Music Matters with Darrell Craig Harris

Inside the New Album from Breakthrough NJ Indie Artist Gregory McLoughlin

Indie singer/songwriter Gregory McLoughlin's new self titled arrives Dec 12th to all streaming platforms! 
 
For years, Gregory McLoughlin has done what most artists won’t – stream every Monday night to a loyal online crowd, play to anyone who’ll listen, and find ways to turn small moments into connection. His debut album carries the weight and warmth of that work, and I'd love to get your thoughts on setting something up with Greg to help tell his story over the next few weeks.
 
Gregory’s story is really about building connection the long, patient way. He’s spent years doing it the only way he knows how – showing up with a bass, a kick drum, and a foot tambourine, asking strangers in parking lots and campgrounds, “Can I play you a song?” Sometimes they walk away, sometimes they sing along, and every now and then, a whole campsite joins in. That fearless, face-to-face kind of performing has quietly become his trademark.Around Hoboken, he’s a familiar face; if you’re part of the local music scene, you probably know Greg. A few years ago, through nothing but charm and persistence, he convinced Symposia Bookstore on Washington Street to let him play there once a week – and somehow, it stuck. Now, every week, people gather in that cozy little bookstore to see him play. It says everything about who he is: steady, fearless, and completely committed to connecting with people, even if he’s never been the coolest guy in the room. Make sure to check out his new self titled album, arriving Dec 12th!
 
Website: www.GregoryMcLoughlin.com
Social Media www.Instagram.com/GregoryMcLoughlin 
 
About Music Matters with Darrell Craig Harris
The Music Matters Podcast is hosted by Darrell Craig Harris, a globally published music journalist, professional musician, and Getty Images photographer. Music Matters is now available on Spotify, iTunes, Podbean, and more. Each week, Darrell interviews renowned artists, musicians, music journalists, and insiders from the music industry.
Visit us at: www.MusicMattersPodcast.comFollow us on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/musicmattersdh
For inquiries, contact: musicmatterspodcastshow@gmail.com
Support our mission via PayPal: www.paypal.me/payDarrell
 voice over intro by Nigel J. Farmer
 

NAMM Bass Magazine Awards Preview with Jon D'Auria Editor-in-Chief For Bass Magazine

In this fun episode, we chat with Bass Magazine Editor-in-Chief Jon D'Auria about the upcoming Bass Magazine Awards Show, presented in partnership with the 2026 NAMM Show. The Bass Awards will take place at The Observatory in Santa Ana, California, on Thursday, January 22nd.
The Bass Magazine Awards celebrate outstanding bass players from around the world-recognizing both legendary figures who have become household names and emerging talents across all genres.
Websites www.BassMagazine.com 
www.bassmagazineawards.com 
Social Media www.Instagram.com/bassmagazineonline 
NAMM Website www.NAMM.org
About Music Matters with Darrell Craig Harris
The Music Matters Podcast is hosted by Darrell Craig Harris, a globally published music journalist, professional musician, and Getty Images photographer. Music Matters is now available on Spotify, iTunes, Podbean, and more. Each week, Darrell interviews renowned artists, musicians, music journalists, and insiders from the music industry.
Visit us at: www.MusicMattersPodcast.comFollow us on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/musicmattersdh
For inquiries, contact: musicmatterspodcastshow@gmail.com
Support our mission via PayPal: www.paypal.me/payDarrell
 voice over intro by Nigel J. Farmer
 

Indie Artist "Firerose" Has Turned Personal Challenges Into Purpose and Light With Her Latest Release

About this episode's guest Indie Artist FIREROSE.
The definitive version of her album's title track, "Shining Armor (Rise Again)" marks a powerful new chapter - one of independence, renewal, and self-rescue - and anchors the larger story she's finally ready to share publicly for the first time. That story continues next month with her new podcast, No One Asked Her, a series named for how the world once decided she didn't need to be heard.
Firerose is a survivor who has lived through more than her share of hardship - addiction, abuse, and years of being silenced in relationships - yet has emerged with her faith, strength, and perspective intact. She's smart, passionate, and deeply thoughtful, with a story that deserves to be heard on her own terms.
Born and raised in Sydney, music was her refuge amid a childhood marked by sadness and confusion. As a kid, she filled notebooks with lyrics, turning pain into songs. That survival instinct carried her across the world to Los Angeles, through addiction and a two-month stint in LA County jail that ultimately led to faith and sobriety in 2016. Even while trapped in controlling relationships that kept her from steering her own career, her voice still reached millions with charting singles and performances on Good Morning America, The Kelly Clarkson Show, and The Grand Ole Opry.
Now, with her new single and upcoming podcast, Firerose is finally telling her story in full - standing in her independence, her faith, and her truth. The title "Shining Armor" speaks to that turning point: after years of waiting for someone else to save her, she realized she had to be her own knight, fighting for her freedom, her music, and her life with God's strength behind her. Her podcast title, No One Asked Her, nods to the way she was often reduced to a one-dimensional figure in the tabloids - someone the world decided didn't need to be heard from. Now, she's claiming her voice and inviting others to do the same.
Website www.firerosemusic.com
Social Media www.Instagram.com/firerose 
Spotify https://open.spotify.com/artist/2hUvYMF6MBxiZVXjiglBPX?si=v3rJakPSRieeqGpShFuQJg 
About Music Matters with Darrell Craig Harris
The Music Matters Podcast is hosted by Darrell Craig Harris, a globally published music journalist, professional musician, and Getty Images photographer. Music Matters is now available on Spotify, iTunes, Podbean, and more. Each week, Darrell interviews renowned artists, musicians, music journalists, and insiders from the music industry.
Visit us at: www.MusicMattersPodcast.comFollow us on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/musicmattersdh
For inquiries, contact: musicmatterspodcastshow@gmail.com
Support our mission via PayPal: www.paypal.me/payDarrell (voice over by Nigel J. Farmer
 

Grammy Nominated Zydeco Legend Corey Ledet Has A New Album "Live in Alaska" And A Great Story

Grammy Nominated Zydeco Master Corey Ledet
On a tour through Russia, Ledet was treated like royalty, complete with his own security detail. Fans rushed to touch the band’s signature zydeco rubboard — the metal, shoulder-slung vest used to scratch out those infectious rhythms. Enthralled by its sound, they nicknamed it the “magic instrument.”Ledet has taken his music everywhere — Hawaii, Canada, Europe — and always hoped to capture the electricity of his live shows. But the right moment for a live album never quite appeared.
That changed when the Anchorage Folk Festival invited him to perform.
“When that came up, I thought, this might finally be the chance,” said Ledet, 44, a two-time Grammy nominee. “When I arrived, they had everything ready to record. I started thinking about Clifton Chenier — a lot of his best live cuts were recorded far from home. It worked for the King of Zydeco, so I figured, let me try this.”
The result is Live in Alaska — the debut live album from Corey Ledet Zydeco, featuring Ledet’s mysterious new accordion, “Black Magic.” After combing through three days of recordings, the band chose 11 tracks that solidify Ledet’s well-earned nickname: The Accordion Dragon.
The album delivers high-energy, onstage versions of English and Creole favorites from Ledet’s 15 previous releases, plus a brand-new track, “Alaska Funk,” an impromptu jam born right there onstage alongside his tight-knit Louisiana crew.
website www.CoreyLedet.com
Social Media www.Instagram.com/coreyledetzydeco
About Music Matters with Darrell Craig Harris
The Music Matters Podcast is hosted by Darrell Craig Harris, a globally published music journalist, professional musician, and Getty Images photographer. Music Matters is now available on Spotify, iTunes, Podbean, and more. Each week, Darrell interviews renowned artists, musicians, music journalists, and insiders from the music industry.
Visit us at: www.MusicMattersPodcast.comFollow us on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/musicmattersdh
For inquiries, contact: musicmatterspodcastshow@gmail.com
Support our mission via PayPal: www.paypal.me/payDarrell 
(voice over by Nigel J. Farmer)
 

Viral Indie Artist Elise Trouw Just Dropped A New Single With A New Album To Follow!

Viral Indie Artist Elise Trouw Just Dropped A New Single With A New Album To Follow In December! 
Elise Trouw - is a viral indie artist, singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist known for her mesmerizing live-looping performances and genre-blending sound. Based in California, Elise writes, produces, and performs her own music - fusing pop, rock, and jazz with emotional honesty and technical mastery. Her debut album Unraveling and recent releases have earned millions of views and streams worldwide.
Connect & Stream:
Website https://www.elisetrouw.com  
www.Instagram.com/edlisetrouw
www.Facebook.com/elisetrouwmusic 
www.YouTube.com/@elisetrouw 
https://open.spotify.com/artist/6jeroC7T0j4Dvz9y3gtofR?si=jUVPX7PwRI2QakP0ST7wJw 
About Music Matters with Darrell Craig Harris
The Music Matters Podcast is hosted by Darrell Craig Harris, a globally published music journalist, professional musician, and Getty Images photographer. Music Matters is now available on Spotify, iTunes, Podbean, and more. Each week, Darrell interviews renowned artists, musicians, music journalists, and insiders from the music industry.
Visit us at: www.MusicMattersPodcast.com
Follow us on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/musicmattersdh
For inquiries, contact: musicmatterspodcastshow@gmail.com
Support our mission via PayPal: www.paypal.me/payDarrell 
(voice over by Nigel J. Farmer)

Indie Vibes from the Big Easy: Captain Buckles' Latest Drop from this fun rocking band!

About the New Orleans-based group Captain Buckles, a band made up of top A-list musicians who have backed many household names! 
The majority of tracks on Hurry Up the debut album from "Captain Buckles" are funky, rockin' instrumentals written by guitarist Alexander Mallet: kickin', and organic. Captain Buckles takes risks, grooves and moves with powerful chemistry and a punk, irreverent attitude that prompts listeners to feel good to be human. "Bus Station Blues" and "Raindrops on Mardi Gras,” are soulful slinky tunes featuring masterful vocals by keys man Rob Davis. "This Time" is a rock ballad by a close friend of the group, Michael Darby. 
After years of incubating, Captain Buckles has found its own trademark sound steeped in the grooves and funk of New Orleans and the elements that make American music emotionally moving and stylistically unique. The band jams hard while emphasizing musical exploration and dynamic subtlety, showing the inspiration from of icons like The Meters, Allman Brothers, and The Band but utilizing those influences to create a style all their own. 
The members of Captain Buckles include New Orleans born-and-raised Rob Davis and Ezell Smith Jr., as well as Los Angeles transplant Smitti Supab, Pennsylvanian Phil Breen, who’ve both played professionally in the Crescent City for 13+ years. Florida ex-pat Alex Mallet is the newcomer of the crew having arrived a mere eight years ago. Before forming Captain Buckles, the members had performed with each other in various line-ups for years between touring as backing musicians with national and international acts like Eric Lindell, Samantha Fish, Russell Batiste, John "Papa" Gros, Glen David Andrews, and many others. They transitioned to working as a distinctive, butt-shaking unit all their own two years ago, a no-nonsense brotherhood of hard-working sidemen, championing good vibes and an intense love of music. 
The recording of Hurry Up was funded in part by a grant from the Threadhead Cultural Foundation (https://www.thcfnola.org/.). 
 www.captainbucklesband.com
facebook.com/captainbucklesband
instagram.com/captainbucklesband
open.spotify.com/artist/3q8yPNmKITP14G9YOEnnrV
www.youtube.com/@captainbucklesband
music.apple.com/il/artist/captain-buckles/1758847494
www.amazon.com/music/player/artists/B0D9WR9Y79/captain-buckles
captainbucklesband.bandcamp.com
 
About Music Matters with Darrell Craig Harris
The Music Matters Podcast is hosted by Darrell Craig Harris, a globally published music journalist, professional musician, and Getty Images photographer. Music Matters is now available on Spotify, iTunes, Podbean, and more. Each week, Darrell interviews renowned artists, musicians, music journalists, and insiders from the music industry.
Visit us at: www.MusicMattersPodcast.com
Follow us on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/musicmattersdh
For inquiries, contact: musicmatterspodcastshow@gmail.com
Support our mission via PayPal: www.paypal.me/payDarrell 
 

The Salt Collective Elevates Their International Sound with a Powerful Second Album!

The International group "The Salt Collective" are releasing the follow-up to their critically acclaimed 2023 album debut, Life. Their second full-length release "A Brief History of Blindness" is a widescreen exploration of hope, memory, and resilience that features contributions from Aimee Mann, Mike Mills (R.E.M.), Andy Partridge (XTC), and Matthew Caws (Nada Surf) among others (writing credits and list of featured performers below). A Brief History of Blindness is being released on 12" LP vinyl, CD, digital download and streaming services by Propeller Sound Recordings November 21.
While the Salt Collective's first outing was recorded remotely with many vocalists and instrumentalists working separately on multiple continents at different times, A Brief History of Blindness features the core musicians gathered in the same space interacting together in real time. The bulk of the music was laid down by Rob Ladd (The Connells) on drums, Gene Holder (The dB's) on bass, Stéphane Schück on guitars & sound design, Mitch Easter (Let's Active) on guitars, and Wes Lachot on organ, piano, and Nord.
These full-band sessions took place at the Fidelitorium (Kernersville, NC), with other work at Studio Ferber (Paris), and various home studios. The album was produced by Chris Stamey and mastered by Dave McNair.
The first single, "In the Shadow of the Moon," followed up by the groups second single "Cloud To Cloud."
 Instagram.com/thesaltcollectivemusic 
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100036783560990
About Music Matters with Darrell Craig Harris
The Music Matters Podcast is hosted by Darrell Craig Harris, a globally published music journalist, professional musician, and Getty Images photographer. Music Matters is now available on Spotify, iTunes, Podbean, and more. Each week, Darrell interviews renowned artists, musicians, music journalists, and insiders from the music industry.
Visit us at: www.MusicMattersPodcast.com
Follow us on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/musicmattersdh
For inquiries, contact: musicmatterspodcastshow@gmail.com
Support our mission via PayPal: www.paypal.me/payDarrell 
 
 

Descenes and Discords: Howard Wuelfing on the Washington DC Punk Scene of the 70s & 80s

Descenes and Discords: An Anthology is the new book release from longtime music publicist, writer, and musician Howard Wuelfing offering a powerful time capsule of the birth and early evolution of punk music through the pages of two influential fanzines: Descenes and Discords. These publications, originally printed and distributed in Washington, D.C. during the late 1970s and early 1980s, captured the raw energy, irreverent spirit, and revolutionary ethos of the underground music scene — the first locally, the second nationally.
Published by writer and musician Howard Wuelfing, Descenes was a hyperlocal chronicle of D.C.'s burgeoning punk, hardcore and new wave communities. It featured scene reports, interviews, and passionate live and record reviews of now-legendary acts like Bad Brains, Slickee Boys, and Half Japanese and dozens of others that never gained national recognition. As vital local music scenes sprung up around the country, Discords picked up the baton with a wider lens — covering bands like Black Flag, Pylon, Circle Jerks, Mission of Burma and many more, all with the same DIY authenticity and zero-corporate gloss. 
About Music Matters with Darrell Craig Harris
The Music Matters Podcast is hosted by Darrell Craig Harris, a globally published music journalist, professional musician, and Getty Images photographer. Music Matters is now available on Spotify, iTunes, Podbean, and more. Each week, Darrell interviews renowned artists, musicians, music journalists, and insiders from the music industry.
Visit us at: www.MusicMattersPodcast.com
Follow us on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/musicmattersdh
For inquiries, contact: musicmatterspodcastshow@gmail.com
Support our mission via PayPal: www.paypal.me/payDarrell