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Conversations with Kate is like a conversation with your friend, hairstylist or therapist, where we will talk about music, life stories and everything in between, with interviews and guests sprinkled in. As an LCC student, it's an honor and I love bringing a fresh perspective to the podcast menu on LCC Connect. I am your host, Kate. Let's get into this episode. All right, welcome in and hi, I'm Kate, your hostess. Today we are here to talk about one of my favorite subjects on the planet, coffee. Specifically, coffee houses. Have you ever been inside of a coffee house or walked into a coffee house and you're like, man, this is just great. For instance, Starbucks. There is an atmosphere there. I personally love it. I love a good coffee house atmosphere. Some of the things that I really enjoy, obviously the coffee, but I really do enjoy getting work done. I feel more productive, for lack of a better word or just I function better when I'm writing, sometimes when I'm doing schoolwork, sometimes when I just, I just have to get things done. And I just like to be around people. So we are gonna chit chat about some of the coffee houses I have been to over the last, I would say probably about year, calendar year. If there is any coffee house that you like, please do feel free to message me on any of the social platforms of conversations with Kait because again, I do love a good coffee house. We are going to start out with one that I really stared at for the longest time driving through East Lansing. I was like, ooh, that just looks like a fantastic place to go have coffee. And that is none other than Harrah's Coffee House. It is a Middle Eastern themed coffee house. And let me tell you something, there was probably, I want to say, the better part of six months where I would drive past and they were working on it and it just looked nice. It just, the environment, even just from the very beginning phases of their construction looked fantastic. And then I finally went in there and let me tell you something. Does anybody like the Dubai chocolate bar that's famous right now or popular right now? Because that is one of the things that's on their menu. They do have it there and it's not expensive. It's $8 for a bar of the Dubai chocolate. Their pistachio latte is what I got when I went in there and I've had it twice now. Iced Chef's Kiss, the second time that I went in there. I also did get the chocolate chip cookie with pistachio on top of it. And absolutely delightful. The atmosphere in There when busy, it is wonderful. I mean, the, the, the staff there is very efficient, very quick. They smile. There's not like, I know sometimes, you know, you hear about the coffee houses in bigger cities where, you know, people can be slightly snooty and that is not the case there. They are very friendly. They both times made my coffee super duper quick. You know, I think the first time it was ready before I even had a chance to kind of like look around. The music is nice. The, the atmosphere inside there is like, there's brown and earthy colors and then they have these beautiful lamps on the ceiling. Another one that I wasn't expecting, I had no idea about is 7 brew. And this is something that my daughter found. And she, I want to say over the school year last year, she was just like, mom, do you want some 7 brew? And I'm like, what is that? And she's like, it's a coffee place. I was like, okay, cool. Yes, absolutely. And so I was like, well, where is it? Can I come and like sit in there? And she's like, oh no, it's just a drive through. So that being said, this is not a coffee house you can go sit in. However, they are the honorable mention that we are talking about today because their coffee is hands down delicious. The two different varieties that I had from Seven Brew, the first one was called the brunette latte and I had that iced absolutely delicious. And then the second time I just had a quad shot iced espresso with oat milk, hazelnut and Irish cream syrups. And that was delightful as well. Now this morning I actually came into town and I got to sit in strange matter. I have never sat inside of this cafe before. And this morning I had their pistachio latte. Excellent, excellent latte. I did have it hot. I did have their blueberry jam croissant as well. And that was very, very delightful. The atmosphere in there is. It's very eclectic. There was a lot of people there that were working fairly busy for, for a Monday, you know, during the summertime there. I did get to see a puppy while I was there too. And there was a mom with her toddler. There's a group of, of ladies that were at one of the high top tables. But all in all, if you are in the Lansing area, the east Michigan I think is what the location is called. The one on Michigan Avenue. Absolutely wonderful. Staff is great as well. Chateau Coffee Company. Honorable mention here as well for the Okemos location. I cannot for the life of me remember the syrup that I had in my coffee that morning. But it was one of their custom blends for that location. And it is the Okemos location on Grand River. And I did have their breakfast bagel which was good as well. They the atmosphere there. When I first got there it was kind of quiet. There was only one or two other people there. And then as I had sat there and got some work done, it got very, very busy. And I was super surprised to see like how busy that location was for it being one of their newer locations for that. So if you are in the Okemos area and you're looking for a nice. They do have indoor and outdoor seating as well there and they've got a variety. They've got booths and then high top seating at the window and then again outside tables. They've got custom breakfast. I want to try their tomato. I can't remember the name of it but it looked very delicious. It was a lunch thing so I went there at breakfast time and needed breakfast. One of the others that I found recently was one that is in Holt. It's called the Coffee Barrel and it's a cute little coffee house there in Holt. I sat there for probably three or four hours doing schoolwork during last term and I did get two different coffees. I got the Nutty Irishman and then I also got a. I think it's Irish mint coffee flavored coffee beans. I even bought some beans for at home just because it was right around the time of St. Patrick's Day. And the cool thing about it is that they were selling some baked goods from the Main Street Cafe or Main Street Bakery which I know and love. They are diagonally across the street from my salon. The scone that I had there at the Coffee Barrel is wonderful. Again, the Coffee Barrel is in Holt and their Nutty Irishman latte was delightful. The atmosphere in that place is wonderful. Very well lit. They have floor to ceiling windows. Staff is phenomenal. They have a lot of different varieties of coffee that you can take home with you to make at home as well as some different menu items for you to eat while you're there. One that kind of like snuck up on me and I was kind of looking at it. Just when I researched coffee houses in the area is Mocha & Co. And it is a Arabian coffee house as well. And I did go there to do schoolwork specifically before school one day and I spent about four or five hours there and had the saffron latte absolutely phenomenal. And there was some baked goods there as well. As some breakfast items. I can't remember specifically the name of the breakfast pastry that I had, but there was spinach and eggs and cheese in it and it was warmed. The guy, it was his recommendation and wonderful location. The. The day that I was there, it was actually storming pretty, pretty badly, but it was still fantastic atmosphere. I was the only one in there when I went in there. And then towards the end when I had to leave to go to class, it got a little bit busier. But they do have a bigger menu than just that breakfast pastry of things that you can eat and many more coffees. But their saffron latte is absolutely stunning. A couple of the other places that I will be going to that I haven't had a chance to make it to is the 517 Coffee Company, Vitto's Espresso and Risen, which I have been to Risen in Mason to have breakfast with my dad. And that's why I wanted to go there specifically for their, like, coffee house atmosphere type of thing. Because they do offer coffee house coffee. And I look forward to updating you with those other coffee houses. And again, if there is another coffee house that you think, hey, Kate, you gotta know this place, you gotta try this place because of their donut or because of their. This iced coffee or their cold brew or whatever, please, by all means reach out to me and let me know. Because again, I love a good coffee house. One of the other things that I wanted to talk about as far as coffee houses are concerned is what makes a good coffee house. Like, what has that impact on you to make you stay or to make you continue to come back. Personally, me, I will always go back to a couple of my favorites over. I know I talked about this in the intro episode is Taste Coffee in Mason. It's on the borderline of lancing. And the atmosphere there is. I just. First of all, it's not. They don't have a large menu of things for coffee or for food and pastries wise, but the atmosphere there I absolutely love. They've got plants in there. They've got large tables, small tables. They've got tables that have like, coloring stuff for kids in there. And for me, like, that's a big thing. And again, Harrah's Coffee House, that's one of my favorites. I will frequent there as well. I was trying to think if there's anything that kind of turned me off about a coffee house. And I really. And truthfully, not really the only time that I would say I've ever been like, Ooh, maybe not. And turned completely around is when I walked into a Dunkin Donuts and it was super duper busy and the line was really long. But for small coffee houses, they just provide a different atmosphere for people. And why does that work so well? Because people like to be around each other. And I will say that the coffee houses in the bigger cities have a different atmosphere than the ones here in Lansing and Mason Holt. And to the ones that I've been to here, I will say that being in a coffee house in Orlando or Chicago or New York has been. It's totally, it's totally different. There is even. I can't remember the name of it now, but it's back home in Florida. There's just, it's just a different vibe because when you're in a bigger city, people don't really care about like sitting closely with each other versus here. I've noticed that everybody likes to kind of like have their own little pod where in the big cities, like if somebody is sitting at a table and there's an open chair or two, people will just sit down and you know, either have a conversation with you or they'll do their work at the same table versus here. Again, like I said, here it's more along the lines of like everybody is just kind of in their own little pod or universe, which is not a terrible thing. Again, I do that all of the time when I'm trying to get things done for either writing or school or music stuff. So thank you so much for listening to me chitter chatter about coffee houses. And again, if you have one that you love and I haven't mentioned either in the intro episode or in this episode, please let me know because I do love a good coffee house. And again, thanks for listening. I look forward to talking to you again soon. Thanks for listening to this episode of Conversations with Kate. You can find more information on LCC Connect site as well as all social platforms, Facebook, Instagram, yes, TikTok as well. Big Love.

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This is Time Signatures with Jim Ervin, a podcast and radio program presented by the Capital Area Blues Society in the Lansing, Michigan. Most any contemporary musical style can trace its roots back to the blues. Time Signatures explores the blues and its musical connections with captivating interviews, lively discussions and news from the world of the blues. And now, here he is, your host, Jim Ervin. Well, thank you so much, Parker, and welcome to Time Signatures. I'm your host, Jim Ervin and today's guest has been on the blues scene for about 10 years now, unabashedly bringing her own brand of blues rock to the stage in airwaves. This Detroit native has won numerous Detroit Music awards. She's garnered 17 Independent Blues Award nominations, and if you listen to Sirius XM's Bluesville, you're likely to hear her tunes there as well. Now, she's got 10 albums to her credit, but her new album, Color Crimes, is the latest in a series of powerful releases that have earned her critical acclaim throughout her storied career. We got lots to talk about with our guest Eliza Neal, so let's dive right in, shall we? Eliza welcome to Time Signatures. How are.

You? I'm great. How are you doing.

Irv? I'm wonderful, man. It Is so good to have you.

Here. I'm so glad to be here. It's been, you know, we trying to coordinate our schedules, but here I am. And I just wanted to update you. I did win two of those Independent Blues Awards. 20, 24. I don't know if you said.

That.

Awesome. Yeah. So, like, 22 nominations and two, finally. We won last.

Year. Beautiful. Beautiful. Well, listen, I'd like to start this conversation by learning more about your earliest memories of music. Where did that start for.

You? Well, I grew up in a family where my older sister started playing the piano, and we all, like, followed her. But before that, my dad was in the Navy, you know, and when he. We were growing up as little kids, like 3, 4, 5 years old, we would sit on the bed and he'd play the guitar and the harmonica, and he played a lot of folk tunes he learned in the Navy. And so we three sisters. I had two sisters, so three girls all singing. And then I had a little brother. So we loved music. I'm Armenian. I'm from an Armenian American household. And so we also went to Armenian school, learned all, like, Middle Eastern Armenian songs. And so the house was full of music. My dad listened to Chet Atkins, guitar picking, Nashville, like, country guitar. He was a big fan of that. Also Spanish guitar, my dad played. And then we'd hear blues. Etta James, B.B. king. And then Motown is in Detroit, so I heard.

That.

Sure. So it was ahead of my time. So the remnants of Motown leaving in the 70s, you know, we all heard that. So here I am. That's my backstory on. We just sang, sang, sang as little kids. And then I turned it into a. A.

Thing.

Nice. Well.

You. You mentioned the blues briefly. Now, you had some. Some early exposure, but did you have any, like, favorite songs that just got stuck in your head? You had to hear them over and over again or any. Any favorite.

Bands? Well, yeah. I mean, my older sister Val would, you know, bring home all the new vinyl, like, in the late 70s, and she'd play like, you know, Doobie Brothers, Edgar Winter, Johnny Winner, Jackson Brown. I mean, all the, you know, all the Southern rock, all the classic rock. So, you know, I was a big fan of all those bands. And, of course, Etta James, you know, rather go Blind at last. I mean, there's so many different things. Like, if a song gets stuck in my head, I don't know. I was a big Fleetwood Mac fan. I mean, I couldn't get rumors out of my head at all. I mean, that would stay in my head forever. Like dreams and all those songs were huge hits for me, But I can't really say. I mean, I loved heard it through the grapevine. I would never leave my head from Motown, and I worked with Barrett Strong. So knowing him has really opened my eyes to, you know, how to sing and kind of, like, learn from the best, you know, he was my mentor. So I would say, maybe it's herd it through the grapevine. It can never get out of my.

Head. Okay, well, Eliza, I've gotta hear this story about how you attended college studying, of all things, opera. How does one go from opera to the.

Blues? Well, what happens is I was singing blues rock all along, ever since we were kids, you know, making blues rock, like, southern rock songs, playing them on the piano, turning them into our own arrangement, kind of like color crimes. How you hear that? That's how he would wirite.

Yep.

On the piano and then just saying, all kinds of gigs. I would sing in talent shows, and, you know, I'd win them. I'm like, you know what? Maybe I could keep doing this. So I was a waitress in this restaurant, and the band would come in, and I'd sit in with that band. Finally, I just said, you know what? I'm just gonna get my own band and do what they're doing. And I did that because I was a terrible waitress. It was a difficult job for me, so I started doing that. And that was, like, from, like. I guess I was in, like, in high school, I had a band. We played during lunch period, everyone coming to the gym, and all the guys were, like, 10 years older than us. Like, we were all 16, 17. The guys in the band were, like, in their 30s. So like, we had this great band. So ever since then, I was doing it and trying to figure out what kind of degree I wanted because my dad's like, you have to get a degree to live here. And he was big on that. You have to have your degree. And so I said, well, I followed my sister's footsteps. She went into opera, and she loved it. So I figured, you know, I'll just follow my sister Valerie and do it. And I thought it would be so easy because I know how to sing, right? But it's a totally different kind of singing. It's very difficult. But I'm glad I did it, because now I can sing, you know, six, seven nights a week. You just breathe correctly, and you can put on the grit, take the grit off. You can be, you know, you can have vibrato. You don't have to have vibrato. You can sing. Light. You. Can. You have all these different tricks up your sleeve. So I'm glad I did it. I did graduate, and they told me, give up your blues and do opera in Vienna. I said, no, I love it. I can't do that yet. Maybe someday I'll do that. But I sang all in the clubs in Detroit, from woodward avenue down to Detroit, all the way up to the suburbs, five, six nights a week. And it was all blues. Rock on a rock tinge, but a lot of blues, you know, I'd start singing at this place called sit in at burt's place, Baker's keyboard lounge. I'd go sit in. People are like, you know, you really have a bluesy type voice. If you learn 20 songs, I could put you on tour. This one agent told me that, and I was like, mm, I'm not ready for that. I'm gonna keep doing, you know, my brand, you know, whatever I would write. And then finally, I started touring and going, wow, she was right. You know, she heard me sing. She goes, I can put you on tour if you just learn 20 blues songs. So, I mean, Barrett Strong taught me so many things. Motown is blues with a beat. All the Motown guys and girl gals, most of them were from Mississippi. Okay. So Barrett came from cedar bluff, Mississippi. That's where, like, all the greatest blues artists are from. So they just got this big break with Barry gordy, and voila, they turned that into Motown. It's just blues of the beat. So I was writing blues before I even knew it was actual blues. With baron strong, I've written over 60 songs with.

Him.

Yeah, he walked into this health food store I was working in, and he heard me singing, and he said, do you want to be on my label? You know, And I'm like. I was like, oh, yeah, sure. Because everybody tells you there's somebody, and you don't. A lot of times you just get their card and go, yeah, sure. But this was really real. It was really him. So my sister and I went to his house, and he had gold records from one side of the room all the way around to the other. Like, at least something like 60 gold platinum records for temptations and for Marvin gaye. And he sang the very first hit song for Motown called money. That's what I wanted to. So this is Barrett, if you didn't know, this was his first thing. So I looked him up in the. I think I looked it up on google or something, and it was him. So we went over there, and that's how he's the first person to sign me to his record label. And I recorded over 60 songs with him. And a lot of those songs, like Something's Better Than Nothing, he co wrote with me before he passed.

Away. Wow. What an awesome experience for.

You. I just had to get that training, you know, to live. I told my dad, you know, so I did it and got the degree. But I was always like a blues rocker at.

Heart. Yeah. And that chance meeting with him in the 90s just opened up a whole new world to you, didn't.

It? Absolutely. I mean, we learned every trick that they did at Motown. He told. There's so many things that he told me. I'm probably going to write a book about it, but. So many things you should. I will, I will. I'm going to. But, you know, just things you can't learn anywhere besides somebody who's written all those hits for the Temptations. Marvin Gaye, Gladys Knight and Their Tricks, what they did in the studio, how to sing, how to not, you know, worry about this or that. I mean, he says the funniest things to you. But you will sing on pitch at the end of that day. Okay. You won't be flat, you won't be sharp and. And you won't be like. You'll know the right note. I mean, if you have it in you, if you survive the training. It wasn't.

Easy. Yeah. I wanna step back just a minute because you mentioned playing at some of Detroit's most prestigious blues hotspots around the town, including Flood, Old Detroit, Burt's Warehouse, Baker's Keyboard Lounge and so many others. That must have really helped prepare you for what you were doing today. Is it.

Correct? Absolutely. I would sit in with this guy, this guy named Larry Barris. He's pretty famous. He's, like, played with Earl Clue and all kinds of, let's see, Earl Clue, George Benson. And he still plays now, but I would chum around with him and go to these jams and he's like, if you want to sing, you just go to the side of the stage and let him know you want to sit in. And I was like, I think this was in the early 2000s. Okay. So I graduated around 2006 from college. So I was about 10. So, no, I was like, early. Early, let's see, 20s. And I'd go sit in and I'd just jump on the stage and say, I want to sing. Like, I'd sing, you know, Thrill Is Gone, Rather Go Blind, Stormy Monday. I mean, whatever. The band could all know and they were like, wow, you really sound good. They wouldn't throw me out. They'd be like, you got something there. In fact, Alberta Adams told me that she's like, you got something there. And then someone named Juanita McCrae would say to me, you know, without you, there'd be no me to the audience. And I just learned from Old Detroit. She'd be there all the time, and I'd sit in with her, and she's like, you sound great. And I see how they interacted. These artists would interact with the audience, and they would just. It was a blast. It was just such a blast to see these people do their craft. And, like, I would just study everything they did and, like, try to incorporate it into what I do. And so, yeah, it was. It was like, you can't pay for that kind of training in Detroit, you.

Know? And I would imagine being in your position, going around to all those hotspots, the exposure was excellent for you. It probably gave you a good. A good building of your chops on.

Stage.

Yeah. Did you have any favorites of those places that you.

Played? I love Baker's Keyboard Lounge on Livernois. Like, you'd go in there, and you'd be so scared, like, at first, because basically everyone there is like, a jazz great or a blues. Great. Wow. And so to get on that stage and let them actually say, you can stay was the hugest thing. So I'm like, you know what? So I just kept doing it and incorporating more and more of the blues and then rock them out a little bit my way with my band. And I was booked six, seven nights a week, in fact. I'd go find a new room that wanted music, and I'd start the trend of that place. And a place called Memphis Smoke used to be a place where they did blues, and I played there all the time. More blues, rock, of course, not straight. Some bands would do blues, but it didn't seem like. I'm not saying who they were, but some of it wasn't that great. So I was just like, you know, you guys gotta come with it, you know, don't just sing it, you know, come with that stuff. So I would just be like, you know what I mean? They were great, though. There's so many great artists in Detroit, I mean, to learn.

From. Oh.

Yeah. And Barrett Strong loved the blues. He was like, you know, Bobby Blue Bland. Check this out. Study this. Sam Cooke, he hung out with all those people in the chitlin circuit, and he taught me all about, you know, when they Would tour, how they would do it and how you have to do it. And, you know, Barrett would have. He had his own band at first when he sang the song money, that's what I want, and his band, I guess, screwed up a few of the notes and he got in his car and left and drove home from California to Detroit because they made a couple mistakes. I mean, the stories go on and on about all.

This.

Sure. But he just said, make sure your band are the best musicians you can find. Fine. And who follow you. If they follow you, you'll get through it. Because he believed I knew what I was doing as a songwriter and as a piano player. Since I write the song, I know how it goes, so please follow. And a lot of times guys don't want to follow a girl. So it's been a tug of war, but I think we're coming out on top. Because all my music's on Bluesville the minute. Mostly when it comes out, it goes right to radio. I have over like 15 songs on. There. Beautiful. So in the past week, I've already heard four or five of my tunes in rotation, so I can't be more happy about.

It. Yeah, no kidding. Eliza, four self released albums over the course of the first ten years of your music career, that's no easy task. But your 2015 release, Breaking and entering, that really helped make your mark in the Detroit music scene, didn't.

It? Mm. That was the first time that they actually looked at me and said, wow. And I won Detroit music awards. I think I won five of them. I worked with Howard Glaser. He's a great guitar player. I always was watching him and we would watch him and say, you know, he's really great. And he wasn't really, I don't know, brought up by the community more. He was on the outskirts, more in the blues, straight blues, rock. He's sort of like a Johnny winner. Almost loves Johnny winner. He's very talented, but he's, like I said, like an underdog, kind of like me. So I kind of just teamed up with a lot of the underdogs who are super talented. And we came out with this breaking and entering album and it was super hard rock, sort of hard rock blues, and put it out there and everybody noticed it. And in fact, right away, they put breaking and entering on within a week of getting it on SiriusXM radio. So I was like, wow, that was the affirmation we needed. And it was self produced and on my own label, E H records, with my partner Jay, and we do everything together. It's very hard, but it's a labor of love, and we get to keep the paycheck at the end of the.

Day. There you.

Go. And a lot of people now are following suit. They're seeing what we're doing and going, wait. It takes a lot of to doing because you have to have musicians and different area codes to make it work. Until I buy the huge bus where you can go and take everybody, that same people with you. After the pandemic, everything was closed, so we had to reinvent what we were doing. So it's working out so far. And I just, you know, I sold out Jimmy's. We just did Buddy Guy's. Buddy Guy had me open up for.

Him. Yeah, how about.

That? That was a thrill because I've always. I've played there on my own five times, and every time's been standing room only. Sold out. So I guess they took notice to that. And then Buddy just asked me to be one of the people opening up along with, you know, Kingston Kingfish, Kristo Kingfish, Ronnie Baker Brooks, like, all the top people in the game. And then he chose me. So that was really big for us. What else? And we played Jimmy's again, second time. We sold it out last time, which was last week. And then we did this. We started off 20, 25 with a bang. Just let's say. Let's say that it's been going pretty.

Good. Very cool so.

Far. And I sang back up on Papa Chubby's album. He is all, oh, wow, Joe Bonamassa. He's got all the top people on his album, and I'm singing all the backups. If you get Papa Chubby's new album. And I did something else with the great Joe Lewis Walker, I can't say what, but that's coming.

Soon. Very.

Nice. I mean, a lot of cool stuff. And a new single I put out called Soul Free and another one's coming and a new album. This probably in.

2026. Now, Eliza, you've opened for some of the biggest names in the blues, including Mike Zito, Tommy Castro, Walter Trout, and the Blues foundation hall of Fame blues man, Joe Lewis.

Walker. That's.

Right. Talk about these opportunities presented to you throughout your career. And as you're standing off stage watching these performers do their work, have you ever caught yourself just having one of them awestruck.

Moments? Every time. I'm just. I get, you know, I'm watching them do their thing. I'm learning and just so honored that I could, you know, be Part of it. And of course, it's nerve wracking at first you're like, wait, why am I here? What am I? You know, these people are so, so, you know, they've been in it so long, and they're, you know, experts at their. At their craft. But they see something in me, which I think was really nice. And I'm so humbled by it. And I go out there and like, you know, Joe Lewis Walker would always say to me, eliza, you don't even know who you are yet. Just keep doing what you do. Like, he invited me to Mystique Blues Festival four times in the past five years, which is amazing. I didn't go this year, but that's where Mick Jagger lives. And I got to hang out with him and he told me, you know, he really liked it. And he was dancing while I sang. I mean, it's crazy. It's the coolest blues festival in the world. It's called Mystique Island Blues Festival. And a lot of people don't get invited. So that's a huge honor by Mr. Joe Lewis Walker. We recorded Black Chromone and Devil Don't Love youe. He produced that for me. And he's a. He's so talented, and so he's just the real deal. And like, when you get to sing with someone like that, you just. Your whole thing goes up. You know, you're on the spot. It's like, you know, jump off this clip cliff and there's something down there. You better land on your feet. And that's how it is. That's the best way to explain it. And he's helped me grow in many ways from just singing with.

Him. Yeah.

Wow. The things you learned, you.

Know. Yeah. I can't even imagine. And, you know, it's interesting that you talked about the to do list and promoting yourself and all of the work that goes into doing what you're doing as an independent musician. Joe Bonamassa, very much in the same vein. There's. It seems like the, The. The trend is leaning towards more musicians doing for themselves and not giving the labels the cut because like you said, at the end of the day, you're getting the paycheck. I know that that takes extra work. How does that. When you look back on your career and you see where you've been able to go with doing this independently, how does that make you feel to see the success you've.

Had? Sometimes I don't even realize how it's really the stamp it's. Or like the how do you say it? Most people have heard of me, like worldwide. So it's like, it's mind blowing is what I'm trying to say. It's taken off on worldwide radio more than I can imagine, you know, And I guess when you do what you really love and work really, really hard at getting it out there, you have to figure out ways to do it. My partner Jay is a genius, so all the stuff that he does is you can't even pay for it. I mean, you have to have really organized and smart somebody to help you. I think it's super hard, but if you can do it, it's way worthy because you are not splitting. I mean, I know people who get record deals, right? Oh, I got a record deal and they're completely broke. They have no money at the end of the day and they have to go jump in their car and drive from here to California and come back and. Which is, God love them for it. But it'd be nice to have a few dollars in their bank account if they had radio play. In fact, I know someone personally who signed to a very well known label and they, you know, six, seven, eight months go by, they haven't paid them for their radio play.

Yet.

Wow. Yeah, they're just waiting. They're waiting because the record labels can say to you, well, I had to recoup, you know, advertising for you or blah, blah, blah. So if you do it yourself, guess what? Well, you have to, you have to make sure the song's good enough to be on the radio first. And don't kid yourself, you know, really try to make it the best you can with the best people you can find and you probably have a good shot. That's my advice. Just keep trying till you get that sound that you hear in your.

Head. Well, and one of the other things, since you're touching on this, my recurring theme so far this year has been to talk about and to highlight the fact that it takes like 1500 streams for people that like to listen on Spotify and the other the services out there to equal the purchase of one album. One.

Album. Just a joke. It's a.

Joke. It's ridiculous. So my goal going forward is going to be to highlight and talk about the importance of buying the cd, buying the vinyl, supporting the musicians. Because if we don't do this, Eliza, we're not going to have you guys out.

There. Absolutely. If everyone would just download this digital release. I just put out Soul free. If all 5,000 friends would download 99 cents, that's $5,000 almost. And you can pay yourself back for the record. And then you can, you know, put gas in your van and keep going, you know what I mean? And go to different regions and do it. But people don't do that. And it's hard. And so they wait for a festival, which is great because at festivals you sell a lot of stuff.

That's.

Yeah. And I'll be at Springing the Blues in April in Jacksonville. So that's a big festival up and coming. I just played France. Le Mans, France. We sold a whole bunch of stuff. I mean, every festival is really great. You sell out. I sold out of all my Color Crime cd. I know Batter to the Bone. Batter to the Bone. Sold out. I have to reorder which one? Sold Out. There are a lot of them. I mean, we're lucky, but, I mean, if they would just go to our merch page like you're saying, Irv, and just buy two T shirts, two albums, and some vinyl, musicians could probably, like, keep.

Going. Eliza, where can people go to get more information on your music, Check out your touring schedule and maybe book you for a.

Gig? Yeah, everything's on my website, elizaneals.com youm can book me from there. You can buy stuff from there. You can see all the gigs, all the updates. It's always updated, like, probably every two.

Weeks. Very cool. Well, Liza, Niels, it has been a pleasure to have you on Time Signatures.

Today.

Yeah. I promise you that we will come and see you when you get to Michigan. How's that.

Sound? I can't wait. And we're gonna have a great time. So get ready. Get ready. It's like a revival. It's a revival. It's like people cry. I don't even know what I'm doing. The music takes over. But whatever it is, you will have a good time. I promise.

Promise. Well, thank you so much for joining us again. And that brings this episode of Time Signatures to a close. Once again, my thanks to Eliza Neals for her time, but also to you for your time. Because without you, none of this would be possible. Jim Ervin reminding you keeping the blues alive is everyone's responsibility. But preserving the history of the blues, one story at a time is my mission. Until next time. So. Long this has been Time Signatures with Jim Ervin, presented by the Capital Area Blues Society in Lansing, Michigan. For more information on cabs, visit capitalareablues.org you can find this episode and past episodes@LCCconnect.org the Time Signature's theme song, Michigan Roads is used by permission and was written by Root Doctor featuring Freddie Cunningham. Until next time, Keep on keeping the blues alive.

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Hello friends and welcome to Coach Cuts Corner, Streaming bright from Michigan's capital city. This podcast is dedicated to helping you better understand the who, the what and the why of mental performance, personal growth and Lansing Stars Baseball. Coach Cuts Corner, Brought to you by Eyewash and collaboration with Lansing Community College. And now, here's your host, Steven Cutter. Welcome to Coach Cut's Corner, where we challenge limits, push for greatness and develop athletes who thrive on and off the field. We built a program centered on discipline, self belief and relentless preparation. Each week I share insights from my coaching journey, conversations with high performers and lessons that foster winning habits. If you're serious about growth, whether as a player, coach or leader, you're in the right place. Let's get after it. I want to talk about the illusion of want. Today, I want to unpack something that I see all the time. Many people say they want the big moments. They talk about the scholarship, the opportunity, the spotlight. And I believe them. I really do want. But there's often a gap between what they say they want and what they're doing every day to get there. I've learned that wanting something isn't enough. What matters is how we prepare and preparation. That can be boring. It's not always flashy, and it's not always fun. But it's where the separation happens. Before coaching, I owned and operated many small businesses. I had a young employee once who said he wanted to lead and he had potential. But what I noticed over time, when pressure would show up, when things got tough, he tended to retreat. And that young employee who once said he wanted to lead, when that pressure arose and he started to retreat, it provided a reminder for me that leadership and opportunity are earned in the small, unglamorous moments, not in the titles or the wants or the perks. The lesson? Wanting the spot is common. Doing the work it takes to earn it. That's where the growth begins. This is something I frequently discuss with our team. You can't fake your way to the top. You can't shortcut growth. You either put in the work or you don't. And eventually, the truth always shows up in your performance. Not just in games, but in how you respond to setbacks, how you carry yourself and practice, and how you influence the people around you. This is something I often do to myself. I try to ask myself, would I want to coach myself today? Now, I get this is a tricky question. But it creates awareness. We all have moments where our effort doesn't match our goals. I've coached players who believed they were giving everything. But when we broke down their habits, like sleep, recovery, lifting, screen time, it wasn't aligned. It's not about guilt or shame. It's about being honest with yourself. One of my favorite quotes is, first say to yourself, what would you be? And then do what you have to do. From Epictetus. That quote sits on my desk as a reminder. Because most breakthroughs don't come from doing more. They come from doing things better and more intentionally. That's where honesty becomes one of your biggest strengths. If you can start being honest with yourself about where you're really at, not where you wish you were, but where you are right now, you unlock the ability to grow. The mirror check isn't meant to tear you down. It's intended to help you take ownership. Ownership of your choices, your mindset, maybe even your habits. And once you own it, you can change it. I often discuss with the boys how small habits add up. Most of the time, the people who consistently improve aren't doing extraordinary things. They're just doing ordinary things with focus and consistency. I had a player this season who isn't the loudest guy in the room, but he's consistent. He shows up early, pays attention, takes care of his body. He's steady, and that's allowed him to grow into a bigger role. It's a reminder that you don't have to be perfect, you have to be dependable. Winston Churchill said, the price of greatness is responsibility. That responsibility starts with owning the details. When you own your work, your routine, your effort, it shows up in the way you play, the way you lead, in the way you influence others. It's easy to get caught chasing the outcome. Who's starting, who's hitting, where in the lineup. But it's the daily details that separate people. The guy who cleans up the locker room, who encourages a teammate when he's down, who doesn't make excuses. That person is winning long before the scoreboard lights up. A quick thought here for athletes who might not realize this. Coaches notice a lot more than you think. We notice how you carry yourself during tough practices, how you respond to coaching and how you treat your teammates, whether you're consistent or conditional with your effort. This isn't about being watched. It's about understanding that everything communicates. And those little things, they often carry more weight than you realize. When evaluating players, I look beyond statistics. I'm watching how they handle failure, how they support others and how they prepare. Those are the things that build trust. And trust, at the end of the day earns opportunities. So if you're trying to earn a spot, don't just think about what you do on the field. Think about who you are in the dugout, in the weight room and in the classroom. Those things shape your future just as much. And I've said this often, hard work doesn't guarantee success. That's a tough one to accept, but it's true. You can do everything right and still not get the outcome you'd hope for. So sometimes you might question, why do it? And I say, because hard work gets you in the arena. It gives you a chance to compete. It gives you peace of mind. You can look in the mirror and say, I did everything I could. That kind of honesty is rare and powerful. At the same time, I've coached players who worked incredibly hard and still didn't earn the role they wanted. That's never easy. But the growth they experienced, the resilience they built, that stays with them long after the season ends. So, no, there are no guarantees. However, Hard work will always yield two benefits, opportunity and honesty. And that is enough to keep going. There's a maturity in understanding that effort doesn't always lead to reward, but it always leads to development. You walk away knowing you stood in the fire. That kind of confidence doesn't come from talent. It comes from effort and repetition. That's what sets people apart later in life. Not just in sports, but in everything they do. Let's bring this all together. If there's one takeaway here, it's this. Don't just chase the outcome. Chase the habits that lead to it. Ask yourself, would I want to coach myself today? If not, great. That means you have something to work on. It's not about being perfect. It's about improving the way you show up. One of the things I've learned through coaching is that the ones who grow the most are the ones who are the most consistent, the most curious, and the most coachable. So here's your challenge. Pick one habit this week and double down on it. Focus on how you respond to adversity. Be intentional when no one's watching. Stack those days. Build that identity, because that's how you earn your spot. Over time, those habits become an integral part of who you are. And once they're who you are, nobody, and I mean nobody, can take that from you. In my journey, some of the best lessons I've learned, both as a player and as a coach, is that your biggest competition isn't the person next to you. It's you. When you start focusing on beating your own yesterday, your last sprint time, your previous bullpen session, your last leadership moment, you stop getting distracted by comparison. Comparison will steal your progress. But competition with yourself, that's where confidence is built. We remind our team often to be the type of person who's hard to beat because they never stop improving. Ask yourself, am I better today than I was last week? Last month? And if not, ask yourself why? It's not about giant leaps. It's about small steps. And those steps, they sure do compound. And before you know it, you've created a version of yourself that's hard to deny. Not everyone's going to be a superstar. Not everyone hits in the three hole or throws game one. But everyone has a role and the teams that win big. Those teams are full of guys who take pride in the roles we've had, guys over the years who didn't start a single game in the postseason. But they were the glue to our teams. They brought the energy, they prepared the starters, they pushed everyone around them to be sharper. There's honor in doing your job well, no matter how big or small it may seem. A true team isn't made up of just stars. It's made up of people who show up every day with the same urgency, whether they're starting or not. Want to earn respect? Start by owning your role, then outgrow it. Let's wrap this up with what I believe is the real payoff. It's not the trophies, not the applause, not the social media clips. The real reward is what you build inside yourself. By showing up every single day when it would be easier to coast, you become someone who follows through, someone who can be counted on, someone who finishes what they start. That's not just a baseball skill, that's a life skill. The habits you build now will follow you long after the final pitch. That's why this matters. That's why the grind, though it's not glamorous, is so worth it. Thanks for joining me today. Make winning in life your habit, not your goal. Excellence isn't an outcome, it's a daily standard. My mission is to build athletes and teams that compete at the highest level, not just on game day, but in every aspect of their journey. Build the right habits, lead with intent and push yourself beyond the limits others set for you. And don't forget to cherish the small moments they pass by in a blink of an eye. Until next time, keep stacking bricks and go stars. Coach Cuts corner is recorded live in the WLNZ Studios with the Daedalian Lowry providing engineering and production assistance. Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed today's podcast, please share it and follow us on all forms of social media. Our program has been built and maintained with the help of many great people. If you want to be part of our mission, you can donate using the link in the show notes below. You can learn more@coachcutter.com and more about our team@lcLCCars.com see you next time.

This has been a presentation of LCC Connect, a weekly program that features the voices, vibes and vision of Lansing Community College. All shows featured on LCC Connect are recorded at the WLNZ studio located on LCC's downtown campus. Each program is podcast based and can be heard anytime@LCCconnect.org if you or someone you know would like to be a guest on one of our shows, connect with us by emailing LCC.