Freelance musician and multi-instrumentalist Lisa Jacobs joins me to discuss her diverse career as an award-winning bass player and a dedicated music therapist. We dive into the grit of touring, studio recording sessions, and how she balances the energy of massive festival stages with the quiet intimacy of clinical music therapy. Lisa shares her unique mindset on finding longevity in the music industry, overcoming performance anxiety, and the real definition of confidence.

ep48 Lisa Jacobs finds little joys
released June 18, 2026
1:53:26

https://www.instagram.com/lisajuliejacobs/

Key Takeaways

• Dual Dualities & Symbiotic Career Paths: Lisa successfully balances a high-energy performance career with the quiet intimacy of music therapy, allowing both worlds to uniquely inform and feed into each other .
• The Clinical Power of Music Memory: Because music is stored across multiple areas of the brain, it acts as a powerful non-verbal tool to unlock memories and restore personal identity for dementia and palliative care patients .
• The Reality of Passion Projects: Disproving the cliché myth that loving your job means never working, Lisa emphasizes that even dream careers require immense sacrifice, unglamorous behind-the-scenes toil, and dealing with burnout .
• True Confidence is Earned Through Failure: Genuine confidence is not unearned bravado; rather, it is built incrementally by leaning into discomfort, making mistakes, and actively working to get better at a skill over time .
• Strategic Cultivation of Small Joys: To survive the grueling demands of the music industry and prevent professional misery, Lisa intentionally hunts for tiny moments of connection and beauty on and off the stage .

hosts: Glen Erickson, Alexi Erickson
https://www.almostfamousenough.com
AFE instagram: https://www.instagram.com/almostfamousenough
AFE Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1o1PRD2X0i3Otmpn8vi2zP?si=1ece497360564480

Almost Famous Enough is a series of conversations centered around the music industry, pulling back the veil on what it really means to “make it”. Our podcast features guests who know the grind, who have lived the dream, or at the very least, chased the dream. Through these conversational biographies, truth and vulnerability provide more than a topical roadmap or compile some career advice; they can appeal to the dreamer in us all, with stories that can teach us, inspire us, and even reconcile us, and make us feel like we made a new friend along the way.

Chapters

00:00:00 Introduction

00:04:15 Catching up with Lisa Jacobs

00:06:44 Life as a Freelance Musician

00:09:42 The Dual Role: Musician and Music Therapist

00:12:43 The Power of Music Therapy

00:15:45 Connecting Through Music: A Personal Story

00:18:43 Finding Balance: The Performer and the Healer

00:24:34 Rediscovering Self: The Journey of Balance

00:31:40 Understanding Emotional Patterns

00:34:07 The Journey of a Musician

00:37:58 Early Musical Influences and Opportunities

00:41:06 The Freelance Musician's Path

00:46:45 Finding Joy in the Journey

00:53:55 Authenticity on Stage and Off

01:00:01 The Value of Vulnerability in Music

01:03:22 Fashion Influences and Sisterhood

01:06:02 The Power of Personal Style

01:09:17 The Balance of Light and Dark in Music and Fashion

01:14:24 Confidence Through Experience

01:19:23 The Journey of a Musician

01:24:26 Embracing Opportunities and Personal Growth

01:33:04 Post-Fame with Alexi

What does it take to sustain a 12-year independent music career? Canadian rock-and-folk artist Skye Wallace joins the conversation to dissect the realities of the modern touring landscape, independent album funding, and shifting toward DIY touring sustainability. From her classical vocal roots to heavy guitar distortion , Skye shares how raw adaptability has defined her trajectory. Plus, she opens up about challenging music industry ageism and sexism while proudly navigating new parenthood on the road.

ep47 Skye Wallace is adaptable
released June 11, 2026
1:49:55

Key Takeaways

• Navigating Parasocial Dynamics: Independent artists must balance a unique social dynamic where fans online and in public feel a deep, one-sided personal connection with them.
• Early DIY Grit: Building a long-term music career often requires a foundation of intense solo hustle, booking grassroots gigs, and navigating early touring challenges independently.
• The Power of Creative Adaptability: Longevity in a volatile industry relies heavily on an artist’s willingness to constantly adapt, whether by upgrading live performance technology or shifting musical directions.
• Pivoting for Touring Sustainability: Rising industry costs and widespread artist burnout are forcing creators to return to grassroots, DIY touring models like intimate house shows for better financial feasibility.
• Reclaiming Agency in Motherhood: Choosing to openly balance a rock-and-roll career with new parenthood allows female artists to directly challenge systemic industry ageism and sexism.

https://www.skyewallace.com/
https://www.instagram.com/skyewallacemusic/
https://www.youtube.com/c/Skyewallace

hosts: Glen Erickson, Alexi Erickson
AFE: https://www.almostfamousenough.com
AFE instagram: https://www.instagram.com/almostfamousenough
AFE Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1o1PRD2X0i3Otmpn8vi2zP?si=1ece497360564480

Almost Famous Enough is a series of conversations centered around the music industry, pulling back the veil on what it really means to “make it”. Our podcast features guests who know the grind, who have lived the dream, or at the very least, chased the dream. Through these conversational biographies, truth and vulnerability provide more than a topical roadmap or compile some career advice; they can appeal to the dreamer in us all, with stories that can teach us, inspire us, and even reconcile us, and make us feel like we made a new friend along the way.

Chapters

00:00:00 Introduction

00:03:09 Navigating Social Dynamics in Music

00:06:14 Returning to the Stage: A Musician's Journey

00:09:10 The Evolution of Live Performance Technology

00:12:09 From Classical Training to Creative Expression

00:14:59 The Path of a Solo Artist: Challenges and Triumphs

00:18:12 Support Systems: The Role of Family in Music

00:21:12 Speaking Out: The Artist's Voice in Society

00:29:50 Embracing Authenticity in Music

00:31:25 Navigating a Decade of Music Production

00:34:02 Building Connections in the Music Industry

00:36:49 Evolving as an Artist Through Collaboration

00:40:00 The Impact of Production on Artistic Growth

00:42:31 The Importance of Learning from Experience

00:45:40 Adapting to Change in the Music Landscape

00:49:18 The Role of Public Funding in Music Careers

00:52:43 Sustainability and DIY Approaches in Music

00:56:51 Facing Challenges as a Female Artist

00:58:33 Parenthood and Its Impact on Artistic Expression

00:59:05 The Iced Tea Incident

01:01:16 Flag in the Ground Moments

01:02:58 Living Your Truth

01:06:11 The Journey of Parenthood and Career

01:11:04 The New Record and Creative Process

01:15:11 Performance Dynamics: Solo vs. Band

01:24:19 Post-Fame with Alexi

What does music genre even mean anymore? Former guest Matthew Willox returns to challenge traditional Billboard classifications like rock, country, and classical. This Hot Take sends us on a deep dive into how digital streaming platforms and Spotify algorithms have completely shifted the landscape, swapping rigid labels for curated aesthetic vibe playlists, workout tracks, and hyper-niche sub-genres. Discover how, we think, music listeners are taking back control from corporate power structures, ultimately democratizing how we define, discover, and consume new music in the modern streaming era.

s3 Post-Fame Plus presents Hot Takes with Matthew
released June 4, 2026
49:20

Key Moments

[05:56] The Rise of the "Vibe" Genre: Matthew drops his primary hot take, arguing that traditional Billboard categories like rock and country are dead, replaced by context-driven vibe genres like lo-fi, hype, and workout tracks.

[08:37] The 90s Rock Club Abomination: The guys share a laugh over a modern algorithmic playlist that mashed Tool and Blink-182 together - a chaotic musical pairing that never would have survived the strict sub-culture divides of the 1990s.

[11:40] Context-Driven Listening: Glen explores how modern music taxonomy has fundamentally flipped. Instead of labels telling us what we're listening to, genres are now built entirely around the user’s immediate context: where they are, how they feel, and what they want to feel.

[24:00] Triangulating Music Tastes: The guys unpack how the younger generation completely struggles to define their music taste. Instead of naming genres, listeners now list a trio of hyper-specific artists to help others "triangulate" their exact sonic aesthetic.

https://matthewwillox.art/

hosts: Glen Erickson, Alexi Erickson AFE: https://www.almostfamousenough.com AFE instagram: https://www.instagram.com/almostfamousenough AFE Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1o1PRD2X0i3Otmpn8vi2zP?si=1ece497360564480

Almost Famous Enough is a series of conversations centered around the music industry, pulling back the veil on what it really means to “make it”. Our podcast features guests who know the grind, who have lived the dream, or at the very least, chased the dream. Through these conversational biographies, truth and vulnerability provide more than a topical roadmap or compile some career advice; they can appeal to the dreamer in us all, with stories that can teach us, inspire us, and even reconcile us, and make us feel like we made a new friend along the way.

Chapters

00:00:08 Introduction to Hot Takes

00:02:15 Self-Policing and Personal Freedom

00:06:10 The Evolution of Music Genres

00:07:07 Vibe Over Genre: A New Perspective

00:11:12 The Contextual Nature of Music Genres

00:20:01 The Influence of Technology on Music Creation

00:23:28 The Evolution of Music Taste

00:26:19 Defining Genres in a Blended Era

00:30:32 The Impact of Historical Context on Music

00:33:25 Listener Influence on Genre Creation

00:37:38 The Democratization of Music Consumption

00:41:39 The Knowledgeable Listener and Genre Fluidity