Episode 240 of Look At My Records features an interview with Pittsburgh-based songwriter Zack Keim. Keim just released his long-awaited second full-length, Battery Lane, earlier this month. The record represents a big step forward in sound for the 27-year-old musician, as the 11 songs build off of the solid foundation that Keim established on his stripped-down 2017 debut, First Step. Drawing heavy influence from Dion’s 1975 album Born To Be With You, Keim leaned into Phil Spector’s wall-of-sound production style to create an immersive listening experience on Battery Lane. During the interview, Zack and Tom chatted all about the album, including some of the stories behind its standout tracks, the piecemeal recording process, and how decades-old songs like “Alice” evolved over time. Plus, Keim shared some pandemic-era stories and dove into his history with the garage rock band The Nox Boys.

Episode 239 features an interview with author Bennett Kelly! Known across New Jersey for his excellent journalistic contributions to publications like New Brunswick Today and the Look At My Records! music blog, Kelly recently shared his first-ever work of non-fiction, a novel titled Sensation Blues. The book, which is set deep in the Mississippi Delta, tells the story of a young, aspiring musician named McKinley as he navigates his journey through the world of the blues. Along the way, McKinley is mentored by his uncle Ira and encounters some exciting rock and roll antics, which are playfully detailed across Sensation Blues’ almost 300 pages.

Episode 238 of Look At My Records! Features an interview with Jersey City-based songwriter Sean Kiely. Last month, Kiely released his long-awaited new record, Postcards of the Reckoning, an 8-song collection of folk-inspired tunes that features some of his most personal songwriting to date. His songs expound on experiences spanning both love and loss, and feature a wide range of collaborators, including Minnie Jordan, Bobby Hawk, Jean Rohe, and more.

Episode 237 of Look At My Records! Features an interview with Bay Area songwriter Ainsley Wagoner, who performs as Silverware. In August, Silverware released their second full-length album, One True Light. It’s a record characterized by change, specifically, in Wagoner’s process, and in turn, her sound. In contrast to her 2021 album, No Plans, which was recorded quickly, Wagoner spent considerable time pouring over details and refining the end product for this go around. Though she made some alterations, Wagoner continued her fruitful collaboration with Omar Akrouche, a partnership that continues to pay dividends in terms of creative output.

Episode 236 of Look At My Records! features an interview with New York-based artist and musician, Shonali Bhowmik. Late last month, Shonali released her second-ever solo record, One Machine At A Time, the follow up to 2011’s 100 Oaks Revival. On One Machine At A Time, Shonali takes listeners on a personal journey across multiple genres, touching on themes of love, loss, and life.