Latest Songcraft Podcast Episodes
Ep. 228 - NICKEL CREEK ("Celebrants")
Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters - April 09, 2024 00:55 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 207 ratingsGrammy winners and astonishingly fabulous musicians Chris Thile, Sean Watkins, and Sara Watkins of Nickel Creek join us to chat about their fresh approach to songwriting on their most recent album, Celebrants. PART ONE Paul and Scott chat about musical virtuosity, Beyonce, Ricky Skaggs, and th...
Ep. 227 - ALAN BERGMAN ("The Way We Were")
Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters - March 26, 2024 00:52 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 207 ratingsNinety-eight-year-old Songwriters Hall of Famer Alan Bergman chats with us about a wide-ranging career that started with Johnny Mercer and continues to today. PART ONE Paul and Scott talk about the Abba Voyage virtual concert and scare themselves with the possibilities of digital technology. ...
Ep. 226 - NORAH JONES ("Come Away with Me") + profile on Tish Melton
Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters - March 11, 2024 23:02 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 207 ratingsSUMMARY: Norah Jones joins us to chat about her new album Visions and the evolution of her songwriting since she took the world by storm in 2002. Afterward, stick around for a very special conversation with Tish Melton. The 18-year-old songwriter discusses her new Brandi-Carlile produced EP and ...
Ep. 225 - CHARLIE STARR of Blackberry Smoke ("Dig a Hole")
Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters - February 26, 2024 23:39 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 207 ratingsBlackberry Smoke frontman and primary songwriter Charlie Starr goes deep on his music's Southern roots and wide-ranging appeal. PART ONE Paul and Scott talk Pearl Jam's new single, how travel defines fanhood, and why Blackberry Smoke are a force to be reckoned with when it comes to playing live...
Ep. 224 - BOBBY RUSH ("Chicken Heads")
Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters - February 13, 2024 23:52 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 207 ratings90-year-old blues legend Bobby Rush joins us for a wide-ranging and revealing conversation about songwriting, music, life, and so much more! PART ONE: Scott and Paul chat about Scott's experiences at the Grammy awards, including running into Ted Danson, Jason Isbell, Verdine White, and others. ...
Ep. 223 - DUFF McKAGAN of Guns N' Roses ("Civil War")
Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters - January 30, 2024 17:33 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 207 ratingsRock & 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 suppor...
Ep. 222 - AUDLEY FREED ("Peace Pipe")
Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters - January 17, 2024 01:18 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 207 ratingsSUMMARY: 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 h...
Ep. 221 - JD SOUTHER ("The Best of My Love")
Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters - January 03, 2024 05:47 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 207 ratingsSUMMARY: 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 th...
Ep. 220 - STAX CHRISTMAS with Deanie Parker, William Bell, and Carla Thomas
Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters - December 12, 2023 05:54 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 207 ratingsSUMMARY 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 ...
Ep. 219 - PETER CASE ("A Million Miles Away")
Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters - November 28, 2023 23:44 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 207 ratingsSUMMARY: 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: Tw...
Ep. 218 - GAVIN ROSSDALE of Bush ("Glycerine")
Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters - November 14, 2023 04:45 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 207 ratingsSUMMARY: 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 S...
Ep. 217 - DAVE BARNES ("God Gave Me You")
Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters - October 31, 2023 19:22 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 207 ratingsSUMMARY: 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 thei...
Ep. 216 - NATALIE MERCHANT ("Kind & Generous")
Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters - October 18, 2023 01:11 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 207 ratingsSUMMARY: 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 convers...
Ep. 215 - JOSH RITTER ("Getting Ready to Get Down")
Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters - October 03, 2023 02:04 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 207 ratingsSummary: 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 ...
Ep. 214 - PAUL STANLEY of KISS ("Rock and Roll All Nite")
Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters - September 18, 2023 18:08 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 207 ratingsSUMMARY: 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 bes...
Ep. 213 - DEANIE PARKER ("Ain't That a Lot of Love")
Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters - September 04, 2023 19:12 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 207 ratingsSUMMARY 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 an...
Ep. 212 - ZACH WILLIAMS of The Lone Bellow
Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters - August 22, 2023 04:32 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 207 ratingsSUMMARY: 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 TW...
Ep. 211 - RACHAEL & VILRAY ("Do Friends in Fall in Love?")
Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters - August 08, 2023 08:25 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 207 ratingsSUMMARY: 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 ...
Ep. 210 - ASHLEY GORLEY ("Last Night")
Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters - July 26, 2023 00:27 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 207 ratingsSUMMARY: 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-changin...
Ep. 209 - KEVIN CRONIN of REO Speedwagon ("Can't Fight This Feeling")
Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters - July 11, 2023 02:27 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 207 ratingsSUMMARY: 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 Scot...
Ep. 208 - DAVID SHAW of The Revivalists ("Wish I Knew You")
Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters - June 27, 2023 04:00 - 58 minutes ★★★★★ - 207 ratingsSUMMARY 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 P...
Ep. 207 - GRAHAM NASH ("Our House")
Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters - June 13, 2023 04:06 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 207 ratingsSummary: 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 w...
Ep. 206 - MATT MAHER ("Lord, I Need You")
Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters - May 30, 2023 07:35 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 207 ratingsSUMMARY: 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 Scot...
Ep. 205 - DUSTY SLAY ("We're Havin' a Good Time!")
Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters - May 16, 2023 02:27 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 207 ratingsSummary: 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...
Ep. 204 - DAR WILLIAMS ("The Beauty of the Rain")
Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters - May 02, 2023 22:34 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 207 ratingsSUMMARY 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 rece...
Ep. 203 - CHRIS SHIFLETT of Foo Fighters ("West Coast Town")
Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters - April 17, 2023 21:14 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 207 ratingsSummary: 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:...
Ep. 202 - BRENT SMITH of Shinedown ("Second Chance")
Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters - April 04, 2023 04:36 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 207 ratingsBrent 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 ...
Ep. 201 - ROBERT DE LEO of Stone Temple Pilots ("Interstate Love Song")
Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters - March 21, 2023 01:45 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 207 ratingsWe'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,” “Intersta...
Ep. 200 - MIKE CAMPBELL of The Heartbreakers ("Runnin' Down a Dream")
Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters - August 30, 2022 00:09 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 207 ratingsSUMMARY: 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 H...
Ep. 199 - ROGER McGUINN of The Byrds ("Mr. Spaceman")
Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters - August 16, 2022 00:52 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 207 ratingsPART 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. PA...
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