By Victor Duran

No other podcast is as in tune with Riverside like the Hey Riverside! cast.

With information about everything from music to city council meetings to local events in and around the city, Hey Riverside! has become a favorite among Riverside residents.

Former RCC student Ralph Torres and co-host Patrick Maloney provide a weekly hyperlocal podcast that fills listeners in on the latest happenings within the Riverside city limits.

“I found the podcast to be very informative,” Riverside County resident Martin Baxter said.

Torres talked about his reasons for wanting to keep residents informed.

“My parents were born (in Riverside) and I’m pretty sure I’ll be here for the long haul,” Torres explained.

Episode 01 debuted in March of 2014 and featured Ina Schweitzer of European Travel International and Riverside singer/songwriter Michael Zeta. Zeta’s band Magnolia performed.

Since then, hundreds of artists have passed through El Rancho Relaxo, which is Maloney’s home, to hear the latest news, weather and updates from city offices and local event planners.

“There (are) so many episodes where we have locals come to my house and play,” Maloney explained.

Alongside new co-hosts Marisa Blair and Tim Brown, Maloney and Torres work to become a popular choice for local podcasts.  

In 2010, Torres paired with Brown to create a new media broadcast project.  Torres and Brown realized quickly that the project was not taking off because of a slow start to the popularity of podcasting.

“A few years later I decided to try it again on my own with (interviewing) other Riversiders,” Torres said.

The second try proved successful for Torres, as the podcast was able to make it off the ground.

Some of the earliest episodes consisted of one-on-one interviews with guests ranging from Councilman Mike Soubirous to Congressman Mark Takano. Takano is a former Riverside Community College District Board of Trustee.

Meanwhile, Maloney was working at the Fox Theater as an artist assistant.

Maloney MC’d the popular Fox Theater Open Mic show, as well as the Local Music Series at the Riverside Municipal Auditorium and in the Main Room of the Fox Theater.

Through these weekly shows, Torres decided to feature Maloney in a few episodes to talk about the open mic.

“We found … common love for Riverside and the local music scene when we met for interviews,” Torres said. “(Maloney) really jumped in with all of his talents and (it) made all the difference.”

Maloney elaborated on his passion for the show and talked about his motivation.

“I’d say my biggest motive (for the podcast) would be to push the local music scene and to showcase how much talent is in this town,” he said.

Hey Riverside! has gone on to showcase the best of Riverside’s musical talent. Bringing Riverside together through music has impacted the local scene by creating a community united to helping each other along.

“It’s important to support local artists,” Baxter said. “Hey! Riverside is doing that.”

With every episode, Torres and Maloney highlight some of the most exciting performances happening around Riverside. Large performances have been coming through the local venues in recent years and Hey Riverside! strives to keep that alive.

As the popularity of the show began to grow, new co-hosts were introduced.

Blair was a local musician before she got her start as a co-host on the show. Just like Torres and Maloney, her addition to the cast was a result of her love for Riverside.

“ I wanted to sit in and see how the show gets done … (and) to just learn about the process,” said Blair. “ I sat in on two podcast sessions and … they asked me to join.”

Blair describe her initial shock about being invited to join the cast.

“I think they saw something in me before I did, ” Blair added.

Since Blair and Brown have joined the Hey Riverside! team, there has been more creativity and growth within the show.

“Each cast member seems to bring something different to the table,” Baxter said. “I enjoy it.”

With the show approaching three years of existence, Torres plans to reach Riverside ears in more ways than one.

Covering the most important topics happening around the city is of utmost importance for the show, which is dedicated to serving its city. Hey Riverside! can be  accessed by visiting www.heyriverside.com, SoundCloud, Facebook, and iTunes.