The Art Inside the Craft

The Extraordinary Katie Callahan

Katie Callahan is not only a wife and mother, but a dynamic and fascinating singer songwriter. Her journey has taken her from growing up in Hawaii, being a worship leader in church, to finally expressing her creativity through her own songs as a singer songwriter. Extraordinary is a fitting title for her latest album and this conversation with Katie was a lot of fun getting to know more about her as an artist. Visit her website to grab an album or some great merchandise and keep up to date with her future projects. Check out my written work at Ink19 and Instagram for all my photos.

A.J. Croce on life, music, and Croce plays Croce.

A.J. Croce may have grown up with a famous last name from his father, Jim Croce, but his talent and complete dedication to his craft laid aside any doubts of his ability. A.J., who first performed as a paid musician at the age of 12, has work with some true legends in the music game and established himself as a unique talent. Having stayed away from performing his fathers music live until the last few years, A.J. discovered many similarities in their influences and has turned that musical connection into a powerful live show. A.J's Croce plays Croce is an exploration into Jim Croce music, A.J. Croce music, and the artists and songs that they both draw inspiration from. It's an evening with powerfully personal stories, incredible music, and an insight into how a father and son can be completely connected through space and time. Follow his Instagram and website to stay up to date on where he's performing next. 2023/2024 Croce plays Croce dates are still on the books so get out asap to catch a show. Head over to Ink19 to check out music, film, show, and book reviews. My podcast is available HERE. Follow along with my photography and various other musical interests at Instagram.

Johnny Stachela - A slide guitar legend in the making.

Johnny Stachela is without a doubt one of the top slide players in the game today. He's spent his lifetime dedicated to the craft of guitar playing and landed himself not only among phenomenal band mates in his various bands, but also among some of the best of all time. His close friendship and partnership with Duane Betts has resulted in incredible music and every time I've seen them take the stage, I'm left with a musical experience that tops the previous one. We discussed his journey to slide guitar and the influences that helped shape his playing. Johnny tells a fun story about the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake Iowa, where I first caught him live and his connection to that place before ever having played there. We also discuss how he adds his subtle and distinctive sound to a band like the Allman Betts band and a few nerdy guitar things along the way. Check out his website to pick up some merch or get on his mailing list to know where he'll be next. His Instagram is also a great place to keep up to date and follow along. Subscribe to the podcast for new episodes and check out my Instagram to keep up to date with any other music related projects. Keep an eye on my sponsor Ink19 where I have a mix of album and event reviews.

Doug Levitt and The Greyhound Diary that became Edge of Everywhere.

Doug Levitt has had a fascinating couple of careers. He began as a London based foreign correspondent for CNN and ABC but decided that singing and song writing was the right path for him. He spent a number of years traveling via Greyhound bus which lead to a BBC World Service Documentary and an album titled Edge of Everywhere. Doug and I discuss his roots in music and how he ended up switching careers. He details a few of his experiences on the busses he took back and forth across the country as well as how some of those inspirations ended up as songs on the new album. Edge of Everywhere will drop on May 12th and I'm a really big fan of this album and Doug's songwriting. Check out his website to see more of the Doug Levitt story. Follow his Instagram and YouTube channel to stay up to date with what Doug has in the works. Please subscribe to get notified of new episodes and follow along with Instagram or my website to see what's next. Keep an eye on my sponsor, Ink19 as well for any new album/show reviews.

Omar Doom and his album Straight Razor 2.

Omar Doom has spent his entire life, and career in pursuit of following his artistic passions and creating pieces of work that grab your attention. Whether painting along the Seine in France, creating incredible, and interesting music, or plying his acting craft alongside actors like Brad Pit and Vanessa Ferlito in a Quentin Tarantino film, Omar is absolutely a master at his chosen discipline. And his latest full length album, Straight Razor 2, again proves that mastery as a thematic and exciting collection of electronic music that is, as the title infers, sharp as a straight razor. Omar and I dig through some of his musical and artistic background growing up and how he's used that passion in each new area of his life that he tackles. We talk through his creative process as it applies to his music and how he is also diving into remixing other artists songs as well. He also tells me that he has many more songs to be put out and I look forward to how he takes on that John Carpenter, single minded focus, and begins creating a variety of artwork and completed projects. Follow Omar at his website, Instagram, YouTube, and Spotify to stay up to date on what he's working on next, pick up album, or some of his very cool merch. Follow me at my Instagram account, Ink19.com, or hit my Linktree for any other projects coming up.