Episode 242 features Chicago based DJ/Producer duo Pods! My boys Mike and Dom stopped by and we had such a great conversation the entire time. Many of you are already familiar with Pods because I've had 2 really successful collaborations with them and more on the way - they are really talented producers with good heads on their shoulders too. I believe in their vision and am a huge fan of them. This interview has it all and it was so much fun swapping stories, talking shop (music and basketball related) and what their plans are for the future. Big year comin for the boys!!

We've got Jackin House master hailing from NYC - the one and only Pinto! I had so much fun talking with Joey about his journey as a producer, dj, label owner and growing up in NYC. Pinto is a wildly dope producer who has carved out his own lane during the course of his career. His music has garnered support and respect from artists like Carl Cox and the Blessed Madonna and was the #5 Jackin House producer on Beatport. His talents as a DJ have taken him all over the world and his label Jack City Records is making serious waves in the scene. Awesome dude and even better conversation - thanks for making some time to come on brother and I look forward to seeing you soon.

Episode 240 features the incredibly talented Perry Donta'e - creative director and leader of The Pack Drumline! I'd be willing to bet you know who they are even if you think you don't... they're the official drumline of the Chicago Bulls, The Chicago Sky, and recently are now the drumline for the Colts AND they've been finalists on America's Got Talent - they even won over the toughest judge of them all, Simon Cowell. Needless to say they are a one-of-a-kind group that is changing the entire landscape of what a drumline really is. Perry's story is incredible and we got it all in pretty much from start to finish. What he is doing with The Pack is soooo dope and they'll stop at nothing to show the world who they are. I'm extremely inspired by their story and passion. Thanks for coming on Perry!

Ladies and gents, Dani Deahl is BACK on SITB and it's an absolute honor. Dani is doing some incredible things right now in dance music but for this episode we mostly focused on Chicago Music Nexus and her involvement in the event. Dani is one of the panelists on the "Adapt or Die" portion of CMN and I wanted to get Dani's take on a few things leading up to the conference. As a multi-faceted individual in dance music, her unique perspective and experience deserves all the respect in the world. This was a really fun conversation about the state of the industry, evolving an artists brand, and why you should care about something like Chicago Music Nexus. Dani, I appreciate you so much and it's always so much fun choppin it up with you!

Hood Politics is a reminder that there should never be politics when we are all from the same neighborhood. We all live on the same street and are part of a much larger community that has to support each other in order to survive. Hood Poli for LIFE! Featuring DJ Susan, CJ., Jenny Voss, Chris Diaz, Smith & Sorren, Michael Jay, Dr Mar, Proppa, Rich DietZ, and more

This is the FIRST co-hosted episode with my fellow podcaster, friend and business partner Olivia Mancuso. Some of you might have seen but Olivia and I are hosting a 1 day conference and networking event later this year called "Chicago Music Nexus" CMN was created to help fill a massive void in the US dance market where artists can learn, grow, and collaborate together in a space outside of the club or festival. Our mission is to help artists, entrepreneurs and music business professionals elevate their brands by connecting with other like-minded individuals through engaging panels and conversations with leaders from various parts of the industry. It's happening Saturday November 23rd at Loft Lucia and we couldn't be more excited to make it all happen. This episode is dedicated to the background on why Olivia and I created CMN, the panels, the people, the experience and so much more. If you're as serious as you say or think you are about building a career in the music industry, then we should see your bright smiling face in November.

Very special episode today for you all. Alex Kislov has been in my life since I first got to Chicago and we decided that this is officially the 3rd chapter in our friendship especially considering it's his 3rd time on the show. But this is no ordinary episode, we are here to talk about his debut album "Dream Sequence" - a true masterpiece and work of art that is years in the making and you can tell right away how much went into creating it. "Dream Sequence" is a 10 track album featuring the vocals of Chicago House music legend Ron Carroll, globally recognized vocalist Leo Wood and not to mention his lovely wife Eliza. The album takes you on a journey through a dreamworld of sound and creativity. From start to finish, you can tell things progress in a natural but captivating way. It's really special to see Alex at this point in his career because I've honestly never seen him radiate passion like this. He really cares about and is deeply committed to his craft. Gotta respect that!

Many of you know his name and it's for good reason - episode 235 features DJ/Producer Jake Shore! Jake was in town after his massive headline show at Prysm and I'm so glad we were able to do this in person. Always a blast choppin it up with Jake - our goal everytime we do content like this together to make sure the listeners walk away with real value, advice and of course a big ole smile. Even though it's been 2 years since Jake was a teacher, you should still take out your pen and paper because class is in session. Thanks for coming on the podcast Jake and I look forward to next time brother!

234 features afro-house DJ/Producer Val Fleury - a multifaceted creator and artist, Val has positioned herself as one of the biggest upcoming talents in dance music today. I really enjoyed our conversation - she has a such a pure love for music and backs up that passion with raw and authentic talent. Val is a champion of the underground and the LGBTQ community who consistently shows up for the scene. Her talents as a DJ and Producer should not go unnoticed. She's played across the world - literally 6 continents - and has a really unique sound that's catching some serious steam in the afto house world. Highly encourage you to check out her 3 latest tracks!

Episode 233 features Justin Sances - a highly regarded and talented audio engineer that focuses in the dance music space. Some of you may know Justin or have worked with him directly, but he comes to the table with experience not only as an audio engineer, but previously as a DJ and Producer (a very dope one at that!) Justin is also the engineer for Hood Politics and does the final mix/master on 99% of the tracks we release. He plays a major part in ensuring that the label puts out the highest possible quality music at the end of the day. This interview breaks down his process while providing advice to producers in the studio for the first time or 1000th time. This aspect of music making is well-known but still under-appreciated and not talked about in the mainstream very much. I'm really glad we sat down and had this conversation in person because I found myself taking notes throughout this interview!

Episode 232 features the incredibly talented DJ/Producer Goshfather! When I say this interview has it all, I really mean it. We talked about the state of the industry and what the future looks like for artists, building your community and how to engage with that community as an artist, how he released 1 track every week for a year, social media and so much more. I found myself completely engulfed in his stories and perspectives ranging from incredibly profound to absolutely hilarious. I know this episode is going to hit for so many of you! linktr.ee/sherminthebooth