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Behind the Screens with Joshua Maloni
IG: @imjoshuamaloni
When you live and work just north of Buffalo, it’s not always easy connecting with Hollywood talent.
Most press junkets are held in larger cities – a New York, Los Angeles or Chicago, for example – and the vast majority of on-screen productions are staged in places like Atlanta, Manhattan and Vancouver. Interviews, then, are almost always by phone or via Zoom.
That was until 2025 – the year Christmas came to town.
And by Christmas, I, of course, mean the Hallmark Channel.
Television’s top network for all things sleigh bells jingling, and ring ting tingling, too, filmed all or part of three “Countdown to Christmas” features in Western New York – utilizing people, nature, businesses and buildings in Buffalo, Orchard Park and Youngstown, among other places.
The highlight, of course, was “Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story,” set and centered on the Buffalo Bills and Bills Mafia.
Not to be outdone, Great American Family set a handful of movies in this area, as well, with some produced by “Saved by the Bell” star and “Access Hollywood/Access Daily” host Mario Lopez.
“We went through decades of not much being shot here of significance – any big stuff – and now we're seeing it all the time,” he said. “What I would say is that most of it has to do with the New York State Film Tax Credit program, which is one of the more lucrative ones in the country right now. There's an extra bump to go upstate, which is working like a charm. I can tell you firsthand that this one is really working. It's driving a lot of business here.
“And then the added thing, of course, is that, when they get here, they see all the location assets that we have, whether it's something old or something modern. We really have architecture from almost every period in American history in our communities here. It's something, I think, that they didn't expect. They go to these places, a lot of times, just chasing the money or chasing the incentives. But when they get here, they realize that there's just so much more to it in Buffalo. And when I say Buffalo, I mean Niagara Falls; I mean Lockport; I mean Chautauqua County. It's really all of Western New York. It's touched all of it, really.”
Beyond the tax credit, Clark said production companies are attracted to “the welcoming spirit of the people here. I think that's always something that's a bonus; that's almost unexpected.
“What happens often in bigger cities, especially like in Hollywood or Los Angeles, or even in New York City, there's a lot of production fatigue. People are sick of big movie trucks in their neighborhood, and lights, closing streets, and things like that. Here, people still get excited about it. They try to get a glimpse of maybe a movie star or something. It's different. So, they get a much more welcoming experience.
“We say that Buffalo is the ‘City of Good Neighbors,’ and I would say that extends to the region. All of Western New York is really a place of good neighbors. But it's not just like some bumper sticker thing or whatever. It's a real way of life here. I think that that's very authentic – and it's that kind of authenticity you don't see in L.A. or New York or Atlanta or New Orleans or some of the traditional production centers. When they get here, they realize, ‘Wow, this is pretty cool.’ ”
The year in celebrity interviews:
The Aurora Theatre hosted the world premiere of “Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story."
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From the articles: As the Buffalo Bills were making a run for a Super Bowl championship late last season, another team was in town looking to claim a television title.
Unbeknownst to the people of Western New York, a Hallmark Media team visited Orchard Park during the holidays to see if the “City of Good Neighbors” was a candidate for “Countdown to Christmas” 2025.
“You can know about the Bills, but unless you're really a fan, the meaning that this team is to everybody – you don't know it until you see it firsthand,” actor and script writer Vanessa Marano said.
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Director Dustin Rikert said, “I've been to lots of professional sporting events, but I don't think I've ever quite seen anything like how the Bills fans are on game day.”
He added, “It really is a city of good neighbors. It's really true. It's true with the crews. It's true with the businesses that we deal with, and the people that we deal with. I think it's one of the friendliest communities I've ever come in and helped produce and direct a movie with. That says a lot about how people are raised here, and kind of culture they come from.”
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Though no tables were broken, the Aurora Theatre could’ve doubled for the NFL’s Highmark Stadium. Inside the historic film room and popcorn shop, it took less than 10 seconds for cheers to erupt as Bar-Bill, Bills Mafia, chicken wings and football were projected on the large screen. Immediately, patrons fell in love with “Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story.”
Such was the movie crew’s goal.
When filmmakers and cast came to Orchard Park and East Aurora last summer, they sought to craft a love letter to Buffalo – a desire stemming from previous interactions with local football fans.
Just like Josh Allen at the goal line, those filmmakers scored in a big way. They masterfully captured the uncommon passion, frustration and camaraderie unique to Bills fans.
Matthew Daddario said, “I think that this film really is for Buffalo in a lot of ways; it’s for the fans of the Bills. I think that, what we’re focusing on while we’re here, is to look at the people of Buffalo and show them that we made this movie for them. I want to see them enjoy this film. I hope they like it. I hope they feel like it celebrates their city.”
ARTICLES:
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From the article: Danica McKellar is a certified math genius; a best-selling author; a star of the iconic 1980s series “The Wonder Years”; and a staple of Christmas moviemaking.
For a few weeks earlier this fall, she also was a Buffalo resident.
McKellar was in Western New York to shoot her 12th holiday film, “Have We Met This Christmas?” The Great American Family feature – part of the fifth annual “Great American Christmas” series – debuts at 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13. It largely takes place inside The Saturn Club, which is known as “The Merry Mountain Inn” on screen.
Danica said: “I just always wanted to play a character who wakes up and has no idea who she is; I think, because, there's just this idea of a blank slate. There's a moment in the movie where I'm looking at myself in the mirror and I was like, “I have no idea who I am or how I got here.” It's just this fun moment that you don't usually get to play any other time. I mean, there's a handful of emotions, right, that are there for the taking, and this is one that you don't find anywhere else.”
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From the article: In the “The More the Merrier,” ER doctor Alice (Rachel Boston) once again finds herself working on Christmas Eve – and looking to bring smiles to her patients and coworkers. As the night goes on, Alice and cardiologist Brian (Brendan Penny) find themselves snowed in – and with three women about to go into labor!
At the same time, 14-year-old heart patient David is in need of some holiday cheer – which comes from his well-known pro football friend (Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin) and their HeartMates teammates.
Boston is a Hallmark mainstay, having starred in network favorites including “Debbie Macomber's Joyful Mrs. Miracle,” “Christmas in Angel Falls,” “Check Inn to Christmas” and “A Christmas Carousel.” The talented, award-winning Tennessee native is known for portraying smart, determined characters, full of kindness and able to overcome adversity – just what Hallmark fans want in their on-screen leads.
Rachel on the Buffalo connection: “Everybody coming to set and just going on and on about what a wonderful person Damar Hamlin is, and how beautiful he was in these scenes with these children, and how kind he was to them. It was just glowing reviews when they showed up. So, he made Buffalo very proud.
“It was also really exciting when we heard there was going to be a partnership with Abbott HeartMates. Once I put together that this is based on Damar Hamlin's passion and dream for helping other people, it really just puts in perspective how powerful this is – and you really feel that through the movie.
“It's set in this rural hospital, and this little boy comes in just needing some extra tests run on Christmas Eve. And then you get to see Damar Hamlin FaceTiming in, because he's part of this program – Abbott's HeartMates – and then his friends that he's made in the hospital realize, ‘Wait a second, you're friends with Damar Hamlin!?!’ It's so sweet to see that.
“He did a fantastic job. He will make you very proud.”
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From the article: While “Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story” has rightfully been the lead in most stories about movies shot in Buffalo/Niagara this year, it was actually another Hallmark Channel feature, “A Newport Christmas,” that convinced filmmakers to put a spotlight on Western New York.
Ginna Claire on Buffalo: “My first time in Buffalo actually was with ‘Wicked’ in 2017; and I love Buffalo, and I love Shea’s, and it was so fun to be there to perform with ‘Wicked,’ and then to get to come back and film this movie,” Mason said in a phone interview. “It felt like a sort of homecoming. It was so sweet to be like, ‘Oh, I know this street; and I remember my little Airbnb was just over here; and I remember this restaurant.’
“Wes (Brown, who plays Nick), and a couple other cast members, Talia (Robinson) and Evan (Alexander Smith), we actually went to go see a show at Shea's when we were in town recording. ‘Shucked’ came through, and I had some friends in it, so we got tickets to go see that show. And it just feels incredibly full-circle.”
She added, “My husband and I, when we first got married, we actually lived in Binghamton for a while. We summer up near Lake Placid, and so I love Rochester, Syracuse, Buffalo. I love all that up there.”
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From the article: For some actors, stepping into a well-oiled franchise – one with a passionate fanbase and high ratings expectations – is a daunting challenge, often fraught with sleepless nights and hair-pulling stress.
For Sonequa Martin-Green, it’s kinda’ just like a Tuesday.
Over the course of her two-decade, on-screen career, the Alabama native has seamlessly joined the casts of established mega-hits “The Good Wife,” “Once Upon a Time” and “The Walking Dead.”
Most notably, Martin-Green played Michael Burnham on five seasons of “Star Trek: Discovery,” becoming just the second female actor to lead the iconic property’s ensemble cast in a series.
Sonequa on what makes her show special: “I love the family dynamic: Family, faith, tradition – those are the cornerstones of “Blue Bloods.” They are why “Blue Bloods” was as successful as it is, and was, in my opinion. And so, the Brandons (writers, executive directors and showrunners Brandon Margolis and Brandon Sonnier) knew that we needed to make sure family, faith and tradition were still the cornerstones of this iteration, and that's what they've done. It's all three of those things that I love so very much.
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From the article: Like every good “Star Trek” series, “Strange New Worlds” is governed by a prime directive: Provide interesting characters – bound and determined to bend the rules in the name of a greater good – working within a familiar template.
In this case, the characters are early iterations of the iconic franchises most well-known parts – Spock, Kirk, Pike, Scotty, Uhura – as well as a few whose backstories demanded more detail – Nurse Chapel, Doctor M’Benga, Una Chin-Riley; and their vessel is none other than the U.S.S. Enterprise.
It’s a formula not dissimilar to the one used on the original “Star Trek,” or its successors – namely “The Next Generation,” “Deep Space Nine,” “Voyager” and “Discovery.”
But where the Paramount+ series differs is that it truly seeks to live up to its mantra: “To explore strange new worlds; to seek out new life and new civilizations; to boldly go where no one has gone before.”
Rebecca Romijn on the new episodes: “Season three, we continue to play with genre, and jump from one genre to another. We really didn't think we could outdo ourselves after season two, but season three is so strong, and we just continue to jump from horror into straight-up comedy into another genre that I can't mention, but here we are at the end of season four. We're just about to wrap up season four, and I have to say it might be my favorite season yet.
“There's so much to look forward to. And we don't know how the writers come up with their ideas, but they keep thinking way outside the box, and it's really fun as an actor to try and tackle it every time.”
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Lacey Chabert as writer, illustrator and HOA Head of Activities Committee Emily. (Hallmark Channel photo)
From the article: Just because Hallmark is rolling out its popular “Countdown to Christmas” collection in October, doesn’t mean the network is overlooking this month’s own unique celebration.
Top stars Lacey Chabert and Wes Brown are reuniting for “Haul Out the Halloween.” In the third chapter of the “Haul Out the Holly” film franchise, the persnickety residents of Evergreen Lane are trading in their tinsel and mistletoe for all things creepy, kooky, mysterious and spooky. It’s up to HOA President Jared (Brown) and Head of Activities Committee Emily (Chabert) to OK the ooky, and uphold the neighborhood’s well-known decorating standards.
Lacey on continuing the franchise: “I thought the pitch for this movie sounded absolutely hilarious. And I just instantly fell in love when I read the script. I fell in love with the neighborhood, the relationships of the neighbors.
Really, at the heart of it is people who are united by loving something so much. And in the first movie, we see that that is Christmas. I just wanted to be a part of this neighborhood.
And I have to tell you, filming these two movies – now three movies – was just such a blast. On day one of filming “Haul Out the Holly,” the original one a few years ago, the cast, we just instantly bonded. And it doesn't always happen like that.”
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From the article: The Hallmark Universe is a bit like Tony Stark.
By day, its Hallmark Channel film characters fly around the world, filming in fantastic locations; they succeed in business and find romance, often while being heroic and, at their best, aspirational – much like the billionaire tech genius.
But by night, its Hallmark Mystery movies are suspenseful, oftentimes taking place around a crime scene or murder investigation, and typically ending with one or more villains in handcuffs and headed to jail – something not uncommon to Stark’s Iron Man alter ego.
Elizabeth on the storyline: “I think what people loved for the first one – that we've taken and amped up – is there's an escapism to it,” Henstridge said in a phone interview. “It's glamorous. It's a beautiful, tropical location. It's fun, but … it's also suspenseful, and it's quite twisty-turny.
“I recently had all my family over to America, and I streamed them the first movie. I hadn't seen other people see it live. And so, they were gasping and, like, covering their faces with cushions – and it's that similar vibe for this one. It's a bit jumpy, but all good fun.”
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From the article: As her character, Noor, was stealing secrets from the Iranian U.N. office, Arienne Mandi was stealing scenes from her more-well-known co-stars on season two of the hit Netflix series “The Night Agent.”
The actress flawlessly conveyed the danger Noor was in, keeping us on the edge of our seats as she put her life on the line trying to make a deal with the U.S. government to bring her mother and brother to America. She showed grit in standing up for what she wanted, determination in not backing down – and can we talk about how well she spoke Farsi?
Ari on joining the series: “I think I was always really excited at the idea of any sort of action role. I really love utilizing that body for different projects. And I think this job is very demanding in the sense of, like, everyone is very tactically sound, and details are very important on this show, and everyone has their training and they're all really great at what they do. And so, I'm excited to join that squad.”
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From the article: It’s been an intense year for the members of Chicago’s Firehouse 51.
Sure, they risk their lives daily, traversing the city to fight fires and help those in urgent need of medical care – but it's their personal lives that have the “Chicago Fire” characters in a tizzy of late.
Hanako on her character, Violet: “I think one of the things that she might potentially struggle with is she wears her passion on her sleeve, let's say, and so she's quick to react; she's quick to defend; and that's one of her positive attributes. But I also think that's something that she actively has to fight against, as she steps into more leadership position – where she knows that being professional is really the way that she's going to get what she wants and what she needs to protect others that she cares about.”
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“Hearts Around the Table: Jenna’s First Love” star Ashley Newbrough. (Credit: ©2025 Hallmark Media/Photographer: Courtesy Brain Power Studio)
From the article: One of the most tried and true expressions is certainly a pillar of Hallmark Channel moviemaking: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Audiences tune in for aspirational content, wherein two people clearly meant to be together overcome great obstacles – both personal and professional – to save the day and one other. Hallmark films present these characters with one last foil at the start of the final act, before reuniting the leads for true love’s kiss.
It’s a winning formula – so much so, that there are at least a half-dozen other networks that try to replicate this recipe (but never quite as well as Hallmark).
That said, wouldn’t it be nice if these Hallmark Channel characters – and the actors who bring them to life – had a longer runway with which to work?
What if we want to know what comes after happily ever after?
Ashley on her expanded role: “I loved that there was a chance for more of a character arc, and you get to know more of a character’s world. It’s a little bit more carved out. You get to know a group of friends – each of the friends – and you get to follow them a little bit longer.
“Especially in ‘Hearts Around the Table.’ I love this one – for a lot of reasons – but one of them being you get to see beyond what happens after the happily-ever-after kiss. In Jenna's movie, after that's finished, there's three other films that follow. And you get to kind of follow what happens with Jenna after that, which is neat, and something I've never done before.”
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From the article: Having already released three exceptional live-action “Star Trek” series, Paramount+ has set a high bar for future Roddenberry-inspired projects. Of course, when we’re talking about one of the world’s biggest, most-beloved franchises – not to mention its storied “Trekkies” fanbase – expectations are already off the chart.
Kacey on her character, Rachel: “When we find her in this film, she is so staunchly Starfleet. She is so by the book; she finds deep, deep comfort in order and control and rules. If there was a book that they get at the Academy where it's like, ‘In the event of this, do this,’ she's loves that. She's all about it. She loves the system. Then she's thrust into Section 31, which is kind of the polar opposite of that. It's just rolling with it, and throwing stuff at the walls and seeing what sticks, and coloring outside the lines – and really operating in a gray area, which is a challenge for her.”
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Gabrielle Walsh on "Found." (NBC photo by Matt Miller)
From the article: Finding missing persons is nothing new for series television – but unique to NBC’s “Found” is a story in which the captive becomes the captor.
Gabi Mosely leads the high-profile rescue firm Mosely & Associates, widely known for reuniting lost individuals with their fraught family members.
In the pilot episode, we learn Gabi (Shanola Hampton) was herself kidnapped some two decades earlier by a man simply known as “Sir” (Mark-Paul Gosselaar).
Though she has formed a top team of recovery specialists – and has the ear of D.C. detective Mark Trent (Brett Dalton) – Gabi finds herself in need of more insight into her cases.
She turns to an unlikely source – someone … chained up in her basement.
Sir.
Gabrielle on the show’s twist: “I was auditioning as per usual, and I got the script that came across in my email to read, and when I read through it, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is pretty incredible character development,’ just right off of the bat. I thought that the story was handled well. And then by the time I got to the end, I started screaming and running through my apartment because I had found out that this woman – who's this like superhero vigilante – actually is a kidnapper herself.”
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From the article: Cheyenne, Wyoming, is home to the Horse Palace Swan Ranch; the Cowgirls of the West Museum; and the 30,000-acre Terry Bison Ranch, with its 2,300-plus grazing bovine.
On NBC’s “The Hunting Party,” Cheyenne is also the site of a 30-year-old top-secret prison site – buried underground within a covert nuclear missile complex. The “most violent and dangerous criminals the world has ever known” reside in this encampment – until they don’t.
Nick on his character, Oliver: “Over the course of the season, we learn how he came to work in ‘The Pit,’ and we start to unravel, ‘Is he good or bad?’ And I'm not even sure that, by the end of season one, our answers are conclusive. I don't know.
“But I can say I think his feelings for Bex, his care for her, is genuine. I think whether you're good or bad, you still care. I think his desire to have someone there that he can trust, whether he's good or bad, is genuine.”
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From the article: Inasmuch as Hallmark is hosting a reality competition series to find its next “Mr. Christmas,” an argument can be made the real “Mr. Christmas” is already on the network’s roster.
Over the next six weeks, nearly two-dozen holiday features starring Andrew Walker will be available to watch live or stream – including the highly anticipated third chapter of the “Three Wise Men” franchise, “Three Wisest Men.”
Walker is a staple of Hallmark’s brand-leading “Countdown to Christmas” film collection, giving the holiday season extra significance for his myriad fans. But for the Montreal native, it’s not the screentime that brings him most joy, but rather the facetime he finds at home with his children.
Andrew on Christmas: “This time of year is just made so much more special, because now I’m a dad. I have a 10-year-old and a 5-year-old, and the magic of Christmas is even more magical now with them. I love that they’re all caught up in their imaginations with Santa Claus.
“I grew up listening to CBC Radio when I was a kid; a Canadian radio station. Christmas Eve, we would hear where Santa was – where he was traveling – and they’d give us the weather conditions. I love the magic of Christmas.”
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Metro Creative Graphics
►In concert
More typical in 2025 was an influx of top tuneful talent performing locally, at the award-winning Artpark; downtown at KeyBank Center and Town Ballroom; and at Darien Lake – the site of mega Christian music festival Kingdom Bound.
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From the article: In her new video for “Runs Deep,” Riley Clemmons is shown singing and dancing, having a wonderful time. Now, it’s not that her life is perfect, her career path is easy, or that – because she’s a Christian – every day is Heaven on Earth.
No, it’s just that, “This faith runs deep down in my bones//And when I'm shaken, it steadies my soul//So come what may, I'll fix my eyes//On the one who's got His eyes on me//'Cause this faith runs deep.”
Riley on her approach to music: “I've been doing this for a long time. I'm 25. I'm a born-and-raised Nashvillian. I grew up in a city that was just covered in music and culture. And starting at a young age in the industry, growing up in front of a lot of eyeballs through songs, there is much to be learned. There's much room for error, and there's a lot of room for fun and nuance and excitement, as well. And I would say, to give you the most general blanket statement of the heart behind the artist, honestly, I'm just writing and figuring it out as I go, and trying to be as honest as possible along the way.”
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From the article: To celebrate an anniversary is to look back and commemorate something already accomplished. … In the past. To mark that which happened. … Before now.
But for Our Lady Peace, their 30th anniversary tour has an entirely different purpose.
“More than anything, I hope people just walk away from these shows saying, ‘Wow, that is the best that I've ever seen Our Lady Peace,’ ” frontman Raine Maida said Thursday. “If there's any motivation there, it's not about a nostalgia thing. It's like, ‘Holy $hit, this band just keeps going and getting better.’ ”
To that end, OLP fans are getting new songs – and new setlists – at each tour stop.
Frontman Raine Maida on going through the motions: “I don't know if we do this – if I'm motivated to really go play shows – if it's just for nostalgia’s sake. I'm not that guy; I got to be honest. It's just not something that resonates with me. And I know … there's tons of bands that say, ‘Why bother?’ People just want to hear the hits. Just do that.’
“That has nothing to do with me. To me, it's about a show; and it has to be dynamic and fluid, and that has to have a component of, ‘What did you just do? What are you talking about now? Where's your head at? What are you thinking about? What are you trying to say musically?’ Because once you shut that valve off, it really just becomes a business. The art is gone, to me.”
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From the article: For someone who hails from Atlanta, Georgia – some 950 miles (or 1,530 kilometers) from Toronto – Collective Soul bassist Will Turpin sure knows a lot about Canadian music.
In a phone interview last week, Turpin referenced Edgefest – CFNY-FM’s long-running outdoor summer music festival – as well as I Mother Earth, The Tea Party and The Tragically Hip. He did this having just traveled through Banff, Alberta, on the way to Kelowna, British Columbia, where Collective Soul would share the stage with Our Lady Peace.
Bassist Will Turpin on his band’s 30th anniversary: “We're always thinking about what's next. It's not like we ever feel like we made anything or accomplished anything. I know we have accomplished a lot in our career, and we put a stamp on the Collective Soul legacy, but we're always still thinking about what's next. That's not in our nature to stop and go, ‘Look what this means.’ It's just not in our nature.”
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From the article: One of Canada’s biggest, most recognizable voices is heading to Lewiston for a free concert.
Steven Page will perform Friday, June 6, on the Alphonso I. DiMino Memorial Band Shell. He will be joined by Steven Page Trio bandmates Craig Northey (guitar, vocals) and Kevin Fox (cello, vocals). …
Fans will have no shortage of material to share with Page, who brings a catalog filled with songs from his time with BNL, solo efforts, and contributions from his trio.
Steven on the venue: “I think there might be nothing I like more than playing outside when the weather is great, and being able to see the audience.”
“Just watching the audience sing is the greatest feeling for me,” he added.
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From the article: So, it's like this: “My birth name is Joseph. And when I grew up as a Joseph – and I always loved nicknames – but Joe or Joey just never really fit. Never thought they clicked. And I was reading a book once, and in that book there was a character. His name was Joseph, but he went by Seph. And I was like, “That's the coolest thing ever. And I want to be Seph” (laughs).
Seph on success: “My goal was never to be famous, or to have a viral song, or any of that. For me … I think the cool thing about being a missionary was it just taught me how to serve. It taught me how to die to myself, die to my preference, and just serve the Lord.
“And I feel like the Lord just blesses that. You see these biblical stories of, like, David, right? He's told he's anointed, but then he's still in hiding for years. And then he gets closer to the king, but he's on the run for years. He just continued to show up daily and be faithful to the Lord, and the Lord put him in this place.”
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From the article: When asked what it means to celebrate the 30th anniversary of “Good Intentions,” Glen Phillips’ wryly answered, “At this point, it's always the anniversary of something; we’ve been around for so long (laughs). Just pick a point and draw a line and you'll hit something.”
It’s not that the Toad the Wet Sprocket frontman isn’t grateful; it’s just that this milestone is “bizarre and wonderful, that we're still doing this for all we've been through together – for all the changes in the music business, for all the changes in us as individuals.
“The last few years, we all kind of came together with a renewed energy. It's been fun, and we've all been trying to up our game in a way that we hadn't for a while. And so, there's a freshness to it that I think we're all really appreciating.”
Lead singer Glenn Phillips on reinterpreting “Good Intentions”: “We had been doing it live. We had done a little breakdown. We used to do some of that – and we were kind of inspired when we were out with Barenaked Ladies, by their acoustic breakdown in the middle of the show. So, we kind of stole that element. Not that they invented it, but it's a thing we hadn't done in a while. It was fun to break things down and play them in a different way, and kind of move away from the rock intensity for a minute.”
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From the article: The wave of popular, 1990s-era acts that rode into Artpark in recent seasons (Sugar Ray, Better Than Ezra, Gin Blossoms, Blues Traveler, Bush) is returning this weekend with a band that is arguably more popular now than when they first scored a string of hits including “There She Goes,” “Breathe Your Name” and “Don’t Dream It’s Over.”
In fact, a quarter-century after releasing “Kiss Me,” Sixpence None the Richer has found a new fanbase thanks to modern-day artists covering the hit song (including Sabrina Carpenter and Blackpink), and the rise on free online music platforms.
Frontwoman Leigh Nash on her band’s new fans: “I think it's the ’90s. I think that there's a new interest in other music from other generations – and I think they're really onto something! I think there was something great going on with music, specifically in the ’90s. And I love that there's kind of a pull back to it, not just because my band started in the ’90s, but because I think the music just was maybe more articulate and a little more thoughtful. I think there's a gravitation toward that, and that's what we're seeing, which is great.”
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From the article: Now six albums into his stretch as frontman for Fitz & The Tantrums, Michael “Fitz” Fitzpatrick has given up – not on his family, friends or fans, but on trying to figure out what works.
“In 2025, I feel like nobody knows what a hit song is anymore,” he said in a phone interview. “You know, the landscape has changed so dramatically in the last four years, five years, with TikTok and Instagram Reels, that songs that were never hits have become hits, and songs that normally would have been hits don't become hits.
“In all of that, what I found was total liberation, because having been a radio band and having had big songs at radio, there's always been this massive pressure from all different sources – from the label, from everywhere – of being like, ‘What's the radio signal? What's this? How are we going to go to radio with this?’
“I think nobody knows those answers anymore; so, it just let me sort of be like, ‘Oh, well, screw it. There's no more rules. Nobody knows what a hit is, so I'm going to do whatever the F I want.’ ”
Lead singer Fitz on making new music: “We just really set this marker that we were not going to settle or cut a corner ever, and always just pushing for best song possible. And that really set up the compass for how we approach the record, and it was such an incredible journey to make it.”
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From the article: Depending on which story you read, it sort of seems like Foreigner could have four different singers at the helm this summer.
Not so fast, newly appointed frontman Luis Maldonado said ahead of a concert at the Erie County Fair.
“I did this South American/Mexican tour with (original Foreigner lead singer) Lou Gramm. He came in. It was awesome. We had a blast. He came out on the encores as special guest on these tours,” Maldonado said.
“And then this summer, it's Kelly (Hansen, frontman since 2005). …
“Now, as far as (Canadian vocalist) Geordie (Brown) goes, he's going to guest on a song, I think, here and there in Canada, but there's no fourth singer,” Maldonado said.
Ultimately, Luis said, “It's really about doing a great Foreigner show this summer, and that's all we're concentrating on,” regardless of who’s on the mic.
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