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Pop/rock artist Celeste Krisha draws from influences like Van Morrison, Lauryn Hill, and Björk, all with her own twist. Mick Brege chats with her about her background, her songwriting process, and where her name comes from. Visit her website at celestekrishna.com and check out her music on Spotify. 

On this episode of Play the Music, Jeff and Rich interview Shannon DeVries, Director of Programming and Production at the Kalamazoo State Theatre. With a background in marketing, talent buying, venue/show management and customer service, Shannon worked her way up from internship and errand-running gigs to her current title. Previously, she worked with Palace Sports & Entertainment, Live Nation and more.During the show, Shannon discusses:How she got her start in concert planningWhether artists today receive more money from touring or streamingInteresting trends within the live entertainment industry todayArtists who have emerged as top stadium tours, and types of artists who perform at amphitheaters and theatersHow concert venues assist artists with retail via merchTips for consumers when it comes to purchasing concert ticketsThe behind-the-scenes process of putting together a showMath and magicFor more from Shannon DeVries, follow her on Instagram at @theesixtwo, and to keep up with the Kalamazoo State Theatre, visit the official website.After the interview, Jeff, Rich, Shannon and Mick make their picks for this week’s FanLabel “Hot New Music” Best of Five Challenge.Then, Mick shares this week's top five players from FanLabel's hip-hop weekly leaderboard results.Play the Music is powered and distributed by Simplecast and is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and wherever you listen to podcasts.Tune in next week for an all-new episode of Play the Music™!To share your thoughts with the FanLabel team, reach us at feedback@fanlabel.com.

Jeff and Rich interview George Howard, professor of Music Business/Management at Berklee College of Music. He is also a copyright attorney, author, co-founder of Music Audience Exchange and co-founder of TuneCore.During the interview, George discusses:Copyright ownership for musiciansWhat "royalties" mean (and how they work) in the streaming eraHow emerging artists can break through to get their music heard (and how to make money from their music)Which platform pays artists the least in royalties for their musicHow an artist learns the ins and outs of the legal aspects of the music industryWhy being a great artist requires a good business mindTrends related to copyright and royalties that he thinks can positively impact aspiring musiciansThen, Jeff and Mick make their picks for this week's FanLabel “Hot New Music” Best of Five Challenge.

Mick Brege sits down with electronic music producer and singer, Tessa Fornari (a.k.a. Allium). She shares what inspired her futuristic image, how she's taking advantage of her education to perfect her art, and how she's building a career in the EDM music scene. Visit her website at allium.audio, follow her on Instagram (@tess.allium) and Twitter (@tessallium), and check out her music on Spotify.

Mick Brege sits down with multi-talented jazz/R&B artist, Hannah Baiardi. Together they chat about her creative process, what inspires her writing, how she connects with new fans and more! Visit her website at hannahbaiardi.com, like her page on Facebook (hannahbaiardimusic), and check out her music on Spotify.

Jeff Sloan and Mick Brege introduce "FanLabel B-Sides," bonus episodes hosted by Mick Brege. In addition to our main episodes, we'll feature this collection of in-depth interviews with artists, specifically on their music-making process, and how they’re navigating the music business today. This episode features two preview clips of our "B-Sides" interviews with Hannah Baiardi, jazz artist, and Allium, EDM artist.

Jeff Sloan and Mick Brege interview keyboardist, vocalist and harmonica player, Jimmie Bones.After meeting Kid Rock in the studio while recording with Robert Bradley, Jimmie eventually became Kid Rock's full-time keyboardist, both recording and touring as a member of Twisted Brown Trucker.He then began contributing backing vocals and harmonica, and has co-writing credits with Kid Rock and Uncle Kracker.Jimmie is also a solo artist, singer and songwriter. This year, he's released two singles, “Through Hell for Heaven’s Sake” and “Bittersweet."During the interview, he discusses:How he broke into the music industryHis early inspirationsHis top favorite country artists and favorite rock n' roll bands of all timeHis favorite (and least favorite) aspects of performing liveThe creation of his two current singles, released this yearDoes he write music or lyrics first?Then, the three make their picks for this week's FanLabel “Hot New Music” Best of Five Challenge, featuring new music from Alec Benjamin, YG and Kehlani, Tame Impala, Brandy Clark, and King Princess.For more on Jimmie Bones, check out his music on Spotify, follow him on Facebook @JimmieBonesMusic and visit jimmiebones.com for show dates and more.

Jeff and Rich interview Senior Mastering Engineer Chris Gehringer of Sterling Sound. His work has been nominated for numerous Grammy Awards, and he's worked with artists including Lizzo, Halsey, Selena Gomez, Dua Lipa, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Lana Del Rey, Drake, Cardi B, and more.Gehringer talks about the role of a mastering engineer, his experience working on some of the biggest tracks of all time, the moment when he knows that a song could be a hit, and how artists, producers and mastering engineers work together to craft a song and album.Next, Jeff, Rich, Mick and Chris make their picks for FanLabel’s “Hot New Music” Best of Five Challenge, featuring new tracks from Overcoats, Whethan featuring Grandson, Jon Langston, Carly Rae Jepsen and Joyner Lucas.Then, Jeff and Mick review the previous week's picks, and Mick shares what's coming soon to the FanLabel app!For more on Chris Gehringer and his work with Sterling Sound, visit sterling-sound.com and follow along with the latest releases on facebook.com/sterlingsound and Instagram @SterlingSound.

Jeff and Mick chat with Rebecca Sansom, founder and artist manager at Blonde Artist Management; and Celeste Krishna, pop-rock artist and producer.First up, Mick interviews pop-rock artist Celeste Krishna, whose song, “Come On and Move Me,” was featured on NBC’s show “Good Girls." During the interview, she talks about the differences between singing and producing, how she chooses who to collaborate with, her favorite (and least favorite) aspects of being both an artist and a producer, and what qualities make for a great manager in today's music space.Next, Jeff interviews Celeste's manager, Rebecca Sansom, who founded Blonde Artist Management. She discusses her perspective on artist management, how that role plays into an artist's career and more.Then, the four make their picks for FanLabel's “Hot New Music” Best of Five Challenge.For more on Celeste Krishna, visit her artist page on blondeam.com, and follow her on Spotify and Instagram @celeste_krishna.For more on Rebeca Sansom and Blonde Artist Management, stay up-to-date with the latest via Twitter @BlondeArtMGMT and Instagram @blondeartistmgmt.

On this episode of Play the Music, we're chatting with Rutger Rosenborg, a digital marketing strategist at Chartmetric, the music industry's leading data analytics platform, giving artists end-to-end music market analytics. He's also the guitarist and vocalist of The Lulls, an indie-rock band formed in 2015.Jeff, Rich, Rutger and FanLabel's Mick Brege make their picks for this week's “Hot New Music” Best of Five Challenge, featuring new releases from Winona Oak, Megan Thee Stallion and Normani, Mac Miller, Gabby Barrett and Ethan Gruska featuring Phoebe Bridgers.To round out the show, Mick discusses FanLabel's new app features (version 4.5, coming soon!) and top players.Articles mentioned in this podcast:The Subgenres Populating Streaming's Top Playlists

We're chatting with R.I.P about the current state of hip-hop, subgenres and his experience as an up-and-coming hip-hop artist. We're also covering new releases from Tobi Lou, DaniLeigh, Too $hort, Wifisfuneral, DP Beats and Wiz Khalifa.

We’re joined by Gary Trust, Senior Director of Charts, Hot 100 Chart Manager and Chart Beat Editor at Billboard; as well as Courtney E. Smith, Editor and Music Critic at Refinery29.Together, they share their insight on what makes a holiday hit, what drives streams and more. They also make their picks for this week’s FanLabel Five, “Sounds of the Season” one-of-five contest.Don’t miss a big announcement—the launch of the FanLabel Marketplace!Articles mentioned in this podcast:"Mariah Carey's 'All I Want for Christmas is You' Makes Its Earliest Annual Jingle Back to Hot 100" by Gary Trust"'Tis the Season to Get Down: All The New Holiday Tracks to Add to Your Playlist" by Courtney E. Smith

Gil Green has directed music videos for DJ Khaled, Jason Derulo, Pitbull, Nicki Minaj, and many more! Today, he's here to tell us about his experience, and give us some insight into the role a music video plays in a song's promotion. We're also going over hot new music from Miranda Lambert, Alfie Templeman, UMI, Hootie & The Blowfish, and Fred the Godson.

Stephanie Wagner and Christina Bosch work under NYCountry Swag, New York’s #1 country music lifestyle & media brand. They interview artists, host events to showcase rising talent, and even have their own clothing brand! This week, they're sitting down with us to chat about country's recent rise up the charts through pulling inspiration from different genres. We also covered some genre-bending tracks from Blanco Brown, Maren Morris & Hozier, Marshmello & Kane Brown, Sam Hunt, and Dan + Shay & Justin Bieber.

We're sitting down with Matt Miller, culture editor at Esquire, and Folk Artist Matt Sauter (a.k.a. Adventures with Vultures), to cover some of the hottest releases this week, including brand new songs from Chris Janson, Gucci Mane, Caroline Polachek, Vagabon, and James Arthur.

Ann DeLisi has been an influential tastemaker in the media for over 20 years. Ralphe Armstrong played bass for Aretha Franklin, Santana, Sting, and many more. They're here to tell us about their experience in the industry and what fuels music discovery. We're also going over songs from Nilüfer Yanya, Ted Hawkins, Allen Stone, J.S. Ondara, and Ibibio Sound Machine!

Rick Smith sold over 40 million records through his career in the music business - now he's here to tell us just how things have changed since his beginnings. We're also covering fresh new releases from Lauv, Five North, AJ Tracey, Wilco, and Kim Petras!

We sat down with rising country singer Renee Blair and up-and-coming artist Reginald Hawkins to chat about what exactly the term "rising star" means to them. What are some important landmarks in an artist's career? How does an artist know they're "breaking"? We also covered some of the hottest new tracks from artists on the rise, including releases from Melii, Example, Dallas Moore, Four of Diamonds and GRACEY.

Ever wonder how a hit gets from the notebook of a songwriter to your favorite artist's discography? Kelly Bolton, VP of Creative at Tape Room Music, gave us a glimpse into the world of song plugging and A&R. She also joined our friends, Matt Miller (Esquire culture editor) and Gavin Rudolph (music insider), to run down this week's "Artists on the Rise" FanLabel Five. Check it out!

This week, we’ve been joined by Matt Miller, culture editor at Esquire Magazine, and Gavin Rudolph, music industry insider. We went over some of the hottest new music releases across multiple genres, with our lineup including fresh drops from Angel Olsen, Charli XCX, Drake, Charlie Puth, and Green Day. Get the inside scoop here, and be sure to join FanLabel’s "Hot New Music" contest - live in the app today!