Happy Halloween! Here’s a special edition of For Songs Singles! This time we bring back old friend Lisset Diaz, singer/songwriter for the Havana-by-Nashville-based Sweet Lizzy Project, probably one of the hardest rocking and hardest working bands around. Lisset joins me to talk about the band’s latest single, Tales of Never-Ending Rage and a Beautiful Disaster, released just in time for Halloween. The song is incredible—a tour-de-force recalling Queen, the Beatles, Living Colour, Faith No More, Guns N’ Rose, and so much more. The only thing better than the music is the backstory behind the song, so buckle up, put on your costume and welcome Lisset back to the show!
","summary":"Happy Halloween! Here’s a special edition of For Songs Singles! This time we bring back old friend Lisset Diaz, singer/songwriter for the Havana-by-Nashville-based Sweet Lizzy Project. Lisset joins me to talk about the band’s latest single, Tales of Never-Ending Rage and a Beautiful Disaster, released just in time for Halloween. The only thing better than the music is the backstory behind the song, so buckle up, put on your costume and welcome Lisset back to the show!","date_published":"2024-10-28T15:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/0ac7d85c-97c3-4c88-afc0-735f6cd64bfb.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":29401848,"duration_in_seconds":1794}]},{"id":"1961d694-fc47-4ee8-be14-de33bd1f6b95","title":"Episode 70: For Songs Singles! Speedway, The Scarlet Goodbye","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/70","content_text":"Buckle up everyone—it’s milestone time! This episode of For Songs is the nice, big, round number of 70! That’s right, 7-0! And helping me celebrate is the most popular guest I’ve had—Minneapolis singer/songwriter/guitarist Dan Murphy. A co-founding member of one of Minnesota’s biggest rock band Soul Asylum, Dan is making his third appearance on the show. In this episode of For Songs Singles, Dan discusses the first single from his new band’s forthcoming album. The song is Speedway, the band is the Scarlet Goodbye, and the album is El Camino Adios, set for release in January. The band’s second album, El Camino Adios marks a departure of sorts for Dan and his songwriting partner Jeff Arundel. As exemplified by the undeniably catchy Speedway, El Camino Adios is a character/story driven album, inspired by everyday life in rural America. Dan talks how he and Jeff approached the album and made a conscious effort to evoke stories and write outside the first person. Dan also details how a few years of playing live together brought a greater cohesion to the songs. So sit back, crack a beer, and enjoy Dan’s third appearance on the show!","content_html":"Buckle up everyone—it’s milestone time! This episode of For Songs is the nice, big, round number of 70! That’s right, 7-0! And helping me celebrate is the most popular guest I’ve had—Minneapolis singer/songwriter/guitarist Dan Murphy. A co-founding member of one of Minnesota’s biggest rock band Soul Asylum, Dan is making his third appearance on the show. In this episode of For Songs Singles, Dan discusses the first single from his new band’s forthcoming album. The song is Speedway, the band is the Scarlet Goodbye, and the album is El Camino Adios, set for release in January. The band’s second album, El Camino Adios marks a departure of sorts for Dan and his songwriting partner Jeff Arundel. As exemplified by the undeniably catchy Speedway, El Camino Adios is a character/story driven album, inspired by everyday life in rural America. Dan talks how he and Jeff approached the album and made a conscious effort to evoke stories and write outside the first person. Dan also details how a few years of playing live together brought a greater cohesion to the songs. So sit back, crack a beer, and enjoy Dan’s third appearance on the show!
","summary":"Buckle up everyone—it’s milestone time! This episode of For Songs is the nice, big, round number of 70! That’s right, 7-0! And helping me celebrate is the most popular guest I’ve had—Minneapolis singer/songwriter/guitarist Dan Murphy. A co-founding member of Soul Asylum, Dan discusses the first single from his new band’s forthcoming album. The song is Speedway, the band is the Scarlet Goodbye, and the album is El Camino Adios, set for release in January. Dan dishes on how the songs came together, the differences between the new album and the band’s 2022 debut, and how playing live has brought a new dimension to the songs. So sit back, crack a beer, and enjoy Dan’s third appearance on the show!","date_published":"2024-10-02T12:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/1961d694-fc47-4ee8-be14-de33bd1f6b95.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":22960182,"duration_in_seconds":1654}]},{"id":"fecb0b62-39eb-47ed-ba53-cb932ebf5803","title":"Episode 69: For Songs Singles! Beware, the Mighty Joshua","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/69","content_text":"Sometimes the simplest words say the most. For proof, look no further than my next guest, Richmond, Va.-based singer/songwriter [Mighty Joshua](www.mightyjoshua.com). Mighty Joshua is one of the hottest, sought after reggae acts along the East Coast, and his new album Dreaducation demonstrates why. In this episode, Mighty Joshua talks “Beware,” the first single from the new record. The song is a musical tour de force, with a driving bass line and sharp horn section anchored by Joshua’s percussion and soulful voice. Like the word itself, “Beware” is more than meets the eye—you’ll hear something new every time you listen. Mighty Joshua talks about how the song came to be, his significant growth as a singer and writer, and how being mindful—being aware—is a necessity in life. So please join me in welcoming the Mighty Joshua back to For Songs. ","content_html":"Sometimes the simplest words say the most. For proof, look no further than my next guest, Richmond, Va.-based singer/songwriter [Mighty Joshua](www.mightyjoshua.com). Mighty Joshua is one of the hottest, sought after reggae acts along the East Coast, and his new album Dreaducation demonstrates why. In this episode, Mighty Joshua talks “Beware,” the first single from the new record. The song is a musical tour de force, with a driving bass line and sharp horn section anchored by Joshua’s percussion and soulful voice. Like the word itself, “Beware” is more than meets the eye—you’ll hear something new every time you listen. Mighty Joshua talks about how the song came to be, his significant growth as a singer and writer, and how being mindful—being aware—is a necessity in life. So please join me in welcoming the Mighty Joshua back to For Songs.
","summary":"Sometimes the simplest words say the most. For proof, look no further than my next guest, Richmond, Va.-based singer/songwriter Mighty Joshua. Mighty Joshua is one of the hottest, sought after reggae acts along the East Coast, and his new album Dreaducation demonstrates why. In this episode, Mighty Joshua talks “Beware,” the first single from the new record. We talk about his significant growth as a singer and writer, and how being mindful—being aware—is a necessity in life. So please join me in welcoming the Mighty Joshua back to For Songs. ","date_published":"2024-08-11T14:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/fecb0b62-39eb-47ed-ba53-cb932ebf5803.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":22974847,"duration_in_seconds":1356}]},{"id":"8f4e4d52-1106-4497-bced-9cbeff664198","title":"Episode 68: A Conversation with Ian Hunter","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/68","content_text":"Every now and again I pinch myself when doing this show. It’s been four years and I’ve had some amazing guests. Yet this one—with all due respect to everyone who’s been on—this one has been more than 30 years in the making. Because my guest is Ian Hunter, hands down my favorite singer-songwriter of ‘em all. Ian is best known for his time fronting the early to mid-70s band English band Mott the Hoople. Mott had a major hit in 1972 with All the Young Dudes—look it up on Spotify, trust me you’ve heard it. From there Ian’s solo career has dotted nearly six decades, and he’s still going strong. Ian joined me to discuss his latest album Defiance Part II: Fiction. The album follows Defiance Part I, both of which were recorded near the end of the pandemic. The songs are fantastic, but check out the roster of musicians who joined him: Ringo Starr, Brian May, Lucinda Williams, Jeff Tweedy, the late Taylor Hawkins, and so many more. We talk about the album, the pandemic, the staying power of music, and, well, the theme of both Defiance records—agism and not going quietly into the night. What else could you want? Dive into this interview with Ian Hunter.","content_html":"Every now and again I pinch myself when doing this show. It’s been four years and I’ve had some amazing guests. Yet this one—with all due respect to everyone who’s been on—this one has been more than 30 years in the making. Because my guest is Ian Hunter, hands down my favorite singer-songwriter of ‘em all. Ian is best known for his time fronting the early to mid-70s band English band Mott the Hoople. Mott had a major hit in 1972 with All the Young Dudes—look it up on Spotify, trust me you’ve heard it. From there Ian’s solo career has dotted nearly six decades, and he’s still going strong. Ian joined me to discuss his latest album Defiance Part II: Fiction. The album follows Defiance Part I, both of which were recorded near the end of the pandemic. The songs are fantastic, but check out the roster of musicians who joined him: Ringo Starr, Brian May, Lucinda Williams, Jeff Tweedy, the late Taylor Hawkins, and so many more. We talk about the album, the pandemic, the staying power of music, and, well, the theme of both Defiance records—agism and not going quietly into the night. What else could you want? Dive into this interview with Ian Hunter.
","summary":"Every now and again I pinch myself when doing this show. It’s been four years and I’ve had some amazing guests. Yet this one was more than 30 years in the making. Because my guest is Ian Hunter, hands down my favorite singer-songwriter of ‘em all. Ian is best known for his time fronting the early to mid-70s band English band Mott the Hoople. From there Ian’s solo career has dotted nearly six decades, and he’s still going strong. Ian joined me to discuss his latest album Defiance Part II: Fiction. The songs are fantastic, but check out the roster of musicians who joined him: Ringo Starr, Brian May, Lucinda Williams, Jeff Tweedy, the late Taylor Hawkins, and so many more. I still can't believe this happened! So sit back, relax, and enjoy this interview with Ian Hunter.","date_published":"2024-05-10T13:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/8f4e4d52-1106-4497-bced-9cbeff664198.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":44637673,"duration_in_seconds":2633}]},{"id":"d0c53531-d62a-4011-84dc-96d7efc86902","title":"Episode 67: For Songs Singles! Find Your Way, Tim Easton","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/67","content_text":"Some folks are just a natural for this show. Nashville-based veteran singer/songwriter Tim Easton certainly fits the bill. A renowned tunesmith, Easton has lived a quintessential troubadour life—busking in Europe and living in L.A., New York, and many places in between. Now calling Nashville home, Tim is back with a new album Find Your Way. Tim’s solo work dates back to the late 90s, back when the major labels bet big that so-called alt.country or Americana would be the next thing. In this episode of For Songs Singles, Tim talks about how those big bets never paid off. We cover quite a bit here, but mostly we discuss the first single from the album, the ethereal title track Find Your Way. The song deals with a life-changing near-miss traffic incident, caused by Tim being a bit under the influence. Tim opens up about how the incident caused him to reevaluate his lifestyle. We also discuss his career and influences, and long-time listeners of this show will appreciate Tim’s love of both the Clash and Johnny Cash, the Louvin Brothers and Elvis Costello. So sit back and enjoy as Tim Easton joins me for For Songs. ","content_html":"Some folks are just a natural for this show. Nashville-based veteran singer/songwriter Tim Easton certainly fits the bill. A renowned tunesmith, Easton has lived a quintessential troubadour life—busking in Europe and living in L.A., New York, and many places in between. Now calling Nashville home, Tim is back with a new album Find Your Way. Tim’s solo work dates back to the late 90s, back when the major labels bet big that so-called alt.country or Americana would be the next thing. In this episode of For Songs Singles, Tim talks about how those big bets never paid off. We cover quite a bit here, but mostly we discuss the first single from the album, the ethereal title track Find Your Way. The song deals with a life-changing near-miss traffic incident, caused by Tim being a bit under the influence. Tim opens up about how the incident caused him to reevaluate his lifestyle. We also discuss his career and influences, and long-time listeners of this show will appreciate Tim’s love of both the Clash and Johnny Cash, the Louvin Brothers and Elvis Costello. So sit back and enjoy as Tim Easton joins me for For Songs.
","summary":"Some folks are just a natural for this show. Nashville-based veteran singer/songwriter Tim Easton certainly fits the bill. A renowned tunesmith, Easton has lived a quintessential troubadour life—busking in Europe and living in L.A., New York, and many places in between. Now calling Nashville home, Tim is back with a new song and new album, both called Find Your Way. In this episode, we talk about the song and discuss his career and influences. Long-time listeners of this show will appreciate Tim’s love of both the Clash and Johnny Cash, the Louvin Brothers and Elvis Costello. So sit back and enjoy as Tim Easton joins me for For Songs.","date_published":"2024-03-31T14:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/d0c53531-d62a-4011-84dc-96d7efc86902.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":25737005,"duration_in_seconds":1584}]},{"id":"ec736a97-8528-46a5-b025-0fae9789608d","title":"Episode 66: For Songs Singles! Tell Me This, Sons of Silver","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/66","content_text":"If there’s one lesson songwriters learn over and over again, it’s that sometimes you just gotta let go. Sometimes you just gotta let the song work its way out on its own schedule. Just let it go. That’s the trick my next guest leaned on for his band’s latest single. Peter Argyropolous, lead singer and songwriter for LA-based rockers Sons of Silver, joins me to discuss Tell Me This, a classic, 70s-esque punk rocker released in early 2024. In addition to being a great friend of the show, Peter is also a fantastic interview. Coming off the heels of Sons of Silver's blistering 2022 EP Ordinary Sex Appeal, Peter opens up about the difficulties he had in finishing the song, especially its off-kilter lyrics. Peter also goes into detail about the band’s struggles in dealing with new personnel and refurbishing their sound. We cover a bit of everything here—songwriting, guitar tech, and gearing up (hopefully) for a year of touring. So dig in and welcome one of my favorite recurring guests Peter Argyropolous back to For Songs.","content_html":"If there’s one lesson songwriters learn over and over again, it’s that sometimes you just gotta let go. Sometimes you just gotta let the song work its way out on its own schedule. Just let it go. That’s the trick my next guest leaned on for his band’s latest single. Peter Argyropolous, lead singer and songwriter for LA-based rockers Sons of Silver, joins me to discuss Tell Me This, a classic, 70s-esque punk rocker released in early 2024. In addition to being a great friend of the show, Peter is also a fantastic interview. Coming off the heels of Sons of Silver's blistering 2022 EP Ordinary Sex Appeal, Peter opens up about the difficulties he had in finishing the song, especially its off-kilter lyrics. Peter also goes into detail about the band’s struggles in dealing with new personnel and refurbishing their sound. We cover a bit of everything here—songwriting, guitar tech, and gearing up (hopefully) for a year of touring. So dig in and welcome one of my favorite recurring guests Peter Argyropolous back to For Songs.
","summary":"If there’s one lesson songwriters learn over and over again, it’s that sometimes you just gotta let go. That’s the trick my next guest leaned on for his band’s latest single. Peter Argyropolous, lead singer and songwriter for LA-based rockers Sons of Silver, returns to For Songs to discuss Tell Me This, a classic, 70s-esque rocker released in early 2024. Coming off the heels of Sons of Silver's blistering 2022 EP Ordinary Sex Appeal, Peter opens up about the difficulties he had in finishing the song, especially its off-kilter lyrics. So dig in and welcome one of my favorite recurring guests Peter Argyropolous back to For Songs.","date_published":"2024-02-29T21:30:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/ec736a97-8528-46a5-b025-0fae9789608d.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":34255669,"duration_in_seconds":2007}]},{"id":"9f8e0f7e-2e9b-4d36-b012-b41cb6245309","title":"Episode 65: For Songs Singles! I Can't Seem to Drink Her Off My Mind, Ian Jones","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/65","content_text":"If there’s been one constant chronicled on this podcast, it’s that no one knows the future of the music industry. Hell, no one even knows what the next few days are going to be like in the industry. Certainly my next guest, Seattle-based singer/songwriter Ian Jones, is doing all he can to crack the code. Ian is making his third appearance on this show, this time to discuss his latest single, I Can’t Seem to Drink Her Off My Mind. The song is a throwback to Merle Haggard, David Allen Coe, Buck Owens—a true drown-in-your-beer country tune that sounds like it was recorded in Bakersfield 50 or 60 years ago. Interesting, Ian is taking a kitchen-sink approach to marketing the song, as the album it will eventually be on is still being record. Not only that, he released a live version of the song before anyone’s heard the studio version. Will it work? Who knows! And that’s the point—there’s no blueprint, so why the hell not? It’s a fantastic, booze soaked lament that will keep your toes tapping and eyes watering. So sit back and listen in as Ian gives a frank assessment of the industry and how the song came together.","content_html":"If there’s been one constant chronicled on this podcast, it’s that no one knows the future of the music industry. Hell, no one even knows what the next few days are going to be like in the industry. Certainly my next guest, Seattle-based singer/songwriter Ian Jones, is doing all he can to crack the code. Ian is making his third appearance on this show, this time to discuss his latest single, I Can’t Seem to Drink Her Off My Mind. The song is a throwback to Merle Haggard, David Allen Coe, Buck Owens—a true drown-in-your-beer country tune that sounds like it was recorded in Bakersfield 50 or 60 years ago. Interesting, Ian is taking a kitchen-sink approach to marketing the song, as the album it will eventually be on is still being record. Not only that, he released a live version of the song before anyone’s heard the studio version. Will it work? Who knows! And that’s the point—there’s no blueprint, so why the hell not? It’s a fantastic, booze soaked lament that will keep your toes tapping and eyes watering. So sit back and listen in as Ian gives a frank assessment of the industry and how the song came together.
","summary":"If there’s been one constant chronicled on this podcast, it’s that no one knows the future of the music industry. my next guest, Seattle-based singer/songwriter Ian Jones, is doing all he can to crack the code. Ian is making his third appearance on this show, this time to discuss his latest single, I Can’t Seem to Drink Her Off My Mind. a fantastic, booze-soaked lament that will keep your toes tapping and eyes watering. So sit back and listen in as Ian gives a frank assessment of the industry and how the song came together.","date_published":"2024-01-28T16:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/9f8e0f7e-2e9b-4d36-b012-b41cb6245309.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":24812564,"duration_in_seconds":1445}]},{"id":"9eeb764a-c1ce-47a8-8059-057c48da873f","title":"Episode 64: Celebrating the Life of Barry Lynch: A Conversation with Hannah Lynch","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/64","content_text":"Lest anyone doubt the power of music, I give you the life of Barry Lynch. I met Barry while on vacation in May 2012 at a small pub in the small town of Moy, Northern Ireland, after he led a brilliant Irish session in which he sang and played just about every stringed instrument known to man. I finally brought him onto this show in July 2022 to discuss an album he’d just produced by a band called the Armagh Rhymers. Sadly, Barry passed away suddenly in Spring 2023. In this episode, Barry’s daughter Hannah Lynch joins me to discuss her Dad’s life and musical journey. Barry’s belief that music can connect people and change the world took him all over the globe. As a teacher in a divided area of Northern Ireland, Barry used music to bring opposing sides together, an effort that took him to the White House and the United Nations as the Belfast Peace Accords were being negotiated. We discuss a 2013 album he recorded with family (including Hannah and her sister Jane) and lifelong friends John Devlin and others under the nom de plume of The Monday Men. Join me in learning from Hannah about Barry’s commitment to music, family, peace, and how music can literally change the world.","content_html":"Lest anyone doubt the power of music, I give you the life of Barry Lynch. I met Barry while on vacation in May 2012 at a small pub in the small town of Moy, Northern Ireland, after he led a brilliant Irish session in which he sang and played just about every stringed instrument known to man. I finally brought him onto this show in July 2022 to discuss an album he’d just produced by a band called the Armagh Rhymers. Sadly, Barry passed away suddenly in Spring 2023. In this episode, Barry’s daughter Hannah Lynch joins me to discuss her Dad’s life and musical journey. Barry’s belief that music can connect people and change the world took him all over the globe. As a teacher in a divided area of Northern Ireland, Barry used music to bring opposing sides together, an effort that took him to the White House and the United Nations as the Belfast Peace Accords were being negotiated. We discuss a 2013 album he recorded with family (including Hannah and her sister Jane) and lifelong friends John Devlin and others under the nom de plume of The Monday Men. Join me in learning from Hannah about Barry’s commitment to music, family, peace, and how music can literally change the world.
","summary":"Lest anyone doubt the power of music, I give you the life of Barry Lynch. I met Barry while on vacation in May 2012 at a pub in Northern Ireland, after he led a brilliant Irish session in which he sang and played just about every stringed instrument known to man. Sadly, Barry passed away suddenly in Spring 2023. In this episode, Barry’s daughter Hannah Lynch joins me to discuss her Dad’s life and musical journey. Hannah discusses how her father saw music as a connective tissue transcending cultures, languages, and barriers. Join me in learning from Hannah about Barry’s commitment to music, family, peace, and how music can literally change the world.","date_published":"2024-01-12T22:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/9eeb764a-c1ce-47a8-8059-057c48da873f.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":44392967,"duration_in_seconds":2642}]},{"id":"6f61f525-a61e-447e-8ba2-dd14dc42c162","title":"Episode 63: For Songs Singles! Dawning, Yasmin Williams","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/63","content_text":"When we last caught up with Yasmin Williams, her life was just about to change. It was February 2021, the pandemic was slowly but surely starting to ease, and the DC-based acoustic guitar maestro released her groundbreaking album Urban Driftwood. Full of spellbinding, mesmerizing, uplifting acoustic-guitar driven instrumentals, Urban Driftwood took Yasmin from her parent’s house to all around the globe, playing festivals, selling out clubs, and doing gigs with some of her heroes. It’s been a whirlwind—and two-plus years later, Yasmin is back. In this episode of For Songs Singles, we talk about Yasmin’s latest breathtaking tune Dawning. As hypnotic as anything she’s written, Dawning is a revelation. It signals a re-awakening of life after a catastrophic pandemic, new love, hope, and, well, pretty much whatever you want. Yasmin had help for this one, including Grammy winning singer/songwriter Aoife O’Donovan. Yasmin gushes over Aoife’s magical, soaring vocals and reveals just how much her life is different from just two years ago. So sit back, listen and let the amazing Yasmin Williams take you away. ","content_html":"When we last caught up with Yasmin Williams, her life was just about to change. It was February 2021, the pandemic was slowly but surely starting to ease, and the DC-based acoustic guitar maestro released her groundbreaking album Urban Driftwood. Full of spellbinding, mesmerizing, uplifting acoustic-guitar driven instrumentals, Urban Driftwood took Yasmin from her parent’s house to all around the globe, playing festivals, selling out clubs, and doing gigs with some of her heroes. It’s been a whirlwind—and two-plus years later, Yasmin is back. In this episode of For Songs Singles, we talk about Yasmin’s latest breathtaking tune Dawning. As hypnotic as anything she’s written, Dawning is a revelation. It signals a re-awakening of life after a catastrophic pandemic, new love, hope, and, well, pretty much whatever you want. Yasmin had help for this one, including Grammy winning singer/songwriter Aoife O’Donovan. Yasmin gushes over Aoife’s magical, soaring vocals and reveals just how much her life is different from just two years ago. So sit back, listen and let the amazing Yasmin Williams take you away.
","summary":"When we last caught up with Yasmin Williams, her life was just about to change. The DC-based acoustic guitar maestro released her groundbreaking album Urban Driftwood in February 2021. Full of spellbinding, mesmerizing, uplifting acoustic-guitar driven instrumentals, Urban Driftwood took Yasmin from her parent’s house to all around the globe, playing festivals, selling out clubs, and doing gigs with some of her heroes. In this episode of For Songs Singles, we talk about Yasmin’s latest breathtaking tune Dawning. As hypnotic as anything she’s written, Dawning is a revelation. So sit back, listen and let the amazing Yasmin Williams take you away. ","date_published":"2023-12-08T16:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/6f61f525-a61e-447e-8ba2-dd14dc42c162.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":23823954,"duration_in_seconds":1409}]},{"id":"bc1ad085-6eb2-4cca-b988-0e600f4869c3","title":"Episode 62: A Conversation with James Fearnley","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/62","content_text":"Thirty years ago, I popped in If I Should Fall From Grace with God by the London-Irish punk band the Pogues, and my life changed forever. I was 17, socially awkward, and a bit of a loner, but discovering the Pogues opened a whole world for me. Finding their brand of traditional Irish music blended with punk rock was like discovering a new home—comfortable yet dangerous, familiar yet mysterious. So it is such a tremendous honor to welcome Pogues founding member and accordion player James Fearnley to For Songs. James, hailing from outside Manchester, England, joined the band at the beginning, enlisted because if he could play the piano, surely he could play the accordion. I spoke with James via Zoom from his L.A. home. We tackle a few obligatory Pogues questions but spend most of our time discussing James’ latest venture, The Walker Roaders. The Walker Roaders, which released their first record in August 2019, are a Celtic punk supergroup, featuring not only James from the Pogues, but Ted Hutt from Flogging Molly and Marc Orrell from the Dropkick Murphys. We talk about the band’s songwriting prowess, lessons James has picked up from being around amazing artists like Shane MacGowan, Jem Finer, Joe Strummer, among others. Yeah, you’re gonna wanna listen to this one. So sit back, grab a pint (or two) and welcome James Fearnley to For Songs.","content_html":"Thirty years ago, I popped in If I Should Fall From Grace with God by the London-Irish punk band the Pogues, and my life changed forever. I was 17, socially awkward, and a bit of a loner, but discovering the Pogues opened a whole world for me. Finding their brand of traditional Irish music blended with punk rock was like discovering a new home—comfortable yet dangerous, familiar yet mysterious. So it is such a tremendous honor to welcome Pogues founding member and accordion player James Fearnley to For Songs. James, hailing from outside Manchester, England, joined the band at the beginning, enlisted because if he could play the piano, surely he could play the accordion. I spoke with James via Zoom from his L.A. home. We tackle a few obligatory Pogues questions but spend most of our time discussing James’ latest venture, The Walker Roaders. The Walker Roaders, which released their first record in August 2019, are a Celtic punk supergroup, featuring not only James from the Pogues, but Ted Hutt from Flogging Molly and Marc Orrell from the Dropkick Murphys. We talk about the band’s songwriting prowess, lessons James has picked up from being around amazing artists like Shane MacGowan, Jem Finer, Joe Strummer, among others. Yeah, you’re gonna wanna listen to this one. So sit back, grab a pint (or two) and welcome James Fearnley to For Songs.
","summary":"Thirty years ago, I popped in If I Should Fall From Grace with God by the London-Irish punk band the Pogues, and my life changed forever. So it is such a tremendous honor to welcome Pogues founding member and accordion player James Fearnley to For Songs. We tackle a few obligatory Pogues questions but spend most of our time discussing James’ latest venture, The Walker Roaders. The Walker Roaders, which released their first record in August 2019, are a Celtic punk supergroup, featuring not only James from the Pogues, but Ted Hutt from Flogging Molly and Marc Orrell from the Dropkick Murphys. Yeah, you’re gonna wanna listen to this one. ","date_published":"2023-11-20T16:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/bc1ad085-6eb2-4cca-b988-0e600f4869c3.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":48048461,"duration_in_seconds":2868}]},{"id":"98a65d44-a628-43e0-b801-42e0f831fd6f","title":"Episode 61: For Songs Singles! Somebody Wake Me When Its Over, Sweet Lizzy Project","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/61","content_text":"If you’ve ever felt like there’s just not enough time in the day, that the world is crashing down and you’re feeling more pressure than you can handle, have I got the song for you. In this episode of For Songs Singles, I welcome back Lisset Diaz of the Havana-by-way-of-Nashville-based [Sweet Lizzy Project](www.sweetlizzyproject.com). Lisset discusses the band’s dynamite new single, Somebody Wake Me When It’s Over. The song is a musical tour-de-force, a blistering rock opera that jumps out of your speakers right into your heart. Lyrically, the song addresses anxiety and the fear that there’s just not enough time to accomplish your dreams. This is a true rock masterpiece and if there’s any justice in the world, the band’s guitarist and producer Miguel Comas will be the most sought after producer in the country after this single. So sit band and enjoy as Lisset Diaz returns to For Songs.","content_html":"If you’ve ever felt like there’s just not enough time in the day, that the world is crashing down and you’re feeling more pressure than you can handle, have I got the song for you. In this episode of For Songs Singles, I welcome back Lisset Diaz of the Havana-by-way-of-Nashville-based [Sweet Lizzy Project](www.sweetlizzyproject.com). Lisset discusses the band’s dynamite new single, Somebody Wake Me When It’s Over. The song is a musical tour-de-force, a blistering rock opera that jumps out of your speakers right into your heart. Lyrically, the song addresses anxiety and the fear that there’s just not enough time to accomplish your dreams. This is a true rock masterpiece and if there’s any justice in the world, the band’s guitarist and producer Miguel Comas will be the most sought after producer in the country after this single. So sit band and enjoy as Lisset Diaz returns to For Songs.
","summary":"If you’ve ever felt like there’s just not enough time in the day, that the world is crashing down and you’re feeling more pressure than you can handle, have I got the song for you. In this episode of For Songs Singles, I welcome back Lisset Diaz of the Havana-by-way-of-Nashville-based Sweet Lizzy Project. Lisset discusses the band’s dynamite new single, Somebody Wake Me When It’s Over. The song is a musical tour-de-force, a blistering rock opera that jumps out of your speakers right into your heart. You'll hear some Alanis, you'll hear some Cranberries, but most of all, you'll hear one of the most dynamic songs of the year. So buckle up as Lisset Diaz returns to For Songs.","date_published":"2023-11-04T13:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/98a65d44-a628-43e0-b801-42e0f831fd6f.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":25938689,"duration_in_seconds":1526}]},{"id":"e9f8cdfe-d777-412b-aea6-4d17b1b4c038","title":"Episode 60: A Third Conversation with Louis Michot","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/60","content_text":"Sometimes life comes full circle. In this episode of For Songs, I welcome back Louisiana-based singer/songwriter Louis Michot of the traditional Cajun band the Lost Bayou Ramblers. Louis first appeared on the show in Fall 2020, at the height of the pandemic. He didn’t know it at the time but he was in the midst of writing and recording his first solo album. Three years later, Louis has just released Reve du Troubadour, which is Cajun French for Troubadour’s Dream. In this episode, Louis discusses how those eerie first few months of the pandemic resulted in creative output that even surprised him. Although the album is entirely sung in Cajun French, the songs span a much wider range. You’ll hear Lee “Scratch” Perry. You’ll hear the Pogues, you’ll hear classical music. You’ll hear…well, you get the point. In addition the music, you’re also going to learn something. Louis is as much of a historian as he is a musician, and some of his songs will make you uncomfortable. Learning about the past can be difficult, but that’s the point. So sit back and listen as Louis takes us through Reve du Troubadour. ","content_html":"Sometimes life comes full circle. In this episode of For Songs, I welcome back Louisiana-based singer/songwriter Louis Michot of the traditional Cajun band the Lost Bayou Ramblers. Louis first appeared on the show in Fall 2020, at the height of the pandemic. He didn’t know it at the time but he was in the midst of writing and recording his first solo album. Three years later, Louis has just released Reve du Troubadour, which is Cajun French for Troubadour’s Dream. In this episode, Louis discusses how those eerie first few months of the pandemic resulted in creative output that even surprised him. Although the album is entirely sung in Cajun French, the songs span a much wider range. You’ll hear Lee “Scratch” Perry. You’ll hear the Pogues, you’ll hear classical music. You’ll hear…well, you get the point. In addition the music, you’re also going to learn something. Louis is as much of a historian as he is a musician, and some of his songs will make you uncomfortable. Learning about the past can be difficult, but that’s the point. So sit back and listen as Louis takes us through Reve du Troubadour.
","summary":"Sometimes life comes full circle. In this episode of For Songs, I welcome back Louisiana-based singer/songwriter Louis Michot of the traditional Cajun band the Lost Bayou Ramblers. Louis first appeared on the show in Fall 2020. In the three years since his first appearance, Louis wrote and released his first solo record, Reve du Troubadour, which is French for Troubadour’s Dream. Although the album is entirely sung in Cajun French, the songs span a much wider range, from dub to hip hop, to the Pogues, to classical music. Louis is as much of a historian as he is a musician, and some of his songs will make you uncomfortable. So sit back and gear up as Louis takes us through Reve du Troubadour. ","date_published":"2023-10-10T16:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/e9f8cdfe-d777-412b-aea6-4d17b1b4c038.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":40339621,"duration_in_seconds":2400}]},{"id":"265c01d3-71bf-4958-b963-7591cbd0b760","title":"Episode 59: A Return Conversation with Dom Flemons","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/59","content_text":"The sun is out, life is returning to normal and our favorite bands are back on tour. Not even two years ago this seemed like an impossible dream, as I’ve chronicled on this show. But here we are, in Summer 2023, and things seem, well, pretty good. A new day is dawning. Just ask acclaimed multi-instrumentalist/singer-songwriter [Dom Flemons](www.theamericansongster.com), who released his brilliant solo record Traveling Wildfire this past March. Dom joins me for a third time to discuss his new record, and how it signals a new beginning for him and the rest of us. Dom talks about how writing and recording this album was a cathartic experience, to be in the studio again with musicians and producers, and to get back on the road. Traveling Wildfire tracks dozens of emotions from the last few years, from the pain of loss to the joy of normalcy. We also talk about how his interactions with folks like Bob Dylan and James Fearnley of the Pogues influenced a few tracks on the album in particular. As it always is when talking to Dom, you will learn something along the way. So sit back and let Dr. Dom Flemons take you away…","content_html":"The sun is out, life is returning to normal and our favorite bands are back on tour. Not even two years ago this seemed like an impossible dream, as I’ve chronicled on this show. But here we are, in Summer 2023, and things seem, well, pretty good. A new day is dawning. Just ask acclaimed multi-instrumentalist/singer-songwriter [Dom Flemons](www.theamericansongster.com), who released his brilliant solo record Traveling Wildfire this past March. Dom joins me for a third time to discuss his new record, and how it signals a new beginning for him and the rest of us. Dom talks about how writing and recording this album was a cathartic experience, to be in the studio again with musicians and producers, and to get back on the road. Traveling Wildfire tracks dozens of emotions from the last few years, from the pain of loss to the joy of normalcy. We also talk about how his interactions with folks like Bob Dylan and James Fearnley of the Pogues influenced a few tracks on the album in particular. As it always is when talking to Dom, you will learn something along the way. So sit back and let Dr. Dom Flemons take you away…
","summary":"The sun is out, life is returning to normal and our favorite bands are back on tour. Not even two years ago this seemed like an impossible dream. But here we are, in Summer 2023, and things seem, well, pretty good. A new day is dawning. Just ask acclaimed multi-instrumentalist/singer-songwriter Dom Flemons, who released his brilliant solo record Traveling Wildfire this past March. Dom joins me for a third time to discuss his new record, and how it signals the dawning of a new day for him and the rest of us. So sit back and let Dr. Dom Flemons take you away…","date_published":"2023-08-04T16:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/265c01d3-71bf-4958-b963-7591cbd0b760.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":42005626,"duration_in_seconds":2562}]},{"id":"da2a59ad-5305-49c6-9144-8bee01e31f38","title":"Episode 58: A Second Conversation with Ian Jones","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/58","content_text":"Music, not unlike life, is about the journey rather than the destination. And perhaps no artist I’ve interviewed knows that better than Seattle-based singer/songwriter Ian Jones. A true song craftsman, Ian knows that getting your big break in the music industry is about luck and being in the right place at the right time. But more than anything, you need killer songs. And while Ian hasn’t quite struck his lucky break, it’s not for a shortage of great tunes. Ian is influenced by the best—Dylan, the Beatles, Jim Messina, you name it. His music would fit at home on Outlaw Country, though he has a soulful voice that recalls John Denver as much as it does Chris Stapleton, or whomever is leading the so-called “Americana” charts. Ian and I chatted about his latest release Results Not Typical. We talk about four songs—Rollin’, Someday, Without You I’m Lost, and Goodbyes are the Hardest Words. We discuss the path he’s chosen, his commitment to break into the business, and the inspirations for these brilliant songs. This is an emotional interview, as we get into some pretty raw memories at times. So sit back, grab a beer, and welcome Ian Jones back to For Songs.","content_html":"Music, not unlike life, is about the journey rather than the destination. And perhaps no artist I’ve interviewed knows that better than Seattle-based singer/songwriter Ian Jones. A true song craftsman, Ian knows that getting your big break in the music industry is about luck and being in the right place at the right time. But more than anything, you need killer songs. And while Ian hasn’t quite struck his lucky break, it’s not for a shortage of great tunes. Ian is influenced by the best—Dylan, the Beatles, Jim Messina, you name it. His music would fit at home on Outlaw Country, though he has a soulful voice that recalls John Denver as much as it does Chris Stapleton, or whomever is leading the so-called “Americana” charts. Ian and I chatted about his latest release Results Not Typical. We talk about four songs—Rollin’, Someday, Without You I’m Lost, and Goodbyes are the Hardest Words. We discuss the path he’s chosen, his commitment to break into the business, and the inspirations for these brilliant songs. This is an emotional interview, as we get into some pretty raw memories at times. So sit back, grab a beer, and welcome Ian Jones back to For Songs.
","summary":"Music, not unlike life, is about the journey. And perhaps no artist I’ve interviewed knows this better than Seattle-based singer/songwriter Ian Jones. A true craftsman, Ian knows that getting your big break in the industry is about luck and being in the right place at the right time. His music would fit at home on Outlaw Country, though he has a soulful voice that recalls John Denver as much as it does Chris Stapleton, or whomever is leading the so-called “Americana” charts. Ian and I chatted about his latest release Results Not Typical. We talk about four songs—Rollin’, Someday, Without You I’m Lost, and Goodbyes are the Hardest Words. So sit back, grab a beer, and welcome Ian Jones back to For Songs.","date_published":"2023-05-19T16:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/da2a59ad-5305-49c6-9144-8bee01e31f38.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":50691740,"duration_in_seconds":2976}]},{"id":"56ca8b62-db75-4ca1-ba62-018e8ba22884","title":"Episode 57: For Songs Singles! Break Down the Walls, Emma Noble","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/57","content_text":"The best thing about music is no matter how old you are, no matter how long you’ve been listening and loving music, you can still hear something that will stop you in your tracks. Which is what happened to me a few months ago when London-based singer/songwriter Emma Noble’s latest single Break Down the Walls jumped out of my Spotify feed. It was an old-school sound with a fresh twist. Or maybe it was a fresh, new vibe with an old-school feel. Whatever it was, I was hooked. Break Down the Walls sounds like it could’ve been recorded yesterday, or 40 years ago on Motown. Emma is a key player in London’s thriving soul scene. Her music draws influences from ‘50s-‘60s soul, ‘70s disco, and ‘80s new wave. But she brings a fresh, crisp modern vocal and melodic perspective. In this episode of For Songs Singles, Emma discusses her musical journey, how her DJ-ing business led to developing relationships with producers and songwriters, and how this genre-bending gem of a pop tune came together. Dig in! And I take no responsibility if you are humming this song for days…","content_html":"The best thing about music is no matter how old you are, no matter how long you’ve been listening and loving music, you can still hear something that will stop you in your tracks. Which is what happened to me a few months ago when London-based singer/songwriter Emma Noble’s latest single Break Down the Walls jumped out of my Spotify feed. It was an old-school sound with a fresh twist. Or maybe it was a fresh, new vibe with an old-school feel. Whatever it was, I was hooked. Break Down the Walls sounds like it could’ve been recorded yesterday, or 40 years ago on Motown. Emma is a key player in London’s thriving soul scene. Her music draws influences from ‘50s-‘60s soul, ‘70s disco, and ‘80s new wave. But she brings a fresh, crisp modern vocal and melodic perspective. In this episode of For Songs Singles, Emma discusses her musical journey, how her DJ-ing business led to developing relationships with producers and songwriters, and how this genre-bending gem of a pop tune came together. Dig in! And I take no responsibility if you are humming this song for days…
","summary":"The best thing about music is no matter how old you are, no matter how long you’ve been listening and loving music, you can still hear something that will stop you in your tracks. Which is what happened to me a few months ago when London-based singer/songwriter Emma Noble’s latest single Break Down the Walls jumped out of my Spotify feed. Break Down the Walls sounds like it could’ve been recorded yesterday, or 40 years ago on Motown. Emma is a key player in London’s thriving soul scene. Her music draws influences from ‘50s-‘60s soul, ‘70s disco, and ‘80s new wave. In this episode of For Songs Singles, Emma discusses her musical journey, how her DJ-ing business led to developing relationships with producers and songwriters, and how this genre-bending gem of a pop tune came together. Dig in! ","date_published":"2023-04-23T13:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/56ca8b62-db75-4ca1-ba62-018e8ba22884.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":23330646,"duration_in_seconds":1385}]},{"id":"56058906-a821-474a-a2b5-a5571a488d7c","title":"Episode 56: A Return Conversation with Dan Murphy of the Scarlet Goodbye","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/56","content_text":"Join me as former Soul Asylum guitarist Dan Murphy makes his long-awaited return not only to this show but to the music industry as a whole! In this episode, Dan talks about his new band the Scarlet Goodbye and its brand-spanking new debut album Hope’s Eternal. The band is a duo, with Dan being joined by fellow Minneapolis singer/songwriter Jeff Arundel. Dan left Soul Asylum and the music biz about 10 years ago, reappearing every now and again for a one-off Golden Smog show. Dan recounts what led him back to music, how much the industry has changed over the last decade, and how he and Jeff became fast friends during the pandemic to write and record this album. We discuss four songs—Angel Dust, Panic & Blame, Julieann, and Celebrated Summer. Dan talks about how Husker Du—and Bob Mould in particular—influenced and mentored him during Soul Asylum’s early years. We cover a ton of ground in this episode, so sit back, grab a beer, and listen in! ","content_html":"Join me as former Soul Asylum guitarist Dan Murphy makes his long-awaited return not only to this show but to the music industry as a whole! In this episode, Dan talks about his new band the Scarlet Goodbye and its brand-spanking new debut album Hope’s Eternal. The band is a duo, with Dan being joined by fellow Minneapolis singer/songwriter Jeff Arundel. Dan left Soul Asylum and the music biz about 10 years ago, reappearing every now and again for a one-off Golden Smog show. Dan recounts what led him back to music, how much the industry has changed over the last decade, and how he and Jeff became fast friends during the pandemic to write and record this album. We discuss four songs—Angel Dust, Panic & Blame, Julieann, and Celebrated Summer. Dan talks about how Husker Du—and Bob Mould in particular—influenced and mentored him during Soul Asylum’s early years. We cover a ton of ground in this episode, so sit back, grab a beer, and listen in!
","summary":"Join me as former Soul Asylum guitarist Dan Murphy makes his long-awaited return not only to this show but to the music industry as a whole! In this episode, Dan talks about his new band the Scarlet Goodbye and its brand-spanking new debut album Hope’s Eternal. The band is a duo, with Dan being joined by fellow Minneapolis singer/songwriter Jeff Arundel. We discuss four songs—Angel Dust, Panic & Blame, Julieann, and Celebrated Summer. We cover a ton of ground in this episode, so sit back, grab a beer, and listen in! ","date_published":"2023-03-24T13:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/56058906-a821-474a-a2b5-a5571a488d7c.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":38458333,"duration_in_seconds":2732}]},{"id":"526e747f-f530-4448-b562-4cd0b7fe011a","title":"Episode 55: A Fourth Conversation with Paleface!","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/55","content_text":"Remember last fall? When indie-rock legend Paleface and his partner/drummer Monica “Mo” Samalot came onto the show to discuss their crowdfunding campaign for their new album? Well you should! And guess what? The campaign was a success and the new album is out! Beyond the Bells was released in mid-February, and man is it fantastic. Drawing inspiration from his entire career, which began in the late 80s and early 90s in New York, Beyond the Bells is a masterclass in production and songwriting. Paleface cut his teeth at open mic nights up and down New York, bonding with folks like Daniel Johnston, Beck, and others. We discuss four songs from the new record—Most of My Worries Never Happen, Fight Song, Selfish Wayz, and The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same. Dig in as we talk about the new album, his influences, and so much more. And then go buy the album here: https://www.palefaceonline.com/!","content_html":"Remember last fall? When indie-rock legend Paleface and his partner/drummer Monica “Mo” Samalot came onto the show to discuss their crowdfunding campaign for their new album? Well you should! And guess what? The campaign was a success and the new album is out! Beyond the Bells was released in mid-February, and man is it fantastic. Drawing inspiration from his entire career, which began in the late 80s and early 90s in New York, Beyond the Bells is a masterclass in production and songwriting. Paleface cut his teeth at open mic nights up and down New York, bonding with folks like Daniel Johnston, Beck, and others. We discuss four songs from the new record—Most of My Worries Never Happen, Fight Song, Selfish Wayz, and The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same. Dig in as we talk about the new album, his influences, and so much more. And then go buy the album here: https://www.palefaceonline.com/!
","summary":"Remember last fall? When indie-rock legend Paleface and his partner/drummer Monica “Mo” Samalot came onto the show to discuss their crowdfunding campaign for their new album? Well the campaign was a success and the new album is out! Beyond the Bells was released in mid-February, and man is it fantastic. Drawing inspiration from his entire career, Beyond the Bells is a masterclass in production and songwriting. We discuss four songs from the new record—Most of My Worries Never Happen, Fight Song, Selfish Wayz, and The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same. Dig in as we talk about the new album, his influences, and so much more. ","date_published":"2023-03-10T16:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/526e747f-f530-4448-b562-4cd0b7fe011a.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":31790123,"duration_in_seconds":2437}]},{"id":"e8f464ea-ce10-4380-861b-db5ab22790f6","title":"Episode 54: A Conversation with Mark Bingham","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/54","content_text":"From New Orleans to “Fakersfield,” Mark Bingham has seen it all. The sought-after producer, songwriter, guitarist, arranger, etc., has literally rubbed elbows with music royalty. Bands like REM, artists like Dr. John, Marianne Faithfull have all called on Mark to produce, arrange, you name it. All the while, Mark wrote his own music and now, he is at the beginning of an ambitious career retrospective project to release the 22 albums he’s written over the last 50-plus years. When we spoke in late November from his New Orleans home, Mark had just released the first two records from this project—Goo Seneck and Mushroom Crowd. Each album couldn’t be more different; Goo Seneck draws inspiration from country rock legends like Buck Owens and Gram Parsons, while Mushroom Crowd is something else entirely. He’s released a few more records since our interview, and you find out more about the project here: https://markbingham.bandcamp.com/. We talk about his approach to songwriting, musical history, and so much more. Dig in here!","content_html":"From New Orleans to “Fakersfield,” Mark Bingham has seen it all. The sought-after producer, songwriter, guitarist, arranger, etc., has literally rubbed elbows with music royalty. Bands like REM, artists like Dr. John, Marianne Faithfull have all called on Mark to produce, arrange, you name it. All the while, Mark wrote his own music and now, he is at the beginning of an ambitious career retrospective project to release the 22 albums he’s written over the last 50-plus years. When we spoke in late November from his New Orleans home, Mark had just released the first two records from this project—Goo Seneck and Mushroom Crowd. Each album couldn’t be more different; Goo Seneck draws inspiration from country rock legends like Buck Owens and Gram Parsons, while Mushroom Crowd is something else entirely. He’s released a few more records since our interview, and you find out more about the project here: https://markbingham.bandcamp.com/. We talk about his approach to songwriting, musical history, and so much more. Dig in here!
","summary":"From New Orleans to “Fakersfield,” Mark Bingham has seen it all. The sought-after producer, songwriter, guitarist, arranger, etc., has literally rubbed elbows with music royalty. Bands like REM, artists like Dr. John, Marianne Faithfull have all called on Mark to produce, arrange, you name it. All the while, Mark wrote his own music and now, he is at the beginning of an ambitious career retrospective project to release the 22 albums he’s written over the last 50-plus years. In this interview, Mark discussed a few songs from the first two records from this project—Goo Seneck and Mushroom Crowd. We talk about his approach to songwriting, musical history, and so much more. Dig in here!","date_published":"2023-01-13T16:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/e8f464ea-ce10-4380-861b-db5ab22790f6.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":37572918,"duration_in_seconds":2239}]},{"id":"31a3dc73-7ddf-44bf-a732-7a798a9a51da","title":"Episode 53: A Return Conversation with Lisset Diaz of the Sweet Lizzy Project","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/53","content_text":"If you love music, if music changed your life, if music made you feel things you’ve never felt before, then this is the interview for you. Joining me once again is Lisset Diaz of the Cuban-by-way-of-Nashville-based Sweet Lizzy Project. We discuss the band’s newest and long-awaited album Pirate Radio/Radio Pirata. Simply stated, this is album for the ages. Pirate Radio is a concept album that traces the life and consequences of a fictional character in Cuba who goes to great lengths to listen to rock and roll music. In doing so, this character becomes almost an accidental prophet of sorts and at the end faces a life-or-death decision. While loosely based on their own story, Pirate Radio is, sadly, the story of all too many Cubans. We talk about four songs from the record—Pirate Radio, Black Water, Slip Away, and Shake the Walls. Like the album itself, this is an as emotional, powerful interview. Lisset opens up about the pressures and stresses she felt in writing and recording Pirate Radio, along with the consequences she and her band may face for simply sharing their beliefs. My only hope is that this interview does justice to their cause, so please sit back, buckle up, and welcome Lisset Diaz back to For Songs.","content_html":"If you love music, if music changed your life, if music made you feel things you’ve never felt before, then this is the interview for you. Joining me once again is Lisset Diaz of the Cuban-by-way-of-Nashville-based Sweet Lizzy Project. We discuss the band’s newest and long-awaited album Pirate Radio/Radio Pirata. Simply stated, this is album for the ages. Pirate Radio is a concept album that traces the life and consequences of a fictional character in Cuba who goes to great lengths to listen to rock and roll music. In doing so, this character becomes almost an accidental prophet of sorts and at the end faces a life-or-death decision. While loosely based on their own story, Pirate Radio is, sadly, the story of all too many Cubans. We talk about four songs from the record—Pirate Radio, Black Water, Slip Away, and Shake the Walls. Like the album itself, this is an as emotional, powerful interview. Lisset opens up about the pressures and stresses she felt in writing and recording Pirate Radio, along with the consequences she and her band may face for simply sharing their beliefs. My only hope is that this interview does justice to their cause, so please sit back, buckle up, and welcome Lisset Diaz back to For Songs.
","summary":"If you love music, if music changed your life, if music made you feel things you’ve never felt before, then this is the interview for you. Joining me once again is Lisset Diaz of the Cuban-by-way-of-Nashville-based Sweet Lizzy Project to discuss the band’s newest and long-awaited album Pirate Radio/Radio Pirata. Pirate Radio is a concept album that traces the life of a fictional character in Cuba who goes to great lengths to listen to rock and roll music. While loosely based on their own story, Pirate Radio is the story of all too many Cubans. We talk about four songs—Pirate Radio, Black Water, Slip Away, and Shake the Walls. Like the album itself, this is an as emotional, powerful interview. My only hope is that this interview does justice to their cause, so please sit back, buckle up, and welcome Lisset Diaz back to For Songs.","date_published":"2022-11-18T16:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/31a3dc73-7ddf-44bf-a732-7a798a9a51da.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":49308897,"duration_in_seconds":2895}]},{"id":"b01cb106-a974-4cc5-9a26-bf8ca77493da","title":"Episode 52: A Conversation with Nora O'Connor","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/52","content_text":"There’s a moment in singer/songwriter Nora O’Connor’s new album My Heart when you realize just how special her talent is. By admission, the Chicago-based musician is more comfortable in the background, singing backup and playing various instruments with such Americana luminaries like Neko Case, the Decembrists, Robbie Fulks, among others. But for the first time in 18(!) years, Nora is back with a solo album—her third—called My Heart, released in early October. And it’s about midway through the fourth song on the album “Cambridge Cold” when you understand why My Heart is such an impeccable listen, and is exactly the kind of music the world needs. Indeed, Nora’s songs make you feel at home, no matter where you are. With a soothing voice reminiscent of Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris, and Stevie Nicks, Nora has been an in-demand harmony vocalist for two decades, and when she sings you feel like everything is going to be okay. In this episode of For Songs, Nora provides a refreshing take on her music, her career, and how a decade-plus of supporting Neko Case and others made her want to dip back into her own musical well. We discuss about four songs from the album—Sore, Cambridge Cold, the album’s one cover It’s Alright Now, and Fare Thee Well. Nora walks us through how these songs came to be and how performing outdoor shows during the COVID lockdowns unlocked her creative juices. So sit back and listen in as Nora O’Connor joins me for this episode of For Songs!","content_html":"There’s a moment in singer/songwriter Nora O’Connor’s new album My Heart when you realize just how special her talent is. By admission, the Chicago-based musician is more comfortable in the background, singing backup and playing various instruments with such Americana luminaries like Neko Case, the Decembrists, Robbie Fulks, among others. But for the first time in 18(!) years, Nora is back with a solo album—her third—called My Heart, released in early October. And it’s about midway through the fourth song on the album “Cambridge Cold” when you understand why My Heart is such an impeccable listen, and is exactly the kind of music the world needs. Indeed, Nora’s songs make you feel at home, no matter where you are. With a soothing voice reminiscent of Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris, and Stevie Nicks, Nora has been an in-demand harmony vocalist for two decades, and when she sings you feel like everything is going to be okay. In this episode of For Songs, Nora provides a refreshing take on her music, her career, and how a decade-plus of supporting Neko Case and others made her want to dip back into her own musical well. We discuss about four songs from the album—Sore, Cambridge Cold, the album’s one cover It’s Alright Now, and Fare Thee Well. Nora walks us through how these songs came to be and how performing outdoor shows during the COVID lockdowns unlocked her creative juices. So sit back and listen in as Nora O’Connor joins me for this episode of For Songs!
","summary":"There’s a moment in singer/songwriter Nora O’Connor’s new album My Heart when you realize just how special her talent is. By admission, the Chicago-based musician is more comfortable in the background, singing backup and playing with such Americana luminaries like Neko Case, the Decembrists, Robbie Fulks, among others. But for the first time in 18(!) years, Nora is back with My Heart, released in early October. With a soothing voice, Nora has been an in-demand harmony vocalist for two decades. In this episode, Nora gives a refreshing interview about My Heart. We discuss about four songs—Sore, Cambridge Cold, the album’s one cover It’s Alright Now, and Fare Thee Well. Nora walks us through how these songs came to be and how performing outdoor shows during the COVID lockdowns unlocked her creative juices. So sit back and listen in as Nora O’Connor joins me for this episode of For Songs!","date_published":"2022-11-01T20:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/b01cb106-a974-4cc5-9a26-bf8ca77493da.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":35453880,"duration_in_seconds":2205}]},{"id":"f774a04b-e6e6-462f-9706-fb989ee2e061","title":"Episode 51: A Conversation with John McCutcheon","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/51","content_text":"You think you’ve been productive during COVID? Maybe so, but did you write, record, and release three (that’s right, THREE!!!) albums in two-plus years? No? Well, my next guest did. In fact, folk singer John McCutcheon’s latest album Leap, released in September 2022, is not only his third album since 2020, but his 43rd of his career! John’s love of folk music began as a young teenager watching the 1963 March on Washington; after seeing Bob Dylan, Odetta, Joan Baez, and Peter, Paul, and Mary, he was hooked. He’s been writing and recording folk music since the mid-1970s, and hasn’t looked back. In this episode, we talk about four songs from Leap—The Ride, The Troubles, Sorryland, and Work. We take a deep-dive into his prolific songwriting process, how the material keeps flowing, and how he hopes to stay “useful” as long as possible. Listen in!","content_html":"You think you’ve been productive during COVID? Maybe so, but did you write, record, and release three (that’s right, THREE!!!) albums in two-plus years? No? Well, my next guest did. In fact, folk singer John McCutcheon’s latest album Leap, released in September 2022, is not only his third album since 2020, but his 43rd of his career! John’s love of folk music began as a young teenager watching the 1963 March on Washington; after seeing Bob Dylan, Odetta, Joan Baez, and Peter, Paul, and Mary, he was hooked. He’s been writing and recording folk music since the mid-1970s, and hasn’t looked back. In this episode, we talk about four songs from Leap—The Ride, The Troubles, Sorryland, and Work. We take a deep-dive into his prolific songwriting process, how the material keeps flowing, and how he hopes to stay “useful” as long as possible. Listen in!
","summary":"You think you’ve been productive during COVID? Well, you may have been, but not as much as my next guest did. In fact, folk singer John McCutcheon’s latest album Leap, released in September 2022, is his third album since 2020 AND but his 43rd of his career! John’s love of folk music began as a young teenager watching the 1963 March on Washington. He’s been writing and recording folk music since the mid-1970s, and hasn’t looked back. In this episode, we talk about four songs from Leap—The Ride, The Troubles, Sorryland, and Work. We take a deep-dive into his prolific songwriting process, how the material keeps flowing, and how he hopes to stay “useful” as long as possible. Listen in!","date_published":"2022-10-10T16:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/f774a04b-e6e6-462f-9706-fb989ee2e061.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":39180775,"duration_in_seconds":2411}]},{"id":"d752880f-43d9-4b44-997c-48a337c6c81a","title":"Episode 50: Another Conversation with Paleface","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/50","content_text":"As you’ve no doubt heard in listening to this podcast, the music industry is not for the faint of heart. You need nerves of steel, patience, determination, and, at times, a devil-may-care attitude. You also need support, and lots of it, if you hope to make just enough to get by. In this special episode of For Songs, we are joined again by indie-rock legend Paleface and his drummer/partner Monica “Mo” Samalot. Paleface has seen it all, a veteran of the industry since the early 90s. His songwriting chops sharpened by folks like Daniel Johnston and others, PF has rubbed elbows with some of the biggest names in the business, people like Beck and the Avett Brothers. In this episode, PF and Mo discuss the crowdfunding campaign currently underway to support their next release, which is expected to come out in early 2023. We talk about what goes into writing, recording, producing, and releasing an entirely independent record. We discuss how you can play a key role in getting their new album out on the streets by supporting their efforts. And talk about the joy of playing live again after more than a year of being off the road.\n\nTo make a contribution to their crowdfunding campaign, check out their website here: www.palefaceonline.com.","content_html":"As you’ve no doubt heard in listening to this podcast, the music industry is not for the faint of heart. You need nerves of steel, patience, determination, and, at times, a devil-may-care attitude. You also need support, and lots of it, if you hope to make just enough to get by. In this special episode of For Songs, we are joined again by indie-rock legend Paleface and his drummer/partner Monica “Mo” Samalot. Paleface has seen it all, a veteran of the industry since the early 90s. His songwriting chops sharpened by folks like Daniel Johnston and others, PF has rubbed elbows with some of the biggest names in the business, people like Beck and the Avett Brothers. In this episode, PF and Mo discuss the crowdfunding campaign currently underway to support their next release, which is expected to come out in early 2023. We talk about what goes into writing, recording, producing, and releasing an entirely independent record. We discuss how you can play a key role in getting their new album out on the streets by supporting their efforts. And talk about the joy of playing live again after more than a year of being off the road.
\n\nTo make a contribution to their crowdfunding campaign, check out their website here: www.palefaceonline.com.
","summary":"\r\n As you’ve no doubt heard in listening to this podcast, the music industry is not for the faint of heart. In this special episode of For Songs, we are joined again by indie-rock legend Paleface and his drummer/partner Monica “Mo” Samalot. Paleface has seen it all, a veteran of the industry since the early 90s. PF and Mo discuss the crowdfunding campaign currently underway to support their next release, which is expected to come out in early 2023. We talk about what goes into writing, recording, producing, and releasing an entirely independent record. We discuss how you can play a key role in getting their new album out on the streets by supporting their efforts. \r\n","date_published":"2022-10-03T21:30:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/d752880f-43d9-4b44-997c-48a337c6c81a.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":11339951,"duration_in_seconds":1092}]},{"id":"2cfe682c-2eec-4ae1-a76b-ce4856cbee03","title":"Episode 49: A Conversation with Barry Lynch","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/49","content_text":"For me, this episode is 11 years in the making. For my guest Barry Lynch and his group the Armagh Rhymers? We’re talking 30 years. The Armagh Rhymers, a traditional Irish mummers band from Northern Ireland, released their first album in 1992. So now 30 years later, “Vol. 2” is on the streets and, well, you need to take a seat, grab a pint or two, and listen in. Mumming, for those who don’t know, is an ancient tradition, dating back in Ireland to the pagan, pre-Catholic days. It consists of musicians wearing straw masks, becoming characters, and performing a play based on fables and other rituals dating back thousands of years. They go door-to-door, singing and playing for whomever let them in. So yeah, this one goes back a bit. Barry helped produce and mix the album, as well as playing all kinds of stringed instruments and adding his distinctive vocals. I met Barry more than 11 years ago on a trip to Northern Ireland and we stayed in touch over the years. This is the first time we’ve talked since we met at a pub in the small town called Moy, maybe 45 minutes west of Belfast. Barry is an accomplished musician, having played all over the world and even at the White House in the late 90s, promoting the peace process that ended decades of sectarian strife in Northern Ireland. While this is an ancient artform, the Armagh Rhymers Vol. 2 is at its core about peace; it’s about coming together through music. So go grab that pint (or two) and welcome Barry Lynch to For Songs.","content_html":"For me, this episode is 11 years in the making. For my guest Barry Lynch and his group the Armagh Rhymers? We’re talking 30 years. The Armagh Rhymers, a traditional Irish mummers band from Northern Ireland, released their first album in 1992. So now 30 years later, “Vol. 2” is on the streets and, well, you need to take a seat, grab a pint or two, and listen in. Mumming, for those who don’t know, is an ancient tradition, dating back in Ireland to the pagan, pre-Catholic days. It consists of musicians wearing straw masks, becoming characters, and performing a play based on fables and other rituals dating back thousands of years. They go door-to-door, singing and playing for whomever let them in. So yeah, this one goes back a bit. Barry helped produce and mix the album, as well as playing all kinds of stringed instruments and adding his distinctive vocals. I met Barry more than 11 years ago on a trip to Northern Ireland and we stayed in touch over the years. This is the first time we’ve talked since we met at a pub in the small town called Moy, maybe 45 minutes west of Belfast. Barry is an accomplished musician, having played all over the world and even at the White House in the late 90s, promoting the peace process that ended decades of sectarian strife in Northern Ireland. While this is an ancient artform, the Armagh Rhymers Vol. 2 is at its core about peace; it’s about coming together through music. So go grab that pint (or two) and welcome Barry Lynch to For Songs.
","summary":"For me, this episode is 11 years in the making. For my guest Barry Lynch and his group the Armagh Rhymers? We’re talking 30 years. The Armagh Rhymers, a traditional Irish mummers band from Northern Ireland, released their first album in 1992. So now 30 years later, “Vol. 2” is on the streets and, well, you need to take a seat, grab a pint or two, and listen in. Mumming, for those who don’t know, is an ancient tradition, dating back in Ireland to the pagan, pre-Catholic days. Barry helped produce and mix the album, as well as playing all kinds of stringed instruments and adding his distinctive vocals. I met Barry more than 11 years ago on a trip to Northern Ireland and we stayed in touch over the years. Barry is an accomplished musician, having played all over the world and even at the White House in the late 90s, promoting the peace process that ended decades of sectarian strife in Northern Ireland. So go grab that pint (or two) and welcome Barry Lynch to For Songs.","date_published":"2022-07-13T16:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/2cfe682c-2eec-4ae1-a76b-ce4856cbee03.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":52599688,"duration_in_seconds":2733}]},{"id":"e54b76c5-8ad8-47a1-b595-75d2831741f4","title":"Episode 48: Another Conversation with Peter Argyropoulos of Sons of Silver","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/48","content_text":"Peter Argyropoulos has a way with words. The lead singer/songwriter of the LA-based hard-rock band Sons of Silver has his finger on the pulse on what’s happening across the country and, indeed, the world. On his band’s debut EP Doomsday Noises, he presaged the pandemic, the social unrest, and the decaying fabric of society that has been our existence the last two years. Now, a year and half later, the band is back with a blistering follow-up EP called Ordinary Sex Appeal. In this five-song set, Peter and the band capture the angst, divisions, and frustrations that seem to be a part of our everyday lives. But there’s also a little hope included, if you listen closely. Peter joins me for the third time to discuss the new EP, when/how it was recorded, the magic of drummer Dave Kruzen’s playing, and much much more. As much as this is a commentary on society, this interview is also a clear love letter to the power of music. So sit back, get on your thinking caps, and welcome Peter Argyropoulos back to For Songs.","content_html":"Peter Argyropoulos has a way with words. The lead singer/songwriter of the LA-based hard-rock band Sons of Silver has his finger on the pulse on what’s happening across the country and, indeed, the world. On his band’s debut EP Doomsday Noises, he presaged the pandemic, the social unrest, and the decaying fabric of society that has been our existence the last two years. Now, a year and half later, the band is back with a blistering follow-up EP called Ordinary Sex Appeal. In this five-song set, Peter and the band capture the angst, divisions, and frustrations that seem to be a part of our everyday lives. But there’s also a little hope included, if you listen closely. Peter joins me for the third time to discuss the new EP, when/how it was recorded, the magic of drummer Dave Kruzen’s playing, and much much more. As much as this is a commentary on society, this interview is also a clear love letter to the power of music. So sit back, get on your thinking caps, and welcome Peter Argyropoulos back to For Songs.
","summary":"Peter Argyropoulos has a way with words. The lead singer/songwriter of the LA-based hard-rock band Sons of Silver has his finger on the pulse on what’s happening across the country and, indeed, the world. On his band’s debut EP Doomsday Noises, he presaged the pandemic, the social unrest, and the decaying fabric of society that has been our existence the last two years. Now, a year and half later, the band is back with a blistering follow-up EP called Ordinary Sex Appeal. As much as this is a commentary on society, this interview is also a clear love letter to the power of music. So sit back, get on your thinking caps, and welcome Peter Argyropoulos back to For Songs.","date_published":"2022-06-11T18:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/e54b76c5-8ad8-47a1-b595-75d2831741f4.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":45210766,"duration_in_seconds":2702}]},{"id":"71dd1c31-bd09-4ee5-b517-b6f037d97259","title":"Episode 47: A Conversation with Ben Vaughn","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/47","content_text":"There’s something about simplicity and subtlety that sets the best songwriters apart. The simplicity in using the exact, perfect word—and only that word—to describe a feeling in a way that everyone can relate. And the subtlety of taking the listener on an emotional journey with a song that only lasts three minutes. Few artists have attained a mastery of both quite like my next guest, singer/songwriter Ben Vaughn. An exceptionally talented musician, Ben is a persistent writer; indeed, he writes almost every day. The tough part is getting it all down before it goes away. His music may remind you a bit of They Might Be Giants, a little Tom Waits mixed in with some Lou Reed. Ben’s been at it since the early 80s and even scored music for television shows and movies. He’s funny, witty, subtle, and unfailingly polite. We spoke from his California home about his newest album The World of Ben Vaughn, released in May 2022. Listen in as he discusses how he approaches his craft, his inspirations, and four songs from new album—Wayne Fontana Was Wrong, Blind Alley, Asking for a Friend, and New Jersey Rock and Roll. Dig in and welcome Ben Vaughn to For Songs.","content_html":"There’s something about simplicity and subtlety that sets the best songwriters apart. The simplicity in using the exact, perfect word—and only that word—to describe a feeling in a way that everyone can relate. And the subtlety of taking the listener on an emotional journey with a song that only lasts three minutes. Few artists have attained a mastery of both quite like my next guest, singer/songwriter Ben Vaughn. An exceptionally talented musician, Ben is a persistent writer; indeed, he writes almost every day. The tough part is getting it all down before it goes away. His music may remind you a bit of They Might Be Giants, a little Tom Waits mixed in with some Lou Reed. Ben’s been at it since the early 80s and even scored music for television shows and movies. He’s funny, witty, subtle, and unfailingly polite. We spoke from his California home about his newest album The World of Ben Vaughn, released in May 2022. Listen in as he discusses how he approaches his craft, his inspirations, and four songs from new album—Wayne Fontana Was Wrong, Blind Alley, Asking for a Friend, and New Jersey Rock and Roll. Dig in and welcome Ben Vaughn to For Songs.
","summary":"There’s something about simplicity and subtlety that sets the best songwriters apart. Few artists have attained a mastery of both quite like my next guest, singer/songwriter Ben Vaughn. An exceptionally talented musician, Ben is a persistent writer; indeed, he says he writes almost every day. The tough part is getting it all down before it goes away. His music may remind you a bit of They Might Be Giants, a little Tom Waits mixed in with some Lou Reed. We spoke from his California home about his newest album The World of Ben Vaughn, released in May 2022. Listen in as he discusses four songs from new album—Wayne Fontana Was Wrong, Blind Alley, Asking for a Friend, and New Jersey Rock and Roll. Dig in and welcome Ben Vaughn to For Songs.","date_published":"2022-05-23T19:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/71dd1c31-bd09-4ee5-b517-b6f037d97259.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":41208681,"duration_in_seconds":2535}]},{"id":"077e879f-211a-4357-9460-54cf654df92c","title":"Episode 46: A Conversation with the Waymores","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/46","content_text":"Funny how the world works, at least in the world of music. This is the story of Kira Annelise and her husband Willie Heath Neal, who together make up the country duo The Waymores. When they met, Willie was a seasoned songwriter about to hang it up. He was still singing in bands when Kira saw him performing, and her world changed. A talented singer, Kira had yet to pick up a guitar or even listen to real country music—real being Hank Sr., Johnny Cash, John Prine, etc. After seeing Willie, Kira started playing guitar and writing music. It wasn’t too much longer that they started playing together, and, predictably, they became an official couple. Fourteen years later, Kira and Willie are still at it, and their newest album The Stone Sessions is proof positive of their magic. In this episode of For Songs, Willie and Kira talk about their past, their future, and, most importantly, their compelling present. We talk about four songs in particular from The Stone Sessions—Even When, Bat Shit Crazy, Roll That Chain, and I Don’t Like the Liquor. Their lush harmonies will send chills down your spine as they recall June and Johnny, while their self-depreciating humor will leave you in stitches. Buckle up, grab a drink, and welcome Kira and Willie to For Songs.","content_html":"Funny how the world works, at least in the world of music. This is the story of Kira Annelise and her husband Willie Heath Neal, who together make up the country duo The Waymores. When they met, Willie was a seasoned songwriter about to hang it up. He was still singing in bands when Kira saw him performing, and her world changed. A talented singer, Kira had yet to pick up a guitar or even listen to real country music—real being Hank Sr., Johnny Cash, John Prine, etc. After seeing Willie, Kira started playing guitar and writing music. It wasn’t too much longer that they started playing together, and, predictably, they became an official couple. Fourteen years later, Kira and Willie are still at it, and their newest album The Stone Sessions is proof positive of their magic. In this episode of For Songs, Willie and Kira talk about their past, their future, and, most importantly, their compelling present. We talk about four songs in particular from The Stone Sessions—Even When, Bat Shit Crazy, Roll That Chain, and I Don’t Like the Liquor. Their lush harmonies will send chills down your spine as they recall June and Johnny, while their self-depreciating humor will leave you in stitches. Buckle up, grab a drink, and welcome Kira and Willie to For Songs.
","summary":"Funny how the world works, at least in the world of music. This is the story of Kira Annelise and her husband Willie Heath Neal, who together make up the country duo The Waymores. When they met, Willie was a seasoned songwriter about to hang it up. He was still singing in bands when Kira saw him performing, and her world changed. Kira started playing guitar and found out that she was a helluva songwriter too. Fourteen years later, Kira and Willie are still at it, and their newest album The Stone Sessions is proof positive of their magic. In this episode of For Songs, Willie and Kira talk about their past, their future, and, most importantly, their compelling present. Buckle up, grab a drink, and welcome Kira and Willie to For Songs.","date_published":"2022-05-06T21:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/077e879f-211a-4357-9460-54cf654df92c.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":40831817,"duration_in_seconds":2487}]},{"id":"7033c490-f36a-473d-b91b-4ca5bb63d17c","title":"Episode 45: For Songs Singles! Restless Companion, Michael Patrick F. Smith","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/45","content_text":"It’s been a little more than since my next guest first joined me on For Songs. Michael Patrick F. Smith and I go way back. Way way back. To elementary school, middle school, high school, and even church. Michael returns to the show for the first time since January 2021, a few weeks before his book The Good Hand was published. The Good Hand is a blistering read, telling the tale of his journey to North Dakota at the height of the shale-gas revolution that turned parts of the state into a latter-day gold rush. With the paperback version having just been released, Michael joined me to discuss a new song called Restless Companion. Restless Companion was one of a few new songs accompanying the audiobook of The Good Hand. It is a breezy tune that would fit right at home on Uncle Tupelo’s Anodyne, or Son Volt’s Trace. The song itself is an ode to The Good Hand and all the literal blood, sweat, and tears that went into it. So sit down, grab a beer, and welcome back Michael Patrick F. Smith to For Songs. ","content_html":"It’s been a little more than since my next guest first joined me on For Songs. Michael Patrick F. Smith and I go way back. Way way back. To elementary school, middle school, high school, and even church. Michael returns to the show for the first time since January 2021, a few weeks before his book The Good Hand was published. The Good Hand is a blistering read, telling the tale of his journey to North Dakota at the height of the shale-gas revolution that turned parts of the state into a latter-day gold rush. With the paperback version having just been released, Michael joined me to discuss a new song called Restless Companion. Restless Companion was one of a few new songs accompanying the audiobook of The Good Hand. It is a breezy tune that would fit right at home on Uncle Tupelo’s Anodyne, or Son Volt’s Trace. The song itself is an ode to The Good Hand and all the literal blood, sweat, and tears that went into it. So sit down, grab a beer, and welcome back Michael Patrick F. Smith to For Songs.
","summary":"It’s been a little more than since my next guest first joined me on For Songs. Michael Patrick F. Smith returns to the show for the first time since January 2021, a few weeks before his book The Good Hand was published. The Good Hand is a blistering read, telling the tale of his journey to North Dakota at the height of the shale-gas revolution that turned parts of the state into a latter-day gold rush. With the paperback version having just been released, Michael joined me to discuss a new song called Restless Companion. Restless Companion is a breezy tune that would fit right at home on Uncle Tupelo’s Anodyne, or Son Volt’s Trace. The song itself is an ode to The Good Hand and all the literal blood, sweat, and tears that went into it. So sit down, grab a beer, and welcome back Michael Patrick F. Smith to For Songs. ","date_published":"2022-04-18T16:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/7033c490-f36a-473d-b91b-4ca5bb63d17c.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":23640084,"duration_in_seconds":1390}]},{"id":"1c5a7947-8874-4dc1-8cc4-1399dbdcf69d","title":"Episode 44: Another Conversation with The Pug--Talking the Clash, Joe Strummer, Big Audio Dynamite & Much More!","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/44","content_text":"It’s been a rough two years, to say the least. Music is one of the few things keeping us together, and for some of us, The Clash have been doing the heavy lifting. In this unique episode, Tony from the Pug joins me for an enthralling conversation about music, the Clash, and so much more. The general theme of this conversation is as follows: What Big Audio Dynamite/Joe Strummer solo songs would’ve been great Clash songs? We tried to put in some ground rules, but those quickly went out the door. Aside from the Clash we talk about Poguetry, go-go music, cow punk, ska, and you name it. So rather than sum it up, it’s better if you just listen in. And join us online for an ongoing conversation! What songs would you pick? Ping us on Twitter--@thepugdc & @forsongs2! ","content_html":"It’s been a rough two years, to say the least. Music is one of the few things keeping us together, and for some of us, The Clash have been doing the heavy lifting. In this unique episode, Tony from the Pug joins me for an enthralling conversation about music, the Clash, and so much more. The general theme of this conversation is as follows: What Big Audio Dynamite/Joe Strummer solo songs would’ve been great Clash songs? We tried to put in some ground rules, but those quickly went out the door. Aside from the Clash we talk about Poguetry, go-go music, cow punk, ska, and you name it. So rather than sum it up, it’s better if you just listen in. And join us online for an ongoing conversation! What songs would you pick? Ping us on Twitter--@thepugdc & @forsongs2!
","summary":"It’s been a rough two years, to say the least. In this unique episode, Tony from the Pug joins me for an enthralling conversation about music, the Clash, and so much more. The general theme of this conversation is as follows: What Big Audio Dynamite/Joe Strummer solo songs would’ve been great Clash songs? We tried to put in some ground rules, but those quickly went out the door. So rather than sum it up, it’s better if you just listen in. And join us online for an ongoing conversation! ","date_published":"2022-04-10T14:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/1c5a7947-8874-4dc1-8cc4-1399dbdcf69d.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":42770011,"duration_in_seconds":2393}]},{"id":"04fe3ac5-5ef8-4875-854a-177fa98f61af","title":"Episode 43: A Conversation with Emily Capell","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/43","content_text":"Question for you: If you had the chance to spend an hour in the car with one of your musical heroes—you are driving—what music would you play? Believe it or not, this is a difficult, stressful decision. And my next guest, northwest London-based Emily Capell, faced this very dilemma. Emily, who literally grew up on the Clash and its various offshoots, is an old soul. Her music is inspired by, well, the Clash, Big Audio Dynamite, but it goes beyond that. You’ll hear some Sinatra, you’ll hear some ‘60s doowop, you’ll hear a lot of ska, Blondie, you name it. In this exhilarating interview, Emily and I talk about two songs from her 2019 debut album Combat Frock—Bonanza and Ipso Calypso—and then we talk about two newer songs, 2020’s Flamingo, recorded with the London-based Dreadzone, and a cover of Big Audio Dynamite’s E=MC2, recorded with the song’s co-writer, legendary punk-rock DJ and studio innovator Don Letts. We discuss what it was like to record with Letts, one of her heroes, and the troubles and trials of being a musician in a pandemic. Mostly, though, we talk about the music. Emily is one of the freshest talents recording today, so go grab your beer, sit down, and welcome Emily Capell to For Songs.","content_html":"Question for you: If you had the chance to spend an hour in the car with one of your musical heroes—you are driving—what music would you play? Believe it or not, this is a difficult, stressful decision. And my next guest, northwest London-based Emily Capell, faced this very dilemma. Emily, who literally grew up on the Clash and its various offshoots, is an old soul. Her music is inspired by, well, the Clash, Big Audio Dynamite, but it goes beyond that. You’ll hear some Sinatra, you’ll hear some ‘60s doowop, you’ll hear a lot of ska, Blondie, you name it. In this exhilarating interview, Emily and I talk about two songs from her 2019 debut album Combat Frock—Bonanza and Ipso Calypso—and then we talk about two newer songs, 2020’s Flamingo, recorded with the London-based Dreadzone, and a cover of Big Audio Dynamite’s E=MC2, recorded with the song’s co-writer, legendary punk-rock DJ and studio innovator Don Letts. We discuss what it was like to record with Letts, one of her heroes, and the troubles and trials of being a musician in a pandemic. Mostly, though, we talk about the music. Emily is one of the freshest talents recording today, so go grab your beer, sit down, and welcome Emily Capell to For Songs.
","summary":"If you had the chance to spend an hour in the car with one of your musical heroes—you are driving—what music would you play? My next guest, London-based Emily Capell, faced this very dilemma. Emily, who literally grew up on the Clash and its various offshoots, is inspired by, well, the Clash, Big Audio Dynamite, but it goes beyond that. In his exhilarating interview, Emily and I talk about two songs from her 2019 debut album Combat Frock and then we talk about two newer songs, 2020’s Flamingo, recorded with the London-based Dreadzone, and a cover of Big Audio Dynamite’s E=MC2. Emily is one of the freshest talents recording today, so go grab your beer, sit down, and welcome Emily Capell to For Songs.","date_published":"2022-03-20T14:30:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/04fe3ac5-5ef8-4875-854a-177fa98f61af.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":45929715,"duration_in_seconds":2733}]},{"id":"4f4b8227-803d-4175-b8ae-52a4ba580dd1","title":"Episode 42: A Conversation with the Whitmore Sisters","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/42","content_text":"It is a cliché that blood is thicker than water, but its also true. And my next guests are living proof. Bonnie and Eleanor Whitmore of the Whitmore Sisters have just released their first album as a duo. Ghost Stories is an emotional powerhouse. And it is full of inspiration. Eleanor and Bonnie have been in and around the Americana genre for pretty much their whole lives. Eleanor and her husband Chris Masterson make up folk rock duo The Mastersons, and they also play in Steve Earle’s backing band The Dukes. Bonnie, meanwhile, has released a number albums over the years and has played with a who’s who—James McMurtry, Bruce Robison, Kelly Willis, on and on and on. Despite their roots, Ghost Stories is their first album together, and let’s hope there’s more to come. We talk about four songs —Hurtin’ for a Letdown, Ghost Stories, Greek Tragedy, and The Ballad of Sissy and Porter. We talk about death, drugs, influences, and, of course, songwriting. We also talk about life—celebrating and appreciating the simple act of being alive. This interview gets pretty heavy at times, so be ready. It is my high honor to welcome Eleanor and Bonnie Whitmore to For Songs. ","content_html":"It is a cliché that blood is thicker than water, but its also true. And my next guests are living proof. Bonnie and Eleanor Whitmore of the Whitmore Sisters have just released their first album as a duo. Ghost Stories is an emotional powerhouse. And it is full of inspiration. Eleanor and Bonnie have been in and around the Americana genre for pretty much their whole lives. Eleanor and her husband Chris Masterson make up folk rock duo The Mastersons, and they also play in Steve Earle’s backing band The Dukes. Bonnie, meanwhile, has released a number albums over the years and has played with a who’s who—James McMurtry, Bruce Robison, Kelly Willis, on and on and on. Despite their roots, Ghost Stories is their first album together, and let’s hope there’s more to come. We talk about four songs —Hurtin’ for a Letdown, Ghost Stories, Greek Tragedy, and The Ballad of Sissy and Porter. We talk about death, drugs, influences, and, of course, songwriting. We also talk about life—celebrating and appreciating the simple act of being alive. This interview gets pretty heavy at times, so be ready. It is my high honor to welcome Eleanor and Bonnie Whitmore to For Songs.
","summary":"It is a cliché that blood is thicker than water, but its also true. And my next guests are living proof.. Eleanor and Bonnie Whitemore have been in and around the Americana genre for pretty much their whole lives. Eleanor and her husband Chris Masterson make up folk rock duo The Mastersons, and they also play in Steve Earle’s backing band The Dukes. Bonnie has released a number albums over the years and has played with a who’s who. Despite their roots, though, Ghost Stories is their first album together, and let’s hope there’s more to come. We talk about four songs—Hurtin’ for a Letdown, Ghost Stories, Greek Tragedy, and The Ballad of Sissy and Porter. We talk about death, drugs, influences, and, of course, songwriting. This interview gets pretty heavy at times, so be ready. It is my high honor to welcome Eleanor and Bonnie Whitmore to For Songs. ","date_published":"2022-02-18T16:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/4f4b8227-803d-4175-b8ae-52a4ba580dd1.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":43940293,"duration_in_seconds":2698}]},{"id":"291eecde-9012-4e12-b24e-f40fc0a8f930","title":"Episode 41: A Conversation with Ian Jones","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/41","content_text":"So if there’s one theme in most all these interviews I’ve conducted the last nearly two years, it’s that the music biz is a tough one, even in the best of times. When you think about it, it’s almost impossible to make money—spotify, pandora, and the Internet have seen to that. And my next guest, Seattle-based singer/songwriter [Ian Jones,](www.ianjonesmusic.com) knows this better than most. Back in the 90s and early 2000s, Ian left his home to give music a go in California, moving to Santa Barbara. While the weather may have been better, the industry changed so dramatically from when he first started that after a good many years, it was time to head back home. He chronicles portions of this journey on his new EP The Evergreens, released in October 2021. We discuss four songs from the EP—Evergreens, Liars Beggars Criminals and Thieves, Promised Land, and Last Call. We also talk about his inspirations, how he got into writing in the first place, and his hopeful plans for 2022. Ian Jones is serious about his work and his craft, and it comes through in his professionalism and songs. So please join me in welcoming Ian Jones to For Songs.","content_html":"So if there’s one theme in most all these interviews I’ve conducted the last nearly two years, it’s that the music biz is a tough one, even in the best of times. When you think about it, it’s almost impossible to make money—spotify, pandora, and the Internet have seen to that. And my next guest, Seattle-based singer/songwriter [Ian Jones,](www.ianjonesmusic.com) knows this better than most. Back in the 90s and early 2000s, Ian left his home to give music a go in California, moving to Santa Barbara. While the weather may have been better, the industry changed so dramatically from when he first started that after a good many years, it was time to head back home. He chronicles portions of this journey on his new EP The Evergreens, released in October 2021. We discuss four songs from the EP—Evergreens, Liars Beggars Criminals and Thieves, Promised Land, and Last Call. We also talk about his inspirations, how he got into writing in the first place, and his hopeful plans for 2022. Ian Jones is serious about his work and his craft, and it comes through in his professionalism and songs. So please join me in welcoming Ian Jones to For Songs.
","summary":"So if there’s one theme in most all these interviews I’ve conducted the last nearly two years, it’s that the music biz is a tough one, even in the best of times. And my next guest, Seattle-based singer/songwriter Ian Jones, knows this better than most. Back in the 90s and early 2000s, Ian left his Pacific Northwest home to give music a go in California, moving to Santa Barbara. While the weather may have been better, the industry changed so dramatically from when he first started that after a good many years, it was time to head back home. He chronicles portions of this journey on his new EP The Evergreens, released in October 2021. We discuss four songs from the EP—Evergreens, Liars Beggars Criminals and Thieves, Promised Land, and Last Call. Please join me in welcoming Ian Jones to For Songs.\r\n\r\n","date_published":"2022-01-21T16:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/291eecde-9012-4e12-b24e-f40fc0a8f930.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":40798742,"duration_in_seconds":2458}]},{"id":"3e7a2e3c-4df9-437e-ad04-8cc405ce51a2","title":"Episode 40: For Songs Singles! Keeping On, Franklin Gotham","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/40","content_text":"Here we go—nearing Year Three of this pandemic. Not to mention the coldest days of the year, hazardous weather, you name it. Days like these, you gotta dig deep to keep going. If you are struggling to trudge ahead as the news seemingly gets worse every day, have I got a song for you. Joining me for this first episode of 2022 is my old friend Kevin Adkins of Franklin Gotham. In this episode, Kevin and I talk about Franklin Gotham’s latest single Keeping On, a tune for our time. It is no doubt one of the catchiest songs you’ll hear all year, and it’s also a perfect way to start 2022. Kevin and his bandmates—guitarist/producer Jarett Nicolay and drummer Christopher Speich—have crafted a near-perfect pop song: catchy chords, a hummable chorus, and impeccable production. Each time you listen, you’ll hear something new. Kevin and I talk about how the song came to be, how they recorded it across two states, and how their writing process works. If you need a bit of a pep talk heading into the year, dig into this! ","content_html":"Here we go—nearing Year Three of this pandemic. Not to mention the coldest days of the year, hazardous weather, you name it. Days like these, you gotta dig deep to keep going. If you are struggling to trudge ahead as the news seemingly gets worse every day, have I got a song for you. Joining me for this first episode of 2022 is my old friend Kevin Adkins of Franklin Gotham. In this episode, Kevin and I talk about Franklin Gotham’s latest single Keeping On, a tune for our time. It is no doubt one of the catchiest songs you’ll hear all year, and it’s also a perfect way to start 2022. Kevin and his bandmates—guitarist/producer Jarett Nicolay and drummer Christopher Speich—have crafted a near-perfect pop song: catchy chords, a hummable chorus, and impeccable production. Each time you listen, you’ll hear something new. Kevin and I talk about how the song came to be, how they recorded it across two states, and how their writing process works. If you need a bit of a pep talk heading into the year, dig into this!
","summary":"Here we go—nearing Year Three of this pandemic. If you are struggling to trudge ahead as the news seemingly gets worse every day, have I got a song for you. Joining me for this first episode of 2022 is my old friend Kevin Adkins of Franklin Gotham. In this episode, Kevin and I talk about Franklin Gotham’s latest single Keeping On, a tune for our time. It is no doubt one of the catchiest songs you’ll hear all year, and it’s also a perfect way to start 2022. Kevin and I talk about how the song came to be, how they recorded it across two states, and how their writing process works. If you need a bit of a pep talk heading into the year, dig into this! ","date_published":"2022-01-07T16:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/3e7a2e3c-4df9-437e-ad04-8cc405ce51a2.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":21703756,"duration_in_seconds":1314}]},{"id":"6c8ef232-599d-4066-9058-b1f3503e8070","title":"Episode 39: A Conversation with Nicole Atkins","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/39","content_text":"It is Christmas time, and while this isn’t a Christmas episode per se, it is the gift that keeps on giving. If you’ve ever heard Nicole Atkins sing, you know there’s something eerie, calm, haunting yet beautiful about her voice. There’s a sense of mystery, a compelling sound that keeps you coming back for more. Perhaps this has something to do with where she’s from, a small town not far from the Jersey beaches, maybe 40 minutes south of New York City. If you’ve ever been to the Jersey shore, you know there’s something in the water. Something that lures you to the insanity of the boardwalk during the summer, but you also know there’s something more appealing about being there in the dead of winter, when no one else is around. You’ve got it to yourself. Listening to Nicole Atkins brings back those feelings—the beautiful calm of being somewhere on your own, almost all alone. In this episode of For Songs, Nicole joins me from her home in Nashville, which was filled to the brim with her newest album Memphis Ice. Recorded in Memphis in one day, Memphis Ice is Nicole’s Judy Garland moment. She stripped down songs from her slick, enchanting 2020 release Italian Ice and recreates them here, and the results are breathtaking. We talk about four songs—Promised Land, Domino, Mind Eraser, and Captain. Nicole discusses her songwriting process, how she was able to do more with less, and how her hometown still seeps into her music. Please welcome Nicole Atkins to For Songs.","content_html":"It is Christmas time, and while this isn’t a Christmas episode per se, it is the gift that keeps on giving. If you’ve ever heard Nicole Atkins sing, you know there’s something eerie, calm, haunting yet beautiful about her voice. There’s a sense of mystery, a compelling sound that keeps you coming back for more. Perhaps this has something to do with where she’s from, a small town not far from the Jersey beaches, maybe 40 minutes south of New York City. If you’ve ever been to the Jersey shore, you know there’s something in the water. Something that lures you to the insanity of the boardwalk during the summer, but you also know there’s something more appealing about being there in the dead of winter, when no one else is around. You’ve got it to yourself. Listening to Nicole Atkins brings back those feelings—the beautiful calm of being somewhere on your own, almost all alone. In this episode of For Songs, Nicole joins me from her home in Nashville, which was filled to the brim with her newest album Memphis Ice. Recorded in Memphis in one day, Memphis Ice is Nicole’s Judy Garland moment. She stripped down songs from her slick, enchanting 2020 release Italian Ice and recreates them here, and the results are breathtaking. We talk about four songs—Promised Land, Domino, Mind Eraser, and Captain. Nicole discusses her songwriting process, how she was able to do more with less, and how her hometown still seeps into her music. Please welcome Nicole Atkins to For Songs.
","summary":"It is Christmas time, and while this isn’t a Christmas episode per se, it is the gift that keeps on giving. If you’ve ever heard Nicole Atkins sing, you know there’s something eerie, calm, haunting yet beautiful about her voice. In this episode of For Songs, Nicole joins me from her home in Nashville, which was filled to the brim with her newest album Memphis Ice. Recorded in Memphis in one day, Memphis Ice is Nicole’s Judy Garland moment. She stripped down songs from her slick, enchanting 2020 release Italian Ice and recreates them here, and the results are breathtaking. We talk about four songs—Promised Land, Domino, Mind Eraser, and Captain. Nicole discusses her songwriting process, how she was able to do more with less, and how her hometown still seeps into her music. Please welcome Nicole Atkins to For Songs.","date_published":"2021-12-26T13:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/6c8ef232-599d-4066-9058-b1f3503e8070.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":41659218,"duration_in_seconds":2515}]},{"id":"47f163d4-1c99-4d50-a672-accb12fc537d","title":"Episode 38: For Songs Singles! Dreaming of a Revolution, by the Sweet Lizzy Project","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/38","content_text":"The spark of freedom can be seen anywhere if you look for it. In this episode of For Songs-Singles, we bring back Lisset Diaz of the Sweet Lizzy Project (www.sweetlizzyproject.com) to discuss her band’s latest single, Dreaming of a Revolution/Otra Revolucion. The song is inspired by the protesters in Cuba, who are putting their lives on the line to protest against the existing regime. The song is the first from their forthcoming album Pirate Radio/Radio Pirata. Every song on the album was recorded in English and Spanish. In this episode, we talk about each version of the song, along with the special editions featuring legendary Cuban singers Carlos Varela (https://twitter.com/noeselfin) and Raul Malo (www.themavericks.com). Lisset details the emotional ride that led to this song and the difficulties in getting the perfect translation from English to Spanish. She also talks about how she drew inspiration from learning that a childhood friend was among the many protestors putting their lives on the line. Freedom is not to be taken for granted, so it is a great honor to welcome Lisset Diaz of the Sweet Lizzy Project back to For Songs.","content_html":"The spark of freedom can be seen anywhere if you look for it. In this episode of For Songs-Singles, we bring back Lisset Diaz of the Sweet Lizzy Project (www.sweetlizzyproject.com) to discuss her band’s latest single, Dreaming of a Revolution/Otra Revolucion. The song is inspired by the protesters in Cuba, who are putting their lives on the line to protest against the existing regime. The song is the first from their forthcoming album Pirate Radio/Radio Pirata. Every song on the album was recorded in English and Spanish. In this episode, we talk about each version of the song, along with the special editions featuring legendary Cuban singers Carlos Varela (https://twitter.com/noeselfin) and Raul Malo (www.themavericks.com). Lisset details the emotional ride that led to this song and the difficulties in getting the perfect translation from English to Spanish. She also talks about how she drew inspiration from learning that a childhood friend was among the many protestors putting their lives on the line. Freedom is not to be taken for granted, so it is a great honor to welcome Lisset Diaz of the Sweet Lizzy Project back to For Songs.
","summary":"In this episode of For Songs-Singles, we bring back Lisset Diaz of the Sweet Lizzy Project to discuss her band’s latest single, Dreaming of a Revolution/Otra Revolucion. The song is inspired by the protesters in Cuba, who are putting their lives on the line to protest against the existing regime. we talk about the English and Spanish versions of the song, along with the special editions featuring legendary Cuban singers Carlos Varela and Raul Malo. Listen in as Lisset details the emotional ride that led to this song and the difficulties in getting the translations just right. Ready to be inspired? Listen in!","date_published":"2021-12-17T16:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/47f163d4-1c99-4d50-a672-accb12fc537d.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":24118472,"duration_in_seconds":1494}]},{"id":"ecd085ad-57ee-40bc-8362-218d23ba210c","title":"Episode 37: A Conversation with the Mighty Joshua","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/37","content_text":"Never doubt it—music can change lives. My next guest is living proof. Renowned reggae singer The Mighty Joshua certainly had no intentions of singing and playing in front of thousands. In fact he started his musical career in Richmond, Va., as a percussionist in a few reggae bands, content playing a supporting role to others. But at the heavy urging of well-traveled reggae keyboardist Chris ‘Peanut’ Whitley, Joshua embraced his calling and truly became Mighty. Suddenly Joshua was opening for legendary reggae acts in Virginia and elsewhere, and now he’s become a staple of the East Coast reggae scene. In this episode of For Songs, The Mighty Joshua talks about his journey, how he went from a shy percussionist to an energetic front man capable of moving mountains. We talk about four songs, including his most recent single You Snooze You Lose, which appeared on a compilation album featuring a number of legendary African musicians. You will be inspired, educated, and uplifted. Please welcome The Mighty Joshua to For Songs. ","content_html":"Never doubt it—music can change lives. My next guest is living proof. Renowned reggae singer The Mighty Joshua certainly had no intentions of singing and playing in front of thousands. In fact he started his musical career in Richmond, Va., as a percussionist in a few reggae bands, content playing a supporting role to others. But at the heavy urging of well-traveled reggae keyboardist Chris ‘Peanut’ Whitley, Joshua embraced his calling and truly became Mighty. Suddenly Joshua was opening for legendary reggae acts in Virginia and elsewhere, and now he’s become a staple of the East Coast reggae scene. In this episode of For Songs, The Mighty Joshua talks about his journey, how he went from a shy percussionist to an energetic front man capable of moving mountains. We talk about four songs, including his most recent single You Snooze You Lose, which appeared on a compilation album featuring a number of legendary African musicians. You will be inspired, educated, and uplifted. Please welcome The Mighty Joshua to For Songs.
","summary":"Never doubt it—music can change lives. My next guest is living proof. Renowned reggae singer The Mighty Joshua certainly had no intentions of singing and playing in front of thousands. But at the heavy urging of well-traveled reggae keyboardist Chris ‘Peanut’ Whitley, Joshua embraced his calling and truly became Mighty. In this episode of For Songs, The Mighty Joshua talks about his journey, how he went from a shy percussionist to an energetic front man capable of moving mountains. You will be inspired, educated, and uplifted. Please welcome The Mighty Joshua to For Songs. ","date_published":"2021-12-03T16:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/ecd085ad-57ee-40bc-8362-218d23ba210c.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":42062985,"duration_in_seconds":2563}]},{"id":"0cee87a3-22fa-4428-9a6d-242bccd3dd89","title":"Episode 36: A Second Conversation with Louis Michot","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/36","content_text":"With Hurricane Ida bearing down on his home state of Louisiana, musician Louis Michot felt helpless. After a quick jaunt for his band’s—Grammy winning Lost Bayou Ramblers—first gig outside Louisiana in nearly two years, Michot and his crew raced home to be with their family as the storm approached. An unlucky break during the show led to a short COVID scare, but even more frightening were the cries for help he saw online as Ida pummeled New Orleans and other areas, knocking out power for weeks. Once he felt safe and healthy—he never did get sick, thankfully—Michot and his band raced into action, setting up gofundme campaigns to bring goods and services to those areas devastated by the storm. His band raised tens of thousands of dollars for supplies like food, gas, and everyday needs. Once the immediate crisis ended, he started thinking bigger. He launched the Louisiana Solar Fund to bring portable solar generators into indigenous areas wrecked by the storm. In this special episode of For Songs, Louis talks about this work, the state of the power grid, and why it is so important to bring resilient forms of energy to all corners of the country. \n\nOh yeah, we also talk about music and his latest EP, the five-song live recording Tiny Island. Tiny Island was recorded by his second band Michot’s Melody Makers outdoors on his property. The Melody Makers are joined by the incredible and versatile singer/songwriter/cellist Leyla McCalla. We talk about three songs from the EP, how the band maintains its tight sound without rehearsing, and how cool it is when the bugs and frogs living on Louis’s property accompany the band. Please join me in welcoming Louis Michot back to For Songs.","content_html":"With Hurricane Ida bearing down on his home state of Louisiana, musician Louis Michot felt helpless. After a quick jaunt for his band’s—Grammy winning Lost Bayou Ramblers—first gig outside Louisiana in nearly two years, Michot and his crew raced home to be with their family as the storm approached. An unlucky break during the show led to a short COVID scare, but even more frightening were the cries for help he saw online as Ida pummeled New Orleans and other areas, knocking out power for weeks. Once he felt safe and healthy—he never did get sick, thankfully—Michot and his band raced into action, setting up gofundme campaigns to bring goods and services to those areas devastated by the storm. His band raised tens of thousands of dollars for supplies like food, gas, and everyday needs. Once the immediate crisis ended, he started thinking bigger. He launched the Louisiana Solar Fund to bring portable solar generators into indigenous areas wrecked by the storm. In this special episode of For Songs, Louis talks about this work, the state of the power grid, and why it is so important to bring resilient forms of energy to all corners of the country.
\n\nOh yeah, we also talk about music and his latest EP, the five-song live recording Tiny Island. Tiny Island was recorded by his second band Michot’s Melody Makers outdoors on his property. The Melody Makers are joined by the incredible and versatile singer/songwriter/cellist Leyla McCalla. We talk about three songs from the EP, how the band maintains its tight sound without rehearsing, and how cool it is when the bugs and frogs living on Louis’s property accompany the band. Please join me in welcoming Louis Michot back to For Songs.
","summary":"Louis Michot is a true renaissance man. In his second appearance on For Songs, Michot, singer/fiddler for the Louisiana Cajun band the Lost Bayou Ramblers and Michot’s Melody Makers, talks about his work bringing goods and services to those areas devastated by Hurricane Ida. These efforts include bringing portable solar generators into indigenous areas wrecked by the storm. We also talk about the latest Michot’s Melody Makers latest release, a five-song live EP called Tiny Island, featuring renowned cellist/singer/songwriter Leyla McCalla. We talk about three songs from the EP, how the band maintains its tight sound without rehearsing, and how cool it is when the bugs and frogs living on Louis’s property accompany the band. Please join me in welcoming Louis Michot back to For Songs.","date_published":"2021-11-19T16:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/0cee87a3-22fa-4428-9a6d-242bccd3dd89.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":35075672,"duration_in_seconds":2281}]},{"id":"4135e807-8a2e-44fd-b906-84e721e75f88","title":"Episode 35: A Conversation with Jade Jackson and Aubrie Sellers","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/35","content_text":"It sounds like a cliché, but sometimes when you expect the unexpected, you might just get exactly what you need. That’s what happened to then-California-based singer/songwriters Jade Jackson and Aubrie Sellers after a chance meeting in 2019. Jackson and Sellers, both accomplished artists on different ends of the country-rock spectrum, began working together on one of Jade’s songs Hush during the start of the pandemic. One thing led to another, and both relocated to Nashville to record the compelling new album Breaking Point, released in October 2021. Breaking Point is a revelation, with both artists pushing themselves into an earthy, atmospheric album driven by loud, crunchy guitars and tight hooks all around. In this interview, Jackson and Sellers discuss how and why their voices blend so well together. We also chat about how their unlikely pairing has turned into a deep friendship and dramatic artistic statement. Join me as Jade and Aubrie walk us through four songs from Breaking Point—Devil is an Angel, Waste Your Time, Hush, and Fair Weather. We also discuss the fickle nature of the industry and how hard it is to make a living as an artist.","content_html":"It sounds like a cliché, but sometimes when you expect the unexpected, you might just get exactly what you need. That’s what happened to then-California-based singer/songwriters Jade Jackson and Aubrie Sellers after a chance meeting in 2019. Jackson and Sellers, both accomplished artists on different ends of the country-rock spectrum, began working together on one of Jade’s songs Hush during the start of the pandemic. One thing led to another, and both relocated to Nashville to record the compelling new album Breaking Point, released in October 2021. Breaking Point is a revelation, with both artists pushing themselves into an earthy, atmospheric album driven by loud, crunchy guitars and tight hooks all around. In this interview, Jackson and Sellers discuss how and why their voices blend so well together. We also chat about how their unlikely pairing has turned into a deep friendship and dramatic artistic statement. Join me as Jade and Aubrie walk us through four songs from Breaking Point—Devil is an Angel, Waste Your Time, Hush, and Fair Weather. We also discuss the fickle nature of the industry and how hard it is to make a living as an artist.
","summary":"A chance meeting in 2019 between established singer/songwriters Aubrie Sellers and Jade Jackson turned into one of the most compelling new albums in years—October 2021’s Breaking Point. In this episode, Jade and Aubrie detail how their unlikely partnership came to be and how Breaking Point became the most authentic album both have made to date. Listen in as the duo—officially called Jackson+Sellers—walk us through four songs from the album and how difficult it is to make a living as a musician.","date_published":"2021-11-05T16:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/4135e807-8a2e-44fd-b906-84e721e75f88.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":42863348,"duration_in_seconds":2600}]},{"id":"d61ae9ba-cef8-4ef6-926c-a58463915423","title":"Episode 34: For Songs Singles! Hesitate, Sons of Silver","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/34","content_text":"Welcome to the first episode of For Songs Singles! Instead of four songs, we talk about one. It’s a bit shorter and lets us take a deep dive into the creation and meaning of one song in particular. On this first episode we feature Hesitate, the blistering new song from LA-based indie-rock band Sons of Silver. Hesitate is a musical and lyrical tour-de-force. It jumps out of the speakers with driving guitars and pounding bass and drums. Singer/songwriter Peter Argyropoulos takes the global decline of our discourse, where we wall off those we disagree with, whether they are family or friends. The song is both provocative and funny—certainly not an easy task. Yet Peter and the band pull it off with ease. You may not agree with what he says or how he says it, and that’s almost the point. For those who aren’t sure where they fit in these hyperpartisan, hypersensitive times, Hesitate is the song for you. ","content_html":"Welcome to the first episode of For Songs Singles! Instead of four songs, we talk about one. It’s a bit shorter and lets us take a deep dive into the creation and meaning of one song in particular. On this first episode we feature Hesitate, the blistering new song from LA-based indie-rock band Sons of Silver. Hesitate is a musical and lyrical tour-de-force. It jumps out of the speakers with driving guitars and pounding bass and drums. Singer/songwriter Peter Argyropoulos takes the global decline of our discourse, where we wall off those we disagree with, whether they are family or friends. The song is both provocative and funny—certainly not an easy task. Yet Peter and the band pull it off with ease. You may not agree with what he says or how he says it, and that’s almost the point. For those who aren’t sure where they fit in these hyperpartisan, hypersensitive times, Hesitate is the song for you.
","summary":"Welcome to the first episode of For Songs Singles! Instead of four songs, we talk about one. On this first episode we feature Hesitate, the blistering new song from LA-based indie-rock band Sons of Silver. Hesitate is a musical and lyrical tour-de-force. It jumps out of the speakers with driving guitars and pounding bass and drums. Singer/songwriter Peter Argyropoulos takes the global decline of our discourse, where we wall off those we disagree with, whether they are family or friends. You may not agree with what Peter says or how he says it, and that’s almost the point. For those who aren’t sure where they fit in these hyperpartisan, hypersensitive times, Hesitate is the song for you. ","date_published":"2021-10-15T16:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/d61ae9ba-cef8-4ef6-926c-a58463915423.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":18301869,"duration_in_seconds":1096}]},{"id":"a13f6b99-39b7-4c45-a931-445c53b7fc07","title":"Episode 33: A Conversation with Dar Williams","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/33","content_text":"Time has a funny way of working, right? Some days feel like they last forever, while others are over in a blink of an eye. And the cruel joke is that as you get older, time seems to move even faster. One day you are a bright eyed, bushy tailed 20-something ready to take over the world, and the next, the world has chewed you up and spit you out. Well, maybe it’s not that bad, but you get the point. On this episode of For Songs, singer/songwriter Dar Williams covers these themes and more on her latest album “I’ll Meet You Here,” released on Oct. 1. Dar has been making music since the early 90s, following in the footsteps of folk-rock luminaries Joan Baez, Jim Croce, and others. In fact, Joan Baez’s cover of Dar’s 1993 rune “You’re Aging Well” led to a career defining relationship. Joan took Dar under her wing, offering her advice and spots on tour throughout her career. And now Dar is roughly the same age as Joan Baez was when they first met, and she is returning the favor. Dar and I discuss “You’re Aging Well” and three other songs from “I’ll Meet You Here.” We talk about her influences—some will surprise you—and how she is gearing up to tour during a pandemic. So join me and welcome Dar Williams to For Songs.","content_html":"Time has a funny way of working, right? Some days feel like they last forever, while others are over in a blink of an eye. And the cruel joke is that as you get older, time seems to move even faster. One day you are a bright eyed, bushy tailed 20-something ready to take over the world, and the next, the world has chewed you up and spit you out. Well, maybe it’s not that bad, but you get the point. On this episode of For Songs, singer/songwriter Dar Williams covers these themes and more on her latest album “I’ll Meet You Here,” released on Oct. 1. Dar has been making music since the early 90s, following in the footsteps of folk-rock luminaries Joan Baez, Jim Croce, and others. In fact, Joan Baez’s cover of Dar’s 1993 rune “You’re Aging Well” led to a career defining relationship. Joan took Dar under her wing, offering her advice and spots on tour throughout her career. And now Dar is roughly the same age as Joan Baez was when they first met, and she is returning the favor. Dar and I discuss “You’re Aging Well” and three other songs from “I’ll Meet You Here.” We talk about her influences—some will surprise you—and how she is gearing up to tour during a pandemic. So join me and welcome Dar Williams to For Songs.
","summary":"Time has a funny way of working, right? Some days feel like they last forever, while others are over in a blink of an eye. And the cruel joke is that as you get older, time seems to move even faster. On this episode of For Songs, singer/songwriter Dar Williams covers these themes and more on her latest album “I’ll Meet You Here,” released on Oct. 1. Dar has been making music since the early 90s, following in the footsteps of folk-rock luminaries Joan Baez, Jim Croce, and others. In fact,Joan took Dar under her wing, offering her advice and spots on tour throughout her career. And now Dar is roughly the same age as Joan Baez was when they first met, and she is returning the favor. Dar and I discuss four songs from “I’ll Meet You Here,” along with her influences—some will surprise you—and how she is gearing up to tour during a pandemic. So join me and welcome Dar Williams to For Songs.","date_published":"2021-10-01T16:45:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/a13f6b99-39b7-4c45-a931-445c53b7fc07.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":39072005,"duration_in_seconds":2392}]},{"id":"00e04a6e-8732-423f-a885-bffe893eef30","title":"Episode 32: Catching Up with Dom Flemons","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/32","content_text":"It’s a #ForSongs first! Check out my in-person interview with the mighty [Dom Flemons](www.theamericansongster.com), singer/songwriter/historian/storyteller/trailblazer. Dom and I chatted about a hour before a mid-August 2021 show just south of Washington. Listen in as Dom discusses the touring life during COVID, what’s changed, and how his connection with his fans is deeper and stronger than ever. We also discuss his important work in changing the narrative of American folk music and highlighting the contributions African-American artists have made throughout the course of history. And if you find yourself with a hankering for hot chicken at the end of this show, you’ll know who to thank. Listen in as Dom Flemons makes his return appearance to For Songs.","content_html":"It’s a #ForSongs first! Check out my in-person interview with the mighty [Dom Flemons](www.theamericansongster.com), singer/songwriter/historian/storyteller/trailblazer. Dom and I chatted about a hour before a mid-August 2021 show just south of Washington. Listen in as Dom discusses the touring life during COVID, what’s changed, and how his connection with his fans is deeper and stronger than ever. We also discuss his important work in changing the narrative of American folk music and highlighting the contributions African-American artists have made throughout the course of history. And if you find yourself with a hankering for hot chicken at the end of this show, you’ll know who to thank. Listen in as Dom Flemons makes his return appearance to For Songs.
","summary":"It’s a #ForSongs first! Check out my in-person interview with the mighty Dom Flemons, singer/songwriter/historian/storyteller/trailblazer. Dom and I chatted about a hour before a mid-August 2021 show just south of Washington. Listen in as Dom discusses his important work in changing the narrative of American folk music and highlighting the contributions African-American artists have made throughout the course of history. Listen in as Dom Flemons makes his return appearance to For Songs.","date_published":"2021-08-26T16:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/00e04a6e-8732-423f-a885-bffe893eef30.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":31304920,"duration_in_seconds":1633}]},{"id":"d3b59a6c-9e68-4751-98ae-b1e86d830284","title":"Episode 31: A Conversation about #Cuba with Lisset Diaz","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/31","content_text":"Let me be clear: this is the most important interview I’ve ever done. It is my humbling honor to welcome the amazing singer/songwriter Lisset Diaz of the [Sweet Lizzy Project](www.sweetlizzyproject.com) back to For Songs. Lisset and her bandmates emigrated from Havana, Cuba, to Nashville, TN, in 2017 to record their second full-length album Technicolor. Lisset is a frequent guest of the show, but this interview is different. If you’ve been watching the news, you know there is a once-in-a-generation protest movement in Cuba. Cubans are putting their lives on the line to bring an end to the authoritative regime.\n\nFor Lisset, watching this from afar is both painful and inspirational. Painful because she doesn’t know if her friends and family are safe, but inspirational because of the incredible courage her fellow Cubans are showing by taking to the streets. In this interview, Lisset talks about her hopes and her fears for her country. While she faces no repercussions in the US for speaking out, she knows there’s a chance she may never be able to return to Cuba as long as the current regime is in power. And because Lisset is taking such a huge risk, we owe it to her to listen. Please, if you care about what’s happening in Cuba, share this episode with a friend or family member. Make sure the world knows what is happening right now. Thank you and please welcome Lisset Diaz back to For Songs.","content_html":"Let me be clear: this is the most important interview I’ve ever done. It is my humbling honor to welcome the amazing singer/songwriter Lisset Diaz of the [Sweet Lizzy Project](www.sweetlizzyproject.com) back to For Songs. Lisset and her bandmates emigrated from Havana, Cuba, to Nashville, TN, in 2017 to record their second full-length album Technicolor. Lisset is a frequent guest of the show, but this interview is different. If you’ve been watching the news, you know there is a once-in-a-generation protest movement in Cuba. Cubans are putting their lives on the line to bring an end to the authoritative regime.
\n\nFor Lisset, watching this from afar is both painful and inspirational. Painful because she doesn’t know if her friends and family are safe, but inspirational because of the incredible courage her fellow Cubans are showing by taking to the streets. In this interview, Lisset talks about her hopes and her fears for her country. While she faces no repercussions in the US for speaking out, she knows there’s a chance she may never be able to return to Cuba as long as the current regime is in power. And because Lisset is taking such a huge risk, we owe it to her to listen. Please, if you care about what’s happening in Cuba, share this episode with a friend or family member. Make sure the world knows what is happening right now. Thank you and please welcome Lisset Diaz back to For Songs.
","summary":"This is the most important interview I’ve ever done. It is my humbling honor to welcome the amazing singer/songwriter Lisset Diaz of the Sweet Lizzy Project back to For Songs. If you’ve been watching the news, you know there is a once-in-a-generation protest movement in Cuba. Cubans are putting their lives on the line to bring an end to the authoritative regime. Listen in as Lisset, a Havana native, bravely talks about her hopes and fears for her country. She talks about the pain of not knowing what is happening to her friends and family still in Cuba. She knows that by speaking out, there’s a chance she she may never be able to return to Cuba as long as the current regime is in power. And because Lisset is taking such a huge risk, we owe it to her to listen. Please, if you care about what’s happening in Cuba, share this episode with a friend or family member. Make sure the world knows what is happening.","date_published":"2021-07-18T16:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/d3b59a6c-9e68-4751-98ae-b1e86d830284.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":33515762,"duration_in_seconds":2117}]},{"id":"5ea9a1e9-ccc1-4412-8ab7-e21132a62f5d","title":"Episode 30: A Conversation with Larry Kirwan of Black '47","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/30","content_text":"Buckle up folks. This is a special episode of For Songs. My guest is Larry Kirwan, lead singer/songwriter for the seminal Irish-American rock band Black ’47. Black ’47, for a time, was considered New York City’s house band; they had a massive following up and down the East Coast. For folks of a certain age, Larry’s music was their introduction to Irish history, particularly the Northern Ireland conflict. Join us as we talk about three great Black ’47 songs, along with a brand new, exclusive track Rockaway Blue, based on his newest novel of the same name. If you like history, music, politics, and songwriting, you won’t want to miss this!","content_html":"Buckle up folks. This is a special episode of For Songs. My guest is Larry Kirwan, lead singer/songwriter for the seminal Irish-American rock band Black ’47. Black ’47, for a time, was considered New York City’s house band; they had a massive following up and down the East Coast. For folks of a certain age, Larry’s music was their introduction to Irish history, particularly the Northern Ireland conflict. Join us as we talk about three great Black ’47 songs, along with a brand new, exclusive track Rockaway Blue, based on his newest novel of the same name. If you like history, music, politics, and songwriting, you won’t want to miss this!
","summary":"Larry Kirwan is a true renaissance artist. Singer, songwriter, poet, novelist, historian—all wrapped up in one. Join me in this special episode of For Songs as Larry walks us through three great Black ’47 songs and an exclusive track called Rockaway Blue, based on his latest novel of the same name. We talk about Irish history, music, politics, and what Joe Strummer taught him about songwriting. Sit down, grab a drink, and listen to one of the greats!","date_published":"2021-07-16T16:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/5ea9a1e9-ccc1-4412-8ab7-e21132a62f5d.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":48809969,"duration_in_seconds":2945}]},{"id":"174d4243-6eb8-48d2-9856-3d3ee1005167","title":"Episode 29: A Conversation with Matt Easton of The Jenny Thing","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/29","content_text":"Depending on where you live, one could say that we’re going through a bit of a renewal. COVID cases are dropping, people are eating out, and as we’ve chronicled, live music is back! So it’s appropriate, then, that my next guest and his band are going through a rebirth of their own. Berkeley, Ca., based [The Jenny Thing](www.thejennything.com) first came to be in 1991. Their music blended 80s synth pop with the industrial rock sound popularized by 90s bands like Nine Inch Nails. The band was a West-Coast touring mainstay before calling it quits in 1999. As we get ready to venture back out into the world, The Jenny Thing is giving it another go as well. On this episode of For Songs, I speak with Matt Easton, lead singer and co-songwriter for The Jenny Thing. We talk about what led to the band’s return engagement—American Canyon, released in early June 2021. We discuss four songs off the album: Paper Angel, American Canyon, Lightfield, and Waiting for the Knife. Matt talks about how the songwriting process works between himself and guitarist Shaom Rao, and just what a 90s band influenced by 80s music sounds like. Sometimes texture and space is just as important as driving bass and fresh guitars! So tune in!","content_html":"Depending on where you live, one could say that we’re going through a bit of a renewal. COVID cases are dropping, people are eating out, and as we’ve chronicled, live music is back! So it’s appropriate, then, that my next guest and his band are going through a rebirth of their own. Berkeley, Ca., based [The Jenny Thing](www.thejennything.com) first came to be in 1991. Their music blended 80s synth pop with the industrial rock sound popularized by 90s bands like Nine Inch Nails. The band was a West-Coast touring mainstay before calling it quits in 1999. As we get ready to venture back out into the world, The Jenny Thing is giving it another go as well. On this episode of For Songs, I speak with Matt Easton, lead singer and co-songwriter for The Jenny Thing. We talk about what led to the band’s return engagement—American Canyon, released in early June 2021. We discuss four songs off the album: Paper Angel, American Canyon, Lightfield, and Waiting for the Knife. Matt talks about how the songwriting process works between himself and guitarist Shaom Rao, and just what a 90s band influenced by 80s music sounds like. Sometimes texture and space is just as important as driving bass and fresh guitars! So tune in!
","summary":"It certainly sounds like it wouldn’t work—blending the lush orchestration and bright pop of 80s bands like Erasure, New Order, and Peter Gabriel with the sparse, textural feel of 90s mainstays Nine Inch Nails. But for Matt Easton and his Berkeley, Ca.-based band The Jenny Thing, the result is masterful. The Jenny Thing first came to be in 1991. They came close to hitting it big during their nine-year run up and down the West Coast, but the band called its quits in 1999. If the masses weren’t ready for such a blend back then, they certainly might be now. Join me as Matt Easton talks about The Jenny Thing’s first album since 1999 called American Canyon. Matt talks about the band’s songwriting process, and just what a 90s band influenced by 80s music sounds like. Tune in!","date_published":"2021-06-23T16:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/174d4243-6eb8-48d2-9856-3d3ee1005167.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":39334304,"duration_in_seconds":2369}]},{"id":"8a39d395-c14a-4770-a9e4-ec8f3711393d","title":"Episode 28: A Conversation with Sandra the Pie Lady and Tony T. of the Pug","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/28","content_text":"Live music is here! And not just outdoors! But actual music in actual clubs--like it used to be before March 2020! As things open up, though, our favorite bars and clubs don't just flip a switch and go back to normal. Here in DC, many bars and clubs have been closed for a year and half! That's 18 months of no money, no people, no music, no drinks, nothing. It's not just been a slow week or month--it's been nothing coming in for almost two years! If any bars and clubs made it this far, they are barely hanging on. This episode of For Songs is a snippet from the online #saveourstages benefit (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SySNmoCdRvA&t=1s). We brought in eight amazingly talented and diverse bands and they talked about their favorite venues while also performing a number of awesome tunes. Go check it out now! The video included an interview with Sandra the Pie Lady, owner of the Pie Shop, and Tony T, owner of For Songs-sponsor The Pug, both in DC. The Pie Shop and the Pug have been closed since March 2020. They are getting ready to reopen. What do they need to do to get ready? What can you expect as a customer? When can you expect shows to start up again? Let Sandra and Tony take it away...","content_html":"Live music is here! And not just outdoors! But actual music in actual clubs--like it used to be before March 2020! As things open up, though, our favorite bars and clubs don't just flip a switch and go back to normal. Here in DC, many bars and clubs have been closed for a year and half! That's 18 months of no money, no people, no music, no drinks, nothing. It's not just been a slow week or month--it's been nothing coming in for almost two years! If any bars and clubs made it this far, they are barely hanging on. This episode of For Songs is a snippet from the online #saveourstages benefit (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SySNmoCdRvA&t=1s). We brought in eight amazingly talented and diverse bands and they talked about their favorite venues while also performing a number of awesome tunes. Go check it out now! The video included an interview with Sandra the Pie Lady, owner of the Pie Shop, and Tony T, owner of For Songs-sponsor The Pug, both in DC. The Pie Shop and the Pug have been closed since March 2020. They are getting ready to reopen. What do they need to do to get ready? What can you expect as a customer? When can you expect shows to start up again? Let Sandra and Tony take it away...
","summary":"Live music is back! But that doesn't mean everything is okay for the music industry, especially independent venues and the ecosystem that they support. In this episode of For Songs, we speak with Sandra the Pie Lady of the Pie Shop in DC and Tony T of the Pug about what they're going through as they get ready to reopen. Yes, live music is back--but those venues that it this far are barely hanging on. Listen in!","date_published":"2021-06-09T16:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/8a39d395-c14a-4770-a9e4-ec8f3711393d.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":12463829,"duration_in_seconds":788}]},{"id":"d5da9719-b442-41d0-9ba7-c350ccfb5a72","title":"Episode 27: A Conversation with Maia Sharp","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/27","content_text":"Most folks don’t have the kind of year singer/songwriter [Maia Sharp](www.maiasharp.com) just did. In addition to ending a 20-plus year marriage, she uprooted her life, moved from LA to Nashville and wrapped up the recording of her newest album Mercy Rising in late 2019. But that’s not all. In between a tornado blew through her new neighborhood in March 2020 and during the subsequent recovery and rebuild, she caught the coronavirus before most of us knew how deadly it could be. So yeah, Maia’s been through more than most over the last few years. And thankfully she’s made it through with Mercy Rising. This episode of For Songs is a true writer’s workshop. Maia’s the quintessential songwriter, looking for inspiration wherever she can, and not waiting to get it out. We talk about the development of Mercy Rising and four songs in particular, including one driven by an interaction with best-selling author Cheryl Strayed. Maia walks us through the songwriting process from beginning to end in disarming detail, so to all those aspiring writers out there, get those pencils and listen in!","content_html":"Most folks don’t have the kind of year singer/songwriter [Maia Sharp](www.maiasharp.com) just did. In addition to ending a 20-plus year marriage, she uprooted her life, moved from LA to Nashville and wrapped up the recording of her newest album Mercy Rising in late 2019. But that’s not all. In between a tornado blew through her new neighborhood in March 2020 and during the subsequent recovery and rebuild, she caught the coronavirus before most of us knew how deadly it could be. So yeah, Maia’s been through more than most over the last few years. And thankfully she’s made it through with Mercy Rising. This episode of For Songs is a true writer’s workshop. Maia’s the quintessential songwriter, looking for inspiration wherever she can, and not waiting to get it out. We talk about the development of Mercy Rising and four songs in particular, including one driven by an interaction with best-selling author Cheryl Strayed. Maia walks us through the songwriting process from beginning to end in disarming detail, so to all those aspiring writers out there, get those pencils and listen in!
","summary":"If you’ve ever wondered the kind of pain and emotion that goes into writing a song, listen in as singer/songwriter Maia Sharp walks us through her newest album Mercy Rising. Written as her 20-plus year marriage was ending, Mercy Rising is an honest, brilliant look into the all the emotions that come from such a traumatic, lifechanging event. How do you start over? When can you start feeling good again? Maia gives us a tutorial into how these songs came together and how she made best-selling author Cheryl Strayed cry after writing a song influenced by one of her books. Take a journey with Maia Sharp on this episode of For Songs.","date_published":"2021-05-23T16:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/d5da9719-b442-41d0-9ba7-c350ccfb5a72.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":42067547,"duration_in_seconds":2581}]},{"id":"df4112de-aeff-4cc0-aa16-b6dc73831899","title":"Episode 26: A Conversation with Dan Murphy","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/26","content_text":"After co-leading Minneapolis-based Soul Asylum to stratospheric heights in the 90s, lead guitarist Dan Murphy quit the business cold in 2012. Tired of the grind, Murphy literally hung up his famous Les Paul, seemingly for good. While Soul Asylum carries on with singer/guitarist David Pirner as the only original member, Murphy has focused instead on his online pinup art gallery called Grapefruit Moon. But as they say, life happens. Murphy picked up the guitar again for a family funeral and started again. He’s not back with Soul Asylum, but he still performs one-off gigs with his mid-90s alt.country supergroup Golden Smog. Well, at least he did before the pandemic. And he’s also writing new material for an album that he expects to be released in early 2022. In this episode of For Songs, Murphy grants us a bit of an exclusive look into two new songs—Fresh New Hell and Rosary. We also talk his time with Golden Smog and discuss in detail songs from their 1996 debut full-length album Down By the Old Mainstream. As you can tell, Murphy’s music had a profound impact on my life, so this episode is quite special to me. Hope you feel the same way! Listen in!","content_html":"After co-leading Minneapolis-based Soul Asylum to stratospheric heights in the 90s, lead guitarist Dan Murphy quit the business cold in 2012. Tired of the grind, Murphy literally hung up his famous Les Paul, seemingly for good. While Soul Asylum carries on with singer/guitarist David Pirner as the only original member, Murphy has focused instead on his online pinup art gallery called Grapefruit Moon. But as they say, life happens. Murphy picked up the guitar again for a family funeral and started again. He’s not back with Soul Asylum, but he still performs one-off gigs with his mid-90s alt.country supergroup Golden Smog. Well, at least he did before the pandemic. And he’s also writing new material for an album that he expects to be released in early 2022. In this episode of For Songs, Murphy grants us a bit of an exclusive look into two new songs—Fresh New Hell and Rosary. We also talk his time with Golden Smog and discuss in detail songs from their 1996 debut full-length album Down By the Old Mainstream. As you can tell, Murphy’s music had a profound impact on my life, so this episode is quite special to me. Hope you feel the same way! Listen in!
","summary":"Ready for an all-out fanboy episode of For Songs? This is it! In this special show, I speak with former Soul Asylum guitarist/singer Dan Murphy, who still performs one-off gigs with my favorite band from my college years, alt.country supergroup Golden Smog. We talk about two brand-new songs from a yet-to-be-released album and two songs from Golden Smog’s first full-length album, Down by the Old Mainstream. Making this even better, we discuss our love for the Clash, and he shares how he tried to convince Joe Strummer to join Soul Asylum onstage at a show in New York. If that’s not enough to get you to listen in to this, I’m not sure what will. ","date_published":"2021-05-07T16:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/df4112de-aeff-4cc0-aa16-b6dc73831899.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":40032553,"duration_in_seconds":3025}]},{"id":"7c4cf868-8129-4dcf-9bc1-3ad7f9284ae9","title":"Episode 25: A Conversation with Emily Brown","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/25","content_text":"Take a deep dive into the songwriting process with Berkeley, Ca.-based singer/songwriter Emily Brown. Emily walks us through the making of her latest album A Fish of Earth, which is bursting with lush orchestration, strong melodies, and haunting instrumentation. It is an inspired album, with musical nods to Glen Campbell, Loretta Lynn, and gorgeous musicals like The Sound of Music. The album is made even stronger by her personal-yet-relatable lyrics focused on relationships—relationships with romantic partners, with parents, with expectations, and with religion. She credits her collaborators with the broad, bold sound, but her voice and spirit are at the album’s core. In a sense, A Fish of Earth is a brave album: it is a marked departure from her earlier work as she willingly relinquished much of the production to her collaborators. The resulting sound is broad, ornate, and rich, but also evocative and dynamic. Emily discusses her songwriting process with a refreshing candor and humble nature. So sit back and take it all in, and welcome Emily Brown to For Songs","content_html":"Take a deep dive into the songwriting process with Berkeley, Ca.-based singer/songwriter Emily Brown. Emily walks us through the making of her latest album A Fish of Earth, which is bursting with lush orchestration, strong melodies, and haunting instrumentation. It is an inspired album, with musical nods to Glen Campbell, Loretta Lynn, and gorgeous musicals like The Sound of Music. The album is made even stronger by her personal-yet-relatable lyrics focused on relationships—relationships with romantic partners, with parents, with expectations, and with religion. She credits her collaborators with the broad, bold sound, but her voice and spirit are at the album’s core. In a sense, A Fish of Earth is a brave album: it is a marked departure from her earlier work as she willingly relinquished much of the production to her collaborators. The resulting sound is broad, ornate, and rich, but also evocative and dynamic. Emily discusses her songwriting process with a refreshing candor and humble nature. So sit back and take it all in, and welcome Emily Brown to For Songs
","summary":"Take a deep dive into the songwriting process with Berkeley, Ca.-based singer/songwriter Emily Brown. Emily walks us through the making of her latest album A Fish of Earth, which is bursting with lush orchestration, strong melodies, and haunting instrumentation. It is an inspired album, made even more so by her personal-yet-relatable lyrics focused on relationships—relationships with romantic partners, with parents, with expectations, and with religion. Emily discusses her songwriting process with a refreshing candor and humble nature. So sit back and take it all in, and welcome Emily Brown to For Songs","date_published":"2021-04-07T16:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/7c4cf868-8129-4dcf-9bc1-3ad7f9284ae9.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":41457513,"duration_in_seconds":2486}]},{"id":"3b01b05c-81fb-4f15-9061-d41e368f99af","title":"Episode 24: A Conversation with Sandra the Pie Lady","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/24","content_text":"It’s no secret the toll the pandemic is taking on the music industry. Musicians are struggling to get by, they can’t tour, they really can’t play much of anywhere, except their living room. It’s truly become a hand-to-mouth existence. And honestly, the same goes for the independent venue owners too. Being shuttered for more than a year will likely put most out of business; indeed, far too many have closed since March 2020. Those that are still here are hanging by a thread. This is a special episode of For Songs. My guest is Sandra the Pie Lady, owner of the Pie Shop, a small concert venue in Washington. Now the Pie Shop, as its name implies, actually is a pie shop—selling delicious sweet and savory pies. For Sandra, it’s kept them going, but she knows that she’s in a unique situation. She also knows she’s ready to open up the club again to live music. In this interview, she talks about the last year, the uncertainties and the downright depression of seeing your business and livelihood shuttered. Sandra is optimistic as things start to open a bit, but it’s still a tough slog. So sit back, order a pie from www.pieshopdc.com, and listen to this interview as you pick it up. It’ll be the best damn pie you’ve had all year!","content_html":"It’s no secret the toll the pandemic is taking on the music industry. Musicians are struggling to get by, they can’t tour, they really can’t play much of anywhere, except their living room. It’s truly become a hand-to-mouth existence. And honestly, the same goes for the independent venue owners too. Being shuttered for more than a year will likely put most out of business; indeed, far too many have closed since March 2020. Those that are still here are hanging by a thread. This is a special episode of For Songs. My guest is Sandra the Pie Lady, owner of the Pie Shop, a small concert venue in Washington. Now the Pie Shop, as its name implies, actually is a pie shop—selling delicious sweet and savory pies. For Sandra, it’s kept them going, but she knows that she’s in a unique situation. She also knows she’s ready to open up the club again to live music. In this interview, she talks about the last year, the uncertainties and the downright depression of seeing your business and livelihood shuttered. Sandra is optimistic as things start to open a bit, but it’s still a tough slog. So sit back, order a pie from www.pieshopdc.com, and listen to this interview as you pick it up. It’ll be the best damn pie you’ve had all year!
","summary":"We’ve chronicled how hard the last year has been on the musicians, but what about the independent venue owners? So many have closed, and others are barely hanging on. Washington offered some hope in recent stimulus legislation, but will it be too late? In this episode, I speak with Sandra the Pie Lady, owner of the Pie Shop, a small live venue in Washington. Sandra talks about the last year, the struggles, and how the community has fought back and given her and others some much-needed hope. Listen in, and order some pies! www.pieshopdc.com","date_published":"2021-03-26T16:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/3b01b05c-81fb-4f15-9061-d41e368f99af.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":13799531,"duration_in_seconds":1200}]},{"id":"354ce582-6092-415d-a16c-0cec05e57c45","title":"Episode 23: A Conversation with David Childers","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/23","content_text":"It’s been said that late bloomers bloom best. Not sure where I heard that, but it certainly applies to David Childers, the singer/songwriter based outside of Charlotte, NC. David’s one of the sharpest songwriters around, mixing southern wit, imagery, and charm with an Americana feel. His latest album, Interstate Lullaby, covers a broad range of themes from climate change to white supremacy. The characters in his songs are rough around the edge, gritty, and far from perfect. He captures their humanity in so many ways that you'd think he’s been at it for his entire life, but it wasn’t until his late 30s and early 40s that he got serious. And it was just a few years ago that he retired from his career as a lawyer, and now focuses full time on music at an age when most folks would kick back and relax. Make no mistake, David is serious about his craft. You hear it throughout our discussion; he’s a student of classic writers like Chaucer, Kerouac, Dylan, Guthrie, and yeah, even Springsteen, it shows. So for all you aspiring songwriters out there, grab a beer and listen in. And keep at it!","content_html":"It’s been said that late bloomers bloom best. Not sure where I heard that, but it certainly applies to David Childers, the singer/songwriter based outside of Charlotte, NC. David’s one of the sharpest songwriters around, mixing southern wit, imagery, and charm with an Americana feel. His latest album, Interstate Lullaby, covers a broad range of themes from climate change to white supremacy. The characters in his songs are rough around the edge, gritty, and far from perfect. He captures their humanity in so many ways that you'd think he’s been at it for his entire life, but it wasn’t until his late 30s and early 40s that he got serious. And it was just a few years ago that he retired from his career as a lawyer, and now focuses full time on music at an age when most folks would kick back and relax. Make no mistake, David is serious about his craft. You hear it throughout our discussion; he’s a student of classic writers like Chaucer, Kerouac, Dylan, Guthrie, and yeah, even Springsteen, it shows. So for all you aspiring songwriters out there, grab a beer and listen in. And keep at it!
","summary":"It’s been said that late bloomers bloom best. Not sure where I heard that, but it certainly applies to David Childers, the singer/songwriter based outside of Charlotte, NC. David’s one of the sharpest songwriters around, mixing southern wit, imagery, and charm with an Americana feel. His latest album, Interstate Lullaby, covers a broad range of themes from climate change to white supremacy. The characters in his songs are rough around the edge, gritty, and far from perfect. You’d think he’s been at it for his entire life, but it wasn’t until his late 30s and early 40s that he got serious. So for all you aspiring songwriters out there, grab a beer and listen in. And keep at it!","date_published":"2021-03-19T16:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/354ce582-6092-415d-a16c-0cec05e57c45.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":32268378,"duration_in_seconds":2460}]},{"id":"aa619235-f1ef-4dfd-9a32-3c49b76e94b4","title":"Episode 22: A Second Conversation with Yasmin Williams","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/22","content_text":"You know what’s cool? Watching a truly innovative and talented musician start getting her due. Yasmin Williams, the brilliant guitarist from Northern Virginia, is getting noticed by some of music’s biggest media outlets—Rolling Stone. NPR. Pitchfork. The Washington Post. Yep, the world is getting to hear what we’ve known all along—that Yasmin Williams is one of music’s most singular young talents. Her guitar work is breathtaking and her songwriting is hypnotic. And her newest album, Urban Driftwood? It’s a revelation. On this episode of For Songs, Yasmin and I chat about four tunes from Urban Driftwood—Sunshowers, Swift Breeze, Adrift and Jarabi. In this her third appearance, she talks about what it’s like to see her music taking off. We also discuss her expectations for touring in 2021, and of course, those beautiful songs. Listen in and welcome back Yasmin Williams to For Songs.","content_html":"You know what’s cool? Watching a truly innovative and talented musician start getting her due. Yasmin Williams, the brilliant guitarist from Northern Virginia, is getting noticed by some of music’s biggest media outlets—Rolling Stone. NPR. Pitchfork. The Washington Post. Yep, the world is getting to hear what we’ve known all along—that Yasmin Williams is one of music’s most singular young talents. Her guitar work is breathtaking and her songwriting is hypnotic. And her newest album, Urban Driftwood? It’s a revelation. On this episode of For Songs, Yasmin and I chat about four tunes from Urban Driftwood—Sunshowers, Swift Breeze, Adrift and Jarabi. In this her third appearance, she talks about what it’s like to see her music taking off. We also discuss her expectations for touring in 2021, and of course, those beautiful songs. Listen in and welcome back Yasmin Williams to For Songs.
","summary":"Soo…how’s your year going? Well, if you’re my next guest Yasmin Williams, it’s going quite well indeed! Her newest album Urban Driftwood is getting rave reviews in some of music’s biggest outlets, such as Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, and mainstream venues like NPR and the Washington Post. Oh yeah, and she’s been on this show a few times too! I’m honored to welcome Yasmin back to For Songs. Join us as we discuss her brilliant and breathtaking Urban Driftwood, how the album came together, and her expectations for the music industry in 2021…","date_published":"2021-03-05T16:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/aa619235-f1ef-4dfd-9a32-3c49b76e94b4.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":39331717,"duration_in_seconds":2260}]},{"id":"8f84fa1f-daea-456f-9d09-18936927a171","title":"Episode 21: A Conversation with Mic Harrison","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/21","content_text":"Some people are born to write songs and play in bands. Knoxville, Tenn.-based singer/songwriter Mic Harrison is one of those people. Music is in his blood, as his Dad gave him a guitar and taught him some early lessons. Then as a member of the influential mid-90s alt.country band The V-Roys with For Songs veteran Scott Miller, Mic came as close as can becoming the Next Big Thing, only to see the band breakup a few years later. After playing with another star-crossed band Superdrag, Mic and his band The High Score have been making music since the late 2000s. Mic joined me from his home in Knoxville to discuss the band’s latest album Bright Spot, released in November 2020. We talk about four songs—Let the Motor Run, Used to be Somebody, Concrete & Stone, and Long Way to Go—and how the pandemic has impacted not just the band’s trajectory but his ability to write new material. Grab a beer, take a seat, and enjoy!","content_html":"Some people are born to write songs and play in bands. Knoxville, Tenn.-based singer/songwriter Mic Harrison is one of those people. Music is in his blood, as his Dad gave him a guitar and taught him some early lessons. Then as a member of the influential mid-90s alt.country band The V-Roys with For Songs veteran Scott Miller, Mic came as close as can becoming the Next Big Thing, only to see the band breakup a few years later. After playing with another star-crossed band Superdrag, Mic and his band The High Score have been making music since the late 2000s. Mic joined me from his home in Knoxville to discuss the band’s latest album Bright Spot, released in November 2020. We talk about four songs—Let the Motor Run, Used to be Somebody, Concrete & Stone, and Long Way to Go—and how the pandemic has impacted not just the band’s trajectory but his ability to write new material. Grab a beer, take a seat, and enjoy!
","summary":"Some people are born to write songs and play in bands. Knoxville, Tenn.-based singer/songwriter Mic Harrison is one of those people. Music is in his blood, as his Dad gave him a guitar and taught him some early lessons. Since then, Mic and his band The High Score have been making music since the late 2000s. Mic joined me from Knoxville to discuss the band’s latest album Bright Spot, released in November 2020. We talk about four songs and how the pandemic has impacted not just the band’s trajectory but his artistic process. Grab a beer, take a seat, and enjoy!","date_published":"2021-02-19T16:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/8f84fa1f-daea-456f-9d09-18936927a171.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":42034985,"duration_in_seconds":2459}]},{"id":"55b558a2-cc4a-483b-a43f-a76e401a769e","title":"Episode 20: A Conversation with Dom Flemons","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/20","content_text":"Alright everyone, grab your seats. Get your pencils and notebooks out and put on your thinking caps. American music school is in session! Our teacher for this episode of For Songs is Dom Flemons, founding member of the Grammy winning, groundbreaking African-American string band the Carolina Chocolate Drops. Listen and learn how Dom has spent his career unearthing and highlighting the vital role Black musicians played in American folk music. We discuss the breathtaking Prospect Hill: The American Songster Omnibus, his 2014 album that he reissued and repackaged last February, just as the pandemic shuttered life as we know it. Prospect Hill covers a century or more of musical history, ranging from folk, country, jazz, blues, to early 80s hip hop. Dom talks about his musical prowess and how the purchase of a new banjo called Big Head Joe contributed to the revisiting of the album. So get comfortable and take good notes—and welcome Dom to For Songs.","content_html":"Alright everyone, grab your seats. Get your pencils and notebooks out and put on your thinking caps. American music school is in session! Our teacher for this episode of For Songs is Dom Flemons, founding member of the Grammy winning, groundbreaking African-American string band the Carolina Chocolate Drops. Listen and learn how Dom has spent his career unearthing and highlighting the vital role Black musicians played in American folk music. We discuss the breathtaking Prospect Hill: The American Songster Omnibus, his 2014 album that he reissued and repackaged last February, just as the pandemic shuttered life as we know it. Prospect Hill covers a century or more of musical history, ranging from folk, country, jazz, blues, to early 80s hip hop. Dom talks about his musical prowess and how the purchase of a new banjo called Big Head Joe contributed to the revisiting of the album. So get comfortable and take good notes—and welcome Dom to For Songs.
","summary":"Dom Flemons is on a mission: As the American Songster, Dom is out to right the terrible wrong that has left us with an incomplete history about American folk music. Throughout his career, starting with the Grammy winning African-American string band the Carolina Chocolate Drops and now as a full-fledged solo artist, Dom is unearthing the ignored and stolen contributions from Black musicians. But he’s as versatile as it gets—we talk about his reissued album Prospect Hill: The American Songster Omnibus, which covers pre-war blues, jazz, folk, all the way up to early 80s hip hop. So settle in and get comfortable, and let Dom Flemons walk you through time.","date_published":"2021-02-05T16:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/55b558a2-cc4a-483b-a43f-a76e401a769e.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":38450338,"duration_in_seconds":2324}]},{"id":"6cdcd9c3-adf8-4b5c-83df-e53bbb3b3e56","title":"Episode 19: A Conversation with 3 Pairs of Boots","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/19","content_text":"I’m sure we all want to give up our day job for our dream job. As tempting as it sounds, it’s fraught with risk. On this episode of For Songs, California-based 3 Pairs of Boots, featuring the real-life married couple Laura Arias and Andrew Stern, talk about how they did just that. After years of balancing work and family life with the arts, Andrew and Laura reached a point where they needed to give music their undivided attention. And we’re all better off for it. As 3 Pairs of Boots, Laura and Andrew perform California-tinged Americana music—imagine if Stacey and Steve Earle grew up in LA instead of the Midwest. The duo’s newest album Long Rider comes out on Jan. 29. Learn more about their journey together and how the adventures of another free spirit inspires their songwriting. Listen in!","content_html":"I’m sure we all want to give up our day job for our dream job. As tempting as it sounds, it’s fraught with risk. On this episode of For Songs, California-based 3 Pairs of Boots, featuring the real-life married couple Laura Arias and Andrew Stern, talk about how they did just that. After years of balancing work and family life with the arts, Andrew and Laura reached a point where they needed to give music their undivided attention. And we’re all better off for it. As 3 Pairs of Boots, Laura and Andrew perform California-tinged Americana music—imagine if Stacey and Steve Earle grew up in LA instead of the Midwest. The duo’s newest album Long Rider comes out on Jan. 29. Learn more about their journey together and how the adventures of another free spirit inspires their songwriting. Listen in!
","summary":"How many of us have wanted to leave our day job for our dream job? Meet Andrew Stern and Laura Arias of the California-based Americana duo 3 Pairs of Boots. In this episode, Andrew and Laura talk about their California-tinged country music and their newest album Long Rider, coming out on Jan. 29. Just two years ago Andrew quit his day job to focus on music full time. Learn more about their journey together and how the adventures of another free spirit inspires their songwriting. Listen in! ","date_published":"2021-01-22T16:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/6cdcd9c3-adf8-4b5c-83df-e53bbb3b3e56.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":37974319,"duration_in_seconds":2318}]},{"id":"877690ab-3b53-43b6-94cc-8c3c9a7c6f87","title":"Episode 18: A Conversation with Michael Patrick F. Smith","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/18","content_text":"Lots of really bad things have come about because of the internet, Facebook, Twitter, etc. But one good thing is catching up with friends you haven’t seen or heard from in decades. In this episode of For Songs, I speak with singer/songwriter/playwright/author Michael Patrick F. Smith. Michael and I went to elementary school together in the small town of Ijamsville, Md. Not a streetlight or traffic light when we grew up there, but it was home. We went our separate ways after high school--he ventured out to Baltimore and eventually New York to write music and much more. He’s shared the stage with legends like Ramblin’ Jack Elliott and Paleface. Michael is a true renaissance man, as his first book comes out next month about his time in the oil/gas fields of North Dakota. In this episode, we talk about four songs from his most recent album The Great Away, available on Spotify. Listen in as we catch up, chat about life, music, and much more! \n\nYou can find out more about Michael here: www.thegoodhand.org!","content_html":"Lots of really bad things have come about because of the internet, Facebook, Twitter, etc. But one good thing is catching up with friends you haven’t seen or heard from in decades. In this episode of For Songs, I speak with singer/songwriter/playwright/author Michael Patrick F. Smith. Michael and I went to elementary school together in the small town of Ijamsville, Md. Not a streetlight or traffic light when we grew up there, but it was home. We went our separate ways after high school--he ventured out to Baltimore and eventually New York to write music and much more. He’s shared the stage with legends like Ramblin’ Jack Elliott and Paleface. Michael is a true renaissance man, as his first book comes out next month about his time in the oil/gas fields of North Dakota. In this episode, we talk about four songs from his most recent album The Great Away, available on Spotify. Listen in as we catch up, chat about life, music, and much more!
\n\nYou can find out more about Michael here: www.thegoodhand.org!
","summary":"Join me as I catch up old friend Michael Patrick F. Smith about his latest album The Great Away. Michael & I go waaayy back, elementary school! We haven’t seen or talked to each other in 25-plus years. Over that time Michael has written plays, songs, and now a book, which comes out next month. He’s shared the stage with Ramblin’ Jake Elliot and #forsongs veteran @Palefaceonline. In this episode, we talk about his latest album The Great Away, which came out last fall. We talk about his influences, writing styles, and how he goes about his work. Its not everyday you chat w/ someone you haven’t seen in 25-plus years! ","date_published":"2021-01-08T16:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/877690ab-3b53-43b6-94cc-8c3c9a7c6f87.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":42655986,"duration_in_seconds":2538}]},{"id":"c52a07f1-1af6-47ba-a88c-156455deec7d","title":"Episode 17: It's a For Songs Christmas!","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/17","content_text":"It’s not Christmas without Christmas music, right? So for the last episode of For Songs for the year, I wanted to highlight some of the best non-traditional holiday music of the last few years. We’ve got two classic covers—anti-folk/indie-rock legend Paleface’s tender, stripped-down version of the Pogues’ Fairytale of New York and DC-based world-music trio Veronneau’s romantic, evocative take on Joni Mitchell’s River. Then we wrap up with two originals—the stunning This Christmas I’m Not Coming Home from Havana-by-Nashville-based Sweet Lizzy Project and the Americana Christmas hymn The Kingdom Has Come by Appalachian rock-n-roller Scott Miller. All these songs are available on Spotify, Amazon, iTunes or however you listen to music these days. Or just get the CDs so you can really actually hear the music!\n\nThe Spotify playlist is available here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6DlT3QfkbSdyALBkZdbZ9V?si=XFSfwzjfQN632budqGNj0w ","content_html":"It’s not Christmas without Christmas music, right? So for the last episode of For Songs for the year, I wanted to highlight some of the best non-traditional holiday music of the last few years. We’ve got two classic covers—anti-folk/indie-rock legend Paleface’s tender, stripped-down version of the Pogues’ Fairytale of New York and DC-based world-music trio Veronneau’s romantic, evocative take on Joni Mitchell’s River. Then we wrap up with two originals—the stunning This Christmas I’m Not Coming Home from Havana-by-Nashville-based Sweet Lizzy Project and the Americana Christmas hymn The Kingdom Has Come by Appalachian rock-n-roller Scott Miller. All these songs are available on Spotify, Amazon, iTunes or however you listen to music these days. Or just get the CDs so you can really actually hear the music!
\n\nThe Spotify playlist is available here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6DlT3QfkbSdyALBkZdbZ9V?si=XFSfwzjfQN632budqGNj0w
","summary":"It’s the holidays! We know it wouldn’t be #Christmas without Christmas music, so for the last episode of For Songs this year, I feature four different and unique non-traditional holiday songs. We’ve got two covers—indie-rock legend Paleface’s tender take on the Pogues’ classic Fairytale of New York and DC-based world-music trio Veronneau’s evocative rendition of Joni Mitchell’s River. Then we highlight two originals: The Sweet Lizzy Project’s stunning This Christmas I’m Not Coming Home and Scott Miller’s Americana hymn The Kingdom Has Come. So sit back, drink some eggnog, or any kind of nog, curl up by the fire and listen in as we feature four holiday classics.","date_published":"2020-12-17T18:30:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/c52a07f1-1af6-47ba-a88c-156455deec7d.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":54111248,"duration_in_seconds":3273}]},{"id":"11db3504-cf53-45fe-92f8-1e523634565c","title":"Episode 16: Another Word from Our Sponsor--The Pug","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/16","content_text":"So it should this should go without saying, but joking with your servers at a restaurant about the #coronavirus is not cool. It sets off a chain reaction resulting in the server and other staff at said establishment needing to get tested and quarantining until they are well, which of course means lost wages. In this catch-up interview with Tony T of For Songs’ sponsor @thepugDC, he tells us why we really shouldn’t be messing around with those sorts of jokes. But most important, Tony dishes about music and how he creates playlists as a means to keep patrons in their seats at the bar. Yep, there’s a secret to it! So listen, find Tony’s latest playlists on Spotify and play along!","content_html":"So it should this should go without saying, but joking with your servers at a restaurant about the #coronavirus is not cool. It sets off a chain reaction resulting in the server and other staff at said establishment needing to get tested and quarantining until they are well, which of course means lost wages. In this catch-up interview with Tony T of For Songs’ sponsor @thepugDC, he tells us why we really shouldn’t be messing around with those sorts of jokes. But most important, Tony dishes about music and how he creates playlists as a means to keep patrons in their seats at the bar. Yep, there’s a secret to it! So listen, find Tony’s latest playlists on Spotify and play along!
","summary":"DC-based restaurant and bar owner Tony T of @thepugDC joins the show again to catch us up on the latest in DC #COVID19 news, its impact on local businesses and jobs (hint—it’s not good), and what not to joke about with your server if you are eating out these days. But most important, Tony dishes about music and how he creates playlists as a means to keep patrons in their seats at the bar. Yep, there’s a secret to it! So listen, find Tony’s latest playlists on Spotify and play along!","date_published":"2020-12-11T16:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/11db3504-cf53-45fe-92f8-1e523634565c.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":5760358,"duration_in_seconds":1118}]},{"id":"f06b9d9a-a2c4-4746-89e6-d816485a4c44","title":"Episode 15: A Conversation with Peter Argyropoulos","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/15","content_text":"LA-based singer/songwriter Peter Argyropoulos was bored. Getting tired of playing acoustic shows, he called some friends to put together a new rock n’ roll outfit. A few of his friends played with some of the biggest bands in the land—Dave Krusen of Pearl Jam on drums, Adam Kury of Candlebox of bass, just to name a few. Add in guitarists Kevin Haaland and engineer/keyboardist Brina Kabler (also Peter’s wife), and you’ve got yourself one helluva a band. Sons of Silver’s newest EP Doomsday Noises is a collection of five blistering songs that chronicle what happens when societies deliberately peddle misinformation, censorship, and vanity. Peter exquisitely details his band’s songwriting process and discusses how weird it is to be performing livestream shows with limited audience engagement. Sit back and grab a beer for this one, as this is a wild ride! ","content_html":"LA-based singer/songwriter Peter Argyropoulos was bored. Getting tired of playing acoustic shows, he called some friends to put together a new rock n’ roll outfit. A few of his friends played with some of the biggest bands in the land—Dave Krusen of Pearl Jam on drums, Adam Kury of Candlebox of bass, just to name a few. Add in guitarists Kevin Haaland and engineer/keyboardist Brina Kabler (also Peter’s wife), and you’ve got yourself one helluva a band. Sons of Silver’s newest EP Doomsday Noises is a collection of five blistering songs that chronicle what happens when societies deliberately peddle misinformation, censorship, and vanity. Peter exquisitely details his band’s songwriting process and discusses how weird it is to be performing livestream shows with limited audience engagement. Sit back and grab a beer for this one, as this is a wild ride!
","summary":"Sit back, grab a beer, and listen in as LA-based indie rocker Peter Argyropoulos and I talk about his new band Sons of Silver’s newest EP Doomsday Noises. Doomsday Noises is a collection of five blistering songs that chronicle what happens when societies deliberately peddle misinformation, censorship, and vanity. Peter exquisitely details his band’s songwriting process and discusses how weird it is to be performing livestream shows with limited audience engagement. Buckle up for this one!","date_published":"2020-12-04T15:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/f06b9d9a-a2c4-4746-89e6-d816485a4c44.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":44846227,"duration_in_seconds":2570}]},{"id":"f175ee35-c854-4445-8431-580f33441290","title":"Episode 14: A Conversation with Lisset Diaz","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/14","content_text":"Every musician sacrifices something to do what they do. For most, it’s money. I mean, unless you’re already a huge star, the chances of making money in this industry is slim to none. But few artists have sacrificed quite as much as Lisset Diaz and her rock-and-roll band, the Sweet Lizzy Project. Lisset and her bandmates emigrated to Nashville from Havana, Cuba, in 2017. So even before the pandemic, going back home was no easy task. They came here to make a new album after being featured in a PBS special called “Havana Time Machine.” Recording Technicolor took longer than expected, and the band waited for the perfect time to release it—February 2020. We all know what happened next. On this episode of For Songs, Lisset discusses three songs from Technicolor—“Turn Up the Radio,” “Tu Libertad,” and “December 31”—and the band’s newest single, “Sticky Situations.” She discusses the sacrifices it took to get here, the differences of recording in the US and Cuba, and the frustration of not being able to tour in support of their new album. Lisset also talks about the band’s new EP, a collection of Christmas songs, released in late November 2020. So settle in and turn up the radio!","content_html":"Every musician sacrifices something to do what they do. For most, it’s money. I mean, unless you’re already a huge star, the chances of making money in this industry is slim to none. But few artists have sacrificed quite as much as Lisset Diaz and her rock-and-roll band, the Sweet Lizzy Project. Lisset and her bandmates emigrated to Nashville from Havana, Cuba, in 2017. So even before the pandemic, going back home was no easy task. They came here to make a new album after being featured in a PBS special called “Havana Time Machine.” Recording Technicolor took longer than expected, and the band waited for the perfect time to release it—February 2020. We all know what happened next. On this episode of For Songs, Lisset discusses three songs from Technicolor—“Turn Up the Radio,” “Tu Libertad,” and “December 31”—and the band’s newest single, “Sticky Situations.” She discusses the sacrifices it took to get here, the differences of recording in the US and Cuba, and the frustration of not being able to tour in support of their new album. Lisset also talks about the band’s new EP, a collection of Christmas songs, released in late November 2020. So settle in and turn up the radio!
","summary":"It wasn’t that long ago that Lisset Diaz was teaching science at the University of Havana in Cuba. Now, after coming to Nashville in 2017, she is the lead singer and chief songwriter of an inspiring rock-and-roll band called the Sweet Lizzy Project. Lisset and her band came here to record a new album called Technicolor, which was released in February 2020. In this episode of For Songs, Lisset details the Sweet Lizzy Project’s incredible odyssey from Havana to Nashville, along with her own personal journey that led her to quit teaching and commit to music full time. Lisset’s story is one of perseverance, persistence, patience, and incredible talent. Listen in! ","date_published":"2020-11-23T16:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/f175ee35-c854-4445-8431-580f33441290.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":45214266,"duration_in_seconds":2676}]},{"id":"31a4bee1-ee4e-4979-b190-ee333d9cac18","title":"Episode 13: A Word from Our Sponsor--The Pug","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/13","content_text":"It’s been months since many of us have been out and about, getting a drink at a bar or hearing live music. For me, the last time I went to a club was in early March in Washington, catching the phenomenal Poguetry tour literally days before the world shut down. I detailed this experience in my interview with Louis Michot of the Lost Bayou Ramblers, who opened up for and supported Spider Stacy and Cait O’Riordan of the Pogues on that brilliant tour. \n\nAs frustrating as it’s been for the fans and musicians, as we’ve chronicled on this podcast, imagine what it’s like for the owners of these venues and smaller bars that rely on big crowds to make a living. In this episode of For Songs, we talk with Tony T, owner of the Pug, a bar on H St NE Washington. The Pug is also the sponsor of this podcast. Tony voluntarily closed the Pug in mid-March at the outset of the pandemic, assuming, like many of us, that this would be a painful few weeks, maybe two months, of shutting down in order to prevent the spread of the virus. Well, eight months later, the virus is raging out of control. What will it take for folks like Tony to hold on? And how can you help? Let Tony show you the way. ","content_html":"It’s been months since many of us have been out and about, getting a drink at a bar or hearing live music. For me, the last time I went to a club was in early March in Washington, catching the phenomenal Poguetry tour literally days before the world shut down. I detailed this experience in my interview with Louis Michot of the Lost Bayou Ramblers, who opened up for and supported Spider Stacy and Cait O’Riordan of the Pogues on that brilliant tour.
\n\nAs frustrating as it’s been for the fans and musicians, as we’ve chronicled on this podcast, imagine what it’s like for the owners of these venues and smaller bars that rely on big crowds to make a living. In this episode of For Songs, we talk with Tony T, owner of the Pug, a bar on H St NE Washington. The Pug is also the sponsor of this podcast. Tony voluntarily closed the Pug in mid-March at the outset of the pandemic, assuming, like many of us, that this would be a painful few weeks, maybe two months, of shutting down in order to prevent the spread of the virus. Well, eight months later, the virus is raging out of control. What will it take for folks like Tony to hold on? And how can you help? Let Tony show you the way.
","summary":"Meet Tony T, owner of For Songs’ sponsor, the Pug, a bar on H St NE in Washington. Like many bars and restaurants in the area and around the country, the Pug has been closed since March. In this special edition of For Songs, we talk with Tony about how he’s been holding up and hanging on these last several months. What’s it like to own a bar that voluntarily shut down eight months ago, thinking and hoping the worst would pass, only to see the virus rage on stronger than ever as we enter the winter. What will it take to hold on? And how can you help the Pug and similarly situated venues? Find out by listening in…","date_published":"2020-11-18T16:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/31a4bee1-ee4e-4979-b190-ee333d9cac18.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":8210884,"duration_in_seconds":709}]},{"id":"45a1a3aa-5a6d-4ced-b8c4-24fecdd28dce","title":"Episode 12: Episode 12: A Conversation with Emily Barker","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/12","content_text":"What’s the best way to get a critical message across to your listeners? For Emily Barker, the best way is to make it personal. On her latest album A Dark Murmuration of Words, Emily recounts her travels from her native Australia in her early 20s to England to become a singer/songwriter. She uses her personal experience missing home to make a direct plea in her music for combatting our world’s climate crisis. On this episode of For Songs, Emily talks her passion for the environment, how she drives the point home in her writing, and her musical inspirations. We discuss four songs from the album--Return Me, Geography, The Woman Who Planted Trees, and Anymore Goodbyes. She also talks about her process for writing songs and what it's like being a musician with a new album and no way to bring it to the masses thanks to the pandemic.","content_html":"What’s the best way to get a critical message across to your listeners? For Emily Barker, the best way is to make it personal. On her latest album A Dark Murmuration of Words, Emily recounts her travels from her native Australia in her early 20s to England to become a singer/songwriter. She uses her personal experience missing home to make a direct plea in her music for combatting our world’s climate crisis. On this episode of For Songs, Emily talks her passion for the environment, how she drives the point home in her writing, and her musical inspirations. We discuss four songs from the album--Return Me, Geography, The Woman Who Planted Trees, and Anymore Goodbyes. She also talks about her process for writing songs and what it's like being a musician with a new album and no way to bring it to the masses thanks to the pandemic.
","summary":"What’s the best way to get a critical message across to your listeners? For Emily Barker, the best way is to make it personal. On her latest album A Dark Murmuration of Words, Emily recounts her travels from her native Australia in her early 20s to England to become a singer/songwriter. She uses her personal experience missing home to make a direct plea in her music for combatting our world’s climate crisis. On this episode of For Songs, Emily talks her passion for the environment, how she drives the point home in her writing, and her musical inspirations.","date_published":"2020-11-09T10:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/45a1a3aa-5a6d-4ced-b8c4-24fecdd28dce.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":36811275,"duration_in_seconds":2330}]},{"id":"0e18b2d5-9aa5-4130-9ae9-6c28aca93ec7","title":"Episode 11: For Songs #Election2020 Special!","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/11","content_text":"The #election is here! So let’s dig into some of what I think is the best political songwriting of our day. In this episode, we feature four songs by different artists, each taking on different elements related to politics and these times we live in. We explore racial justice, social justice, and how we can create a better, more humane world. We’ve got three returning guests—Scott Miller, Yasmin Williams, and Mark Andersen—and making her first appearance is Australian-born, UK-based singer/songwriter Emily Barker. From urgent punk rock to beautiful instrumentals, and everywhere else in between, we cover it all. On this episode we feature Emily Barker’s “Machine,” the Clash’s “Three-Card Trick,” Yasmin’s brand-new “After the Storm,” and Scott Miller’s “The People Rule.” Each is distinct in its message and its sound, but they are all exemplary examples of great political songwriting. ","content_html":"The #election is here! So let’s dig into some of what I think is the best political songwriting of our day. In this episode, we feature four songs by different artists, each taking on different elements related to politics and these times we live in. We explore racial justice, social justice, and how we can create a better, more humane world. We’ve got three returning guests—Scott Miller, Yasmin Williams, and Mark Andersen—and making her first appearance is Australian-born, UK-based singer/songwriter Emily Barker. From urgent punk rock to beautiful instrumentals, and everywhere else in between, we cover it all. On this episode we feature Emily Barker’s “Machine,” the Clash’s “Three-Card Trick,” Yasmin’s brand-new “After the Storm,” and Scott Miller’s “The People Rule.” Each is distinct in its message and its sound, but they are all exemplary examples of great political songwriting.
","summary":"Time to cash in on #election2020! What makes great political music? I’ve assembled an all-star panel of songwriters and authors to walk us through some of the best political music in recent years. From racial justice, social justice, and the system itself, we cover it all on this special episode! We’ve got three returning guests—Scott Miller, Yasmin Williams, and Mark Andersen—and a musician making her first appearance, Emily Barker. Settle in & get comfortable—you’re gonna enjoy this!","date_published":"2020-10-29T08:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/0e18b2d5-9aa5-4130-9ae9-6c28aca93ec7.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":49823298,"duration_in_seconds":3010}]},{"id":"f89b6fb6-effa-44e3-bbe7-c568d6edc983","title":"Episode 10: A Conversation with Mark Andersen","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/10","content_text":"Fewer bands in rock history are as human, genuine, and flawed as the Clash, the 70s-80s punk rock band that outgrew its punk roots as it grew in mainstream fame. The band wanted to be one of the biggest in the world, but somehow do so without compromising its politically charged message. Is that possible? In a fascinating book called “We are the Clash,” co-author, music historian, and humanitarian Mark Andersen exquisitely details an unheralded time in the band’s history: the making of the band’s last album, “Cut the Crap.” “We are the Clash” is a spellbinding, ambitious book that revisits this oft-forgotten era of the band, when lyricist and singer Joe Strummer tried to will a band of almost all new recruits, save bassist Paul Simonon, into an all-out war on the music industry and the rise of Thatcherism. The band’s efforts ultimately failed, but Mark’s book will give you a fresh new look at this album, this moment in time, and where we are today. “We are the Clash” is available online, but give your local bookstore the first shot.","content_html":"Fewer bands in rock history are as human, genuine, and flawed as the Clash, the 70s-80s punk rock band that outgrew its punk roots as it grew in mainstream fame. The band wanted to be one of the biggest in the world, but somehow do so without compromising its politically charged message. Is that possible? In a fascinating book called “We are the Clash,” co-author, music historian, and humanitarian Mark Andersen exquisitely details an unheralded time in the band’s history: the making of the band’s last album, “Cut the Crap.” “We are the Clash” is a spellbinding, ambitious book that revisits this oft-forgotten era of the band, when lyricist and singer Joe Strummer tried to will a band of almost all new recruits, save bassist Paul Simonon, into an all-out war on the music industry and the rise of Thatcherism. The band’s efforts ultimately failed, but Mark’s book will give you a fresh new look at this album, this moment in time, and where we are today. “We are the Clash” is available online, but give your local bookstore the first shot.
","summary":"Listen in as Mark Andersen, co-author of a breathtaking book called “We are the Clash,” walks us through the most overlooked and unheralded era of the Clash—the making of their last album, “Cut the Crap.” Almost universally reviled and expunged from the band’s official history, “Cut the Crap” is one of the most ambitious if-not-most-misunderstood albums of all time. To Mark Andersen, it is as equally meaningful as anything the band had ever done. In this episode of For Songs, I speak with Mark about his book, this era of the band, and four songs—“This is England,” “Are You Red…y,” “Movers and Shakers,” and “North and South.” Buckle up! ","date_published":"2020-10-16T16:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/f89b6fb6-effa-44e3-bbe7-c568d6edc983.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":43603486,"duration_in_seconds":2455}]},{"id":"9d64fdb7-284b-433b-b1d8-7366fa13ce5b","title":"Episode 9: A Conversation with Mackenzie Nicole","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/9","content_text":"Two years ago, pop-leaning singer/songwriter Mackenzie Nicole had hit her rock bottom. With a hit record (2018’s The Edge) at a young age, at a time when she should’ve been on top of the world, she nearly gave up. But after acknowledging and getting help for her mental illness—which she calls “the darkness”—Mackenzie fought back. She catalogued her journey from acceptance to recovery in her 2020 release The Mystic. In this episode of For Songs, Mackenzie talks about how her journey to fight back led to the development of The Mystic. She discusses her great love for literature and how confronting the Darkness head on has given her new resolve to push forward. We also detail her progression as a pop artist in an era where musical genres are fast disappearing. Listen in and if you or anyone you know is suffering from mental illness, let them know that there is hope. There is a future. ","content_html":"Two years ago, pop-leaning singer/songwriter Mackenzie Nicole had hit her rock bottom. With a hit record (2018’s The Edge) at a young age, at a time when she should’ve been on top of the world, she nearly gave up. But after acknowledging and getting help for her mental illness—which she calls “the darkness”—Mackenzie fought back. She catalogued her journey from acceptance to recovery in her 2020 release The Mystic. In this episode of For Songs, Mackenzie talks about how her journey to fight back led to the development of The Mystic. She discusses her great love for literature and how confronting the Darkness head on has given her new resolve to push forward. We also detail her progression as a pop artist in an era where musical genres are fast disappearing. Listen in and if you or anyone you know is suffering from mental illness, let them know that there is hope. There is a future.
","summary":"Music means different things for different people. For some, it’s an escape. For others, it’s a way to confront and overcome your fears. And for me, it’s something in between. For Mackenzie Nicole and her latest album The Mystic, music is certainly about addressing your fears directly. In this episode of For Songs, Mackenzie talks about her musical journey, not only through the amorphous world of pop music, but also through mental illness and recovery. We talk about four songs from The Mystic and how each symbolizes a step in her recovery. The message is this: If you are suffering, hope always exists. ","date_published":"2020-09-30T20:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/9d64fdb7-284b-433b-b1d8-7366fa13ce5b.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":35940524,"duration_in_seconds":2136}]},{"id":"f916bca1-f5ce-4b98-ab6f-d9718121fefb","title":"Episode 8: A Conversation with Louis Michot","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/8","content_text":"Can you remember your last normal night out? For me it was March 7, 2020. We saw @spiderstacy & @rockyoriodan of @poguesofficial on their Mid-Atlantic @poguetrylive tour, backed by the @lostbayouramble. Four days later the world shut down and we’ve been couped up ever since. What was it like to be on tour on those last days? In this episode of For Songs, I chat with Louis Michot, lead singer and fiddler player of @lostbayouramble and @michotsmelody makers, about what happened on those last frantic nights on tour, and then his love and passion for #cajunmusic. We dig into four traditional Cajun songs, including one that blends traditional Cajun and Irish sounds, and three live tracks from the Michot Melody Makers' July 2020 release, Cosmic Cajuns from Saturn. Sit back, grab a drink, and listen to Louis walk you back in time.\n\nwww.lostbayouramblers.com \nwww.michotsmelodymakers.bandcamp.com \nhttp://nouveauelectricrecords.com/","content_html":"Can you remember your last normal night out? For me it was March 7, 2020. We saw @spiderstacy & @rockyoriodan of @poguesofficial on their Mid-Atlantic @poguetrylive tour, backed by the @lostbayouramble. Four days later the world shut down and we’ve been couped up ever since. What was it like to be on tour on those last days? In this episode of For Songs, I chat with Louis Michot, lead singer and fiddler player of @lostbayouramble and @michotsmelody makers, about what happened on those last frantic nights on tour, and then his love and passion for #cajunmusic. We dig into four traditional Cajun songs, including one that blends traditional Cajun and Irish sounds, and three live tracks from the Michot Melody Makers' July 2020 release, Cosmic Cajuns from Saturn. Sit back, grab a drink, and listen to Louis walk you back in time.
\n\nwww.lostbayouramblers.com
\nwww.michotsmelodymakers.bandcamp.com
\nhttp://nouveauelectricrecords.com/
Songwriting is not for the weak of heart or mind. Just ask Paleface (PF), the indie-rock legend who came of age during New York City’s anti-folk scene in the late 80s. In this episode of For Songs, PF and his partner/drummer Monica “Mo” Samalot talk about their latest album, the self-made, self-produced “Go Forth.” We discuss how the album came to be, why it was self-made, and how PF got bit by the songwriting bug after watching the late, great Daniel Johnston perform at open-mic nights in New York in this wide-ranging interview.
\n\nFind out more about “Go Forth”, PF, and Mo at www.palefaceonline.com. "Go Forth" can be purchased at their website, Amazon, iTunes, Spotify, etc.
","summary":"Listen in as indie-rock legend Paleface and his partner/drummer Monica “Mo” Samalot talk about their latest album “Go Forth,” their first self-made, self-produced record. “Go Forth” came out in early 2020, and their touring plans came to a halt as the pandemic settled in. Paleface (PF) talks candidly about how he got into the music biz in New York’s anti-folk scene in the late 80s, his process for writing, and how things have changed over time. ","date_published":"2020-08-16T20:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/9fde26dc-a1c2-49c1-8997-f93e7d2859e2.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":30069671,"duration_in_seconds":2538}]},{"id":"f9f3aa5c-cd0b-4dd0-843c-0951c40b9678","title":"Episode 6: A Conversation with Yasmin Williams","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/6","content_text":"When I was in high school learning the guitar, I wanted to be a shredder. I wanted to play as fast as Living Colour’s Vernon Reid, Joe Satriani, Hendrix, Steve Vai—you know, the guitar maestros who could tear up the fretboard. No dice. Couldn’t come close. And interestingly enough, Yasmin Williams never wanted to reach those heights. She was influenced by Nirvana and other grunge-rock bands. Then she beat the video game Guitar Hero 2 as a teenager, convinced her parents to buy her a guitar, and the rest is history. After getting bored with the electric guitar, she picked up an acoustic, learned some incredible picking techniques and continues to innovate to this day. Check out our interview where she talks about her styles, how she learned different techniques, and how she writes such hypnotic, peaceful, and beautiful songs. ","content_html":"When I was in high school learning the guitar, I wanted to be a shredder. I wanted to play as fast as Living Colour’s Vernon Reid, Joe Satriani, Hendrix, Steve Vai—you know, the guitar maestros who could tear up the fretboard. No dice. Couldn’t come close. And interestingly enough, Yasmin Williams never wanted to reach those heights. She was influenced by Nirvana and other grunge-rock bands. Then she beat the video game Guitar Hero 2 as a teenager, convinced her parents to buy her a guitar, and the rest is history. After getting bored with the electric guitar, she picked up an acoustic, learned some incredible picking techniques and continues to innovate to this day. Check out our interview where she talks about her styles, how she learned different techniques, and how she writes such hypnotic, peaceful, and beautiful songs.
","summary":"Take a journey with Yasmin Williams, the brilliant acoustic-guitar player who burns up the fretboard with astonishing ease. Find out how beating Guitar Hero 2 as an eighth grader has lead her down the path to become a recording artist with music degrees from New York University, one album already under her belt and another about to be released in the fall. Her breathtaking skill will leave you mesmerized and wanting more. Listen in!","date_published":"2020-08-04T08:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/f9f3aa5c-cd0b-4dd0-843c-0951c40b9678.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":31370169,"duration_in_seconds":1888}]},{"id":"7ed220e4-1add-4e1b-ad35-1899f2886dea","title":"Episode 5: A Conversation with The Rails","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/5","content_text":"If you’ve ever wondered how much passion, dedication, patience, and determination goes into writing a great song, I give you the Rails. Consisting of James Walbourne and Kami Thompson, the Rails are an English rock duo with three albums to their name since 2014—each one written and recorded under vastly different circumstances. In this episode of For Songs, Kami and James dissect four of their tunes with disarming candor—Grace of God and Borstal from their 2014 debut Fair Warning, and Dictator and Ball and Chain from 2019’s Cancel the Sun. Listen in as they discuss how much they’ve learned from working with such legends as Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders, Shane MacGowan, Jay Farrar, and many others. Kami and James talk about how their writing style has evolved and and how they’ve come to find a strong place after making a critical lifestyle change. And stay until the end when we get into social media and receive a visit from one of their cats. So all the way from Camden Town in London, here are the Rails…","content_html":"If you’ve ever wondered how much passion, dedication, patience, and determination goes into writing a great song, I give you the Rails. Consisting of James Walbourne and Kami Thompson, the Rails are an English rock duo with three albums to their name since 2014—each one written and recorded under vastly different circumstances. In this episode of For Songs, Kami and James dissect four of their tunes with disarming candor—Grace of God and Borstal from their 2014 debut Fair Warning, and Dictator and Ball and Chain from 2019’s Cancel the Sun. Listen in as they discuss how much they’ve learned from working with such legends as Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders, Shane MacGowan, Jay Farrar, and many others. Kami and James talk about how their writing style has evolved and and how they’ve come to find a strong place after making a critical lifestyle change. And stay until the end when we get into social media and receive a visit from one of their cats. So all the way from Camden Town in London, here are the Rails…
","summary":"Few people know how much blood, sweat, and tears go into songwriting than Kami Thompson and James Walbourne of the English rock duo the Rails. James has played with some of the songwriting greats of the last few decades, including Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders and Shane MacGowan (!). And Kami is the daughter of the renown English songwriting duo Linda and Richard Thompson. So songwriting is in her blood. Yet it can still be a challenge for them, and only recently have they found a strong way of working. How does it all come together? And how has it changed over the years? Listen in…","date_published":"2020-07-20T08:30:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/7ed220e4-1add-4e1b-ad35-1899f2886dea.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":40029157,"duration_in_seconds":2390}]},{"id":"6c98ca7d-9d0b-4303-87f7-23ae57b910cf","title":"Episode 4: A Conversation with Eli Cook","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/4","content_text":"Eli Cook is a student of music. He’s a sponge, soaking up the elements of the past and putting together a sound that’s even more relevant now. Eli is a brilliant guitar player, inspired by the blues greats of the distant, pre-World War II past. But his voice, his sound, and his songs come from the present. He draws a direct line from the music of the early 1900s with the grunge sound of the 1990s. And it works. His talents have taken him all over the country, opening for such legends as B.B. King and Taj Mahal. His reverence for those blues masters pours out of him when he talks, but his sound is all his own. \n\nIn this episode of For Songs, Eli takes me through a musical trip to the past, up the Mississippi River, all the way to Seattle and back to the Virginia Blue Ridge Mountains. Buckle up, for this a helluva ride.","content_html":"Eli Cook is a student of music. He’s a sponge, soaking up the elements of the past and putting together a sound that’s even more relevant now. Eli is a brilliant guitar player, inspired by the blues greats of the distant, pre-World War II past. But his voice, his sound, and his songs come from the present. He draws a direct line from the music of the early 1900s with the grunge sound of the 1990s. And it works. His talents have taken him all over the country, opening for such legends as B.B. King and Taj Mahal. His reverence for those blues masters pours out of him when he talks, but his sound is all his own.
\n\nIn this episode of For Songs, Eli takes me through a musical trip to the past, up the Mississippi River, all the way to Seattle and back to the Virginia Blue Ridge Mountains. Buckle up, for this a helluva ride.
","summary":"Sometimes an interview is an education. That was the case when I spoke with Eli Cook, the brilliant blues guitarist based just southwest of Charlottesville, Va. Eli is a true student of music, but in this interview, he was the teacher. Join us as Eli takes us on a journey that crosses generations and how he created a sound inspired by the past but authentic to his times.","date_published":"2020-07-08T08:30:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/6c98ca7d-9d0b-4303-87f7-23ae57b910cf.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":31359201,"duration_in_seconds":2189}]},{"id":"f05efa2f-b7c4-4277-8ce4-03d3608e462e","title":"Episode 3: A Conversation with Veronneau ","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/3","content_text":"Yes, music really can change your life. Just ask Lynn Veronneau and Ken Avis of the D.C.-based jazz trio Veronneau. A chance meeting in Switzerland in the early 90s started these two musical nomads down the road that would take them all over the world. The band's story is incredible on it's own--Lynn is a native French speaker from outside Montreal, Ken hails from the North of England, and David Rosenblatt, the incredible guitarist, was raised in Brazil, embracing the music and the language. Lynn can sing comfortably in English, Spanish, Portoguese, and French, allowing the band to explore standards and folk music from all across the globe. But the story behind Lynn and Ken's own relationship is the stuff of movies. Listen in as we explore Veronneau's chart-topping music while getting a glimpse into a unique partnership.\n\nMore information about Veronneau is available here: https://www.veronneaumusic.com/","content_html":"Yes, music really can change your life. Just ask Lynn Veronneau and Ken Avis of the D.C.-based jazz trio Veronneau. A chance meeting in Switzerland in the early 90s started these two musical nomads down the road that would take them all over the world. The band's story is incredible on it's own--Lynn is a native French speaker from outside Montreal, Ken hails from the North of England, and David Rosenblatt, the incredible guitarist, was raised in Brazil, embracing the music and the language. Lynn can sing comfortably in English, Spanish, Portoguese, and French, allowing the band to explore standards and folk music from all across the globe. But the story behind Lynn and Ken's own relationship is the stuff of movies. Listen in as we explore Veronneau's chart-topping music while getting a glimpse into a unique partnership.
\n\nMore information about Veronneau is available here: https://www.veronneaumusic.com/
","summary":"Anyone who's ever doubted the power of music has never met nor seen the band Veronneau, the D.C.-based jazz trio that's been making waves for the past 10 years. In this episode we speak with Lynn Veronneau and Ken Avis, the real-life couple that is the bedrock upon which the band is based. And once you hear their story, you'll understand just how powerful music really is.","date_published":"2020-06-22T09:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/f05efa2f-b7c4-4277-8ce4-03d3608e462e.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":41396128,"duration_in_seconds":2449}]},{"id":"46fcf317-7cb5-4c60-af0e-4c513476dafe","title":"Episode 2: A Conversation with Kevin Adkins ","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/2","content_text":"If you're like me, you've probably seen a band or heard a song and thought, man this group is gonna make it! You might follow their career, see them live, and if you happen to write for an online music magazine, you might even feature them on numerous occassions. And then you might scratch your head when this band doesn't get it's break. Because you know they are incredibly talented and perhaps the best band onstage at that festival you attended, way better than some of the headliners. And you wonder, what happened? Are they still at it? In this episode of For Songs, we speak with Kevin Adkins, former co-frontman of the New York Irish rock band Icewagon Flu. The Flu nearly gravitated to the top of the Manhattan scene, getting recurring gigs at some of the most well-known Irish pubs. But it didn't work out. Kevin now co-leads Franklin Gotham, a songwriting duo with no intentions of making it big. Rather, Kevin just wants to write top-quality songs. And he does. This is his story.","content_html":"If you're like me, you've probably seen a band or heard a song and thought, man this group is gonna make it! You might follow their career, see them live, and if you happen to write for an online music magazine, you might even feature them on numerous occassions. And then you might scratch your head when this band doesn't get it's break. Because you know they are incredibly talented and perhaps the best band onstage at that festival you attended, way better than some of the headliners. And you wonder, what happened? Are they still at it? In this episode of For Songs, we speak with Kevin Adkins, former co-frontman of the New York Irish rock band Icewagon Flu. The Flu nearly gravitated to the top of the Manhattan scene, getting recurring gigs at some of the most well-known Irish pubs. But it didn't work out. Kevin now co-leads Franklin Gotham, a songwriting duo with no intentions of making it big. Rather, Kevin just wants to write top-quality songs. And he does. This is his story.
","summary":"Not every capable songwriter gets a record contract. Some come close but for whatever reason it doesn't work out. In this episode, we talk with Kevin Adkins, a veteran of New York's Irish rock scene and now one half of the songwriting duo Franklin Gotham. Kevin's first band Icewagon Flu nearly took off in the early 2000s, but the timing wasn't right. Thankfully, he's still at it. And this is his story","date_published":"2020-06-09T09:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/46fcf317-7cb5-4c60-af0e-4c513476dafe.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":35278290,"duration_in_seconds":2158}]},{"id":"2306c3a8-852e-4caa-b6f8-46aea11a2d4f","title":"Episode 1: A Conversation with Scott Miller","url":"https://forsongs.fireside.fm/1","content_text":"For Songs is a podcast about songs and songwriters. We pick four songs from some of our favorite artists and try to get into mindset when they were writing these tunes. How hard is it? Very hard. In our first episode, we talk with renowned Shenandoah Valley, Va.-based singer/songwriter Scott Miller. Scott’s a mainstay on the Mid-Atlantic roots rock/folk rock scene, splitting his time between making music and running his family farm. Between his first band the V-Roys in the mid-90s to his solo career, Scott’s music has taken him all over the world. With his rock n’ roll hard-living days behind him, Miller remains an exquisite songwriter. His humor, dry wit, and stark, cunning observations are second to none, and landed him a few years back into the East Tennessee Writers Hall of Fame. Take a listen as we run through four of Miller’s songs throughout his solo career—Highland County Boy, On a Roll, Claire Marie, and Lo Siento, Spanishburg West Virginia. Get a sense as to his thinking and inspiration behind each one, along with some tricks of the trade. And you won’t want to miss Scott’s plan to save the country!\n\nInfo about Scott, these songs, and the albums upon which they appear can be found on his website: http://www.thescottmiller.com","content_html":"For Songs is a podcast about songs and songwriters. We pick four songs from some of our favorite artists and try to get into mindset when they were writing these tunes. How hard is it? Very hard. In our first episode, we talk with renowned Shenandoah Valley, Va.-based singer/songwriter Scott Miller. Scott’s a mainstay on the Mid-Atlantic roots rock/folk rock scene, splitting his time between making music and running his family farm. Between his first band the V-Roys in the mid-90s to his solo career, Scott’s music has taken him all over the world. With his rock n’ roll hard-living days behind him, Miller remains an exquisite songwriter. His humor, dry wit, and stark, cunning observations are second to none, and landed him a few years back into the East Tennessee Writers Hall of Fame. Take a listen as we run through four of Miller’s songs throughout his solo career—Highland County Boy, On a Roll, Claire Marie, and Lo Siento, Spanishburg West Virginia. Get a sense as to his thinking and inspiration behind each one, along with some tricks of the trade. And you won’t want to miss Scott’s plan to save the country!
\n\nInfo about Scott, these songs, and the albums upon which they appear can be found on his website: http://www.thescottmiller.com
","summary":"Join me as I chat at length with singer/songwriter Scott Miller, a renowned musician from Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. We discuss four songs (get it, “for songs,” four songs…) from Miller’s solo career. We touch on his inspirations, influences, and wrap it up with his plan to save America! ","date_published":"2020-05-23T11:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/9734e0f9-52d1-49b0-8dbc-92f6308326c9/2306c3a8-852e-4caa-b6f8-46aea11a2d4f.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":31747089,"duration_in_seconds":2046}]}]}