A chance meeting leads to an amazing musical duo with The A.M.s

In 2019 on Piano Day, Adrian happened to tune Mariko’s piano. He asked if she wanted to play together; she said maybe. Realizing she might be able to return to her long-lost passion, music, they connected and started rehearsing with the hopes of playing out.

And then the pandemic happened.

But that didn’t stop Adrian and Mariko. They kept playing and sending ideas and soon after had a catalog of 50+ songs, which led to their first album, “Ignite the Sky.” In this episode, we talk about the origin of the A.M.s and how the experience has allowed them to grow as artists. We examine the story of “Ignite the Sky,” which chronicles Mariko’s journey of finding her birth parents during COVID, while processing the events and struggles of 2021 in quarantine. We also see how the two—despite living several hundred miles apart, have been able to play out now and again.

Following this, enjoy the single, “Ignite the Sky.” I really enjoyed this entire album, and hope that you check it out.

Diving into blended styles and cross-country moves with Joseph Mossbridge

This episode takes us into the musical world of Joseph Mossbridge, currently in Boston and soon to be moving to Los Angeles. We take a look at how his career kicked off and the fanbase he's built from his debut album, “Take My Time.” Much of the music on this album takes a page from what he experienced during the pandemic, including having to leave LA, where he was working when March 2020 happened.

Joseph's music blends all sorts of styles, including rap, EDM, and pop. We look at how these different sounds come together and what he's hoping to try out in future releases. We also shine the spotlight on the many people he's worked with to bring “Take My Time” and other songs to life.

Afterward, enjoy “Goodbye,” from Joseph's debut album, a look at the major move he had to make.

Dany Horovitz shares stories of love, loss, and life in “Free Times”

BONUS TRACK: Leezy talks about her battle with addiction and how it inspired “Sierra”

Singer-songwriter Dany Horovitz is back, and he has some big news to share. His debut album “Free Times” is now available! Dany joined me last fall to talk about his singles “Seasons Change” and “Moving On,” and along with these two songs, the album features another eight with an array of sounds and tales.

Dany and I talk about the response the album has seen from fans and music journalists in Canada, where he lives. He shares his poetry and how it ties into his music as well as the real-life connection behind the songs. Dany worked with some amazing people in bringing this album to life and he talked about the process. In addition to the album, a music video release for his song “Scar” was released and we go into how the two mesh.

Following our discussion, enjoy “Scar,” one of my favorite tracks from the album.


And in the second interview, Chicago-based artist Leezy dives into “Sierra,” a new single that takes us through her battle with addiction when she was 18. Leezy talks about how it all began and the work she put in to become sober a year later. Leezy's mother inspired the song, and was a pillar for the young artist as she sought treatment, and even had a brief role in the music video for “Sierra.”

As the episode comes to a close, check out “Sierra,” which shifts from a mellow tune to a rock-themed sound, matching the artist's battle.

Matt Jatkola shares a positive message with his debut album

Boston-based artist Matt Jatkola of JATK is back, and he has some big news to share—his debut album, “Shut Up and Be The Light” is set to drop on April 15 in CD, digital and vinyl format.

In March 2020, when everyone was avoiding hospitals due to the oncoming pandemic, JATK was headed directly into one. The songwriter, musician, and multi-instrumentalist had just been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, and the subsequent cancer journey, treatment, recovery, and everything else that has happened in the two years since shaped the album.

In this interview, Matt talks about his mindset two years ago and why making a new album was such an important goal. Matt worked with 20 different artists, and we look at who these people are and how he made such a massive collaboration happen. The album was recorded and mastered entirely from Matt's home and we see if this has become his new preferred method of music production.

Matt talks about his own way to “Shut Up and Be The Light” and how we can keep negative, toxic thinking out of our lives as well as what he hopes people take from the listening experience.

Following this, enjoy “Conscious Wonder,” one of the tracks off the new album. I genuinely enjoyed the diversity of sounds, and hope you do too.

From debut albums to music production—Sarah Krohn shares her journey

After hearing “A Part of Me” by Philadelphia-based singer-songwriter Sarah Krohn, I knew this was an artist to have on the show. So, here we go! Sarah and I talk about how she's grown as a musician from her debut album “81” at age 14 to her most recent single, “Sanguine in Blue,” released last December.

“A Part of Me” shares the theme of growing up and leaving home, which ties into her recent move to college in Ohio. We also talk about her recent work with friend and fellow musician Dani Jimenez and her band, Almost Tuesday.

Going to the School of Rock has offered Sarah a lot of opportunities beyond the classroom—including performing at Lollpalooza and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and she tells all about these experiences. She also goes into what she learned at School of Rock and how she's continued her musical education since.

Afterward, enjoy two of Sarah's songs—“A Part of Me” and “Stardust,” which is from her debut album.

Actor/musician Michael Cooke talks being on set and how the pandemic kicked off his new album

Who says that the pandemic can't have a silver lining?

Michael Cooke's career in the stage and screen was well underway (including a role in a new Netflix movie!) when COVID-19 brought such productions to a screeching halt. Undeterred, he decided to use the free time to learn the skills needed to break into music. The result—his new album, “Doin Alright,” a powerful and uplifting collection of songs.

Michael and I dive deep into how his foray into becoming an Olympic athlete led to working on dozens of plays, films, and television shows. He talks about meeting one's heroes as well as those in the industry that he'd love to work with.

We also look at his debut album, and his first time in the recording studio. Michael talks about the message he hopes to pass on through his music.

Following this interview, enjoy “Loosing My Mind For Nothing,” from the debut album.