Bridge The Atlantic

Joining us this week out of Brighton, England is music industry entrepreneur, speaker and all round music business champion Damian Keyes. After founding The British Institute of Modern Music aka BIMM, which is now valued at over £50M, Damian went on to build and invest in several other businesses including DK Music Management, DK Music Academy & Warble Entertainment. As a musician, he’s also played some impressive shows - including performing at London’s Hyde Park to 150,000 people alongside Eric Clapton, Alanis Morissette, The Who, & Bob Dylan. Damian sold his shares in BIMM in 2010 and started DK Music Management, a commercial band management company to help musicians find work after leaving music education. DKMM is now the largest commercial band management company in the Europe with over 200 musicians performing weekly. Now, Damian is educating and inspiring musicians via his Facebook and YouTube videos, with actionable and motivational advice. In this interview, Damian shares some great advice o

Joining us this week out of Austin, Texas is singer/songwriter and photographer Shawnee Kilgore. Shawnee has a crowdfunding story that most artists can only dream of. Hollywood director Joss Whedon loved Shawnee's music and voice, and backed her Kickstarter. After the campaign ended and she was working on a personalized song for him, he emailed to ask if she would be interested in working on a co-write with him. Their single “Big Giant Me" came as the result and they went on to create Back to Eden, their new EP. The EP release sold out The Alamo in Austin where they daybued the video starring Oscar nominee Richard Jenkins and Ashley Johnson. It was shot by Jay Hunter on two Alexa 65's that until then had only been used on the highest end of big budgeted feature films, such as "The Revenant" and "Rogue One." In this interview, we hear more about Shawnee's approach to crowdfunding, what it was like collaborating with Joss Whedon, and the advice she'd offer to her fellow musicians. Enjoy! Highlights: - Sha

Joining us this week out of Orange County, California is Summer Swee-Singh. Summer is a professional pianist, keyboard player, music director, composer, film scorer, music arranger, and piano consultant. As a professional solo pianist, Summer has performed for audiences as large as 10,000 people and has performed for two TED-sanctioned TEDx events. In addition to performing, Summer has also dabbled in film scoring, having composed the music for two short documentaries and one tech commercial thus far. Summer also runs a YouTube channel where she posts many of her musical arrangements; her channel has over 6,000 subscribers and she has amassed over 2 million total video views. Multi-Grammy-winning artost Skrillex and Campa of The Cataracs have reposted her cover medley arrangements on social media. In this interview we hear how Summer approaches the different roles she plays as a musician, her advice on getting endorsements from music companies, and more. Highlights: - Summer shares that she wasn’t plannin

Joining us this week out of Brooklyn, New York is Michael Grubbs of Wakey Wakey. Michael is also known as “Grubbs” from One Tree Hill, where Wakey Wakey’s music was featured. The band’s 2010 album Almost Everything I Wish I Said The Last Time I Saw You hit #1 on the Billboard Heatseeker’s Chart, and they’ve released 2 more successful albums since then. The band has a dedicated fanbase - and this is shown through their “Salvation” album exceeding their crowdfunding goal by 141% and the numerous tattoos fans have of Wakey Wakey lyrics. Their latest album, “Overreactivist” is out now, and in this interview we hear more about Michael's career, music placements, collaboration and the importance of community within Wakey Wakey's fanbase. Highlights: - Michael shares how he was ready to quit his career right before his music got placed in One Tree Hill - We hear how Wakey Wakey got placed in One Tree Hill - and it’s all about being in the right place at the right time! - “It’s a matter of persistence and putting

In our fourth B-SIDES episode we talk about time management and building a team, and we share a bonus segment from Stephen Christian’s interview. We talk about balancing multiple projects, finding work/life balance, and the importance of delegation. Highlights: - We talk about the importance of managing your time efficiently, especially when balancing multiple projects - Marcio shares how his day planner has changed his life - Ross and Marcio talk about the different lists they use to keep on top of their daily, weekly, and long-term tasks - We talk about monotasking (shout out to @RockStarAdvo!) and why it's good to take breaks from social media - "We’ve spent the last 2 1/2 years constantly re-evaluating how we manage our time. It’s all about trial & error and seeing what's most effective." - Ross - We talk about finding balance between personal and professional life - We share some additional advice from our interview with Stephen Christian, about managing multiple projects - "When you can't keep u

Our guest today is Alexis Kimbrough out of Atlanta, Georgia. Alexis is the founder of Growth Group - an accounting firm focusing on musicians and creative businesses. With Growth Group, Alexis helps musicians manage their taxes, plan for recording and touring, and more. Alexis has dedicated her accounting career to helping music creators make a prosperous living by loving their craft, and in this interview we hear the most common problems musicians have around money, when musicians should start working with an accountant, and more. Highlights: - “Growth Group is my giveback to a music community that gave to me” - Alexis Kimbrough - Alexis shares one of the biggest fears artists have around making money - “In addition to the creation, you have to be willing to market yourself” - Alexis Kimbrough - Alexis shares that too many musicians devalue their work because they’re worried about being seen as a sellout - “As musicians you change people’s hearts - and that is valuable” - Alexis Kimbrough - Alexis shares

Joining us this week out of Vancouver is Said The Whale’s Tyler Bancroft. Said The Whale are a JUNO award winning band, with 5 full length albums, and numerous EPs to their name since 2007. They also achieved a #1 hit Canadian Rock/Alternative chart in 2013 with “I Love You” The band have recently released their new record “As Long As Your Eyes Are Wide” which has taken Said The Whale back to its freeform roots while simultaneously venturing forward into uncharted art-pop territory. In this interview, we hear more about the new record, how the band promoted it, and the advice Tyler would offer to his fellow musicians. Highlights: - Marcio has invented a new theme park - Welcome to “DadLand” - Tyler tells us about Said The Whale’s return to their earlier sound on the new record - We hear how Said The Whale’s drummer and bassist left, which helped steer the change in musical direction - Tyler shares how with fewer members, the band has more creative freedom - Marcio calls Ross out on an error in the notes,

Joining us this week out of Toronto is broadcaster, writer and all round music geek Alan Cross. Alan is is best known as host of the syndicated radio series The Ongoing History of New Music, The Secret History of Rock, and ExploreMusic. In addition to his broadcasting career, Alan is also the author of many books on music, including The Alternative Music Almanac and The History of Alternative Rock. In this interview we hear Alan's thoughts on how the music industry has changed, how broadcasting has changed, and the advice he'd offer to aspiring music industry professionals. Highlights: - We hear how Alan never liked the title of his program “The Ongoing History of Modern Rock” - Alan shares how he initially wanted to be a news anchor or journalist, but actually hated it when it came down to it - Alan tells us how he sees the introduction of streaming has changed the economic balance of the music industry - We hear how the way the music business operates has changed compared to how it worked in the 90s - “

In our third B-SIDES episode, we talk about podcast interviews; how to approach podcasts, how to prepare for an interview, and what you should expect. We also talk about what hosts would expect from their guests, and why it's important to do your research! Highlights: - We talk about how to approach podcasts for potential interviews and features - If you’re approaching podcasts, make sure that you are familiar with the show and that you are a good fit - Your message needs to be relevant to a podcast's audience, and you both need to bring benefit - otherwise, it’s not a fair balance - Once you’ve established that you think you’d be a good fit for a podcast, check their website for submission details - Don’t be afraid to follow up a week or so later if you don't hear back - but don’t take it personally if you get a "no" - "Success is built on a multitude of failures" - We talk about how to prepare for a podcast interview - If you're invited onto a podcast, check out some of their episodes before the...

Joining us this week out of California is Bree Noble. Bree is a musician, entrepreneur and speaker, and she is the host of the Female Entrepreneur Musician Podcast, founder and CEO of Women of Substance Music Radio & Podcast, as well as being a music business trainer & mentor. Bree draws on her experience running her own music business to train and mentor other female musicians, with her goal being to to de-mystify and simplify the business side of music for her clients. In this interview, we hear the advice she'd offer to musicians, why she thinks the music industry has become a better place for women, and how musicians and creative entrepreneurs can become more organized. Highlights: - Bree describes our show as “not boring” and that makes us very happy! - We hear that Bree loves 80s music and Marcio challenges her knowledge! - Bree shares the benefits of musicians appearing on podcasts - “Interview podcasts let people get to know you as a person, and not just a voice or musician” - Bree Noble -

Joining us this week is LA based singer/songwriter Troi Irons. Troi is currently signed to Def Jam Records, and in 2016, she released her acclaimed Turbulence EP. Brimming with self-reflective lyrics and instantly-catchy choruses. As well as writing for herself, Troi also writes and produces for other artists, and directs music videos. In this interview, we hear more about her influences, how she approaches writing for other artists, and her experience with Def Jam Records. Enjoy! Highlights: - Troi’s “3 Things We Should Know” are some of the most interesting we’ve had so far! - Marcio and Troi over their germophobic tendencies - We talk with Troi about her influences, and how they have impacted on her writing and performing - We hear about the music Troi grew up listening to and those artists have influenced her - Troi tells us how writing for other artists compares to writing for herself - We hear how Troi helps other artists tell their stories through collaboration - “As much of the artist’s... &nb

Terry McBride is the CEO of the Nettwerk Music Group, which includes Nettwerk Productions, Nettwerk Management, Nettwerk One, and Artwerks. Founded in his apartment in 1984, Nettwerk has corporate offices in Vancouver, Boston, Los Angeles, Nashville, New York, Hamburg and London. Nettwerk’s management roster includes artists such as Fun, Guster, The Stereophonics and Alexi Murdoch. Since 1984, Nettwerk Productions has released over 500 albums and sold over 150 million copies worldwide. In this interview, Terry shares why he thinks authenticity is the most important factor in artist success, what Nettwerk look for in artists they want to work with, and more. Highlights: - Terry shares that the most important thing for artist success today is authenticity - “A song is an emotion” - Terry McBride - “If you’re not authentic as an artist, how can people relate to you?” - Terry McBride - Terry tells us one of the biggest mistakes artist make is that they don’t know where they’re going - “Artists who rely on...

Our guest this week is singer/songwriter Stephen Christian, former lead vocalist of Anberlin and vocalist of Anchor & Braille. With Anberlin, Stephen has sold over 1 million records and toured North America, the UK and Australia. Stephen is also the founder of non-profit and humanitarian-oriented band Faceless International, and the founder of Wood Water Records. In this interview we hear about Stephen's upcoming solo album, what he attributes Anberlin's long term success to, and the advice he'd offer to his fellow musicians. Highlights: - Marcio shares how he met Stephen after an Anberlin show and really appreciated their conversation - Stephen shares why he always tries to use the same time of microphone when performing - We hear what Stephen attributes Anberlin’s longterm success to - “The worst thing that can happen to a band is to have a huge first record and go downhill from there” - Stephen Christian - “When people feel connected, that’s the best place to start from” - Stephen Christian - Stephe

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Joining us this week is singer/songwriter and frontman of Marcy Playground, John Wozniak! With Marcy Playground, John has released 4 albums, with their debut album being certified platinum in the US, and the band’s 1997 hit “Sex and Candy” spent 15 weeks at number one on the U.S. Modern Rock Tracks chart. John continues to write and tour with Marcy Playground, with intimate & interactive shows in Southern Ontario from April 20th to 23rd in celebration of the 20th anniversary of their self titled album just around the corner. In this interview, we hear about John's collaborative process, what's coming up for Marcy Playground, and the advice he'd offer to his fellow musicians. Highlights - John shares that the biggest difference in the industry between now and the 90s is the number of independent labels vs major labels - John believes that the smaller number of major labels has opened up room for independent labels and networks to be created - John shares that the independent world is much more...

Joining us this week is musician and actor, Nathan West aka East of Eli. Nathan has had roles in major films as well as independent projects, including such films as Disney’s Miracle and the award winning independent feature Alleged, and is now releasing music as East of Eli. As East of Eli, Nathan debuted his first single from his sophomore release Lost Transmission on Valentine’s Day in honor of his wife, famed actress Chyler Leigh. East of Eli has received critical acclaim with “American Songwriter” noting West as an artist on the rise. In this interview, we hear more about East of Eli's upcoming album, how Nathan balances a creative career with fatherhood, and all about his love of unicorns. Yes, really! Highlights: - Nathan shares how acting lead him to creating the moniker East of Eli - We hear all about Nathan’s fascination with unicorns (fun fact - Scotland’s national animal!) - We hear how Nathan’s experience as an actor has helped him as a performer - Nathan tells us how his first acting...

Joining us this week out of Minnesota is Neil Hilborn, a College National Poetry Slam Champion. In August of 2013, Neil’s poem "OCD" went viral, garnering over 7 million views to date, making it one of the most-viewed poems on YouTube. Neil is also the co-founder of Thistle, a Macalester literary magazine, and has run numerous writing workshops with college and high school students. His work has been featured in publications such as Borderline Magazine and Orange Quarterly, and his debut full-length book, Our Numbered Days, is now available. Highlights: - Neil shares how the popularity of “OCD” on YouTube took him completely by surprise - We talk about how it’s the authenticity and connection of a performance that really matters - The moment of truth and humanity in a performance is what connects with people - Neil shares why he think it’s important for artists to talk about mental health - “An artist’s duty is our own stories as genuinely as we can” - Neil Hilborn - “Get that brain garbage out - then...

We're excited to bring you our first B-Sides episode; a series where we share advice and insights, bonus material and outtakes from past interviews, and more! We'll be releasing these B-Sides episodes on the last Tuesday of every month. In this episode, Ross interviews Marcio about his upcoming EP, The Reimagining: Vol 1, and we share some bonus material from Garth Richardson, Melissa Cross and Jason Paige. Highlights: - Ross and Marcio talk about Marcio’s upcoming EP, The Reimagining: Vol 1 - Ross challenges Marcio to describe the new EP in 30 seconds or less - Marcio offers advice for artists around self-producing vs working with a producer - We share a b-side from Garth Richardson’s interview where he shares a story of revenge - Marcio shares how The Reimagining EP “saved” Marcio musically - "If there’s something you want to do, figure out how, and just do it" - Marcio shares some tips for approaching vocals in the studio - Melissa Cross demonstrates her singing technique in a b-side from her... &

Joining us this week from London, is sync licensing specialist Pam Lewis Rudden. Pam is the founder of Plutonic Group Syncs, a boutique third-party licensing agency specialising in music placement for Television, Films, Advertising, Gaming and Trailers productions that require music with character and individuality. As a sync licensing specialist, Pam represents artists, songwriters and premium vintage music catalogues along with music publishing companies globally. In this interview, Pam tells us about the difference between sync licensing and publishing, what the role of a sync licensing specialist is, and offers some advice for artists seeking music placements. Highlights: - Ross once kept Pam on a call just to hear her laugh - Pam explains why they started Plutonic Group Syncs, and what a sync licensing specialist does - We hear how Pam learned about the sync process through attending conferences - Pam explains the difference between sync and master rights - “The sync agent is the middleman between...

Our guest this week is producer/engineer and founder of Flashgrove Music, Kevin Porter. Kevin has more than a decade of professional experience working alongside the top producers, recording engineers, mixers, and songwriters the music industry has to offer. He has lent his ears, production, and engineering expertise to Gold and Platinum-selling albums, as well as GRAMMY award-winning projects. Kevin has engineered for some of the most successful music producers, artists, and songwriters on the planet, including Ryan Tedder, Mutt Lange, Ne-Yo, and Skylar Grey. Flashgrove Music was built with the mission to empower artists to realize their vision, reach professional goals, and achieve personal success. Highlights: - We hear how Kevin moved to LA to follow the opportunities he was being presented with - “Only 12 notes in western music, with endless possibilities” - Kevin Porter - Kevin shares with us what he believes his biggest weakness is - “If a song doesn’t make it off your hard drive, are you really...