Season 3 kicks off with Canadian artist Julianna Riolino, whose genre-defying music blends fifties soul, rock and roll, and Canadiana influences. Glen caught her electrifying performance at Edmonton Folk Fest 2024 and knew she'd be the perfect guest to launch the new season. Julianna reflects on how her 2025 album “Echo in the Dust” keeps revealing itself as she grows, and why she identifies first as a songwriter. She discusses leaving Daniel Romano and The Outfit to protect her own output, choosing independent releases and distribution for control and integrity, and resisting label deals that compromise ownership. She also recounts the Subaru commercial placement “Against the Grain” and shares touring realities, including her devotion to a Vox AC30 guitar tone.
ep33 Julianna Riolino feels a lot
released February 19, 2026
1:35:18
Key Topics Discussed
"I feel first and foremost I'm a songwriter. I have been trudging through life with my guitar and the melodies in my head."
"I feel a lot and deeply and I'm very hard on myself."
"You have to really sit down and ask yourself, why are you doing this? I'm not doing this to be a millionaire. I'm not doing this to be famous."
Guest website: https://juliannariolino.com/
Guest Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliannariolinoofficial/
Guest Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@juliannariolinomusic
hosts: Glen Erickson, Alexi Erickson
Almost Famous Enough website: https://www.almostfamousenough.com
AFE instagram: https://www.instagram.com/almostfamousenough
Almost Famous Enough Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1o1PRD2X0i3Otmpn8vi2zP?si=1ece497360564480
Almost Famous Enough is a series of conversations centered around the music industry, pulling back the veil on what it really means to “make it”. Our podcast features guests who know the grind, who have lived the dream, or at the very least, chased the dream. Through these conversational biographies, truth and vulnerability provide more than a topical roadmap or compile some career advice; they can appeal to the dreamer in us all, with stories that can teach us, inspire us, and even reconcile us, and make us feel like we made a new friend along the way.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
02:38 Meet the Guest: New Album, Pandemic Growth & the Subaru Sync
04:14 How the Record Keeps Changing: Songs, Subconscious & Meaning Over Time
07:23 Songwriter First: Early Shows, Identity & Making Art Beyond Music
12:14 Stained Glass, Side Quests & Avoiding Burnout
20:27 Leaving Daniel Romano & The Outfit: Boundaries, Family Vibes & Going Solo
30:39 Genre, DIY Producing & Surviving the Modern Music Business (Labels, Masters, Content)
55:14 Keeping the Joy: Staying Authentic Without Getting Jaded
56:51 TikTok, AI & the Attention Economy: Marketing vs. Human Intent
01:00:34 Song Spotlight: How “Against the Grain” Landed a Subaru Commercial
01:06:07 Saying Yes (and Getting Paid): Indie Cred, Sync Work & Creative Survival
01:11:59 Tour Prep Anxiety: Problem-Solving, DIY Logistics & Life on the Road
01:13:55 Amp Nerd-Out: Vox AC30 Devotion, Guitar Tone & the Tromsø Epiphany
01:22:11 Post-Fame with Alexi
