Ep. 85: How McNasty Keeps a 10-Piece Band Alive, Paid, and Tight with Riley Helgeson

If you think scheduling a four-piece band is hard, try doing it with ten people, a loud acoustic tradition, and gigs that range from jazz festivals to high school clinics to packed club nights.In this episode, I’m joined by Riley Helgeson, bandleader and trumpet player for McNasty Brass Band, to talk about what it really takes to keep a 10-member brass band functional. We get into how they make decisions when everyone’s serious about their craft, why written charts are basically non-negotiable, how they handle pay so members do not cherry-pick gigs, and why their in-ear rig changed everything for surviving loud stages.We also zoom out into Riley’s broader professional life: booking, composing, and wearing the full modern-musician “many hats” stack without burning out.Also, if you’re in the Twin Cities: McNasty is playing Turf Club on January 31 with Shane Cox and the Funky Spuds and Clean Plate Club.Episode Links and Mentions🌐 Midwest Sound🌐 The Four Freshmen🌐 Scott Agster🌐 Sten Johnson🌐 Aaron Levin🌐 Jake Baldwin🌐 New Sound Underground🌐 Ella Cordova🌐 Shane Cox🌐 Clean Plate ClubConnect with the Guest:🔗 McNasty Bass Band Instagram🔗 Riley Helgeson InstagramFeatured Song:“Duluth” by McNasty Brass Band🎧 Listen on Spotify👀 Watch on YouTubeGet new episodes by email: Join the Secrets From The Scene newsletter.Secrets From The Scene is made by Helvig Productions, a Twin Cities recording studio for artists and bands.