Greeting from Austin! Back when people went places and we did live tapings at The Clubhouse, we hosted Arkells, Lights, Band of Skulls, K.Flay, Suzanne Vega, and some other greats. Like all artists right now, we’re missing those days – and we're doing all we can to create something fresh, interesting, and relevant. I think we're making something really cool, and we'd like you to be a part of it.

The Live Screen brings loosely (or closely) related artists together for an unscripted, energetic chat-and-play, propelled by thoughtful prompts and questions from Clubhouse creator David Rice. The conversation is captured remotely over Zoom, filmed by each guest with a selfie-mode smartphone, then synched up, edited, polished, and projected onto a physical screen in the middle of our studio in Austin. For solo appearances, we've been creating short documentary-style clips with artist b-roll and other visuals (see the Larkins clip above for example.)

"Okay it sounds cool but who's doing it?"

Fair question! Our premiere episode features indie-rock/power-pop/emo/post-punk legends Jeremy Gomez and Chris Simpson from Mineral, Ken Stringfellow (The Posies, Big Star, REM) and Frank Turner. Upcoming episodes and shorts include Lynval Golding from The Specials, Nancy Wilson of Heart, The Black Angels, Larkins, and Illiterate Light. Which leads to the next question:

"Who decides which guests go together?"

If you’re on this page, it means we want you to come on the show. We may have already pitched you on a specific pairing, or we may have invited you on for a solo appearance. In either case if there's a particular artist you think you'd have fun with, let us know right away. Between us all, I bet we can get to them.

"How does the actual taping work?"
  • We’ll schedule an hour with you during the week to record your segment. Before the call, we’ll send you a file request link in DropBox.
  • Before the taping, you’ll set up to play some music and chat in your apartment, studio, or wherever you’ve landed.
  • Using whatever mic, preamp, and software you typically work with, you’ll record your audio separately. You can even just record a voice memo with your iPhone – the new ones sound surprisingly good. You’ll also capture a second video angle from a DSLR, smartphone, or any other device. 
  • You’ll hit record on whatever devices you’ve set up, then join your fellow guests and host David Rice (that's me) via Zoom (or BlueJeans.)
  • We’ll move between performance and conversation over the course of the call, sharing admiration and insights with each other, tracing influences and inspirations, and generally just having a great time.
  • Afterwards, you’ll upload your video and clean audio. 
  • Need an iPhone tripod, a decent mic, or anything else to make it easier? We'll overnight it to you.
"Is this a fundraiser? Is anyone making money on this?"

No. This is simply something that's fun for us, fun for our guests, and a serious treat for music fans - let's give them a break from the nonstop telethons.

If you're still unconvinced this will be one of the biggest thrills of your last few months (or if have any serious questions) just send me a note. I'll do my best to talk you into it.

Hope to see you soon,

David Rice | david@theflowstudios.com

I’m David Rice, a lifelong musician with a career that’s taken many shapes over the last few decades. In the pre-Internet, all-or-nothing 1990s, I made a few indie records before being given the opportunity to spend an unholy amount of Sony Music’s money on an indulgent solo album. There was no shortage of hurdy-gurdies, mini-orchestras, or personal chefs at Real World Studios, but the album – whose longest song clocks in at 11 minutes – mysteriously failed to connect with the masses.

Fortunately, I’d made some friends (and met my future-wife) at Columbia Records. They graciously steered me into some fruitful projects working behind-the-scenes, where I’ve been ever since. With my business+creative partner Matt Naylor, I’ve spent the last decade in Austin building Flow Studios, a multimedia company employing a dozen or so filmmakers and visual artists. I stay active in the studio composing music for our TV and video work, and recently jumped back into record production with an EP of covers from Nancy Wilson (Heart) and Eric Tessmer.

The Live Screen is quickly proving to be among the most exciting and rewarding projects I’ve ever cooked up, as nothing thrills me more than connecting with other artists to celebrate the things that make us all tick.