4X JUNO award winner AYSANABEE

WARTORTLE ERA with SUPERSTAR CRUSH

Superstar Crush are BACK and they're in their WARTORTLE ERA! Fresh off opening for Wolf Parade, the Hamilton group joins StereoRuss for a conversation about Rococo-inspired stage aesthetics, finding your people, and the surreal experience of sharing bills with artists they’ve admired for years. It’s funny, thoughtful, and chalked full of Pokémon evolution metaphors.   Connect with Superstar Crush https://www.instagram.com/superstarcrushband/ https://open.spotify.com/artist/29MNW2JE94Rb07rdS5tWFB https://www.youtube.com/@SuperstarCrush/videos [https://www.youtube.com/@SuperstarCrush/videos]   Recorded at Catherine North Studios in Hamilton, Ontario https://www.catherinenorth.com/ https://www.instagram.com/catherinenorthstudios/ [https://www.instagram.com/catherinenorthstudios/]   Produced by StereoRuss and StereoRuss Media https://www.instagram.com/StereoRuss https://www.TikTok.com/@StereoRuss https://www.YouTube.com/@StereoRuss [https://www.YouTube.com/@StereoRuss]   Become an Inside the Music Insider https://www.stereoruss.com [https://www.stereoruss.com]

4X JUNO award winner AYSANABEE

A few days before the Junos, Aysanabee joined me at Catherine North Studios in Hamilton to talk about returning to the awards with two new nominations (which he won by the way)! We got into his approach to live performance, scoring a goal on an NHL goalie, learning with covers from Leon Bridges, Sam Roberts, and Justin Bieber, his self-taught guitar style, and why he’s releasing a stripped-back acoustic album. He also shared stories from the road, including a chaotic live reverb moment, and how he thinks about connecting with audiences through storytelling. Thank you to Aysanabee and his team for taking the time to chat. I hope you all enjoy!   Connect with Aysanabee https://www.instagram.com/_aysanabee_/ [https://www.instagram.com/_aysanabee_/] https://www.aysanabee.com/tour [https://www.aysanabee.com/tour] https://open.spotify.com/artist/1jbEBKJhX4rRmHD6xW6ve5 [https://open.spotify.com/artist/1jbEBKJhX4rRmHD6xW6ve5] https://linktr.ee/Aysanabee [https://linktr.ee/Aysanabee]   Recorded at Catherine North Studios in Hamilton, Ontario https://www.catherinenorth.com/ [https://www.catherinenorth.com/] https://www.instagram.com/catherinenorthstudios/ [https://www.instagram.com/catherinenorthstudios/]   Produced by StereoRuss and StereoRuss Media https://www.instagram.com/StereoRuss [https://www.instagram.com/StereoRuss] https://www.TikTok.com/@StereoRuss [https://www.TikTok.com/@StereoRuss]   Support Inside the Music with StereoRuss https://ko-fi.com/stereoruss [https://ko-fi.com/stereoruss]   Become an Inside the Music Insider https://www.stereoruss.com [https://www.stereoruss.com]   Like, comment, and subscribe for more conversations with artists, producers, and creatives.

DJ's Flying Circus (live on CFMU)

I sat down live in-studio with DJ’s Flying Circus, a growing collective of musicians. What started as jam sessions and covers has turned into original music, a rotating lineup, and a full scale live experience they call The Book of Funk. We talk about where it all started, how they balance life's obligations and creativity, and what it means to commit to something when there’s no clear path forward. There’s a lot in here about community, about figuring it out as you go, and about choosing passion even when it makes life more complicated.   Follow DJ's Flying Circus: https://www.instagram.com/djs_flying_circus/ [https://www.instagram.com/djs_flying_circus/] Follow StereoRuss https://www.instagram.com/stereoruss/ [https://www.instagram.com/stereoruss/]

Gumbo Red Sad Core with Tiger Balme

Tiger Balme is a Toronto based indie pop collective reinventing what a band can look (and sound) like. With vibraphone, harp, guitar, drums, and lush three part harmonies, Tiger Balme blends pop, indie, and art rock into something entirely their own. In this conversation, the band dives into their origins as a songwriting collective, how shared leadership shapes their sound, and why no one person stands at the front of the stage. We talk uniforms, identity, harmony arranging, odd time signatures, and the realities of playing everything from vintage shops to Union Station. The band also reflects on reimagining their song “Short Fuse (Embers)”, collaboration over competition, and building trust as a creative unit. Connect with Tiger Balme https://www.instagram.com/tigerbalme/?hl=en [https://www.instagram.com/tigerbalme/?hl=en] https://ffm.to/tigerbalme [https://ffm.to/tigerbalme] https://tigerbalme.bandcamp.com/track/short-fuse-embers [https://tigerbalme.bandcamp.com/track/short-fuse-embers] https://linktr.ee/tigerbalme [https://linktr.ee/tigerbalme] https://www.tiktok.com/@tigerbalme [https://www.tiktok.com/@tigerbalme] Tiger Balme Mailing List: https://tigerbalme.us14.list-manage.com/subscribe [https://tigerbalme.us14.list-manage.com/subscribe]   Recorded at Catherine North Studios in Hamilton, Ontario https://www.catherinenorth.com/ https://www.instagram.com/catherinenorthstudios/ [https://www.instagram.com/catherinenorthstudios/]   Edited by Mike Monson and Monco Film + Sound http://moncofilmandsound.com/ [http://moncofilmandsound.com/] https://www.instagram.com/moncofilmandsound/ [https://www.instagram.com/moncofilmandsound/]   Produced by StereoRuss and StereoRuss Media https://www.instagram.com/StereoRuss [https://www.instagram.com/StereoRuss] https://www.TikTok.com/@StereoRuss [https://www.TikTok.com/@StereoRuss]   Become an Inside the Music Insider https://www.stereoruss.com [https://www.stereoruss.com]   Like, comment, and subscribe for more conversations with artists, producers, and creatives.

Finding Your Own Sound with Jack Stearns-Ley

Jack Stearns-Ley is a Hamilton based singer songwriter exploring the space between lo-fi intimacy and expansive, collaborative sound. Centred around piano but shaped by a rotating cast of musicians, Jack’s music blends singer songwriter roots with jazz, ambient textures, and a sense of organized spontaneity. His latest project, Dottie’s Sketchbook, is as much about process as it is about the songs themselves. The album was Recorded in just two days using borrowed gear, voice memo room mics, and a trust in the people around him. In this conversation, Jack dives into building a sound through friendship, moving between punk bands and solo work, and letting go of perfection in favour of honesty. We talk about recording off the floor, embracing imperfection, and why sometimes the best takes happen when you don’t fully know what you’re doing. We also get into the Hamilton music scene, all ages venues, DIY recording, and what it means to make something that feels human in an increasingly polished world. Connect with Jack Stearns-Ley https://open.spotify.com/artist/4lphjL8oxr4InlpMRJUIXL https://www.instagram.com/jackiesmusic3008/ https://www.instagram.com/smittheband/ [https://www.instagram.com/smittheband/] Recorded at Catherine North Studios in Hamilton, Ontario https://www.catherinenorth.com/ https://www.instagram.com/catherinenorthstudios/ [https://www.instagram.com/catherinenorthstudios/] Edited by Mike Monson and Monco Film + Sound http://moncofilmandsound.com/ https://www.instagram.com/moncofilmandsound/ [https://www.instagram.com/moncofilmandsound/] Produced by StereoRuss and StereoRuss Media https://www.instagram.com/StereoRuss https://www.TikTok.com/@StereoRuss [https://www.TikTok.com/@StereoRuss] Become an Inside the Music Insider https://www.stereoruss.com [https://www.stereoruss.com] Like, comment, and subscribe for more conversations with artists, producers, and creatives.