In this episode of The Bandwich Tapes, I sit down with Jake Banfield, a singer, songwriter, and performer with deep Oklahoma roots who turned a career-ending basketball injury and the stillness of quarantine into a brand-new life in music. Jake and I discuss his new album, Open Bars, how growing up in small towns influenced his writing voice, and why moving to Nashville after writing stints in LA sharpened both his craft and his confidence.We delve into co-writing versus writing for himself, channeling mental health into honest songs, and how his genre stew, encompassing country, pop, hip-hop, and classic rock, manifests across the record. We also get into the wild growth on social media, the rush of hearing crowds sing his songs back, and the surreal moment of hitting #1 on country radio in Australia, with tours abroad now on the calendar.To learn more about Jake, visit his website.Music from the Episode:Open Bars (Jake Banfield)Lasso (Jake Banfield)Still Feels the Same (Jake Banfield)Thought of You (Jake Banfield)Thank you for listening. If you have questions, feedback, or ideas for the show, please email me at brad@thebandwichtapes.com.

In this episode of The Bandwich Tapes, I sit down with drummer, singer, and songwriter Alwyn Robinson, whose story travels from East Texas to Boulder, Colorado, and now to Brooklyn, New York.You may know Alwyn from his work with Leftover Salmon or his performances with Billy Strings, but now he’s stepping forward with a new solo album called Marshall, out Friday, November 14. The record is a beautiful reflection of what Americana means to him, rooted, soulful, and full of texture.We discuss the importance of process, navigating grief and self-care, learning to be still, and how these inner lessons have shaped his growth as both a musician and a person. We also get into the making of Marshall, his collaboration with Bridget Carney (Lake Street Dive) and Andrew Ibanez, and how he’s learning to find his own voice as a frontman.Music from the Episode:Carrying On (Alwyn Robinson)Nose on the Grindstone (Alwyn Robinson)Gentle on My Mind (Alwyn Robinson)Thank you for listening. If you have questions, feedback, or ideas for the show, please email me at brad@thebandwichtapes.com.Theme music: "Playcation" by Mark Mundy

In this episode, I’m joined by John Mailander, a fearless and lyrical fiddler/violinist whose work bridges bluegrass, jazz, ambient improvisation, and songcraft. We trace his path from San Diego to Berklee (where he studied American Roots with mentor Darol Anger) to Nashville, where he found a close-knit community that’s as experimental as it is supportive. John discusses the city’s “weirdo music” scene, ambient nights, free improvisation, and oddball collaborations, and how that energy coexists alongside the touring calendar. We dig into his life-changing chair with Bruce Hornsby: the no-setlist ethos, learning the “top 80” deep-cut originals, living on the edge together, and the night Bruce rearranged the stage so John could stand next to John Scofield, then kept tossing them intertwined solos all evening. John shares recent runs with Sam Grisman (with hero Peter Rowan onboard), producing and recording more from Nashville, and the origin of his own band Forecast, a genre-porous collective inspired by Bill Frisell, Brian Blade Fellowship, Pat Metheny/Brad Mehldau, and Joni Mitchell. We talk through the new record Let the World In: how residency nights at Dee’s in Madison shaped the tunes, why the drums sound so alive, and why he welcomes rotating lineups to hear the same music through new lenses. Teaching and mentorship thread through the conversation: passing on what was given to him (formally and backstage between songs), honoring influences like Matt Mundy (ARU/Bruce Hampton), and why the point isn’t “pushing boundaries” as a goal but playing honestly enough that the music pushes itself. It’s a generous, grounded conversation about trust, curiosity, and letting the music lead.To learn more about John, visit his website. Music from the Episode:Let the World In (John Mailander's Forecast)Road (John Mailander's Forecast)Gardener (John Mailander's Forecast)Reprise (John Mailander's Forecast)Thank you for listening. If you have questions, feedback, or ideas for the show, please email me at brad@thebandwichtapes.com.

I’m excited to announce that for the six weeks, I’ll be releasing two episodes every week, one on Monday and another on Thursday. That means twice the music, twice the stories, and twice the fun.If you haven’t already, make sure to follow or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, so you don’t miss any of the upcoming episodes. And if you’re enjoying the show, please share it with a friend. That’s the best way to help it grow.Thanks again for listening and for being part of The Bandwich Tapes community.

In this episode of The Bandwich Tapes, I sit down with legendary session drummer Paul Leim, whose six-decade career quietly powers a staggering piece of the soundtrack to our lives. Paul has played on more than 12,000 songs across over 2,000 releases, with 1,400+ silver/gold/platinum certifications, and global sales topping 540 million units. His discography encompasses over 150 combined GRAMMY nominations and wins, as well as 40+ major film/TV awards, and credits on more than 150 films and 100 television specials and series. If you’ve heard Lionel Richie, Shania Twain, Lyle Lovett, Kenny Chesney, Whitney Houston—or cues from Dirty Dancing, Smokey and the Bandit II, The River, or even Return of the Jedi, you’ve likely heard Paul.We trace the arc from East Texas clubs and Dallas jingle mills to late-’70s Los Angeles, where a “typical” week meant two complete drum rigs leapfrogging between Lionel Richie sessions, network TV soundstages, film dates, and award shows. Paul talks mentors and “angels” (band director Neil Grant, Robin Hood Brians, Doc Severinsen), lifelong friendships with the TCB family (Ron Tutt, Jerry Scheff), and lessons that still anchor his playing—especially dynamic control and “letting the mics work.” We get inside the high-wire reality of studio life. Paul calls it “95% boredom and 5% sheer terror”, including how to read conductors, when to lead the time, and when to ride it, and what it’s like to move from live kit to orchestral percussion with John Williams.There are great shop-floor stories: cutting Lionel’s “Truly” and counseling Lionel at the fork-in-the-road moment of leaving the Commodores; discovering that Lyle Lovett’s “The Blues Walk” was gloriously vocal-free; and a deep dive into the precision world of Mutt Lange and Shania, ending bass notes just before the snare for mix “air,” the chrome-over-brass “important” snare, and the on-the-fly invention of tom “Mutt flaps” for short, open fills. Paul also shares a personal fork he chose differently: turning down a James Taylor tour to be home with his young family, only to hand JT the final serial-numbered Leim signature snare decades later at the White House.Today, Paul is still very much in motion: bandleading the TCB Band in Europe, steering The Tennessee Four with Thomas Gabriel to carry the Cash legacy, and jumping into Million Dollar Quartet shows—proof that the hang, the humility, and the groove endure. It’s a conversation about craft, friendship, stewardship of a gift, and the choices that shape both a career and a life.Music from the Episode:Pick it Apart (Mark O'Connor)Truly (Lionel Richie)The Blues Walk (Lyle Lovett)Thank you for listening. If you have questions, feedback, or ideas for the show, please email me at brad@thebandwichtapes.com.Theme music: "Playcation" by Mark Mundy