Christopher Wyze – 10/6/26

Posted on October 26, 2026 by Jay Franze

A forgotten Indianapolis sound helped shape the blues, and Christopher Wise is determined to prove it with receipts. We sit down with the Indiana blues recording artist to talk about Knaptown Blues, his deep dive into the music of Leroy Carr and Scrapper Blackwell, and why recording close to home can feel just as alive as cutting tracks in Memphis or Mississippi. If you’ve ever wondered how much a room, a neighborhood, or a local history can change a performance, this conversation keeps it real.

We also get nerdy about recording without turning it into a format fight: the warmth and ritual of tracking on tape, the convenience of Pro Tools, and the practical way modern sessions happen, including Zoom-produced work for TV and film. Christopher shares what it was like recording at the legendary Royal Studios in Memphis, working with the High Rhythm Section, and pulling off a time-crunched session that included a duet with UK blues singer Emma Wilson.

Then we go straight into blues history and storytelling. Christopher breaks down why Carr and Blackwell’s city blues carries a different swagger than Delta blues, how Kokomo Blues connects to the DNA of Sweet Home Chicago, and why he still presses CDs with detailed liner notes to reach blues radio and build real momentum on charts like Roots Music Report. Subscribe, share this with a blues fan, and leave a review with your favorite blues origin story.

Episode Links

Christopher Wyze: https://christopherwyzeandthetellers.com/

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High Mountain Breezes Music: https://highmountainbreezesmusic.com/
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Coyle Girelli

Posted on October 19, 2026 by Jay Franze

Sun Studio has a reputation that borders on myth, but Coyle Girelli breaks down what the “magic” actually feels like when you’re alone in the room with a guitar, a vocal mic, and the original RCA microphones. We talk about recording in Memphis through Sun Records, why a room mic can tell the whole story, and how hearing the space itself can change the way you understand sound, performance, and even songwriting.

We also zoom out to the real day-to-day of being a touring singer-songwriter. Coyle compares crowd culture across cities and countries, shares how he deals with people talking through quiet shows, and explains why touring the United States still feels special after years on the road. From there, we trace the path that led him to Sun Records through songs written with Mac Davis, plus the deeper influences that shaped his ear: Americana, opera at home, Britpop, and grunge records that permanently rewired his sense of what’s possible.

Then we get practical. Coyle walks us through his workflow from home demos to finishing records in a Brooklyn studio, why he prefers Logic for writing, and how he keeps himself from overthinking a song to death. He’s a melody-first writer, often fast, and he explains how lyrics keep evolving right up until final vocals. We also hit musical theater, big career moments like David Letterman, and the “unsung heroes” who’ve been there since the early days.

If you enjoyed this conversation, subscribe so you don’t miss the next one, share it with a friend who loves songwriting and music history, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show.

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Links

Jay Franze: https://jayfranze.com/
JFS Countdowns/Playlists: https://jayfranze.com/playlists/

Contact

Contact: https://jayfranze.com/contact/

Socials

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayfranze
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@jayfranze
Everywhere: @jayfranze

Services

Services: https://jayfranze.com/services/

Books

Books: https://jayfranze.com/books/

Merchandise

Merchandise: https://jayfranze.com/merchandise/

Support

Support: https://jayfranze.com/support/
Sponsor the Show: https://jayfranze.com/sponsor/

Shout Outs

High Mountain Breezes Music: https://highmountainbreezesmusic.com/
VR Knives: https://www.facebook.com/VRKnives

Ezra Vancil

Posted on October 5, 2026 by Jay Franze

A “made it overnight” story can still take decades to understand. We talk with Texas folk rock and Americana artist Ezra Vancil about the twists that shaped his career: early bands with a drummer-driven groove, a development deal that arrived fast and fell apart even faster, and years of chasing the next break without ever getting the album release he thought would change everything.

Ezra doesn’t dodge the hard parts. He walks us through the dark decade of addiction, the legal fallout, and what probation life really looks like when a device is literally beeping for you to prove you’re sober. Then the tone shifts to the moment that finally sticks: a decision on a kitchen floor, a recovery group, and 13 years without a drink. From there, we dig into what changed most, not just his habits, but his reason for making music.

We also get practical for songwriters and home recordists. Ezra breaks down how he writes (chords plus syllables until real words appear), how his iPhone voice memos become an “idea scrapyard,” and how he curates songs when he’s ready to tell a full album story. He describes tracking in a cabin studio, building records from drum and bass feel instead of a rigid click, upgrading from a Universal Audio workflow into donated analog outboard gear and Neve-style channels, and sending mixes and vinyl masters through trusted Nashville collaborators. Along the way, you’ll hear unforgettable road stories from Japan to Germany, plus a simple piece of encouragement from an unsung hero: “keep going.”

If you connect with honest artist interviews, songwriting craft, and real-world music industry lessons, subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more listeners can find it.

Episode Links