I Helped Produce My First Song And It's Going To Be Played On Radio Stations Across The Country Starting Today

Introducing "Coffee & Cigs": 

A few years back, I was hit up in the DMs by some random asshole asking me to go on his podcast. I do random podcasts all the time and they're all pretty much the same. Sports talk. Barstool talk. Pop culture talk. Life talk. 

Whatever.

That podcast was different though. It was more buttoned up. Mics were being used. It was funny enough. It was amateur, but not really at the same time. 

The host, Colin Budny, was also the lead singer of this band out of Philly - Foxtrot and the Get Down - and that piqued my interest. I fired up their music, dug it, and stayed in touch with the guy. 

Fast forward to 2020 and I was sitting alone drunk in my apartment during that stretch we were legit not supposed to leave our houses for 2 weeks or w/e it was at the very start of the pandemic. I decided to buy a $250 guitar and hit up Colin to teach how to use it thing via Zoom. 

It's been 4 years, and I can now successfully play a G cord. Oh, and we've interviewed everyone from The Black Keys, to Ice Cube, to Chad Kroeger, to Slipknot and just about everyone in between. 

After getting to know Colin a little a bit and popping on his show more and more, I thought to myself, "hey, Barstool doesn't really have a music vertical, this is a decent show and I'm actually learning a lot about music and the music industry, maybe this can be something". 

So "On The Guest List" was formed, the previous name of what is now Barstool Backstage. 

It was a decent show thanks 99% to Colin, but I don't know shit about music (I just love it) and the "two white guys hosting a podcast" quota was filled fucking years ago on the internet. We chugged along though. It was fun, so whatever. 

We hustled and bustled for interviews just like anyone does when starting a new show. Our motto was basically "If you can play a chord on a guitar or piano, we'll interview you." That's when Colin told me he wanted to interview this dude he had a few cowriting sessions with years back, Kenny Carkeet. 

I don't remember what we even talked about on the interview with Kenny, but I instantly knew Kenny was my kinda guy. Funny, shit talker, quick-witted, etc. Loves Trump but in the same way Shane Gillis loves Trump. 

You get it.

Oh, and here's the important thing about Kenny - he is a founding member of the band Awolnation. You may have heard of the song "Sail" by them: 

Yeah… Kenny co-wrote and produced that song. "Sail" finally became diamond certified in 2023 which is an absurd accomplishment for any musician on earth. 

I immediately hit up Colin after we originally interviewed Kenny back in 2022 and said, "do whatever you gotta do to convince Kenny to co-host this thing with us from here on out." Colin did, and for some reason Kenny said, "fuck it" and hopped aboard. 

Then I got Dante the Don on board. And along the way the handsome Mr. Johnny Kongo of KONGOS also decided to hop in the clown car. Johnny and his brothers are the guys that wrote hit song "Come With Me Now":  

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And boom - you have the 5 headed rag tag group that makes up Barstool Backstage. Here's a pic of Kenny flexing his Diamond Plaque nuts in our faces like he does every week: 

It's really just 4 people who have credibility in the music industry and me, but we want to really legitimize the show in 2024. We have a LOT of video content planned - hopefully with some major music brands attached as partners - but most importantly, we're now producing music together. 

Introducing our first song ever, Coffee and Cigarettes:

You heard that correctly. I'm now producing music. I'm basically the love child of Dre and Rick Rubin. I'LL SEE ALL YOU COCK SUCKERS AT THE 2025 GRAMMY'S!!!!!

Watching the whole process come together was really, really cool even if it's different for every song. Kenny told us Sail was written in like 45 mins while he was stoned out of his skull. 

Coffee & Cigs took 4 fucking years to become a finished product. Here's it's evolution: 

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I sincerely think it's awesome even if I did the equivalent of work that Cartman did on the Fish Sticks joke. The song had really cool nuts and bolts, and watching Kenny do his Diamond Certified producer shit to it was really fun. Everything about the process was an eye opener and I'm excited to hear the reception.

PS -  Erica, the female voice in the song, absolutely fucking crushed it. CRUSHED it. 

LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK, share the fuck out of it for us, and of course, sub to Barstool Backstage across all platforms: