For the Sake of the Song

Bobby Stevens is a singer/songwriter and guitar player in St. Louis who writes self-described “tender tunes” but whom I would describe as kindred spirits with John Prine , Bruce Springsteen, and the podcast’s namesake, Mr. Townes Van Zandt. When Bobby’s not around town singing and playing guitar, you can also find him co-hosting the beloved poetry open mic with his partner, Kyle, at The Heavy Anch...

Skylar Townsend is a St. Louis-based singer/songwriter who released her debut album, “Hit the Ground Runnin’”, in late 2025 and you can find it on streaming services everywhere! Playlist Track Listing: “Don’t Fool Around (with the Biggest Fool Around)” by The Goldenrods “Tulsa Time” by Don Williams “Blue” by LeAnn Rimes “Drunken Angel” by Lucinda Williams “They’ve Closed Down the Honky Tonks” by M...

Travis Dodds is well-known around St. Louis, mostly for his amazing guitar playing, which he’s been doing for nearly 20 years now, but he also plays bass, keyboards, synth, mandolin, and sings. And he’s got a lot of former bands to his name, including Jr. Clooney, LePonds, Yannon, Laika, and Big Color, and he also releases solo work as MacsHeadroom. His current project is called God and they just...

FERGUSON is a singer/songwriter out of Nashville whose indie rock music channels the best of ‘60s-70s era pop. His debut album,  State of Gold , was released back in 2019 (under his full name, Ian Ferguson), and he quickly followed that up the with the B-sides record  Junk  the following year. And now FERGUSON has released his latest album for our listening pleasure,  Never In My Life,  which came...

Julianna Riolino is a singer/songwriter from Ontario whose music has been described as alt-country, rock ‘n’ roll, pop, and more and she's been described as embodying Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt in one person, which is pretty badass! After the success of her debut album, All Blue, Julianna has followed up with her second album, Echo In The Dust, released in October 2025 on MoonWhistle Records....

This episode features a special co-created playlist, brought to you by Page Burkum and Jack Torrey of The Cactus Blossoms, who have been gifting us modern classics that blend Americana, folk, country, and early rock ‘n’ roll for well over a decade. Based out of Minneapolis, the land of great bands, brothers Jack and Page, along with their band, have released multiple studio albums, each to widespr...

It's the one-year anniversary of the podcast! And to celebrate the occasion, this special episode features a very special guest: musician, artist, my boyfriend, and unofficial producer-behind-the-scenes - Jake Maness! Jake is most well-known as the drummer and singer in the blues rock duo, The Maness Brothers, that he formed with his brother David, who plays guitar and also sings. The Maness Broth...

Lera Lynn is a singer/songwriter whose thoughtful songwriting, poetic lyricism, cinematic soundscapes, and haunting vocals blend Americana, indie rock, folk noir, and art pop. She’s released multiple studio albums and composed numerous pieces for film, TV, and video games, including writing and performing four songs for Season 2 of True Detective, for which she gained widespread recognition. She’s...

We're back with Volume Two of the Guest Playlist! Most of the guests on the podcast are musicians and they make us playlists of other musicians’ songs but we don’t get to hear the music that the guests themselves are making and putting out there, which hardly seems fair! So to remedy that, every 15 episodes I release a playlist that features one song from each of those guests! And to help me with...

A.J. Croce is a singer/songwriter and piano virtuoso with decades of music and touring to his name. He's released eleven studio albums, including his most recent, “Heart of the Eternal”, which was released in early 2025. His music blends rock, blues, soul, and Americana and his new album even has some psych and jazz influences. He’s worked and toured with many of the greats, including BB King, Ray...

Nick Shoulders is an Americana singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, playing guitar, banjo, fiddle, drums, harmonica, and mouthbow, whom Paste Magazine said is a "bonafide American treasure". He's also the owner of Gar Hole Records and is an accomplished illustrator. Playlist Track Listing: “One Broken Heart” by Sonny Burgess “Frog Went A-Courtin’” by Almeda Riddle “My Journey To The Sky” b...

Johnny Walker is a legend among legends in the punk, blues, garage rock scene(s) and it’s an honor to have him on the podcast! He and Ben Swank started the legendary Soledad Brothers, releasing four critically acclaimed albums, and were/are longtime collaborators and friends with Meg and Jack White, with Jack engineering The Soledad Brothers first album and Johnny playing slide guitar on The White...

Neil Salsich is a singer, songwriter, and guitar player who's been playing in St. Louis for 15 years and he's best known for his band, The Mighty Pines, but he's also a member of the Playadors and Sean Canan's Voodoo Players. Make sure to follow Neil and The Mighty Pines on Instagram so you can stay up-to-date on all of his shows and, importantly, the annual Pines Fest happening in October! Playli...

Tony Hall is a keyboard player and singer/songwriter who’s been around the St. Louis music scene for nearly 20 years, and you can catch him playing out solo as Tony M. Hall or you can find him behind the keys with Nick Gusman & The Coyotes at least for the next couple of weeks. Keep an eye out for his solo album dropping in spring 2026! And a special shout-out to Tony being an early and enthus...

Brian Will is a singer/songwriter and guitarist who plays in a couple St. Louis bands, including The Jits and the Cyanides. Make sure to follow him on Instagram @brianwont to find out where you can see him playing live next! Playlist Track Listing: “Sovereignty Flight” by The Gories “Kiss Me On The Bus” by The Replacements “Tommy Gun” by The Clash “All My Feelings Denied” by Thee Headcoats “Fictio...

Garrett T. Capps hails from San Antonio and has a lot of great music to his name, whether that's albums he's released with his band NASA Country, including their most recent release "Everyone Is Everyone", or his latest solo album "Life is Strange", backed in the studio by friends who also happen to be killer musicians. When he's not making music in the studio or on tour, you can probably find Gar...

Esther Rose has been making her mark on the Americana landscape for years and her newest album, "Want", released on New West Records, has been called "wildly satisfying" by Glide Magazine and No Depression said it was her "most settled work yet". She's currently out on tour with a full band (!!!) so make sure you check out her schedule to find out where they're playing near you! Playlist Track Lis...

Francie Medosch is the lead force behind and in front of the band, Florry, who blend indie rock with country twang and have been compared to the likes of The Band and The Rolling Stones as well as PJ Harvey and Big Thief. Their newest album, “Sounds Like…” recently came out on Dear Life Records and Pitchfork says, “the country-rock group rips through a set of free-spirited barnstormers with such e...

Patton Magee is the frontman of the rock ‘n’ roll group The Nude Party, whom critics have compared to some of the greats, including The Rolling Stones, the Velvet Underground, and Buffalo Springfield, and now Patton is releasing his debut solo album on June 12 on Nudie Records called “Last Cowboy on the Prairie”. It's been described as a “sprawling trek across America’s sonic landscapes – Arizona...

Alex Huck is a singer/songwriter who has been in St. Louis for only three years but brings decades of talent with him! You can check him out playing solo around town at some of his recurring monthly gigs, such as the second Friday of very month at Hammerstone’s, or catch him behind the kit with the Tyler King Band the last Sunday of the month at Hammerstone’s. Playlist Track Listing: “Smoke Detect...

Mikey Coltun is a musician, engineer, and producer and he's played with a number of great bands, including Les Rhinoceros, Mdou Moctar, Steve Gunn, KOLTUN, and more. He started studying music at the age of 3 and by 16 he was touring and playing all over the world with the most well-known and well-respected musicians in rock, jazz, punk, often blending Western and African styles. Mikey has recently...

Matt Maher is a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, playing guitar, pedal steel, mandolin, dobro, and bass, and he's associated with many St. Louis-based bands, including Hunter Peebles & The Moonlighters, Yard Eagle, Smoke Association, The Screechin’ Halts, and Back Wash. His musical talent is key to making these bands shine so make sure to follow him and them so you can find out where to c...

Matt Stuttler is a singer, songwriter, guitarist, bass player, and self-described synth enthusiast who has been a mainstay in the St. Louis music scene for 15 years and he currently plays in many bands including Shitstorm, Nite Sprites, Dock Judson, Cyanides, Boreal Hills, The Losing End, Molten Bone, and Variante Form and his former bands include The Stranger, Beach Bodies, and Banana Clips. And...

Jena Haffner, along with her dad, Jean, own and operate The Record Exchange, the longtime, iconic record store in St. Louis. Jean opened the store in 1977 so Jena was born into the world of music and vinyl and now she helps Jean operate the 10,000-square-foot store filled with not just vinyl but all types of media, media-playing equipment, and memorabilia. If you haven't been down to the store, wh...

A new kind of episode and playlist! Most of the guests on the podcast are musicians and they make us playlists of other musicians’ songs but we don’t get to hear the music that the guests themselves are making and putting out there, which hardly seems fair! So to remedy that, every 15 episodes that feature a musician guest, I’m going to release an episode and playlist that features one song from e...