For Songs

A podcast for and about songs and songwriting

About the show

This podcast is for those who love music but can't write a tune to save their lives. We talk with singer/songwriters of all stripes, professional touring musicians to those who can't quite catch a break. Maybe you'll hear something you'll like. Maybe not. But you will come away with a greater appreciation for the gift of songwriting, and how hard it really is.

Now sponsored by @thepugdc!

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Episodes

  • Episode 7: A Conversation with Paleface

    August 16th, 2020  |  Season 1  |  42 mins 18 secs
    antifolk, folkrock, indiefolk, indierock, monicasamalot, newmusic, paleface, pf&mo

    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.

  • Episode 6: A Conversation with Yasmin Williams

    August 4th, 2020  |  31 mins 28 secs
    #guitar.yaz, #musicatyourfingertips, #skytopguitars, #yasminwilliams

    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!

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    Episode 5: A Conversation with The Rails

    July 20th, 2020  |  Season 1  |  39 mins 50 secs
    #folkrock, #jameswalbourne, #kamithompson, #lindathompson, #railsofficial, #richardthompson, #thepretenders, #therails

    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…

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    Episode 4: A Conversation with Eli Cook

    July 8th, 2020  |  Season 1  |  36 mins 29 secs
    #blueridgemountains, #blues, #bluesmusic, #elicook, #guitar, #rootsmusic

    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.

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    Episode 3: A Conversation with Veronneau

    June 22nd, 2020  |  Season 1  |  40 mins 49 secs
    #antidotesounds, #bluesalley, #brazil, #jazz, #jazzsamba, #samba, #veronneau, #veronneaumusic

    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.

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    Episode 2: A Conversation with Kevin Adkins

    June 9th, 2020  |  Season 1  |  35 mins 58 secs
    #black47, #dcmusic, #franklingotham, #icewagon flu, #irishrock, #mixtapestudios

    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

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    Episode 1: A Conversation with Scott Miller

    May 23rd, 2020  |  Season 1  |  34 mins 6 secs
    commonwealther, singersongwriter, songwriter, songwriting, storytelling, thescottmiller, vroys

    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!