The Load Out Music Podcast

Like any other art form, rap music or hip-hop has a defined, ever-evolving legacy. There are names etched in the walls of the greats industry founders ranging from Curtis Blow to Grandmaster Flash, LL Cool J to Run DMC, the Beastie Boys, Will Smith, Doug E. Fresh, the Fat Boys and Queen Latifah. As the genre evolved, rap developed more of an edge, telling painful stories of street life from performers like N.W.A., Ice-T, Public Enemy, Tupac Shakur, and the Notorious B.I.G. Rappers Jay Z, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg took rap to new heights of popularity, giving hip-hop a seat at the mainstream table. And others like Lauryn Hill,  50 Cent, Kendrick Lamar, Lil’ Wayne, Eminem, Travis Scott, Nicki Minaj, Drake, DMX, J. Cole and others have kept rap going strong and made it a viable and highly profitable music style.

But rap is incomplete without the group that coined the phrase “hip-hop” in their groundbreaking anthem “Rapper’s Delight”—the Sugarhill Gang. 

Indeed, any conversation about rap—which in 2023, celebrated 50 years as an art form—is incomplete without the Sugarhill Gang. Formed in 1979, it started outside an Englewood, New Jersey, pizza shop when singer and music executive Sylvia Robinson asked Henry “Big Bank Hank” Jackson—who would croon as he made pizza inside—to sing for she and her husband Joe in their car parked outside. Jackson was ultimately joined by Guy "Master Gee" O'Brien and the two of them went to the Robinson home along with Michael "Wonder Mike" Wright. The three young me thought they were auditioning against one another, but in the end, were assembled into a music act that would go on to become one of the first rap groups ever—the Sugarhill Gang—holding a legendary place in popular music history. 

We sit down with the Sugarhill Gang including Master Gee, Wonder Mike, Hendogg and DJ T-Dynasty for the latest episode of the Load Out Music Podcast. 

Some guests need no introduction, especially when they've been a founding member of one of the most lendary rock bands in history, Traffic. But if you need more, Dave Mason has it. He's penned well over 100 songs, has three gold records, worked with the late Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartnery, George Harrison, Eric, Clapton, Rita Coolidge and the list goes on. The self-described "country boy" from England who now lives in Nevada is about the hit the road again--because he wouldn't feel comfortable anywhere else--and has a new memoir and fresh blues album out this summer. We welcome the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee to The Load Out Music Podcast for a great kickoff to Season 5!

You might recognize Caleb Lee Hutchinson from his short stint on NBC's The Voice, on American Idol, country music radio or your favorite streaming platform. But after dropping an EP and a few popular singles, as well as working with some renowned producers, he emerges with his first full-length album, Southern Galactic, and it's certainly not your run-of-the-mill country music fare. Indeed, it's reminscent of the forays into pop, electronic music and rock that we've heard from the likes of Sturgill Simpson and Paul Cauthen in recent years. Either way, Hutchinson is certainly drawing a line in the sand and expressing his own sound that is rooted a creative process driven by brutal honesty and the rich storytelling tradition of country music’s roots. 

Despite a rather decorated, 20-year history that includes accolades any band would relish, the GRAMMY-nominated, multi-platinum band NEEDTOBREATHE isn't satisfied. Indeed, the band came into their latest studio album feeling there was much to prove despite living in rare air in the modern genre landscape--having placed five Number One albums all across the Billboard chart spectrum. In our most recent episode of The Load Out Music Podcast, we speak to NEEDTOBREATHE's Josh Lovelace about where the band has been, where is is now, and where it's headed. 

If there’s anything to be learned from the monumental successes of Beyonce and Taylor Swift, it’s that music artists can do more than simply record and perform music. Certainly, each has established themselves as exceptional artists. But they have also cultivated remarkably strong seemingly interpersonal bonds with their fans ranging from Beyonce’s “Bee Hive” to Taylor’s “Swifties.” 

A few rungs down the ladder, yet furiously climbing higher and higher, sits the uniquely engaging Zsuzsanna Eva Ward. She is better known as ZZ Ward and was our most recent guest on The Load Out music podcast. 

Ward’s fan community is known as “Dirty Shine,” a term revolving around being one’s authentic self—imperfections and vulnerabilities included. The term itself, “Dirty Shine,” that is, has become something of a mission statement and rallying cry for the singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, whose alternative, blues and hip-hop-blending music has quietly exploded amongst her passionate fanbase.

“The concept of ‘Dirty Shine’ is larger than the record,” Ward said of her new album. “When I put out my first album (2012’s Til the Casket Drops), my fans and I started saying we are dirty shine. It was about embracing who you are—we are all dirty, a little rough around the edges. I’ve always had this vibe, but I feel like this time in my life is like dirty shine on steroids. I can fully be myself, and nothing can stop me.” 

Ward, however, has gone beyond embracing her who she is, embracing her fans and polishing that dirty shine through her relationships each and every day, noting that she chats “with my fans on Discord every day.”

Ward’s Til the Casket Drops made a notable entry into the AAA Radio Charts Top 10. Her sophomore album, The Storm, clinched the number one spot on the Billboard Blues Charts.

On her third and latest effort, Dirty Shine sets a new bar as more of a cinematic piece with a diverse blend of sounds—from bold electronic textures, rugged hip-hop beats, to juke joint harmonica. The album was recorded in collaboration with renowned producers such as Ludwig Göransson, Mike Elizondo, Jason Evigan and more. The single "On One," features Jean Deaux and is inspired by Ward’s new role as a mother. It carries an empowering message, defying the stereotype that motherhood equates to weakness.  

“You just have to run your own race and do your own thing,” Ward said.

As Ward expands her role in making music she has gone beyond artist and become a video director, record label owner, a new mom, and she hand-makes versions of her signature fedoras that are available for purchase via her website

Watch her polish that dirty shine as we enjoy a great conversation with ZZ Ward on the latest edition of The Load Out music podcast.

Singer-songwriter Susan Gibson was born in Minnesota but spent most of her formative years in Amarillo, Texas. Growing up, she and her family would often drive between Amarillo and Missoula, Montana, where she drew comfort and inspiration from the wide open spaces along their route. 

Ultimately, Gibson took to music and the continuum of movement through those scenic vistas would become an essential muse that, in the early 1990s, would end up on a cassette tape of her early songs.

“I didn’t start writing songs to become a professional songwriter at all,” Gibson recently told me on the latest episode of The Load Out music podcast. 

Recorded way back in 1992, that cassette tape had a gem that, not-so-ironically, was called “Wide Open Spaces.” The song ended up on a demo tape for Gibson’s former Amarillo-based band, The Groobees, which they sent to legendary music producer Lloyd Maines in hopes he would produce a record for them.

Maines connected with the lyrics of “Wide Open Spaces,” a tale of a daughter leaving home. But he thought it would be an ideal match for the voice of his daughter Natalie, who had just joined a little country outfit called The Dixie Chicks (now The Chicks). And the rest, as they say, is history.

The Chicks released the album Wide Open Spaces in 1998 and the title track went on to become a smash hit around the world and one of the most impactful country songs of the past 50 years. But Gibson has no remorse about one of her songs turning into a hit for another artist. She not only adores The Chicks as a band, but is grateful that her inspiration remains so appreciated.

“I’m proud that I captured something at 24-years-old that still feels true to me today,” she said. “That idea of being a tumbleweed is really attractive to me. I lean into that part of the job…I love kind of a gypsy-ish lifestyle.”

Gibson is realistic about the song, playfully calling it her “lightning strike lottery ticket,” but it’s important to understand the context of just how big “Wide Open Spaces” became. Not only was it named the Country Music Association Single of the Year in 1999, but it won Gibson the American Songwriter Professional Country Songwriter of the Year award in early 2000, along with a BMI award the previous year.

Despite the acclaim, however, Gibson has remained grounded and committed to her craft—writing, playing, singing. She is highly respected across the industry as a songwriter which is on display throughout her catalogue of seven albums and a variety of singles. 

Her last full-length record—2019’s The Hard Stuff—dug deep into her personal journey. It examined Gibson’s battle with alcoholism (she’s been sober since 2010), and we spoke at length about the signals she received that led her to finally giving up the bottle. 

“I had all of the stuff that you are imaging happened when you have a drinking problem,” she said. “The lying, cheating, stealing, blaming other people for your own mistakes. It makes good relationships incredibly hard when you are an alcoholic.”

A hand injury suffered in a 2010 car accident turned the light on, leading her to realize that—without her physical talents—she had no music. 

“It’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” she said. “Getting sober has changed my life profoundly.”

Thus, today Gibson is clear-eyed, loving the craft of playing music every single day; being thankful for moments in time like writing “Wide Open Spaces,” and the experiences that drove her to follow an artist’s path. 

Enjoy an amazing conversation with a terrific songwriter and wonderful person, Susan Gibson, on the latest Load Out music podcast.

Singer-songwriters Diane Gentile and Alejandro Escovedo seemingly could not be more different.

Gentile grew up as one of eight siblings in Flushing, Queens, and every morsel of her oozes New York City in a manner that evokes memories of the famed all-female band The Runaways.

While Gentile cut her teeth in the music business as a club booker in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, Escovedo—the son of a Mexican immigrant who grew up in Texas—was living the life of a classic, nomadic troubadour.

Yet, there were always connections. Mutual friends, moments where they occupied the same spaces. Eventually, they would meet and form a kinship. Together, Gentile and Escovedo joined me on a recent episode of The Load Out music podcast to discuss a new collaboration.

Over the four seasons of The Load Out music podcast, we’ve had a variety of artists on the show that have ranged from Rock-and-Roll Hall-of-Fame inductees like John Oates, Steve Cropper and Chris Hillman; to Grammy winners, alt-country stars, longtime record executives and noted rap producers. 

On the latest episode, we welcome an up-and-coming band from New York City that’s a little bit rock, a little bit pop, and a little bit electronic music—a very different twist for our listeners. 

Rebel Kicks—comprised of talented, multi-instrumentalist brothers Anthony and Steven Babino—have shared stages with the likes of the Foo Fighters, Blink-182, Mac Miller, Iggy Azalea, Incubus and more. The band’s new EP features the well-received singles “Silhouette” along with “Electrophoria,” a hard-hitting, groove-centric track inspired by the recent growth of artificial intelligence.

The band drew its name from a line in the song ‘Feel It Still’ by the band Portugal. The Man—"I’m a rebel just for kicks"—and have gone on to draw comparisons with Grouplove, Portugal and The Killers. 

Welcome to the Babino brothers!

Let’s start here. Cody Canada—our latest guest on The Load Out Music Podcast—is many things but he is most certainly not some radio DJ in Canada, in the event you were curious. 

No, he’s a pioneering figure in red dirt music and one of the more respected musicians in songwriting circles today. But many casual music fans might be unfamiliar with his name, instead knowing his work from the legendary band that he founded and led from 1994 – 2010: Cross Canadian Ragweed. 

For those unfamiliar with red dirt music, it’s a genre stuck between country and rock-and-roll named for the color of the Oklahoma soil. It has featured acts such as Jason Boland & the Stragglers, Stoney Larue, Charlie Robison, the Turnpike Troubadours, and the Randy Rogers Band—but has also extended to the likes of Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Steve Earle, Ray Wylie Hubbard and those who have built the Texas country-rock scene. 

Canada got hooked on music when he attended a George Strait show while living in Texas as a kid. The next day he asked his parents for a guitar and it was on. In his teen years, Canada was insulated, a loner, he freely admits he didn’t have many friends. His family then relocated to Yukon, Oklahoma, and his obsession with the regional outlaw country music and the Seattle sounds of Nirvana and Pearl Jam only deepened. 

Music became his thing—his only thing—and in 1994, Canada put together a band with Matt Weidemann (bass), Grady Cross (guitar), and Randy Ragsdale (percussion). Cross Canadian Ragweed was born and one of their first gigs was playing a on a glorious trailer on “Czech Day” in Yukon—where they played for six hours.

The band would move to Stillwater, Oklahoma, and in 1998 put out its first album, Carney. But it wasn’t until Ragweed’s 2002 self-titled album featuring Canada’s song “17” that the band broke through. Then things really went next level in 2004 with the album Soul Gravy. It debuted at number five on Billboard’s country charts—despite Canada wanting to be as far from Nashville country as he possibly can to this day—and featured the hit songs “Sick and Tired” with Lee Ann Womack and “Alabama.” 

But like happens in most bands, tensions rose in Ragweed—a topic Canada does not shy away from—and the band dissolved in 2010. 

In 2011, Canada and bassist Jeremy Plato formed Cody Canada & the Departed, releasing the album This Is Indian Land, a collection of covers written by Oklahoma songwriters. The band ultimately minimized to simply, The Departed, and over the past decade, Canada has moved forward with the band as well as on solo projects, writing music and reaping the rewards of a legacy he’s built over 30 years. In 2020, MusicFest, the esteemed festival in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, paid tribute to Canada with live recorded performances from his songwriting peers, releasing the album The Years: A MusicFest Tribute to Cody Canada.

Ragweed also released the reboot of “Soul Gravy” in 2022. Womack returned to sing on the new version along with performances from some key musicians who helped shape the original album including Randy Rogers and Ray Wiley Hubbard. And just recently, Canada joined longtime friends Micky and Gary Braun (of Micky and the Motorcars) on the “Acoustic Healing Tour.” 

All along, in spite of being a pioneer in red dirt music, family remains the bedrock of Canada’s life. He and his wife Shannon lead a School of Rock in their hometown of New Braunfels, Texas, where they are raising their children Dierks Cobain Canada (named for friend Kierks Bentley and Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain) and Willy Vedder Canada (named for Willy Braun of the band Reckless Kelly and Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder).  

So, sit back for a great conversation on The Load Out Music Podcast with an incredibly accomplished musician and fascinating character in Cody Canada.

Singer-songwriter Joshua Radin didn’t think he was going to be a musician. Certainly, he loved art and studied drawing and painting at Northwestern. But after college he worked as a teacher, screenwriter and other odd jobs. 

In his late 20s, Radin’s father bought him a guitar and things slowly came together. In 2004, actor Zach Braff—a friend since college—helped Radin get his song "Winter" on the NBC show Scrubs. Ultimately, Scrubs creator Bill Lawrence cherry-picked several of Radin’s other songs for the show which would also go on to appear on Radin’s debut record, We Were Here.  

And off Radin went. 

He recently joined us on The Load Out Music Podcast, and over his career thus far, he has since tallied more than one billion streams. Radin’s single, “I’d Rather Be With You,” was certified gold, his music has appeared in over 200 films, television series, and commercials; and Ellen Degeneres loves his music so much that Radin played her wedding.

In recent years, Radin decided a change of scenery was necessary and essentially left his life behind, traveling with nothing more than the essentials (and enough tools to be creative). He decided to live somewhat of a vagabond lifestyle overseas while also making stops to record new material in places such as Stockholm, Paris, and Lisbon. The result is his forthcoming album (out August 4) Though the World Will Tell Me So, Vol 2, which follows Vol 1—also written in Europe—that came out last year. 

Radin recently released the EP’s latest single “Man Of The Year,” which finds him exploring his personal struggles with intimacy and vulnerability. 

“I build walls around myself,” he said, “Always terrified of being hurt, making myself too vulnerable, which is I’m sure why the music I write is the exact opposite—I try to create a world in which I want to live.”

So enjoy the latest episode of The Load Out music podcast with singer-songwriter Joshua Radin. It’s a great one!

When he was 12, Joe Bonamassa started his career in blues-rock by opening for the legendary B.B. King. Somehow, things only got better for his career from there. Bonamassa has since been nominated for three Grammy Awards, had the number one position on the Billboard Music Blues Charts 26 times and been noted as one of the pre-eminent modern day blues-rock guitarists. But in reality, he is much more. Bonamassa is a tremendous songwriter and vocalist, but also continually demonstrates his passion for preserving and elevating blues as an art form beyond his music. Through Bonamassa’s philanthropy, the Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation, he’s working to chart a path and raise millions for children in music. At the same time, he’s also helping guide and manage rising artists through his management agency and record label, Journeyman Records. Bonamassa recently dropped a fantastic live concert film and album shot at Red Rocks in Colorado while he is also celebrating the 20-year-annivesary of his groundbreaking independent album Blues Deluxe with the just-released studio album Blues Deluxe Vol. 2. This all brings us to a terrific conversation with Joe as he visits the Load Out music podcast. Enjoy!

The 1990s saw a host of new rock ‘n’ roll and adult-oriented roots come to the forefront on the American music scene. There was an understated, long-haired kid from Georgia in the mix with bands like the Black Crowes, Wilco, Sheryl Crow and the Counting Crows. 

His name was Shawn Mullins and his brooding, lyrically-thoughtful style stood out, harkening back to the likes of Bob Dylan and Neil Young. He exploded out of the gates with the album Soul’s Core and it left a mark with the Grammy-nominated song “Lullaby” and the hit “Shimmer”—which became an anthem for Australia as part of its promotional campaign during the Sydney 2000 Summer Olympics.

His career has only grown since, with songs like “All in My Head,” which was featured on the hit television sitcom Scrubs and his huge hit “Beautiful Wreck” from 2006’s 9^th Ward Pickin’ Parlor record.

We discuss his career and more as Shawn celebrates the 20th anniversary of Soul’s Core by recording two new versions of the album, dubbed Soul’s Core Revival. The songs are not a remix or a remaster of the original, rather, brand-new recordings with new arrangements of the songs. One album will be new stripped down solo performances – some on guitar, some on piano, and one a cappella – and the second will be a new studio recording with his full band, Soul Carnival.

Enjoy the latest episode of The Load Out music podcast with the great Shawn Mullins.

In 1994, I moved to New Orleans, where I lived until 1998. I loved my time there and still love the city today. Life in NOLA is hard to explain to those who’ve never been, or maybe only spent time partying in the French Quarter. It’s unique in so many ways, and as my children grew up, we tried to expose them to it as often as we could. 

Unlike most cities, communities in New Orleans are often racially integrated. They call them “checker-board neighborhoods,” which gives you a depiction of how white and black families live side-by-side. That doesn’t mean racism does not exist in NOLA. It does, just like any other city or town in America. But relations between races is very different there in that the identities are more closely shared than in other places across the U.S.  

Among several factors is the city is a living, breathing celebration of life and music runs through New Orleans’ veins. You very well might run into it at nearly any turn, and oftentimes, that music is being played or enjoyed by multicultural audiences, regardless of the style. This can create a unique sense of community that has the ability to overshadow differences.

Our most recent guest on The Load Out Music Podcast is the great Ivan Neville. He’s not only a true king of modern-day funk and standard-bearer for New Orleans music, but the son of one of the most distinctive vocalists of the past half-century—Aaron Neville of the legendary Neville Brothers.

“I saw my own place in the conversation about our musical and cultural heritage and history,” Neville said. “I got to see my role in the evolution of the music of New Orleans. The crowds may not have seen the Neville Brothers back in the day, most of the audiences were too young for that. But spiritually speaking, these were the Brothers’ children and that makes me appreciate what (his band) Dumpsta does even more. You become an elder, a teacher, by example.”

 Neville and I spent time reminiscing about our shared NOLA haunts—I lived a block from his family’s home for a time—but focus largely on the evolution of his career that emerged from his father’s shadow long ago. Indeed, he has performed or recorded with the Rolling Stones, Bonnie Raitt, Don Henley, Robbie Robertson and is a charter member of Keith Richards’ X-Pensive Winos.

Now, he is out with his first solo record in nearly 20 years and Ivan has a lot to say about life, fatherhood, sobriety, and what he and I believe might be the greatest place on earth—New Orleans. 

 “I haven’t written any new material for myself in a long time,” Ivan explained, “So this project is very special to me. I made it up as I went along, a song here and there.”

The new record, Touch My Soul, is filled with joy, beauty and pain. It exudes an unmistakable New Orleans ambience and breathes new life into his singular sound. It’s both a love letter to the Crescent City and a celebration of his emotional and spiritual journey as an artist, a father and a man. 

“When I was growing up,” Ivan said about the spirit of Touch My Soul, “People interacted differently on the street. They acknowledged each other. There was a feeling of connection. Just a nod or a look that said, ‘Where y’at?’” 

And with that in mind, Neville brings together old friends on the album, with vocal contributions from Michael McDonald, Bonnie Raitt, Big Aaron and David Shaw of the Revivalists, and instrumental sparks from Troy Andrews on trombone and violinist Theresa Anderson. 

“I wanted familiar voices to bring back a feeling of community,” Ivan said. “I figured, if everyone said hello to a stranger, spontaneously but within reason, it might make the world a better place. It certainly can’t hurt.” 

That sense of community-mindedness extends throughout Touch My Soul—one that is alive with the pulse of the Crescent City. 

“When I think about the way music has touched my soul and all the songs that became special moments in my life, I become very emotiona,” added Ivan. “Music should touch your soul. I hope this record and this music touches someone’s soul.” 

Ivan Neville unquestionably has that ability to touch your soul, so sit back and enjoy the latest episode of The Load Out Music Podcast with the modern standard bearer of New Orleans funk.

If someone introduced themselves by saying they’d worked with historic music artists such as Neil Young, Robert Plant, the Allman Brothers—you probably think one of two things: Either this person’s “completely full of shit” or “holy shit!”

And in welcoming the relatively anonymous Tom Lipsky to the latest episode of The Load Out Music Podcast, we’ll take that “holy shit” and then some, as I didn’t even mention his associations with Rush, Iron Maiden, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Nancy Wilson of Heart, Motorhead, Lenny Kravitz ,Judas Priest, Styx, Widespread Panic, Kiss, Rob Zombie, The Steve Miller Band and many more.

Often referred to as “the King of Classic Rock,” Lipsky is a longtime record industry fixture who previously led CMC International Records, Sanctuary Records, Loud & Proud Records and now heads Carry On Music. His work today principally focuses on creating business opportunities for iconic, legacy artists such as working on selling the rights to catalogues with investment funds—deals like we’ve seen from the likes of Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan in recent years. 

More than anything, as Lipsky noted throughout our conversation, he simply wants artists to ensure the artists he works with receive the respect they deserve. 

“Everyone wants to be respected, I don’t care what industry you’re in,” Lipsky said during our interview. “And it’s no different in music. The rock stars that are out there—it doesn’t matter how high they’ve been, how far they’ve fallen. They want to be respected for what they accomplished.”

He started in music during what he called “the 8-track era,” working in live entertainment and running a music theater in Baltimore, Maryland. He met everyone in the business and moved into managing artists, ultimately joining CMC in North Carolina. He transformed CMC into an industry force and has continued successfully trudging through the industry until today. 

“I like the way the business has evolved in most cases,” Lipsky told me. “I love that fact that independent creators, independent companies, labels, publishers, producers have been able to have an impact—standing toe to toe with the much bigger labels.”

He finally “accidentally” fell into the veteran artists community, working with established music acts looking to maintain relevancy in an evolving landscape.  

“I found myself finding an incredible opportunity with the veteran artists,” he said. One thing that stuck with him was how Crosby, Stills Nash and Young had been released by Atlantic Records. The band merely received a form letter in the mail.

“You think of that group,” noted Lipsky. “They were one of the building blocks of that label….and they didn’t even get a phone call. They didn’t have an executive fly out. That’s a terrible way of doing business.”

Convinced there was a niche with veteran artists, he convinced a handful to join his movement—one of the first of which was Lynyrd Skynyrd—and it mushroomed “very quickly.” But more than anything, Lipsky simply wanted artists to get the respect they deserve. It’s at the forefront of what he does every day for the artists he has and continues to work with—and the list is long and impressive. 

Sit back and enjoy a terrific episode of The Load Out with the King of Classic Rock—Tom Lipsky. 

What do you get when you cross the movie Sister Act 2 and Saddam Hussein? But of course, the Americana band The War and Treaty, led by the married couple, Tanya and Michael Trotter. 

Tanya (formerly Blount) began building a music and entertainment career at 16, appearing in the 1993 Whoopi Goldberg sequel and then releasing a debut album, Natural Thing. She went on to sign with Sean Comb’s Bad Boy Entertainment, appear several musicals, and in the 2008 Tyler Perry film The Family That Preys. 

As Tanya’s career was taking off, a 13-year-old from the “hood in Cleveland”—as Michael Trotter noted on the most recent episode of The Load Out music podcast—was arriving on a bus into Washington, D.C. Along with his mother, Michael was hoping to escape a life of poverty and abuse, finding a home in a D.C.-area shelter that took them in.

Some 10 years later, Michael was serving in the U.S. Army in Iraq, patrolling Saddam Hussein’s Baghdad palace, when he came across a perfectly tuned piano that would change his life. Michael taught himself to play, pairing his newfound passion for the black and white keys with the vocal prowess he’d honed throughout his childhood.

When Michael returned home from Iraq, however, he had a crippling case of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), but also a new focus on performing and songwriting. He and Tanya would subsequently meet and fall in love, bringing together a dynamic love story and powerhouse vocal duo, ultimately playing an Americana blend of gospel, country, soul and rock as The War and Treaty.

Now based in Nashville, we recently sat down with Tanya and Michael to discuss their love, life and take stock in The War and Treaty.

Over roughly 25 minutes, we covered a lot of territory: Looking back at the past 15 years, building and strengthening a blended family, deepening their love affair and crafting a professional partnership that has become one of the most respected husband and wife performance duos in a generation.

Certainly, the road to success has not been without its challenges. There were incredibly lean times trying to feed a growing family. But there were also many highs, like jaw-dropping performances at the Grammys and the Academy of Country Music Awards. The continuum of comparisons to Ike & Tina Turner have been ever-present, of course; Rolling Stone magazine called them “one of Nashville’s most thrilling new acts”; and they played with the likes of Emmylou Harris, toured with Al Green, shared stages with Brandi Carlile, Elvis Costello and more. 

“When you look at a married couple like Michael and I, people see the happiness and they see us on stage,” Tayna said. “They see the love. But they don’t understand that we’re just like any other couple. We have our ups and downs.”

Like any artist, COVID-19 took the air out of what had been a fast-rising balloon for The War and Treaty. But things quickly reinflated, and Tanya’s and Michael’s love for one another—along with the couple’s immense talent—have been driving the band’s continued success.

In speaking with the couple, it’s hard to miss the visible pain on Michael’s face—anguished by a cocktail of PTSD, depression and anxiety—as he works to answer questions about their past, digging into his memory banks about the life they’ve shared and what he endured prior. But it’s also remarkably heartening to watch Tanya as she intuitively senses that pain, frequently placing her hand on the back of Michael’s neck, gently massaging him—bringing him back into the present at that moment.

It seems to always get back to the love they share.

Throughout the years, The War and Treaty have released five albums and a variety of EPs and singles—each heavily influenced by their passions for one another. The group signed a major label deal with Universal Music Group in May 2022, and just released its major label debut album: Lover's Game. It’s an exceptional record containing 10 uniquely diverse tracks produced by multi-Grammy award-winner Dave Cobb.

“I had a lot to say,” Michael explained. “It all started for me with the death of John Prine (in April 2020) and it didn’t stop after that. You can believe whatever it is you believe, but for me, my source is God, and this was the first time in my life I’ve ever questioned him or her. I wrote maybe 30 songs standing outside our bedroom door when Tanya had COVID-19, just really confused and hoping that this wasn’t it for her. My comfort was songwriting.”

On Lover’s Game, Michael and Tanya dig deep into the lessons their love has laid bare, especially as COVID-19 turned life upside down. The title track is a rollicking banger unlike anything in the band’s catalogue. The song “Blank Page” uses a rootsy R&B sway to tribute the kind of love that gives weary hearts a second wind. “Up Yonder” is a tune that bounds with folky freedom in the promise of eternal companionship. The spirit-lifting “Angel” soars on wings of gratitude and sweeping steel guitar while “Have You a Heart” aches for real partnership.

In total, it’s one of the most memorable conversations we’ve had in recent memory on The Load Out. So enjoy the most recent episode with The War and Treaty. Feel the love. It’s hard not to.

In the fall of 2005, four musicians—Ed Jurdi, Gordy Quist, Brian Keen and Colin Brooks—all had residencies at Momo’s, the since-shuttered music club on West 6^th Street in Austin, Texas. Ultimately, the four songwriters found themselves jamming each week, sharing a bill in what was lightly called “The Good Time Supper Club” on the Momo’s stage.

It became a local staple of the thriving Austin music scene and the stage became “an extended hang,” as Quist noted, somewhat joking that the performances “specialized in tequila and trainwrecks.” He said it was, “a good time for cutting our teeth on danger and taking chances on music and experiencing the magic that comes from that.”

After a misprint in a local newspaper billed the act as "The Heathens," the collective became known as “The Band of Heathens”—our latest guests on The Load Out Music Podcast.

Over a 16-month-period, the group began to galvanize into what would become what remains a force today in Americana-driven rock-and-roll. Now led by Jurdi and Quist, The Band of Heathens has built one of the most dedicated followings for an independent act worldwide.

“It was exciting,” said Jurdi of those formative years. “Everything was very new at that point. So, we were sort of sharing in all these experiences together.”

There was an unquestioned magic that they all could sense, even in the beginning. The band’s first recording, Live from Momo's, brought the band national attention and they were voted "Best New Band" at the 2007 Austin Music Awards.  

“The fact that we received ‘Best New Band’ was a nice reflection of Austin and the scene and the collaboration of the scene,” Jurdi said.

Ultimately, the great Ray Wylie Hubbard—a past guest on The Load Out—signed on to produce The Band of Heathens’ self-titled first record.

“Ray is a legend and is a great guy,” Quist said.” He took us under his wing and said, like, ‘let me show you how to make a good record.’ He specializes in vibe and cool.”

We’re back to kickoff Season 4 of The Load Out Music Podcast with Southern California-based up-and-comers Robert Jon & The Wreck, speaking with the band’s understated founder and frontman, Robert Jon Burrison.

The Wreck, which has been together since 2011, has a tremendous new record out called “One of a Kind.” It’s the first of a series of singles and EPs to be released in 2023, and the songs have been created in partnership with legendary producers including Don Was (The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt) and Dave Cobb (Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlile, Jason Isbell, The Highwomen) among other producers, and are being released by blues legend Joe Bonamassa’s Journeyman Records.

With 10 records released over 13 years, it’s been a painstaking yet satisfying tenure for the band which presently includes Burrison on lead vocals and guitar, Andrew Espantman on drums and background vocals, Jake Abernathy on keyboards, Henry Schneekluth on lead guitar and background vocals), and Warren Murrel on bass.

“We’re growing up as we’re doing this,” said Burrison. “We’re learning what takes priority in each other’s lives…We were all in our early 20s, you know, and the early 20s and late 20s are the most formidable years.”

Burrison said the band collectively writes all of The Wreck’s music. It’s an organic process to songwriting where, he said, “We just start jamming and somebody plays something that’s cool…It’s a brotherhood. We’re a family and we’re all working together and sacrificing together.”

Known for its electrifying live shows, The Wreck has built a global following with soaring guitar leads, boogieing grooves, rich vocal harmonies, and memorable tunes. And like the legendary band Little Feat—whose founder, Bill Payne, we spoke to last season on The Load Out—the band brings a diverse dynamic blending southern roots music with blues, rock, funk and country among other styles.

“We thought you were from Atlanta or Georgia or Jacksonville and you’re not,” Burrison said he is most often asked. “And then I say, ‘You’re right and you’re right. We’re from Southern California. We’re playing music that we love.’”

So have a listen to our conversation with Robert Burrison of Robert Jon & The Wreck to kickoff Season 4 of The Load Out Music Podcast.

We wrap up what has been a stellar Season 3 with the founding drummer of one of the world's most renowned bands: Ryan Dusick of Maroon 5. 

In the 1990s, when Dusick and his buddies including some guy named Adam Levine, dreamt of making it big in music---they never imagined Maroon 5 would emerge as one of the biggest bands on the planet. But it happened, and along with that fame came expectations, an unimaginable grind, pain, anxiety and the sex, drugs and rock'n'roll that envelopes nearly any music story.

Dusick ran into problems with anxiety, alcoholism and more and ultimately left the band. Today, the lives an altogether different life as a marriage and family therapist---far from the glamorous lifestyle of playing percussion for a band that tours across the world to millions upon millions of fans.

During our conversation, Dusick candidly outlines his long and winding journey and talks about his new memoir “Harder to Breathe," with a foward written by Levine. 

So sit back and enjoy the final episode of Season 3 of The Load Out Music Podcast with Maroon 5 founding drummer Ryan Dusick. 

If you’re one of those people who says you like “all kinds of music,” then Drew McManus and his band SatSang just might be for you.

The entirety of SatSang’s catalogue spans comparisons to Ben Harper, G-Love and Special Sauce and Jason Mraz among others. However, the band’s new record “Flowers from the Fray” includes performances and arrangements that are broad and spacious, reflecting the wide-open fields and soaring mountains that surrounded the band during the whirlwind recording process in McManus’ home state of Montana. It’s an Americana record fueled by acoustic guitars, fiddle, and pedal steel, hinting at everything from Uncle Tupelo and The Jayhawks to Gregory Alan Isakov and The Head and the Heart as it meditates on the power and pull of home.

McManus is fascinating. Born in Montana, he spent much of his formative, extremely troubled years in Des Moines and Chicago. His childhood was marked by physical abuse at home and a nose for trouble on the rough streets that surrounded him, and by his late teens, he was struggling with alcohol and drug addiction. After returning to Montana for rehab, he got clean and sober, married the woman of his dreams, and launched Satsang with ‘The Story of You,’ the band’s breakout 2016 debut that is steeped in reggae, hip-hop, and world music.

In 1963, Duane Abbajay—the 15^th child of Syrian immigrants—took over ownership of a bar in Toledo, Ohio. And with the backing of the Detroit mafia, he would make it one of the legendary homes of music—first for rock artists like Jerry Lee Lewis, Fats Domino, Chubby Checker and others in the 1960s; and then for a who’s who of country music legends in the 1970s.

We recently welcomed our authors Stephanie Abbajay and Dominic Vaiana whose book “A Bar in Toledo” tells the true story of a man, the mob, and a #1 song—Kenny Roger’s “Lucille,” which was written about the bar.

“A Bar In Toledo” is a cautionary tale about the American dream, told through the eyes of an infamous music club owner; it’s a story about the rise, fall and resurrection of a local business celebrity in Toledo, along with the scars that the hidden aspects of his life left on a family that adored him; as well as an intimate portrait of the power of organized crime in the Rust Belt, rock-and-roll—all told by an adoring daughter who didn’t know her father as well as she thought.