Upcoming Guest

Rey has seen a lot… and I mean A LOT. Twenty six plus years as a publicist (since 1995) and a few years before that as a nationally published entertainment journalist, he’s been around. Backstage, on the tour bus, in the hotel rooms, behind closed doors, in the conference room… he’s witnessed almost all… but there’s undoubtedly more that he hasn’t seen.  But it hasn’t shocked him. In fact, it’s intrigued him… challenged him… and at times, offered myriad choices of how to react and how to process. And that’s the thing… nothing shocks him. Starting his journey into the lion’s den that is the music industry, he was a journalist for a number of newspapers, magazines, and regionals across the country (and one or two overseas). He’s interviewed Kurt Cobain, U2, Joey Ramone, Sinead O’Connor, Bjork, Polly Jean Harvey… oh, and Vanilla Ice… While journalism was his passion, it didn’t quite pay the bills, especially in Boston. 

So he moved to NYC and jumped into Publicity. IRS Records, Mammoth Records, Grass Records, Jive/Silvertone/Zomba, KSA Publicity/Press Here, Island Def Jam… He worked with Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, Hanson, Duran Duran, Sting, Brooks & Dunn, O Brother Where Are Thou?, Juliana Hatfield, Diana Ross, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Dresden Dolls, Charlotte Church, among hundreds of others.  He did the label (indie and major) and indie PR thing but he was burnt out on doing publicity like a pre-defined template that labels determined, so he left the corporate world to start his own shingle with a focus on building profiles and strategies that weren’t constrained by hard, constrained blueprints. 

In 2004, Reybee Inc. was born. 

Instead of sticking to templates, he and his team of professionals craft unique strategies to build solid foundations and build up from there, creating campaigns that focus on constructing artist careers that go beyond. His campaigns go forward and sideways, and rarely backwards (unless, of course, we’re talking retrospectives, which, in that case, they go backwards too).

Nearly two decades later, it’s still going strong… in fact, it keeps growing… and growing… and growing. Yay.

Website: https://www.reybee.com

Julie Brill (she/her) is at work on a memoir entitled Hidden in Plain Sight: A Family Memoir and the Untold Story of the Holocaust in Serbia. Her numerous short pieces related to this larger project appear in Haaretz, the Forward, Balkan Insight, Kveller, Cognoscenti, Alma, the Globe Post, and elsewhere. She shares her family’s experiences in the Shoah with middle and high school students through Living Links.

Julie is a lactation consultant, childbirth educator & doula at WellPregnancy in Boston. Julie is also the author of the anthology Round the Circle: Doulas Share their Experiences. She lives outside of Boston and is the mother of two adult daughters.

Julie is a contributor to the Read650 Anthology Jewish: True Stories of Love, Latkes, and L'Chaim and has been featured on Memoir Mondays.

Follow her on Twitter @JulieBrill8 and Instagram @JulieSBrill.

Website: https://juliebrill.com

Chris Berardo is another artist whose life hasn't been the easiest. He was on a MAJOR upswing careerwise a decade ago before the dreaded cancer reared its ugly head. He was forced to abandon his music career to take care of himself, but now after a decade fight, he is releasing his first album since that fight and its a great one. Check out Wilder All The Time. https://blueelan.com/products/wilder-all-the-time-cd

Shurr Jr., the indie rock trio from Sioux Falls, SD, is set to release their debut EP Red Shelter on March 28, 2025, via Max Trax Records. The band, made up of siblings Frankie (drums), Nick (guitar, vocals), and Kelly Maxwell (bass).

“I started thinking about how ink can be used to create something beautiful and meaningful, but when it’s uncontrolled—like when a pen breaks and the ink spills everywhere—it becomes chaotic and messy,” explains vocalist/guitarist Nick Maxwell of  Sioux Falls-based SHURR JR. about their new single “INK” which is released today, February 28, 2025. “The imagery of ‘ink smears’ came to me after getting my first tattoo. That felt like the perfect metaphor for emotions that can’t be contained or hidden, no matter how hard we try.”

Taken from their debut EP Red Shelter which will be released on March 28, 2025 via Max Trax Records, the track swirls in a guitar-textured whirlpool while the rhythm section keeps Nick’s plaintive vocals firmly anchored. "’Ink’ is a song about a troubled relationship,” he further elaborates. “Beyond that though, it explores themes of alienation, emotional distance, and the difficulty of true communication. It portrays a relationship filled with unspoken words, misinterpretations, and an underlying struggle between connection and detachment.”

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3m9kXptUze9RKVKkLD9xOy

Best known for their massive 1980 worldwide hit “Turning Japanese” The Vapors continue to

bring their individually styled brand of music to fans old and new in the form of high-quality live performances and the ongoing development of critically acclaimed new material.

The band continue to write and perform and have completed two headline tours in the UK since the pandemic, as well as appearing at the Pasadena Rose Bowl’s “Cruel World” festival

in May 2023, touring the US in 2024 and recording their exciting statement fourth album Wasp In A Jar which is out now.

Website: https://www.thevapors.co.uk/

Limahl won the hearts of millions of teenage girls in the 80s as the lead singer of Kajagoogoo who stormed to the top of the charts with ‘Too Shy’ and ‘Kaja Mania’ was born. After two more top 20 hits with Kajagoogoo, Limahl and the band parted ways and suddenly found he had another huge global hit on his hands with ‘Never Ending Story’ from the film of the same name. With five top20 hits to his name, Limahl isno on-hit wonder.Into the 90’s and Limahl co-formed a music production team called ‘Jupiter’ and worked with Kim Appleby, Kim Wilde, Peter Andre and Worlds Apart to name a few.The 00’s saw Limahl branch into theatre to star in the Bruno Tonioli directed feel-good show ‘What A Feeling’ which toured the UK to huge success.Thanks to VH-1,Kajagoogoo were reunited for the first time in 20 years and performing at The Scala which was filmed as part of the same channels ‘Bands Reunited’.Limahl has appeared on TV in ‘Comeback’ (screened in Germany, Austria & Switzerland), released new material with Kajagoogoo culminating in tours of Germany & the UK, released a Christmas single, ‘London For Christmas’, appeared on ‘Hit Me Baby One More Time’, ‘I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here’ and ‘Pointless Celebrities’ as well as becoming a firm fixture at many festivals. In 2017 he toured Japan & Australia alongsideKatrina(of The Waves), Men Without Hats, Martika, Berlin. And last year Limahl performed live for the first time in America on the Retro Futuratour alongside ABC, Belinda Carlisle, Annabella(Lwin) of Bow Bow Bow, Modern English, Tony Lewis(of The Outfield).2019 has seen him perform at several Lets Rock Festivals (UK) with average audiences of 14,000 alongside Nik Kershaw, Marc Almond(Soft Cell), Shalamar, Thompson Twins, Paul Young, Thomas Dolby& many other 80s acts.In the past couple of months he has appeared on several high profile TV shows in Poland and will be appearing in a film for TVPin December.In October, after three years training as an actor, Limahl appeared in his first stage play ‘Earthquakes In London’at The Oval House Theatre, London about climate changegiving him another opportunity to showcase his talent.Music this year used in various US TV shows:1. ‘Too Shy’ used in ‘Black Mirror’ episode ‘Bandersnatch’. 2. ’Neverending Story’ used in season 3 finale of ’Stranger Things’ increasing the monthly Spotify streams from 300,000. to 1.5 million. 3. ’Too Shy’ used in Season 9 of ‘American Horror Story’ (episodes 7 & 8) with Limahl & Kajagoogoo as part of the storyline (an actor plays Limahl).He continues to be in demand as a performer recently touring both Australia and Japan to acclaim and after more than 30 years in the business Limahl still loves to get up and sing!

Website: http://www.limahl.com

Robert Schrenier is the author of The Wolves and the Greyhounds, a military thriller/historical fiction novel set in the early months of the First World War.

The novel is based on extraordinary actual events. In August 1914, as war was declared, an entire fleet of German warships stealthily eluded an Allied blockade, slipped out into the Pacific Ocean - and disappeared. The possibility that the elusive German fleet might suddenly appear on any horizon paralyzed the British Empire and set in motion a frantic search for the enemy warships.

The book follows two naval captains - on British, one German - as their fates are inexorably drawn together. In this epic wartime adventure, bold gambles and tragic miscalculations pull these two captains, their ships, and their rival empires into a desperate clash—culminating in the most decisive naval battles of the war.

Robert is former CIA Intelligence Officer who works as a consultant and executive in the global private security industry. He is an avid amateur military historian who has traveled the world, routinely sneaking in side-trips to visit ancient fortifications and battlefields. He lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Tennessee with his wife, two spoiled cocker spaniels, an an amusingly musical cockatiel.

Website: https://www.robertschreiner.com

The intersection of hope and resignation can be a disarming place, but also incredibly beautiful. It’s where Oh Smokey, the tenth Clem Snide album, spends a lot of its time. Eef Barzelay, the songwriter behind the name since time immemorial, describes Oh Smokey as “slow, sad songs about God and death,” knowing full well that he’s being technically accurate but wryly incomplete. Like a sleepy late night road trip conversation about a near death experience, the record makes space for some intimate contemplation of what lies beyond.

Barzelay wrote these eight songs while upending much of his life. His 25 -year marriage dissolved, he parted ways with his longtime manager, and he left his Nashville home after two decades. If you look at it one way, he’s been almost cosmically unlucky in the business, with a big break always around the corner that doesn’t exactly materialize. Seen from another angle, he’s built a dedicated fanbase person by person by creating an improbably timeless body of work, playing living rooms, and even writing personal songs for individual fans.

Website: https://www.clemsni.de

Luke Marzec’s life has always been about music. He picked up the violin aged 7, the sax at 10 and the piano soon after. At just 11, his natural talent earned him a place at the prestigious Royal College of Music (RCM) Junior Department. In fact, most of Luke’s childhood was spent either in the practice room or on stage. By the time he graduated high school, he had led countless classical and jazz bands, ensembles and orchestras - professionally, at school, RCM and at the national level. 

However, the relentless demands left him tired and searching for more creativity; less structure. He smoked weed, read Marx, went raving, fell in love and enrolled on a Philosophy degree. 

In 2025 Luke will take up residence at one of the city’s newest micro-venues while touring across Europe to promote his new album, debut album Something Good Out Of Nothing.

This is Luke Marzec. And he invites you along for the journey. 

Find out more here: https://www.lukemarzec.com

Belouis Some (real name Neville Keighley) singer songwriter from London released his first album SomePeople in 1985 on Capitol EMI Records. After initial recording in London the album was produced in New York by Steve Thompson and Michael Barbiero. Carlos Alomar arranged and played on the tracks and brought together a line up that included Bernard Edwards and Tony Thompson (Chic), Carmine Rojas, Robin Clark, Chester Kamen, Guy Fletcher (Dire Straits). The album contained the worldwide hit singles Imaginationand SomePeoplewith the video for Imagination, directed by Storm Thorgerson, causing controversy as it contained full nudity.

. Belouis Some will be on the USA “Hit & Run Tour” with Jay Aston’s “Gene Loves Jezebel” and “Slim Jim Phantom” in April followed by the “Lost 80s Live” tour of North America in the summer of 2025.

Website: https://www.belouissome.com/

Laura Sawosko is a Nashville based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. With the help of PLA Media, Laura’s 6th album will be released in April 2025.

She is a member of NSAI and ASCAP and was one of the chosen Qualifiers for The TN Songwriter’s Series, her career includes performances at iconic venues such as the Bluebird Cafe and The Listening Room and has opened for Major artists such as Edwin McCain, Sarah Buxton and Michelle Branch.

Website: https://www.laurasawosko.com

Leonard Goldberg is internationally bestselling author the Joanna Blalock series of medical thrillers. His novels, acclaimed by critics as well as fellow authors, have been translated into a dozen languages and sold more than a million copies worldwide. Leonard Goldberg is himself a consulting physician affiliated with the UCLA Medical Center, where he holds an appointment as Clinical Professor of Medicine. A highly sought-after expert witness in medical malpractice trials, he is board certified in internal medicine, hematology and rheumatology, and has published over a hundred scientific studies in peer-reviewed journals.

Leonard Goldberg's writing career began with a clinical interest in blood disorders. While involved in a research project at UCLA, he encountered a most unusual blood type. The patient's red blood cells were O-Rh null, indicating they were totally deficient in A, B and Rh factors and could be administered to virtually anyone without fear of a transfusion reaction. In essence, the patient was the proverbial "universal" blood donor. This finding spurred the idea for a story in which an individual was born without a tissue type, making that person's organs transplantable into anyone without worry of rejection. His first novel, TRANSPLANT, revolved around a young woman who is discovered to be a universal organ donor and is hounded by a wealthy, powerful man in desperate need of a new kidney. The book quickly went through multiple printings and was optioned by a major Hollywood studio.

His latest release is he Daughter of Sherlock mystery series, including Leonard's newest title, A SCANDALOUS AFFAIR, which follows Irene Adler and Sherlock's daughter years after Holmes has passed away, as she joins Dr. Watson's son in solving cases, using her quick wit and remarkable observations to carry on her father's legacy. 

Website: http://www.leonardgoldberg.com

Don Cusic is one of the premier historians of country music and an internationally known scholar and writer. As an author, teacher, historian, songwriter, producer, and executive, Cusic has been actively involved in the music business since 1973. He is a 2022 inductee in the Western Music Hall of Fame.

Cusic is the author of twenty-five published books, including the biographies Roger Miller: Dang Him, Elvis and Nashville, Eddy Arnold: I'll Hold You In My Heart, The Life and Career of Gene Autry, The Cowboy Way: Riders In The Sky, James Weldon Johnson: Songwriter and The Trials of Henry Flipper. He wrote an encyclopedia of cowboys, Cowboys and the Wild West: An A-Z Guide from the Chisholm Trail to the Silver Screen and edited (and was the primary writer of) The Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music. Other books include Johnny Cash: The Songs, The Sound of Light: A History of Gospel and Christian Music (re-published as Saved by Song), The Cowboy in Country Music, Music in the Market, Baseball and Country Music, Poet of the Common Man: Merle Haggard Lyrics, Willie Nelson: Lyrics 1959-1994, Hank Williams: The Complete Lyrics, Reba McEntire: Country Music's Queen, Randy Travis: King of the New Traditionalists, The Poet as Performer, and Sandi Patti: The Voice of Gospel. Cusic is also the author of two novels: Sharecropper’s Son and Dressed in Grey and Blue (a Civil War novel). 

Website: https://www.doncusic.com

Interested in being on the show send an email to dauna@bettertopodcast.com