Hana Eid: Stream of Consciousness Songwriting, the Nashville Indie Scene, and Life Behind "Trains Running Backwards"

Devon Gilfillian: The Gumbo of Influences, a Father's Heart Attack, and the Making of "In Real Life"

This week we sit down with Devon Gilfillian, Nashville-based soul and rock artist from Delaware County, Pennsylvania, ahead of the June 26th release of his fourth studio album, In Real Life. It's a record born from gratitude, grief, and a renewed commitment to focusing on what's actually in front of you — not what's on the screen. Devon traces his musical upbringing from a household shaped by his dad's love of Stevie Wonder, Earth Wind & Fire, and Motown, through a teenage obsession with Jimi Hendrix, Zeppelin, and the Allman Brothers, all the way to discovering Sturgill Simpson and Willie Nelson after moving to Nashville at 23. The result is what he calls a gumbo — a sound that draws on soul, rock, country, and hip hop in equal measure. He opens up about how his dad's heart attack two years ago reframed everything, the deep bench of collaborators he brought in for the album (including mixer Neil Pogue, who's worked with Outkast, TLC, and Tyler the Creator), and why he's finally at peace with the anxiety of releasing music after four records. We also get into his complicated relationship with social media, why he almost went by "Reverend Fuzz," the five albums he'd make required listening in a music class, and the songs in his catalog he's most proud of — including the quietly devastating "Thank Me Later" and the politically loaded "Love You Anyway." Links: 🎵 In Real Life — out June 26th: devongilfillian.com 📸 Instagram: @devongilfillian Follow Me On Socials * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@fuegostine [https://www.youtube.com/@fuegostine] * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fuegostine/ * TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@fuegostine * Spotify Playlists: https://open.spotify.com/user/fuegostine?si=a9f66792f66149ae * Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/fuegostine [https://www.patreon.com/fuegostine?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator]

Olivia Rodrigo Finally Sounds Like Herself — You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love | The Ether Episode 01

Olivia Rodrigo's third album is her most cohesive yet — and it has more in common with folk music than you'd expect. Olivia Rodrigo dropped her third studio album, You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love, and something genuinely interesting happened — she finally sounds like herself. On this episode of The Ether, we put the album in context. No scores. Just where it sits in her arc as an artist, what musical conversation it's joining, who it's actually for, and where to go next if it opens something up for you. We talk Dan Nigro's production, the Robert Smith collaboration, why this record's lineage runs through Mazzy Star, Michelle Branch, Sheryl Crow, and Fleetwood Mac — and why a folk and Americana curator is spending time on an Olivia Rodrigo album at all. That last one might surprise you. The Ether is the album context series from Fuegostine's Music Club. New episodes drop whenever an album is worth talking about. WHAT WE COVER — Where You Seem Pretty Sad sits in Olivia Rodrigo's arc — The 80s new wave DNA running through the record — The Robert Smith collaboration and why it works — Who this album is actually for (and who it isn't) — The folk and Americana lineage hiding inside a pop record — Where to go next: Mazzy Star, Michelle Branch, Sheryl Crow, Fleetwood Mac WATCH THE FULL VIDEO Full episode with the For Fans Of visual breakdown on YouTube: https://youtu.be/NmzoDJDlSLA FIND FUEGOSTINE  Follow Me On Socials * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@fuegostine [https://www.youtube.com/@fuegostine] * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fuegostine/ * TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@fuegostine * Spotify Playlists: https://open.spotify.com/user/fuegostine?si=a9f66792f66149ae * Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/fuegostine [https://www.patreon.com/fuegostine?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator]

Elizabeth & the Catapult on Writing "Responsible Friend," Grief, and 16 Years in the Music Industry

In this episode, Matt sits down with Elizabeth of Elizabeth & the Catapult to talk about her sixth studio album, "Responsible Friend." Elizabeth shares the story behind the band's name, the emotional weight she carried while writing the record (including loss, illness, and the heaviness of the news cycle), and how a grant called the DAG Prize allowed her to fully produce the album with a band of longtime collaborators rather than writing it alone. The conversation covers a lot of ground: her early classical training and the artists who shaped her ear (Stevie Wonder, Joni Mitchell, Nirvana, and more), how her live performances have evolved to favor improvisation over note-perfect renditions, and the surprising afterlife of her song "Thank You For Nothing," which found its way into an Anne Hathaway film. Elizabeth also gets candid about the realities of being on a major label versus releasing music independently, and offers a piece of advice every young musician should hear before signing a record deal. She closes out with her five required-listening albums for anyone studying songwriting and a look ahead at her tour schedule, including dates opening for Amy Helm and a possible songwriting retreat in the French countryside. Elizabeth & the Catapult's new album "Responsible Friend" is out now. Follow Me On Socials * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@fuegostine [https://www.youtube.com/@fuegostine] * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fuegostine/ * TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@fuegostine * Spotify Playlists: https://open.spotify.com/user/fuegostine?si=a9f66792f66149ae * Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/fuegostine [https://www.patreon.com/fuegostine?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator]

Arroba Nat: Looking Inward, Healing Out Loud, and the World of "Mirar Adentro"

This week we sit down with Arroba Nat, a Mexican indie singer-songwriter from Zacatecas, just days after the release of their third studio album, Mirar Adentro. It's their most vulnerable work yet — an album born out of therapy, self-examination, and the hard work of learning to believe they deserve love and care. In this conversation, Arroba Nat shares the eclectic musical household they grew up in — Bolero legends like Chabela Vargas and José Alfredo Jiménez alongside Iron Maiden and reggae — and how those influences quietly shaped their sound. They talk about the evolution from writing strictly about relationships with others to finally turning the lens on themselves, the collaborative process behind "Mirar Adentro" with producers German and Ravi, and a songwriting camp in Spain that produced one of their favorite tracks. We also explore the breathtaking visual world they built around the album: an immersive art exhibition where every room represents a song and a feeling, now available to experience online. Plus, they open up about managing pre-release anxiety through therapy, the realities of touring Mexico and Latin America as an indie artist, and the artists they can't stop listening to right now. The message at the heart of everything: you deserve everything you want. Links: 🎵 Mirar Adentro & online art exhibit: https://arrobanat.com.mx/miraradentro/ [https://arrobanat.com.mx/miraradentro/] 📸 Instagram: @arroba.nat Follow Me On Socials * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@fuegostine [https://www.youtube.com/@fuegostine] * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fuegostine/ * TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@fuegostine * Spotify Playlists: https://open.spotify.com/user/fuegostine?si=a9f66792f66149ae * Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/fuegostine [https://www.patreon.com/fuegostine?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator]

Hana Eid: Stream of Consciousness Songwriting, the Nashville Indie Scene, and Life Behind "Trains Running Backwards"

This week I sit down with Hana Eid, Nashville-based indie rock artist and songwriter behind the acclaimed debut album Trains Running Backwards. At just 23, Hana has already carved out a distinctive voice in the indie alternative space — blending confessional songwriting with a full-band, shoegaze-influenced sound. In this episode, Hana talks about growing up listening to everything from Fish and Rush to Ed Sheeran, how moving to Nashville for college unlocked a whole new sonic world, and how she wrote most of her debut album between ages 19 and 21. She breaks down the story behind "Waldo" (spoiler: it's about being ghosted), her obsessive and hands-on approach to production, and the challenges of balancing touring life with day jobs and a high-maintenance pet rabbit. We also get into her philosophy on social media, the art of writing under your own name, why co-writing is a muscle she wants to flex more, and the five albums she'd make required listening in a music class — including picks from Wilco, Autolux, and Addison Rae. Hana is currently gearing up for a tour supporting Fox Tide and deep in writing mode for whatever comes next. Links: 🎵 Listen to Trains Running Backwards — hanaeid.com 📸 Instagram: @hanaeid Follow Me On Socials * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@fuegostine [https://www.youtube.com/@fuegostine] * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fuegostine/ * TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@fuegostine * Spotify Playlists: https://open.spotify.com/user/fuegostine?si=a9f66792f66149ae * Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/fuegostine [https://www.patreon.com/fuegostine?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator]