For Songs
A podcast for and about songs and songwriting
We found 10 episodes of For Songs with the tag “indierock”.
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Episode 47: A Conversation with Ben Vaughn
May 23rd, 2022 | Season 1 | 42 mins 15 secs
benvaughn, filmnoir, indierock, songwriter, songwriting, writing
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.
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Episode 46: A Conversation with the Waymores
May 6th, 2022 | Season 1 | 41 mins 27 secs
country, countrymusic, countryrock, elvis, indierock, johnnycash, junecarter, thewaymores, waymores
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.
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Episode 45: For Songs Singles! Restless Companion, Michael Patrick F. Smith
April 18th, 2022 | Season 1 | 23 mins 10 secs
dakota, folkmusic, folkrock, indierock, newmusic, thegoodhand
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.
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Episode 44: Another Conversation with The Pug--Talking the Clash, Joe Strummer, Big Audio Dynamite & Much More!
April 10th, 2022 | Season 1 | 39 mins 53 secs
bigaudiodynamite, clash, dc, gogo, indierock, london, music, pandemic, poguetry, punk, punkrock, theclash
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!
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Episode 43: A Conversation with Emily Capell
March 20th, 2022 | Season 1 | 45 mins 33 secs
blondie, donletts, dreadzone, emilycapell, indierock, joestrummer, london, newmusic, ska, theclash
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.
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Episode 42: A Conversation with the Whitmore Sisters
February 18th, 2022 | Season 1 | 44 mins 58 secs
americana, ghoststories, indierock, newmusic, steveearle, themastersons, thewhitmoresisters
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.
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Episode 40: For Songs Singles! Keeping On, Franklin Gotham
January 7th, 2022 | Season 1 | 21 mins 54 secs
altrock, franklingotham, icewagonflu, indierock, newmusic, poprock
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!
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Episode 39: A Conversation with Nicole Atkins
December 26th, 2021 | Season 1 | 41 mins 55 secs
indierock, jerseyshore, judygarland, memphisice, newepisode, nicoleatkins
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.
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Episode 34: For Songs Singles! Hesitate, Sons of Silver
October 15th, 2021 | Season 1 | 18 mins 16 secs
hesitate, indierock, iwarnedyou, newmusic, politics, rocknroll
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.
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Episode 15: A Conversation with Peter Argyropoulos
December 4th, 2020 | Season 1 | 42 mins 50 secs
candlebox, indierock, la, music, newmusic, pearl jam, peterg, rock, rocknroll, sonsofsilver
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!