Chris Mora is a producer, music engineer, composer, guitarist, and vocalist. Chris is currently the guitarist for American Christian metalcore band, Darkness Divided, and was formerly the vocalist for American alternative/nu-metal band, Charcoal Tongue. Chris’s involvement in music has resulted in hundreds of millions of streams across various platforms, demonstrating his wide-reaching influence.

Nick Tello sits down with Chris Mora. Chris shares his recent experience opening up for Playboi Carti when he played guitar for hip-hop duo, HXG at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas. He spills the truth on how he contributed guitar tracks for 5 songs on 'Bohemio,' which is the latest album of Latin artist, Nicky Jam. One of those songs, 'Heikka' even earned Chris a Billboard award at the time of this episode. Chris describes the journey from being a fan of metal band, Upon A Burning Body, to eventually working directly with the band in the studio. He opens up about mental health and why you should think twice about taking mental health prescribed drugs. He shares his experience of co-writing songs for Australian singer, Kim Dracula, including the famous song: “Superhero.” Chris, a devoted fan of heavy metal band, Avenged Sevenfold, shares the excitement of meeting their guitarist, Synyster Gates, as a result of his work with Kim Dracula. Chris talks about the pros and cons of his preferred Digital Audio Workstation for his day to day studio work and even shares some plug-ins he uses. Chris offers advice for aspiring music producers/studio engineers, emphasizing the importance of professional guidance.

Video is available on https://www.youtube.com/@nicktelloguitar/videos

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Jake is the frontman of metalcore band, ‘Broken Time,’ guitarist for metalcore band, ‘Inside The Hollow,’ and drummer for punk band ‘9 O’clock Shots.’ Jake was involved in Jazz Band during middle and high school, and attributes his musical discipline to that experience.

Nick Tello sits down with Jake Enriquez. In this episode, Jake shares his favorite motorcycles, and recounted the experience of recording guitar, bass, and vocals for Broken Time's song "Conscious" while wearing a cast due to a prior motorcycle accident. Jake leaks about the upcoming Broken Time album and what listeners can expect. We talk about how Broken Time won the Austin-based regional competition for the Wacken Metal Battle, advancing to the State Finals, then later to be the runner-up to play in New Jersey. Jake describes the feeling of New Jersey fans singing the lyrics to unreleased songs during that live show. Jake gave us a behind-the-scenes discussion about the making for the music videos of Broken Time's "Ignore" and "Conscious." Nick and Jake reflect on the healthiness of creating art for oneself, rather than for fame and wealth. Jake shares about his Christian faith and what it’s like being a Christian in the metal scene; working with and respecting musicians of diverse backgrounds.

Video is available on https://www.youtube.com/@nicktelloguitar/videos

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You can listen to the audio version of this podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts & anywhere you listen to podcasts.

Jared Robles is a videographer whose primary market includes the cities of San Antonio, Austin, and Houston. His regional focus has allowed him to develop a strong presence in the Texas creative community. Throughout his career, Jared has shot videos for a variety of artists and bands, including Mohegan, Suffering In Silence, Kill Lonely, CZYK, Oni (Jared Dines’ band), Taken By Tides, Slaughter To Prevail, Woe Is Me, Don Broco, Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Waves In April, Left IV Dead, Voltreus, Eyes Like Fire, Sanity’s Last Breath, Kingdom Collapse, Goodbye Gloria, Victimblamed, and Pacific Skyline.

In this episode, Jared Robles discusses with Nick Tello about his transition into becoming a full-time videographer just recently. He played guitar in the band ‘Shatter The Sky’ and worked at a downtown San Antonio restaurant until his videography business began to flourish. He shares how his hilarious, yet relatable, Metalcore/Emo clips went viral on TikTok and Instagram. Jared guides us through his process for shooting and editing music videos. He also gave us insight into his professional hardware and software setup, sharing details about the tools he relies on to produce high-quality content. Jared provided a look into his weekly schedule, offering a glimpse into how he balances his work, creative projects, and personal interests. During this episode, his goal is to motivate others to pursue their passion in the field.

Video is available on https://www.youtube.com/@nicktelloguitar/videos

Follow The Riff Lounge on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/riffloungepod

You can listen to the audio version of this podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts & anywhere you listen to podcasts.