Rob Daiker is a unique, powerful artist who brings his wealth of experience as both musician and producer to the stage. Since age sixteen Rob has pioneered his own sound and carved out unique pop landscapes in the music industry. From touring with bands such as the Dan Reed Network, signing his own project to a major record label, to producing acts such as Katy Perry and The Fame Riot, his experience extends to every aspect of the artistic process.

We take a look at Rob’s lyric video for the new single “Hold Me Down”, a collaboration with Northwest favorite Caleb Spiegel, talk about the forthcoming Dan Reed Network album and Rob’s experiences as a music producer, engineer and performer.

Watch the video for “Hold Me Down” below:

Listen to the new Pours Like Rain features that Rob references in this episode:

Rod’s professional music career began as a founding member of the groundbreaking group the Dixie Dregs when, as a student at the University of Miami in Florida, he met Steve Morse, Andy West and Allen Sloan. The university was a hotbed of musical activity during this period, playing host to brilliant future talents like Pat Metheny, Jaco Pastorius, Danny Gottlieb, T Lavitz and Bruce Hornsby. Playing under the official Studio Music and Jazz curriculum title of Rock Ensemble II, the Dregs honed their fusionesque chops. It was here that the band recorded its classic Great Spectacular album now available on CD.

The Dixie Dregs’ music combines rock, jazz, bluegrass, folk and classical influences into a rich, ever-changing tapestry of sound. All the while, Rod’s drumming weaves its way seamlessly and colorfully through this swirling musical landscape.

His unique, dynamic and musical drumming style has led to Rod’s winning the Best Progressive Rock Drummer award in Modern Drummer Magazine’s Reader’s Poll 5 years in a row (1986-1990) and Best All-Around Drummer (1999), earning him a permanent position in the magazine’s prestigious Honor Roll. The Dixie Dregs, whose last 6 recordings have each received Grammy nominations for Best Rock Instrumental Performance, are best described in the following Philadelphia Inquirer concert review, “The Dregs have their own unique language and style familiar to bluegrass and country music, refined with classical finesse and delivered with high-powered technology and rock energy. The band is possibly the most important, and certainly the most technically advanced, instrumental group in progressive fusion.”

When the group temporarily disbanded in 1983, Rod joined forces with Steve Morse who, along with bassist Jerry Peek, formed the Steve Morse Band. Rod remembers, “One of our biggest breaks came when we had the opportunity to tour for 3 months with Rush on their 1985-1986 Power Windows tour. I felt a surge of popularity, both as a band and as a drummer, as a result of performing night after night in sold out arenas packed with appreciative progressive-rock fans. And it was more than obvious that many of them were drummers.”

The Steve Morse Band recorded two albums, at which point Rod found himself at a crossroad in his career, as Steve Morse joined the reforming group Kansas. “I was ready for a musical change and to try something both new and challenging.”

Within a year of moving to New York City in 1986 after living in and around Atlanta, Georgia, for the previous 11 years, Rod met Kip Winger and Reb Beach, namesake and lead guitarist of the as-of-then-non-existent band Winger. “Kip and Reb had been writing and recording demos and forever being rejected by record labels. I met them at a point in their lives where they were completely driven to get signed. Nothing could shake their determination. We got together and jammed, hit it off, and two months later they called to say they got a deal and to see if I’d be interested in doing the record.”

The rest is history! Their self-titled debut album in 1988 sold over two million copies worldwide, earning the band a platinum album in the U.S. and gold albums in Japan and Canada. It also led to an American Music Award nomination for Best New Heavy Metal Band. This album was followed by In the Heart of the Young and, once again, platinum and gold awards were in the offing, coupled with non-stop international touring.

The band ceased activities in 1993 after touring for the highly acclaimed Pull recording, as dramatic changes were taking place in the music scene. Alternative music had replaced metal as the accepted music of the day.

In 2002, WInger reunited for a summer tour with Poison, CInderella and Faster Pussycat in support of ‘The Very Best of Winger’, a greatest hits collection. And in 2006, the band released the critically acclaimed, ‘Winger IV’, followed by tours in Europe, US, Japan and Australia.

In 1993, when Winger temporarily disbanded, Kip Winger set out to record his first solo album, This Conversation Seems Like Dream (1997), a dramatic departure from the first three Winger recordings, drawing heavily on world percussive rhythms, dark imagery and heavy grooves. Rod recorded the drum tracks for this album and the more recent Songs From The Ocean Floor (2001) at Kip’s home studio in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

1997 also saw the self-titled debut release by the Rudess/Morgenstein Project, an instrumental progressive power-duo, featuring Rod and Dream Theater keyboardist extraordinaire Jordan Rudess. The seed for this project was planted one evening on the Dixie Dregs 1994 Full Circle tour in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, when a sudden power failure shut down the guitar, bass and violin rigs. For whatever reason, the keyboards remained unaffected. And what followed was a blistering, 10 minute drum/keyboard power-duo jam, which brought down the house. It was that evening’s events, which inspired Rod and Jordan to form their “small in numbers yet mighty in sound” band. The Rudess Morgenstein Project has played concerts in the US, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Mexico, Germany, Holland and the UK. Additionally, Rod recorded the drum tracks for Jordan’s solo cds, ‘ Rhythm of Time’ and ‘The Road Home’.

Other on-going projects that Rod is involved with are jam band Jazz Is Dead which features creative improvisations of the music by the Grateful Dead. Members of JID have included T Lavitz, Alphonso Johnson, Jeff Sipe, Billy Cobham, Jeff Pevar, Dave Livolsi, and Jimmy Herring, with an ever-changing line up. Another project is Platypus, whose two recordings feature John Myung (Dream Theater), Ty Tabor (King’s X) and Derek Sherinian (Planet X). The music is a mix of instrumental and vocal tunes that blend many different styles together. An offshoot of Platypus is The Jelly Jam, a power trio featuring Rod, Ty Tabor and John Myung. Their debut release came out in 2001, and The Jelly Jam, ‘2’ was released in 2004

In addition to his recording and touring credits, Rod is very active in drum education. He is currently a Professor of Percussion at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Mass. Also, his highly recognized instructional materials include videos, audio cassettes and books. His most recent offering is Drum Set Warm-Ups, touted as the definitive text for developing and improving all aspects of drum set playing. Additionally, Rod has been a columnist for Modern Drummer Magazine (U.S.), Rhythm Magazine (UK), Sticks Magazine (Germany) and is an international clinician and involved with product development for Sabian Cymbals (Signature Tri-Top Ride), and Vic Firth Sticks (Signature Sticks and Isolation Headphones), with whom he has been an endorser for many, many years.

PICK UP YOUR WING THING AND MORGENSTEIN TOOLS HERE

 

On the heels of their 2016 EP and 2018 self-titled, full-length album comes ‘Sailor Songs or Battle Hymns’ – the new album from the Exquisite Taste of Plain Water (ETPW). Comprised of ten brilliant new songs, ETPW has taken a giant leap forward both sonically and musically with their latest effort. The band laid down the initial tracks at Jackpot Studios in Portland, OR and finished recording the album under the the tutelage of legendary engineer/producer Jeff Stuart Saltzman (Death Cab for Cutie, Richmond Fontaine, Sunset Valley, etc.) who mixed the album as well. Mastering was completed by Dave McNair (David Bowie, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Patti Smith, etc.).

Songwriters Paul Bond (vocals and guitar) and Jimi Evans (vocals and guitar), along with Eric French (drums and vocals), John Christoffersen (bass) and Jeremy Knuth (keys) are the architects behind ETPW’s classic, yet fresh and inspiring sound, which combines aspects of Classic Country, Americana, Pop, Outlaw Country and Rock in a fundamental and honest approach to the art of song that focuses on the authenticity of the lyric. Combining powerful harmonies with seamless songwriting adeptness, ‘Sailor Songs or Battle Hymns’ tells deeply personal stories of love, loss, hope, desperation and redemption that the listener can not only hear, but feel. It is this engaging and vibrant sound combined with energetic and powerful live performances that always leave listeners and audiences wanting more.

In addition, ETPW has embarked on several collaborations with other notable entities. The band partnered with Trap Door Brewing in Vancouver, WA to release ‘A Wolf Inside’ New England-style IPA​. Named after the song ‘A Wolf Inside’ from their full-length debut album, the beer was released to rave reviews and as a bonus, each can of beer sold contained a free download of the song ‘A Wolf Inside.’

The band has also formed a close friendship and collaboration with Emmy Award winning Director and Producer Ian Southworth, who is lovingly referred to as ETPW’s silent sixth member. Ian, who has six Emmy nominations and one win to his credit, founded and heads Milkman Pictures and provides all official videography and photography for the band. Ian was the Producer and Director of ‘The Drifter: A Shorty Documentary’ which chronicles the writing and recording of the song ‘The Drifter’ from the band’s self-titled debut album. Ian was nominated for Best Director at the Oregon Documentary Film Festival for ‘The Drifter,’ and festival attendees were treated to a complete showing of the film. In return, Jimi helped score the music for Ian’s first full-length feature film ‘The Exploding Boy.’ The film received many accolades and had a very successful run both nationally and internationally, winning multiple awards including Best Dramatic Feature at the Oregon Independent Film Festival. Ian is also producing a “visual album documentary” that will be released in conjunction with ‘Sailor Songs or Battle Hymns.’

Although ETPW has been turning heads over the last few years, it should be noted that each of the band members are veterans of the Northwest music scene with a long list of accomplishments under their collective belts. In addition to several other popular bands, Jimi, Paul and Eric were three-fifths of Portland, OR favorite Throwback Suburbia, which released four albums and performed with artists such as Pat Benatar, Gin Blossoms, Soul Asylum, Everclear, Rooney, Cherry Poppin’ Daddies, Veruca Salt and many others. Receiving critical acclaim, Throwback Suburbia received international radio airplay, most notably from KROQ’s legendary Rodney Bingenheimer – the “Mayor of the Sunset Strip.” John is also an accomplished musician and songwriter and has performed with many top acts in the Northwest. In addition to ETPW, Jeremy teaches piano, helping new generations of musicians come into their own.

Fans of Tom Petty, Drive by Truckers, Wilco, Ryan Adams and Jason Isbell will no doubt connect with ETPW. But anyone that loves well-crafted songs with rich harmonies and catchy melodies will love ETPW.

Our campfire is burning and all are welcome. Come join us.

Kip Winger is one of the best writers of the past three decades. The quality never dips. From his own solo stuff through to the Winger hits.” – Classic Rock Magazine

While Kip Winger has arrived at the highest level of achievement possible for an orchestral composer, his professional journey has been utterly unpredictable and remarkable for its diverse musical path.

Early in his career, Kip toured as a bass player with rock legend Alice Cooper, moving on to perform and record with Alan Parsons (as the lead singer for Alan Parsons’ Live Project), Roger Daltrey, Bob Dylan, and Twisted Sister. In 2012, London’s Classic Rock Magazine called Kip Winger “one of the most gifted composers and arrangers in the rock genre” and praised his “compulsion to experiment”.

After establishing his hugely successful, eponymous band — which sold millions of albums and charted six Top‐40 radio singles — Kip started writing and producing music without limits. “It was incredibly freeing to connect to music without any preconceived ideas about what it needed to be or what niche it needed to fill”. It is in Kip’s solo work (This Conversation seems like a Dream, Songs from the Ocean Floor, From the Moon to the Sun) that he has been able to exercise the breadth of his talents as a composer.

Kip always knew he had to turn his attention back to his first loves: classical music and ballet. He studied composition with Richard Danielpour, Michael Kurek and Richard Hermann. Since then, his works have been commissioned and performed by the Nashville Symphony Orchestra, the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, the Sun River Music Festival in Oregon, the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, and the Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra in Greece. Teacher Michael Kurek has publicly praised Kip for “his great ear and innate musical sensitivity… beautifully crafted phrases and nuance”.

Kip Winger’s score for the ballet Ghosts, written for string orchestra, piano and harp, is one of the most celebrated contemporary ballet scores in performance today. Championed by the world‐renowned and Tony‐award‐winning choreographer Christopher Wheeldon, Ghosts was part of the San Francisco Ballet’s repertoire from 2010 to 2014, with performances at Manhattan’s Lincoln Center, London’s Sadler’s Wells, and the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. In 2010, Ghosts was nominated for the Isadora Duncan Dance Award for Outstanding Achievement in Music/Sound/Text. Ballet Austin and the Austin Symphony Orchestra included ‘Ghosts’ as part of their Valentine’s Day weekend performance in 2020, alongside Stravinsky’s Rubies by Balanchine.

In 2016, Kip recorded Winger: Conversations with Nijinsky with the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra. The album, which included music from Ghosts, reached #1 on Billboard’s Traditional Classical Chart and was nominated for a Grammy in 2017 for Best Contemporary Classical Composition. Tamara Nijinsky said at the opening performance of Conversations with Nijinsky, “Kip Winger has captured my father’s heart and soul… and reminds us of my father’s genius with his own work”.

His band, Winger, continues to record and tour and their 2014 album Better Days Comin’ entered at #4 on Billboard’s Hard Rock Albums Chart and at #85 on Billboard’s Top 200. Winger’s 7th album Seven, released on May 5, 2023, entered at #21 on Billboard’s Top Current Album Sales. To support the new album, Winger has been touring the US, Japan and Europe.

Kip Winger also made his theatrical composing debut with Get Jack, A Musical Thriller, which is currently on development stage and was presented in concert in New York in October 2019. The album entered at #7 on Billboard’s Cast Albums.

Kip has forged an ongoing relationship with the Nashville Symphony, his hometown orchestra since settling in Music City in 2002. The ensemble’s music director Giancarlo Guerrero persuaded Winger to write his first symphony, Atonement, which the Nashville Symphony premiered in March 2022. His newly commissioned violin concerto will premiere in May 2025 and shortly after, the Nashville Symphony will release a CD of these two pieces on Naxos.

Brent Meyer has toured the world in bands signed to indie labels, as a sideman in major label acts, and in his own tribute band projects.

When not inhabiting the musical shoes of Depeche Mode mastermind Martin L. Gore onstage, Brent plays an even more pivotal role as the founder and music director of Strangelove-The Depeche Mode Experience, behind the scenes. He developed the project from humble beginnings in 2006. With his dogged determination and vision, the tribute juggernaut now tours internationally 80+ shows a year, plays to sold out amphitheatres, recently won a Jimmy Fallon/NBC-produced TV show judged by Adam Lambert, and is only growing bigger in scope.

A chronic music industry multi-hyphenate, Brent has operated in almost every role within the music industry; including working as a record label VP, signed artist, festival organizer, artist management for platinum acts Warrant & Slaughter, TV/film/videogame composer, studio owner, arranger/orchestrator, music director, and record producer/engineer (for such artists as Henry Rollins, Bowie/The Cure collaborator Reeves Gabrels, Chic/Bowie/Power Station’s Tony Thompson, and several musicians in the Beck/Sting sphere).

Not content to stop hyphenating there, he worked in business management with still more familiar faces: Morrissey, The Church, Sepultura, Prong, Tommy Lee. He had a stint at Fox Television and for various tv/film production companies as post-production supervisor. Brent made things go snap, crackle & pop as a foley artist and sound designer for a full-length feature film and has scored several television show pilots. As booking agent & developing shows, he helmed the largest tribute-focused talent agency in the world for over a decade, until Strangelove’s swelling tour schedule limited his involvement. His own music has appeared in video games, MTV, radio, tv shows, airlines, and national commercial campaigns.

Coming full-circle, he’s also worked as a producer with Depeche Mode’s drummer Christian Eigner, who contributed drums for two original projects.

He’s met most of his living musical heroes and is most proud of inhabiting the role of Husband, Dad, & Dog-emotional support human.

Stunningly gorgeous and voluptuous 5’1″ brunette knockout Nikki Dial was born in Erie, Pennsylvania. Dial began her career in the adult entertainment industry posing for nude photo shoots at age 18. Nikki also worked in bondage and BDSM-oriented clubs and did a few amateur porn videos prior to going to Los Angeles, California to launch her career as a professional adult film actress.

One of the most popular adult cinema icons of the 1990’s, Dial appeared in over 70 explicit hardcore pictures from 1991 to 1996; among the major companies she worked for are Legend, VCA, and Vivid (she was a contract girl for one year for this latter company). In addition, Nikki won the XRCO Award for Starlet of the Year in 1992, the F.O.X.E. Award for Female Fan Favorite in 1994, and the XRCO Award for Best New Starlet in 1995. Dial also worked as a feature club dancer and did some voice acting in English-dubbed hentai anime. Nikki eventually withdrew from the adult film industry in 1996 to focus on education. She was inducted into the XRCO Hall of Fame in 2008 and more recently, became a 2024 AVN Hall Of Fame inductee.

Nikki has worked as a family therapist and recovery counselor, and now works as a therapist with the intellectually disabled. There’s no doubt that discussing the development of her career and her work in recovery will lead to some interesting stories!

Frank Murray is a name that resonates with every Tom Petty fan who has ever experienced the magic of a live tribute performance by Petty Fever. A gifted guitarist and vocalist, Frank is the driving force behind this award-winning tribute band, celebrated for its authentic recreation of the Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers experience. Hailing from Portland, Oregon, Frank has spent decades shaping the Pacific Northwest music scene, earning a reputation as a versatile and talented artist.

Since founding Petty Fever in February 2009, Frank’s journey has been nothing short of extraordinary. Inspired by a deep admiration for Tom Petty’s artistry, he embarked on a mission to deliver a concert experience that captures the spirit, sound, and energy of the late music icon. His uncanny resemblance to Tom Petty, both in voice and stage presence, has left audiences spellbound, often blurring the line between tribute and reality.

Under Frank’s leadership, Petty Fever has amassed numerous accolades, including multiple Las Vegas FAME Awards for “Outstanding International Tribute Band” and Los Angeles Music Awards for “Tribute Band of the Year.” These honors are a testament to the band’s authenticity and Frank’s commitment to preserving Tom Petty’s musical legacy.

Frank’s career is a tapestry of collaborations with internationally acclaimed artists, bands, and songwriters. From performing on national and international stages to recording alongside music legends, his journey is as rich as it is inspiring. With hits like “American Girl,” “Free Fallin’,” and “I Won’t Back Down,” Frank continues to enthrall audiences around the globe, ensuring that Tom Petty’s timeless music lives on.

As the frontman of Petty Fever, Frank Murray has not only cemented his place in the tribute band community but has also won the hearts of fans worldwide. His dedication to honoring Tom Petty’s legacy is a testament to his passion for music and his ability to keep the spirit of one of rock’s greatest icons alive.

– Austin Drury, AWSM Times NYC, Vol 35, 1/10/25.

 

Scott Gilmore and Sarah Vitort are Fox and Bones—energetic offbeat folksters with a retro-tinged, soul-stirring, modern vintage bent. The indomitable duo has brought their optimistic Americana polish to international stages shared with the likes of Rayland Baxter, The Dead South, ZZ Ward, Fantastic Cat and ALO among others.

Fox and Bones’ fourth album titled “Long Time Honey” is a collaboration with esteemed songwriter Greg Holden and was awarded Best Folk/Americana Album of 2024 by the PNW Music Awards. Americana Highways (US) beamed Long Time Honey “should rightly be considered one of the best Americana albums of the year” and Naga Mag (Greece) lauded, “The much-loved vocals are so familiar and warm that you feel the love overflowing inside you”

Their hardworking artistic output has earned them first place at the 2023 Tucson Folk Festival songwriting contest and second place in the International Acoustic Music Awards, amongst other accolades. In between their rigorous tour schedule, the duo founded Portland’s Folk Festival: an annual celebration of folk and Americana music at the iconic Crystal Ballroom in their hometown of Portland, Oregon.

American artist Tommy Heath shot to stardom in the early ’80s after he laid down the vocals for his band Tommy Tutone’s now-classic track, “867-5309/Jenny”, which found its way onto the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks charts and caused a phone-calling frenzy in search of the mysterious woman in the jam, Jenny.

Tommy and I have shared the stage many a time, and our conversations have always been lively and interesting!

Check out the reimagined version of Tommy’s famous hit with No Resolve here:

Keep an eye out here for the new singles from “New Wave Americana”!

Dalton Levi Woodward is a talented and charismatic musician making waves in the UK music scene. Known for his electrifying performances and undeniable charm, Dalton has graced the stages of major UK festivals, captivating audiences with his unique sound and magnetic presence. He has also had the honor of supporting some of the best bands in the industry, showcasing his talent alongside established names and earning respect as a rising star.

A lovely and lively young man, Dalton is admired not only for his artistry but also for his impeccable manners and warm personality. His genuine connection with fans and peers alike sets him apart as a true gentleman in the world of music.

With new music set to release this April, Dalton continues to prove himself as an artist to watch. His passion, dedication, and creativity promise an exciting future, as he shares his evolving sound with an ever-growing audience.

ERICA on SPOTIFY ERICA ‘WHITE HORSE’ on APPLE MUSIC ERICA ‘HOLLOW MOON’ on APPLE MUSIC ERICA ‘SONS OF THE HIGH LAND’ on APPLE MUSIC

Sponsored by Five Star Guitars. Shop with no sales tax and use the Promo Code ALLACCESSLIVE for 15% off of EVERYTHING!