The four-piece rock band Western Education is another old favorite from our Boston days. We’ve seen them on stage many times and it’s always been a blast, so of course, we had to have them on.

Band members Greg Alexandropoulos, Will Hunt and Devin Vaillaincourt join us to recap their most recent singles, which touch on some pretty serious topics, such as the loss of a loved one to cancer and trying to help someone dealing with mental health struggles. The band talks about the real-life people whose stories inspired the music and what it means to share them.

Western Education has been around since 2012, and we go into the “good ol’ days” of promoting music, how things have changed and how they’ve changed with them. We talk about favorite Boston venues – ours and theirs -- and some of the stages they’ve performed on.

Opening this episode is an excerpt from the band’s recent single, “Catherine What Have You Done” and closing things out is the new release, “Madeline in the Hurricane,” which was released on Nov. 15.

In our second episode of the pre-Rhode Island Author Expo interviews, I’m joined by New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today-bestselling author Heidi McLaughlin. Heidi has a new book out on Dec. 3 called “Forever My Boy,” which provides a new angle on “Forever My Girl,” which was adapted to a movie in 2018.

Heidi and I talk about the book and the new direction it goes in, as well as how it fits into the Beaumont Series, which “Forever My Girl” kicks off. We talk about the characters and the different things we’re learning about them in the new book as well as revisiting “Forever My Girl” in the writing process.

We also go into her 60-plus books since 2012 and how she has made such a massive collection work.

Jeff Michaels of the Jeff Michaels Band is an old friend from our days in Boston. It’s been a while since we spoke and there’s a lot to cover, so let’s get to it!

Curtis, Max and Jeff talk all about their days in the Boston music scene and some of Jeff’s favorite venues to perform at. Jeff goes into a long break he took from music and the old friend who got him back to it. He shares some personal stories that are captured in his songs, especially “Luckiest By Far.”

While some musicians will opt for the crowdfunding, Jeff received his support from the State of Massachusetts and talks about all that he was able to do with the cash. He also goes into his relationship with fellow musician Scott Barkan and what he brings to the musical table.

Jeff shares some plans for the future, which include lots of new music, as well as his thoughts on getting back on stage. We also talk about how after 20 years, he remains a presence as a musician.

Opening this episode is an excerpt from Jeff’s single, “Lost in the Night” and closing out the show is “Luckiest By Far.”