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This week I’m joined by Stephen Christian, mastermind behind the project Anchor & Braille and former frontman of Florida alternative rock band Anberlin. Anberlin was a mainstay of the punk and emo scene throughout the 2000s, releasing celebrated albums like Never Take Friendship Personal and Cities; they also had a bona fide hit single, “Feel Good Drag,” which went gold and at one point held the record for most consecutive weeks spent on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart. The band broke up in 2014, but Stephen is back with new music. His third album under the name Anchor & Braille, Songs For The Late Night Drive Home, is out this Friday, February 5, and is a phenomenal collection of moody, vibey pop in the spirit of acts like Washed Out and Active Child.

I caught up with Stephen to chat about how writing this album was different than past projects, discuss how major labels tend to ruin the songwriting process, dive into some Anberlin songs and much more. Hope you enjoy!

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Stephen Christian’s Twitter | Facebook Songs For The Late Night Drive Home on iTunes The Art Collective with Stephen Christian podcast on iTunes Voice & Verse Podcast on iTunes | Stitcher | Twitter | Facebook

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Along with his writing partner, Nate Ruess, Sam Means was responsible for making some of the most compelling and forward-thinking pop music of the new millennium as one-half of indie-pop band The Format. The band’s debut album, Interventions and Lullabies, produced the minor hit “The First Single” – but the follow-up, 2006’s Dog Problems, was an instant classic, blending big band, folk, pop, rock and Broadway into an undeniable blend of fun.

Musically, things have been quiet for Sam since the Format disbanded in 2008, but he’s back with his first solo album, 10 Songs, set for release this Friday, January 22 – and what a welcome return it is. I sat down with Sam late last year to chat about spreading his musical wings again, his writing partnership with Nate Ruess, our shared love of Third Eye Blind, and much more.

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Sam Means’ Website | Twitter | Facebook 10 Songs on iTunes Voice & Verse Podcast on iTunes | Stitcher | Twitter | Facebook

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Episode 041 is a really special one for me, because I’m joined by Steven Page, co-founder and former frontman of Barenaked Ladies and my all-time favorite songwriter. With BNL, Steven’s songs—including “Brian Wilson,” “If I Had $1,000,000,” “The Old Apartment,” “It’s All Been Done,” and more—were undeniable smash hits in the ’90s and early ’00s. All told, BNL have sold more than 15 million albums worldwide.

Since leaving the band in 2009, Steven’s been busy: He released a solo album, Page One, in 2010; hosted his own TV show, The Illegal Eater; and has performed with the acclaimed Art of Time Ensemble. Most recently, he’s on the road with Art of Time, bringing a re-imagined version of The Beatles’ classic Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band to cities up and down the East Coast (tour dates here). He’s also readying a brand-new solo album, set for release in early 2016.

I sat down with Steven in Fairfax, Virginia, for one of my favorite interviews to date. We discussed his work with Art of Time and how performing Sgt. Pepper’s has augmented his love of the source material; dug in to the stories behind some of my favorite Barenaked Ladies songs; chatted about how the jokey perception of Barenaked Ladies overshadowed the deep, emotional pull of the songwriting; and much, much more. I really hope you enjoy this discussion. Thank you for listening!

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Steven Page’s Website | Twitter | Instagram Art of Time Ensemble Tour Dates Page One on iTunes Voice & Verse Podcast on iTunes | Stitcher | Twitter | Facebook

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(photo credit: Jade Ehlers)

This week, I’m joined by singer, songwriter and actor Max Schneider, known as MAX. You might have seen him out on the road this summer with Fall Out Boy and Wiz Khalifa, or on YouTube, where he’s a prolific cover artist. MAX truly does it all. He got his start on Broadway before moving to Nickelodeon, where he starred in the show How To Rock. His new EP, Ms. Anonymous, was recently released on Pete Wentz’s DCD2 label, and MAX has a part in the film Love & Mercy, a biopic about Beach Boys legend Brian Wilson.

I caught up with MAX to chat about his early days, how rejection at a young age affects his art today, his odd couple friendship with Rancid’s Tim Armstrong, and much more. Thanks for listening!

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MAX’s Twitter | Facebook Ms. Anonymous on iTunes Voice & Verse Podcast on iTunes | Stitcher | Twitter | Facebook

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I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Casey Crescenzo for 11 years, back when he was playing in The Receiving End of Sirens. Since then, he’s gone on to become one of the most prolific and praiseworthy songwriters in the scene as frontman and brain trust of The Dear Hunter. In addition to releasing four of the band’s six-part Acts series, Casey has penned seven EPs worth of material based on the color spectrum, composed a symphony, and much more.

To celebrate the release of The Dear Hunter’s new album, Act IV: Rebirth in Reprise, I caught up with Casey to chat about hitting creative roadblocks, the uncharacteristic music path he almost took and how someone who can’t read music goes about writing a symphony. Thanks for listening!

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Casey Crescenzo’s Twitter | Instagram The Dear Hunter’s Facebook | Twitter Act IV: Rebirth in Reprise on iTunes Voice & Verse Podcast on iTunes | Stitcher | Twitter | Facebook

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Dan Wilson’s first hit single came in the late ’90s, when his band, Semisonic, released the seminal sing-along “Closing Time” – a song that practically feels like a federally mandated inclusion to any karaoke night. But his songwriting prowess didn’t stop there. Overseas, Semisonic enjoyed another smash hit with “Secret Smile,” and Dan parlayed that success – along with the desire to branch out and start collaborating with outside writers – into a career as one of the most well-respected songwriters in the industry. Since then, he’s worked with everyone from Adele (with whom he wrote the already iconic “Someone Like You”) and the Dixie Chicks (netting a Grammy for “Not Ready to Make Nice” along the way) to Weezer, Nas, John Legend, Pink, Dierks Bentley, and many more. His newest solo album, Love Without Fear, was released last year.

In this chat, Dan and I discuss why it’s best not to toil over a bad song, how his painting passions contrast his day job, Love Without Fear and much more. Hope you enjoy!

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Dan Wilson’s Website | Twitter | Facebook Love Without Fear on iTunes Voice & Verse Podcast on iTunes | Stitcher | Twitter | Facebook

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If you own a TV, odds are you’ve heard an X Ambasasdors song. This New York quartet have exploded recently, with their hit singles “Jungle” and “Renegades” appearing everywhere from Beats and Jeep commercials to a promo for the 2014 World Cup. But the band are more than just jingle writers; the group’s debut album, VHS, is an intoxicating mix of rock, hip-hop, soul and funk anchored by frontman Sam Harris’ powerful vocals. On this episode, Sam and I chat about the band’s early influences, the proclivity of the Brooklyn music scene to out-indie one another, how his favorite childhood movies colored VHS, and much more. Thanks for listening!

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X Ambassadors’ Website | Twitter | Facebook VHS on iTunes Voice & Verse Podcast on iTunes | Stitcher | Twitter | Facebook

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Good Old War’s new album, Broken Into Better Shape, was just released a few weeks ago, but it’s already in contention for one of my favorite albums of the year. Combining the band’s knack for picture-perfect folk with a newly tuned melodic precision, songs like “Never Gonna See Me Cry” and “Tell Me What You Want From Me” seem destined to find a home on a radio dial near you. But this is the culmination of years of hard work for the Philadelphia-based band; rising from the ashes of Fueled By Ramen act Days Away, Good Old War have been making music together since 2008 and have released four studio albums. They also serve as Circa Survive singer Anthony Green’s backing band, which, as you’ll hear in this episode, allows them to step outside of the classic Good Old War sound and embrace some weirder tendencies.

I caught up with Dan just shortly before the release of Broken Into Better Shape to chat about the band’s history, how their work with Green impacts how they approach making music with Good Old War, why you should never give up on an idea, and much more. Thanks for listening!

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Good Old War’s Website | Twitter | Facebook Broken Into Better Shape on iTunes Voice & Verse Podcast on iTunes | Stitcher | Twitter | Facebook

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Frank Iero is best known for his time spent in My Chemical Romance, but the guitarist shouldn’t just be defined by that decade-plus period. He’s also fronted hardcore band Leathermouth, joined up with My Chem and Get Up Kids keyboardist (and Reggie and the Full Effect bandleader) James Dewees in Death Spells, and, most recently, released an album of solo material under the name FrnkIero AndTh Cellabration.

On this episode, Frank stops by to chat about his fantastic new solo album, Stomachaches, how his identity as one of My Chemical Romance’s two guitarists has (or hasn’t) shaped the music he’s written since, how fatherhood has affected his workflow, and much more!

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Frank Iero’s iero.com">Website | Twitter | Facebook Stomachaches on iTunes Voice & Verse Podcast on iTunes | Stitcher | Twitter | Facebook

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What a thrill it is for me to welcome Guster’s Ryan Miller, one of my all-time favorite songwriters, onto the show. I first heard Guster in 2000, but they’d already been making music for nine years at that point. Their 1999 major-label debut, Lost And Gone Forever, pushed them into more mainstream popularity, as did subsequent tours with the likes of Barenaked Ladies and John Mayer. Since then they’ve been a pop-rock mainstay, releasing four more albums – including 2015’s awesome Evermotion. Ryan’s also an accomplished composer, scoring for films like Safety Not Guaranteed and The Kings of Summer. We chatted about how his film work has expanded his horizons when it comes to Guster, the best songwriting advice he’s ever received, and much more!

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Links: Guster’s Twitter | Facebook | Website Evermotion on iTunes Voice & Verse Podcast on iTunes | Stitcher | Twitter | Facebook