Advertise on podcast: Shuffle

On this week's Shuffle, Cleveland-area musician Brett Zupka, who performs as ZuP, draws on childhood memories for his latest EP, "Macedonia Commons."

Two Northeast Ohio musicians are putting a new spin on the Halloween soundtrack. Guitar virtuoso Neil Zaza and classically trained vocalist Connor Bogart O’Brien joined forces for One Dark Night, a theatrical production where rock, classical music and eerie storytelling collide. On this week’s “Shuffle,” they take us behind the scenes of the production and explore how they brought their Halloween vision to the stage.

A Cuyahoga Falls trio airs its frustrations about indigestion, gardening and the 9-to-5 grind through music. On this week’s Shuffle, Phantom Lease talks about their process of making carefully crafted songs with a sense of humor.

Lakewood singer-songwriter Tracy Marie has spent decades adapting her music career around a rare disability. Now, she’s using those experiences to push venues and communities to think differently about access.

Brothers Emmanuel and Joseph Zerbo carried the music of their West African homeland with them to Northeast Ohio. A chance encounter with guitarist Darren Hamm helped bring it out of the basement and onto the stage. The trio performs a special Applause Performances set and shares more about their story on Shuffle.

After years of playing every gig they could find, Northeast Ohio five-piece Rent For Cheryl is having a breakout year, from its first European tour to finally landing the PorchROKR headline slot. Guitarist Joe Ibrahim and singer Isabelle Post share how they've made it as a working band.

Some people take offense to being called "What's His Face." Ryan Cordero embraced it. On this week's Shuffle, the Cleveland rapper, producer and singer talks about his journey from California to Cleveland—and how influences from breakdancing and hip-hop to acoustic guitar all come together in the music he makes today.

Black Voltron is weaving together Black musical traditions, diverse voices and a message of healing—one live performance at a time. On this week's Shuffle, the collective's founding member, Robin "Hyperius" Blake, talks taking big risks that culminated in their upcoming EP, out Aug. 1.

One of Cleveland’s most beloved landmarks is coming back to life through music. On this week’s Shuffle, composer and pianist Chris Neiner talks about “Tales of Euclid Beach Park”, a work capturing the spirit of the historic amusement park. Neiner is also joined by Cleveland pianist Allison Hillier to talk about their Sunday Studio Series concert series in Little Italy, dedicated to reviving long-forgotten Italian classical works.

After decades in Cleveland’s punk scene, a longtime musician is reinventing himself with a new sound and masked persona. Jade Ring talks about the multi-layered inspiration behind his album "Pills" .

A Cleveland musician built a global following online with viral street drumming and layered cover songs. But her sound is rooted in the churches that shaped her. On this week’s Shuffle, we hear from Lacretia "TT” Bolden, known online as Tha Cover Girl.

Blues band Apostle Jones is known for energetic live shows across Northeast Ohio. But capturing that energy in a studio can be a challenge. On this week’s Shuffle, bandleader Mikey Silas talks about the long road to their first album.

Some ideas get set aside, waiting for the right moment. For Cleveland musician Adam Reifsnyder and folk singer Gretchen Pleuss, that moment started with a short song sketch shared online. They share the story behind their collaboration and their EP, The Rest of You, out May 1.

After decades of writing and performing folk songs across the region, Ashley Brooke Toussant found a new source of inspiration: Kids. On this week’s Shuffle, Toussant talks about how elementary students contribute to her songwriting.

Brett Auerbach of Akron's soulful Americana three-piece band, Rye Valley, joins Shuffle to talk about his journey and what led him to create a space for other songwriters to be heard in Northeast Ohio.