This week's episode link!!!

This week we have Khandi Alexander of CSI: Miami, Scandal, NewsRadio and ER fame in the virtual studio for a fun filled chat about her career her heritage and much, much more.

This was one of my favourite interviews to date as I ripped the script and we settled in for a chat and had a good few laughs along the way.

The Drew Carson Show Season 2 Episode 8 Khandi Alexander Link

Also on this week's episode we have music provided by the great LA band Dutch Party and I sit down for an 8 ? With... Ken Franklin, the lead singer and guitarist for the band. We talk musical influences, politics, future plans for the band and a lot more so don't miss this great episode.

This Week's Special Guest Interview Is Khandi Alexander!!!

On this week's episode of the Drew Carson show we welcome actress and dancer Khandi Alexander to the show. Khandi Alexander is an American dancer, choreographer, and actress. She is best known for the roles of Dr. Alexx Woods in the CBS police procedural series CSI: Miami, as LaDonna Batiste-Williams in HBO drama Treme, and as Catherine Duke in NBC sitcom NewsRadio. She also had a major recurring roles in NBC medical drama ER as Jackie Robbins, sister to Dr. Peter Benton, and as Maya Lewis, Olivia Pope's mother in ABC drama Scandal. Alexander also received critical acclaim for her performance in the HBO miniseries The Corner in 2000.

You can find out more about Khandi at:

Khandi's IMDB page

Some of Khandi's credits include:

Scandal (2013-2015)

Treme (2010-2013)

CSI: Miami (2002-2009)

Dark Blue (2002)

E.R. (1995-2001)

NewsRadio (1995-1998)

What's Love Got To Do With It (1993)

Menace II Society (1993)

Shameful Secrets (1993)

A Chorus Line (1985)

Music this week is provided by hot LA band Dutch Party and I will also be chatting with lead singer and guitarist Ken Franklin on this week's show in the first 8 ? With... On air segment. Originally from San Francisco, LA resident Ken Franklin is not only the lead singer and guitarist of Dutch Party, but also the Producer behind the seamless blend of styles incorporated into the rising band’s sound.

Franklin has developed his own resonance in response to the analog-versus-digital generation, citing key influences from the psychic troubadours like David Bowie and Bob Dylan, to the soulful groove masters like Curtis Mayfield and Sam Cooke; while still embracing the ever- changing music scene of modern acts like The Arctic Monkeys, Beck and LCD Soundsystem.

After Dutch Party’s debut EP released in April, it was quickly followed by a bonus track via Kitsune's America 4 compilation. Now with a remarkable new line-up, and new music to be released later in 2016, Dutch Party is pleased to share their music, premiered respectively by Billboard and Pigeons and Planes. Originally from San Francisco, LA resident Ken Franklin is not only the lead singer and guitarist of Dutch Party, but also the Producer behind the seamless blend of styles incorporated into the rising band’s sound.

Franklin has developed his own resonance in response to the analog-versus-digital generation, citing key influences from the psychic troubadours like David Bowie and Bob Dylan, to the soulful groove masters like Curtis Mayfield and Sam Cooke; while still embracing the ever- changing music scene of modern acts like The Arctic Monkeys, Beck and LCD Soundsystem.

After Dutch Party’s debut EP released in April, it was quickly followed by a bonus track via Kitsune's America 4 compilation. Now with a remarkable new line-up, and new music to be released later in 2016, Dutch Party is pleased to share their music, premiered respectively by Billboard and Pigeons and Planes. 

You can find Dutch Party at:

Their website

Instagram

Facebook

Soundcloud

This Week's Episode Link

This week's episode link

8 ?s With... Ariel Petrie

This week's episode of the Drew Carson show features the tremendous music of the uber talented Ms. Ariel Petrie. I had the pleasure and the great oppertunity to interview Ms. Petrie for this here blog in a segment I like to call "8 ?s With..." and you guessed it folks here is that interview.

What age were you when you started to play music?

When I was 8 I begged my parents to get me a piano. After months of me begging, they finally took me seriously and bought me a piano and I started lessons that same week.



Did you know from a young age you wanted to pursue music as your career as well as your passion?

As soon as I started piano I realized I had a passion for music. I'd spend hours a day practicing - not because I had to but because I wanted to. When I was 11 I really got into classical music. I was learning really advanced pieces by then. I thought, at that age, that I wanted to be a composer or play concert piano in an orchestra. It wasn't until I was 13 or 14 that I started writing lyrics and figured out I really wanted to be a singer/songwriter. All that to say, yes. I knew from a young age that I wanted to pursue music but it took years for that passion to evolve into what it is today.

You were on the American version of the X-Factor in 2011 what was that experience like and did it help you to improve as an artist?

Being on The X-Factor was a huge, life changing event in my life. Before that experience I was insecure in my singing abilities. When I passed the producer rounds and went to the celebrity judges I got to sing in front of Simon Cowell, who I loved. I sang an original and he loved it! I went to Pasadena, CA for Boot Camp week, which I didn't pass, but I left feeling confident and good about myself. It definitely pushed me to move forward with my music career.




Your first EP came out after that entitled "Catch 22" how did that come about and what was that experience like to record your own music?

Catch 22 came out soon after leaving The X-Factor. I wrote the single and title track Catch 22 about a specific event that happened on the show. So, during the second round of Boot Camp there was a group performance. Everyone was put into groups the producers felt would be a good fit for everyone. I was put in a group with 14 year old kids. As an 18 year old, engaged to be married adult, singing the song: "We're The Kids In America". I felt so embarrassed and out of place I ended up bombing the performance. Completely screwed it up. At that point I felt I was damned if I succeeded and damned if I lost. I didn't want to be seen as a kid - I already looked really young for my age, but I felt so much older than I was. I had graduated high school at 17 and was already in college. I didn't want to be pegged as this kid anymore. I ended up being eliminated after that performance but I almost felt relieved about it - like I avoided being put in a creative box and had producers decide my image for me.

That said, the experience of creating my first EP was great. I was able to get it done in a professional studio in Normal, IL with a great producer.



You have followed that up with your latest EP "Magic." As a writer myself I am always fascinated by other writers' writing style and how they find their story. What was your writing journey on "Magic" like and is there a song that particularly stands out as having special meaning behind it?

"Magic" was something special from the beginning. If I ever did co-writing in the past it was with my mom, who's a phenomenal writer. I never really got into it with other people. But I met Scott Faircloff and that changed. He has such a strong, creative mind things just started flowing and we just clicked. We co wrote Promises and Through the Clouds together and he produced everything else, changing things here and there to make the songs better. The title track, Magic, was our labor of love. I went to him with this bubble, Sarah Bareilles-style track originally. Really up-beat and bouncy piano-based song. But it was so similar to Queen Scotty wanted to do something completely different. He introduced a lot of electronic instruments, completely changed the tempo and arrangement. It transformed into something really magical. It ended up being our favorite one.


Did the recording and producing side of things differ on the second EP from the first and what can fans of your first EP expect this time around?

The producing side of things on the second EP was completely different than the first EP. The first time around I was in a fancy studio with a producer who wasn't as involved in the creative process or collaborative as Scotty. With Magic, we were working out of Scotty's house. There was a lot of collaborating and co writing. They were both completely different creative experiences. Fans can expect a more unique sound with Magic. Each song is different but pulls similarities from each other.  Overall, I think this EP is more polished, well-written, and more professional than the last.


How have you found performing these new tracks so far and have the audiences strongly responded to them?

Since the release, I've only performed these songs once but the reaction has been overwhelmingly great. I played at The Stone Fox in front of family and friends, but also a lot of strangers. I had people I'd never met coming up and getting the CD. It was very encouraging to get such a positive response from fans as well as people who had never hear my name before.


Where can people hear you perform next and what are your goals for 2016 as a whole?

I have a show at The Basement in Nashville March 14th with Daniel Rylander. It'll be a fun time! If anyone will be in the area I recommend coming out. Daniel is a great musician and songwriter and I always like meeting new people.

My goals for 2016 is to get a song (or more) placed in TV or film. I've submitted my songs to a couple databases, but it'll be a few weeks until I find out if they've been accepted. If that pans out, my songs will be available for major television and film companies to find them and (hopefully!) use them in their work.

I'd like to thank Ariel for sharing her music with the Drew Carson show Nation, yes I call all of you listeners the DCS Nation I'm weird like that, and for being the first 8?s With... Interviewee. You can hear songs from Ariel's new LP on this week's show along with the interview with Mike Vogel so it should be a great episode.

You can find Ariel at:

Facebook
Twitter
Website

This week's guest is Mike Vogel!!!

This week we welcome into the virtual studio the star of Under The Dome and Cloverfield Mr. Mike Vogel. It was great to sit down and chat with Mike about his career and his life.

Some of Mike's credits include:

Grounded For LIfe (2001-2004)
Grind (2003)

Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)
Rumour Has It (2005)
Poseidon (2006)
Cloverfield (2008)
Miami Medical (2008)
The Help (2011)
Bates Motel (2013)
Under The Dome (2013-2015)
Childhood's End (2015) 


 

Music for this week's episode of the Drew Carson show is provided by the amazingly talented Ariel Petrie and we have an exclusive interview with Ariel that will be available on this very website tomorrow.

You can find more information about Ariel at her 
website
Twitter
Facebook 

This Week's episode link!!!

The Drew Carson Show Season 2 Episode 6

-Special guest interview with M.C. Gainey

- Music by Justin Tranchila

This Week's Guest Is M.C. Gainey

This week  we welcome the great character actor M. C. Gainey to the virtual studio. M. C. made his screen debut in the musical Pennies From Heaven alongside Steve Martin and has gone on to play an array of heavies, rogues and cops in over 50 feature films. He is a funny and insightful hard working actor with amazing stories from the sets he has worked on. This is an episode that is not to me missed and a guest we will welcome back any time.

M.C. Gainey selected filmography:

Pennies From Heaven (1981)
Simon & Simon (1983-1988)
An Innocent Man (1989)
Against The Law (1990-1991)
One Tough Bastard (1996)
BreakDown (1997)
Con Air (1997)
Happy, Texas (1999)
Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines (2003)
Sideways (2004)
The Dukes Of Hazzard (20005)
Lost (2005-2008)
Happy Town (2010)Tangled (2010)
Justified 2010-2011)
Django Unchained (2012)
Kingdom (2014-2015)
Greater (2016)


This week's music is provided by Justin Tranchita. Justin is an American singer, songwriter, actor, and businessman from Detroit, Michigan. Born in Geneva raised in Princeton, Illinois he is the fourth child of nine. He achieved popularity by his recurring role on Game Of Pawns and his music. His first release The Devil Song was released on Fools Parade in January 2012, followed by the debut album Cock of the Walk in May that year. In October 2012 Tranchita received an award at the Exposure Music Awards in London for Best International Act, Tranchita released the country western song This is America in 2015 and his big break in the music business came when Presidential hopeful Ben Carson used the song as his campaign song, subsequently the song became popular and achieved commercial success as the number one song on the Billboard Twitter Emerging Artist chart in November 2015 and returned to number one after 10 weeks atop the Billboard charts the first week of January 2016. He told Billboard magazine, “I really feel strongly about this election.” I really want to help the country somehow.” Tranchita's freshman album American Man will be released in early 2016.

You can find Just at these links:

Official website
ITunes
Facebook

This Week's Link!!!

The Drew Carson Show Season 2 Episode 5 John Farman Interview

Featuring Music by James Demuth.

This Week's Guest Is John Farman!!!

My good buddy John Farman returns to the Drew Carson Show to discuss his up coming projects and we shoot the shit on a range of other topics too boot!



You can find John at:

Facebook
Vital Publishing Facebook
Twitter
Website

This week's music is provided by the very talented James Demuth. His Song "Wake Up" is one of Drew's favourite musical finds in a long time and James is tipped by Drew to make a big impact on the musical world in the next few years.

You can Find James at:

SoundCloud