interview Archive
21 Jul 2021
The Rubinoos’ Pop-punk Nugget is Unearthed
It wasn’t just punk that arose as an alternative to what many viewed as the overblown, corporate-flavored excess of 1970s rock. Along with punk, a kind of proto-indie pop was […]
08 Jul 2021
Screen Classic ‘The Goddess’ Gets a Min Xiao-Fen Score
In 1934, writer-director Wu Yonggang’s silent film Shénnǚ (The Goddess) was released in China. Critically praised and popular among audiences, it was and remains an exemplar of China’s cinematic golden […]
06 Jul 2021
Steve Cropper: The Go-Getter Gets Going (Part Two)
Continued from Part One … With Cropper’s buy-in to the idea, Tiven enlisted the skills of drummers, including ace session man Anton Fig. Cropper has long been friends with the […]
05 Jul 2021
Steve Cropper: The Go-Getter Gets Going (Part One)
Ask serious music fans to name a tasteful guitarist, and inevitably Steve Cropper’s name is going to come up. As a studio musician, Cropper’s work is part of the center […]
04 Jul 2021
From One Stage to Another: Izzi Hughes
Though she’s barely into her 20s and still in school, Hendersonville native Izzi Hughes is a seasoned performer. Gaining experience in musical theatre and acting as a youngster, she first […]
03 Jul 2021
Sam Lewis: Don’t Fence Him In
Sam Lewis is nominally an Americana artist. But a listen to any of his albums – most notably 2018’s Loversity and his aptly-titled 2020 release Solo – reveals a songwriter, […]
02 Jul 2021
10 Albums That Changed My Life: Emilio “Mimi” Castillo
For more than 50 years, Tower of Power has been bringing its soulful brand of funk to hit records and energetic live shows. In 2018 the nine-man band – plus […]
27 Jun 2021
Songwriter Stephen Evans: Making Sure the Songs Hold Their Own
A lifetime performing musician living in Asheville since 1996, Stephen Evans plays live with his band the True Grits, as part of a songwriters’ collective and as a solo artist. […]
24 Jun 2021
The Voice of Michelle Lang
Vocalist and teacher Michelle Lang is the latest addition to the faculty at Hendersonville-based WNC Music Academy. Even during this pandemic, the Academy has found responsible ways – online lesson […]
23 Jun 2021
Ryan Guerra: The Go-to Guy for Tributes
One of the most popular and enduring live music events in Western North Carolina was the Music on the Rock concert series. Though it ended before the pandemic, Music on […]