My First Band Podcast

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Synopsis

Each Friday, My First Band features a long-form interview with a different notable musician about all of the projects that preceded what you know them for. We discuss their musical origins, and we trace a few of their embarrassing high school bands and other associated bands that happened before they broke out. This show digs deeper than any Wikipedia page or band bio would ever dare to go. And, sometimes, the guests will even share some of their old songs. You can expect to hear a lot of interesting, informative and hopefully entertaining anecdotes about all of the bands along the way.My First Band is sponsored by Boulevard Brewing. It is hosted by Tyler Maas, of Milwaukee Record, and edited by Jared Blohm.

Episodes

  • 140 – Amanda Huff (You Win!!!, Strangelander)

    29/10/2021 Duration: 01h21min

    Amanda Huff likes to stay busy. The Milwaukee-based singer and songwriter is fresh off FIVE Summerfest performances, a bunch of other shows as half of You Win !!! and the release of a standout EP with Vincent Van Great. In the coming months, she will also have her outstanding voice featured on releases she can't even talk about yet. And that's not even factoring in her solo project and her work with Strangelander. Long before she was part of an eclectic and impressive collection of creative endeavors, Huff was a kid in Illinois developing her vocal talents and waiting for the right time to dive headfirst into the world of music. Following an especially active artistic run, Huff recently found time to meet up with My First Band host Tyler Maas at Milwaukee Record headquarters. Over the course of the discussion, Huff talked about growing up in Aurora, moving to Milwaukee to attend art school, winding up in a few Riverwest and East Side bands, playing solo, and eventually becoming part of the aforementioned proj

  • 139 – Steve Rawles (Belvedere)

    22/10/2021 Duration: 01h09min

    This week's guest is Belvedere singer, guitarist and founding member Steve Rawles. Since staring in 1995, the Calgary, Alberta-based band has shared the stage with many of punk rock's biggest names, released a number of great EPs and albums, and played more than 1,500 shows in more than 40 countries. After spending more than a quarter century traveling the world with Belvedere, This Is a Standoff and as a solo performer, Rawles has quite a collection of entertaining stories and important lessons he's learned along the way. Recently, Rawles spent part of his two-day break between legs of Belvedere's ongoing Canadian tour speaking to My First Band host Tyler Maas about the band's new album (Hindsight Is the Sixth Sense), getting back on the road after the COVID-19 pandemic forced the perpetually touring outfit to stay home and plans he has for 2022 (and beyond). Of course, the interview also touched on Rawles musical start, including taking piano and trumpet lessons as a kid, beginning a label as a teenager, st

  • 138 – Spike Slawson (Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, Swingin' Utters, Uke-Hunt)

    15/10/2021 Duration: 01h19min

    As the singer of Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, Spike Slawson has toured the world, shared the stage and studio with some of punk rock's most legendary names, and helped to breathe new and unexpected life into some of pop music's greatest hits. Long before he was fronting one of the world's most accomplished cover acts and playing originals in bands like Swingin' Utters and Re-Volts, Slawson was a regular at early'80s punk and hardcore shows in his hometown of Pittsburgh. Earlier this week, Slawson found some time during his tour with Violent Femmes and Flogging Molly to speak with My First Band host Tyler Maas about getting to hit the road with the Gimmes again, his recent work with Los Nuevos Bajos and Uke Hunt, and some of the formative musical experiences from his past. Over the course of the conversation, Slawson talked about some of the first concerts he attended, moving to a small California city called Davis at 16, winding up in San Francisco after high school, working in the shipping department at Fa

  • 137 – Chris Vos (The Record Company)

    08/10/2021 Duration: 01h56min

    As the singer and guitarist of The Record Company, Chris Vos has released chart-topping songs that have garnered regular radio play, had placement in television and on commercials, and even earned the band a Grammy nomination. During the group's decade-long run, they've toured all around North America and Europe, shared the stage with legends like Robert Plant and John Mayer, played some of the country's most iconic venues, performed on network television, and enjoyed a number of other experiences that extend far beyond their wildest dreams. With the blues-rock band about to hit the road in support of their third album (Play Loud, out today!), there's no better time to look back on their front man's musical past. Prior to that tour, which kicks off at Milwaukee's Turner Hall Ballroom this Sunday, Vos spoke to My First Band host Tyler Maas about the process of recording the new album, his excitement to start touring again and the unexpected set of circumstances that turned The Record Company from a living room

  • 136 – Wes Tank

    01/10/2021 Duration: 01h28min

    Last year, Milwaukee-based musician, producer, actor and videographer Wes Tank went viral by rapping Dr. Seuss books over beats made by Dr. Dre. Those early pandemic videos garnered millions of YouTube views, earned oodles of press from renowned publications, led to Tank being interviewed on TV programs all around the world and eventually found the experienced rapper co-creating and hosting a Kidoodle.TV series called StoryRaps. Now less than two years removed from those first viral videos, Tank has found success as a children's entertainer and has even been able to perform his youth-oriented material in front of live audiences. Shortly after his recent sets at Summerfest and a homecoming show in his native Dodgeville, Wisconsin, Tank spoke to My First Band host Tyler Maas about the unexpected artistic pivot his music took in early 2020, the amazing response to his videos, and everything that came before last year's breakout. Over the course of the conversation, the pair revisited past collaborations as offic

  • 135 – Paúl Rivera (La Armada)

    24/09/2021 Duration: 01h02min

    Over the course of band's more than 20-year existence, La Armada has frequently toured throughout North America and Europe, shared the stage with legendary groups like Propagandhi and Sick of It All, built a passionate fan base composed of listeners from all around the world, released some powerful and altogether awesome material, and helped shine a light on some of the social injustices many people face. Even more impressive than what the veteran band has accomplished is what they gave up in order to make its two-decade run possible. Before earning a reputation as one of Chicago's (and the Midwest's) premier hardcore outfits, La Armada's members were living in the Dominican Republic, where they were setting up punk shows (in a nation enamored by merengue music) and preparing to move to the U.S. in order to take their artistic ambitions to the next level. Recently, My First Band host Tyler Maas spoke to La Armada guitarist and founding member Paúl Rivera about his band's lengthy tenure, their new EP that's pr

  • 134 – Alex Stoitsiadis (Dogleg)

    17/09/2021 Duration: 01h15min

    This week's guest is Alex Stoitsiadis from Dogleg. The Detroit-based band has earned oodles of listener attention and critical acclaim with the release of Melee, their debut album that had the unfortunate distinction of coming out the same day the world essentially shut down. After 18-plus months of pandemic-related inaction, Dogleg is finally ready to get out there to play in belated support of that outstanding record. A few days after turning heads at the Pitchfork Music Festival and a few days prior to setting out on a lengthy U.S. fall tour (including a Sept. 24 stop at X-Ray Arcade!), Stoitsiadis spoke to My First Band host Tyler Maas about the long road to the breakout record's release, the surprising response the album received and some exciting things that are on the horizon for Dogleg now that they can actually play live again. Of course, the conversation also turned to Stoitsiadis' musical past, including the role video games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero had on his musical exposure, meeting his fu

  • 133 – Adam Fletcher (The Copyrights)

    10/09/2021 Duration: 01h10min

    This week's guest is Adam Fletcher from The Copyrights. In the nearly 20 years he's been the singer and bassist of the Carbondale, Illinois-based band, Fletcher has toured all over the U.S. and Europe, shared the stage with some of punk rock's biggest names, and put out six albums (in addition to a number of other EPs and splits). Following a seven-year gap between records, The Copyrights will release their long-awaited new album, Alone in a Dome, on Fat Wreck Chords in October. With an outstanding new full-length on the way and the band going back on the road soon, Fletcher has a lot to discuss in terms of new developments. Recently, he did just that when he chatted with My First Band host Tyler Maas. Along the way, Fletcher also talked about his musical start in bands like Moloko Plus and The Last Laugh, formative experiences in the basement show and house show scene, notable moments from his present project's impressive two-decade run, and some things he'd like to do with The Copyrights before it's all ove

  • 132 – Lillie Mae (Lillie Mae, The Risches, Jypsi)

    03/09/2021 Duration: 40min

    When we say Lillie Mae has been playing music for most of her life, we mean it! The singer, multi-instrumentalist and all-around musical force has been performing since she was just 3 years old. Since traveling the country as a child to play concerts pretty much anywhere she could with her family band, Lillie has cracked the charts with a group she was in with her siblings, shared the stage with the likes of Jack White and Robert Plant, and wowed listeners all over the world with music she releases under her own name. Recently, Lillie Mae was kind enough to chat with My First Band host Tyler Maas backstage before her set at Blue Ox Music Festival. There, she talked about getting back on the road, her appreciation for her unconventional arts-based upbringing, getting a crash course in the ins and outs of the music industry at an early age, and how session work helped open doors to the next stage of her career. Along the way, she also spoke about initially turning down an opportunity to record her first album w

  • 131 – Steve Wynn (The Dream Syndicate, The Baseball Project)

    27/08/2021 Duration: 01h16min

    Over the course of his extensive and impressive career, Steve Wynn has released more than 30 albums that are spread between his numerous projects. Along the way, he's performed to audiences of all sizes all over the world, toured with the likes of U2 and R.E.M., composed scores for television and film, and spent time on a major record label. He's seen all sides of the music industry in his decades on stage, and he wouldn't change a thing. Before he was releasing influential and timeless albums with The Dream Syndicate, having a successful solo career, and writing super-specific sports songs with The Baseball Project, Wynn was a kid — like, an actual child! — playing in short-lived adolescent outfits like The Light Bulbs and Sudden Death Overtime. With more than 50 years of musical experience to his credit, Wynn has a ton of amazing stories to tell. Thankfully, he was willing to share some of them with My First Band host Tyler Maas prior to setting out on a U.S. tour next month. During their discussion, Wynn t

  • 130 – Kevin Tully (Telethon)

    20/08/2021 Duration: 01h43min

    These days, Kevin Tully can be heard singing and playing guitar in Telethon, a Milwaukee/Chicago "hard pop" project that just released its fifth full-length. Before he was fronting the band responsible for Swim Out Past the Breakers — one of the best punk-adjacent releases of the year to this point — Tully was a curious kid in Delavan, Wisconsin, who was listening to CDs left behind by his older siblings and teaching himself to play a guitar he found under his sister's bed. Since that formative time, Tully has toured extensively, shared the stage with some notable punk and ska projects, and released dozens upon dozen of outstanding songs with some of his best friends. Prior to today's release of Swim Out Past the Breakers and next weekend's belated release show at X-Ray Arcade, Tully talked to My First Band host Tyler Maas about the process of writing and recording the album in 2020, the story behind the record's rather familiar name, and how it feels to finally be playing shows again. Of course, his previous

  • 129 – David McWane (Big D and the Kids Table)

    13/08/2021 Duration: 01h36min

    Over the course of the band's 25-year run, Big D and the Kids Table has released nine studio albums, traveled the globe and earned a place as one of the planet's premier ska-punk projects. As Big D's lead singer, one of its founders and its last remaining original member, David McWane has seen it all. In advance of the band's forthcoming record, Do Your Art (available for pre-order on Side One Dummy, out Oct. 22), McWane talked about the new album and all that came before it. During the extensive conversation, McWane discussed some of Big D and the Kids Table's most significant moments, including numerous international tours and countless shows with some especially notable bands, and some of his early projects. Along the way, McWane talked about his years as drummer in bands like Twisted Reality and Spu, the start of Big D, his unlikely path to becoming a vocalist, and the importance of continuing to make art in a culture that seems to no longer value creation. My First Band is sponsored by Mystery Room Maste

  • 128 – John Wozniak (Marcy Playground)

    06/08/2021 Duration: 02h06min

    John Wozniak is the singer, guitarist and primary songwriter of Marcy Playground. Odds are you know him as the voice behind "Sex And Candy," the larger-than-life hit that topped the charts for much of the late '90s and earned his band a Platinum Record and worldwide acclaim in the process. Before he was writing songs the whole world would sing, Wozniak was a kid in Minneapolis who was learning the ins and out of the guitar and playing in a church band called Angels With Flaming Swords. Recently, My First Band host Tyler Maas spoke to Wozniak about Marcy Playground's incredible 20-plus-year run, what he's working on now and everything that came beforehand. Over the course of the interview, Wozniak talked about growing up in Minnesota, the process of writing and recording his Zog Bogbean solo project, his formative and life-changing move to Olympia for college, the process of getting signed to a major label deal, and the even-more-unfathomable occurrence of having the biggest song in the world after getting dro

  • 127 – Emma Erdbrink (Doughboys Podcast, High & Mighty Podcast)

    30/07/2021 Duration: 01h57min

    This week's episode breaks format a little, as we shift the focus from music to the field of audio engineering and production with Emma Erdbrink. Though the profession is oft-overlooked, Erdbrink has quickly made a name for herself as the engineer and producer of such popular podcasts as Doughboys, High & Mighty and Marketplace. Long before she was responsible for the sound quality and many other behind-the-scenes aspects of some of your favorite podcasts, Erdbrink was growing up in New England and balancing her aspirations for vocal performance with an organic interest in recording. Recently, Erdbrink took some time away from putting together other people's podcasts to be a guest on ours. Over the course the fun and informative conversation, she told My First Band host Tyler Maas about her path to engineering, her college years and post-graduation internship, her decision to move across the country to pursue a career in audio production, and how a mixture of talent and random circumstance resulted in som

  • 126 – Fred Mascherino (The Color Fred, Taking Back Sunday, Breaking Pangaea)

    23/07/2021 Duration: 01h20min

    As both the bandleader and namesake of The Color Fred, singer-guitarist Fred Mascherino has released some great music and found a following with his well-received YouTube page. Though he is working on another The Color Fred album and aspires to release a new single every month of 2021, Mascherino is thankfully also willing and able to look back fondly at his previous projects. That extensive and impressive musical past includes a lengthy tenure in Brody, a handful of years fronting accomplished emo outfit Breaking Pangaea and an unforgettable stint with Taking Back Sunday. Recently, Mascherino spoke with My First Band host Tyler Maas about The Color Fred's modern-day plans and his years in each of those aforementioned outfits. Over the course of the conversation, Mascherino talked about growing up in a small Pennsylvania town, immersing himself in learning the guitar and playing bar shows all around the East Coast in high school as a member of Stickman. He also talked about his time with Brody and Breaking Pa

  • 125 – Robert Finley

    16/07/2021 Duration: 01h04min

    Robert Finley says he's gone from the cotton field to the Beverly Hills. At the age of 67, the veteran musician is finally earning some long-overdue attention on account of Sharecropper's Son, his new record that beautifully chronicles his childhood in the fields of rural Louisiana, the semi-recent loss of his eyesight, his unflappable faith and various other aspects of his incredible life. The autobiographical album, which was produced by Dan Auerbach, of the Black Keys, has received oodles of critical acclaim en route to landing Finley on the cover of Spin and on stage at Red Rocks Amphitheatre alongside Blues Traveler earlier this month. Though he's in a great place at the moment, it wasn't always easy for him. Not even close. Recently, Finley spoke to My First Band host Tyler Maas about his newfound success and the long, arduous and unlikely road that brought him to this prominent point. Over the course of about an hour, the singer spoke about growing up as the actual son of a sharecropper, his years as a

  • 124 – Kurt Baker (Kurt Baker Combo, Kurt Baker Band, The Leftovers)

    09/07/2021 Duration: 01h27min

    If you're a fan of the power-pop genre, you're almost certainly also a fan of Kurt Baker. Over the past dozen years, the singer and songwriter has released a bunch of great records under his own name (and using the "Kurt Baker Combo" and "Kurt Baker Band" project names as well). He has also toured regularly, earned a spot on Steven Van Zandt's Wicked Cool Records label and relocated from Portland, Maine, to Madrid, Spain. As impressive as his solo career has been, it's only the tip of the iceberg. Recently, Baker spoke to My First Band host Tyler Maas about living in Spain for the past eight years, the process of making his latest album (After Party — out now!) and his performance plans after an isolated year-plus. Of course, the conversation also turned to Baker's musical past, including his early bands in Maine, playing and promoting shows at a formative local all-ages venue called The Well, and really going for it in his teens and early 20s with his band The Leftovers. Along the way, the power-popper talke

  • 123 – Alex Dalnodar (Dig Deep, Wrath of the Girth, The Ditchrunners)

    02/07/2021 Duration: 01h04min

    As the singer and guitarist of Dig Deep, Alex Dalnodar has played hundreds of shows in all corners of the Midwest (and beyond) and has seen his blistering bluegrass band become a Central Wisconsin music mainstay. Following an uncharacteristically quiet 2020, Dig Deep is hitting the road hard this year with dozens of performances booked all over the Badger State. With a busy year ahead, Dalnodar had a lot to say about his band's plans when he spoke to My First Band host Tyler Maas recently. Over the course of the discussion, Dalnodar talked about Dig Deep's active summer — with oodles of bar shows and appearances at festivals like Two Rivers Snowfest and Blue Ox — and some of his favorite parts of the band's seven years (and counting) together. The interview also focused on Dalnodar's previous projects, including a lengthy stint in a metal band called Wrath of the Girth and a few years playing "Gutter Grass" with The Ditchrunners. Along the way, Dalnodar talked about the formative role seeing .357 String Band

  • 122 – Ray Carlisle (Teenage Bottlerocket, Homeless Wonders)

    25/06/2021 Duration: 01h01s

    As the singer, guitarist and founding member of Teenage Bottlerocket, Ray Carlisle has performed all over the world, shared the stage with some of punk's most legendary acts and been an ever-present part of his own band becoming a modern punk rock mainstay over the course of its two-decade run. After more than a year away, Teenage Bottlerocket is back on the road again, and they're making national news in the process. The band is headlining a show in Florida this weekend that has a "No-Vax Tax" cover charge of $999 for people not vaccinated against COVID-19. Prior to that show, Carlisle spoke to My First Band host Tyler Maas about the stir the unconventional concert has caused, the process of writing and recording Teenage Bottlerocket's forthcoming album (Sick Sesh!, out on Fat Wreck Chords on Aug. 27), and memorable moments from the band's 20-plus years of existence. Of course, Carlisle also spoke about his pre-Bottlerocket projects, including an elementary school group called Carlisle Crew, a short-lived me

  • 121 – John R. Miller (Prison Book Club, The Fox Hunt)

    18/06/2021 Duration: 01h19min

    If you're a fan of country or bluegrass music, there's a chance you've seen John R. Miller perform without even realizing it. The singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist has spent most of his adult life as a touring musician, both in his own bands and as the touring bassist or guitarist in other projects. After years spent supporting the artistic efforts of others as a hired hand, Miller is ready to make a name for himself. On July 16, Miller was release Depreciated, his wonderful full-length debut on Rounder Records that's already earning high praise from respected music resources. Prior to the record's release and his return to the road, Miller spoke to My First Band host Tyler Maas about making Depreciated, staying productive and positive in a year without touring, and all the projects that preceded his solo turn. Over the course of the conversation, Miller talked about his punk past in a small West Virginia town, his brief-yet-artistically significant stint in college, busking all around the East Coa

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