Secrets From The Scene

Going viral is one thing. What do you do the next morning?

How do you turn a moment of internet attention into fans who stick around, buy the merch, come to shows, and care about the next record? And how do you keep feeding the internet without letting the algorithm dictate what your band becomes?

For episode 100, Austin and Taryn from Durry break down one of the most impressive modern DIY band operations to come out of Minnesota in recent years. We get into the strategy behind Durry’s incredibly cohesive world, from the songs and signature yellow to DIY videos, social media, merch, Easter eggs, and a live show involving thrift-store TVs, programmed lights, Super Smash Bros., and an inflatable tube man.

More importantly, they explain the work behind making all of that feel effortless. We talk about recognizing a viral moment and moving fast, learning new skills as you need them, knowing when DIY is helping or hurting, protecting your voice from the algorithm, and the financial reality of building a successful independent band.

In this episode:

• What Durry did immediately after “Who’s Laughing Now” went viral, including the merch decision that helped fund everything that followed
• Why a unified creative vision, ruthless self-editing, and knowing what feels “Durry” matter more than having unlimited resources
• How they think about social media as a funnel, from millions of views on a ridiculous Sprite video to deeply committed fans
• Why DIY still has to be good, and how limitations, used gear, trial and error, and learning new skills have shaped their aesthetic
• Building a live show that extends the Durry world instead of simply putting four musicians onstage
• The less glamorous economics behind touring, merch, vans, streaming, and trying to make a sustainable life in music

Subscribe to the newsletter for new episodes and practical ideas from the people making the Twin Cities music scene work.

Secrets From The Scene is made by Helvig Productions, a Twin Cities recording studio for artists and bands.

Durry – “Who’s Laughing Now” Official Music Video

Durry – “This Movie Sucks” Official Music Video

Coyote Kid – Austin’s previous band

Official Website

Instagram @durrymusic

YouTube

“idk i just work here” by Durry

🎧 Listen on Spotify
👀 Watch on YouTube

Episode Links and MentionsConnect with the GuestFeatured Song

What happens after your band gets the breakout moment every artist is chasing?

For Joshua Schmidt, Step Rockets’ “Kisser” went viral in 2013, eventually racking up more than 14 million streams and bringing label interest, national touring, major festivals, and opportunities to open for artists like Bon Jovi and Blondie. But the bigger story might be what Josh built after that initial wave of momentum.

Today, his career stretches across solo and corporate gigs, sync licensing, songwriting, production, his Americana project Cryote, and audio and podcast work outside the traditional music industry. Instead of relying on one project to make everything work, Josh has spent years piecing together a sustainable career from a lot of different skills.

We get into:

• What happened when “Kisser” suddenly went viral and record labels started calling

• Why Step Rockets walked away from bad deals and kept ownership of their music

• How Josh built a solo gigging business, including corporate and private events

• The professionalism, networking, and massive repertoire it takes to get called back

• What musicians should understand about sync licensing, briefs, volume, and the impact of AI

• Why Cryote gave Josh a completely different creative outlet and how alternate versions can extend the life of a release

We also talk about brutal showcases, strange gigs, self-awareness, music school, home recording, knowing when a song isn’t ready, and why being willing to pivot may be one of the most important skills a working musician can develop.

Josh’s career is a good reminder that making music work rarely looks like one clean upward trajectory. Sometimes the better strategy is building enough skills, relationships, and income streams that you can keep making music long after the initial hype disappears.

Episode Links and Mentions

🌐 Night Moves

🌐 The Bash

🌐 GigSalad

🌐 Ultimate Guitar

Connect with the Guest:

🔗 Cryote

🔗 Step Rockets

🔗 Joshua J Schmidt -Website

🔗 Instagram

🔗 Joshua Schmidt Instagram

🔗 Cryote

🔗 Step Rockets

Featured Song:

“Wide Eyed” by Cryote

🎧 Listen on Spotify👀 Watch on YouTube

Get new episodes by email: Join the Secrets From The Scene newsletter.

Secrets From The Scene is made by Helvig Productions, a Twin Cities recording studio for artists and bands.

A lot of people want the touring career. Fewer understand the early load-ins, five-show weeks, bus sleep, professional discipline, and years of relationships that make it possible.

Professional front-of-house audio engineer Joey Vesuvius returns to the podcast after nearly two years in Los Angeles, international tours, major festivals, and a move back home to Minnesota. With Max Greene hosting, Joey breaks down how he went from corporate audio and local production work to touring with artists including Passion Pit, Danny Brown, Russ, JPEGMAFIA, MIKE, Keshi, and others.

They also get honest about the parts of career growth that are harder to see from the outside. Moving to LA accelerated Joey’s network and created new opportunities, but the cost, workload, and burnout eventually forced him to reconsider what he actually wanted his life to look like.

In this episode:

• When moving to a major music city can accelerate your career, and when it may be premature
• How stagehand work, corporate audio, and genuine relationships led Joey into touring
• A real hour-by-hour breakdown of a day running sound for Passion Pit
• Why reputation, professionalism, and knowing when to lock in determine who gets called back
• How touring professionals manage exhaustion, isolation, health, and the temptation to treat every night like a party
• Why great audio still begins with fundamentals, not expensive gear, secret tricks, or paywalled information

Joey’s path is not a formula, but it offers an honest look at the choices, relationships, and habits that helped him move from local production gigs to arenas, international festivals, and two sold-out shows at Red Rocks. For anyone trying to build a sustainable career in live music, this episode is both a reality check and a reminder to appreciate how far you have already come.

Episode Links and Mentions

🌐 Passion Pit

🌐 Red Rocks Park & Amphitheater

🌐 Minnesota Yacht Club Festival

🌐 The 1975

Connect with the Guest:

🔗 Joey on IG

Get new episodes by email: Join the Secrets From The Scene newsletter.

Secrets From The Scene is made by Helvig Productions, a Twin Cities recording studio for artists and bands.

A music video does not need an enormous budget to connect with people. But it does need an idea that fits the song, a clear plan, and enough intention that the limitations feel like part of the art rather than an accident.

Ryan Kemp started Chutes as a private songwriting project during the pandemic before assembling a band for a last-minute opening slot at 7th St Entry. From there, Chutes grew through the Twin Cities DIY circuit, Como house shows, and local venues before appearing at First Avenue’s Best New Bands.

Along the way, Ryan made music videos a central part of how Chutes communicates its sound and identity. In this episode, he breaks down the creative process behind the nostalgic, performance-driven “Sugar” video and the darker, more narrative “Dog,” which draws on rural Minnesota, religious imagery, childhood memories, and a Midwest Gothic aesthetic.

We also discuss how artists can develop a visual language over time, turn scattered inspiration into a usable treatment, plan around locations and daylight, collaborate without losing the original idea, and handle the often-underestimated work of editing and feedback.

In this episode:

• How Chutes grew from a solo pandemic project into a full Twin Cities band
• Why cohesive visuals can deepen a listener’s connection to the music
• How “Sugar” recreated early-2000s rock-video energy without becoming a parody
• Turning mood boards, references, and locations into the story behind “Dog”
• Why editing, scheduling, and communication are often harder than the shoot
• How to make a low-budget video feel creative, intentional, and true to the song

Episode Links and Mentions

🌐 Obi Original

🌐 Ozone Creations

🌐 The Mack OC

🌐 Libianca

🌐 Aiden Intro

🌐 Chet Goldsberry-Hill

🌐 Anna Devine

🌐 Nate Walker

🌐 Tanner Montague

🌐 Durry

🌐 Sonic Sea Turtles

🌐 Jonny Darko

🌐 Myles Ross

Connect with the Guest:

🔗 Chutes Website

🔗 Chutes Instagram

🔗 Chutes YouTube

Featured Song:

🎧 Sugar

👀 Watch on YouTube

Get new episodes by email: Join the Secrets From The Scene newsletter.

Secrets From The Scene is made by Helvig Productions, a Twin Cities recording studio for artists and bands.

Most people see the packed room. They do not see the risk behind it.

Before a show feels effortless, someone has to bet real money, earn the venue’s trust, book the right artist, build the crowd, manage the chaos, and create a culture people actually want to come back to.

This week, I’m joined by Jack Trash, also known as John Tasch, founder of SIMshows and one of the key figures behind the Twin Cities electronic music scene. For more than 35 years, Jack has been DJing, promoting, booking artists, throwing events, and helping move local dance music from underground rooms and warehouse parties into some of the biggest venues in the city.

In this episode, Jack breaks down what it really takes to build a scene that lasts. We talk about the early rave days, the rise of EDM in Minneapolis, the financial reality behind major events, the artists and venues that shaped SIMshows, and why Jack still sees promotion as community work first.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why a sold-out-looking show is not always a profitable show
• How Twin Cities EDM grew from flyers, word of mouth, and warehouse parties
• The moment social media and streaming changed the entire promotion game
• What local DJs get wrong when asking for gigs
• How promoters think about openers, energy, professionalism, and trust
• Why Jack uses SIMshows as a platform to build community and take care of people

Jack’s story is not just about EDM. It is about what happens when someone keeps showing up for a scene long enough to help shape it.

Episode Links and Mentions

🌐 First Avenue

🌐 The Armory

🌐 Somerset Amphitheater

🌐 Roy Wilkins Auditorium

🌐 The Saloon

🌐 Breakaway Music Festival

🌐 Martin Garrix

🌐 Subtronics

🌐 Tiësto

🌐 GRiZ

🌐 RÜFÜS DU SOL

Connect with the Guest:

🔗 SIMshows Website

🔗 SIMshows Instagram

🔗 Jack Trash Instagram

Get new episodes by email: Join the Secrets From The Scene newsletter.

Secrets From The Scene is made by Helvig Productions, a Twin Cities recording studio for artists and bands.

Most musicians are told to “just get out there.”

But where do you actually go? Who do you talk to? Which jam sessions are welcoming? What makes someone want to book you? And how do you know if you’re ready to sit in?

This week, I’m joined by Eli Awada, keyboardist for the jazz-fusion band Room3 and a musician, booker, venue manager, and event organizer who has seen the Twin Cities scene from multiple sides.

Eli gives us a practical tour of the current Twin Cities jazz scene: the venues, the jam sessions, the players, the etiquette, and the opportunities. We also talk about why jazz-fusion seems to be having a real moment right now, how Room3 grew out of the University of Minnesota jazz program, and what Eli learned from creating his own house-show venue, working with Flavor World, booking shows, and building events that feel like more than just another bill.

This episode is for anyone who is curious about jazz but feels intimidated by the scene, and for any musician trying to understand how to find their people, create opportunities, and build a real reputation.

In this episode:

• Why jazz-fusion is connecting with younger Twin Cities audiences
• Where to start if you’re curious about the local jazz scene
• What musicians should know before sitting in at a jam
• How Eli went from Walker West and the University of Minnesota to Room3
• What bookers actually care about when deciding who gets shows
• How to make live events feel more valuable, memorable, and worth showing up for

If you’ve been waiting for permission to step into the scene, this episode gives you a map.

Episode Links and Mentions

🌐 Flavor World

🌐 Walker West Music Academy

🌐 Radio K

🌐 Twin Cities United Performers

🌐 Berlin

🌐 The Cherry Pit Open Jam

🌐 Icehouse

🌐 Whitey’s Old Town Saloon

🌐 Old Town Tuesday Night Jam

🌐 Green Room

🌐 Flavor Jam

🌐 Indeed Brewing Company

🌐 Dakota

🌐 Crooners Supper Club

🌐 Jazz Central Studios

🌐 Metronome Brewery

🌐 Twin Cities Jazz Festival

🌐 Selby Avenue JazzFest

🌐 L.A. Buckner & BiG HOMiE

🌐 HEYARLO

🌐 Gifted Handz

🌐 Society of Chemists

🌐 Dilly Dally Alley

🌐 Ozone Creations

🌐 Rakim

🌐 Slum Village

🌐 The Headhunters

Connect with the Guest:

🔗 Eli Awada IG

🔗 Room3

🔗 Room3 on Bandcamp

🔗 Room3 on YouTube

Get new episodes by email: Join the Secrets From The Scene newsletter.

Secrets From The Scene is made by Helvig Productions, a Twin Cities recording studio for artists and bands.

Tina Schlieske has lived a lot of musical lives.

She came up through the Twin Cities scene with Tina and the B-Sides, built momentum through relentless gigging, mailers, college radio, word of mouth, and a famously clever billboard campaign, then signed to Sire Records after a CBGB’s show caught the attention of Seymour Stein.

But this conversation is not just a look back at a remarkable career. It is about reinvention, range, and what it takes to keep growing as an artist when the path gets complicated.

Tina talks about the early hustle of building the B-Sides, the strange mix of validation and disillusionment that came with a major label deal, and the ego-driven decisions she can see more clearly now. She also shares why she eventually chose to end the band before the relationships broke down, what she learned from touring with Double Trouble, and how making her solo record Slow Burn opened another chapter.

We also get into Tina’s later move into jazz, and why stepping into a genre that scared her became one of the best things she ever did for her voice. She talks about breath control, tone, restraint, collaboration, and the difference between shouting a story and actually telling one.

In this episode, we talk about:

• How Tina and the B-Sides built momentum before the internet
• Playing CBGB’s, meeting Seymour Stein, and signing to Sire Records
• Why the “big opportunity” can be more complicated than artists expect
• Ego, instinct, and the decisions Tina sees differently now
• Ending the B-Sides before the relationships broke down
• Touring with Double Trouble and making Slow Burn
• How jazz changed Tina’s relationship with her voice
• Breath control, tone, restraint, and storytelling as a singer
• Collaboration, imposter syndrome, and learning to ask more questions

This is a great conversation for anyone trying to build a life in music without getting boxed into one version of themselves. Tina’s story is full of big moments, but the real lesson is quieter and more useful: stay curious, keep learning, ask more questions, and do not let the industry, your ego, or anyone else make you smaller than you are.

Episode Links and Mentions

🌐 First Avenue

🌐 The Cabooze

🌐 Bunkers Music Bar & Grill

🌐 Liquor Lyle’s

🌐 Sire Records

🌐 Seymour Stein

🌐 CBGB

🌐 Double Trouble

🌐 Stevie Ray Vaughan

🌐 Jonny Lang

🌐 The Wallflowers

🌐 Hootie & the Blowfish

🌐 Very Bad Things

🌐 Paul Fox

🌐 SXSW

🌐 Sweet Nothin’s

Connect with the Guest:

🔗 Tinaschlieske.com

🔗 Instagram

🔗 Tina Schlieske's LinkTree

Featured Song:

"Barricade" by Tina & the B-Sides

🎧 Listen on Spotify

👀 Watch on YouTube

Get new episodes by email: Join the Secrets From The Scene newsletter.

Secrets From The Scene is made by Helvig Productions, a Twin Cities recording studio for artists and bands.

Rob Talbott has already helped build one of the most influential labels in modern bass music. As Dodge & Fuski, he came up during the early internet era of dubstep, got signed to Never Say Die, co-founded Disciple, moved from Bristol to LA, and helped shape a corner of bass music that is still influencing artists today.

Now he’s back with new Dodge & Fuski music, a self-aware EP called Washed Up, and a new label in the works. In this episode, Rob breaks down what made Disciple work, why he thinks labels need to offer more than a Spotify upload and a visualizer, and what artists need to understand about audience, content, business, and long-term survival.

It’s a conversation about dubstep, but the lessons go way beyond one scene. Rob shares a sharp perspective on why music alone may not be enough anymore, why YouTube might be more valuable than artists realize, and what separates artists who build real momentum from artists who simply release songs into the void.

In this episode, we also talk about:

• Getting dropped by Never Say Die and turning that moment into Disciple
• Starting a new label built around culture, content, community, and collaboration
• What artists misunderstand about social media, money, audience, and long-term survival
• Why story-driven YouTube content may be a major opportunity for artists right now

Whether you’re a producer, songwriter, artist, DJ, or creative entrepreneur, this episode is full of hard-earned insight on how to stand out, build something people care about, and think more clearly about the audience on the other side.

Connect with the Guest:

🔗 Instagram

🔗 Website

Featured Song:

🎧 Next Track

🎧 Listen on Apple Music

Get new episodes by email: Join the Secrets From The Scene newsletter.

Secrets From The Scene is made by Helvig Productions, a Twin Cities recording studio for artists and bands.

From backyard shows to First Avenue, Nate Walker has built a career as one of the Twin Cities’ go-to guitarists.

In this episode, I sit down with Nate to talk about how he became one of the most in-demand side players in the Minneapolis scene.

We get into his path from early gigs to touring, why going to shows and meeting people matters, and what actually makes someone valuable in a band beyond just being able to play the parts.

Nate also talks about his early obsession with classic-rock guitar tones, working at the Green Room, teaching guitar, managing a busy gig schedule, and launching his Side Men Sessions project.

Along the way, we cover:

• How Nate started getting his first real gigs
• Why showing up to shows can lead to real opportunities
• What makes someone a great bandmate
• Why preparation, attitude, and musicality matter
• How to handle nerves and mistakes on stage
• Why every gig can be a tryout

If you’re trying to get more gigs, build stronger connections, or become the kind of musician people want to work with again and again, this episode is for you.

Episode Links and Mentions

🌐 Lasalle

🌐 Bobby Rethwish

🌐 Chutes

🌐 Anna Devine

🌐 Daphne Jane

🌐 Mike Green

🌐 Tanner Montague

🌐 Lily Blue

🌐 Aiden Intro

🌐 Ber

🌐 Mike Kota

🌐 Mati

🌐 Mason Meyers

🌐 Kai Brewster

🌐 Samuel Rosenstone

🌐 Jared Waln

Connect with the Guest:

🔗

🔗 Nate Walker on Instagram

Featured Song:

🎧

Get new episodes by email: Join the Secrets From The Scene newsletter.

Secrets From The Scene is made by Helvig Productions, a Twin Cities recording studio for artists and bands.

If you are trying to build an artist identity that feels bigger than just the songs, this episode is for you.

This week on Secrets From the Scene, I sit down with dark-pop artist and producer EMM to talk about what “world-building” actually looks like as an independent artist. Not just the fun creative side, but the reality of it: the characters, visuals, lore, content strategy, teamwork, systems, risk-taking, and insane amount of labor it takes to pull off at a high level.

EMM breaks down the thinking behind her current Black Diamond era, how she uses character-based writing to express rage and self-worth, and why building a full artistic universe gives her more freedom than simply releasing songs on their own. We also get into her early background, learning to produce herself, navigating collaboration as a woman in music, and how safety, trust, and creative control all shape the work.

Beyond the artistry, this conversation gets into the modern music business in a very real way. We talk about content, provocation, algorithmic reach, fan connection, niche audiences, revenue streams, delegation, and why artists today often need much more than great music to stand out. EMM is honest about the pressure of visibility, the grind of doing things yourself, and the mindset it takes to keep building anyway.

We also talk about where the industry may be headed next, especially as AI, social media, and audience behavior continue to change the value of music itself. If you have ever wondered what it takes to build a bold artistic identity in today’s landscape, there is a lot in this one.

Connect with the Guest:

🔗 https://www.instagram.com/emminreallife/

🔗 https://www.emminreallife.com/

🔗 https://www.tiktok.com/@emminreallife

Featured Song:

🎧 Listen on Spotify

👀 Watch on YouTube

Get new episodes by email: Join the Secrets From The Scene newsletter.

Secrets From The Scene is made by Helvig Productions, a Twin Cities recording studio for artists and bands.