The Hustle

Stephen Bishop has been a highly successful singer-songwriter for 40 years. He's had several hits of his own and penned many for others such as Barbra Streisand, Eric Clapton, and Art Garfunkel. He just released a "brand new" album called Blueprint which puts the finishing touches on several songs and demos he's been working on over the years (hence the name). Here we talk about his approach to songwriting, how the industry has changed and how that affects him, and he shares some insight on his old friend, the late great Andrew Gold. 

http://stephenbishop.com/

Glen Burtnik embodies exactly what The Hustle represents - the artist that works tirelessly to stay vital, involved, creative and paid. Glen was launched as a promising solo artist in the mid-80s releasing two great records on A&M. He achieved some chart success with 1987's "Follow You" which reached #65 on the pop charts. As the solo career was sputtering, Glen was invited to replace Tommy Shaw in Styx and wrote their last decent-sized hit with 1991's "Love is the Ritual". This began a new career as a professional songwriter (penning hits for Patty Smythe and Don Henley, as well as Randy Travis) and as a gun for hire, bringing his professionalism and vast talents to anyone that needed them. These days he's in, no kidding, at least half a dozen different groups/projects/ensembles all of which showcase his passion for great, classic music. 

http://www.glenburtnik.com/

This week's guest shares a story we've heard all too often. Michael Harville was the drummer of the excellent Texas power pop band Sugarbomb. After a successful independently released debut album, their major-label debut, Bully,was released in 2001 and just starting to gain some momentum when RCA dropped them two weeks later! This had long-lasting effects on some members of the band, understandably, but Michael has soldiered on making a living as a drummer ever since. We talks candidly about the ups and downs and shares a hilarious story about how he nearly kicked Mathew McConaughey's butt twice (just don't ever call him Matt), and a rather disappointing story about Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick. If you like bands like Jellyfish and Fountains of Wayne, then please enjoy re-discovering Sugarbomb. The name says it all.

Jacob Slichter was the drummer for the excellent alternative rock band Semisonic, whose 1999 hit "Closing Time" remains a staple to this day. But, we aren't here to talk about that. Jacob covered that story perfectly in his 2004 memoir "So You Wanna Be a Rock & Roll Star", one of the greatest books on life as a mildly successful rock band during the waning days of the traditional music industry ever written. Since his book mirrors the arc we try to cover on the Hustle, I wanted to talk with him about his post-book life, ask some questions I had that the book didn't address, and expand on the emotions he has experienced along the way. He was a great sport about it. This book inspired this podcast. We've come full circle. 

http://www.relaxintowriting.com/

David Sterry is the man behind one of the most iconic and enduring hits of the 80s synth-pop era, "Send Me An Angel". His band Real Life were major players in the 80s when Angel reached the charts TWICE (in 1983 and again in 1989), and "Catch Me I'm Falling" also made a huge splash in 1983. You'd think writing a song as evergreen as Angel would keep you comfy for the rest of your life, but surprisingly, that was not the case. Luckily, after 20 years, David is now benefitting from his impactful legacy and successfully touring the 80s nostalgia circuit in his native Australia. We talk about the ups and downs of his career, the other great music Real Life has recorded, what he did during the lean years, and some of his best memories. 

Choirboys have been an active, vibrant pub rock/hard rock band in their native Australia for over 30 years. They've had several major hits Down Under, including 1987's "Run To Paradise" which, get this, is the 11th best selling Australian single of the 80s! Surprisingly, they've never made much of a dent in America (and never tried too hard). We talk about the differences between Australian and American success, what kind of a lifestyle "Run to Paradise" has afforded them, and them being discovered by George Young, the older brother of Angus and Malcolm from AC/DC. I also pick his brain on some of my favorite artists hailing from the eastern hemisphere. The guy has quite the personality, enjoy!

http://www.choirboys.net/

Tito Larriva hasn't stopped working in 40 years. His many musical disguises (The Plugz, The Cruzados, Tito & Tarantula) have paralleled his second career in the movie business, both as an actor and a soundtrack legend. At the core of these many personalities is the heart of a musical genius and shapeshifter who has found much success by being the right guy for the job and always good at what he does. His career has spanned everything from porn to Pee-Wee Herman and Swayze to Tarantino. Get turned on to an excellent musician and a consummate artist. 

http://www.titoandtarantula.com/WELCOME.html

Fred Pineau was the guitarist for the excellent Boston power pop band The Atlantics. Their story is, unfortunately, a familiar one - big on the local scene, signed to a major label that mis-marketed them (they wanted them to be the "new wave Eagles"), and thus buried their one and only album, 1979's Big City Rock. Even with a national tour opening for Roxy Music, the Atlantics never fully took off and never made it to a second album. However, Fred is a world-class raconteur and has numerous incredible stories to tell. Sit back and enjoy an amazing band and an amazing storyteller (Bowie, Roxy, Prince, Paul Simon, Daryl Hall, Madness, Queen, etc).

The A's were one of Philadelphia's hottest bands in the 70s. Their mix of new wave and power pop created some of the best music of that wonderful period - the barely pre-MTV era (1977-1981). Lead singer Richard Bush was also one of the most charismatic frontman around - rock star through and through. But, unfortunately, after two underperforming albums on a major label, the band called it a day. Today, Richard primarily makes his living working like the rest of us, but for the past few years he's invested his talents in his new band, the psychedelic Peace Creeps. In our conversation, Richard honestly dissects his musical career, what went wrong, what went right, and what should have been. The guy is still amazing and hasn't lost a step!

The A's were one of Philadelphia's hottest bands in the 70s. Their mix of new wave and power pop created some of the best music of that wonderful period - the barely pre-MTV era (1977-1981). Lead singer Richard Bush was also one of the most charismatic frontman around - rock star through and through. But, unfortunately, after two underperforming albums on a major label, the band called it a day. Today, Richard primarily makes his living working like the rest of us, but for the past few years he's invested his talents in his new band, the psychedelic Peace Creeps. In our conversation, Richard honestly dissects his musical career, what went wrong, what went right, and what should have been. The guy is still amazing and hasn't lost a step!