Episode 583: Redd Volkaert

One of Austin's greatest musicians, Barry "Frosty" Smith passed away on Wednesday. He was 71. His vast and impressive list of credits includes Funkadelic, Lee Michaels, Sly and the Family Stone, Jimmie Vaughan, Soulhat, Papa Mali, Delbert Mclinton and many, many more. I was lucky to get see him play so many times over the years and it was always an inspiring experience. The last time I saw him was around three years ago at the Continental Club Gallery where he was playing with Mike Flanigin.  That night, I saw the master at work and then got to exchange a few words after. Rest in peace Frosty. Thank you for the groove. We'll miss you.
My guest for episode 583 is the amazingly talented guitar legend, Redd Volkaert! You might know Redd from his work with Brad Paisley, George Jones, Tim Mcgraw, Dolly Parton, his years with Merle Haggard and many, many more. He's put out several albums and instructional videos. If you live in Austin, you can see him every Saturday at 3:30 pm at The Continental Club and every Sunday at 7:00 pm with his band, Haybale at The Continental Club as well. Redd and I have a great conversation about growing up in Canada, falling in love with the guitar, his years in California, playing with Merle Haggard, what inspires him and much, much more! I hope you enjoy getting to know Redd. I sure did. Let's get down!
ciao! -jg

Episode 498: Arthur Yoria

hello friends! i hope you're all doing well. i want to invite those of you who live in austin to our live podcast recording of episode 500 at the townsend on monday, june 20th at 8 pm. my guests will be taylor muse (quiet company), suzanna choffel, kathy valentine, a.j. vallejo and nakia. go to our facebook event page for more info. come out and celebrate 500 episodes of "how did i get here?". plus, there's no cover!
see you on monday!
my guest for episode 498 is singer/songwriter, arthur yoria! arthur and i go back a few years and he's always been one of my favorite people to play shows with because i'm such a fan of him and his music. arthur has a new single and video out for the beautiful song, "ruff life" and is currently working on a new album for splice records. find out all about where he's playing and how to get his music by going to arthuryoria.com. arthur came by a few weeks ago. i hadn't seen him in a few years and we had a great conversation about taking a break from from the grind of the biz, meeting his dog rita, working on new music for a new album, dealing with medications and much, much more! i had a great time catching up with my old friend. enjoy! let's get down!
ciao! -jg

Episode 495: Charlie Faye and The Fayettes

hello people! i hope you're all doing well. it seems like it hasn't stopped raining for like a month here in austin. there's flash flooding, you can't go swimming, when it stops raining and the sun comes out, the outside world becomes a steam sauna... it's really kinda gross. i'm playing a couple of shows with skyrocket this weekend and i'm really glad they're both inside shows. speaking of which, we'll be playing at the mercer street dance hall in dripping springs on friday, june 3rd and at the continental club in houston on saturday, june 4th. if you live in those towns are interested, you can find out more about us at skyrockettheband.com
singer/songwriter, charlie faye returns to the show for episode 495! she has a new musical project, a new band and a new album with a fresh take on the 60's girl group sound and look. the self-titled, charlie faye & the fayettes comes out next friday, june 10th. the first single "sweet little messages" is already getting great reviews and has charted on the americana music charts. the core of the group is charlie and her two amazing back-up singers, akina adderly and betty soo, but just like the great girl group records of the sixties, charlie faye & the fayettes is a who's who of amazing studio musicians, including members of elvis costello and the attractions, jellyfish, lone justice and more. go to charliefayeandthefayettes.com to find out where they're playing and how to get the album. i hope you enjoy my conversation with charlie faye. i sure did. let's get down!
ciao! -jg

Episode 490: Tom DeSavia / Kady Rain

hello friends! i hope your week is starting off right. things are good here. i've been working on some paintings today. i am putting one in a show on friday, may 20th at the one-2-one bar called, "the tasteless nudes rock and art show". all proceeds benefit the health alliance for austin musicians. unfortunately, i won't be able to be there because skyrocket is playing a show in houston that night. get out if you can and pick up some art and support haam. speaking of support, kady rain stopped by the other day to talk about her new gofundme campaign they have going to get the money to put out their ep, make some new merch. and make a video. go to kadyrain.com to find out what you can do to help.
my guest for episode 490 is music industry veteran, journalist, podcatser, music fan and author, tom desavia! "under the big black sun: a personal history of l.a. punk" by john doe with tom desavia and friends came out a couple of weeks ago. it is an exceptional depiction of the l.a. punk scene of the late 70's and early 80's told by the people that built it and lived it including tom. tom and i met in he early 90's when i was in mr. rocket baby and he worked for ascap. a few years later when my band, goudie, signed to lars ulrich's vanity label under elektra records, tom was west coast v.p of a&r. we have a great conversation about what it took to get this amazing book together, how tom got in the business, his affiliation with the band X and much, much more. tom is one of my favorite people i've met on my journey through this crazy business. he's a true fan. i hope you enjoy our conversation. i sure did. let's get down!
ciao! -jg

Episode 450: Paco Estrada

hello friends! i hope this episode finds you well. it's the last week of he year. are you okay with this year? did you have a good one? i think i had a good one. things are going well. i'm healthy and happy and in love. did you have a good christmas? i had a good one. no matter how weird it got, i was still surrounded by my loving family and i wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else. my guest for episode 450 is talented and beloved singer/songwriter/bandleader, paco estrada! paco and i have been trying to get together for a podcast since i started the show. well, we finally did it! i went out to orb recording studios a few weeks ago, tucked away in one of their gorgeous cutting rooms and had this great conversation. we talk about growing up a preacher's son, learning songs for dual cassette recordings, making e-books along with records, his newest album, bedtime stories, the uncertainty of labels and managers, the two corys and much, much more! i hope you enjoy getting to know paco as much as i did. let's get down! ciao! -jg

Episode 444: Jason Robert Blum Returns! / Gigtown

hello friends! i hope you're all doing well. it really feels like a strange time and i hit a breaking point on tuesday... i freaked out on internet people who ended up blocking me on facebook. i hit a breaking point. i'm not proud, but i bet you're feeling that if you watch the news and read your facebook feeds. anyway, i'm better now. i have a lot of christmas shopping to do. i have music and art to make, podcasts to do and put out, skyrocket shows to play, a wonderful girlfriend that i love, an amazing family, two dogs that i love. i guess i can just focus on that and trying to make that all work. that's what i decided. my guest for episode 444 is singer/songwriter, jason robert blum! jason just released a gorgeous new album, invisible words. he made the record at plyrz studio in los angeles. it was produced by the great jim scott and features the talents of jj johnson, dave palmer, blake mills and dave monsey. find it on itunes or at jasonrobertblum.com jason and i have a great conversation about making the record, his many travels, our tv show idea "fishing for gonorrhea" and much, much more. i'm sure you're going to love getting to know jason. he's a good hang. before that, i sit down for a few minutes with brian and andy from the new musician/audience/venue uniting app, gigtown. the gigtown guys were in austn launching their new app which has already taken off in san diego and now they're branching out to austin and seattle. they're really good guys with a great idea to help musicians connect with their audience. check our conversation. it's informative. also go to gigtown.com to find out more. have a great weekend! let's get down!ciao! -jg

Episode 442: Narc Twain / Sam Means

hello friends! i hope you've all had a great week and are heading into the weekend with purpose. i'm good. still stopped up from having a cold but i feel a lot better. i had a great time moderating the austin music foundations's "expanding your horizons" booking panel on wednesday. i recorded it for a podcast, but there was so much interaction with the audience, who didn't have microphones, that  we can't put it out. next time. anyway, it was informative and i suggest that if you're a musician here in austin, you check out the austin music foundation. they can help you find your way.episode 422 is a double-header skype show! first up, i have a great chat with tommy siegel from brooklyn based band, narc twain. their new e.p. is out today. check them out on soundcloud. we have a great conversation about the band and how they came together, his other bands, drunken sufis and jukebox the ghost, what the brooklyn scene is like and much, much more. next up i talk to phoenix, arizona'a own sam means! sam's newest album, "10 songs" produced by steven macdonald from redd kross, doesn't come out until january 22nd, but you can check out some tunes from the album and find all things sam at sammeansmusic.com. sam and i have a great conversation about his old band, the format with nate ruess from the band, fun.,  scoring movies, his company hellomerch,com, how he's not fronted a band live but is willing to try and much, much more! i had a great time talking to these guys. i'm sure you will too. let's get down!ciao! -jg

Episode 435: The Lonely Wild

hello friends! i hope you're all having a great week. hopefully where ever you are, you're enjoying the cool fall weather that we're enjoying here in austin. so, i had an eventful week... i deleted two podcasts i recorded on tuesday. right after i finished the second one with dan dyer (a podcast i've tried to book for over 4 years BTW), i went to turn off my machine as dan and i chatted and i didn't "save" my interviews and they were deleted. it was that easy. i did it once before in summer of 2012 after i talked to comedian, john tole. anyway, this time i deleted dan dyer's and a band that is on tour from los angeles. luckily, i was able to get the band from l.a. to come by the next morning be fore they left town and looks like dan will be back in next week... i hope. my guests for episode 435 are los angeles indie rock band, the lonely wild! we actually had this conversation twice. yes. they're the band from l.a. who's interview i deleted the day before, but they were nice enough to come by and do it again. anyway, the lonely wild is currently on tour in support of their gorgeous new album, chasing white light. they'll be on tour through november 23rd in the midwest and east coast with indie rockers, young buffalo. go to thelonelywild.com to find out if they're coming to a town near you and find out where to get chasing white light. i want to thank the band for coming by twice and being so cool about everything including me deleting their first podcast. i hope you enjoy getting to know the lonely wild as much as i did. let's get down!ciao! -jg

Episode 431: LOLO

hello friends! i hope you all had an enjoyable halloween weekend. if you live in austin, i hope that you made it through the floods on friday. i had a pretty harrowing 6 1/2 hour trip to houston on friday getting around closed highways etc. i hope all that were affected by the floods are okay. hey gang! tomorrow, tuesday 11/3 at the townsend here in austin, i'll be playing with my rock band, ladyband johnson along with the bluebonnets, eve & the exiles and more. we'll be celebrating dominique davalos' birthday. she plays bass in ladyband johnson and in the bluebonnets and i love her. the shindig starts at 7:30. come out and party on a tuesday!my guest for episode 431 is singer/songwriter/actor and force to be reckoned with, LOLO. you might know her as lauren pritchard star of the hit broadway show, "spring awakening".  she's written the songs for an off broadway play called "songbird". she's just released an e.p., comeback queen on DCD2 records and is currently on "the wilderness politics tour" with andrew mcmahon in the wilderness, new politics and the griswolds. i caught up with LOLO when the tour stopped in austin at emo's last night and we had a great conversation in the backstage courtyard. her e.p. comeback queen is absolutely amazing. and i suggest you go to her website, weaponforsaturday.com and see when she's coming to a town near you. i hope you enjoy getting to know LOLO as much as i did. let's get down!ciao! -jg 

Episode 417: Chip Pope

hello friends! i hope you're all out there doing it until you need glasses. things are good here. i wrote a really good song with my pal, gabe rhodes today and i'm writing a song with my old music partner, einar tomorrow. i'm getting into a writing rhythm which i hope will get me out of my "writing funk". i feel like i've been doing false starts musically for the last couple of years. now, i'm just gonna write a bunch of songs and figure it out as i go. wish me luck. my guest for episode 417 is hilarious, writer/comic, chip pope! chip lives in los angeles but was in town a month ago doing some stand-up and visiting family. i saw him do stand up a couple of years ago at a festival and laughed my ass off. we have a few mutual friends and for some reason i feel like i met him when he lived here. anyway, chip came by while he was in town and we talked about writing for ellen, roseanne, the beavis and butthead reprise a couple of years ago, natasha leggero's latest comedy central special, a new comedy/history show for nat geo coming soon, his whacky family, new romantic 80's bands and singers and much, much more. i had a great tome getting to know chip. i'm sure you will too. let's get down!ciao! -jg