Secrets From The Scene

This week on Secrets From the Scene, I’m joined by Aaron Mader and Jeff Allen of The Plastic Constellations.

Since their band is coming back after more than 15 years, this ended up being a really fun conversation about friendship, memory, local music scenes, and what it feels like to step back into something that used to be such a huge part of your life. We talked about how the band started, what it’s been like to play together again after all this time, and how different music feels in your forties than it did in your twenties.

We also got into the bigger-picture stuff around building a band then versus now: all-ages venues, promoting music before social media, the value of local scenes, and why real relationships still matter so much. Aaron and Jeff shared great stories about Foxfire, opening for Low at First Avenue while still in high school, and how a chance airport conversation with Craig Finn opened a door that changed the band’s trajectory.

One of my favorite takeaways from this one was a line Aaron dropped near the end: a hang is a win. That idea kind of ties the whole episode together. Whether you’re trying to build a band, a creative career, or just a meaningful life with good people around you, there’s a lot in this conversation about showing up, playing the long game, and staying connected in person.

Connect with the Guest:

🔗 https://instagram.com/lazerbeak

🔗 https://instagram.com/jeffallen

Featured Song:

"Bring What You Bring" by The Plastic Constellations

🎧 Listen on Spotify

👀 Watch on YouTube

🎧 Listen on Apple Music

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

This week I’m joined by Robert Wilkinson, Ben Kaplan, and Bob Burns of the Flamin’ Oh’s for a conversation about Twin Cities punk and rock history, the scene around Jay’s Longhorn, Twin/Tone, Fat City, Oar Folkjokeopus, KQRS compilations, local studios, and the people behind the scenes who helped shape and amplify what was happening. We talk about how that late-’70s scene opened the door for original music in Minneapolis, what made the Flamin’ Oh’s stand out, and how a band stays alive for decades.

We also get into the band’s early records, working with Chuck Statler on videos for “I Remember Romance” and “Stop,” and how those clips were among the earliest music videos featured on MTV when the channel was brand new. On top of all that, Robert shares an amazing story about meeting David Bowie after a 1974 St. Paul show, and the guys tell the story of the time they ended up serving as Chuck Berry’s backing band at Riverfest.

Episode Links and Mentions

🌐 Jenny Case

🌐 Jay's Longhorn Documentary Let's Make A Scene

🌐 The Suicide Commandos

Connect with the Guest:

🔗 Robert Wilkinson

🔗 Flamin' Oh's Website

🔗 Flamin' Oh's Facebook

Featured Song:

🎧 I Remember Romance

🎧 Listen on Apple Music

👀 Watch on YouTube

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

This week I am joined by Hank Donato, frontman of Beemer, and also a guy who has done a little bit of everything in the Twin Cities music world. We talk about the seasons of a music career, how priorities shift as life changes, and what it looks like to keep music meaningful even when it cannot be your whole life.

Hank shares how he came up through the scene in John Chuck & The Class, spent years playing countless sideman gigs, and eventually ended up stepping into a newer chapter as a frontman. We also dig into the stuff that actually keeps sidemen working. Yes, chops matter, but Hank makes a great case that accuracy to the artist’s vision and being a good hang often matter even more.

From there, we get into relationships and networks, how people grow together when it is real, and what happens when the “dream” starts to feel like a trap. We talk about parenthood, time constraints, identity, and why stepping back from full-time music does not have to mean stepping away from music.

This is not an episode telling younger artists not to go for it. It’s the opposite. It’s about learning how to chase big dreams without tying your worth to outcomes, and how to build a relationship with music that can survive real life.

• How Hank built his career through the Twin Cities scene
• The underrated sideman skill set: serve the song, serve the vision, get your sound accurate
• Why “good hang” is not fluff, it’s part of the job
• How networks really form when the relationships are deeper than business
• Reframing competition: keeping drive without falling into a scarcity mindset
• Parenthood and the question a lot of artists eventually face: where does music fall now?
• Survivorship bias, streaming-era pressure, and why the internet can distort what “success” looks like
• A more sustainable definition of success that still feels ambitious and alive
• Hank’s 10-year vision, and why fun is not a consolation prize

Highlights

Episode Links and Mentions

🌐 Lissie

🌐 Radio Church

🌐 The Orange Goodness

🌐 Luke Enyeart

🌐 Daniel Stewart

🌐 Reese Kling

Connect with the Guest:

🔗 Hank Donato Instagram

🔗 Beemer Instagram

🔗 Garland Piano Instagram

Featured Song:

“Closes In” by Beemer

🎧 Listen on Spotify👀 Watch on YouTube

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

Darnel Alexander is a soulful R&B singer and songwriter whose journey stretches from the 90s boy band era to a surprising second wind on TikTok.

In this conversation, Darnel takes us back to his Seattle roots, the early talent show circuit, and his first group, Third Level, including the grind of learning the industry from the inside before anyone was paying attention. From there, he breaks down what it was really like being in the a cappella R&B group Second Nature: the rehearsals, the compromises, the pressure, and the lessons you only learn when you are sharing bills with major artists and trying to meet the standard night after night.

Then we get into the moment everything changed. Darnel posts a raw Luther Vandross cover, a cappella in a parking garage, and it takes off. He shares what happened next: figuring out a repeatable approach to content, balancing covers with original music, handling accusations of lip-syncing once he started adding music, and staying grounded through the mind games of social media.

We also talk about the deeper stuff that makes his story more than “went viral”: personal growth, confidence without ego, building discipline through fitness, vocal care, and what it looks like to pursue music while working a full-time job and raising kids. If you have ever felt like your window closed, this episode is a reminder that a second wind is real, especially when you are ready for it.

In this episode, we cover:

• The real day-to-day of 90s group life: rehearsals, roles, compromise, and pressure
• What he learned from sharing stages with major acts and seeing true professionalism up close
• Why covers are not “cheating,” plus how to use them without getting stuck
• The parking garage Luther cover that sparked a viral moment
• Social media mind games, haters, algorithm swings, and staying consistent anyway
• Fitness, discipline, and vocal care habits (including his no-dairy rule before shows)
• Making music while balancing a full-time job, fatherhood, and limited free time
• Confidence, humility, and building a life that is actually good

Episode Links and Mentions

🌐 Deon Cole

Connect with the Guest:

🔗 Darnelalexandermusic.com

🔗 Instagram

🔗 YouTube

🔗 TikTok

Featured Song:

🎧 https://open.spotify.com/track/0KK3QEaUNYasQ19x17g5dd?si=6e7feb40a6b54e3f

🎧 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.

Meghan Kreidler (Kiss The Tiger) joins Secrets From The Scene to unpack the thing that separates a decent set from a truly memorable live show: stage presence.

Meghan talks about the early discomfort of being “herself” on stage, how acting tools translate (and sometimes do not translate) to the rock club, and why experimentation matters. We dig into physical embodiment, the power of stillness, and how intention changes everything. Meghan also shares how the band stays tight without forcing a uniform approach to movement, how she prepares mentally before shows, and why you sometimes have to commit first and let the emotions follow.

We also get into the realities behind the momentum: managing expectations, avoiding the comparison trap, booking tours DIY, and what is actually worth spending money on as an independent artist.

Plus: Kiss The Tiger’s annual I Love Lucy: Kiss The Tiger Pays Tribute to Lucinda Williams returns on Valentine’s Day (Feb 14, 2026) at the Turf Club with Molly Maher and Her Disbelievers, and we’ve got a ticket giveaway in this episode’s post.

• Why early shows can feel weird, even with an acting background
• Experimentation vs overdoing it, and how to stay connected to the song
• Stillness as a performance weapon
• “Commit first” as a way to lead the room
• Band dynamics: what you can ask of bandmates (and what you cannot)
• Managing ambition without making yourself miserable
• DIY vs outsourcing: what to learn first, and what to hire out
• Best investments: photos, posters, shirt designs, and other “infrastructure”
• What to be cautious about with PR and rushed spending
• Meghan’s stage presence “secret”: lean into the fear

Giveaway and upcoming show

I Love Lucy: Kiss The Tiger Pays Tribute to Lucinda Williams

Saturday, Feb 14, 2026 | Turf Club (St. Paul) | 21+ | Doors 8pm | Music 9pm

With: Molly Maher and Her Disbelievers

Connect with the Guest

🔗 Kiss the Tiger Linktree

🔗 Kiss the Tiger Instagram

🔗 Kissthetiger.com

🔗 Kiss the Tiger Bandcamp

Featured Song

"Big Booty Scooty" by Kiss The Tiger

🎧 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.

If you think scheduling a four-piece band is hard, try doing it with ten people, a loud acoustic tradition, and gigs that range from jazz festivals to high school clinics to packed club nights.

In this episode, I’m joined by Riley Helgeson, bandleader and trumpet player for McNasty Brass Band, to talk about what it really takes to keep a 10-member brass band functional. We get into how they make decisions when everyone’s serious about their craft, why written charts are basically non-negotiable, how they handle pay so members do not cherry-pick gigs, and why their in-ear rig changed everything for surviving loud stages.

We also zoom out into Riley’s broader professional life: booking, composing, and wearing the full modern-musician “many hats” stack without burning out.

Also, if you’re in the Twin Cities: McNasty is playing Turf Club on January 31 with Shane Cox and the Funky Spuds and Clean Plate Club.

Episode Links and Mentions

🌐 Midwest Sound

🌐 The Four Freshmen

🌐 Scott Agster

🌐 Sten Johnson

🌐 Aaron Levin

🌐 Jake Baldwin

🌐 New Sound Underground

🌐 Ella Cordova

🌐 Shane Cox

🌐 Clean Plate Club

Connect with the Guest:

🔗 McNasty Bass Band Instagram

🔗 Riley Helgeson Instagram

Featured Song:

“Duluth” by McNasty Brass Band

🎧 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 artists want the outcome. Fewer artists want the process. The posting, the reaching out, the showing up to jams, the awkward early gigs, the constant question of, “Am I being genuine or am I marketing myself?”

Lasalle and I talk about that exact push and pull: wanting a bigger platform, wanting your art to matter, but not always wanting to do the public-facing stuff it takes to build momentum. And the best part is he doesn’t pretend it’s easy. He’s honest about perfectionism, about the awkwardness of “networking,” and about what actually helped this project go from an idea to real shows, fast.

A few things we dig into:

• Going from drummer to frontman, and the uncomfortable parts of suddenly being the “face” of a project. Lasalle - Full Episode
• How he met his bandmates: showing up to jams, being consistent, building trust, and making real friends instead of trying to leech off the scene.
• Art vs. business: how to promote shows without sounding like you’re copy-pasting the same post, and why “excitement” is the best marketing strategy when it’s real.
• Why there’s no release yet, and how he thinks about timing when opportunities come before the recordings are ready.
• A simple mindset shift I loved: if you treat the local scene like something you’re lucky to be part of, it tends to treat you well right back.

Lasalle is also playing First Avenue’s Best New Bands of 2025 alongside Chutes, GR3G, Maygen & The Birdwatcher, Mother Soki, Sallyforth, and Sophie Hiroko on January 17, 2026.

Episode Links and Mentions

🌐 Dylan Hilliker

🌐 Anna Devine

🌐 Chutes

🌐 Nate Walker

🌐 Aiden Intro

🌐 Eli Awada

🌐 Room 3 Collective

🌐 Flavor World

🌐 Brandyn Lee Tulloch

🌐 GR3G

🌐 Maygen and the Birdwatcher

🌐 Mother Soki

🌐 Sallyforth

🌐 Sophie Hiroko

🌐 Soul Flower

Connect with the Guest:

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

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 week I sit down with Charlie Parr, a Minnesota original and a master of fingerstyle and slide guitar. He grew up in Austin, found his footing in Duluth, and has spent decades touring and recording. We keep the focus on creative process and do a full breakdown of “Cheap Wine,” including how its meaning shifts beside a short story he wrote.

If you care about songs that feel lived in, this conversation shows how a story becomes music: the choices, the dynamics, and the discipline behind it.

What you will hear:

• How place and early listening shaped Charlie’s voice, from his parents’ record stack to Duluth’s scene
• The creative choices behind “Cheap Wine,” and where the song and short story diverge
• Honest vs. confessional writing, plus revising to protect real people
• Playing live without a set list, reading the room, and pacing for different crowds
• Recording philosophies: rooms as instruments, portable tape rigs, and chasing atmosphere
• Working with a manager to protect writing time and keep the calendar sane
• The income reality of a career built on shows, with records and books supporting the work
• Mental health, gratitude, and the advice he would give his younger self

If the episode resonates, please share it with a friend and leave a quick rating. It helps the show reach more listeners who care about the craft of music.

Connect with the Guest:

🔗 https://www.charlieparr.com/

🔗 https://www.instagram.com/charlie.parr/

Featured Song:

"Boombox" by Charlie Parr

🎧 Listen on Spotify

👀 Watch on YouTube

"Cheap Wine" by Charlie Parr

👀 Check it out live at the end of our episode!

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.

Ever walk out of a recording session feeling like it should have gone better?

Not because the song was bad, but because the session felt rushed, tense, or just… off.

Or maybe you are on the front end of it. Nervous for your first real studio experience, wondering what you are supposed to bring, what you are supposed to know, and whether you are actually ready for a serious session.

This week on Secrets From the Scene, I sat down with Tony Williamette, owner and head engineer at Minnehaha Recording Company, to talk about what actually makes a studio session successful. Tony and I both run recording studios and work closely with local artists, so this conversation comes straight from years of real sessions, real mistakes, and real wins.

We get into how artists can prepare for the studio in ways that actually matter, not just showing up with a song, but showing up with clarity. We also unpack the producer’s role and the many hats producers and studio owners wear, from engineer to creative partner to coach to business owner.

If you are an artist who wants better recordings, smoother sessions, and more confidence in the studio, this episode is for you.

In this episode, we talk about:

• What being “prepared for the studio” really means
• The difference between a producer and an engineer, and why it matters
• How demos, references, and communication save time and money
• Dealing with nerves and pressure in recording sessions
• How producers balance creativity, psychology, and business
• Why great sessions are built on trust, not perfection

If you have ever wondered how to show up better for your recording sessions, or what producers are actually doing behind the glass, I think you will get a lot out of this one.

Episode Links and Mentions

🌐 Studio Preparation For Bands.pdf

🌐 Studio Preparation For Solo Artists.pdf

Connect with the Guest:

🔗 Minnehaha Recording Company

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.

The Minneapolis Sound is one of the most distinctive music legacies in the world, and this week I get to celebrate it with someone who grew up inside that story.

On this episode of Secrets From The Scene, I sit down with Minneapolis R&B artist Jordan Johnston to talk about the tradition, history, and ongoing legacy of the Minneapolis Sound and how it shows up in his own career.

Jordan’s connection to this music runs deep. His dad, Bob Johnston, was a staff writer and producer at Flyte Tyme, and now plays drums in Jordan’s band. So his entry point was not just hearing Prince or Mint Condition on the radio. He grew up around the people who helped build that sound.

In our conversation, we walk through his journey from growing up in a Flyte Tyme family to becoming a frontman, the artists and records that shaped his ear, and what he has learned from collaborating with veterans like Darnell Alexander. Jordan shares stories about opening for Stokley and performing at Paisley Park, and talks about what it feels like to step into rooms that are such a big part of Minneapolis music history.

From there, we zoom out and look at the bigger picture. We talk about the core elements of the Minneapolis Sound, the influence of Prince, The Time, and Flyte Tyme Productions, and how that sound still shapes what is happening on Twin Cities stages right now. We also get into that tricky line between tribute sets and original material, and how Jordan is thinking about building a career that respects the legacy while still pushing his own music and expanding beyond Minnesota.

If you love the Minneapolis Sound or you are curious about how a local scene can echo through decades of music, I think you will really enjoy this one.

A note on Jellybean Johnson

You will hear Jellybean Johnson get mentioned briefly in this episode, but we recorded the conversation before his passing.

Jellybean was a founding member of The Time, a key architect of the Minneapolis Sound, and a drummer, guitarist, and producer whose work reached far beyond Minnesota. He died on November 21, 2025, at the age of 69, and the entire Minneapolis music community has been feeling this loss.

I did not get to properly acknowledge him in the interview, so I want to do that here. If you are listening because you care about this music and this tradition, know that a lot of what we are celebrating in this episode traces back to people like Jellybean.

More on Jellybean Johnson

Episode Links and Mentions

🌐 Raycovington.com

🌐 Paulpeterson.com

🌐 Darnelalexandarmusic.com

🌐 Andreaswensson.com

🌐 Andrea Swensson: There's Gotta Be Something Here

🌐 Monique Blakey

Connect with the Guest:

🔗 Jordanjohnstonmusic.com

🔗 Listen to Jordan Johnston on Spotify

🔗 Jordan Johnston Linktree

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.