Episode 611: Mike Cuenca, Co-writer/Director
Mike Cuenca is a Cuban-American, self-taught, award-winning writer and director. He shoots and produces many of his projects on micro-budgets in Los Angeles, CA. He is now working on the vignette series THE BOYS ABOUT TOWN and in pre-production for IN THE DITCH, a sequel to his experimental second feature. Cuenca’s growing body of work centers around the theme of personal identity with a doze of slapstick absurdity. His biggest influence are the Kuyavians, who invented cheese sometime around 5000BC.Mike Cuenca's Social Media:
Episode 611: Scott Collins, Singer/ Songwriter
Singer songwriter Scott Collins knows the value of storytelling. And fans in Austin and beyond are listening to his brand of well-crafted Americana, so much in fact, that the Mayor declared January 31st “Scott Collins Day” in 2019. The artist is also a KUTX favorite, and the tastemaker radio station described his songs as “filled to the brim with poignant emotions, deeply personal storytelling and honest-to-God wisdom,” where Austin City Limits Executive Producer Terry Lickona observes that his songs “sound authentic, yet very modern. (They) stay with you, and that’s a good sign.”For Collins’ last album, he teamed up with Grammy-nominated producer Chris “Frenchie” Smith (Built To Spill, Dandy Warhols, Jet) to create the well-received Roadmaps EP. The two forged a synergetic partnership and Collins added multi-instrumentalist Einar Pedersen (The Fray, Kelly Clarkson) to create “the dream team” for the forthcoming release, Headed North. He reveals that Smith’s “rock genius” and Pedersen’s focus gave him “the tools to get to the next level. There was a lot of evolution on this recording.” One example of that growth and depth in songwriting is the track “After The Show,” which was inspired by a conversation between Collins and Sweet Spirit/A Giant Dog frontwoman, Sabrina Ellis about the challenges a female artist encounters on tour. “One Sick Man” is a modern sea shanty about a sailor accused of witchcraft by a captain gone mad. The EP’s polished and rich production showcases Collin’s lyrics and dedication to in-depth songwriting.
When he isn’t performing, Collins is the man behind Chicken Run Studios, which he founded in 2015 and was designed by Oscar and Grammy-winning engineer and producer Chet Himes (Christopher Cross, Carole king, Marcia Ball). The tireless artist also teaches and mentors children in the foster care system through Kids In A New Groove, in addition to volunteering with Health Alliance for Austin Musicians (HAAM) and the SIMS Foundation, which provides behavioral and mental health services for musicians and others in the industry. “I personally feel I lived my dream the first show I ever played,” Collins explains. “I felt it on stage. In that moment I told myself ‘now it’s only about hard work and paying it forward’.”
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