Songfacts Podcast

Kelsey Warren, who goes by the stage name Blak Emoji joins the pod to chat about his new album Eclectro, which is available anywhere you listen to music. Kelsey came into my world via my producer Carl who heard Simon Le Bon of Duran Duran raving about him on his Serius XM radio show. Kelsey is a passionate and talented man who not only writes his own tunes but also produces for others. He can be f...

Our guest today is Cole Gallagher, who has said, "They say that the only way to understand the world around you is by looking within." After our conversation talking about his new EP, The Confluence, set for releasing on Aug 4, I think it is clear that Cole considers his answers before responding and certainly takes the time to observe the world around him. At only 21 his voice sounds as if it's b...

Raye Zaragoza is our guest today and we are chatting about her new album, Hold That Spirit, set for release on August 11. Listening to the album, I can tell this is an artist who is not afraid to get personal and bare her soul through her art. Beyond talking about these new songs, this episode goes into some of Ray's more personal moments, including breaking off a wedding engagement and using thos...

On the show today we have one of the most fascinating success stories I have heard in a long time! ROSIE (Rosaileen Scher) is a 23-year-old singer/songwriter who got her big break from a viral TikTok post of her song "Never The 1." She gives us the inside look at the days and moments surrounding that event, and it is incredible! ROSIE has a new EP dropping on June 23 called 5 Songs For Healing. Be...

Maybe you are getting tired of me saying this, but I am so excited to bring you this episode and this amazing new music from the Montreal band Half Moon Run. Our guest is Devon Portielje, one of the three band members, all of whom sing and play multiple instruments. Their new album, Salt, drops June 2. This album caught my ear and engaged me front to back, so I really enjoyed speaking with Devon t...

It's kinda crazy that Phillip Phillips is just 32. He was 21 when he won American Idol back in 2012 and released his coronation single, "Home," which played during the Olympics that year. Phillips didn't write that song but has written or co-written most of his songs since, including all the tracks on his latest album, Drift Back, set for release on June 9. It's his first album since becoming a da...

You probably don't think about the harp very often, but Brandee Younger is here to change that. She's part of a new generation of harpists, bringing the instrument to contemporary music while also honoring the heritage of harpists of the past, particularly Dorothy Ashby, who elevated the form from the '50s through the '80s. Younger's harp can be heard on tracks by Alessia Cara, Pete Rock, Jane Mon...

This episode is a little different - it really comes from my endlessly curious brain. Now, I am not a regular attendee of strip clubs. Honestly, they really aren't my thing. But, they are a place where music is played, heard, and completely controls the vibe, so I wanted to talk to some experts and ask them the question that was running through my head. Why, when I think of music played in strip c...

Today's guest is Gary Graff, author of Alice Cooper @75. Gary's book goes in-depth to explore 75 key moments in the history of Alice Cooper - the man and the band. It covers his early beginnings, time spent in LA in the 1960s, skyrocket successes in the early '70s, and the enduring career that followed. Gary discuss some of these moments and also go over a few songs, including "I'm Eighteen" and "...

Vashti Bunyan didn't know her 1970 debut album Just Another Diamond Day had reached cult status until the '90s, when she first typed her name into a search engine. In those 20+ years, many listeners had not only discovered the album, but found it quite profound. In 2000, it was re-issued on CD. The album is a signpost on the road to "alternative folk" - think Joanna Newsom, Animal Collective, and...

When New York City was its seediest - the late '70s - it was also home to burgeoning artistic scene that would bring some life back into the city that never sleeps. Our guest today is Adele Bertei, who was part of the action with The Bloods, the first all-female openly lesbian band on the scene. Adele later became a songwriter, with songs recorded by Sheena Easton and Thomas Dolby. Here, we discus...

On the show today I have the great pleasure of chatting with Colin Blunstone of The Zombies, who were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019. If you're not aware of them by name I am sure you are by tune, as they have written some of the most familiar songs of the mid-'60s, including "Time Of The Season" and "She's Not There," which we get a fascinating story about during this episod...

Today's guest is Matt Ellis from the band Villages, a folksy foursome from the nether regions of Nova Scotia. Their new album, Dark Island, comes out February 17. In this episode, Matt and I talk about some of the key tracks and find out the band writes - they are certainly products of their environment. Listening to the album top to bottom, it's clear these guys are pulling inspiration from every...

It's not often that I hear a new artist and get taken back to multiple eras and styles of music, but that is what today's guest did! Hamish Hawk is based in Edinburgh and has been making some noise over the last couple of years. When I put on his new album, Angel Numbers, I was taken back to the new age era of the late '70s and early '80s. Then my wife called out from the other room saying, "This...

On this first show of the new year I am so pleased to have Nicholas Gunty and Brian Powers, the duo who make up the singers and songwriters of Frances Luke Accord. They have an amazing new album called Safe In Sound, which is being released for your listening pleasure on February 9th.  Today we get a chance to hear how they came together as a band in college and listen in as they banter about some...

Hosts from across the Pantheon network talk about holiday songs - good, bad, and sometimes very odd. One host finds "Wonderful Christmastime" triggering; another found a gem by Loretta Lynn called "To Heck With Old Santa Claus." "The Chanukah Song" also gets a deconstruction, as does "Christmas In Hollis" and "Fairytale Of New York" a rare down-on-your-luck Christmas song. Another surprise: A ches...

In this episode, we take a deep dive into some classic songs with Steve Baltin, author of Anthems We Love: 29 Iconic Artists on the Hit Songs That Shaped Our Lives. Baltin got his stories directly from the artists who recorded the songs, conducting interviews with the likes of Joe Perry, Brad Delson of Linkin' Park, and even had a contribution from the famously elusive Tom Waits. As fellow song in...

Today on the show we have Arthur Lizie, who has a new book coming out on November 15 called Prince On Prince: Interviews And Encounters. Prince is one of those artists I have loved as long as I can remember but never truly learned much about his story. Through Arthur's book I have discovered why. Prince's relationship with the press was on-again, off-again at best and he did an amazing job at keep...

We've seen the name Alex Forbes on songwriting credits for years, going back to the '80s with "Don't Rush Me" by Taylor Dayne and "Too Turned On" by Alisha. More recently, she popped up on a great song called "Sugar My" by Jann Klose, who told us about writing it with her. Our curiosity piqued, we invited Alex on the Songfacts Podcast to learn more, and we're sure glad we did. Alex is a student of...

On the show today we have the singer of Simple Minds, Jim Kerr. I get to chat with Jim about the band's new album Direction Of The Heart, which drops on October 21. We also talk about the band's longevity - they've been doing this since 1977 - and of course I had to ask about their contribution to The Breakfast Club soundtrack, "Don't You Forget About Me." https://www.simpleminds.com/   Nick Mason...

When I started this show a couple years ago I just wanted to find a way to express my passion for music and finding new music along with my curiosity for this stories behind the songs. Never did I think I might be talking to some of my musical heroes. Well today, I am so excited to share with you all one of those opportunities. Nick Mason is the drummer for Pink Floyd. Those airy pockets you know...

Samara Joy is making a major buzz in the world of jazz. Just 22 years old, her live shows have earned her praise from critics and a following on TikTok - not where you would expect to hear jazz! Her new album, Linger Awhile, drops on September 16, 2022. Here, she talks about how she got into jazz and how she connects with some of the standards she sings, like her first single, "Can't Get Out Of Th...

On the show today we have the longtime Nashville singer-songwriter Derek Hoke. Derek has been doing his thing in Nashville for over 20 years and now after a four-year gap from his last album he is giving us some amazing new music with Electric Mountain, dropping September 9.   We catch up with Derek in his home studio and chat about some new songs as well as some older ones. He tells us about his...

The Rolling Stones turned 60 this year, so today we speak with author Lesley-Ann Jones about her new book, The Stone Age: Sixty Years of The Rolling Stones. We talk about a few songs, clear up some of Keith Richards' most insane rumors, and go deep into the chaos surrounding the making of Exile On Main St.   Lesley's knowledge and in-depth research is remarkable, honed by her time touring with the...

Today on the show I get to chat with Molly Leikin. Molly has been a successful songwriter for five decades, starting in the early '70s. Over the next 10 years, Molly's songs were recorded by many popular artists. With that kind of career she has a lot of great insight and stories, which she touches on during this episode. Her her new book, “Insider Secrets to Hit Songwriting in the Digital Age," ...