Before Your Very Ears

You probably know Ed Helms from his unforgettable turns in  The Hangover  movies,  The Office , and a laundry list of era-defining comedies, but what you might not know is that he shreds bluegrass music, too. (Actually, if you’ve seen  The Office , you’ll know about his impressive musicianship.) Helms has played in bluegrass bands since his college days, so he knows a thing or...

This time on  Before Your Very Ears , hosts Sean Watkins and Peter Harper give love a chance. Helping them learn the ways of love is Nick Thune, comedian and musician, who spearheads the songwriting session—but not before sharing some of the best bird-related jokes you’ll ever hear. The trio settles on a Steve Jobs-ish strategy of starting with the finished product, and working their way back...

Ever wondered how songwriters capture scenery and stories so vivid that they seem to jump out of the song and into real life? Cary Brothers can offer some insight. In addition to releasing three full-length solo albums, the Los Angeles-based musician’s songs have been featured in dozens of film and TV productions, including  Grey’s Anatomy ,  ER ,  Scrubs ,  One Tree Hill ,&nbs...

Mississippi-born, Los Angeles-based musician and songwriter Garrison Starr has been recording and releasing music since the early ’90s. The veteran rocker is an expert on creative expression—but also on navigating the “ballsack of an industry” that is the professional music world. That includes the alienating experience of having to engage in a narrative—whether in song or in the press—that isn’t...

If you’ve been in any bar past last call, you’ve heard Dan Wilson’s work. “Closing Time” launched his band Semisonic into the international pop-culture stratosphere in 1998, and since then, he’s become an A-list cowriter with some of music’s biggest names—including, perhaps, the biggest: Taylor Swift. The 62-year-old Minnesota native cowrote the Chicks’ Grammy-winning anthem “Not Ready to Make Nic...

Joey Ryan and Kenneth Pattengale, the songwriters and musicians behind indie-folk favorites Milk Carton Kids, don’t cut corners when it comes to songwriting. Everything gets held under the microscope; everything is subject to change. There’s no ego in the room, just pure service of the song. Ryan and Pattengale join hosts Sean Watkins and Peter Harper to talk influences—what gets through into your...

On the second episode of  Before Your Very Ears , west coast folk musician and songwriting powerhouse Madison Cunningham engages in some anger management. Along with hosts Sean Watkins and Peter Harper, Cunningham, whose 2022 record  Revealer  won the Grammy for Best Folk Album, digs into the nature of artistry and truth-telling: What are the social and professional costs of telling...

While plenty of songwriters are happy to give a post-mortem review of how they write a song, the actual process happens behind closed doors. What goes through their heads while they decide on a specific word choice? Who hasn’t wished to be a fly on the wall while professional musicians hack together the pieces that make our favorite songs? That’s the experience of  Before Your Very Ears , a n...

There's only one rule: Finish the song. Join Sean Watkins and Pete Harper as they meet up with their favorite songwriters, set up some mics, and write a song—in real time. Head over to our Patreon at http://patreon.com/beforeyourveryears for TONS of bonus content, early access to episodes, and much more.