peter Frampton. As a teen, Peter got his start in music with bands The Preachers and The Herd, co-founded Humble Pie at 18, and went on to have a solo career that has spanned 21 albums and more than 50 years. Peter chats with John and Stewart about his most recent record; Frampton Forgets The Words, his writing and recording process, early influences, and his love of playing live.

This is part two of our interview with world-renowned guitarist Steve Vai, whose new record, Inviolate, was released on January 28, 2022. In this episode, we dive deep into Steve's creative process, where his ideas come from, and how they transform into music. He also talks about his years with Frank Zappa, his work as an in-demand sideman, and his orchestral compositions. To hear all about the record, and Steve's three-neck guitar, the Hydra, check out his part one interview.

Steve Vai is a Grammy award-winning musician, composer, producer, and inventor of the Hydra: a three-neck, 36 string beast of a guitar with a steam-punk attitude and endless possibilities. Steve shows just what the instrument is capable of on his newly released album, ‘Inviolate’. In this episode, John and Stewart chat with Steve about his creative process, his fantastic new record, and the inspiration and design behind the Hydra. This is part one of a two-part interview. 

This is part two of our interview with veteran Engineer and Producer, Ed Stasium. In this episode, Ed talks to John and Stewart about his time in LA, working with Mick Jagger, Living Colour, Motörhead, and The Smithereens, and shares a story about how editing drums saved his life.

Ed Stasium is a musician, engineer, and producer with a career in music that spans almost 50 years. Getting his start at Tony Camillo's New Jersey studio, he went on to record Gladys Knight, The Ramones, Talking Heads, Living Colour, The Smithereens, Mick Jagger, and Motörhead, to name a few. In this episode, Ed gets in-depth about recording Gladys Knight's "Midnight Train to Georgia," his time with The Ramones, the first Talking Heads record, and his role in the building of New York's iconic Power Station. This is part one of a two-part interview.