Fans With Bands

Bonehawk

A chat with Matt Helt, Nate Cohn, and Matt Smith of Bonehawk as well as fans Ramone, Chris, Wes, James, Curt, Mike, Michelle, Louis, and Terbly. We talk about how the fans fell in love with the awesome grooves of Bonehawk. Our conversation wanders into our thoughts on their incredible new album, Iron Mountain. We journey into stories of epic sea quests, recording at Ghetto Records, awkward moments in rock, Record Store days at Green Light Music, Pizza and much more.
Are You Down with the Bonehawk?
We started off with the fans and how they became fans of Bonehawk. Ramone kicked things off saying he learned about Bonehawk from Chris who runs the outstanding Kalamazoo record store called GreenLight Music. As Ramone describes, when Chris wants to tell you about a band you might dig, his catchphrase is “Dude!, You down with…”. In this case, “Dude! You down with the Bonehawk?”
Ramone’s first encounter with the band was actually after they had played at the Pyramid Scheme in Grand Rapids with Valient Thor and Nashville Pussy. Turns out that Trans-Siberian Orchestra was playing the same night. Ramone and Chris made it over to the Pyramid Scheme, but missed Bonehawk. However, he did get to meet the guys, catch future shows, and along with Chris are big time fans.
Awkward Moments
Speaking of the Nashville Pussy show, Matt Helt talked about meeting Blaine during load in. Evidently, Blaine was enjoying a Subway sandwich when Matt says “Hey! What’s up man?”. Matt got the long stare with no reply until Matt awkwardly walked away. I can speak from experience, that I’ve felt the awkward goofiness of meeting someone you admire and totally feeling like a dork.
Chris meets Bonehawk
Chris discovered Bonehawk through a long standing friendship with former guitarist Chad Houts. Chad brought out Bonehawk’s stellar debut album Albino Rhino to GreenLight Music. Which as an FYI, this monster album has been re-released on vinyl. It is definitely worth being in your collection if you dig big grooves, guitar harmonies, and burly riffs. Chris is a staunch supporter of local music and in particular loves the music of Bonehawk. The new album, Iron Mountain, has been on display at the front counter and selling well.Many new Bonehawk fans are discovering the band through Chris’s praise of the band.
Killer Music and Merch is Essential
In addition to killer music, Bonehawk excels at killer merch. Ramone shared a story of getting Bonehawk booked on the Kalamazoo RibFest featuring Blue Oyster Cult. Bonehawk destroyed the stage and then proceed to setup a merch booth featuring a million different t-shirts, koozies, records, and condoms (ok, condoms are an exaggeration, but you get the idea)
Meanwhile, the legendary Blue Oyster has a single shirt in two sizes. To say the least, Bonehawk’s music and merch drew in a slew of fans. This is how you create a buzz: great music and great marketing.
Wes and James meets Bonehawk
Chad Houts also brought Wes into the Bonehawk fold. He met Matt Helt and they shared cold beverages and cheese balls. Wes’s first encounter with Matt Helt and Nate was actually pre-Bonehawk when they were in a band called Nobody’s Favorite. Wes kept up the friendship with the guys and remains a fan of their music today.
James got into Bonehawk through his friend Max in Ann Arbor (Hey, I know that guy :)). They caught the band in Hamtramck with Bison Machine and Kommander. For those who love heavy stoner riffs played with passion, this was an outstanding line-up. This one show hooked James and he’s been following the band religiously. James feels the new Iron Mountain album is one of the best rock albums of 2020. A complete Pure Michigan rock journey.
Seaquest to find the Rock
Bonehawk put out a shirt at the end of 2019 with their name and underneath it an image of an iconic landscape just off the coast of the Thumb area of Michigan called Turnip Rock. Get it, turn up rock. James took a voyage in search of the rock featured on Bonehawk’s shirt. He captured an image of himself with the shirt at Turnip Rock which the band enjoyed. If you get a chance, take a kayak out to Turnip Rock and bring along some Bonehawk jams for fun.
Curt and Lewis Discover Bonehawk
Actually, Curt is a long time friend of Matt’s going back to school days. Back when they would rock some Mario Kart. Curt actually jammed with Matt in his first band. While Curt isn’t playing much himself these days, he is stoked that Bonehawk has turned up the volume on the Michigan music scene.
We found out that Louis is a brand new fan. He saw the picture with Nate advertising this episode of Fans With Bands and decided to check it out. You see Louis is a big fan of Nate’s other band Mustard Plug. They are a legendary ska punk band. Louis is happy to support local music and get into the music of Bonehawk.
Bonehawk Beer
Louis mentioned that working up in Ishpeming at Cognition Brewing, there isn’t a lot of live music (even without a pandemic going on ). However, Cognition plans to expand in 2021 and bring in some live music. We talked a bit about the band collaborations that Cognition has done with Burial Oath and Arctic Sleep. The brewing team has a love for heavy music and beer, so I’m thinking that a Bonehawk beer would be a perfect way to celebrate the pure Michigan rock fury of the band.
Iron Mountain
The new album from Bonehawk called Iron Mountain is stacked with monumental rock music. The songs flow like a rapid river and take you on a trip through their patented guitar harmonies, crunching riffs and rhythms. We talked a bit about how this new album reflects the growth and solid foundation the band has achieved in their sound and songwriting.
While they love the first album Albino Rhino, the new album is a more cohesive whole. Matt indicates that Nate’s musical approach has helped Bonehawk become a better band with greater sonic focus. Nate adds that each album is completely different with Iron Mountain being grittier, deeper, and slightly more nuanced.
Bonehawk at the Livery
While the band can’t tour to support Iron Mountain, Bonehawk is still reaching out to the fans virtually. Their latest project is a live performance recorded at The Livery in Benton Harbor. Nate shared that the band has been rehearsing and writing new music with new members Matt Smith and Cam Mammina.
Music during a Pandemic
Nate mentioned that putting out a new album during a pandemic isn’t optimal given they can’t tour. However, Ramone pointed out that this year has been a boon for new music. As we talk, it becomes clear that we all feel that music has been sustaining during this period of crisis. Chris added that while Green Light Music has had to pivot to shorter hours and fewer days open due to pandemic mitigation tactics, their sales are equal or even slightly better than the previous year.
Another boon to Green Light Music has been the extended series of Record Store Days this year. Bonehawk teamed up with Green Light Music to sponsor giveaways for each of the record store days. This has helped both the store and the band to reach even more music fans. Yet another testament to the power of music, marketing, and collaboration.
Terbly
We swung the conversation back to Terbly to get his story on becoming a Bonehawk fan. Terbly self-identifies as a “Matt Helt Groupie”. He has known Matt since childhood. He has followed his musical exploits starting with a 14 year old Matt playing in McCurly’s Caterpillars. Terbly’s favorite show was seeing Bonehawk open up for Local H at Shakespeare's pub. This was yet another awkward band encounter, this time with Local H. 
Ghetto Recorders
James asked about Bonehawk’s experience working at Ghetto Recorders in Detroit. Matt and Nate had actually gone there with their prior band Nobody’s Favorite. They really enjoyed working with Jim Diamond. His studio featured a ton of vintage effects and amps. I can imagine it was a candy store for any recording musician. They came back to Ghetto Recorders with Bonehawk to record Albino Rhino and a split EP (with Kingnomad) for Ripple Music. 
Jim was closing down the Ghetto Recorders and this was the second to last session. While there, Matt noticed an old Bic turntable that was the same turntable that his parent’s used to have when he was a kid. He bought the turntable from Jim and Matt’s mom found that she still had the original owners manual. Quite a fun find and a great memory that keeps giving with every spin of a disc.
Second Coming of Heavy
Talking about the recordings at Ghetto Recorders led to a discussion about the music recorded on the split. Matt Helt said he doesn’t really enjoy the songs on the split EP. While he had no issues with the recording that Jim did, he felt the band missed the mark. He’s even thought about potentially re-recording them.
Chris and Ramone were quick to point out that they feel the songs on the EP are some of their favorite Bonehawk tunes. Matt felt that perhaps he had some issues that he just hadn’t been able to let go of. We all offered our encouragement to treat this as a therapy session and just let it all go.
Mike Reviews Iron Mountain
Fans Mike and Michelle joined our chat to share how they became Bonehawk fans. Mike is the stellar drummer of the now defunct Blue Snaggletooth. Mike and Matt met at the record release show for Albino Rhino. Apparently Mike was staking out his territory in the club for his drums. Matt came by and said “Dude. Just chill out. It will all work out” in his easy going manner. Ironically, both Matt and Mike are two sides of the same coin. Both shared that they are a bit OCD when it comes to setting up for a show, but demonstrate (or conceal) that stress in their own loveable ways. This meeting has led to a lasting friendship.
Mike mentioned he had received an advanced copy of Iron Mountain and offered to share his notes with us. Overall he loves the album, so there wasn't any criticism to level. Except for the placement of the last song “Lake Of The Clouds” which Mike felt made for an anti-climatic ending. However, the rest of us felt that the placement was perfect. It just goes to show that everyone is entitled to their opinion and we can agree to disagree on occasion.
Wrap it up with Pizza
You’ll want to listen to the end to hear about what makes for a perfect Bonehawk pizza. Then head over to Pizza King in Portage to order one. Dig into the fun stories, laughs, and much more in this episode of Fans With Bands with Bonehawk. We hope you enjoy it! 
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Laith Al-Saadi

A chat with award winning blues artist and The Voice finalist Laith Al-Saadi as well as fans Jaime, Jane, Ron, Sylvia, Jerry, Jodi, Gale, Tobi, and Greg. The fans share their stories of discovering Laith through The Voice and local performances in Ann Arbor. We discuss our amazement at Laith’s riff weaving abilities by layering songs within songs. We chat about the influence of the Beatles. And Laith shares the story of meeting his guitar hero, Joe Walsh  
Becoming a fan of Laith Al-Saadi
Ron and Sylvia became instant fans of Laith after hearing him perform on The Voice. They collected all of the performances that were recorded and available on iTunes. In fact, they are such devoted fans that their sons call them Laith Al-Saadi groupies. They met Laith at a show in Indianapolis and have seen him a total of seven times including a drive-in show at the Macomb Center for the Performing Arts this past July. They have also seen him up close at the City Winery in Chicago. Laith loves those venues as they are great listening rooms.
Sylvia and Ron would love to see the YouTube video of Laith’s blind audition on the show. Sadly, the show only keeps the videos up for a couple of years. If anyone from The Voice is listening, how about releasing the videos of past performances for fans to enjoy at any time?
Jane and her husband met Laith back around 2008 when he was growing out his most awesome beard. They became fans not only of his music, but of Laith himself. Jane shared how kind and friendly Laith has been over the years. Jane and her husband would see Laith as often as they could at the local venues in Ann Arbor. Laith even played at Jane’s daughter’s wedding drawing folks from a couple other weddings being held at the same venue.
Weaving Riffs and Tower Records
Jerry and Jodi caught Laith in Summerville a few years ago. While there are many things they love about Laith, one thing that stands out is his ability to interject a medley of other songs while playing another. When Jerry and Jodi saw Laith, he threw in a piece of “La Villa Strangiato'' by Rush as part of a cover of Tom Petty’s “Running Down A Dream”. Jerry admits he and Jodi aren’t always on the same musical page, but they agree on the phenomenal performances of Laith Al-Saadi.
Laith shared that he is a huge Rush fan having seen them 17 times. He had a fanboy moment during a meet and greet with Rush during their R40 tour. This led us into reminiscing about waiting in line for tickets or album releases at Tower Records.
The Beatles and Laith’s Journey into Guitar
Laith’s journey into guitar began with wanting to sing along with his friends playing Beatles music. The portability of the guitar offered a way to sit around with friends and play the music they love. Starting out with a blue Magnum Explorer copy and a Yamaha Budokan amp, Laith called up his buddy on the phone and jammed. He couldn’t play a lick back then, but he sure can now.
Laith’s affinity for stringed instruments took off at Community High in Ann Arbor, where he excelled in bass guitar. After a couple of years at Western he transferred to the University of Michigan where he double majored in bass and guitar. At Michigan, Laith played in the big band studying under Paul Keller. He also had the opportunity to study with greats such as Rufus Reed, Edgar Meyer, and the legendary Ray Brown.
Photographic Memories
Jaime is astounded with Laith’s ability to remember each meeting with fans including where and when. She asked Laith if he has a photographic memory? Laith laughs saying that he isn’t sure it is actually photographic, he does have a great memory for music. He can play a song in his head and then translate it on the guitar. As Laith relates, songs are the short stories of music.
Laith’s Key Influence and Favorite Laith tunes
Jaime had another question about what one artist has influenced or inspired Laith the most. Since Laith can remember, The Beatles have been a pivotal influence in his life and music. His favorite album is Abbey Road. The message of love resonates with him to this day, particularly “The End”.
After sharing a thought about the final chord in the Beatles “The End”, Jerry turned our discussion to what everyone’s favorite Laith song is. A very tough question where the answer evolves over time or changes based on the day you ask. Jerry loves “Complete Disgrace”. It is a tough call for Ron, but he digs “What It Means”. Sylvia was quick with “Should’ve Questioned Her Motivations”. Jaime’s favorite song by Laith is “Gone”.
Friday Nights with Laith and more concert memories.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, Laith has been livestreaming his Quarantine sessions on Friday nights. Jerry and Jodi haven’t missed one. Ron and Sylvia ironically missed one livestream as they were visiting in Honor, Michigan. This sparked a conversation about the Cherry Hut in Beulah. Laith spent summer vacations as a kid in the area.
Talking about the livestreams, the conversation turned to the great show Laith had at Otus Supply which Ron and Sylvia caught on the boardwalk vacationing in Michigan. Thinking back, Sylvia remembered being up front with Laith and his band at Lone Oak Vineyard in Grass Lake, MI. Laith mentioned that he misses playing that venue as it felt just like being in someone’s living room. Jerry was quick to offer up his living room in New Hampshire once all this blows over.
Tobi shared that she met Laith at The Write-Off Room in Woodland, CA and then later at the Maui Sugar Mill in Tarzana, CA with Geoff Pearlman on bass. Geoff is a hell of a guitar player as well and is featured on the soundtrack to Echo In The Canyon which documents the music that emerged from Laurel Canyon in the 70’s.
The Voice and Joe Walsh
Jaime asked if Laith had made any lasting contacts from his appearance on The Voice. Laith mentioned that he became good friends with Owen Danoff and Ryan Quinn. They shared a love of spicy food and would meet for dinner while sequestered during taping of the show. The security was strict and getting good takeout was a blessing. 
The highlight of Laith’s experience on The Voice was performing with his guitar hero Joe Walsh. Laith never expected to get as far as he did. However, playing with Joe was a dream come true. He was able to later get on stage with Joe when he played at Pine Knob (ok..DTE Music). According to Laith, Joe is the nicest guy and he was thrilled that he contacted him to play after The Voice.
Ringo Starr
It Turns out that Joe Walsh’s wife Marjorie is sisters with Ringo Starr’s wife Barbara Bach. We imagined what holiday dinners are like. We also dreamed about being able to witness Ringo’s All Star Band with Joe, Nils Lofgren, Gregg Rolie, Steve Lukather, Levon Helm, and Jim Keltner. 
Laith has a new album coming out in 2021 which includes Jim Keltner on drums. Jim mentioned that he loved the last record he worked on with Laith called Real. This prompted Laith to get Jim involved in his latest project. It turns out that Jim and Ringo are good friends. Laith asked Jim while they were in the studio if he would pass along a copy of Real to Ringo. Jim said sure. This means that the kid influenced to become a musician by the Beatles, may have his own music playing in Ringo’s house right now. What a trip.
Traveling to see Laith
Since we can’t travel right now, we share our dream of where we would like to see Laith play. Tobi wants to see Laith at the new Write-Off Room when it opens. Laith has yet to play there and it sounds like Tobi has connections. Jodi would love to see Laith play in Nashville since they have not yet visited this fine music city. Jerry would keep it local to New Hampshire in his backyard. Ron and Sylvia would love to see Laith at the Ann Arbor Blues Festival or The Blind Pig. 
Greg gave another shout out for Nashville. Specifically, BB King’s. He would also like to see Laith in his hometown of Coldwater at JT’s. Finally, Jaime would like to see Laith at a campfire anywhere in the U.S.A. However, if she could pick one place it would be to see Laith in New Orleans. As New Orleans inspired the tremendous song “Gone” and other songs from his album, Real. Sounds like a road-trip is in order.
Dig into all the intriguing stories, laughs, and much more in this episode of Fans With Bands with Laith Al-Saadi. We hope you enjoy it! Subscribe to Fans With Bands on your favorite podcast service such as Apple, Google, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Audible or Stitcher.  Be sure to rate the show and please send us feedback. We would love to hear from you.
 
Check out Laith Al-Saadi’s music
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The DayNites

A chat with Kristi, Shaun, Tim, Rick, Erich, and Ryan of The DayNites as well as fans Lori, Antonio, Dan, and Danielle. The fans share how they found The DayNites through connections at Eastern Michigan University and Grove Studios in Ypsilanti, Michigan. We share our mutual love for The DayNites new self-titled EP. We delve into the musical gumbo of creative influences that shape the band’s sound. Along the way we share laughs and appreciation for our rich musical community.
How They Became Fans
We started out with how our fans got into The DayNites. Antonio went to Eastern Michigan University (EMU) with Kristi. Turns out many of us on this episode are EMU alumni. Go Eagles! Antonio loves Kristi’s voice (as we all do and you should too) and became a fan of The DayNites when she joined. 
Lori became fans while seeking out local bands to feature on her blog, The Stratton Setlist. She met Rick and Erich covering the Grove Studio Equinox party and learned that in addition to running Grove Studio, they were also part of The DayNites. One listen to their single “Cherry Blossom '' from the self-titled EP and Lori was hooked.
Danielle’s friend Brian turned her on to The DayNites. She enjoys their live shows. She also finds their music soothing. Apparently her rabbits do as well. Danielle will play The DayNites for them and they just chill out and enjoy a carrot or two. 
Origin behind the name The DayNites
I was curious how the band came up with their name. Their website hints at Yin and Yang, Night and Day. Turns out that the origin is that the band started out as a side project on Friday nights. The early incarnation being called The Friday Nights. Kristi, Tim, Erich, and Rick were playing in a band called Abe Maybe. Shaun had played with Erich and Rick previously in a band called Jamison. 
Shaun was looking to play some guitar and his friends offered up the Abe Maybe space. As things started to gel during these Friday Night sessions, the roots of The DayNight took hold. The session name eventually morphs into the final name to capture the combined musical chemistry of the band that embraces the full spectrum.
Songwriting
Whether it is a riff or a melody, the songwriting process is all about collaboration and exploration with The DayNites. I mentioned I loved the song “Coastlines” and that began with an exploration by Shaun of a guitar riff that pays homage to the lyrical melody in the Big Brother and The Holding Company song “Summertime”. 
Kristi mentioned that she and Tim had developed the framework for the song “October 17”. They then brought this to the band and the magic began. Each member adds their own essence to the song to create something that speaks with the combined voice of The DayNites. The songwriting is enhanced because everyone in the band is coming at the music from different angles. 
Song Evolution
Danielle asked how the songs change over time. Shaun and Rick explain that as the band performs these songs in rehearsal and on stage, they solidify. The tempos change as the band and the songs find their sweet spot. The DayNites continue to simmer with their music and each performance offers a chance for improvisation and growth.
Black Sheep
Antonio was wondering why the song “Black Sheep” by Metric (famously part of the Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World movie soundtrack) wasn’t on the new DayNites EP. Sadly, the band doesn’t have the rights currently to record it. They have thought about doing a covers album, but would need to get legal rights to do so. The band promises that anytime Antonio is at one of their shows, they will play it just for him. If you want to check out how much Antonio loves this song when played by The DayNites, check out his video on YouTube. Kristi loves this song and was happily surprised that the band embraced her love of this tune.
Recording of the EP
Antonio asks what the first song was that The DayNites recorded for the EP. This would be “Cherry Blossom” and “October 17” which were recorded on the same day at Tapwater Studios in Detroit with Dilan Wade. Unfortunately the studio is no longer located in Bricktown as they were priced out of the spot. However, they are still open in a new location.
The superman of mixing on the EP was Jeff Michael from Big Sky Recording. It just so happens that in a former lifetime, my old band Battalion recorded and mixed with Jeff Michael back in the day. Back when Rick, Erich, and Shaun were in Jamison, Jeff was the man behind the console as well. 
The remainder of the EP was recorded with Taylor Greenshields at Fundamental Sound Company. The DayNites certainly were sharing the love with a variety of studios in pursuit of this recording.
Lori asks about the song order on the EP and if it was planned or did it fall into place. Rick mentioned it was definitely planned. Kristi relayed that like their setlists which change with each show, the band is always looking for the best flow. However, the band agrees that Shaun is not allowed to create the setlist as he likes to start out heavy which leaves both the band and the fans exhausted.
DayNite Dynamics
Ryan on keyboards is the newest member of the band. Antonio wondered how his integration in the band was going. Ryan has been a fan of the band since the beginning. For him, joining the band is a dream come true. He loves the way the band works together and makes the most of each minute they have together. Rehearsals are fun and creative. 
The rest of The DayNites agree that Electrifying Ryan is a great addition to the band. He provides a unique insight into the band. The band also agrees that Shaun (guitar) has the most fun. He’s the guy bringing the food, beverages, and laughs.
New Music
The DayNites are definitely working on new music. However, they are not in a rush to record. After learning from the first EP, they know that taking their time is important. Ryan (keyboards) is also adding a new voice to the overall sound. This is pushing the band to explore new sounds while staying true to their original form of being eclectic, energetic, and creative.
Dan the Fan and First Albums
Just as Steely Dan was being mentioned, Ryan’s friend Dan joins the call. Dan became a fan as he and Ryan also play in the band Violet Sol. They had played many shows with The DayNites. Kristi mentioned that she is a big fan of Violet Sol. In Particular, she loves the vocals of Angelena Sicilliano. The beauty of these conversations is that you always learn about more music to enjoy.
A regular feature of Fans With Bands is to dive into what was the first album that everyone bought. As expected, the albums (or tapes or cds) run the gamut. First albums included Prince, Jay-Z, Fallout Boy, Michael Jackson, The Beatles, The Starting Line, Run DMC, Mariah Carey, System Of A Down, and a U2 cas-single. The cas-single was a bummer as Erich had been hoping to get a full album instead of just two songs. We all wonder what exactly is the point of a two song cassette tape anyway. 
Brazil
We wrapped up with a question on where everyone would want to travel if we could. The winner of this episode is Brazil. Everyone wants to go visit Binho Manenti who originally played keyboards with The DayNites. His wife was here on a residency and they have since returned to Brazil. Sounds like a DayNites tour to Brazil will be in the works.
Dig into all the stories, laughs, and much more in this episode of Fans With Bands with The DayNites. We hope you enjoy it! Subscribe to Fans With Bands on your favorite podcast service such as Apple, Google, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Audible or Stitcher.  Be sure to rate the show and please send us feedback. We would love to hear from you.
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Overdrive Orchestra

A chat with Chris, Shaun, and Adam from Overdrive Orchestra with fans Jason, Denise and Mike. We talk about the new Overdrive Orchestra album Electric Mind and get into a bit of the history of the band. Then we all dig into favorites. Favorite songs to play, favorite stages, and favorite albums. Along the way we explore musicians who inspired the band, prospects of new music, and what is the point of pineapple on pizza.
Overdrive Orchestra and Electric Mind
Our chat took us all the way back to the formation of Overdrive Orchestra in Hartland, Michigan. Denise and Mike have been following the band since the earliest incarnations of Chris and Adam playing a Van Halen cover at a high school talent show. After a brief stint down in Nashville, Chris and Adam met up with fellow Hartland alumni Shaun, Cam, and JC (James Blevins) to round out what we now know as the Overdrive Orchestra.
In February 2020, just before all hell broke loose, Overdrive Orchestra released Electric Mind. This is a must for anyone that digs emotive rock music with a progressive almost psychedelic lean. What is even better is that they released it on vinyl. The concept behind the album is the light, the spark, the energy within each of us. Overdrive Orchestra transform the inner fire of existence into a broadcast of electric rock music. It is a beautiful thing and this band has done a great job of capturing the fire within.
A special song on the Electric Mind album by Overdrive Orchestra is called “Glass Kingdom”. A pulsating drum loop, accented with acoustic guitars and Chris’s soulful vocals is hauntingly beautiful. The main riff was developed by drummer Cameron Hill and the rest of the band fell in love with it. This riff spawns a moving composition that hints at loss and reflection. Each band member felt the drive to add their own texture and color which adds to the special vibe of the song. As Adam says about the main riff “It was a post and we were the vine crawling on it”.
Favorite Songs
Mike was interested in what is the favorite song for each band member to play. Which could be their own or any other artist. Shaun mentioned that the vibe of a show can drive which one their songs feels favorite on a given night. However, in general Shaun is down with playing anything by All Them Witches. A super solid choice for those who dig a grungy stoner psychedelic tunes pulsing with bass. Chris seconds this as he was representing with an All Them Witches shirt. Sounds like we need to get All Them Witches on the show.
For Adam the favorite song to play varies, but recently it has been “Release” off the Electric Mind album. This song features big burly foot stomping riffs and some tripped out harmonica (courtesy of Craig Griffith of the Verve Pipe). When journeying outside the Overdrive Orchestra catalog, Adam digs “No Quarter” by Zeppelin. Who can argue with that? Chris enjoys playing “Harvest”. Its moody syncopated intro builds into a torrent of fist pumping riffs.
Favorite Albums and stages
Jason piggybacked off favorites songs into favorite albums. Adam was quick to jump on 10000 Days by Tool and in particular the stellar bass playing of Justin Chancellor. Shaun digs Songs For The Deaf by Queens of the Stone Age. This album never disappoints. For Chris, the album that resonates with him is Houses of the Holy by Led Zeppelin. This timeless classic features perfect albums sides on A and B. Diehard fans Mike and Denise love the new Overdrive Orchestra album. We flipped this question back on Jason and he feels a great deal of nostalgia for Tommy by The Who as his dad played it quite a bit. That album when played with a candle burning will set you free.
Favorite stages made it into the conversation and the clear winner was Founders in Grand Rapids. This is based on the fan and band interactions and sound quality. Honorable mention goes to the Blind Pig in Ann Arbor. This historic venue evidently was the loudest show by Overdrive Orchestra. As Shaun said louder is more better.
Inspirational Artists
After talking about favorites, we moved into inspirational musical artists which includes Dimebag Darrell, Josh Homme, Justin Chancellor, Frank Zappa, Jimmy Page, and Frank Ocean. A well rounded list that gives you a peek into the diverse spectrum of influences that guide Overdrive Orchestra.
New Music and Naming of Overdrive Orchestra
Mike asked about a new album. The band has been using the quarantine period due to COVID to write new music, but want to wait to release until they can play live. This is the first time that all the band members have been working together on new tunes. The music on Electric Mind is actually a collection of music that is several years old. The new songs are more of a construction from the ground up with each member offering their unique inputs to the songs.
Jason asked about the naming of the band. Chris relays that it started early on when the band was just a trio (prior to Shaun, Cam and JC joining). The concept behind the name is layered music like an orchestra, yet the hard rock vibe captured in the word overdrive. The actual first name kicked around was simply Overdrive with Orchestra being added to complete the concepts of the band. A bonus is you can abbreviate as O2, the fuel for our lives.
Dig It
Dig into all the stories, laughs, and the merit of pineapple on pizza in this episode of Fans With Bands with Overdrive Orchestra. We hope you enjoy it! Subscribe to Fans With Bands on your favorite podcast service such as Apple, Google, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Audible or Stitcher.  Be sure to rate the show and please send us feedback. We would love to hear from you.
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Hate Unbound

A chat with Art, Foot, Deanna, and Daryl from Hate Unbound with fans Deli, Mike, Sean, Stewie, and Melinda. We talk about the new Hate Unbound album Darkness Becomes All and their unique songwriting approach which features beers and post hockey rage. The laughs are continuous as we talk about infamous touring stories, first albums, first concerts, and travel destinations such as the Bar-hamas.
Darkness Becomes All and McDonalds
First off we jump into the new Hate Unbound album called Darkness Becomes All. This a raging metal album full of riffs that dig into the brain with barbed hooks. We talked a bit about how this new album compares to their previous album Plague. Daryl liked Plague, but felt it was a compromise. The new album reflects more on their writing with Foot (drummer) who joined the band after the songs on Plague were written. With the addition of Deanna on bass, Hate Unbound are writing more material that outpaces the devastating songs on Darkness Becomes All.
Beer, Hockey, and Vox & Hops
When we started to talk about songwriting approach, Foot decided it was time to do his famous impression of a McDonald’s drive through attendant. “Yeah, I’ll take a double cheeseburger...do you want an apple pie with that?”. The short answer to the songwriting approach is jamming together in Daryl’s basement with the riffs gathering under the influence of many beers and post hockey rage. In effect, the band is one part band and one part drinking club. This sounds like the perfect combination for fun and creativity.
Lyrical inspiration comes in the form of current events, the brutal aspects of life, and movies. Daryl mentioned that the band needed a zombie themed song and Art (vocals) created the lyrics for “Why Won’t You Die”. Not only is this song fun, it is bone crushingly heavy. Perfect for slamming the head off a zombie or two.
Part of the beer fueled writing process for Hate Unbound includes trying a new beer each week. Hearing this, I immediately thought of my friend Matt and his podcast called Vox & Hops. The theme there is life, metal, and craft beer. Hate Unbound love craft beer and they are definitely metal, so an interview with Matt sounds like heaven.
Fan Questions and Memorable Hate Unbound touring stories
Later in the show, Mike got his connection working and was able to join in to share his praise for Hate Unbound. Mike played guitar in Aventity (great progressive metal band, sadly now defunct) and thoroughly enjoyed playing shows with Hate Unbound. He like the rest of us, love the new Darkness Becomes All album
Deli wanted to know about memorable Hate Unbound shows. Hilarity ensued as Daryl talked about falling off a stage in slow motion. The best however was relaying a story about Hate Unbound’s other guitarist Will (who couldn’t make our call). Apparently Will had Culver’s for dinner prior to a show. Evidently this created a disturbance in the bowels which made its way onto the stage. Hazmat may or may not have been called to address the situation.
Not to be outdone in the memorable show moments was Foot at Full Terror Assault. This was his first show with the band. The Full Terror Assault gig was an open air event with camping. It was hotter than hell and super moist. The only way to get supplies was a 30-40 minute shuttle ride to the nearest town. The band entrusted Foot with cash to get as much water as possible. Foot determined that beer was essentially water and returned with only beer. However, given the heat, some of the beers did not make it back from the store given the length of the ride from town. Needless to say, the rest of Hate Unbound will not be sending Foot on the next supply run.
Deanna and Art also have some great stories from the road. These involve missing bass guitars and scooters. You’ll have to listen to the episode and enjoy the laughs. Clearly a sense of humor is a must be part of Hate Unbound.
First Albums and First Concerts
The topic of first albums included Deanna learning bass to the master Steve Harris with her first album purchase of Killers by Iron Maiden. Evidently Art’s tastes have moved on from his start with the Offspring. Daryl was another child of the Columbia House cd bonanza which turned him into a big Scorpions fan. Bon Jovi was the first album for Foot. He also found the joy of Columbia House and his mom’s second mortgage is proof
There was also a time when Foot was sure Brett Michaels and Vince Neil were the same dude, since he never saw them in the same place. This led to Daryl’s admission that when he saw the cover of the first Poison album, he thought they were hot chicks. Daryl’s cousin had to break the news that they were in fact dudes.
First concerts included Styx, Pat Benatar, The Mandrell Sisters, Air Supply, Creed and Guns and Roses. Not at the same time, but can you imagine. Foot feared for his life at Guns and Roses when Axel walked off the stage, given that crowds were prone to riots at the time. Thankfully no one was injured. Besides, Metallica stole the show. We all gave Mike a pass on seeing Creed. You live and you learn.
World Travelers
We may not be able to easily travel the world right now, but that doesn’t mean we can’t think ahead. Destinations from our conversation included Ireland, Portugal, Italy, Germany, and California. Foot, Stewie, and Daryl would all like to check out Wacken in Germany, if we can ever get a ticket. Melinda is actually traveling soon to the San Francisco Bay Area. We all hope she has a great time.
Dig into all the stories and many many laughs on this episode of Fans With Bands with Hate Unbound. We hope you enjoy it! Subscribe to Fans With Bands on your favorite podcast service such as Apple, Google, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Audible or Stitcher.  Be sure to rate the show and please send us feedback. We would love to hear from you.
 
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The Whiskey Charmers

A chat with Carrie and Lawrence of The Whiskey Charmers with their fan Ben. We talk about our favorite songs from their new album Lost On The Range. In addition, we touch on the songwriting magic of placeholder words. This conversation then delves into the power of video soundtracks to broaden an artists reach.
Favorite Songs
I asked about my favorite song from the new album called “Crossfire”. Carrie hints that perhaps the song is a reflection of a time when she wasn’t quite being kind to herself. One of Ben’s favorite songs is “Human” which is in the video game "Detroit: Become Human" by Quantic Dream. He thinks the band should play that more often in their live sets. What do you think?
Lawrence and Carrie said part of the problem is that they have so much material it can be hard to pick a set. They once did a special event and played five full sets without repeating a song or adding a cover. That is a ton of material to choose from. Lawrence said the new songs tend to be the favorites. Older tunes sometimes get lost in the mix. In a dream world where cash is no limit, The Whiskey Charmers would love to put out a double live album. Sounds like we fans need to get a crowdfunding project underway.
Songwriting and First Albums
In a nod to the writing of William S. Burroughs and David Bowie, Carrie uses an approach to writing lyrics that borders on the cut up technique. As she works out a melody, she inserts a placeholder word. A random word that fits the melody. While they seem to be just placeholders, they magically transform into the actual lyrics in a sort of transcendental meditation spontaneous spark. Like David Bowie, the Whiskey Charmers do write songs about space travel and musings on what this all means.
As music lovers, we had to chat about first albums. Carrie’s first was the soundtrack to the movie “Grease”. Lawrence from the tender young age of six was into the mean and gritty rocking blues of AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell. Ben went big on his first musical purchase with Black Sabbath’s “We Sold Our Souls For Rock and Roll”. Facing the wrath of his parents, Ben walked up to Kmart and proceeded to revel in the glorious power chords of Black Sabbath.
Guitars and First Concerts
While we were talking, Ben showed off his sweet Dean Psychobilly Cabbie hollowbody archtop electric guitar in taxi cab yellow with black and white checkerboard. Don’t even ask, as Ben isn’t selling this baby. Carrie then showed off Lawrence’s sweet Les Paul which was a gift from his brother. Lawrence loves the guitar since it reminds him of his guitar hero, Randy Rhoads.
Chatting about guitar heroes leads to first concerts with Elton John, Kiss, Bob Seger and Ozzy. This included some fun family memories with Lawrence. Ben remembers his family taking him to see Bob Seger. Ben eventually becomes good friends with Cole Seger (Bob’s son) who happens to be a hell of a filmmaker.
Video Games and Satanic Doo-wop
Somehow we looped back to playlists, Spotify, and the Detroit: Become Human game which featured The Whiskey Charmers as well as other Detroit artists Thornetta Davis, Emily Rose, Rocket 455, White Shag and Model 500. The power of a video game soundtrack can’t be overstated.
Ben mentioned that he listens to the Whiskey Charmers daily. In his weekly mix he also recommends The Gaslight Anthem “The ‘59 Sound” and Twin Temple a Satanic doo-wop band. Yes, you heard correctly, satanic doo-wop. You never know what an episode of Fans With Bands can bring.
Links and Such
Dig into all the stories on this episode of Fans With Bands with The Whiskey Charmers. We hope you enjoy it! Subscribe to Fans With Bands on your favorite podcast service such as Apple, Google, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Audible or Stitcher.  Be sure to rate the show and please send us feedback. We would love to hear from you.
 
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Keep an eye out for Ben's new podcast called Motor City Juke Joint
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Slumlord Radio

A chat with Mike, Matt, and Tommy of the band Slumlord Radio with fans Cindi and Darrell. This conversation was infectious and fun. We started off sharing our astrological signs. Then moved into the backstory of Slumlord Radio and the perils of moving from Sweden as impressionable youths with dreams of stardom. We marveled at how well Matt, Tommy and Mike have no hint of their former Norwegian accents.
Fans Cindi and Darrell came to become Slumlord Radio fans through their mutual association in music. Darrell is the vocalist/guitarist for a Grand Rapids based rock band called Paper Planecrash. They are currently working on a recording with White Elephant Records (the same label as Slumlord Radio). Cindi is the vocalist in Cindi Lou and The Red Hot Royals. They are a fantastic rockabilly band that I had the great fortune to see at the Michigan Brewers Guild Detroit Fall beer fest.
Given that playing shows is nearly impossible, the guys in Slumlord Radio have been putting their years of high school shop class to great use by building a hot air balloon. The balloon known as the Spirit of Slumlord will hopefully launch after the new year. Cindi is currently working on creating a drop zone where the band will then pick up supplies for their new perfume known as Essense of Slumlord. This masculine scent features esters of WD-40 with a sweet hint of bacon and a splash of freshly mown grass.
Slumlord Radio is working on new music at White Elephant Records. The sonic evolution is underway with the accent on heaviness. While we chatted about new music, we delved into the band’s influences such as Sabbath, Zeppelin, and the MC5. Little did we know, there is an unspoken love for the old school country of George Jones. A true master of his craft. The sensitive side of Slumlord Radio comes through in their secret affair with the music of Morrissey.
One aspect of the band’s development during the pandemic is Tommy’s leaping ability. The entire band agrees that as Tommy ages, he is gaining more air. He should soon surpass the noted high jumper Pete Townshend. One more reason we are all looking forward to the end of the pandemic. We can then witness this feat in person.
We chatted a bit about how strange it is to not be either attending or playing shows. The guys in Slumlord related that they have resorted to just loading up the van and driving around the neighborhood until 3am. Just to ensure that no rust gathers on the razoredge of their load in and load out prowess.
Our conversation found its way back to the musical influences of fans Cindi and Darrell. Cindy cut her teeth on AC/DC before finding the jazz and blues. This eventually led to her flaunting the natural aging progression by moving from singing jazz and blues into rockabilly. We are certain that statues in several states were violated by this move.
Darrell being a child of the 80’s, discovered rock music in the 90’s The sound track of his youth included classics from Bush and Nirvana. As time moves on, Darrell has been digging into the Detroit sounds of the Dirty Americans.
The stories are endless and hilarious on this episode of Fans With Bands with Slumlord Radio. We hope you enjoy it! Subscribe to Fans With Bands on your favorite podcast service such as Apple, Google, Spotify, iHeartRadio, or Stitcher.  Be sure to rate the show and please send us feedback. We would love to hear from you.
 
Check out Slumlord Radio’s music on Bandcamp
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Matt from Cryptopsy and Vox&Hops

A chat with Matt the vocalist for the legendary technical death metal band Cryptopsy and the host of an amazing podcast called Vox & Hops which features stories about the best of metal music and craft beer. Joining us for this conversation is craft beer and metal fan extraordinaire, Jerry. 
In this episode, Matt shares his story of being a nu-metal child who fronted the metalcore band 3 Mile Scream and found himself in the technical ecstasy of extreme music with Cryptopsy. We then shift gears to hear about how Jerry became a fan and their friendship which developed thanks to Vox & Hops. To stay sane at the start of the pandemic, Matt created the virtual Vox & Hops Thirsty Thursday group which remains a vital link for a great crew of metal and beer lovers. Vox & Hops has also been the inspiration for this podcast as well as a new one from Vox & Hops members Evan and Phil called Whispers From The Void.
As is expected on Fans With Bands, we spent some time talking about music. Jerry’s job allows him plenty of time to kick out the jams. We had a laugh as Matt shared how Jerry would send him suggestions for music to check out. This wasn’t just a sample of a few bands, but a full on deluge of awesome music to check out. Matt suggested that Jerry curate a playlist and from this The Jerry With A J special Spotify playlist was born. Jerry’s list is a goldmine of extreme music and has taken on a life of its own. We also talked about our mutual fear of SlipKnot mosh pits.
Of course, given that we all love beer and Matt hosts Vox & Hops, we had to share our beers virtually. Matt was enjoying BreWskey Pub and Taproom’s “Brew Juice” and Microbrasserie 4 Origines “Steep of Faith”. Jerry tapped into Intrinsic Brewings “Flanders Red X”. Meanwhile, Chuck sipped on a delicious Stormcloud Brewing “Whiled Away” IPA.
We wrapped up with what we were looking forward to in the next six months. Jerry’s looking forward to his job getting a bit less hectic and sharing music and beers with the Vox & Hops crew. Matt is celebrating the second anniversary of Vox & Hops with a special episode featuring all of the original Cryptopsy vocalists (Lord Worm, Mike DiSalvo, Martin Lacroix, Matt McGachy) hosted by Bradley Zorgdrager of Banger TV & Exclaim!
The second anniversary celebration includes a special collaboration brew with Overhop Canada called “Voxs&Overhops” which will be available in the Montreal area in November. Cryptopsy will also have a special collaboration brew with Kahnawake Brewing Co. called “Crisptopsy” coming in November as well. And as if that wasn’t enough to look forward to, the 200th episode of Vox & Hops landed recently with the special guest Mikael Stane of Dark Tranquility.
 
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Ladyship Warship

A chat with Kristin and EZ from the band LadyShip Warship. Their self-titled debut is raw emotive rock music that sings to the soul. Joining us for our conversation are fans Lee and Spencer. Lee is an artist whose art is fueled by music. He has created art during live shows and has drawn every day for the last 1476 days! Spencer plays in a punk garage duo called Hail Alien and has a podcast/production studio called No Experience. On top of being a fan, Spencer has worked with LadyShip Warship on a few video releases including a killer cover of "High Water" by Bob Dylan.
This was a fantastic conversation about music and art. We dabbled with negative space and the space between. We journeyed into the process of art creation and motivations. We talked about the Detroit music scene and the vibrance of the best festival that many outside of Michigan (and even in Michigan) know little about; The Hamtramck Music Fest.
While the pandemic may be putting a damper on shows, we talked about the abundance of art and music just waiting to find a home inside your head.
Check out Ladyship Warship on Bandcamp
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Recorruptor

A chat with Clint the vocalist for the Lansing, Michigan extreme metal band Recorruptor and Nick a fan of band. On this episode, we talk about Nick's first experience with the band at Mac's (a classic dive bar in Lansing) and picking up Recorruptor's "Some Shit" demo. This launched Nick into following Recorruptor through their "Bloodmoon" and recently released "Funeral Corridor" albums.
We also delved into the gateway bands of Slayer and Lamb Of God that pulled Nick and Clint into more extreme forms of metal. A big shout out to the godfather of the double kick drum, Dave Lombardo! Nick was curious as to the drinking routine for load in and we got into Clint's 21st with Goatwhore, Black Fast and Acid Bath. Hilarity then ensues :)
Our talk gets a bit cerebral when we discuss the calming and cathartic aspect of metal music. While some may find the blistering chaos of Black Dahlia Murder beyond the pale. Extreme metal fans find the blasting power releases the tension from the day and leads to a blissful zen.
Check out Recorruptor's music on Bandcamp
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For samplings of music by artists featured on Fans With Bands, drop by our playlist on Spotify
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