The first guest of 2020 is, well, nobody. Instead of starting the year with a traditional episode, we decided to take a look back at the output we managed in 2019. My First Band’s first abbreviated year in existence found us releasing 43 episodes (and a couple bonus installments) and featuring in-depth interviews with a wealth of musicians—and a few comics and media personalities with musical pasts—from the Midwest and various other parts of the country. Since launching the podcast in early March, we released an episode each and every Friday and have been heard by thousands upon thousands of listeners in more than 30 countries. We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished so far and we’re excited about what’s to come, so we figured it would be a good time to look back at My First Band’s 2019.

Host Tyler Maas recently met up with My First Band co-producer and audio engineer Jared Blohm to talk about the year that was, hopes they have for the future of the show, and how the podcast came to be in the first place. There, in Blohm’s basement, the pair also discussed things they learned over the course of the first 40-some episodes, mentioned some guests that stood out for each of them, and revealed some behind-the-scenes details about a few My First Band recordings. Stay tuned for a new episode next Friday and every week thereafter. Thanks for supporting the show!

My First Band is sponsored by Mystery Room Mastering. The show is edited by Jared Blohm. You can listen to My First Band on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, and wherever else you get podcasts. Music used in this show comes courtesy of Devils Teeth (“The Junction Street Eight Tigers”).