NH Edge podcasts bring local music to your laptop

If you’ve been out to see a local act lately, you may have run into Tim Deal and the NH Edge entourage, lurking in the glow of an Apple laptop, asking performers to talk into mutant iPods. But have no fear, this isn’t a sign of reclusive WiFi addicts invading the local music scene. It’ s the production of a polished, locally driven podcast dedicated to taking the sound of the Granite State to the international level.

Tim Deal, guitarist for the Seacoast-based Craving, debuted the program on May 15. I caught up with him by e-mail to find out how it all came together.

What drove you to get a team together and start documenting the music coming out of New Hampshire?

We’ re doing this because we believe in the local independent scene. Whether it’s music, art, film or history, there are quality alternatives to prepackaged and homogenized Clear Channel entertainment.

Local original music is just as good as anything the labels thrust down our throats, but there’s an even bigger advantage to local music, and that’ s accessibility. You can actually get to know a local band, have a beer with them, see them around town. So, it’s the goal of NH Edge to help people do that. We want people to get to know their local artists, and we hope to continue to provide a vehicle for that.

Podcasting, originally created for Apple’s iPod and iTunes media player, is ubiquitous now. What drew you to the format?

The podcast format is so accessible. It presents a grassroots method for conveying your message. Currently it’s not regulated by the government, and that allows for true freedom of speech. Anyone with a computer or a friend with a computer can access (the files). You can burn our show to CD, or download it to a portable music player and take us on a road trip or to the gym if you want to.

What kind of legwork are you doing for each show?

Typically, we spend our time attending shows and recording live interviews with local musicians, or attending community events and basically talking to anyone who will talk to us. For remote interviews, we actually use iPods with iTalk attachments, and they have served us well. We have about three or four of them banging around. Some of our staff have recording setups at home and are able to produce their own segments.

You have a staff of about seven volunteers. How did you all come together?

My team consists of fellow area musicians and longtime friends who share my passion for local independent culture. Basically, I suggested the idea to my friends, girlfriend and bandmates and they embraced it. Since then, they’ve all found their respective niches.

One really interesting element of the podcast is Brian Wiseman’s NH Edge roundtable.

That was all Brian’s idea. He basically asked, “What if we had a panel of musicians and non-musicians in a room together to give their impressions of a CD, completely unrehearsed and candid?” The first one we did, it was difficult to stay on task. It was such a fresh idea that we were too excited to be concise. We’ve since become better. What’s cool about this format is that a local musician can receive multiple viewpoints on their CD, from (people with) varying backgrounds. In addition, listeners actually hear samples, and they can come up with their own opinions. It’s an innovative way to turn people on to new music. We’ re certainly not here to bash anyone, either. If it’s local and original, we’ll find the merits within.

You’ve also now partnering with a local music spot. What plans do you have with them?

Denise Wheeler, our good friend and marketing guru, suggested that we set up a music series at one of the local clubs in order to showcase not only established talent, but emerging talent as well. She spoke with the
owner and manager of Dover Soul, and we suggested a weekly series that featured three acts a night, with NH Edge recording and podcasting the live shows. We’d provide the artists with a copy of the CD, and then perhaps release a compilation CD at the end of the series. They loved it. It’s on! The shows are on Wednesdays, starting July 12.

And you’ re also connecting with Portsmouth Community Radio?

I spoke with Tim Stone, the general manager, about sharing content. They would broadcast our content, and we would podcast some of theirs. Other partnerships include a brand new one with iWorksmedia.com for multimedia support at events, and Thumbprint studio to podcast their music videos. We’ve been contacted by local libraries, historical organizations and non-profits about helping get their messages across. It really has been mind-blowing.

You can hear the podcast at www.nhedge.com.
For a schedule of NH Edge events at Dover Soul, visit www.myspace.com/nhedge.