Starting from the Bottom of the Bill
By: Cameron Gurgainus
A new podcast is shining the light on the Jacksonville music scene.
Anton Laplume and Billy Begley, bandmates in the popular funk-centric Jax band Side Hustle, have begun offering insight into the Jacksonville music scene while also delving into the business side of the industry with their newest project, a stream-able podcast called “Bottom of the Bill.”
“Bottom of the Bill” discusses the fast-paced and ever-evolving music environment of today with hosts Laplume and Begley, with new guests every week. Guests range from local and out-of-town musicians, agents, managers, venue owners, and other industry professionals.
Sitting down with the podcast’s two creative masterminds, it’s easy to understand why “Bottom of the Bill” is already receiving so much attention and praise. Laplume and Begley excitedly shared their vision for this new project.
“We’re just trying to get more into the behind the scenes work that happens with the music industry that do-it-yourself bands might not know how to do,” Begley said.
The hosts consider their own Jacksonville-based band, Side Hustle, to be a, “do-it-yourself” band and explain their vision is to grow the music community by sharing the stories of those actively working in the industry today.
Laplume and Begley hope to use this opportunity to make a positive change throughout the industry by educating and informing musicians about the differences between being a ‘bar band’ and an ‘original band.’
“It's a podcast for musicians, by musicians.” Begley explained, adding, “It's also for the fans of music.”
The bandmates promise each episode has enough entertainment to keep any music lover interested and eager for more.
Past show guests have included fellow local musicians such as Al Reshard, Adam Kenneway and Joe Marcinek to name a few, as well as other important industry professionals such as Concert Promoter and Venue Owner, Tim Hall.
“Bottom of the Bill” also strays from its Jacksonville roots to host out-of-town guests such as recent guest Jessica Jones of Denver, Colorado, who eagerly shed some light on the music scene in her neck of the woods.
As it continues to grows in popularity, the duo plans to expand the show’s reach to provide honest representation for musicians and artists breaking into today’s industry from anywhere outside of the major music cities.
“We want to be able to pick the artists’ brain about what their struggle actually is when you're doing this without label support or any real representation,” Laplume said. “A lot of us that don't live in cities like LA or Nashville, we have to come up with a more creative approach to success so we can compete in those markets without having the same resources.”
“Bottom of the Bill” is gaining traction across online platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube and Facebook. New episodes release Sundays at 6:30 p.m. on Facebook and are available for streaming on all other platforms the following Tuesday.
Keep up with the ever-evolving music scene with Laplume, Begley and weekly new guests on “Bottom of the Bill,” available through the following platforms:
https://sidehustletheband.com/
https://open.spotify.com/show/5ySpQARV893MTZn41aLH9R?si=yMBacHq2TZ-vRSXkI_Cuug
https://www.youtube.com/sidehustletheband
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMp5pBwBIC44Vby_oBVR9dA/featured?view_as=subscriber
https://www.facebook.com/bottomofthebillpodcast/
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