Today I am joined by the legendary Rick Astley! It was such a joy to speak to him about music, the music industry and life in general. What a fantastic musician and music lover. I hope you enjoy it.  Produced by Jenny May Finn. Recorded at Sessions Arts Club, London. 🎫  Tickets for Justin Hawkins Rides Again tour in London & Liverpool: https://tinyurl.com/kneukve2 Join my special Mailing List here to get emails from me about stuff you might like: https://beacons.ai/justinhawkins Get a Justin Hawkins Rides Again T-Shirt & Hoodie here: https://thejawsofvictory.com/

Today is all about fans and fandom or rather I like to call them "music enthusiasts". How do you navigate this world when you start garner attention and people start becoming actual "fans" of you and your work. What are the ups and downsides to it and why is there such a negative connotation with being called a "fan" in the first place? Let's discuss. Follow us on Instagram: @justinhawkinsta or @jennymayfinn Join my special Mailing List here to get emails from me about stuff you might like: https://beacons.ai/justinhawkins Get a Justin Hawkins Rides Again T-Shirt & Hoodie here: https://thejawsofvictory.com/ I do monthly Zoom Call Nights over on my Patreon, they're A LOT of fun: http://www.patreon.com/jushawk

I'm sorry, I have to take a break. The podcast will return in January EVEN BETTER, as we will record some new episodes with some exciting new guests lined up when I'm not gigging with The Darkness. Thank you for being such committed listeners and tuning every week, I really appreciate it and I hope you will join me again in the New Year.  Tickets for my UK Tour - LIVE! Justin Hawkins Rides Again (for the first time) are on sale now: https://www.axs.com/uk/series/19790/live-justin-hawkins-rides-again-for-the-first-time-tickets?skin=aegpresentsuk  Tickets for the VIP Meet & Experience are here: https://thejawsofvictory.com/products/vip-meet-and-great-experience-with-justin-hawkins Dates: 18th March - Norwich LCR UEA 19th March - Bristol St George's 20th March - Sheffield Memorial Hall 21st March - Glasgow The Glee Club 22nd March - Gateshead The Glasshouse Sage 2 24th March - London Bloomsbury Theatre 25th March - Hayes The Beck Theatre 26th March - Cardiff The Glee Club  27th March - Birmingham The Glee Club 29th March - Salford The Lowry 30th March - Liverpool St George's Hall 31st March - Leeds City Varieties Music Hall 

I’ve been looking forward to announcing this…  LIVE Justin Hawkins Rides Again...for the first time! This is so far outside of my comfort zone that I’ve already got the butterflies. I can’t wait to get cracking, I have no idea what will happen. All I know is, it’ll be beautiful. Come witness the chaos.  So apologies for there not being a longform podcast this week as I'm been on tour with The Darkness, but I've included a Q&A instead. See you next week! Tickets go on General Sale on Friday 27th Oct at 10am BST here: https://www.axs.com/uk/series/19790/live-justin-hawkins-rides-again-for-the-first-time-tickets?skin=aegpresentsuk Dates:  18th March - Norwich LCR UEA 19th March - Bristol St George's 20th March - Sheffield Memorial Hall 21st March - Glasgow The Glee Club 22nd March - Gateshead The Glasshouse Sage 2 24th March - London Bloomsbury Theatre 25th March - Hayes The Beck Theatre 26th March - Cardiff The Glee Club  27th March - Birmingham The Glee Club 29th March - Manchester Salford The Lowry 30th March - Liverpool St George's Hall 31st March - Leeds City Varieties Music Hall  There will also be a VIP meet & greet for 30 special guests only at each show. You'll get early access to the theatre, we'll chat and hang out for a while, you'll get a signed tour poster, I'll take photos with each of your individually and we'll have some pre-show fun in general. This will be available separately to your gig ticket as an upgrade- I'll post the link to purchase on Friday 27th Oct here too.

The music industry is notoriously known for drugs and artists developing issues with addiction, rehabilitation and even tragedies. I generally refuse to discuss my experience and past regarding this issue with the press, as I feel they are only looking to sell papers when they ask. So, today, I'm going to try and talk about it here. Why do musicians fall into this drug taking habit and how does it effect them as artists and if they do stop, how do they cope with life afterwards? Justin's Cameo: https://www.cameo.com/justinhawkins Jenny May's Cameo: https://www.cameo.com/jennymayfinn Join my special Mailing List here to get emails from me about stuff you might like: https://beacons.ai/justinhawkins Get a Justin Hawkins Rides Again T-Shirt & Hoodie here: https://thejawsofvictory.com/ I do monthly Zoom Call Nights over on my Patreon, they're A LOT of fun: http://www.patreon.com/jushawk The Darkness are going on a World Tour this year to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Permission to Land - get your tickets here: https://www.thedarknesslive.com/tour-dates/ #musicpodcast #musicindustry #musicbusinesss

I'm so happy to be speaking with Myles Kennedy today! For those of you unaware Myles Kennedy He is the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the rock band Alter Bridge and the lead vocalist in guitarist Slash's backing band, known as Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators.  He is one of the pre-eminent rock vocalists of our time and I think you'll really enjoy this conversation! We talk a lot about singing, touring and the art of fronting a band. Please, to enjoy! Join my special Mailing List here to get emails from me about stuff you might like: https://beacons.ai/justinhawkins Get a Justin Hawkins Rides Again T-Shirt & Hoodie here: https://thejawsofvictory.com/ I do monthly Zoom Call Nights over on my Patreon, they're A LOT of fun: http://www.patreon.com/jushawk Justin Hawkins Rides Again...The Podcast. You can listen on Apple Podcast, Spotify etc: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hQYjIww4Rfaka9Fqc11mX?si=ab25d61ba0c74618 The Darkness are going on a World Tour this year to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Permission to Land - get your tickets here: https://www.thedarknesslive.com/tour-dates/ #myleskennedy #alterbridge #musicpodcast

Today I'm debating whether or not elitism has any role to play in music, culture and the music business? Should we feel shame for the music we listen to? I'm here with my producer Jenny May Finn who is taking the role of what we might think somebody who listens to more "mainstream" music might feel. What do you think? Am I just a snob or am I right?  Follow us on Instagram: @justinhawkinsta or @jennymayfinn Join my special Mailing List here to get emails from me about stuff you might like: https://beacons.ai/justinhawkins Get a Justin Hawkins Rides Again T-Shirt & Hoodie here: https://thejawsofvictory.com/ I do monthly Zoom Call Nights over on my Patreon, they're A LOT of fun: http://www.patreon.com/jushawk

What is the life of a frontman of a cult band like? What does working in the music industry look like for people like that? Well today I'm speaking with arguably the best frontman in the industry right now, Eric Nally of Foxy Shazam. Some of you may recognise him for his collaborations with Macklemore. He is incredibly talented and he's had an interesting career. Join my special Mailing List here to get emails from me about stuff you might like: https://beacons.ai/justinhawkins Follow Eric Nally on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/eric_in_american/?hl=en Listen to The Church of Rock and Roll here: https://open.spotify.com/album/6k6gbpR9h1fIuXSEKRp3Yo?si=7P6ZnW7iQ1Kv2eDqShsNuw  Get a Justin Hawkins Rides Again T-Shirt & Hoodie here: https://thejawsofvictory.com/ I do monthly Zoom Call Nights over on my Patreon, they're A LOT of fun: http://www.patreon.com/jushawk The Darkness are going on a World Tour this year to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Permission to Land - get your tickets here: https://www.thedarknesslive.com/tour-dates/

Collaboration is key to working in the music industry. What does the art of collaboration look like when it's broken down? What are the dos and don'ts? The good and the bad things about it?  Tell me your experience with collaborating, do you have any horror stories? Or tell me the best person you ever worked with! I'm joined again by my producer Jenny May Finn and this time we're filmed by Bobby from Bad Nerves!  Join my special Mailing List here to get emails from me about stuff you might like: https://beacons.ai/justinhawkins You can follow Justin and Jenny May on Instagram: @justinhawkinsta and @jennymayfinn Get a Justin Hawkins Rides Again T-Shirt & Hoodie here: https://thejawsofvictory.com/ I do monthly Zoom Call Nights over on my Patreon, they're A LOT of fun: http://www.patreon.com/jushawk The Darkness are going on a World Tour this year to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Permission to Land - get your tickets here: https://www.thedarknesslive.com/tour-dates/ #justinhawkins #musicpodcast #musicindustry

W does hat failure looks like for a musician or a band in the music industry and what does success actually mean? How does it feel to fail and what is the importance of failure? I also talk about the times that I have “failed” and how it really felt. I think failure is a beautiful thing. Join my special Mailing List here to get emails from me about stuff you might like: https://beacons.ai/justinhawkins Get a Justin Hawkins Rides Again T-Shirt & Hoodie here: https://thejawsofvictory.com/ I do monthly Zoom Call Nights over on my Patreon, they're A LOT of fun: http://www.patreon.com/jushawk You can follow Justin and Jenny May on Instagram: @justinhawkinsta and @jennymayfinn

What is it like being on of the best musicians in the world? Well, today I am speaking to one of those. His name is Nate Wood. If you want to acquire a different perspective on what it's like growing up and working in the music industry. Stick around. Nate is great. He is considered one of the greatest in industry by other musicians, so you know he's good. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Make sure to check out Nate on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/natewoodmusic/ You can join my special secret Mailing List here: https://beacons.ai/justinhawkins

What role does alcohol play in the music industry? Is it possible to work in this industry sober? Why do so many musicians end up fighting battles with addiction? I try to open up a bit about my struggles with alcoholism in today's episode, though I'm still a little guarded around that for variety of reason that I will reveal.  If you're struggling with alcohol or feel it's not playing a good role in your life, or with your mental health in general check out some of these links MusiCares: https://www.musicares.org/get-help/addiction-recovery https://www.smartrecovery.org/ https://www.samaritans.org/

What goes on in the inner world of the most underrated member of a band, the bassist? How do they feel? What do you they pontificate about? What's it like for them being in the music industry? Well, today, I am speaking to one of the most interesting men in rock, Frankie Poullain. You will be left fascinated, confused and educated all in one go.  You can sign up to my top secret mailing list of dreams here: https://beacons.ai/justinhawkins Make sure to follow Frankie on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/frankiepoullain/ Get a Justin Hawkins Rides Again T-Shirt & Hoodie here: https://thejawsofvictory.com/ You can also watch this episode here: https://youtu.be/86zkcZLljGk Thank you for listening, I appreciate you. Justin 

How does being a music journalist work? What's the point of them? Do we even need them anymore or are they an important voice in the industry to help us curate our music tastes? I'm speaking with Pat Carty today, my favourite music journalist in the business. We discuss the pitfalls and merits of this particular trade. Make sure to check out Pat's excellent show The Record Machine here: https://www.dublincityfm.ie/shows/the-record-machine/ You can follow him on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/Pat_Carty If you fancy a Justin Hawkins Rides Again t-shirt or hoodie you can get one here: https://thejawsofvictory.com/ Thank you for listening! See you next Monday!

What is it like being a touring musician? How does it affect our mental state, our bodies and our relationships? Today I talk about this as I have a big tour approaching this year. We talk a lot about body image and the affects being a live performer has that. I also open up about how it affects my anxiety and how I try to cope with it. It's a complex episode today, full of wandering meanderings but it all leads back to the core issue of the mental preparation that goes into being a tourist artist. I'm joined once again by my producer Jenny May Finn. You can follow us both on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/justinhawkinsta/ and https://instagram.com/jennymayfinn/ If you fancy a Justin Hawkins Rides Again t-shirt or hoodie you can get one here: https://thejawsofvictory.com/ Thank you for listening! See you next Monday!

What it's like being one of the best drummers in the world and being considered part of rock royalty? I'm interviewing Rufus Tiger Taylor, drummer of The Darkness and according to a lot of music fans, one of the best drummers amongst us right now! We talk about how he started, his first proper drumming jobs, what it's like being the son of a drummer aka of Roger Taylor of Queen, his musical influences and if he had to get one limb chopped off what would it be? Justin Hawkins Rides Again Merch: https://thejawsofvictory.com/ I do monthly Zoom Call Nights over on my Patreon, they're A LOT of fun: http://www.patreon.com/jushawk Thank you all for listening - see you next Monday!

Welcome to Justin Hawkins Rides Again…the podcast where I discuss the pitfalls of the music trade and what it’s like working in this fickle industry. This week is all about Publishing aka how songwriters make money. I’m joined by my producer Jenny May Finn who grills me on how I earn a living through through writing songs. How does it work?! What do you need to do if you want to become a professional songwriter and what are rules?  I try to explain all of this from my experience in the industry, writing for The Darkness and for other artists too. Thank you so much for listening! Join me next Monday for another episode of Justin Hawkins Rides Again.

Welcome to Justin Hawkins Rides Again...the podcast where each week I’ll be discussing the pitfalls of the music industry. This week I'm speaking to one of the greatest guitarist and vocalist amongst us right now, Richie Kotzen! You may know him from his time in Poison and Mr Big, or currently as the frontman of The Winery Dogs. If not, this is your introduction to an incredibly talented human being and musician. He is a fantastic guitarist and as well as being a part of those bands I mentioned before, he is also a prolific solo artist. We spoke about how he navigated difficult music contracts over the years, how he stayed true to himself and his craft and what the creative process actually means to him along with lots of guitar based chat...of course. Thank you so much for listening, we really appreciate it! You can watch all of these podcast episodes over on my YouTube channel here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2UpVqorEGqBnrfSYCkfO7z5Y5P7oqsqs Your can get yourself some Justin Hawkins Rides Again merch here: https://thejawsofvictory.com/

Welcome to Justin Hawkins Rides Again…the podcast where each week I’ll be discussing the pitfalls of the music industry. This week I’ll be speaking to someone very interesting and very experienced in the world of rock and guitars - it is Pete Malandrone, guitarist Brian May from Queen’s longstanding guitar tech. He is a dear friend of mine, so we had a lot of fun during this conversation and I hope you gained an insight into what it's like working behind the scenes for some of the biggest artists in the world. You can watch this over on my YouTube channel here:  https://youtu.be/DL_ZQsHECDA  And you can get yourself some Justin Hawkins Rides Again merch here: https://thejawsofvictory.com/ Thank you so much for listening, we really appreciate it!

Welcome to Justin Hawkins Rides Again…the podcast where each week I’ll be discussing the pitfalls of the music industry. This week it’s time to get down to business. My producer Jenny May Finn is intrigued about how a band actually becomes a business, and how does this affect you as an artist? What goes into running a band in order for it to succeed?  It’s quite business-oriented, however as always we go on some philosophical tangental meanderings related to this. Can you make music your living also without it chipping away at your sense of authenticity? What affect does the business side of things have on how you show up as an artist? We try and answer these. You can watch this episode over on my YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/-p36KF1XyxM You can follow us both over on Instagram if you like @justinhawkinsta and @jennymayfinn Thank you for listening! See you next Monday!

This week on Justin Hawkins Rides Again...the podcast, I am interviewing the legendary award winning guitar player from The Darkness, my brother, Dan Hawkins.  I really enjoyed this conversation, I don't usually speak to my brother in this nature so it was a lot of fun! He's an incredible music producer and he shared some really insightful opinions during this podcast. We also remember some fun stories of our time in The Darkness and let you in on our plans for the future! You can watch this over on my YouTube channel here:  https://youtu.be/Qem5vO6xCrc And you can get yourself some Justin Hawkins Rides Again merch here: https://thejawsofvictory.com/ Thank you so much for listening, we really appreciate it!

Welcome to Justin Hawkins Rides Again…the podcast where each week I’ll be discussing the pitfalls of the music industry. One of the biggest questions I see asked is “how do you make it in the music industry” so this week my producer Jenny May Finn has decided to probe me about my life to figure out “how I made it” to see if we can figure what the basic recipe is to making it big. The industry was quite a lot different back then but maybe this might give you an insight into how it was and my experience trying to make it. You can follow us both over on Instagram if you like @justinhawkinsta and @jennymayfinn Thank you so much for listening, we really appreciate it!

Welcome to Justin Hawkins Rides Again...the podcast. In this episode we are discussing the trope of the “Tormented Artist”. Does all of the greatest music and songwriting come from being in pain and having a chaotic life or can you make great songs and whilst being happy and content? Am I a happy songwriter or do I battle or even fetishise the idea of being a tormented artist? I take on the role as the “tormented artist” and Jenny May Finn my producer takes on the role of the “happy artist” to see if we can represent both sides during this debate. I’m really pleased with this episode, it gets pretty deep and serious in parts so I hope you can listen in full.  You can also watch this over on my YouTube channel if you like: https://youtu.be/0KmCyCgp3k8 For now, please to enjoy! You can follow us both over on Instagram if you like @justinhawkinsta and @jennymayfinn You can also watch all of these episodes over on my YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/CvRmEOMC4ks Thank you so much for listening, we really appreciate it!

This week we're discussing creative burnout and the effect this has on songwriting. What causes burnout? How does it affect musicians like myself and the process of writing a song? We also dig into why so much songwriting feels lazy these days - what is causing this? Let's go! You can follow us both over on Instagram if you like @justinhawkinsta and @jennymayfinn You can also watch all of these episodes over on my YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/uweoWcS7kqs  Thank you so much for listening, we really appreciate it!

This week on Justin Hawkins Rides Again...the podcast we are discussing the theme of criticism and critique. How does this affect artists and is it even necessary. Jenny May also grills me to see how being in the music industry and having my work criticised and reviewed affected me. How did I handle negative comments from fans and critics about my music and my voice in the past? What is the purpose of it? Is it detrimental to creative people? It's a long one, but we try to figure out! You can follow us both over on Instagram if you like @justinhawkinsta and @jennymayfinn You can also watch all of these episodes over on my YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/CvRmEOMC4ks Thank you so much for listening, we really appreciate it!

This week we’re taking on a big topic…THE DOWNFALL. Myself and my producer Jenny May Finn get stuck into the topic of when artists fall from grace and their reputation often destroyed. This is often referred to as being cancelled, but it’s a little more nuanced. Why and how does this happen and how do you avoid it?  Jenny May proceeds to test me to see if she can trap me and instigate my DOWNFALL. Did I pass? We want to note, or Jenny May wants to note that during this conversation she takes on the role of devil’s advocate to try and probe me using controversial topics and sensitive political rhetoric to see what could spark my downfall…please don’t misconstrue what’s she’s saying to be her own opinion, it’s not, she’s trying to test me. She didn’t enjoy spouting some of that nonsense but it was part of the game and she apologises if it comes across mean and insensitive. You can also watch this podcast over on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ts3LlawXeYw You can follow both of us on Instagram @justinhawkinsta or @jennymayfinn Thanks for listening!

Welcome to Justin Hawkins Rides again…the podcast. Every week I will be discussing a theme regarding the pitfalls of the music industry or speaking with an insightful guest. This week I’m joined by Pat Finnerty. Pat is a musician and also runs an incredibly popular YouTube channel where he dissects songs to understand why they, well…aren’t that great it’s called “What Makes This Song Stink”. This is a great conversation because Pat is incredibly knowledgeable about music, songwriting and the culture that surrounds the music industry as a whole.    After this, make sure to check out his YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@pat_finnerty You can watch this episode on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/BNUSrAtRHxQ For now, please to enjoy.

Welcome to Justin Hawkins Rides Again…the podcast! Every week I will be discussing a theme regarding the pitfalls of the music industry. This week we try to figure out why the music industry really is a sh*t business. What is it about being part of this so called glamourous industry that also makes it so horribly unbearable? I draw upon my own experiences from being attacked by the press to how being a creative can destroy your relationships. It’s a good one. You can follow both of us on Instagram @justinhawkinsta or @jennymayfinn Or you can email us at justinhawkinsridesagainagain@gmail.com You can watch the show over on YouTube here: www.youtube.com/justinhawkinsridesagain Thank you so much for listening, we really appreciate that you even bothered!

A lot of you have been waiting for this episode. Today I'm speaking with Ren. For those of you unaware, Ren is a songwriter that has become incredibly popular over the last couple of years. His songs and videos are receiving millions of views due to his incredible storytelling. I have reacted to two his videos on this channel already, and both of them blew me away. Check out some of his videos here: https://www.youtube.com/renmakesmusic Thank you all for listening - I release this podcast every Monday so check back next week for a brand new episode! You can also watch the podcast on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/justinhawkinsridesagain

Welcome to Justin Hawkins Rides Again…the podcast! Every week I will be discussing a theme regarding the pitfalls of the music industry. This week we wrestle with the idea of whether artists and musicians succeed more if they are considered relatable or aspirational. Does it even matter or SHOULD it even matter? We also try to figure out where I fit on that scale. Please, tell me what you think. You can follow both of us on Instagram @justinhawkinsta or @jennymayfinn Or you can email us at justinhawkinsridesagainagain@gmail.com  You can watch the show over on YouTube here: www.youtube.com/justinhawkinsridesagain Thank you so much for listening, we really appreciate that you even bothered!

This week I spoke with rockstar Michael Starr! If you don’t know who he is, Michael Starr is the lead singer of the glam metal band Steel Panther.  We spoke about what life as a rockstar and lead singer is like in the music industry, he tells me about the advice he wishes he received earlier in career and he discusses how he deals with life on and off stage. There are also a lot of great stories and anecdotes mixed in! After this, make sure to check out Steel Panther's latest album on "On The Prowl" and follow Michael on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaelstarr/ You can watch the show over on YouTube here: www.youtube.com/justinhawkinsridesagain Thank you so much for listening!

Today's episode is about performance anxiety and embarrassment. This is an issue many people face when they decide to venture out into the world as an artist and creative. I have been accused of being immune to embarrassment while on the other hand my producer Jenny May has crippling performance anxiety. We try in this episode to figure out what's going on from both our perspectives and those we admire in the industry. You can follow both of us on Instagram @justinhawkinsta or @jennymayfinn Or you can email us at justinhawkinsridesagainagain@gmail.com or you can leave us a review with a comment. You can watch the show over on YouTube here: www.youtube.com/justinhawkinsridesagain Thank you so much for listening, we really appreciate that you even bothered!

Today it's all about the voice. I'm in a privileged position to be able to chat to renowned opera singer and vocal coach Elizabeth Zharoff. She has multiple degrees in music and voice from Oberlin Conservatory, Berklee College of Music and the Curtis Institute of Music. Elizabeth started The Charismatic Voice YouTube Channel seven years ago in an effort to focus on education and teaching voice to the masses. She is incredibly knowledgable about how the voice works and I really enjoyed talking to her, I learned a lot. I think you’ll find this episode really fascinating whether or not you’re a vocalist or not. What makes a great voice? Let's find out. You can email us at justinhawkinsridesagainagain@gmail.com or you can leave us a review with a comment. You can watch the show over on YouTube here: www.youtube.com/justinhawkinsridesagain You can also follow both of us on Instagram @justinhawkinsta or @jennymayfinn Thank you so much for listening, we really appreciate that you even bothered!

Today's episode is about an issue some artists have when they become addicted to fame and the high of performing. What effect does this have on their lives off stage? Is it detrimental to their state of mind? How do you deal with the come down? We will be extrapolating from an interview James Hetfield, the frontman of Metallica did where he admitted that he struggles with this and I'll explain how I combat this issue. You can email us at justinhawkinsridesagainagain@gmail.com or you can leave us a review with a comment.  You can watch the show over on YouTube here: www.youtube.com/justinhawkinsridesagain You can also follow both of us on Instagram @justinhawkinsta or @jennymayfinn Thank you so much for listening, we really appreciate that you even bothered!

Justin Hawkins Rides Again is where I’ll be discussing what it’s really like to be part of the lauded and loathed music industry. I'll be talking about the pitfalls of being part of this fickle business, how to navigate it, the highs and lows and what the future could hold for this volatile and beautiful art form. There will also be interviews with incredible people who work in this industry from vocal coaches, record label bosses to real life hardcore rockstars. I want to reveal to you the nitty gritty details of what this lifestyle is actually like and the affect it has on artists - so join me every Monday, right here.