Waterloo Records and Kelly Krause Launch ‘Told Y’all,’ a New Austin Interview Podcast

Waterloo Records has expanded beyond music retail into original media with several new podcast series, including one hosted by longtime TRIBEZA contributor Kelly Krause. The show, “Told Y’all,” highlights creatives, community builders and cultural voices. TRIBEZA caught up with Krause to discuss how the podcast came together and what listeners can expect.

TRIBEZA: How did this project get started?

Krause: It came together pretty organically. I was at ACL Fest this year interviewing Antoni Porowski on stage, and my friend Caren Kelleher, co-owner of Waterloo Records, was in the audience. She followed up afterward and asked if I’d ever thought about hosting a podcast. I said yes, but I had no idea how to actually do it.

Kelleher mentioned that Waterloo Records was producing a few shows and encouraged me to meet with her colleague, Trey Watson. We had a great conversation about their vision for building a media umbrella of shows. I went home, put together a treatment for what I imagined my show could look and feel like, sent it over — and within a couple of hours, they welcomed me to the Waterloo family. It all moved pretty fast.

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TRIBEZA: What draws you to conducting one-on-one interviews?

Krause: I’ve been doing it for a while, just in different formats. I worked at South by Southwest for 10 years, where I moderated keynote and main-stage sessions. I also hosted a speaker series with Lululemon as a brand ambassador and ran a monthly series at Commodore Perry Estate for about three years.

I’ve interviewed a wide range of people — celebrities, comedians, authors, musicians and community leaders. I’ve always loved having thoughtful, in-depth conversations about people’s work and creative process. The big difference now is that this is recorded and distributed, rather than just experienced live.

TRIBEZA: How does podcasting compare to live interviews?

Krause: In a lot of ways, my approach is the same — how I prep, who I reach out to and the types of conversations I want to have. But the experience is different.

With a live audience, you can read the room, play off the energy and leave space for audience questions. I really miss that dynamic. Podcasting is more contained, but it has its own advantages. There’s an editing process, so you can refine the conversation, and the content lives on beyond a single moment. We also record video in the Waterloo studio. The episodes go on YouTube, and clips are created for social media. At first, I thought I’d be really aware of the cameras, but once I’m in the conversation, I forget they’re there.

TRIBEZA: What’s the focus of the “Told Y’all” podcast?

Krause: I’m interviewing creatives, community builders and people making an impact. It’s about discovering someone’s story, their process and what they’re building. My first guest is aesthetician Renée Rouleau. She’s one of those ‘if you know, you know’ names, and that’s a perfect example of the kind of guest I want — people doing incredible work that others might not yet know about.

TRIBEZA: How did you choose the name of your podcast?

Krause: It’s a bit of a personal joke. My dad nicknamed me ‘the mayor of Told Ya Town’ because I’m always recommending things. When I was brainstorming names, this one felt fun and personal. It’s meant to be cheeky — like I’m introducing listeners to people or ideas and saying, “I told you this was worth knowing.”

TRIBEZA: What excites you most about this project?

Krause: Honestly, it’s the opportunity to sit down and really connect with people — to learn how they think, how they create and how they’ve built their paths.

Listeners can follow “Told Y’all” on Instagram at @toldyallpod. Waterloo Records’ new podcast network includes seven original shows focused on music, film and culture, all recorded in the store’s in-house studio. Episodes are available on platforms including YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.