Neworleansmusicians.com Podcast

Heavy metal vocalist Philip Dussor, currently active in Aggrofate, Lyrics For Liam, and Raise the Death Toll sat down with me for this interview at his home in Westwego, Louisiana. We began with the musical influence his friends and family had on him in his formative years. He explained how Cypress Hall and a hand-full of other all ages venues made a big impact on him. We also delved into his perspective on what it means to be a musician active in the scene. He broke down how his current bands came about, drawing inspiration from things like horror movies and even the desire to create a G-rated legacy for his son. Join us and step back in time to understand who he is here and now.  Elevate your health and well-being. Shop Realmushrooms.com and support this show! Here’s 20% off just for our listeners.  https://shop.realmushrooms.com?ref=1494 Donate to this show: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=83ZWJWHNRAYNU

Mike IX Williams is best known for his work as a vocalist in EYEHATEGOD, a band flaunting mixtures of punk and slowed, doomy metal that he and guitarist Jimmy Bower founded in 1988. Since then they have toured the world countless times over, having built a truly unmatched cult-like following. We sit and talk about his life of imbalance as a child, his thirst for new experiences, his published works of music and poetry, and his current tour. Listen in to this in-depth interview!   Elevate your health and well-being. Shop Realmushrooms.com and support this show! Here’s 20% off just for our listeners.  https://shop.realmushrooms.com?ref=1494 Donate to this show: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=83ZWJWHNRAYNU      

Guitarist/ vocalist Chris Rico has been a staple in the Louisiana music scene for countless years. Throughout New Orleans, Metairie, and the gulf south, he has continually brought his own style of blues-rock, even delving into rap lyrics and incorporating drum machines. In his youth, the Beatles and Sabbath ushered him into the world of music while exploration lead him through bands like The Ramones and The Dead Kennedies. Picking up a guitar at eleven years of age, tab books and a little help from friends began his journey to present day. Having recently released Vanity Project with his band, Mr. Misled, we discuss the music video making process and where his musical direction is headed.    Elevate your health and well-being. Shop Realmushrooms.com and support this show! Here’s 20% off just for our listeners.  https://shop.realmushrooms.com?ref=1494 Donate to this show: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=83ZWJWHNRAYNU  

Originally from just outside of Thibodeaux in Choctaw, Chet Tabor of band Them Guys cites small town roots as propelling his beliefs in his band as a family unit. Those same small town circumstances meant he was hanging out with a group of kids with a larger span in age. Experiencing the tastes and influences from the music collections of the older kids meant he was hearing Pearl Jam and Soundgarden at six years of age. Hearing his father's 70's music and quickly being ushered into his older brother's 90's selections also meant being able to hear the contrasts in musical soundscapes early on in his life. We sit and talk about initial band experiences gone bad, solutions and growth, and his view on the sensations of playing covers as opposed to playing music that he has composed.    Elevate your health and well-being. Shop Realmushrooms.com and support this show! Here’s 20% off just for our listeners.  https://shop.realmushrooms.com?ref=1494 Donate to this show: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=83ZWJWHNRAYNU

Rapper Jayarson grew up around family that lived all over Louisiana. As a result, his reach has blanketed our state in a comforting style of influence and relatability. His pursuit in knowledge of all things new to him has built him into a forward thinking, business-minded artist that is constantly striving to remain ahead of the curve. He wasn't always like this. On the contrary, he was once juggling creative endeavors, court cases, and a fast life in the streets. His immensely successful music catalog now depicts the trials of a person maturing in real time. We discuss coming of age in the Cash Money and No Limit era, gambling with his business and personal life, and how influences around him as a small child shaped him into the man he is today. Join us!   Elevate your health and well-being. Shop Realmushrooms.com and support this show! Here’s 20% off just for our listeners.  https://shop.realmushrooms.com?ref=1494 Donate to this show: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=83ZWJWHNRAYNU

Philip spent a lot of time in a factory as a child. The sights, smells, and sounds shaped his foray into the world of synthesizers. Ambient and industrial soundscapes became his pursuit. He would go on to tour with bands, performing on stage as well as conducting crowds from the DJ booth. We delve for a time into the wonderlands of the rave era and discuss the effects of that scene on its followers. Now, his eyes are set on Japan where contextual resonance is revered as a major genre. Sit with us and hear about the life of musician and DJ Philip Hickok.   Shop Realmushrooms.com and support this show! Here’s 20% off just for our listeners.  https://shop.realmushrooms.com?ref=1494 Donate to this show: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=83ZWJWHNRAYNU    

Lewis D'aubin is a music writer and producer who also fronts the band Consortium of Genius as his alter-ego, Dr. Milo Thaddeus Pinkerton III. Through this mad scientist alter-ego, he also heads up Escape from the Secret Lab. Which is a show that has guest bands fighting for their escape by way of performances that audiences can vote on in real time. Lewis' forte in the technical aspects of audio and video gear has lead him to midi and synthesis based audio productions, as well as sci-fi fueled music and promotional videos. His performances on stage with COG are as colorful and entertaining as his Youtube show, and bare a resemblance to larger-than-life characters like Morgus the Magnificent and GWAR.   http://www.consortiumofgenius.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@DoctorPinkerton   Shop Realmushrooms.com and support this show! Here’s 20% off just for our listeners.  https://shop.realmushrooms.com?ref=1494 Donate to this show: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=83ZWJWHNRAYNU    

Lyricist and producer Kevin Harris, a.k.a. Big Honxcho, sits with me and talks about his life growing up in the 17th Ward of Uptown New Orleans. Shaped by struggle, loss, and a quest for something greater, we delve into what has impacted him the most and how he is using those experiences to propel him in his current direction. His focus, consideration, and absorption of techniques and market trends are what shape him today.  Shop Realmushrooms.com and support this show! Here’s 20% off just for our listeners.  https://shop.realmushrooms.com?ref=1494 Donate to this show: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=83ZWJWHNRAYNU

Chris Pryor of Chris Pryor and the Main Event grew up in Sarepta, Louisiana and actually began his vocal career participating in karaoke. For the longest time, the blue collar way of life took precedence over singing. He finally got up the nerve to start a band and things have never been the same. His is now amongst the hardest working, most gigging bands out of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. There's a lot to learn, and a lot to laugh about, hearing his experiences throughout this process. Chris Pryor and the Main Event: https://www.maineventrocks.com/ Shop Realmushrooms.com and support this show! Here’s 20% off just for our listeners.  https://shop.realmushrooms.com?ref=1494 Donate to this show: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=83ZWJWHNRAYNU

Justin Perez is a self-taught, lifelong drummer and Louisiana resident. He's played in bands like Skincrawl, Demise, Goatwhore, and is currently the drummer for Blacklist Union. Constanty travelling out of state and touring, his commitment to the art is unparalleled. We speak about his early start in music, his time in Japan with Goatwhore, and the mentors and influences that he feels so fortunate to have met in his lifetime. Join me in getting to know drummer Just Perez. https://blacklistunion.com/ Shop Realmushrooms.com and support this show! Here’s 20% off just for our listeners.  https://shop.realmushrooms.com?ref=1494 Donate to this show: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=83ZWJWHNRAYNU Check out our top rating on Feedspot! https://podcast.feedspot.com/louisiana_music_podcasts/

Join us as we take a walk down memory lane with New Orleans multi-instrumentalist Sid Snow. He tells of stories that draw from just about every venue in New Orleans, including the decadent Blue Room at the Roosevelt Hotel. He takes us through Europe and South America during the years he spent touring with everyone from big band players to honkytonk regulars. His band, The Franklin Avenue Underpass was his band locally. Both here and abroad, his experiences with Trini Lopez, Lou Rawls, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Tripani, Benny Grunch, Frankie Lane and so many more are discussed, with some of the best one liner's you've ever heard sprinkled in!  Shop Realmushrooms.com and support this show! Here’s 20% off just for our listeners.  https://shop.realmushrooms.com?ref=1494 Donate to this show: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=83ZWJWHNRAYNU

Jack Miele is an 11x Platinum, 6x Telly and 5x Global Music Award Winning audio engineer, producer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist. He has also been an audio/ mix engineer for 22 years, with projects winning 2 Grammy Awards and 4 Grammy nominations, as well as on Emmy Award winning television promos. He's been a live guitarist for 30 years. We talk about the bands he's played in over the years and star-studded sessions he's recorded. Studio tactics, band performance strategies and more discussed in this incredibly interesting episode! https://jackmiele.com/ Shop Realmushrooms.com and support this show! Here’s 20% off just for our listeners.  https://shop.realmushrooms.com?ref=1494 Donate to this show: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=83ZWJWHNRAYNU      

Trained as an opera singer and classical pianist, Georgia native Lilli Lewis has been a composer, producer and performer for over two decades. Fresh off the stage at this year's Jazz Fest, Lilli is well versed in folk, roots, country soul, gospel, and jazz. Having a prodigious ear early on, the practice of music was a way for her to mend early childhood trauma as well as congeal the different hemispheres of her mind. Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds were enough of an inspiration to her to quit her job, leave town, and pursue her career in music. She has always been a multi-genre writer, finding it difficult to identify with any one in particular. Listen in as we laugh and explore the thoughts of the beautiful Lilli Lewis. https://www.lillilewis.com/ Shop Realmushrooms.com and support this show! Here’s 20% off just for our listeners.  https://shop.realmushrooms.com?ref=1494 Donate to this show: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=83ZWJWHNRAYNU

In this episode, Offbeat Magazine publisher Jan Ramsey talks about the challenges she faced as a board member of the French Quarter Festival. She gives us insight into the inner workings of the festival and what could be improved upon. We talk about the musicians' union in New Orleans, venue ailments downtown and their cultural impact, and a musician directory she created that was ahead of its time. She reflects on her time at college and tells all in this important finale of out time together. https://www.offbeat.com/ Shop Realmushrooms.com and support this show! Here’s 20% off just for our listeners.  https://shop.realmushrooms.com?ref=1494 Donate to this show: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=83ZWJWHNRAYNU

Jan Ramsey, publisher of Offbeat Magazine, gives an in-depth look into her formative years and her assumption of various roles of influence living and working in New Orleans. We discuss the underlying mechanics and infrastructure of local festivals, museums, and social landscapes, and how they impact the music scene in New Orleans. Peer into her childhood and witness the arts through the lens of a passionate, articulate music journalist. https://www.offbeat.com/ Shop Realmushrooms.com and support this show! Here’s 20% off just for our listeners.  https://shop.realmushrooms.com?ref=1494 Donate to this show: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=83ZWJWHNRAYNU

There is so much that can be said about lyricist Alfred Banks, from the 12th Ward in New Orleans, Louisiana. His entrepreneurial acumen and diligence has landed him on the cover of major publications, a groundbreaking performance with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, a feature at Jazz Fest, and so much more. Self-made and booked out to the end of the year, we sit and talk about the experiences that made him and his strides in the business of music. https://www.underdogcentral.com/ Shop Realmushrooms.com and support this show! Here’s 20% off just for our listeners.  https://shop.realmushrooms.com?ref=1494 Donate to this show: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=83ZWJWHNRAYNU

Guitarist and vocalist Johnny Lagrange of The Bald Dog Project hails from Garyville, Louisiana. We talk about his roots in Cajun and country music, and how the greats like Black Sabbath and Slayer broadened his exploration. His move into sobriety never stifled his creativity. Rather, authored frustrations written during recovery, coupled with an acoustic guitar he was given as a gift, fueled a fusion of acoustic and heavy metal that has come to be known as The Bald Dog Project. It causes us to define what is "heavy" in music and transitions us to a new project that's been under wraps until now. The Blackwall Symphony, an amalgamation of heavy metal and orchestra is revealed. Join us! Shop Realmushrooms.com and support this show! Here’s 20% off just for our listeners.  https://shop.realmushrooms.com?ref=1494 Donate to this show: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=83ZWJWHNRAYNU

Freshly signed to Pugnacious Records, singer/ songwriter and guitarist Sean Riley originally hails from Saratoga Springs, New York. He grew up listening to Roy Orbison, Beach Boys, Paul Simon, and Waylon Jennings. Though no one in his family played, he just loved the look of an SG hanging on the music shop wall and took it upon himself to learn. He was a bit of a shy kid but playing helped him out of his shell, finding support and making friends along the way. He gravitated toward his current expressions of blues, roots, and Americana and formed Sean Riley and the Water. While Manhattan venues started disappearing, he joined the migration to the underground venues and house shows playing funky rock, indie, and blues in clubs in Brooklyn. He enjoys the feeling he gets from performing live and has chosen to capture his recordings in that manner. His new album, Stone Cold Hands, is coming out March 8th. seanrileyandthewater.com Shop Realmushrooms.com and support this show! Here’s 20% off just for our listeners.  https://shop.realmushrooms.com?ref=1494 Donate to this show: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=83ZWJWHNRAYNU  

Bassist Dean Zucchero has a resume a mile long that starts in Manhattan and ends up in New Orleans, including a nine-year stint in Europe. He has played along-side such respected musicians as Popa Chubby, Ghalia Volt, Sweet Georgia Brown, Little Freddie King, and Johnny Sansone, to name a few. His projects have charted on Billboard while his acumen has landed him the position of program director at Bratz Y'all, a German Bistro in the Bywater area of New Orleans. Hear about his travels, his studio sessions, his new label, and his six year stint playing with Cyril Neville (The Meters, The Neville Brothers). https://deanzucchero.com Shop Realmushrooms.com and support this show! Here’s 20% off just for our listeners.  https://shop.realmushrooms.com?ref=1494 Donate to this show: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=83ZWJWHNRAYNU  

Born in Bunkie, Louisiana, Adam chose an instrument over a high school class ring and scored his first guitar from the famed Cajun Pawn Stars. A taste for the classics made him choose Led Zeppelin and Temple of the Dog when auditioning for national TV show The Voice. Making the cut landed him in Hollywood! Natural talent and hard work has kept his bookings plentiful. Experience the life of a musician through the eyes of a gifted, dedicated guitarist and singer, Adam Pearce.  Shop Realmushrooms.com and support this show! Here’s 20% off just for our listeners.  https://shop.realmushrooms.com?ref=1494 Donate to this show: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=83ZWJWHNRAYNU