Brandon stopped by the studio last summer. We laughed and shared stories for a couple of hours and found out we had a lot in common: We are both Canadian, coached middle school basketball, love Lopez Island, don't love BC Ferries (get it to together guys), and we are both teachers. He tells me about his love for the Grateful Dead, his rap album and the vision he has for music at his school. Passionate, kind and talented folks are my jam and Brandon is all three (x100). Speaking of jam, his band Only Tree has the most creative merch I've seen at local shows. Thanks for the puzzle and I look forward to hocking some OT lot merch at your next show 🙂 When is there next show? Check out their Instagram page for all the details: instagram.com/onlytree_band/

Lastly, here is a project that Brandon is spearheading: Hindsight 2025 is a crazy mind bender event coming in December! A double CD/streaming download PLUS a huge festival featuring 25 of Bellingham's bands. Food trucks, beer tent, musical gear raffles, 3 stages... all to raise money for the Mr. Peabody Scholarship for the Bellinghome School Of Music & The Joy Of Music. These scholarships assist in music lessons & instruments for those that can't afford it!

Stay tuned for more details

Enjoy your weekend, be of use, and go do something hard.

If you love music, go see some rad live music at the Arcadian Public House.
Love my intro song and my logo? Check out Clay Work. He is incredibly talented. He also hosts Trivia at Lyman Tavern on Tuesdays, and at District Brewing on Wednesdays. My kid and I like to draw and write. Check out my writings on Substack, radio show, all of our books and merch here: www.linktr.ee/lizduffy

Disclaimer: Skagit Storytellers is a personal podcast and any views and opinions belong only to the host (or guests) and do not represent views and opinions of people, institutions or organizations that the host (or guests) may or may not be associated with in professional or personal capacity unless explicitly stated.

Support us on PayPal!

Quinn visited the studio last summer and entertained me for quite a while. His stories are gloriously long and full of so many great tangents (due to his Attention Detention Efficit Order). He talks about his previous bands (there's a lot), his cats nicknames (they are long) and name drops at least 100 fantastic local folks. His band Fanny Alger posts their upcoming Revivals on Facebook, and their next show is the 2025 Rockin' Yule Bizarre on December 20th at Buxton's in Anacortes.

Enjoy your weekend, be of use, and go do something hard.

If you love music, go see some rad live music at the Arcadian Public House.
Love my intro song and my logo? Check out Clay Work. He is incredibly talented. He also hosts Trivia at Lyman Tavern on Tuesdays, and at District Brewing on Wednesdays. My kid and I like to draw and write. Check out my writings on Substack, radio show, all of our books and merch here: www.linktr.ee/lizduffy

Disclaimer: Skagit Storytellers is a personal podcast and any views and opinions belong only to the host (or guests) and do not represent views and opinions of people, institutions or organizations that the host (or guests) may or may not be associated with in professional or personal capacity unless explicitly stated.

Support us on PayPal!

Three years ago, Tessa and I sat down and recorded my very first Skagit Storytellers Podcast episode. I can't thank Tessa enough for sharing her story with me the first time and I am incredibly excited to share her updates. Join me on Tuesday, November 11th at the Local Shop in Sedro-Woolley at 5:30pm for her Book Launch Party. "If your life feels like a sideline sprint—between practices, parent-teacher meetings, and trying to remember what “self-care” even means—this night’s for YOU." Tessa surrounds herself with a strong group of women and professional coaches who supported her to self publish her book. If you want to take control of your life are looking for a group of women to support you, check out Mari Wuellner's coaching collective, The Crew.

Check out Tessa's program and book here.

Enjoy your weekend, be of use, and go do something hard.

If you love music, go see some rad live music at the Arcadian Public House.
Love my intro song and my logo? Check out Clay Work. He is incredibly talented. He also hosts Trivia at Lyman Tavern on Tuesdays, and at District Brewing on Wednesdays. My kid and I like to draw and write. Check out my substack, radio show, all of our books and merch here: www.linktr.ee/lizduffy

Disclaimer: Skagit Storytellers is a personal podcast and any views and opinions belong only to the host (or guests) and do not represent views and opinions of people, institutions or organizations that the host (or guests) may or may not be associated with in professional or personal capacity unless explicitly stated.

Support us on PayPal!

Last August, local musician Zach Hamer stopped by the studio to share his incredible story with me. Our conversation was fascinating, informative, funny and authentic. We discuss haunted houses, breaking the law, music in the Valley (Zach and I may have met in 2016) and his various projects you can find online (Like his 2024 movie, "Dragons on the Hill" or his podcast "History's a Joke"). He plays one of his newest songs, "So Sad" from his solo project Forest Stoke. Check out his Instagram account for his upcoming shows *and* head to Hidden Hall in Seattle on 11/22 for his band Kuinka.

If you're listening to this on the day it's published (11/1/25), come out to the Honeymoon in Bellingham to see Forest Stoke with Natural Israel (fun fact: Local music fan and talented drummer Luke Deryckx will be on the kit for both performances that night!).

Enjoy your weekend, be of use, and go do something hard.

If you love music, go see some rad live music at the Arcadian Public House.
Love my intro song and my logo? Check out Clay Work. He is incredibly talented. He also hosts Trivia at Lyman Tavern on Tuesdays, and at District Brewing on Wednesdays. My kid and I like to draw and write. Check out my substack, radio show, all of our books and merch here: www.linktr.ee/lizduffy

Disclaimer: Skagit Storytellers is a personal podcast and any views and opinions belong only to the host (or guests) and do not represent views and opinions of people, institutions or organizations that the host (or guests) may or may not be associated with in professional or personal capacity unless explicitly stated.

Support us on PayPal!

Kamriell Welty and I crossed paths in 2024 when I taught her youngest child. I quickly learned how much we had in common (enthusiastic curiosity, over the top positive attitude, and a love of challenges) and knew she'd be a fun podcast guest. Listen in for travel and ticket hacks, Swifty-lore, old tales of kids selling berries in the Valley and some golf stories too. I credit my latest adventures to her simple two word life motto, "Why not?". I encourage you to hear this episode, channel your inner Kamriell and do something slightly out of your comfort zone.
Need a photographer? DM her on IG here: https://www.instagram.com/kamriellwelty/

Enjoy your weekend, be of use, and go do something hard.

If you love music, go see some rad live music at the Arcadian Public House.
Love my intro song and my logo? Check out Clay Work. He is incredibly talented. He also hosts Trivia at Lyman Tavern on Tuesdays, and at District Brewing on Wednesdays. My kid and I like to draw and write. Check out my substack, radio show, all of our books and merch here: www.linktr.ee/lizduffy

Disclaimer: Skagit Storytellers is a personal podcast and any views and opinions belong only to the host (or guests) and do not represent views and opinions of people, institutions or organizations that the host (or guests) may or may not be associated with in professional or personal capacity unless explicitly stated.

Support us on PayPal!

Mikel Perkins, former tuba player and current member of rock band MakLak, founded Bellingham's newest music organization, Bellingham Helps Access Music (BHAM) last May. He visited the studio to talk about his non-profit and how meaningful it is to him, "It's my life's work. It's the culmination of everything I've worked towards." His journey in music will leave you in awe and my hope is that you channel your inner Mikel and follow your passion with high levels of enthusiasm, curiosity and grit. This driven, thoughtful and kind person is also a dad, and I can't wait to see what his daughter Zoe accomplishes in her life with him as her example.
Check out the non-profit here: https://www.bellinghamhelpsaccessmusic.org/
Maklak's music on Spotify

Enjoy your weekend, be of use, and go do something hard.

If you love music, go see some rad live music at the Arcadian Public House.
Love my intro song and my logo? Check out Clay Work. He is incredibly talented. He also hosts Trivia at Lyman Tavern on Tuesdays, and at District Brewing on Wednesdays. My kid and I like to draw and write. Check out my substack, radio show, all of our books and merch here: www.linktr.ee/lizduffy

Disclaimer: Skagit Storytellers is a personal podcast and any views and opinions belong only to the host (or guests) and do not represent views and opinions of people, institutions or organizations that the host (or guests) may or may not be associated with in professional or personal capacity unless explicitly stated.

Support us on PayPal!

Wedge Michaels came across my radar about a year ago when Shane Gildnes from Fanny Alger suggested he'd be a fantastic guest, and he was right! Wedge shared fun stories about touring, working in radio and life in general. He plays with a lot of bands, but make sure you find his band, The Phantom Hippies so you can hear some of his original music.

Enjoy your weekend, be of use, and go do something hard.

Love music? Go to Washingtonesrecords.com and score some sweet merch, cool tunes and support locals following their passion.

Also, if you love music, go see some rad live music at the Arcadian Public House.

Love my intro song and my logo? Check out Clay Work. He is incredibly talented. He also hosts Trivia at Lyman Tavern on Tuesdays, and at District Brewing on Wednesdays.

My kid and I like to draw and write. Check out all of our books and merch here: www.linktr.ee/lizduffy

Disclaimer: Skagit Storytellers is a personal podcast and any views and opinions belong only to the host (or guests) and do not represent views and opinions of people, institutions or organizations that the host (or guests) may or may not be associated with in professional or personal capacity unless explicitly stated.

Support us on PayPal!

Jairo G stopped by the studio last Spring when he was a Mount Vernon senior. I first saw Jairo at the SWAMP in Sedro-Woolley and was impressed, and since then his sound has evolved even more. He's incredibly well spoken, kind and thoughtful. I loved hearing about his family, his collaborators, and his musical journey. Check out his socials for his most recent material and news of any upcoming shows.
IG: jairogxofficial
Spotify: Jairo G
IG: essentialstudioshd

Lastly, if you're a teen who's interested in recording music, go to Triumph Life Teen Center. See here for more details on the music studio, ran by Dank Zavala: www.triumphtlc.org/services/music-studio (Dank knows what he's doing! Check out his work on Spotify... his new single Sunset View is awesome).

Enjoy your weekend, be of use, and go do something hard.

Love music? Go to Washingtonesrecords.com and score some sweet merch, cool tunes and support locals following their passion.

Also, if you love music, go see some rad live music at the Arcadian Public House.

Love my intro song and my logo? Check out Clay Work. He is incredibly talented. He also hosts Trivia at Lyman Tavern on Tuesdays, and at District Brewing on Wednesdays.

My kid and I like to draw and write. Check out all of our books and merch here: www.linktr.ee/lizduffy

Disclaimer: Skagit Storytellers is a personal podcast and any views and opinions belong only to the host (or guests) and do not represent views and opinions of people, institutions or organizations that the host (or guests) may or may not be associated with in professional or personal capacity unless explicitly stated.

Support us on PayPal!