The Bandwich Tapes

On this episode of The Bandwich Tapes, I sit down with mandolinist, singer, and recording engineer Ethan Setiawan to talk about his new album, Little Storms, and the musical relationships that have shaped the band behind it. Ethan talks about meeting his bandmates during his years in Boston and why chemistry, listening, and simply getting along can be every bit as important as technical ability when putting a group together.

We also trace Ethan’s path on the mandolin, from learning bluegrass and old-time music as a young player to winning the National Mandolin Championship at seventeen. He reflects on the value of competitions as developmental milestones, the communal nature of bluegrass festivals, and the musicians who helped expand his idea of what the mandolin could do, including Mike Marshall and Jacob Jolliff.

Ethan takes me inside the making of Encyclopedia Mandolinica, his collection of mandolin duets and trios, and explains what recording with different players taught him about working efficiently in the studio. We also talk about his experience as an engineer and mixer, the importance of stepping away from a project to regain perspective, and the value of working with an engineer you trust.

With Little Storms, Ethan has also stepped more fully into the role of lead singer. We talk about recording the band live in a room together, the concentration required to sing and play mandolin simultaneously, and why he is particularly proud of the way his vocals and the ensemble came together on the record.

Along the way, we discuss Ethan’s years at Berklee, the changing realities of building a career as an independent musician, and the tension between music that develops slowly and a social media culture built around short-form content. For Ethan, the heart of it still comes back to playing live, listening closely, and making music with people he trusts.

Key Takeaways

• Ethan believes a successful band depends heavily on chemistry, listening, and the ability of musicians to adapt to one another—not simply individual technical ability.
• Bluegrass and old-time music were Ethan’s entry points into the mandolin, and after exploring jazz and other styles, he has increasingly returned to those roots.
• Winning the National Mandolin Championship at seventeen gave Ethan a valuable developmental benchmark, although he sees competition as very different from the collaborative spirit of making music.
• Mike Marshall has been a major influence on Ethan because of his ability to move naturally between bluegrass, jazz, Brazilian choro, and other musical traditions.
• Recording Encyclopedia Mandolinica taught Ethan how to enter a studio, focus quickly, and create strong performances within relatively short sessions.
• Ethan’s engineering experience has helped him make records more independently, while also teaching him the importance of leaving time between recording, editing, and mixing to regain perspective.
• On Little Storms, Ethan challenged himself to sing lead while playing mandolin live with the band, an experience that changed how he thinks about simplicity, concentration, and serving the music.

Music from the Episode

I Didn't Try Hard Enough - Ethan Setiawan
The Harbor Walk - Ethan Setiawan
Whiskey Boys - Ethan Setiawan
About the Podcast

The Bandwich Tapes is a music interview podcast hosted by Brad Williams featuring conversations with musicians, songwriters, producers, and other creative artists. Each episode explores the experiences behind the music—from influences and collaboration to technique, creativity, recording, touring, and the lifelong process of becoming a better musician.

Connect with the Show

contact@thebandwichtapes.com

On this episode of The Bandwich Tapes, I sit down with Sarah Anderson and Paul DeHaven of Heavy Diamond Ring for a conversation about a musical partnership that has lasted more than two decades, the evolution of their approach to making records, and the band’s new EP, Let Love Be Enough.

Sarah and Paul first met when they were young musicians in Colorado and quickly began making music together. Their partnership eventually led to more than a decade in Paper Bird and, later, Heavy Diamond Ring. We talk about what allows a musical relationship to survive that long, why friendship and humor matter as much as musicianship, and how Heavy Diamond Ring developed into a band where listening to one another is more important than filling every available space.

That idea of space becomes a big part of our conversation. Paul talks about moving away from a more cerebral approach to playing and becoming increasingly interested in restraint, feel, and music that creates a place for the listener to inhabit. Sarah describes a similar evolution, from wanting to fill every space and make everything perfect to realizing that sometimes the most powerful thing a band can do is simply let a song breathe.

We also dig into the making of Let Love Be Enough, which began when the band took advantage of some extra time on tour in Minnesota and decided to experiment with recording away from their usual environment. That experience eventually brought them back to Minnesota to finish the EP, giving the band a chance to rethink some of its usual studio habits. Sarah talks about gaining confidence as a singer in a different recording environment, while Paul discusses the creative value of limitations and treating each record as a snapshot of who the band is at that particular moment.

Throughout the conversation, we keep returning to the idea of capturing something human. Sarah and Paul talk about imperfection, live performance, musical communication, and why a record doesn’t have to be polished into perfection to be right. We also discuss Sarah’s vocal influences, including Dolly Parton, Joni Mitchell, Fleetwood Mac, and Courtney Marie Andrews, the band’s connection to the sounds of the 1970s, and why Heavy Diamond Ring ultimately wants its records to sound and feel like people making music together.

Key Takeaways

• Sarah Anderson and Paul DeHaven have been making music together for more than two decades, beginning when they were young musicians in Colorado and continuing through Paper Bird and Heavy Diamond Ring.
• Friendship, communication, and humor have been essential to their musical partnership and to the chemistry of Heavy Diamond Ring.
• The band has gradually moved toward a more spacious approach to arranging, where restraint, listening, and knowing when not to play are as important as the notes themselves.
• Let Love Be Enough began during a tour stop in Minnesota, giving Heavy Diamond Ring an opportunity to experiment with recording away from its usual studio environment.
• Sarah found that working in a different studio and without the familiarity of recording with her brother helped build her confidence as a vocalist.
• The band increasingly views recording as capturing a moment rather than creating a definitive, perfect version of a song. Imperfection can preserve the humanity and communication of musicians playing together.
• Heavy Diamond Ring draws inspiration from the feel and sound of classic recordings while keeping the focus on songs, dynamics, collaboration, and the musical relationship between the players.

Music from the Episode

The One You Use - Heavy Diamond Ring
Problems Got Problems - Heavy Diamond Ring
Whatever You Need - Heavy Diamond Ring
About the Podcast

The Bandwich Tapes is a podcast about music, the people who make it, and the experiences that shape their creative lives. I sit down with musicians, songwriters, producers, and other artists for thoughtful conversations about craft, collaboration, careers, influences, and the stories behind the music.

Connect with the Show

contact@thebandwichtapes.com

On this episode of The Bandwich Tapes, I sit down with drummer, recording engineer, and educator Joel Rosenblatt for a conversation that goes well beyond drumming. Joel has spent his career moving between remarkably different musical environments, including Michel Camilo, Spyro Gyra, Pure Prairie League, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Broadway productions including In the Heights and Hamilton, and countless recording sessions.

We talk about the experiences that shaped Joel as a musician, including stepping into Michel Camilo’s band after a recommendation from Dave Weckl and suddenly finding himself in a rhythm section with Anthony Jackson. Joel shares what he learned about pocket, feel, and playing inside a great arrangement, and how those lessons changed when he joined Spyro Gyra and had to learn how to help build an entire musical arc over a vamp.

Joel also takes me inside the making of Spyro Gyra’s live album Road Scholars, his approach to playing with percussionists, and why hearing everyone onstage is essential to being a good ensemble musician. We get into his time with Pure Prairie League, where a very different kind of music taught him about feel, simplicity, and connecting with an audience.

We also talk about Joel’s work as a recording engineer and how working on the other side of the glass changed the way he hears his own playing. From recording drums at home to performing Broadway shows such as In the Heights, Mamma Mia!, On Your Feet!, and Hamilton, Joel explains why professionalism sometimes means bringing your personality to the music—and other times means playing exactly what the music requires.

Most importantly, this becomes a conversation about identity and change. Facing significant back problems and uncertainty about whether he will be able to continue playing drums, Joel speaks candidly about what happens when the thing you have done for most of your life may no longer define what comes next. We talk about career transitions, relationships, aging, creativity, and the possibility that a musician's next chapter can look very different without being any less meaningful.

Key Takeaways
Joel explains how playing with Anthony Jackson reshaped his understanding of pocket and the role of the rhythm section.
His transition from Michel Camilo to Spyro Gyra required learning how to create musical development over vamps rather than relying on the composition to provide the entire arc.
Joel discusses the making of Spyro Gyra’s Road Scholars and why he personally listened through recordings from dozens of shows to help choose the performances used on the album.
Great ensemble playing begins with listening. Joel explains why he wants to hear the entire band in his monitors rather than focusing only on his own instrument.
Recording and engineering exposed details in Joel’s own playing and helped refine his relationship with time, feel, and the click.
Broadway taught him a different kind of musicianship: respecting the written part, eliminating ego, and delivering the performance the production requires every night.
Joel reflects candidly on physical limitations, aging, musical identity, and the difficult yet potentially rewarding process of reinventing oneself when life forces change.
Music from the Episode
Heart of the Night - Spyro Gyra
Why Not - Michel Camilo Trio
Shaker Song - Spyro Gyra
No Strings Attached - Double B Double V
About the Podcast

The Bandwich Tapes is a podcast about the people who make music and the experiences that shape them. Hosted by musician Brad Williams, the show features conversations with artists, songwriters, producers, engineers, and other creative people about their careers, craft, collaborations, influences, and the realities of a life spent making music.

Connect with the Show

Questions, comments, or guest suggestions?
contact@thebandwichtapes.com

On this episode of The Bandwich Tapes, I sit down with keyboardist, composer, producer, and bandleader David Garfield for a conversation that quickly turns into a history lesson, a rhythm-section master class, and a look at what it actually means to spend a lifetime making music with other people.

David takes me back to his formative years in St. Louis, where he started on drums, discovered jazz through his high school stage band, and learned by getting on bandstands with working musicians around the city. Those experiences eventually led him to Los Angeles, where, still a teenager, he landed a gig with Freddie Hubbard and found himself immersed in one of the richest musical communities imaginable.

A major thread throughout our conversation is David’s relationship with drummers. We talk extensively about Carlos Vega, Jeff Porcaro, Vinnie Colaiuta, Jim Keltner, John “JR” Robinson, Greg Bissonette, Simon Phillips, Steve Ferrone, Joe Porcaro, and others. David explains how starting as a drummer shaped his approach to keyboards, timing, note placement, and groove—and why every great drummer requires a slightly different musical response.

We also dig into David’s Tribute to Jeff project and the philosophy behind assembling an extraordinary group of musicians to honor Jeff Porcaro through the thing that mattered most: the groove. David shares stories about Bernard Purdie, Don Henley, Eddie Van Halen, Greg Phillinganes, Carlos Vega, and the Porcaro family, while explaining why the project had to remain centered on Jeff rather than the famous musicians participating in it.

More than anything, this conversation is about listening. David talks about playing with bassists and guitarists, leaving room for other musicians, choosing the right people for a session, and creating an environment where musicians can bring their own personalities to the music. We also discuss his expansive Outside the Box recordings and his determination to document performances with musicians he admires while there is still an opportunity to get everyone into a room and make music together.

Key Takeaways

• David’s early years playing drums continue to shape his keyboard playing, particularly his sense of timing, groove, articulation, and interaction with a rhythm section.
• Growing up in St. Louis gave David an education that extended well beyond formal instruction. Playing jazz and R&B gigs with experienced musicians taught him how to listen, react, and function on a real bandstand.
• His friendship with Carlos Vega became a defining musical relationship. Carlos influenced David’s decision to focus on keyboards and later helped introduce him to the professional studio and touring world in Los Angeles.
• David approaches playing as a conversation. Rather than forcing every musician into a predetermined arrangement, he creates a framework and leaves room for musicians to respond to one another in real time.
• Tribute to Jeff was intentionally built around Jeff Porcaro’s musical legacy and the groove. David invited drummers connected to Jeff to choose grooves and musical ideas that reflected their relationships with him.
• For David, great rhythm-section playing depends as much on restraint as technique. Bassists, keyboardists, guitarists, and drummers have to listen to one another and understand when not to fill the available space.
• David’s Outside the Box recordings grew from a desire to document music with players he admired, ultimately expanding into a large collection that moves through jazz, funk, R&B, rock, vocal music, and other styles.

Music from the Episode

Hero with a 1000 Eyes - David Garfield
E Minor Shuffle - David Garfield
Babylon Sisters - David Garfield
What You Won't Do for Love - David Garfield
Teen Town - David Garfield

About the Podcast

The Bandwich Tapes is a podcast about the people who make music and the experiences that shape them. I sit down with musicians, songwriters, producers, engineers, and other creative voices to talk about their careers, their craft, the records and performances that mattered, and the lessons they have learned along the way.

Connect with the Show
contact@thebandwichtapes.com

On this episode of The Bandwich Tapes, I sit down with Brian Sachs, drummer, songwriter, and co-founder of Mynd Reader, for a conversation about returning to music, discovering songwriting later in life, and learning to approach creativity with a different set of priorities.

Brian’s first musical life took place in New York City with The Authority, a band that came up alongside the Spin Doctors, Blues Traveler, and Joan Osborne in the city’s club scene. After years away from making music, Brian eventually found his way back, but without the ambition and competitiveness that accompanied his younger years. With Mynd Reader, he describes making music from a place of gratitude, curiosity, and a desire to serve the song rather than himself.

We spend a lot of time talking about craft. Brian explains how his background as a drummer shapes his songwriting, why new ideas need a safe collaborative environment, and how his partnership with Tonin allows fragile ideas to develop without being dismissed too quickly. We also get into his evolution as a drummer,  from progressive rock influences like Bill Bruford, Phil Collins, Keith Moon, and Stewart Copeland to discovering James Brown, funk, Latin rhythms, and a completely different understanding of groove.

We also dig into Mynd Reader’s new EP, Sunday Drive, and the decision to record the band without a click, allowing the music to breathe naturally. Brian talks about working with Grammy-winning mixer Michael Brauer, the importance of Shelby Kemp’s voice and the lyrical content of the songs, and the band’s attempt to capture something timeless rather than simply make stripped-down versions of previously recorded material.

At the center of the conversation is an idea Brian returns to repeatedly: serve the song. Whether he’s writing, playing drums, collaborating with another musician, or deciding not to play at all, Brian has learned that maturity in music often means knowing when to step forward — and when to leave space for somebody else.

Key Takeaways

• Returning to music later in life gave Brian a different perspective, replacing much of the ambition and competitiveness of his younger years with gratitude and appreciation.
• Brian discovered songwriting after years of identifying primarily as a drummer, and his rhythmic background continues to shape the melodies and phrasing of his lyrics.
• His songwriting partnership with Tonin depends on trust and a “yes, and” approach that allows vulnerable new ideas to develop before they are judged.
• Brian’s early drumming influences included Bill Bruford, Phil Collins, Keith Moon, Stewart Copeland, and Ian Paice, but his time with The Authority introduced him to James Brown, funk, Latin rhythms, and a much broader concept of groove.
• Playing alongside bassist Zach Jackson reinforces Brian’s belief that tone, feel, instinct, and listening matter more than technical display.
• Mynd Reader recorded the six songs on Sunday Drive in roughly ten hours without a click, allowing the tempos to move naturally with the emotional needs of the songs.
• Working with Michael Brauer helped the band approach Sunday Drive as something more than an acoustic reinterpretation. The goal was to create different versions of the songs built around Shelby Kemp’s voice, the lyrics, and an easy, timeless musical feel.

Music from the Episode
Still Uncertain - Mynd Reader
Soundtrack of Life - Mynd Reader
Mourning Light - Mynd Reader
About the Podcast

The Bandwich Tapes is a podcast about music, the people who make it, and the experiences that shape a creative life. Hosted by musician Brad Williams, the show features conversations with artists, songwriters, producers, composers, and other music professionals about their careers, creative processes, collaborations, influences, and the craft behind their work.
Connect with the Show

Questions, comments, or guest suggestions?
contact@thebandwichtapes.com