First Spin

About First Spin

Hey, I’m Hayden Thomas—musician, lifelong music fan, and the guy who still makes mixtapes for road trips. First Spin is my weekly interview show where I sit down with emerging artists who I genuinely believe are doing something special. You might not know their names yet, but if you’re anything like me, you’ll want to change that. This show isn’t about hype. It’s about real conversations—about the first gigs, the late-night doubts, the sound that finally clicks. It’s a space for new voices to tell their stories, and for all of us to listen a little closer. If you’re always on the hunt for the next song that’ll mean something to you—welcome. You’re in the right place. New artists. Real stories. Weekly drops. Let’s give ‘em their first spin.

Publisher

First Spin

Category

music

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

9 Jun 2025

Latest episode

17 Aug 2026

Latest episodes

39 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   17 Aug 2026

   Danny Golden on Sobriety, Austin, and The Big Blue

   In this episode of First Spin, Hayden sits down with singer-songwriter Danny Golden for a conversation about his new album, The Big Blue, and the life experiences that shaped it. The discussion centers on the emotional terrain behind the record — sobriety, surrender, grief, creative doubt, and the strange ways music can help make sense of change. Danny talks about how getting sober transformed not only his daily life, but also his relationship to songwriting, performing, and even his own inne...

2. 

   8 Jun 2026

   Young Ritual on OCD, Substack, and the influence of Kings of Leon

   This week I sit down with Dylan Grantham, who released music under the name Young Ritual. Dylan and I talk about his OCD, not rushing his music, and the trend away from short form content and towards platforms like Substack. Dylan's unique childhood set the stage for a life in music, even if it looks a bit different than his family envisioned. Hope you enjoy my conversation with the immensely talented, Dylan Grantham. Songs featured in this episode: Float You Julianna Wild Child I Coul...

3. 

   25 May 2026

   Will McCartt on therapy, collaborating with Northwest Stories, and the influence of Gregory Alan Isakov

   In this episode of First Spin, I sit down with indie-folk artist Will McCartt for a conversation about creativity, emotional vulnerability, and the process of finding your voice as an artist. We talk about how music was always present in Will’s life — from playing guitar in church bands growing up to eventually writing a song for a major life event — but how it took years before he truly viewed songwriting as something personal and essential. What started as a hobby slowly evolved into a way ...

Who has been a guest on First Spin

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Madison Hughes
• Chris Ruwart
• Will Hunter
• Eliza Harrison Smith

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

4 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

11 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 40 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

62

Social presence

90

YouTube

0

Engagement

0

Contact First Spin

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Questions about First Spin