Konnor Dolberry from The Band Light joins Ryan to share the truth behind their biggest show yet — opening for Louis Tomlinson of One Direction.

We dive into what fame actually feels like on the inside, how the band went from working day jobs in Nashville to being managed by the Jonas Brothers’ dad, and why staying grounded and protecting their friendship matters more than ever.

We go deep into artist development, burnout, brotherhood, therapy, and the moments that change everything.

Topics:

• Opening for Louis Tomlinson & lessons from the road

• The myth of “making it” in music

• Artist development with the Jonas Group

• Why bands fall apart, and how TBL is fighting to stay together

• The emotional cost of chasing your dream

The true story behind Lay Zhang’s hit ‘Other Side’. How a song written in a hotel room in LA somehow went on to break the music charts in China & go 'Gold' in just 47 minutes!Songwriter Mark Siegel joins me to share the wild true story behind Lay Zhang’s (张艺兴) “Other Side.”In this episode we talk about how a simple demo became a national hit, selling over 500 thousand copies in under an hour, what it’s like working with Lay Zhang’s team, and what the experience taught us about songwriting, production, and the power of real fans.

🎙 Guest: Mark Siegel — songwriter/producer/composer for Lay Zhang, Nickelback, MENA & more

🎧 Host: Ryan Poole: producer & engineer based in Nashville

📍 Recorded at The Hideout Studio

The journalists behind Murder on Music Row join me to unpack the 1998 killing of David “Skull” Schulman, the outlaw who ran Skull’s Rainbow Room in Printer’s Alley.

They share the untold story of Nashville’s Gatsby—how he built its wildest club, the night he was murdered inside it, and why the case deserves a second look.

True crime, music history, and the secrets that still echo through Printer's Alley.

Paul Tremblay is the New York Times bestselling author of A Head Full of Ghosts, The Cabin at the End of the World, Disappearance at Devil's Rock, and Horror Movie. In 2023, M. Night Shyamalan adapted Cabin... into the film Knock at the Cabin starring Dave Bautista & Rupert Grint. Tremblay's work has won the Bram Stoker, Locus, and British Fantasy Awards and earned praise from Stephen King himself:"A Head Full of Ghosts scared the living hell out of me, and I'm pretty hard to scare." -Stephen KingIn this wide-ranging conversation, we dive into:•The blurred line between schizophrenia and possession (and why it might be scarier to never know the difference.)•Ambiguity vs. twist endings and what really happened when M. Night Shyamalan adapted The Cabin at the End of the World.•The Thin Kid's brutal transformation in Horror Movie, how victims can become monsters, and what makes us keep watching.•Why "Perfect" art might kill creativity and why embracing imperfection could be the last human defense against AI.•The seven-hour deposition that nearly broke him. Iinside Paul's fight against ChatGPT and AI companies training on authors work without permission.

A record deal turned a million-dollar year into a $40 check—and it made him a lawyer. Ryan Schmidt (entertainment attorney, ex-artist, The Voice S3) breaks down how fine print steals your lunch, why he refuses 100% AI-generated acts, and what’s actually coming with AI lawsuits, deepfakes, and artist protection. We trade war stories, get practical about hiring a lawyer without burning cash, and talk about beating AI by leaning into the human mess—tape, live rooms, and imperfect takes.

We get into:

•The clause that turned 15% royalties into 15% × (30 / 5,000,000)

•How to actually hire an attorney: retainers, flat-fees, and when to put them on the thread

•Timbaland/Suno remix drama & the “just because you can, doesn’t mean you should” line

•Why ChatGPT contracts miss killer boilerplate (governing law, venue, conflicts)

•Deepfakes & the law: Tennessee’s Elvis Act, the proposed NO FAKES & TRAIN Acts

•Labels vs. AI: what majors will license, and why indies shouldn’t expect a big payout

•Beating AI with human imperfection: tape machines, live rooms, fewer edits

•Law school mindset shifts, choosing battles, and staying “the neighbor you want a beer with”

•Starter resources: Passman (with caveats), Ari Herstand, Emily White, Schmidt’s Foundation app

Guest: Ryan Schmidt, Esq —

IG: @ryanschmidtesq

Site: https://www.ryanschmidt.esq/

Host: Ryan Poole — @ryanmeetsworld

Quinn Eaton thought he was applying to be a songwriter. Instead, he became a writer & podcast host for Whiskey Riff, one of the internet’s go-to destinations for country music and culture.

After writing 4,500 articles, Quinn knows the drama, the hustle, and the reality of country music like few others. With a dry wit and insider’s perspective, Quinn shares what it’s really like to build a career chronicling one of America’s most passionate—and polarizing—music industries.

In this episode we uncover:

• The bizarre way Quinn stumbled into his career (and why it almost never happened)

• What it’s really like to write 6 stories a day without burning out

• The hate mail that went too far — and the insult he’ll never forget

• How country stars reveal their biggest secrets when the cameras are off

• Why Nashville’s biggest drama never makes the headlines

• The terrifying truth about AI writing and the one thing it can’t replicate

• The therapy experiment that changed Quinn’s perspective forever

  
  

This is the untold story of how one man became Nashville’s reluctant insider — and what it really costs to turn gossip, music, and culture into a full-time job.