Grammy 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 ONEPaul and Scott chat about musical virtuosity, Beyonce, Ricky Skaggs, and the blending of musical genres. PART TWOOur in-depth conversation with Nickel CreekABOUT NICKEL CREEKGRAMMY Award-winning trio Nickel Creek—mandolinist Chris Thile, violinist Sara Watkins, and guitarist Sean Watkins—formed a group as young children in Southern California and honed their chops on the bluegrass circuit for a decade before signing with Sugar Hill Records. Their platinum-selling debut self-titled album was produced by Alison Krauss in 2000 and revolutionized bluegrass and folk music, helping usher in a new era of what we now know as Americana. The genre-bending group has earned nine Grammy nominations across categories in bluegrass, country, folk, contemporary folk, Americana, and American Roots.    

Each member of Nickel Creek has taken part in a number of outside projects over the years. Thile is a 2012 recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship and served as the host of the radio show Live from Here (formerly known as A Prairie Home Companion) from 2016 to 2020. He has also released collaborative albums with world-renowned musicians as well as six studio albums with his Grammy-winning band Punch Brothers. Sean Watkins is a co-founder of Watkins Family Hour alongside Sara, which has released three albums and maintains a long-running collaborative show in Los Angeles. Sean has also released a string of solo albums, while Sara’s extracurricular projects include the aforementioned Watkins Family Hour, as well as the Grammy-winning roots trio I’m With Her. Sara has released four studio albums and has contributed fiddle to recordings by artists such as Phoebe Bridgers, the Killers and John Mayer.

The Grammy-nominated Celebrants, Nickel Creek’s fifth studio album and first project in nine years, was recorded at Nashville’s historic RCA Studio A and released to overwhelming critical acclaim in 2023.  

Ninety-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 ONEPaul and Scott talk about the Abba Voyage virtual concert and scare themselves with the possibilities of digital technology. PART TWOOur in-depth interview with Alan BergmanABOUT ALAN BERGMANAlan Bergman and his late wife Marilyn joined forces professionally in the 1950s to create one of the most successful songwriting teams of all time. Though both musicians, the pair are best known as lyricists, and they found particular success writing for the silver screen. The Bergmans earned eleven Grammy nominations, including four nominations for Song of Year. They won the Song of the Year honor for “The Way We Were” from the Barbra Streisand film of the same name. They received fifteen Academy Award nominations for Best Original Song, winning twice for “The Windmills of Your Mind” and “The Way We Were,” and earning a record-setting three nominations in a single year in 1982. The following year they won their third Oscar, for Best Original Song Score, for the Yentl soundtrack, which included Best Original Song nominees “Papa, Can You Hear Me” and “The Way He Makes Me Feel.” Other highlights from the Bergman catalog include “Nice ‘n Easy” performed by Frank Sinatra, “The Summer Knows,” recorded by Sarah Vaughn, “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers,” which they wrote with Neil Diamond, “Someone in the Dark,” which Michael Jackson recorded for the E.T. soundtrack, and “I Knew I Loved You,” which was recorded by Celine Dion. Additionally, the four-time Emmy award winners were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and were recipients of the National Music Publishers Association Lifetime Achievement Award. The Bergmans held a number of executive positions in various organizations, including serving on the executive committee of the Music Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and as board members of the National Academy of Songwriters. From 1994-2009 Marilyn served as the president of ASCAP. Their songs have been recorded by Fred Astaire, Johnny Mathis, Sergio Mendes, Ray Charles, Bing Crosby, Stan Getz, Dusty Springfield, Diana Ross, Gladys Knight, Glen Campbell, Sting, Natalie Cole, Tony Bennett, Norah Jones, and countless others. We’re thrilled to share this conversation with the now 98-year-old Alan Bergman, recorded at his home back in August. 

SUMMARY: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 more. PART ONE:Paul and Scott reflect on Norah Jones's unique place in the musical world, the central role of patience in the delivery of a great song, the Tracy Chapman and Luke Combs Grammy performance, Joni Mitchell, Brandi Carlile, and the beauty of cross-generational musical collaboration.PART TWO:Our career-spanning in-depth interview with Norah Jones.PART THREE:Spotlight profile on Tish Melton, a talented young singer-songwriter who recorded her Brandi Carlile-produced EP at the age of 17. The high school senior has just released it to the world and gives us a little insight into early steps on what we know will be a long musical journey.ABOUT NORAH JONESNorah Jones catapulted onto the music scene at the age of 22 with the release of her now classic debut album, Come Away with Me. She took home five Grammy awards in 2003 alone, including Best New Artist, Record of the Year, and Album of the Year, while Come Away with Me went on to be certified twelve times platinum. The follow up album, Feels Like Home, became another international chart topper, establishing Norah as a consistent genre-bending musical force. In total, she has released nine solo studio albums for the legendary Blue Note Records; multiple projects with side bands such as The Little Willies, El Madmo, and Puss n Boots; collaborative albums with Danger Mouse, Willie Nelson, and Billie Joe Armstrong; and duets or guest appearances with a diverse list of artists that includes Ray Charles, Dolly Parton, OutKast, Ryan Adams, Foo Fighters, Talib Kweli, Jerry Lee Lewis, Herbie Hancock, Tony Bennett, Keith Richards, Mavis Staples, Emmylou Harris, Logic, and Wilco. Over the course of her career Norah has been nominated for 19 Grammy awards, winning nine of them, and has sold more than 50 million records worldwide. Her latest album, Visions, was produced by Leon Michels, and was just released on March 8th.      

Blackberry Smoke frontman and primary songwriter Charlie Starr goes deep on his music's Southern roots and wide-ranging appeal.PART ONEPaul 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. PART TWOOur in-depth interview with Charlie StarrABOUT CHARLIE STARRCharlie Starr is a guitarist, vocalist, and the primary songwriter of the Atlanta-based Blackberry Smoke. Building a dedicated fanbase over the past two decades, Blackberry Smoke has perfected a gritty Southern brand of rootsy rock & roll that crosses genres. Their commercial breakthrough came with the 2012 album The Whippoorwill, which landed on Billboard’s mainstream, country, Americana, and indie charts. Their follow up album, Holding All the Roses, produced by Brendan O’Brien, became the first independently released album in modern history to hit #1 on the Billboard Country Album chart. Both Holding All the Roses and the follow up, Like an Arrow, hit #1 on the UK Rock chart in addition to topping the US country chart. Their 2021 album, You Hear Georgia, topped the Billboard Americana/Folk chart, giving the band dominance in yet another musical category. Blackberry Smoke’s most recent release, recorded with the help of Grammy-winning producer Dave Cobb, is called Be Right Here. 

90-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. Plus seeing the Killer Mike drama go down and getting soaked in the biggest storm in recent Los Angeles memory! PART TWO:Our in-person an in-depth conversation with living legend Bobby RushABOUT BOBBY RUSH: One of the last of the golden era blues artists, 90-year-old Bobby Rush has been preforming professionally since the 1940s. After a stint traveling with the Rabbit’s Foot Minstrels as a teenager, he toured the juke joints of Louisiana, Arkansas, and Mississippi before settling in Chicago in the 1950s. Starting in 1964, he released a string of singles on seven different record labels before releasing his first album, Rush Hour, in 1979. Bobby has since amassed an impressive body of recorded work that covers funk, soul, blues, and other influences. Penning much of his own material, his standards include “Chicken Heads,” “Bow Legged Woman,” “I Wanna Do the Do,” “Sue,” “One Monkey Don’t Stop No Show,” “Big Fat Woman,” “Night Fishin’,” and “Down in Mississippi.” At the age of 83, he won his first Grammy award. Bobby is now a three-time Grammy winner (with seven nominations), is in the Blues Hall of Fame, and has won 16 Blues Music Awards. Rolling Stone magazine dubbed the charismatic entertainer ”the King of the Chitllin’ Circuit.” Also known as “the Funkiest Man Alive,” Bobby Rush shows no signs of slowing down. His most recent album is 2023’s Grammy-winning All My Love For You. Tags: Grammy nominee, Grammy winner, Blues Hall of Fame 

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 ONEScott 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 TWOOur in-depth interview with Duff McKaganABOUT DUFF McKAGANThough 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. 

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. 

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 SoutherABOUT 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. 

SUMMARYIn 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 ONEPaul and Scott reflect on 2023, talk Grammy nominations, and tease upcoming episodes for 2024.

PART TWOInterview 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. 

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 CaseABOUT 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.