Couch Riffs

Our guest this episode is Whitfield Crane, singer for Ugly Kid Joe who has recently released a new full-length album titled Rad Wings of Destiny. I met Ugly Kid Joe (and Whit) on tour 10 years ago and became fast friends with all of the members of the band. This friendship eventually led to me doing some touring with the band over the summer of 2022 and I will continue performing with them for some UK dates in November 2022. Rad Wings of Destiny is a well-rounded rock album with strong riffs, clever lyrics and great hooks! I recommend checking it out and do catch the band live if you're able. Whitfield is one of the most criminally under celebrated front persons in rock music and the band is running hot! I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. If you're enjoying Couch Riffs Podcast or you love our cover song performance videos please consider supporting us on Patreon! Your support is what makes Couch Riffs possible and as Patreon support grows our ability to produce more and higher quality conten

Our guest this episode is our one-time tourmate Martin Rebelski, keyboardist for a small handful of well-known and prominent English bands of note. A lifelong musician, Martin details his early years and development in this podcast conversation as well as his introductions into how he came to play with his most well-known bands, Doves, Peter Hook, and Echo & The Bunnymen. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did!  If you're enjoying the Couch Riffs podcast please support us at Patreon! Your support helps make this and our cover song videos happen and be there best. Thank you for the support!  https://patreon.com/couchriffs https://couchriffs.com https://rebelski.bandcamp.com

My guest this episode is Chris Ballew, former singer/frontman for Presidents of the United States of America (PUSA). Chris is a prolific and magnificent songwriter and dynamo stage performer. He has one of the most commanding and comfortable stage presences I've ever seen, equally at home in performing set song arrangements and venturing off into impromptu sidebars of fun. He's begun to release solo music under his own name for the first just in the last couple years and has turned out 3 full-length releases with a handful more on the way. Please do go check out his latest, Primitive God. Recommended for fans of psychedelic and pop classics as well as fuzzed out freedom rock, maaaaaaan. Thanks for listening! If you're enjoying Couch Riffs podcast and/or our video performances please consider supporting us through Patreon! Your support goes a long way toward making all of this possible. You're great! https://couchriffs.com https://patreon.com/couchriffs https://www.chrisballew.org  

This episode features my conversation with Kevin Sepriano of LA band, Spirit in the Room. Kevin has a long history playing music in many bands going back to the 80s. His day gig is an enviable one, working for Pete Anderson (Dwight Yoakam, etc.) and he has a great side hustle building and consulting pedal boards with his company, Anxiety Electronics. Spirit in the Room have a new EP called Famingo and it is stellar! I definitely recommend giving it a listen. I hope you enjoy this conversation! If you're enjoying the Couch Riffs podcast please consider supporting it through Patreon at the link below. Your support helps make every aspect of the podcast and the cover song collaboration videos possible. Thank you so much for that support! https://patreon.com/couchriffs https://couchriffs.com https://spiritintheroom.bandcamp.com/album/flamingo https://www.instagram.com/anxietyelectronics/

On this glorious return to the mic we are happy to be hosting none other than our great friend Rachel Flotard of Visqueen and Neko Case. Rachel is one of the funniest, most talented humans we've ever known and this was a perfect comeback episode, catching up on 25 years of laughs together. Visqueen will be playing a benefit reunion show in Seattle at the Tractor Tavern in historic Ballard! This show is a benefit for Lilith Fund which is a reproductive rights organization in Texas. The show is sold out but please follow the link below to help support this organization in a time it needs it more than ever. Than you.  Thank you to Variety Coffee for your continued support and to our Patreon community of supporters. If you're enjoying the Couch Riffs podcast please consider supporting us through monthly patronage or by visiting our website and buying some merch! Thanks again.  https://www.lilithfund.org https://varietycoffeeroasters.com https://couchriffs.com

Our guest this episode is Spencer Moody, singer for Murder City Devils, Dead Low Tide, and most recently M. Krebs who have an album out now on all streaming platforms. The album is a collection of awesome, post-wave gothic americana tunes that were written quarantine style and recorded recently in Seattle at The Kill Room. I hope you enjoy this conversation! Go check out the M. Krebs album and look for Murder City Devils stuff in the near future.  If you're enjoying the Couch Riffs Podcast or our video performances (Spencer recently performed on You Ain't Goin' Nowhere!) please support us on Patreon. Patreon support is what makes Couch Riffs happen and I can't thank you enough for taking the pressure of the back end costs off of my shoulders. Thank you a million times.  https://patreon.com/couchriffs https://couchriffs.com

Our guest this episode is William Goldsmith, drummer for Sunny Day Real Estate who have recently made a number of very exciting announcements for shows and tours in 2022. Willam is also a member of 2-piece post rock band Assertion and former drummer for Foo Fighters, as well. I hope you have a great time with this episode! I'm a big fan of SDRE and I really loved getting the opportunity to speak with William. Also, if you're looking for a drum instructor reach out to William through social media. He's had a rich experience in music and is a great resource for teaching and consulting. If you're enjoying the Couch Riffs podcast or our performance videos please consider supporting us at PATREON. Patreon support is what makes this podcast and all of our great content possible. Thank you so much for your support! https://patreon.com/couchriffs https://couchriffs.com

Our guest this episode is Brandon Yeagley, singer of the band Crobot. Brandon has one of the most dynamic voices in rock music today and recently gave his talents to a Couch Riffs cover of Yes' classic, Starship Trooper. Crobot has a new album titled Feel This coming June 3 2022 and is currently on tour with Danzig and Cradle of Filth. Be sure to check them out on the road and give their new single, Set You Free, a listen! I had a great time hanging with Brandon and I hope you enjoy! Thanks so much! If you're enjoying the Couch Riffs podcast or our cover song performances please support us on PATREON. Your Patreon support is what makes this and the heavy lifting of creating, editing, mixing and publishing the cover songs possible. Thank you so much for helping making this more possible. https://patreon.com/couchriffs https://couchriffs.com (march store) https://crobotband.com

Our guest this episode is Mike Hickey, ace guitarist and guitar tech. Hickey has played in Venom, Carcass, Cathedral and Witchtaint but has also landed high-end tech positions for Joe Bonnamassa and both Hall AND Oates. Mike has great stories and can play the hell out of the guitar and I had such a great time hanging out with him for this conversation. I hope you enjoy!  If you're enjoying the Couch Riffs podcast or our performance videos please support us at PATREON. Your Patreon support is what makes Couch Riffs happen and I thank you very much for supporting, watching/listening, sharing, leaving your comments and leaving your positive reviews. Thank you so much!  https://patreon.com/couchriffs https://couchriffs.com  

Our guest this episode is the incredibly talented, multi-instrumentalist Robbie Crowell. Its crazy to think that nearly every musician is known for being proficient and one prominent instrument but Robbie is hired regularly on 4 instruments: drums, bass, keys and sax. His list of recording credits is equally as impressive and wildly varied. And, to help things along, he's an ace dude and a killer hang. I hope you enjoy this conversation as we dive into Robbie's musical history and get a glimpse into his world. Thanks for listening! If you're enjoying the Couch Riffs podcast or our performance videos please support us on PATREON! Patreon support is truly what makes Couch Riffs possible. The costs of making everything happen is offset by your support and I can't even begin to tell you how much I appreciate it. Thank you! https://patreon.com/couchriffs https://couchriffs.com

Our guest this episode is the excellent drummer, Van Romaine. Van has an interesting and diverse resume that includes Naughty By Nature, Steve Morse, Blood Sweat & Tears and lead him to being drummer and musical director for both Enrique Iglesias and Nena. I had a great time hanging and hearing his story and I hope you enjoy this conversation! If you're enjoying the Couch Riffs podcast please support us at Patreon. Patreon support is what keeps Couch Riffs going and producing consistent podcasts as well as our music performance videos. Thank you so much for helping make this happen! https://patreon.com/couchriffs https://couchrifs.com https://vanromaine.com  

Our guest this episode is the incredible Anthony "Tiny Bubz" Biuso. This was such a fun conversation and Tiny is not a shy fella. He's been gigging since he was a young kid, first in orchestral organizations and then at 16 in a rock band with folks much older than he was. He later moved to LA and has gone on to play with a number of notable bands.  Thanks for listening! If you're enjoying the Couch Riffs podcast or our cover song performance videos please SUPPORT US ON PATREON. Patreon support is what makes Couch Riffs possible and your patronage is great appreciated. Thank you!  https://patreon.com/couchriffs https://couchriffs.com  

Our guest this episode is Michael Musburger (The Posies/Fastbacks) is one of Seattle's greatest kept secrets. An incredible drummer and fantastic hang in this conversation for Drummer Awareness Month. I hope you enjoy! If you're enjoying Couch Riffs Podcast or our performance videos please consider supporting us on PATREON. Without PATREON Couch Riffs would not be able to release all of the content that it we do and your support is very appreciated. Thank YOU! https://patreon.com/couchriffs https://couchriffs.com

Our guest this episode is the incredibly talented and supremely chill Fredo Ortiz, percussionist and drummer for such bands as Beastie Boys, Los Lobos, Gogol Bordello and many more. We talk personal history with Fredo and catch all the way up to present day of touring with Los Lobos, who just won a Grammy this year (2022). I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.  If you're enjoying the Couch Riffs podcast please support us at PATREON. Your Patreon support is what makes the podcast and our accompanying performance videos possible so thank you very much in advance!  https://patreon.com/couchriffs https://couchriffs.com  

Our guest for this episode of Couch Riffs' Drummer Awareness Month is John Sherman of Portland Oregon's Red Fang. John is a crushing drummer and world class dude. I had a great time hanging with him, learning about him coming up playing drums and talking shit about the ins and outs of touring with a band you're growing from seed. I hope you enjoy this casual sit down as much as I did! Look for Red Fang playing in Europe in Summer 2022 with more dates to be announced soon. If you're enjoying the Couch Riffs podcast or our performance videos please support us at PATREON. Your support at PATREON is what makes all of the great content at Couch Riffs possible. Thank you so much! https://patreon.com/couchriffs https://couchriffs.com https://redfang.net

Our first episode of Drummer Awareness Month 2022 features a fun and relaxed conversation with Keio Stroud, the Nashville drummer with an insane recording and touring resume that includes some of the biggest names in contemporary and classic country music. Keio is an incredibly humble guy and takes it all in stride. I had a great time speaking with him and I hope you enjoy this episode!  If you're enjoying the Couch Riffs podcast or our performance videos please support us on PATREON. Your support at Patreon is truly what makes all of Couch Riffs' great content possible. Thank you so much!  https://patreon.com/couchriffs https://couchriffs.com  

Our guest this episode is the incredible Lisa Kekaula, singer of LA band The BellRays. Lisa has collaborated and toured with MC5, Crystal Method, Basement Jaxx and others. The BellRays will be touring later this year (2022) and you can catch them every Tuesday streaming Rock Show, their 2-piece live performances, on social media. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. Lisa is as cool as she is talented!  If you're enjoying Couch Riffs podcast and/or our performance videos please support us at PATREON. Without Patreon all of Couch Riffs content output would not be possible and your support is greatly appreciated! Thank you!  https://patreon.com/couchriffs https://couchriffs.com https://www.thebellrays.com

Our guest this episode is Richard Fortus of Guns n' Roses, The Psychedelic Furs, Love Spit Love, The Dead Daisies, Thin Lizzy and many others. Richard had a very busy and successful career as a studio musician in NYC before landing the Gn'R job in 2002. Richard is one of the most astounding guitarists you'll find anywhere and is a Swiss Army Knife of styles and techniques. It was an absolute pleasure to host him here and to have this conversation and I hope you enjoy! Check out Richard's new signature model Gretsch guitar on tour with Richard and Gn'R starting in Spring 2022! If you're enjoying the Couch Riffs podcast or our cover song videos please consider supporting us at Patreon! Patreon support is what makes Couch Riffs possible and your support is much appreciated. Thank you! https://patreon.com/couchriffs https://couchriffs.com https://www.4tus.com/#gear

Our guest this episode is Seattle legend Dick Rossetti. Dick has led a number of bands in Seattle over the course of 3+ decades and was a high-profile DJ on Seattle alternative radio station KNDD during the heyday of alt-rock. Dick's current band, Ball Bag, has a new album titled Bear vs. Otter and as it turns out, they are seeking a replacement drummer for their soon-to-be-retired drummer. Hit them up if you're in the Seattle area and want a shot!  If you're enjoying Couch Riffs please support us on PATREON. Your support is what makes this podcast and our cover song performance videos happen. Thank you so much!  https://patreon.com/couchriffs https://couchriffs.com https://www.facebook.com/BALLBAGUSA

Our guest this episode is another friend from the North, Dave Sheldon of Exes For Eyes and formerly of Annihilator. Dave is a vicious guitarist/bassist and super kind and fun dude. We had a great time talking about his musical history and love for metal, horror, and wrestling. I hope you enjoy!  If you are loving Couch Riffs podcast and/or our performance videos please support us on PATREON. That is what makes any and all of this possible and your support it very much appreciated! Thank you!  https://patreon.com/couchriffs https://couchriffs.com https://www.exesforeyes.com