Mitten Backstage

With discussions continuing around AI development and how it intersects with creativity, I thought it would be great to invite Matthew Finch back on the podcast to help educate and inspire folks who only have seen AI presented as a problem. Folks who know him from our last chat on the podcast will remember that he embodies that intersection as a musician/digital artist who also codes and supports AI as part of his day job. We chat about our evolving relationship with this technology, speculate on the pros and cons of how it could impact a creative's future, and even showcase some tools and philosophies of how to approach AI if you want to learn more about it! I learned a lot about AI in this episode, and hopefully you do too!

Learn more about AI here: https://huggingface.co

I'm joined today by a great guitarist and great friend, Adam Marth! Many know Adam as a go-to gun-for-hire for gigs and studio sessions, a member of the stellar group Paddlebots, and a solo artist in his own right! We've shared a handful of shows, recording sessions, and Michigan music experiences together over the years and it was great to catch up with him during a typically slow season for many artists. We talk about the plans for each our of bands, cooking YouTubers we can't stop watching, and the balance of music for work and music for creative growth!

I am joined today by Karli Morehouse, a wonderful human and stellar bandleader in the indie alt-pop band Lipstick Jodi! We chat about our upcoming show together with my band, Earth Radio, and Lady Ace Boogie (March 18th at Pyramid Scheme!), our shared confusion and persistence navigating social media, and about creative goals for 2023.

We kick off 2023 with today's guest, trumpet player, composer, and one of the artists I've personally worked with the longest who introduced me to so many folks in the Michigan music scene as a young artist: Brad Fritcher! We catch up and chat about Brad's journey living and working in Pennsylvania, Nebraska, and now Florida as a musician while reflecting on many of the projects we were involved in together over the years. He also hints on a future return to Michigan in our discussions, so if you've known Brad and have been wanting an update, this podcast is also for you!

Today's episode features a wonderful friend, musician, and the editor of many recent podcast episodes (and others going forward), Mak Mattis!

Mitten Backstage is a podcast hosted by Michigan artist Dutcher Snedeker and centering on conversations around life, the industry, creative pursuits, and navigating the scene as Michigan creatives. Every two weeks, you can see discussions on YouTube and wherever you listen to podcasts, and if you subscribe on Patreon you can get early access to episodes, exclusive merch, and more!

I had a great chat back in May with Jay Gavan about his career in the Michigan music scene, history, his recent album A Public Thing (which you can read my review for here), and swap stories of the pandemic and how our lives have been shaped by the industry shutting down for over a year. His latest record was a wonderful mix of passions and it was well-realized conceptually, so it was fun getting to dissect the music and learn more about the parallels between modern living and ancient Greece!

Today I'm joined by musician and Walk the Beat director Dave Palmer! He has been a fixture of the Grand Haven music community in a variety of ways, from his years of performer to creating and funding artist opportunities through Walk the Beat, an organization that believes in "providing support and guidance for young people to learn musical skills enhances their creativity, confidence and connectedness to their community." Every year in multiple cities, dozens of artists perform and all are entered into a competition to win thousands of dollars in studio time at Third Coast Recording Company to capture their latest tracks. We talk all about this organization, our busy summers, and more!

It has been awhile since I've posted, as I'm sure you've noticed, so I detail the craziness that has been my life the last couple of months as I anticipate going into a busy next couple of months playing several festivals, traveling, camping, and somehow trying to get in shape/prepared for a fall trip/studio session with one of my bands.

I'm joined today by Kevin Kozel! Many around West Michigan know him as the lead engineer at Third Coast Recording Company, a guitarist/singer with The Bluewater Kings Band, and a recent Emmy winner, but we dive into his past experiences, from missing weeks of high school due to multiple surgeries to being involved in a popular Midwest band called Death by Dancing! We chat all of the time around the studio, so it is fun to share our chats with you!

▶▶ Support Kevin Kozel!