YK World

Whenever YK Records puts out a new release, we write up a little bio about the artist and the release. This process is talking about in more detail on The Guide to Releasing Records but, in short, it’s a handful of questions that are written up asynchronously. I pose some questions, the artist supplies some answers. It’s not a proper conversation but it is a conduit to understanding the inspirations and processes for any given release.

On Friday, July 18th, YK released a new EP entitled The Coin from Talking with Hands. These four songs are politically inspired and the most urgent and charged tracks to date. Matthew Smith, aka Talking with Hands himself, answered many questions about the release in our pre-release interview – all incredibly insightful to the release. Many of the quotes made it into the bio but not all. That’s a shame.

So, this episode we recreate that interview – asynchronously. It’s an experiment and I think it works pretty well.

You’ll benefit from hearing the EP ahead of time but you’ll also be inspired to hear it afterwards. So, no wrong choices. Enjoy!

—
Talking with Hands – The Coin
https://ykrecords.com/releases/the-coin

Talking with Hands on Instagram
https://instagram.com/talking_with_hands

Matt & The Watt Gives – Til You video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wnz5-NdZsNY

Matt & The Watt Gives – New Revolutions interview
https://news.ykrecords.com/2025/07/matt-the-watt-gives-on-new-revolutions/

Chris Crofton – “Side Effects” video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5F0I8d2OOU

Chris Crofton – I’m Your Man
https://ykrecords.com/releases/im-your-man

Dave Paulson – Sandusky, Ohio vinyl
https://shop.ykrecords.com/products/dave-paulson-sandusky-ohio-12-vinyl

Dave Paulson – Sandusky, Ohio album
https://ykrecords.com/releases/sandusky-ohio

Tommy Boy Fest
https://www.tommyboyfest.com/

The Prudish Few – The Eagle Has Left the Building LP
https://shop.ykrecords.com/products/the-prudish-few-the-eagle-has-left-the-building

ElasticStage Vinyl Pressing On Demand
https://elasticstage.com/

Cody Uhler – Gluggle Jug
https://ykrecords.com/releases/gluggle-jug

Theme song and episode music by Mac Burrus.

Find us at ykworld.show
Email me at michael [at] ykworld [dot] show.
Instagram: @records_yk
Bluesky: ykrecords.bsky.social
Threads: @records_yk

This episode we talk with Chris Grigg, founder of Ampwall. What is Ampwall? It’s a direct to consumer music platform that enables artists to post their creations and sell them directly to their fans. If that sounds a lot like Bandcamp, you’re not wrong! The idea for Ampwall was born out of the tumultuous time when Bancamp was sold to Epic Games. 

We talk with Grigg about the history of the company, the differences between Ampwall and Bandcamp and what he foresees in the future. Spoiler alert: Ampwall intends to be much more than just a place to sell music, it aims to become a better place for creatives of all kinds to find community.

Two very important items to remember as you listen to this episode:

Immense thanks to Chris Grigg for talking. I hope it is not the last time.

Photo: Grzesiek Czapla/Woe by Caroline Harrison

Additional Links:
Ampwall!
https://www.ampwall.com/

YK on Ampwall
https://ykrecords.ampwall.com/

Woe on Ampwall
https://woeunholy.ampwall.com/

Glorious Depravity on Ampwall
https://gloriousdepravity.ampwall.com/

Ampwall on Bluesky
https://bsky.app/profile/ampwall.com

Ampwall on Instagram
https://instagram.com/ampwall

Dave Paulson plays Tommy Boy Fest
http://www.tommyboyfest.com

Tristen + Cortney Tidwell at Soft Junk, Nashville, TN – Aug 2nd
https://dice.fm/event/l86gel-tristen-phiz-cortney-tidwell-2nd-aug-soft-junk-nashville-tickets

Chris Crofton new music!
http://chriscrofton.bandcamp.com/

Talking with Hands new music!
https://ampwall.com/a/talkingwithhands/album/the-coin

Garth Brooks Ghost Tunes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GhostTunes

Theme song and episode music by Mac Burrus.

Find us at ykworld.show
Email me at michael [at] ykworld [dot] show.
Instagram: @records_yk
Bluesky: ykrecords.bsky.social
Threads: @records_yk

Back again for another dose of Quick Bites (Quibi’s, naturally). We cover some upcoming shows, some recent releases and a handful of unrelated treats that may just make your day a bit better.

There’s a longer form episode in the pipeline with Ampwall founder Chris Griggs that I am positive you all will enjoy. It’s just taking a minute for me to edit. If you aren’t familiar with Ampwall, steer yourself over there and check it out at your earliest convenience.

Thanks for listening and let me know if you enjoy this radio-esque format. As you may or may not know, I do not have tracking on this show so I have zero idea how many people are listening. I like it that way! But it also means I want you to reach out with your thoughts.
Email: michael [at] ykworld [dot] show

Music in this Episode
Matt & The Watt Gives – “Strange Devotion”
The Robe – “Hawks”
Tower Defense – “Consequences”
Chris Crofton – “Vitamin D”
Dave Paulson – “Don’t Let It Get You Down”

ADDITIONAL LINKS

Matt & The Watt Gives
https://mattandthewattgives.com/

Matt & The Watt Gives Release Show Tickets
https://shop.ykrecords.com/products/matt-the-watt-gives-release-show-ticket

The Robe
https://therobemusic.bandcamp.com/album/mmxxiv

Tower Defense, In the City
https://towerdefense.bandcamp.com/album/in-the-city

Tower Defense Live at The 5 Spot
https://tunehatch.com/shows/192170529

Chris Crofton “Vitamin D” Official Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tg4Mwsaq2c

John Paul Bullock
May 2025: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/637Mimx2ekynqBoPQpfyPP?si=8da15aa7a06f4ba3
June 2025: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6DuATdlcQh5ggQDhiDGGXE?si=454c205c3c624b82

Whistle In, June 2025 episode
https://news.ykrecords.com/2025/06/whistle-in-june-2025/

Center Stage: An Abandoned Albums Podcast
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/center-stage-an-abandoned-albums-podcast/id1600596605

Dave Paulson, Sandusky, Ohio
https://davepaulson.bandcamp.com/album/sandusky-ohio

Theme song and episode music by Mac Burrus.

Find us at ykworld.show
Email me at michael [at] ykworld [dot] show.
Instagram: @records_yk
Bluesky: ykrecords.bsky.social
Threads: @records_yk

In July of 2024, I received an inquiry if I’d be interested in releasing some music created by Cortney Tidwell and Tristen called phiz. I was shocked! Both Cortney Tidwell and Tristen are artists that I have highly enjoyed for years and I had no idea that they had created music of any kind together, much less recorded anything.

I immediately jumped at the opportunity. We did a photo shoot with Miles Price, we put together some artwork and we put the two songs on a 7” Flexi. It’s a novel format for a novel partnership. Now we can all enjoy “i lost my fkn mind” and “If I Had Known” – two notably simple but incredibly compelling songs.

But after all that, I still was not done with phiz. I still had so many questions! 

Tristen and Cortney were kind enough to sit down with me and talk about the record, the songwriting process, their history with the city, with each other and so many other topics.

Cortney opens up about her prior substance abuse problems and how she was able to overcome it all with the assistance of the programs at Thistle Farms; a fantastic non-profit here in Nashville. I was astonished at the comfort of her honesty and am absolutely overjoyed that she is in recovery, healthier than ever and making music. 

I am extremely grateful for the time and insight these two provided – not to mention the opportunity to work with them on a release. As noted at the end of the interview, they will be playing songs together (and separately) on July 12th, 2025. If you can, you should attend.

July 12th – Cortney + Phiz + Tristen
at Soft Junk
GET TICKETS

ADDITIONAL LINKS

Find more from Tristen
https://www.tristen.com/
http://tristen.bandcamp.com/
https://instagram.com/tristentristen

Find more from Cortney Tidwell
https://cortneytidwell.com/
https://cortneylara.bandcamp.com/
instagram.com/cortneytidwell_

Pearl Jam – March 26, 1994 – Murfreesboro, TN (Full Concert)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTD61Z671Lo

Nate Bargatze Theme Park
https://www.reddit.com/r/nashville/comments/1i4kiaf/nate_bargatze_isnt_joking_about_building_nateland/

Breaking Bread with Tom Papa Podcast
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/breaking-bread-with-tom-papa/id606662761

BLOCKS with Neal Brennan Podcast
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blocks-w-neal-brennan/id1658660161

Senses Working Overtime with David Cross
https://officialdavidcross.com/pages/senses-working-overtime-with-david-cross

“I Feel For You”, Chaka Chan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YW0sxgYAmLM

Connie Eaton (Cortney’s Mother)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Connie_Eaton

Chart Records (Cortney’s Father and Grandfather’s Label)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chart_Records

KORT (Cortney + Kurt Wagner)
https://kort.bandcamp.com/album/invariable-heartache

Sonder: mental practice of understanding how much we vary
https://www.thedictionaryofobscuresorrows.com/concept/sonder

Thistle Farms
https://thistlefarms.org/pages/residential-program

Clandestine album preview
https://cortneylara.bandcamp.com/album/clanedstine

Mount Olivet Cemetery
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Olivet_Cemetery_(Nashville)

Theme song and episode music by Mac Burrus.

Find us at ykworld.show
Email me at michael [at] ykworld [dot] show.
Instagram: @records_yk
Bluesky: ykrecords.bsky.social
Threads: @records_yk

Shortly after finishing the last episode of “Items of Interest” it dawned on me that these episodes that are a smattering of topics should really be called Quick Bites – aka a Quibi.

So, here’s a Quibi episode for ya! It’s largely comprised of new YK releases but I throw in a few treats at the end as well.

Enjoy and, as always, get in touch with any feedback because I truly have no idea how many people are listening.
Email: michael [at] ykworld [dot] show

ADDITIONAL LINKS

FETCHING PAILS tickets for May 23
With HR Lexy and Caroline Cronin
https://www.thebasementnashville.com/tm-event/a-night-of-dreampop-with-fetching-pails-hr-lexy-and-caroline-cronin/

FETCHING PAILS “Ruiner” Streaming everywhere
https://ykrecords.com/releases/ruiner

PHIZ streaming everywhere
https://ykrecords.com/releases/i-lost-my-fkn-mind-if-i-had-known

PHIZ 7″ Flexi
https://shop.ykrecords.com/products/phiz-flexi

MATT & THE WATT GIVES “’Til You” Streaming Everywhere
https://ykrecords.com/releases/til-you

Harry Kagan
https://www.harrykagan.com/
https://www.instagram.com/harrykagan

Malcolm Moutenot
https://malcolmmoutenot.bandcamp.com/

Theme song and episode music by Mac Burrus.

Find us at ykworld.show
Email me at michael [at] ykworld [dot] show.
Instagram: @records_yk
Bluesky: ykrecords.bsky.social
Threads: @records_yk

Maybe this isn’t news to anyone but I’ve found that when an interview is over and you turn the microphone OFF – a lot of really fantastic conversation STARTS to flow. Once that proverbial red light has turned off, the pressure to represent yourself formally falls away.

That said, for this episode, we try a little experiment. After the last interview episode with Talking with Hands ended – we let the recording continue. The conversation was still about art and process and technology… But it’s also quite a bit more meandering and casual.

I’m calling this a The B-Side to our interview. Like a lot of b-sides, it’s just as enjoyable as the A-side but MAYBE not as polished.  We get into song influences, inspiration, personal histories and many wildly offbeat topics! Here’s a few:

I’m biased but while the topics are meandering, they never feels like nonsense. It’s a good time!

If you’ve still not heard Organic Machine, do it now! It’s on Bandcamp, Ampwall and streaming. There’s even a handful of vinyl copies still available.

Show Note Links:
Talking with Hands on instagram: @talking_with_hands
Official Site: talkingwithhands.com

Theme song and episode music by Mac Burrus.

Find us at ykworld.show
Email me at michael [at] ykworld [dot] show.
Instagram: @records_yk
Bluesky: ykrecords.bsky.social
Threads: @records_yk

Back in December of 2024 I sat down with Matthew Smith – aka Talking with Hands – to discuss his musical history and his latest album, Organic Machine. As it is April of 2025 now, this interview has been sitting for a minute! However, with the release of the “Unprofessional Artist” video, it felt more than apt to get this out into the world.

Matt shares how he was influenced by a Clorox jingle, the music of Yes and classical compositions. We talk about songwriting through dreams, how modular synthesis changed his approach and how “finding a new sound” is more than just a cringe phrase!

We had a blast and I’m thankful for his time. He’s articulate and insightful every step of the way.

If you’ve not heard Organic Machine yet, let this be your jumping off point! No time like the present. It’s on Bandcamp, Ampwall and streaming. There’s even a handful of vinyl copies still available.

Show Note Links:
The Fairlanes
Clorox 2 Jingle
Creative Recording in Berry Hill AKA Blackbird Studio
The Smartest Monkeys (streaming)
Banana Record Co
The World & Ourselves (first record recorded with Jeremy Ferguson)
The Joystick (made by Zach Gresham of Umbrella Tree / The Mute Group)
New Public Domain (second record)
Asher Rogers – Captain Baby, MJC Alpha

Theme song and episode music by Mac Burrus. Photo by TJ Masters.

Find us at ykworld.show
Email me at michael [at] ykworld [dot] show.
Instagram: @records_yk
Bluesky: ykrecords.bsky.social
Threads: @records_yk

First and foremost, thanks to everyone that listened to the debut episode and double thanks to anyone that reached out and told me they listened – it means a lot!

In this episode, I share how I prepare a record for release from the perspective of yk Records; a rather small indie. My budgets are small and I tend to approach things very DIY. Having done this for 15 years, I hope my experiences of trial and error can help to make your ride less bumpy. Knowledge is power and sharing is caring. I hope this information benefits you. If you’re not a musician or label, I think you may still find this episode interesting.. that’s my hope!

To be clear, I am not claiming to be an expert in these matters nor some kind of guru. This is what I’ve learned and I hope it can be helpful. I mention it several times in the episode but here is the blank template version of my Record Release Planner. Please feel free to make a copy for yourself.

Next episode won’t be a wall of me talking, promise!

Show Note Links:
The Robe – MMXXIV & MRYUCK
General Trust – Apologia
Other Record Labels Podcast
YK Records Release Planner Template
WNXP Music Citizens – The Operator
Second floor Recording Co
Risology Club
The Prudish Few- The Eagle Has Left the Building
The Nut Graf
Longform Editions Artwork
Soccer Mommy – “Driver” Lyric Video
Tower Defense “Glyphs”
Eve Maret “Miracle”
Disco
Devalued: Radio Power with Jason Moon Wilkins and Emily Young
SubmitHub

Theme song and episode music by Mac Burrus.

Find us at ykworld.show
Email me at michael [at] ykworld [dot] show.
Instagram: @records_yk
Bluesky: ykrecords.bsky.social
Threads: @records_yk

In an uncharacteristically self-indulgent move, this debut full-length episode is all about yk Records founder, Michael Eades. Does he feel comfortable talking about himself in the slightest, much less an entire episode? Absolutely not. Does he like writing episode summaries in the third person? Definitely not. But origin stories can be interesting and can certainly provide context for the future. In just under an hour, here’s how we got here.

Show Note Links:
Modem Handshake Visualization (Stunner)
ANSi art by ACiD
1991 Music Releases:
The Features “Armani Suede” (1996)
Detachment Kit
That SELF Design (up top)
Billboard: Murfreesboro New Music Mecca
Count Bass D: Player Programmer
Totally Real Records
Serotonin: Universal Time Constant
Glossary: Southern by the Grace of Location
Aireline: Ocean Songs from the Year of the Horse
Forget Cassettes – early website
NashvilleZine shuts down
We Own This Town – early post
Nashville Cream – looking back on 10 years of The Cream
Uncle Skeleton – Pancho Chumley

Theme song and episode music by Mac Burrus.

Find us at ykworld.show
Email me at michael [at] ykworld [dot] show.
Instagram: @records_yk
Bluesky: ykrecords.bsky.social
Threads: @records_yk