Joe Payne

It all begins with a riff, electrified with more than just amplifiers, but also a lifetime of love for the rock ‘n’ roll of the 1970s and into the ’80s. The title track off The AJM Band‘s new album, The Hard Way, will sound familiar to anyone who grew up listening to bands like the […]

Studying the art of music can often feel like an isolating, solitary affair, with hours spent alone practicing the necessary scales and chords to one day become a “real” musician. That approach to education neglects one thing that has always spurred musicianship throughout the ages: collaboration. Having aspiring musicians study together can actually be an […]

Smack dab in the middle of all the windmills and bakeries in Solvang is Solvang Park, and right in the middle of that is a shady gazebo overlooking its sprawling lawn. For many a local band and musician, like Dan Robinette, drummer for local rock group LiveWire, that’s where the magic happens. “We like to […]

I first met Andrew Rubin in 2011, when he was in high school (and the year I began writing this column), and he made an immediate impression as an artist and musician. I’d heard of him before (“Your dad’s the cartoonist, Leigh Rubin, right?”), but I hadn’t seen his talent firsthand. Even as a teenager, […]

Time can be a motivator, but for Santa Margarita-based singer/songwriter Shawn Clark, it granted him perspective. Originally from Texas, Clark grew up playing guitar since he was 12 years old, jamming in garage rock bands and playing “post hardcore” music with friends. In his early 30s, he began experimenting with folk influences, and before moving […]

Every generation gets to rediscover the great bands and singers that are no longer with us. Whether it’s the rock ‘n’ roll groups your parents listened to, or the iconic voices that epitomize a genre, there’s a timelessness to the music that touches everyone. That’s how Swan Montgomery felt growing up in Ireland, listening to […]