Podcasts

Episode 262 – Guster

This legendary band from New England has toured with everyone from Phish to John Mayer to Dave Matthews Band.  They’ve experience underground success and Gold singles.  Their creative leader Ryan Miller stops by the show to discuss their long journey in music.

Episode 257 – K Flay

This songwriter has recorded for RCA and Interscope Records, and toured with AWOLNATION, Third Eye Blind, and Dashboard Confessional.  Recently, she has had to navigate the unexpected medical condition of sudden hearing loss.  An inspirational story from an inspirational artist.

Episode 223 – Anna Tivel

This native of the PNW has won the Telluride Troubadour award for songwriting and the prestigious Kerrville Folk Fest “New Folk” award.  She’s been composing and recording critically acclaimed folk records for the last decade.

Episode 179 – Adam Hood

The veteran songwriter who has threaded the needle with a career as an artist as well as a writer for Miranda Lambert and Little Big Town, stops by the show to talk about his his years on the road and in the writer’s room

Episode 175 – Jenny Owen Youngs

This indie singer-songwriter has successfully dipped her toe into the world of big league pop and rock music. She stops by the show to talk about the idiosyncratic path that led her to penning songs with Panic! At The Disco, Ingrid Michaelson, and Pitbull.

Episode 169 – Arkells

Max Kerman, the creative force behind the inventive and beloved Canadian rock band that Paste Magazine once called “Canada’s Best Kept Secret”, stops by the show to talk about their juggernaut debut album, keeping a business running over the long haul, and staying creative through collaboration.

Episode 164 – Dan Bern

The legendary folk troubadour who has written for projects as diverse as “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story” and The Tony Kornheiser show, stops by to talk about his early years getting started, signing to a major label in the ’90s, and the creative process that allows him to be so prolific.

Episode 163 – Judah & the Lion

This folk outfit that formed in Nashville has toured with Twenty Pilots and Incubus, played Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits, and appeared on a slew of Late Night shows with their buoyant songs. They stop by the show to talk their origins, touring, and their latest record.

Episode 162 – Jimmie Allen

The troubadour from Nashville who’s collaborated with Brad Paisley and Jennifer Lopez, and who’s had three songs go to the top of the Country Music Billboard charts, stops by the show to talk about the work ethic that’s helped him achieve so much.

Episode 159 – G. Love

The Philadelphia raised troubadour, who has been mixing blues, folk, and hip hop for three decades, stops by the show to talk about early success, 1990s major label deals, and his prolific collaborations with the likes of Jack Johnson, the Avett Brothers, and many others.

Episode 151 – John Doe

This legendary songwriter who co-founded the seminal LA punk band X, stops by the show to talk about artistic collaboration, an outsider mentality, and continuing to release vital work many years into his career.

Episode 150 – Wheatus

Brendan B. Brown, the creative force behind this long-running New York band, stops by the show to discuss the writing and producing of their platinum hit, dealing with the politics of a major label record deal, and his songwriting philosophy.

Episode 149 – Chuck Ragan

This songwriter has spent the last few decades building a devoted following with Hot Water Music and also with his own solo project.  He discusses getting his start in the 1990s Florida Hardcore scene, getting his legendary Revival Tour off the ground, and some of his creative practices.

Episode 144 – Old Crow Medicine Show

Ketch Secor is the founder of this iconic American band that has won several Grammy’s, gone platinum, and become an important of our nation’s musical firmament.

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Episode 111 – Mando Saenz

This Texas native has spent much of his career in the liner notes of other artists’ albums as a songwriter, having penned songs for Lee Ann Womack, Miranda Lambert, Midland and many more.  Now he’s back with a renewed focus on his own career as an artist.

Episode 094 – Dawes

Taylor Goldsmith, the songwriter and singer for this L.A. rock quartet, stops by the show to discuss how they almost didn’t record their first hit, the reason they committed to touring so heavily, and the gratitude he feels for his musical journey so far.

Episode 070 – Save Our Stages Act – Emergency Episode

Dayna Frank, the head of the National Independent Venue Association and CEO of First Avenue in Minneapolis, discusses the impact that Coronavirus has had on the live music industry and about a bill co-sponsored by senators Amy Klobuchar (D- MN) and John Cornyn (R-TX) that would provide independently owned venues with a financial lifeline from the federal government.

Episode 061 – The Band of Heathens

Ed Jurdi and Gordy Quist, the creative forces behind this Austin TX Rock and Roll institution, talk about learning how to record albums with a feeling, co-writing with Kid Rock and Bob Seger, and keeping a creative partnership going for over a decade.

Episode 060 – Daniel Donato

One of Nashville’s most promising young guitarists steps centerstage with songs and a band of his own, Daniel stops by our program to talk about the decision to strike out on his own, touring, managing a band, and learning his craft on lower Broadway.

Episode 059 – The Mastersons

After having both spent years as sought-after musicians playing for Steve Earle, Regina Spektor, and Son Volt, Chris Masterson and Eleanor Whitmore have stepped into the spotlight as a duo that is at the vanguard of Americana music.

Episode 047 – Elizabeth Cook

This native of Wildwood Florida is known for her critically acclaimed albums, her XM radio show, and her frequent appearances at the Grand Ole Opry. She breaks down the early years of her career and persevering through difficult times to make art.

Episode 033 – Ian Mackaye

The founding member of Minor Threat, Fugazi, and Dischord records sits down to talk about the mild “writer’s block” that parenthood can usher in, the reality of not being able to control people’s interpretation of songs once they’re released, and the practicality of his storied business ethos.

Episode 031 – Music Modernization Act “Emergency Episode”

The “Music Modernization Act”, which has enormous consequences for how songwriters and copyright holders will be compensated for streaming music, passed the US House of Reps unanimously but is now hamstrung in the Senate due to an eleventh hour change by SESAC. Both sides of the argument are presented on this episode, and then our resident expert Brendan Anthony from the Texas Music Office calls in to help explain the situation as it stands now.

Episode 029 – Lee Ann Womack

One of Nashville’s favorite daughters, by way of Jacksonville Texas, discusses arriving for writing appointments with children in tow, finding song inspiration in everyday conversation, and dealing with the success of an international crossover hit.

Episode 025 – John Paul White

As a staff writer for EMI, a member of The Civil Wars, and now the owner of his own independent label, he’s seen a lot.  John Paul White stops by to share his wisdom on creativity and performance.  Plus, Brendan Anthony- the head of the Texas Music Office- stops by at the start of the show to discuss the finer points of the Music Modernization Act that is before Congress.

Episode 018 – Shakey Graves

Born and raised in Austin Texas, Alejandro Rose-Garcia is an internationally celebrated songwriter and performer. He sits down to discuss his upbringing in a theatrical household, learning to record on a shoestring, and walking away from a budding film career to dedicate himself to music.

Episode 008 – Hayes Carll

The laid-back writer of modern country gems such “Beaumont”, “Chances Are” and, of course, “She Left Me For Jesus” joins the show to talk about sitting at the feet of Guy Clark, picking up merch from Beyonce’s dad, and steering the direction of his career with his own hands.

Episode 005 – Slaid Cleaves

Originally from South Berwick Maine, the legendary songwriter has lived in Texas for the last couple decades. He reflects on getting his start engineering sound at The Cactus Cafe and learning from music producer Gurf Morlix.

Episode 004 – Bruce Robison

This native Texan is the writer of #1 country music hits for Tim McGraw, The Dixie Chicks, and George Strait. He sat down to talk about the art of writing without an agenda, the Texas-Nashville connection, and his love for analog recording.