Chelsea Blankinship on Touring with Andy Bell, Finding Authenticity, and Creating Art That Lasts | Just Keep Talking

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https://linktr.ee/brotherloverocksBrother Love welcomes Nashville singer-songwriter Chelsea Blankinship (formerly releasing as Chelsea King) to discuss storytelling, mental health, and creativity. Chelsea shares how she landed the Andy Bell (Erasure) touring gig through producer Dave Audé, the intense community and joy of life on the road, and the scariest moment—misconfigured in-ear monitors that threw off her pitch. They talk about post-tour depression, sobriety, boundaries and safety for women in the music industry, and her spiritual journey influenced by Carl Jung’s shadow work. Chelsea honors her Spanish heritage and late grandmother through Spanish-language songs like “La Soledad” and “Amado Mío,” reflects on craftsmanship and making drapes as a metaphor for real art amid fast content and AI, and previews a folk/Americana album in progress with Dave Audé featuring musicians like Sarah Tomek and Jerry Fuentes.

#mentalhealthpodcast #yourstorymatters #chelseablankinship #andybell #erasure #musicjournalism #spanishsongs #singersongwriter #sarahtomek #carljung #shadowwork #beseen #joy

00:00 Podcast Mission

02:00 Meet Chelsea Blankinship

03:10 Erasure Tour Memories

05:47 Landing the Andy Bell Gig

08:05 Tour Community Highs

09:43 In Ear Monitor Scare

12:37 Duet and Stage Spotlight

13:40 Legacy Act Pressure

15:34 Road Lessons and Illness

18:16 Women Safety on Tour

21:07 Boundaries and Self Worth

24:06 Spiritual Journey Jung

25:07 Post Tour Depression

26:31 Learning Stillness

27:49 Healing Never Ends

28:18 Spanish Songs Tribute

32:45 Songwriting Alchemy

33:49 Co Write Anxiety

36:57 Craft Over Convenience

39:17 AI And Real Art

41:13 Surrender And Next Steps

44:47 New Album Roots

47:11 Speed Round Spirituality

49:41 Wrap Up And Support

Jimmy Sullivan on Punk Roots, Jazz Culture, Rudy’s Jazz Room & 14 Years Sober | Just Keep Talking Podcast

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Brother Love introduces the Just Keep Talking podcast’s focus on artists’ stories, creativity, connection, and mental health, then interviews Nashville bassist and bandleader Jimmy Sullivan of Jimmy Sullivan’s Swingin’ Scene. Sullivan traces his path from Reston, Virginia—early piano and clarinet, quitting music at 13, then discovering bass through punk and hardcore, winning a battle of the bands, and developing strong ear training—to studying jazz at Northern Virginia Community College under influential teacher Herb Smith, switching to upright, and earning a jazz performance degree at VCU. He moved to New York in 2004, shifted into folk/Americana while bartending, then relocated to Nashville and helped grow the underground jazz community into a thriving scene anchored by Rudy’s Jazz Room, where he became a frequent performer and won the 2018 Nashville Industry Music Award for Best Jazz Instrumentalist. Sullivan discusses loving hard bop and playing behind singers, shares Dolly Parton/Reba video stories filmed at Rudy’s, and speaks candidly about depression, recovery from alcoholism (14 years sober), therapy, and how music can be both escape and presence.#mentalhealthpodcast #yourstorymatters #musicjournalism #bassplayer #rudysjazzroom #nashvillejazz #sober #beseen #beheard #belong #brotherlove

00:00 Why Stories Matter

01:24 Meet Brother Love

01:34 Introducing Jimmy Sullivan

02:23 Growing Up in Virginia

02:52 Early Music and Quitting Clarinet

06:38 Punk Rock Bass Awakening

09:47 First Bands and Ear Training

12:07 Practicing in Your Head

14:19 Herb Smith and Jazz Roots

19:44 Rhythm and Swing Lessons

22:27 From Richmond to New York

26:39 New York Detour and Nashville Reset2

8:10 Nashville Jazz Scene Comes Alive

28:47 Brother Love Nashville Origin Story

29:49 Nashville Jazz Scene

30:10 Jam Sessions Spark

31:51 Rudy’s Jazz Room

32:48 Playing Every Night

34:18 Bebop Roots

36:07 Backing Singers Right

37:52 Country Stars Crossover

38:49 Dolly Video Story

41:27 Depression and Sobriety

47:10 Music as Escape

51:00 Work Ethic and Life

53:02 Speed Round Finale

56:02 Where to Find Jimmy

56:20 Closing and Support

Kristen Rogers on Somatic Singing, Touring with Post Malone, and Setting Boundaries in Nashville | Just Keep Talking

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Brother Love welcomes Nashville vocalist, session singer, touring performer, and teacher Kristen Rogers, who has worked with artists including Zach Bryan, Eric Church, Hozier, The Killers, and is currently touring with Post Malone. They discuss the role of a vocal producer, Kristen’s classical upbringing and early harmony training, and how deep listening shapes doubling, background vocals, and onstage adaptability. Kristen explains somatic singing, how adrenaline and inconsistent monitoring affect performance, and how vocal work can calm the nervous system via vagus nerve stimulation, connecting technique to mental health. She shares how she prepares professionally, embraces the duality of personal hardship and performing, prefers restorative structure at home, and defines “quitting” as a proactive, values-based choice. They also address sexism and harassment in the industry, protecting younger women, and Kristen’s leadership assembling Eric Church’s “Johnny” choir, ending with a playful speed round.

#mentalhealthpodcast #yourstorymatters #musicjournalism #singer #backgroundvocalist #postmalone #ericchurch #jakewesleyrogers #hozier #vagusnerve #beseen #beheard #belong

00:00 Podcast Mission

01:02 Meet Kristen Rogers

01:50 Nashville Vocal Matriarch

03:38 Vocal Producer Explained

05:54 Skipping Onstage Story

07:27 Musical Roots and Training

08:05 Hearing Harmony Young

11:09 Cassette Overdub Obsession

13:12 Somatic Singing Method

16:15 Adrenaline and Stage Nerves

18:33 Experience Builds Confidence

21:04 Industry Pressure and Identity

22:25 Vagus Nerve and Anxiety

26:00 Holding Dual Realities

28:50 Home Time and Structure

30:58 Tour Life Versus Friends

32:21 Queen of Quitting

32:48 Quitting Versus Running

33:15 Leaving Gigs Professionally

34:39 Artist Personas And Optics

36:30 Women In The Industry

39:44 Boundaries And Safety

44:35 Eric Church Choir Gig

50:19 Listening Skills For BGVs

53:55 Speed Round Questions

57:50 Where To Find Kristen

58:59 Final Thanks And Sign Off