Three-time Grammy nominee and My Morning Jacket frontman Jim James joins us to talk about the evolution of his songwriting and the band's new album, Is. PART ONE:Paul and Scott chat about ideal song length and extend an invitation to Taylor Swift PART TWO:Our in-depth conversation with Jim JamesABOUT JIM JAMES:Jim James is best known as the frontman of the band My Morning Jacket, which he formed in Louisville, Kentucky in 1998. As the band’s primary songwriter, James has embraced everything from roots music to experimental psychedelic sounds. To date, they’ve released nine full length studio albums, two of which—Evil Urges and Circuital—reached the Top 10 on the Billboard album chart. My Morning Jacket has received three Grammy nominations for Best Alternative Album. In addition to the band, Jim has released four solo albums and formed the supergroup Monsters of Folks with Conor Oberst, M. Ward, and Mike Mogis, which released a self-titled album in 2009. My Morning Jacket’s new album is called Is. 

We're celebrating our 10th anniversary all year by digging in the vaults to re-present classic episodes with fresh commentary. Today, we're revisiting our 2015 conversation with Bill Withers.  ABOUT BILL WITHERSPop and R&B legend Bill Withers released nine albums between 1971 and 1985 that included such classic songs as “Lean on Me,” “Ain’t No Sunshine,” “Grandma’s Hands,” “Use Me,” “Lovely Day,” and “Just the Two of Us.” Though he stepped away from the limelight in the mid-1980s, his songs have become classics that have withstood the test of time and been covered by iconic artists including Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson, Gladys Knight, Garth Brooks, Willie Nelson, Paul McCartney, Ike & Tina Turner, Smokey Robinson, Al Green, The Staple Singers, Diana Ross, Neil Diamond, Sting, Linda Ronstadt, Roberta Flack, Buddy Guy, Barbra Streisand, and George Benson. Additionally, his music has been sampled by Jay-Z, Dr. Dre, L.L. Cool J, Tupac Shakur, and Kanye West. Withers was in the inaugural class of the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame, and is a nine-time Grammy nominee. He won three Grammy awards for Best R&B song for “Ain’t No Sunshine” in 1971, “Just the Two of Us” in 1981, and the Club Nouveau cover of “Lean on Me” in 1987. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015.

Guster's Ryan Miller discusses his songwriting process before Scott, Paul, and Ryan go totally off the rails on 80s pop songs, Sebastian Bach, and other random stuff. One of the most fun interviews we've had in a while! PART ONE:Paul and Scott chat about the time Paul opened for Guster, their friend who met his wife thanks to Guster fandom, and the phenomenon of social cultures forming around certain performers. PART TWO:Our in-depth conversation with Guster's Ryan MillerABOUT RYAN MILLER:Ryan Miller is best known for his work with the alternative rock band Guster. With nine studio albums and a dedicated live following, the band has topped Billboard’s independent albums chart with Evermotion in 2015 and Look Alive in 2019. Among their top 5 singles on Billboard’s Adult Alternative Airplay chart are the songs “Amsterdam,” “Careful,” “One Man Wrecking Machine,” “Satellite,” and “Overexcited.” In addition to his work with the band, Miller has composed the scores for over 15 feature films, and launched his own TV show on Vermont PBS. The creative omnivore has also written a screenplay, a musical, and several feature articles. But Miller always returns to the band he loves. Guster’s most recent album is 2024’s Ooh La La.  

We're celebrating our 10th anniversary all year by digging in the vaults to re-present classic episodes with fresh commentary. Today, we're revisiting our 2021 conversation with Dan Nigro. ABOUT DAN NIGRO:Dan Nigro is a record producer and songwriter who has produced and written songs for and with Olivia Rodrigo, Chappell Roan, Sky Ferreira, Joe Jonas, Kylie Minogue, Lewis Capaldi, Caroline Polacheck, Dermot Kennedy, Maisie Peters, and Conan Gray. He has been nominated for 13 Grammy awards, and won the Grammy for Producer of the Year for 2024. He was also named ASCAP Songwriter of the Year for the same period. When we originally caught up with Dan in 2021 he was enjoying the success of Sour, his first album with Olivia Rodrigo.  

Best known for his song "Electric Love" (with nearly 2 BILLION streams on Spotify!), BØRNS took some time off and has now reinvented his sound with a fantastic new EP. PART ONE: Paul and Scott talk about Omnivore Recordings, a new Buck Owens LP, who they wouldn't want to invite over to Songcraft world headquarters, and other random stuff. PART TWO: Our in-depth conversation with BØRNSABOUT BØRNS:Michigan native and Los Angeles based singer-songwriter BØRNS is best known for the platinum-selling single “Electric Love” from his 2015 album Dopamine on Interscope Records. The follow-up album, Blue Madonna, included the singles “Sweet Dreams” and “God Save Our Blood,” featuring Lana Del Rey. After a departure from Interscope and a recording hiatus, he returned with the Suddenly EP in 2023, which marked a sonic shift to a more organic aesthetic. That same year, he and girlfriend Courtney Farren released the Together Together EP. BØRNS’ most recent EP is the retro-infused Honeybee, which was released in early 2025.  

We're celebrating our 10th anniversary all year by digging in the vaults to re-present classic episodes with fresh commentary. Today, we're revisiting our 2020 conversation with Lucinda Williams. ABOUT LUCINDA WILLIAMSOne of the most revered songwriters on the face of the earth, Lucinda Williams was once crowned “America’s Best Songwriter” by People magazine. She first gained widespread attention after Mary Chapin Carpenter made her song “Passionate Kisses” a Top 5 hit, which earned Lucinda a Grammy award for Country Song of the Year. She went on to release a string of critically-acclaimed albums that garnered her a total of 15 Grammy nominations spanning the genres of rock, pop, country, folk, and Americana. One of the primary architects of the Americana genre, Lucinda has received more Americana Music Association award nominations than nearly any other artist, and she was the first female recipient of the AMA’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Songwriting. VH1 named her one of the 100 Greatest Women in Rock & Roll, while Rolling Stone named her among its 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time. In addition to her own success as an artist with songs such as “I Just Wanted to See You So Bad,” “Right in Time,” “Essence,” “Righteously,” “Are You Alright,” “Come On,” and “Real Love,” the daughter of famed poet Miller Williams has also had her songs recorded by Tom Petty, Elvis Costello, Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson, Patty Loveless, Bettye LaVette, and many others.  

Six-time Grammy winner, Academy Award nominee, and Songwriters Hall of Famer Glen Ballard joins us to talk about his work with Michael Jackson, Alanis Morrisette, Dave Matthews, and many others!PART ONEPaul and Scott talk about the awesomeness that is Omnivore Recordings, dig into the Fire Aid concert, and talk about their '90s music geekery. PART TWOOur in-depth conversation with Glen BallardABOUT GLEN BALLARDFollowing an entry-level job at Elton John’s Rocket Records in Los Angeles, Glen Ballard began his creative career as a staff songwriter for MCA Music Publishing. Early singles included George Strait’s “You Look So Good in Love” and Jack Wagner’s major hit “All I Need,” which Glen also produced. In the mid-1980s he went to work for Quincy Jones, an era when he and Siedah Garrett co-wrote Michael Jackson’s triple platinum single “Man in the Mirror.” By the dawn of the 1990s, Glen had begun collaborating with Wilson Phillips, co-writing their chart topping hits “Hold On” and “You’re in Love.” He went on to produce and co-write all the songs on Alanis Morissette’s debut album, Jagged Little Pill, including “You Oughta Know,” “Hand in My Pocket,” “All I Really Want,” “Ironic,” “You Learn,” and “Head Over Feet.” The project earned the Album of the Year Grammy, and Glen returned to produce and co-write Alannis’s sophomore release, Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie, including the hit “Thank U.” Other songs from the Glen Ballard songbook include Aerosmith’s “Pink” and “Falling in Love is Hard on the Knees,” as well as the Dave Matthews Band’s “I Did It” and “The Space Between.” Glen earned a Golden Globe and Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song for “Believe,” which he co-wrote with Alan Silvestri for the film The Polar Express. He has written and produced songs for Aretha Franklin, Barbra Streisand, Ringo Starr, Van Halen, Chaka Khan, Christina Aguilera, Katy Perry, and many others. In recent years, Glen has found major success in musical theater, including writing original lyrics and music for GHOST the musical, and teaming again with Alan Silvestri to write the score for the musical adaptation of Back to the Future. Glen has won six Grammy awards, and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2023. 

We're celebrating our 10th anniversary all year by digging in the vaults to re-present classic episodes with fresh commentary. Today, we're revisiting our milestone 100th episode with the legendary Lamont Dozier! ABOUT LAMONT DOZIERLamont Dozier, along with brothers Eddie and Brian Holland, wrote and produced more than 20 consecutive singles recorded by the Supremes, including ten #1 pop hits: “Where Did Our Love Go,” “Baby Love,” “Come See About Me,” “Stop! In the Name of Love,” “Back in My Arms Again,” “I Hear a Symphony,” “You Can’t Hurry Love,” “You Keep Me Hangin’ On,” “Love is Here and Now You’re Gone,” and “The Happening.” Other Top 5 singles they wrote for the Supremes include “My World is Empty Without You” and “Reflections.” In addition to their hits with the Supremes, Holland, Dozier, and Holland helped further define the Motown sound by writing major pop and R&B hits such as “Heat Wave,” “Nowhere to Run,” and “Jimmy Mack” for Martha and the Vandellas, “Mickey’s Monkey” for the Miracles, “Can I Get a Witness” and “You’re a Wonderful One” for Marvin Gaye, and “(I’m A) Road Runner” for Junior Walker and the All Stars. The trio found particular success with The Four Tops, who scored hits with their songs “Baby I Need Your Loving,” “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch),” “It’s the Same Old Song,” “Reach Out I’ll Be There,” “Standing in the Shadows of Love,” and “Bernadette.” Additional hits include “Crumbs Off the Table” for Glass House, “Give Me Just a Little More Time” for Chairmen of the Board, “Band of Gold” for Freda Payne, and Dozier’s own recording of “Why Can’t We Be Lovers.” Hit cover versions of his songs by rock artists include “Don’t Do It” by the Band, “Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While)” by the Doobie Brothers, “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)” by James Taylor, and “This Old Heart of Mine” by Rod Stewart. With hits spanning multiple decades, Dozier also co-wrote “Two Hearts” with Phil Collins, earning a #1 pop hit, a Grammy award, a Golden Globe, and an Oscar nomination. Dozier is in the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He is the recipient of the prestigious Johnny Mercer Award for songwriting, as well as the BMI Icon award. Lamont Dozier was additionally named among Rolling Stone magazine’s 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time.

Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes joins us to talk about the evolution of humor in his songwriting, why he's transparent with his fans, and maybe the most Bob Dylan of Bob Dylan stories we've ever heard. PART ONE:Paul and Scott address the recent wildfires in the Los Angeles area, and encourage people to help make a difference by considering a donation through one of four organizations: Fire Aid (fireaidla.org)The Red Cross (redcross.org)MusiCares (musicares.org)World Central Kitchen (wck.org) PART TWO:Our in-depth conversation with Taylor Goldsmith of DawesABOUT TAYLOR GOLDSMITH:Taylor Goldsmith is best known as the lead singer, guitarist, and primary songwriter for the folk-influenced rock band Dawes. The group, which also includes Taylor’s brother, Griffin, has released nine full-length studio albums, six of which have hit the Top 5 on Billboard’s Americana/Folk Albums chart, and four of which have hit the Top 10 on Billboard’s rock chart. In addition to his work with Dawes, he has been a member of the band Middle Brother with Matt Vasquez of Delta Spirit and John McCauley of Deer Tick. Taylor also contributed to T Bone Burnett’s New Basement Tapes project—which completed unfinished Bob Dylan songs—alongside Marcus Mumford, Jim James, Rhiannon Giddens, and Elvis Costello. As a songwriter outside the band, Taylor has collaborated with The Killers, Conor Oberst, Brandon Flowers, Robert Ellis, Demi Lovato, and his wife Mandy Moore. The most recent Dawes album, released in October of 2024, is called Oh Brother. Sadly, not long after our conversation, both Taylor and his brother Griffin became victims of the massive Southern California wildfires that devastated portions of the Los Angeles area and severely damaged or destroyed their homes.  

We're celebrating our 10th anniversary all year by digging in the vaults to re-present classic episodes with fresh commentary. What better way to kick things off than where it all began? Here's a look back at episode one and our conversation with Jim Peterik.  ABOUT JIM PETERIKSinger, songwriter, guitarist, and keyboardist Jim Peterik is best known as a founding member of the band Survivor and the co-writer of their Grammy-winning double platinum #1 hit single, “Eye of the Tiger.” But that’s only the tip of the iceberg. Thirty-five of Jim’s songs have appeared on the Billboard Pop chart, including seven Top 10 singles. His first major success came when his original band, Ides of March, took the Peterik-penned “Vehicle” to the #2 position on the Pop chart in 1970, spawning cover versions by Chet Baker and Shirley Bassey. After a stint as a solo artist with Epic Records, Jim formed Survivor in 1979, penning a string of hits for the band, including “I Can’t Hold Back,” “High On You,” “The Search is Over,” “Burning Heart,” and “Is This Love.” While still writing hits for his own group, Jim forged a successful partnership with the members of 38 Special, co-writing classic songs, including “Rockin’ Into the Night,” “Hold On Loosely,” and “Caught Up In You.” Widely respected as a top-notch collaborator, Jim has co-written successful songs with a number of artists, including the Beach Boys, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Sammy Hagar, Cheap Trick, the Doobie Brothers, REO Speedwagon, and Mindi Abair. The long list of those who have covered his compositions includes Paul Anka, Gloria Gaynor, Tony Orlando, Reba McEntire, Larry Gatlin, Blackhawk, and The Outlaws. He is the co-author, with Dave Austin, of Songwriting for Dummies. 

Songcraft celebrates ten years with a look back at episode highlights and behind-the-scenes stories from our first decade! Plus, a few announcements about what's new in 2025. 

Six-time Grammy winner, Nashville Songwriters Hall of Famer, and Kennedy Center honoree Amy Grant joins us to chat about the pursuit of honesty in songwriting, the stories behind some of her songs, and her catalog of modern day Christmas classics. PART ONEPaul and Scott chat about the idea of a "definitive" version of a Christmas song, discuss their favorites, debate about Christmas songs they love and hate, and delve into Scott's elementary school crush on Amy Grant. PART TWOOur in-depth interview with Amy GrantABOUT AMY GRANTPerhaps the most influential pioneer of the Contemporary Christian Music genre, Amy Grant released her first album while still in high school. Her fourth album, 1982’s Age to Age, found unprecedented success with hit singles such as “Sing Your Praise to the Lord” and “El Shaddai.” Age to Age topped the Christian album chart for 85 weeks, earned Amy her first Grammy award, and became the first Christian album to be certified Platinum by the RIAA. Her 1984 album Straight Ahead spawned hits with Amy’s original compositions “Thy Word” and “Angels,” and became the first Christian album to land on the Billboard 200. By the mid-1980s, she further crossed over to mainstream success when “Find a Way,” which she wrote with Michael W. Smith, hit the Top 40 on Billboard’s pop chart. The following year, Amy reached the top of the pop chart with “The Next Time I Fall,” a duet with Peter Cetera. Her 1991 album Heart in Motion sold 5 million copies and spawned four Top 10 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, including the self-penned hits “Baby Baby” and “Every Heartbeat.” That same year, she enjoyed another Top 10 pop hit as a songwriter with Michael W. Smith’s “Place in This World.” Amy continued to find mainstream success in the mid-1990s with singles such as “House of Love,” a duet with her now-husband Vince Gill, as well as the songs “Lucky One” and “Takes a Little Time,” which she wrote with Keith Thomas and Wayne Kirkpatrick, respectively. Starting with 1983’s A Christmas Album, holiday music has been an important part of Amy Grant’s artistry. She has since released the albums Home for Christmas, which was certified three-times Platinum; A Christmas to Remember; Tennessee Christmas; and The Animals’ Christmas, a collaborative album with Art Garfunkel featuring songs by Jimmy Webb that explore the nativity story from the perspective of the animals. Amy’s original songs “Tennessee Christmas” and “Breath of Heaven” have become modern day holiday standards. Her Christmas concerts, often featuring husband Vince Gill and longtime collaborator Michael W. Smith, have become a holiday tradition. To date, Amy has released twenty studio albums and has sold over 30 million records worldwide. Seventeen of her albums have reached #1 on Billboard’s Top Christian Albums chart, more than any other artist in history. She has won 6 Grammy awards, 26 Dove awards, and has been inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. Amy has received honorary doctorates from two universities, has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2021. She was a recipient of the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors for lifetime artistic achievement in 2022.  

Bonnie McKee chats about co-writing hits with Katy Perry, including "California Gurls" and "Roar," as well as her own artist career that has resulted in successful singles such as "American Girl." PART ONE:Scott and Paul share a little preview of what's to come as they prepare to celebrate Songcraft's 10 anniversaryPART TWOOur in-depth conversation with Bonnie McKeeABOUT BONNIE McKEE:Bonnie McKee grew up as a classically trained singer and pianist, but began pursuing a pop music career while still a teen. In 2004 she released her debut album, Trouble, with Reprise Records, but soon switched her focus to working as a behind-the-scenes songwriter. She has written ten songs that have hit #1 in either the US or UK, and is best known for her work with Katy Perry, which began with the Diamond-certified and international chart-topping album, Teenage Daydream. Bonnie contributed to three songs on the album, all of which became chart-topping singles: “California Gurls,” “Teenage Dream,” and “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.).” When the deluxe Complete Confection version of the album was released, Bonnie landed two more chart-topping singles with “Part of Me” and “Wide Awake.” She went on to collaborate with Katy Perry on four songs on the follow-up album, Prism, including the Top 20 single “Birthday” and the #1 hit “Roar.” Other successful singles from the Bonnie McKee songbook include “Dynamite” for Taio Cruz, “Hold it Against Me” for Britney Spears, “C’Mon” for Kesha, and the UK chart toppers “How We Do (Party)” by Rita Ora and “I Don’t Care” by Cheryl. Additionally, she’s written songs for Cher, Christina Aguilera, Kelly Clarkson, Avril Lavigne, Bebe Rexha, Jason Derulo, Kygo, and Adam Lambert, among others.In 2013, Bonnie reemerged as an artist with the single “American Girl” on Epic Records. She recorded an entire album, but parted ways with the label and it was shelved. Enough tracks and demos leaked online over the years, however, that fans were clamoring for it. Now, more than ten years later, Bonnie has re-recorded the album. She combined the re-recorded tracks with the original release of “American Girl,” which has now been streamed 23 million times on Spotify. The end result is Hot City, an album more than a decade in the making. 

Grammy nominee and four-time ASCAP Christian Songwriter of the Year Jeremy Camp dives deep with Songcraft on creativity, loss, honesty, and following the right path. PART ONEPaul and Scott get in the weeds on Billboard magazine's recent "100 Greatest Country Artists of All Time" list. Plus, we preview the remaining episodes for 2024 and offer a sneak peek at what's ahead for our 10th anniversary year.PART TWOOur in-depth interview with Jeremy CampABOUT JEREMY CAMPBetween 2002 and 2024, Christian artist Jeremy Camp released fifteen studio albums, four of which have been certified Gold by the RIAA. Additionally, his 2005 album Live Unplugged has been certified double Platinum. Fourteen of Jeremy’s singles as an artist have hit #1 on Billboard’s Christian charts, including the Gold-certified “Walk by Faith,” “There Will be a Day,” “Overcome,” “Same Power,” “Christ in Me,” “Dead Man Walking,” and “Keep Me in the Moment.” Other highlights of his catalog include “Give You Glory,” “Lay Down My Pride,” “Stay,” and “I Still Believe,” which he wrote after the death of his first wife when he was just 23 years old. Jeremy has earned a Grammy nomination, five GMA Dove Awards, three American Music Award nominations, and four awards for ASCAP Christian Songwriter of the Year. In addition, Billboard magazine named him the #2 Christian artist of the decade. Jeremy’s most recent album, Deeper Waters, was released in 2024.   

Three-time Grammy nominee and pop songwriting powerhouse Justin Tranter joins us to talk about his process and his remarkable lists of hits for Chappell Roan, Fall Out Boy, Imagine Dragons, Selena Gomez, Justin Bieber, and many others.PART ONE:Scott and Paul nerd out on this year's Grammy nominationsPART TWO:Our in-depth interview with Justin TranterABOUT JUSTIN TRANTER:Nominated for Songwriter of the Year at the Grammy Awards in 2024, Justin Tranter is one of the most successful writers in pop music. The recognition capped off a ten year streak of success that includes hits such as “Centuries” by Fall Out Boy, the Selena Gomez hits “Good for You,” “Hands to Myself,” and “Lose You to Love Me,” DNCE’s “Cake By the Ocean,” “Sorry” by Justin Bieber, “Close” by Nick Jonas, “Issues” by Julia Michaels, the Imagine Dragons singles “Believer,” “Natural,” and “Enemy,” Maroon 5’s “Cold,” “Bad at Love” by Halsey, and “Good Luck, Babe!” by Chappell Roan, which is nominated for Song of the Year at the upcoming Grammy Awards in 2025. Tranter has additionally contributed to singles by artists such as Gwen Stefani, Britney Spears, Linkin Park, 5 Seconds of Summer, Bebe Rexha, Dua Lipa, Ariana Grande, Lady Gaga, and Miley Cyrus. Others who’ve drawn from the Justin Tranter songbook include Kelly Clarkson, Kacey Musgraves, John Legend, Shakira, Kesha, Christina Aguilera, Tori Kelly, Meghan Trainor, Tom Morello, The Chicks, Billy Porter, and Demi Lovato. In addition to a close songwriting partnership with Julia Michaels, Tranter’s regular collaborators include some of the biggest names in music, such as Cardi B, Sam Smith, Janelle Monae, Leon Bridges, and others. Justin’s impressive list of accolades includes multiple GRAMMY and Golden Globe nominations, 16 BMI pop awards, including two consecutive BMI Songwriter of the Year awards, and being named a U.S. Global Music Ambassador as part of the U.S. Department of State and YouTube’s Global Music Partnership alongside Chuck D, Grace Bowers, Kane Brown, Herbie Hancock, Jelly Roll and others. 

Grammy-winning Southern roots rock duo Larkin Poe (sisters Rebecca and Megan Lovell) join us to chat about their creative process and their exciting forthcoming album, Bloom. PART ONE:'Tis the season! Scott and Paul chat about the classic Halloween songs. Is it time for a modern day resurgence of spooky music?PART TWO:Our in-depth conversation with sisters Rebecca and Megan Lovell, known to the world as duo Larkin PoeABOUT LARKIN POE:Blues-based rock duo Larkin Poe is comprised of multi-instrumentalist sisters Rebecca and Megan Lovell. The Georgia natives began their career as an acoustic trio with their sister Jessica in 2004. That year they appeared on A Prairie Home Companion and won the Prairie Home National Teen Talent Competition. In 2008, the Lovell Sisters’ song “Distance” won the John Lennon Songwriting Contest grand prize in the country genre. That same year, their song “Time to Grow” received honorable mention in the International Songwriting Competition. After an impressive indie career that included two albums, as well as appearances at Bonaroo and the Grand Ole Opry, the Lovell Sisters disbanded. Rebecca and Megan reemerged as a duo pursuing a new sound that was steeped in the electric blues rather than acoustic and bluegrass music. Between 2010 and 2013 they released five indie EPs, two collaborative albums, and a live DVD. They released their debut album as a duo in 2014 and gained attention with the standout track “Don’t.” In 2016 they reissued their debut studio album under the title Reskinned, which included new tracks such as “Trouble in Mind.” With the 2017 album Peach, Megan and Rebecca took the production reigns and continued to build a following. The next year’s Venom & Faith reached #1 on Billboard’s Blues Album chart and earned the sisters their first Grammy nomination. Their sixth studio album, Blood Harmony, garnered another Grammy nomination, which resulted in their first Grammy win in 2024. Larkin Poe’s latest album is called Bloom and is set for release in January of 2025.

Storytelling folk troubadour and songwriter's songwriter David Wilcox dives deep on his creative process.PART ONE:Paul and Scott pay tribute to the late Kris Kristofferson and Hugh Prestwood before diving in to a cringey lyrical trend that they're happy to see fade into history. PART TWO:Our in-depth conversation with David WilcoxABOUT DAVID WILCOX:Emerging from the Asheville, North Carolina progressive folk scene in the late 1980s, David Wilcox signed with A&M Records and carved out a reputation as an insightful, sensitive, and often funny singer-songwriter and storyteller. His first album for the label, How Did You Find Me Here, sold over 100,000 copies on word of mouth alone. Often compared to James Taylor, Joni Mitchell and Nick Drake, Wilcox went on to build a dedicated following and establish himself as a songwriter’s songwriter. In 2008 he was honored, alongside Bob Dylan, with Acoustic Guitar magazine’s silver award in the singer-songwriter category. The San Francisco Chronicle called him the “darling of contemporary singer-songwriter folk” while Rolling Stone wrote that he “uses extended metaphors and beautifully detailed imagery in lyrics that are far more compassionate and philosophic than self-absorbed.” David has now released more than 20 albums. His most recent is My Good Friends, an acoustic collection that he describes as a fan-requested respite while he works on a new full band album.

From Miley's "Wrecking Ball" to The Weeknd's "Earned It" to his own successful instrumental albums, Oscar and Grammy nominated songwriter, composer and producer Stephan Moccio gives opens up on his creative process. PART ONEPaul and Scott share some of your submissions for favorite lyric lines, as well as lyrics that bug you from songs you otherwise love. In addition, they pay tribute to past Songcraft guests JD Souther and Billy Edd Wheeler, who both recently passed away. PART TWOOur in-depth conversation with Stephan Moccio.  ABOUT STEPHAN MOCCIOStephan Moccio is an Oscar-nominated composer and a three-time Grammy-nominated songwriter and producer. His breakthrough came when fellow Canadian Celine Dion’s recording of “A New Day Has Come” made history by topping the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart for 21 weeks. He went on to release Exposure, his first solo album as an artist, which hit the Canadian Top 10 and was certified Gold. Since then, Moccio has balanced his creative efforts between releasing his own projects and working behind the scenes writing for other artists. Highlights of Stephan’s career include co-writing “I Believe” for the Vancouver Winter Olympics in 2010 and co-writing and co-producing Miley Cyrus’s multiplatinum international hit “Wrecking Ball.” Additionally, he collaborated with The Weeknd on “Earned It,” the end-credits song for Fifty Shades of Gray, which earned the rare RIAA Diamond certification and was nominated for an Academy Award. Stephan has also written songs for Andrea Bocelli, Avril Lavigne, Dua Lipa, James Blunt, Seal, and many more, notching seven Billboard Hot 100 hits and tallying 5 billion streams and counting. Among his solo material, 2020’s Tales of Solace yielded the single “Fracture,” what has generated over 100 million streams on Spotify. His latest release is Legends, Myths and Lavender, which was composed and recorded on the spot in the South of France.  

Electronic music pioneer Howard Jones joins us to talk about everything from classic hits such as "Things Can Only Get Better" and "No One is to Blame" to his recent live album, Live at the O2. PART ONEPaul and Scott remind our listeners to send in their favorite lyric line, as well as their least favorite lines from songs they otherwise love. Then Richard Evans joins us to talk about his book Listening to the Music the Machines Make. PART TWOOur in-depth conversation with Howard JonesABOUT HOWARD JONESElectronic music pioneer Howard Jones first exploded on the scene in 1983 with his synthesizer-led UK Top 5 pop hit “New Song.” His debut album, Human’s Lib, reached #1 in 1984 in the UK and featured the hits “New Song” and “What Is Love?” In 1985, Howard released the follow-up, Dream Into Action, which became a Top Ten Platinum album in the US and featured the smash hits “Things Can Only Get Better,” “Life In One Day,” “No One Is To Blame,” and “Like To Get To Know You Well.” Other highlights from subsequent albums include “You Know I Love You…Don’t You?” which hit the Top 20, as well as the US hit “Everlasting Love.”  

To date, Howard Jones has sold over 10 million albums and continues to make new music and tour the world. His hits can be heard in high-profile television series and films such as “Stranger Things,” “Breaking Bad,” “Watchmen,” “The Carrie Diaries,” “Superstore” and “Bumblebee”. His most recent studio album is Dialogue, which was released in September, 2022, completing a trilogy of electronic releases that also includes the multimedia project Engage from 2015 and the studio album Transform from 2019. In August he released Live at the O2, which was recorded earlier this year at the famed London arena.

Shelby Lynne is celebrating the 25th anniversary of her landmark classic album I Am Shelby Lynne, which won her a Grammy award for Best New Artist. We recently sat down with Shelby to discuss the evolution of her songwriting, from her early days in Nashville to her recent genre-defying "comeback" album Consequences of the Crown. PART ONEScott and Paul talk about their favorite single lyrical lines, lyrics that bug them from songs they otherwise like, and quibble over one of Kris Kristofferson's best-known lines. Plus, they call on listeners to submit their own choices for discussion on an upcoming episode. PART TWOOur in-depth interview with Shelby LynneABOUT SHELBY LYNNEShelby Lynne won the Grammy award for Best New Artist in the wake of her genre-bending and critically-acclaimed 1999 album, I Am Shelby Lynne. But it was actually her sixth studio album on an artistic path that took time to unfold. Lynne and her sister, fellow artist Allison Moorer, grew up surrounded by country music. As detailed in Moorer’s gripping memoir, Blood, they were also surrounded by violence and trauma. Both found escape through music, with Lynne signing her first recording contract at the age of 19. Initially working with legendary producer Billy Sherrill, best known for his albums with Tammy Wynette and George Jones, Shelby released a series of albums from Nashville in the late ‘80s through the mid-‘90s. She won the Academy of Country Music’s Top New Female Vocalist Award in 1991, and was nominated for the ACM’s Top Vocal Duo of the Year honor with Faith Hill in 1996. Without any major hit singles, however, Shelby eventually took a break from recording. After moving to Palm Springs, California, and partnering with producer Bill Botrell in 1998, she changed direction and found new footing as an uncategorizable artist committed to artistic integrity. The result, I Am Shelby Lynne, has recently been re-released in a 25th Anniversary edition. Follow-up albums Love, Shelby, Identity Crisis, Suit Yourself, and the Dusty Springfield tribute Just a Little Lovin’ were well-received precursors to Lynne launching her own record label. Her subsequent albums Tears, Lies and Alibis, Merry Christmas, Revelation Road, and I Can’t Imagine all reached the Top 10 on Billboard’s Americana/Folk chart, as did her 2017 collaborative album with sister Allison Moorer. Shelby has recently returned to Nashville and has collaborated with Ashley Monroe, Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild, and others to create her seventeenth album, an unflinchingly honest exploration of heartbreak, called Consequences of the Crown. 

Three-time Grammy nominee Tayla Parx talks about her artist career and her role as a behind-the-scenes songwriter who has crafted huge hits for Ariana Grande, Panic! At the Disco, Dan + Shay, and many others. PART ONE:Is Dave Grohl this generation's Phil Collins? PART TWO:Our in-depth interview with Tayla ParxABOUT TAYLA PARX:Three-time Grammy nominee Tayla Parx is both a highly regarded artist and a successful behind-the-scenes songwriter. In 2019 she won Billboard’s “Hitmaker” award, recognizing her as the first female songwriter since 2014 to have three simultaneous Top 10 songs on the Billboard Hot 100. Her hits for other artists include Panic! At the Disco’s “High Hopes,” “Love Lies” by Khalid and Normani, Dan + Shay’s country chart topper “Glad You Exist,” and the Ariana Grande hits “thank u next,” “7 rings,” and “34+35.” She has contributed to songs by Danity Kane, Fifth Harmony, Jennifer Lopez, Keyshia Cole, Mariah Carey, Jason Derulo, Chris Brown, Pentatonix, JoJo, Alicia Keys, Meghan Trainor, Demi Lovato, Fergie, Big Boi, Christinia Aguilera, Janelle Monae, Anderson .Paak, Kesha, Megan Thee Stallion, John Legend, Dua Lipa, and many others. Her songs have amassed over 15 billion streams on Spotify and have appeared on Billboard’s pop, hip hop, R&B, Latin, and country charts, where she became the fourth Black woman in history to write a #1 country song.Born in Dallas, Parx’s family relocated to Los Angeles where she studied at Debbie Allen’s Dance Academy. Impressed with her talent, Allen encouraged Tayla to pursue acting. Her breakthrough role came with her portrayal of Little Inez Stubbs in the 2007 remake of Hairspray, and she went on to appear on several Nickelodeon shows before signing her first songwriting deal at the age of 19. As a solo artist Tayla has released three full-length albums, an EP, and a mixtape. Her most recent album is called Many Moons, Many Suns. 

Two-time Grammy nominated duo The Secret Sisters (Laura Rogers and Lydia Slagle) join us to chat about their development as songwriters and reaching new creative heights with their latest album. PART ONE:Scott and Paul chat about Scott's recent trip to see Norah Jones and Lake Street Dive perform at Red Rocks and discuss the ways concerts have changed in recent years. Plus, they take an opportunity to gripe about the changes coming to Southwest Airlines. What does that have to do with anything? Nothing, but I guess they're the ones with the microphones! PART TWO:Our in-depth conversation with Laura Rogers and Lydia Slagle of The Secret SistersABOUT THE SECRET SISTERS:Two-time Grammy nominees Laura Rogers and Lydia Rogers Slagle, known as The Secret Sisters, are Alabama-born siblings who released their self-titled debut album on Universal Republic Records in 2010. Produced by Dave Cobb, the album featured primarily traditional songs and country music covers alongside two originals. The follow-up, Put Your Needle Down, was produced by T-Bone Burnett and found the sisters contributing more original material, including collaborations with Brandi Carlile and Dan Wilson. Both albums reached the Top 10 on Billboard’s folk chart. Their next two releases—You Don’t Own Me Anymore and Saturn Return—were co-produced by Brandi Carlile, and each earned a Grammy nomination for Best Folk Album. Their fifth, and most recent, studio album is called Mind, Man, Medicine and finds the sisters co-producing for the first time, alongside Ben Tanner and John Paul White, who is best known as half of the duo The Civil Wars. The album was recorded in their hometown of Muscle Shoals, Alabama, primarily at the legendary FAME Studios. 

GRAMMY-winning producer, artist, and songwriter Charlie Peacock defies categorization. Paul chats with him about everything from his early days on the Norther California jazz scene, to writing hits for the Christian music world, to producing everyone from the Civil Wars to Switchfoot. PART ONE:Scott and Paul talk about aging, the Rolling Stones concert Scott just saw, the centrality of energetic drummers, and other fun stuff. PART TWO:Our in-depth conversation with Charlie PeacockABOUT CHARLIE PEACOCKFrom jazz to pop to rock to country, gospel, and Americana, Charlie Peacock is a Grammy-winning producer, artist, and songwriter who defies categorization. In addition to his own wide-ranging work as a recording artist, he has written well-known songs such “Every Heartbeat,” which was a major pop hit for Amy Grant, and “In the Light,” which is best known for the version recorded by DC Talk. He’s responsible for developing and producing the Grammy Award-winning duo The Civil Wars and the Modern Rock band Switchfoot, including their multi-platinum Top 40 pop hit “Dare You to Move.” Peacock launched his career as an artist on the Northern California jazz scene before recording his debut album, Lie Down in the Grass, which was released by A&M Records in the mid-1980s. After a stint with Island Records, he moved to Nashville to work as an artist and producer. His 1990 album, The Secret of Time, earned him a Grammy nomination for Best Rock/Contemporary Gospel Album. In that decade, he produced nearly 50 albums for other artists, and was named the Gospel Music Association’s Producer of the Year for three consecutive years.The long list of artists he has produced includes Nicole Nordeman, David Crowder, Holly Williams, The Lone Bellow, Al Green, and Ladysmith Black Mambazo. He has produced a wide range of music for film and television, including the Mandy Moore film A Walk To Remember, Chris Cornell's "Misery Chain" from the soundtrack of Twelve Years a Slave, and "Hush," the title theme to the AMC drama Turn: Washington's Spies, featuring Joy Williams and Matt Berninger of The National.As an artist, he returned to jazz with the Love Press Ex-Curio album in 2005 before embracing vocal music once again with his 2012 album No Man’s Land. In late 2015, Peacock was appointed the Director of Contemporary Music and Industry Outreach at Lipscomb University's College of Arts and Entertainment in Nashville. An author of several books, his forthcoming memoir will explore his musical life, while  his latest album as an artist, Every Kind of Uh-Oh, will be released at the end of August.  

Acclaimed genre-crossing songwriter and interpreter Madeleine Peyroux takes stock of her songwriting over the years and shares insights into the creation of her latest album. PART ONEPaul and Scott talk music books, the value of recording, and whether or not performers should stick to a strict or loose interpretation of a song when performing live. PART TWOOur in-depth conversation with Madeleine PeyrouxABOUT MADELEINE PEYROUXMadeleine Peyroux moved to Paris with her mother at the age of 12 and began singing with street musicians while still a teenager. She eventually joined the Lost Wandering Blues and Jazz Band, with whom she toured Europe. After being discovered by Atlantic Records she released her debut album, Dreamland, in 1996. Madeleine's commercial breakthrough came with the Gold-selling album Careless Love in 2004 and it’s single, the self-penned “Don’t Wait Too Long,” which was released by Rounder Records and topped the jazz charts. The follow-up album, Half the Perfect World, hit the Top 40 on Billboard’s US album chart. Her 2009 album, Bare Bones, was the first to feature all original material. She moved to Decca Records for the Standing on the Rooftop album in 2011 and has since released four additional studio albums. Her latest effort, Let’s Walk, features all original material and continues to showcase her masterful blending of jazz, blues, folk, pop, and more. 

Three-time GRAMMY winner and musical omnivore Bruce Hornsby chats about his wide-ranging career, from pop to bluegrass to jazz! PART ONE:Paul and Scott talk about their Instagram, a wild Genesis fact, and more. PART TWO:Our in-depth conversation with Bruce HornsbyABOUT BRUCE HORNSBY:Thirteen-time Grammy nominee and three-time winner Bruce Hornsby has built one of the most diverse, collaborative, and adventurous careers in contemporary music. In the early 1980s Bruce was writing songs, playing sessions as a musician, and touring as member of Ambrosia and, later, Sheena Easton’s backing band. By the middle of the decade he’d formed the group Bruce Hornsby and the Range, signed a deal with RCA Records, and released his debut album, which spawned the hit singles “The Way It Is,” “Mandolin Rain,” and “Every Little Kiss.” As a result, Bruce and the band won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 1987. Their sophomore album, Scenes from the Southside, spawned the hit single “The Valley Road” and included Bruce’s own version of “Jacob’s Ladder,” a song he co-wrote that became a #1 hit for Huey Lewis. In addition to his own artist career, Bruce began collaborating extensively in that era, including producing Leon Russell, co-writing Don Henley’s “The End of the Innocence,” playing piano on Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me,” and appearing on albums by everyone from Bob Dylan to Stevie Nicks to Willie Nelson. In the late 1980s and early 1990s Bruce increasingly began incorporating elements of bluegrass and jazz into his music. He disbanded the Range to pursue other projects, including becoming a staple of the Grateful Dead’s touring lineup. His debut solo album, Harbor Lights, was released in 1993, and he won another Grammy that year, for Best Pop Instrumental, for composing “Barcelona Mona” with Branford Marsalis for the Barcelona Olympics. He released two additional solo studio albums in the 1990s before forming a new band, The Noisemakers, which released four studio albums between 2002 and 2016. In that same period, he collaborated with bluegrass artist Ricky Skaggs to release one studio album and one live album, and with bassist Christian McBride and drummer Jack DeJohnette to release a jazz album called Camp Meeting. Bruce's 2014 album Solo Concerts showcased a sampling of his one-man performances. In 2019 Bruce returned to releasing studio albums as a solo artist with Absolute Zero, an album included collaborations with Blake Mills, Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, and others. Among Bruce's many collaborations includes a longstanding partnership scoring films for director Spike Lee. Earlier this year, Bruce released Deep Sea Vents, a water-themed collaborative album with the band yMusic that was released under the name Brhym. 

You might know Rachel Platten for the wildly successful "Fight Song," but she's in the middle of a renaissance that's bringing her artistry into a new era. PART ONE:Paul and Scott  give their unfiltered responses to the new-ish 4-part Stax Records documentary streaming on Max.PART TWO:Our in-depth conversation with Rachel Platten.ABOUT RACHEL PLATTEN:Emmy Award-winning singer, songwriter, musician, and children’s book author Rachel Platten is best known for “Fight Song,” an anthemic power ballad that became an international Top Ten hit in 2015, was certified six times Platinum, has been streamed over a billion times, and was even adopted as Hillary Clinton's campaign theme song in 2016. Rachel’s music career began with a self-released album in 2003, followed by a move to New York City’s Greenwich Village. She found success licensing songs for films and television before releasing her album Be Here in 2009. The single “1000 Ships” hit number 23 on Billboard’s Adult Top 40 chart. Her third full-length album, Wildfire, was released on Columbia Records and featured the successful singles “Fight Song,” “Stand by You,” and “Better Place.” The follow-up album, Waves, featured the single “Broken Glass.” 

Rachel issued the non-LP single "You Belong" in 2018, signaling a sonic shift away from her prior major label releases. Exploring new creative territory by embracing her struggles with mental health, Rachel has released recent songs such as “Girls,” “Mercy,” and “Bad Thoughts.” Poised to reassert herself as an artist focused on unflinching honesty and authenticity, she will release the album I Am Rachel Platten later this year. 

Nashville-based platinum-selling indie artist Judah Akers of Judah & the Lion goes deep on the five stages of grief and finding beauty in the midst of pain.PART ONEPaul and Scott dive deep on how Nashville has transformed into a very different kind of "Music City USA."PART TWOOur in-depth conversation with Judah AkersABOUT JUDAH AKERSJudah Akers is best known as the lead singer, guitarist, and primary songwriter of Judah & The Lion. Their debut EP, Sweet Tennessee, was released in 2013, climbing to #2 on Billboard’s Bluegrass Albums chart and the Top 15 on the Folk Albums chart. And the first full-length album, Kids These Days, debuted in the Top 5 on Billboard’s Folk Albums chart. Expanding their sound, the band released Folk Hop n’ Roll in 2015, landing in the Top 10 on Billboard’s Heatseekers Albums chart and the Americana/Folk Albums chart. Later that year, the song “Take it All Back” hit the top of the Alternative Songs chart for three weeks and was later certified Platinum. The follow-up single, “Suit and Jacket,” was certified Gold. Judah & the Lion’s third album, Pep Talks, hit the Top 20 on Billboard's Top 200, and the Top 5 on the Alternative Albums chart, while the singles “Over My Head” and “Why Did You Run” performed well on the Alternative Songs chart, earning them iHeart’s Best New Alternative Artist award for 2018. Their most recent album is The Process, released in May of 2024. Built around the concept of the five stages of grief, the songs are Akers’ exploration of his own mental health and life circumstances that find beauty, purpose, and even joy in the midst of the pain. 

With an ACM Top New Female Vocalist win and nearly 20 Canadian Country Music Awards, the chart-topping Carolyn Dawn Johnson chats about everything from her songwriting successes to her artist career to her co-writing with Chris Stapleton.PART ONEPaul and Scott dive deep on their opinions about the recently-announced Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction class of 2024.PART TWOOur in-depth conversation with Carolyn Dawn Johnson.ABOUT CAROLYN DAWN JOHNSONCanadian-born singer, songwriter, producer, and musician Carolyn Dawn Johnson moved to Nashville in the mid-1990s and started getting her songs recorded by artists such as Patty Loveless, Suzy Bogguss, Kathy Mattea, and Jo Dee Messina. Her breakthrough came in 1999 with Chely Wright’s recording of "Single White Female," which hit #1 on the country charts. Wright’s follow-up recording of Johnson’s "Downtime" also became a Top 5 hit. Carolyn was named Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year by Music Row magazine in 2000 and landed a record deal of her own with the Arista Nashville label. Her self-produced debut, Room with a View, hit the Top 10 in the US and earned Gold status in Canada. The singles "Complicated“ and "I Don’t Want You to Go“ were both Top 10 hits in the US. She won the Academy of Country Music’s Top New Female Vocalist award and swept the Canadian Country Music Awards. The follow-up album, Dress Rehearsal, also debuted in the Top 10. To date, Carolyn has earned nearly 20 Canadian Country Music Awards for songwriting, performing, and producing. As an artist she has toured with Reba McEntire, Alan Jackson, Kenny Chesney, Keith Urban, and Merle Haggard. As a backup vocalist and musician she’s toured with Ashley McBryde, Miranda Lambert, and Martina McBride. After a hiatus as an artist she has recently begun recording new music while continuing to enjoy success as a writer, including Chris Stapleton’s "The Day I Die,“ a song Carolyn and Chris wrote together that appeared on his 2023 album Higher.  

Folkie Americana indie hero Drew Holcomb joins us to chat about the songwriting process and which of his songs he's not a fan of! PART ONEScott and Paul debrief the experience of recently seeing the 74-year-old Bruce Springsteen perform with the energy of a teenagerPART TWOOur in-depth conversation with Drew HolcombABOUT DREW HOLCOMBMemphis native Drew Holcomb first broke through on the national scene with the 2011 album Chasing Someday, credited to his band Drew Holcomb & the Neighbors. Subsequent studio albums, such as Good Light, Medicine, Souvenir, and Dragons hit the Top 10 on Billboard's folk and indie charts  and earned Holcomb and his bandmates a loyal following. The fiercely independent group is widely regarded as a live performance powerhouse, while Holcomb's original songs have found particular resonance with music supervisors who have made them staples of film and TV show synch placements. Whether working with the band, solo, or as a duo with his wife and fellow singer/songwriter, Ellie Holcomb,  Drew's literate folk-based Americana represents a craftman's approach to the songwriting process. The most recent album from Drew Holcomb & the Neighbors is called Strangers No More. 

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.  

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 RossdaleABOUT 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. 

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 BeatlesPART ONE:Scott and Paul talk about concept albums and reveal their favoritesPART TWO:Our in-depth conversation with Dave BarnesABOUT 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. 

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 MerchantABOUT: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.  

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 RitterAbout 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. 

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 StanleyABOUT 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. 

SUMMARYStax 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 ONEScott and Paul discuss the wild story behind the monumental box set Written in Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos.PART TWOOur in-depth interview with Deanie ParkerABOUT DEANIE PARKERWhile 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. 

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

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.   

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 GorleyABOUT 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. 

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 CroninABOUT 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.  

SUMMARYDavid 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 ONEPaul and Scott offer up opportunities for song critiques, co-writing, and a lot of other cool Patreon perks.PART TWOOur in-depth conversation with David Shaw of The RevivalistsABOUT DAVID SHAWDavid 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. 

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 NashAbout 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.  

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 MaherABOUT 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.   

Summary: Why the heck are we having  comedian on Songcraft?Part One:Paul and Scott chat about comedy, fandom, and the great Willie NelsonPart Two:Our in-depth conversation with the very funny Dusty SlayAbout 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. 

SUMMARYOur 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 ONEScott and Paul talk about AI and the impact it's having on the world of songwritingPART TWOOur in-depth interview with Dar Williams ABOUT DAR WILLIAMSAuthor, 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.  

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 housePart Two: Our in-depth interview with Chris ShiflettAbout 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. 

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. 

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.  

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 CampbellABOUT 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.  

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 McGuinnABOUT 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. 

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 HallABOUT 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.        

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 VanceABOUT 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.  

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. 

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 MorrisonABOUT 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.

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 BushABOUT 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. 

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 WilsonABOUT 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.  

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 ColeABOUT 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. 

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. 

SUMMARYOur 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 ONEPaul 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 TWOOur in-depth conversation with Paul ThornABOUT PAUL THORNTupelo, 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. 

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 GibsonABOUT 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. 

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 CantrellABOUT 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.  

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. 

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 IanABOUT 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. 

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 - 2:49Scott and Paul chat about Pearl Snap Studios and set the stage for this very special "old friends" episode.PART TWO - 6:02They guys welcome longtime friend and fellow music geek David Manning to argue about beloved songs that they actually hate. PART THREE - 39:20Our in-depth conversation with Natalie HembyABOUT 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.”  

SUMMARYOn 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 ONEPaul 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 TWOOur in-depth conversation with three-time Grammy nominee Allison RussellABOUT ALLISON RUSSELLCanadian-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. 

SUMMARYOur 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 ONEScott 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 TWOOur in-depth interview with Cinco PaulABOUT CINCO PAULCinco 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.    

PART ONEPaul and Scott talk about The Beatles' Get Back documentary from a songwriting perspectivePART TWOOur in-depth interview with Amanda ShiresABOUT AMANDA SHIRESSinger, 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.  

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.

SUMMARYOur 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 ONEScott and Paul chat about the nature of hall of fames, or is it halls of fame?PART TWOOur in-depth interview with Bruce CockburnABOUT BRUCE COCKBURNSinger-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. 

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 WheelABOUT 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. 

SUMMARYOur 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 ONEPaul 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 YolaABOUT YOLASinger-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. 

SUMMARYOur 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 ONEScott 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 TWOOur in-depth interview with Justin GrayABOUT JUSTIN GRAYJustin 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. 

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 LPABOUT 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.  

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 ParksABOUT VAN DYKE PARKSVan 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.  

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!  

SUMMARY:Our guest on this episode of Songcraft is Rami Yacoub, one of the most influential Swedish songwriters and producers of the last two decades. He joins us in a few moments to talk about his career, from early Britney Spears classics such as “Baby One More Time,” to boy band hits such as One Direction’s “What Makes U Beautiful,” to recent smashes such as Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande’s double platinum chart topper “Rain on Me.”  PART ONE:Scott and Paul chat with Nashville-based songwriter Arlis Albritton (cuts by Jamey Johnson, Luke Bryan, and others) about the upcoming St. Augustine Songwriters Festival, which Arlis founded. PART TWO:The guys pay tribute to a few recently-departed music legends: The Rolling Stones' Charlie Watts, Don Everly, and the great Tom T. Hall, who was a guest on the 67th episode of Songcraft - a conversation that turned out to be his final interview. PART THREE:Our in-depth interview with hitmaker Rami Yacoub. ABOUT RAMI YACOUB:As a songwriter and producer, Rami Yacoub has been involved in some of the biggest pop hits of the last twenty years. Raised in Sweden by Palestinian parents, Rami’s first massive international hit was Britney Spears’ “Baby One More Time,” which he co-produced with Max Martin. He and Martin went on to score additional hits with Spears, including “Oops…I Did it Again,” “Stronger,” and “I’m Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman.” Additionally, he wrote and produced The Backstreet Boys’ Top 10 single “Shape of My Heart” and NSYNC’s “It’s Gonna Be Me,” which was the group’s only single to reach #1 on the Billboard pop chart. After co-writing P!nk’s “U + Ur Hand,” he found massive success writing and producing for One Direction, including the hit singles “What Makes U Beautiful,” “One Thing,” “Live While We’re Young,” and “Kiss You.” Additional hits Rami has written include “Starships” and “Pound the Alarm” by Nicki Minaj, “One Last Time” by Ariana Grande, “Unstable” by Justin Bieber, and the double platinum #1 hit “Rain on Me” for Lady Gaga, which was one of more than half a dozen songs he co-wrote for her critically acclaimed Chromatica album in 2020. The long list of artists who’ve recorded Rami’s songs includes Demi Lovato, Celine Dion, Carl Rae Jepson, 5 Seconds of Summer, Avicii, All Time Low, Selena Gomez, Jason DeRulo, and Madonna.  

SUMMARYOur guest on this episode of Songcraft is Poo Bear, who is known for his extensive collaborations with Justin Bieber, including the multi-platinum hits “Where Are U Now,” “What Do You Mean,” and “Despacito (Remix),” as well as for hits such as “Caught Up” by Usher, “I Can Transform Ya” by Chris Brown, and “10,000 Hours” by Dan + Shay. He joins us i to chat about his multi-platinum career as a behind the scenes writer, and his recent work as an artist. PART ONEScott and Paul chat about their elevator encounters with Ice Cube, Common, Kenny Loggins, Kelly Rowland, and Jermaine Jackson, and why random run-ins don't always result in amazing songwriting partnerships. PART TWOScott's in-depth interview with Jason "Poo Bear" BoydABOUT POO BEARSong of the Year Grammy nominee Poo Bear is perhaps best known for his collaborations with Justin Bieber, including the multi-platinum hits “All That Matters,” “Where Are U Now,” “What Do You Mean,” “Company,” “Yummy,” and “Intentions,” as well as “Despacito (Remix)” (with Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee) and “I Don’t Care” (with Ed Sheeran). Other hits from the Poo Bear songbook include “Anywhere” and “Peaches and Cream” by the R&B group 112, “Caught Up” by Usher, “My Petition” from Jill Scott’s Grammy-winning Beautifully Human album, Chris Brown’s “I Can Transform Ya” and “She Ain’t You,” and Dan + Shay’s “10,000 Hours.” His catalog has registered sales of over 350 million records worldwide, dozens of multi-platinum certifications, and 100 billion streams and counting. He has collaborated with The Rolling Stones, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, P!nk, Faith Evans, Dr. Dre, Lupe Fiasco, Drake, Snoop Dogg, Yo Gotti, Rick Ross, Skrillex, DJ Khaled, Mariah Carey, Billie Eilish, Steven Tyler, and many others.Not limited by any one genre, Poo Bear’s songwriting can be found on everything from J Balvin’s Latin Grammy award-winning Energía to Zac Brown Band’s #1 country album The Owl. As an artist, he co-founded the rootsy project Bear and a Banjo, which released a self-title debut in 2020 that was produced by T-Bone Burnett. Further stepping out from behind the scenes, Poo Bear’s most recent release is the single “The Day You Left.” 

Part One:Paul and Scott pay tribute to ZZ Top's Dusty Hill, talk about bands with unchanging lineups, delve into the particulars of magnificent Songcraft beards, and take a closer look at Billboard's Christian music charts.  Part Two:Our in-depth conversation with David CrowderABOUT DAVID CROWDER:David Crowder is a phenomenally successful singer, songwriter, and musician in Christian music. He first rose to prominence with The David Crowder Band, which introduced church communities to songs such as “O Praise Him,” “Here is Our King,” and “How He Loves,” which has earned nearly 60 million streams on Spotify. The five-time Grammy nominee began a genre-bending solo career under the mononymous stage name Crowder in 2012, and has released four albums and a string of Top 10 singles including “I Am,” “Come As You Are,” “Forgiven,” “All My Hope,” “Red Letters,” and “Let it Rain.” Other staples from the Crowder songbook include “Open Skies,” “Everything Glorious,” “This I Know,” and “I’m Leaning on You.” Crowder has collaborated with a range of artists, including Chris Tomlin, Tauren Wells, Riley Clemmons, Maverick City Music, Marty Stuart, and Emmylou Harris, and has earned 16 GMA Dove Awards. His most recent album, Milk & Honey hit #1 on the US Christian charts, and the lead single “Good God Almighty” became his first song to hit #1 on all four Billboard Christian music charts. 

SUMMARY:Our guests on this episode of Songcraft are Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, best known for co-writing and producing nearly every Janet Jackson hit. They’ve worked with a who’s who of artists, earning them 26 Billboard #1 R&B hits, 16 Billboard #1 pop hits, more Producer of the Year Grammy nominations than anyone in history, and a place in the Songwriters Hall of Fame. We’ll chat with them about their varied career, and their new first-ever album under their own names, entitled Volume One. PART ONE:Fan mail and the hardest job in the world.PART TWO:Scott and Paul chat about the idea of the celebrity producer, and how Jam & Lewis might have set a new mold. PART THREE:Our in-depth interview with Jimmy Jam & Terry LewisABOUT JAM & LEWISWith 26 Billboard #1 R&B hits and 16 Billboard #1 pop hits to their credit, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis are perhaps the most influential and successful songwriting and production duo in modern music history. With a total of 41 Top 10 hits in the US, Jimmy and Terry were named ASCAP Songwriters of the Year a record-breaking nine times. They are perhaps best known for their work with Janet Jackson, beginning with the Control album, which earned the duo a Grammy for Producer of the Year. Between 1986 and 1994 they scored thirteen #1 songs with Janet on either the R&B or pop chart, including “What Have You Done For Me Lately,” “Nasty,” “When I Think of You,” “Control,” “Let’s Wait Awhile,” “Miss You Much,” “Rhythm Nation,” “Escapade” “Love Will Never Do (Without You),” “The Best Things in Life Are Free,” “That’s the Way Love Goes,” “Any Time, Any Place,” and “Again,” which earned Jimmy, Terry, and Janet an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song. Jimmy and Terry got their start as musicians with Morris Day and the Time, the Prince-produced band whose biggest hit was the Jam and Lewis-penned “Jerk Out.” They made the transition to a successful songwriting and production team working with the S.O.S. band, which landed a #2 R&B hit with “Just Be Good to Me.” From there, they made their mark on pop and R&B hits for decades to come. In addition to their work with Jackson, the duo wrote and produced the #1 pop singles “Human” by Human League, “Romantic” by Karyn White, “Thank God I Found You” by Mariah Carey, and the Boyz II Men singles “On Bended Knee” and “4 Seasons of Loneliness.” Additional R&B chart toppers include “Encore” by Cheryl Lynn, “Fake” by Alexander O’Neal, “Everything I Miss at Home” by Cherelle, “Sensitivity” by Ralph Tresvant, and the Johnny Gill singles “Rub You the Right Way” and “Wrap My Body Tight.” Other highlights from their catalog include New Edition’s “If It Isn’t Love” and “I’m Still in Love With You,” “No More Drama” by Mary J. Blige, Robert Palmer’s hit pop cover of their Cherelle single “I Didn’t Mean to Turn You On,” and recordings by Gladys Knight & The Pips, Barry White, Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, Usher, Spice Girls, Aretha Franklin, Charlie Wilson, Ledisi, Sting, Elton John, Beyonce, Rihanna, Rod Stewart, Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Gwen Stefani, Willie Nelson, and many others.Always versatile, the duo has earned Grammy awards for Best R&B Album for Chaka Kahn’s Funk This, Best Gospel Song for Yolanda Adams’ “Be Blessed,” and Best Dance Recording for Janet Jackson’s #1 pop and R&B hit “All For You.” Additional Jackson hits that were written and produced with Jam and Lewis include the Janet and Michael Jackson hit “Scream” and the #1 singles “Together Again,” “I Get Lonely,” “Doesn’t Really Matter,” and the Nelly duet “Call On Me.”In total the team has earned over 100 gold, platinum, multi-platinum and diamond album certifications from the RIAA, have received more Producer of the Year Grammy nominations than anyone in history, earned the NAACP Lifetime Achievement Award, and were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. They’ve recently released their first album under their own names, which is called Volume One. 

SUMMARY:Our guest on this episode of Songcraft is Georgia native and Best Americana Album Grammy nominee Brent Cobb. The self-described songwriter-singer joins us to chat about his dual career as an artist and as a behind-the-scenes tunesmith for Luke Bryan, Little Big Town, Miranda Lambert, Kenny Chesney, and others. PART ONEPaul and Scott dissect the difference between a guitarist and a guitar enthusiast. PART TWO:Scott's in-depth interview with Brent CobbABOUT BRENT COBB:Georgia native Brent Cobb began his music career in Los Angeles working with his cousin Dave Cobb and Shooter Jennings. He later found himself in Nashville where he landed a staff songwriting deal and started getting his songs recorded by artists such as Luke Bryan, Little Big Town, Miranda Lambert, Kenny Chesney, and many others. He eventually signed an artist deal with the Elektra Records imprint Low Country Sound, scoring a Top 20 country album with Shine On Rainy Day. The LP earned a Grammy nomination for Best Americana Album. His follow-up release, Providence Canyon earned Brent a spot touring with Chris Stapleton. His most recent release, Keep ‘Em On They Toes, marks his return to Georgia and his most personal album to date. We recently caught up with Brent via phone where he called in from a semi-quiet corner of a hotel hallway at Disneyworld where he was vacationing with his family.  

SUMMARY:Our guest on this episode of Songcraft is Richard Marx, who is best known for writing and recording hits such as “Don’t Mean Nothing,” “Hold on to the Nights” and “Right Here Waiting.” But that’s only part of the story. As a songwriter, Marx has written #1 hits for other artists, ranging from Kenny Rogers to Josh Groban to NSYNC to Keith Urban. He’s sold more than 30 million albums as an artist, earned the Grammy Song of the Year as a writer, and, with the publication of his new memoir on July 6th, is now an author with many amazing stories to tell.    PART ONE:Scott and Paul talk about the new Songcraft T-shirts, and wonder if Richard Marx is perhaps in an elite club whose only other members are the Bee Gees. PART TWO: Our in-depth conversation with Richard MarxABOUT RICHARD MARXGrammy-winning performer Richard Marx has sold more than 30 million albums as an artist, but if you only know him from late 1980s ballads such as “Hold on to the Nights” and “Right Here Waiting,” you only know part of the story. A prolific songwriter, Marx has landed fourteen songs at the top of various Billboard charts, and has written a #1 single in each of the last four decades. His genre-crossing songwriting success includes “What About Me” and “Crazy,” which Kenny Rogers carried to the top of the Adult Contemporary and Country charts, respectively; “Edge of a Broken Heart,” a hit for the female metal band Vixen; “This I Promise You,” a Top 5 pop single for NSYNC that stayed at #1 on the Adult Contemporary Chart for 13 weeks; Josh Groban’s debut single “To Where You Are,” which also reached #1; and “Dance With My Father,” which Richard wrote with the song’s performer, Luther Vandross, and which earned the pair the prestigious Grammy Song of the Year award in 2004. Additionally, Richard has scored three major hits with Keith Urban: the Top 5 “Everybody,” and the #1 singles “Better Life” and “Long Hot Summer.”  Despite all his songwriting success, however, Marx is best known as a singer and performer who today jokes about his 80s hairstyle and of-the-era drum sounds. But the songs are undeniable, all of which Marx wrote and produced himself. His debut self-titled album yielded four Top 5 singles: “Don’t Mean Nothing,” “Should’ve Known Better,” “Endless Summer Nights,” and “Hold on to the Nights.” His follow-up, 1989’s Repeat Offender, was even more successful, going quadruple-platinum and earning two number one Billboard pop singles, “Satisfied” and “Right Here Waiting,” in addition to the Top 5 “Angelina.” More hits followed, including “Keep Coming Back,” “Hazard,” “Take This Heart,” “Now and Forever,” and “Until I Find You Again.” In addition, Richard’s songs have been integral to a number of successful film soundtracks. He earned a Grammy nomination for his contributions to St. Elmo’s Fire; scored a Top 10 pop hit with “Surrender to Me,” which Ann Wilson of Heart and Robin Zander of Cheap Trick recorded for the movie Tequila Sunrise, and wrote “At the Beginning,” a hit duet for the film Anastasia that Richard performed with Donna Lewis. Over the course of his career, Richard’s songs have been recorded by Barbra Streisand, The Tubes, Sarah Brightman, Monica, Natalie Cole, Michael Bolton, Paulina Rubio, Emerson Drive, Chicago, Billy Ray Cyrus, Vince Gill, Kenny Loggins, LeAnn Rimes, Celine Dion, Julio Iglesias, Berry Manilow, Daughtry, Vertical Horizon, Lifehouse, Dave Koz, Jennifer Nettles, Ringo Starr, and many others. His memoir, Stories to Tell, is available July 6 from Simon & Shuster. 

SUMMARY:Our guest on this episode of Songcraft is musician, rapper, poet, activist, and singer-songwriter Michael Franti, who is best known for his work with his group Spearhead. He joins us to discuss the evolution of his music, the creation of hits such as “Say Hey (I Love You)” and “The Sound of Sunshine,” and his most recent album, Work Hard & Be Nice. PART ONE:Scott and Paul get into some serious grammar nerd stuff about implied punctuation in lyrics, how incorrect sentence construction often works better in lyrics, and what the heck Bryan Adams really had in mind when he wrote "Heaven."PART TWO:We chat about our friends at Pearl Snap Studios, address Scott's "Zoom yelling," and tee up for the main event...PART THREE:Scott's in-depth interview with Michael FrantiABOUT MICHAEL FRANTISocially conscious and genre-bending artist, musician, rapper, poet, activist and singer-songwriter Michael Franti launched his career with early groups such as Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, whose debut release was listed in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. He went on to form Spearhead, which evolved from hip-hop to incorporate influences including jazz, soul, funk, rock, reggae, and folk. The 2008 Michael Franti & Spearhead album All Rebel Rockers was his first to hit the Top 40 on the Billboard album charts on the strength of the single “Say Hey (I Love You),” which was also a Top 20 hit on the pop chart. He went on to release a string of albums that hit the Rock Albums Top 5, including The Sound of Sunshine, All People, and SoulRocker. His most recent album is called Work Hard & Be Nice, which was released during the pandemic in the summer of 2020. In addition to his work as an artist and activist, Michael is the owner of a yoga resort hotel in Bali called Soulshine, from which he joined us for this interview. 

Summary:Our guest on this episode of Songcraft is Marty Dodson, who has written #1 singles such as “Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven” for Kenny Chesney and “Must Be Doin’ Something Right” for Billy Currington. The Nashville hitmaker joins us to discuss his songwriting journey, and give us further insight into Songtown, the songwriter community he co-founded to provide quality resources for aspiring professionals.  Part One:Scott and Paul talk about their favorite music podcasts of the moment.Part Two:Our in-depth interview with Marty Dodson.About Marty Dodson:One of the rare Nashville songwriters who actually grew up in Nashville, Marty Dodson changed careers as a young adult to dedicate himself to his passion for writing songs. Much of his success came in the country world with singles such as Rascal Flatts’ Top 10 hit “While You Loved Me,” Carrie Underwood’s “Songs Like This,” Kenny Chesney’s multi-week #1 hit “Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven,” Charlie Worsham’s debut single “Could It Be,” Blake Shelton’s “Doing it to Country Songs.” and two Billy Currington chart-toppers, “Must Be Doin’ Something’ Right” and “Let Me Down Easy.” Never one to limit himself to a single genre, Marty has also collaborated with Tom Higgenson of the rock band Plain White T’s, which recorded two of his songs, and has had his compositions recorded by everyone from Joe Cocker, who had an international #1 with Marty’s “Fire It Up,” to Cho Yong Pil, a South Korean superstar who had a multi-week #1 with Marty’s song “Bounce.” In addition to his writing, Marty is the co-founder of Songtown, a creative community of aspiring writers that provides blog posts, webinars, podcasts, and even books, including two co-authored by Marty: Song Building: Mastering Lyric Writing, and The Songwriter’s Guide to Mastering Co-Writing.

SUMMARY: Bridget Kearney and Rachael Price of the band Lake Street Dive join us to talk about a career that’s earned them top 20 albums on the Billboard 200 chart, a half dozen singles on the AAA chart, massive critical praise, and a brand new album on Nonesuch Records called "Obviously" that elevates the band’s pop, rock, R&B, and jazz influences into a perfectly unique blend that's equal parts retro and contemporary. PART ONE:Paul & Scott read listener mail, talk Patreon perks, and tell you how to get your very own Songcraft T-shirt! PART TWO:Our in-depth conversation with Rachael and Bridget of Lake Street DiveABOUT LAKE STREET DIVE:Lake Street Dive’s tight harmonies and wide-ranging tastes in pop, rock, R&B, and jazz blend together to create a cohesive sound that celebrates retro influences with a contemporary attitude. Formed at the New England Conservatory of Music in 2004, the group has released seven studio albums, issued two EPs, and charted a half dozen singles on Billboard’s Adult Alternative Airplay chart including “Call Off Your Dogs,” “Good Kisser,” “Shame Shame Shame,” and “Hypotheticals.” The latter is off their most recent album on Nonesuch Records, titled Obviously. The group has appeared on Late Night with David Letterman, Conan, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and NPR’s Tiny Desk series. They’ve earned many millions of YouTube views with their innovative interpretations of covers songs, as well as with originals such as “What I’m Doing Here,” “You Go Down Smooth,” “Mistakes,” “Side Pony,” and “Bad Self Portraits.” Lead singer Rachael Price and bassist Bridget Kearney join us to talk about their songwriting process and the evolution of the band.  

PART ONE:Scott & Paul chat about making records, and dive way too deep on how every Songcraft guest is connected.PART TWO (30 minute mark):Our in-depth interview with Todd SniderABOUT TODD SNIDER:Celebrated singer-songwriter Todd Snider has continued the troubadour legacy of mentors like John Prine, Jerry Jeff Walker, and Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, while putting his uniquely clever, wry, sly, and often irreverent spin on folk, rock, country, and Americana. Launching his career on Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Records, Snider has spent more than two decades touring relentlessly, both on his own and with legendary artists such as Emmylou Harris. Along the way he’s made a splash with fan favorite songs such as “Talking Seattle Grunge Rock Blues,” “Alright Guy,” “Can’t Complain,” “Beer Run,” “Statistician’s Blues,” and “Play a Train Song.” He has released well over a dozen albums, including The Devil You Know and Agnostic Hymns and Stoner Fables, both of which were named to Rolling Stone’s list of the Top 50 Albums of the Year. He also formed the group Hardworking Americans, and published a memoir called I Never Met a Story I Didn’t Like: Mostly True Tall Tales. His songs have been covered by Garth Brooks, Gary Allan, Mark Chesnutt, Tom Jones, Jerry Jeff Walker, Billy Joe Shaver, Elizabeth Cook, Warren Haynes, Loretta Lynn, and Elvis Costello. His experimental new funk-influenced album is called First Agnostic Church of Hope and Wonder.

SUMMARY:Dan Nigro has already taken 2021 by storm as the co-writer and producer of Olivia Rodrigo’s global smash hit “Drivers License.” He joins us to talk about his development as a writer, his success with Freya Ridings and Conan Gray, and how he’s experiencing this moment as pop music’s new songwriting superstar. PART ONE:Scott and Paul chat about how oddly "adult" pop music was in the '80s.PART TWO:Our in-depth interview with Dan NigroABOUT DAN NIGRO:Songwriter and producer Dan Nigro is having a major moment. Olivia Rodrigo’s debut single “Drivers License,” which he co-wrote and produced, made her the youngest artist in history to debut at the top of the Billboard pop chart. A global sensation, the song not only stayed on top of the US chart for two full months, but reached number one in the UK, Japan, and more than 20 other countries. It set a new streaming record on Spotify with over 15 million plays in a single day. Prior to his years-long overnight success, Dan began his musical life as the leader of indie rock band As Tall as Lions before transitioning to songwriting and producing. His resume includes “Cameo Lover” by Kimbra, “Mercy” by Lewis Capaldi, “Castles” by Freya Ridings, “So Hot You’re Hurting My Feelings” by Caroline Polachek, and “Heather” by Conan Gray. In addition to those songs, which have nearly 300 million combined views on YouTube, Dan has written and/or produced for Sky Ferreira, Kylie Minogue, Billy Idol, Little Boots, Carly Rae Jepsen, Zella Day, Finneas, and many others. His latest single, Olivia Rodrigo’s “Deja Vu,” was released less than two weeks prior to this episode and is already a Top 10 pop hit, indicating that the team of Rodrigo and Nigro is here to stay. 

SUMMARY: Rock & Roll Hall of Famer and four-time Grammy nominee Nancy Wilson of Heart joins us to chat about self-penned classics such as "Crazy on You," "Magic Man," "Barracuda," and "Never," as well as her work scoring films, and her upcoming debut solo album, You and Me. PART ONE: Paul and Scott chat about demos, their friends at Pearl Snap Studios, the grand finale of their Women's History Month series, why Nancy Wilson paved the way for little girls to aspire to great guitar heights, and what one Heart song each of them plans to blast after the interview. PART TWO: 9:02 markOur in-depth interview with Nancy WilsonABOUT NANCY WILSON:Four-time Grammy nominee and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Nancy Wilson is best known for her work in the band Heart, which she and her sister Ann helped propel to rock superstardom in the 1970s, thanks to self-penned classics such as “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.” Though she has sold over 35 million albums worldwide as a member of Heart, Nancy’s songwriting efforts extend beyond the confines of the band. She has written songs and scores for films, including Say Anything, Jerry Maguire, Almost Famous, Vanilla Sky, and Elizabethtown. She is also a founding member of the bands The Lovemongers and Roadcase Royale. Though she previously released a solo acoustic set called Live At McCabe’s Guitar Shop, Nancy’s debut studio album as a solo artist, You and Me, will be released on May 7th.   

Jackie DeShannon is best known for her hit records “What the World Needs Now is Love” and the self-penned “Put a Little Love In Your Heart.” The Songwriters Hall of Fame member and five-time Grammy nominee who won the coveted Song of the Year Grammy for “Bette Davis Eyes” joins us to chat about her remarkable career. PART ONEScott and Paul chat about their new theme song, Grammys lost and won, further reflections on Women's History Month, and why Paul's daughter is a little confused by Paul Stanley of KISS. PART TWOOur in-depth interview with the legendary Jackie DeShannonABOUT JACKIE DeSHANNONJackie DeShannon was one of the first women in pop music to write and record her own material. As an artist, Jackie is best known for her recording of the Burt Bacharach and Hal David classic “What the World Needs Now is Love,” as well as for her self-penned “Put a Little Love in Your Heart,” which was a Top 5 hit for her before being revived 20 years later to become a hit once again for Al Green and Annie Lennox. The five-time Grammy nominee who won the coveted Song of the Year Grammy for “Bette Davis Eyes” composed several classics, including “Dum Dum,” a hit for Brenda Lee, “Breakaway,” a hit for both Irma Thomas and Tracy Ullman, “When You Walk in the Room,” which was covered by The Searchers, and “Don’t Doubt Yourself Babe,” which was included on the debut album by The Byrds.Jackie appeared with The Beatles on their first American tour in 1964 and has collaborated with a wide range of artists including Randy Newman, Jimmy Page, and Van Morrison. Her songs have been covered by Marianne Faithfull, Ella Fitzgerald, Glen Campbell, The Everly Brothers, Cher, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Dolly Parton, Rick Nelson, Bruce Springsteen, Michael McDonald, and Taylor Swift. Jackie was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2010. 

Summary: Grand Ole Opry legend Jeannie Seely. a Grammy winner who placed nearly 30 singles on the Billboard country charts as an artist, joins us to chat about her craft as a BMI award-winning songwriter whose compositions have been recorded by Merle Haggard, Ray Price, Irma Thomas, Rhonda Vincent, Faron Young, Connie Smith, Dottie West, Willie Nelson, and others. She talks about co-writing with Randy Newman and Glen Campbell, shares her perspective on Nashville’s songwriting community as the former spouse of Hall of Fame songwriter Hank Cochran, tells us what she learned from Porter Wagoner, and sheds insights on the challenges women of her generation faced while making their way as respected country songwriters.   PART ONE: The guys chat about Paul's recent songwriting success with artist Lauren Daigle and look ahead to what they have planned for Women's History Month.PART TWO: Our in-depth interview with Jeannie Seely.ABOUT JEANNIE SEELY:Singer, songwriter, producer, actress, author and radio show host Jeannie Seely has been a staple of the Grand Ole Opry cast for more than five decades, and is now the Official Ambassador for the Opry. She rose to prominence with the #1 hit “Don’t Touch Me,” a multi-million selling single written by her ex-husband, songwriting legend Hank Cochran, that earned her a Grammy award and recognition from Billboard, Cashbox and Record World magazines as the Most Promising Female Country Artist. Earning the nickname Miss Country Soul, Seely placed nearly 30 songs on the Billboard country chart, including “It’s Only Love,” “A Wanderin’ Man,” “I’ll Love You More (Than You Need),” “Can I Sleep in Your Arms Tonight Mister,” the Grammy-nominated Jack Greene duet “Wish I Didn’t Have to Miss You,” and the self-penned songs “Farm in Pennsyltucky” and “He Can Be Mine.”Before she hit the charts as an artist, Jeannie found early pop songwriting success with “Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand),” a pop and R&B hit for Irma Thomas that she co-wrote with Randy Newman. Soon, country artists such as Connie Smith and Dottie West began recording Jeannie’s songs. Since then, her compositions have been recorded by Willie Nelson, Ernest Tubb, Ray Price, Little Jimmy Dickens, Tex Williams, Merle Haggard, Lorrie Morgan, Doyle Lawson, and Faron Young, who scored a Top 10 pop hit with “Leaving and Saying Goodbye,” which earned Jeannie a BMI award.  Recording for the Monument, Decca, MCA and Columbia labels, Seely is credited with breaking barriers for women in country music, and the four-time CMA Awards nominee hasn’t slowed down. She hosts her own radio show on Willie’s Roadhouse on SiriusXM, and co-wrote “Like I Could,” a recent bluegrass chart topper recorded by Rhonda Vincent. Her recent albums include Written in Song, which spotlights her own compositions, and American Classic, her most recent album which features “Not a Dry Eye in the House,” a duet with Willie Nelson that was released on Jeannie’s 80th birthday in 2020.    

Our guest is Diane Warren, an Emmy, Golden Globe, and Grammy winner with 11 Academy Award nominations for Best Original Song. The Songwriters Hall of Famer and ASCAP Founders Award winner is known for a long list of hits, including “Rhythm of the Night,” “Blame it On the Rain,” “Because You Loved Me,” “Don’t Turn Around,” “Unbreak My Heart,” “I Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing,” and “How Do I Live.” She joins us to talk about her wide-ranging career, and her upcoming first-ever studio album, The Cave Sessions, Vol. 1.   PART ONE:Scott and Paul chat about the Bruce Springsteen Super Bowl commercial, authenticity, Willie Nelson's reggae album, and Lady Gaga's meat dress. PART TWO:The guys pay tribute to Songwriters Hall of Famer (and former Songcraft guest) Jim Weatherly who passed away recently. Hear all about Scott's connection with the "Midnight Train to Georgia" writer that goes back many many years.  PART THREE: Our in-depth interview with Diane WarrenABOUT DIANE WARRENSongwriters Hall of Famer Diane Warren is an Emmy, Golden Globe, and Grammy winner (with a total of 15 Grammy nominations to her credit) who has been honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and is perhaps one of the most successful pop songwriters of all time. Her long list of Top-10 pop hits includes “Rhythm of the Night” by DeBarge, “I Get Weak” by Belinda Carlisle, “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” and “Set the Night to Music” by Starship, “Who Will You Run To” by Heart, “I Don’t Wanna Live Without Your Love” and “Look Away” by Chicago, “Blame it on the Rain” by Milli Vanilli, “How Can We Be Lovers” and “When I’m Back on My Feet Again” by Michael Bolton, “I’ll Be Your Shelter” and “Love Will Lead You Back” by Taylor Dayne, “If I Could Turn Back Time” and “Just Like Jesse James” by Cher, and “When I See You Smile” by Bad English.But those are just a few highlights from the 1980s. In the ‘90s she became a five-time ASCAP Pop Songwriter of the Year, and was named Billboard Pop Songwriter of the Year for three years in a row thanks to writing hits such as “If You Asked Me To” and “Because You Loved Me” for Celine Dion, “Don’t Turn Around” for Ace of Base, “For You I Will” for Monica, “The One I Gave My Heart To” for Aaliyah, “Unbreak My Heart” for Toni Braxton, “Have You Ever” for Brandy, “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” for Aerosmith, “I Turn to You” for Christina Aguilera, “Music of My Heart” for Gloria Estefan, and “How Do I Live” for LeAnn Rimes, which became the longest-running song in Billboard chart history. Warren has earned eleven Academy Award nominations for Best Original Song between 1988 and 2020, including “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now,” “Because You Loved Me,” “How Do I Live,” “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing,” “Til It Happens to You,” which was a collaboration with Lady Gaga, “Stand Up for Something,” which was a collaboration with Common and “I’ll Fight” from the film RBG. She has continued to have her songs recorded by a wide-range of artists in recent years, including “Born to Be Somebody” by Justin Bieber, “I Was Here” by Beyonce, “Only Love Can Hurt Like This” by Paloma Faith, and “To Get Here” by Willie Nelson. Other artists who’ve recorded her songs include Barbra Streisand, Johnny Mathis, Jennifer Hudson, Patti LaBelle, Dionne Warwick, Roy Orbison, Al Green, Rod Stewart, Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, Bette Midler, Lionel Richie, Faith Hill, Trisha Yearwood, Reba McEntire, Bon Jovi, Alice Cooper, KISS, Joan Jett, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, Jessie J, Demi Lovato, Carrie Underwood, Adele, Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin, and Whitney Houston. A recipient of the prestigious ASCAP Founder’s Award, Warren has recently completed her first studio album, The Cave Sessions, Vol. 1, which features John Legend, Celine Dion, Mary J. Blige, Jason Derulo, Ty Dolla $ign, LP, and Darius Rucker who performs the lead single “Times Like This.”