We've got Jackin House master hailing from NYC - the one and only Pinto! I had so much fun talking with Joey about his journey as a producer, dj, label owner and growing up in NYC. Pinto is a wildly dope producer who has carved out his own lane during the course of his career. His music has garnered support and respect from artists like Carl Cox and the Blessed Madonna and was the #5 Jackin House producer on Beatport. His talents as a DJ have taken him all over the world and his label Jack City Records is making serious waves in the scene. Awesome dude and even better conversation - thanks for making some time to come on brother and I look forward to seeing you soon.
Episode 240 features the incredibly talented Perry Donta'e - creative director and leader of The Pack Drumline! I'd be willing to bet you know who they are even if you think you don't... they're the official drumline of the Chicago Bulls, The Chicago Sky, and recently are now the drumline for the Colts AND they've been finalists on America's Got Talent - they even won over the toughest judge of them all, Simon Cowell. Needless to say they are a one-of-a-kind group that is changing the entire landscape of what a drumline really is. Perry's story is incredible and we got it all in pretty much from start to finish. What he is doing with The Pack is soooo dope and they'll stop at nothing to show the world who they are. I'm extremely inspired by their story and passion. Thanks for coming on Perry!
Ladies and gents, Dani Deahl is BACK on SITB and it's an absolute honor. Dani is doing some incredible things right now in dance music but for this episode we mostly focused on Chicago Music Nexus and her involvement in the event. Dani is one of the panelists on the "Adapt or Die" portion of CMN and I wanted to get Dani's take on a few things leading up to the conference. As a multi-faceted individual in dance music, her unique perspective and experience deserves all the respect in the world. This was a really fun conversation about the state of the industry, evolving an artists brand, and why you should care about something like Chicago Music Nexus. Dani, I appreciate you so much and it's always so much fun choppin it up with you!
Hood Politics is a reminder that there should never be politics when we are all from the same neighborhood. We all live on the same street and are part of a much larger community that has to support each other in order to survive. Hood Poli for LIFE! Featuring Sherm, DJ Susan, CJ., Jenny Voss, Chris Diaz, Smith & Sorren, Michael Jay, Dr Mar, Proppa, Rich DietZ, and more
This is the FIRST co-hosted episode with my fellow podcaster, friend and business partner Olivia Mancuso. Some of you might have seen but Olivia and I are hosting a 1 day conference and networking event later this year called "Chicago Music Nexus" CMN was created to help fill a massive void in the US dance market where artists can learn, grow, and collaborate together in a space outside of the club or festival. Our mission is to help artists, entrepreneurs and music business professionals elevate their brands by connecting with other like-minded individuals through engaging panels and conversations with leaders from various parts of the industry. It's happening Saturday November 23rd at Loft Lucia and we couldn't be more excited to make it all happen. This episode is dedicated to the background on why Olivia and I created CMN, the panels, the people, the experience and so much more. If you're as serious as you say or think you are about building a career in the music industry, then we should see your bright smiling face in November.
Very special episode today for you all. Alex Kislov has been in my life since I first got to Chicago and we decided that this is officially the 3rd chapter in our friendship especially considering it's his 3rd time on the show. But this is no ordinary episode, we are here to talk about his debut album "Dream Sequence" - a true masterpiece and work of art that is years in the making and you can tell right away how much went into creating it. "Dream Sequence" is a 10 track album featuring the vocals of Chicago House music legend Ron Carroll, globally recognized vocalist Leo Wood and not to mention his lovely wife Eliza. The album takes you on a journey through a dreamworld of sound and creativity. From start to finish, you can tell things progress in a natural but captivating way. It's really special to see Alex at this point in his career because I've honestly never seen him radiate passion like this. He really cares about and is deeply committed to his craft. Gotta respect that!
Many of you know his name and it's for good reason - episode 235 features DJ/Producer Jake Shore! Jake was in town after his massive headline show at Prysm and I'm so glad we were able to do this in person. Always a blast choppin it up with Jake - our goal everytime we do content like this together to make sure the listeners walk away with real value, advice and of course a big ole smile. Even though it's been 2 years since Jake was a teacher, you should still take out your pen and paper because class is in session. Thanks for coming on the podcast Jake and I look forward to next time brother!
234 features afro-house DJ/Producer Val Fleury - a multifaceted creator and artist, Val has positioned herself as one of the biggest upcoming talents in dance music today. I really enjoyed our conversation - she has a such a pure love for music and backs up that passion with raw and authentic talent. Val is a champion of the underground and the LGBTQ community who consistently shows up for the scene. Her talents as a DJ and Producer should not go unnoticed. She's played across the world - literally 6 continents - and has a really unique sound that's catching some serious steam in the afto house world. Highly encourage you to check out her 3 latest tracks!
Episode 233 features Justin Sances - a highly regarded and talented audio engineer that focuses in the dance music space. Some of you may know Justin or have worked with him directly, but he comes to the table with experience not only as an audio engineer, but previously as a DJ and Producer (a very dope one at that!) Justin is also the engineer for Hood Politics and does the final mix/master on 99% of the tracks we release. He plays a major part in ensuring that the label puts out the highest possible quality music at the end of the day. This interview breaks down his process while providing advice to producers in the studio for the first time or 1000th time. This aspect of music making is well-known but still under-appreciated and not talked about in the mainstream very much. I'm really glad we sat down and had this conversation in person because I found myself taking notes throughout this interview!
Episode 232 features the incredibly talented DJ/Producer Goshfather! When I say this interview has it all, I really mean it. We talked about the state of the industry and what the future looks like for artists, building your community and how to engage with that community as an artist, how he released 1 track every week for a year, social media and so much more. I found myself completely engulfed in his stories and perspectives ranging from incredibly profound to absolutely hilarious. I know this episode is going to hit for so many of you! linktr.ee/sherminthebooth
As many of you know, I love to have guests on that are behind the scenes in the music industry because they are a pivotal factor as artists grow throughout their career. Today's guest is someone who does exactly that. Episode 231 features Todd Mercer of Sherwood Management who oversees Cloverdale and his label Vibrancy along with Vibrancy Festival. Many of you are familiar with the high-octane DJ/Producer Cloverdale but Todd was there on day for the project. In fact, Cloverdale was the one who said I need to have Todd on because he brings such a fresh and unique perspective for building a brand and I couldn't agree more. This interview was incredible. It goes without saying how great of a dude Todd is but I learned so much from him during our time. He talked about how to look at their brand as a business but also how to maintain the authenticity without compromising too much for short-term opportunities. He provided insight on how they've built Cloverdale's label "Vibrancy" to become one of the most well-respected and welcoming labels in dance music and so much more. Todd is also very deep in planning the third "Vibrancy Fest" which occurs each year in Halifax, Nova Scotia - the festival brings people from all over North America and has become the premiere event for dance music in Halifax. Previous headliners include Tiga, Green Velvet, J Worra, DJ Susan and more! These are my some of my favorite interviews because I basically get free advice from a self-taught and self-made professional like Todd. No matter what stage you are at as an artist, Todd has some unique insight for you. Got my word there.
Honored to have the established and wildly talented DJ/Producer who goes by the name of @itsyourfetish We have been crossing paths a lot lately and it's been so much fun getting to know him. I've been a fan for a few years but he's certainly someone that everyone knows about these days with his impressive sound, lively dj sets and incredible content. This interview was filled with valuable topics like building your brand and sound, going viral, staying true to yourself, and so much more. I have a lot of respect for Fetish and his relentless effort to better himself and those around him.
What up y'all!! SITB 229 features the dynamic and wildy talented producer duo Manics! Jordan aka Baby J (a former SITB guest) and Chris aka TYGRBYT are some of my favorite people I've met in the music industry. The amount of raw creative talent these two have not only as dance music artists but also as graphic designers, event curators, and label heads - just to name a few of the many dope things they do. This was such a fun interview and we had a blast talking about some of their recent releases - particularly their "Event Horizon" EP that just came out on Insomniac's "IN / Rotation" label. Their sound is so unique and their live performances are also something that you've gotta witness. I genuinely believe that these guys are your next favorite artist because they have quickly become one mine. Enjoy!
Episode 228 features one of my dear friends and confidants in the music industry - Mario Danza! Mario comes with a wide array of experience ranging from promoting, event curation, physical and digital marketing and what he's most known for - artist management. Mario just recently officially launched his management company called Define Group that rosters artists like Truth x Lies, longstoryshort, Ryan Case, and more. Believe me when I say that Mario is one of the hardest working guys I know and gave us some incredible insight on his experience. Topics included when does an artist need a manager or an agent, how to find your real fans and marketing, building an actual career as an artist, the current and future state of dance music, and so much more. I love having guests like Mario on because there are so many artists of all levels out there that are looking for direction on where to go next - Mario works with artists in different genres at different levels and delivers real clarity from a business and creative standpoint for how to keep the momentum!
We are chugging right along baby and today we have a truly awesome episode for ya featuring one of the hottest DJ/Producers in the game who goes by the name of @gudfellaofficial Kyle is a wildly talented guy who's had an insane 365 days. We got it all in and had so much fun discussing his journey as a producer, soundcloud's role in his growth, collaborating with Tiesto, and what lies ahead in his near and distant future. He might be young, but he's got a really genuine passion for music and you can tell he's here to have a blast and make an impact at the same time. Much love Kyle and I can't wait to see you again soon!
SITB 226 features LA based DJ/Producer ON_1 and WOW does this episode take you on a ride. I've known Forbes for a few years and it was so much fun getting his full story and hearing about his hard-earned journey to where he's at now. He's on a righteous path that comes from a very genuine place of love and passion. Also he's hilarious and cracks me up. Enjoy!
We are here today to get the full story of one of my favorite DJ/producers in the game Proppa. A Chicago native, Proppa has been in the game for a minute and deserves all the praise this city and the industry can offer. We had so much fun chopping it up and talking about his viewpoints on what it takes to really make it in this business. He's full of great advice and I learned so much from him during this episode. We went deep but it still felt like it flew by!! Thanks so much for coming on my friend and I look forward to to seeing what the future holds for you.
It is officially 2024 and I hope everyone had a fantastic end to the year - 2023 was quite the year but we are kicking this year off with one of my favorite episodes to date. 224 features my dear friend Colton Bachar - many of you know Colton from his incredible work as a videographer but there is so much more to him that you will all hear about coming up. We had such a great conversation chatting about his journey and I have an even deeper level of admiration and respect for him on so many different levels.
We have another special interview for you all today SITB 223 features fellow podcaster and dance music reporter Olivia Mancuso! I've known Olivia for a few years and I've always been impressed with her wide array of skills. From her days as a reporter, to her entrepreneurial pursuits, to interviewing some of the worlds biggest dance music acts at EDC Vegas and now her newest project called "Elevated Frequencies" - a podcast devoted to digging into the real lives of musicians. It's always so much fun having another podcaster on because the conversation is so natural and engaging - this was a blast! Thanks for coming on Olivia and I'm looking forward to coming on Elevated Frequencies soon!
Episode 222 features the incredibly talented DJ/Producer Ares Carter! This NYC native has built quite the name for himself since entering the music industry almost 10 years ago. From his early days as the tour DJ for ILOVEMAKONNEN, to having a song in FIFA 22, to touring the world and playing festivals like Ultra and Electric Zoo, Ares has quite the story so far. So glad we got to connect in person at ADE a few weeks ago before this interview - he's a really good guy and deserves everything coming his way.