Tag Archives: podcaster

americana, bluegrass, blues, folk, Jazz, Pop

Artist Showcase with Good Morning Bedlam

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Good Morning Bedlam is a Minnesota based band and is made up of members Isaak Elker (vocals, guitar), his wife Tori Elker (bass, vocals), and Sophie Mae Beyer (violin, vocals). CloudwatcherUno sits down with the band in Tampa, Florida to talk about their new album “Lulu” out on February 4th 2022. In the podcast we also get to hear the tracks “Salt” and “Lulu” from the album.

We talk about the origins of the bands name (Isaak thought it would be cool and now take it as a mantra to greet the chaos of everyday life) and how the band started ( Sophie then 17 and Isaak 19 were inspired to start a band after going to a Davina and The Vagabonds concert). Tori was dating Isaak at the time and wanted to be in the band so much that she sang with the band, sold merchandise and learnt how to play the upright bass.

Good Morning Bedlam’s music is an outpouring of how they are feeling rather than constrict themselves to a particular sound or genre. If they hear a Jazz song that they like then they will go all in and make a Jazz song but with their own unique take on what that should sound like.

“Lulu” by Good Morning Bedlam

Isaak says that, “We are a pop band pretending to be a string band”. Sophie , Teri and Isaak have used their theatre backgrounds to give everything they have and fully embody the energy, heart and passion on their live show. Influences for the band range from Billy Holliday, Otis Redding, Bon Iver, Pokey Lafarge, Oh Hellos and Phox.

Good Morning Bedlam are known for their contagious energy, with members careening about the stage, jumping and dancing with a wild playfulness. With tight soaring three part harmonies, and thumping kick-drum, they captivate their audience night after night with no intention of slowing down.

In February of 2021 Isaak, Sophia, and Tori returned to Carpet Booth Studios to work with Zach Zurn on their third full-length record Lulu. On May 28th of 2021 they released a single titled “Blue House,” and have continued to release one song off of the upcoming record every five weeks, which will culminate in the official release of the record on February 4th 2022. In July of 2021 they ran a successful Kickstarter for their upcoming album Lulu, where fans from around the world pledged a total of $34,000. It’s easy for artists to make art but it’s difficult for those artists to champion their art and requires a belief that people want to listen to their music.

Click below to hear the podcast from CloudwatcherUno featuring Good Morning Bedlam. Also streaming on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Podcast Addict or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

americana, blues, folk, Pop, rock and roll

CloudwatcherUno Podcast S7 Ep 2 ~ Adam Shoenfeld

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Adam Shoenfeld sits down with CloudwatcherUno to talk about his new album “All The Birds Sing“. The album was a team effort with his producer and wife Katie Cook and the album was produced in his home studio where he has access to his many guitars, drum kits and musical paraphernalia. The album was inspired by the music of ELO, George Harrison, The Beatles and Tom Petty. Around 5 to 6 years ago Adam began singing lead vocals on stage and building his stage presence before a live audience. One of the highlights is is the track “The Sky Is Falling Down“. We also get to hear Adam’s cover of The Beatles “Norwegian Wood“

“The Sky Is Falling Down” by Adam Shoenfeld.

There’s a lot of authentic love in the lyrics in this album. The majority of the tracks were written by Adam or with Katie except for “Lose To Win“which was a collaboration with another songwriter. We discuss “Her Song“, “The Sky Is Falling Down” and “All The Birds Sing“. For Adam his songs come to him quite easily as he consciously tries to harness the electricity and magic that runs around in his mind. Adam played bass, keyboard, guitar and drums on all of the tracks.

The first songs for this album began life on 2018. In early 2019 after a particularly heavy day doing session work Adam told himself he would start work on an album and finished writing songs in Feb 2021. Adam explains how he was offered record deals in the past but studios wanted him to be more Country and he always saw himself as Rock and Roll. It’s because of that sound that he is one of the most sought after session guitarists in Nashville.

Adam Shoenfeld in action.

Adam’s album is a Modern Classic , drawing inspiration from sixties and seventies and bringing it bang up to date. Adam is looking forward to playing the album live in front of an audience and I for one would love to be at that gig.

Click below to hear more from the podcast with CloudwatcherUno featuring Adam Shoenfeld. Also streaming on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Podcast Addict or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

americana, blues, country, folk, rock and roll

CloudwatcherUno Podcast S6 Ep 10 ~ Chris Roberts

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Season 6 of the CloudwatcherUno podcast comes to a close with a fabulous talk with the legend that is Chris Roberts. Chris was born in Austin, Texas, then moved to Aspen, and when we spoke we did so from his new home in Joshua Tree, California where he recorded his most recent EPs ‘Red Feather and ‘Lost and Found’. Chris fell in love with the Californian landscape and the vibe and moved in a blink of an eye.

‘Six Months Too Long‘ by Chris Roberts

Chris can’t wait to travel across the UK and Europe to bring his good time music to audiences who need to listen to this stunning artist and his sensational sound. To Chris it’s just Rock and Roll with a southern voice that gets tagged as Country Music but to Chris labels don’t mean anything. To Chris if you love the music then play another song and another until you are surrounded by the energy and warm embrace of Chris’s lyrics and songs.

‘Hate When You’re Gone‘ by Chris Roberts

Chris’s vision for his music is to showcase his energy, determination to tear the roof off with his rock and roll and bring joy to the fans. For Chris his music and his songs just pours out of him, there is no existential dread, no struggle with a blank page. An example of how awesome Chris’s music is his ‘Red Feather‘ EP which features songs such as ‘Hate When Your Gone‘ and ‘Remember That It’s Me’. An Ep that was made during the pandemic

Chris Roberts ~ A true original voice within the world of music.

Chris is a prolific artist and has also released his ‘Lost And Found‘ EP which features the songs ‘Loving Arms‘ and the classic Sammy Johns track ‘Chevy Van‘. All this from a musician who only recently took up playing piano and guitar. Chris has a gift and it needs to be shared with the world.

‘Jam In The Van‘ with Chris Roberts and his band.

Chris recently moved from Colorado and the most important thing to travel with Chris to Joshua Tree were his books filled with songs. For Chris trying to organise a set list takes time as he wants to give the best performance he can with a combination of killer songs, hooks and melodies. So if you hear that Chris Roberts is playing in venue near you make sure you run, don’t walk to that gig because you will be in the presence of greatness when the lights go up and Chris is on stage.

Click below to hear the podcast from CloudwatcherUno featuring Chris Roberts. Also streaming on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Podcast Addict or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

americana, blues, country

CloudwatcherUno Podcast S6 Ep 9 ~ Katie Mae

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Katie Mae sits down with CloudwatcherUno to talk about her album ‘Yellow Medicine Hills‘ which was released in October 2021 and ‘Hazy Angel‘ which was released in October 2020. When Katie Mae plays with her band then the name of band changes to Katie Mae & The Lubrication a truly original kick ass musical experience! Katie Mae had just started releasing music as an independent artist in 2019 and then on February 29th 2020 was the first Lubrication gig.

‘Yellow Medicine Hills‘ by Katie Mae

We talk about how Katie used the time during the first initial lockdown practising and honing her songs and as restrictions relaxed playing with her band to make her music have even more depth and soul.

Katie Mae an Arizona native and troubadour

We talk about our love for live music and how emotional it’s been for Katie not only to play live in front of an audience but to see other bands such as ‘Trampled by Turtles‘ and feel connected to strangers again through the power of music. Hopefully gigs at least will continue at Phoenix, Arizona because there’s something special about seeing the music you’ve heard in between your ears live in front of your eyes.

Katie’s start in music was from going to her Kindergarten teachers piano lessons when she was a very young girl so that she too could get a popsicle as a reward for playing the piano. When Katie reached Middle School at the age of 12/13 just for fun Katie would play guitar and her love for punk music started but then developed into an appreciation for singer songwriter acts.

‘Say When‘ by Katie Mae & The Lubrication

Over the last 3 to 4 years between living in Flagstaff, Arizona and then moving back to Phoenix Arizona, Katie started playing gigs with friends who needed a vocalist for their punk/metal bands. The experience was so much fun she developed her own voice, her own sound and music.

Her first solo live gig was in 2018 at the Quail Lounge in Phoenix Arizona. The experience was a full on adrenalin rush and one that Katie wanted to repeat again and again and Katie hasn’t looked back since.

Click below to hear more from the podcast with CloudwatcherUno featuring Katie Mae. Also streaming on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Podcast Addict or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

americana, bluegrass, blues, country, Pop

CloudwatcherUno Podcast S6 Ep 8 ~ Lucy Grubb

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Lucy Grubb is a singer/songwriter from Norwich who combines modern Americana with Country hooks and lyrics. Her new EP ‘Waste of Time‘ came out in June 2021 and features some terrific songs such as ‘You Don’t Do Anything‘ , ‘Waste My Time‘ and ‘Other Side‘

‘You Don’t Do Anything‘ by Lucy Grubb

Lucy has been compared to Allison Krauss and Emmylou Harris for her lyrics, storytelling and voice.

In this podcast we chat about how Lucy started off learning guitar at the age of 10 and was writing poetry and then adding her voice to her words was a natural progression for the girl from East Anglia. The universe has blessed Lucy with a stunning voice that makes you stop in your tracks.

Having a very experienced backing band has enabled Lucy to grow as an artist and gives her the confidence to go out on stage. Lucy travelled to Austin, Texas to join song writing residencies and Americana fests to hone her music and her art. During the pandemic Lucy has taken the time to look at her songs, her live show and see how it can become an even richer and better experience for a live audience.

Click below to hear the podcast from CloudwatcherUno featuring Lucy Grubb. Also streaming on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Podcast Addict or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

country, Pop

Artist Showcase with Maja Francis

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Maja Francis is that rare beast of an artist, a unicorn amongst those special beings called musicians.

‘This Womans Work’ by Maja Francis

The life of a pop star beckoned with the release of Cry Baby Pt 1 and Pt 2 but this life wasn’t all that it was cracked up to be. So as quickly as Maja’s star rose in the incandescent world of pop Maja withdrew from it all under a cloud of depression and panic attacks. From the ashes Maja poured everything into her diary, her constant companion through those dark times, her confidante and saviour.

We also talk about what it means to be an artist in this day and age and what it means for your mental health to have all this celebrity status thrust upon you, the on and off stage persona and what it means to live your life where everything is scrutinised in the court of social media.

‘Anxious Angel‘ by Maja Francis

Maja’s new album ‘A Pink Soft Mess‘ is the product of those days and diary entries brought to life. It’s an extraordinary expression of Maja’s inner life, a passport if you will to her life dreams hopes and desires. The album featured an amazing collaboration with mega superstar sisters Johanna Söderberg @jksoderberg and Klara Söderberg @klaramsoderberg from First Aid Band @firstaidkitband on the single ‘Mama’.

In the podcast CloudwatcherUno sits down with Maja Francis @wherearetheunicorns a truly special singer songwriter from Sweden. We talk about guilty pleasures such as True Crime TV, growing up with Cartoon Network, the joy of reading and the legend that will forever be Kate Bush. Her 2020 cover of @katebushmusic ‘This Womans Work‘ has over 2 million streams on @spotify

Photos by Emelie Erikkson and Milkdrop

Then there’s her track ‘Kids in Love‘ with over 7 million streams on Spotify alone and was featured on the Netflix @netflix show ‘Anarchy‘. Maja is a special soul who’s come to make your world shine. Make sure you follow her on a journey that will take you into different worlds far apart from this pedestrian universe.

Click below to hear the podcast from CloudwatcherUno featuring Elles Bailey. Also streaming on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Podcast Addict or wherever you listen to your podcasts

americana, country

CloudwatcherUno Podcast S6 Ep 7 ~ Gary Hector

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Photo: Abilgail Hadeed

Gary Hector should be on your music radar. He’s up for consideration for first round GRAMMY voting for his ‘National Trash‘ album under the category of Best Americana Album and Best American Roots Performance for his single ‘Today I Ride Alone‘. It’s an album that forges it’s own path between the worlds of Americana, country and western and calypso music.

‘Today I Ride Alone‘ by Gary Hector

The album was crowdfunded by Gary through support from the internet and worked with Martin ‘Mice ‘ Raymond in Trinidad then off to Kansas to producer Sean Bartholomew a long time friend and someone Gary trusts with his music . For that unmissable pedal steel sound Gary was introduced to John Heinrich with truly stunning vocals from Nikki Nelson.

‘Baby, This One’s For You‘ by Gary Hector

The end result is a truly unique album that showcases the best of Gary’s song writing and love for the underground rock scene. Gary’s trying something new for a country that music fans associate with reggae rather than bluegrass. Once Gary had written the songs for the album he took a leap of faith and trusted other musicians to bring his vision to life.

In this podcast we chat about how it’s a struggle for independent artists to bring their voices and unique takes on music and make it fresh for audiences. Over the past year Gary found himself listening to Gram Parsons and Emmy Lou Harris and soaked in all the vibes and became inspired to add his voice to the world of country music.

Click below to hear the podcast from CloudwatcherUno featuring Gary Hector. Also streaming on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Podcast Addict or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

blues, country

CloudwatcherUno Podcast S6 EP 6 ~ Elles Bailey

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CloudwatcherUno sits down with Elles Bailey to talk about ‘Cheats and Liars’, from Elles new album ‘Shining in the Half Light‘ due in 2022, her musical career so far from touring and promoting her album ‘Road I Call Home‘ which is where I first saw Elles live in concert. Elles recently won The UK Blues Awards — where she was awarded UK Blues Artist of the Year 2021 for the second year running.

‘Medicine Man‘ by Elles Bailey

‘Medicine Man‘ is one of my favourite songs of Elles but the story behind it acts now as a warning sign about the dark side of the music business. Having invested all her money in travelling to Los Angeles for four meetings with record labels with an American producer it turned out that he was a con artist.

The situation became the inspiration for another song ‘Wild Wild West‘

‘You guaranteed I’d feel a blazing fire
Sold me a dream so I showed you every scar
Planted a seed and I let you take me higher
Now here I am on Sunset Boulevard’

Elles managed to use that negative experience and turn it into some of her most popular songs.

‘Wildfire‘ by Elles Bailey

We talk about the story for the fan favourite song ‘Howlin Wolf‘ which Elles wrote in 2013. Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand in tribute to the bluesy delta rock and roll music that was the soundtrack for backpack adventures with her father. The love for this song is so much that there is a facebook page from her fans called the Wolfpack.

‘Howlin Wolf‘ by Elles Bailey

Recently Elles played at the Empress Ballroom at The British Country Music Festival 2021 in Blackpool. The festival promotes the best home-grown, contemporary country and Americana artists from across the UK. This was the highlight of the fledgling return of live music to the British Isles. The experience of reconnecting with a live audience was amazing and showed Elles how much she had missed playing live.

‘Cheats and Liars‘ by Elles Bailey

Elles never set out to be a country artist or a blues artist what she is and wants to be first and foremost is a musician who makes killer music. ‘Cheats and Liars’ when it first came out enjoyed a world exclusive on ‘The Blues Show with Cerys Matthews’, on BBC Radio Two and was added to Planet Rock’s A List and was the most played track on Planet Rock in September 2021. The success of this single has meant the second single ‘Sunset City‘ got pushed back to make way for this huge first single.

Elles is the very first artist to be signed to peermusic (the largest independent music publisher in the world) via Under The Apple Tree (UTAT) (the label co-founded by music and broadcasting legend ‘Whispering’ Bob Harris), spearheading a brand-new, music publishing, joint venture.

  • The Lexington – March 2019
  • Photo: Alan Dunkley
  • Photo: Alex Berger
  • With Elles Bailey at The Lexington – March 2019
  • Photo: Adam Kennedy

Out of all of these achievements one of the closest to Elles heart has been the birth of her baby which has brought her closer to her family and with their support Elles will be able to go back to what she loves doing most in the world which is going back on tour in October and November 2021.

Click below to hear the podcast from CloudwatcherUno featuring Elles Bailey. Also streaming on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Podcast Addict or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

americana, country

CloudwatcherUno Podcast S6 Ep 5 ~ The Ransom Brothers

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Sean and Sal talk about how they came up with the name of ‘The Ransom Brothers‘ . They changed the name from Good Springs to a name inspired from the Jimmy Stewart’s character Ransom Stoddard in the movie The Man Who Shot Liberty Vallance. Their new song ‘Talk Of The Town‘ is a very honest roots rock kinda sounding song and needs to be played in your kitchen at the loudest volume you can!

‘Talk of the Town‘ by The Ransom Brothers.

Sean is the main songwriter of the band with input from the rest of the musicians for various verses and riffs. For a change fiddle and peddle steel were added to bring an extra dimension to their sound. Opening up for the ‘The South Austin Moonlighters‘ led to an opportunity to meet producer Chris Beale and then come up with a game plan of choosing 4 songs from 20 tracks and release these to radio stations.

Brothers together in the world of music ~ The Ransom Brothers

Harmoni Kelly did the bass tracks on the records and the band are grateful for what she brought to the mix. Sean and Sal talk about growing up in the North Austin and the country lifestyle of barn dancing, bull riding and the allure of cowboy movies and country music. They explain that ‘Texas Country’ is a stripped down country music rather than the Nashville country pop music. Whiskey Myers, Turnpike Troubadours and Jason Isbell are definite influences on the band.

Sean and Sal have very different approaches to writing song, adding harmonies and making sure they don’t use country music clichés. Their next release will be coming out in November 2021 followed by live recordings of songs recorded at 512 Studios in North Austin. Then booking shows in central Texas with a view to more live performances out of the Lonestar State.

Click below to hear the podcast from CloudwatcherUno featuring The Ransom Brothers. Also streaming on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Podcast Addict or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

americana, country

CloudwatcherUno Podcast S6 Ep 4 ~ Tony Hannah

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Tony Hannah hails from Northern California via Knoxville Tennessee where she was influenced by rich Appalachian music. You can hear the echoes of that sound within her EP ‘Premonitions‘ . We talk about what it means to be an independent artist and how best to show the world what you as an artist stand for.

One thing that has changed for independent artists is the fan base as they become more aware of what is out there beyond just the mainstream Nashville sound.

‘Premonitions‘ by Tony Hannah
The many faces of Tony Hannah

Two of the best songs from the EP are ‘Setting Sun‘ which is based on memories of California sunsets and the sound of Linda Ronstadt’s ‘Blue Bayou‘ with the unmistakable melody of the marimba . Another favourite is ‘Tacos and Goodwill Clothes‘ The EP was recorded during the lockdown. Four of the songs on the album were written before the pandemic and two of the songs were born during this dystopia these were ‘Small Money‘ and ‘Paradise‘.

Gillian Welch and Emmylou Harris were musical staples growing up as this what Tony’s mother listened to in the flower shop she had. On Tony’s playlist is Dolly Parton, Alison Krause and Emily Nenni, Charlie Marie, Sierra Ferrell and Bonnie Raitt.

Going forward Tony wants to explore more of a soul country sound and also to release a Christmas single. That would be the best Christmas present!

Click below to hear the podcast from CloudwatcherUno featuring Tony Hannah. Also streaming on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Podcast Addict or wherever you listen to your podcasts.