unsigned518
*This article originally appeared in our November 2024 issue*
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
To some, it may seem like I came out of nowhere and snuck into the local music scene in 2022 with the launching of my local music podcast, Unsigned518. But, the truth of the matter is that my involvement with 518 music goes back more than two decades.
Before I even lived in New York state, I was working as an on-air talent at WEQX. I was given the privilege of running the local music show. WEQX is an independent radio station that, while popular in the 518, was broadcast out of Vermont, where I am from. I very quickly realized that the talent being submitted to me was far beyond what my expectations had been for “local” music. I heard all genres of music and quickly became a fan of many of the bands. Some of those bands are still very active 20+ years later, and a few have even appeared on Unsigned518.
The format of Unsigned518 came directly from my days in radio; I always enjoyed inviting bands to the studio. We would do a very casual interview and they would play a song or two “live”. That is exactly what Unsigned518 is. I sat on the idea of doing it on my own for years, and in 2011, I started a podcast called The Scullin Podcast.
it sucked.
It was not music-focused at all, but rather just a “talk” show. The tagline was “No Planning. No Edits. Just Conversations.” But, there was one episode where I had a local band, Party Boat, on as my guests. I did the same formula I had done a decade earlier, and I knew something cool was happening. Although it was another 10 years before it would be a reality, right there was when I realized I could do exactly what I had been doing on the radio, but on my own terms.
Almost three years later I am continuing to help local artists promote their upcoming releases, put a spotlight on local events and help create a more unified community here in the 518, all from my garage that has been affectionately dubbed, “The Dazzle Den.”
Now that Unsigned518 has three different shows (Unsigned518, Weekend Spotlight, The Unsigned Unwind), has crossed the 200 episode mark and is even having national and international guests, I’m truly hoping to cement my place amongst the 518 music and arts community.
In early 2024, Erin Harkes, TJ Foster and myself met in a coffee shop on a freezing cold morning. We wanted to create something that would help not only the musicians and creatives in the area, but patrons of art and music as well. Several months later, I got a call from Erin telling me about how she had acquired Metroland. I was stunned. When I moved to Troy in 2004, Metroland was my bible. Growing up in Vermont, there was not a lot of entertainment close by, so to be able to walk from my apartment to several music venues was overwhelming for me.
Metroland was my guide, and its demise was devastating to me.
I cannot overstate just how honored and excited I am to be on the startup team for Metroland Now. The trust I have in Erin’s leadership and vision is fuel to my already impassioned fire. We are going to do our best to elevate the music and arts scene. We will be listening to the community as we grow, in hopes of truly bringing back Metroland in a way that will align with those that remember its original run, as well as those that may have never even heard of it.
Please like, follow and subscribe to Unsigned518 wherever you listen to podcasts. All three shows are in the same feed. New episodes every Tuesday, Thursday, and every other Wednesday.
