Rock Returns With Gyasi

Guitars that bite, hooks that stick, and a frontperson who treats the stage like a high-voltage ritual—this conversation with Jossie pulls back the curtain on how modern rock gets made and why it still matters. We start where the obsession began: Beatles on repeat, pots-and-pans drum kits, blues records on the family stereo. That early gravity toward rhythm and melody grew into a craft sharpened at Berklee, where songwriting, arranging, and gypsy jazz chops turned raw instincts into reliable tools.

From there, Jossie walks us through the leap from DIY everything—writing, producing, mixing—to teaming with Nashville producer and engineer Bobby Holland for Here Comes The Good Part. The difference isn’t about polish for its own sake; it’s about choices that make the songs hit harder. We get real about the push-pull between total control and a producer’s perspective, the kinds of decisions that change a record’s color without losing its edge, and the joyful chaos of building a live band that can deliver theater and thunder in equal measure.

Tour talk gets honest fast. Europe grew first, with three runs leveling up into sellouts and a September–October swing already in motion. The U.S. remains a maze—big distances, siloed markets, and budgets that balloon on off-nights—so the plan is precision: festivals, strategic cities, and rooms that fit the moment. Pittsburgh’s Mr. Smalls earns a nod as a perfect match. We also dive into visual identity (why the covers center Jossie), stagewear with purpose, and the rising wave of female-led rock that’s pushing the genre forward.

If you’re curious about how great records really come together, how touring decisions get made, and how a single well-placed sync can change the trajectory of an indie project, this one’s for you. Press play, meet the mind behind the music, and hear why the next chapter is already being written between meetings and midnight writing sessions. Subscribe, share with a friend who misses loud guitars, and leave a review with the city you want on the tour map.

Chapters

• 0:00 Warm-Up Banter And Intros
• 3:22 Early Influences And First Instruments
• 8:10 Blues Roots And Songwriting Obsession
• 12:55 Live Performance, Venues, And Pittsburgh Dreams
• 16:40 New Album Timeline And Touring Strategy
• 21:15 Why Europe Grew Faster Than The U.S.
• 26:50 Current Bands, Europe Scenes, And Idols
• 31:40 Stagewear, Openers, And French Rock Finds
• 35:42 Producer vs DIY: Crafting The Record
• 42:05 Film, Horror, And Creative Reinvention
• 47:10 Berklee Years And Finding A Voice
• 52:00 Building The Band And The Live Machine
• 57:35 Sync Licensing And Music For Screen
• 1:02:00 Advocacy, Discovery, And Rock’s Next Wave
• 1:06:30 Closing, Release Date, And What’s Next

Transcript

SPEAKER_02: 0:00

Awesome. Jossie Hughes of Jossy, welcome. Thank you for taking the time to swim in the bowl with me. Yeah, happy to swim. Happy to swim. Excellent. I'm hoping the temperature is just right. Temperature's good. Temperature's good. Yeah. It's cold outside, but it's warm in here. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm I'm I'm on the East Coast, so we're just getting over that major whatever Arctic wind or storm, whatever. Like just now. It's it's really cold out today, but I think this weekend it's starting to uh hopefully warm up. Can't have spring come fast enough.

SPEAKER_03: 0:40

Yeah. Yeah, same. It's been it's been cold here. Probably not as cold as up there. I don't know. Where where are you? I'm in uh Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Okay, yeah. Where where are you at? I'm in Nashville, NSC. Nashville, okay. Yes. Awesome, awesome. Music hub. Oh yeah. Oh yeah. Awesome, awesome. So can't throw a rock without hitting a guitar player around here. Exactly, exactly.

SPEAKER_02: 1:03

I'm a huge, huge fan of Jossi, the band, and and yours as as we were talking in email, being the the writer, the the the genius behind you know the the overall band. And mastermind, mad professor. Right, right. Mad scientists of you know awesome music. Thank you. And absolutely, and obviously, there are like so many different like musical influences that you know I can hear and obviously tell from seeing uh photos from live performances and you know your your album covers. And one of the things I definitely wanted to bring up was I know with the new album coming out, hopefully, hopefully we can get you to come down to Pittsburgh PA and put on a you know an unforgettable night of live music. You're one of the bands that are currently out right now that is like really, you know, bringing back rock and roll, you know. Like, like I'm really into all different genres of rock and music in general. I really like shoe gaze and like you know, kind of like Sabbithian metal, like doom metal stuff like that. But I'm also always on the lookout for great, you know, new alternative rock, and especially stuff that brings back elements of you know the the the classic rock. I mean, I guess classic classic rock is technically 90s, grunge could be considered classic rock. I guess now, yeah. This this point, but the the the the the roots, you know, with bands like obviously T-Rex, David Bowie, another little more recent band that I hear like you know, with those two names, and I want to throw in Jet as as like a huge kind of like I I I kind of see like like Jossy kind of sounds like like t a mixture of T-Rex, David Bowie, and on the more modern side, Jet. And I mean among other, you know, numerous different influences and bands and stuff. But my first question for you is what got you interested in you know music to start with?

SPEAKER_00: 3:30

Well, I was an only child, and I had my parents had an incredible record collection, and you know, just started playing a lot of great music when I was a baby, super, super small. And I think I reacted to it really strongly, like really early. I mean, I remember my earliest musical memory is I would set up like pots and pans and boxes in the kitchen and had like chopsticks, I think. And I remember playing along with the Beatles. I mean, I was like three or four years old, and I had a drum set and I would be playing along with the Beatles, and yeah, so I was kind of initially like drums, drums and rhythm were just like initially like kind of the earliest thing I grabbed onto. And I got a guitar when I was six. And yeah, I mean the Beatles, the Beatles, I think, were you know, like like a lot of people, probably not kids, my not my generation so much, but you know, I that was kind of the first band, and then the stones were kind of the second one that really captured my imagination. And I think Bob Marley, and my dad listened to a lot of early jazz, so like Cab Callaway was something I was really interested in. You know, a lot of yeah, just the early jazz and then and then the early blues as well, which you know, I kind of grew up and was sort of just kind of saturated in as a little kid. And then as I got a little older and you know, got into rock and roll, and then was kind of tracing it back to early blues, I kind of you know got more into the blues from a perspective of of learning it and diving really deep into that music. And just there's so it's just so rich how much you know early blues music there is and how all these different players had such unique, they were so unique and had such unique voices and ways of playing and writing. So yeah, I got I I forget, I'm sorry, I'm rambling a little bit. What was the the question?

SPEAKER_03: 5:11

Was just early as musical influences? Yeah, what what got you interested in music? But yeah, that's mine.

SPEAKER_00: 5:19

I mean, I guess, yeah, what got me into it, I mean, I guess music itself. I mean, I think I was just I just was gravitated toward it immediately. And I guess I mean I kind of had a knack, you know, my parents weren't musicians, but I mean I started playing so young and just immediately as soon as I got a guitar, I was just like trying to make up songs and trying to find chords and just explaining with it, exploring it. Yeah, I think it I think and I and it wasn't when I was little, it wasn't just music, I was interested in everything kind of in that way. You know, anything that I thought was interesting or caught my attention, it was like I want I want to know everything I can about this and learn it, you know. So I was dancing, I learned how to juggle, I was into I was like, I was into you know history and and and acting and you know, kind of always kind of making up these different characters. I was interested in fashion, kind of everything, anything that caught my eye, I would just like go, I would just become obsessed with it. But music was kind of the biggest one of those that kind of you know, I think it was like the deepest well. So that's kind of why I stayed in that more than anything else that I was interested in, because it just it was there was so much to just continue learning and going in these different directions, and it was just like, yeah, the whole world that fascinated me.

SPEAKER_02: 6:31

It still does. That that's awesome, and it it really makes total sense when seeing, like, you know, I can only say I've seen live pictures and you know, some some recorded performances, whether it's you know been on Facebook or YouTube or whatever, but it's it's definitely very like that makes a lot of sense with the showmanship of of your band and especially the whole live performance and everything.

SPEAKER_00: 7:00

I I I mean yeah, that's that's my favorite part.

SPEAKER_02: 7:03

Yes, yes. And like like I said, it would be like you are one of the bands that like at a current bands today was like on top my list of like US artists that like I really really want to see live. Gotta get to Pittsburgh. Yes, yes. Like I if if you want, I got a list of uh venues. Um there's there's a really good venue, it's a uh nice, nice size. I think it's about like 800 capacity, it's called Mr. Small's Theater, and they actually have like several different venues. I think I've heard of that place. It's a really good uh venue, and they've had like a lot of different bands play there, but for your particular audience, I would say that venue is probably your best bet in Pittsburgh. The next one that is like the next size up from that would be stage AE. That's more like like Mr. Smalls and Stage A is like the in-between before you get to like like stay like the next kind of venue size after stage AE is like getting to like stadium or right, like you know, outside you know, concert grounds, sure type type shows. But Mr. Smalls Mr.

SPEAKER_00: 8:24

Smalls, yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 8:25

Yeah, that that would be my best bet. It's a great venue. They have like two different, like it's like a multiple multi-venue venue, and uh they have like the main kind of concert area and a smaller area called the fun house, which is for you know like a like more uh like upcoming bands, with stuff that's like they have maybe one album out or something. But I I think I think for you you could get the definitely the main the main the main venue. I mean I I I know if if I'm a fan of of your music, and of course with your following and everything, I guaranteed that that would be a a really good show. Um but again I would you know love to see you live. And uh I I mean uh is there any like talk of I know the new album's coming out uh February 7th, and let me plug it for you. Here comes the good part.

SPEAKER_00: 9:25

Yep, February 7th.

SPEAKER_02: 9:27

Excellent. Any uh tour dates or you know who you're gonna be playing with?

SPEAKER_00: 9:32

You know, the tour I have meetings like all this week about that. Okay, so which is a little it's a little I I don't there's no touring happening like you know immediately. It's probably you know more towards May, June and onwards, like later summer. Okay. Just because yeah, we we didn't plan anything super early this year, mostly just to focus on this record, getting this record out, and then I'm already in the studio a bunch recording the next one. So that's kind of been more of my focus, has been like writing like yeah, like right now, after soon as we get off this, I'm working on new songs. So the one thing I do know is that we're going to Europe in September and October. So I have a meeting, meeting tomorrow about that. So that's kind of that's kind of I think where we've been prioritizing a little bit, you know. Uh yeah. Because we've just had a we've had more success, I would say, in Europe than we have in the have had in the States. And there's just been a lot of buzz, and you know, we've been selling out venues there, and the tours have been just growing kind of at this, you know, pretty fast rate. We've done three tours there, and they like each one just like leveled up. Oh yeah. Oh yeah. So so that's kind of been a little, we've shifted our focus a little bit to more just like, you know, we really need to focus on these markets and keep growing in Europe. And you know, the US is just it's so big, it's huge. Right. And uh and it kind of tends, you know, the the markets are a little more isolated, it feels like, you know. Like yeah, it's like just because you've made it in New York doesn't mean you've made it anywhere else. You know, it's like you kind of have to like and so it's a it's it's a lot. So yeah, so I don't know. I'm trying to figure out how how how we want to do, you know, tackle the U.S. I mean, we've never even been on the East Coast, literally. We've never played, we've never played Pittsburgh. We've never played, I mean, the club I'm trying to think the furthest. Yeah, I mean, we played in Maryland, that might be like the furthest north on the East Coast that we've even played. So like Philadelphia, New York City, Boston, DC. I mean, there's tons of markets that we've never even played. So, but you know, it's also, you know, as you get further out and are on the road for weeks, you start, you know, then you get more overhead. You're staying at more hotels, you're on you're there on off like Mondays and Tuesdays, you know, so then you get like more overhead, and so then it's all like, you know, becomes you know, you have to prioritize what's worth it, you know, what makes sense. So yeah, I don't I don't know yet what our tour schedule is going to be this year. I feel like you know, the main priority is just making sure it's markets that you know either you know it's it's a well-paying gig, you know, it makes sense financially, undoubtedly, or it's a strategic market that is like, you know, we need to build in this market, or festivals. We'll probably do some festivals. So yeah, but Pittsburgh, I definitely would would love to come there and I'll uh I'll put that on my agent's radar for sure.

SPEAKER_03: 12:17

Awesome, awesome.

SPEAKER_02: 12:18

And if if if you do make it to Mr. Small's, I would love to meet you in you know person. Yeah, absolutely. You know, that that would that would be like a a dream dream scenario, you know. Yeah, man. Coverage and everything and all that. Totally. Yeah, I will I will definitely let you know. Awesome, awesome. And as far as you said with Europe, I I totally get that because it, you know, most of the bands that I actually interview are from Europe. I they I mean they they've always kind of like been ahead of the always.

SPEAKER_00: 12:52

I mean, yeah, I mean, most of most of all my favorite bands made it in Europe first. I mean, you know, look at look at like Cage the Elephant. Right, right. Huge in Europe before they would. I mean, they were playing uh remember they were I was in in yeah, way back on like their first tour. Uh I saw I caught a show of theirs and it was in like a cafe. And there were like 40 people there, and they were huge in Europe, and they were playing like literal cafes in the States. And say, I mean, White Stripes were another band that you know totally blew up. Jimi Hendrix blew up in the I mean, it's been kind of in rock and roll music, I think it's been sort of a recurring theme is that you know the good shit. I I don't know, Americans just I I think you know, they just don't appreciate American music that much.

SPEAKER_02: 13:34

And I think they kind of I I will agree with that. And really, like the only major like musical movement that you could say like America was like responsible for really was like the grunge movement. And that that movement, I mean it was universal music, sure, you know, but you know, there it all for the most part started in Seattle, totally, and I mean rock and roll, you know.

SPEAKER_00: 14:02

I mean Little Richard, you know, I mean rock and roll is American music, right?

SPEAKER_02: 14:06

You know, Chuck Berry, I mean, you know, exactly, yeah, and and and like the bands you mentioned, like the Stones and the Beatles, and even Led Zeppelin and The Who, all the all those that British invasion music, you know, they they've all said in in you know, numerous interviews from when they were in their heyday that they all grew up listening to like Chuck Berry and Hall and Wolfland, you know, American music. Yeah, yeah, exactly. You know, I just I just think in terms of like trends, you know, and I guess like the post you know British invasion, 60s, 70s, you know, rock and roll, Europe has just been able to like somehow, you know, evolve, you know, rock rock and roll as a genre in general. And they're a little more like, I mean, there's a like you said, there's a lot more markets for that, like your type of music and just you know, more intricate types of music that isn't like you know, mainstream stuff that's like you know, pop music or you know, something like that. I was like, I mean, I I was gonna ask you actually, it's one of my questions, uh, like who are some of your you know favorite like you know, your European bands? Because I mean, just just in in in my head who I could see you playing with that I I'm familiar with out there are bands like uh blues pills, the spiders, you know, there there's there's so many really like great bands that have like the the classic rock uh you know sound and that are like you know really influenced by you know like blues pills and in the spiders, for instance, you can clearly hear like Joplin and you know Bowie and you know all these like you know really influential, like original era classic rock, 60s, 70s classic rock stuff. And even with like you know, your outfits on stage, you know, I'm a big follower of Blues, Pillows, and Spiders, and you know, they they have like the the sequence jumpsuits, you know, like you know, and stuff like it's like basically it's like a similarities and like you know the outfits and the stage presence and the the appreciation for for all music and especially trying to bring stuff back from you know the the the days of you know like when when my parents would have you know been been like young and in high school and you know stuff like that. But like who who are some of your like favorite like European bands and I guess just bands that you know you like you like to currently listen to, stuff like that.

SPEAKER_00: 16:56

That are that are current bands, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 16:59

And I guess specifically stuff from Europe and some of the people stuff like that.

SPEAKER_00: 17:04

You know, I I'm not super I don't I don't know a whole lot really specifically European bands. I mean, I'm trying to think. There was this band actually, it was this French band that are really good called the Dynamite Shakers. And we we on our last tour, the airlines lost our luggage for like the first three shows. We had no luggage, none of my stage outfits. We were all they were also missing it. We were missing like my pedal board, so it was it was kind of a mess. But this the first show of the tour, there was we were playing in a in a city where this this local band were they're like a rock band, and they they donated, they gave us like a bunch of their clothes, their stage clothes for us to wear. Wow. Yeah, which was really nice of them, and they were really cool clothes. And they gave the the the band actually wasn't there, but they the venue owner gave us gave us a CD. And uh, I was just listening to it recently, and they're yeah, really great French rock and roll band. Like kind of, yeah, I don't know, very high energy, really great guitar riffs. Yeah, really cool. Uh that's about it as far as I know of as far as French bands. English band, I'm trying to think of like a current English band. I mean, uh there's uh there's that band Idols, you know, idols.

SPEAKER_02: 18:10

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 18:11

Yeah, I think they're interesting. I mean, I'm not super, I'm not necessarily someone who's particularly fascinated with like bands that necessarily sound old or have older influences. I I'm mostly just interested in anything that I think is interesting or you know, artistically valuable. So yeah, I don't I don't know. I with yeah, I mean, I think Idols is interesting. I'm trying to think. I mean, I was just listening to a song by an artist named Lola Young the other day, who's kind of I think growing up out of Britain, but she's seen it pop. I think you know what I think I I end up noticing more just songwriting is kind of what I pay attention to. And I I mean I don't know, as far as bands go, I haven't seen a whole lot of really interesting like rock stuff. And maybe I just I mean I've heard of Blues Pills, but I don't know anything about them, and I don't think I've ever heard of the spiders, so I'll definitely check those out. Awesome, yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 19:02

I mean as far as sorry, sorry, go ahead. There's also the like do you know the struts? Oh yeah, yeah, kind of a glam.

SPEAKER_00: 19:08

Yeah, yeah, and I I don't know. I yeah, I think they they that they're it I mean, Luke is an amazing singer, it's a great singer and a great frontman. I think you know they have they're kind of hit or miss for me as far as the songwriting goes, you know, like lyrically. I don't know, there's never really been much there for me to sink my teeth into with that band, but and it's very pop, but there is some glam influence and they're a band, like they're a great band. I mean, I've seen them live and they sound really amazing, and they're British. So yeah, I don't know. I I yeah, there's not a whole lot of yeah, specifically European bands that that I that I know of right now, but I'm sure they're out there.

SPEAKER_02: 19:48

I I could give you a list. Yeah, cool. There there's there's one band actually from France called Birth of Joy, and I swear to god, they're like the doors reincarnated.

SPEAKER_00: 20:00

Nice. Oh, that reminds me there was a band that opened for us from France that was a duo, it was just drums and organ, and the organ player was like a master. Like he had a ham and b3 on stage and a lot of pedals, and it was just a two-piece and not much singing, but man, the the organ playing, like and the sound, you know, they had the Leslie. I mean, it was like it just sounded the most incredible live organ sound I've ever heard. Um and they were really cool, very kind of 70s style, but really unique. I can't what was their name? Oh, Ice Eyes Shaker, like E-Y-E-S Eyes Shaker. They were really cool. Anyway, that just for some reason that reminded me of them. Yeah, they were awesome. No, no. They're probably the best band that opened for us on that last tour.

SPEAKER_02: 20:44

They were really awesome. I will check them out. I I have not heard of them. I I know another good French band. There's like the I think the guitarist who I'm friends with on Facebook is part of two two bands that are both from France. Uh, one is called Deadly Vipers. They're a little more like a little more like maybe stoner metal, stoner rock kind of genre. And then the other band that he's with is called uh the Santa Maria Death Cult. They're very good. Blue Blues Pills is from Berlin, Germany. That's where they're like headquartered out of. And the spiders, I believe they're from Sweden. And let me think there's an there's a couple other bands from that area that have like a like a very like you know, classic rock sound. I mean, I I also should say that, you know, I mean, I I noticed that like because there there's like multiple different like like rock movements kind of happening in in Europe and the UK right now. And you know, on the subject like we were talking earlier of grunge, uh I've noticed this is like, I mean, there are some bands in the US that are doing this too that are basically have like a debut album or maybe one or two albums out so far, but it's like a resurgence of grunge. It's it's not what's the genre, like like post-grunge or whatever, or you know, like basically like nickelback and right, yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 22:15

I've definitely seen stuff, definitely seen a lot of just 90s influence in general.

SPEAKER_02: 22:20

Yeah, yeah. There's an Irish band that I'm friends with. I've interviewed them, they are phenomenal. It's like they're kind of like a mixture of like the Melvins mixed with like Allison Chains and like Black Flag. They even have a song, something with like Henry Rowland's uh name in it, it's a great track, but they're called Strangers with Guns. Um really awesome band. There is another band that's from originally from Glasgow, who also friends with, and I've interviewed them that has like that very like you know, 90s alternative sound. They're called Geography of the Moon. And they just put out band names. Yes, yes. They just put out their, I believe it's their second actual album, this like towards the end of last year. Great, great, you know, great music. They then and they have the people who this for Virginia Bones and can't remember the her husband's other bandmate's name, Andrea, forget the last name, but they're like a musical duo, and he just put out a new, I think it's either a single or EP with what the solo stuff. I can't remember the name of the band, but it's his solo project, and they have like a very I think um what's the actor's name? Robert Carlisle. He he tweeted something about listening to them. Oh, cool. Um, because he's from, I believe he's from that area. So they're they're a great band. Cool. And there's some other like US-based ones too. I think uh Superbloom, I think is the name of one of the bands, Narrowhead is another one that's pretty good. They actually came to Mr. Small's, I think, last year or the year before, with like a touring with another band, but I'm like, I I I love hearing like the the resurgence of like you know not 90s influence. Yeah, because it's like it's like it's not just it's it's like with your music. It's like it's not just one, you know, particular, you know, band that that that you hear, you know, in your music and in their music, it's like you hear like you know, multiple, you know, it's like a mishmash of like you know, like everything and to create something new. And you know, I I think that for anyone who says and you know continues to say that rock is dead and you know, you know, it's rap or hip-hop or country or pop, you know, whatever is like, you know, the the has taken over is like you know, the the movement. I say listen to Jossi, listen to all this other like really great music that's coming out of not just the UK and Europe, but I noticed that in Australia and yeah, Australia's got some great bands. There's really good music. One I want to plug because I really am trying to get them on my show, and they are phenomenal, is called uh full flower moon band.

SPEAKER_00: 25:30

Never heard of them.

SPEAKER_02: 25:31

It's a female vocalist all backed by guys, and much like with Blues Pills and The Spiders, it's it's female vocalists all backed by guys.

SPEAKER_00: 25:41

Yeah, I feel like I've been most of the best shit I've been finding recently, it's all female. Yeah, it's like most of the most interesting creative stuff is coming from women, I feel like these days. Most of the new bands I find where it's like, ooh, wow, it's I mean, more way more often than yeah. I I I'm not really sure why particularly, but I just have noticed that like man, women are just I don't know. There's a creative, it's just more creatively like charged. I don't know.

SPEAKER_02: 26:12

Well, if in my opinion, it's it's about time because um I agree with that. You know, it's it's it's it's like we've had, you know, I mean, yes, there's been some very famous, you know, female rock bands, Joan Jet, Hart, oh yeah, you know, they were kind of ways as the original, you know, lineup, you know, and there's been some phenomenal female musicians, even you know, going back to the classic rock era that aren't just chick rock, you know. I want to make that very clear because there's a difference between like chick rock and like actual, you know, uh universal like rock rock. But I I I think it it's it's it's about due, you know. Absolutely, yeah. You know, years, you know, over 50 years of, you know, uh it's been totally dominated. Yeah, yeah, you know, and I I I think you know, hearing some of the the music that's especially come out of Europe and some of the stuff I've heard in the US. Also, another shoe gaze band I want to plug that's pleased they're originally from Texas, Austin, I think, blushing. They're a great shoe gazand. They just came through Pittsburgh uh last year with uh another newest album, and it's two chicks and two guys who are I think they're boyfriends or husbands or something. But it's like they're they're the ones, you know, doing the singing and you know, like driving the you know, the the music in in the vocals in the band. And the guys just you know play the instruments as backup. But you know, another example, and you know, uh an album that I suggest listening to from Blues Pills, they just put out their their latest album towards the end of I think over either over the summer of last year or towards the end of the year last year, and it's called Birthday. And that album is not only phenomenal, I was following everything that they were posting up to its release, and it was apparently like the their first album that had like no like producer influence or you know, like like outside tampering to say like you need to make it this this track sound more like this, or you know, like stuff like that. It was it was like each track they all worked on as a band, and everything each track was all original, you know, no like all from them and nothing like outside influence that you know could have said, you know, you know, like I said, you know, make it like this, or right change that, you know. It was all their original, you know, them as a band, you know, making an album. And it's really, really phenomenal, really, really well done.

SPEAKER_00: 29:15

Uh that's always uh yeah, that's something I think about a lot. Is so yes, I mean, because I I did my first EP and first album. Like I made it right basically in my room with a tape machine, produced it, you know, wrote the songs, produced it, in some cases played almost all the instruments or all of them on songs. So, you know, and then I mixed it too. So I literally did every part of the process, which you know, there's like yeah, it's definitely comes with that, you know, a certain amount of where you get to do exactly what you want to do, and it gives you creative freedom and control, but also it's a you know, it can be excruciating to have to do everything like that and not have any outside. perspective, you know? Right, right. And so for the for this record, here comes the good part. It's the first time I ever worked with a producer, with a co-producer. I, you know, I still, I mean, you know, producing is kind of part of how I write. So I I just have a producer's mindset. You know, so I, you know, I kind of always producing whatever I'm doing to an extent. But I I worked with this amazing producer, an engineer Bobby Holland in Nashville. So he did, you know, he did all the engineering. So you know he got great sounds and then you know was pretty transparent as a producer, you know, wasn't super you know overbearing, but would help me, you know, if I was trying to get an idea across he would help kind of help me do that. And he also mixed it. And so yeah, so it's kind of interesting, you know, but there were definitely, you know, there are there is definitely like this album sounds way different than it would have if it was just me, you know, as a result of that. And so I'm kind of always, you know, you're you're weighing the pros and cons of of that. And then with this new music that I'm writing now, I'm kind of you know trying to decide, you know, do I want to you know do it the same way I did the last record or do I want to do it more by myself or do I want to do it with you know maybe even a more intense producer who's got way more you know creative input. Right. It's like what's gonna and it's I guess it's just always a question of what's going to yield the best result. That's kind of what I care about. It's like what's the most creatively interesting and what's going to make something you know you know what's gonna be the most yield the best music. So yeah I think that can be you know as if you're coming from working with you know a really intense producer I think you know that could be you know the way to get the best music out of a group is to say like you know we're gonna do it all ourselves and feel like we're really creatively invested. Right. Which probably obviously worked for them. You know and then sometimes if you're doing it all yourself it's like man really need some anybody to bounce ideas off of that has an outside perspective and that can really help an artist. So yeah I think I think yeah it's all about it's all about you know getting the best music and not getting creatively stifled. Right.

SPEAKER_02: 32:01

Which right you know yeah and and you know to what you just said uh with working with a producer I'm also not trying to like you know bash you know producers for you know if you know anybody got the idea who's listening you know overstepping their boundaries or whatever because you know for example Metallica with when Metallica in the 90s basically changed their you know entire sound from you know the 80s Metallica that was you know pretty much all thrash metal to the black album to load to reload and I think they said they still work with the producer you know to to this day but they were very much against working with a producer and having you know someone come in and basically tell them you know you know change this or just do it a little bit you know a little bit more like this or you know make make the sound like that and they they have since said in in interviews that if it wasn't for that producer really like you know challenging them and saying you know get giving his input you would not have the black album you would not have load you would not have reload and like you know everything that's kind of come from like you know 90s Metallica you know on. So you know it like like you said it's all about the artists you know you know their creative input what they need stuff like that. And I also want to say that I I actually went to school for screenwriting here in in Pittsburgh and you know in terms of uh film you know related to music especially with writing you know you need to like bounce ideas off you know another human mind and if you can find that other human being with with that mind that really like you know meshes you know with with yours you know you can you know bring some of you know the greatest ideas and concepts and you know new new films and even old films if you look at you know how many writers were involved or if it's just two writers or you know even if it's just one writer they all have to bounce ideas off of other people to you know get their their story you know to be where you know it is for you know to be greenlit in the in the film and everything you know so collaboration is key. Yes yes in the arts in general like like you need you need to collaborate with people and I mean even with my podcast like you know I I I got I think you're a PR to to follow me alive what is it yeah a live sound nation right live natural sound alive natural sound thank you my mistake guys a lot alive natural sound thank you yes thank you for following me I look forward to working with you guys and all the different bands that they uh represent because there's uh a lot of really good music that that that PR uh represents that I'm a big follower of as well so yeah that's a it's a great label and it it's it used to be it's a little confusing because it used to be called Bomp Records okay B O M P Bomp and they were they started in I think the early 70s.

SPEAKER_00: 35:30

Oh wow and they they put out the first record that Iggy Pop did after the Stooges called Kill City it was Iggy Pop and John Williamson that they they put that record out. There were several other you know great 70s artists you know on that label.

SPEAKER_02: 35:44

And then somehow I think in the 90s it turned into a live natural sound or maybe even later than that but but yeah Patrick who runs the label yeah he kind of revived that revived the bump catalog and you know they were they signed the blackeys they were the first label yeah I saw that I saw that first record yeah so they yeah it's kind of a it's a it's kind of a tastemaker label you know like smaller but with you know everything they sign is usually like you know really cool and they're kind of on they got you know have really good taste yeah it's it's a great label yeah I I I follow all all the like the the labels that like like I it's like I I I find that a lot of the bands that like I like to listen to and especially like when I'm on Spotify and I'm like well I like this band let me see who's related to you know this this band and then I find that band and you know that's how I've I've you know dug dug into a lot of music but once I kind of find like one band and then I see similar bands I kind of notice like the next thing I do is look up you know who the label is. And I'm like if I can find the label one let me get in touch with the label owners to get you know people like you and all these other bands that I've had on my show and put also you know great way to you know if there's bands that I'm not aware of that are on their label and I like all these other bands obviously it's like well let me you know go to their website see who all the bands are on this label and listen to them. And you know it's a great way to not only network but you know discover new really great interesting you know great great music and everything. But uh yeah Alive Nashville sound has some great bands including yourself yourself. But I have a couple I know we've been talking for a while here here here's a question for it I was wondering yeah who does the cover art for your albums?

SPEAKER_03: 37:50

Well it mostly starts with me again.

SPEAKER_00: 37:52

Okay. Yeah I kind of yeah I mean in all cases it was it was kind of like I guess most of the time I've decided that it it needs to be with the way this project has come together and the way I did everything I I I always feel like it needs to be my face. Like it needs I need to be because I I I often like album covers where you don't see the band you know right where it's just like art. But I I don't know I kind of felt like I wanted to make myself be a you know whatever it was it was kind of use myself to be the the artwork. And so then it's just been okay so so let at least that narrows it down to like okay it's a photograph you know and then yeah I mean my first CP was yeah I just found a photographer and and went out into the woods and did it that way. I mean I guess okay it's kind of like I have the impetus to do it and then I kind of find people to sort of bounce ideas off and say like hey would this be cool or maybe my wife helps me a lot too she helped with with all three um of course she actually took my my first you know the my first album I put out in 2019 I self-produced and self-released she took that and so it's kind of yeah just trying to capture the energy of of the music something that kind of feels like it like it's you know sort of points toward musical identity in some way even if it's very subconscious. So yeah that's kind of the impetus and then like for this record I got a I I wanted to do like a studio style shoot. I've never really done that so I got a photographer and we just kind of spent like a whole day and I brought a bunch of different clothes and I worked with this great stylist named Wolfie who's she's designed some clothes for me. So she kind of was there just as another she's really creative and you know just was as another person to bounce ideas off of. So it's kind of like you know start with starting with this impetus and then you know kind of bring people in that you trust that can then kind of take your idea and like help you you know get just kind of right finishing touch on it. And then so we took a lot of photos and we'll try a lot of you know just kind of tried that's I think another way that I work it's like I have an idea or I have lots of ideas and I don't know you know what's going to work the best and so we just like try stuff and it's like oh well what if we do this oh ooh maybe put this here and then it's just you know and then kind of later you kind of take a step back and you're going through it and it's like oh this thing that we just were fucking around on you know ends up being the coolest thing and the thing that we thought was going to be oh it's gonna be this like you know that's okay but you know this thing that we were just goofing around ends up being you know what's what feels right. And then of course and then it's also like then I have options and then I send them to a live to the record label and then of course they have their opinions and so then you know but yeah it all starts with just yeah as always it starts with an idea and then and then you know take taking action to to explore it. So and like the editing I kind of had a pretty I kind of you know know what I like to an extent as far as like the look of how a photo is processed you know I knew I wanted the colors and the saturation to be pretty intense. So I actually did most of the editing on each myself so I just got the raw photos because Scott the photographer is amazing and he's just he's a really great photographer but he doesn't really do a lot of like processing. He's just like captures a really he's a he knows he's got the good eye to capture the right moment. And then I did a lot of like kind of the the color treatment. Awesome. Awesome. Yeah it's just it's a lot of kind of yeah back and forth bouncing ideas. Collaboration again right right right but you know collaboration directed by I have a strong idea in mind.

SPEAKER_02: 41:32

Right. I I don't mean to sound pretentious but I just want to say that you everything that we've talked about so far and your musical the the you know you being almost like I want to say like a like a musical prodigy. You know like I I don't want to sound yeah you know per pretentious in saying that but I I mean really like after talking to you so just up till now and everything and hearing like you know going back to when you're a little kid and you know how we've talked how you're like you know the the main writer and like you you are you know Josy you know and yeah and I just why I that's why I called it Jossi.

SPEAKER_00: 42:17

It's because I I was gonna I you know I was always looking I had a notebooks full of band names and I wanted a band. I mean that's that's what I wanted to do was kind of be a member of a band and it just it didn't happen. It just kept not happening and not working. And so there was just a point where I was kind of like I'm gonna take all you know I have all these ideas and all these things I want to do and I keep waiting to just end up in the band that makes all these ideas you know work. And it's it's not going to happen. So I was like fuck it I'll I'll do everything myself if I have to right right and then I when I was like thinking of a name it's like I'm just gonna you know nobody knows what this word even is because it's so unusual. So it's like that could just be the band name. Just make it my first name which nobody can ever pronounce or no you know it's like I'll just like make that the thing just like instead of trying to like hide it it's like no it's just that right and so yeah and on that let me plug your second album title pronounced jaw C.

SPEAKER_02: 43:15

Yeah yeah also yeah just because you know I was having to start every single interview the way ours started which was right am I getting a name how exactly do you pronounce I mean yeah right I mean I like I I I I knew I had like the the first name right I wanted to make sure sure and then yeah I had this the last name right that's also why I didn't I didn't bother putting the last name like right right in you know it's just like also if if you look back at some of like the you know the really big bands Santana right sure Janice Joplin you know Frank Zappa Prince you know George Clinton and the Parliament Funkadelic you know you know Joan Jett and the Heartbreaker you know you know so you know like I I think you know in the cases like like yours and past bands and everything when you know you really are the one that is like I mean but like in in your case and in other bands cases that literally is is doing everything with the exception of like you know live performances and having needing a whole you know band to kind of do everything that you can't do as a one you know personal show. But you know when when it is like you know you are you know the the genius behind you know jossy and and as the band and everything you know I I think in those cases it definitely deserves to have like you know you your name as you know the the the band's name I mean because it the the band is defined by you you know right and and you know when you hear bands that have like you know like the the first name of the singer either as the full title in your case and like Santana or whether it's like you know Janet Joplin and so and so or you know you know Joan Jett and the heartbreakers or you know stuff like that. But still it's like you know they're they are you know the the leaders of the group you know and when you know you're essentially the you know big boss in charge and the one you know doing everything with the musical writing and the lyrics and you know all that you know it's like I said it it it jossy is defined by you you know and in the other those other bands cases as well. You know so I think you know in those cases I think it's totally appropriate to have like the the first name or the full name of you know the leader of the group backed either by something else or even Iggy pop and the Stooges. Right. And then when he was solo Iggy pop you know so you know and and on that I wanted to say that I I hear a lot of Iggy pop and in and joss also so you know the the whole you know performance patron saint yes exactly exactly you know he's my man yeah yes yes it's just I mean it's just yeah it's like it's a thing of just this is the so powerful right right thing of beauty like that like the real I mean that's real punk to me. Right right and I I've loved him as a musician and as an actor and this is the only other like musician two musicians that I can say that like I I love their music equally as much as their films especially their films because like they all do like cult stuff which one is Iggy pop two is Debbie Harry right yeah Debbie Harry um and Tom Waits.

SPEAKER_00: 46:55

Oh man I was hoping you were gonna say Tom Waits.

SPEAKER_02: 46:57

I'm a huge Tom Waits fan. Yeah yeah Tom Waits as an actor and you know aside from stounding music career has has been in some of the coolest cult films. So good you know down by law yes yes mystery men yeah yeah he's just he's hilarious in that where he's where he's hitting on the old ladies offering them candy right too good you know and and and even even you know I wanted to bring this up because Nosferatu is out right now and I refuse to watch that movie because I I saw the trailer and to me it's just a shot for shot ripoff from uh Bram Stoker's Dracula where Tom Waits was Renfield and it's the same movie.

SPEAKER_00: 47:47

You know it's it's it is I mean I saw it yeah it's I think it's different I mean I I like Bram Stoker's Dracula better. I mean I think there's there's definitely a more of a romantic romantic sensuality to that and it's just it's so well coppola I mean I think that's my favorite Coppola film. It's just so well done like it's just almost and the costuming the colors it's like man that's you can't top that and this is I think this is different enough. It's not I mean it's the same story. It's the Dracula story. So it's like it's they're both based on the same book so it's like the plot is pretty you know yeah obviously but I I wouldn't say it's so much I think it's a different take on it because it's much more I guess I guess it's like it's it's rather than being romantic it's more like forbidden desire. So it's a little bit more of like a lust like intensity rather than like romance. So it kind of takes a slightly different angle on the relationship of the heroine and the to her terrorizing vampire and the cinematography whoever this the cinematographer is you know aside from you know whatever the the plot or the acting or anything just the cinematography itself is pretty pretty interesting.

SPEAKER_02: 49:00

That that is the only thing I could really take away from seeing is is I could tell the cinematography was well done but I've heard other reviews of it and it's like that's about the best part of the movie is the cinematography.

SPEAKER_00: 49:22

Yeah go ahead go ahead well the you know and also I mean it's you can't top the original right I mean if you've seen the 1920 to the original Nosferatu right it's just I mean it's you know it's groundbreaking and brilliant. Right you know it's it's like there's really it's kind of there's no real need for this new version to exist. But I will say it's it's you know it's pretty well done being what it is.

SPEAKER_02: 49:45

It's not it's like at least you know you can tell the director obviously you know was really cared about it and put a lot into it but does it need to exist and not not really but it's worth seeing it's worth seeing I will say that's that's where I agree like do do we really need it no you know you know but it it's here basically yeah you know I I I mean like I I know that people say it's based yeah because it is based on the original Dracula and the whole reason that it was called Nosferatu is because copyright yeah copyright issue exactly yeah but with that being said you know how many different interpretations of Dracula Frankenstein the Wolfman the invisible man Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde sure you know how how many you know I mean it's literally you know it's public domain stuff. So you know and it's literally you know film has been around for a hundred plus years at this point and how many you know starting with you know you know like you said the original sign film and then the whole Bella Lugosi right Dracula up to like the cheesy stuff with like you know you know the the the Marx brothers in the Three Stooges with like the Wolfman and you know Dracula up until like the 80s you know when we really got kind of like you know interesting again with like taking concepts of like Dracula and even even the hammer film you know with all with the Christopher Lee and the Frank uh Langella Draculas you know you know there there's been how many it's been done it's been done but it's also been like it's also been like tastefully like reinterpreted too you know and I I'm just like I I would I'm I'm a big horror fan and like I I really in the 80s and the 90s and even the 70s you can throw in there with some of the classics you know really that that's that's like I think the the prime you know juicy like really like you know inventive mind blowing stuff and whatever you know Hollywood is into right now it's just like you know it's it's kind of sad.

SPEAKER_00: 52:07

You know it's pretty rough it's pretty rough.

SPEAKER_02: 52:10

Yeah you know I I just I want to see more like you know instead of like uh comic book and Ip you know I I want to see like you know like like with music you know originality you know um and when I say originality obviously you know talking about jossy and how many other bands we've talked about it's it's it's like you know they're all taking from past stuff you know but the way they make it original and the way you make it original is by like fusing you know all this like different you know influential stuff in in your case music you know and in the other case we're talking about film and creating something new based off of how many other influences from something in the past you know and I think especially with film right now we're we're at a point where the studios basically care more about making back a profit of 100% stuff like that.

SPEAKER_00: 53:16

And it's even in the the mainstream music too you know but like you know where you yourself as a musician and creative mind and and genius when it comes to you know jossy and and your music you know and and how many other musicians and all that you know I I think music has a little more freedom and outlets to kind of like get spread spread to different audiences versus where film is you know more about but you need to you know yeah film it's kind of it would be a a nightmare to try and like have a great original idea and try to get a film made that would just be yeah right I I can you know it must I mean it must be extremely difficult. Yeah. Did you I mean did you see the lighthouse? I did yeah yeah I thought that was pretty interesting film pretty different. That's from this the same uh same dire it's from that same director yeah yeah and I think you know I guess he just had I guess enough commercial success that they were able to give him funding and you know the ability to do things like that because it's just yeah so rare to see anybody do anything I mean my interesting film my favorite film that he he has made to date is the Northmen um I haven't seen that one that that is really good and Bjork has a role in it.

SPEAKER_02: 54:39

She plays kind of like a Viking witch or or goddess or something but it's it's that old you know tale of you know the the the king's brother slays the king you know and and the the son you know escapes and the prince escapes and you know seeks revenge old tale you know but it's all about how you you know reinvent it and play it because you know look at the James Bond movies you know same formula totally for like I think we're going on like 60 it's it's been like 60 years right I think so close to it. So it's definitely been 50 you know uh so we're I think it's it's I think it's 60 or more now almost at 60 I know that you know some some formulas you just don't need the change you know because you know the classic saying if it ain't broke don't fix it. Right.

SPEAKER_00: 55:39

You know but yeah I think it's yeah it's definitely easier as musician to sort of yeah to carve out your own your own way yeah but it's it's still you know music business also is yeah definitely the easiest not the easiest business either.

SPEAKER_02: 55:55

Definitely I also wanted to mesh I know you you have a background at at Berkeley um my uh my sister went to Berkeley uh for for music as well but obviously Berkeley being one of the biggest you know music schools in the US al alone what was your like experience in in college and how did that like did that transition in any any way to you know forming Jossi as the band?

SPEAKER_00: 56:23

I mean definitely I mean it was it was great for me you know coming I mean I grew up in West Virginia like in a holler you know in a small town going to like small town public school which I hated because I was just I just did was a complete alien. I was a total alien in that environment and you know was made you know was they made sure I knew that too so it was felt very not not the most you know fun environment for me like at least the school you know I had a small community of like friends and stuff in my early b early bands and all of that. But you know getting it when I graduated high school I was like I'm getting the fuck out of here immediately. So and so and but it you know but then at the same time it was like total culture shock being you know now I'm in downtown Boston from like being in the woods of of West Virginia. So but it was great for me because it was you know I I think one of the biggest things was just you know being there with lots of other students you know people kids from all over the country that were hungry and talented and you know in all these different ways all coming together to you know learn music. So yeah it was it was it was it was good for me you know I explored a lot I mean I played a lot it was funny I never played bluegrass in West Virginia ever but I ended up you know kind of I guess I guess part of it was like there wasn't you can't really study rock and roll you know it's like that's kind of a goofy thing to try to acad get turn into academics. Same with blues music you know it's it's kind of hard to teach that in an academic setting and anytime you do it just comes off it's just kind of goofy you know so I kind of gravitated towards well you know what you know what will help what I want to do. So you know songwriting I I know that it took a lot of songwriting and learning you know learning guitar and learning you know even how to write music, score music, composition I mean even writing for piano and orchestra and things like that, you know, string arranging. And then I ended up yeah but I was studying gypsy jazz so like Django Reinhardt music was kind of what I was focusing on. I was playing a lot of jazz and acoustic music so that kind of overlapped with the bluegrass scene. So there were just and and that was where there were just like these incredible the musicianship was just like you know just amazing. And so yeah I ended up kind of playing a lot of bluegrass music and acoustic music and gypsy jazz and and a lot of those players are now you know winning Grammys right now in the bluegrass community. Like Molly Molly Tuttle, you know a a lot of them a lot of the kids that I was in school with are just now at the top of the bluegrass world. And so yeah that was just a great education and a great also you know just a really exploratory time for me to you know coming from this small town being so isolated to sort of explore like who I was you know and my identity and and you know sexuality and and you know playing with gender and playing with all of these ideas that I was interested in and and sort of yeah figuring out where I fit in. What was my you know am I gonna you know because I went there really as a guitar player but it was like you know kind of yeah just a great way for me to figure out sort of what I did best. And you know I I realized pretty quickly early on that like performing was was part of was was where I kind of just stood out as being like really natural and I had talent you know specific talent in performing and writing you know so it was like I kind of you know worked on those more and I started my first band you know like a a kind of a more garage kind of thing for my first songs and started playing in like small like house shows in Boston. So yeah it was very Very helpful for like generating sort of you know, helping me figure out where I fit in and figure out what I didn't did not want to do in music, you know what I mean? Yeah, what I what I wasn't, you know. And also, yeah. And also, you know, figuring out that I had, you know, a unique and I was also you know thinking like maybe I'll find a band there. And you know, I I had my I had you know the band that I had there was a two-piece, so it was just me and a drummer, you know. And so yeah, it was definitely a very, very, very strong foundation. And it gave me a lot of tools and you know, I mean, Berkeley that's really what it is, it's tools. So it's all it's totally up to you what you do with them because you know, I I saw many students kind of go in there and just kind of they they tend to turn out these kind of robley robots, you know. If you don't have if you don't know what you want to do or have a way to direct what they're giving you, it kind of just turns out, you know, people that just kind of all play the same, sound the same, and these kind of you know, good guitar players, but without any real you know, identity. So yeah, it gave me a lot of really useful tools that I still use all the time. And and you know, the connections that just the the other talented people there was really inspiring.

SPEAKER_03: 1:01:12

Awesome, awesome. And how did like Jossi as the band form?

SPEAKER_00: 1:01:18

So so as the band, so basically I I made I made my first record, you know, at home, and I got I got an amazing drummer in West Virginia named Ahmed Solomon who plays uh he plays on this radio show that's been going for a while called Mountain Stage. So he's like, you know, he's a seasoned, really amazing cat, you know, really, really great drummer. And so I like, you know, I kind of had these I had these sketches of songs and sort of these rough ideas, but I, you know, I didn't really I kind of had I had like all these different ideas and kind of just I had him come to my house for two days and we just played literally for two days straight and recorded. I mean it was I think we did like 30 songs in those two days. Wow, and then he came back for another two days and we did like another 20 or something. It was just like because I had because it was it was literally like Berkeley, and then I had you know tried to start a band with my best friends at home, and we had like written all this music and started per performing, and it just it became just wasn't right, you know. It's like it yeah, it was like this isn't gonna like these guys aren't they're my hometown buddies, but they're not like trying to do this, you know.

SPEAKER_02: 1:02:21

Right, right.

SPEAKER_00: 1:02:21

And so it was kind of like I had sort of gone through all of these things, and it finally was like, okay, I got all these ideas, and I'm just gonna like fuck it, I'm just gonna do it myself. So that's why there was just like this huge amount of music. And so I kind of took all that, and that's what became, yeah, my first, my first EP and album. And you know, it was it was a lot of music. So I took a I can't move to Nashville kind of right after that, with all of this music kind of in hand. And then yeah, I sort of, you know, I had just kind of found friends who were all in other bands at the time. So it was like, hey, you know, I booked a show, like, and that was what I did. I mean, it was literally it was like make the music, book a show, and then you'll get a band. Like, that's the only way, especially in Nashville. It's the only way you can't be like, hey, let's all get together and like write music in the hopes of like starting a band one day. It's like nobody's got time, like nobody's gonna take a leap of faith and like put all their energy into like, you know, maybe we'll get this together and like make an album. And I mean, you know, it it's very hard to do that if you don't have some, like, especially if you have nothing. I mean, like, you don't have anything, so it's like nobody's gonna devote their time to that. Right, right. But if you have an album that you recorded that they can listen to, and it's like, here's the songs, and you have a show booked, it's like, yeah, okay, yeah. So, you know, I can I can people will schedule a rehearsal for that. So, yeah, so I kind of you know just got a band together with whoever whoever was available and could do it, that were my friends, and and did kind of my first few shows that way. And then it was like, you know, the person who played drums on the first the first two shows was then like out on tour with his band or whatever. So then it was like, Well, do you know a drum or do you? And so then it was kind of word of mouth and just kind of you know, for going, just keep booking shows and keep finding people until it was like, you know, Cole that the bass player, he was kind of the first guy that I had found in like 2018 who yeah, he was he was really solid, came in and then he's been with he's like been playing with me ever since. So he's kind of like the OG, yeah, yeah, right. Cole's like rock solid. And then Sam on the drums, he came in. Yeah, exactly. And then Sam came in in 2019 on drums, uh, and yeah, just you know, different. I always wanted me, we do we've done quite a few shows as a three-piece um where I play all the guitar stuff, but I you know, after doing that for the early shows, it was like I kind of really wanted to have a little more freedom to explore theatrical things and you know just to expand the sound. So I got another guitar player and Ricky, Ricky Dover, who usually is kind of my number one guitar player, although he's very busy, so I don't always get him, but him and I kind of really kind of speak speak the same language and kind of don't have don't have to talk much or explain anything. It's like he just knows. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But we but uh lots of great guitar players. I mean, Leilani Kilgore was on tour with me last year a lot. She's totally badass. Uh Liam Kelly is another guy who was there for a while. So yeah, it's kind of been, you know, if you if you book the shows and write the music, like the the band will come. And then, you know, when when you get you know a good group together and you're on tour, it's like then you know, it's really, you know, then the collaborative aspect and the personality of those players really starts to influence the music and make it it always makes it better, you know. Right, right. It's like, you know, and it really becomes, you know, in a live setting, you know, it is me. I am the puppeteer, you know, making this happen. But when it comes to a live show and you come and see it, it's it's a band, you know. Yeah. Everybody's personality and it just creates so much more depth and it's so much more interesting than it was like just, you know, it's not all about me. It it is, it's you know, everybody has everybody's like contributing. That's you know, on you know, so it really, yeah, it feels like because I mean that's kind of what I write for. It's like I write for a band, and that's the experience I want, you know. If I go to a show, it's like I'm kind of creating this world that I would want to see as a right, you know.

SPEAKER_02: 1:06:22

So that that that that the yes to answer is my question beautifully, and that actually leads me to my next question or two questions in one. Uh you mentioned briefly, and I just wanted to comment on it, interest in possibly scoring like a film or having your music, what is it called, like sampled for film?

SPEAKER_00: 1:06:46

Uh film like music. Yes, licensing, yeah. Yes, yes. Yeah, I I mean totally. I think if I mean that's one of one of the best ways, uh one of the few ways in this business you can still make money, you know. Right. If you, you know, if you can get it, you can get that a good sync like that. It's it's uh, you know, I mean, obviously you would, you know, you would hope that it's uh in something that makes sense, you know what I mean. Right. But yeah, I mean, I would I think mo any band is would be interested and wants that, you know. Right. It's just a matter, I think it's it's it's a matter of you know, well, having a good team that that's you know, at least getting your music on that kind of radar and then and then just getting lucky. You know, we need this because you know, there are it's like who knows what show what needs, you know, we need this vibe right here. Right. Right what and so if you know if you have that thing that fits that vibe that goes right here and they find it at the right time, then it's like you know, it can be can be great. So yeah, I mean, as far as you know, scoring music for film would be really interesting, that's that's kind of a whole other thing. But I think you know, you know, a well a well-placed song in the right scene movie can be, you know, can be awesome.

SPEAKER_02: 1:07:59

Yeah, we'll be great. Oh yeah, definitely. I mean, uh one member member of a band that is notorious for having their music played in movies, and even said uh in the interview that we did, it's because of that that they were able to kind of be where they're at now, which is the dandy warholes.

SPEAKER_03: 1:08:18

Oh yeah, oh yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 1:08:19

I I I interviewed the guitarist Peter G. Humstrom.

SPEAKER_00: 1:08:22

Cool, really cool band.

SPEAKER_02: 1:08:24

Very cool band. Them and the Brian Johnson Massacre are like two of my top top they're awesome, two favorite bands of all time. Not the most functional bands, but awesome. Right, right, right. You know, and on the massacre, you know, their their song uh straight up and down, you know, was was the opening for uh Boardwalk Empire. Man, but that's that's yeah, that's a nice check.

SPEAKER_00: 1:08:50

That's a nice check.

SPEAKER_02: 1:08:51

Right, right. And the dandy war halls, I mean, I I know they were definitely played in a in a part in Dumb and Dumber. They were definitely played in There's Something About Mary, and I remember hearing another song, Nietzsche, I believe, from 13 Tales of Urban Bohemia, on uh antitrust with Ryan. No what's his name? Philippi. Philippine. And that that movie, a lot of their music was played. And another band that I'm a huge fan of, I've seen them live once, and it was actually at Mr. Small's great show, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.

SPEAKER_00: 1:09:30

I've seen that band, they're a cool band.

SPEAKER_02: 1:09:32

Yeah, they're an awesome band, and I've noticed in some very like indie movies, I've heard like some some of their tracks, and I believe they just scored like some some it was an indie film with like a budget. It wasn't like you know, yeah, like like indie indie, but they just did like the whole score for the movie or something. I forget which film it was, but I remember hearing something about that. But I mean, you know, like I I mean me with being in film, you know, interested in film and a background with going to school for film, you know, film has film and music have always interested me equally. And I've actually found bands through, you know, hearing, like you just said, you know, the perfect vibe song, you know, for you know, a scene or a film or an opening. Oh yeah, you know, like you know, with Boardwalk Empire, you know, another band in the Boardwalk Empire instance, the uh the they're actually from Pittsburgh, is uh the the solo artist is tobacco, the band is uh Black Moss Super Rainbow. Part of them, yeah, great, great electronic, like psychedelic rock. I've seen the full band once, and I've seen tobacco as like a solo artist like four or five separate times. Really, you know, interesting stuff. And tobacco, I believe, had a track that was the opening for Silicon Valley that was also an HBO and really interesting music, and two two more bands that I I wanted to it's it's been on the top of my head that I wanted to mention to you before we uh ended the interview. They're you they're UK artists, both very similar sounding, and they they the the one artist had her debut album come out last year, and and they played a show together where like I I it was one of those shows that like god damn it, I I wish I was in the UK to to see a show like this, especially with the artist. But the first one, her name is the band's name is Bobby Dazzle. It's instead of a Y, it's I E with with Bobby. And the other band is Rosalie Cunningham. Both like the both artists, again, female vocalists with all you know men backing them, but they have a very like like just how like you have that kind of like you know, classic rock kind of sounding, you know, fused together. They have both of them have like a very renaissance-y like prog rock sound that you know sounds like it would have you know been from like the 60s or 70s. And both Rosalie Cunningham, I think it's her second or third album that she released towards the end of last year, and like like literally a few weeks before, like a month before Rosalie released her album, Bobby Dazzle released her debut album, and both of those albums, and just you know, Rosalie's music in general, is really, really like it's it's intricate. Like, there's a bunch, you know, there's like you know, you as someone who writes music and knows how to like do that stuff, uh, would probably really appreciate both of those bands hearing like all the different instruments and the different chords, you know, and lyrics and you know, the the ups and downs and you know, jam sections and stuff like that. I I think with those two bands in particular, because Rosalie apparently like puts a lot of time and effort and you know, blood, sweat, and tears into each album that she does. So it's like really, you know, like from a musical perspective, it's like very, you know, there's a lot going on. Cool, stuff like that. But I wanted to get those two out.

SPEAKER_00: 1:13:42

Man, you you gave me uh quite a list of of new stuff to check. I wasn't expecting to have like have all this research uh I can do after this. That's cool. Yeah, a lot of stuff.

SPEAKER_02: 1:13:52

You know, and and of course, you know, any way that I can help out with you know you connecting to any of those bands with you know a UK Europe tour. Um, you know, I I I I I like to you know promote you know musician stuff and as well as you know film stuff and actors and movies and all that, but music is like, you know, like I said, you know, music and film go hand in hand for me. And I'm like just as interested in you know learning different stuff about film, film facts, stuff like that. Same thing with music. And you know, I I think with music though versus film, like film, you know, has uh like almost like you know, a medium platform where you know it's almost like you have like, you know, like they have the press, you know, package and everything when the film is, you know, being released or you know, like you know what I mean? Like they they have like more of a uh of like a package essentially to like promote the film. And I think music, well, you know, bigger artists, mainstream artists, you know, obviously have that. I think it's more important to help, you know, up-and-coming artists or artists that are more on like the underground that essentially could be the next you know big thing if you know they you know if like the you know they they heard the the one track, right, right, exactly, exactly.

SPEAKER_00: 1:15:30

It's a chess game, right?

SPEAKER_02: 1:15:32

Right, yeah. You know, I I I love to you know help help you know musicians and you know filmmakers and stuff get their message out there because yeah, you know, I I've I learned this from watching the interview with Paul Stanley, and he said something like, you know, in terms of his whole marketing stuff and stuff he's put his name on, and being a businessman and you know, sold all this stuff, he said something like, you know, I can't remember the exact quote, but it was something along the lines of like, I learned that you know, there's a lot of people that like what I like, you know, and if I put my name on it, you know, it sells, you know, and a lot of people like the same stuff that I like, and you know, you know, the rest is history, basically.

SPEAKER_00: 1:16:22

Right. Well, yeah, I really appreciate that. And and that is really important, you know, people like you doing that is you know it's essential for you, you know, smaller artists, and and it's a you know big piece of the puzzle. So exactly.

SPEAKER_02: 1:16:38

And and absolutely, and I just there's there's so much great music out there, not just in rock, but yeah, you know, all genres. And you know, I I think it's like you know, how I mean in the in the subject of like the grunge bands, you know, in the 80s, they were the ones being all like the you know, underground, you know, players and playing at all these like you like, you know, like you said with Cage the Elephant cafes and my my dad was lucky enough to see the the original red hot chili peppers as a bar band. Um so yeah, you know, and look look at them now, they play nothing but stadiums, you know. Oh yeah, you know, but it's like uh in and with the the 90s bands that were all you know playing bars and small venues in the 80s, you know, it wasn't until like you know that that one change, you know, in sound and in music happened that all of a sudden it was like a revolution, you know. And I I still believe, you know, that can happen, you know. Um it just just needs the the right push and the right you know outlet to to to have that that that revolution essentially, you know. That's that's that's my my goal to kind of you know if I can be the one to you know get the message out there to be like check out Shassy, check out Geography of the Moon, check out you know all these other bands, you know, you know, like if Paul Stanley is like, if I like it, you know, obviously other people like it too, you know. Uh but you know it's it's it's one of my goals and passions and things that I strive to kind of like help promote. So again, anything I can do to you know help get it out there, you know, all for it. And I'd you know love to have you on the show again for another interview, possibly when the next film is coming out, or you know, if you the next the current tour that's going on ends up coming to Pittsburgh, yeah, uh that'll be pretty sweet.

SPEAKER_00: 1:18:48

I'll definitely definitely keep you in the loop on that.

SPEAKER_02: 1:18:51

Awesome, awesome. Before we wrap up here, I did send you a friend request on Facebook a while ago. Okay. Um so I want to let you know about that.

SPEAKER_00: 1:19:01

Um cool. Yeah, I you know, I get it. If I don't recognize so much of that, and I I only check through like frame requests like once in a while, and when I do, I don't if I don't like immediately recognize the person that's right.

SPEAKER_02: 1:19:14

Yeah, I I I I totally, totally get it, and that's why I was like, But thank you for my we officially have met, you know, via Zoom. I want to let you know so I can you know promote and stuff on there too. Um and uh I was wondering before get this edited and out, if it would be possible to get like a sample track to kind of put into the insert into um the episode to kind of get like a track um for promotion and stuff. That would be awesome. And uh last question for you any upcoming news? I know we talked a little bit about what's going on with Tours, all the platforms that uh the new albums coming out on, stuff like that.

SPEAKER_00: 1:19:58

Yeah, I mean, there's there's uh stuff I can't talk about. Right, right. So yeah, there is some some cool upcoming news, but I can't say a word. But the main thing is yeah, the album, February 7th, you know, it's a full album. It's coming out, record and CD and I mean vinyl. So yeah, that's kind of the main thing. If you know if you want you want to check out what I do, then that's a good place to start. And then touring, hopefully we'll have dates very soon. Yeah, hopefully, at least, you know, some dates in the Midwest and the East Coast. Awesome. Open for so that's about all I can all I can talk about at this point.

SPEAKER_02: 1:20:39

Gotcha, gotcha. Awesome. Well, Jossi, it has been a pleasure having you on the show. Thank you so much for taking the time to swim in the bowl with me. Yeah, it was a pleasure. Thank you, man. You know, again, I hope the temperature was just right. Perfect. Water is fine. Awesome. Thank you so much, and looking forward to having on the show again. Anytime.

SPEAKER_00: 1:21:03

Yeah, man.

SPEAKER_02: 1:21:04

Awesome. Awesome, appreciate it. No problem.