If you're a fan of the show, you know I love a good concept album. And when I found out there were local Indy prog musicians creating a concept album just down the road from me? I had to have them over to discuss it! This episode, I sat down with StarChaser, the medium-bending band led by the visionary Kara Tucker (vocals/guitar) and her husband Nick Tucker (bass/guitar). Dorian Phelps rounds out the trio on drums. More than just musicians, Nick and Kara bring together art, fashion, and storytelling to create a world around their music. Since Kara and Nick are locals, I actually got to have them over to the Michael's Mixdown studio for an in-person chat! In this conversation, they share how their artistic backgrounds shape StarChaser’s identity, from the bold visual aesthetics and stage presence to the deeply personal stories woven into their lyrics, and the music they love that inspires them. Whether you’re drawn in by the sound, the look, or the stories behind it all, this episode offers a closer look at the creative heartbeat of Indianapolis' own StarChaser.

All the links!

https://www.youtube.com/@JuJu_StarChaser

https://starchaser1.bandcamp.com/album/tsars-of-the-universe

https://www.instagram.com/jujustarchaser/

Find my other show, The Custodians, here: https://shows.acast.com/the-custodians

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ever wonder how the burgers get made over at Midnight Burger HQ? Tune into this episode of Michael's Mixdown to find out all about Joe Fisher, and how he makes his hit sci-fi audio drama series. We talk about the differences between how we make our respective shows, and discuss what goes into audio drama production from dialogue to sound effects. How many cores should your computer have to make an audio drama? Turns out, most of them! Joe discusses how Midnight Burger was formed, and how the community has grown since its inception. We discuss Indiana in media, cause that's where I'm from! We even talk about the in-person Burger Con and what else you can expect from the folks at Midnight Burger on their Patreon feed later this summer. Want to learn more about how Joe does his thing? Subscribe to the Patreon and stay tuned!

Find everything Midnight Burger here: https://www.weopenatsix.com/

Their TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@4diceharpies

Their Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/midnightburgerpod/

Support them on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/midnightburger

Find The Custodians, my audio drama here: https://shows.acast.com/the-custodians

Support The Custodians (So Gross Productions) on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/c/So_Gross

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We had a few... difficulties this episode. I've decided that "Black Hole Benny" the giant space cat must have been interfering with our transmission. Apologies in advance that the interview skips around a few times. We had a terrible time with the recording service, and people kept dropping out and having difficulty connecting. Bearing that in mind, this is still an excellent episode packed with tons of great insights into how this album was made!

In today's episode of Michael's Mixdown, stop.drop.rewind rejoins me to discuss their newest release with their engineer and producer, Roye Robley! Their self-titled album hit the airwaves back in November, and has been a big hit for the band. We discuss how their success has grown over the years, how several of the songs were written and recorded, and what the guys have planned next!

You can find prog-punk, Northwest Indiana-based stop.drop.rewind here:

https://www.stopdroprewind.com/

You can buy their music here:

https://stopdroprewind.bandcamp.com/

You can find Roye here:

https://linktr.ee/royerobley

stop.drop.rewind is a Midwest power trio that combines the energy and spirit of pop-punk with the colors and improvisational elements of jazz and soaring intricacies of progressive rock to bring forth a sound that is as unique as it is listenable. All music appearing in this episode from the album "stop.drop.rewind" and all music is used with permission.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cole Millward (Bass) and Phil Rich (Vocals) join me to discuss their latest release, Ozai. Ozai is an EP that reintroduces some of their older work to the world in a re-recorded, mixed, and mastered package. They tell me all about rebuilding that EP from the ground up, and how they've changed over the years from the original release. We discuss them meeting Dream Theater, playing at ProgPower, harsh vocals, hidden references, and the future of touring and their next release!

Follow Nospūn!

https://www.facebook.com/NospunOfficial

https://www.instagram.com/nospun_official

Listen to Opus!

https://open.spotify.com/album/0fKncaxQqzmZHCNVtKPKOz?si=WWep3iijTkKiEqh5SzyWaA

Listen to Ozai, new and original versions!

https://open.spotify.com/album/7aoxabLnQs2iORO40s7rf5?si=xxzedoZMQxyfijR8I_RNtQ

https://open.spotify.com/album/3n13wGC3h9vG8T0E2AcURP?si=zzTRBnq5QgW-axlrhycQ2w

Listen to Cole and Michael on our previous episode of Michael's Mixdown!

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0VUqYNw92IYtznbjLgxO2b?si=pIO0X5CFQ0ybPB9aC7uBsg

Follow me!

https://www.facebook.com/michaelsmixdown

https://www.instagram.com/michaelsmixdown/

Ozai and Opus created and owned by Nospūn, a progressive metal band hailing from Charlotte, North Carolina. All excerpts from Ozai used with permission.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.