Aaron Axelsen: Yo.

Michael Walker: All right. I'm here with Aaron Axelsen today. Aaron has been DJing for over 25 years. He co-founded San Francisco's Popscene, which helps debut artists like Billie Eilish, The Killers, and Calvin Harris in the Bay Area. He's a radio veteran, head of programming with over two decades at Live 105, launched Flood FM, a 24/7 commercial-free indie electronic station as part of his work at Flood Magazine. He's also someone who has really been a supporter and a longtime champion of new music and helping emerging artists to get their careers launched. So, of course, I was really excited to have him on the podcast today to share a little bit about his journey and his experience helping who are now some of the most recognized names in the music industry get their start. Aaron, thank you so much for taking the time to be here today.

Aaron: I'm honored to be here, Michael. Thank you for reaching out. Yeah, I think you could pretty much summarize my career right there. So I think we're good. I think the podcast is over. Thank you for having me.

Michael: All right, well, that was a fun conversation. I’ll put all the links in the show notes for easy access. So, Aaron, maybe you could start out for anyone who's connecting with you for the first time. Could you share just a little bit about your background and story and kind of what led you to working with some of these artists like Billie Eilish, The Killers, and Calvin Harris?

Aaron: I've always had a strong passion and affinity for turning people on to new music. It started in high school, making crush mixtapes for cute indie rock, new wave girls in high school and skater girls. And that's kind of how it started. I would spend all my time in high school making mixtapes. I think I lettered in mixtapes. So I ended up going to college radio. I worked in record stores in the Bay Area, and I just always had this connection with turning people on to new music that I love. That's kind of the impetus of my career. I started in radio as an intern at Live 105 in San Francisco, back in the '90s, worked my way up to music director or assistant program director, where I was there for 26, 27 years. I started Popscene. I’ve just always been involved with really exposing and turning people on to new music that I’m passionate about. And that's kind of the simplicity of my career path and how it all started.

Michael: Awesome. Well, I mean, especially nowadays, the world, there’s so much new music, so much emerging talent. As someone who's had so much experience—literally decades of experience helping artists break through and go from emerging artists to known artists—I’m curious, from your perspective, what you see as some of the biggest similarities and also some of the biggest differences and challenges that artists are facing right now as they face the challenge of learning how to break through?

Aaron: I think technology has been a blessing and a curse. It allows the average music connoisseur to create music in their bedroom, but it also makes it super easy and accessible to flood the music universe with music. Anyone can put something out. And so I think there’s kind of a filtering process to break through the clutter. I think there are brand outlets where they filter through all this music that comes through. So there are brands that you trust—whether it’s Pitchfork, Flood, KROQ, or KCRW DJs. I think that helps because, as the average consumer, you trust these brands and personalities to bring you the best music. I’m going to listen to 500 new releases and do the heavy lifting to bring you the best 10. So I think that process has not changed. I think now people can get their music out on TikTok and social media, and accessibility is there. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to break through. The traffic still exists as it did 30 years ago; it’s just the accessibility to get music out there is easier. But the challenges still remain the same. I don’t think that’s really changed that much in my 30 years of working in the music biz.

Michael: I love hearing that because, in many ways, it feels like things are always new and always changing. Like, wow, this is the new age, the new era. But then you’re also bringing the perspective of someone like yourself, who’s been in the game for so long, and you’re like, yeah, there are different waves, but when you look underneath the surface, these waves have the same structure as things have happened before. So it sounds like what you're saying is that, yes, some of the technology has changed, and it’s easier to release music, but those same challenges around cutting through the noise and actually building relationships still exist. So yeah, I’m curious, as someone who’s worked with so many artists who’ve had that breakthrough, do you see any patterns or similarities between the artists you’ve worked with who become household names and have that breakthrough versus those who maybe have a more challenging time getting that breakthrough?

Aaron: That's a good question. I think, for me personally, I've always had this sort of innate, intrinsic ability to hear something that I really like, and kind of, I don't know, I just kind of—it's just sort of my spidey senses. Sometimes, when I hear something new for the first time, I just think there's a lot of tangible elements that go into it, to that timing where music is currently at—an artist that's maybe pushing the envelope, maybe one step ahead of the curve, but not 10 steps ahead of the curve or not following 50 other bands that already exist. There's kind of that timing, that perfect place.

For instance, let's take The Killers, an artist that I've helped and been part of their career. That all started in 2003 when I was at Popscene DJing, and this new little upstart band from Las Vegas, they were recording Hot Fuss in Berkeley. Their manager at the time would bring them to Popscene. That's when I met the band, and they kind of hung out and requested cool songs. Their manager gave me a demo of "Mr. Brightside." I listened to it, and there was just something about the song that really resonated with me. I got so excited about it. I don't really know, it was just at the timing where music—the kind of seismic shift of music was, the pendulum was kind of changing into that universe of dance-punk, indie, and post-punk stuff.

And I don't know, it was just the timing of that song. I debuted it on my Sunday night Soundcheck new music show on Live 105 as a demo in late 2003. That song now has over a billion streams. But again, it's just all those elements that go into it. It was just the timing, the right place, just where trends were headed.

And then, you know, maybe down the road, once kind of those bands broke, maybe there were new bands that came up that already sounded like that. The scene was already saturated, so the door kind of closed for other bands that were like a 10th-generation-sounding Killers. You know what I mean? So a lot of it’s just timing. It's kind of hard to put it into structure, but it's just... sometimes it's just the timing of, I don't know, it's just the conditions, the environment, the elements where we're at musically. It just kind of—all those intangibles that come together that make these songs break through.

Michael: I like it. I mean, I think that's super helpful. And what that reminds me of is one of my favorite analogies. I think I even referred to it earlier, it's like this idea that we're all kind of like surfers in the ocean, and there are these waves that sort of crest at a certain time. It's sort of like that—we were talking about the trends, like the waves, where you can kind of swim along with it. At the right time, you can catch it and get this huge momentum boost, but it really is sort of the timing of the wave as it's happening. And if you're a really good surfer, you can sometimes sort of anticipate the waves. But if you try to chase a wave that already passed, then, like, you know, its time has already passed. You call it the 10th generation, you know, Killers.

Aaron: That's a perfect analogy because if you're too early, that wave will come crashing on you, and if you're too late, you're going to go over the swell. So exactly, it's just that timing. And sometimes, it just happens. It's just that capturing lightning in a bottle. You know, I remember Billie Eilish, she was an up-and-coming young artist, and Tom Wendish, a booking agent at Wendish Agency, now at Wasserman, sent me her music track called "Ocean Eyes" before she was even on Interscope. And I just—again, it was just, wow, the song was—it was just enlightening. I started playing that and booked her first show as an opening artist in San Francisco. But again, it's just... I don't know, sometimes it's just, like you said, that right timing and just the cosmos all aligning, you know?

I think it's important for an artist to, like I said, to be intrepid and be audacious. But, you know, again, if you're too far ahead of the curve, you might be too esoteric to break through the clutter. And if you're, again, too behind the trends, it's just like that perfect... you know, conditions that kind of fall into place.

Michael: That's so good. You know, one question that comes up for me is for, you know, artists who are listening or watching this right now. You know, one thing that I think is pretty common for us as artists is that we want to write music that we really feel authentically expresses who we are. And, uh, we also, you know, in a lot of cases, we want to write something that's commercially viable, that's going to reach an audience, that's going to help us, you know, build a successful career. So I think sometimes artists kind of struggle with, like, uh, how do I, you know, plug into these trends or these things that I think are necessary in order for me to kind of have that breakthrough, but at the same time, they don't want to lose their authenticity and kind of what makes them them. And so I'm curious how you might suggest, uh, artists, you know, kind of get the best of both worlds. Is it possible for them to, like, you know, be intentional and creative with how they're leveraging these upcoming trends and these things that are happening musically while also being true to themselves?

Aaron: That's a million-dollar question. I think a lot of it comes down to the individual artist. What are your career goals, objectives? Do you want to just make music that you love and play at a coffeehouse? And there's nothing wrong with it. I think, you know, sometimes they have loftier goals. They want to, you know, "I want to play an arena someday." So I think it comes down to the individual artist and their career objectives. But ultimately, the thing you need to focus on is your music. Nothing else. Don't worry about, you know, getting signed or about booking, you know, getting a manager—all that stuff will come if you just create incredible music. Good music will prevail. Eventually, someone will find you, and your music, if it's meant to be, but focus on your own music, your craft, making music that's passionate for you. And that's the... should be your primary motivation.

Eventually, if you want to take it to the next level, then you build a website and, you know, start putting your music out on social media, and you try to book shows, and there's all those kinds of baby steps that kind of go into career artist development. But I think the most important thing is being true to yourself and not worrying about making a smash hit for radio or TikTok or whatever. Just, you know, make music that you love. And who knows, sometimes good things will happen, and sometimes it won't be, but it doesn't—it comes down to the individual's goals of the artist and their career objectives.

Michael: That makes a lot of sense. Yeah. So it sounds like what you're saying is that, at its root, the most important thing to focus on is getting the product and getting the music itself, you know, to a point where it's, you know, it's really good. The quality is good, and it's authentic to you. And in terms of the marketing and the website and some of those different things and the opportunities—like, obviously, those are extremely important too. But in order for those to really take root, it's important to start with the music and actually have something that is high-quality and is worth sharing.

Aaron: A hundred percent. And, and there's all these little things you can do to kind of develop a base, and, you know, you can be kind of proactive. You can create your own scene, you know? You can find friends that are like-minded musicians and build showcases, free shows at a coffee shop. You can just kind of build that buzz on your own or spark it on your own.

And again, managers, booking agents, labels are, you know, they're going to find you if you start to get traction. Maybe you have a track on TikTok or Spotify that starts to pop. That always helps too. But again, it's just, each artist has their own career goals. And I think it's important to just love your music and be true to yourself. And now, oh, I'm going to change my style because now this style of music is hot. So I'm going to completely change and, you know, become this... you know, because this is the hot trend. You know, that's not going to work either. I think—but there are also times artists can reinvent themselves too.

You know, there's an artist named Queen Herbie. She's amazing. But she's been around for a long time under a different name, and she kind of created this new moniker and this new essence, this new kind of persona. And she just blew up. I mean, she's massive now. I had her at Popscene last year, and she sold out in a second. Then she came back and sold out the Fox Theater in Oakland, and her career trajectory is shooting.

So there's also veterans in the scene that can kind of reinvent themselves, and there's nothing wrong with that too. They have a new style, a new vision. They want to try something new. So that's been a successful formula for artists as well, for those who've been around for a while.

Michael: Awesome. Cool. So, having had direct experience with some of these artists, especially in their emerging stages when they're just getting started, I'm curious—did you see them doing anything unique or creative, particularly in relation to the grassroots marketing approach and the connections you just described, like building that initial buzz around doing artist showcases with each other?

Curious for anyone watching this right now who might be in a similar space, where they're just starting out, but let’s say their goal isn't to be the next Billie Eilish. Maybe they have career aspirations where they want to build a successful career and just have a fraction of that success. They just want a full-time, sustainable career doing what they love with their original music. What are some creative ways they can get that initial spark out?

Aaron: Well, from my perspective, from the many different hats I wear, like in radio, for example, I look for songs. I'm a really song-driven person. As a talent buyer booking shows, I want artists who are going to be able to draw. So there's a lot of different variables. It varies from professional industry players and what they're looking for.

So, again, I fully believe that if you can create that buzz, if you make that song, you're able to cultivate a scene, you're able to make music videos, just engage with your audience, create clever ways to provide them incentives to follow you as a supporter—like, “Get 5% off our next show,” or something like that. There’s a way to engage with your fan base and develop it. There's just a myriad of things an artist can do, but a lot of it requires doing the heavy lifting on your own. A hundred percent. I think that’s the misconception in the business. A lot of times, people think, “I’m going to get a TikTok video to blow up, and then my career is going to skyrocket.” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve booked an artist who had massive TikTok metrics but couldn’t sell tickets.

There’s a lot of variables that contribute to success. A TikTok view isn’t the same as someone making the investment to buy a $20 ticket, drive into the city, park, and attend a show. That’s a different kind of level of commitment.

So, again, there are so many facets to artist development. You can’t focus on just one thing. There are so many different variables, but if there’s one thing to take away from this conversation, it’s this: Make good music. Period. Focus on your craft and make amazing music. I think that will eventually open up a lot of inroads and opportunities for an artist.

Michael: That totally makes sense. So, it sounds like what you're saying is that ultimately getting likes on TikTok or gaining initial engagement is nice, but what really matters is the level of connection, the depth of the relationship. By focusing on creating truly amazing music, you’re also building that deep relationship with your fans. You’re nurturing those conversations and interactions, which is especially important because, you know, TikTok views don’t necessarily equate to people buying tickets and showing up somewhere. But your level of interaction with people directly increases that.

Aaron: Think about some of the artists who’ve created incredible, rewarding careers without ever having a hit on the radio. Think about all the iconic artists who have never been nominated for a Grammy. They have these incredible, prolific, impactful careers.

So again, there are many different ways to start your path in music. Obviously, radio, social media, and DSPs are very important, but there are also other variables. There are great touring bands that have this passionate fanbase and just make a living selling merch and touring without any exposure on the radio. There are a lot of different ways an artist can exist in the music universe.

Michael: Awesome. One thing I’m curious about is just to hear more about Popscene and what you’ve created with that platform. How did it start, and what has it evolved into?

Aaron: I think Popscene is sort of analogous to an artist and their career. What we’ve done with Popscene—there were four young indie rock Britpop dudes in San Francisco who had no idea what they were doing. But we loved it. We had this insatiable passion for British indie music. I was working at a record store in Berkeley called Mod Lang Records, and I met my partners Jeremy, Omar, and Eric. They kind of stumbled into the record store, and we all just loved the burgeoning British indie scene—bands like Pulp, Blur, Suede, My Bloody Valentine, and The Charlatans UK. So that was our impetus to create a club night where, you know, there were a lot of house nights, hip-hop nights, and disco nights, but there wasn’t an indie club. There wasn’t a proper indie disco.

We wanted a club night where you could dance to those bands, Britpop, but also dance to Northern soul and The Rolling Stones and The Beatles mixed in with Radiohead, Suede, David Bowie, and all of these. We created this mix of music and this really fun, unique dance party, and it just blew up. We didn’t know what we were doing, but it just kind of took off. This was in the mid-‘90s. Popscene turns 30 years old next year, and we didn’t know we’d be doing it for 30 years. So, anyway, we started by building the scene and building this brand. People who liked music and bands would come out and dance and have fun.

It wasn’t really until a couple of years in that we started booking artists. The first main artist I booked at Popscene was The Dandy Warhols in 1997, and that kind of opened a whole new door for us. We were able to create this blueprint, which we still follow today: exposing new bands we like, providing a platform for them, but also having a dance party. We have DJs and new artists, and that’s our formula. It’s been working for almost three decades.

So, we kind of accidentally stumbled into this thing, but a lot of hard work went into it—making flyers, hitting the pavement, and then using social media. But it didn’t just land in our laps. We had to create this, just like an artist or a band has to create something. As promoters, we had to capture lightning in a bottle, where timing was key.

It’s been an incredible ride. Popscene is my baby now. My three partners have left over the years, but I still love doing it. I probably do six to eight shows a month in the Bay Area. I just did a show last night in Salt Lake City, which is why I look so haggard. I slept for only three hours and had to wake up at 7 a.m. to take my five-year-old to kindergarten. But I still love doing it. I love finding new artists and providing a platform.

We’ve created a brand, Michael, that people trust. People trust it the way they trust Pitchfork or Rolling Stone. We’ve unintentionally created a music brand in the Bay Area that people trust. And there’s a lot of responsibility that comes with that. We don’t take it for granted. We’re not complacent about it. We put a lot of work and passion into reinventing our party. It’s been incredible to see some of the artists we’ve helped, from Amy Winehouse to Muse, Glass Animals, The 1975, and Sam Smith. It’s kind of eye-popping, but we love doing it. It’s a labor of love.

Michael: It's incredible, man. I mean, it just sounds like a lot of fun too, to be a part of. So, uh, gosh, it's been about three decades of doing that. And it sounds like the model is, you know, having DJs mixed with artists and bands selling tickets down to the shows. I'm curious, obviously, there are a lot of people, a lot of indie artists who are watching and listening to this who are like, wow, that sounds like a lot of fun. They might be interested in being a part of it or submitting their music. I'm curious, I'm sure you receive a ton of music, but what's your favorite vehicle to receive music? And also, from your perspective, what are some of the best submissions? How do you like to receive it versus some of the worst ways that people have submitted it? So that people know the best way to actually be featured on one of these platforms.

Aaron: I'm really glad you asked that question because this is something important that I want to touch upon. Obviously, touring is such an important, pivotal part of an artist's career, especially now more so than ever. I mean, artists— that's where they generate most of their income: touring and merch sales. So, if you're a young artist wanting to play Popscene, or you want to play Rickshaw Stop, or you want to play Bottom of the Hill, or any venue in San Francisco, it's really important when you reach out to a talent buyer to do your homework. A lot of the biggest mistakes are when artists kind of blanketly, or kind of in a blanket form, just blast out, you know, "I want to play this show to a venue," and it's like, maybe you're like a speed metal band trying to open up for an indie pop artist. You know, those are the kinds of things you got to do your homework on. You got to put the work in first and reach out to a talent buyer after you've done all that. Look at, you know, go to their calendar—"Hey, so and so, I'm going to do this. There is a show you have coming up on this date. Our artist kind of would complement that. We sonically sound like your headliner, and we'd love to open." Even if you have direct support, we'll be one of three. We'll play for 50 bucks and some drink tickets, and this is what we'll do to promote. You've got to show the talent buyer what you're going to do on your own platforms and how you're going to draw people because ultimately, the talent buyer needs to fill their rooms, you know, keep the lights on. They've got to have people in these venues. So, that's integral. That is a key part as an artist.

For me, when I'm booking Popscene, I love it when someone says, "Hey, Aaron, I was at your Ellie Goulding show last week. She's amazing. I had so much fun. Here's my artist. This is what I do, and you have this show coming up. I think we would be a great addition." I will listen to that artist a hundred times out of a hundred. Versus somebody who just kind of blindly sends that generic email out: "Hi, my name is so-and-so. We're in this band and we want to play your club." That's a delete. I'm sorry. I just don't have time to go through hundreds of those kinds of emails. So, do your homework, be respectful, and kind of let the talent buyer know how you're going to enhance that night, and why booking you is going to be a great addition to this night. You know, show them your music videos or shows you've played. Kind of like your resume. You got to put together your portfolio to show a talent buyer, "Wait, we play these shows. We can draw 30, 40 people. We're going to go out and flyer all the coffee shops." You know, just, you got to show what you're going to do on your own to help bring people out, versus just, "Hey, I'm complacent. I'm entitled—book me." You can't have that entitled attitude. Sorry, it just doesn't work that way. So, I hope that makes sense. That wasn't a crazy ramble, but...

Michael: Oh man, super helpful. Hopefully, it helps reduce some of the amount of noise and improves the signal-to-noise ratio. It sounds like what you're saying is that what really cuts through is when it's clear that someone has done their research and they actually know what they're applying to. They're coming at it from a point of interest in how they can contribute value, and they have the resume, they have their portfolio built up for it. Um, and even just what we talked about earlier—building relationships and building connections—like, it's a lot better for them and for you if, you know, they're familiar with the organization, they've been to one of the shows, they've built those relationships. And yeah, that almost always is going to increase your odds of cutting through by, you know, a thousand times because you actually have built some of those connections, those relationships, and you're focused on providing value as opposed to just sort of being entitled and thinking, "You know, me, me, me."

Aaron: I can't tell you how many times, Michael, that an artist has come up to me while I'm DJing and just said, "Hey, really quickly, I want to introduce myself. Love Popscene. We love what your Sunday night show Soundcheck. I don't know that to kiss your ass. I'm not looking for that. I'm just looking for that common respect and them understanding my brand and my objective of what I do on my platforms, whether it's Flood FM, Popscene, Live 105, I mean, all the different things that I do. And just understanding that brand and finding a way that they can be a part of that." I think that speaks volumes when an artist does their research and knows how they can fit into your objective, into your vision of what you're doing. And that's huge. That's paramount.

Michael: That's smart. Yeah. Yeah. I think it's hard to do wrong if you approach someone with actual gratitude, recognition, or appreciation. I guess humans, like, we're almost like...a blossoming roots—it's like fertilizer. It's like water. It has this beautiful effect when you, uh, genuinely share appreciation or gratitude or recognition. But, uh, yeah, so often, like, we don't necessarily approach people in that way. But when you do, it's like, you almost never receive a bad response if someone's genuinely, you know, sharing recognition or appreciation for who you are.

Aaron: You know, sometimes it just still doesn't work, but at least you have that dialogue and say, "Hey, this is why I can't get you on this show." Sometimes it's tough because when I book a show, an artist already has direct support involved. So there's not maybe a lot of open slots. Sometimes an agent will come to me, a booking agent, and say, "Hey, Aaron, we need to find local support for this show," and then I go to reach out to my— I have a talent pool, a list of local artists that I really like, and I'll go through them and pick the ones I think would fit, would make the most sense for a show. So, you know, again, it's just doing your thing and building your base, playing out, creating things, doing house parties, doing a warehouse party, you know, doing a monthly free session at a local store. There are creative ways to get your music and your band out there. And ultimately, as a talent buyer, radio host, whatever, we're going to find you. I think if you're doing something that's creating an organic buzz, we will definitely find you.

Michael: Awesome. Yeah, makes sense. One thing I'm curious about, your perspective on is as it relates to Indie artists versus record labels, and kind of at the time of recording this, there's been a big movement towards Indie and independent artists and like Indie labels. And as someone, thanks for having us on the show. Please check out our website, TheBusinessProfessor.com. 30-plus years of experience. I'm sure you've seen a fair amount of deals go really well, and if many go very wrong. So, I'm curious to hear your perspective on, for like an independent artist, let's imagine that they're here right now, and they have started to generate some buzz, and they started to gain some of this traction, and maybe some of these opportunities are starting to bubble up. What's your viewpoint for right now? Like, how can an artist your best... yeah, move forward? And what should they kind of be aware of to avoid a bad situation?

Aaron: Again, it comes down to the artist's goals and objectives. A lot of the major labels these days, I think they do a lot of data mining. Their A&R scouts are just looking on Spot. They're looking at metrics. There's a sort of an algorithm that goes into finding artists that have this momentum. And it's sort of a social and a kind of a DSP, kind of, you know, metric way. And a lot of artists will sign, you know, major labels will sign those bubbling artists that have kind of developed on that spectrum. I think there's a lot of great independent labels for like-minded artists that can join an incredibly strong independent label that can, um, kind of meet their career goals better and kind of, you know, on a smaller scale. You know, maybe if you're Interscope or Epic Records, you're going to have, you know, these high, you know, expectations and numbers you need to hit. I think some of these indie labels maybe are a little more lenient with that. There's a great music independent label platform called A-Wall that I just love. They do a lot of incredible artist development, and they do a lot of artists' development in their own world before they even go to radio. They probably only take maybe like two of 10 artists to radio, but they still put a lot of artist development into their artists and help them tour and develop them on, you know, social media and DSPs. I really like that platform, but there's still a lot of great independent labels that still exist. You know, Sub Pop, and there's so many incredible independent labels as well. So, I think now, there's a lot of artists that don't even sign, you know, they have a good manager and they put out music on their own. So, there's that option that didn't exist a long time ago. If you're able to, you know, like, put out music on your own too, and if you have, I think having a good manager is an integral part of that equation, if you're not going to go to the label. But, um, there's a lot of different options, you know, and again, it comes down to what your career goal is.

Michael: That's super helpful. Well, uh, Aaron, man, it's been really fun talking, and it's clear to me just in the short conversation that we've had how much of a passion you have for what you do in music. And so, I really appreciate the dedication. Like, so much. Like, 30 years, it's like, you know, it's...

Aaron: Getting old.

Michael: Uh, it's amazing. You know, if an organization sticks around for that long, you know that they're doing something that has real roots and has real authenticity to it.

Aaron: I appreciate it, Michael. And I also really quickly, I wanted to, you know, one of my other big parts of my career post-radio is working with Flood Magazine. That's been a blessing. That's been an incredible partnership. You know, I've been a huge fan of Flood from their Filter days. That's always been one of my favorite brands. So, the opportunity to work with Flood when that came up and launch Flood FM, which is this 24/7 global streaming, commercial-free indie station. You can get it on any platform or on your smart speaker. And I love doing the station. It's so fun and kind of without the pressures of ratings and commercial radio. So, this has been a really fun post-commercial radio career project for me. So, I just wanted to give a shoutout to my homies, Alan and Randy, and the whole Flood team. But Flood FM, if you get a chance to check it out, I think you'll dig it. It's 24/7 new and classic indie. And every week, we have an artist take over the station with their own guest radio show. We've had Spoon, Slowdive, Maya Hawk, and it's some really big artists anchor their own guest radio show. So, it's called anyway, FloodFM.com. I wanted to give that a shoutout.

Michael: Awesome. That sounds like a lot of fun. Well, uh, Aaron, thank you so much for taking the time to be here and share some advice for, you know, emerging artists. And, uh, for anyone that's watching or listening right now, who is interested in connecting more with, you know, the Popscene culture, community, Flood FM, or you personally... yeah. What's the best way for them to get in touch?

Aaron: DJAaronAxelsen.com. That's my website. You go there and you can find Flood FM. You can find my Sunday night indie show Soundcheck, which is on Live 105, which I've been doing since 1999, every Sunday from 8 to 10. Popscene email address, all the good stuff's there. I might want some DJ mixes. Anyway, yeah. DJAaronAxelsen.com.

Michael: All right, perfect. And like always, we'll put the links in the show notes for easy access. And Aaron, thanks again for being on the show today.

Aaron: Thank you for having me. Sorry, I'm so haggard on three hours of sleep, but I had a great time talking with you, Michael.

Michael: I wasn't even aware of it until you mentioned it. And I totally understand. I've got a six-year-old son, a four-year-old daughter, and a two-year-old daughter. So, yeah, there's plenty of sleepless nights.

Aaron: You get it, Michael.

Michael: YEAAAH!