In this episode, Cliff Brooks and Michael Amidei interview Leah Song and Chole Smith of Rising Appalachia. 

Rising Appalachia (www.RisingAppalachia.com) 

Founded by sisters Leah Song and Chloe Smith, Rising Appalachia has established an international fan base due to relentless touring, tireless activism, and no small degree of stubborn independence. The band has built its legion of listeners independently -- a self-made success story that has led to major festival appearances and sold-out shows at venues across the country.

Leah and Chloe grew up in urban Atlanta as the city’s hip hop scene began to flourish. They absorbed those rhythms through the music they heard at school, then traveled with their family to fiddle camps all across the Southeast on the weekends.

Now years later, Rising Appalachia has toured British Columbia by sailboat, traversed the U.S. and Europe by train, and engaged in immersive cultural exchange programs in Bulgaria, Ireland, Southern Italy, Central and South America – and has traveled countless miles in a van.

In this episode, Cliff Brooks and I dive into their origins, their creative process, and how they merge authentic creativity and a strong sense of business.

Without any further ado, here is our interview with Rising Appalachia.

In this episode, Michael & Clifford are joined by Andy Whitehorne (Music Editor for The Blue Mountain Review) as they interview Grammy-nominated producer and drummer Adam Deitch

Adam Deitch (www.DeitchBeatsDontQuit.com)

While other kids were more interested in "Being Like Mike," Adam Deitch was more interested in "Being Like Quincy."

Adam began composing around the age of 11 in his Dad's basement studio. Pretty soon artists in the neighborhood came knocking.

Now, years later Adam Deitch’s career has crossed genres and he plays the role of both producer and drummer. Adam was inspired by hip-hop at an early age, inspired by Public Enemy and Eric B and Rakim. Adam has produced records for such luminaries as 50-Cent, Redman, Talib Kweli, Pharoahe Monch, Chali 2na and MF Doom. He has also done major session work on drums for artists including Justin Timberlake, Daniel Bedingfield, Anthony Hamilton, DJ Quik and Wyclef Jean and the Fugees. Adam has toured the world and recorded as a member of the Grammy Nominated John Scofield Band, Pretty Lights, the Average White Band, The Fugees, Wyclef Jean, Meshell Ndegeocello and his own Break Science and Lettuce.

In this episode, Michael Amidei and Clifford Brooks are joined by Andy Whitehorne (Music Editor for the Blue Mountain Review) in interviewing guitarist Adam "Shmeeans" Smirnoff.

Adam “Shmeeans” Smirnoff (www.LettuceFunk.com) is the guitarist/co-founder of the Grammy-nominated funk powerhouse called Lettuce, which began in 1992 when all of its members attended a music program at Berklee College Of Music as teenagers. Now, 30 years later, the band has played countless shows to a large international audience and has produced 8 studio albums, including their newest “Unify”, which drops on June 6th, 2022. 

Smirnoff has also shared the stage with a myriad of other artists, including Lady Gaga, and Robert Randolph & the Family Band. Redman, Chaka Khan, John Scofield, the Clark Sisters, Maceo Parker, Dr. John, members of The Meters and Wu-Tang Clan, and many more.

In this episode, Adam shares stories from his career and teaches us something valuable about relationships in the creative pursuit.

In this episode, Michael Amidei and Clifford Brooks interview author Louis Bayard. 

Louis Bayard (www.LouisBayard.com)

In the words of the New York Times, Louis Bayard “reinvigorates historical fiction,” rendering the past “as if he’d witnessed it firsthand.”

His acclaimed novels include The Pale Blue Eye, soon to be a Netflix motion picture starring Christian Bale, the national bestseller Courting Mr. Lincoln, Roosevelt's Beast, The School of Night, The Black Tower, and Mr. Timothy, as well as the highly praised young-adult novel, Lucky Strikes.

A New York Times Notable author, he has been nominated for both the Edgar and Dagger awards, and his story, “Banana Triangle Six,” was chosen for The Best American Mystery Stories.

His reviews and articles have appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and Salon.

An instructor at George Washington University, he is the chair of the PEN/Faulkner Awards and was the author of the popular Downton Abbey recaps for the New York Times.

In this episode, Clifford Brooks and Michael Amidei interview Todd Boss. 

Todd Boss (www.ToddBossOriginals.com) is an award-winning American producer, writer, and innovator whose vision is to make the world more poetic.

Todd has four poetry collections, all published by W. W. Norton & Co. He has an MFA in Poetry from the University of Alaska-Anchorage. Todd's poems have appeared in The New Yorker, Poetry, National Public Radio, The London Times, American Poetry Review, and many more.

His lyrics for choir and solo voice have been performed at Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, and in other venues around the world.

​Along with his company Motionpoems, Todd’s films have been presented in Cannes, London, Dublin, New York, LA, and elsewhere. He has worked with 150 filmmakers, and Pulitzer-winning and early-career poets alike, on poetry films that have been recognized by the National Book Foundation's "Innovations in Reading" Award.

​His first children's book, The Boy Who Said Wow, is forthcoming from Simon & Schuster's Beach Lane imprint.

​Todd grew up on an 80-acre cattle farm in Wisconsin and attended St. Olaf College and the University of Alaska–Anchorage. In 2018, he sold all his possessions and quit his lease. A nomad, he has since circled the globe on a series of 30 consecutive house-sits and dozens of short-term rentals.

Poetry written and performed by Todd Boss in this episode:

"A Silence Haunts Me" (opening lines)

"In Elaborate Museums" 

"Someday The Plan Of A Town"

In this episode, Clifford Brooks and Michael Amidei interview poet Nicole Tallman. 

Nicole Tallman (www.NicoleTallman.com) is a professional writer and poet. Born and raised in Michigan, she lives in Miami, serves as the Poetry Ambassador for Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, an Associate Editor for South Florida Poetry Journal, and Interviews Editor for The Blue Mountain Review. She is the author of Something Kindred (The Southern Collective Experience Press), co-editor with Maureen Seaton of We Who Rise from Saltwater, Let's Sing!, and her next book is forthcoming from Really Serious Literature.

In this episode, Clifford Brooks and Michael Amidei interview Hans Rueffert.

Chef, author, speaker, advocate and survivor, Hans Rueffert is known by many titles, but his favorite title is perhaps “teacher.” A natural-born communicator, Hans has a rare ability to inspire others to push themselves to be their very best. Diagnosed with Gastric Cancer in 2005 just two weeks after taping the finale of the Next Food Network Star, Hans traded in his “Celebrity Chef” status in exchange for “Cancer Survivor.” Never one to slow down, following his diagnosis and subsequent surgeries Hans has continued to share his talent in the kitchen with thousands. Hans is motivating and engaging; And his endless knowledge and love of food coupled with his personal struggles with post-treatment life are an ongoing source of inspiration and interest. Hans enriches the lives of those he meets and inspires the lives of those he reaches across multimedia channels.  Learn more at www.Hanscooks.com and watch his Gesundheit Kitchen cooking episodes at www.gastriccancer.org

In this episode, Clifford Brooks and Michael Amidei interview poet Skye Jackson. 

Skye Jackson (www.SkyeJackson.com) was born and raised in New Orleans. She holds an English degree from LSU and a degree in law from Mississippi College School of Law. She is currently an MFA candidate in poetry at the University of New Orleans Creative Writing Workshop where she works with Bayou Magazine. Her work has appeared in the Delta Literary Journal and Thought Catalog. Her chapbook A Faster Grave was published in May 2019 from Antenna Press.

In this episode, Cliff Brooks & Michael Amidei interview poet Stuart Dischell. 

Stuart Dischell (http://www.stuartdischellpoetry.com/) was born in Atlantic City, NJ. He is the author of Good Hope Road, a National Poetry Series Selection, Evenings & Avenues, Dig Safe, Backwards Days and the forthcoming Children With Enemies and the pamphlets Animate Earth and Touch Monkey and the chapbook Standing on Z. His poems have appeared in The Atlantic, Agni, The New Republic, Slate, Kenyon Review, Ploughshares, and anthologies including Essential Poems, Hammer and Blaze, Pushcart Prize, and Garrison Keillor’s Good Poems. A recipient of awards from the NEA, the North Carolina Arts Council, and the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation, he teaches in the MFA Program in Creative Writing at the University of North Carolina Greensboro.

In this episode, Cliff Brooks and Michael Amidei interview poet Stuart Dischell. 

Stuart Dischell (http://www.stuartdischellpoetry.com) was born in Atlantic City, NJ. He is the author of Good Hope Road, a National Poetry Series Selection, Evenings & Avenues, Dig Safe, Backwards Days and the forthcoming Children With Enemies and the pamphlets Animate Earth and Touch Monkey and the chapbook Standing on Z. His poems have appeared in The Atlantic, Agni, The New Republic, Slate, Kenyon Review, Ploughshares, and anthologies including Essential Poems, Hammer and Blaze, Pushcart Prize, and Garrison Keillor’s Good Poems. A recipient of awards from the NEA, the North Carolina Arts Council, and the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation, he teaches in the MFA Program in Creative Writing at the University of North Carolina Greensboro. (photo credit for above photograph: Sophie Kandaouroff)