Episodes
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151. Matt Combs Talks Fiddle and 50 Years of Clown School
summary In this episode, Matt Combs shares his journey from a Nashville session musician to a solo artist, exploring the creative process, the importance of authenticity, and the fascinating world of Tartini tones. Discover insights on following your excitement, embracing vulnerability, and the...
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150. Philip Bowen
Philip Bowen is not just a great musician and songwriter, he's also a skilled business person. With a social media following in the millions and session credits including Noah Kahn, Bowen recently gave up his full time job to support his family with full time music. From Google Overview: "Philip...
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149. Abigayle Oakley
In this episode, singer-songwriter Abigayle Oakley shares her journey through evolving her artist name, navigating the music industry as an independent artist, and balancing content creation with artistry. We discuss the impact of technology like AI, strategies for remote collaboration, and her...
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148. Building Community Through Music: Inside the Acorn Theater with Nikki Gauthier
In this episode, Andy Sydow interviews Nikki Gauthier, the artistic and creative director at the Acorn Center for the Performing Arts. They discuss the importance of community building through music, the unique role of the Acorn Theater in fostering local talent, and Nikki's journey from…
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147. Songcraft and Life Balance with Jackson Emmer
Jackson Emmer returns to Middle Class Rock Star (previously featured on episode 112) to discuss his latest album, 'Battle Hymn of the Early Riser' - exploring themes of parenting, songwriting, and the balance between family life and touring. He shares insights into his creative process, the...
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146. Cosmic Cowboys & Gypsy Alibis with Bob Livingston LIVE from SWRFA in Austin, TX
This episode was done in front of an audience as a part of a panel at SWRFA (Southwest Regional Folk Alliance) conference in Austin, TX. This week, I sit down with legendary Texas singer-songwriter Bob Livingston — founding member of The Lost Gonzo Band and a central figure in the Austin “Cosmic...
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145. Gigs Vs Shows with Johnny Fiaconni
This episode stemmed from Andy’s viral video about the difference between a gig and a show, which sparked a wider conversation about how musicians define success and stand out in today’s music industry. In this engaging 48-minute conversation, Andy Sydow and Johnny Fiaconni dig into the realities...
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144. Grammy Award Winning Engineer and Producer Zach Allen
This week, I chat with Nashville’s own Zach Allen - a multi‑Grammy-winning recording engineer, producer, and mix engineer whose credits span Americana, blues, rock, country, and beyond. With nearly 20 years in the music industry, Zach brings a rare blend of technical mastery, creative…
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143. From Flatpicking to Spotify: Martin Gilmore's Journey Through Modern Bluegrass
This week, I’m joined by bluegrass virtuoso Martin Gilmore - a powerhouse songwriter and performer who’s had a banner year, taking home top honors at the Kerrville, Telluride Troubadour, and Folks Fest songwriting contests. In this episode, we dig into: • The impacts of entering and winning...
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Connected by a Song: Ozzy Osbourne, Larry Walker and the 90s Rockies
Music has a way of attaching itself to moments in our lives. A song can instantly transport us back to a place, a person, or a feeling — becoming part of our own personal soundtrack. In this special episode, I reflect on how Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train” became permanently linked in my memory not...
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141. Ace Engfer on Sobriety, Being a Reliable Sideperson, and New Album
On this weeks episode of Middle Class Rock Star, I sit down with Colorado-based bassist, songwriter, and producer Ace Engfer, who just released his new solo album, Time Drifts Away (June 6). Ace has spent years holding down the low end in the Colorado music scene as a longtime member of Grant…
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140. Tips For A Successful Kickstarter
Travis McNamara was last week's guest as well. I split this conversation up into two episodes because most of the first half of the conversation was about Travis' new album and his career as a touring artist and front-person. The second half delves into a topic that piques the interest of almost...
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139. Travis McNamara
My guest this week is singer-songwriter and performer, Travis McNamara. His music bridges on several different styles, but if you're looking for a common thread, start with bluegrass. McNamara, the longtime front-person for CO based, Trout Streak Revival, spent his covid time like many of us,...
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138. Lauren Frihauf
My guest this week is Lauren Frihauf. "A rising star in the music industry whose talent was featured in NPR Music's 2022 Tiny Desk 'Top Shelf' and showcased her vocal prowess on Season 19 of NBC's "The Voice," where she impressed on Teams Gwen and Legend, making it to the Knockout Rounds. In…
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137. The Wildwoods
I first met The Wildwoods at The Zoo Bar in Lincoln, NE back when they were just getting started at 14 and 15 years old. I was roughly 21 and on one of my first (if not very first) tours. We've stayed in touch, played shows together, and run into each other at hotel lobby bars at music…
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136. Shane Smith (Shane Smith & The Saints) (EPISODE 109 RERUN)
My guest this week is Shane Smith of Shane Smith & The Saints. This show is a rerun of episode 109, which was released on January 25, 2023. It was great getting to catch up with Shane just a few weeks after my band (modestly titled, Andy Sydow) got to open for his band at a sold out Ogden Theatre...
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135. Zachary Stevenson (The Oh Boys, Tribute to Buddy Holly)
"Raised on Vancouver Island, Canada, Zachary is an internationally recognized award-winning actor, musician and writer. Best known for his performances as Buddy Holly, Zach was coined a “dead ringer for dead singers” by the Victoria Times Colonist for his portrayal of the legendary rock 'n'…
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134. Emily Scott Robinson
"With a quarter million miles under her belt and counting, North Carolina native Emily Scott Robinson travels the dusty highways of America's wild country, capturing the stories of the people she meets and expertly crafting them into songs. Robinson received critical acclaim for her debut album...
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133. Susan Gibson
Susan Gibson has a wealth of knowledge in her decades-long songwriting career. She penned "Wide Open Spaces" which was recorded and made into a mega-hit by The Chicks in 1998. She now travels around in her cargo van performing at venues, house concerts, and songwriter festivals. All the while…
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132. Running An Online Indie Record Label with Austin Ash Lemon
Colorado based artist and label head Austin Ash Lemon joins me on this week's Middle Class Rock Star. In our conversation, we chat about the origin story of his indie label, Needlejuice Records, as well as Lemon's brand new record, "Backstage" which is released under the artist name, The Odd...
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131. Racyne Parker
In this episode, I chat with Seattle, WA based singer/songwriter, Racyne Parker about what it's like moving to a new music scene and how much location is a factor in the age of social media. We also discuss different release strategies, the validation of song contests, and what the future might...
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130. The Role Of Music Lawyers
This is part 4 of a 4 part series chatting with entertainment/music attorney, Adam Barraza. Adam works at Axley Attorneys in Wisconsin, but is also licensed to practice in Tennessee. He flew out to my studio in Nashville and we talked about a number of current hot button issues in the music...
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129. Sue Me Maybe? - Lawsuits Involving Generative AI in Music
This is part 3 of a 4 part series chatting with entertainment/music attorney, Adam Barraza. Adam works at Axley Attorneys in Wisconsin, but is also licensed to practice in Tennessee. He flew out to my studio in Nashville and we talked about a number of current hot button issues in the music...
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128. Can I Copyright Music That Uses AI?
Hey folks, Adam here. I have a slight elaboration on the copyright infringement damages issue: Andy’s hypothetical asked the question whether he could file suit for infringement of a song before it was registered with the Copyright Office. His hypothetical did not include the...
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127. Entertainment/Music Lawyer Adam Barraza
This is part 1 of a 4 part series chatting with entertainment/music attorney, Adam Barraza. Adam works at Axley Attorneys in Wisconsin, but is also licensed to practice in Tennessee. He flew out to my studio in Nashville and we talked about a number of current hot button issues in the music...
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126. Matt The Electrician
Matt the Electrician is Matthew Sever, a quirky, sincere folk/pop singer songwriter based in Austin, TX. He has self-released 11 studio albums, and 2 live CDs since 1998. His most recent release, “The Ocean Knocked Me Down” came out on February 2nd, 2024. (matttheelectrician.com) I first became...
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125. Natalie Price
“Ameri-kinda.” That’s how Natalie Price describes her music, a combination of catchy melodies and smooth, clear vocals that fit firmly into the Americana genre, with a quirkiness weaved into her lyrics that bends toward indie-folk. During her visit to Nashville last week, Natalie dropped by to…
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124. Goldpine
Goldpine is Kassie and Ben Wilson, a husband and wife duo reminiscent of Shovels and Rope with huge vocals. I first met and became friends with them at Kerrville Folk Festival in 2022. We were both there in attendance as 2021 finalists in the songwriting competition. There's so much that goes in…
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123. Sam Robbins & Halley Neal
A special holiday episode featuring Sam Robbins and Halley Neal. The musical couple is currently on tour promoting their holiday record, "You and Me on Christmas Eve." It's just beautiful, and we had a fun convo chatting about their first duo release, the economics of holiday music, and their...
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122. Flamy Grant
This week, I spoke with Christian drag queen singer-songwriter, Flamy Grant. We first met as Kerrville Finalists back in May of this year, where Flamy ended up being one of the winners. In July, their album, "Bible Belt Baby" and single, "Good Day" went to number 1 on the iTunes Christian charts…
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121. Big Sky Bonus Tracks
This weeks episode is a conversation with Schyler Allyn and Mitch Lagge of Big Sky Bonus Tracks. BSBT (based in Red Lodge, MT) films artists singing songs and telling their stories. It's all very high quality, from the filming locations, to the mastered audio, to the video cameras. Since 2022,...
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120. Bill McKay
My guest this week is keyboardist, Bill McKay. It's impossible not to hear Bill's name when you're a musician in the Denver area. He's everywhere and plays with everyone! McKay first moved to Colorado for college in 1987, and immediately started playing in bands while working on his degree at...
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119. Katie Boeck
Katie Boeck is this weeks guest and yet another artist I met through the Kerrville Folk Festival. We were both finalists in the 2023 New Folk Songwriter Competition (Katie was a winner!). Boeck's story is a page turner... she studied theater at UCLA, spent years in her early 20s immersed in the...
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118. Piano Jordan / Jordan Siwek
I first met Jordan at the Durango Songwriters Expo about 10 years ago. We've stayed in touch through the years and even jammed together at the Casio booth at The NAMM Show in Anaheim this past February. During the pandemic, Jordan started calling himself "Piano Jordan" on TikTok. He used the...
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117. Erik Stucky
After a moving hiatus, Middle Class Rock Star is back this week with Erik Stucky. We're both Colorado boys that are currently calling the greater Nashville area home. Erik came over to the new home studio to record this episode live. I don't get to do them live very often these days! (from Erik's...
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116. Sam Burchfield
I'm a big fan of Sam Burchfield's music. I was first introduced by a friend several months ago, and he's been in regular Spotify rotation since. We had a great conversation about tai chi, being a touring musician who is also present for their family (not just financially), gigs vs shows, and how...
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115. Jeremy Facknitz
Jeremy Facknitz has been entertaining audiences with his lovingly crafted music and high-energy performances for over a quarter century. Since the 2002 break-up of his Detroit-based band "The Ottomans" (they earned a 2001 Detroit Music Award for Best New Alternative Band, beating out "The White...
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114. Joel Ansett
Joel Ansett moved to Denver, Colorado in 2014 and started playing every local open mic he could find. He has since found fans all over the country with more than 14 million streams online, a song placed in Marvel’s “The Punisher” , and the title of “songwriter to watch” from The Huffington Post....
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113. Edward David Anderson
"Edward David Anderson is an American songwriter and veteran of the road who spent his formative years fronting the revered Illinois band Backyard Tire Fire. Known for infectious melodies and memorable messages he penned 9 releases for the band and played countless shows across the US and Canada....
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112. Jackson Emmer
Jackson Emmer is an award-winning singer, songwriter, and producer from Carbondale, Colorado. His work blends humor with heartache, and tradition with exploration. Emmer’s writing is often compared to that of John Prine and Guy Clark. He has toured the US since 2009, collaborated with...
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111. Jim Pugh
My guest this week is session keyboardist, producer, and founder of the Little Village Foundation, Jim Pugh. His international performing music career spans 40 years and includes multiple Grammy Award, platinum and gold records. He has recorded and performed with a star-studded array of musicians...
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110. Sunny War
Singer-songwriter, guitarist, and performer Sunny War is my guest this week. Extreme emotions can make that battle all the more perilous, yet from such trials Sunny has crafted a set of songs that draw on a range of ideas and styles, as though she’s marshaling all her forces to get her ideas...
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109. Shane Smith (Shane Smith & The Saints)
My guest this week is Shane Smith of Shane Smith & The Saints. It was great getting to catch up with Shane just a few weeks after my band (modestly titled, Andy Sydow) got to open for his band at a sold out Ogden Theatre in Denver. We first met back in 2018 when I got to do an opening slot for...
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108. Kalyn Beasley
On the heels of his new album, "A Matter of Time" (Sept 23, 2022), Kalyn Beasley is quickly becoming an established facet of the Wyoming and Montana country music scene. We met and became friends this past summer at the Red Lodge Songwriter Festival in Red Lodge, MT and the Yellowstone Songwriter...
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107. David Starr
David Starr keeps a busy schedule between touring and running his own music store (Starr's Guitars) in Cedaredge, CO. He also manages to consistently release music. His 2021 album, "Touchstones" features one original and 11 creatively interpreted cover songs. He released one song per month,...
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106. The Accidentals
This weeks guests are Sav Buist and Katie Larson from The Accidentals. It's hard to know where to start when talking about the 3-piece Nashville based (by way of Traverse City, MI) punk-folk outfit. They've made an album and toured with a full orchestra, scored a film, received acclaim from NPR…
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105. Shane McLaughlin (Buffalo Rose)
I met Shane McLaughlin at FARM (Folk Alliance Midwest) just outside of Chicago back in October. I was blown away by the performance of his band, Buffalo Rose. Reminiscent of Nickel Creek or Punch Brothers, the 6-piece group is a feel good, high energy group that puts on a theatrical live...
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104. SubmitHub Founder Jason Grishkoff Discusses Competitors and New Features
It was great to have Jason Grishkoff back on the podcast this week. The last time we talked, (April 2020) the world was just learning about Zoom, which opened me up to the possibility of interviewing people not just outside of my room, but on the other side of the world. Jason, who resides in…
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103. Seven Pound Thesaurus
This week I got to chat with my pal, Bryan Reynolds. Reynolds, who goes by Seven Pound Thesaurus when dealing with all things music, is a Washington based singer, songwriter, musician, and producer. We first met at the Durango Songwriters Expo back in Ventura back in February and immediately hit…
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102. Ever More Nest
A native of North Louisiana, Ever More Nest’s Kelcy Wilburn (“Kelcy Mae”) is as equally influenced by the gospel, country, and blues of her Bible Belt hometown as she is by the emotional rawness of the artists that consumed her generation: Cranberries, Counting Crows, Tori Amos, Radiohead, et al....
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How many episodes does Middle Class Rock Star have?
Middle Class Rock Star currently has 150 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
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Podcast by Andy Sydow
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Middle Class Rock Star publishes regularly with 150 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
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Middle Class Rock Star is created and hosted by Andy Sydow.
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