Secrets From The Scene

The episode features Nick Elstad, the lead singer and guitarist of the band Sleeping Jesus and his solo project Sweet and Lonely. Nick is the booking agent for No Name Bar in Winona, MN and shares tips on how artists can approach booking, suggesting important factors like a short but concise emails, providing the dates you want in the first email, linking music and social media platforms, and providing possible partnering bands for the show.

Besides sharing his booking expertise, Nick walks us through the background of Sleeping Jesus, their new album, doing social media, setting up a home studio, and more.

🌐 Hippocampus

🌐 Bon Iver

🌐 The Staves

🌐 Seamus St Clair

🌐 Dante De Grazia

🌐 Toy Car Studios

🌐 The Magic Barn

🌐 Alex Proctor

🌐 KQAL - Winona radio station

Connect with the Guest

🔗 Nick Elstad on Instagram

🔗 Sleeping Jesus Instagram

🔗 Sleeping Jesus Website

🔗 Sweet and Lonely Instagram

🔗 No Name Bar (Winona, MN)

Featured Song

“Ferdy” by Sleeping Jesus

🎧 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.

This episode is great for bands that are looking to be as DIY as possible. Christian Grey from the band 'Villain of the Story' talks about their journey from the band’s formation in Minneapolis in 2014 to their impressive success, facilitated in large part by their DIY ethic. Incorporating elements of metalcore and radio rock, the band has released several successful albums and gained over 50 million plays across platforms. The group's experience ranges from signing with a label to being fully independent and returning to a label. Christian emphasizes their DIY approach specifically for music videos, citing that mainstream quality has lost some appeal. We also discuss generating revenue from fan bases via platforms like Patreon and YouTube memberships as well as the pros of learning how to self-produce and record music at home. Christian discusses the importance of their business model, and how having clearly defined band roles leads to healthier relationships and better productivity.

Episode Links and Mentions

🌐 Johnny Franck

🌐 BilMuri Band

🌐 Printify

🌐 Shopify

🌐 YouTube Membership

Connect with the Guest

🔗 Christian Grey Instagram

🔗 Villain of the Story website

🔗 Villain of the Story Facebook

🔗 Villain of the Story Instagram

Featured Song

"Stuck" by Villain of the Story

🎧 Listen on Spotify

👀 Watch on YouTube

Give Feedback🎙️ 

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.

We've all been there. You find yourself scrolling, going deeper and deeper into someone's account or profile, and the more you scroll, the worse you feel. It happens to the best of us.

It's the comparison trap.

We think, "How are they doing it?" or “They’re so much further/better/more attractive/cooler than me”, or perhaps it's just the inward judgment along the lines of  "Why am I so disappointing?"

You get the point - it's an awful feeling and a terrible mental trap that has become so easy to fall into with how prevalent social media has become. It's easy to simply say, "Stop doing that," but it's waaaay harder to actually do.

In this episode, I break down a few simple tips and mindset shifts to help you better cope with this comparison tendency and hopefully keep that nasty inner voice in check. When we avoid the comparison trap, we feel happier, more confident, and self-assured with where we're at in our own personal journeys.

Just like eating healthy, working out, and sleeping 8 hours a night, we already know what we're supposed to do but often need plenty of reminders along the way to stay on track. If you've found yourself falling into this comparison tendency, this episode will give you encouragement and some skills to better avoid the perils of comparing ourselves to others.

Give Feedback🎙️

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

Ashley DuBose discusses her multifaceted career, sharing experiences from her journey in the music industry, highlights from her performances on NBC's 'The Voice,' and insights from her work in a cover band. Ashley and I discuss the importance of diversifying your income, both in and out of the music industry. Ashley attributes much of her success to trying new things and saying yes when opportunities present themselves. Because of that, she has income not only from her solo career, but from a successful cover band, voice acting jobs, real estate, and more.

This episode demonstrates many of the different ways to diversify your income as a solo artist while highlighting Ashley’s personal journey in music. I think there are a lot of great insights to digest, I hope you enjoy!

Episode Links and Mentions

🌐 Brittany Delaney’s Word

🌐 Cameron Mann - Mann of the Year

🌐 Mani Strings

🌐 Mike Dreams

🌐 The Voice performance

🌐 Issa Rae - First

🌐 Tish Jones

🌐 Margeaux Davis

🌐 Springboard For The Arts

🌐 Dessa

Connect with the Guest

🔗 Ashley on YouTube

🔗 Ashley on Instagram

Featured Song

“Boy Crazy” by Ashley Dubose

🎧 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.

In this episode, I talk about four ways you can maximize your time in the studio and get the most value out of your investment. This topic will be great for new artists looking to do their first recording session, but it will also be a good reminder for everyone of how to prepare, communicate, and fully utilize your recording session.

I want to help you avoid making some common mistakes like:

• Not knowing what you actually want
• Not communicating with your engineer/producer or knowing their history to ensure a smooth session
• Not being ready to perform your parts
• Not capturing content

If you don’t prepare, you may end up with these consequences:

• wasted time and/or money
• Running out of budget and not finishing a project
• feeling creatively confused
• settling for what your engineer/producer wants

If you think through the four things in this episode, you’ll be fully prepared and ready for a professional recording experience which will reduce any stress or anxiety you may have and leave more room for your creative energy. You’ll be efficient with your time, you’ll have better content probably, and you’ll even enhance your own musicianship if you have the right mindset.

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.

Have you ever found yourself questioning exactly what mastering is? Or perhaps you're considering hiring a professional to master your next release? There's a lot of confusion around the "dark art" of mastering, so let me shed some light. In this episode, you'll hear all about the mastering process, why artists work with mastering engineers, what to expect when you get a song mastered, and a whole lot more. You're going to get a solid understanding of what mastering is, what it is NOT, what makes mastering important, and how to effectively work and communicate with a professional mastering engineer.

Many artists consistently misunderstand or misuse the term "mastering." I can't tell you how many times I've been asked to "master" a track, when really what the artist is looking for is primarily "mixing." So let's get down to the details and fully understand what mastering is all about with expert mastering engineer, Greg Reierson. Greg is a veteran of the Minnesota music scene and has mastered over 9000 projects. After this episode, not only will you have a solid grasp on the mastering process and what to expect from it, but you'll also hear stories and insights from one of the most reputable mastering engineers in the Twin Cities.

If mastering has been a little bit of a question mark for you, or you're interested in meeting and getting to know Greg better, this episode is for you!

Episode Links and Mentions

🌐 Eddie Ciletti

🌐 Cloud Cult

Connect with the Guest

🔗 Rare Form Mastering

🔗 Rare Form Mastering on 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.

Lane Pederson is a man of many talents. He's the drummer in the punk band, Dillinger Four, the owner of a local drum shop, Twin Cities Drum Collective, and oh yeah, he's also a clinical psychologist and an author.

This episode covers the nuances of building custom drums and the value behind investing in and personalizing your gear, balancing multiple pursuits in your career, the importance of community in music, and a little history on Dillinger Four and the origins of Twin Cities Drum Collective.

Lane drops a lot of valuable tips ranging from customizing your drum kit to performing live on stage. He also shares how the Twin Cities Drum Collective is creating a unique place for drummers to not only shop, but to learn, hang out, and build community through drum lessons, workshops, and even drum set karaoke nights.

Whether you’re specifically interested in his custom 651 line of drums, a fan of Dillinger Four, or a drummer that’s looking for some tips or lessons, this episode is going to be worth the listen. Enjoy!

Episode Links and Mentions

🌐 Gordy Knutson (drummer for Steve Miller Band)

🌐 Mark Joseph (The Last Waltz Production and The Big Wu)

🌐 Michael Birawer (Artist featured on custom snare drum)

🌐 Dave King (drummer for The Bad Plus, Happy Apple)

🌐 Todd Trainer (drummer for Shellac)

🌐 Todd Sucherman (drummer for Styx)

🌐 The Hold Steady

🌐 Bob Mould

🌐 Durry

🌐 Daniel Staddon (drummer for Maiden Dixie)

🌐 Luke Rauch (drummer for Modern Life Is War)

🌐 Derek (drummer for [Nightbirds)

🌐 Kyle Manning (drummer for Off With Their Heads)

Connect with the Guest

🔗 email: [email protected]

🔗 website: Twin Cities Drum Collective

🔗 TC Drum Collective on Instagram

🔗 Dillinger Four

Featured Song

“Folk Song.” by Dillinger Four

🎧 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.

Download our free crowdfunding guide and use it to plan your next campaign! Ever thought about crowdfunding your music project? It's a thrilling journey, but let's face it, the idea can be nerve-wracking. Well, guess what? Maria Coyne from Maria and the Coins is here to spill the beans on her crowdfunding experience. And trust me, it's extremely insightful. Maria dives into the nitty-gritty of it all, tackling all the common roadblocks such as:🤔 "Can I really pull this off?"📚 "How do I get people to care?"👥 "But what about my tiny fanbase?"💰 "Will I end up in a financial black hole?"Whether you're just toying with the idea or knee-deep in planning, Maria's been there, done that, and she's got the wisdom to make your journey a whole lot smoother.

Episode Links and Mentions

🌐 Download the Free Crowdfunding Guide that accompanies this episode

🌐 Download the Free Crowdfunding Guide that accompanies this episode

Connect with the Guest

🔗 Mariacoyne.com

🔗 Maria and the Coins on Instagram

Featured Song

"Movin' On" by Maria and the Coins

🎧 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.

Arthur “L.A.” Buckner is a performing musician, teaching artist, and producer from the Northside of Minneapolis. He holds a master’s degree in Percussion Performance from McNally Smith College of Music. Currently, LA is playing with his band BiG HOMiE, teaching drums, and also serves as co-host for the two-time Webby award-winning PBS music education YouTube series Sound Field, a video project exploring the music theory, production, history, and culture behind our favorite songs and musical styles. Back in 2020, LA took iTunes by storm with the release of his project, also titled BiG HOMiE, which reached #1 on the iTunes Jazz charts.

On this episode, LA and I dive deep into his artistic journey, from learning and playing music through his church to getting his degree, playing in tons of local bands, finding his own authentic voice, and how being a teacher and mentor accompanies and supports all of it.

Episode Links and Mentions

🌐 The Kredentials

🌐 9Tomorrows

🌐 Massamba Diop (Tama drums in Black Panther)

🌐 Max Roach (drummer)

🌐 "The Minneapolis Sound" (Prince, Morris Day, The Time, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Jelly Bean Johnson)

🌐 Herbie Hancock's book: Possibilites

🌐 David Smith (Instagram) Keys

🌐 David Feily (Instagram) Guitar

🌐 Ethan Yeshaya (Instagram) Bass

🌐 Jovon Williams (Instagram) Sax

🌐 Adam Meckler (Instagram) Teacher (Trumpet)

🌐 Aaron Hedenstrom (Instagram) Teacher (Sax)

🌐 McPhail Center for Music

🌐 SPCPA (Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Arts)

🌐 The Replacements

🌐 Chris Osgood (The Suicide Commandos)

🌐 Hüsker Dü

🌐 Terrace Martin (Instagram) producer

🌐 Jovonta Patton

🌐 Toussaint Morrison (Instagram)

🌐 Nahre Sol (Instagram)

🌐 Linda Diaz (Instagram)

🌐 Mono Neon

🌐 Animals As Leaders

Connect with the Guest

🔗 Connect with LA on Instagram

🔗 BiG HOMiE band on Instagram

🔗 BiGHOMiEband.com

🔗 Check out the MSP Magazine feature on him

🔗 Watch a Sound Field episode!

Featured Song

"Ooowee" by L.A. Buckner

🎧 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.

Hear all the ins and outs of planning your own DIY tour. Austin Davis talks with us about what planning a DIY tour looks like for his indie/alt/rock band Silver Warehouse.

We cover topics such as:

1. Setting goals/purpose for the tour
2. Budgeting logistics
3. Planning a route
4. Contacting venues: What to expect, how to write compelling emails that get opened, and what to avoid.
5. Finding local support acts
6. Booking agents And much more.

This episode has some really great insights for anyone looking to book their own DIY tour.

Episode Links and Mentions

🌐 Facebook Group: DIY Tour Postings

🌐 Spotify for Artists features

Connect with the Guest

🔗 Silver Warehouse

🔗 Silver Warehouse's Instagram

Featured Song

"Say Your Name" by Silver Warehouse

🎧 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.