Southport Magazine

Does anything beat listening to live music on a warm summer night by the shore?  Fortunately for us, the live music scene in our area has been emerging over the last few years, with a rise in the number of venues matched by a rise in the level of musical talent.  Not only are there some terrific bands at the weekly summer concerts in Middleton Park and Franklin Square, but just about every bar, restaurant and wine shop in Southport and Oak Island has added live music to their menu.  Now there’s another place in town that plays great music 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all year round!  It’s Music Mafia Radio, the streaming radio station that airs from Oak Island and plays independent artists in a wide range of genres, from country to rock to singer-songwriters.  It’s music you definitely need to hear!

Music Mafia Radio is an internet radio station that you can stream for free on your computer by going to https://musicmafiaradio.net. You can also stream it through Sonos, Alexa or a Roku TV.  On your cell phone, listen to it by downloading the free Live365 app and click on the station.  Music Mafia Radio’s motto, “it’s the music that matters,” speaks to their mission of providing a platform for independent musicians, where the goal is to give more visibility to the artist, not the station.  It’s also a refreshingly unique experience for serious music listeners that exposes them to indie artists and songs they would not normally hear on traditional FM radio stations, all without commercials, gimmicky stunts, or oversized radio personalities.

Scott Stephenson is the owner/operator and DJ of Music Mafia Radio.  His on-air moniker “Coz” stems from his lifelong love of Frank Zappa and his favorite song, “Cosmik Debris.”  Coz has a calm, mellow voice and a radio personality that is humble and friendly.  He’s also pretty funny.  But Coz is not in this for personal fame; he stays true to the idea of promoting the indie artists, frequently praising their talents and imploring listeners to “buy their music!  Buy their merchandise!” 

Music Mafia Radio is not new, but Stephenson has recently embarked on a mission to grow its presence in our area.  The station was formed in 2016 by Rick Landstrom and has amassed a large, diverse listening audience over the last seven years.  Stephenson came across MMF in 2017 as a listener, while he was living in Colorado Springs.  He joined the staff in 2019 and took over the station in 2020, not long after he moved to Oak Island.

A Vermont native with music in his veins, Stephenson attended the prestigious Berkley School of Music, where he focused on the saxophone.  (And he just happened to room with Branford Marsalis, the legendary jazz saxophonist who led the Tonight Show band in the 1990s and who has played with Sting and The Grateful Dead!)  Stephenson can also play the clarinet, oboe, and flute, but these days considers himself primarily a pianist/keyboardist.  Although he mainly listed to rock as a youth, he was exposed to all different types of music as a student at Berkely, which broadened his overall musical appreciation.

After college, Stephenson worked in the music business for a while, mainly as a buyer for a big record chain in New England.  Eventually, he gravitated toward a more stable career in corporate technology, once he and his wife decided to have a family.  They lived in Indianapolis for many years and eventually landed in Colorado Springs, but relocated to Oak Island.

“We came to visit friends in 2019 and we were hooked!  I was looking at real estate on the island before our trip was even over,” he said.

While it’s not uncommon for people who retire to the coast to pick up part-time jobs, they’re usually a little bit less intense that running a radio station. (Like landscaping or freelance writing, for example!).  I asked Scott’s wife, Jenny, if she always knew her husband wanted to be a DJ. 

“I honestly didn’t know that it was ever in the plan. However, I’ve always known that he’s a walking, talking encyclopedia of musical knowledge and history, with an amazingly good ear for music and all of its layers, so this probably is a natural progression for him.”

According to the dictionary, the word “mafia” can be used to mean “a closed group of people in a particular field, having a controlling influence.”  So, while Music Mafia Radio aims to create a sense of family between its musicians and listeners (its hashtag is #onefamilia,) it also works to close out the corporate titans of the music business who have exerted an enormous amount of control over the airwaves and the musicians for years.

Former owner Landstrom explained it like this: “Coming up with the name was actually quite simple.  I’ve always been in love with mob movies and such. That’s number one.  Secondly, I thought it was also a good reflection of how I felt about the whole corporate thing and how they run every aspect of an artist’s life, to the point that artists are not really being original anymore.  So, much like the mafia, I thought we would do it our way; ‘our’ meaning the broadcaster and the artists.  We were kind of our own force to be reckoned with.”

But don’t let the name fool you. The music played on this station is not always heavy and intimidating.  There’s a softer side to this “mafia.”

Stephenson says his station does not focus on any particular genre, just good music.  He looks for really talented, independent musicians, and stays away from nationally recorded music that he feels is oversaturated on the FM stations. At any given time, MMR has between 400 and 500 artists from all over the world in active rotation.  Carolina musicians make up about 10 percent of that number, which is one of the larger concentrations.  You may recognize a few local favorites, like American Idol contestant Ryleigh Madison of Whiteville signing with Kindred, or The Cliff Wheeler Band, a regular at the Ocean Crest Pier.

“MMR started playing us in 2019,” Cliff Wheeler said.  “It was the first radio station we were on and it remains the easiest station to work with.”  He went on to explain, “We’ve since been picked up by some of the bigger stations, but we get very little play time.  You have to be on a major label to get consistent air time from them. Coz is our biggest supporter!”

Stephenson says he looks to add about a dozen or so new artists to the rotation each month, but it’s not always easy to find the quality of music he wants.  Apparently, he has a reputation for being extremely picky.  Stephenson received about 12,000 emails from musicians last year, and of that he says he only liked about 500 of them! This year he’s on track to review about 18-20,000 email requests for air time.

His hard work reaps rewards for the artists, who receive significant play time and exposure, as well as the listeners, who are able to talk with artists in MMR’s live chat room and listen to on-air interviews with featured artists.  Stephenson’s work also reaps rewards for the station.  MMR has won numerous industry awards, including the International Singer Songwriters Association Radio Station of the Year in 2019 (gold) and 2022 (bronze).  The station has been nominated again in 2023.  MMR also won the SocialStars Radio Station of the Year award in 2021, and was a finalist for the Who’s Hoo Radio Station of the Yearin 2022.

But it’s not the awards that Stephenson is most proud of, it’s the fact that Music Mafia Radio has become a trend setter for other small, independent radio stations.

“There are a number of other stations around the world that pay close attention to the new artists we bring into rotation.  It is not unusual for us to bring somebody into rotation, only to see them get added to other stations in the week or two after our debut.  For me, this a moment of pride for a couple of reasons.  First, it proves that we are finding artists that are creating the kind of music that has wide public appeal. More importantly, it demonstrates that we have the ability to bring higher visibility to the artists we support, which is the core of everything we do.”

While Stephenson clearly has a good ear for music, so do his listeners.  MMR’s audience is very large and geographically diverse right now, with people logging in from as far away as Russia and Iran! (Because the radio station is streamed, its range is not limited.)  Surprisingly, the Pacific Northwest accounts for the largest segment of listeners in the United States.

“We’ve been fortunate over the years to connect with a number of artists up there, many of whom we’ve had the pleasure of hanging out with at shows.” Stephenson said.  “There is such a great music scene going on in Washington State, and they have large and loyal fan bases that they encourage to listen to the station.  This is actually how most listeners (up until now) have discovered MMR — they see a social media post where one of their favorite bands is tagged in our posts, or the artist has tagged us in one of their posts.”

People from the Carolinas make up the second largest group of listeners. The effort to attract a local listener base is something new to Music Mafia Radio and presents a challenge that Stephenson looks forward to. One way to do that, he thinks, is by engaging in community events like the farmers markets and town concerts.  He’s also considering airing segments that spotlight Oak Island and Southport events, non-profits and community groups; listing a local events calendar; and perhaps even airing broadcasts from the Ocean Crest Pier and the summer markets.

He also intends to begin seeking partnerships with local small businesses, offering to air segments on their products and services. Currently the station does not have any advertising; it is truly a labor of love.

“Coz and his team are honestly doing this for the artists.  They are incredibly supportive of the indie scene.  There is no ulterior motive – he’s not making money,” musician Chris Wheeler confirmed.

Unlike the big music streaming apps that offset free services with tons of advertising, Stephenson currently bears all the costs to run the Music Mafia Radio station. Although overhead is minimal, since the station operates from Stephenson’s home, there are fees associated with the Music365 network, licensing fees, and website domain fees, as well as equipment costs.  With the growth of the station, Stephenson’s goal is simply to break even.  

In the meantime, Music Mafia Radio will continue to do what it does best, provide a platform for amazing indie artists and an awesome experience for music lovers.  Coz produces live shows Monday through Thursday at 8 pm, including a “Top 30 Countdown” on Monday nights.   He also does live shows Monday and Friday mornings at 10:30 am.  The rest of the week, the station has continual programming 24/7, curated by Coz.  It’s truly great music — we hope you are listening!