Living in the Limelight

Emma Mowery (July 2024)

Emma Mowery has spent her whole life honing her sound through different eras of life and committing to her craft in order to unlock her most authentic artistic voice. Now settled in Nashville, Mowery is officially ready to introduce herself to the world. Somewhere in the venn diagram of pop-punk and singer-songwriter is Emma Mowery. Her personality noticeably shines through in her music, where she embraces storytelling balanced with her characteristic wit, playfulness, and sarcasm.  Check out her new release, “Control Freak,” on your favorite streaming service and, of course, in its entirety, at the end of this episode!  Let’s welcome Emma Mowery to Living in the Limelight.

Danny Spiro (June 2024)

With a diverse musical upbringing spanning country, rock, pop, red dirt, blues, and 90s rock, Danny Spiro showcases his unique take on country music through high-octane performances that captivate audiences with infectious enthusiasm, igniting the crowd. With his slightly rough-around-the-edges yet charismatic southern charm, this blue-collar musician is one you can't help but root for.
​Hailing from humble roots in Mobile, Alabama, and with aspirations to one day grace the legendary Grand Ole Opry stage, Danny made the bold move to Nashville, TN, to carve out his path to success. A defining moment at the age of 14 was witnessing an electrifying performance by a local band that had achieved success: 3 Doors Down. Feeling the pulsating energy of the venue and witnessing the intense engagement of the crowd left a lasting impression, igniting Danny's desire to evoke similar emotions in others.
Teaming up with acclaimed drummer and producer Grady Saxman, whose credits include Luke Combs, Dustin Lynch, Trey Lewis, Muscadine Bloodline, Kassi Ashton, and Uncle Kracker, Danny is poised to make waves with his upcoming music.
​From intimate songwriter rounds where Danny showcases his storytelling prowess to being a sought-after performer on Nashville's famed Broadway strip, he dazzles audiences at renowned establishments such as Blake Shelton’s Ole Red, Miranda Lambert’s Casa Rosa, Tootsies, Big Machine, Bus Call Showcase - Tin Roof Midtown, FGL House, Johnny Cash, Alan Jackson's, Kid Rock's, and Jason Aldean’s. And this is just the beginning.
Excited to listen to Danny Spiro's music? Keep an ear out for his highly anticipated EP, slated for release later in 2024. In the meantime, check out his single "Ecstasy," available on all major streaming platforms.
 

Thomas Hinds (May 2024)

In a music industry aching for authenticity, Thomas Hinds is a hard-touring troubadour surviving on raw talent and a heartfelt folk-rock repertoire. His exquisite third full-length Where Do We Go From Here, recorded at Alabama’s legendary FAME Studios (Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding etc.), has him poised to gatecrash the mainstream. “I want people to get a sense of comfort from my music, knowing that they’re not alone,” he mulled during a roadside pit stop. “There’s always hope, and there’s beauty even in hard times.” Like most great artists, Hinds’ work is largely autobiographical. It’s simply him: his heart and his life experience laid bare. A songwriter since age 16, he put music on hold when he married young and prioritized parenthood. When the relationship fell apart, Hinds plunged into a dark chapter when only an ultra-prolific, pent-up return to songwriting kept him going. With his kids grown, Hinds began planning to become a full-time touring musician. Following warm receptions for his 2015 debut album Ghosts and Lamentations and follow-up EP Barbwire Bouquet, he hit the road in earnest in 2019 and soon was playing almost 150 shows a year. Noting that many of the wineries, distilleries, festivals, and house parties he plays were within a 5-hour radius of Atlanta, he gambled on a move from New Mexico to north Georgia. “I just stepped off the ledge and things just came together to make it happen,” Hinds recalls. “That was confirmation that I was doing the right thing.” Also an author, Hinds’ poetic soul infuses the blues-based Americana that scales new heights on Where Do We Go From Here, which he self-released in June 2023. Recorded with producer Spencer Coats at the storied FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, the album features an A-list band led by former Bonnie Raitt guitarist Will McFarlane and steel guitar from longtime Garth Brooks bandmate Bruce Bouton. “I often had the hair on my neck standing up or a tear in my eye, because I was listening to something that had been in my head for years, but I just couldn’t explain,” he recalled. Hinds is supporting Where Do We Go From Here with evocative video content, showcases at SXSW 2024 and, of course, more countless miles in his trusty van. As he converts fans one-by- one, show-by-show, his hard-fought career is already a success by its very existence. “I always want there to be a silver lining at the end of things,” he concluded, recalling an epiphanous evening drive. “I was in the southern Pennsylvania hills, windows down, in that golden light. And I’m thinking, man, I would never in a million years have imagined this!”

Mark Grundhoefer (May 2024)

For over 25 years, guitarist Mark Grundhoefer has been a professional musician playing in numerous bands, devoting countless hours of session work, and developing a full-time teaching studio. He resides in Atlanta, Georgia where he continues to perform, record, and educate. His solo music, which is available on all digital platforms, has been streamed more than 6 million times in over 170 countries. Mark's sound is a reflection of his southern roots and his classical and jazz studies.  He has a worldwide following of 60,000 monthly listeners on Spotify and about 30,000 on the other streaming services.  Check out his new project, created with his musical partner David Brimer, that is dropping on May 17th, called “In Technicolor.” 

Faith Alene (April 2024)

Faith Alene is a teen singer, musician, and songwriter. She was born in Long Island, NY and currently resides in Central Florida’s East Coast. Faith has been singing and performing since elementary school.  She began theater at age 7 and voice at age 8. Her drive and determination has lead her to create her own path in life. Frequent trips to Broadway in NYC with her Grandfather only sparked her interests in vocals even more.
Faith began in theater performing minor roles but quickly achieved the lead in countless shows including Adams Family, Pippin, Les Mis, Aladdin and many others. She continued to expand her skills and competed in local and state wide vocal competitions, where she performed live in front of large audiences and won first place multiple times. Faith was not only the lead vocalist in her church youth group, but was able to coordinate and organize logistics of song selection and musical composition.
Over time, Faith began to fall in love with country and folk music. In 2021, she began writing her own songs and taught herself how to play the guitar. Faith is in the process of recording some of her favorite originals and excited to share them with you!  She currently performs at local restaurants and farmers markets in the area. Her music has a small town feel to reflect her love of nature and country life. 
When not working on her music, you can find her shooting at the archery range, reading books, training on the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu mats or studying medicinal plants. She is a firm believer in Jesus and knows all her gifts, talents and opportunities she has been given come from Him.
Faith is looking forward to recording her original music and performing at live events throughout the nation.
For bookings, please visit www.faithalene.com and send her a message.

Kirstie Kraus (April 2024)

Hailing from the Midwest, Kirstie Kraus moved to Nashville in 2017 to further pursue her flourishing career as a solo recording artist and songwriter following her time in the midwest country-rock band Thirsty Jones (her fans are now nicknamed Thirsties as an homage to that period and a fun rhyming play on words to her name). Kirstie's music style is an original mix of modern country with Blues, Pop, and Rock undertones. Since permanently relocating to Music City, Kirstie has toured across the US and opened for some of country’s biggest stars including Thomas Rhett, Kip Moore, LANCO, Eric Paslay, Brandy Clark, Walker Hayes, The Cadillac Three, Pam Tills, Brothers Osborne, and Randy Houser to name a few. In 2023 her breakout year in the UK arrived with her playing the coveted C2C Festival at the O2 Arena in London. Her fanbase in Britain has grown considerably and her name further rose up the ranks with her 2023 duet single ‘Who Am I Gonna Love’ with Thomas Kavanagh which rendered support from Apple Music, Absolute Radio, BBC Introducing, CountryLine Radio and many more radio and media outlets in the world. 2024’s growing success built on a standout 2022, which saw Kirstie Kraus releasing her debut album ‘Yes You Can’ which she supported with a six-month headline tour across America - the LP comprised 11 tracks including the hit singles ‘Bird’, ‘Thirsty’, and ‘Silver’. The LP was a roaring success and earned Kraus multiple accolades such as 7x nominations at the Best of Women of Country, and Josie Music Awards (the largest independent music award show). Having been writing and playing music since the ripe age of 11, Kirstie Kraus understands the nuances of her vocals and through that, she is able to create songs that showcase her abilities and complement the tone she has. You only have to take a look at her back catalog and industry support to see that country music is where she belongs and that she is an artist who is rightly taking Nashville by storm. Kirstie Kraus is right where she needs to be!  She’s a Nashville-based standout artist with a heart of gold and a creative mind focused on her art. 
Currently, Kirstie Kraus is recording new music side by side with Grammy Winning BMG Studio A & Dolby Atmos Immersive Audio Producer Jeff Huskins at Sound Stage Studios in Nashville and has already dropped her two March singles 'Beaches Be Crazy' and her anthemic female duet 'Dab a Dolly' which found its way to BBC Breakfast, WSM, and hopefully in the hands of the Queen of country herself Dolly Parton!
I had the honor of speaking with Kirstie for a second time (as my FIRST repeat guest) while she was touring over in the UK, so let’s catch up with Kirstie on Living in the Limelight!

Randall David Cook (Feb. 2024)

Randall David is a New York-based playwright who originally hails from South Carolina. Off-Broadway: Sake with the Haiku Geisha ("Witty, Observant", New York Times), Fate's Imagination ("Entertaining... Tasty plot twists and some very funny lines", New York Times). Additional NYC: Shadows, a dance musical co-created with Tony-nominated director/choreographer Joey McKneely (nominated for two 2019 New York Innovative Theatre Awards); and Toto Talks (2019 Frigid Festival). Regional productions include: Southern Discomfort; Third Finger, Left Hand; Pomp & Circumstance; Kappa Kappa Scream; Death at Downton!; Open Call; Star of Wonder, Star of Night; and The Glass Dog. The Monument, a play co-created with Cheryl L. Davis and Gwynn MacDonald about Senator Strom Thurmond’s secret biracial daughter, Essie Mae Washington-Williams, was selected for the 2021 Orchard Project.
His one-act play Sushi and Scones was broadcast by the BBC and won the award for Best Play at the Southeastern Playwrights Conference, and he is a two-time winner of the award for Best Play at Centre Stage’s New Play Festival: in 2019 with his play Sharks and Other Lovers, and in 2022 with Four Seasons. Both plays subsequently premiered at Centre Stage, in 2021 and 2023, respectively.
Additional performances include an adaptation of Ibsen's John Gabriel Borkman (New York Theatre Workshop with Tony winner Len Cariou and Drama Desk winners Roberta Maxwell and Laura Esterman); In A Town Near Faith (Players Club with Academy Award nominee Barbara Barrie); and Hanky Panky (Davenport Theatre with Tony nominee Veanne Cox).
His work has also been developed and performed at Ars Nova, The Lark, the Cincinnati Museum of Art, the Japanese Embassy in New York City, Neighborhood Playhouse, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Guild Hall in East Hampton, the Valdez Theatre Conference in Alaska, the Warner Theatre International Playwrights Festival, and in the U.K., the Dartmouth Drama Festival and Dawlish Arts Festival. He’s been a two-time finalist for both the O’Neill Playwrights Conference and the Sundance Filmmakers Lab, and he’s received grants and commissions from the Duke Endowment, Broadway Across America, the University of Nebraska and the British Film Institute.
He holds a BA from Furman University, an IMBA from the Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina, and an MFA in Playwriting and Screenwriting from the University of Nebraska Omaha, where he received the Regents Award. A proud member of the Dramatists Guild, Randall David was an honorary inductee in Omicron Delta Kappa honor society for his leadership and achievements in the arts in 2016 and was inducted into the South Carolina Theatre Hall of Fame in 2017

Jennifer Alvarado (January 2024)

Jennifer Alvarado is an international recording artist from Vale, North Carolina and has amassed over 1 million streams on Spotify alone. Her music has a country sensibility with a pop current running through it. Her sound is a mixture of country, pop and blues that reflect an eclectic blend of influences.
Some Awards and current Nominations include: 
Nominated for 2023 Carolina Country Music Award for “Female Artist of the Year” - awards in January 2024
Nominated for 2023 WVIU Music Award for “Favorite Christian Country Song”
Awarded Silver “Entertainer of the Year” at the 2023 International Singer Songwriter Awards, where she was nominated for seven awards total
And on and on!
So sit back, relax, and enjoy this conversation with Jennifer Alvarado about songwriting, stage performing, storytelling, and sharing a message with others in a meaningful way. 

Shawn Gavin Thomas (Nov. 2023)

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Shawn Gavin Thomas (or known by some by his stage name SGT) has been singing and performing his entire existence. A member of the Barbershop Harmony Society since 2002, he is a four time International medalist in their Youth Quartet Contest, and two-time District Quartet Champion in the Mid-Atlantic and Sunshine District. Shawn has worked and met with many big name music professionals and famous people such as Omar Jose Cardona from NBC's The Voice, Pro Wrestling Legend Hulk Hogan (where he won the first Inaugural Hogan's Hangout Mens Karaoke Championship), the Godfather of Contemporary A Cappella Deke Sharon, and Country Music Legend Kenny Rogers. Shawn is also an active vocal coach, and has participated in numerous Harmony Camp Workshops in Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida.  Be on the lookout for his forthcoming single “Focused.”

Francesca Tarantino (October, 2023)

Francesca Tarantino is a singer based in the Central Florida area.   Francesca has always loved to sing, often belting out classic rock tunes while running around the house or riding in the car.  She got her first taste for performing on stage in second grade, when she closed out her school’s talent show with “I Wanna Rock and Roll All Nite” by KISS.  Shortly after, she moved to Florida and started in a new school that gave her the opportunity to learn about acting, singing, and musical theatre.  
While theater has given her a stage and experience, Francesca was eager to expand her talents and grow as an artist. In December 2020, she joined Dreamwalker Music Evolution (DME Orlando).  At DME, Francesca entered the recording studio for the first time and instantly loved it! 
Francesca has played some local gigs in and around Orlando and has participated in several open mics. She has performed on stage at Hard Rock Live Orlando, The Dr. Phillips Center for Performing Arts, and Tin Roof Orlando. She has also sung the National Anthem at several charity events and sporting events including the Daytona Tortugas and two games for the Miami Marlins.