Bridge The Atlantic

This week we welcome Nashville based singer/songwriter Gabe Dixon to the show. Gabe’s music has featured in movies and TV shows (his track “Find My Way” is the opening track in the 2009 movie The Proposal, and “All Will be Well” was featured in Parks and Recreation), and he’s performed live on the Jimmy Kimmel and Craig Ferguson shows. Over the past few years, Gabe has changed almost everything about his career. Following the release of 2011’s “One Spark”, he has focused on starting from scratch, making the transition from major to indie artist, by leaving his longtime label and management group to do things his way. With his latest album “Turns To Gold” out now, we hear about the new record, his transition from major to indie, and the advice he’d offer to his fellow musicians. Highlights: - Music is a big part of how Gabe relates to the world - Marcio and Gabe talk about the challenges of balancing music with parenthood - Gabe tells us compares the pros and cons of being on a major label to being an... &

This week we’re joined by LA based singer/songwriter Jessica Rotter. Jessica’s voice has been heard across multiple genres, from movies, TV shows and commercials to backing vocals and collaborations with other artists—all in addition to her original songs. The list of artists she has worked with includes names such as Daft Punk, Carole King, Alicia Keys, Sam Smith, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, and more. Jessica is just as comfortable using her voice in a major feature film (credits include Pitch Perfect 1 & 2 and Frozen) as she is performing one of her original songs live. Following the success of charting #1 on HypeMachine with her mashup of Stay/Animal with Emily Colombier, Jessica’s most powerful and ambitious project to date; the full length release of Plains is just around the corner. Highlights: - Jessica is a big believer in everyone shining their light - Jessica appreciates creating moments and journeys which are not linear - When you’re being authentic, stories come naturally and they don’t n

This week we’re joined by Eric Heald, a multi-faceted music industry professional, who describes himself as being all about music, all the time. He wears many hats in the music business - he handles publicity, promotions, and marketing at Tragic Hero Records, a Warner Bros/ ADA distributed record label, and also co-ordinates the studio schedule at Crushtone Studios. In addition to all of this, he is also studying Recording Arts and Technology at Tri-C in downtown Cleveland, is a stagehand of LiveNation, and in his spare time writes and plays music, too. Highlights: - Eric cares about the people he works with, and surrounds himself with music - We talk about how Eric and Marcio met, and the contribution Eric has made to Marcio’s new record - Eric is often told he should be a doctor - Doctor Heald (say it out loud…) - We hear how Eric got started doing session work - it’s all about taking opportunities that come your way! - We discuss the pros/cons of being a session musician and Eric shares what he...

This week we’re excited to welcome Los Angeles based singer/songwriter Maggie Szabo to the show. Originally from a small town in Ontario, Maggie is now an accomplished artist living in LA. Since living in Los Angeles, Maggie has performed to sold-out shows at the infamous Viper Room, House of Blues, and famed venue the Hotel Café. Maggie was named Bell Media’s Emerging Artist—personally chosen by famed blogger Perez Hilton as his “Can YOU Sing?” contest winner, calling her a “superstar on the rise.” Maggie also won the 2014 Toronto Independent Music Award in the category for Best Pop, and most recently was the Pop/Top40 winner for the International Songwriting Competition. As well as having her original music placed in many notable film and TV projects, Maggie is a featured vocalist and songwriter on the new album from German electronic DJ, Schiller, who has so far sold 7 million albums worldwide. Highlights: - Maggie is a multi instrumentalist, with one of her instruments being the alto saxophone! In...

Joining us this week is multi-award winning actress, producer and bestselling author, Illeana Douglas. With over 100 acting credits to her name, Illeana can be seen in movies including Goodfellas, Cape Fear, Ghost World and The Green. She has also had recurring and guest-star roles on Six Feet Under, Entourage, Maron, Frasier, Seinfeld and many more. Her pioneering branded web series for IKEA "Easy To Assemble" has been downloaded over 40 million times and has been called "the most successful branded show of all time" by Ad-Week. In addition to her acting work, she also hosted “Trailblazing Women” on TCM, and is a producer and co-star in the web-series The Skinny (2015) for Jill Soloway’s online network Wifey.TV. Illeana was so generous with her time, and offered some great advice and stories from her career in the entertainment business, and told us all about her new book, I Blame Dennis Hopper. Highlights: - We hear how when people read Illeana’s book she is reminded how much luck and perseverance...

Jason Flom is the CEO of Lava Records and Lava Music Publishing. Jason also has served as Chairman and CEO at Atlantic Records, Virgin Records and Capitol Music Group and is personally responsible for launching acts such as Kid Rock, Katy Perry, and Lorde. In 1995, he founded Lava Records as a joint venture with Atlantic Records, which turned out to be one of the most successful startups in music business history. The New Yorker described Jason as “one of the most successful record men of the past 20 years...known for his specialty in delivering ‘monsters.’ As well as his career in music, Jason is also a leading philanthropist who has long championed various political and social causes. He has demonstrated his commitment to social justice as a founding member of the Innocence Project and a board member of Families Against Mandatory Minimums, the Drug Policy Alliance and the Legal Action Center. Highlights: -We hear how Jason started as a trainee field merchandiser at Atlantic, and how he thought it... &#

This week we welcome Suzanne Paulinski aka the Rock/Star Advocate to the show. Suzanne started out in the music industry as an intern for Atlantic Records and college rep for WEA. She managed the national street team & mid-west retail for Astralwerks (EMI) and co-founded Mad Dragon Records as she completed her music business degree. In addition to her music business experience, Suzanne is a former paralegal with a masters in psychology. Now, with The Rock/Star Advocate, she is living out her dream of helping musicians and their teams turn their passions into careers. Highlights: - We hear about Suz’s current biggest challenges in the music industry - and it’s all about artist’s priorities - Suz tells us about what mindset is and how it’s especially important for musicians - As an artist, not getting the response you want to what you’re putting out there can take it’s toll - Mindset will help you to redefine the hustle and get to a more focused and centered place - There are so many distractions out ther

This week we’re excited to welcome Paul Marc Rousseau to the show. Paul is the lead guitarist for Canadian post-hardcore band Silverstein. Joining the band as a guitar tech initially, he was the natural choice to replace Neil Boshart after he left the band. Silverstein have sold over 1 million records worldwide, have been nominated for a Juno Award, and released their 8th album (“I Am Alive In Everything I Touch”) in 2015. In this interview, Paul shares some advice for bands going on tour, talks about the approach labels take to signing bands, and the importance of having relationships with your fans. Highlights: - Paul was a part of Silverstein’s touring family long before he joined the band as a guitarist - One of the most important parts of being on the road is the relationships you have with each other - Ross shares a story involving a passive aggressive note he left for a former flatmate - Paul shares some highlights about being on the road with Silverstein - We hear about a time where the band...

Joining us this week is Darren Magierowski, head engineer at Jukasa Studios in the greater Hamilton area of Ontario. Darren has played a pivotal role in generating albums for iconic bands such as Alexisonfire, Snoop Dogg, and Protest the Hero! Darren also toured across Canada and the US with various indie bands spanning more than a decade, in addition touring across North America; working as a backline technician, stage manager, and monitor tech for bands such as Alexisonfire and Kittie. Highlights: - Marcio shares a story about how he and Darren know each other - Marcio and Darren worked together on Marcio’s “It’s Not An Excuse, It’s a Reason” album - We talk about how Chris Steele of Alexisonfire ended up playing on Marcio’s album (thanks to Darren!) - Darren tells us about some new projects he’s working on, including a documentary series for Protest the Hero - We talk about the differences between working on an album and working on a movie soundtrack - When combining music with visuals, you have to... &

Joining us this week is Canadian actor, playwright and author, Dawna Wightman. An apple orchard farmer turned actor, Dawna has written and starred in plays including “Life As A Pomegranate” (for which she won the Mid Town International Theatre Festival Outstanding Actress Off Broadway award), “The Hush Baby” and “Containers.” Her film/TV work includes roles in “Treatment,” “Acapulco” and “True Crimes” and she has also starred in a commercial for Ford. Highlights: - Almost 100 episodes in, Marcio still has trouble asking people for 3 things about themselves that everyone should know - We hear how Dawna changed paths from being an apple orchard farmer to actor and playwright - Dawna tells us how she felt like her life was passing by and needed to take a risk to shake things up - “If it’s not scary, it’s not a risk” - Dawna Wightman, 2016 - “The biggest enemy of a great life is a good life.” - Dawna tells us about the different opportunities that are available in the country and in the city - We hear how... &

South African singer/songwriter Nate Maingard joins us on the show this week. Nate is a modern troubadour, storyteller, global nomad and indie-folk singer-songwriter. His approach to music is communication and connection driven, and as a result he has built up an incredibly loyal fanbase (called The Nateives). In 2012, Nate was awarded the South African National Arts Festival Ovation Award, and recorded his crowdfunded “In The Shadows” EP in London with musicians who have worked with Adele, Paul McCartney and Jason Mraz. In this episode we talk about the importance of appreciating your audience, successful crowdfunding, and tips on building a community around your music. Highlights: - Nate has chosen to be vulnerable in a world that tells us we need to have strong exteriors - Nate knows that everyone who listens to his music and supports him is an individual - Appreciation comes out of knowing that his audience have chosen to listen to him - No-one owes you a living and no-one owes it to you to listen... &

We’re joined this week by author Elizabeth Dutton. Raised in California, Elizabeth has bridged the Atlantic in her own way, by getting her Masters in Creative Writing from the University of Glasgow, where she also started her first novel, Driftwood. In 2011, Skyhorse Publishing released her book 1,033 Reasons to Smile (which has since been updated to 1,047 Reasons to Smile). Elizabeth is currently working on poetry and a second novel. In this episode, we hear all about Elizabeth's writing process and the advice she would offer to fellow writers. Highlights: - Elizabeth may write about the melancholy, but she doesn’t take herself too seriously and loves the absurd - Music is essential to Elizabeth’s creative process and she needs it on a daily basis - Elizabeth is an over-researcher, and it allows her to know her characters on a deeper level - We hear how Elizabeth’s late grandmother drove miles to buy Bob Marley’s music - Elizabeth tells us about the connection she sees between poetry and lyrics in...

This week we’re excited to welcome multi award winning singer/songwriter Stacy Clark to the show! To date, Stacy has released 4 EPs and 4 full length albums, and has guest appearances on records by Jack’s Mannequin and Delux under her belt. Her music can be heard on TV shows such as One Tree Hill, The Real L Word, The Hills and Keeping Up With The Kardashians. In addition to being an accomplished performer and songwriter, Stacy has also donated her time, music, design and raised funds for charities including To Write Love On Her Arms, Habitat for Humanity and PETA. Highlights: - Stacy feels like she lives in a TV show sometimes - Marcio shares a story of meeting Stacy at a gig a few years ago - Be nice to your fans when you meet them because they’ll remember - We talk about the differences between releasing music independently vs through a label - Stacy prefers releasing music instantly rather than waiting a long time for music to be released - For Stacy, one of the most important things about getting a...

This week we’re joined by Los Angeles based celebrity brand strategist, Phil Pallen. Phil builds brands for TV personalities, experts and entrepreneurs. You've seen his clients on Shark Tank, Dancing with the Stars, American Idol, The X Factor, Project Runway, The Doctors, and more. He has been featured on Access Hollywood as a celebrity brand expert, and was recently named one of the most influential educators in digital marketing for 2015 by the Online Marketing Institute. In 2014, Phil released his first book: Shut Up and Tweet which contains game-changing strategies that will turn you into a Twitter rockstar. Phil’s expertise has earned him speaking engagements worldwide, including events such as New Media Europe in Manchester, England, and Arctic 15 in Helsinki, Finland. Highlights: - Phil is going to take us everywhere he goes - and we’re ok with that! - Phil shares his formula for a successful Twitter bio - We hear Phil auditioning to intern for Charlie Sheen prevented him from working with Ryan...

This week we welcome songwriter, producer and vocalist of Cartel, Will Pugh to the show! As the main songwriter in Cartel, Will Pugh has written records that have sold over 500,000 copies and he has two Top 40 hits to his name. In addition to his work with Cartel, Will has also worked on records for Hydra Melody, TEAM* and The Delta as a producer and engineer. Highlights: - Will listens to a lot of music that “would make your mom wince” - We hear how playing with New Found Glory was a big highlight for Will and the rest of Cartel - Will thinks Amy Lee (of Evanescence) could sing the phone book and it would sound great - Will tells us how Kevin (Cartel’s drummer) once dropped an F-bomb in front of Jon Bon Jovi’s 8 year old child - We hear about Cartel’s experience in recording an album as part of MTV’s Band In A Bubble project - We talk about the fear of documenting the recording process and how it can influence the recording of the music itself - Will tells us how he differentiates songs for Cartel vs... &#

This week we’re welcome internationally renowned celebrity vocal coach, teacher, performer, and award-winning songwriter Wendy Parr to the show. Wendy has 25 years of vocal coaching experience, and has gained industry acclaim for her signature style of teaching and artist development. Her clients include artists such as Sara Bareilles, Regina Spektor and A Great Big World, and her song “Dreams on Fire” (produced and co-written by AR Rahman) is featured on the GRAMMY Award winning Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack. Wendy also leads The Artist’s Circle, a monthly event based out of New York City, Los Angeles, and Nashville where musicians, vocalists, songwriters and producers come together to grow, get community support, and transform their careers. Highlights: - Authenticity fuels Wendy’s approach to artist development - Wendy is a truth seeker, a truth sayer, and is always curious - Wendy believes that when an artist gets lost in their music, that’s actually them being found - We hear how Wendy started out...

Michael McCarron, founder of Punk Out joins us on Bridge The Atlantic this week. Punk Out is a non-profit organization that wants to create a movement of acceptance in the alternative music scene. Punk Out works to start conversations, make LGBTQ+ community members and their issues more visible, remove the taboo within the alternative music community, and increase overall acceptance of everyone. We’re looking forward to diving into some of the issues faced by the community, and how Punk Out, musicians and music fans can make a positive change. Highlights: - Ross is called out for his misuse of the word “good” rather than “well” by grammar-sticklers, Marcio, and former school teacher Michael - Michael tells us why he started Punk Out and why it’s important that an organisation like it exists in the alt music scene - Michael talks about the importance of musicians as role models, especially within the alt music scene - Ross will give Michael a geography lesson, Michael will give Ross an English lesson... &#

We're joined by an independent music industry powerhouse, Ariel Hyatt, this week. Ariel is the director of Cyber PR, a New York based online PR agency who work with musicians and entrepreneurs. Over the past 18 years, Ariel and her team have helped over 1800 clients rock their online presence. Ariel has also spoken at events and conferences in 12 countries and has released 3 books on the subject of social media for artists, with a new book in the works. In this interview we talk about effective crowdfunding, what to consider when hiring a music publicist, and how social media has changed PR. Highlights: - Ariel has a lifelong battle with people mispronouncing her name - Ariel has grown up in an entrepreneurial family - her mother is an entrepreneur and her father is a working artist - We hear about Ariel’s experience of working with one of her favourite artists (The Spin Doctors) - Effective crowdfunding is probably not what you think it is - Our friend Shaun from No, Totally! has a question for Ariel... &

Joining us this week is LA-based singer/songwriter, Lee DeWyze. Lee won the 9th season of American Idol in 2010, and prior to that had released 2 albums independently. Since his Idol win, he has released 3 albums, with a new record due in February 2016. Lee’s track “Blackbird Song” was featured in The Walking Dead, and Lee is an in demand live performer. In this episode we talk about performances vs songwriting, why Lee chose to take part in American Idol, and his highly anticipated upcoming record, Oil and Water. Highlights: - We manage to make Lee feel really old with our introduction - No-one can beat Lee at Mario Kart - who wants to take him on? - Songwriting is just as important to Lee as performing is - Lee wouldn’t be a performer if he wasn’t a songwriter - We have a mutual friend in common - the amazing Shelly Peiken! - Lee tells us about writing “Blackbird Song” which was featured in The Walking Dead - We hear about the stigma that can be attached to being part of a show like American Idol -... &#

This week on Bridge The Atlantic, we welcome Judy Stakee, to the show. Judy is the founder of The Judy Stakee Company, a full-service artist development and entertainment company that develops the minds, bodies and souls of artists and songwriters to achieve the career of their dreams. As Senior VP of Creative at Warner Chappell Music for 20 years, Judy signed and worked with artists such as Sheryl Crow, Michelle Branch and Gavin DeGraw. Judy has recently released a book - The Songwriter’s Survival Guide - where she shares her trade secrets, and teaches you how to handle meetings with music executives confidently, achieve a creative and financially rewarding co-write, and even discover how to be the CEO of your own company. Highlights: - Ross and Judy share a story about how they are connected - Judy tells us about working with our past guest and friend, Tyler Hilton - We hear what Judy looks for in an artist and what separates those who succeed vs those who don’t - “You know when a star walks into the...