Episode 567: Jane Ellen Bryant Returns!

Hello friends! I hope you're all having a decent Valentine's Day. I have no plans. I don't want to participate in a day that magnifies my relationship short-comings and loneliness. However, it's going to be happening al around me today, so I should just stay in. I DID just hit an all-time low a little while ago, My grandma called to wish me a happy Valentine's Day. Now, I know that's sweet, but there is a level of sadness to knowing that she woke up this morning thinking, "No one is going to wish Johnny a happy Valentine's Day today. I better do it, so that he knows someone loves him". Happy Valentine's Day!
The amazingly talented and always entertaining, Jane Ellen Bryant returns to the show today! Jane's brilliant, new single, "All In My Head" drops THIS Friday, February 17th. The song was co-produced by Jane and the great Chris "Frenchie" Smith and recorded at The Bubble. She's having a single release show this Friday February 17th at C-Boy's Heart & Soul here in Austin, TX. To get the single or Jane's latest e.p. Twenties and find out where she's playing, go to janeellenbryant.com. Jane and I sat down an hour before the innauguration and had a great conversation about co-producing "All In My Head", the innauguration, playing shows, keeping a band together and much, much more. I hope you enjoy my conversation with this amazingly talented woman. I sure did. Let's get down!
ciao! -jg

Episode 565: Sphynx #5

Hello friends! I hope you're all holding up in this crazy time of extreme insanity. On one hand, it seems like the world is falling apart and on the other, it seems like everything is fine and the news is trying to freak us out 24 hours a day. I went to lake Charles, LA with SKYROCKET! on Saturday and realized that when people put on costumes, drink heavily and let themselves give-in to the joy of music and dancing and celebrating being alive, the insanity that we face on a day-to-day basis, falls away like a bad dream. Of course, it's always there waiting for you when you wake up the next day hungover and wishing everything would just stop.
Cory, Aaron and Todd, better known as the band, Sphynx return to the show for episode 565! Their epic new e.p., Floppy Disco comes out this Friday February 10th. Their playing an e.p. release show in Austin next Thursday, February 16th at Stubb's. Find out more on when they're coming to a town near you or how to get their music by going to sphynxmuxic.com. We have a great conversation about Floppy Disco, working with drummer/producer, Ken Coomer (Wilco, Fita & The Tantrums), hanging out in Nashville, playing weddings, touring and much, much more. Sphynx is one of my favorite bands and some of my favorite people. I hope you enjoy our copnversation. I sure did. Let's get down!
ciao! -jg

Episode 557: Barbara Nesbitt

Hey gang! I hope you're all thawing out after the freezing winter weather that engufed most of the United States this weekend. I actually have my windows open today and it's really nice out. With all of the freezing weather this weekend, my gig on Friday got cancelled and i ended up staying home Friday and Saturday night. I'm glad we don't have long winters here because just after two days, I start to go nuts and get really depressed. So sad and confused that I gave in to a Red Lobster "Shrimp-fest" commercial... I talk aboutit in the intro. 
Singer/songwriter, Barbara Nesbitt is my guest for epsiode 557! Her fourth solo album, the gorgeous, Right As Rain comes out this Friday, January 13th and she's playing a release show at Strange Brew Loungeside here in Austin on Saturday, January 14th. Barbara and I have a great conversation about co-producing Right As Rain, playing in a jam band in her teens in Virginia, long singing engagments in China, The Whiskey Sisters and much, much more! To find out where and when she's playing go to barbaranesbitt.com I hope you enjoy getting to know Barbara. I sure did. Let's get down! 
 
ciao! -jg

Episode 548: Carson McHone / Bonnie Whitmore Stops By!

Hello friends! I hope this episode finds you happy and healthy. Bonnie Whitmore stopped by yesterday to talk about a benefit she's having this Sunday at C-boys Heart & Soul. The benefit is to raise money to release Chris Porter's album he had just finished making when he died in a car accident this past October in North Carolina. They have a great line-up including Will Johnson (Centromatic, Monsters of Folk), Alejandro Escovedo, The Mastersons and more. Plus, a tribute to Chris and his music performed by his friends including Bonnie and many others. Tickets are $30 and can be purchased in advance at cboys.com.
My guest for episode 548 is talented singer/songwriter, Carson McHone! Carson is a Black Fret nominee this year and will be performingat the Black Fret Ball tomorrow, Saturday, December 10th at The Paramount Theater. You can go to Blackfret.org for more information. Carson and I had a great conversation about growing up in Austin, getting her first gigs at The Hole in the Wall when she was still a young teen, working with Ray Wylie Hubbard, Shinyribs and more, touring with Gary Clark Jr., writing songs, cowboy boots and much, much more. I hope you enjoy getting to know Carson. I sure did. Let's get down!
 
ciao! -jg

Episode 546: Monte Warden

Hello friends! I hope you're all doing well. I am. I got to play at The "Eye Love Savannah" show that my friend Todd Wolfson put together on Monday at Monkey Nest. I was honored to be a part of the music, but even more, I was honored to be a part of my community. It's sad to have to get together because something unfortunate has happened to a memebr of our tribe, but it's amazing how quickly and how powerfully we come together as a community to lend support and raise money for our own. It was very moving to see and hug savannah for the first time since her accident and I'm very glad she's still in our lives. You can still donate to her gofundme page every bit makes a difference. 
Legendary singer/songwriter and frontman for Americana pioneers, The Wagoneers, Monte Warden! I played a show with Monte and his new band, Monte Warden and the Dangerous Few a few weeks ago and invited him to be on the show. I haven't seen him in the last 15 years or so and was pleasantly surprised to see how much music he's written for others including, Carrie Underwood and Goerge Strait and many more. We have a great conversation about how he discovered music, going from cease and desist orders with The Wagoneers to recording a new album and playing a residency, getting sober and why, the idea behiind the jazzy country of Monte Warden and the Dangerous Few, getting his song "Desperately" recorded by George Strait and much, much more. I hope you enjoy our conversation. I sure did. Let's get down!
 
Ciao! -JG

Episode 541: Mandy Rowden Returns!

Hello friends! I hope you all had a fantastic weekend. Mine was good. I went to the Mac & Cheese Festival on Sunday with my friend A.J.. It was a pretty amazing experience that ended in possibly worst stmach ache I've ever had. What happened was, I went to the festival hungry. They were toally over-serving and I ate the whole 5-8 pounce servings right off the bat. There were tons of different cheeses including Gorgonzola, Bleu Cheese and other crazy cheeses mixed with bacon, chorizo, pork, brisket and anything else you can imagine. I say, if you go, only taste the mac & cheese and you'll be fine. You can watch our adventures at The Mac & Cheese Festival on our show "Cooking/Drinking with Johnny & AJ"
Singer/songwriter, Mandy Rowden returns to the show for episode 541! Mandy has just released a new album, 1,000 Miles and has been touring behind it. In fact, she's been touring since she was last on the show promoting her album, These Bad Habits which was #2 in The Austin Chronicle Music Awards. Mandy came by a few weeks ago and we talked about touring, making 1,000 Miles, strange times at The Americana Music Awards, Girl Guitar Austin and the opening of Girls Guitar Nashville and much, much more. I hope you enjoy our conversation. I sure did. Let's get down!

Episode 531: Glen Phillips Returns! / Tom Meny Stops by!

Hello friends! I hope our friends in Florida and the southeast are all safe and sound from the hurricane cruising up the east coast. Things are okay in my world. I'm sick and i have shows all weekend. That's always a stressful situation. in SKYROCKET!, there are a lot of other singers that can sing songs so it's not as bad, but i'm supposed to sing three songs at this John Lennon birthday celebration benefit show on Sunday and i want to be okay for that. Here's a link to the Lennon show, link to Lennon show It's a great band and lots of great guest singers and all for a great cause. do it!
My guest for episode 531 is singer/songwriter, Glen Phillips! You might know Glen as the front man for Toad The Wet Sprocket and he was on the show like 4 years ago. Well, Glen has a gorgeous new album out, Swallowed By the New out today, Friday October 7th! He'll be touring through Texas next week go to glenphillips.com for tour info and to pick up the album. We have a great conversation about Swallowed By the New, the dissolution of his 23 year marriage, finding his happiness, accepting mortality, moving to Nashville and much, much more! Plus, Tom Meny stops by to talk about his brilliant new ep, Love & Pay out Friday, October 14th! Thanks for listening. Let's get down!
ciao! -jg

Episode 501: Bri Bagwell

hello friends! i hope life is treating you well. things are good here. i'm coming off of a pretty nutty week into a less frantic week. i spent about an hour today making a spotify playlist based on "every little step" by bobby brown. that means i had a bunch of stuff from new edition to babyface to mary j blige etc. i made it so i would have more fun cleaning my house and it worked! when i was a little kid, my aunt christina taught me the importance of having the right jams on the stereo to ease the shittyness of house cleaning. try it some time.
my guest for episode 501 is texas country music artist, bri bagwell. she is currently on tour if the midwest in support of her new album, when a heart breaks. go to bribagwell.com to buy the album and to find out when she's coming to a town near you. her latest single, "half as good" has been #1 on the texas country charts this spring. i met bri a couple of months ago when she was a guest on an episode of "cooking/drinking with johnny & aj"  anyway, she came over a few weeks ago and we had a great conversation about the definition of texas country, sexism in the music business, knocking her ex out of the #1 spot on the charts, new mexico, whiskey and much, much more. i hope you enjoy getting to know bri. i sure did. let's get down!
ciao! -jg

Episode 477: Bruce Sudano

hello friends! i hope you're all doing well out there in the world. i'm good. i have a busy day of running errands, laundry, writing two songs and of course, this podcast. i'm headed to vegas tomorrow to play a show with skyrocket. should be fun. i'm bringing my recording gear just in case i can interview donny osmond or an elvis impersonator. i hope you guys have a good weekend. 
my guest for episode 477 is legendary singer/songwriter, bruce sudano. i caught up with bruce when he was in town for sxsw promoting his gorgeous new album, the burbank sessions. his illustrious career spans five decades starting with the band, alive n kickin' in the late 60's, then his r&b band in the early 70's, brooklyn dreams hooked up with donna summer and wrote and performed, "heaven knows" with the disco star. he ended up marrying donna summer and going on to write "bad girls" with her among many other songs. he work on and in films like, "thank god it's friday", "american hot wax" and "hollywood knights". his latest album, the burbank sessions is absolutely gorgeous. he's still making music that is relevant because it's honest, the expression is raw and real and he is just a bad-ass songwriter. check him out at brucesudano.com he'll be on tour in may. i hope enjoy getting to know this amazning artist/person. i sure did. let's get down!
ciao! -jg

Episode 448: The Trishas

hello friends! i hope you're all doing well. i should be doing well. i'm spending the christmas week with my family in houston and these shows have all been lade in advance and i'm taking a legitimate week off from my work. i don't do that much. some weeks are slow with skyrocket, solo stuff or the podcast, but i never really just "unplug" for a week and not do any work. i'm looking forward to this break. hopefully, i'm enjoying it. my guests for episode 448 are americana darlings, the trishas! yes. i know they're not currently "super-active" as a band, but i have been trying to get them on the show since i started it. luckily they were playing some shows in new york, south texas and austin a few weeks ago and i got them to stop by bright and early one morning after a show. it was even more fun and hilarious than i imagined it would be. these are some of the most talented, hard working, prolific artists i know. they're also the most entertaining group of people to be around. i hope they work together more simply because something magical happens when they're together. i hope you enjoy my morning with the trishas as much as i did. let's get down!ciao! -jg