Bands To Fans

Cris Cohen interviews ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro. They discuss: His new album, "Grateful"Playing rock songs on the ukulele versus playing songs written for ukulele"Embrace being a lifelong learner"His cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Have You Ever Seen The Rain?"The challenge of creating loops live during the concertAnd moreBandsToFans.com

Cris Cohen interviews percussionist Daniel de los Reyes of the Zac Brown Band. They discuss:The album "The Comeback"The song "Don't Let Your Heart"Meshing with drummer Chris FryarPercussion instruments that resonate even when they play baseball stadiumsAnd moreRecorded January 27, 2023

Cris Cohen interviews singer-songwriter Danny O'Keefe. They discuss:Having his songs recorded by artists such as Elvis Presley, Waylon Jennings, Jackson Browne, and Alison KraussHow he can "feel sad songs coming before they even get to be songs."His new album, "Circular Turns"And moreDanny O'Keefe's website: https://dannyokeefe.com/---Bands To Fans: Project administration and content marketing for professional musiciansVisit the Bands To Fans website: https://www.bandstofans.com/Subscribe to the newsletter: https://bandstofans.substack.com/Download our ebooks: https://www.bandstofans.com/ebooks.html

I interviewed bassist Jett Beres of Sister Hazel. We discussed:The 20th anniversary of the album "Chasing Daylight"Why this is his favorite Sister Hazel albumThe song written in a hot tubHow the role of the bass in a song mirrors his role in the bandWhat he learned from getting a degree in Architecture that applies to his work as a musicianAnd moreRecorded February 10, 2023

Cris Cohen interviews bassist Billy Sheehan. They discuss:The new Talas album, "1985"With live performing, "If you think, you stink.""Chaos on a leash"The two songs that made him pull his car to the side of road so he could listen more intentlyAnd moreRecorded October 2022bandstofans.com

Cris Cohen interviews Dennis Diken of The Smithereens. They discuss:- Their new release, "The Lost Album"- The emotional aspect of listening to the late Pat DiNizio singing on these tracks- "Playing for the song is the best approach a musician can take."- Being influenced by drummer Buddy Saltzman, best known for his work with the Four Seasons- "It's like you are having a dialogue musically"- And moreInterview recorded September of 2022

Cris Cohen interviews Mike Portnoy of The Winery Dogs. They discuss:The new Winery Dogs album "III" (release date: 02/03/2023)Playing with bassist Billy Sheehan"Everybody in this band has chops for days, but it is not about flexing them at all times."How his Winery Dogs drum kit is WAY scaled back compared to the ones he used with Dream Theater and Liquid Tension ExperimentAnd morebandstofans.com

Cris Cohen interviews Lawrence Gowan of Styx. They discuss:- "The beauty of a band is that it is the essence of a combined spirit."- Styx's influence on Lawrence and his influence on Styx- His onstage, theatrical sense of fun- The special moment during a concert in Toronto performing one of his solo tunes with Styx- The challenges and unexpected benefits of finishing the album "Crash Of The Crown" remotely- His performance of Rush's "Limelight" in concert as a tribute to Neil Peart- And more

Cris Cohen talks with drummer Sandy Gennaro (Cyndi Lauper / Joan Jett) about his new book, "Beat The Odds (in Business & Life)". They discuss:- Surviving and thriving even in an environment as unstable as the music business- Belief, Enthusiasm, Attitude, Tenacity, Service- Applying the lessons of the book in the internet age- And more

Cris Cohen interviews Graham Sharp of Steep Canyon Rangers. They discuss:- The new song "Sweet Spot" and its serving as a sendoff for Woody- Lyrics like "Too early to call / too late to call sober"- Performing "Be Still Moses" with a symphony and Boyz II Men- Meshing his banjo playing with Steve Martin's banjo playing (Yes, that Steve Martin)- "Try to love your way through the hardest situations"- And more

Cris Cohen interviews John Pierce of Toto during the band's tour stop in France. They discuss:- Playing outdoor venues during record heat waves- Songs that were not big in the US but that are huge in Europe- He and Steve Lukather: Living out the dreams they had when they were kids- And more(recorded in July of 2022)

Cris Cohen interviews Barrett Smith of Steep Canyon Rangers. They discuss:- What it is like to join this band as a new member- How getting his Master of Arts degree in Counseling has altered the way he communicates in everyday life and as a musician- Really committing himself to the bass after joining this band- The challenges in covering James Taylor's "Sweet Baby James"- And more

Cris Cohen interviews Jason Adamo. They discuss:- The creation of the Brett Young song “Beautiful Believer”- His New York subway singing education- His song "Raleigh Nights"- The allusions to his mother in both the songs and the artwork of his album "Looking Glass"- And more

Cris Cohen interviews country artist Paige King Johnson. They discuss:- That personal boundry you do not cross as a songwriter- Being mentored by Pam Tillis- Lessons learned from playing 150+ shows a year- Her album "Honky Tonk Heart"- Serving as the musical ambassador for the NC Department of Agriculture's "Got To Be NC" campaign- And more

The Doobie Brothers | Tom Johnston and Pat Simmons6/29/2022 Cris Cohen interviews Tom Johnston and Pat Simmons of The Doobie Brothers. They discuss:- Their new album, "Liberte"- Their just released band autobiography, "Long Train Runnin'"- The time Tom traded a guitar pick for a policeman's badge- The different approach they took to songwriting on this album- And more

Part 1 of my interview with Michael McDermott of Joan Jett and the Blackhearts is now up! We discussed:- The new acoustic album, "Changeup"- Delivering the drumming of classic songs like "Crimson and Clover" and "Bad Reputation" with just acoustic percussion- What defines punk music- And more

Cris Cohen interviews Doug MacMillan of The Connells. They discuss:- The band's new album, "Steadman's Wake."- Their 20-year gap in between albums- Being the lead singer but (often) not the songwriter- And more

Cris Cohen interviews bassist John Pierce, longtime member of Huey Lewis & The News and now a member of Toto. They discuss:- Prepping for the Toto tour- The influence of the bass- Adapting to diverse artists- And more

Cris Cohen interviews John McFee of The Doobie Brothers. They discuss: - Being a multi-instrumentalist- The upcoming 50th anniversary tour with Michael McDonald- What he learned from his work with Elvis Costello- His intense work ethic- And moreRecorded November 20, 2019 at the Durham Performing Arts Center in Durham, North CarolinaMore interviews at https://www.bandstofans.com/interview-series.htmlBands To Fans: We help musicians tell their stories. Info about how you can hire us at https://www.bandstofans.com/social-media-mgmt.html