For Songs

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 s...

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...

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 abou...

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...

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 retrospect...

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 trace...

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...

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...

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 “...

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,...

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,...

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/songwr...

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...

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 N...

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...

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...

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 C...

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...

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...

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 J...

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 i...

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 ‘Peanu...

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 crie...

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 s...

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 drivin...