The Rhythm Section: A Memphis Music Podcast

#121. Nick Strong | Memphis Music Ambassador

The Rhythm Section Pod welcomes guest Nick Strong, a dedicated supporter of the local music community and aspiring vocalist. Nick shares how childhood influences like Huey Lewis, Bon Jovi, Poison, and Def Leppard shaped his dream to sing, and how he gained confidence by posting home singing videos and being invited onstage with bands including Formerly Known As, Gen X, Six Feet Thunder, Full Metal Racket, and Your Mom’s New Boyfriend, often performing STP’s “Cracker Man” and Ozzy’s “Shot in the Dark.” He credits supporters like Shawn Few and Scott Sudbury, discusses his son Noel’s band Indigo Avenue, and suggests mixing Memphis rap with rock, citing Project Pat and Al Kapone’s TAMI Awards performance. Nick also talks about his business, Home Strong Quality Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning, and thanks the community while encouraging fans to support local shows and musicians.
 
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#120. Ken Artison | Drummer for Elevation Memphis

Derrick and Jeff interview Memphis drummer Ken Artison, who works as a family engagement liaison at Power Center Academy Elementary School in Hickory Hill and plays drums for Elevation Memphis: A Tina Turner Tribute Experience and Just Liyah & Maxwell: A 90s tribute to Aaliyah and Maxwell. Ken shares how Stax Music Academy trained him in production, theory, and performance through a school-year program and summer music experience, and how young musicians can apply. He explains how he landed a long-running Sunday job at Al Green’s Full Gospel Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church, the connections it created, and his move into more rock-and-roll work. Ken recounts joining Elevation via an audition, discusses tuning drums to a bassist’s lowest note, talks gear and cymbals, and names key drumming influences.
 
TIP BUCKET
If you find it in your heart to donate to the cause and help fuel the podcast you can do so through our new Venmo and CashApp. Your support is greatly appreciated and will help shine a brighter spotlight on the great Memphis Music Community.
Venmo - @‌therhythmsectionpod
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Thanks for tuning in and supporting the Rhythm Section Podcast.
 
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#119. Brad Webb, Tony Adams, and Dan Cochran

Derrick and Jeff welcome Brad Webb, Tony Adams, and Dan Cochran to talk about decades of Memphis-area recording and gigging, including sessions with Blind Mississippi Morris, Fred Sanders, and others. Brad describes building a barn studio in 1987, working with analog tape and early mic-mixing techniques, and running hundreds of blues jams at venues like Rum Boogie, Stage Stop, and Rock House Live. Dan shares that most of his studio work happened in Brad’s room but prefers live performance, and explains how he became a left-handed person who plays right-handed bass. Tony recounts signing a first record deal at 17, recording at Phillips Studios with Sam Phillips at the console, then working in major analog studios and becoming a sought-after drum tech and tuner, including a story from sessions tied to Matchbox 20’s early work.
 
TIP BUCKET
If you find it in your heart to donate to the cause and help fuel the podcast you can do so through our new Venmo and CashApp. Your support is greatly appreciated and will help shine a brighter spotlight on the great Memphis Music Community.
Venmo - @‌therhythmsectionpod
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Thanks for tuning in and supporting the Rhythm Section Podcast.
 
🌐 Follow The Rhythm Section Pod: therhythmsectionpod.com
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Scene Talk with Steve Owens: A Deeper Discussion

Derrick and Jeff welcomes Steve Owens for a special in-studio discussion combining band date announcements, and an open discussion about the local music scene. The conversation covers double-booking problems, sound support, fair pay, covers/tipping, table reservations, and the shared responsibility of bands and venues to promote shows. Steve highlights Hadley’s Monday-night fundraisers benefiting 4-year-old Elise “the Beast” Glimmer (spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy and epilepsy, needing treatment in Mexico), the April 19 “Pause for the Cause” animal-rescue benefit at Neil’s, and the sold-out Thomas Half Acre benefit at Lafayette’s on April 20, including an auctioned memorial shirt.
 
Steve Owen’s Official Interview - https://youtu.be/cnCzjJjjpFk
Thomas Halfacre Interview - https://youtu.be/LKOlcyssoaA
 
 
TIP BUCKET
If you find it in your heart to donate to the cause and help fuel the podcast you can do so through our new Venmo and CashApp. Your support is greatly appreciated and will help shine a brighter spotlight on the great Memphis Music Community.
Venmo - @‌therhythmsectionpod
CashApp - $therhythmsectionpod
Thanks for tuning in and supporting the Rhythm Section Podcast.
 
🌐 Follow The Rhythm Section Pod: therhythmsectionpod.com
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🎙️ This is an SRP Studios Production - SRPStudiosLLC.com

#118. Lonnie Hammer | Hammer Down Hard

On this episode of The Rhythm Section Podcast, Derrick and Jeff sit down with Lonnie Hammer—singer and principal songwriter for Hammer Down Hard—for a deep dive into his musical journey. Lonnie shares stories from his days behind the kit with bands like Bullet Theory, Chosen, Jack Russell, and Black Oak Arkansas, offering a behind-the-scenes look at life as a working musician. He also talks about his move to Memphis, breaking into the local scene at the legendary Stage Stop, and his experiences recording at the iconic Ardent Studios.
Hammer Down Hard - www.hammerdownhard.com
 
TIP BUCKET
If you find it in your heart to donate to the cause and help fuel the podcast you can do so through our new Venmo and CashApp. Your support is greatly appreciated and will help shine a brighter spotlight on the great Memphis Music Community.
Venmo - @‌therhythmsectionpod
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Thanks for tuning in and supporting the Rhythm Section Podcast.
 
🌐 Follow The Rhythm Section Pod: therhythmsectionpod.com
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🎙️ This is an SRP Studios Production - SRPStudiosLLC.com

#117. Zack Horvath | Memphis Drummer

On The Rhythm Section Sports podcast, the Derrick and Jeff welcome Memphis musician Zack Horvath, a Patriots fan and multi-instrumentalist who recently filled in on bass with Music Box and discusses singing while playing bass. Zack talks about simplifying his solo acoustic looping setup, preferences for smaller drum kits, and his shift from fronting bands to working as a hired-gun/session player, including an upcoming July 4th Gen X gig at Gold Strike. He recounts projects including 30 Minute Ego, Triple Annie’s formation from a Hadley’s jam, and Kid Ego’s run and lineup changes, plus earlier bands like PMD and Animal Crackers. Zack shares how he became a Patriots fan, his musical beginnings in school band and church singing, learning guitar by ear, and major influences like Freddie Mercury, Chris Cornell, and Matt Cameron.
 
TIP BUCKET
If you find it in your heart to donate to the cause and help fuel the podcast you can do so through our new Venmo and CashApp. Your support is greatly appreciated and will help shine a brighter spotlight on the great Memphis Music Community.
Venmo - @‌therhythmsectionpod
CashApp - $therhythmsectionpod
Thanks for tuning in and supporting the Rhythm Section Podcast.
 
🌐 Follow The Rhythm Section Pod: therhythmsectionpod.com
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🎙️ This is an SRP Studios Production - SRPStudiosLLC.com

#116. Rice Drewry | Rice Drewery Collective

On The Rhythm Section Memphis Music Podcast, hosts Derrick and Jeff interview Memphis-born musician Rice Drewry about his band the Rice Drewry Collective and their mix of classic rock with some originals, plus his trio Three Degrees with Donna Wolf and Donna Handsome. They discuss seeing RDC at Nashoba, the band lineup (including Dunk Carter, Dave Botkin, Tony Rapp, and Ron Richards), and RDC winning a Tommy Award for Best Original Band and performing originals, with Boo Mitchell presenting the award. Rice shares experiences playing listening-room shows at South Main Sounds and his long involvement with the Memphis Songwriters Association, reflects on early musical influences from radio and his parents’ records, and recounts his Army service as a flight surgeon. He also talks about recording at Royal Studios and mentor Jack Holder, highlighting his song “Playing With the Angels” (from the EP “Crisis in the Shockers”).
 
Playing With the Angels - https://open.spotify.com/track/6ChRNHO5zigUfhyxRaPvTx?si=b9b3d950defa4598
 
TIP BUCKET
If you find it in your heart to donate to the cause and help fuel the podcast you can do so through our new Venmo and CashApp. Your support is greatly appreciated and will help shine a brighter spotlight on the great Memphis Music Community.
Venmo - @‌therhythmsectionpod
CashApp - $therhythmsectionpod
Thanks for tuning in and supporting the Rhythm Section Podcast.
 
🌐 Follow The Rhythm Section Pod: therhythmsectionpod.com
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🎙️ This is an SRP Studios Production - SRPStudiosLLC.com

#115. Mark Sansom | Souled Out

In this episode, Derrick and Jeff interviews drummer Mark Sansom of the cover band Souled Out, starting with stories about Mark’s son Gunner Sansom, a Jerry Lee Lewis–style pianist and singer who taught himself keys and surprised Mark with deep-cut song choices. Mark discusses Souled Out’s lineup, busy private-event schedule, and public gigs at places like Dan McGuinness, Lafayette’s, and Knuckleheads, then dives into drumheads, sticks, playing hard, and learning to sing as a working drummer. He traces his path from a junk first kit and early bands to Memphis venues like Stage Stop, road work in the Midwest, and even opening for Starship, sharing influences from Ronnie Tutt to Eric Singer and views on interpretation vs. note-for-note playing, clicks, and tracks.
 
TIP BUCKET
If you find it in your heart to donate to the cause and help fuel the podcast you can do so through our new Venmo and CashApp. Your support is greatly appreciated and will help shine a brighter spotlight on the great Memphis Music Community.
Venmo - @‌therhythmsectionpod
CashApp - $therhythmsectionpod
Thanks for tuning in and supporting the Rhythm Section Podcast.
 
🌐 Follow The Rhythm Section Pod: therhythmsectionpod.com
📺 WATCH - YouTube and Facebook
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🎙️ This is an SRP Studios Production - SRPStudiosLLC.com

#114. Standard Issue

Derrick and Jeff invite the band Standard Issue—Mark Vines, Dennis Rosti, Tory Jay, and Jesse—to discuss the group’s formation, members’ backgrounds, and plans for the future. They explain how Dennis and Jesse began jamming after meeting through FAA work, how Tory joined, and how Mark came aboard after the original bassist Brandon left. The band teases the possibility of adding Johnny Lamb on keys and vocals, talks about the challenges of singing while playing, and shares influences ranging from Rob Halford and Bruce Dickinson to Gene Simmons and Keith Moon. They run through their cover-heavy setlist (including Stone Temple Pilots, Audioslave, Alice In Chains, Metallica, Dio, and more), recap a successful first gig at the Delta Fair, promote an April 2 show at The 10th Inning in Southaven, and reveal upcoming recording sessions at Sun Studio with artist Michael Inger.
 
TIP BUCKET
If you find it in your heart to donate to the cause and help fuel the podcast you can do so through our new Venmo and CashApp. Your support is greatly appreciated and will help shine a brighter spotlight on the great Memphis Music Community.
Venmo - @‌therhythmsectionpod
CashApp - $therhythmsectionpod
Thanks for tuning in and supporting the Rhythm Section Podcast.
 
🌐 Follow The Rhythm Section Pod: therhythmsectionpod.com
📺 WATCH - YouTube and Facebook
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🎙️ This is an SRP Studios Production - SRPStudiosLLC.com

#113. Donnie Wayne Smith: Smith Artisan Photography, Touring with Winger, & Stage Stop Stories

Derrick and Jeff welcome Donnie Wayne Smith to The Rhythm Section Podcast, sharing how he started guitar at age six, was inspired by early concerts and albums like Ratt’s “1984” and Ozzy’s “Bark at the Moon,” and played Memphis-area rooms including the Stage Stop, where he recalls Nita’s guidance and classic club moments. Donnie discusses his COVID-era YouTube series “Separate Studios Together,” explaining his remote-stem workflow and listing collaborators from the local scene. He details joining Winger as John Roth’s backup guitarist from 2014–2019, including major festival experiences and how vocal-cord damage eventually ended his live singing work. Donnie also covers his transition into full-time photography with his wife through http://SmithArtisan.com , his approach to making clients feel confident, and his studio/gear-focused recording setup.
Smith Artisin Photography
http://www.smithartisan.com
Separte Studios Together
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ghpHj9AUFI&list=PLH0k5a_ZXiHSa3TtZf3nsJgSHnex1wTuu&index=2
 
TIP BUCKET
If you find it in your heart to donate to the cause and help fuel the podcast you can do so through our new Venmo and CashApp. Your support is greatly appreciated and will help shine a brighter spotlight on the great Memphis Music Community.
Venmo - @‌therhythmsectionpod
CashApp - $therhythmsectionpod
Thanks for tuning in and supporting the Rhythm Section Podcast.
 
🌐 Follow The Rhythm Section Pod: therhythmsectionpod.com
📺 WATCH - YouTube and Facebook
🎧 LISTEN - Apple and Spotify
 
🎙️ This is an SRP Studios Production - SRPStudiosLLC.com