Sveriges 100 mest populära podcasts

Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters

Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters

Songcraft is a bi-weekly podcast that brings you in-depth conversations with and about the creators of lyrics and music that stand the test of time. You probably know their names, and you definitely know their songs. We bring you their stories.

Prenumerera

iTunes / Overcast / RSS

Webbplats

songcraftshow.com

Avsnitt

Ep. 223 - DUFF McKAGAN of Guns N' Roses ("Civil War")

Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Duff McKagan, best known as a member of Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver, talks about writing songs with his legendary bandmates, a few of his various side projects, and his genre-spanning recent album, Lighthouse.

PART ONE
Scott and Paul shout out some Patreon supporters and reflect on the small handful of artists who, like Guns N' Roses, emerged on the scene and completely changed the game. 

PART TWO
Our in-depth interview with Duff McKagan

ABOUT DUFF McKAGAN
Though best known as the bassist for Guns N? Roses, Duff McKagan wears many musical hats. He started his career in Seattle playing various instruments in various punk bands. Following a stint on guitar in the group 10 Minute Warning he moved to Los Angeles, and eventually ended up in Guns N' Roses. Starting in 1987, they released a steady stream of classics with songwriting credits to the whole band, including ?Welcome to the Jungle,? ?Sweet Child o? Mine,? ?Paradise City,? and ?Patience.? As the 1990s dawned, the group released the albums Use Your Illusion I and II, which included Duff-penned songs such as ?Civil War,? which he co-wrote with Slash and Axl Rose, and ?So Fine,? which he wrote solo, and on which he performed the lead vocal. 

Following Duff?s first solo album, Believe in Me, in 1993, he formed the supergroup Neurotic Outsiders, which included Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols, John Taylor of Duran Duran, and Matt Sorum of The Cult and Guns N? Roses. After departing Guns N? Roses in 1997, Duff returned to 10 Minute Warning before forming a new band called Loaded. That band went on hiatus when he launched Velvet Revolver with Loaded guitarist Dave Kushner, Slash, Matt Sorum, and Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots. Writing the songs with the whole band, they found success with tracks such as ?Slither? and ?Fall to Pieces.? 

In 2016 Duff and Slash officially returned to Guns N? Roses to headline Coachella. Prior to his return, he played with various groups, including a revival of Loaded, Alice Cooper?s band, Jane?s Addiction, and Hollywood Vampire. Since returning to Guns N? Roses Duff has remained busy with outside projects. His solo album Tenderness, produced by Shooter Jennings, was released in 2019. He co-wrote five songs on Ozzy Osbourne?s Ordinary Man album, and co-wrote three songs on Iggy Pop?s album Every Loser. 

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer's  most recent solo effort, entitled Lighthouse, was released in 2023. 

2024-01-30
Länk till avsnitt

Ep. 222 - AUDLEY FREED ("Peace Pipe")

SUMMARY:
Audley Freed founded the band Cry of Love before going on to become a well-known guitarist for the Black Crowes, the Dixie Chicks, Sheryl Crow, and many others. He sits down with Songcraft at his Nashville home to go deep on his own fandom, the kind of musician he tries to be, and how his riffs have kickstarted some great songs. 

PART ONE:
Paul and Scott geek out over the new Black Crowes single and review that band's role in their friendship, give some background on this historically unique Songcraft episode, and much more.

PART TWO:
Our in-depth conversation with Audley Freed  

ABOUT AUDLEY FREED:
Musician and songwriter Audley Freed launched his career with the band Cry of Love. Their debut album Brother, on Columbia Records, spawned two #1 and two Top Ten AOR hits, including the Freed co-written ?Peace Pipe,? named by Billboard magazine as one of the ?top 50 AOR songs of all time.? After a second Cry of Love album, Freed went on to join The Black Crowes. Spending three years with the band, he performed on the album Lions and the Gold-certified double live album Jimmy Page & The Black Crowes: Live at the Greek. He has toured as a guitarist with Jakob Dylan, Peter Frampton, Joe Perry, The Dixie Chicks, and many others, and has played on albums by Rodney Crowell, Alison Krauss, Kenny Chesney, and more. Audley has been a member of the bands Big Hat and Trigger Hippy, and has been a member of Sheryl Crow?s band for more than a decade. As a songwriter, his music has been recorded by Chris Robinson, Gov?t Mule, Kid Rock, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Allison Moorer, Train, Gary Allan, and Wade Bowen, among others.

 

2024-01-17
Länk till avsnitt

Ep. 221 - JD SOUTHER ("The Best of My Love")

SUMMARY:
Songwriters Hall of Famer JD Souther joins Scott and Paul for an in-depth interview to kick off the New Year! 

PART ONE:
Paul and Scott welcome two very special guests (ages 8 and 5) to help set the tone for the new year. Plus they reveal the clever message a listener sent in to win the Stax Christmas LP from the last episode. 

PART TWO:
Our in-depth conversation with JD Souther

ABOUT JD SOUTHER:
JD Souther is perhaps best known for writing or co-writing ten songs recorded by the Eagles, including ?Victim of Love,? ?The Sad Café,? ?How Long,? and the #1 hits ?Best of My Love,? ?New Kid in Town,? and ?Heartache Tonight.? Another ten of his songs were recorded by Linda Ronstadt, among them ?Faithless Love,? ?Prisoner in Disguise,? and ?Simple Man, Simple Dream.? The list of other artists who have drawn from the JD Souther songbook includes Bonnie Raitt, Rod Stewart, Conway Twitty, Glen Campbell, George Strait, Trisha Yearwood, Tom Jones, Roy Orbison, Raul Malo, Michael Buble, India.Arie, and Crosby, Stills & Nash. Additionally, JD co-wrote three songs with Don Henley on his End of the Innoncence album, including ?Heart of the Matter,? and found success with the Dixie Chicks? cover of his ?I?ll Take Care of You.? As an artist, JD launched his career with the group Longbranch / Pennywhistle, which he founded with future Eagle Glenn Frey. Soon after, he co-founded the Souther-Hillman-Furay Band with Chris Hillman of The Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers, and Richie Furay of Buffalo Springfield and Poco. In total, JD has released seven solo studio albums between 1972 and 2015, and landed two Top 10 hits as a recording artist with ?You?re Only Lonely? and the James Taylor duet ?Her Town Too.? Souther was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2013. 

2024-01-03
Länk till avsnitt

Ep. 220 - STAX CHRISTMAS with Deanie Parker, William Bell, and Carla Thomas

SUMMARY
In this very special holiday episode of Songcraft, we're taking it back to Christmas at Stax, featuring conversations with some of the luminaries of the storied Memphis label that dominated Southern soul music in the 1960s and 70s. You'll hear from Deanie Parker, William Bell, and Carla Thomas as we celebrate the season and close the book on another year at Songcraft. 

PART ONE
Paul and Scott reflect on 2023, talk Grammy nominations, and tease upcoming episodes for 2024.

PART TWO
Interview segments with Deanie Parker, William Bell, and Carla Thomas about their original holiday songs and what Christmas was like at Stax Records in the glory days. 

2023-12-12
Länk till avsnitt

Ep. 219 - PETER CASE ("A Million Miles Away")

SUMMARY:
Two-time Grammy nominee and acclaimed singer-songwriter Peter Case joins Songcraft to talk about his wide-ranging career.

PART ONE:
Scott and Paul chat about instruments that are nearly as famous as their players. 

PART TWO:
Our in-depth interview with Peter Case

ABOUT PETER CASE:
Two-time Grammy nominee Peter Case made a name for himself in the pioneering California power pop trio The Nerves before going on to form The Plimsouls, which made a splash with the single ?A Million Miles Away.? Launching a solo career with producer T Bone Burnett in the mid-1980s, Case went on to earn a reputation as a songwriter?s songwriter with staples such as ?Old Blue Car,? ?Entella Hotel,? ?Two Angels,? ?Travellin? Light,? ?Dream About You,? and ?Beyond the Blues.? His songs have been recorded by The Go-Go?s, Marshall Crenshaw, Goo Goo Dolls, John Prine, Robert Earl Keen, James McMurtry, Chris Smither, Robert Randolph, John Prine, Alejandro Escovedo, Joe Ely, Hayes Carll, Dave Alvin, and others. Peter?s most recent album, Doctor Moan, is his first collection of original songs in seven years.  

2023-11-29
Länk till avsnitt

Ep. 218 - GAVIN ROSSDALE of Bush ("Glycerine")

SUMMARY:
Bush front man Gavin Rossdale joins to chat about the band's first career-spanning compilation as he looks back on all the classic songs. 

PART ONE:
This is a long one that covers Scott's eyewitness account of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Paul's experience at U2's Sphere show, and the guys' thoughts on new music from the Rolling Stones and the Beatles. 

PART TWO (28 minute mark):
Our in-depth conversation with Gavin Rossdale

ABOUT GAVIN ROSSDALE:
As the lead vocalist, guitarist, songwriter and founder of the band Bush, Gavin Rossdale has sold over 24 million records in the U.S. and Canada, garnered over 1 billion streams, and won the prestigious Ivor Novello Award for International Achievement in Songwriting. He and the band are responsible for a string of 25 consecutive Top 40 hit singles on Billboard?s Modern, Mainstream, and Active Rock charts spanning over 30 years. Seven of those songs reached #1, including ?Comedown,? ?Glycerine,? ?Machinehead,? the Grammy-nominated ?Swallowed,? and 2022?s ?More Than Machines.? Rossdale has also starred in films such as The Bling Ring and Constantine, and has found success with his solo work, including the Top 40 single ?Love Remains the Same.? Bush recently released its critically-acclaimed ninth studio album, The Art Of Survival. Gavin and the band?s latest project is called Loaded: The Greatest Hits, 1994-2023, and is Bush?s first career-spanning compilation. 

2023-11-14
Länk till avsnitt

Ep. 217 - DAVE BARNES ("God Gave Me You")

SUMMARY:
Grammy-nominated artist and songwriter Dave Barnes joins us to chat about his recording career, his hits for other artists, and his latest album that was inspired from an entire year listening to nothing but the Beatles

PART ONE:
Scott and Paul talk about concept albums and reveal their favorites

PART TWO:
Our in-depth conversation with Dave Barnes

ABOUT DAVE BARNES:
Nashville-based singer, songwriter, musician, podcaster and comedian Dave Barnes began his professional life as an indie touring musician in the early 2000s. After a couple of critically-acclaimed albums, he signed with Razor & Tie Records and released his third full-length studio effort, Me and You and the World. The follow-up album, What We Want, What We Get, included the single ?God Gave Me You,? which became a Top 5 Contemporary Christian hit for Dave and was subsequently recorded by Blake Shelton. The cover version became a #1 hit on country radio, went five times Platinum, and earned Dave a Grammy nomination for Best Country Song and a CMA nomination for Song of the Year. He found additional success writing with and for other country artists, including Thomas Rhett and Maren Morris?s #1 duet ?Craving You,? Carrie Underwood?s ?Kingdom,? and ?Like a Lady,? a Top 20 single by Lady A. The list of artists who have recorded his songs also includes Reba McEntire, Tim McGraw, and Christian artist Bethany Dillon, who scored a Top 5 hit with ?All I Need.? 

Drawn to thematic projects, Dave has released two Christmas albums, two Valentine?s Day LPs, and an album paying tribute to the sounds of '70s Southern California called Carry On, San Vicente. To date, he has released over a dozen full-length studio albums. The most recent, Featherbrained Wealth Motel, came after a year Dave spent listening solely to The Beatles. 

2023-10-31
Länk till avsnitt

Ep. 216 - NATALIE MERCHANT ("Kind & Generous")

SUMMARY:
Celebrated songwriter Natalie Merchant chats about her songwriting, from her days fronting 10,000 Maniacs up to her most recent album, Keep Your Courage. 

PART ONE: 
Were the Lilith Fair-era 1990s the best time for women in music? Scott and Paul discuss.

PART TWO:
Our in-depth conversation with the legendary Natalie Merchant

ABOUT:
Natalie Merchant launched her career as the lead vocalist and primary lyricist of the band 10,000 Maniacs, which broke through with the double Platinum album In My Tribe in 1987. Subsequent albums Blind Man?s Zoo and Our Time in Eden spawned the Merchant-penned singles ?Trouble Me? and ?These Are Days,? respectively. Following an appearance on MTV Unplugged and a hit single covering Bruce Springsteen and Patti Smith?s ?Because the Night,? Natalie departed the band to launch a solo career. Her debut album, Tigerlily, featured the Top 10 singles ?Carnival,? ?Wonder,? and ?Jealousy,? and was certified five times Platinum. She has gone on to release nine solo studio albums, including the Platinum-selling Ophelia, which spawned the single ?Kind & Generous?; Leave Your Sleep, which topped the US folk charts; and a 2014 self-titled release that reached the Top 5 on Billboard?s rock chart. Recent years have found Natalie rearranging her songs for string quintet and acoustic instruments for the documentary Paradise Is There, directing Shelter, a documentary on domestic violence, curating the 10-disc box The Natalie Merchant Collection, and spending four days a week working with children as an artist-in-residence at a non-profit pre-school. In November 2022, Natalie was appointed to a six-year term on the board of trustees for the American Folklife Center at The Library of Congress. Her ninth studio album, and first album of all new, original material in nine years, is the self-produced Keep Your Courage on Nonesuch Records. 
 

2023-10-18
Länk till avsnitt

Ep. 215 - JOSH RITTER ("Getting Ready to Get Down")

Summary:
Josh Ritter, named one of the "100 Greatest Living Songwriters" by Paste magazine, dives deep with Scott on the evolution of his songwriting and the boundaries he pushed on his most recent album. 

Part One:
Scott and Paul talk about politicians who play music. Because SOMEONE needs to talk about it! 

Part Two:
Scott's in-depth conversation with Josh Ritter

About Josh Ritter:
Named one of the ?100 Greatest Living Songwriters? by Paste magazine, Josh Ritter has released eleven critically acclaimed studio albums. Carving out a reputation as a thoughtful and poetic lyricist, Ritter?s music been covered by Bob Weir, Joan Baez, and Bob Dylan. Attracting attention for breakout songs such as ?Getting Ready to Get Down,? ?Kathleen,? and ?Miles Away,? Ritter is no stranger to critics? best albums of the year lists. His 2019 album, Fever Breaks, was produced by Jason Isbell and backed by Isbell?s band, the 400 Unit. His most recent album, which reunites him with his own Royal City Band and finds him continuing to push sonic boundaries, is called Spectral Lines. 

2023-10-03
Länk till avsnitt

Ep. 214 - PAUL STANLEY of KISS ("Rock and Roll All Nite")

SUMMARY:
You wanted the best, you got the best! Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Paul Stanley of KISS joins Songcraft to talk about his long and diverse career through the lens of his role as a songwriter.

PART ONE:
Paul and Scott talk about musicians who adopt personas, how KISS seems to have the best timing of any musical group of all time, and their respective frightening memories of the band. Then they spend the rest of the time pinching themselves that Paul freakin' Stanley is on Songcraft.  

PART TWO:
Our in-depth conversation with Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Paul Stanley

ABOUT PAUL STANLEY:

Paul Stanley is best known for his vocals, guitar, and outlandish stage performances that have helped define KISS. Combining elements of shock rock and glam to set a new standard for theatrical arena rock, Stanley?s Starchild persona, alongside fellow band co-founder Gene Simmons?s Demon character, has become one of the most iconic figures in music history. One of the best-selling bands of all time, KISS has sold over 75 million albums worldwide, and has earned more Gold-certified albums than any other band in the US. Fourteen of their albums have been certified Platinum, three of which have earned multi-Platinum status. Stanley has written or co-written many of the band?s best-known songs, including ?Strutter,? ?Rock and Roll All Nite,? ?Shout it Out Loud,? ?Detroit Rock City,? ?God of Thunder,? ?Hard Luck Woman,? ?Love Gun,? ?I Was Made for Lovin? You,? ?Lick it Up,? ?Heaven?s on Fire,? ?Crazy, Crazy Nights,? ?Forever,? and many others. 

In addition to his work with the band, Stanley released a self-titled debut album in 1978, and another solo album in 2006 called Live to Win. More recently, he released the album Now and Then, a collection of R&B classics alongside vintage-style originals under the name Paul Stanley?s Soul Station. Defying categorization, he has written a hit song with Michael Bolton, duetted with Sarah Brightman, and even starred in a production of Phantom of the Opera. Paul?s songs have been covered by a diverse list of artists, including Cher, Nirvana, The Replacements, Green Day, Ronnie Spector, Bonnie Tyler, Toad the Wet Sprocket, and Garth Brooks. As a member of KISS, Paul was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2014. This fall, the band wraps the final leg of their End of the Road tour, culminating in a pair of shows at Madison Square Garden in New York, the city where KISS first formed in 1972. 

2023-09-18
Länk till avsnitt

Ep. 213 - DEANIE PARKER ("Ain't That a Lot of Love")

SUMMARY
Stax Records legend Deanie Parker talks about writing songs for Otis Redding, Albert King, William Bell, and Carla Thomas, dives deep on what made the Stax environment so special, and shines a light on the recently-released box sets of forgotten Stax songwriter demos. 

PART ONE
Scott and Paul discuss the wild story behind the monumental box set Written in Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos.

PART TWO
Our in-depth interview with Deanie Parker

ABOUT DEANIE PARKER
While still in high school, Deanie Parker won a Memphis talent contest and an audition for Jim Stewart at Stax Records. He signed her and released her debut single, on the Volt label, in 1963. The self-penned ?My Imaginary Guy? became a regional hit, but the life of a touring artist was not for Parker. She became the first Black employee at Stax?s Satellite Record Shop before joining the label staff as the company?s first publicist in 1964. Learning on the job while studying journalism at Memphis State, Parker eventually became the company?s Vice President of Public Affairs. One of the first female publicists in the music industry, she worked closely with Isaac Hayes, Booker T & the MG?s, Rufus and Carla Thomas, Johnnie Taylor, Albert King, and others. 

Wearing many hats at Stax, Deanie continued to write songs with colleagues such as Steve Cropper, Booker T. Jones, Eddie Floyd, Bettye Crutcher, Mack Rice, Mable John, and Homer Banks, with whom she penned the soul classic ?Ain?t That a Lot of Love.? The list of Stax artists who recorded her songs includes Otis Redding, Carla Thomas, William Bell, Sam & Dave, The Staple Singers, and more. Her other writing skills were put to use penning liner notes for classic albums such as Sam & Dave?s Hold On, I?m Comin?, Albert King?s Born Under a Bad Sign, Otis Redding?s Live in Europe, and Shirley Brown?s Woman to Woman. 

From 1987 through 1995, Deanie served as the Assistant Director of the Memphis in May International Festival. A tireless champion of the Stax legacy, she became the first President and CEO of Soulsville, the nonprofit organization established to build and manage the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, Stax Music Academy, and the Soulsville Charter School. She was appointed to the Tennessee Arts Commission in 2004 and, in 2009, was awarded two Emmy awards for the I Am a Man documentary short, for which she was an executive producer and the title song composer. 

The list of artists outside the Stax family who?ve covered Deanie Parker?s songs includes The Rolling Stones, Elvis Costello, Darlene Love, Taj Mahal, Three Dog Night, The Flying Burrito Brothers, The Band, New York Dolls, Simply Red, Hall & Oates, and many others. She is a co-producer and co-liner notes writer of the seven-CD collection Written in Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos, and was recently announced as a 2023 inductee into the Memphis Music Hall of Fame. 

2023-09-04
Länk till avsnitt

Ep. 212 - ZACH WILLIAMS of The Lone Bellow

SUMMARY:
Zach Williams of The Lone Bellow chats about his songwriting development and the band's latest album, Love Songs for Losers

PART ONE:
Scott and Paul dive deep on the evolution of George Michael's "Careless Whisper" and the role that production plays in presenting a great song.

PART TWO:
Our in-depth conversation with Zach Williams of The Lone Bellow

ABOUT ZACH WILLIAMS:
Originally delving into songwriting as a way to cope with a family medical crisis, Zach Williams eventually moved to New York City to seriously pursue a career as a writer and performer. There, he formed the group The Lone Bellow, which released its self-titled debut album in early 2013. People magazine named it among the top 10 albums of the year, and it earned the attention of Aaron Dessner of the band The National, who produced The Lone Bellow?s second album, Then Came the Morning. The group subsequently earned an Americana Music Award nomination for Duo or Group of the Year, and relocated to Nashville soon after. They went on to record a third album in Nashville with producer Dave Cobb before making yet another record with Aaron Dessner. The band?s most recent release, Love Songs for Losers, is their first self-produced album. The lead single ?Honey? became their first Top 10 single on Billboard?s Adult Alternative Airplay chart. 

 

2023-08-22
Länk till avsnitt

Ep. 211 - RACHAEL & VILRAY ("Do Friends in Fall in Love?")

SUMMARY:
Lake Street Dive's Rachael Price and composer/guitarist Vilray discuss their dynamic duo that preserves the spirit of the Great American Songbook with original music.  

PART ONE:
Scott tells a story about a bad demo that helped him learn an important lesson. Then Paul introduces a pop quiz to identify songs solely based on their drum intros. Scott does OK. 

PART TWO:
Scott's in-depth interview with Rachael & Vilray 

ABOUT RACHAEL & VILRAY:
Rachael and Vilray first met when they were both students at the New England Conservatory of Music. Rachael Price went on to form the band Lake Street Dive with their fellow students Michael Calabrese, Bridget Kearney, and Mike ?McDuck? Olson, while Vilray developed his own path as a solo performer. Inspired by a shared love of classic Tin Pan Alley pop standards, the duo came together in 2015, eventually signing with Nonesuch Records. They released their self-titled debut in 2019, and the more elaborately produced I Love a Love Song album earlier this year. While Rachael contributes as a songwriter in other contexts, vocalist and guitarist Vilray is the sole writer of the duo?s original songs. Heavily steeped in classic songwriting traditions with a contemporary flourish, the music of Rachael & Vilray is simultaneously fresh and timeless. The pair joined Scott for a conversation about songwriting and song interpretation earlier this year when I Love a Long Song was first released.   

2023-08-08
Länk till avsnitt

Ep. 210 - ASHLEY GORLEY ("Last Night")

SUMMARY:
We chat with Ashley Gorley who, with more #1 singles than any writer in any genre, is the reigning king of country music songwriters. 

PART ONE:
Paul and Scott discuss the state of contemporary country music, the way the genre has come to dominate the pop chart, and the rapidly-changing nature of what's the most popular song at any given moment.

PART TWO:
Our in-depth conversation with Ashley Gorley

ABOUT ASHLEY GORLEY:
With an unprecedented track record of nearly 70 chart-topping country hits, Ashley Gorley is perhaps the most commercially successful songwriter in history. He has written more #1 singles than anyone in any genre, and has had over 400 of his songs recorded by artists such as Morgan Wallen, Chris Stapleton, Luke Bryan, Thomas Rhett, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Kelsea Ballerini, Lee Brice, Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker, Bon Jovi, and Weezer. Ashley has been named ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year nine times, Billboard Country Songwriter of the Year six times, and NSAI Songwriter of the Year six times. He was then named NSAI Songwriter of the Decade for the period ranging from 2010-2019. Additionally, Ashley was honored as the Top Male Songwriter of 2021?across all genres?by the National Music Publishers Association. In 2023 the NMPA honored him with their icon award for non-performing songwriters. The multiple CMA, ACM, and Grammy nominee has received the CMA?s Triple Play Award 20 times in his career, which recognizes songwriters with three or more #1 songs in a single year. In 2016, Ashley became the first songwriter to be honored with three CMA Triple Play Awards in a single year for earning nine chart-topping songs in a 12-month period. He repeated that feat in 2020 and again in 2022. This year, Gorley was announced as ACM Songwriter of the Year, also taking home the Song of the Year award and celebrating three Song of the Year nominations, placing him in rare company with Kris Kristofferson and Merle Haggard, the only other songwriters to achieve the same feat in a single year. In addition to his decorated career as a songwriter, Ashley launched his own music publishing company, Tape Room Music, with a writer roster that has earned nearly 40 #1 hits. 

2023-07-26
Länk till avsnitt

Ep. 209 - KEVIN CRONIN of REO Speedwagon ("Can't Fight This Feeling")

SUMMARY:
REO Speedwagon's Kevin Cronin sits down in person with Scott and Paul for an amazingly in-depth conversation about his career and his legendary songs "Roll with the Changes," "Time for Me to Fly," "Keep on Loving You," and "Can't Fight This Feeling," and more! 

PART ONE: 
Paul and Scott talk about the resurgence of Tracy Chapman's "Fast Car," the current historical invasion of the pop charts by the country genre, the time they absolutely massacred REO Speedwagon's "Time for Me to Fly" in their high school cover band, and how you can hear 18 minutes of bonus audio detailing the wild saga that led to this episode. 

PART TWO:
Our in-depth conversation with Kevin Cronin

ABOUT KEVIN CRONIN:
Kevin Cronin joined REO Speedwagon as the band?s lead singer prior to the release of the group?s second album in 1972. He contributed three songs to the project, including ?Music Man,? but departed during the recording of the follow-up LP Ridin? The Storm Out. After a brief solo career, Kevin returned to the group in 1976 and went on to write some of its most enduring songs, including ?Roll with the Changes,? ?Time for Me to Fly,? and ?Don?t Let Him Go.? Additionally, he wrote the band?s only number one hits, ?Keep on Loving You? and ?Can?t Fight This Feeling,? cementing REO Speedwagon?s legacy as both classic rockers and masters of the power ballad. In a career spanning more than five decades, REO Speedwagon has sold more than 40 million records and has landed more than a dozen Top 40 hits on the Billboard chart, including ?Take it On the Run,? which was written by lead guitarist Gary Richrath. In addition to Kevin?s success with his own band, his songs have been covered by artists ranging from The Lemonheads to Dolly Parton. The Grammy-nominated music legend also happens to be just about the nicest rock star you?ll ever meet. 
 

2023-07-11
Länk till avsnitt

Ep. 208 - DAVID SHAW of The Revivalists ("Wish I Knew You")

SUMMARY
David Shaw, lead singer and one of the primary songwriters of the New Orleans-based band The Revivalists joins us to talk about the band's history, their three #1 Billboard singles, the times they opened for The Rolling Stones, and their new album, Pour it Out Into the Night.

PART ONE
Paul and Scott offer up opportunities for song critiques, co-writing, and a lot of other cool Patreon perks.

PART TWO
Our in-depth conversation with David Shaw of The Revivalists

ABOUT DAVID SHAW
David Shaw is the lead singer and one of the primary songwriters of the New Orleans based band The Revivalists. Formed by Shaw and guitarist Zack Feinberg, the now eight-piece group has released five full-length studio albums and two EPs since 2008. Their breakout single, ?Wish I Knew You? from 2016 hit #1 on Billboard?s Alternative Airplay chart and has been certified double Platinum. Additionally, they?ve topped the Billboard Adult Alternative Airplay chart with their songs ?All My Friends? and ?Kid.? The latter is the lead single off The Revivalists most recent album, Pour It Out Into the Night.
 

2023-06-27
Länk till avsnitt

Ep. 207 - GRAHAM NASH ("Our House")

Summary:
Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Graham Nash joins us to talk about CSN, his solo career, and his most recent album.

Part One:
Joe Biden and Donald Trump are the two oldest presidents in American history. And it looks like they might square off once again in a contest of the aged. But guess which rock stars are older than our oldest presidents? Scott and Paul hash it out, and you might be surprised. 

Part Two:
Our in-depth conversation with Graham Nash

About Graham Nash:
Grammy winner Graham Nash began his career with The Hollies, co-writing the Top 5 singles ?Stop Stop Stop,? ?On a Carousel,? and ?Carrie Anne,? as well as penning the critically-acclaimed ?King Midas in Reverse.? After leaving the group he joined forces with David Crosby of The Byrds and Stephen Stills of Buffalo Springfield to assemble one of music?s first supergroups, Crosby, Stills & Nash. As a trio, and as a quartet with Neil Young, CSN became one of the most popular groups of the 1970s. As a songwriter, Nash contributed such classics to the group as ?Marrakesh Express,? ?Lady of the Island,? ?Teach Your Children,? ?Our House,? and the Top 10 hits ?Just a Song Before I Go? and ?Wasted on the Way.? As a solo artist, he penned classics such as ?Better Days,? ?Chicago,? and ?Prison Song.? Nash is a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as both a member of the Hollies and CSN. Additionally, he was appointed an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II. While continually building his musical legacy, Graham is also a renowned photographer and visual artist whose work has been shown in galleries and museums worldwide. His latest project, and his seventh studio album as a solo artist, is entitled Now. 



 

2023-06-13
Länk till avsnitt

Ep. 206 - MATT MAHER ("Lord, I Need You")

SUMMARY:
With nine Grammy nominations and a GMA Dove Award for Songwriter of the Year, Matt Maher is one of the leading songwriters in contemporary Christian music. He joins us for a wide-ranging conversation about creativity, collaboration, and and his evolving career. 

PART ONE:
Paul and Scott talk about the recent Ed Sheeran copyright infringement trial.

PART TWO:
Our in-depth conversation with Matt Maher

ABOUT MATT MAHER:
Matt Maher is one of the leading songwriters in contemporary Christian music. Raised in Canada, he studied jazz at Arizona State University before launching an artist career and releasing his major label debut, Empty & Beautiful, in 2008. The album spawned the Top 5 single ?Your Grace is Enough.? He went on to find further success as an artist with self-penned songs such as ?Alive Again,? ?Hold Us Together,? ?All the People Said Amen,? and the double platinum single ?Lord, I Need You.? He has been nominated for nine Grammy awards and was named the GMA Dove Award Songwriter of the Year in 2015. Finding great success with parenthetical titles, Matt has written four songs that have hit #1 on Billboard?s Christian Airplay chart for him as an artist: ?Because He Lives (Amen),? ?Glory (Let There Be Peace),? ?Alive & Breathing? (no parentheses), and ?The Lord?s Prayer (It?s Yours),? Additionally, he?s hit #1 by writing for other artists, including ?I Lift My Hands? (with Chris Tomlin) and ?Come As You? (with David Crowder). Further successes writing for other artists includes Chris Tomlin?s ?I Will Rise,? ?Third Day?s ?Soul on Fire,? and Cody Carnes?s ?Run to the Father,? among many others. Matt?s most recent album as a songwriting artist is called The Stories I Tell Myself.   

2023-05-30
Länk till avsnitt

Ep. 205 - DUSTY SLAY ("We're Havin' a Good Time!")

Summary: 
Why the heck are we having  comedian on Songcraft?

Part One:
Paul and Scott chat about comedy, fandom, and the great Willie Nelson

Part Two:
Our in-depth conversation with the very funny Dusty Slay

About Dusty Slay:
Comedian Dusty Slay hasn?t written a song that you?ve heard, but he?s written a lot of jokes, and a lot of those jokes are about songs. Growing up in a trailer park in Opelika, Alabama, Dusty tried his hand at community college before dropping out. His plans to join the army were foiled by an arrest, so, at age 21, he moved to Charleston, South Carolina, where he spent years working as a pesticide salesman while moonlighting as an aspiring comedian at open mic nights. After getting sober in 2012 he got serious about his comedy career. After being voted "Best Local Comedian" and winning the Charleston Stand Up Comedy Competition two years in a row, Dusty eventually relocated to Nashville where he continued to build his comedy platform with his unique brand of self-described "clean comedy with an edge." He became the youngest comedian to ever perform at the Grand Ole Opry and, in 2019, Variety listed him as one of "10 Comics to Watch." Today, he has close to a half million Tik Tok followers, a Comedy Central special, and appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel Live! In 2021, Slay appeared on season three of the Netflix comedy special series The Standups. He hosts a podcast about drinking, drugs, and religion called We?re Having a Good Time, and is a co-host of the popular Nateland podcast, alongside fellow Nashville comedians Nate Bargatze, Brian Bates, and Aaron Weber. In April, all four performed at Nashville?s Bridgestone Arena to a record-breaking crowd of over 19,000 fans. 

2023-05-16
Länk till avsnitt

Ep. 204 - DAR WILLIAMS ("The Beauty of the Rain")

SUMMARY
Our guest is author, educator, and celebrated singer-songwriter Dar Williams who emerged from the vibrant mid-90?s Boston scene that included Patty Griffith, Melissa Ferrick, Throwing Muses, Vance Gilbert, and Jonatha Brooke. Dar has now recorded more than a dozen studio albums, and recently released the book How to Write a Song That Matters, which was born from the songwriting retreats she?s been conducting since 2013. 

PART ONE
Scott and Paul talk about AI and the impact it's having on the world of songwriting

PART TWO
Our in-depth interview with Dar Williams 

ABOUT DAR WILLIAMS
Author, educator, and celebrated singer-songwriter Dar Williams was always in the right place at the right time for the success she?s had over a career that has spanned 30 years. She emerged from the vibrant mid-90?s Boston scene, inspired by the eclectic influences of alt-rockers, Berklee jazz musicians, slam poets, and folk artists, including Patty Griffith, Melissa Ferrick, Throwing Muses, Vance Gilbert, and Jonatha Brooke. After a year of touring non-stop with her first album, The Honesty Room, in 1994, she was invited by Joan Baez to tour in Europe and The United State. Dar has now recorded more than a dozen studio albums, and recently released the book How to Write a Song That Matters, which was born from the songwriting retreats she?s been conducting since 2013. 

 

2023-05-03
Länk till avsnitt

Ep. 203 - CHRIS SHIFLETT of Foo Fighters ("West Coast Town")

Summary:
Our guest is Chris Shiflett, Foo Fighters guitarist, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, 12-time Grammy winner, and solo artist named "Americana's biggest rock star" by Rolling Stone. 

Part One: 
Scott & Paul talk about country crossover and why Halloween's no fun at the Duncan house

Part Two: 
Our in-depth interview with Chris Shiflett

About Chris Shiflett:
Best known for his work in Foo Fighters, Chris Shiflett is a punk veteran, Americana and rock songwriter, modern-day guitar hero, and an artist who?s been blurring the lines between genres for more than 25 years. He?s an alum of California-based punk bands No Use for a Name and Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, as well as his own projects Jackson United and Chris Shiflett and the Dead Peasants. Named "Americana?s biggest rock star" by Rolling Stone, Chris balances his full-band projects with a thriving solo career. The twelve-time Grammy winning Rock & Roll Hall of Famer?s forthcoming country album?and his third as a solo artist?is called Lost at Sea. 

2023-04-17
Länk till avsnitt

Ep. 202 - BRENT SMITH of Shinedown ("Second Chance")

Brent Smith is known as one of the best voices in rock thanks to his work as the lead singer, primary lyricist, and contributing songwriter to the band Shinedown. Formed in Jacksonville, Florida, Shinedown has gone on to land 30 singles in the Top 5 on Billboard?s Mainstream Rock chart. With 18 of those songs reaching the top spot, the band holds the record for the most number one singles in the chart?s history. Their music has been streamed more than 6.5 billion times around the globe, and 15 of their singles have been certified either gold, platinum, or multi-platinum. Shinedown has sold more than 10 million records, and their latest album, Planet Zero, is continuing the trend of rock dominance. In our conversation with Brent he shares how Otis Redding opened his eyes, why he?s committed to suicide prevention, and the nuts and bolts of his writing process with the band. 

2023-04-04
Länk till avsnitt

Ep. 201 - ROBERT DE LEO of Stone Temple Pilots ("Interstate Love Song")

We're joined by Grammy winner Robert De Leo, who is best known for his work in Stone Temple Pilots. Collaborating with lyricist and vocalist Scott Weiland, Robert wrote or co-wrote the music for many of the group?s classic songs, including ?Plush,? ?Creep,? ?Wicked Garden,? ?Vaseline,? ?Interstate Love Song,? ?Big Bang Baby,? ?Down,? ?Hollywood Bitch,? and ?Between the Lines.? Outside of their music in Stone Temple Pilots, Robert and his brother Dean have also written and recorded songs for their band Talk Show, as well as Army of Anyone, which is a collaboration with Filter frontman Richard Patrick. Since the death of Weiland and subsequent lead singer Chester Bennington, the De Leo brothers and drummer Eric Kretz continue to make music as Stone Temple Pilots with current vocalist Jeff Gutt. Most recently, Robert has released his debut solo album, Lessons Learned, a deeply personal collection of original songs. Featuring a handful of guest singers, it?s a different sound than listeners might expect from De Leo, exploring the the vibes of Laurel Canyon, Americana, roots music, and a healthy dose of one of Robert?s musical heroes, Glen Campbell. In this episode you?ll hear a lot of great new music and gain a deeper appreciation for some of the amazing Stone Temple Pilots catalog as Robert grabs his guitar and breaks down some of those classics in mind-blowing depth. This is one of our favorite Songcraft conversations, and you definitely won?t want to miss it. 

 

2023-03-21
Länk till avsnitt

Ep. 200 - MIKE CAMPBELL of The Heartbreakers ("Runnin' Down a Dream")

SUMMARY:
We chat with Rock & Roll Hall of Famer and Song of the Year Grammy nominee Mike Campbell, who's best known for his work with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, but is also a songwriter who co-wrote "Refugee," ?Here Comes My Girl,? ?You Got Lucky,? ?Runnin? Down a Dream,? ?Stop Draggin? My Heart Around," "Boys of Summer," ?The Heart of the Matter," and many more. He chats about working with Tom, collaborating with Chris Stapleton, and his fantastic band The Dirty Knobs. 

PART ONE:
Paul and Scott chat about the contenders for "Best American Rock Band of All Time" and talk about the conclusion of season one of Songcraft (which lasted for 8 years and 200 episodes). Find out what's next! 

PART TWO:
Our in-depth conversation with Mike Campbell

ABOUT MIKE CAMPBELL:
Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Mike Campbell is best known as the lead guitarist for Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, but is also a prolific songwriter who co-wrote some of the band?s best-known classics. Among them are ?Refugee,? ?Here Comes My Girl,? ?You Got Lucky,? ?Runnin? Down a Dream,? ?Makin? Some Noise,? and ?You Wreck Me.? He?s also a co-writer of the Stevie Nicks duet ?Stop Draggin? My Heart Around,? as well as the Don Henley classics ?The Heart of the Matter? and ?Boys of Summer,? the latter of which earned Mike a Grammy nomination for Song of the Year. In addition to collaborating with Petty, Nicks, and Henley, Campbell has written songs with Bob Dylan, John Prine, Jeff Lynne, Chris Stapleton, The Dixie Chicks, Roger McGuinn, Cheap Trick, Marty Stuart, JD Souther, Susanna Hoffs, and others. He?s performed on albums by a list of luminaries that includes Aretha Franklin, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Jackson Browne, Bob Seger, Linda Ronstadt, Michael McDonald, and Warren Zevon. Additionally, the ten-time Grammy nominee was named one of the top 100 guitarists by Rolling Stone magazine. In recent years, Campbell has been focused on his previous side project, The Dirty Knobs. Though they formed over 20 years ago, the group released its debut album in 2020. Their second album, and most recent release, is called External Combustion. 
 

2022-08-30
Länk till avsnitt

Ep. 199 - ROGER McGUINN of The Byrds ("Mr. Spaceman")

PART ONE:
We pay tribute to Songcraft friend and legendary songwriter Lamont Dozier, who passed away recently at the age of 81. In happier news, we discuss Paul's recent nomination for a GMA Dove Award for Songwriter of the year before diving into the Ringo Starr Instagram foot controversy. 

PART TWO (14:39):
We make an important announcement about the future of Songcraft, reveal the winner of our Dave Alvin book giveaway, and share all the details on the brand new Byrds coffee table book. 

PART THREE (22:13):
Our in-depth interview with Roger McGuinn

ABOUT ROGER McGUINN:

Our guest on this episode of Songcraft is Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Roger McGuinn. Best known for his work with The Byrds, Roger?s distinctive 12-string electric guitar style helped propel the singles ?Mr. Tambourine Man? and ?Turn! Turn! Turn!? to the top of the charts. As a songwriter, Roger wrote or co-wrote many of the band?s classics, including ?Eight Miles High,? ?5D,? ?Mr. Spaceman,? ?So You Want to Be a Rock ?n? Roll Star,? ?Drug Store Truck Drivin? Man,? ?Ballad of Easy Rider,? ?Chestnut Mare,? and others. He launched a solo career in the 1970s, releasing albums that explored new musical territory, and touring as part of Bob Dylan?s Rolling Thunder Revue. 

By the end of the decade, Roger had reunited with former Byrds bandmates Chris Hillman and Gene Clark as a trio known as McGuinn, Clark & Hillman, which yielded the McGuinn-penned Top 40 single ?Don?t You Write Her Off.? His 1991 comeback album, Back from Rio, included the Billboard Mainstream Rock hits ?King of the Hill? and ?Someone to Love,? and featured songs co-written with Tom Petty, Dave Stewart, Jeff Lynne, Mike Campbell, and McGuinn?s wife Camilla, who has since become his primary songwriting partner. 

A lifelong folk music enthusiast, McGuinn has recorded hundreds of songs as part of his online Folk Den project. A compilation album, Treasures from the Folk Den, earned Roger his third Grammy nomination. Most recently, the three surviving founding members of The Byrds?McGuinn, Hillman, and David Crosby?have put together an oversized 400-page coffee table book of photographs and oral history called The Byrds: 1964-1967, which is available for order in both standard and limited-edition autographed versions at www.byrdsbook.com. 

2022-08-16
Länk till avsnitt

Ep. 198 - JOHN HALL ("Still the One")

SUMMARY:
Our guest on this episode is John Hall, founder of the band Orleans and co-writer of the group's enduring hits "Dance with Me" and "Still the One." He chats with us about how Janis Joplin launched his songwriting career, co-writing Steve Wariner's #1 country hit "You Can Dream of Me," and how he ended up serving two terms as a US Congressman before returning to music.

PART ONE:
Paul and Scott chat about Orleans' legendary "naked" album cover, and band/artist names you're afraid to say out loud. If you've ever stressed about how to say Husker Du, Bon Iver, Chvrches, or Bjork, we've got you!  

PART TWO:
Our in-depth interview with John Hall

ABOUT JOHN HALL:
John Hall is a musician, songwriter, community activist, founder of the band Orleans, and former US Congressman. After forming the group Kangaroo, which shared house band duties with Bruce Springsteen?s group The Castilles at Greenwich Village?s legendary Café Wha, Hall worked extensively as a sideman. He toured and/or recorded as a guitarist with Seals & Crofts, Taj Mahal, Bonnie Raitt, Little Feat, Carly Simon, Jackson Brown, and others, but established himself as a songwriter when he and then-wife Johanna penned ?Half Moon? on Janis Joplin?s Pearl album. After John formed the group Orleans, he and Johanna continued to find success as songwriters with the band?s hit singles ?Dance with Me? and ?Still the One.? The following decade, John became a chart-topping country writer when he co-wrote Steve Wariner?s #1 single ?You Can Dream of Me.? He's known for co-founding the organization Musicians United for Safe Energy with Jackson Brown, Bonnie Raitt, and Graham Nash. John helped organize the legendary 1979 No Nukes concerts at Madison Square Garden, and his song ?Power? became the anthem for the event. In 2006, John was elected to the US House of Representatives, representing New York?s 19th District. After serving two terms, he returned to making music. John's songs have been covered by Millie Jackson, Chaka Kahn, Ricky Skaggs, Taj Mahal, Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor, Levon Helm, Bobby McFerrin, Bonnie Raitt, Chet Atkins, New Grass Revival, Jose Feliciano, Bill Anderson, The Oak Ridge Boys, Patty Loveless, and more. His most recent solo album is called Reclaiming My Time. We spoke with him in June of 2021 when the album was brand new and when he was working on some Orleans projects that have since become available and can be found at johnhallmusic.com.       

 

2022-08-02
Länk till avsnitt

Ep. 197 - FOY VANCE ("She Burns")

SUMMARY:
We're joined by Northern Irish singer/songwriter and frequent Ed Sheeran collaborator Foy Vance, who chats about addiction, spirituality, and the creative process. 

PART ONE:
Inspired by Foy Vance's magnificent whiskers,  Scott and Paul go down the rabbit hole to discuss the greatest musical mustaches in history. Actually, the mustaches aren't musical in and of themselves, they're just attached to musicians. But you get the idea. 

PART TWO:
Our in-depth conversation with Foy Vance

ABOUT FOY VANCE:
Northern Irish singer/songwriter Foy Vance launched his recording career with his own record label and quickly gained attention as his songs were used on various TV shows. Touring with Ed Sheeran exposed his music to a wider audience, and his 2013 album Joy of Nothing, which featured a collaboration with Bonnie Raitt, won the inaugural Northern Ireland Music Prize for best album. After signing with Sheeran?s Gingerbread Man label, Vance released his third studio album, The Wild Swan, which was executive produced by Elton John and released in 2016. Aside from his own recordings, Foy co-wrote four songs on Ed Sheeran?s Multiply album from 2017 and four more on Sheeran?s Divide LP from 2017. Additionally, Foy?s songs have been recorded by Alicia Keys, Miranda Lambert, H.E.R., Keith Urban, Rag N? Bone Man, and others. In total, he has released nine EPs and six studio albums. His most recent, and his fourth for Gingerbread Man Records, is called Signs of Life. 


 

2022-07-19
Länk till avsnitt

Ep. 196 - DAVE ALVIN ("King of California")

PART ONE:
Paul and Scott chat about the canonical playlist that's part of every Independence Day fireworks display, the time Scott accidentally hit Lee Greenwood in the face with a water balloon, and how our Patreon supporters can get the chance to get their hands on one of the very first copies of Dave Alvin's forthcoming book New Highway. 

PART TWO:
Our in-depth interview with "Fourth of July" composer Dave Alvin on the Fourth of July! 

ABOUT DAVE ALVIN:
Grammy-winning artist, musician, songwriter, poet, and roots music pioneer Dave Alvin launched his professional career when he and his brother Phil founded the Downey, California, based group The Blasters. Blending rockabilly and R&B, Dave became the band?s primary songwriter, penning classics such as ?Marie, Marie,? ?American Music,? ?Border Radio,? ?Jubilee Train,? ?Little Honey,? ?Dark Night,? and ?Long White Cadillac,? which later became a Top 40 country hit for Dwight Yoakam. After a brief stint as a member of the band X, Dave launched a solo career and continued to craft critically-acclaimed songs that defy genre, including ?Fourth of July,? ?Haley's Comet,? ?Dry River,? ?King of California,? ?Abilene,? ?Ashgrove,? ?Harlan County Line,? ?Johnny Ace is Dead,? and ?Downey to Lubbock,? a collaboration with Jimmie Dale Gilmore. Dave?s songs have been covered by Los Lobos, Little Milton, Buckwheat Zydeko, Shakin? Stevens, Joe Ely, Robert Earl Keen, James McMurtry, and others. Additionally, his music has been featured on a number of TV soundtracks, including Justified and The Sopranos. 

2022-07-04
Länk till avsnitt

Ep. 195 - BOB MORRISON ("Lookin' for Love")

PART ONE:
It's mailbag time! What are you saying about us?

PART TWO:
Scott and Paul's in-depth interview with Nashville Songwriters Hall of Famer Bob Morrison

ABOUT BOB MORRISON:
After an artist career recording for the Columbia, Barnaby, Capitol, and Monument labels, Bob Morrison hit the #1 spot on the country charts as a songwriter with Kenny Rogers? recording of ?You Decorated My Life.? Also a Top 10 Billboard pop hit, the composition earned Morrison a Grammy for Best Country Song. Additionally, he co-wrote ?Lookin? for Love,? a #1 country single and a #5 pop hit popularized by Johnny Lee from the soundtrack of the film Urban Cowboy. 

Other chart-topping selections from Morrison?s catalog include Debby Boone?s ?Are You on the Road to Loving Me Again,? Conway Twitty?s ?Don?t Call Him a Cowboy,? and Highway 101?s ?Whiskey, If You Were a Woman.? Further highlights from his songbook include Olivia Newton-John?s cut of ?The River?s Too Wide,? Reba McEntire?s Top 10 single ?(You Lift Me) Up to Heaven,? Kenny Rogers? Top 5 ?Love the World Away,? Conway Twitty & Loretta Lynn?s ?I Still Believe in Waltzes,? Gary Morris?s ?The Love She Found in Me,? George Jones?s ?Shine On,? and the Dixie Chicks? ?Tonight the Heartache?s on Me.? 

Just a few of the many other artists who?ve recorded Bob?s songs are Ray Charles, Roy Orbison, Glen Campbell, Jerry Lee Lewis, Sammy Davis Jr., Ray Price, John Anderson, Barbara Mandrell, Dottie West, Mel Tillis, The Kendalls, and The Carpenters. He was named ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year in 1978, 1980, 1981, and 1982, as well as NSAI Songwriter of the Year in 1981. In 2016 Bob was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.

2022-06-21
Länk till avsnitt

Ep. 194 - KRISTIAN BUSH of Sugarland ("Stuck Like Glue")

SUMMARY:
Our guest is Grammy winner Kristian Bush, best known as one half of the country duo Sugarland. He chats about a career that has earned him six BMI awards, five ACM awards, and five CMA Vocal Duo of the Year honors, as well as about his ambitious new solo project, which will include four albums in one year that will present a total of 52 songs.

PART ONE:
Paul and Scott talk celebrity softball tournaments, John Schneider, waterbeds, and Walter Payton. And it's even weirder than it sounds.  

PART TWO:
Our in-depth conversation with Kristian Bush

ABOUT KRISTIAN BUSH:

Kristian Bush is best known as one half of the platinum-selling country duo Sugarland. The Sevierville, Tennessee native spent his formative years making music with his brother Brandon, who would go on to play keyboards in the rock brand Train. Kristian launched his professional music career from Atlanta in 1994 with the folk-rock duo Billy Pilgrim, which released two albums for Atlantic Records. Within the decade, he moved on to form Sugarland with Kristen Hall and Jennifer Nettles, and the group?s debut single ?Baby Girl? became a massive hit. Their debut album, Twice the Speed of Life, which was produced by Garth Fundis, was certified triple platinum. With the departure of Kristen Hall, Sugarland became a duo that went on to rack up five #1 hit singles, including ?All I Want to Do? and the Grammy-winning ?Stay.? Additional hits followed, including the double platinum ?Stuck Like Glue? and ?Babe,? a collaboration with Taylor Swift. Sugarland has sold over 22 million albums worldwide and was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. Kristian has earned six BMI awards and is a four-time Grammy nominee. In addition to five ACM awards, Sugarland has won the CMA?s Vocal Duo of the Year honor five times. Kristian?s most recent solo project is called 52, a series of four albums comprised of a total of 52 songs. The first installment, called ATL x BNA is available now. 

2022-06-07
Länk till avsnitt

Ep. 193 - ANN WILSON of Heart ("Crazy On You")

PART ONE:
Paul and Scott reflect on returning to large-scale concerts, and talk about their recent experiences seeing Paul McCartney and Pearl Jam.

PART TWO: 
Our in-depth conversation with Ann Wilson

ABOUT ANN WILSON:
Four-time Grammy nominee and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Ann Wilson is best known as the lead singer and co-songwriter for the band Heart, which she and her sister Nancy formed in 1973 and propelled to rock superstardom. One of the pioneering female-fronted rock bands, Heart?s self-penned classics include ?Crazy On You,? ?Magic Man,? ?Dreamboat Annie,? ?Barracuda,? ?Little Queen,? ?Heartless,? ?Straight On,? ?Dog & Butterfly,? and ?Even It Up.? In the mid-1980s they reinvented themselves as mainstream radio hitmakers with a string of successful singles, including ?What About Love,? ?Never,? ?These Dreams,? ?Nothin? at All,? ?Alone,? ?Who Will You Run To,? ?There?s the Girl,? ?All I Wanna Do Is Make Love to You,? and ?Stranded.? As Heart, Ann and Nancy Wilson have sold more than 35 million albums worldwide. Since 2007, Ann has released three full-length studio albums and two EPs. Her most recent, Fierce Bliss, which was released at the end of April, is her first solo album to include original material. 
 

2022-05-24
Länk till avsnitt

Ep. 192 - PAULA COLE ("I Don't Want to Wait")

SUMMARY:
Our guest is seven-time Grammy nominee and 1997 Best New Artist Grammy winner Paula Cole. She joins us to chat about her early work with Peter Gabriel, her monster hits ?Where Have all the Cowboys Gone? and ?I Don?t Want to Wait,? her work as an instructor for the Berklee College of Music, and her ongoing musical development, including her latest album, American Quilt.  

PART ONE:
Paul and Scott chat about background singers. Or do we call them backing vocalists? Additional vocalists? I'm not sure we really ever settled it.

PART TWO:
Our in-depth interview with Paula Cole

ABOUT PAULA COLE:
Our guest on this episode of Songcraft is Paula Cole. The 1997 Best New Artist Grammy winner rose to prominence with her self-produced second album, This Fire, which spawned two massive hit singles. ?Where Have All the Cowboys Gone,? a Top 10 hit that earned three Grammy nominations, and ?I Don?t Want to Wait,? which was used as the theme song for the show Dawson?s Creek. Subsequent albums explored a range of stylistic ground, earning Cole critical acclaim and an eventual place on the faculty at the Berklee College of Music. She was the first woman in history to earn a Grammy nomination for Producer of the Year with no male collaborators. The BMI Pop Award winner has a total of seven Grammy nominations, and continues to write and release new music. Her most recent album is American Quilt. 

2022-05-10
Länk till avsnitt

Ep. 191 - RICHARD THOMPSON ("Shoot Out the Lights")

SUMMARY:
Our guest is Richard Thompson, a  three-time Grammy nominee who has earned lifetime achievement honors from the Americana Music Association and the BBC Awards. Named one of the top 20 guitarists of all time by Rolling Stone magazine, Thompson is a highly revered musician and songwriter whose music has been covered by Elvis Costello, Robert Plant, REM, Emmylou Harris, and many others. Algonquin Books recently released the paperback version of Richard?s memoir Beeswing: Losing My Way and Finding My Voice, 1967-1975.  

PART ONE:
Paul and Scott talk about which music books they love, and one that Scott really hates. 

PART TWO:
The guys chat about their friends at Pearl Snap Studios.

PART THREE:
Our in-depth conversation with Richard Thompson.

ABOUT RICHARD THOMPSON:
Our guest on this episode of Songcraft is three-time Grammy nominee and Ivor Novello award winner Richard Thompson. Named as one of the top 20 guitarists of all time by Rolling Stone magazine, Thompson began his career as one of the architects of the British Folk Rock movement with his band Fairport Convention in the late 1960s. The 1970s and early ?80s brought a series of critically-acclaimed duo albums by Richard and his then-wife Linda Thompson. Two of those releases?I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight and Shoot Out the Lights?were named among Rolling Stone?s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Returning to a solo career after the musical and marital partnership concluded, Thompson has released more than 20 solo studio albums and film soundtracks, and has earned lifetime achievement honors from the Americana Music Association and the BBC Awards. He was bestowed with an Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace, and his song ?1952 Vincent Black Lightning? was named by Time magazine on its list of the 100 Greatest Songs Since 1923.? As influential a songwriter as he is a guitarist, Richard?s music has been covered by Elvis Costello, Robert Plant, Don Henley, REM, Sleater-Kenny, David Byrne, Linda Ronstadt, The Five Blind Boys of Alabama, Emmylou Harris, Bonnie Raitt, Los Lobos, The Del McCoury Band, David Gilmour, Alison Krauss, Patty Loveless, Shawn Colvin & Loudon Wainwright III, among others. Algonquin Books recently released the paperback version of Richard?s memoir Beeswing: Losing My Way and Finding My Voice, 1967-1975. 

2022-04-26
Länk till avsnitt

Ep. 190 - PAUL THORN ("Pimps & Preachers")

SUMMARY
Our guest is critically-acclaimed singer/songwriter Paul Thorn, who has carved out an independent career from his home base in Tupelo, Mississippi, that has earned him legions of dedicated fans. His latest release is a highly personal album titled Never Too Late to Call. 

PART ONE
Paul and Scott chat about the Grammy Awards, somehow find a way to make it all about them, and figure out that being a guest on Songcraft is a great way to get a Grammy nomination. 

PART TWO
Our in-depth conversation with Paul Thorn

ABOUT PAUL THORN
Tupelo, Mississippi, native Paul Thorn started out as a professional boxer before being discovered by Miles Copeland and signing a recording contract with A&M Records. Thorn eventually struck out on his own and formed the independent Perpetual Obscurity Records with manager and songwriting partner Billy Maddox. They?ve gone on to release nine studio albums, four of which have hit the Billboard charts. All Music writes that Thorn?s catalog has ?balanced blues, rock, gospel, country, and soul in a singular strain of Americana with songs that embrace the human condition with their humor, irony, pathos, tenderness, heartbreak, grief, anger, and joy.? Though his songs have been recorded by Shenandoah, Tanya Tucker, Toby Keith, Sawyer Brown, Kim Richey, Billy Ray Cyrus, Jerry Jeff Walker, Diane Schuur, and others, nobody delivers a Paul Thorn song with the same touch as the man himself. From ?It?s a Great Day to Whup Somebody?s Ass? to ?Pimps & Preachers? to ?I Don?t Like Half the Folks I Love? to ?Mission Temple Fireworks Stand,? Paul?s diverse catalog has built a dedicated audience who love his unique sense of the craft and his mesmerizing skills as a performer. His latest album, produced by Matt Ross-Spang in Memphis, is Never Too Late to Call.

 

2022-04-11
Länk till avsnitt

Ep. 189 - DEBBIE GIBSON ("Lost in Your Eyes")

PART ONE:
Paul and Scott talk about Pearl Snap Studios, contrabassoons, penny whistles, and bagpipes. 

PART TWO:
The guys remember Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, who recently passed away, chat about Taylor's previous gig playing for Alanis Morissette, and talk about why Debbie Gibson deserves serious respect. 

PART THREE:
Our in-depth conversation with Debbie Gibson

ABOUT DEBBIE GIBSON:

You may know Debbie Gibson for her late 1980s hit pop singles ?Only in My Dreams,? ?Shake Your Love,? ?Out of the Blue,? and the chart-toppers ?Foolish Beat? and ?Lost in Your Eyes.? What you might not realize is that Debbie wrote all those hits completely solo while still a teenager. At the age of 16 she became the youngest artist ever to have written, produced, and performed a #1 single on the Billboard charts. She once shared the ASCAP Songwriter of the Year honor with Bruce Springsteen, the same year she was nominated for Best Pop Female Vocalist by the American Music Awards and Favorite Female Music Performer by the People?s Choice Awards. 

Now more than 35 years into her career, Debbie has sold over 16 million records worldwide, and has released 10 studio albums. Her most recent, The Body Remembers, was released last August, and is her first US studio album in 20 years to feature all original songs, including a new duet version of ?Lost in Your Eyes? with Joey McIntyre of New Kids on the Block. Though she was named one of Billboard magazine?s Top 60 Female Artists of All Time, Debbie has also found success in musical theater, starring in Les Miserables and Cabaret on Broadway, and in the London West End production of Grease, among more than a dozen other productions. Never a pre-packaged pop invention of record label executives, Debbie was a musical prodigy who has continued to make her mark as a singer, songwriter, producer, musician, actor, and entrepreneur. 

2022-03-29
Länk till avsnitt

Ep. 188 - JERRY CANTRELL of Alice in Chains ("No Excuses")

SUMMARY:
Our guest is Jerry Cantrell, the founder, lead guitarist, co-lead vocalist, and primary songwriter of Alice in Chains. The nine-time Grammy nominee has written more than 20 Top 10 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart, has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide, and was named one of the ?100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time? by Guitar World magazine. His latest solo release is the critically-acclaimed Brighten.  

PART ONE:
Paul and Scott chat about their high school years, the Seattle explosion, Chuck Klosterman's new book, and why certain bands from the much-hyped grunge movement evolved and survived when others burned out.  

PART TWO:
Our in-depth interview with Jerry Cantrell

ABOUT JERRY CANTRELL:

Nine-time Grammy nominee Jerry Cantrell is best known as the founder, lead guitarist, co-lead vocalist, and primary songwriter of the hard rock band Alice in Chains. Signing with Columbia Records in 1989, the Seattle-based band got lumped into the grunge explosion of the early 1990s when Cantrell-penned classics such as ?Man in the Box,? ?Would?,? ?Rooster,? and ?Down in a Hole,? took over MTV and Billboard?s Mainstream Rock chart. But Alice in Chains was always about more than Seattle hysteria. By the middle of the decade they?d released three multiplatinum selling studio albums?Facelift, Dirt, and the self-titled Alice in Chains?as well as three EPs, including Jar of Flies, which went triple platinum and became the first EP in history to top the Billboard 200. A string of Top 10 singles, including ?No Excuses,? ?I Stay Away,? ?Grind,? ?Heaven Beside You,? and ?Again? established the band as rock radio mainstays. 

Plagued by struggles with addiction, Alice in Chains took a hiatus from live performances before regrouping in the spring of 1996 for an appearance on MTV Unplugged. The subsequent album hit the Top 5 on the Billboard 200 and was certified Platinum. That same year the band found themselves on another extended hiatus, leading to the release of Cantrell?s debut solo album, Boggy Depot, in 1998. 

The death of Alice in Chains singer Layne Staley in 2002 could have meant the end of the band, but they eventually regrouped and released the Gold-selling Black Gives Way to Blue in 2009, and the follow-up album, The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here. Both releases hit the Top 5. Alice in Chains has continued to release new music as recently as 2018?s Rainier Fog album, and the band has now sold more than 30 million records worldwide. 

In addition to his first solo release, Cantrell put out the album Degradation Trip Volumes 1 & 2 in 2002. His most recent release, the critically-acclaimed Brighten, is his first solo record in almost two decades. Named among Guitar World magazine?s ?100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time,? Jerry is also a formidable songwriter. More than 20 of his compositions, both with Alice in Chains and as a solo artist, have hit the Top 10 on the Billboard rock chart.  

2022-03-15
Länk till avsnitt

Ep. 187 - ROLAND ORZABAL of Tears for Fears ("Everybody Wants to Rule the World")

SUMMARY:
Our guest on this episode is Roland Orzabal of Tears for Fears. Known for such classics as ?Everybody Wants to Rule the World,? ?Shout,? ?Head Over Heels,? ?Mad World,? and ?Sowing the Seeds of Love,? the group has a brand new album, The Tipping Point, and is embarking on a major world tour. 

PART ONE:
Scott and Paul read listener emails and set the record straight on their opinion of the moon landing.

PART TWO:
Our in-depth conversation with Roland Orzabal.

ABOUT ROLAND ORZABAL AND TEARS FOR FEARS:

Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith formed Tears for Fears in Bath, England, in 1981 and have gone on to sell 30 million albums worldwide. Their major breakthrough in the UK came in 1982 with the Top 5 single ?Mad World? and the subsequent platinum-selling album The Hurting. They gained major steam in the US with their sophomore album Songs From the Big Chair, which included the hit singles ?Everybody Wants to Rule the World,? ?Shout,? and ?Head Over Heels.? Featured in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, Songs From the Big Chair reached #1 and was certified five times Platinum by the RIAA. 

Tears for Fears? follow-up single ?Sowing the Seeds of Love? was another massive hit, but Curt departed the group not long after. Following a couple of albums with Orzabal at the helm, the duo reunited for the Everybody Loves a Happy Ending album in 2004. Now, after a long wait of 17 years, Roland and Curt have just released their seventh studio album The Tipping Point, and are embarking on a major tour. Even as they bring us new music, their legacy is well-established as one of the most unique and influential British groups to emerge in the last few decades. Their songs have been covered or sampled by Gary Jules, Adam Lambert, Lorde, Kanye West, Drake, and many others. And, in 2021, the band was honored with the Outstanding Song Collection honor at the Ivor Novello Awards in London. 

2022-03-01
Länk till avsnitt

Ep. 186 - JANIS IAN ("At Seventeen")

SUMMARY:
Our guest is nine-time Grammy nominee and two-time winner Janis Ian, who is best known for her classics ?Society?s Child? and ?At Seventeen,? both of which were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. She joins us to chat about her long career and her latest studio album, The Light at the End of the Line.

PART ONE:
Scott and Paul talk about "We Don't Talk About Bruno" and the changing definition of how something becomes a hit. 

PART TWO:
Our in-depth conversation with Janis Ian

ABOUT JANIS IAN:
Though best known for the folk-tinged classic ?At Seventeen,? Janis Ian is an artist whose musical creativity crosses several genres. The nine-time Grammy nominee and two-time winner first gained national attention at the age of 15 when her self-penned ?Society?s Child? became a Top 20 Billboard pop hit in 1966. Produced by Shadow Morton, who had built a reputation as the producer of radio friendly girl groups like The Shangri-Las, the song took a new direction and tackled the considerably heavier and controversial topic of interracial romance. It was banned from radio and Janis was targeted with death threats.

After several albums for the Verve and Capitol labels, Janis signed with Columbia in the mid-1970s and found her greatest commercial success with the album Between the Lines. In addition to the Top 20 Adult Contemporary hit ?In the Winter,? the album featured the chart-topping ?At Seventeen.? Janis performed both songs as the musical guest on the very first episode of Saturday Night Live. On the strength of that LP she was nominated for Grammy awards for Song of the Year, Record of the Year, Album of the Year, and Best Pop Vocal Performance, the latter of which she won. Both ?Society?s Child? and ?At Seventeen? have since been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. 

Other classics from the Janis Ian songbook include ?Jesse,? which was a hit for Roberta Flack, and ?Stars,? which has been recorded by Nina Simone, Cher, Shirley Basse, and Joan Baez. A truly international artist, Janis?s ?Love is Blind? reached #1 in Japan, while ?Fly Too High? topped the charts in South Africa and reached the Top 10 in Australia and the Netherlands. 

In the mid-1990s Janis launched her own label, Rude Girl Records. Her most recent release, The Light at the End of the Line, is Janis?s first album of new material in 15 years. She has announced it will be her final solo studio album. 

2022-02-15
Länk till avsnitt

Ep. 185 - NATALIE HEMBY ("I'll Never Love Again")

SUMMARY:
Our guest on this episode of Songcraft is Natalie Hemby, a six-time Grammy nominee and two-time winner who has earned five CMA Song of the Year nominations and was named Music Row magazine?s 2021 Female Songwriter of the Year. Her songs have been recorded by Kacey Musgraves, Alicia Keys, Lady Gaga, Maren Morris, Ed Sheeran, Sheryl Crow, Dierks Bentley, Eli Young Band, Kelly Clarkson, Chris Isaak, Blake Shelton, Lee Ann Womack, and many others. We last spoke with Natalie in 2017, but we catch up with her today to find out more about her life as a behind the scenes songwriter, her work with supergroup The Highwomen, and her critically-acclaimed solo album Pins and Needles. 

PART ONE - 2:49
Scott and Paul chat about Pearl Snap Studios and set the stage for this very special "old friends" episode.

PART TWO - 6:02
They guys welcome longtime friend and fellow music geek David Manning to argue about beloved songs that they actually hate. 

PART THREE - 39:20
Our in-depth conversation with Natalie Hemby

ABOUT NATALIE HEMBY:
When we first spoke with Natalie Hemby in 2017 she?d already racked up three CMA Song of the Year nominations and written a half dozen #1 singles, including ?Pontoon? and ?Tornado? by Little Big Town, ?Downtown? by Lady A, ?You Look Like I Need a Drink? by Justin Moore, and Miranda Lambert?s ?White Liar? and ?Automatic,? the latter of which was named ACM Song of the Year and snagged Natalie her first Grammy nomination for Best Country Song. In the five years since then, her songwriting star has continued to rise. She co-wrote three songs on Kacey Musgraves? Golden Hour, which won the Grammy for Album of the Year?across all categories?and earned Natalie a CMA Song of the Year nomination for ?Rainbow.? Natalie co-wrote two songs with Lady Gaga for the soundtrack to A Star is Born, including Song of the Year Grammy nominee ?Always Remember Us This Way? and the Grammy winner for Best Song Written for Visual Media, ?I?ll Never Love Again.? She has scored additional #1 hits with Jon Pardi?s ?Heartache Medication,? as well as Miranda Lambert?s ?Bluebird,? which was nominated for both CMA and ACM Song of the Year, and the Best Country Song Grammy. Natalie beat herself in that Grammy category when she won the Best Country Song honors for ?Crowded Table,? which she wrote with Lori McKenna and Brandi Carlile. The song was recorded by the supergroup The Highwomen, of which Natalie is a member alongside Carlile, Marren Morris, and Amanda Shires. ?Crowded Table? was also named Song of the Year by the Americana Music Association, while The Highwomen won Americana Album of the Year and Duo or Group of the Year. Recent pop cuts, including Kelly Clarkson?s ?I Dare You? and Ed Sheeran?s ?Love in Slow Motion,? illustrate Natalie?s versatility and underscore why she was named Music Row magazine?s 2021 Female Songwriter of the Year. In addition to her work with The Highwomen, Natalie?s been flexing her considerable artist muscles recently with the release of her album Pins and Needles, which PopMatters calls ?a phenomenal album from an artist coming into full possession of her gifts.? 

 

2022-02-01
Länk till avsnitt

Ep. 184 - ALLISON RUSSELL ("Nightflyer")

SUMMARY
On this episode of Songcraft we?re joined by three-time Grammy nominee and two-time Americana Music Awards nominee Allison Russell. She?ll discuss her debut solo album, Outside Child, her long journey in the music industry leading to this moment, and her escape from childhood trauma to find resilience, joy, and healing through the art of music. 

PART ONE
Paul and Scott discuss the worst songs they love, pay tribute to the late songwriting legend Dallas Frazier, and revisit the idea of musical discovery's happy accidents. 

PART TWO
Our in-depth conversation with three-time Grammy nominee Allison Russell

ABOUT ALLISON RUSSELL
Canadian-born singer-songwriter Allison Russell released her debut solo album Outside Child in 2021, but has been part of the music world for many years. She formed the band Po? Girl with Trish Klein of The Be Good Tanyas in 2003 before launching the duo Birds of Chicago with her partner JT Nero in 2012. In 2018, she joined the musical collective Our Native Daughters, which also includes Rhiannon Giddens, Leyla McCalla, and Amythyst Kia. Outside Child is a highly personal album chronicling Russell?s formative experiences as a survivor of physical and sexual abuse, while highlighting themes of hopefulness and resilience that have resonated with fans and critics. The project earned a Grammy nomination for Best Americana Album, while the single ?Nighflyer? earned Allison nominations for Best American Roots Performance and Best American Roots Song. Additionally, she has been nominated for four Canadian Folk Music Awards, two Americana Music Awards, and has performed on stages ranging from the Grand Ole Opry to the National Museum of African American Music to Jimmy Kimmel Live! alongside Brandi Carlile. Allison recently inked a deal with Flatiron Books, a division of Macmillan, which will release her forthcoming memoir. 

2022-01-18
Länk till avsnitt

Ep. 183 - CINCO PAUL ("Schmigadoon!"

SUMMARY
Our guest on this episode of Songcraft is Cinco Paul, the creator, executive producer, showrunner, and songwriter for the Apple TV Plus series Schmigadoon!, starring Cecily Strong and Keegan-Michael Key. Though previously known as the scriptwriter for animated features such as the Despicable Me films, this project was Paul?s opportunity to lovingly and very impressively recreate the songwriting style of golden era musicals with a humorously contemporary twist. He joins us to deconstruct his reconstruction of the world of Rogers and Hammerstein. 

PART ONE
Scott and Paul get into their feelings about musical theater, touch on the Beatles documentary once again, and discover they disagree about the concept of perfect rhyme in lyrics. 

PART TWO
Our in-depth interview with Cinco Paul

ABOUT CINCO PAUL

Cinco Paul is best known for his long resume of blockbuster animated films which he co-wrote with partner Ken Daurio, including the Despicable Me series, the Dr. Seuss films The Lorax and Horton Hears a Who, and The Secret Life of Pets. Other films written by the pair include The Santa Clause 2 with Tim Allen, College Road Trip with Martin Lawrence and Raven Symone, and Hop with Russell Brand. Paul and Daurio?s films have earned over four billion dollars at the box office. 

While not primarily known as a songwriter or musician, Cinco Paul previously wrote a stage musical adaptation of their script for Bubble Boy after the Jake Gyllenhaal film version failed to live up to their original vision. Additionally, he wrote the lyrics for the original songs in The Lorax, which earned him an ASCAP award in 2013. As far as music goes, that was about all the world heard from Cinco Paul until 2021 when he appeared as the creator, executive producer, showrunner, and, perhaps most impressively, songwriter for the Apple TV Plus series Schmigadoon!

The six-episode musical comedy stars Cecily Strong from Saturday Night Live and Keegan-Michael Key from Key & Peele who get lost hiking in the woods and stumble on a magical version of an early-1900s town that you?d find in a musical from the 1940s or ?50s. Part parody, part loving tribute to golden era productions such as Oklahoma, The Music Man, Carousel, and The Sound of Music, Schmigadoon?s songs are an impressive recreation of a lost era of American songwriting that skewer the tropes that haven?t aged well while also celebrating what was great about that brand of songcraft. The soundtrack for Episode 1 earned Paul his first Grammy nomination for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media.    

2022-01-04
Länk till avsnitt

Ep. 182 - AMANDA SHIRES ("Gone for Christmas")

PART ONE
Paul and Scott talk about The Beatles' Get Back documentary from a songwriting perspective

PART TWO
Our in-depth interview with Amanda Shires

ABOUT AMANDA SHIRES
Singer, songwriter, fiddle player, and Americana hero Amanda Shires has released eight albums as a solo artist, in addition to her work as a member of both Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit and the supergroup The Highwomen alongside Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby, and Maren Morris. The Grammy winner was named Texas Music magazine?s Artist of the Year in 2012, and was named Emerging Artist of the Year for 2017 at the Americana Honors & Awards. The Lone Star State native launched her career playing fiddle with The Texas Playboys before going on to tour with Billy Joe Shaver and others. At Shaver?s suggestion, she eventually relocated to Nashville to pursue songwriting. While getting established, she worked as a side musician with Justin Townes Earle before joining Jason Isbell?s band, The 400 Unit. Shires and Isbell married in 2013 in a ceremony officiated by past Songcraft guest Todd Snider. Amanda was featured on Luke Combs? 2020 single ?Without You,? and is currently getting attention for her unorthodox holiday album called For Christmas, which features nine original songs, a cover of ?What Are You Doing New Year?s Eve,? and a reworking of ?Silent Night? with all new lyrics. 

 

2021-12-21
Länk till avsnitt

Ep. 181 - STEVE PERRY ("Don't Stop Believin'")

SUMMARY:
Our guest on this episode of Songcraft is Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Steve Perry. Named one of Rolling Stone?s ?100 Greatest Singers of all Time,? Perry penned classic Journey songs such as ?Any Way You Want It,? ?Open Arms,? and ?Don?t Stop Believin'? as well as solo hits such as ?Oh Sherrie? and ?Foolish Heart.? He joins us to chat about his approach to songwriting and his new holiday album The Season. 

PART ONE:
Paul and Scott talk about Patreon and then get into the good stuff. Is "Die Hard" a Christmas movie or not? While people debate it, nobody seems to notice that virtually all songs about winter are considered Christmas songs even when they don't mention anything about Christmas at all. The guys hash out this phenomenon only because they like to stir the pot.

PART TWO:
Our in-depth conversation with the legendary Steve Perry.

ABOUT STEVE PERRY:
One of the most iconic voices in rock music history, Steve Perry is best known as the lead singer of the band Journey during the group?s most successful period. His first Top 20 pop hit as either a performer or songwriter was the solo-written ?Lovin?, Touchin?, Squeezin?,? which became a hit for the band in 1979. In the following decade he co-wrote an unbelievable streak of classic songs with Neil Shon and Jonathan Cain, including ?Any Way You Want It,? ?Who?s Crying Now,? ?Open Arms,? ?Separate Ways,? ?Send Her My Love,? and ?Don?t Stop Believin',? a single that?s been certified five times platinum. His 1984 debut solo album Street Talk produced the classic singles ?Oh Sherrie? and ?Foolish Heart.? After penning additional Journey hits ?Be Good to Yourself,? ?Girl Can?t Help It,? and ?I?ll be Alright Without You? he departed the band and released his second solo album, For the Love of Strange Medicine, featuring the single ?You Better Wait.? After briefly reuniting with Journey and co-writing the additional hits ?When You Love a Woman? and ?Message of Love? in the mid-1990s, he stepped away from recording. Steve returned in 2018 with his third solo album, Traces, and has recently released his fourth solo record, a holiday collection called The Season, produced by Steve and Thom Flowers, and featuring contributions from multi-instrumentalist Dallas Kruse. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, whom Rolling Stone magazine named of the ?100 Greatest Singers of All Time? joins us to talk about exploring the great American Christmas songbook from a writer?s perspective, to share some stories about his own songs, and to offer some insight into his approach to the craft.

2021-12-07
Länk till avsnitt

Ep. 180 - BRUCE COCKBURN ("If I Had a Rocket Launcher")

SUMMARY
Our guest on this episode of Songcraft is Bruce Cockburn. The Canadian singer-songwriter?s more than 50-year career has produced 34 albums, 22 of which have been certified Gold or Platinum in his home country. He has won 13 Juno Awards, and is a member of both the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. Bruce joins us to chat about his career and his new 2-CD career-spanning compilation, entitled Greatest Hits: 1970-2020, which will be released on December 3rd. 

PART ONE
Scott and Paul chat about the nature of hall of fames, or is it halls of fame?

PART TWO
Our in-depth interview with Bruce Cockburn

ABOUT BRUCE COCKBURN
Singer-songwriter Bruce Cockburn blends folk, jazz, rock and world music influences into a unique blend that has earned him critical praise and near-mythic status in his Canadian homeland. He has won 13 Juno Awards, and has been inducted into both the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. Cockburn is best known in the US for songs such as ?Wondering Where the Lions Are,? ?Lovers in a Dangerous Time,? ?If I Had a Rocket Launcher,? ?If a Tree Falls,? and ?Pacing the Cage.? He has released 34 albums over the course of a more than 50-year career, 22 of which have been certified Gold or Platinum in Canada. He received the Governor General?s Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement, which is the highest Canadian artistic honor. He holds more than a half dozen honorary doctorates for his musical contributions, and is an Officer of the Order of Canada. Ranging from spiritual musings to political activism, his songs have been covered by Judy Collins, Dan Fogelberg, k.d. land, Jimmy Buffett, Barenaked Ladies, Jerry Garcia, and others. His new 2-CD career-spanning compilation, entitled Greatest Hits: 1970-2020, will be released on December 3rd. 

2021-11-23
Länk till avsnitt

Ep. 179 - RAY BENSON of Asleep at the Wheel ("The Letter That Johnny Walker Read")

PART ONE: 
Scott and Paul talk about the phenomenon of greatest hits album. What does the term mean? When are they necessary? Which artists warrant them, which don't, and when are they woefully inadequate? 

PART TWO: 
Our in-depth interview with Ray Benson of Asleep at the Wheel

ABOUT RAY BENSON:
As the co-founder and only consistent member of the group Asleep at the Wheel, Ray Benson has carried the torch for Western Swing and other formative musical traditions that helped shape the country genre. The band has released over 30 albums, and landed more than 20 songs on Billboard?s Country Singles Chart. Additionally, Benson has released two solo albums, and a duet album with fellow Texas legend Dale Watson. As a producer, he has worked with Willie Nelson, Aaron Neville, Brad Paisley, Vince Gill, Merle Haggard, and others.

Ray has earned thirty Grammy nominations, winning nine of them over the course of four decades. He was inducted into the Texas Heritage Songwriters Hall of Fame, is in the Austin Music Hall of Fame, received the Texas Music Association Lifetime Achievement Award, and earned the Americana Lifetime Achievement Award for Performance. In short, this long tall Texan is a living legend. 

2021-11-09
Länk till avsnitt

Ep. 178 - YOLA ("Faraway Look")

SUMMARY
Our guest on this episode of Songcraft is Yola. The acclaimed British singer and songwriter has released two albums on Dan Auerbach?s Easy Eye Sound label, both of which were produced by the Black Keys? frontman. She was nominated for four Grammy awards for 2019, including Best New Artist, and is a sometime collaborator with the supergroup The Highwomen alongside Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby, Marren Morris, and Amanda Shires. Yola joins us to chat about her life as a songwriter and artist. 

PART ONE
Paul and Scott discuss the history of the Best New Artist Grammy category, including a few surprising tidbits of trivia.

PART TWO 
Our in-depth interview with Yola

ABOUT YOLA
Singer-songwriter Yola made a major splash at the 2020 Grammy ceremony with four nominations: Best Americana Album, Best American Roots Performance and Best American Roots Song for her composition ?Faraway Look,? and Best New Artist in the general category alongside Lizzo, Lil Nas X, and Billie Eilish. Dubbed by many as a "country soul singer," the British artist?s breakthrough came when she teamed up with Black Keys frontman Dan Auerbach in Nashville to write and record her debut solo album, Walk Through Fire, on which she and Auerbach collaborated with a roster of Southern soul songwriters including Dan Penn and Memphis studio legend Bobby Wood. She was subsequently nominated for Emerging Artist of the Year and Album of the Year at the 2019 Americana Music Honors & Awards. 

Though Yola?s emergence might have seemed like an overnight success to some, she?d been working in music in the UK as a vocalist and collaborator with DJs and producers, including Massive Attack. In 2009 she was a writer on ?Hopes and Fears,? a single by UK singer Will Young, and in 2013 she co-wrote the Top 10 UK hit ?Turn Back Time? by Sub Focus, on which she also sang an uncredited vocal. Additionally, Yola sang lead on the Top 5 UK pop hit ?Won?t Look Back? by Duke Dumont. 

In the wake of her success with the Walk Through Fire album, Yola reteamed with Auerbach for her most recent release, Stand For Myself, featuring highlights such as ?Diamond Studded Shoes? and ?Dancing Away in Tears.? Her accolades continue, having won Artist of the Year honors at the 2020 UK Americana Awards and earning a 2021 nomination from the CMA for the International Achievement Award. Earlier this month she played a sold out show with Chris Stapleton at Madison Square Garden. 

2021-10-26
Länk till avsnitt

Ep. 177 - JUSTIN GRAY ("Almost Home")

SUMMARY
Our guest on this episode of Songcraft is Justin Gray, a songwriter, record producer, and music executive whose projects have sold in excess of 40 million copies, and earned more than eight billion streams worldwide. He?ll join us in a bit to talk about his day-to-day life as a songwriter-producer who has worked with Avril Lavigne, Mariah Carey, Glen Campbell, John Legend, and many others. 

PART ONE
Scott and Paul welcome Darrin Pfeiffer for a conversation about drumming, songwriting, and more. Darrin is a fabulous drummer (formerly of Goldfinger), the host of the Dangerous Darrin Show podcast, Scott's neighbor, and a heck of a nice guy. 

PART TWO
Our in-depth interview with Justin Gray

ABOUT JUSTIN GRAY
Justin Gray is a Canadian-born, Los Angeles-based songwriter, record producer, music executive and tech entrepreneur. His various projects have sold in excess of 40 million copies, and earned more than eight billion streams worldwide. He has collaborated with a diverse range of artists including Avril Lavigne, Mariah Carey, John Legend, Luis Fonsi, Joss Stone, Glen Campbell, and many others. He has scored several #1 hits around the globe, including one of China?s biggest hits of 2020 with Universal Music artist Sunnee. His extensive film and TV work includes Toy Story 4, Melissa McCarthy?s Life of The Party, Hannah Montana, Beverly Hills 90210, Modern Family, Lethal Weapon, Hawaii 5-0, and many others. He has been a guest speaker at Canadian Music Week and South by Southwest, and has been a lecturer for master classes in songwriting and production at Berklee College of Music, USC Thornton School of Music, and UCLA. 

2021-10-12
Länk till avsnitt

Ep. 176 - LP ("Lost on You")

SUMMARY:
Our guest on this episode of Songcraft is genre-bending singer, songwriter, artist, and international sensation LP. She joins us to chat about everything from writing Rihanna?s double platinum Top 10 single ?Cheers (Drink to That), to her own artist career which has yielded classics such as ?Lost on You? (which reached #1 in 18 countries), to her much-anticipated upcoming sixth studio album, Churches.  

PART ONE:
Scott and Paul don't hold back on their feelings about Rolling Stone's recently revised "500 Greatest Songwriters of All Time" list. 

PART TWO:
Our in-depth interview with LP

ABOUT LP:
Born Laura Pergolizzi on Long Island, New York, the singer, songwriter, and artist now known as LP got her start with a pair of impressive independent album releases before landing a deal with Island Records. While that album was never completed, ?Love Will Keep You Up All Night,? one of the songs she wrote for the project, was recorded by The Backstreet Boys on their Unbreakable album in 2007. Inspired to write for other artists, LP went on to have cuts such as ?Shine Ya Light,? a Top 10 hit for Rita Ora in the UK, and ?Cheers (Drink to That),? a Top 10 double platinum single for Rihanna in the US. The wide range of other artists who?ve recorded her songs includes Heidi Montag, Christina Aguilera, Jo Walsh, Leona Lewis, Cher, and Celine Dion. 

LP rediscovered the joy of writing songs for herself with ?Into the Wild,? which was used in a Citibank commercial. She signed with Warner Bros. and recorded the Forever For Now album, which featured collaborations with writers such as Claude Kelly, Billy Steinberg, and Isabella Summers from Florence and the Machine. She moved on to Vagrant Records for the Lost on You album, with a title track that has garnered over 455 million listens on Spotify, over 750 million views on YouTube, and chart-topping status in nearly 20 countries. Truly an international sensation, LP continued to gain attention for songs such as ?Girls Go Wild? from her Heart to Mouth album, and has already released a handful of songs, including ?The One That You Love,? ?How Low Can You Go,? and ?One Last Time? from her forthcoming release, Churches, which will be available this December.  

2021-09-28
Länk till avsnitt

Ep. 175 - VAN DYKE PARKS ("Heroes and Villains")

SUMMARY:
Our guest on this episode of Songcraft is musician, songwriter, arranger, and producer Van Dyke Parks. Best known for his work with Brian Wilson on The Beach Boys? legendarily ill-fated Smile album, Parks has released a number of solo albums, scored several films, arranged countless sessions, and worked with a long list of artists, including The Byrds, Randy Newman, Harry Nilsson, Little Feat, U2, Fiona Apple, Joana Newsom, and many others. 

PART ONE:
Scott and Paul chat about why they're approaching this episode a little differently than usual, the saga of The Beach Boys' Smile, and why Paul should stop checking stuff out from the library. 

PART TWO:
Our in-depth interview with the legendary Van Dyke Parks

ABOUT VAN DYKE PARKS
Van Dyke Parks is one of the more unique American musicians, songwriters, arrangers, and record producers to emerge in the 1960s. Born in Mississippi, he attended the American Boychoir boarding school in Princeton, New Jersey, in his formative years. His first career was as a child actor, appearing on over 100 episodes of various TV shows, including his role as ?the kid from downstairs? on The Honeymooners. He did theater and appeared in films, including The Swan with Grace Kelly and Alec Guinness, before going on to study music at the Carnegie Institute in Pittsburgh, where he briefly studied with Aaron Copland. In the early 1960s Van Dyke began playing acoustic guitar, and moved to the West Coast where he and his brother Carson performed on the coffee house circuit as a duo known as The Steeltown Two. He landed his first arranging job with ?The Bare Necessities? for Disney?s The Jungle Book in 1963 before a brief stint as an MGM recording artist in the middle of the decade.  

He is perhaps best known, however, for his collaborations with Brian Wilson with whom he worked as a lyricist on The Beach Boys? ill-fated Smile album. The pair revisited their work with the release of Brian Wilson Presents Smile in 2004. Though the Smile recordings weren?t released at the time, Van Dyke signed with Warner Bros. Records and, in 1967, released his album Song Cycle, an ambitious debut that incorporated a wide range of traditional American musical influences with experimental recording techniques. 

He went on to produce the debut albums by Ry Cooder and Randy Newman, and took a job as an executive at Warner Bros. Records in the 1970s. He became enamored with calypso music in that era, releasing a couple of albums as an artist showcasing the genre, and producing The Esso Trinidad Steel Band. Toward the end of the decade he began composing film soundtracks before returning in the 1980s with two albums of original material, Jump!, which explored the Uncle Remus and Br?er Rabbit stories, and Tokyo Rose, which explored the intersection between Japanese and American culture in the context of a trade war. In the 1990s, he and Brian Wilson teamed up once again to release the album Orange Crate Art. His most recent full-length album as a solo artist is 2013?s Songs Cycled. The long list of musicians Van Dyke has worked with includes The Byrds, Tim Buckley, Harry Nilsson, Little Feat, Steve Young, Phil Ochs, Frank Zappa, Ringo Starr, U2, Fiona Apple, Joanna Newsom, Skrillex, and many others.  

2021-09-14
Länk till avsnitt

Bonus Episode - WESLEY SCHULTZ of The Lumineers ("Hey Ho")

Thanks for checking out this very special bonus episode. Today we?re pleased to feature a great podcast called Basic Folk, by sharing one of their episodes in our feed. Fellow members of the American Songwriter podcast network, Basic Folk is a unique show that features honest conversations with a variety of musicians. The proceedings are anchored by public radio host Cindy Howes and guest host, singer/songwriter Lizzie No. They bring the warmth, the humor, and most importantly, insightful questions to a genre that is often misunderstood. Their definition of ?folk? is extremely broad, so they?ve featured interviews with people such as Tom Rush, Jonatha Brooke, and even some past Songcraft guests, including Lori McKenna, Bridget Kearney of Lake Street Dive, and Emily Saliers of Indigo Girls. The interview we?re sharing with you today features Cindy?s chat with Wesley Schultz of The Lumineers. The two-time Grammy nominees have released three studio albums, starting with the triple platinum self-titled debut which featured now-classic songs such as ?Hey Ho? and ?Stubborn Love.? Subsequent releases have featured Top 10 Billboard rock singles such as ?Ophelia,? ?Angela,? and ?Gloria,? making The Lumineers one of the most popular artists in the folk-oriented Americana genre. We chose to feature this particular episode based on Wesley?s in-depth analysis of songwriting, including the first comparison we?ve ever heard on songwriting and playing golf as similar disciplines. Interesting interview, so check it out. Wesley Schultz. The Lumineers. Basic Folk. Good stuff! 

 

2021-09-07
Länk till avsnitt
Hur lyssnar man på podcast?

En liten tjänst av I'm With Friends. Finns även på engelska.
Uppdateras med hjälp från iTunes.