Curators & Contributors

Jane Asher

Jane Asher was born and raised in the Thumb just a stones throw away from the magnificent Lake Huron. She grew up sleeping under the stars in the summertime, and learned to drive in the field behind her home listening to Bob Seger. Her favorite road is the M25 and she will tell anyone within earshot that Michigan sweet corn is unparalleled. Jane’s lifelong love affair with music blossomed into a career that has afforded her the great privilege of meeting and interviewing some of the most influential rock & roll artists on the planet. It is her honor to be returning to her Michigan roots as a midday host on The Sonic Coast. 

Ryan Malott

Ryan Malott was born in Port Huron, MI, but has spent most of his life in West Michigan in the suburbs of Grand Rapids. A lifelong dream to work in radio led him to start podcasting in 2010. His passion podcast project is titled Mitten Music, where he interviews and talks about Michigan bands, artists, venues, and related music professions. Ryan enjoys everything from TOOL and Deftones to Phil Collins and Prince but is always steadfast and loyal to anything Michigan music-related.  Check out the EXCELLENT Mitten Music podcast Ryan co-hosts with Jeff Wood (Grand Rapids). 

Brian Maloney

 Brian is the founder of The Sonic Coast and hand-curates music on the weekend for The Sonic Coast.  Brian was born in Detroit (east side) and eventually ended up in Royal Oak. When he wasn't grounded for skipping school to buy concert tickets - he was often found hanging out at Cobo Arena for whatever the rock show was that night. After decades of leading some of the most successful broadcast properties in the country and working with just about every national act you can name, it's Brian's love of LOCAL music and the rich musical history of Michigan that drives his passion now.

 

John Sinkevics

John Sinkevics is a career journalist and musician who started the Local Spins website in 2012 after spending the previous 12 years as a music critic and entertainment writer for The Grand Rapids Press. Local Spins -- the state's fastest-growing music website -- covers West Michigan's music scene via feature stories, concert and album reviews, artist spotlights, breaking music news, photo galleries, concert listings, podcasts, videos and more. Sinkevics hosts the weekly Local Spins on WYCE radio show that showcases local and regional music at 11 a.m. Fridays on the radio at 88.1 FM. He's also president of the Michigan Music Alliance board of directors, a member of the Ferris State University Music & Entertainment Business advisory board, and co-founder of the Grand Rapids band The Honeytones.  John can be heard each week on The Sonic Coast with updates on bands/artists from the west side of our state!

Lori Stratton

Lori Stratton is a music journalist, artist champion, and live music aficionado based in Whitmore Lake, Michigan. Her musical journey started while working as a corporate communications writer by day and attending live shows at night and on weekends.

That growing love of music later blossomed into The Stratton Setlist, a music blog that spotlights independent artists and musicians inside and outside of Michigan. Lori also writes about local music and artists for the Ann Arbor District Library’s Pulp blog and Local Spins.

Today, Lori hosts The Stratton Setlist podcast, serves on the Michigan Music Alliance board, and works as a writer for the Ann Arbor District Library.

Listen for Lori's weekly music updates on The Sonic Coast, which focuses primarily on the Southeast side of our state. 

 

 

John Bommarito

John Bommarito grew up in Warren, MI, and got the bug for radio while listening to a High School radio station in his hometown as a kid.  All of his siblings played some instrument; John, the youngest, played the radio.

John’s first job out of high school was the first ever paid employee at the legendary Detroit area record store Record Time in the spring of 1985.  While working there, he also attended classes at nearby Oakland University and began his mobile DJ service (which he still does).

After a short stint at OU’s radio station in the mid-80s (that he’s pretty sure no one heard), there was a long gap before radio came back to him. While attending classes in round two of college at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, John was introduced to the non-commercial radio station next door at Henry Ford College, WHFR, in 2002. A spark was lit, and he was off and running, following the dream of his high school self.

John served as the volunteer folk music director at WHFR from 2002-2011 and, during that time, was hired to the staff of Ann Arbor’s 107one (WQKL-FM) in 2005.

When the pandemic made him a COVID casualty due to necessary budget cuts in Ann Arbor, John immediately turned to a YouTube playlist format to continue spreading music to fans of the singer/songwriter genre. The show he used to do at WHFR was called Acoustic Alternatives, and it was reborn as a playlist on April 26, 2020. It got a one-year reboot on the airwaves at WHFR when they hired him to be their Operations Manager in July of 2021.  That ended when WEMU recruited him to be their Digital Operations Specialist, which is what he does by day M-F.

In the fall of 2020, Grove Studios in Ypsilanti, MI approached John about doing a podcast in their studios. Reluctant at first, the podcast has been a source of joy for John. It’s a musical exploration and conversation with some local and national (and occasionally International) recording artists. Guests have included Jeff Daniels, Brian Vander Ark, Glen Phillips, Laith Al-Saadi, Heywood Banks, and many others. 

You can hear John's Acoustic Alternatives each Sunday at 10 am on The Sonic Coast

Kevin Kay / Music Business Minute

 Kevin, Kevin brings decades of music industry knowledge to the Sonic Coast with the "Music Business Minute".  Real-life business advice for musicians navigating the "new" music industry. Kevin's sixty-second vignettes can be heard daily on The Sonic Coast and found each week on Sonic Coast's social channels.

Kevin, the founder and CEO of The Detroit Music Collective, has 30+ years of experience in the music industry.  He has worked for Chrysalis Records, Polydor Records, The PolyGram Label Group, Island Records, UV Records, Mercury Records, Dreamworks Records, Virgin Records and Sony Music Nashville, working alongside many artists including U2, The Rolling Stones, Elton John, David Bowie, Melissa Etheridge, 30 Seconds To Mars, Nelly Furtado, The Cranberries, Kenny Chesney, Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, Brad Paisley and more.  He was the Chair of the Music Business & amp; Entrepreneurship Department and an Adjunct Professor at The Detroit Institute of Music Education.  He has also worked for the world's largest experiential marketing agencies managing global music initiatives for Fortune 500 Companies. He founded a brand sponsorship consultancy, the Entertainment Sponsorship Group, an artist management company, and K2 Artist Management.

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Mark Sandstedt 

Michigan Rocks Radio / Saturday 6 pm

 Mark Sandstedt’s Michigan Rocks Radio is a weekly, one-hour journey into the bands and artists that comprise the Michigan music scene. You will hear from established artists such as Red Hot Chili Peppers, Kid Rock, Greta Van Fleet, and Bob Seger, as well as up-and-coming artists like the Accidentals, The War and Treaty, Myron Elkins, Joe Hertler and the Rainbow Seeker, Mac Saturn, Michigander, and many more. Plus, heritage acts like Alice Cooper, Iggy Pop, The Romantics, Stevie Wonder, and Grand Funk Railroad.  

Mark is a Michigander with extensive media/broadcasting experience.  Most importantly, Mark is super passionate about all things Michigan music and we're grateful to have Mark on The Sonic Coast team spreading the love of Michigan music.  You can enjoy Mark's show each Saturday at 6 pm on The Sonic Coast.