The Unstarving Musician

Austin based musician Ray Prim is happy about having a day job. He sites living with band mates and playing shows you don’t want to play as good reason to think about getting one. Surrounded by talent, he works almost exclusively with musicians who have day jobs. This all affords him more time to write songs. We chat about the pivotal moment that drove him to get a day job, he offers advice to musicians who struggle after a long career, and explains why he's such a fan of house concerts.

Hannah Holbrook is a solo artist and member of the sibling quartet SHEL. She and her sisters are considered virtuosos, and their collective tastes create an eclectic sound that the band calls alternative pop. This is a conversation about SHEL, their relationship with a noteworthy Nashville label, and why they went independent. Hannah also answers questions SHEL's self-produced music videos, their presence in Nashville, business, film projects, Hannah’s solo career, relationships, & songwriting.

Independent musician Mike Dawson is crushing it on Instagram. He also subs for the principle drummer of The Lion King, leads drum workshops and gives private lessons. That's all on top of his day gig as managing editor at Modern Drummer Magazine. Learn how his subbing for Carter McLean in The Lion King Orchestra came about, his Instagram setup & strategy, and how he finds opportunities as an independent musician. Mike is managing editor at Modern Drummer Magazine and co host of the Modern Drummer Podcast.

In her second appearance on the podcast, British singer songwriter Lynz Crichton shares the story behind a 90-day songwriting challenge that's producing the material for her forthcoming EP. She also shares a fantastic story on how collaboration with her fan base is contributing to song ideas and selection for the EP. As if that weren’t enough, we also get into lesser-known venues where musicians can pickup paid gigs. If procrastination impedes your songwriting. This inspiring episode is for you.

Musician Bree Noble is founder of the Female Entrepreneur Musician community and academy. In her return engagement on the podcast, we discuss her latest project the Profitable Musician Summit, an event that will feature dozens of speaker interviews focused on revenue streams for today's working musician. We also get the latest on her Female Musician Entrepreneur podcast, Women of Substance Radio podcast, and Female Musician Academy.

Lara Price is an Unstarving Musician’s Podcast alumni. It’s been about a year since my last interview with her, and at that time she had just made a big move from the SF Bay to Austin. She’s still searching for her sound and now for a new band she can call all her own. Lara’s an optimist, a survivor, and a networker. She already landed a gigs at the Red Gorilla Music Festival and Austin’s airport music stage. This conversation is a bit of a love letter to her SF Bay Area fans, who she misses great

Country singer songwriter Mira Goto first appeared on this podcast for episode 12 in August of 2017. In this chat, we talk about her new single Crazy Cat Lady, sponsors, endorsements, co-writing appointments, the importance of having professional photography, Periscope, and YouTube. Mira also shares valuable insights on building a loyal fan base, how she’s learning social media for music professionals, and how attending NAMM has turned into a big boost for her brand. Check her out on Twitter @miragoto.

Sofar Sounds is a global organization who’s mission is to reimagine live events through curated, secret performances in intimate settings; and they are attempting to do just that in over 350 cities around the world. My guest for this episode is Tony Di Silvestro of Sofar Sounds Kansas City. We discuss the Sofar business model and why we should care about what they're creating. If Sofar is as cool as it sounds, I'd love to help raise awareness among music fans and artists everywhere.

Carlos Castillo runs a Facebook community called Schwilly Family Circus for entrepreneurial musicians (aka musicpreneurs). In this interview he shares his own entrepreneurial journey, which began with a plan to get fired from his day job. Today Carlos serves the entrepreneurial minded musician as a mentor and teacher. He says that for him and his students, it's all about amplifying your weirdness.

Krosst Out is the first Canadian and first rap artist that I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing for the podcast. He genrefies his style as hip hop and rap fused with rock. Among his favorite artists–Rage Against the Machine, System of the Down, Eminem, and Biggie. In our conversation, we discuss his DIY approach organizing to tours, how his rock influence gives him a versatility, attitudes versus talent, and much more.

Ezra is a native Texan. The stories of his childhood, music career and personal struggles are quite compelling. There’s also a unique aspect to Ezra’s stories–the openness with which he recants them. On the business of music and nurturing fan relationships, we talk about lessons Ezra's learned that help him run cohesive volunteer projects for things like music videos. His forthcoming album "You" is 10 songs covering 10 years of his life and relationships.

Musician Joe George (aka Joe Shadid) has a steady gig as a content producer for Reverb.com, where he creates video lessons, demos and more. His self admission where marketing and money are concerned, is that neither are something he’s focused much energy on. To a degree, he hasn’t really had to focus on them. His gig at Reverb has been a benefit to his marketability and success, yet in spite of the lift from Reverb, he’s extremely talented. He's an artist in the truest sense of the word.

Tom Irwin grew up admiring and learning songs by the likes of Grand Funk Railroad, Led Zeppelin, and Thin Lizzy. He was a participant of the 80s New Wave scene, but eventually found himself drawn to life as a solo artist. The release of Tom's latest album was a long road traveled during changing times in the music industry. Labels offered little support, but Tom rolled with the changes and eventually made his latest release happen with the help of a Kickstarter campaign that raised almost $10,000.

Judy Rodman has a rich career in singing, performing, studio engineering, producing, coaching, mentoring, publishing, blogging, podcasting, and life. If you’ve ever thought about hiring a vocal coach, if you are a vocal coach or ever thought about being one, you need to look her up, after listening to this episode of course. If you’re a vocalist or public speaker, this episode is especially for you. If you’re already a fan of this podcast, you too are in for a treat.

Liz Cirelli describes her music journey as a push and pull affair that began from an egotistical point of view. She's been challenged by fear of financial lacking, elusive fame, and the absence of help. Today she finds solace in knowing she has everything she needs. The state of Liz's music career is very much the product of a trip to California, where she met with her now music production mentor Gary Gray. At the time Liz felt she lacked the funds, but says the trip was a calling of the heart..