In this episode of Look Who It Is, I sit down with Jesse DeGroot, co-founder and guitarist of Beneath The Hollow.

We talk about what it really takes to keep a heavy band moving while balancing a full-time job, marriage, kids, touring, and constant writing.

Jesse breaks down:

• Why he went back and relearned guitar after nearly 20 years of playing

• Studying music theory and how it changed his approach

• Working with producer Machine and refining their sound

• Navigating singer changes and long inactive stretches

• Recording, reamping, tone chasing, and why “it’s gotta have some ugly on it”

• The reality of being a regional band and loving it anyway

• The moment someone sings your lyrics back to you

This is a grounded conversation about discipline, longevity, and making music for the band first with no hype, no shortcuts.

Follow Beneath The Hollow:

Website: https://www.beneaththehollow.com

Instagram: @beneaththehollow

Classical and jazz-trained guitarist Michael Rye shares how he went from Suzuki violin lessons at age five to a lifetime of guitar. We talk about his all-instrumental album If These Hands Could Talk and why he wanted it to be 100% guitar with no vocals, overdubs, or studio tricks. Michael breaks down how he thinks about fingerstyle, session work in a remote-file world, and why reputation and referrals are everything when people need you to deliver fast.

He also walks through his upcoming teaching platform, Intuitive Guitar Academy, built like a structured curriculum with beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels, plus printable practice materials. We get into practice habits, choosing a first song, how he maintains a large collection of purpose-built guitars, and the real-world gear routines that keep him consistent on stage.

Nashville guitarist and producer Derek Wells breaks down how modern records are really made. We talk demoitis, the creative freedom behind Post Malone’s F-1 Trillion sessions, how Nashville studio work actually functions, and how Derek balances being a guitarist, producer, and A&R executive.

This episode dives into session workflows, creative burnout, saying no to the wrong projects, and the small behind-the-scenes moments that end up living forever in a song.