Roadcase Podcast

Michael Marcagi has had an absolutely epic year, and I’m psyched to have him on the show this week. Michael, whose most recent EP, American Romance, just dropped last month, has been hitting the road hard, but this only tells half the story. Late last year, his song, “Scared to Start,” became an overnight sensation — literally — when it received more than a million views by the day after he posted it.  Since then the song has gained over 4 billion views on TikTok and close to 400 million plays on Instagram!!

To state the obvious, this put Michael on the map. But more importantly, Michael is speaking truths to a broad swath of listeners that have truly resonated with his message: learn who you are and be true to yourself no matter what. And Michael, in turn, is as real as what his songs have succeeded in projecting into the world.

I talk to Michael about what his viral success has meant, how he manages to stay sane and so incredibly grounded — much to his credit — and how he has maintained his impressive level of much-needed perspective. This is a phenomenal interview with a super-talented artist, who, against all odds, is as absolute real as it gets. This is a truly great one!!

For more information on Roadcase: 
https://linktr.ee/roadcasepod and https://www.roadcasepod.com

Or contact Roadcase by email:  [email protected]

Roadcase theme music:  "Eugene (Instrumental)" by Waltzer

Brian Murray is my guest for this week’s episode, and I’m happy to report that I’ve finally achieved my dream of interviewing a Dog. Brian, of course, plays guitar for fast-rising jam band Dogs in a Pile — which has been killing it out there this year. 

Brian sat down to chat with me during a break in their current Fall Tour, and we get into it all, from his regular treks as a kid to Madison Square Garden to feed his passion for live music, to meeting his future bandmates at Berklee College of Music. Brian talked to me in his deliberate and thoughtful manner about what this all means to him, his development as a musician and a human, and how his family supported and inspired his love for all things musical. it’s an inspiring and touching conversation with this future jam band icon.

For more information on Roadcase: 
https://linktr.ee/roadcasepod and https://www.roadcasepod.com

Or contact Roadcase by email:  [email protected]

Roadcase theme music:  "Eugene (Instrumental)" by Waltzer

This week’s guest is Canadian artist JJ Wilde, who just released her latest album, Vices. JJ’s honesty, openness and positive vibes is I what Roadcase is all about. JJ is a total rocker, and in 2021, she won the Juno Award for Best Rock Album for her debut effort, Ruthless, and was at the time the first female artist to earn that accolade since Alanis Morisette in 1996!!  

JJ has lived a life and talks to me about it all.  This is one of my favorite interviews and it’s a MUST listen, so click on that link now to check it out!!  

For more information on Roadcase: 
https://linktr.ee/roadcasepod and https://www.roadcasepod.com

Or contact Roadcase by email:  [email protected]

Roadcase theme music:  "Eugene (Instrumental)" by Waltzer

For this week’s Episode 251, Kevin and John Shields are on the Pod!! These guys are the super fun and talented artists that make up the Charleston-based duo known as Little Stranger.

Lifelong friends who have forged a solid partnership, John and Kevin bring their positive vibes and commitment to inclusivity wherever they go. They are truly a breath of fresh air, and you’ll learn why, as I vibe out with Kevin and John on just about everything — from their unique origin story to the best comedy movie quotes, and I learn a ton about how these guys move so easily from genre to genre with their unique blend of “melodic hip hop.” 

Great conversation and tons of laughs are the norm for this epic interview!! 

For more information on Roadcase: 
https://linktr.ee/roadcasepod and https://www.roadcasepod.com

Or contact Roadcase by email:  [email protected]

Roadcase theme music:  "Eugene (Instrumental)" by Waltzer

Grace Bowers is on the show for Episode 250!!  This amazing young artist has been enjoying a breakout year, having recently been featured on Jimmy Kimmel Live and made her Grand Ole Opry debut on her 18th birthday on July 30!!  Her debut album, Wine on Venus, is out now, and she has spent the summer sitting in with luminaries such as Dolly Parton, Tyler Childers and Gary Clark, Jr., and has been a featured guest at numerous festivals across the country. 

Grace talks to me about growing up as a shy kid in Northern California, having suffered bouts of anxiety, and how she was able to use her guitar skills as a means of expression in ways that surprised even herself. Having accomplished so much already, Grace tells me that it can be at times overwhelming, but at the same time, she has always expected this success of herself, but not perhaps as quickly as it has come. 

We have a candid and revealing conversation, and this is an epic interview for Roadcase Episode 250!!

For more information on Roadcase: 
https://linktr.ee/roadcasepod and https://www.roadcasepod.com

Or contact Roadcase by email:  [email protected]

Roadcase theme music:  "Eugene (Instrumental)" by Waltzer

Make sure to check out this week’s episode with Nick MacDaniels of jam band Big Something — it’s a great listen!!  On the heels of a giant tour earlier this year in support of their latest album, “Headspace,” I talk to Nick about his life in music and the some of the inherent challenges he’s faced, and we vibe out on just about everything! Nick's a super easy going dude and this is an epic interview!!

For more information on Roadcase: 
https://linktr.ee/roadcasepod and https://www.roadcasepod.com

Or contact Roadcase by email:  [email protected]

Roadcase theme music:  "Eugene (Instrumental)" by Waltzer

The Stews are here!!  I caught up with the band members from their Sprinter van somewhere on the road, which has been their second home since leaving Auburn University just a few years ago. Since that time, they’ve been rocking their way across the country, crushing shows with their high energy brand of Southern-infused alt-rock.  Their latest album, Chicken Fight, is out now!

I talked to these great dudes all about how they all keep it together while constantly touring, about the secrets to their close friendship, and how they maintain the positivity and gratitude they feel is a necessary part of their success. It’s a super fun interview — these guys are the real deal !!

For more information on Roadcase: 
https://linktr.ee/roadcasepod and https://www.roadcasepod.com

Or contact Roadcase by email:  [email protected]

Roadcase theme music:  "Eugene (Instrumental)" by Waltzer

Josh Ostrander is back with a new Mondo Cozmo album and I’m stoked to share this amazing interview with all of you!  His project is named for his dog, Cozmo, who recently passed away, and the new album, “It’s PRINCIPAL,” is simply outstanding — a beautiful alt-rock album with a driving vibe and a gripping and cohesive throughline.

Josh has a great attitude and an endearing sense of humor and I get into it all with him. We talk about his life philosophy: a combination of gratitude, self-acceptance and the belief that life is a series of “a million little miracles.”  Josh’s humor and emotional awareness will lift you up; it did for me… and I’m all about that.

For more information on Roadcase: 
https://linktr.ee/roadcasepod and https://www.roadcasepod.com

Or contact Roadcase by email:  [email protected]

Roadcase theme music:  "Eugene (Instrumental)" by Waltzer

Roadcase Season Five is here, and I’m please to celebrate this vital election season with my opening guest, Andy Bernstein of HeadCount.org, which Andy co-founded over 20 years ago!!  HeadCount is a crucial voter registration organization backed by a multitude of artists and touring musicians, and has register over 1.25 million voters!!  Andy’s success as a leader is a testament to his belief of the power of participation, and Andy’s has squarely pinned HeadCount at the intersection of music and social causes. 

Andy has since stepped back from his top-dog duties at HeadCount and now oversees the Board of Directors at the Divided Sky Foundation, an addiction recovery organization founded by Trey Anastasio of Phish. Andy is a true leader and an inspirational motivation in everything he does, and I’m super psyched to share his story — both personal and professional — with all of you.

This is an epic guest to kick off this epic new season, and I’m here for all of it!!  And please, if you haven’t registered to vote or know someone who hasn’t, please head over to HeadCount.org now to get ‘er done!!  VOTE!!

For more information on Roadcase: 
https://linktr.ee/roadcasepod and https://www.roadcasepod.com

Or contact Roadcase by email:  [email protected]

Roadcase theme music:  "Eugene (Instrumental)" by Waltzer

For this final episode from Lollapalooza, and to bring the festival series of in-person interviews to a close, I sat down on the last day with Brian Oblivion and Madeline Follin of Cults, and also had an amazing conversation with Chance Emerson. 

Cults’ music is both surreal and ethereal, but also grounded in down-to-earth songwriting to is striking in its simplicity and authenticity. Brian and Maddie have been at this since they were college students and now 15 years later, they’ve release their fifth full length album, To The Ghosts. They’re embarking on giant US tour and their excitement is palpable and their love for what they do is truly infectious.  

Chance Emerson is an LA-based neo-folk artist who grew up in Hong Kong and went to school at Brown University, where he met his bandmates and formed his band in 2019. Chance is smart, dedicated, and truly devoted to his songwriting craft, and possesses a self-belief that is super admirable. His most recent release is entitled “Gingko.”

These are amazing conversations!!  

For more information on Roadcase: 
https://linktr.ee/roadcasepod and https://www.roadcasepod.com

Or contact Roadcase by email:  [email protected]

Roadcase theme music:  "Eugene (Instrumental)" by Waltzer