Singer/Songwriter/Storyteller Michael Gaither

Click to hear episode #115 (time = 36:01, size = 49.6 mb)

We’ll take a slight detour from the usual (and very talented) run of singer/songwriters usually featured on the “Songs and Stories” podcast. This time out, we talk to Asyst, my very favorite local metal band. (Okay, so they’re the *only* local metal band I really know…but I digress.) Asyst is Mike Sylva (drums), Dipendra Bagchee (guitars/vocals), Tim Sankar (guitar), and Vic Rodriguez (bass/vocals). Their new album is “Setting Sun”, and I recently chatted with them during a rehearsal at Silva’s Custom Classics (drummer Mike’s garage where he restores Chevy Muscle Cars).
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Click to hear episode #114 (time = 46:37, size = 64.1 mb)

Sometimes spontaneous works best. I’ve been chatting Santa Cruz’ Jim Lewin of The Great American Taxi for months about trying to get together for an interview. Recently he called and said, “hey, we’re going to play on KPIG. Want to meet us there in ten minutes?” And it was that simple. I headed down to the station and did an interview (in two parts) with band members Chad Staehly, Brian Adams, Vince Herman, and Jim Lewin. Read the rest of this entry »

One of the the things I dig most about this web site is the “Songs and Stories” podcast, which – for five years as of next month – has given me a chance to chat with LOTS of other songwriters and artists about what they do. It’s given me an ongoing chance to learn from others, make more than a few friends, and hopefully help promote a bit of what they do along the way.

I went through last year’s web stats over the weekend to find out what and who was listened to the most. Surprisingly, some of the most popular episodes date back before 2011, while some were posted late in the year and featured artists or bands who tour nationally and/or have a big following. Here’s the top ten, including links to the episodes themselves. Read the rest of this entry »

Click to hear episode #113 (time = 27:12, size = 37.4 mb)

There’s just enough time to get in one more podcast for 2011, so we might as well learn about my “latest new favorite” band. The Brothers Comatose are a bluegrass outfit out of San Francisco, CA. And while they’re all accomplished musicians, they’re one of the most FUN bands I’ve seen in a long time. Read the rest of this entry »

Click to hear episode #112 (time = 35:55, size = 48.4 mb)

After a brief, involuntary (read: Mac troubles) hiatus, the “Songs and Stories” podcast is back. This time out we chat with Jamie and Kellen Coffis. The Coffis Brothers and their band, The Mountain Men, hail from Ben Lomond and have just recorded their first record at Gadgetbox Studios in Santa Cruz. In this episode, Jamie and Kellen discuss their influences, which includes The Beatles and lots of classic rock. (Jamie and Kellen are both huge Tom Petty and Mudcrutch fans, so we had lots of common ground.) Read the rest of this entry »