The Song Saloon | Songwriting, Live Performance, & New Music Discovery

Leah Ashton joins the podcast to talk about her newest release, “sad girl silver bells.” It’s an EP of merrily melancholy holiday tunes with an original called “Christmas Isn’t Christmas Without You.”It’s out everywhere now, so go save it to your playlists, get a mug of hot cocoa and enjoy the episode! Listen to Christmas Without You & Add to PlaylistsFollow Leah AshtonMore About Leah:Leah Ash...

In this episode of the Song Saloon, Sadie Gustafson-Zook, a Boston-nurtured, Indiana-based jazzy folk musician, talks about her journey and inspirations behind her song 'Autumn's Fragrance.' We talk about her collaboration with other musicians, her views on the music communities in different cities, and her new EP, 'What I Pushed Below.' Sadie has a live show in LA at the...

Jake's lying to Anna. He's an interesting dude! Jake is a songwriter, educator, dueling pianist, podcaster, improv comedian, academic, and musical theater composer. I think you'll really enjoy this episode about Jake and his life leading up to his album "Idling High." This song is out now, make sure to follow Jake for updates on the album! Listen to the songSend a textSupp...

Zack Fischmann, an LA based artist, makes the bold claim that music marketing "doesn't have to suck." He does make some pretty convincing arguments, and has plenty of success to show for it, jumping from 200 followers on Instagram to 33k+ in just a few months! Magic Nothing is an evolving project with a focus on helping independent musicians develop practical skills, share resources...

Lotti is the musical moniker of Filipina singer-songwriter Vealy. Lotti's aim is to create modern yet timeless music, drawing from pop, R&B, and soul influences. Her artistic mission is to heal and transform, narrating a personal journey of self-discovery and growth. Follow LottiListen to "Butterflies in My Garden"Send a textSupport the showSong Saloon LinksJoin The Song Saloon...

Brad Miles is a singer/songwriter based in Texas. He’s written, played, and performed music for nearly three decades. He writes honest, heartfelt, accesible, and emotionally vulnerable Americana/Country. I do want to add a trigger warning for this episode, we do get into some heavy topics both in the song and the interview, as the song is about domestic abuse. Brad Miles’s goal as a songwriter and...

Today's episode I meet with Jeffrey Derus, our first featured choral composer! I think you'll find there is a lot in common with songwriting and composing choral works. This featured song is performed by Choral Arts Initiative, a small ensemble choir that I sing in that exclusively performs works by living composers. We recently released a #1 Classical Billboard charting album called &qu...

Meet Cogito! I met Cogito when she played as the featured artist for Lazy River Presents in LA. This song struck me as something special, and I think you'll agree! This episode we talk about the importance of recording the world around us as a songwriter, and how to connect our conscious and subconscious mind to make deep rooted art. Listen to "There's Nothing Left to Me":Spoti...

Today's episode features Kat Sophia! Kat Sophia is an Orange County / LA based artist. We talk about her journey in overcoming her "people pleaser" mentality and cultural blocks to pursuing a career as an artist. 00:00 Introduction to the Song Saloon00:34 Kat Sophia's Musical Journey01:49 The Story Behind 'Fade Away'10:10 Songwriting Process and Inspiration16:12 Overc...

This episode of the Song Saloon features Mike McClellan, a Burbank-based songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. McClellan shares insights into his approach to songwriting as a music producer, and why he writes while working so heavily in production. He discusses the impact of working on his song 'The Afterlife,' a piece inspired by the pandemic, highlighting the new life it too...

This episode is with incredible Kent, England raised Los Angeles based artist named Georgia Parker on her song "Twin Flame." "Twin Flame" is a single off her upcoming album this year! Georgia's bio:Los Angeles based songwriter and storyteller from Kent, England, Georgia Parker places an emphasis on powerful vocal performances and poignant lyricism to draw out an emotive re...

In this episode of the Song Saloon, we explore the songwriting process and inspirations with indie pop singer-songwriter Casey Conroy, originally from Orlando, Florida. Casey discusses her journey in the music industry, her approach to songwriting, and the story behind her song 'Glad You Hate Me.' We talk about Casey's collaborative relationship with her partner and producer Willy,...

Inside Story: The Making of 'Rest of My Life' by Jacob KhalilNew York based artist Jacob Khalil discusses his song, 'Rest of My Life', explaining that it was created with the intent of engaging audiences in a sing-along during live performances, much like The Beatles' 'Hey Jude'. He also shares insights into the song's development and production, which inclu...

Meet Fresh Hot Waffles, the witchiest folk duo in the west! Fresh Hot Waffles consists of LA based artists Maddi Fraser and Ryan Spitzel. In this episode, the duo dives into their songwriting process and talk about how to stay inspired as a songwriter, and where they find inspiration. The discussion ranges from the challenges of writing upbeat songs, the influence of improv comedy and emotional ex...

Meet Wendy Parr! I first met Wendy at NAMM where she gave a fantastic workshop on artistic branding. Talk about branding can sometimes feel fake or like you’re going against your better judgement to sell something, but what I love about her approach is how natural it becomes. It's about getting to the heart of what YOU love and care about as an artist, and making steps to show that side of yo...

LA based artist Austin Carr joins the Song Saloon to talk about Cool Kid. The song lyrics have a lot to do with Los Angeles. Austin expresses his frustration with the prevalent attitude in LA to be in the "in" crowd and what people are willing to do to get there. As he was writing the song, he realized with regret that he is guilty of a lot of the behavior he started out trying to critic...

Happy Holidays! Well, here it is folks. The last episode of The Song Saloon for 2023! This episode of The Song Saloon welcomes guest Robert Ballantyne Willis, a classically trained cellist, music producer and audio engineer, to discuss the production process of the Jordan Smith Reynolds holiday single 'Auld Lang Syne'. The duo go deep into music production, including the quick turn-aroun...

This episode's featured song is "Gold" by Lennon Vanderdoes. Lennon Vanderdoes is a Phoenix based singer-songwriter. You may have seen Lennon recently tearing it up on The Voice. He moved John Legend to tears with his rendition of Jason Mraz's "I Won't Give Up." On the episode, Lennon discusses his method for creating songs from raw personal experiences like grow...

This week, I met up with Mara Sol, a singer, songwriter and producer from Coachella Valley, California. From a young age, Mara has been immersed in musical theater, classical voice training and has now found her way into songwriting. Mara Sol is influenced by artists like James Taylor and Fleetwood Mac. In this episode, we discuss her song 'Take Me Home', a collaboration with songwriter...

Excited to have Brother James on this week’s episode. I recently wrote a song with Brother James that I’m really excited about! Brother James is the artist project of singer-songwriter Justin Sinclair. His songs, deeply influenced by classic songwriters like McCartney and Randy Newman, authors like Leo Tolstoy and Aristotle, and monasticism. His songs feature honest self-reflection. Brother James...

Meljii has the soundtrack for your autumn adventure! Meljii writes music for recreational readers. Her music contains clever, playful, verbose lyrics over a unique blend of funky indie rock grooves with jazz-influenced harmonies. Aside from being a songwriter, Meljii is a music school-trained session player specializing in bass, guitar, and guitar-like instruments. She has lived and traveled all o...

Ethan Buckner is an activist and singer-songwriter, but only recently has found a way to fuse those two major roles in his life. Ethan helped organize the March to End Fossil Fuels held this March in New York City, where about 75,000 people showed up! After an A list headliner artist didn’t work out, Ethan flew his band in, rehearsed the morning of the march, and performed his new and extremely fi...

I met Rachel Siegel at the ASCAP experience where her song was selected for feedback by a panel of professional songwriters. I loved her songwriting and vocal performance, and I'm excited to introduce you to her now! Music as a means to heal is not a new concept but Rachel Siegel, a New Jersey native, certainly represents it uniquely. Rachel’s story is one of grief, struggle, and overcoming....

This episode brought to you by nepotism! But seriously, Guy Richey Gibbons may be my cousin but he is also an incredible songwriter/producer! Guy released his debut album "In this Moment" just last year, but he didn’t stay in that moment for long. He’s gearing up to release a full second album, with several singles already released! In this episode, Guy gives an exclusive preview of his...

Hannah Siglin is an accomplished folk singer-songwriter, classically trained guitarist, and professional "singing garden fairy!" Her love of nature is a common theme in her work, particularly in "Persimmon." She keeps a very busy schedule performing in wineries, breweries, and other venues in the Spokane region. This episode we really dive into the craft, and Hannah walks us th...