VEVA Presents: Tuned Out

by VEVA Sound

Season 1

Cristy Barber - Tuff Gong, Throwing Chairs & Thirty Years in the Music Business

She left Michigan at twenty with twenty dollars in her pocket. She knew she wanted to be in the music industry at age three. By the time she was in her thirties, she was running the Bob Marley estate's record label. None of that was the plan — and that's exactly the point. In Episode 5 of Tuned Out, Dave Audé and Deborah welcome Cristy Barber — Grammy-nominated producer, A&R veteran, label president, reggae industry legend, and now president of the Tuff Gong Collective under Universal. Cristy has worked at Capitol, Columbia, Island, Elektra, VP Records (where she was, yes, the VP of VP), and the Marley family's Ghetto Youths International label. She's broken records in countries most labels don't even think about, shot music videos for two grand before anyone else had to, and — on more than one occasion — quit her job on the spot for her artists. The conversation covers Cristy's full career arc: from writing for Word Up magazine in her early twenties, to her first label job at Capitol, to landing at the Marley estate after a call from Stephen Marley that changed everything. Along the way: launching the Welcome to Jamrock reggae cruise (sold out in thirty days, and still sailing), running one of the world's biggest reggae festivals, a brief but eventful stint in the army, a producer from Trinidad who showed up at VP Records at 9am with a gun demanding his royalty payments, and a George Michael pillow that lives on a bed in Nashville. There's also a frank conversation about what's broken in the music industry right now — why chasing viral moments is the music business equivalent of buying a lottery ticket, why loyalty and reputation are the only things you walk away with, and why, after thirty-plus years, Cristy has no intention of selling real estate. Topics covered: -Leaving Michigan at twenty with twenty dollars, like Madonna -Writing for Word Up magazine and working with Charisse the rapper -Capitol, Columbia, Island, Elektra, VP Records — the full label journey -Running Ghetto Youths International and the Bob Marley estate's record label -Stephen Marley's phone call that made Cristy president of Tuff Gong Collective -Welcome to Jamrock reggae cruise — sold out in thirty days, now in its eleventh year -Running Reggae Sumfest and working in catalog acquisition with Iconoclast -The producer who showed up at VP with a gun at 9am over royalty payments -Throwing a chair at Kevin Lyles (in good love, she insists) -Quitting jobs for artists — more than once -George Michael tattoos, Tom Jones vinyl, and the pillow on the bed in Nashville -Working radio across Japan, Canada, Jamaica, the UK and the Caribbean -Why going viral is the music industry's lottery ticket -Yungblud as proof that the biggest artists don't have to be the hardest to work with -The Off The Record segment: riders, Taylor Swift's sweaters, and three songs for the aliens Cristy Barber: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cristyofaragon Dave Audé: Website: https://daveaude.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daveaude/ VEVA Collect: Website: https://vevacollect.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vevacollect/ Hosts: Dave Audé & Deborah Deloach / Guest: Cristy Barber / Digital Editor & Mixer: Ines Lopez / Music: Dave Audé / Art & Design: Maddie Alley / Producer: Liam McMellon

S1 · E5

Sep 1, 2026

42:07

Emily & Jamie Dryburgh: Billboard Pride, Building Nashville's LGBTQ+ Community & the Business of Music

They called themselves the Dryburglars in high school. Now they're the 2025 Billboard Pride Executives of the Year. Not a bad glow-up. In Episode 4 of Tuned Out, Dave Audé and Deborah welcome twins Emily and Jamie Dryburgh — music industry veterans, publishers, managers, and co-founders of the Rainbow RNBW Queer Music Collective. Over twelve years in the industry, Emily and Jamie came out in a Nashville country music scene that wasn't ready for them. They know three artists dropped from major label deals for being gay. So instead of waiting for change, they built the spaces themselves — biweekly showcases for LGBTQ+ artists, festival stages at Nashville Pride and CMA Fest (the first-ever queer music activation at a country music festival in American history), and mentoring programs. But this episode goes deeper than advocacy. The conversation gets into the real mechanics of how money moves in today's industry: how a TikTok creator with a viral song might have $30,000 sitting uncollected with the Mechanical License Collective and not know it, why finishing and releasing music is the single most important thing a young artist can do, and why "exploit" is actually a good word. There's also a great conversation about what it means to build an artist in 2025 — from Benson Boone to Lady Gaga to Run DMC's genius purple-and-green double cover of Raising Hell. Dave reveals that Neon Moon with Cody Belew is his most-streamed record ever. Plus: Andy Bell walks into the Lipstick Lounge alone, does karaoke, and nobody knows it's him. Topics covered: - 2025 Billboard Pride Executives of the Year - Coming out in Nashville country — and the artists dropped for being gay - Rainbow RNBW Queer Music Collective — showcases, festival stages, mentoring - The first-ever queer music activation at a country music festival (CMA Fest) - Why queer fans are some of the best in the business - Nashville as a life hack — and why deals happen over beers at Red Door - TikTok, the Mechanical License Collective, and the $30K sitting uncollected - Publishing 101: what a publisher actually does, and why "exploit" is a good word - Sync licensing: Kate Bush, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, and giving old songs new life - Neon Moon with Cody Belew — Dave's most-streamed record ever - Artist brand in 2025: Benson Boone, Lady Gaga, and Run DMC's double-cover genius - Andy Bell doing karaoke at the Lipstick Lounge, unrecognised Emily & Jamie Dryburgh: Website: https://www.girlcrushnash.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamiedryburgh/ & https://www.instagram.com/theemilydryburgh/ Dave Audé: Website: https://daveaude.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daveaude/ VEVA Collect: Website: https://vevacollect.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vevacollect/ Hosts: Dave Audé & Deborah Deloach / Guests: Emily & Jamie Dryburgh / Digital Editor & Mixer: Ines Lopez / Music: Dave Audé / Art & Design: Maddie Alley / Producer: Liam McMellon

S1 · E4

Aug 18, 2026

42:15

Chuck Ainlay - The Art of Engineering, the Magic of a Room & Going All-In

If there's one guest who can make a roomful of music industry veterans lean forward and take notes, it's Chuck Ainlay. In Episode 3 of Tuned Out, Dave Audé and Deborah sit down with one of Nashville's most decorated engineer-producers, a man whose discography spans nearly every genre and generation, from George Strait to Mark Knopfler, Peter Frampton to Lyle Lovett, and newer artists like Jake Worthington. Chuck is a Grammy Governor, a 5.1 pioneer, a Dolby Atmos convert, and a superstar engineer who always puts the engineer title first. The conversation goes deep fast. What has technology actually done to the craft of recording? Is the art of putting a band in a room together, managing acoustic bleed, choosing the right mic for the room, reading what a preamp will do to a sound, truly a lost art? From there, it's a masterclass: the philosophy of casting musicians who don't necessarily know each other, why a great performance with imperfect pitch will always beat a perfectly tuned vocal, and the specific gear Chuck brings with him when he travels, including a rack of Neve 1081s and 1073s that he says can get a great drum sound in almost any studio in the world. There's also the story of going all-in on Atmos. While other engineers declined to learn a new format, Chuck embraced spatial mixing fully and explains why you can't just stem out a stereo mix and pan things around the room. You have to reimagine the record. George Strait, when Chuck pitched a rethink of an older catalog record for Atmos, said: "Oh hell yes — I can't even listen to that record." Topics covered: -The lost art of recording a band live in a room — acoustic bleed, mic choice, preamp character -Why the title "engineer" matters, and what's been lost as everyone calls themselves a producer -Vinyl's resurgence and why music creates memory in ways nothing else can -Deborah's breakup anthem: Big Sean's I Don't Fuck With You - Casting musicians for creative friction vs. comfort — why unfamiliar rooms produce better takes -Chuck's career-long relationships: George Strait, Mark Knopfler, Peter Frampton, Lyle Lovett -The great pitch debate: Melodyne, tuning tools, and why using your ears beats using your eyes -Doubles, triples, micro pitch shift, and why an orchestra sounds big! -Going all-in on Dolby Atmos — and why reimagining a record beats just panning the stems - Five-one mixing, DVDA, SACD, and the competing formats that killed surround sound for music the first time - Chuck's travel gear: Neve 8068, 1081s, 1073s, and a trunk full of mics - The new Neumann U67 reissue — and why Peter Frampton bought four of them Chuck Ainlay: Website: https://chuckainlay.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chuck_ainlay/ Dave Aude: Website: https://daveaude.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daveaude/ VEVA Collect: Website: https://vevacollect.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vevacollect/ Hosts: Dave Audé & Deborah Deloach / Guest: Chuck Ainlay / Digital Editor & Mixer: Ines Lopez / Music: Dave Audé / Art & Design: Maddie Alley / Producer: Liam McMellon

S1 · E3

Aug 4, 2026

41:46

James Holiday - From Classroom to Comedy. 32 Years of Teaching, 3 Years of Comedy & 1 Very Royal Dog

Episode 2 — James Holiday: From the Classroom to the Comedy Stage What do you do after 32 years as an elementary music teacher? If you're James Holiday, you retire with a five-year plan already written, pivot to stand-up comedy, launch a social media following built on morning dog walks and deadpan life observations — and then record a Christmas single with Grammy-winning producer Dave Audé. In Episode 2 of Tuned Out, Dave and Deborah sit down with James Holiday — comedian, content creator, former music teacher, esthetics devotee, and proud rescuer of a King Charles Cavalier from Ireland — for one of the most entertaining conversations the studio has seen yet. James breaks down what it actually takes to break into stand-up comedy: the open mic grind, the rooms full of other comedians who've heard it all, and the moment you figure out your audience. For James, he's built an engaged, loyal following on social media by simply walking his dog every morning and saying exactly what's on his mind. He also talks about his 32-year marriage ("96 in queer years"), his friendship with Martina McBride, eating cookies backstage at a Prince concert, the unexpected career pivot into esthetics, and why he keeps his government name firmly off the internet — lest his former students find him before they turn 21. Oh, and there's a Christmas song. Fabulous Holiday (For She Who Is) is a collaboration with Dave Audé and Sarah Potenza, debuting live at James's show — House of Holiday Three: South Slay, Girl Slay. Topics covered: James's morning dog-walk content and the origins of James Holiday Comedy Xander — the King Charles Cavalier rescued from Ireland (with a pet nanny chaperone) 32 years as an elementary music teacher, and the five-year exit plan Breaking into stand-up comedy: open mics, and the Zanies lab James's comedy style, his target audience, and how to handle a room that isn't with you Microneedling, esthetics, and the disproportionate cost of looking young when you're gay The perks of a stage name - why his former students won't be finding him any time soon 32 years of marriage ("we're both a lot, and we can put up with each other") Famous friends, NDAs, and a certain country legend with a photographic memory Eating Prince's leftover cookies at the Hit and Run Tour Sandra Bernhard as a comedy inspiration House of Holiday Three: South Slay, Girl Slay The Off the Record segment: food in songs, worst jokes, and handling hecklers James Holiday: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JamesHolidayComedy-pf6qj Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamesholidaycomedy/ Dave Aude: Website: https://daveaude.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daveaude/ VEVA Collect: Website: https://vevacollect.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vevacollect/ Hosts: Dave Audé & Deborah Deloach / Guest: James Holiday / Digital Editor & Mixer: Ines Lopez / Music: Dave Audé / Art & Design: Maddie Alley / Producer: Liam McMellon

S1 · E2

Jul 21, 2026

27:41

Sarah Potenza - The Voice, Night walks in Hong Kong & Doritos in Bed

Episode 1 — Sarah Potenza - The Voice, Night walks in Hong Kong & Doritos in Bed Nashville is full of stories. This one involves a six-star hotel, Canto-pop at 3am, a Michelin-star noodle shop, and a Kickstarter reward that literally put Sarah Potenza in bed with a fan eating Doritos. In the debut episode of Tuned Out, Grammy-winning DJ and producer Dave Aude and VEVA founder & CEO Deborah Deloach sit down with powerhouse singer-songwriter Sarah Potenza — and things get wonderfully weird, fast. Sarah is currently working with Dave on a new disco/dance-pop record, and she's fresh off a five-week residency at the iconic Carlisle Hotel in Hong Kong (yes, she took a boat to Macau for the slot machines). She shares what it's really like to be an American performer in China right now, the midnight Canto-pop stereo incident that sent her to the lobby in sweatpants, and how her off-night "night walks" led her to the best egg custard tart of her life. Then it's onto the music business: how Sarah went from never passing the first round of Voice auditions to being hand-selected and mentored by Blake Shelton — and how she turned her finale moment into a Kickstarter launch on live TV. Her secret weapon? She hustles. Hard. Foot tambourines, signed hats, coffee on a veteran's deck in Ohio, and yes — Doritos in bed. We also live-call Stacey. It goes exactly as you'd hope. Topics covered: - Sarah's five-week residency at the Carlisle Hong Kong - Being American in China in 2025 — and the Canto-pop hotel incident - How Postmodern Jukebox found Sarah via Instagram DMs - Getting onto The Voice (without ever passing an open audition) - Blake Shelton, reality TV, and launching a Kickstarter on live television - Why having a British agent might be your best career move - The Doritos in Bed Kickstarter reward (and the live call to Stacey) - Andy Bell's new album featuring Sarah and Debbie Harry - The new disco record coming in 2026 Sarah Potenza: Website: https://www.sarahpotenza.net/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamsarahpotenza/ Dave Aude: Website: https://daveaude.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daveaude/ VEVA Collect: Website: https://vevacollect.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vevacollect/ Hosts: Dave Audé & Deborah Deloach / Guest: James Holiday / Digital Editor & Mixer: Ines Lopez / Music: Dave Audé / Art & Design: Maddie Alley / Producer: Liam McMellon

S1 · E1

Jul 7, 2026

30:17