The Bandwich Tapes

On this episode of The Bandwich Tapes, I sit down with SAVNT, lead singer of Ghost Hounds, for a conversation about the band’s new album Justified, vocal interpretation, storytelling, musical identity, and the unexpected path that brought him into the group.

We spend a lot of time talking about SAVNT’s approach as a singer. Sam Cooke was one of his earliest and most important influences, but his musical upbringing was much broader than any one genre. Soul, rock, country, and pop all existed together in his home, and that openness still shapes the way he hears music today. As SAVNT puts it during our conversation, “soul is not a genre, it’s a feeling.” That idea becomes a through line for much of the episode.

We also get deep into the songwriting and recording process behind Ghost Hounds. SAVNT talks about working with Thomas Tull, who often approaches songs almost like a screenwriter, building characters, circumstances, and emotional backstories before SAVNT ever steps to the microphone. From there, the challenge becomes finding that character’s truth and connecting it to something real in his own life. We talk about why he prefers singing complete takes in the studio and why he sometimes keeps recording even after everyone else thinks they already have the vocal.

The story of how SAVNT joined Ghost Hounds is remarkable. After deciding to leave New York and move to Denver, one final performance in Brooklyn put him in front of the band’s former lead singer, who recommended him for the job. Only months later, SAVNT was touring with The Rolling Stones, meeting artists including Lainey Wilson and Patty Griffin, and eventually performing at the Grand Ole Opry. He and drummer Sydney Driver even joined the band on the same day, giving both of them someone else to navigate that transition alongside.

We also break down several songs on Justified, including “Sinner’s Prayer,” “Pale Horse,” “Something Wicked,” “After You,” and the band’s versions of “Gimme Shelter,” “Going Down,” and “Amazing Grace.” SAVNT explains why those older songs naturally became part of the album and why closing the record with “Amazing Grace” gives the entire project an emotional and spiritual destination. It’s a conversation about roots music, perseverance, collaboration, and what happens when a singer stops thinking about genre and starts thinking about truth.
Key Takeaways
SAVNT’s vocal identity comes from an unusually broad musical foundation. Sam Cooke was a formative influence, but country, rock, soul, pop, and other styles were all part of his listening life from an early age.
For SAVNT, soul is bigger than a genre. If a folk, bluegrass, country, rock, or jazz performance communicates something real enough to make him feel it, he considers that soul.
Ghost Hounds approach songs as stories first. Thomas Tull often gives SAVNT detailed character and emotional context, allowing him to approach the vocal almost like an actor trying to find the truth of a role.
SAVNT prefers recording complete vocal performances whenever possible. Singing the full song allows him to build naturally toward its emotional peaks instead of assembling the performance one isolated section at a time.
Joining Ghost Hounds was the result of an unlikely chain of events. A final Brooklyn performance before SAVNT planned to move to Denver led to a recommendation, an audition, and ultimately a meeting with the band on January 1, 2024.
SAVNT and drummer Sydney Driver joined Ghost Hounds on the same day. Their musical connection quickly became important, with SAVNT describing Sydney as an anchor whose playing helps guide his entrances and phrasing onstage.
Justified developed organically rather than according to a rigid plan. Covers including “Gimme Shelter,” “Going Down,” and “Amazing Grace” were originally recorded without certainty that they would become part of an album, but eventually the music itself seemed to determine where they belonged.
Songs from the Episode
Something Wicked - Ghost Hounds
Sinner's Prayer - Ghost Hounds
Gimme Shelter - Ghost Hounds
Amazing Grace - Ghost Hounds
Going Down - Ghost Hounds
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 people for thoughtful conversations about craft, collaboration, careers, influences, and the realities of making music. The goal is simple: get beyond the résumé and talk about how music actually gets made.
Connect with the Show

Questions, comments, guest suggestions, or just want to say hello?
contact@thebandwichtapes.com

On this episode of The Bandwich Tapes, I sit down with Italian guitarist, composer, producer, and sound engineer Emanuele Naima. Our conversation begins with Steve Reich's music and expands into a thoughtful exploration of sound, collaboration, and the freedom to pursue more than one creative path.

Emanuele tells me how his interest in minimalist music and academic research led him to reimagine all three movements of Reich’s Electric Counterpoint. By combining classical and electric guitars with synthesizers, handclaps, and snare drum, he honored the composition while creating a distinct atmosphere for each movement: memory, stillness, and conflict.

We also trace Emanuele’s musical life from beginning classical guitar at eight to completing 12 years of conservatory study. He shares the wonderfully varied music that filled his childhood home, including Pink Floyd, Aretha Franklin, Elton John, jazz, psychedelic music, and Michael Jackson. That open listening continues to shape a career that moves naturally among classical guitar, R&B, funk, ambient music, sound design, production, and live performance.

Emanuele also reflects on his work with Puka Shells Bling, the influence of playing funk and dub with other musicians, and the way collaboration changes everything from touch and tone to harmony and time. We close by discussing his ambient compositions, work with dance and choreography, improvised techno, and his willingness to keep experimenting without forcing every musical interest into a single identity.

Key Takeaways
Emanuele’s reinterpretation of Electric Counterpoint began as part of a potential PhD proposal and later developed into a complete recording project.
He combined classical guitar, electric guitar, synthesizers, handclaps, and snare drum while preserving the dynamics and structure of Steve Reich’s composition.
Each movement became a different image for Emanuele: a memory, a peaceful refuge, and a scene of conflict.
Twelve years of conservatory study gave him a classical foundation, while funk, dub, R&B, ambient music, and production expanded his sense of rhythm and sound.
His childhood listening moved freely among Pink Floyd, Aretha Franklin, Elton John, jazz, psychedelic music, Metallica, Madonna, Lady Gaga, and Michael Jackson.
Playing with other musicians taught Emanuele how touch, energy, harmony, tone, and placement within the beat become part of a musician’s identity.
Rather than committing to a single narrow path, Emanuele is embracing experimentation across ambient music, dance, live performance, synthesizers, and improvised techno.
Music from the Episode
Electric Counterpoint - I. Fast - Emanuele Naima
Electric Counterpoint - III. Fast - Emanuele Naima
Equilibri - Emanuele Naima
About the Podcast

The Bandwich Tapes is a podcast about music, the people who make it, and the experiences that shape a creative life. I sit down with musicians, songwriters, producers, and other artists for thoughtful conversations about craft, collaboration, careers, and the moments that happen both on and off the bandstand.
Connect with the Show

Questions, comments, and guest suggestions:
contact@thebandwichtapes.com

On this episode of The Bandwich Tapes, I sit down with multi-instrumentalist and recording artist Erik Hall to talk about his evolving relationship with minimalist music. We begin with his large-ensemble interpretation of Simeon ten Holt’s Canto Ostinato, created in collaboration with Metropolis Ensemble and Sandbox Percussion following a performance at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

Erik takes me inside the challenges of moving from a solitary, multitracked recording process to an ensemble filled with individual players, instincts, and senses of time. We talk about tempo, repetition, concentration, and how a piece changes when musicians must listen, respond, and move through it together.

We also trace Erik’s path from childhood classical piano lessons through jazz drumming, rock bands, touring, and record-making. That wide musical background eventually brought him back to the piano and to solo interpretations of works by Steve Reich, Simeon ten Holt, Glenn Branca, Charlemagne Palestine, and Laurie Spiegel.  Along the way, Erik explains how microphone placement and instrumentation helped him build the sonic world of Music for 18 Musicians. He also reflects on the balance between honoring a score and giving himself enough freedom to discover something personal inside it.

We close with Erik’s return to original composition, the creative discipline of working every day, and the surprising power of writing music that can stand on its own in a single performance. We also talk about his recent time playing drums with Natalie Bergman—and why, behind the kit, feel matters far more than complexity.

Key Takeaways
Erik’s large-ensemble version of Canto Ostinato grew from his 2023 solo recording and an invitation from Andrew Cyr of Metropolis Ensemble.
The project began with a 52-musician performance at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden before being refined into a studio recording with Metropolis Ensemble and Sandbox Percussion.
Playing repetitive music with an ensemble requires a different kind of attention than building it alone through overdubs, especially when navigating cues, repeats, tempo, and transitions.
Erik’s background in classical piano, percussion, jazz drumming, guitar, touring, and studio recording all informs the way he approaches minimalist music.
While recording Music for 18 Musicians, Erik used instrumentation and microphone placement to preserve the behavior of Steve Reich’s arrangement while creating a distinct sonic identity.
Years of working on Canto Ostinato have transformed Erik’s piano playing and reconnected him with the patient, incremental process of learning music.
Erik is now developing original material, including music conceived for solo piano or Fender Rhodes, while also working on a film score and considering future interpretive recordings.
Music from the Episode
Music for 18 Musicians (Pulses) - Erik Hall
Canto Ostinato - Erik Hall
Strumming Music - Erik Hall
Music for a Large Ensemble - Erik Hall
The Temple of Venus - Erik Hall
About the Podcast

The Bandwich Tapes is a podcast about music, the people who make it, and the experiences that shape their creative lives. Hosted by musician Brad Williams, each episode offers an honest, thoughtful conversation with artists, producers, engineers, and other members of the musical community.

Connect with the Show

Email: contact@thebandwichtapes.com

On this episode of The Bandwich Tapes, I sit down with singer-songwriter Josie Sal to talk about her new single “Cowboys & Barbies,” songwriting, finding her sound, and what she is learning as she begins building a career in music.

“Cowboys & Barbies” started as an idea Josie carried around for nearly two years before deciding she was ready to write it. We talk about working with co-writers Kelly Johnson and Mara Streppa, and how the song uses the childhood image of Ken and Barbie to explore a much bigger realization: growing up means discovering that life rarely follows the script you imagined. Josie also shares one of the most important lessons she has learned as a songwriter — most songs are part of the practice that eventually gets you to the one you really believe in.

We also get into the recording process with producer Brandon Hood. Josie explains how the original demo leaned much more toward pop and how Brandon helped move the song toward the country sound she heard in her head while still allowing it to feel like her. We talk about the small production details that give the track personality, including a toy-box-like sound in the bridge that subtly connects the arrangement back to the song’s fairy-tale imagery.

Josie tells me how unexpectedly singing entered her life after years of dancing. What began with her dad offering her twenty dollars to sing with a band during a family trip quickly developed into vocal lessons, performances, songwriting, and recording. We talk about how her background in dance helped shape her sense of rhythm and how she continues to work toward defining exactly what the Josie Sal sound should be.

We also spend time talking about family. Josie describes the support she gets from her parents and three older siblings, how closely connected they remain, and what it has meant to experience the early stages of her music career alongside them. With “Cowboys & Barbies” arriving August 21 and its music video following August 28, Josie is focused on writing, releasing more music, playing shows, and continuing to develop an artistic identity that feels completely her own.
Key Takeaways
“Cowboys & Barbies” began as an idea Josie held onto for nearly two years. She waited until she felt ready to fully develop the concept rather than forcing the song before its time.
The song is ultimately about growing up and letting go of the idea that life follows a predetermined script. The childhood imagery of Ken and Barbie becomes a way to examine expectations, relationships, and reality.
Co-writing has taught Josie to value the process, not just the finished songs. She estimates that the overwhelming majority of songs a writer creates may simply be practice that leads to stronger work later.
Producer Brandon Hood helped Josie move the song away from its pop-oriented demo and toward the country sound she envisioned. Small production ideas, including the toy-box texture in the bridge, helped reinforce the lyrical concept.
Josie’s musical path began unexpectedly. After growing up primarily as a dancer, she first sang with a band at age ten after her father offered her twenty dollars to do it.
Her family has become an important part of the journey. Josie’s parents have consistently supported their children’s interests, while her older siblings regularly attend shows, promote her music, and remain closely involved in her life.
Josie’s current priority is defining her own sound. Beyond releasing individual songs, she is focused on writing extensively, performing, surrounding herself with the right team, and making sure future music sounds distinctly like Josie Sal.
Songs from the Episode
Song - Artist
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 people for thoughtful conversations about craft, collaboration, careers, influences, and the realities of making music. The goal is simple: get beyond the résumé and talk about how music actually gets made.
Connect with the Show
Questions, comments, guest suggestions, or just want to say hello?
contact@thebandwichtapes.com

On this episode of The Bandwich Tapes, I sit down with Jeff Bush, director of the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, for a conversation about swing music, leadership, ensemble playing, education, and the responsibility that comes with carrying one of American music’s great band traditions forward.
Jeff first joined the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra more than two decades ago when Buddy Morrow was leading the band, and after years spent pursuing other musical opportunities, he returned to take over the leadership role. We talk about what that job actually involves today — everything from hiring musicians, coordinating travel, and working with venues to choosing repertoire, writing arrangements, and making sure the band continues to sound authentic without becoming frozen in time.
A big part of our conversation centers on feel. Jeff breaks down how the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra sits rhythmically compared with other great bands, including the Glenn Miller Orchestra and Count Basie Orchestra, and why forward motion without rushing is such an important part of swing. We also talk about the relationship between the drummer and lead trumpet, the importance of strong section leaders, and how a great rhythm section can completely change the way an ensemble feels.
Jeff also shares the story of how he found the trombone, the influence of teachers who introduced him to great music, and what he learned both at Youngstown State University and the Manhattan School of Music. Just as importantly, we talk about the education that only comes from making gigs, being on the road, working with experienced musicians, and learning the professional skills that cannot be taught from a book.
We also get into Tommy Dorsey’s famous phrasing and breath control, including why singers such as Frank Sinatra paid such close attention to the way Dorsey played a melody. Jeff talks about his work as coordinator of jazz studies at Duquesne University, the changing realities of touring a seventeen-piece orchestra, and a new Tommy Dorsey Orchestra recording made largely as a working band with limited editing. At the heart of it all is Jeff’s belief that this music belongs to a continuum — something each generation has a responsibility to learn, respect, and keep moving forward.
Key Takeaways
Leading the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra means much more than standing in front of the band. Jeff is involved in personnel, travel, venue coordination, programming, arranging, and the day-to-day decisions required to keep a large ensemble working.
Preserving a musical legacy does not mean simply recreating the past. The orchestra performs a substantial amount of material associated with Tommy Dorsey, while Jeff also looks for ways to introduce repertoire that feels consistent with what Dorsey himself might have explored.
Swing depends on the feel of the entire ensemble. The rhythm section provides the foundation, but lead players throughout the horn sections must understand where the beat sits for the band to truly lock together.
The drummer and lead trumpet function almost like co-quarterbacks in a big band. Their relationship has an enormous influence on time, articulation, dynamics, and the overall direction of the ensemble.
Tommy Dorsey approached the trombone like a singer. His breath control, phrasing, and awareness of the lyric helped redefine what the instrument could sound like and became an important influence on vocalists including Frank Sinatra.
Professionalism is built from simple, controllable habits. Jeff stresses punctuality, attitude, appearance, preparation, and learning how to work well with people as essential parts of a sustainable music career.
Playing with experienced musicians is an education of its own. Jeff believes younger players develop adaptability, humility, ensemble awareness, and professional instincts by spending time on actual bandstands with musicians who have already lived that life.
Music from the Episode
Opus One - Tommy Dorsey Orchestra
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, educators, and other creative people for thoughtful conversations about craft, collaboration, careers, influences, and the realities of making music. The goal is simple: get beyond the résumé and talk about how music actually gets made.
Connect with the Show

Questions, comments, guest suggestions, or just want to say hello?
contact@thebandwichtapes.com