Citywide Blackout

Derek Smith of Derek Smith and the Cosmic Vultures is back with a brand new three-part album called Temporary Circus. Act 1 was released back in May, with the second act slated for Sept. 12. The music is a wonderful, eclectic blend of sounds that showcases Derek’s wide-ranging style.

In this interview, Derek talks about the origins of Temporary Circus and what we can expect in Act 2. He shares what’s new in this release, including ...

Born and raised in San Francisco, author Brian Brady has blended the city’s endless inspiration with his lengthy career as a police officer and security executive to create his series of books. The newest, “Greed,” begins with an art forgery and theft, traveling from San Francisco to Paris to Amsterdam, but takes a twist when one of the perpetrators gets too greedy.

In this episode, Brian talks about...

Heidi Yewman’s memoir “dumb girl” (Aug. 19) chronicles the physical, emotional and sexual abuse she suffered for years, and how that pain was transformed into purpose following the tragic shooting at Columbine High School. Among the victims was her beloved basketball coach.

For years Yewman has worked as a gun violence activist, producing the award-winning documentary “Behind the Bullet,” and has worked on campaign, organized vigil...

In her memoir “Maya Blue: A Memoir of Survival,” Brenda Coffee takes us through the good and the bad of her eventful life, reminding us that if you keep your voice and your wits, you can survive almost anything. 

In this interview, Brenda talks about how she opens the book, with a burly man telling her and hr husband that their lives wee in danger. We talk about how she chose what to incl...

Rock band One Time Mountain has undergone a lot of changes in recent years, including a brand new lineup in 2020 when the band at that time went their separate ways.

Guitarist Brian Murphy decided to keep it going and recruited Ethan Garman, Zach Rizzo and Alec Smith, creating a lineup that brings a lot of fire and past music experience with them.

In this episode, the band joins us to talk about the new one up and how it stands apa...

Rob Tonkin’s new book “Asshole” is an honest look at his own life, from self-destruction to eventual redemption, with a lot of hard-won insights into authentic living.

In this episode, Rob talks about his career in the music and radio industries, which while very successful, covered up wounds from his past. Rob talk about these experiences and what led him to get help from a variety of sources, and his new life on other side.

Rob g...

Hendrika de Vries was just a little girl when she experienced brutal violence and hunger in WWII Amsterdam. She immigrated to Australia as a professional teenage swimmer, and in her new book, “Open Turns: From Dutch Girl to New Australian,” she chronicles her experiences during this time, and how they reflect what young women go through today.

In this interview, Hendrika shares her youth in Amsterdam and the experience of growing u...

JP Behren’s new book is a crime noir book with a unique take. “Murder in the Monashee Mountains” is the second book in the Travis Daniels Investigation series. Here’s a look at the story: 

After escaping the cursed streets of Arkham and Miskatonic University, Travis Daniels is on the run with his ward, Leslie Owens. While searching for a safe place to hide, they witness a savage murder in the woods of Monashee Mountain. Now, he is ...

My next guests have had one hell of a 2024, with big wins at the Rock and Roll Rumble and Boston Music Awards. Let’s see how 2025 is going with The Ghouls.

Band members George Danahy, Peter Trainor and Jacob Babcock join me to talk about taking first place at Boston’s 2024 Rock and Roll Rumble and winning “Rock Act of the Year” at the Boston Music Awards.

We go into the release of the...

The Chelsea Curve have had a busy 2025.

From West Coast shows with the UK band Sharp Class to being back in the studio, this band — inspired by Boston and British culture — has done a lot, with much more to come.

In this episode, Curtis and Max talk with band members Linda Pardee and Tim Gillis about recent shows and tours of the UK, along with some of the great bands they’ve met and venues that they’ve played at. They dive into ...

My next guest’s recent single “Almost There” really caught my attention, and now he’s here to talk about this and a lot more. Singer songwriter Ben Hutcheson joins me to share the real-life inspiration behind his March release, “Almost There” as well as what motivates him to pick up the pen and write a new song.

Ben’s part of the UK country scene, which has been around for a few years now. We talk ab...

We’ve been a fan of the band Western Education for years now, and with their new full-length album, “Millennial Youth” they’ve hit a new high point with their music. Band members Greg Alexandropoulos (vocals, keyboards) and Will Hunt (bass, production) return to Citywide to talk about the stories told throughout the album, and how it all got started.

Will and Greg go into their favorite songs, and their criteria for how they went f...

I’ve been thoroughly enjoying the sounds of my next guest The Far Out and in just a week, they’re releasing their debut album. Ryan Fremont-Smith and Drew Phillips (AKA The Drum and Bass Connection) join me to talk all about the “Greetings From the Far Out,” out on July 11.

We take a deep dive into the sound of the new album, which includes a wide range of instrumentation and a story that brings it a...

Boston-based Hallelujah the Hills have released a brand new project called “Deck” a 52-song, four LP collection of music more than two years in the making. It’s an epic collection of songs that encompass all sorts of styles and has been in the mind of band member Ryan H. Walsh for the last 25 years.

In this episode, Ryan talks about the origin of “Deck” and the multi-year process to complete it. He talks about the distinct sounds...

The classic tale “The Little Mermaid” gets a futuristic spin in “Sea Change” by Susan Fletcher. In this story, a gene-hack gone wrong produces babies born with an extra set of lungs and gills. Here’s a look at the story:

“Living in a post-climate change world, one young woman lives peacefully among other gene-hacked friends off the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. But when she falls in love with a ‘Normal,’ someone without the gene mut...

Picture this: A fatal hit and run has been committed, and you think you know who did it. Problem is, it’s someone you know. Do you do the right thing, or protect a person who means the world to you?

That’s the choice given to Charlotte Oakes, in Karen Uhlmann’s debut novel, “Intersections” (She Writes Press). We talk all about Charlotte and how this decision impacts both her and the plot. Karen goes ...

It was two years ago on June 20 that Pamela N. Harris published her young adult thriller “This Town is on Fire.”

The book takes on the internet “Karen” and how protagonist Naomi Henry responds when her best friend Kylie is shown in a video calling the cops on two Black teens. The novel dives into contemporary issues that dominate today’s headlines, making it a must-read for the digital age.

Harris talked with us about how it feels ...

My next guest has just released two new singles, but she’s far from a newcomer to the world of music. In fact, Lana Carter has been recording since she was 10 years old, and her latest releases, “Only at Night” and “Venom” mark a reinvention of herself as an artist.

In this episode, Lana talks about what led to this new chapter in her musical journey and how she’s grown as an artist. She goes into he...

For this episode, we’ll taking on a very serious topic. Babs Walters’ memoir, “Facing the Jaguar” (June 17, She Writes Press) shares her story of surviving childhood sexual abuse (CSA), and her journey of healing after 70 years of secrecy. 

In this interview, Babs talks about her past, and how she embarked on a journey of healing that continues to this day. We talk about her parents, their own background and the decision to write t...