The Noisemaker Podcast

I sit down with George Ducas.

Notes:

“I consider myself very much a singer and songwriter with an emphasis on performing and being out there playing for people is a chance for the songs I write to live and breathe.”

A Lone Star native whose heart and soul are rooted in the honky tonks, roadhouses and dancehalls, George Ducas is a musical talent seasoned with experience, driven by passion and humbled by a God-given talent. With a string of Billboard charting songs that established him early as a country music trendsetter, George Ducas is a recording artist, hit songwriter, global entertainer and father to his children; his musical offerings encompass a creativity, sentiment, edge and wisdom of a man who lives life with a passion.

Ducas entered the country music genre as a deep-rooted traditionalist and defined vocalist who brought a contemporary edge to the format in the mid-90s. A Capitol-Nashville Records artist, Ducas was among a hefty roster of award-winning label mates Garth Brooks, Trace Adkins, Deana Carter and Suzy Bogguss.

Since his success as a national major label and critically acclaimed recording artist (with a string of hits including the Top 10 single “Lipstick Promises”), Ducas took an intended “recording hiatus” to devote his attention to raising his son and daughter (Will and Grace) in their early years.

With a noticeable personal “presence missed” on mainstream radio in recent years, Ducas has remained a mainstay in the country recording industry –his talents for putting words into music have been recognized by his peers and heard loud and clear echoing throughout stadiums, across the dance floors, and booming from stereo speakers over the past decade. It is only his voice that has been quieted from the “front and center” over the airwaves. His reputation has made him a sought-after songcrafter.

I laugh when I’m asked the question, “Where have you been?” I’m not coming out of the ‘Lost and Found.” I’ve been writing, recording and playing gigs for the last ten years… growing into my own skin to become a more confident writer, recording artist and producer. The music “switch” never turns off. I think that’s revealed in my music today.

Making a subtle yet impacting and lasting impression on the country audience and the music industry from the shadows, Ducas has become the “go-to” guy for good songs. His name can be found behind the pen of some of country music’s biggest hits including: Sara Evan’s No. 1 “Real Fine Place To Start,” Josh Thompson’s “Won’t Be Lonely Long,” The Eli Young Band’s “Always The Love Songs” as well as cuts recorded by George Jones and Garth Brooks, The Dixie Chicks, Trisha Yearwood and the Randy Rogers Band, only to name a few.

I’ve never stopped making music; I just stopped making records. In all this time, I have been growing as a man, which ultimately led my musical direction.

The allure of the night and bright lights, and his fervor to be heard, drew Ducas back into the recording booth taking a short respite and detour from the miles of Texas roads where he’s performed again and again along the trails blazed by hero Willie Nelson and other Texan troubadours before him. Feeding the hunger to record his own new music, the highways nurtured his creative appetite and the call and answer from fans moved him to step from beyond the borders of the big sky and head back to the studio. The result: 4340 !

With a craft mastered by reflections of life lessons complimented by present day maturity, Ducas returns to the country music format to “voice” his songs, and without exception 4340 (Loud Ranch/October 2013) showcases Ducas’ talents to illuminate storylines with defining imagery that brings lyrics to life.

Featuring co-writes alongside Keifer Thompson (Thompson Square), Jim Beavers (“Red Solo Cup”/Toby Keith, “5150”/Dierks Bentley), Radney Foster, Jon Henderson, Jason Matthews, Blake Wise, Richard Brodock and Jaida Dreyer, the album is stocked with radio worthy tracks and lined with carefully painted musical canvasses including “CowTown” “Ain’t That Crazy,” “Love Struck,” “Amnesia,” “Gimme Back My Honky Tonk” and “I Need To Love You.”

4340 covers an array of topics. “CowTown” is three minutes of good times; “Amnesia” is a longing with regret (with which I’m very familiar); “Ain’t That Crazy” is a journalistic review of how things change over time, what was once ‘cool’ is no longer hip, unexpected twists and turns in love affairs and ‘changes’ (technological or otherwise) that historically become modern day. The album is relationship driven; what can be bigger than that?

A tunesmith who constructs lyrics that attract the ears of the deeply emotional, light-hearted and the little bit crazy, George Ducas is a captivating music poet and entertainer who satisfies the palate of even the most eclectic and thoughtful of listeners.

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• Rocky Ferrenburg

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I sit down with the guys from Temptress.

Notes:

“Slipknot meets Shinedown to produce music distinctively different.”

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I sit down with Mr.Goodbars
Notes:

Timothy Darell Thorpe aka Mr.Goodbars was born and raised in Durham NC. Brought up on 90s Southern and Mid West Hip Hop he brings an old but new soul to his music. Goodbars has decided to dedicate his heart and mind to music. 
He is co-owner of Crew-Industries, runs the street team Break Bread Entertainment (BBE) and plays keyboard for the metal band Sepsiss based out of Manchester. Every beat Goodbars raps to is self created and mastered by him. For anymore info regarding collaborations or beats please review the contact information.

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I sit down with Justin of Days to Come.

Notes:

Blending pop-styled vocal melodies with heavier, intricate instrumentation, the Georgia based hard rock band Days To Come works tirelessly at taking their brand of positivity as far as it can go. Striving for professionalism & honesty, DTC focuses on solid songwriting & high energy live shows as well as growing & maintaining their fan-base by interacting via social networking.

In July of 2016, DTC released their first EP, Subsist | The Art of Survival (2016). Touring throughout the southeast states over the rest of the year & into 2017 in support of their release, the band continues to put in the work required to advance their career. Partnering with booking agency Blind Anxiety Entertainment, management company Crown Artist Development, & indie label From The Depths Entertainment, DTC stays on the road as much as possible.

The band is currently working on their next record & are excited to continue to develop their sound.

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I sit down with Nikki's Wives

Notes:

With humble beginnings in the underground scene, within a year Nikki’s Wives have gone from rehearsals in a split basement to headlining sold-out Victoria’s Secret parties. Their growing reputation for seductive performances has drawn the acclaim of multi-platinum artists (CeeLo Green, Aaron Carter, She Wants Revenge), establishing the trio as in-demand creatives who freely bend genre barriers. The group’s most recent songwriting collaboration, “Show Me”, was hand-selected by Tiësto for release on his record label, garnering millions of streams on Spotify and YouTube. Nikki’s Wives speaks with a rare honesty, and struts with a style coloured by haute fashion and grime. If these sudden successes are any indication, Nikki's Wives are on the verge of a breakthrough to the national stage.

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I sit down with Rap Rocker Aaron Avis

Notes:
Aaron Avis is a rapper, producer, and musician from Minneapolis, Minnesota.

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I sit down with saxophoneist, Vanessa Collier

Notes:

“There’s a young lady [Vanessa Collier] came onstage with me, I forget where I was, but she’s playing an alto saxophone, and man, she was amazing.”

Those are the words of Buddy Guy in a recent issue of American Blues Scene, describing an impromptu performance with Vanessa Collier on the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise. If you haven’t been fortunate enough to meet Vanessa and witness one of her head-turning, fiery, and passionate performances, you should definitely make sure you do. As a master musician and multi-instrumentalist, Vanessa Collier, weaves funk, soul, rock, and blues into every powerful performance and she is downright impressive. With soulful vocals, searing saxophone, and witty songwriting, Vanessa is blazing a trail, racking up an impressive arsenal of honours, and has already singled herself out as an artist of distinction and one we would all do well to watch.

It’s not simply the accolades she has accumulated so far, although they’ve been many -- three Blues Music Award Nominations (BMAs), a Blues Blast Award nomination, the Jammingest Pro Award bestowed by the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise, First Place for lyrics in the International Songwriting Competition, Best of 2014 Blues Breaker on Dan Aykroyd’s BluesMobile -- it’s the fact that she has accumulated all these honours even while her career is still in its infancy. A 2013 graduate of the prestigious Berklee College of Music, she’s toured nationally and internationally, released two critically acclaimed albums (2014’s Heart, Soul & Saxophone and 2017’s Meeting My Shadow), and released her highly anticipated third album, Honey Up, in July 2018. Honey Up spent 9 weeks atop the Billboard Blues Album Charts Top 15, 3 months on the Living Blues Charts at #10 and #23, and continues to be spun on Sirius XM’s B.B. King’s Bluesville radio station!

It’s not surprising that the press has been quick to commend her efforts as well. Blues Blast Magazine affirms, “Vanessa Collier is a fresh face on the American blues scene, and in addition to her soulful vocals, she brings a mighty sax to the table...” Blues Music Magazine proclaims, “Collier is a fresh face who comes to the blues stage carrying her reed instruments, a dual degree from Berklee College of Music in Boston, a major label debut, almost two years of touring with Joe Louis Walker, and a mature musical vision…Collier commands center stage with her vocals, soloing, and stage presence.” Midwest Record exclaims, “This bluesy singing sax player knows how to bring the slinking funk to her captivating, award winning sound that has echoes in young Bonnie Raitt/Maria Muldaur vocal sounds…Killer stuff on every level, this sounds like one of the reasons you first became a music fan. Killer stuff.” and AXS.Com declares that she “might as well go ahead and add another shelf to her trophy case because clearly, she’s going to need it. With a voice that often recalls that of blues-rock stalwart Bonnie Raitt, Collier turns up the heat...”

Having first picked up the saxophone at the age of nine, Collier embarked on her road to recognition at Berklee, earning dual degrees in Performance and Music Production & Engineering. While still completing her degree, Collier landed a position touring with Joe Louis Walker for a year and a half before Joe encouraged her to strike out on her own. And strike out she did.

These days, Collier spends much of her time on the road, performing at some of the most prestigious music festivals in the world. Her talents have taken her to the Blues Music Awards Show where, in the words of the Blues Foundation, Vanessa “blew the doors off the Blues Music Awards!”; Ottawa Blues Festival, where she earned two front page newspaper photos and rave reviews after her foot stomping debut there; twice on the Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise, where she earned the Jammingest Pro Award and was a featured artist with Tommy Castro’s Blues Review; Briggs Farm Festival, where she was the “most popular Briggs Farm act in 2017” (Elmore Magazine), and the list continues. In 2017, Vanessa was also a featured artist in three major tours across Europe as part of Ruf’s 2017 Blues Caravan.

In early 2018, Vanessa was nominated for TWO 2018 Blues Music Awards, the first one for Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year, which puts her in elite company with artists such as Beth Hart, Samantha Fish, and Shemekia Copeland, and a second nomination for Instrumental – Horn Player of the Year, in company with veteran artists like Trombone Shorty, Al Basile, and Jimmy Carpenter.

As for Collier, she says she’s happy performing on stages across the world, hoping that she can make a difference with fans and followers along the way. “I am driven to do this because I find it a total form of expression and connection,” she explains. “I love connecting with an audience and feeling their energy and I hope to inspire people to follow their dreams and passions, to find what brings them joy, and then to pursue it doggedly.” Vanessa also takes that message to young people as she runs clinics across the country and is active with Blues in the Schools programs. At a recent Blues in the School program, Vanessa invited a stage full of elementary and middle school aged kids up to dance around her while she performed a blues shuffle. Watching the joy on the faces of Vanessa, the kids, and everyone in the auditorium, it is no wonder why Vanessa has become awe-inspiring to all who meet her. On top of talent and hard work, Vanessa shares an incredible heart and a strong purpose. To borrow from the words of an article in Blues Blast Magazine, “Vanessa is an important part of the future of the blues, and it would be cool to support her journey.

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I sit down with Suzy, aka Zahna!

Notes:

After separation with former band "ILIA" in late 2016, Suzy Martinez returns with a vengeance.

The 25-year-old singer moves head-strong into a solo career, debuting as "Zahna", a name deriving from the English abbreviation for the Hispanic singer's full name "Susana" (sue-SAH-nah). By fusing gritty and industrial guitar riffs with technical drum elements, the new music features Martinez's aggressive vocal style that gives birth to what will now be known as "Zahna." Sources say that "the new songs will not only demand your attention, but command an emotional response that will leave the listener feeling whatever the songs want them to feel." After Martinez’ success as the primary songwriter of past band ILIA's EP, "Reborn" (2014), her personal fans undoubtedly believe that Zahna's newest full-length record, will not disappoint.

The singer comments:

"I'm glad to embark on this new journey. It hasn't always been easy, but I am grateful because hard times gave me the power to believe in myself as a vocalist, and confirms that I have something to offer to this world through music. This is just the beginning."

Martinez refers to her struggle as more than a decade of songwriting, performing, and in the latter years, finally recording and releasing her own original material. As immigrants from Mexico, Martinez's family moved to the state of Ohio before her 2nd birthday. She recalls her childhood being surrounded by traditional Mexican music and writing her very first song at 7 years old. Her love for the rock genre began when she received guitar lessons at age 13 from her father, which led to befriending fellow musicians entering high school. Naturally, exposure to more alternative rock bands from her peers, as well as thriving in a lush musical environment, Martinez inevitably founded her first rock band with high school friends at the age of fifteen. Entering talent shows and constantly performing local venues became the taste of an industry Martinez craved and pursued ever since. While taking a break from music to study a three-year college degree at Christ for the Nations Institute in Dallas, TX, Martinez was touring nationally off of her own original material by 2014 at the age of 21, and received national airplay on 4 of her original songs, three of which reached to top ten in Billboard Christian Rock Charts, and even up to #2 for her song, “Young Diaries.”

Three years later to the present moment, without having released any material since “Reborn,” (2014), Martinez is prepared to stand on her own two feet and take the independent road with her past fans and new fans alike towards a promising, long-term career. The up-and-coming singer highly anticipates exploding with the powerful, untamed, and mature sound only known as “Zahna” that’s cooking behind the scenes.

Prepare yourselves. This is Zahna.

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I sit down with Kelly Richey from the Kelly Richey Band and The Spear Shakers.

Notes:

Kelly Richey is one of the hardest-working independent musicians in the music business today. When it comes to touring, this Cincinnati-based blues rocker can truly claim the title “Queen of the Road Warriors.” The veteran guitar-slinger has covered the USA, Canada, Europe and Australia in her 30-year career. Fronting her blues/rock power trio, Kelly has played over 4,000 shows, logged a mind-boggling 1 million road miles (and counting) and released 16 albums on her private label, Sweet Lucy Records, earning her reputation as a master guitarist and singer/songwriter. This ain’t no polite, watered-down sound. It’s hardcore blues-rock on steroids, a blistering, in-your-face tour de force.

Born in Lexington, Kentucky but living in Cincinnati since 2000, Kelly Richey started playing guitar at the age of 15. The late Lonnie Mack was so impressed with her hyper-muscular playing and singing that he described her as “Stevie Ray Vaughan trapped in a woman’s body.” Listed among the “top 100 gifted guitarists” by the influential Truefire Community, Kelly frequently draws comparisons to guitar icons from Stevie Ray to Jimi Hendrix. Throughout her career, Richey has shared the stage with legends like Lonnie Mack and Albert King and has opened for Boston, Heart, Joe Cocker, Lita Ford, Johnny Winter, Edgar Winter, Walter Trout, Little Feat, Foghat, REO Speedwagon, George Thorogood, Average White Band, Robben Ford, Warren Zevon, and James Brown. She also performs as a solo artist, delivering electric blues that incorporates guitar looping and beat creation – or, for a more intimate evening of music and storytelling, stripped-down and earthy blues on her acoustic guitar.

In addition to her reputation as a touring musician and recording artist, Kelly Richey has over 30 years of teaching experience. She is a dedicated guitar instructor who is passionate about inspiring students to learn. Early on, while practicing 12 to 16 hours per day, Kelly began teaching in her hometown, giving one-on-one guitar lessons to students of all ages. As she began to tour, Richey took her teaching with her on the road, giving instruction workshops at schools, universities, and local communities and developing her own guitar instruction manual. With advances in modern technology, she has continued to expand, giving one-on-one lessons via Skype and launching her own online guitar classroom with over 150 instructional videos built on the rock-solid method she has perfected over three decades.

In 2014, Kelly Richey joined the TrueFire family, one of the oldest and most respected online guitar instruction platforms. Based on her teaching experience and an encyclopedic knowledge of blues guitar techniques and styles, TrueFire.com produced two videos instruction series, “Blues Grit” and “Focus On: Blues Rock Power Trio.” Kelly also hosts her own virtual classroom on their site, which allows students to learn at their own pace and on their own schedule.  The TrueFire platform offers a customized lesson, private video messaging, a social learning environment, and access to the entire TrueFire library with over 25,000 guitar instruction videos..

A warm, outgoing and dynamic guitar instructor with a unique and carefully crafted teaching style all her own, Kelly Richey is committed to building a connection with all her students no matter what their skill level or background may be. Kelly delivers expert instruction tailored to meet the needs of her individual students so that they can achieve their full potential.

Kelly Richey first became an “Artist on Tour” for the Cincinnati Arts Association in 2003. By 2006, Kelly had noticed a steep decline in the already limited resources allotted for music and arts education in many local public schools and communities she visited. As a student who had struggled in school because of dyslexia, Richey knew first-hand about the power of music and the positive impact it had had on her ability to learn and excel. In response, she founded Music for Change, a nonprofit organization focused on keeping music education alive in underfunded schools and communities. Through Music for Change, Kelly delivers school programs, blues history presentations, guitar instruction and songwriting workshops. She also volunteers her services to reach out to U.S. armed services veterans, holding free guitar workshops and giving vets access to all her online guitar-instruction resources.  In 2017, Kelly established Writing for Change as part of her nonprofit organization committed to helping students and communities find their own unique voice.

After years of experience working one-on-one with students, presenting workshops and delivering assembly programs, Kelly decided to begin training to become a life coach in 2008. A firm believer in the importance of self-improvement, she continued to expand her education and eventually gained certifications as a Certified Dream Coach, Dream Coach Group Leader, True Purpose Coach, and True Purpose Coach Group Leader. Kelly also helped to design the curriculum for the True Purpose Group Coach certification, for the True Purpose Institute, founded by Tim Kelley.  In 2010, Kelly became trained in Voice Dialog.

During this phase of intense personal growth and development, Richey realized that if she was truly going to help others, she would first need to help herself. In 2009, Richey surprised her friends, family and the music community by taking 18 months off the road, working with her own life coach, and committing herself to a life of total sobriety. When Kelly returned to her career as a touring musician, she did so at a pace that would allow her to not only complete her own certifications, but also launch her own personalized coaching practice, Powered by Intention.  For almost a decade, Kelly has enjoyed working one-on-one with clients in person and via video Skype.

An avid writer since childhood, despite her lifelong struggles with dyslexia, Kelly Richey has developed her own methods to overcome this debilitating problem and has kept extensive handwritten journals since her teens. In 2012, Kelly released a poetry collection, Whisperings: A Collection of Poems from Blues Guitarist Kelly Richey. Richey’s poems deal with finding one’s truest self, relationship struggles, survival, the ups and downs of life, vulnerability, found and lost love, heartache, longing spirituality, passion, and hope.  The book is a special collection of 89 writings (including a companion spoken-word CD), highlighting Richey’s highly personal poems selected from thousands of journaled writings spanning three decades.

As her confidence as a poet and writer soared, Kelly Richey also began to develop her songwriting voice on a deeper level, as reflected in her 2013 CD release, “Sweet Spirit,” and her 2015 release “Shakedown Soul.” While writing the material for “Shakedown Soul,” Kelly became a certified writing facilitator and affiliate for the Cincinnati nonprofit group Women Writing for (a) Change. Inspired by that experience, Richey established Writing for Change and developed a series of creative writing programs, A Piece of Paper Always Listens, which she presents in workshops, writing circles, school programs and her private coaching sessions.

Since 2010, Kelly Richey has steadfastly maintained her commitment to a well-balanced lifestyle. Today Kelly tailors her schedule to meet her deepest passions, music arts, creative arts, and the healing arts. By writing, recording and working with the best players the Midwest has to offer, this lifelong guitar-slinger revels in delivering her signature rock-solid wall of sound, whether she’s fronting her power trio or performing as a solo artist.

By teaching guitar students, leading writing programs, providing private life coaching through Powered by Intention, and leading the nonprofits Music for Change and Writing for Change, Kelly Richey has realized her dream of helping to build community through music and the healing arts. As a public speaker, Kelly also shares a more vulnerable side of herself by telling her own story, reading from her work, and performing original blues/rock tunes on acoustic guitar. It’s one more way of building connections between herself and her audience.

Just as you’d expect from the “Queen of the Road Warriors,” Kelly Richey never stands still very long. And so the song continues – in August 2016, Kelly began a three-year training program at Wellstreams in Columbus, Ohio, to become a Spiritual Director. To find out more about Kelly’s multifaceted life and passions, please visit the following websites or email [email protected].

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New Music Video by the Spear Shakers: Something's Going On

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I chat with Dennis and Caio from Skunk Oil

Notes:

SKUNK OIL uses the edge and grip of Rock 'N’ Roll to make music that is emotionally invigorating and thought-provoking. Drawing influences from such renowned artists as Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Nirvana, and Queens of the Stone Age, Skunk Oil’s sound features an eclectic blend of exotic sound design and raw energy music sure to please both stubborn purists and contemporary listeners alike by bombarding their eardrums with undeniable Rock 'N’ Roll ecstasy.

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Founding members guitarist Dennis D’Angelo, drummer Caio Moskalkoff, and keyboardist Lucas Tadini, who had been playing and composing music together for the previous two years, broke new ground and found balance with the addition of Bruno Silva and Jaska Isola on bass and lead vocals respectively to complete the band’s lineup in 2017.

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