This following is an article I wrote for the Akronist featuring Paul Robinson and Richie Cole with their podcast, Akron Hour. Originally published on March 18th, 2015.

You can read the original article here: http://akronist.com/akron-podcast-duo-brings-artists-out-of-their-comfort-zone/

From the outside of this Highland Square house, everything appears relatively normal: porch, driveway, garage, front and backyard. However, inside resides something that’s anything but.

Down in the basement, Richie Cole and Paul Robinson have been working tirelessly on a podcast known as “Akron Hour,” featuring talented artists and musicians living in the city of Akron.

Akron Hour was first conceived by Robinson, a student at The University of Akron majoring in Computer Information Systems. While frequently listening to several audio podcasts, he says he thought about creating a podcast series himself featuring people in Akron.

After initial planning, Robinson ultimately joined up with Cole, an old friend of his, to be the co-host and audio engineer of Akron Hour. Cole is a local musician, a member of the band ‘The Violent High Fives, which is currently working on an EP; and, fittingly, he’s also an audio technician.

Within a week of first mentioning “Akron Hour,” the pair were recording the first episode. This was the most experimental episode because the two got several friends to sit down and talk about a variety of subjects. Only afterwards did they realize the major focus for the podcast.

“We have a lot of friends living in the Akron area who are very good musicians, good artists,” says Robinson. “They’re really smart people. Why don’t we just get them on the show and show people out there that your regular, everyday person walking around Akron is just a little bit better than everyone else?”

After focusing on this particular angle, the following episodes featured local talent, mostly musicians and bands. This included music groups like Time Cat, Meow Meow Kitty, Zack Lint and others.

Listening to The Nerdist Podcast for inspiration, Robinson employed their interview approach by asking guest more hard hitting questions and focusing on topics the audience wants to hear. There could be a band who is highly known in Akron like Time Cat and know who the members are, but don’t know too much about them, and about the amount of work they put into their work and how they got to where they are today.

“When Time Cat came onto our show, I decided to ask Jeri some questions, they might have made her a bit uncomfortable and not want to talk about it, but that’s what people want to hear,” says Robinson. “This is something I’m still trying to work with where I’m interviewing people and not asking the same mundane mainstream questions, but ask something that could help the listener become friends to the people they are listening to.”

“Bring them out of their comfort zone,” adds Cole.

That is not to say “Akron Hour” will only focus on artist and musicians. Their most recent episode did not even focus on those groups, but instead featured a Jeopardy style show with three contestants and two judges called “Gentlemen Jeopardy.”

Further down the road, the duo has expressed interest to cover more topics, while at the same time still focusing on the interview approach toward any guests who appear. Current events; new types of technology; and sketches, skits and ideas that are more comedic, have been thought about introducing within “Akron Hour.”

Right now, the duo is on break and new episodes will be published in April. To listen to Akron Hour the link to their iTunes podcast page is below.

To subscribe to the Akron Hour Podcast, please visit their iTunes Page.

To follow Akron Hour, visit their Facebook Page.