Bridge The Atlantic

LA-based songwriting teacher, record producer and A&R consultant Loren Israel joins us on the show this week. Loren specializes in finding and developing new talent. As the Director of A&R at Capitol Records, Loren worked with Jimmy Eat World, Coldplay and Less Than Jake. As an A&R Consultant, he has worked with Plain White T’s, and Neon Trees. In this episode, Loren talks with us about the differences between indie and major labels, and the importance of building relationships in the music business. Highlights: - Loren is honest, passionate and hard working - Loren shares his concerns that many artists are less passionate about the hard work of the business than they should be - We talk about Loren’s passion for developing new artists, including his work with Jimmy Eat World - Loren talks about how there needs to be a demand for an artist in order to gain investment and/or sign a record deal - We hear about the importance of tipping points in a band’s career if you want to sign a deal or gain.

This week we’re welcoming music business and social media coach Madalyn Sklar to the show. Madalyn has been running GoGirls Music - a unique organization that focuses on advancing the careers of independent female musicians - for over 20 years, and hosts the popular #ggchat on Twitter every Thursday. She has been named one of 10 Powerful Women in Music by Curve magazine and one of the 15 People You Should Know In the Biz by Indie-Music.com. Most recently Madalyn launched the Twitter Smarter podcast which features interviews from some of the top social media experts on how to use Twitter to its fullest potential. In this interview she shares some great tips on how artists can use Twitter, why you should be getting involved in Twitter chats, and the importance of listening vs broadcasting on social media. Highlights: - We hear how Madalyn could be a cult leader because of GoGirls Music - Madalyn tells us she started GoGirls Music because she was tired of being ignored in guitar shops because she was...

This week we’re pleased to welcome Canadian guitarist, producer and YouTuber Cole Rolland to the show. Over the past few years, Cole has amassed over 100k subscribers and 20 million views of his covers and original tracks on YouTube, and has built a strong connection with his fanbase on Twitter and Facebook. Through his YouTube channel, Cole has collaborated with numerous other musicians, and has been offered endorsements and production gear from EMG Pickups, Dunlop, Fractal Audio and more. Cole shares his tips for achieving success on YouTube and Patreon, as well as the importance of collaboration. Highlights: - Cole tells us a little about his process for creating his covers on YouTube - We hear how Cole’s band fell apart and how he managed to find the positive from that - We talk about how valuable making connections can be, and the opportunities that can arise out of things that don’t work out - Cole tells us how he got started on YouTube and the advice he has for musicians looking to build a... &

This week we are thrilled to welcome Melora Hardin to the show. Melora is an award-winning actor and musician. Her acting credits include films such as 17 Again, 27 Dresses and You (which she also directed and produced), and starring roles in TV shows including NBC’s The Office, Monk, Transparent and Outlaw. In 2008, Melora made her Broadway debut, starring as Roxie Hart in the revival of Chicago, and also performed in Les Miserables at the Hollywood Bowl. We chat with Melora about the upcoming season of Transparent, the advice she would offer to aspiring actors, and her upcoming projects. Highlights: - Melora is always looking for the next opportunity to be creative - We talk about how branding yourself on social media is as simple as being yourself - Melora tells us how she got started in the entertainment industry, and shares her earliest memories of working in film/TV - We hear that Melora’s parents are both actors and they were worried about her dealing with rejection of the industry as a child -... &#

This week we’re joined by multi award winning actor, producer and musician, Joshua Lee Young. Joshua has built a strong following on YouTube with his vlogs, and has starred in numerous short films and web series (including The Social Experiment, I’ll Meet You Back There, Royals and Invisible Rockstars). He has also starred in NCIS and Dexter, and does acting work for Investigation Discovery. His acting has won him multiple awards including best actor at the 2013 Boston International Film Festival and the 2014 London Independent Film Festival, and the new talent award at the 2014 Hong Kong Asian Film Festival. Highlights: - Joshua needs us everywhere he goes - We wonder if watching Netflix for 12 hours a day is productive… - Joshua has no idea what he’s doing (but does anyone REALLY know what they’re doing?) - We hear how YouTube has helped Joshua generate work for himself as an actor and producer - Joshua tells us how YouTube can help to showcase himself as an actor - We talk about how being consistent...

This week, we’re welcoming Bob Baker to the show, all the way from St Louis. Bob is an author, speaker, musician, and former music magazine editor dedicated to showing musicians of all kinds how to get exposure, connect with fans, sell more music, and increase their incomes through their artistic passions. Bob is the author of numerous books on the subject of music marketing and making a living from your art, including The Guerrilla Music Marketing Handbook (featured in the movie School of Rock), The DIY Career Manifesto and his latest book, The Empowered Artist. Highlights: - As well as being an author and marketing expert, Bob is also a musician, artist and improv. comedy teacher! - We all agree that different types of creatives can learn from each other - Bob is celebrating 20 years of being on the Internet - happy anniversary! - Bob still thinks of himself as a curious musician who is exploring what is working for successful musicians and artists - The things that hold most artists back are fear...

This week, we’re joined by LA-based singer/songwriter Molly Moore. Molly has been building a name for herself on Soundcloud with her brand of intelligent pop. Her singles “Don’t Believe It” and “Natural Disaster” have been played thousands of times, and have solidified her as an artist to watch. Molly recently signed a publishing deal with Imagem, and we talk about building an audience on Soundcloud, what a publishing deal can do for an artist, and more. Highlights: - Molly is all about the music…and more recently, cleanliness! - Marcio says he would love to see Molly coming out of the womb as a songwriter. You can’t unpicture that - Molly tells us how important Soundcloud has been in establishing herself as a musician and songwriter - We hear how Molly has used Soundcloud to build a following and some techniques for doing so - We talk about the “game” of social media, and how to grow your following on different platforms - Following someone on social media is an introduction and you can grow an... &n

This week, we’re joined by actor, musician, entrepreneur and podcaster, Jordan Woods-Robinson. As an actor, Jordan has worked alongside Sir Anthony Hopkins, Colin Farrell, and Donald Sutherland, and is part of the prestigious Blue Man Group. Jordan can currently be seen on AMC’s hit series The Walking Dead. Jordan released his sophomore album “Crazy and Back” in early 2015. He is also the co-founder of SOSstudio.co, an online recording company networking musicians, vocalists, and engineers around the world. Highlights: - Jordan tells us a story involving vultures and an unfortunate possum - We hear about Jordan’s time at Tisch School of the Arts - “Acting is like religion - everyone has an idea of how to get there, it’s just whatever is true to you” - Jordan Woods-Robinson - Ross is outnumbered by vegans - Jordan shares his thoughts on education vs experience (and both are important, for different reasons) - We hear about Jordan’s audition process for The Walking Dead, and how it was all done online -... &

This week we’re joined by London born, San Francisco based brother & sister duo The Luck. Since relocating to the US, Max and Esmay have released 2 EPs, and have performed at The Troubadour, the Viper Room, and also for Warner Bros. Pictures. They are experienced buskers and recorded some intimate live video sessions with grammy-award winning engineer David Bianco at Dave's Room. In this episode, we talk about their move from the UK to the US, advice on obtaining a Visa for working abroad, and the benefits of busking. Highlights: - The Luck love making music and are all about giving it to people - We talk about their move from London to California - Max and Esmay tell us how artists can apply for Visas when wanting to work abroad - It can be helpful to have contracts with venues in place when applying for a Visa - We talk about being British in America - California is HOT! Especially compared to London. - We learn that Max has a bit of a sarcastic streak! - Max and Esmay give us some busking tips and...

This week we're bringing you our first ever Halloween special! If you saw our holiday special last year, you'll know that things got a little crazy and in this episode... well, you can judge for yourself! We welcome back past guests singer/songwriter Andrew DeLeon, singer/songwriter Janet Devlin, singer/songwriter and Finger Eleven guitarist James Black, and singer/songwriter Charlotte Eriksson aka The Glass Child to the show. Enjoy, and have a Happy Halloween! Highlights: - Andrew doesn’t wear costumes, he wears concepts - James once dressed up as one of the guys from ZZ Top for Halloween, even though he didn’t know who they were - Janet once went trick or treating as Zorro… complete with horse - We learn that Halloween isn’t really much of a big deal in Sweden - Ross shares a Halloween story about dressing up as an unknown video game character - Marcio shares that his sister dressed him up as a girl one year… and it explains a lot - We challenge James to write a Halloween song - Charlotte sees holidays...

This week we’re joined by LA based singer, record producer, songwriter and engineer, Josh Stevens. As a producer and songwriter, Josh has worked with some of the biggest names in the business, including LMFAO, Jennifer Lopez and Snoop Dogg. His works are Grammy Award winning, RIAA Platinum Certified and Billboard Award Nominated. Now Josh is taking center stage with the release of his own EP, Story Of Summer, due for release in the fall of 2015. The EP features performances from Captial Cities’ Spencer Ludwig and The Foo Fighters’ Drew Hester. Highlights: - Josh tries his hardest not to look like an idiot as much as possible - Josh and Marcio haven’t had much sleep - We mention Michael Bolton way earlier than usual in this episode - Josh tells us how he always wanted to do music and started out in a hip-hop group with his brothers - Josh doesn’t want to be the dumbest person in the room, and is always learning - We hear about Josh’s experience working with LMFAO - Ross shares a story about hearing LMFAO...

This week, we’re excited to welcome Los Angeles based musician, actor and model, Malynda Hale to the show. Malynda is a multi-talented performer, classically trained in both vocal performance and musical theatre. In her music career, Malynda has won many independent awards and has released 3 studio EPs to date. As an actor, she can be seen in several major and independent film projects, including The 4th Meeting, and Oranges, and is also working on a new TV series, Agent X. Malynda co-hosts The Vampire Diaries After Show on The Stream.tv and serves as the main host for The Walking Dead After Show. She is a spokesperson for vegan makeup company Valana Minerals and is the founder of The meTOO! Campaign, which promotes equality for marginalized couples. Her new EP Pieces Of Me is due for release in late October, 2015. Highlights: - Malynda uses vegan soul food to introduce her friends to veganism - We learn that Malynda thought she wanted to pursue musical theatre, but enjoyed pop and soul more - Malynda... &

This week we’re pleased to welcome Detroit based musician and producer, Brandon Williams to the show. Brandon is one of the premiere drummers on Detroit’s live music scene and is well known in the industry for his ability to play play numerous instruments and for his versatile repertoire. In 2009, he collaborated with Vickie Winans on How I Got Over. The album earned him 9 Stellar Awards nominations including one win, a Grammy Award nomination, and a NAACP Image Award. As a producer he has lent his hand to such artists as Jazmine Sullivan and Jay Electronica, and his production work can be heard in commercials such as the 2015 “Honda Fit” TV commercial featuring Questlove of the Roots. His debut solo album XII reached #1 on the UK Soul Charts in February 2015, and has received much critical acclaim. Highlights: - Brandon is all about the love - When it comes to production, the song is most important - We talk about the role of a producer vs a beatmaker and how the lines have become blurred - You can’t... &#

This week, we're joined by director, musician, and the newly crowned Mantra King, Nathan Johnson. Nathan is a Los Angeles based composer, producer, director, and songwriter, known for his unconventional work in film and music. Some of his composition credits include his work on films such as Brick, Looper and Don Jon, and most recently he directed Son Lux’s music video for “You Don’t Know Me” starring Tatiana Maslany. As a songwriter, Nathan is part of the atmospheric pop band Faux Fix and fronts the The Cinematic Underground. Highlights: - We all agree that Tatiana Maslany is AWESOME - Nathan’s family have always made music and movies together - “Every kid is an artist - some of us grow up and stop being artists and some of us are crazy enough to continue doing it” - Marcio Novelli, 2015 - Nathan still works with his brothers to this date - Nathan once interviewed in his underwear - Nathan loves the idea of creating something awesome from lots of little things that are all around us - “The best camera...

For more episodes, visit http://bridge-the-atlantic.com Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/bridge_atlantic Subscribe on iTunes: http://bridge-the-atlantic.com/itunes Support us on Patreon: http://patreon.com/bridgetheatlantic -- This week we’re joined by serial songwriter Shelly Peiken. Shelly is a multi-platinum Grammy nominated writer behind massive hits such as “Bitch” by Meredith Brooks, “What A Girl Wants” and “Come On Over” by Christina Aguilera, “Elevator” by David Archuletta, and “Rotten to the Core” from the Disney’s Descendants. In addition to her songwriting work, she is well known as a mentor, panelist, consultant and guest speaker in the music industry. Shelly is currently working on her new book, Confessions of a Serial Songwriter, due for release in early 2016. Highlights: - Shelly has been writing songs professionally for 30 years - Shelly’s upcoming book “Confessions of a Songwriter” is due for release in early 2016 - Past guest and friend of the show, Tam Hansson has a question...

This week we’re joined by LA based singer/songwriter, designer, international hugger and high fiver, Erick Macek. Erick’s tracks can be heard on shows such as Life Unexpected, Melrose Place and 90210, and his upcoming EP was produced by Grammy winner Mikal Blue, and features Dean Dinning of Toad the Wet Sprocket. Erick is also a designer, and is very hands-on in all aspects of his business - especially the design and branding side. We had an awesome time chatting with Erick about crowdfunding, video games, time management & music placements. Highlights: - We discover that we are all workaholics and feel guilty for relaxing - We talk about Erick’s love of video games - Ross and Erick bond over Final Fantasy VII - RPGs = Waste Your Life games - Ross shares a Final Fantasy related secret… - Erick tells us how personal connection played a part in getting his music placed on TV - We talk about how music placements can work and hear how there are many different options - We give Erick’s publicist a shoutout.

Skylar is a transgender singer-songwriter, activist, educator, writer and artist currently living in Boston. Most often known on the internet as his pseudonym “Skylark” or “Skylarkeleven,” he began documenting his transition on YouTube in 2009 when he began hormone therapy, and as a result of his vlogs and written blogs has been invited to speak at numerous events across the United States. Skylar’s latest EP Tell Me A Story was released earlier in 2015, and there’s more music on the way. In this episode we talked about the importance of having a connection with your audience, songwriting, and how attitudes towards the LGBT community have changed over time. Enjoy! Highlights: - We all have a Skylar (or Skyler) in our lives! - Skylar tells us about transitioning from female to male, and how music helped him through the process - Ross always goes with his heart - We talk about the importance of being vulnerable when writing and performing music - Skylar tells us how he’s always been influenced by artists... &

This week we’re joined by live music producer and performance coach, Wade Sutton. Between co-authoring “The $150,000 Music Degree” with former Taylor Swift manager Rick Barker and working one-on-one with artists around the world via Skype, Rocket to the Stars' Wade Sutton has dedicated his life to helping artists ditch their day jobs in favor of careers in music. Wade teaches singers and musicians how to turn their live shows into a kick-ass experience resulting in fans buying more merchandise and increasing e-mail sign-ups. Wade dishes out some really valuable advice in this episode, so listen up! Highlights: - Wade and Ross have mastered the act of cyberstalking when researching clients and podcast guests - We hear how Wade organised a large scale singing competition, and how it helped guide him into the music industry - Wade tells us how the singing competition evolved into an artist development competition - We hear how Wade came into contact with Rick Barker, and how that led to them co-writing The...

This week we’re joined by Rod Thomas aka Bright Light Bright Light. Rod started his musical career busking on the London Underground, but has since evolved into an artist who combines strong songwriting skills with electronica, and has caught the attention of many of pop’s biggest names including Erasure, Ellie Goulding, The Pet Shop Boys and Elton John. Rod was invited on tour with Elton John in 2014, and Elton also performed on his single “I Wish We Were Leaving.” Highlights: - Rod is NOT called Rob - take note! - We hear about Rod’s connection with the 90s as it’s when he started buying music - Rod tells us about his experiences of busking on the London Underground - The feedback you get from people can often mean more than money - Rod tells us how he finds performing in front of big crowds vs smaller audiences - We hear how Rod was invited on tour with Elton John, and how 11 shows turned into 55 - Rod tells us that Elton John is very supportive of new artists and often reaches out to those he enjoys...

This week we’re joined by LA based singer/songwriter Brandyn Burnette. Brandyn attended NYU's Tisch School Of The Arts on full scholarship for musical theatre before being encouraged by his manager to travel the world and pursue his own music career. After meeting with music publishers and writing for other artists, Brandyn was discovered by Kara Dioguardi, who signed him as an artist, developed him & brought him to LA to record an album. His work has been nominated for a Juno Award and tracks he has written for artists have featured in top 40 charts around the world, including a #1 in Spain. Now focusing on his own material, Brandyn has a new EP due for release later this year and has just released a video for “I Wanna Be Free.” Highlights: - Marcio shares a tip: Don’t say you “dropped out of school to pursue music” - you LEFT school to pursue music. Big difference ;) - We learn that one of Brandyn’s first passions was acting - Brandyn tells us about his time at Warner and shares the reasons he became.