The Jay Franze Show: Music - News | Reviews | Interviews

Jay Franze
  • 5.0 (18)
  • Music Commentary
  • Updated Weekly

The Jay Franze Show is your source for the latest music – news, reviews, and interviews, providing valuable insights and entertaining stories, stories you won’t find anywhere else. Hosted by industry veteran and master dry humorist Jay Franze, this show delivers a fresh, non-traditional take on the world of music. Jay brings you behind the scenes with insider insights, untold stories, and candid conversations with seasoned artists, industry pros, and rising stars each week. Whether you’re here for the laughs, the information, or to be part of The Crew (his family), he’s got you covered. You will be entertained, educated, and maybe even a little surprised, because nothing is off the table here.

  1. 1d ago

    Life After This (Matthew Fritsch)

    A great heavy band does two jobs at once: it punches you in the chest with sound, then pulls you closer with truth. Jay Franze sits down with Ohio recording artist Matthew Fritsch, vocalist for Life After This, to talk about the moments that shaped his approach to modern metal and hard rock, starting with the impact of Papa Roach. We get into what “stage energy” really means, how crowds become one unit, and why the most powerful lyrics are often the most direct ones. Matthew breaks down his songwriting process as a vocalist who doesn’t play instruments, building songs collaboratively from a riff-first foundation and then writing melody and lyrics after the music reveals its mood. We also talk about why he pushes for variety across the catalog, keeping every track on the same street but not in the same house, and how vulnerability in vocal performance can be just as heavy as screaming. Then we go behind the curtain: building a real music community through presale ticket hustle, hanging with fans after sets, and even renting a school bus party ride to bring supporters to a show. On the production side, Matthew shares what it’s like recording at Sonic Lounge with engineer Joe Viers, trusting creative ideas, and dialing in a mix with feedback that serves the song. Subscribe for more interviews, share this with a friend who loves heavy music, and leave a review with the one band that taught you to be braver. Episode Links Life After This: https://lifeafterthis.com/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/jayfranzeYouTube: https://youtube.com/@jayfranzeEverywhere: @jayfranzeServices 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

    Life After This (Matthew Fritsch)

  2. Aug 3

    Les Jansson, Musician (Steve Augieri)

    One scoop of vanilla ice cream after dinner sounds harmless until it turns into a band tradition, and it’s the perfect opener for a conversation that quickly gets real about what a working musician’s life actually looks like. We’re joined by Les Janssen, a New York bassist with deep roots in rock, a love for great feel, and the kind of touring experience that forces you to think about everything from stage sound to airport baggage claims. We talk about playing at Daryl’s House and why consistent production changes the entire night for both musicians and the crowd. From there, Les walks us through his early start on bass, the influence of growing up in a musical family, and how the discipline of learning technical music (hello, Rush) can be a gift and a challenge when you’re trying to get back to pure rock and roll groove. He also shares advice he gives younger players: don’t become a pattern player, learn the basics, and stay open-minded so you don’t trap yourself in one lane. Then we dig into gear and career realities: the Michael Kelly bass he helped design for real-world fly dates, the small design choices that make an instrument feel “high-end,” and what the NAMM show is like when you’re working a booth, meeting other pros, and still squeezing in performances. Les also connects the dots between Journey tribute worlds like The Voyage and playing with Steve Augieri, plus the travel stories that come with it including a private jet sprint stuffed with gear. We wrap with studio life, from tape-era lessons and apprenticeship habits to modern home recording with Universal Audio Apollo interfaces, Cubase, and remote session work. If you’re a bass player, producer, or just curious about the behind-the-scenes of touring and recording, this one is packed with practical takeaways. Subscribe, share this with a musician friend, and leave a review with your favorite road or studio lesson. Episode Links Les Jansson: https://www.lesjansson.com/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/jayfranzeYouTube: https://youtube.com/@jayfranzeEverywhere: @jayfranzeServices 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

    Les Jansson, Musician (Steve Augieri)

  3. Jul 27

    Trey Calloway - 7/20/26

    You can hear it in Trey Calloway’s voice: the grind is still there, but something has shifted. The work feels more focused, the circle is tighter, and the next steps look a lot more like a real Nashville plan than a hopeful guess. Jay Franze sits down with Trey to talk through the behind-the-scenes moves that actually change a country artist’s trajectory: signing with manager Jerry Hines, learning how to lead with confidence, and building a team that believes in you when you are tempted to doubt yourself. We dig into the advice Trey is getting from Jerry and Craig Morgan, especially the part most artists struggle with: stop selling yourself so hard and start trusting what you do well. Trey shares how he used to turn rejection inward, how that mindset can poison your momentum, and why positivity matters when you are the “CEO” of your own career. If you care about artist development, music industry mentorship, and the mental health side of chasing big goals, this conversation gets specific fast. Then we go deep on the practical craft: working with producer Phil O’Donnell, recording at Soundstage Studios on Music Row, and why collaboration with great players can elevate a record without losing the heart of the song. Trey also breaks down a huge weekend as Craig Morgan’s special guest, what the tour bus life taught him, and how a single onstage introduction can translate into real social media growth. We close with big news about Broken Compass and the broader mission of building careers the right way, plus plenty of road stories along the way. Subscribe for more conversations like this, share it with a friend who loves country music, and leave a review that tells us what part hit you the hardest. Episode Links Trey Calloway: https://treycallowaymusic.com/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/jayfranzeYouTube: https://youtube.com/@jayfranzeEverywhere: @jayfranzeServices 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

    Trey Calloway - 7/20/26

  4. Jul 20

    David Chatfield, Founder and CEO of Harmony Records

    Streaming promised unlimited music, but it also trained us to treat songs like disposable wallpaper. We sit down with Harmony Records founder and CEO David Chatfield to talk about what that shift costs artists and listeners, and why he thinks the next wave is about bringing music back to being an experience you choose, not noise that happens to you.  David walks us through building a record label from the ground up, from the early 1980s world of $125,000 recording budgets and indie distribution to today’s reality of home studios, cheaper lockouts, and the brutal competition of constant new releases on Spotify. We dig into what actually holds up across every era: writing better songs, crafting memorable hooks, arranging music for records, and following through on promotion when things inevitably go sideways.  Then we get practical about music marketing and artist development. David explains why a million streams can still mean nothing if you do not tour, how a small base of superfans can fund a real career through merch and direct support, and why physical media like CDs and vinyl is trending again when the packaging gives people something to hold, read, and keep. We also talk legacy artists, catalog revival, cinematic music videos, radio strategy, and thinking globally about where fans still buy records.  If you got value from this conversation, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review so more artists and music fans can find the show. What part of today’s music business do you want us to tackle next? Episode Links David Chatfield: https://davidblakechatfield.org/Harmony Records: https://harmonyrecordsmusic.com/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/jayfranzeYouTube: https://youtube.com/@jayfranzeEverywhere: @jayfranzeServices 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

    David Chatfield, Founder and CEO of Harmony Records

  5. Jul 13

    Tropidelic

    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/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/jayfranzeYouTube: https://youtube.com/@jayfranzeEverywhere: @jayfranzeServices 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

    Tropidelic

  6. Jul 6

    Kate Stanton - 7/6/26

    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? 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/jayfranzeYouTube: https://youtube.com/@jayfranzeEverywhere: @jayfranzeServices 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

    Kate Stanton - 7/6/26

  7. Jul 1

    New Tours Announced, Favorite Hair Metal Band, and Music News

    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/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/jayfranzeYouTube: https://youtube.com/@jayfranzeEverywhere: @jayfranzeServices 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

    New Tours Announced, Favorite Hair Metal Band, and Music News

  8. Jun 29

    Jerry Hines, Manager (Craig Morgan, Trey Calloway)

    You can learn signal flow in a classroom, but you only learn touring when the bus doors close and the clock never stops. We sit down with Jerry Hines, a Tennessee-based tour manager turned artist manager, to unpack the behind-the-scenes reality of building a career in live music production and artist development. Jerry shares how a single phone call in 2004 launched him from side jobs into the deep end as a monitor engineer, then into production, front of house, and eventually the high-accountability world of tour management. We talk about what makes monitors such a brutal seat, the kind of mistakes you only make once, and what it feels like mixing under pressure when the stakes are reputation-level high. Jerry breaks down arena vs outdoor show challenges, why relationships matter as much as gear, and the moment the job stops being “about the music” and becomes the business: budgets, staffing, leadership, and being the steady hand when everyone else is spiraling. Then we pivot into artist management and the difference between operating with certainty for an established act like Craig Morgan and selling belief for a developing artist like Trey Calloway. Jerry explains how Broken Compass Management was born, the meaning behind the name, and what it takes to guide an artist through a path that’s rarely straight. We also dig into modern music industry shifts like independent strategy, record label leverage, and how AI could reshape management and touring. Subscribe for more real conversations with the people who make the music business run, share this with a friend, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway. Episode Links Craig Morgan: https://www.craigmorgan.com/Trey Calloway: https://treycallowaymusic.com/Trey Calloway: https://jayfranze.com/episode108/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/jayfranzeYouTube: https://youtube.com/@jayfranzeEverywhere: @jayfranzeServices 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

    Jerry Hines, Manager (Craig Morgan, Trey Calloway)
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5
out of 5
18 Ratings

About

The Jay Franze Show is your source for the latest music – news, reviews, and interviews, providing valuable insights and entertaining stories, stories you won’t find anywhere else. Hosted by industry veteran and master dry humorist Jay Franze, this show delivers a fresh, non-traditional take on the world of music. Jay brings you behind the scenes with insider insights, untold stories, and candid conversations with seasoned artists, industry pros, and rising stars each week. Whether you’re here for the laughs, the information, or to be part of The Crew (his family), he’s got you covered. You will be entertained, educated, and maybe even a little surprised, because nothing is off the table here.

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