Eat the Brick

Bella Lam joins us for Episode 36 of Eat the Brick 'Clean Start' to talk about the path from local open mics to becoming one of the Southeast's fastest-rising country artists.

We discuss how TikTok helped grow her audience, the transition from pop influences into country music, writing songs that feel more like journal entries than performances, and what it's like sharing the stage and the music business with family.

Bella also talks about working with a vocal coach, navigating the early years of performing, balancing regional touring around Chattanooga, Knoxville, Nashville, and North Georgia, and why being a positive role model for middle school girls has become one of the biggest motivations behind her music.

It's a fun, honest conversation about finding your voice, building a career one show at a time, and staying grounded while things start moving in the right direction.

 

This week we're joined by Chattanooga concert photographer Ryan Wildenberg of WildeSide Media, whose work has recently taken him from local venues to photographing artists like Primus, Les Claypool, Kendall Street Company, Little Feat, Eggy, and more.

Ryan shares what really happens behind the camera at a live show—from band shot lists and shooting hundreds of photos every set to the importance of backup gear and building relationships with artists and venues. We also talk about how growing up on Frank Zappa led him into the jam band scene, his journey into concert photography, and plenty of behind-the-scenes stories from life in the photo pit.

Whether you're a musician, photographer, or just a fan of live music, this episode offers a fascinating look at the people working behind the scenes to capture the moments everyone else remembers.

Dan Pinson is back for Episode 34, and this time we break down the evolution of his live rig—from a basic looping setup into the performance system he uses today. We talk about the gear, the lessons learned, and how his setup has changed over the years.

Naturally, we also wander into a conversation about Star Wars and a handful of other rabbit trails before finding our way back. It's another laid-back conversation about music, gear, and whatever else comes to mind.

Episode 33 of Eat the Brick is out now: "Gas Station Coffee."

We recorded this one before Joel headed to Alaska, knowing we'd need a few episodes in the bank while he was gone.

This week's conversation is mostly about life as a road musician—the routines, the miles, the realities, and everything that comes with trying to make music for a living. We also wander into some important topics like Joel's gas station coffee recipe, Skyline Chili, and why failure can sometimes be the best thing that happens to you.

If you've ever wondered what touring really looks like behind the Instagram posts, give this one a listen.

🎧 Available now wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube.

#EatTheBrick #Podcast #RoadMusician #TourLife #Bluegrass #Americana #FolkMusic #Songwriter #Chattanooga #IndependentMusic #GasStationCoffee #BehindTheScenes

Episode 32 — Pieced Together | with Courtney Holder

This week we're joined by Chattanooga singer-songwriter Courtney Holder for one of our favorite conversations yet.

Courtney talks about what it's been like to spend more than a decade making music—starting as a young artist with a lot of attention, growing into adulthood, starting a family, and learning how to keep creating while life keeps changing around you. It's an honest conversation about ambition, parenthood, songwriting, local music, and what success looks like as an independent musician.

The title Pieced Together comes from the episode itself. A perfect storm of technical issues forced us to rebuild the video version in a different order than originally recorded, but the audio you're hearing is exactly how the conversation happened.

We had such a great time with Courtney that we're already planning to have her back for another episode.

If you love Americana, bluegrass, folk music, songwriting, independent artists, or hearing honest conversations about making a life in music, we think you'll enjoy this one.

Episode 31 – Can't Compete with the Coif

This week Randy sits down with Lake Foster, venue manager and talent buyer for Barrelhouse Ballroom, for a behind-the-scenes look at how one of Chattanooga's busiest music venues puts together its calendar.

We talk about what catches his attention when booking bands, how he discovers new artists, why the venue has expanded into more hardcore and country shows, and what audiences can expect from the rest of the year's lineup. Along the way, we dive into the realities of live music, independent venues, and what makes a band stand out in today's scene.

If you've ever wondered how booking actually works—or you're just interested in the Chattanooga music community—this is a fun conversation with one of the people helping shape it.

New episodes of Eat the Brick every week featuring conversations about music, creativity, touring, songwriting, and the people behind the scenes who keep live music alive.

This was pre-recorded when the fellas knew they would be away.  We may say we're back but currently Joel is back in Alaska and Randy is somewhere in midwest America coming home from the Telluride Bluegrass Festival

But for this ep, Joel had just gotten back from Alaska. Randy had just gotten back from an East Coast run with Nick Lutsko and the 100k Band.

We sat down to talk about touring and mostly ended up talking about the ins and outs of life on the road and how it affects us.

Money, burnout, relationships, long drives, great gigs, and the strange feeling of spending weeks trying to get home only to realize you may have left part of yourself out there.

Episode 30: We're Not Back.

Episode 29: 8 Gigs a Week with Dan Pinson

How many shows should a musician be playing?

This week, Randy Steele sits down with Chattanooga musician Dan Pinson to talk about finding the right balance between performing, creating, and promoting. The conversation explores the realities of booking gigs, staying active on social media, overcoming the fear of self-promotion, and keeping momentum going as an independent artist.

Dan also shares what he has coming up, thoughts on the Chattanooga music scene, and lessons learned from playing regularly around town.

A candid conversation about music, motivation, and making it work as a working musician in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Eat the Brick is a podcast about music, creativity, culture, and the people building communities around them.

🎙️ Hosted by Randy Steele
📍 Chattanooga, Tennessee