Morse Code Podcast with Korby Lenker

Spencer Thomas is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist based in Athens, Georgia. He also plays keys for the beloved cosmic jamericana touring band Futurebirds . His new record, The Joke of Life , is shot through with contributions from members of My Morning Jacket , Drive-By Truckers , Futurebirds annd — it’s been getting a lot of play at the Lenker house. Listen above, scroll down to wat...

Steve Poltz is a… a.. what is he? In the man’s own words, “I’m just a weirdo, a freak, a bon vivant, a rounder, a rabble rouser, a workaholic, a people pleaser, an idiot and a grateful kid who ran away and joined the circus.” Most of us know Poltz as one of the most charismatic live folksingers working today. Whether he’s playing little club in Halifax, or trading verses with Jewel (whose hit song...

Mila Vilaplana is a film director, producer, and founder of Dipsomania , a production house focused on the creation of visually arresting psychologically-driven narratives.  Originally from Cuba, Mila's work has received critical acclaim and film fest buzz for its bold Giallo-inspired imagery and unconventional approach to cinematic storytelling. Get full access to Morse Code with Korby Lenker at...

Zach Williams is the founding member and frontman for The Lone Bellow , an Americana Folk featuring Zach, Kanene Donehey Pipkin and Brian Elmquist . Best known for their powerhouse vocals and emotive blend of folk, country, and soul, the storied trio exploded onto the scene in 2014 with their self-titled debut, which made a bunch of end-of-year lists and garnered praise from respected outlets like...

Yurina Yoshikawa is a writer, educator and Director of Education at The Porch Literary Collective here in Nashville. Her work has appeared in The Atlantic , NPR , Lit Hub , The Japan Times , The New Inquiry and this autumn she won the inaugural $25,000 Southern Prize for Literary Arts. Yurina is also a gifted musician, playing viola for the Nashville Philharmonic and serving on the board. You migh...

Walker Burroughs is a singer, songwriter, guitarist and piano player based in Nashville Tennessee. Best known as a top 8 finalist on American Idol , he toured nationally as the keyboard player in Bobby Bones’ band, and is presently playing shows with fellow Idol alum, season 8 winner Kris Allen . Walker is currently sponsored by Yomega Yo-Yos . Get full access to Morse Code with Korby Lenker at ko...

Mason Mecartea is an actor and director based in Nashville, best known for his role as Dan Shelter in Stranger Things , and Cole in Damien Leone's Terrifier 3 , which, as of this writing, is the #1 movie in the country. Get full access to Morse Code with Korby Lenker at korby.substack.com/subscribe

On the season finale of the Morse Code Podcast , I talk with actor, comedian, musician, and self-proclaimed recovering Pentecostal Andi Marie Tillman about… well a lot of things. When someone shows up for the taping with pointy ears dressed like she escaped from the Renaissance Faire, you know it’s going to be an interesting hour. If you haven’t caught Andi’s many viral improvs on Instagram and Ti...

I speak with a rising star in the comedy world, the hilarious and genuine Amber Autry . The before we taped I was in the audience at a sold-out set for Amber’s Summer/Fall residency at Zanie’s in Nashville. Her bits were so seamlessly interwoven with her improvised crowd work that the stitches were invisible — I couldn’t tell where the rehearsed part ended and the improv began. Randa and I laughed...

On the latest episode of the Morse Code Podcast I speak with Emmy-nominated filmmaker Derek Dienner on his wild journey producing the independently-funded feature film —  “ Brave the Dark ” starring Jared Harris ( Mad Men , Chernobyl ) — surviving cancer in his 30s, and staying motivated in a highly unpredictable industry. Derek and I met at Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. He’d recently...

Natalya Kay is a fiddler in the Irish tradition and a key member of Celtic super group Gaelic Storm. She and I met in the spring of 2020 when she moved into the house next door to mine in East Nashville. I think the first time we jammed was at a party in my front yard.  I remember thinking two things about that encounter. One was, Man this girl can really play! The other was, being shocked to hear...

I speak with Latin GRAMMY-nominated songwriter, producer, artist, activist, chef and friend Alex Wong about his lifelong evolution as an indie music maker and meaning seeker. Whether writing and performing his own award-winning songs or producing albums for such luminaries as Vienna Teng and Delta Rae , Alex has always pushed his work beyond conventional ideas of what it means to be an artist. I w...

With some artists the creative spark doesn’t stop just because the guitar gets put down. That’s Annie Williams . Anyone who knows her would say the same. From her self-built straw bale house to her hand-sewn performance costumes to her deeply personal songs, the muse follows her everywhere she goes, and does its best to keep up.  She just released her debut album, Visitor , seven years and one lif...

I speak with director Spencer Glover about his experience with Disney as a participant in their coveted Launchpad program. Selected from more than 2000 applicants, the longtime Nashville filmmaker spent a year in the incubator, honing his skills under the auspices of industry execs. The experience culminated in his Disney directorial debut BLACK BELTS , a coming of age Kung Fu story you can watch...

I speak with award-winning music photographer Michael Weintrob about his unusual path through the visual side of music, and how keeping his head down and his heart open has resulted in one of the most exciting careers in the business. Michael and I met around 2013. I was instantly struck by his combustible hustle , a kind of leaning forward in life. I was rocking bowties back then (call it my Will...

I speak with author Liz Riggs about the impending publication of her debut novel, Lo Fi out on Riverhead Books June 9. Liz’s publisher was kind enough to send me an advance copy, and from paragraph one I recognized the reverb-drenched setting —  the live bands, late nights, broken AC, unravelling yard parties, and half-remembered conversations over hand-rolled joints — as my own.  I was a devoted...

I caught Ryan Culwell — singer-songwriter, panhandle poet and father of four — on a recent pass through town, to talk about songwriting from a personal perspective, growing up in the Texas Panhandle, and what made him move back after a decade in the Nashville hopper. I’ve know the man for almost twenty years. I’ve been his fan and I’ve caught his shows. A few weeks ago I saw a post he wrote in whi...

I speak with novelist Claire Gibson about her unusual journey toward publication, from roving the country as a young Army brat, to living at West Point as a faculty daughter, to the fateful day when a close friend made a galvanizing observation: she was in a unique position to capture the lives and experiences of the women of West Point in the 9/11 generation. The result was Beyond the Point , pub...

I speak with artist and multi-instrumentalist Robert Ellis , one of the best singer-songwriters of his generation. I'll tell you why: first, his songs do what great pop songs do - grab your attention with a hook as sticky as hot honey (check out “ Bottle of Wine ” for an example), but you get a sense there’s always something held in reserve, something that won’t be revealed until you come back for...

On the latest episode of the Morse Code Podcast I speak with singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer Anthony Da Costa about the unique trajectory of his musical path, already nosing into its third decade. At 33, Anthony has continued to forge a symbiotic balance between helping fellow artists realize their own visions and making songs that are uniquely his own. We discuss his early history as so...

On the new episode of The Morse Code Podcast I speak with singer-songwriter and ultramarathon runner Jeremy Lister about his unusual - and unusually successful - path in music, starting with his emergence in Nashville as a breakaway artist in the late 2000’s through his recent gigs singing with Eric Church at Coachella to his latest synch on Grey’s Anatomy a few weeks ago. You never know how these...

In episode #132 of the MCP, I speak with director Kali Bailey about her career in cinema thus far, starting with the wildly successful fan film Neville Longbottom and the Black Witch (over 8 million views on YouTube), a piece written and directed by Bailey based on a character known to Harry Potter fans everywhere. We talk about the act of faith required in seeing a large creative project through...

Cody Duncum is a director and cinematographer working out of Nashville. His latest effort, a short film called Where the Bullets Go, has been busy on the film festival circuit, with official selections at the The Appalachian Film Festival, Filmfort, the Oxford Film Festival, IFF Boston, and more. An in-demand cinematographer, he’s worked behind the camera with countless artists including Mumford a...

I speak with singer-songwriter Abigail Rose on the heels of her widely acclaimed debut EP Surprise Valley, about why she had to leave the comfort of her hometown in order to discover her artistic identity. We compare notes:  I experienced a similar freedom of reinvention when I moved to Nashville almost twenty years ago. We discuss the perils and rewards of doing creative work with a life partner,...

I speak with singer-songwriter and mixed media artist Andrew Combs on the eve of his first solo gallery show (at Julia Martin Gallery in Nashville) about what it means to him in the context of a career spent largely in song and on stage. From touring with Kacey Musgraves to performing a set on perhaps the greatest taste-making venue ever — Tiny Desk on NPR — Andrew’s decision to step back from the...