The SoCal Setlist

Brian Jensen
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  • Music

Based in Temecula, CA, The SoCal Setlist with Brian Jensen is an independent podcast featuring conversations with musicians, bands, venue owners, promoters, and fans from Southern California’s live music community. Each episode goes behind the scenes with local artists and music community voices to explore the stories behind the songs, the realities of performing live, and the work that goes into building a music career. From gear and set lists to landing gigs, open mics, promotion, venues, and backstage stories, The SoCal Setlist brings listeners closer to the people keeping local music alive.

  1. Sep 1

    Kevin Zingale: Echoes of Cadence, Endeavor Music & Axis Nova

    Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note. Kevin Zingale was about nine when his parents took him to see Peter Frampton in concert. By the time he got home, he knew what he wanted to do with his life. “I want to play guitar. I want to do what he’s doing.” His dad pulled an ’80s Japanese Fender Strat from the back of a closet, a guitar Kevin didn’t even know he owned. Kevin still has it today. Years later, a job at Guitar Center pulled Kevin deeper into the Temecula music scene. It’s where he met his wife, Elanna, and David “Scoop” Brockenborough, his brother-in-law, close friend and bandmate. That commitment took shape with Endeavor. Kevin remembers rehearsing at drummer Jimmy Marshall’s house every Tuesday and Thursday from 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. They were tightening the instrumentation and building multi-part vocal harmonies. The band rehearsed for nearly a year before its first full gig. That same attention to detail carries into Echoes of Cadence, a band Kevin calls his “pride and joy.” They take on music by Yes, Rush, Queen, Styx and other artists most local bands avoid. “If you do those songs, you have to do them with authenticity.” For Kevin, that means digging into the sounds, tones and effects in a song and figuring out how to recreate them. He programs tracks down to individual cues and built a live rig that automatically changes his guitar patches. But Kevin describes his approach more simply: “I just know what I want to hear.” That same creativity carries into Axis Nova, the progressive-metal project Kevin shares with Scoop. Their love of video games and progressive metal became Press Start, imagined as the soundtrack to a game that doesn’t exist, complete with menus, cinematic sequences, battle themes and arcade-inspired sounds. We also get into Kevin’s guitars, modelers, mixers, in-ear monitoring and live-show technology. From all-night rehearsals to the smallest details in a song, Kevin refuses to settle for close enough. In This Episode The Peter Frampton concert that inspired Kevin to play guitarThe ’80s Japanese Fender Strat his dad pulled from a closetMeeting Elanna and Scoop through Guitar CenterEndeavor’s all-night rehearsals and vocal harmoniesWhy Echoes of Cadence tackles songs other local bands avoidRecreating tones, effects, cues and automatic guitar patch changesKevin and Scoop’s shared love of video games and Axis NovaCreating Press Start as the soundtrack to a game that doesn’t existKevin’s guitars, modelers, mixers, in-ear setup and approach to live soundConnect With Kevin Zingale Website: https://zingalemusic.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zingalemusic/ Echoes of Cadence: https://www.instagram.com/eocofficialmusic/ Endeavor: https://www.instagram.com/endeavorofficialmusic/ Sponsor Thanks to Tsunami Cables for sponsoring The SoCal Setlist. Built by musicians in Southern California, Tsunami Cables deliver clean signal transfer, low noise and reliable tone, and every cable is backed by a lifetime warranty. Visit https://tsunamicables.com/ and use code SOCALSETLIST for 10% off through May 29, 2027.

    Kevin Zingale: Echoes of Cadence, Endeavor Music & Axis Nova

  2. Aug 29

    Keeping Live Music Alive: Andy Doty and the Story of The Vibe

    Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note. “It’s about the show. You’ve got to have energy. What’s the story the next day that people are going to be talking about?” That question guides the way Andy Doty books bands, reads a room and thinks about the experience people have at The Vibe. Andy never planned to own a venue. After losing the career he had spent decades building, he was sitting inside a packed 900-square-foot club when the owner said he needed to sell. “I said, ‘Really? How much?’ He told me the price, and I said, ‘Sold.’ I really didn’t have a plan.” At the time, Old Town had become what Andy remembers as a ghost town. The streets were so empty that you could stand in the middle of one for nearly 10 minutes without seeing a car. Looking at the club’s new patio, Andy made a decision: “Screw this. Let’s just do it outside. Let’s do a Beatles rooftop thing.” Big Truth set up on the patio and spread the word through social media. Within roughly 45 minutes, four to five hundred people had gathered around the corner of Front and Fourth. During one of the club’s most uncertain periods, live music brought Old Town back to life. Andy still describes it as a magical night. Owning the club also brought Andy back to the guitar after nearly 30 years away. Today, he plays rhythm guitar with Love You Live and the Temecula Wilburys. We talk about recognizing opportunity, supporting original music, what musicians need to understand about putting on a show and the legacy Andy hopes to leave in Old Town Temecula. “It’s about the music, that one universal thing that connects us all.” Follow The Vibe on Instagram and find upcoming shows at TheVibeForLiveMusic.com. Thanks to Tsunami Cables for sponsoring The SoCal Setlist. Use code SOCALSETLIST for 10% off at TsunamiCables.com through May 29, 2027.

    Keeping Live Music Alive: Andy Doty and the Story of The Vibe

  3. Aug 27

    Meet David Mills: Hearing What the Song Needs

    Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note. David Mills begins every production with a deceptively simple question: What’s the goal? That question shapes everything that follows. Does the artist want an honest recording of the song exactly as they wrote it, or are they trying to create something that can compete on radio? How much input do they want? Are they willing to change a melody, rewrite a lyric or remove a part that isn’t serving the song? David developed that perspective through years of playing live, touring and working as a session musician. The Lake Elsinore guitarist formed his first band at 11 or 12 and stayed with it for roughly 14 years. After learning pedal steel, he went from one long-term band to becoming an in-demand hired gun, eventually touring Southern California and Canada with Daring Greatly. His session work includes pedal steel on Jelly Roll’s “She.” The part that made the record was only three notes - an example of one of the most important lessons David has learned: great musicianship isn’t about filling every available space. It’s about hearing what the song needs and having the restraint to stop there. Today, David brings that same ear to Mills Production Studios, where he works as a producer, recording engineer and musician. We talk about the difference between producing and simply recording a band, building enough trust to challenge an artist, finding the right pocket, playing for listeners instead of other musicians and why the ultimate test is whether people can feel the music. In This Episode How David started playing guitar and formed his first band in Lake ElsinoreWhy learning pedal steel transformed his careerHow a local recording session led to playing on Jelly Roll’s “She”Touring Southern California and Canada with Daring GreatlyThe difference between a recording engineer and a producerWhy David begins every project by asking, “What’s the goal?”How producers earn enough trust to challenge an artist’s songThe difference between being a great live musician and a great session playerWhy playing less can make a recording more powerfulHow Kings of Karma’s “Again and Again” found its missing hookWhy feel, pocket and restraint matter more than technical complexityWhat David listens for when studying other producers and recordingsConnect With David Mills Mills Production Studios: https://millsrecords.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_david.mills_/ Image Credit: https://www.facebook.com/KennethRaySeals/ Sponsor Thanks to Tsunami Cables for sponsoring The SoCal Setlist. Built by musicians here in Southern California, Tsunami Cables deliver clean signal transfer, low noise and reliable tone, and every cable is backed by a lifetime warranty. Visit https://tsunamicables.com/ and use code SOCALSETLIST for 10% off through May 29, 2027. Follow The SoCal Setlist for more conversations with the artists, musicians, producers and venue owners shaping music across Southern California.

    Meet David Mills: Hearing What the Song Needs

  4. Aug 20

    Sandy Lee Casey Was Always Going to Sing

    Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note. Sandy Lee Casey has spent most of her life finding a way to keep music in it. She began singing at a Somerville, Massachusetts country bar at 15, toured New England in cover bands, and later spent 16 years with Boston wedding band Double Vision. A move to Los Angeles led to a job at Warner Bros.-owned Amigo Studios, where she met artists including Alice Cooper and Gladys Knight and joined a small group of staff members singing background vocals for a track on Metallica's Master of Puppets album. Sandy also recorded for Red vs. Blue and RWBY, including “Red Like Roses – Part II” with her daughter, Casey Lee Williams. Now based in Murrieta, she performs across the Temecula Valley as a solo artist and with Sandy Lee Casey & Friends. She talks with Brian about protecting her voice, choosing songs other cover bands overlook, moving between Boston and Southern California, and why she still tries to learn one new song every week. In This Episode How Sandy taught herself guitar and started playing paid gigs at 15Why she chose cover bands over Boston's pay-to-play original sceneThe audition that led to 16 years with Double VisionWhat she learned while working at Warner Bros.-owned Amigo StudiosHow she became part of a background-vocal session for Metallica's Master of Puppets albumRecording “Red Like Roses – Part II” for RWBY with Casey Lee WilliamsBuilding Anyone's Guess Band and moving into Sandy Lee Casey & FriendsConnect With Sandy Website: https://sandyleecasey.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandyleecasey/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SandyLeeCasey/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/sandyleecasey1Listen to “Red Like Roses – Part II”: https://open.spotify.com/track/13qjycCLStZb9sJje6v0MCThanks to Tsunami Cables for sponsoring The SoCal Setlist. Built by musicians here in Southern California, Tsunami Cables deliver clean signal transfer, low noise and reliable tone, and every cable is backed by a lifetime warranty. Visit https://tsunamicables.com/ and use code SOCALSETLIST for 10% off through May 29, 2027.

    Sandy Lee Casey Was Always Going to Sing

  5. Aug 17

    Meet Tori Green: American Idol, Viral Covers and “Sad Girl Music”

    Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note. Tori Green is a Corona-based singer and songwriter who performs throughout Southern California as a solo artist, in an acoustic duo and with the Tori Green Band. In this episode of The SoCal Setlist, Tori shares how she went from singing in childhood talent shows to earning a Golden Ticket on Season 21 of American Idol with her performance of “Cry Pretty” by Carrie Underwood. Tori talks about the long American Idol audition process, preparing for Hollywood Week and the advice from Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie that changed how she approaches a performance. She also shares the story behind her first paid show at The Bobber, how the Tori Green Band came together and why the band loves mixing pop, rock, R&B, country and funk. We also discuss: Her original songs “Point of View” and “Boy Bye”Her new song “Late Night Nonsense” and plans for more original musicThe karaoke video of “Hurt” that earned millions of TikTok viewsBooking shows and building an audience through social mediaHer work at a mortuary and new role in forensic toxicologyHer goal of touring, opening for established artists and pursuing music full timeFollow Tori Green on Instagram: @toriiggreenn Listen to “Point of View” and “Boy Bye” on Spotify and Apple Music. This episode is sponsored by Tsunami Cables, proudly built in Southern California and backed by a lifetime warranty. Use promo code SOCALSETLIST for 10% off.

    Meet Tori Green: American Idol, Viral Covers and “Sad Girl Music”

  6. Aug 12

    Meet Robert Rauch: The Work Behind Every Gig

    Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note. Robert Rauch moved 1,500 miles from Arkansas to Lake Elsinore in 2024 with plans to build a music career in Southern California. He arrived without a local music network and spent his first week visiting venues, introducing himself and asking for an opportunity. Temecula Wine and Beer Garden gave Robert his first local show on April 20, 2024. He has since performed throughout the region at venues including Wilson Creek Winery, Miramonte Winery, Pechanga and Yaamava’. In this episode, Robert shares how growing up in a musical family shaped him and why he chose to pursue music as a career. We talk about building the Robert Rauch Band, developing a show that moves between pop, rock and R&B, and learning from the musicians around him. Robert also explains why a three-hour gig gives a band five hours to connect with an audience. The show begins while people watch the band set up and continues after the final song when he stays to meet the crowd. “If you have a three-hour gig, you’ve got five hours to hook them.” Reading the room is another important part of Robert’s approach. If the audience isn’t responding, he’ll adjust the set list on the fly. During one show, he shifted from R&B and pop to classic rock because that was what the room wanted. Robert also tells the story of earning his opportunity at Wilson Creek Winery. He accepted the solo rate for a full-band audition and paid his musicians from his own pocket. That performance led to more dates and an invitation to play a private event for 700 people. “It’s easy to get the gig, but it’s hard to keep the gig.” Robert’s humility shows in the way he credits the musicians around him and welcomes honest feedback from his bandmates and other players. He also remains grateful to the venues that gave him an early opportunity. “If somebody is going to take the time to say something that’s going to make you better, listen to it.” We also discuss Robert’s original music, including his EP Breakthrough, the album The Journey and the personal story behind “One Life for All of Us.” Follow Robert Rauch: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robertrauchofficial/ Website: https://www.robertrauchmusic.com/ This episode is sponsored by Tsunami Cables. Proudly built in Southern California and backed by a lifetime warranty, Tsunami Cables are made for musicians who care about reliable tone and gear that can handle gig after gig. Visit https://tsunamicables.com/ and use promo code SOCALSETLIST for 10% off.

    Meet Robert Rauch: The Work Behind Every Gig

  7. Aug 8

    Chris Gates of Kings of Karma: “I’ve Never Taken a Break from Music”

    Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note. Chris Gates planned on a future in politics until his aunt introduced him to the Beatles during a trip to Washington, D.C. Hearing “Love Me Do” changed his direction. He got his first guitar on his 10th birthday, taught himself Beatles songs and worked on his voice with his mother, a singer who held him to a demanding standard. At 14, Chris played his first show with Burning Bridges at the Hemet Christmas Parade. He says he hasn’t taken a break from music since. Today, Chris is the singer, rhythm guitarist and frontman for Kings of Karma. He and bassist Joe Berry have spent more than a decade building the band, including years of cover gigs around Temecula. Chris shares how they found their original sound, wrote about 80 percent of their original album "Bite the Bullet" during a 12-hour session in Joshua Tree, and later re-recorded the album from scratch in seven days. He also discusses songwriting, life as an independent band and the next Kings of Karma single, “Nothing Without You.” In this episode: Hearing the Beatles for the first timeTeaching himself guitar and working on his singing with his motherPlaying his first show at 14Building Kings of Karma with Joe BerryWriting and re-recording Bite the BulletMoving from cover gigs toward original musicWinning a Hollywood Music in Media AwardBuilding consistency as an independent bandConnect with Chris and Kings of Karma: Kings of Karma: https://kingsofkarma.com Kings of Karma on Instagram: https://instagram.com/kingsofkarmaofficial Chris Gates on Instagram: https://instagram.com/rubber_soul_16 Thanks to our sponsor, Tsunami Cables. Their cables are built in Southern California and backed by a lifetime warranty. Visit https://tsunamicables.com and use promo code SOCALSETLIST for 10% off.

    Chris Gates of Kings of Karma: “I’ve Never Taken a Break from Music”

  8. Aug 5

    Tied to the Strings: David Garcia on Building a Life in Music

    Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note. David Garcia’s relationship with music began with fear. At eight, a Twisted Sister video sent him running from the room. Curiosity pulled him back. Years later, David walked out of a Metallica concert and told his parents he wanted to stop playing guitar and become a bass player. More than 30 years and thousands of live shows and studio sessions later, David has become one of Southern California’s most in-demand working bassists. For much of that time, he built a career in operations management while continuing to perform. After moving to Temecula during the pandemic, his phone started ringing as live music returned. Keeping both careers going began affecting his health, so David walked away from his job and made music his full-time work. He calls it one of the most terrifying decisions he has ever made and the best decision he ever made. In this episode, David shares: Why seeing Metallica on January 11, 1992, changed his pathHow he prepared to leave a successful career and pursue music full timeThe work behind learning several hours of material on short noticeWhy he runs through an entire set before leaving for a showHow his notes for approximately 1,200 songs help him stay preparedWhat he learned from Cheez Whiz, Get Down Party and other SoCal musiciansWhy unfamiliar music and intimidating gigs still excite himWhat success means at 50 when his identity is tied to the stringsFollow David: Instagram: @feedthebassplayer Website: FeedTheBassPlayer.com The SoCal Setlist is sponsored by Tsunami Cables. Use promo code SOCALSETLIST for 10% off your order.

    Tied to the Strings: David Garcia on Building a Life in Music
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About

Based in Temecula, CA, The SoCal Setlist with Brian Jensen is an independent podcast featuring conversations with musicians, bands, venue owners, promoters, and fans from Southern California’s live music community. Each episode goes behind the scenes with local artists and music community voices to explore the stories behind the songs, the realities of performing live, and the work that goes into building a music career. From gear and set lists to landing gigs, open mics, promotion, venues, and backstage stories, The SoCal Setlist brings listeners closer to the people keeping local music alive.

Information

  • Creator
    Brian Jensen
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    36
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © SoCal Soundcheck
  • Show Website
    The SoCal Setlist