On this episode of INSIDE MUSIC, host James Shotwell explains our recent hiatus.

On this episode of INSIDE MUSIC, host James Shotwell is chatting with Cory Lockwood, vocalist for the band A Lot Like Birds. Fans of alternative rock are likely familiar with that name already, but for those who have yet to discover A Lot Like Birds picture a rock band unafraid to push themselves and their audience with each new release. That is what has always made A Lot Like Bird a band worth investing in, and their upcoming record - Divisi - is no exception.

On this episode of INSIDE MUSIC, host James Shotwell is chatting with Schuylar Croom, vocalist and founding member for the band He Is Legend. Schuylar and his band are perhaps best known for their 2004 record ‘I Am Hollywood,’ not to mention the song with the same name, but today he is on the show to discuss what the band is doing next. On April 28 of this year He Is Legend will release their fifth full length record, Few. This is a special record for the group as it is one created entirely from contributions from fans. Schuylar tells James about the creation of Few, as well as where the band hopes to go in the future.

On this week’s episode of the show host James Shotwell calls Jesse Cannon, a career music producer and author of two books geared towards helping artists accelerate their careers. Jesse's first book was dedicated to getting more fans, but the second - the recently released ‘Processing Creativity,’ focuses on songwriting. James and Jesse swap industry war stories for the better part of an hour before parting ways with the promise of connecting again soon.

On this episode of INSIDE MUSIC, host James Shotwell calls his friend Klayton - best known to electronic music fans as Celldweller, Scandroid, or Circle of Dust - to discuss his unique career in the entertainment business. Klayton has built an empire of his own, which allows him to control his entire business, but the path to get to this point was not easy. Klayton walks James through the hurdles he faced early on and offers advice to others hoping to control their career. Be sure to check out Celldweller's next release, Offworld, when it arrives later this year.

On this episode of INSIDE MUSIC, host James Shotwell sets out to answer a question anyone who has ever attended a summer festival has inevitably asked themselves: What's with the hula hoops? James sits down with Layla, an up and coming Flow artist who tells him about flow culture, including details regarding how people make a living doing object manipulation at events around the world. It's a fascinating chat that is more about a subculture than a single person, and we hope it opens your eyes to a world of possibilities you may not have considered otherwise.

On this episode of INSIDE MUSIC, host James Shotwell sits down with Leo Bautista, better known to music fans as Rival Summers. Leo invited James to meet him at Detroit's Assemble Sound, a fast-rising artist community based out of a renovated church that was built in the late 1800s. Sitting in the cold Michigan air, Leo tells James about his origin in music, his evolving relationship with his craft, and where he hopes to go in the future. His latest album, Undeniable, is available now wherever music is sold.

On this episode of INSIDE MUSIC, host James Shotwell calls up and coming rapper Jack Harlow to discuss his rise from Louisville, Kentucky to the national spotlight. He may only be 18 years old, but Jack has quickly established a voice and presence that is attracting a lot of attention from the industry. James asks Jack about his early days in music, the choice to remain independent, and the difficult path that this young entertainer now faces as he works his way to the next level of his career.

On this episode of INSIDE MUSIC, host James Shotwell calls singer-songwriter Jayce Levi to discuss his unique career in the music business. Jayce signed a record deal in 2008 with his project Secret Secret Dino Club, but due to a number of issues - many out of his control - the record never came out. Jayce never got his moment with SSDC, but as he reveals to James in this episode other, perhaps far better opportunities came his way.

On this episode of INSIDE MUSIC, host James Shotwell calls Carousel Kings founder and vocalist David Alexander to discuss his band's upcoming Victory Records debut. 'Charm City' is the third full-length record for Carousel Kings, and it also happens to be their most personal record to date. David tells James about how his approach to songwriting has changed over the years, as well as what the band had to do to make it out of their hometown. This podcast is the second in a newly announced series focusing on artists who we believe could have huge year ahead, and we hope you enjoy the show.