The Bandwich Tapes

On this episode of The Bandwich Tapes, I sit down with Chris Malpass of The Malpass Brothers for a conversation about traditional country music, brother harmony, gospel, and the music that Chris and his brother Taylor have carried with them since they were kids.

A big part of our conversation centers on their gospel project Satisfied and why making the album felt less like exploring new territory and more like coming home. Chris and Taylor started out singing gospel music when they were young, and many of these songs have been part of their musical vocabulary for years. We talk about working with Ben Isaacs, his role in shaping the project, and why recording it in front of a live audience captured something that would have been difficult to recreate in a studio.

Chris also talks about The Malpass Brothers’ relationship with Gaither Music and what it means to become part of an organization they grew up watching with their family. We get into the natural connection between traditional country and gospel music, from The Louvin Brothers and Merle Haggard to Buck Owens, Ernest Tubb, and the Happy Goodman Family. For Chris, those traditions aren’t separate worlds. They have always informed one another.

We also spend time talking about one of my favorite parts of The Malpass Brothers’ sound: Chris and Taylor’s harmony. Chris explains how naturally their vocal chemistry developed, why The Louvin Brothers became such an important influence, and how being siblings creates a musical connection that can be difficult to manufacture.

Along the way, we remember the great Jimmy Capps, talk about the upcoming season of The Malpass Brothers Show, a traditional country Christmas album, another appearance at the Grand Ole Opry, and a busy touring schedule. At the center of it all is a deep respect for the people and music that came before them — and a desire to keep those songs alive without turning them into museum pieces.
Key Takeaways
Satisfied represents a return to The Malpass Brothers’ musical roots. Chris and Taylor performed gospel music as kids, making the project feel like a homecoming rather than a stylistic departure.
Ben Isaacs helped shape the album while allowing Chris and Taylor to remain themselves. His suggestions included “Sheltered in the Arms of God” and Johnny Cash’s “Ragged Old Flag,” while encouraging the brothers to interpret the material in their own style.
Recording the project live was essential to its character. Chris believes the shared connection between the performers, songs, and audience created an emotional quality that would have been difficult to reproduce in the studio.
Country and gospel have always shared musical and emotional territory. Chris sees both traditions as music about real life — hardship, redemption, faith, struggle, and the things people hold onto when life gets difficult.
Brother harmony developed naturally for Chris and Taylor. Their musical communication goes back to childhood, when Taylor began singing harmony with Chris without the two of them ever formally planning it.
The Louvin Brothers remain a foundational influence. Chris points not only to Charlie and Ira Louvin’s harmony, but also their songwriting, gospel recordings, country recordings, and instrumental sound as an enduring model.
Respect for musical history remains central to The Malpass Brothers. Whether talking about Jimmy Capps, Leon Rhodes, the Happy Goodman Family, Merle Haggard, or the Grand Ole Opry, Chris still approaches the people and traditions that shaped him with genuine admiration.
Songs from the Episode
Satisfied - The Malpass Brothers
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 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

On this episode of The Bandwich Tapes, I sit down with singer-songwriter David Mead for a wide-ranging conversation about singing, record-making, fatherhood, and the changing place of music in our culture.

David takes me back to his earliest experiences as a singer, from hearing his mother sing around the house to studying with vocal teacher Norris Brandstrom. Those lessons began to make sense when David heard Jeff Buckley and discovered how classical vocal technique could open the door to a more adventurous, expressive way of singing.

We also get inside the making of January San Fernando. David explains how working with musicians such as Larry Goldings and Val McCallum helped him relinquish some creative control, trust the instincts of the people in the room, and recognize the energy that can live in an early take.  He also shares news of another record made with the same core group of musicians.

Some of the most meaningful parts of our conversation are about family. David reflects on how becoming a husband and father changed his relationship with ambition, identity, mortality, and creative work. We close by discussing his beautiful version of Michael Jackson’s “Human Nature,” the childhood memory behind it, and how a low-pressure recording project became the album Indiana.

Key Takeaways
David is grateful that he learned to sing, play guitar, and write songs before music became inseparable from today’s constant flow of digital content.
Vocal teacher Norris Brandstrom helped him understand that singing and speaking are extensions of the same natural process.
Hearing Jeff Buckley gave David a contemporary context for the classical vocal technique he had previously resisted.
While making January San Fernando, David deliberately gave musicians such as Larry Goldings and Val McCallum room to follow their own instincts.
He prefers the energy and discovery of early studio takes, especially when working with musicians who have not spent too much time studying the songs.
Fatherhood helped David separate his love of music from the pressure to define himself through a recording career.
His version of “Human Nature” grew from a powerful childhood memory and the creative freedom surrounding the making of Indiana.
Music from the Episode
Nashville - David Mead
Bedtime Story - David Mead
Indiana - David Mead
Human Nature - David Mead
About the Podcast

The Bandwich Tapes is a podcast about music, creativity, and the people who devote their lives to making sound. I sit down with musicians, songwriters, composers, producers, engineers, and other creative artists to explore their work, their influences, and the experiences that continue to shape them.

Connect with the Show

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

On this episode of The Bandwich Tapes, I sit down with Lee Newton and Heidi Parton to talk about their new recording of the country standard “Silver Threads and Golden Needles,” a collaboration with Georgette Jones that brings together three very different singers around a song that has endured for generations.

Lee shares how the project began almost by chance. After thinking that Georgette would be a perfect voice for the song, Lee unexpectedly crossed paths with her only a week later. Heidi soon joined the project, and what began as a single collaboration quickly revealed a natural musical chemistry among the three singers. We talk about why their individual voices remain recognizable while still blending so naturally and how singing harmony requires listening closely to phrasing, pronunciation, tone, and the other voices around you.

Heidi also talks about growing up in the Parton family and finding her own artistic identity while respecting the musical legacy surrounding her. She discusses the importance of recognizing that there will only ever be one Dolly Parton, and that her responsibility as an artist is not to imitate that legacy, but to discover what makes her own voice distinctive.

Along the way, Lee reflects on collaborations with artists including Pam Tillis, Leona Williams, Joe Bonsall, and Ben Isaacs, and how working with other singers has continued to challenge and develop her as an artist. We also dig into why “Silver Threads and Golden Needles” continues to connect with listeners, from Wanda Jackson’s early recording to later versions by Linda Ronstadt, Dolly Parton, Tammy Wynette, and Loretta Lynn.

Most of all, this conversation is about what happens when singers listen to one another. Lee and Heidi talk about chemistry, friendship, harmony singing, learning from other musicians, and the possibility that “Silver Threads and Golden Needles” may only be the beginning for the trio they have begun calling the Rhinestone Darlings.
Key Takeaways
Lee Newton brought Heidi Parton and Georgette Jones together for a new version of “Silver Threads and Golden Needles,” despite having never previously worked with either singer.
Their arrangement reaches back to the Wanda Jackson version of the song and restores a second verse omitted from several later recordings.
Heidi explains how background singing requires careful attention to another vocalist’s phrasing, pronunciation, enunciation, and musical personality.
Lee discusses how collaborations with artists including Pam Tillis, Leona Williams, Joe Bonsall, and Ben Isaacs have challenged her and helped her grow as a singer.
Heidi reflects on the expectations that come with the Parton family name and why finding her own warm, soulful vocal identity has been essential to her development as an artist.
Lee and Heidi believe the lasting appeal of “Silver Threads and Golden Needles” comes partly from the honesty of its lyrics and the ability of singers and listeners to connect it to their own experiences.
The chemistry developed between Lee, Heidi, and Georgette has led to conversations about future recordings—and possibly a larger project together as the Rhinestone Darlings.
Music from the Episode
Silver Threads and Golden Needles - Lee Newton, Heidi Parton, & Georgette Jones
About the Podcast

The Bandwich Tapes is a podcast about the people who make music and the experiences that shape the way they make it. Host Brad Williams talks with musicians, songwriters, producers, and other creative artists about their careers, craft, collaborations, influences, and the choices that shape their music.
Connect with the Show

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