Jay Leonard J turned 40 and decided to do everything all at once. Theater? Check. NAMM emcee? Check. Launching a new Yamaha Pacifica? Sure, why not. Recording a full-length album in the middle of a life tornado? Of course.

In this episode, Blake catches up with his longtime pal and one of the internet’s finest tone freaks to talk about the wildest year of Jay’s life. It involves getting choked onstage in Cambodian Rock Band, haunted guitars that randomly drop into drop D, wig malfunctions, high-pressure NAMM gigs, surprise birthday parties, and an album born in the middle of absolute chaos.

Also covered:

Fuzz pedals and spring reverb in musical theater

Why robots can’t replace sweaty humans with bad wireless units

Sneaky old-school NAMM tactics and “my buddy Scott” espionage

Vitamin D megadosing: the unsanctioned NAMM survival strategy

Jay’s new album Aw Man and why his kids named it (literally)

This one’s equal parts gear talk, therapy session, and backstage musical mayhem. Buckle up.

Check out the first single off of Jay's new record Aww Man HERE https://open.spotify.com/album/6piMmwA3qauXbHo70CwhOn?si=hIg10vwtQy60_4lkzy2WsA and make sure to grab the whole thing when it drops on June 20th!

Support The Show And Connect!

The Text Chat is back! Hit me up at (503) 751-8577

You can also help out with your gear buying habits by purchasing stuff from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tonemob.com/reverb⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tonemob.com/sweetwater⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or grabbing your guitar/bass strings from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tonemob.com/stringjoy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Release your music via DistroKid and save 30% by going to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tonemob.com/distrokid

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From anonymous attic guitars to Travis Tritt’s guest room, Dillon Weldon’s story is a country song in the making.

Blake sits down with the host of The Drifting Cowboy Podcast to talk about how a kid with no industry connections, a busted Taylor, and a Johnny Paycheck cassette somehow wound up at the heart of Nashville's old-school revival. They cover everything: going viral on TikTok (by accident), how a single prayer led to a million views, and what it’s like when country legends like Gary Gentry, Bobby Braddock, and even Travis Tritt start calling you.

This one’s about persistence, storytelling, songwriting, and chasing something real—whether you’re holding a Telecaster or telling stories on TikTok. Also: Nashville hot chicken, and why aging punk rockers inevitably fall in love with country music.

Whether you’re a guitar nerd, country fan, or just someone trying to make something happen… this one’s for you.

Support The Show And Connect!

The Text Chat is back! Hit me up at (503) 751-8577

You can also help out with your gear buying habits by purchasing stuff from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tonemob.com/reverb⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tonemob.com/sweetwater⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or grabbing your guitar/bass strings from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tonemob.com/stringjoy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Release your music via DistroKid and save 30% by going to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tonemob.com/distrokid

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In this episode, Blake sits down with legendary singer-songwriter Mary Gauthier for a deep, honest, and surprisingly gear-heavy chat. Mary didn’t pick up songwriting seriously until her mid-thirties—after years as a Boston-based chef, restaurant owner, and, as she puts it, a total mess. But once she got sober and started hitting open mics, everything changed.

They talk about her early love for Taylor guitars, her eventual obsession with the low-end growl of vintage Gibsons, and how she’s more about tone that serves the song than flashy technique. Mary shares the story behind her breakout song “I Drink,” explains why emotion always trumps complexity, and offers a masterclass in the art of getting doors to open in Nashville—even if you have to sneak in through a window.

You’ll also hear:

The connection between fear and fog (and how to burn both off)

What it's like to share a stage with John Prine, Emmylou Harris, and Lucinda Williams

Why you should never underestimate the power of a good crust (yes, pizza crust)

A crash course in humility, persistence, and the power of being kind

This one’s a gem. If you're a songwriter, storyteller, or just trying to figure out your path—hit play.

Support The Show And Connect!

The Text Chat is back! Hit me up at (503) 751-8577

You can also help out with your gear buying habits by purchasing stuff from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tonemob.com/reverb⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tonemob.com/sweetwater⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or grabbing your guitar/bass strings from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tonemob.com/stringjoy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Release your music via DistroKid and save 30% by going to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tonemob.com/distrokid

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on The Tone Mob, Blake hangs with bassist Zephyr Avalon—a man whose musical journey started with jazz camp and ended up on stadium stages... with a few detours through punk bands, upright bass trauma, and a destroyed childhood guitar along the way.

They cover Zephyr’s early years surrounded by classical music, gigging through college, touring with Haley Reinhart, and stumbling into the rocket ship that is Zach Bryan’s rise. There's gear talk (OC-2 forever), rig rundowns, custom basses, and why upright bass and stage monitors are natural enemies.

Also: pizza philosophies, Instagram hustle, and why the music industry is a lot like bad sushi—if you’re drowning it in sauce, something’s probably wrong.

🎧 Plug in and prepare to nod, laugh, and maybe question your pedalboard choices. Lets go!

Support The Show And Connect!

The Text Chat is back! Hit me up at (503) 751-8577

You can also help out with your gear buying habits by purchasing stuff from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tonemob.com/reverb⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tonemob.com/sweetwater⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or grabbing your guitar/bass strings from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tonemob.com/stringjoy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Release your music via DistroKid and save 30% by going to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tonemob.com/distrokid

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Blake is joined once again by Nick Diener—founder of Oneder Effects and guitarist/vocalist for The Swellers—for a wide-ranging chat that hits everything from vintage SGs and Freebird lore to dad life, Discord burnout, and the existential dread of messy workspaces.

Nick shares stories of playing Gary Rossington’s actual guitars, visiting Ocean Way Studios in Nashville, building pedals in cluttered chaos, and trying to stay creative in a post-pandemic industry hit hard by tariffs and uncertainty. They also dive into martial arts, musician mental health, content fatigue, the pros and cons of podcast video, and why dog-related GoFundMes might just bankrupt us all.

Whether you're here for the gear, the laughs, or some philosophical dad-core, this episode’s got a little something for everybody—especially disorganized pedal nerds with too many unfinished projects.

Check out Nick's work HERE https://www.onedereffects.com/

Support The Show And Connect!

The Text Chat is back! Hit me up at (503) 751-8577

You can also help out with your gear buying habits by purchasing stuff from ⁠⁠⁠⁠Tonemob.com/reverb⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Tonemob.com/sweetwater⁠⁠⁠⁠ or grabbing your guitar/bass strings from ⁠⁠⁠⁠Tonemob.com/stringjoy⁠⁠⁠⁠

Release your music via DistroKid and save 30% by going to ⁠⁠⁠⁠Tonemob.com/distrokid

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of The Tone Mob Podcast, Blake Wyland is joined by Amico Demuzio—pedal steel guitarist and multi-instrumentalist for Charles Wesley Godwin’s band. They dive into Amico’s unexpected journey from welding school dropout to full-time touring musician, fueled by a love for lap steel, vintage Peavey amps, and weird-sounding pedals.

If you’re a gearhead, there’s plenty to sink your teeth into: Boss Slicers, Jerry Garcia tones, Kernum pedals, amp plugins that sound freakishly real, and why the pedal steel might be the most emotionally charged instrument in modern music. They also explore the joys of analog gear, silent stages, DIY tone shaping, and whether or not Peavey amps deserve their crusty-but-beautiful comeback.

Plus: cold pizza, mushroom foraging (the sober kind), and a few tips for getting started on pedal steel without throwing your back out—or your wallet.

Whether you're into country, indie, Americana, or just love a good underdog story, this episode delivers music talk, gear insights, and laughs in equal measure.

Give Amico a follow HERE https://www.instagram.com/amicodemuzio

Support The Show And Connect!

The Text Chat is back! Hit me up at (503) 751-8577

You can also help out with your gear buying habits by purchasing stuff from ⁠⁠⁠Tonemob.com/reverb⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Tonemob.com/sweetwater⁠⁠⁠ or grabbing your guitar/bass strings from ⁠⁠⁠Tonemob.com/stringjoy⁠⁠⁠

Release your music via DistroKid and save 30% by going to ⁠⁠⁠Tonemob.com/distrokid

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of the Tone Mob Podcast, Blake is joined by Jesse and William of Top House for a conversation that starts with a ghost in the machine and ends somewhere between band mythologies and pizza philosophies. They unpack the chaotic beauty of songwriting, the grimy reality of touring (spoiler: pee when you can), and why having a fake country band called “Cornfield Boys” might just be the secret to creative freedom.

The trio riffs on everything from the dark arts of social media algorithms to the metaphysics of string tension, with stops at Nashville pizza joints and an unsolicited tribute to the Boss tuner pedal. It’s part gear talk, part life advice, part fever dream—with enough practical nuggets and absurd detours to keep both your left and right brain happy.

Whether you’re a musician, a fan, or just someone who appreciates that fine line between genius and nonsense, this episode delivers.

Check out the band on their website HERE https://tophousetheband.com/

Support The Show And Connect!

The Text Chat is back! Hit me up at (503) 751-8577

You can also help out with your gear buying habits by purchasing stuff from ⁠⁠Tonemob.com/reverb⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Tonemob.com/sweetwater⁠⁠ or grabbing your guitar/bass strings from ⁠⁠Tonemob.com/stringjoy⁠⁠

Release your music via DistroKid and save 30% by going to ⁠⁠Tonemob.com/distrokid

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on The Tone Mob Podcast, Blake Wyland sits down with Steve Cobucci — guitarist, gear junkie, and founding member of Wolves at the Gate — to talk about the beautiful mess that is making music for a living.

Steve kicks things off with the story of his first guitar: a classical hand-me-down from his mom, followed by a hard-earned Gibson Les Paul — because if you're gonna make noise, you might as well do it right. From his beloved B-52 tube amp to his first Tube Screamer, Steve proves that chasing tone starts early and never really stops.

Blake and Steve rip into the realities of starting a band in college, the rollercoaster of recording in a real studio, and why having a good drummer is like finding a unicorn. They don’t shy away from the sticky stuff either — managing egos, screwing up communication, and how growing up (just a little) changes everything you thought you knew about music and life.

They swap war stories about live shows, argue the merits of production quality, and marvel at how revisiting old albums can hit you harder the second time around. Plus, Steve drops some hard-earned wisdom about why you should find your own sound, keep it loose, and remember: if you’re not having fun, you’re probably doing it wrong.

Whether you’re a guitarist, a music nerd, or just someone trying to make a little magic without losing your mind, this episode’s got something for you.

Check out the band on their website HERE https://www.wolvesatthegate.com/

Support The Show And Connect!

The Text Chat is back! Hit me up at (503) 751-8577

You can also help out with your gear buying habits by purchasing stuff from ⁠Tonemob.com/reverb⁠ ⁠Tonemob.com/sweetwater⁠ or grabbing your guitar/bass strings from ⁠Tonemob.com/stringjoy⁠

Release your music via DistroKid and save 30% by going to ⁠Tonemob.com/distrokid

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From Garage Bands to Gibson: Mike Lawson’s Wild Ride Through the Music Industry

In this episode of The Tone Mob Podcast, Blake Wyland sits down with Mike Lawson—musician, publisher, gear designer, and all-around music industry lifer. From his early days jamming in Florida to shaping the future of music education and publishing, Mike's career has spanned decades of innovation, reinvention, and pure love for the craft.

They dive deep into the golden era of guitar shops, the digital revolution that transformed music production, and Mike’s time working with giants like Quincy Jones, Gibson Guitars, Hal Leonard and a whole lot more!

Plus, hear about the creation of his signature guitars with Pearl River, his favorite pedals, and—of course—his go-to pizza toppings.

Whether you’re a gear nerd, a publishing pro, or just love a good behind-the-scenes music story, this one’s packed with insight, nostalgia, and plenty of laughs.

🎧 Tap in for stories, riffs, and real talk from a man who’s done it all—and yet still finds more to do!

Check out more info on Mike HERE https://mikelawson.com/

Support The Show And Connect!

The Text Chat is back! Hit me up at (503) 751-8577

You can also help out with your gear buying habits by purchasing stuff from Tonemob.com/reverb Tonemob.com/sweetwater or grabbing your guitar/bass strings from Tonemob.com/stringjoy

Release your music via DistroKid and save 30% by going to Tonemob.com/distrokid

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I've been working on this for months now, and it is finally here! Introducing my new podcast that I created with my friend, business partner, and Tone Mob Podcast alumni, Scott Marquart. If you like the... odd side of music, you'll enjoy these tales.

You can find Tape Spaghetti on the same platforms you get The Tone Mob Podcast as well as video episodes on YouTube.

Here is the description for this episode that I copied from the main TS feed:

This week on Tape Spaghetti, Blake & Scott unravel one of the eeriest, darkest threads in music history: the twisted tale of Charles Manson and his brush with late-‘60s rock stardom. Before he became a household name for all the wrong reasons, Manson fancied himself the next folk-rock prophet—and actually got closer to achieving his goal than you might think. In this chat the guys dig into his bizarre connections with L.A.’s music elite, from jam sessions at Dennis Wilson’s house to a reworked Manson song making its way onto a Beach Boys record. It’s a wild ride through failed recording deals, cult manipulation, and the uneasy intersection of fame and fanaticism. As the story spirals toward infamy, Blake & Scott reflect on how Manson’s musical dreams bled into his nightmarish legacy. Creepy, compelling, and full of "how the heck did that happen?" moments—this one’s a chilling twirl you won’t want to miss.

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