Inside the Music with StereoRuss

WARTORTLE ERA with SUPERSTAR CRUSH

Superstar Crush are BACK and they're in their WARTORTLE ERA!
Fresh off opening for Wolf Parade, the Hamilton group joins StereoRuss for a conversation about Rococo-inspired stage aesthetics, finding your people, and the surreal experience of sharing bills with artists they’ve admired for years. It’s funny, thoughtful, and chalked full of Pokémon evolution metaphors.
 
Connect with Superstar Crush
https://www.instagram.com/superstarcrushband/ https://open.spotify.com/artist/29MNW2JE94Rb07rdS5tWFB https://www.youtube.com/@SuperstarCrush/videos
 
Recorded at Catherine North Studios in Hamilton, Ontario https://www.catherinenorth.com/ https://www.instagram.com/catherinenorthstudios/
 
Produced by StereoRuss and StereoRuss Media https://www.instagram.com/StereoRuss https://www.TikTok.com/@StereoRuss https://www.YouTube.com/@StereoRuss
 
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4X JUNO award winner AYSANABEE

A few days before the Junos, Aysanabee joined me at Catherine North Studios in Hamilton to talk about returning to the awards with two new nominations (which he won by the way)! We got into his approach to live performance, scoring a goal on an NHL goalie, learning with covers from Leon Bridges, Sam Roberts, and Justin Bieber, his self-taught guitar style, and why he’s releasing a stripped-back acoustic album. He also shared stories from the road, including a chaotic live reverb moment, and how he thinks about connecting with audiences through storytelling.
Thank you to Aysanabee and his team for taking the time to chat. I hope you all enjoy!
 
Connect with Aysanabee
https://www.instagram.com/_aysanabee_/
https://www.aysanabee.com/tour
https://open.spotify.com/artist/1jbEBKJhX4rRmHD6xW6ve5
https://linktr.ee/Aysanabee
 
Recorded at Catherine North Studios in Hamilton, Ontario https://www.catherinenorth.com/
https://www.instagram.com/catherinenorthstudios/
 
Produced by StereoRuss and StereoRuss Media https://www.instagram.com/StereoRuss
https://www.TikTok.com/@StereoRuss
 
Support Inside the Music with StereoRuss
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https://www.stereoruss.com
 
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DJ's Flying Circus (live on CFMU)

I sat down live in-studio with DJ’s Flying Circus, a growing collective of musicians. What started as jam sessions and covers has turned into original music, a rotating lineup, and a full scale live experience they call The Book of Funk.
We talk about where it all started, how they balance life's obligations and creativity, and what it means to commit to something when there’s no clear path forward. There’s a lot in here about community, about figuring it out as you go, and about choosing passion even when it makes life more complicated.
 
Follow DJ's Flying Circus:https://www.instagram.com/djs_flying_circus/
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Gumbo Red Sad Core with Tiger Balme

Tiger Balme is a Toronto based indie pop collective reinventing what a band can look (and sound) like. With vibraphone, harp, guitar, drums, and lush three part harmonies, Tiger Balme blends pop, indie, and art rock into something entirely their own.
In this conversation, the band dives into their origins as a songwriting collective, how shared leadership shapes their sound, and why no one person stands at the front of the stage. We talk uniforms, identity, harmony arranging, odd time signatures, and the realities of playing everything from vintage shops to Union Station.
The band also reflects on reimagining their song “Short Fuse (Embers)”, collaboration over competition, and building trust as a creative unit.
Connect with Tiger Balme
https://www.instagram.com/tigerbalme/?hl=en
https://ffm.to/tigerbalme
https://tigerbalme.bandcamp.com/track/short-fuse-embers
https://linktr.ee/tigerbalme
https://www.tiktok.com/@tigerbalme
Tiger Balme Mailing List:
https://tigerbalme.us14.list-manage.com/subscribe
 
Recorded at Catherine North Studios in Hamilton, Ontario https://www.catherinenorth.com/ https://www.instagram.com/catherinenorthstudios/
 
Edited by Mike Monson and Monco Film + Sound
http://moncofilmandsound.com/
https://www.instagram.com/moncofilmandsound/
 
Produced by StereoRuss and StereoRuss Media https://www.instagram.com/StereoRuss
https://www.TikTok.com/@StereoRuss
 
Become an Inside the Music Insider
https://www.stereoruss.com
 
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Finding Your Own Sound with Jack Stearns-Ley

Jack Stearns-Ley is a Hamilton based singer songwriter exploring the space between lo-fi intimacy and expansive, collaborative sound. Centred around piano but shaped by a rotating cast of musicians, Jack’s music blends singer songwriter roots with jazz, ambient textures, and a sense of organized spontaneity.
His latest project, Dottie’s Sketchbook, is as much about process as it is about the songs themselves. The album was Recorded in just two days using borrowed gear, voice memo room mics, and a trust in the people around him.
In this conversation, Jack dives into building a sound through friendship, moving between punk bands and solo work, and letting go of perfection in favour of honesty. We talk about recording off the floor, embracing imperfection, and why sometimes the best takes happen when you don’t fully know what you’re doing.
We also get into the Hamilton music scene, all ages venues, DIY recording, and what it means to make something that feels human in an increasingly polished world.
Connect with Jack Stearns-Ley https://open.spotify.com/artist/4lphjL8oxr4InlpMRJUIXL https://www.instagram.com/jackiesmusic3008/ https://www.instagram.com/smittheband/
Recorded at Catherine North Studios in Hamilton, Ontario https://www.catherinenorth.com/ https://www.instagram.com/catherinenorthstudios/
Edited by Mike Monson and Monco Film + Sound http://moncofilmandsound.com/ https://www.instagram.com/moncofilmandsound/
Produced by StereoRuss and StereoRuss Media https://www.instagram.com/StereoRuss https://www.TikTok.com/@StereoRuss
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"There's a Time for Art and a Time for Rock and Roll" with Finbar Wall of The Commune

Finbar Wall of The Commune is one of the most compelling voices coming out of Hamilton right now.
Fin and I sit down at Catherine North Studios to talk about community, craft, and what it really means to build a band without gatekeeping. From recording their early EP JUMA for the price of pizza, to lugging drywall, to discussing their recent run of shows with Tom Wilson, Daniel Lanois, and Junkhouse this conversation digs into the beauty of making art for the sake of it.
Connect with Fin and The Commune https://open.spotify.com/artist/0KPX0GJ9i29Yvgh8uQFJP5 https://linktr.ee/thecommunemusic https://www.instagram.com/thecommune.mp3/ https://www.tiktok.com/@thecommune.mp3
Recorded at Catherine North Studios in Hamilton, Ontario https://www.catherinenorth.com/ https://www.instagram.com/catherinenorthstudios/
Edited by Mike Monson and Monco Film + Sound http://moncofilmandsound.com/ https://www.instagram.com/moncofilmandsound/ Produced by
StereoRuss and StereoRuss Media https://www.instagram.com/StereoRuss https://www.TikTok.com/@StereoRuss
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https://www.stereoruss.com
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Trust the Band with Olivia Brown of Junestone

Olivia Brown is the bandleader and bassist of Junestone, for a fun convo on improvisation, songwriting, live performance, and what it really means to trust your band.
Recorded at Catherine North Studios, the conversation explores how Junestone blends funk, pop, jazz, and free flowing improvisation, why they prioritize live off the floor recording, and how creating a safe creative space leads to better music both on stage and in the studio.
Olivia shares the story behind Junestone’s latest release “Take It or Leave It”, the magic of adapting songs in real time, and how reading Victor Wooten’s "The Music Lesson" helped shape her approach to being a musician. Along the way, they unpack bass tone secrets, the importance of listening, finding the right collaborators, and the strange beauty of making people scream in a library.
Chapters: 0:00 - 9:03 All About Junestone 9:04 - 12:47 Finding Yourself As A Performer 12:48 - 17:14 Playing Music with your Siblings 17:15 - 20:22 Choosing the Bass 20:23 - 23:23 Victor Wooten 23:24 - 28:47 Forming Junestone 28:48 - 30:43 Acoustic Gigs 30:44 - 35:41 Recording "Take It or Leave It" 35:42 - 38:41 Managing Setlists 38:42 - 42:39 Fast Questions
Credits
Recorded at Catherine North Studios in Hamilton, Ontario
Produced by StereoRuss and StereoRuss Media
Production Assistant: Michelle Palau
 
Listen to Junestone
https://www.instagram.com/junestoneofficial/
https://linktr.ee/junestone
 
Connect with StereoRuss
https://www.instagram.com/StereoRuss
https://www.TikTok.com/@StereoRuss
Become an Inside the Music Insider
https://www.stereoruss.com
 
#hamiltonmusic #canadianmusic #bassguitar #songwriting #musicproduction #jazzfunk #insidethemusic #stereoruss

"Anything Worth Doing Is Worth Doing Badly" with Gareth Inkster of Golden Feather

Gareth Inkster is an independent singer/songwriter and pianist for the band Golden Feather from Hamilton, Ontario. Today we sit down for a deep, thoughtful conversation about creativity, authenticity, and what it means to be a musician in a world obsessed with outcomes.
We talk about Gareth’s journey through the Hamilton music scene, his role in Golden Feather, and why long form, exploratory music still matters. Gareth also shares the story behind his recent Manitoulin Island recording project, where he recorded songs on the road using minimal gear, embracing imperfection, place, and process over polish. 
 
Credits: Recorded at Catherine North Studios in Hamilton, Ontario
Produced by StereoRuss and StereoRuss Media
Production Assistant: Michelle Palau
 
Listen to Gareth Inkster https://www.youtube.com/ ⁨@garethinkster⁩  https://www.instagram.com/garethinkster/
Listen to Golden Feather https://www.youtube.com/ ⁨@goldenfeatherband⁩  https://www.instagram.com/goldenfeatherband/
Connect with StereoRuss https://www.instagram.com/StereoRuss https://www.TikTok.com/@StereoRuss https://www.youtube.com/@StereoRuss
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The First Aysanabee Song You Should Listen To with Aysanabee

Aysanabee is a two-time Juno award winning artist who will be playing at Bridgeworks in Hamilton, Ontario this Sunday December 7 in support of his third and latest album “Edge of the Earth”.
In this interview, we dive into the making of "Edge of the Earth", the story behind its album cover, and Aysanabee’s journey through 180+ shows across the world. We also get into his soul and folk influences, the Indigenous openers on this tour, his band, and the songs he recommends new listeners start with.
 
Listen to Aysanabee
https://www.youtube.com/c/Aysanabee
https://open.spotify.com/artist/1jbEBKJhX4rRmHD6xW6ve5
https://www.instagram.com/_aysanabee_/
https://www.tiktok.com/@aysanabee
 
 
Connect with StereoRuss
https://www.youtube.com/@StereoRuss
https://www.instagram.com/StereoRuss
https://www.TikTok.com/@StereoRuss
 
Become an Inside the Music Insider
https://www.stereoruss.com

How One DJ Turned His Passion Into a Record Shop with DJ Mark of Dr Disc Records

Mark Furukawa (aka DJ Mark) is the owner of Dr. Disc Records, legendary Hamilton DJ, community builder, and one of the city’s most enduring champions of local music.
 
Mark has been running Dr. Disc since 1991, outlasting corporate giants like HMV, surviving the Napster era, and navigating the chaos of COVID. We also talk DJ philosophy, the emotional power of physical music, and the joy of creating space for local musicians to thrive.
 
Whether you’re a Hamilton lifer, a vinyl collector, or a musician carving your path, this conversation is a love letter to music and community.
 
Credits
Recorded at Catherine North Studios in Hamilton, Ontario
Produced by StereoRuss and StereoRuss Media
Production Assistant: Michelle Palau
 
Connect with DJ Mark and Dr. Disc
https://www.instagram.com/heresdjmark/
https://www.instagram.com/drdischamilton/
https://www.facebook.com/drdisc.ca
 
Connect with StereoRuss
https://www.instagram.com/StereoRuss
https://www.TikTok.com/@StereoRuss
 
Become an Inside the Music Insider
https://www.stereoruss.com