Category Archives: interview

The Art of Life (ft. Stéphane Wrembel)

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Stéphane Wrembel is a world-renowned guitarist and band leader. Influenced by luminaries including the great Django Reinhardt, the French-born Berklee grad has experienced many highlights throughout his decades-long career, including having his music featured in Woody Allen films like ‘Midnight in Paris.’

Stéphane’s creative process meets at the intersection of art and life, and we welcome him to today’s episode of The Quinn Spinn to share how his journey empowers him to create and collaborate from an organic place.

This episode of The Quinn Spinn was recorded at The Russell: ⁠https://russellnashville.com⁠

Opening theme: REVEL 9 – All I’ve Become

Learn more about The Quinn Spinn: ⁠https://umcworldwide.com/thequinnspinn⁠

A ‘Human-First’ Approach to AI (ft. Joel Kaiser)

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Over the course of his career, Joel Kaiser has worn a number of creative hats: songwriter, performer, graphic designer, brand expert, festival organizer, and more. Now, he steps into the music tech space as the co-founder of First Rule, a ‘human-first’ company that employs AI to give artists control over how their Musical Essence is used throughout the ecosystem.

Joel joins us for an in-depth conversation on the state of art, creativity, and technology, while previewing the first annual Music City Make-a-Thon, taking place in Nashville from March 23-28.

Learn more about the Music City Make-a-Thon: https://www.firstrule.ai/musicCityMakeAThon

Opening theme: REVEL 9 – All I’ve Become

This episode of The Quinn Spinn was recorded and produced at The Russell, a historic East Nashville church converted into a boutique hotel: https://russellnashville.com

Learn more about the show: https://umcworldwide.com/thequinnspinn

A Week in NOLA: The Official Vlogumentary (Produced by NuRenaissance)

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If you’ve been following our journey around here, you’re probably well aware that we took the UnderDogs on down to New Orleans to participate in this year’s NOLA MusiCon. We had a wonderful time connecting with the creatives in this vibrant community, and we look forward to spending a lot more time together in the months and years ahead.

We were also fortunate to have Nicolas Soul with us. In addition to being an UnderDog and NEXT2RISE artist, Nicolas documented the entire trip through his media company, NuRenaissance. He caught all of the action — from time spent at the conference, to the diverse talent on display during its showcases, to after-hours hangs from the studio to Bourbon St.

It’s an incredibly fun watch — one which illustrates what it means to be an UnderDog by providing a genuine view into the joy of the experience. Sit back and enjoy!

Thanks to NOLA MusiCon for having us, DAWn Audio for being our NOLA-based family, and our sponsors at Guidance Whiskey and Ether Nashville for their support.

Gussapolooza 2025: Day 3

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Note: This episode is released in loving memory of our original ProFX12 mixer, which perished during the making of this episode after 11 loyal years of Quinn Spinn service. Unfortunately, these technical issues mean that a couple of AWESOME interviews were compromised beyond reasonable repair and did not make this episode, while parts of others may be missing. We look forward to re-doing those at the next available opportunity!

Here it is — the long-awaited conclusion to our trilogy from Gussapolooza 2025!

This episode — coming to you from the final day of this year’s festival — touches on the creative journey, and the lessons it teaches us as we embark and continue on the path. We sit down withCo from Barrie Millennials, Jade Hilton, Sean William Dawson, & Francesca Panetta, giving you a full view of Ontario’s creative landscape.

Follow The Quinn Spinn: ⁠https://umcworldwide.com/thequinnspinn⁠

Finding a Deeper ‘Innerstanding’ (ft. Jazzy the Uncontrolled Goddess)

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Jazzy the Uncontrolled Goddess is a spoken word poet, speaker, author, and mindset coach whose work begins from within. Jazzy’s raw transparency makes her a force to be reckoned with: a creative’s creative whose ability to lean into her truth inspires the community around her.

Jazzy makes her Quinn Spinn debut today to chat about a variety of topics, including creativity in the age of AI, the inspiration found through love, and the importance of doing our own inner work.

Opening theme: REVEL 9 – All I’ve Become

Follow Jazzy: ⁠⁠https://instagram.com/goddessmindsetjazzy⁠
More about The Quinn Spinn: ⁠⁠https://umcworldwide.com/thequinnspinn⁠

Exploring the Intersection of Business and Art (from NOLA MusiCon)

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One of the many highlights of NOLA MusiCon — seriously, we UnderDogs will be talking about this one for months — was the chance to sit down with David Adams and the folks at Elation Entertainment to join the live NOLA MusiCon broadcast of the Elation Podcast.

My interview — part of an epic three-hour episode featuring folks from around the conference — starts at 1:51:30. We discuss the ways environments like NOLA MusiCon give creatives a seat at the table, the importance of building genuine community in the music industry, and the one decision that defined my (and UMC’s) year.

Meet the UnderDogs (and Special Guests) Monday Night in New Orleans!

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We’ve been talking about NOLA MusiCon for months, and it’s finally almost time to take the Starship UnderDog down to New Orleans and do this thing!

We’ve already told you about this amazing conference, and the official Crescent City Crossroads showcases that we’re co-producing alongside our friends at DAWn Audio and Tunetrax.

But… what if we told you there is more to the story? (Around here, there always is!)

Before the conference officially gets underway, we’ll be at Cafe Istanbul (2372 St. Claude Ave., New Orleans) this Monday, October 27 as we preview this year’s NOLA MusiCon with a special UnderDogs Across Borders live event. Join us in-person or online beginning at 5 p.m. CT, as we present two rounds of our popular Have You Met…? interview series. Round 1 (5 p.m.) will feature some of our Nashville crew, while Round 2 (6 p.m.) will highlight creatives from the Big Easy and elsewhere!

Round 1 (5 p.m.):
Host: Jazzy the Uncontrolled Goddess
Guests: Yonna Jones, Joe Baze, Gerard Longo

Round 2 (6 p.m.):
Host: Mandy Ortiz (DAWn Audio)
Guests: DJX, Amelia Ray, Mac Infinity

You’ll want to stick around after that. Beginning at 7 p.m., we’ll remain at Cafe Istanbul to bring you an UnderDogs Across Borders interstate showcase, featuring live performances from an array of artists. We’ll be dropping that full lineup a bit later this week, so stay tuned!

Inside Nashville’s New Alabama Shakes Tribute (ft. Mandy Moon)

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An all-star ensemble of Nashville musicians will storm the famous Acme Feed & Seed this Saturday, October 11 for Sound & Color: A Tribute to Alabama Shakes. One of the organizers — Mandy Moon — joins us on The Quinn Spinn to discuss the journey of co-producing this first-of-its-kind event alongside friend and fellow musician Chelcie Jette.

Also, we manage to sneak a shoutout to Lowbar in East Nashville, whose Saturday night karaoke hosted by Brandon Jazz is always a good time. #FreeTito

Opening theme: REVEL 9 – All I’ve Become

Follow The Quinn Spinn: https://umcworldwide.com/thequinnspinn
Follow Mandy Moon: https://instagram.com/mandymoonmusic
Learn more about the event: https://umcworldwide.com/event/sound-color-a-tribute-to-alabama-shakes/

An Exclusive Talk with Nashville’s Rising Star, Blvck Wizzle

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Hey UMC Fam, it’s your girl SADGURL!

This summer, I had the pleasure of partnering with Melodic Convos (part of the Mobile Melody Show) for an exclusive talk with Nashville’s most beloved rising star, Blvck Wizzle. This Nashville native has captured the hearts of the city and held the public’s attention since the moment he began sharing his signature songs at open mics in 2015. Blvck Wizzle mixes guitars, storytelling, and unforgettable rhymes to create a refreshing and undeniably catchy sound.

Wizzle has had a whirlwind summer, from being featured on the album Step Brothers 4 Life with Tennessee legends Starlito and Dontrip, to Mayor Freddie O’Connell dubbing Wizzle’s record “Cashville Be Ballin” the new city anthem!

Watch this interview for a closer look at this country boy’s inspirations and the pivotal moments that initiated the unfolding of this superstar in the making.

Everything You Need to Know About Tonight’s UMC Events in Nashville

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October and the home stretch of 2025 are set to begin with a bang tonight, right here in Nashville.

We’ll be back at Helping Our Music Evolve (615 Main St., Suite G1, Nashville) this evening for a double dose of fun with the UnderDogs, beginning at 6 p.m. with a live taping of our Have You Met…? interview series. Join host Jazzy the Uncontrolled Goddess as she welcomes outstanding UnderDogs and special guests to share about their projects, processes, and the ways life informs the creative journey. Tonight’s lineup includes:

  • Hip hop artist, producer, and 1/2 of Da’ Healerz Foundation Mecca
  • DJ, sound engineer, producer, and songwriter Agie Gee
  • Revolutionary hip hop artist and industry educator T.R.A.N.E. Spitta

Speaking of industry education, you’ll want to stick around after Have You Met…? concludes, as we offer a special, FREE presentation of our Building Your Authentic Artist Brand workshop. This workshop — as experienced at SXSW 2025, and soon to be experienced at Confluence Carolinas and NOLA MusiCon later this month — guides musicians (and other creatives) through the steps of developing a purpose-driven, values-based creative ecosystem. Building Your Authentic Artist Brand is designed to help artists identify the unique “why” behind their work; learn best practices for attracting their true audience across three key segments (fans, collaborators, and business partners); and build a sustainable, profitable creative business on their own terms.

Want the inside track on all of these opportunities and more? Consider checking out the buttons below!

BECOME AN UNDERDOG!
ENROLL IN UMC ACADEMY
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