My First Band Podcast

My First Band has reached the century mark! We're celebrating the 100-episode milestone in grand fashion with the incomparable Adam Weiner, who you might know better as the singer, pianist and driving force behind Low Cut Connie. Over the course of the project's decade-long existence, Low Cut Connie has released six acclaimed albums, toured the world, earned high praise from legendary musicians like Elton John and Bruce Springsteen, and has become a favorite of two United States Presidents. Weiner has been especially busy since last March, performing more than 70 "Tough Cookies" livestream shows to millions of viewers all over the world and releasing the latest Low Cut Connie album. The day before he performed an official virtual event for the Biden-Harris inauguration, Weiner spoke to My First Band host Tyler Maas about the rare honor he had to represent the new President's home state on the historic day, the band's recently released Private Lives and how a pandemic reinforced his belief in the powers of per

This week's guest is Scott H. Biram, but you might know him as "The Dirty Old One Man Band." Since releasing his solo debut in the year 2000, the tireless troubadour has played thousands upon thousands of shows at venues of all sizes and scope in North America, toured Europe more than 20 times, had songs featured on popular TV shows and Oscar-nominated films, and put out 11 albums. A couple months after he released Fever Dreams — his latest album, which came out on Bloodshot Records last November — Biram took some time out of his uncharacteristically quiet schedule to talk to My First Band host Tyler Maas about his 20-plus-year solo run and everything that came beforehand. Over the course of an hour-long discussion, Biram talked about how he's keeping busy and staying productive during a pandemic, his upbringing in a fairly small Texas town, the inspiration artists like Doc Watson and Townes Van Zandt had on him early on, and his stints in adolescent and early adulthood outfits like The Happy Trees and The Th

John Sparrow is living every Milwaukee musician's dream. The percussionist has toured all around the world, performed at legendary venues like the Sydney Opera House and Red Rocks Amphitheater, shared the stage with some of music's biggest names, and has earned a spot as the drummer of the Violent Femmes. Long before he was keeping the beat for Wisconsin's most renowned rock band, Sparrow was cutting his teeth in polka combos, dabbling in jazz and drumming along to Violent Femmes records in his basement. Recently, Sparrow spoke to My First Band host Tyler Maas about many of the amazing experiences he's had as a member of the Femmes, the unexpected circumstances that led to him landing a spot in the band and all the projects that came beforehand. Over the course of the discussion, Sparrow talked about his years in The Danglers, unknowingly auditioning to become Violent Femmes' cajón player, his eventual move to becoming the band's drummer, using a grill during his performance on The Late Show With Stephen Colb

Even though Lydia Luce first came to consciousness in folk and Americana circles with her excellent 2018 debut, Azelea, the Nashville-based singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist has been working hard to hone her craft for decades. The up-and-coming artist was immersed in music since infancy. Her professional conductor mother put a violin in her hands at an early age, and she spent much of her childhood playing in a string quartet with her brother. As Luce prepares to release her long-awaited sophomore record, Dark River, on Feb. 26, the lifelong musician talked to My First Band host Tyler Maas about the process of writing and recording the highly-anticipated album. Over the course of the hour-long discussion, Luce also spoke about getting through the pandemic, a tornado hitting her home in March, her extensive and rigorous musical education, early tours with projects that preceded her solo work, and the pride she takes in her Lockeland Strings community arts organization. My First Band is sponsored by

My First Band kicks off 2021 with Charlie Berens. The affable actor, writer, comedian and Emmy-winning host has made a name for himself throughout Wisconsin (and far beyond) with his "Manitowoc Minute" segments and other hilarious videos that are rooted in Midwest-themed humor. In addition to making content that has garnered millions of views, touring throughout Wisconsin and its neighboring states, starting a great new podcast called The CripesCast, and adapting his web-based material into a sidesplitting long-form theater show, Berens recently joined forces with Adam Greuel, of Horseshoes & Hand Grenades, to release an album full of Wisconsin-centric bluegrass songs. A few weeks after the release of Berens & Greuel's debut album, Unthawed, Berens spoke to My First Band host Tyler Maas about the album and its unique blend of local love, earnest bluegrass and well-crafted comedy. Over the course of the discussion, Berens also talked about his early musical attempts in the small Wisconsin town of Elm G

This week's guest — and the final My First Band guest of 2020 — is Shawna Nicols. Wisconsin sports fans probably know her better as "DJ Shawna," the moniker she uses while serving as the official in-game DJ for the Milwaukee Bucks as well as the Wisconsin Badgers football team. In recent years, the accomplished Milwaukee DJ and emcee has also worked the turntables and curated the musical accompaniment at the NCAA Women's Final Four, during University of Wisconsin men's basketball games, at Marquette women's basketball games, as a headliner at PrideFest Milwaukee, and as Lizzo's opener at last year's Summerfest. Oh yeah, she was also one of just four DJs invited to work in "The Bubble" when the NBA resumed its season/postseason in Orlando over the summer. Long before she was playing music during professional basketball games, Shawna was a pro basketball player herself. Recently, a few days before the Bucks and Shawna were set to start another season, Shawna spoke to My First Band host Tyler Maas about the work

Though 2020 has been a downright awful year with very few bright spots, the emergence of Bartees Strange has been one silver lining people can be happy about. The Washington DC-based singer and multi-instrumentalist first came to widespread consciousness this March with Say Goodbye to Pretty Boy, an EP of songs by The National that he reinterpreted in spectacular fashion. In October, that inventive release was followed by Live Forever, his debut full-length that's earned him international attention and high standing on a bunch of year-end best albums lists. Last week — minutes after learning his song "Boomer" was named the best song of 2020 by Spin Magazine — Strange spoke to My First Band host Tyler Maas about his whirlwind year (that just so happens to be taking place during a worldwide pandemic) and what he's working on to follow-up his pair of lauded releases. Eventually, the conversation turned to the up-and-coming musician's upbringing in a Christian household with an opera singer mother, his discovery

As a founding member of Less Than Jake, Chris DeMakes has spent close to 30 years traveling the world to perform thousands of shows. Along the way, the singer and guitarist has shared stages of all sizes and scope with some of the world's most renowned artists, released top-notch music at an impressive clip, and amassed an astounding collection of experiences associated with his one and only (true) project. Before he was at the forefront of the seminal ska-punk band, DeMakes was learning to play music in Port Charlotte, Florida, and laying the groundwork for what would eventually turn into Less Than Jake. In the days leading up to the release of Less Than Jake's brand new album, Silver Linings, DeMakes spoke to My First Band host Tyler Maas about the new album, his just-released book, his excellent "Chris DeMakes A Podcast," and the Dec. 11 "Live With Less Than Jake" livestream event. Over the course of the hour-long discussion, DeMakes also talked about opening for Bon Jovi on an arena tour, playing with Sno

During his 10 years (and counting!) as a member of The Wild Feathers, Joel King and his bandmates have released four well-received studio albums and a live record, played hundreds upon hundreds of concerts all around the country and toured with legendary musicians like Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon and Bob Segar. Prior to his time with the accomplished Nashville-based Americana outfit, King — who plays bass and shares vocal duties in The Wild Feathers — was living in Oklahoma and working hard to make a living as the front man of a rock band called The Effects. A few days before The Wild Feathers released its latest album, Medium Rarities, on Nov. 20, King spoke to My First Band host Tyler Maas about the collection of B-sides, covers and unreleased material, as well as many of the standout moments from his decade in the band. Of course, the conversation eventually shifted to King's previous projects. Over the course of the hour-long discussion, he talked about making decent money and playing out often i

These days, Zach Blair can be heard playing lead guitar in the world-renowned punk outfit Rise Against as well as Drakulas, his excellent side project. Before he was part of those bands, the guitarist was sporting formal wear as a member of Hagfish, touring overseas with a punk supergroup called Only Crime and wearing 60 pounds of prosthetics to play the part of "Flattus Maximus" in GWAR. And prior to any of that, Blair was just a kid in Sherman, Texas, who was listening to his dad's record collection and learning to play guitar. Recently, My First Band host Tyler Maas got a chance to hear some amazing stories from Blair's 30-plus-years in music. Over the course of the hour-long discussion, they spoke about the guitarist's lengthy tenure in Hagfish with his brother Doni, the unexpected circumstances that led to him joining GWAR (and the tragedy that brought him back to the band for a short time), memorable stints in Armstrong and Only Crime, and how he wound up joining Rise Against. Along the way, Blair also

This short episode is a special announcement about My First Band now being broadcast on Milwaukee's own WMSE!

You probably know Dan Wilson as the lead singer of Semisonic, the seminal band that brought you "Closing Time." Though his output in that long-tenured alternative rock outfit is certainly remarkable in its own right, Wilson has made even more significant contributions to entertainment as a songwriter. Over the last 20 years, the songwriter and producer has worked with some of modern music's biggest names, including collaborations with Taylor Swift, John Legend, Pink, Halsey, Chris Stapleton and Jason Mraz. Most notably, he's also won two Grammys for songs he wrote with Adele — including mega-hit "Someone Like You" — and The Chicks. Long before he was crafting some of the world's most popular songs, Wilson was a Minnesota kid who was scoring a play at his high school. Recently, My First Band host Tyler Maas was able to speak with Wilson about his prolific co-writing résumé, the new Semisonic EP and his "Words + Music In 6 Seconds" inspirational cards. Eventually, the conversation turned to Wilson's extensive a

These days, listeners know William Bush for his work alongside his brother, Kevin, in Immortal Girlfriend and on his own in his new Black Challenger solo project. Years before William was making waves in electronic music circles both in Wisconsin and far beyond, he and his sibling were cutting their teeth in metro Milwaukee's once-burgeoning screamo scene. A few weeks after putting out Black Challenger's debut album — the downright awesome Vigilance — and about six months after the release of Immortal Girlfriend's long-awaited sophomore EP, William talked to My First Band host Tyler Maas about those two releases, playing legion hall shows with Kevin in anime-influenced bands like Starwind and Hawking and Ari Armada, starting Immortal Girlfriend, the duo's unexpected rise to local notoriety, and some of his favorite on-stage moments so far. My First Band is sponsored by Mystery Room Mastering and Lakefront Brewery. The show is edited by Jared Blohm. You can listen to My First Band on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify,

Not even a pandemic can slow Jon Snodgrass down. In recent months, the long-tenured and accomplished punk troubadour recorded and released a new album on A-F Records, put out a children's record and continued his cross-continental collaboration with Frank Turner. Along the way, he's also written enough new material for yet another album. Though current conditions don't permit him to tour, Snodgrass continues to be a lighthearted and eternally optimistic musician who, fortunately, has decades worth of great stories to draw from his time on stage. Last week, Snodgrass called My First Band host Tyler Maas to talk about Tace — his new album that features accompaniment from members of Rise Against, The Lawrence Arms, Bad Cop/Bad Cop and Lagwagon — and how he's keeping active during his downtime. Of course, the conversation eventually turned to his upbringing in Missouri, formative musical experiences as a teenager, his move to Fort Collins and the ups and downs from his time in seminal bands like Armchair Martian

Milwaukee music is incredibly lucky to have Kelsey Kaufmann. The owner of the Cactus Club has booked literally hundreds of shows, helped produce large-scale festivals, and was at the forefront of changing laws that prohibited all-ages shows at certain venues in Milwaukee. After managing the iconic Bay View club for a few years, further bolstering its already-sterling reputation, and bringing some impressive acts to town, Kaufmann bought the bar this February. Just over a month after officially taking over, the world turned on its head. Though times are unexpectedly tough for Cactus Club, Kaufmann and her staff are committed to keeping the business running and continuing to give interesting artists a platform. Earlier this week, My First Band host Tyler Maas caught up with Kaufmann to ask her about some of the struggles venues around the country are facing in the midst of a pandemic, some of the interesting things she's doing to bring in revenue and keep Cactus Club active during this unprecedented time and so

As the banjo player in Wood & Wire, Trevor Smith has traveled all around the county, shared the stage with some legendary acts, released four excellent albums (five, if you count their live record), played hundreds upon hundreds of concerts, and was even nominated for a Grammy. While the band's plans to hit the road for most of 2020 were dashed, Wood & Wire was still able to release a new album — the wonderful No Matter Where It Goes From Here — at the end of August, and are continuing to reach new listeners all around the world. Long before Smith was plucking his heart out as a founding member of the accomplished Austin, Texas, bluegrass outfit, he was cutting his teeth and playing keyboard in hardcore bands in his native Arizona. With Wood & Wire not on the road for once, Smith had time to talk to My First Band host Tyler Maas about the process of making Wood & Wire's latest record and how he's keeping busy at the moment before the conversation shifted focus to his musical past. Over the cou

David Quinn is quickly making a name for himself in country music circles with a relentless show schedule (at least until recently, of course) and ever-evolving material. The Chicago-based singer's catalog will grow by 10 more songs on Oct. 23 with the release of his latest and greatest album, Letting Go. Long before Quinn was building a reputation as the front man and namesake of a country project though, he was playing drums in a suburban Chicago rock band called Best Defense. This week, in the days leading up to the release of Letting Go, My First Band host Tyler Maas got in touch with Quinn to talk about the process of recording the forthcoming album, getting an impressive cast of backing musicians to lend their talents to the record, and ways he's keeping busy in a year that's left him unable to tour. Over the course of the hour-plus interview, Quinn also talked about his days as a drummer in rock and blues projects, his formative year living in California, the early stages of writing his own material, a

We broke format a little this week to talk all things music with a guest who has no musical experience of his own. Jon Gabrus is an actor (Guy Code, Younger, Brooklyn Nine-Nine), comedian and veteran podcaster. Though he's not a musician by trade, the host of High And Mighty, Action Boyz and The Gino Lombardo Show has a wealth of musical memories and no shortage of great stories about concerts he's attended through the years. Prior to the start of Season 2 of The Gino Lombardo Show, Gabrus spoke with My First Band host/longtime "shithead" Tyler Maas about his various podcasts and how he's holding up during the nightmare that is 2020. Of course, the conversation eventually turned to music, as Gabrus talked about what he's listening to now, his love of Sylvan Esso, the music scene in his native Long Island, some of the first shows he attended, blowing all the money he made in his 20s on concerts in New York, almost getting kicked out of a Radiohead show, musical tropes in action movies and so much more. Along t

Listeners all over the world know Bob Nanna as the voice of Braid (one of the most influential emo bands of all time), as well as celebrated projects like Hey Mercedes and The City On Film. Long before he was making a name for himself with those bands, Nanna was a drummer who was keeping time for lesser-known suburban Chicago outfits like Slaphappy and Friction. Recently, My First Band host Tyler Maas spoke to Nanna about the unconventional recording process for his new solo album, Celebration States, and how he's both staying creative and keeping busy in isolation. Over the course of the roughly 80-minute conversation, the emo icon also talked about his pre-Braid projects, the highs and lows of Braid and Hey Mercedes, the wealth of other musical endeavors that came after those seminal bands, and the process of building a network of musicians for his Downwrite custom song business. Along the way, Maas also accidentally referred to Michael Cassady as "Neil Cassady" and Nanna talked about playing a recent socia

If you haven’t heard of Arlo McKinley yet, you should know he comes with John Prine’s seal of approval. Before Prine’s heartbreaking death this spring, the legendary folk singer handpicked McKinley to join his Oh Boy Records label, an honor granted to only a handful of musicians over the last couple of decades. This August, McKinley released Die Midwestern on the independent label, and his follow-up to 2014’s self-titled debut has been receiving high praise from music media and fans ever since. Before McKinley was releasing sad country ballads on the label of one of his musical heroes though, he was playing in Cincinnati punk and hardcore bands and teaming up with one of his buddies in projects that spanned more than a decade. McKinley recently joined My First Band host Tyler Maas via WiFi to discuss his first exposure to musical performance as a boy in his family’s Bapist church, digging through his dad’s extensive vinyl collection as a kid and forming his first band, Mourning Child, as a teenager. Over the