A band that adopts a highway, cleans it with fans, then goes straight back to building a tightly synced live show is the kind of story we can’t stop talking about. I’m joined by Rex Larkman, drummer for Tropidelic, for a conversation that moves from Cleveland pride to the real mechanics of modern touring, with plenty of laughs and hard-earned lessons in between. 

We get into the Cleveland music scene and how a “Lake Erie ocean” mindset can fuel a band whose sound blends reggae rock, funk, hip-hop, and high-energy drumming. Rex breaks down the drummers who shaped him, from Neil Peart and Trey Cool to Joey Jordison and Carter Beauford, and explains how he approaches recording versus performing so the parts serve the song but the stage still hits like a rush. 

Then we go deep on the gear and the why behind it: click track philosophy, backing tracks used as layered support rather than shortcuts, and Rex’s practical Roland SPD-SX setup with count-offs and a kill switch for the nights when tech fights back. We also talk tour life, Warped Tour chaos, rain-soaked shows, and the surreal feeling of playing Red Rocks, plus the “basement of Red Rocks” vibe at The Caverns. We wrap with Tropidelic’s new album First Light, DIY music video production, and a shout-out to the unsung heroes behind every great show. 

If you like artist interviews, touring stories, drumming talk, and behind-the-scenes music production, subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review. What’s the best live venue you’ve ever been to?

Episode Links

• Tropidelic: https://tropidelic.com/

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• Jay Franze: https://jayfranze.com/
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Shout Outs

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

One email, a few MIDI files, and a shared obsession with atmosphere can turn into a finished single that sounds huge. We sit down with Ohio singer-songwriter Kate Stanton to talk about “Rise,” a track inspired by the Greek idea of mania, the kind of love that looks a lot like limerence and fixation. Kate walks us through how the song came together, from early synth sketches to deep vocal layering, and why making music that feels immersive sometimes matters more than showing off flashy parts.

A big thread running through our chat is remote collaboration done right. Kate and her German collaborator Tomas build songs through email, Google Translate, Dropbox, and a tight back-and-forth that keeps ideas moving without endless meetings. We dig into real home studio details: piano-first chord progressions, topline melodies, sending stems and MIDI, arranging in Cubase, and how programmed drums and bass can still feel alive when the goal is modern dream pop and atmospheric music. Kate also shares how journaling becomes lyrics, and how the toughest edits happen when a line that reads well simply will not sing.

We also zoom out to the bigger creative mission: a concept album exploring love in eight forms, from friendship to self-love, not just romance. Along the way we talk covers, perfectionism, protecting audio quality, the challenge of playing live with an overseas producer, and why albums, artwork, and physical media like CDs and vinyl still deliver an experience streaming cannot replace. If you care about songwriting craft, indie music production, and building a real artistic body of work, this conversation is for you.

Subscribe for more artist interviews, share this with a friend who makes music, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show. What kind of love song do you wish more artists would write?

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• Jay Franze: https://jayfranze.com/
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Shout Outs

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

Empty seats can cancel a tour faster than bad reviews, yet rock touring is still printing money. We start with a rapid-fire rundown of newly announced rock and metal tours and quickly end up doing what real fans do: clicking past the headline to check official artist sites, compare dates, and figure out whether these runs are truly “fall tours” or just a handful of shows with a catchy label.

From there, we dig into the live music economy: major tour earners, the reality of Ticketmaster seat maps packed with available seats, and why some artists overbook venues they can’t fill. We talk about how early tour cancellations protect budgets, but also how they disappoint the people who already made plans, bought tickets, and just wanted a loud night out.

We also get into the messy, behind-the-scenes stuff that shapes concerts: leaked and unfinished recordings (and whether fans should listen at all), curfews and fines that can chop an encore, and the kind of production nightmare that happens when a show gets hit with a power outage mid-set. Then we lighten it up with our question of the day on favorite hair metal bands, run through the latest country and rock chart countdowns, and hit July music birthdays.

To close, Tiffany shares her new book, Networking Your Way To The Big Stage, including the writing process, imposter syndrome, and how small relationship-building habits can multiply opportunities for artists and anyone working in the music industry. Subscribe, share this with a friend (if not, tell two), and leave a review with your favorite hair metal pick and why.

Episode Links

• Jason Hale: https://jayfranze.com/episode55/
• Bruce Reiter: https://jayfranze.com/episode67/
• Jerry Hines: https://jayfranze.com/episode220/

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Links

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

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

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• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayfranze
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Shout Outs

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