The Other 22 Hours

Amythyst Kiah on psychic sovereignty, success envy, and the self-improvement doom loop.

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 11:00:42 +0000

GRAMMY-nominated songwriter Amythyst Kiah has performed with Moby and Billy Strings and is a member of the supergroup Our Native Daughters. She joins us for a startlingly honest look at the "farce of surface-level success." After a label debut and a whirlwind of global exposure, she found herself "barely hanging on for dear life" amidst the pressure of a rat race industry. We explore her journey to achieve detachment from outcomes, writing for sync licensing (film + TV) as a creative recharge, and the ancient wisdom that helped her trade the self-improvement doom loop for a slower, sustainable creative life.

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The Hosts:

The Other 22 Hours is hosted by Aaron Shafer-Haiss (Producer/Mixer) and Michaela Anne (Songwriter/Creative Coach).

More about Aaron’s work.
More about Michaela Anne’s work.

Credits:

Produced by Aaron Shafer-Haiss. Original music written, performed and produced by Aaron Shafer-Haiss. Part of the Bluegrass Situation Podcast Network.

James Victore on radical integrity, questioning authority, and getting paid $20,000 to shut up.

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 11:00:18 +0000

James Victore is an Emmy Award-winning artist and author whose work is held in the permanent collection of the Louvre and has been exhibited many times at MoMA (NYC). Victore has shaped the visual language of institutions from 'The New York Times' to the City of New York. In this conversation, we explore the spiritual gravity of "staying in the pool" when creativity gets hard, discuss the incubation time of the soul, the environmental and creative toll of our want of ease, and the quiet, daily discipline of living consciously in a world designed to keep us asleep.

In This Episode:

Go Deeper:

Watch: View this entire conversation on YouTube.
Explore: Find similar conversations in these themed playlists.
Connect: Join the conversation on Instagram.

The Hosts:

The Other 22 Hours is hosted by Aaron Shafer-Haiss (Producer/Mixer) and Michaela Anne (Songwriter/Creative Coach).

More about Aaron’s work.
More about Michaela Anne’s work.

Credits:

Produced by Aaron Shafer-Haiss. Original music written, performed and produced by Aaron Shafer-Haiss. Part of the Bluegrass Situation Podcast Network.

S.G. Goodman on scarcity mindset, manual labor, and the art of letting go.

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 11:00:03 +0000

Singer-songwriter S.G. Goodman has earned critical acclaim, award nominations, and has worked with legends like Tyler Childers, Jason Isbell, and Jim James of My Morning Jacket. In this episode, we discuss the grueling physical and mental requirements of "making it." From working manual labor to stay afloat while not on the road to navigating the complex realities of running a bona fide business, S.G. opens up about scarcity, OCD, and the hard-won wisdom of learning to drive the lawnmower instead of letting it drive you.

In This Episode:

Go Deeper:

Watch: View this entire conversation on YouTube.
Explore: Find similar conversations in these themed playlists.
Connect: Join the conversation on Instagram.

The Hosts:

The Other 22 Hours is hosted by Aaron Shafer-Haiss (Producer/Mixer) and Michaela Anne (Songwriter/Creative Coach).

More about Aaron’s work.
More about Michaela Anne’s work.

Credits:

Produced by Aaron Shafer-Haiss. Original music written, performed and produced by Aaron Shafer-Haiss. Part of the Bluegrass Situation Podcast Network.

Hunter Hayes on identity beyond music, high-efficiency routines, and radical vulnerability.

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 11:00:40 +0000

5-time GRAMMY-nominee Hunter Hayes has spent his entire life on the national stage, from performing at the White House at age seven to sharing stadium spotlights with the likes of Stevie Wonder and Taylor Swift. Yet, behind the multi-platinum accolades was a realization that his professional development had far outpaced his personal life. In this episode, we explore the vulnerability of "growing up" in the public eye, the paralyzing fear of not being busy, and how a strict routine can actually provide the ultimate freedom to play. And, we chat about how starting from a place of love is the only viable way to build an artistic career that lasts.

In This Episode:

Go Deeper:

Watch: View this entire conversation on YouTube.
Explore: Find similar conversations in these themed playlists.
Connect: Join the conversation on Instagram.

The Hosts:

The Other 22 Hours is hosted by Aaron Shafer-Haiss (Producer/Mixer) and Michaela Anne (Songwriter/Creative Coach).

More about Aaron’s work.
More about Michaela Anne’s work.

Credits:

Produced by Aaron Shafer-Haiss. Original music written, performed and produced by Aaron Shafer-Haiss. Part of the Bluegrass Situation Podcast Network.

Butch Walker on accidental careers, the ego-driven climb, and 'shut up and sing'.

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 12:00:45 +0000

Butch Walker has spent decades at the summit of the music industry, producing multi-platinum records for icons like Pink, Katy Perry, and Green Day while fronting his own high-energy solo tours. Yet, despite reaching that peak, he found himself "climbing the hill" so intently that he had forgotten to look at the view, leading to burnout and a desire to step back. In this conversation, we explore the courage required to dismantle an ego-driven path in favor of a soul-driven one, and finding unbridled joy in the simple act of being a "sponge" for new inspiration.

In This Episode:

Go Deeper:

Watch: View this entire conversation on YouTube.
Explore: Find similar conversations in these themed playlists.
Connect: Join the conversation on Instagram.

The Hosts:

The Other 22 Hours is hosted by Aaron Shafer-Haiss (Producer/Mixer) and Michaela Anne (Songwriter/Creative Coach).

More about Aaron's work.
More about Michaela Anne's work.

Credits:

Produced by Aaron Shafer-Haiss. Original music written, performed and produced by Aaron Shafer-Haiss. Part of the Bluegrass Situation Podcast Network.

Kathleen Edwards on losing perspective, winning the lottery, and 'Quitters'.

Wed, 31 Dec 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Kathleen Edwards has been releasing records for over 20 years on labels such as Rounder and Dualtone, she is critically acclaimed by NPR, The New York Times, The New Yorker, and Rolling Stone, and has worked with Jason Isbell, Bon Iver, John Doe, Marren Morris. We talk to Kathleen about winning the lottery, quitting as an ego reset, why musicians are the bottom of the food chain, finishing on a positive, and a whole lot more.

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All music written, performed, and produced by Aaron Shafer-Haiss.

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How UMAW is leading the labor movement to save the music industry.

Mon, 29 Dec 2025 12:00:00 +0000

UMAW (the United Musicians and Allied Workers) is a labor organization that 'Aims to organize music workers to fight for a more just music industry and to join with other workers in the struggle for a better society.' Their campaigns include Fair Pay at SXSW, #MyMerch (raising awareness of venues taking an unfair cut), Justice at Spotify, and probably most prominently, The Living Wage For Musicians Act sponsored by Rep Rashida Tlaib in the US Congress currently. We talk with a representative from UMAW - Damon Krukowski (a working musician, and a founder of late 80's indie rocker band Galaxie 500) about who UMAW is, what they are fighting for, and how we can all join the fight.

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Chely Wright on strategic reinvention, the "pink haze" of losing everything, and 10,000 sunrises.

Wed, 24 Dec 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Chely Wright has sold over 1.5 million records with 90s country anthems like "Single White Female" and "Shut Up and Drive," she released her landmark autobiography, "Like Me" in 2010, becoming the first mainstream country star to come out, and forcing open conversations about LGBTQ identity, after a 10 year absence she returned to The Opry in 2019, released another book 'My Moment' in 2022, and has since pivoted to the corporate world where she is now an SVP. We talk with Chely about this pivot and giving ourselves permission to innovate, consulting your 90 year old self, Ellen's brutally honest advice on losing it all when Chely first came out, manifesting vs reality and a whole lot more.

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Jim Keller on the crash and burn, ego death, and the magic of jam sessions.

Wed, 17 Dec 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Jim Keller started in the music industry as part of Tommy Tutone, writing the hit '867-5309/Jenny', then the bands career sank and he left performing, landing as an assistant and then manager for Phillip Glass, Nico Muhly, Ravi Shankar, and others, before 'retiring' and returning to making music by hosting jam sessions with members of The Black Crowes, Levon Helm's band, The Beach Boys, The Wallflowers, The Lumineers, and more. We talk to Jim about the realities of 'crashing and burning', the business and creative divide, the power of honesty, knowing your role, showing up, and a whole lot more.

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Max Wanger on listening to the lull, asking questions, and staying curious.

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Max Wanger is an LA-based photographer who has shot the likes of Taylor Swift, Mandy Moore, Blake Mills, Glen Hansard, Madison Cunningham and past guests of ours Lucius, The Watson Twins, and The Milk Carton Kids, as well as Conde Nast Traveler, Virgin Records, Vans, Nike and many many more. We talk to Max about listening to the lull, doing jobs that pay the bills while protecting play and soul in the work, imposter syndrome, admitting what you don’t know, and how vulnerability deepens community, the long arc of following what makes you happy, and so much more.

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Raye Zaragoza on healing the hustle wound, decentralizing, and patreon.

Wed, 03 Dec 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Raye Zaragoza has released 4+ records all independently, toured as Tigerlily in the Broadway touring version of Peter Pan (updated for indigenous representation by Native American playwright Larissa FastHorse), wrote the music for the Netflix series 'Spirit Rangers', and has placed songs in a substantial number of TV shows from Greys Anatomy to Station 19. We talk to Raye about the toxic hustle narrative in music and how to unlearn it, listening to your intuition vs. listening to the industry, decentralizing how you identify as an artist, running a successful and supportive Patreon community, and so much more.

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Kris Delmhorst on invisible work, trusting slow seasons, and the myth of being seen.

Wed, 26 Nov 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Kris Delmhorst has released 12+ records independently and via Signature Sounds, has written/performed and recorded with Mary Gauthier, Lori McKenna, Grant Lee Phillips, Peter Wolf (lead singer of J. Geils Band), and more, is critically acclaimed by The Boston Globe, LA Times, Pop Matters, and all your favorite songwriters, and has written for tv & film, as well as countless festivals all over the world. We talk with Kris about creative cycles, retreating, and the necessity of disappearing to make real art, trusting your career through slow seasons, motherhood versus touring, sustaining a two-songwriter household, reframing art as a service rather than ego, and so much more.

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Will Hoge on speaking up, creative responsibility, and poking the bear.

Wed, 19 Nov 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Will Hoge has released 13+ albums both independently and on major labels (Atlantic), has been nominated for Grammy, ACM, and CMA awards, and has toured with NEEDTOBREATHE, Jason Isbell, Lisa Loeb, Sugarland, Michelle Branch and others. We talk to Will about the emotional and professional fallout of writing politically charged songs, the role of parenting in shaping artistic courage and empathy, the difference between surviving the industry and making meaningful art, burnout, staying human, and a whole lot more.

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Malin Pettersen on cultural duality, impermanence, and privilege.

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Malin Pettersen is a Norwegian singer-songwriter and Spellemannprisen winner (Norwegian Grammy), who has released multiple solo records as well as records with her band, Lucky Lips, has toured extensively throughout Europe and America, and has been acclaimed by Rolling Stone, Forbes, No Depression, Paste and even Iris Dement is a fan. We talk with Malin about the illusion of success, cultural duality between Norway and America, the Norwegian government's support for artists, embracing uncertainty, doubt, and struggle, and so much more.

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Jillian Jacqueline on identity, motherhood, and creative renewal.

Wed, 05 Nov 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Jillian Jacqueline has released 4+ records/EPs on both major and independent labels, she started performing at 8 years old, had a charting song at 12 (with Billy Dean and Suzie Bogguss), has worked with Vince Gill, Suzy Bogguss, Richard Marx, Keith Urban, and Shane McAnally, played the Grand Ole Opry, and toured all over the world. We talk to Jillian about redefining success, industry expectations, motherhood and artistry, maintaining integrity, building community, challenging your identity, and a whole lot more.

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Flyte on commodification, British repression, and conveyer belts.

Wed, 29 Oct 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Flyte are the British duo of songwriters Will Taylor and Nicolas Hill, who started creating together in grade school before signing to a major label (Island Records), leaving that for indie labels (Nettwerk), working with producers such as Ethan Johns, and collaborating with the likes of The Staves, Laura Marling, and Madison Cunningham. We talk with them about a lot of the inner workings of their songwriting practice and approach to record making, classic British emotional repression, coping, creative confusion, commodification, and a whole lot more.

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Lera Lynn on identity, sexism, and finding creative power.

Wed, 22 Oct 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Lera Lynn has released 8+ records, written and recorded songs for True Detective (HBO) with T-Bone Burnett and Rosanne Cash (as well as being cast as a character), played Late Night with David Letterman, toured extensively nationally and internationally, and has been praised by NPR, Rolling Stone, Nylon, and other outlets. We go deep with Lera on learning and setting your own boundaries with yourself and with the industry, lived experiences with the impact and bias against women and mothers by the music industry, losing your sense of purpose and finding it again, enjoying yourself, and more.

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Revolutionizing the Creative Economy with Yancey Strickler.

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Yancey Strickler is a writer and entrepreneur that co-founded Kickstarter (and was CEO for 3 years), Metalabel, The Creative Independent, and A-Corp (Artist Corporations). Essentially, each of these ventures exist to equip creative people with capabilities, knowledge, and tools that make them more powerful. We cover the different facets of this at length, especially his concept of, and push to create Artist Corporations, the systemic exploitation of artists, how DSPs trade convenience for meaning and depth, platform boycotts, "winning" in it's purest sense, and a whole lot more.

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Josh Radnor on first drafts, internal weather, and artistic generosity.

Wed, 08 Oct 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Josh Radnor is an actor, director, writer, singer/songwriter best known as Ted Mosby from the TV show 'How I Met Your Mother'. In addition to 9 seasons of the hit show, he has written and directed multiple films, appeared on Broadway, released multiple solo records of original music, and has a duo with Australian singer/songwriter Ben Lee. We talk to Josh about giving yourself permission to believe in yourself, checking your internal weather and seasons, ayahuasca, the complications and complexities of fame, undervaluing ease, and a whole lot more.

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AJR on laughing at yourself, failing quickly, and reading the comments.

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 11:00:00 +0000

AJR are a multi-platinum trio of brothers who started busking in NYC in 2005, and have gone on to release 10 records/EPs (mostly independently, with only 1 major label release), rack up 8+ platinum singles (some multi) and 1 platinum record, nominations for Billboard, iHeartRadio, and American Music Awards, and tours selling out places such as Madison Square Garden and the Hollywood Bowl. We talk with Jack and Ryan about vulnerability as strength, being able to laugh at yourself, failing quickly and moving on, staying fresh and agile creatively, connecting on a human granular level, surviving the comment section, and a whole lot more.

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Dave Hause on blue collar, anticipation, and minor tweaks.

Wed, 24 Sep 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Dave Hause's spans 30+ years, from Philly-based punk and hardcore bands (like Paint it Black and The Loved Ones) to his solo career, dozens of records and world-wide touring, and starting his own label with his brother called Blood Harmony Records. We talk with Dave about the blue collar work of a creative career, showing up and doing the work, the role and power of anticipation in a creative career, breathing, and a whole lot more.

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Hayes Carll on journaling, divesting from outcomes, and self solidity.

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Hayes Carll is a Grammy nominated songwriter from Texas, who has appeared on everything from The Tonight Show to Austin City Limits, is championed by The New York Times, Pitchfork and NPR, and has had his songs covered by Kenny Chesney, Lee Ann Womack, Brothers Osborne, Kelly Willis, and the Hard Working Americans. We talk with Hayes about morning routines and self-care on the road, breaking your audience's stereotypes of a former you, journaling, and divesting from outcomes.

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Tami Neilson on fake rules, expiry dates, and champions.

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Tami Neilson is a New Zealand-based artist who grew up in a family band, before releasing her own music independently - which has garnered acclaimed by Rolling Stone, No Depression, Mojo, and the Guardian, featured duets with Willie Nelson (and tours with him and Dylan), as well as a New Zealand Music Award for Producer of the Year (one of just 3 women to ever win the award, in any category). We have a wide-ranging, and deeply vulnerable conversation about brain injuries and health scares, the astounding resilience of artists, finding your champions, gate keepers, bucking stereotypes, and a whole lot more.

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The Mammals on tradition, links in the chain, and localism.

Wed, 03 Sep 2025 11:00:00 +0000

The Mammals (Ruth Ungar and Mike Merenda, who also have a project called Mike & Ruthy) are a band from the Woodstock area with deep roots in the folk scene and traditions of the area, have worked with Arlo Guthrie, and Pete Seeger (amongst others), are critically acclaimed by LA Times, No Depression, NPR, PopMatters, and run the roots music festival called The Hoot. We talk with them about gratitude for the ability to create art and music, having faith in the low moments, being links in the (musical) chain, square dancing, and a whole lot more.

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Dan Reeder on shunning mediocrity, painting, and building synths.

Wed, 27 Aug 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Dan Reeder is a singer-songwriter and painter originally from Louisiana, who has lived in Germany for decades, released critically acclaimed records via John Prine's Oh Boy Records (as one of the first artists signed to the label, at almost 50 years old), and is somewhat of a cult folk-hero. Dan has toured very infrequently over his 20+ year music career, and we talk about why and his feelings about the concept of touring in general, his approach to staying creative musically and in his visual art, the connections he sees between painting and recording songs, we get an inside look at synths that he is currently building, and a whole lot more.

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AI vs Creativity. Then, Now, and Next with Drew Thurlow.

Wed, 20 Aug 2025 11:00:00 +0000

The episode in which we ask the expert all the questions about AI and making music, as it stands today: what can AI actually do? What is it going to be able to do next month? Next year? How do we retain rights? How do you ethically train AI models? Is our work safe? Is it protected? Are musicians done? What about AI bands eating up the streaming money? Drew Thurlow is the former SVP of A&R at Sony Masterworks, Director of Artist Partnerships at Pandora, and part of the A&R/marketing team at Nonesuch Records, and is currently the founder of the Lone Wolves Community - a music business and tech community and think tank, is founder of Opening Ceremony Media where he consults on AI strategy and more to companies such as RocNation, and has a book coming out in 2026 titled, “Machine Music: How AI is Transforming Music's Next Act."

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Maia Friedman on the ladder, mothering on the road, and economics.

Wed, 13 Aug 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Maia Friedman is a solo singer/songwriter, as well as a member of The Dirty Projectors and Coco. We talk with Maia about the ingrained narrative of climbing the endless ladder, mothering while on the road, balancing the needs and the desires of parenthood and career, the economics of touring, navigating schedules in a dual artist-parent household, and a whole lot more.

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Leslie Mendelson on self sufficiency, female representation, and gaps.

Wed, 06 Aug 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Leslie Mendelson is a Grammy nominated songwriter from New York City, a favorite of Jackson Browne and Jakob Dylan, she released her first record on RykoDisc before moving to releasing the past 4+ independently. We talk about self sufficiency in the music industry, learning to record yourself, the lack of female representation in the industry especially on the production/engineering end of the spectrum, the gear buying fallacy, combating perfectionism, and more.

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Tammy Rogers (The SteelDrivers) on collective bargaining, studio vs road, and flexibility.

Wed, 30 Jul 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Tammy Rogers is a founding member of Grammy-winning bluegrass band The SteelDrivers, a founding partner of Dead Reckoning (which is credited as being an early champion of 'americana' music), and is also a storied session musician, touring and recording with the likes of Reba McEntire, Patty Loveless, Trisha Yearwood, The Jayhawks, Buddy Miller, Matraca Berg, Eric Church, Jim Lauderdale, Todd Snider, amongst many others. We talk with Tammy about the importance of the musician's union and collective bargaining, flexibility and rolling with the ups and downs and changes, saying yes to as much as possible early in your career, road versus studio work, collaboration to cover weaknesses, and a whole lot more.

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Carissa Potter (People I've Loved) on containing multitudes, universal basic income, and toxicity.

Wed, 23 Jul 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Carissa Potter is an artist, author, podcast host (Bad at Keeping Secrets), one of AdAges 24 Most Inspiring People of 2021, and is the founder of People I've Loved - which is found in over 600 stores globally and featured in The Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe, Martha Stewart Living, Create Magazine, New York Times, Teen Vogue, Real Simple. Carissa has worked with ICA in Boston, BAM/PFA, SFMOMA, De Young Museum, CCA, The Body Shop, Anthropologie, The Color Factory, Urban Outfitters, The Hammer, & Pinterest to name a few. We talk about containing multitudes, social practice, the power of showing up in-person, cultivating through inconvenience, universal basic income and a whole lot more.

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Johnnyswim on curiosity, work vs growth, and wonder.

Wed, 16 Jul 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Johnnyswim, the duo Amanda Sudano and Abner Ramirez, have been releasing records since 2008, have played The Tonight Show (Leno edition), and the Late Late Show, NPR's Tiny Desk and All Things Considered, their song is the theme to Fixer Upper on HGTV, they've had two TV series chronicling their life (Home on the Road, and The Johnnyswim Show, both on Magnolia Network), they've written and published a book titled "Home Sweet Road: Finding Love, Making Music, and Building a Life One City at a Time", and are currently working on a new creative outlet that we discuss here. We talk with Amanda and Abner about staying curious in our pursuits, creating space for wonder and childlike-ness, how to rejuvenate yourself and your creativity on the run, the blinders of fixation, and a whole lot more.

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Drew Holcomb on expensive mistakes, decision points, and gentleness.

Wed, 09 Jul 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Drew Holcomb has released over a dozen records since 2005, independently as well as through Dualtone Records and with Thirty Tigers, on top of popular performances and records with his wife, songwriter Ellie Holcomb, he has toured and written with John Hiatt, Los Lobos, Susan Tedeschi, Avett Brothers, Lori McKenna, Natalie Hemby and others, and he started a subscription record store called Magnolia Record Club which he sold to Dualtone in 2018. We talk to Drew about expensive mistakes both he and Michaela have learned through the years, balancing scheduled creative time and spontaneously chasing the muse, while being gentle with yourself when life gets in the way of it working out, getting clear answers (yes OR no), decision points, considering the audience in the creative process, and a whole lot more.

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Empowering the independent music industry, with bandcamp Editorial Director J Edward Keyes

Wed, 02 Jul 2025 11:00:00 +0000

J Edward Keyes is a journalist with bylines in Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, SPIN, Entertainment Weekly, Village Voice, and who is now the Editorial Director at bandcamp. As an online record store, and music magazine (bandcamp daily), bandcamp is a central hub to the independent music industry (they pay out 82% of their revenue, versus less than 70% at Spotify, et al). We talk with J Edward about sustain, advocating, and growing a vibrant independent music industry and the unique lane bandcamp has carved, "record store" trends, the role of journalism and music advocates, we as the question - do artist's even need a publicist?? And a whole lot more.

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Greta Morgan perfect moments, a lost voice, and pitching.

Wed, 25 Jun 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Greta Morgan is a founding member of The Hush Sound, touring with Fallout Boy when she was still a teenager, releasing records via Fueled By Ramen, before moving on to being a touring member of Vampire Weekend and performing with Jenny Lewis. After contracting long Covid she developed spasmodic dysphonia - a neurological voice disorder characterized by involuntary spasms of the muscles in the voice box. I.E. it is nearly impossible to sing. After writing nearly 350,000 words in journals, she turned her work into a book - "The Lost Voice" (out now via Harper Collins). We talk with Greta about this life altering change, and it's effects on her creativity and creative practice, our evolving identity coming from self, not from others or our output, the worthiness shadow, acceptance, longevity, and more.

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Major Jackson on human expression, stewardship, and art monsters.

Wed, 18 Jun 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Major Jackson is a poet, author, and professor who is the recipient of fellowships from Guggenheim Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Academy of American Poets, Fine Arts works Center in Provincetown, and the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard, he has been honored by the Pew Fellowship in the Arts, and the Witter Bynner foundation in conjunction with the Library of Congress, awarded the Pushcart Prize, has been published in American Poetry Review, the New Yorker, Paris Review, Orion Magazine, is an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and serves as the Poetry Editor of The Harvard Review, and is the Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Chair in the Humanities and Director of Creative Writing at Vanderbilt University. We touch on stewardship, curiosity being emblematic of being human, art in a time of upheaval, human expression, AI, art monsters, and a whole lot more.

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Seth Walker on nomadic creativity, chasing anxiety, and silence.

Wed, 11 Jun 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Seth Walker is singer/songwriter, guitarist, author, and painter who grew up on a commune in North Carolina, has released 12(+) records, has toured and collaborated with The Mavericks, The Wood Brothers, Paul Thorn, and Raul Malo, amongst others, and wrote a book titled 'Your Van is on Fire," about the life of a touring musician. This conversation centers around mindfulness, presence, and awareness, and we touch on his nomadic creativity (having lived in NC, Nashville, Austin, New Orleans, and NYC), listening closely because peace speaks much quieter than anxiety, shedding the energy from the audience after the show, pointing towards the joy, and a whole lot more.

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Caitlyn Smith on editing stars, first drafts, and writer's block.

Wed, 04 Jun 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Caitlyn Smith is a singer and songwriter who has released 3 records via Sony and is now releasing music independently, she has a publishing deal with Universal (UMPG) and her songs have been recorded by Garth Brooks, Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers, Meghan Trainor, John Legend, Miley Cirus, Avicii, Lady A, Rascal Flatts, and Chris Isaak amongst others, and she has been nominated or won a Critics Choice Award, ACM and CMT Music Awards. We talk to Caitlyn about not moving from a major label to independence, not believing in writer's block, everyone's horrible first drafts, telling a massive star that they line they came up with just isn't good, and a whole lot about the business of songwriting.

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Wilder Woods (Bear Rinehart) on internally fueled disappointment, starting over, and frames.

Wed, 28 May 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Wilder Woods is the solo project of Bear Rinehart, the lead singer of multi-plantinum, Grammy-nominated, Billboard award winning, multiple Dove award-winning mega rock band NEEDTOBREATHE. We chat with Bear about how his prolific creative output forced his hand on starting Wilder Woods, juggling not only creating but performing with 2 drastically different projects, setting goals and intentions, knowing the path to those goals, internal perception of success and not only allowing things to unfold in their own time but enjoying them for what they are, and a whole lot more.

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Daren Thomas Magee on tuning your instrument, funnels, and cliches.

Wed, 21 May 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Daren Thomas Magee - Real Fun, Wow! - is an illustrator, muralist, and designer based in Ojai California, who has used social media as a creative tool to grow a following (370,000 on instagram currently) and launch a company built on his artwork - selling prints, apparel and housewares of all kinds, and has grown to include multiple employees and collaborations with companies as far reaching as tiles, towels, and candles. We talk with Daren about tuning your instrument to the beauty of life around you, sacrifices you make to live in an inspiring place, play within a system not designed for play, creative inspiration in creating performative social media, and a whole lot more.

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Laurie Berkner on improvising songs, selling back catalogs, and stigmas.

Wed, 14 May 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Laurie Berkner has released 15 best-selling records, has performed everywhere from The White House to Carnegie Hall and The Today Show, authored children's books based on her songs, written music and lyrics for 3 different off-Broadway shows, and is one of today's most prominent artist's for kids. We talk to Laurie about her transition from rock bands and 'adult' music, to writing and performing music for kids and the assumptions and stigma around that, self-distributing on a large scale, selling your back catalog, navigating changes in the industry, improvising songs experientially, and a whole lot more.

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Denison Witmer on patience, embracing imperfection, and woodworking.

Wed, 07 May 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Denison Witmer is a singer/songwriter and woodworking from Lancaster PA and longtime collaborator of Sufjan Stevens, who has been releasing records for 20+ years acclaimed by the likes of NPR and Stereogum, and ran a recording studio in Brooklyn before returning to PA. We talk to Denison about the value of creative documentation, leaving behind the external stimulation of the city (Brooklyn) and how returning to relative quiet (Lancaster) shook up his creativity, embracing imperfection, the parallels and contrasts between woodworking and record making, putting systems in place to be the person/artist you want to be, patience, and a whole lot more.

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Valerie June on the law of attraction, a malleable life, and testing limits.

Wed, 30 Apr 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Valerie June is a Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter whose music has been praised by Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, The New Yorker, NPR, and Bob Dylan himself (who is a self-proclaimed fan). She has performed with John Prine, Norah Jones, Booker T. Jones, Robert Plant, Meshell Ndegeocello, Dave Matthews, Angelique Kidjo, Willie Nelson, Brandi Carlile, and Elvis Costello, written books of poetry and on art, and is a certified yoga and mindfulness instructor. We talk to Valerie about intention setting and the law of attraction, learning to live with chronic illness, testing different approaches and your creative limits, manifesting, rituals and routines to get ready to be present for people, and a whole lot more.

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Marla Frazee on creative chronologies, childhood mindsets, and cracking the code.

Wed, 23 Apr 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Marla Frazee is an illustrator and author who is a 3x Caldecott Honors recipient (for distinguished American picture book for children), the Boston Globe Horn Book Award, is a NY Times Bestseller, she illustrated Hillary Clinton's children's book ("It Takes a Village"), and her own book "The Boss Baby" was the basis for the Oscar-nominated animated film of the same name (made by Dreamworks). We talk about getting into your childhood mindset of why you wanted to make art, narrowing in on what is vital in a project vs tackling everything, cracking the code and "figuring out" what a project/piece of work is, functional art versus art for arts sake, trust, and more.

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Rosanne Cash on allowing yourself to be called an artist, respect, and rituals.

Wed, 16 Apr 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Rosanne Cash is a 4-time Grammy-winning member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, who has released over a dozen albums and published 5 books, has had her (prose) writing featured in the likes of Oxford American, The New York Times, and The Atlantic, was the 2020 recipient of the Edward MacDowell Medal for outstanding contributions to American culture, and holds an honorary doctorate from Berklee College of Music. We talk with Rosanne about navigating insecurity and imposter syndrome, measuring your own success by your talent and not your validation, allowing yourself to be called an artist, prose vs songwriting, respect for yourself and for the audience, and a whole lot more.

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Tift Merritt on constant flowering, the growing edge, and sound installations.

Wed, 09 Apr 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Tift Merritt is a Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter and practitioner-in-residence at the Franklin Humanities Institute and Duke University, she has released records via Lost Highway, Fantasy Records, and Yep Roc Records, performed with Joan Baez and Kris Kristofferson, and had a (pre-podcast type) show on Marfa Public Radio about the artistic process and integrity, called The Spark. We talk with Tift about intentionally stepping back from touring and the full-time music industry, seeking the growing edge, surviving without social media, the fallacy of constant flowering, and a whole lot more.

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Courtney Hartman on regrounding, perpetual choice, and simplicity.

Wed, 02 Apr 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Courtney Hartman is a singer-songwriter and guitarist, formerly of the Grammy nominated bluegrass band Della Mae who now performs and releases solo records featuring collaborations with Bill Frisell, Anais Mitchell, Sam Amidon and an entire record of duets with a past guest of ours, Robert Ellis. We talk with Courtney about her very intentional regrounding and reaffirmation of her commitment to make music her career, learning to love the little things in life and creativity, showing up in love no matter the season, inspiration in routine, releasing the ego from craving overly-complex music, constantly changing perspectives, and a whole lot more.

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Fancy Hagood on creating your own lane, the gift of delusion, and magic.

Wed, 26 Mar 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Fancy Hagood started his career as a writer in Nashville before because 'discovered' by Scooter Braun, signing to Republic Records, releasing 2 singles - one of which cracked the Billboard top 30 - and then he was dropped by his label, agent, and manager, almost all on the same call. He has been featured on The Today Show, Fallon, and performed with Meghan Trainor, Kacey Musgraves, Ariana Grande, Elle King, and Kaitlin Butts, and since has released 2 critically acclaimed independent records, hosted Trailblazers Radio on Apple Music, and was recently honored with the Visibility Award by the Human Rights Campaign Nashville. We chat with Fancy about creating your own lane when the industry doesn't value you, inviting more people to the table, the optimism and opportunity in getting dropped from you label, the magic all around, the gift of delusion, and a whole lot more.

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Maggie Smith on creative purity, trusting yourself, and arm wrestling.

Wed, 19 Mar 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Maggie Smith is NY Times bestselling (her memoir “You Could Make This Place Beautiful”), numerous award-winning poet and author who has been considered one of the first viral poets after her 2016 poem "Good Bones" was read in the hit CBS show 'Madam President', as well as by Meryl Streep at the Academy of American Poets gala. As our first non-musical guest, we seize the opportunity to go deep with Maggie on the creative process in general - a very apt topic with her latest book "Dear Writer: Pep Talks and Practical Advice for the Creative Life" hitting shelves on April 1. We talk about keeping the purity of your creativity, being integrated as a human, trusting yourself to do what’s needed to keep this career going and being your own safety net, being open to completely revamping work, and a whole lot more.

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JD McPherson on the long game, a body of work, and Nick Lowe's advice.

Wed, 12 Mar 2025 11:00:00 +0000

JD McPherson is a singer-songwriter and guitar player who's put out records on Decca, Rounder and New West, toured or collaborated with Dan Auerbach, Nick Lowe, and Lucius, is the guitar player for Robert Plant & Allison Krauss, as well as opening the shows with his own band, and is the producer of the recently-announced Jessica Simpson (comeback?) record.. We talk to JD about all modes of touring - from bus to plane to our shared affinity for van and trailer, touring to experience different cultures and meet new people, the long game of building a body of work and the value of word of mouth, Tulsa Oklahoma, and the advice that Nick Lowe shared with him backstage.

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The War and Treaty on living history, intentionality, and roadmaps.

Wed, 05 Mar 2025 12:00:00 +0000

The War and Treaty are a Grammy nominated duo who have released 6 records and EPs, starting out with independent releases before moving on to Rounder and now Mercury/Universal Nashville. They are the first black duo to be nominated for duo of the year at both the CMA's and the ACM's, where they've also performed, as well as performing and/or collaborating with the likes of Zach Bryan, Dierks Bentley, Brothers Osborne, Jason Isbell, John Legend, and Chris Stapleton.

We talk with them about the importance of letting your own art move you, knowing your place in the history that you are making currently, starting their own management company - and even signing other artists, giving yourself the grace permission to come undone, and a whole lot more.

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On Family Business: Robert Ellis, Leyla McCalla + Joe Henry

Wed, 19 Feb 2025 12:00:00 +0000

This is the 4th and final episode of our thematic mini-series, and this week we are looking at the ways some of our Patreon's favorite guests have found to balance their family lives and their creative lives - from reevaluating what a meaningful approach looks like as your family grows, or juggling family life while both parents are creatives (ala Robert Ellis), to touring with kids and understanding your place as a creative in the broader fabric of society (ala Leyla McCalla), or budgeting and optimizing your creative time while being the primary care taker (ala Joe Henry). If you want to hear our full conversations with each of these guests they are linked below, and you can find a playlist with more conversations touching on balacing family + creative life on our YouTube page (also linked below).

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On Self Doubt: Madame Gandhi, Langhorne Slim + Ryan Miller (Guster)

Wed, 05 Feb 2025 12:00:00 +0000

This is episode 3 of our mini-series of conversations compiled around a different theme each episode. This week we look at all things self doubt: from imposter syndrome, to score keeping, doubt hiding behind a need for outside validation, or just classic doubt in your abilities, we touch on all of it with Madame Gandhi, Langhorne Slim, and Guster's Ryan Miller.

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On The Business of DIY: Jesse Boykins III, Laura Veirs, Joe Pug + BJ Barham (American Aquarium)

Wed, 22 Jan 2025 12:00:00 +0000

This is episode 2 of our mini-series of conversations compiled around a different theme each episode. This week we dive into the business of DIY, and stories of different artists that have built successful, sustainable careers outside of the major label, stereotypical "right" career path. We hear from Jesse Boykins III talk about leaving and standing up to Def Jam Records and Universal Publishing, Laura Veirs on owning her publishing throughout and starting her own label, the blue collar DIY sustainability that Joe Pug has mastered, and how BJ Barham (American Aquarium) has managed to build a six-figure DIY empire (both record sales/touring and merch)!

You can find a link to our full conversations with each of them below, and playlists of other past conversations grouped by topic on our YouTube channel, also below.

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On Failure: Rodney Crowell, Madi Diaz, Aaron Lee Tasjan.

Wed, 08 Jan 2025 12:00:00 +0000

This is episode 1 of a mini-series centered around a different theme each episode. This week we explore failure in it's many forms: enduring it, embracing it, overcoming it, learning from it - all from three different Grammy-nominated artist: Rodney Crowell, Madi Diaz, and Aaron Lee Tasjan - in that order. You can find a link to our full conversations with each of them below, and playlists of other past conversations grouped by topic on our YouTube channel, also below.

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Chuck Prophet on controlled chaos, learning by doing, and being well-adjusted.

Thu, 26 Dec 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Chuck Prophet has put out 17+ solo records, 10 records with his former rock band Green on Red, and has worked with Bruce Springsteen, Kim Richey, Kelly Willis, Alejandro Escovedo, and Tony Visconti, appeared on many late night shows, toured with Lucinda Williams, and more. We chat with Chuck about transitioning from being in a band to having a solo career, San Fransisco as inspiration, how major successes come out of the blue, learning by doing, songwriting as a self taught art form, the need for more danger in music, and a whole lot more.

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James Vincent McMorrow on shelf life, space to fail, and culty connotations.

Wed, 18 Dec 2024 12:00:00 +0000

James Vincent McMorrow is a platinum-selling, billions-streaming singer-songwriter who has released records independently and via labels such as Nettwork and Columbia, work with Paul Epworth, Kenny Beats, Lil Silva, had his vocals featured on songs by Drake, and Kygo, in Game of Thrones, and numerous festivals. He also took 7 years off from touring to be with his growing family and recalibrate his relationship with the industry, which we talk about here at length, as well as an industry without stats, long shelf life for your creations, building something that matters, defining your own targets, having the space to fail, and much more.

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Liz Longley on buying your art back, touring as self care, and wilderness.

Wed, 11 Dec 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Liz Longley has released 10+ records both independently and with labels such as Rounder Records, raised $150,000 on Kickstarter (the 4th most largest campaign by an independent artist at the time) to buy her finished album back from her former label, and has been critically acclaimed by Billboard, Newsweek, and Pop Matters. We talk to Liz about creators having the power in the music industry, touring as self care, time management with toddlers, balance, the wilderness, and more.

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Tommy Emmanuel on endless experimenting, genre non-conforming, and stage craft.

Wed, 04 Dec 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Tommy Emmanuel is a legendary acoustic guitar player from Australia, where he has received some of the nation's highest honors, won Grammy, ARIA, and IBMA awards (amongst others), released 27+ records on labels such as Sony and Columbia, and began touring at the age of 6. We talk to Tommy about his endless enthusiasm and drive to experiment that has kept him inspired and learning through his almost 65 year career, how he bucks genre traditions (and because of that, label constraints), being vulnerable with your audience, studying the art of stagecraft, and a whole lot more.

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Caroline Spence on owning your art, accepting evolving goals and dreams, and defining yourself.

Wed, 27 Nov 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Caroline Spence has released 5 records independently and via Rounder Records, has written and/or recorded with Emmylou Harris, Lori McKenna, Matt Berninger (The National), and Sarah Jarosz, and toured with Mary Chapin Carpenter, John Moreland, Tyler Childers, and American Aquarium. We talk to Caroline about being in relationship with your creativity, awareness of, and moving beyond defining yourself externally or through your creative output, losing respect for the music industry, accepting that your wants and goals change over time, and a whole lot more.

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Becca Stevens on the intersection of passion and parenthood, creating within grief, and shared calendars.

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Becca Stevens is a Grammy-nominated singer songwriter who has released 6+ records of her own music, as well as collaborating with the likes of David Crosby, Jacob Collier, Laura Mvula, Brad Mehldau, Michael McDonald, Snarky Puppy, as well has having a roll in the Broadway show "Illinoise" based on the music of Sufjan Stevens. We talk with Becca about the nitty gritty of touring with an infant, balancing your passion and creativity with parenthood, balancing that passion with a partner who is also an artist, creating within and through grief, family bands, and a whole lot more.

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Brandy Clark on beating self doubt, finding community, and standing out.

Wed, 13 Nov 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Brandy Clark is a Grammy winning artist and songwriter, who has had her songs recorded by Sheryl Crow, Miranda Lambert, Kacey Musgraves, Billy Currington, Darius Rucker and more, and co-wrote the music for Tony-winning Broadway show Shucked with Shane McNally. We talk to Brandy about battling self doubt even when it reemerges after you've started seeing success, finding the right community that will validate you and inspire you, her experience with persistence as it took over a decade to have any large career breakthroughs as either a writer or an artist, writing for theater verses a record, being openly gay in the country world, and a whole lot more.

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Kevn Kinney (Drivin N Cryin) on self healing rock and roll, unlearning, and mixtapes.

Wed, 06 Nov 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Kevn Kinney is best known as the songwriter and singer of the Georgia rock band Drivin N Cryin, who has released 20+ records over the last almost 40 years, some independent and some on major labels, and toured with the likes of Neil Young and The Black Crowes, but Kevn also has numerous solo and side projects, with members of REM, Drive By Truckers, Warren Haynes, John Popper and more. We talk to Kevn about what he calls 'self healing rock and roll', showing up just as you are, unlearning what you've learned so you can be yourself, getting out of writers block by writing about writing, the changing landscape of how you hear music, and a whole lot more.

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Nicki Bluhm + Jesse Noah Wilson on band therapists, learning from elders, and sourdough discard.

Wed, 30 Oct 2024 11:00:00 +0000

Nicki Bluhm is a singer-songwriter who has released multiple solo records and records with her former band The Gramblers, and has toured/performed/recorded with the likes of Phil Lesh, Aj Croce, Oliver Wood and Todd Snider. Jesse Noah Wilson is a bassist and producer, who currently plays in John Fogerty's band, is a former member of Band of Heathens, and has a studio in Nashville called Rancho Deluxe. We talk with both of them about the insights they've absorbed through working with legendary octogenarians, never losing the drive for the highest quality, tour boundaries, band relationships and band therapists, horses, and more.

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John Moreland on staying hands on, timelines, and flip phones.

Wed, 23 Oct 2024 11:00:00 +0000

John Moreland is a celebrated singer songwriter who has steadily released 10+ records, mostly independently (through Thirty Tigers) and one with 4AD, receiving accolades from the New York Times, Fresh Air, and Pitchfork, and has tour with the likes of Dawes, Patty Griffin, and Jason Isbell. We talk with John about cutting back on his 'team' so he could return to being more hands-on, how having lots of middle men involved separated him from both his audience and his creativity, going back to a flip phone, jealousy as positive motivation, following your own timeline, and a whole lot more.

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The Lone Bellow on gut checks, ownership, and healthy conflict.

Wed, 16 Oct 2024 11:00:00 +0000

The Lone Bellow have released a 5 records on various imprints of Sony Records and Dualtone Records, hitting the Billboard 200 and getting nominated for Americana Awards, worked with producers such as Dave Cobb, and Aaron Dessner of The National, supported Kacey Musgraves and appeared on Letterman, Kimmel, Conan amongst others. We talk to them about healthy conflict in the group, and intentional communication to keep things progressing, betting on themselves and moving away from both outside producers and record labels, leading your team rather than waiting on them, ownership of your art and a whole lot more.

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Tim Easton on dreaming out loud, remaining teachable, and Alaska.

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 11:00:00 +0000

Tim Easton has released over 13 solo records, 4+ with his bands (Haynes Boys, Freelan Barons, Easton Stagger Phillips), appeared on records by Lucinda Williams, Cory Branan, Otis Gibbs and more, worked with EMI publishing and New West Records, busked through most of Europe, and worked with musicians such as Mike Campbell, Jim Keltner, Tift Merrit and Greg Leisz. We talk to Tim about remaining teachable, turning a passion for fishing in the Alaskan frontier into a solid touring scene, harmonizing to the ABC's in the car with his daughter, boundaries, dreaming out loud, and a whole lot more.

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Madi Diaz on creating environments, a cacophony of almosts, and road protein.

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 11:00:00 +0000

Madi Diaz has released 10 records/EPs since 2007, has toured with Kacey Musgraves, Waxahatchee, My Morning Jacket, was a touring member of Harry Style's band, has performed on Fallon, Carson Daly, and countless festivals around the world, and is included on the Far Cry 5 soundtrack. We chat with Madi about resilience, staying focused and driven through a 'cacophony of almosts', putting yourself in the right environment to be creative and productive, songwriters as the backbone of the industry, gratitude for the ability to create in the moment, being pulled off stage after 1 song as a solo opener at Wembley Stadium, and a whole lot more.

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Amy Helm on forever learning, self-care like an athlete, and coops.

Wed, 25 Sep 2024 11:00:00 +0000

Amy Helm has released 4 solo records, 4 with her band Ollabelle, and appeared on 8 of her father Levon Helm's records, as well as records by artists as diverse as Rosanne Cash, William Bell, Tracy Bonham, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and a handful of her stepfather Donald Fagan's solo and late Steely Dan records. We talk with Amy about taking care of yourself like an athlete, leaving your family behind to tour for long stretches of time, and music cooperatives, and many of the lessons Levon instilled in her, from being a blue collar worker-type musician to constantly trying to better yourself, your craft, and your knowledge.

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Nicole Atkins on enjoyment vs achievement, staying child-like, and patience.

Wed, 18 Sep 2024 11:00:00 +0000

Nicole Atkins has released 6 records on labels such as Columbia, Razor & Tie, and Thirty Tigers, toured with Stevie Nicks, David Byrne, Fatboy Slim, Nick Cave, and Spoon, and has side project with Jim Sclavunos of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. We talk to Nicole about remaining child-like in your creativity, understanding that there are a lot of chances in life, catching the wind when and where it blows, enjoyment vs achievement, stepping up in service to others when you're stuck in your own head, keeping creative friends, and a whole lot more.

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Guest Episode: A discussion on Ambition vs Acceptance, on Basic Folk Podcast

Wed, 11 Sep 2024 11:00:00 +0000

This is a special guest episode feature us on the Basic Folk Podcast, in conversation with hosts Cindy Howes and singer-songwriter Lizzie No, as well as author Kim Ruehl. We talk about all things ambition - the good and the ugly, and how we all navigate, accept, and work with it in our varied creative careers.

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Edwin McCain on defining enough, gig snobbery, and grievance farmers.

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 11:00:00 +0000

Edwin McCain has had 2 singles hit the Top 40 ('I'll Be' and 'I Could Not Ask For More'), released 11 albums, 5 of which have been on the Billboard 200, hosted a syndicated show on Sirius XM, and written and produced a series for Animal Planet. We talk with him about artists as the ambassadors of possibility, knowing what enough is, side hustles and putting your creativity into different outlets (he started, grew, and sold a construction business amongst other endeavors), stepping away from the industry to raise a family, and a whole lot more.

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Joseph on new beginnings, defining a guiding light, and intentionality.

Wed, 28 Aug 2024 11:00:00 +0000

Joseph is a trio of sisters who have released 3 records via ATO, performed on Fallon, Conan, The Today Show, Ellen, Jools Holland, at Coachella, Lollapalooza, Newport Folk, Glastonbury, Outside Lands, and Bonnaroo, and supported The Shins, James Bay, Amos Lee, and more. They recently announced that Allie is choosing to step away from the band, so we discuss this at length - how she came to the decision, the other sisters' reception, what that looks like moving forward both creatively and emotionally, as well as how they navigate family dynamics in the band, approach everything with intentionality, and a whole lot more.

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Guest Episode: Sarah Jarosz on Basic Folk Podcast

Wed, 21 Aug 2024 11:00:00 +0000

We have a special episode this week - we are sharing Sarah Jarosz's conversation on Basic Folk podcast! Sarah is a multi-Grammy winning mandolin player and songwriter who has collaborated with the likes of Chris Thile, the Live From Here house band, Bela Fleck, Daniel Tashian, Ruston Kelly, and Natalie Hemby. In this conversation, Sarah and hosts Cindy Howes and Lizzie No talk about her experience with confidence using the Dunning–Kruger effect, in which people with limited competence in a particular domain overestimate their abilities. AKA Fake it till you make, AKA Leap and the net will appear. She also talks about her parents' influence on her early musicality and how her mom is doing with her cancer remission. An overall theme of this conversation is that Sarah never lost sight of her goal: keeping it all about the music and don’t let noise get in the way of your important work.

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Basic Folk, honest conversations with folk musicians, features hosts Cindy Howes and the musician/known communist Lizzie No. The podcast approaches interviews with warmth, humor and insightful questions. Basic Folk fosters the folk community, but our definition of “folk” is extremely broad, so you’ll hear interviews from Molly Tuttle, Ben Harper, The Lone Bellow and many more.

You can listen to Basic Folk on The Bluegrass Situation Podcast Network, wherever you get podcasts or at BasicFolk.com

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Miko Marks on grounding, gap years, and the mundane.

Wed, 14 Aug 2024 11:00:00 +0000

Miko Marks is a singer/songwriter from Oakland California, who was a member of the CMT Next Women of Country class of 2022, has played the Grand Ol Opry, won multiple Independent Music Awards, and stepped away from a professional career for over a decade to raise her child and be present for her family. We talk about the choices to step back, as well as to return to performing and recording, how that changed her approach and outlook, grounding in your own path, making your world small, living the experiences you are having, your career as a spiritual journey, and more.

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Lilly Hiatt on protecting your inner knowing, ditching social media, and transitions in time.

Wed, 07 Aug 2024 11:00:00 +0000

Lilly Hiatt has released 5+ records via New West Records, has toured with Drive by Truckers, Margo Price, Aaron Lee Tasjan, has been nominated for Americana Association awards, and is the daughter of singer/songwriter John Hiatt. We talk to Lilly about learning to care about things outside of your career, protecting your inner knowing, deleting your instagram account at 20k followers and staying off of it, not paying attention to numbers, lessons learned from watching her father's career up close her whole life, and a whole lot more.

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Evan Honer on betting on yourself, boosting others, and mowing lawns.

Wed, 31 Jul 2024 11:00:00 +0000

Evan Honer turned viral success of a Tyler Childers cover (50mil + streams), into success for his own music with over 250mil streams, and multiple 7-figure offers from most major labels - all of which he decline in favor of staying independent, opting to start his own label (Cloverdale) and helping other young artists gain streaming traction while maintaining ownership of their art. Our youngest guest to date, we talk to Evan about betting on yourself, navigating the frequent ups and downs and direction changes of a social media-centric approach to your career, using your platform and reach to boost and platform your peers, the simple pleasures when you get back from tour, and more.

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Jesse Boykins III on knowing your toolbox, galvanizing yourself, and simplifying everything.

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 11:00:00 +0000

Jesse Boykins III is a Jamaican-American, Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter, producer, and creative director who has released 5+ records independently and via Def Jam records, collaborated with Steve Lacy, Charlie Puth, Theophilus London, Calvin Harris, and others. We talk at length about advocating for yourself and your creative vision, knowing the tools you have in your toolbox and using the right one at the right time, honoring the mission of the project, saying yes to collaboration to lift others art, simplifying everything, and more.

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Sara + Sean Watkins (Watkins Family Hour) on humbleness, diverse skillsets, and faking it.

Wed, 17 Jul 2024 11:00:00 +0000

Sara + Sean Watkins are Grammy winning musicians that are 2/3 of Nickel Creek (which they started with Chris Thile as kids), The Watkins Family Hour (which features Fiona Apple, Benmont Tench, Jon Brion, John C Riley, and rotating cast of incredible musicians), their own solo records, Sara is in I'm With Her (with Sara Jarosz & Aiofe O'Donovan), as well as collaborations with Jackson Browne, John Mayer, Blake Mills, Dawes, and many others. We talk about the power in diverse skillsets we gain both touring in a large variety of situations as well as various levels of business responsibilities, authenticity and humbleness (versus the emperors new clothes), never taking situations for granted, faking it, and a whole lot of laughs.

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Eliot Bronson on surrendering to circumstance, bottom up growth, and being the movie screen.

Wed, 10 Jul 2024 11:00:00 +0000

Eliot Bronson has released 6+ records over the past 12 years, both independently and via labels - with a handful produced by Dave Cobb - and he has also won numerous acclaimed songwriting competitions such as Kerrville and Chris Austin contest at Merlefest. Ditching the traditional label/publicist/manager route, Eliot has established a vibrant path that is 100% DIY, community-focused, and as he explains - more fulfilling than ever. We talk at length about that process and how he found himself there, debate the necessity of a whole label or publicity team, explore the idea of the artist in the center of the crowd versus up high and removed on stage, mindfulness practices, and more.

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Rhett Miller on deserving vs entitlement, envy, and spinning plates.

Wed, 03 Jul 2024 11:00:00 +0000

Rhett Miller is the lead singer for The Old 97's, a solo artist, a podcast host (Wheels Off, with almost 200 episodes), an author and a mental health advocate who has released records via labels such as Elektra, ATO and Verve, worked with artists such as Jon Brion, Rosanne Cash, The Decemberists, and Tori Amos, and fronted The Old 97's for over 30 years. We talk about the difference between feeling deserving and entitlement, navigating envy traps, diversification for creative pursuits and financial fear, authenticity and a whole lot more.

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Chris Smither on self motivating, learning when to grip the reins, and books.

Wed, 26 Jun 2024 11:00:00 +0000

Chris Smither has released 20+ records so far in his 58 year career, had his songs recorded by the likes of Bonnie Raitt (who had a hit with his song 'Love Me Like a Man', and whom he's had a long working relationship with) and Emmylou Harris, and as you can imagine, he's seen all of the ups and downs and twists and turns in almost 6 decades of this career. We talk with him about all of this hard earned wisdom and experience, his zest for practicing, learning when to grab the reins and when to ride, his myriad hobbies including a voracious appetite for reading, and a whole lot more.

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Ruby Amanfu on owning your truths, prioritizing personal connection, and swimming to depths.

Wed, 19 Jun 2024 11:00:00 +0000

Ruby Amanfu is a singer, songwriter, activist, chef, and actress who has been nominated for Grammy's (song of the year) for her work with H.E.R as well as Brandi Carlile and Alicia Keys, she was a member of Jack White's band, is producer and songwriter for the ABC series "Queens", has placed songs on ABC, CBS, MTV, amongst others, worked with Patti Labelle, Norah Jones, John Prine, Sara Bareilles, and was part of Beyonce's 'Lemonade' album. We chat with her about owning your truth, prioritizing personal connection before professional, balancing the need to earn with your passion, showing up in integrity, the parallels between cooking and creating music, activism and using your voice and creativity, and a whole lot more.

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Jim Sonefeld (Hootie & the Blowfish) on learning by doing, life after the peak, and honest reflection.

Wed, 12 Jun 2024 11:00:00 +0000

Jim Sonefeld is best known as the drummer (and songwriter) for Hootie & the Blowflish, but he has also released a handful of solo records and written a memoir title 'Swimming with the Blowfish - Hootie, Healing, and One Hell of a Ride'. We talk with Jim about the start and rise of Hootie, how having the 10th best selling US record of all time impacted his writing and creativity, their fall from prominence and the addictions that followed, finding sobriety and reinvention, lessons learned throughout this roller coaster, and a whole lot more.

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Lori McKenna on holding the work in gratitude, carving space, and sign posts.

Wed, 05 Jun 2024 11:00:00 +0000

Lori McKenna is Grammy-winning singer songwriter who has released 12+ records on Warner, Signature Sounds, Thirty Tigers, and written countless songs that have been number 1 hits for the likes of Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Taylor Swift, Little Big Town, Lady Gaga, Maren Morris, Thomas Rhett, The Highwomen, and Mandy Moore, to name a few. All of this widespread acclaim started later in life for Lori (at 36, with 5 children), so we talk with her about that experience, how being in Boston vs Nashville has impacted her career, how and if her success has affected her process, her thoughts on touring and the requirements of an artist career beyond the songs, and much more, all well soaking up her immense gratitude for it all.

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Tyler Ramsey on finding the right venue, patience in waves, and release releases.

Wed, 29 May 2024 11:00:00 +0000

Tyler Ramsey - former guitar player for Band of Horses - has released 5 solo albums before, during, and after his stint in the band. We got to chat with Tyler about everything from surfing the seasons of creativity with patience and acceptance, his decision making process behind both joining Band of Horses (leaving a solo career) and leaving the band (private jets, selling out arenas all over the world), finding the right venue for your music, not just your ego, demonstrating a creative life path to your children, and so much more.

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The Secret Sisters on leveling out, non-linear trajectories, and play.

Wed, 22 May 2024 11:00:00 +0000

The Secret Sisters are a Grammy-nominated (sister) duo from Alabama who have put out 5 records, and navigated a rollercoaster of highs and lows from being signed to Universal records and produced by T Bone Burnett, getting dropped, to lawsuits with a manager, bankruptcy, opening for (and being produced by) Brandi Carlisle, and onto a Grammy nomination. We talk about that ride, the lessons learned and experience earned, motherhood, doing the hard internal work and how that improves your creativity, putting the play back in music, and more.

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The Brother Brothers on authenticity, autonomy and validation, and traveling.

Wed, 15 May 2024 11:00:00 +0000

The Brother Brothers are identical twins who have released 5 records together, as well as touring/collaborating with Courtney Marie Andrews, Lake Street Dive, Big Thief, Sarah Jarosz, Keb Mo and being part of the early incarnations of Hadestown the musical. We chat with them about how authenticity lasts in this industry, the theory that everyone (musician/artist) just needs autonomy and validation, following the momentum, economics, and we share some good old tour horror stories.

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Guster on running toward fear, trying to fail, and green lights.

Wed, 08 May 2024 11:00:00 +0000

Guster formed in 1991, and has since released 9 records, had a Top 40 hit, a gold record, played Woodstock 99, started the label Ocho Mule, and is still growing today. We sat down with lead singer Ryan Miller, who is also a film composer, sometimes writer for The Atlantic, budding Broadway composer/writer and a former host on Vermont Public TV. We talk with Ryan about managing so many spinning plates, running towards fear, parallels between a music career and entrepreneurship (iterating, failing, learning, improving, and then repeating), managing personalities and wants over a 33-year career, and so much more.

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Rissi Palmer on the year of no, speaking for the voiceless, and making the appointment.

Wed, 01 May 2024 11:00:00 +0000

Rissi Palmer signed her first record deal at 19, with her debut in 2007 she was the first black woman to make the country music charts in over 2 decades, she has toured with the likes of Taylor Swift, and the Eagles, appeared on Oprah, Good Morning America, at the White House, the Grand Ole Opry, and Lincoln Center, is the host of Apple Music's 'Color Me Country', and the director of the Color Me Country Artist Grant Fund. We talk about one of our favorite topics - saying no, prioritizing self care, speaking for those people who cannot speak for themselves, the music business as a meritocracy (ahem) and a whole lot more.

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Ana Egge on co-writing with your dreams, meditation practice, and skateboarding.

Wed, 24 Apr 2024 11:00:00 +0000

Ana Egge - who Lucinda Williams calls 'the folk music Nina Simone' - has released 13+ records, starting with her first in 1994, and including some produced by Steve Earle, is a luthier, and has toured with John Prine, Shawn Colvin, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Ron Sexmith, Lucinda, and Iris Dement amongst others. In one of our more intriguingly esoteric conversations, we talk a lot about meditation practice and how that influences your creativity and approach to your career as a whole, as well as how Ana stumbled across her incredible practice of co-writing with her own dreams!

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Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams on finding the joy, balance, and the Tao of Levon.

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 11:00:00 +0000

Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams have released 4 albums as a duo, and were members of Levon Helm's band for over a decade, but the married couple also have a long musical history prior to becoming a formal duo. In addition to producing Levon's later career Grammy-winning records, Larry has played with Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Elvis Costello, Emmylou Harris, Judy Collins, Willie Nelson, Shania Twain, and Tracy Chapman, to name a few. We have a great conversation about being in it for the joy of getting to make music, balancing being members of large-scale tours (including a great story of them on the road with Jackson Browne), prioritizing self care vs being a workaholic, and the Tao of Levon.

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Morgxn on when not to quit, transparency, and farming.

Wed, 10 Apr 2024 11:00:00 +0000

Morgxn is an indie-pop artist born and raised in Nashville who has had songs on the top 10 Billboard alternative charts, that Billie Eilish has personally named as inspiration, he has songs featuring Sara Bareilles, and has performed at Lollapalooza, Bumbershoot, on Jimmy Kimmel and more. We talk with Morgxn about the struggles of being in an industry that do a whole lot to actively support artists, the work it can take to break through imposter syndrome and identify as an artist, when not to quit, having enough seats at the table for everyone, farming, and a whole lot more.

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Steve Poltz on life as a treasure hunt, creating your own scene, and getting pinned on the mat.

Wed, 03 Apr 2024 11:00:00 +0000

Over the last 30+ years Steve Poltz has released more than 14 records both solo and with his 90's band The Rugburns, on his own label as well as Mercury Records, as well as a longtime collaboration with Jewell including co-writing her hit "You Were Meant for Me." We talk with Steve about everything from having a stroke on stage, mid-song (and continuing to sing the song), all the way to viewing life as a treasure hunt, slaying the dragons, his infectious positivity and optimism, and getting pinned to the mat.

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Sierra Hull on nature vs nurture, disappointment as fuel, and tour bus cafes.

Wed, 27 Mar 2024 11:00:00 +0000

Sierra Hull is the definition of child prodigy - she made her Grand Ole Opry debut at 10, played Carnegie Hall at 12, and signed her first record deal at 13. She has since gone on to become the first woman to win IBMA Mandolinist of the year (3x in a row), be nominated for a Grammy, perform with Garth Brooks, Indigo Girls, and Allison Krauss and Gillian Welch, and perform at the White House. We chat with Sierra about growing up learning on stage with people 3x her age, the contrast of then studying at Berklee on a full scholarship, to using disappointments as fuel, the power of seeing women represented on album covers and in the press, and a whole lot more.

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Langhorne Slim on getting out of the mind and into the heart, vices as a muse, and mountain tops.

Wed, 20 Mar 2024 11:00:00 +0000

Langhorne Slim has released 10 records over the last 20 years on a handful of labels (currently Dualtone Records), played festivals ranging from Newport Folk to Lollapalooza, late night shows from Letterman to Conan, and has had his music used in many many television shows and commercials. We go deep and vulnerable pretty quickly on everything from addiction/sobriety, the relentless inner monologue, mountain top envy, his new-found parenthood, and a whole lot more.

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Devon Gilfillian on freedom in routine, machine building, and meatballs.

Wed, 13 Mar 2024 11:00:00 +0000

Devon Gilfillian has released records on both Capital and Fantasy Records, played on Colbert and Kimmel, and opened for The Brothers Osborne, My Morning Jacket, Mavis Staples, Gladys Knight and more. We chat with him about how routine can create freedom in your life, the importance of physical wellbeing both on the road and at home, building a machine that can provide for your people, using your platform and voice as an artist, and all points in between.

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Margo Price + Jeremy Ivey on balancing approaches, knowing your roll, and orange soda.

Wed, 06 Mar 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Margo Price and Jeremy Ivey are both artists, songwriters, and are married with kids. They've released records on Loma Vista, Anti-, Third Man and independently, and under Margo's project have been nominated for a Grammy, played SNL, won awards, and more. We talk about balancing the many rolls in their lives, both together and independently, creating together while also parenting together, going from having a band together (Buffalo Clover) to 'separate' careers, and so many metaphors from table settings to orange soda.

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Mary Chapin Carpenter on owning the process, personalizing mistreatment, and weathering rejection.

Wed, 27 Dec 2023 12:00:00 +0000

Mary Chapin Carpenter is an 18x Grammy nominated, 5x Grammy winning, 6x platinum-selling singer-songwriter with over 16 albums and decades of touring so far in her career. We talk with Mary Chapin about her songwriting process, including her need for solitude and her practice of "song walking," we talk about how she still faces rejection even with all of her accolades and commercial success, how common and easy it is to personalize mistreatment from people in power (and how to combat that), and much more on this very candid final episode of Season 1.

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Glen Phillips (Toad the Wet Sprocket) on the joy of play, post-platinum economics, and creating in community.

Wed, 20 Dec 2023 12:00:00 +0000

Glen Phillips, lead singer of Toad the Wet Sprocket as well as a solo artist, has released 7 records with the band - 2 of which are multiplatinum - and 7 solo albums, spanning a career that started 37 years ago when Glen was just 15 years old. We talk about creating, and navigating the industry as both an active platinum-selling band, after the break-up, and now as the band has reformed, focusing and prioritizing the sheer joy of creating, how community can inspire and inform your creativity, and more.

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Laura Veirs on staying aware, planning a sabbatical year, and life in the tortoise lane.

Wed, 13 Dec 2023 12:00:00 +0000

Laura Veirs is a prolific singer-songwriter with over 14 albums released on her own label as well as Nonesuch Records and Bella Union, is a member of case/lang/veirs (w/ Niko Case & kd lang) and is a painter, (brief) podcast host, and author of a children's book on Elizabeth Cotton. We talk about staying aware of the beauty and joy that surrounds you, planning (and taking) a sabbatical year as a self-employed creative, ceding control of your social media accounts, stage fright, running your own international label, maintaining ownership of your rights, being a tortoise surrounded by hares, and much more.

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Gretchen Peters on recalibrating your definition of success, strength in artistry, and bucking industry expectations.

Wed, 06 Dec 2023 12:00:00 +0000

Gretchen Peters is a Grammy-nominated, CMA Song of the Year winning member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, who had an extensive touring, has released 14 albums (mostly on her own label), and had songs recorded by the likes of Etta James, Martina McBride, George Strait, Patty Loveless, Shania Twain, Neil Diamond, Trisha Yearwood, and Bryan Adams, just to name a few. This episode jumps right in with Gretchen's decision, and the public (and private) reactions, to retire from touring, and we go on to talk about the powerful effects of recalibrating your definition of success, bucking industry expectations in the name of your creativity and artistry, the strength of artists, and so much more.

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Robert Ellis on present consciousness, getting back to having fun, and perceptions.

Wed, 29 Nov 2023 12:00:00 +0000

Robert Ellis is a singer-songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist who has put out 6 albums both self-released and on New West Records, and having worked on records by Jamestown Revival, White Denim, Khruangbin, Nicole Atkins and others. We chat about the many benefits of mindfulness and being in the present moment, using adversity and tough times to return to having fun creating, parenting and perceptions, sobriety, and just saying f*ck it let's try something new!

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Samantha Crain on asking questions, self advocacy, and growing in a non-music city.

Wed, 22 Nov 2023 12:00:00 +0000

Samantha Crain has released 8 records, started touring at 19, eventually supporting artists such as The Avett Brothers, Neutral Milk Hotel, Brandi Carlile, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Gregory Alan Isakov, The Mountain Goats, and MANY others, as well as joining First Aid Kit for an appearance on 'Conan', and self-producing many of her own records, as well as records for other artists. We explore the power of asking questions, both as a way to learn more in craft and business and as a means of self-advocacy in business dealings, we talk about the positives and negatives of growing a substantial career in a non-music town (Norman, OK in her instance), the many benefits of a meditation practice, and much more in this wide-ranging conversation.

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John Craigie on the art of storytelling, the optics fallacy, and horticulture.

Wed, 15 Nov 2023 12:00:00 +0000

John Craigie is a singer-songwriter based out of Portland OR but who spent years living on the road, has released 12+ albums, and toured with the likes of Jack Johnson, Gregory Alan Isakov, Shawn Colvin, Sean Hayes and more. Craigie is known for his engaging live show that weaves a hefty dose of storytelling - in the vein of Arlo Gutherie - as well as comedy between his songs, so we send a lot of time talking about the art of storytelling and it's place in a concert, comedy, how he sustains such an intense tour schedule, drawing inspiration from communities of other artists such as painters and architects, debunking the optics fallacy and how finding the right venue for your show is much more powerful.

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Joe Henry on the creative stream, daily aesthetics, and the musicality of language.

Wed, 08 Nov 2023 12:00:00 +0000

Joe Henry is a songwriter, producer, and writer who has released over 15 solo records on labels such as A&M and Anti-, and has produced records for a long list of artists such as Bonnie Raitt, Elvis Costello, Solomon Burke, Allen Toussaint, Rodney Crowell, Aimee Mann, Ani Difranco, Teddy Thompson, John Doe, and more. We have a diverse conversation about keeping yourself in the creative stream, knowing when to step away, acceptance, and much surrounding the Tom Waits quote, "How you do anything is how you do everything."

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John Doe on embracing your role, identifying ego, and butterfly nets.

Wed, 01 Nov 2023 11:00:00 +0000

John Doe is the co-founder and longtime member of the legendary LA punk band X, he's released numerous solo records, he stars in the recently released film DOA, as well as movies such as Boogie Nights, Roadhouse, Great Balls of Fire, and Brokedown Palace and TV shows such as Roswell, One Tree Hill and Law & Order, and is co-author of the book 'Under the Big Black Sun' with Tom DeSavia, chronicling the LA punk scene. Needless to say we talk about sustaining and foster a diverse set of creative endeavors, identifying ones own ego to make for smoother relationships, embracing your role as a creator and sticking to it, the creative pitfalls of major label deals, longevity, and quite a bit more.

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David Wax Museum on artistic ecosystems, creating in partnership, and pollinators.

Wed, 25 Oct 2023 11:00:00 +0000

David Wax Museum is a critically-acclaimed indie folk band lead by husband/wife duo David Wax and Suz Slezak, who have been praised by NPR, Tiny Desk, the New York Times, Newport Folk, and even had a song featured at Pete Buttigieg's wedding. We talk about how they built and have grown a strong, enduring, grassroots community around their music that helps them remain independent, how and what they've learned about both creating and recharging together and separately as a couple, positive discoveries of the pandemic times that have reshaped their career, mental health and it's impact on their schedules, and creating entire artistic ecosystems.

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Madame Gandhi on quieting self doubt, optimizing for joy, and sampling glaciers.

Wed, 18 Oct 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Madame Gandhi is an incredibly diverse guest: she is an award winning producer, composer, and drummer for M.I.A., a member of Forbes' 30 Under 30, has given several TED talks, has an MBA from Harvard and a Masters in Music Science & Tech from Stanford, and famously ran the 2015 London Marathon while menstruating freely to combat menstrual stigma. We talk about how she tackles both self doubt and imposter syndrome in her many creative endeavors, her concept of optimizing for joy in our passions to foster sustainability, post-show rituals, and so much more.

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Dylan LeBlanc on magnetic intentions, second chances, and red hot frying pans.

Wed, 11 Oct 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Dylan LeBlanc has released records on Rough Trade Records, ATO, and Single Lock records, and has toured with Lucinda Williams, Bruce Springsteen, First Aid Kit and more. We talk about how having a big first record at a young age effected his headspace, career, and life, navigating many tough ups and downs since then, sobriety and intentions, and Michaela and Dylan discuss the (drastically different) reactions of each of their teams when they told them they were expecting their first children.

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The Watson Twins on touring sustainably, collaboration vs individualization, and van pillows.

Wed, 04 Oct 2023 11:00:00 +0000

The Watson Twins have released multiple records, including their latest 'Holler' produced by Butch Walker, as well as being featured on Jenny Lewis' Rabbit Fur Coat and recording/touring with the likes of Kings of Leon, Foster the People, The Shins, Harry Connick Jr, Willie Nelson, and Jenny Lewis. We go deep on sustainable and enduring touring practices and logistics that they've both observed as sidewomen, and developed themselves as bandleaders, as well collaboration vs individualization and using your talents and skillsets developed in the music industry to launch other businesses (they own and run three event spaces in Nashville).

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Paris Carney on finding your unique outlet, creating for others, and family bands.

Wed, 27 Sep 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Paris Carney is a songwriter who has had cuts with the likes of Nick Jonas, King, Adam Lambert, Maggie Lindemann, and Joseph, as well as a background singer with The Jonas Brothers, Hailee Stanfield, Lykke Li. We talk about her start on Interscope Records with her brothers' band Carney, the ups and downs of years trying to find her unique path, creative diversification, and having a variety of mental health practices in your toolkit.

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William Prince on joyful presence, intergenerational trauma, and humor.

Wed, 20 Sep 2023 11:00:00 +0000

William Prince is from the Peguis First Nation - in what is now Manitoba Canada - and a Juno and Canadian Folk Award winning singer-songwriter, who has toured with Neil Young, and Yola, and worked with producer Dave Cobb. We talk about the experience and realities of his people, the generational trauma that is present, how that effects and informs his art and his creativity, and how he sees his role in his community as a public figure, and father.

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Ezinma on viral moments, continually educating, and scuba diving.

Wed, 13 Sep 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Ezinma is a violinist, artist, film composer, and educator who became a viral sensation from her performance videos, has released records on Universal Records, performed with Beyonce, Stevie Wonder, Kendrick Lamar, Khalid, Joshua Bell and Yo Yo Ma to name a few, composed the score for numerous films, and founded a non-profit that brings classical music education to underserved communities. We talk about how having viral moments changed and challenged her creativity, how she grew from that as a person and an artist, her lifelong pursuit of educating herself (she has multiple masters degrees) as well as being an educator herself, the power of music education, and it goes on.

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Duquette Johnston on incarcerated creativity, human design, and scents.

Wed, 06 Sep 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Duquette Johnston was a member of 90s rock band Verbana, touring with the Foo Fighters and releasing records on Merge and Setanta Records, has released a handful of solo records on labels such as Single Lock Records, owns the clothing and goods shop Club Duquette in Birmingham AL, and also spent time in Etowah County jail. We talk about how that incarceration changed his creative process, his entire outlook on his career, and also launched his solo career, as well as his interest in human design, and quest for human connection through music.

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Jamie Kent on community impact, legislation, plus a live Q&A.

Wed, 30 Aug 2023 11:00:00 +0000

This is a special live episode taped on stage at Mile of Music Festival in Appleton, WI featuring Jamie Kent - a Billboard charting singer songwriter, entrepreneur, arts advocate, and co-founder of Musicians for a Smoke Free Tennessee, where he worked as a lobbyist to usher through legislation that allows municipalities in TN to ban smoking in public places (such as bars and music venues). We talk about legislative action to aid musicians, coalition building as it relates to making an impact as well as a music career, and then we also take time for all three of us to answer questions from the audience in a really special first-time Q&A session.

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The Wood Brothers on the illusion of control, enjoyment, and remembering to remember.

Wed, 23 Aug 2023 11:00:00 +0000

The Wood Brothers are a Grammy-nominated band that have released 12 records on labels such as Blue Note, Southern Ground, Easy Eye Sound, and their own imprint. We have a wide ranging conversation on mental well-being and sustaining a decades-long career, all circling around mindfulness, presence, the illusion of control, and what Chris aptly points out - remembering to remember.

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Mary Gauthier on patience in art, persistence in business, and losing with John Prine.

Wed, 16 Aug 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Mary Gauthier is a Grammy-nominated songwriter and author, who's songs have been recorded by everyone from Tim McGraw and Blake Shelton, to Boy George and Jimmy Buffett. We talk about sobriety, how owning and running restaurants has influenced her music career, writing with veterans, battling homophobia, and so much more, all with a wise dose of patience, and persistence.

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Katie Pruitt on patience, emotional language, and archery.

Wed, 09 Aug 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Katie Pruitt is a singer-songwriter on Rounder Records, NPR & NY Times acclaimed, americana award-nominated, and also the host of The Recovering Catholic podcast. We talk about how she navigated, learned, and grew from releasing her much anticipated debut record 1 month before the pandemic started, navigating the pressure to always have output, and the tools she uses to be able to explore heavy personal and emotional topics in her songs.

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Kaia Kater on the power of shared experiences, speaking out in integrity, and grants.

Wed, 02 Aug 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Kaia Kater is a Juno and Polaris prize-nominated songwriter from Canada, who also won a Canadian Screen Award for Best Original Song in the BET series 'The Porter'. We talk about how a government-support grant system for the arts effects creativity, the importance of speaking out in integrity, the power in finding communities with shared experiences, and owning vulnerability.

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Ron Pope & Blair Clark on staying independent, calculated risks, and letting things pass.

Wed, 26 Jul 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Ron Pope is a platinum selling independent artist, Blair Clark is CEO and Director of Marketing & Strategy at the independent record label they own - Brooklyn Basement Records - as well as an artist manager, and they are also married. In this special episode we get both the artist's point of view, and the "business" point of view on some of the tools to maintain sanity, and inspiration while building a long and sustainable career around your art.

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Adia Victoria on keeping a sense of self, being in the body, and the forest.

Wed, 19 Jul 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Adia Victoria is a blues, southern gothic, rock artist who has released 3 records via Atlantic Records, and worked with producers such as Aaron Dessner and T-Bone Burnett. We talk about losing and regaining your sense of self after years of endless touring, writing in motion, the major role of nature in her life and upbringing and much more.

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Caroline Spence, Erin Rae, Kelsey Waldon & Michaela Anne on competition, community, and cross-stitching.

Wed, 12 Jul 2023 11:00:00 +0000

This is a special group episode - Caroline Spence, Erin Rae, Kelsey Waldon & Michaela Anne are all acclaimed singer-songwriters having individually played everywhere from The Grand Ol' Opry to Carnegie Hall to Bonnaroo and all over the world. Though they perform independently, they are in constant contact via a long-lasting (5+ year) text thread - forming a tight-knit community which is the basis for our conversation today on how that impacts their their mindsets, their creativity, their mental health and decision making, and just about every other facet of their career.

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Alice Gerrard on how to teach yourself, longevity, and authenticity.

Wed, 05 Jul 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Alice Gerrard, a member of the bluegrass hall of fame, released her first record in 1965 as part of her groundbreaking bluegrass duo with Hazel Dickens, and is still touring and releasing records today at the age of 89! We talk with her about her incredible longevity, how she has taught herself about bluegrass and old-time music, and about becoming such an integral part of the fabric of American folk music and it's strong community.

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David Moore (Bing & Ruth) on interconnectedness, evolving processes, and chefs.

Wed, 28 Jun 2023 11:00:00 +0000

David Moore is a pianist, composer, and songwriter with many creative outlets, most notably his minimalist/ambient ensemble Bing & Ruth, which has put out records on 4AD and received praise from Pitchfork to Thom Yorke. We talk about his diverse creative appetites, writing retreats, the interconnectedness of everything, and embracing inevitable change in your creative processes as time passes.

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Mary Bragg on perceptions, rewrites, and dating your creativity.

Wed, 21 Jun 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Mary Bragg is an acclaimed songwriter, producer, coach, and on faculty at Berklee School of Music. We go deep on her songwriting process, cowriting dynamics, and how coming out opened up her creativity.

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Hiss Golden Messenger on omnivorous listening, tidal creativity, and the dead.

Wed, 14 Jun 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Hiss Golden Messenger - the pseudonym for M.C. Taylor - has put out 14+ records since 2009 both independently and via Merge Records, including a Grammy nomination for Best Americana Record in 2019. We chat about the idea of creativity being tidal with ebbs and flows, how exercise and physical activity helps sustain creativity and touring stamina, and artists from The Grateful Dead to Public Enemy and De La Soul.

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Elizabeth Cook on living creatively, diversification, and fairy tales.

Wed, 07 Jun 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Elizabeth Cook has released 7 records, played the Grand Ole Opry 400+ times, hosts Apron Strings on Outlaw Country Sirius XM and Upstream on Circle TV, and is an occasional character on Squidbillies on adult swim (as Tammi). We talk to Elizabeth about her incredible diversity in her creative endeavors, her approach to creating in every facet of life, coming up in the Music Row publishing world and a whole lot more.

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Rodney Crowell on failure, knowing when it's done, and vision quests.

Wed, 31 May 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Rodney Crowell is the definition of a legendary songwriter - he has multiple Grammys, 15 #1 singles (5 from 1 record), and everyone from Emmylou Harris to Bob Seger, Waylon Jennings, and George Strait have recorded his songs. He is also incredibly wise, and generous with his insights - we talk with him about failures, using vision quests to reset and recenter, defining success, and how Guy Clark taught him when to know a song is done.

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Osei Essed on being open, composing vs songwriting, and defining the language.

Wed, 24 May 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Osei Essed is a film composer and songwriter who has scored films such as Crater (Disney), Unveiled: Surviving La Luz Del Mundo (HBO), The Lincoln Project (Showtime), and Period. End of Sentence (Oscar winner) as well as writing and fronting Brooklyn-based bands The Woes, and Big Hands Rhythm & Blues Band (Ropeadope Records). We talk about having goals and ambition but not being attached to the specific outcome, the similarities and differences between writing for stage (songwriting) and composing for film, and some of the tools Osei uses to stay grounded and focused while facing daunting deadlines from multiple projects at once.

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Mark Erelli on the ritual, learning from others, and choosing daily.

Wed, 17 May 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Mark Erelli has released over 16 albums, as well as being an in-demand sideman with the likes of Lori McKenna, Josh Ritter, Paula Cole, Amy Helm and others. We cover a lot of ground in this conversation, from how Mark reaffirms his commitment every day, to leaning on the combination of all of your experiences to get through tough situations, to how he learns from everyone he performs with, to the ritual of live music.

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Becca Mancari on owning your creative process, validation vs affirmation, and coping.

Wed, 10 May 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Becca Mancari is an indie folk artist who releases her own records and plays in Bermuda Triangle with Britney Howard (Alabama Shakes), as well as with Hayley Williams (Paramore). We explore the evolution of coping mechanisms, including changing your view of simple self-care as being weak, as well as the power of owning your entire creative process, and how shifting the language you use inwardly can be a catalyst for monumental change.

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Leyla McCalla on artistic lives as societal change, inspiration from academia, and parenthood.

Wed, 03 May 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Leyla McCalla is a Haitian-American artist who releases records on Anti- Records, is a member of Our Native Daughters, and has been commissioned to create music in conjunction with research at Duke University. We talk about how living an artistic life, and demonstrating that to a younger generation, is a strong form of societal change, how she juggles immense projects as a mother of three, and how she weaves history and academia into her writing and creative process.

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Lucius on continual reinvention, building a team, and chores.

Wed, 26 Apr 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Lucius have released 4 records of their own, as well as appearing on records with the likes of Roger Waters, Jackson Browne, The War On Drugs, Brandi Carlile, John Prine, Sheryl Crow, to name a FEW. We talk about how they juggle this insane schedule, partnership and collaboration, how they've constantly morphed and reinvented all while (and because of) keeping a loyal team behind them, co-writing for the first time, and the rejuvenating power in simple mundane chores.

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Joe Pug on prioritizing what's fruitful, tracking data, and Dante's Inferno.

Wed, 19 Apr 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Joe Pug sold 20,000 copies of his first record after handing out free sampler CDs, and has gone on to be a DIY champion with multiple records and a successful podcast - The Working Songwriter. We talk intricacies of running a business as a creative, prioritizing your time and attention throughout the creative process, career longevity, and the lessons in Dante's Inferno.

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Lola Kirke on multiple creative careers, compare despair, and understanding lineage.

Wed, 12 Apr 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Lola Kirke is an actress/musician who was in Mozart in the Jungle, Winning time and others, and who's latest record "Woman for Sale" is out on Third Man Records. We talk about staying sane while juggling 2 different creative careers, how art is about giving not receiving, and what is counterculture.

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Melanie Charles on the importance of exploration, curiosity, and living your artistic message.

Wed, 05 Apr 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Melanie Charles is a genre bending artist/songwriter/producer who's performed with artists from Wynton Marsalis to SZA. We talk about artist freedom, the power of curiosity and exploration, balancing advocacy and self-care, and solitude in your creative practice.

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BJ Barham on imposter syndrome, longevity, and reinventing yourself.

Wed, 29 Mar 2023 11:00:00 +0000

BJ Barham releases music as American Aquarium. We go deep on the power of sticking to it, mining the depths as inspiration, sobriety, and keeping everything in-house.

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Andrew Combs on challenging stereotypes, creating as healing, and meditation.

Wed, 22 Mar 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Andrew Combs is an acclaimed singer-songwriter from Nashville via Dallas, with records released via New West, Loose Music (EU) and independently, and has toured with Shovels & Rope, Caitlin Rose, and NPR's Tiny Desk. We discuss how common stereotypes of artists are wrong and even detrimental, the healing and rejuvenating power of simply creating for the sake of creating, meditation, and sobriety in the music industry.

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The Milk Carton Kids on knowing what you want, positive boundaries, and the internet.

Wed, 15 Mar 2023 11:00:00 +0000

The Milk Carton Kids are a Grammy-nominated duo who have released 6+ records. We talk about defining what success looks like on your own terms, setting boundaries to open doors, record making, and plenty of tangents and laughs.

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Aaron Lee Tasjan on inner voices, slowing down, and alternate creative outlets.

Wed, 15 Mar 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Aaron Lee Tasjan is a Grammy-nominated songwriter, multi-record artist, and former member of bands such as The New York Dolls, Semi Precious Weapons, and Drivin n' Cryin. Here we talk about slowing down to do less more meaningfully, inspiration from finding alternate outlets for your creativity, and weathering tough seasons in life.

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Kyshona on holding energy, mission statements, and saying no.

Wed, 15 Mar 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Kyshona is an acclaimed singer-songwriter, music therapist, and session singer. We talk about the importance of listening to yourself, carving out down-time for yourself, and the power of mission/artistic statements.

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Shovels & Rope on intentional creative time, creative vulnerability, and touring with a family.

Wed, 15 Mar 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Shovels & Rope have released 9+ records, including collaborations with Brandi Carlile, Sharon Van Etten and more, have numerous late-night appearances and awards, and also started and curate High Water Festival. We talk with them about carving out time to be creative, having, growing and touring with a family, and the the unique strengths and vulnerabilities of creating in a partnership.

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Emily Scott Robinson on validation addiction, avoiding shoulds, and the power of staying grounded.

Wed, 15 Mar 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Emily Scott Robinson is a singer-songwriter with multiple records on John Prine's Oh Boy Records, and is a former social worker. Here we talk about the power of staying grounded in yourself and your needs, the endless hustle and grind culture of the business, validation addiction, mental health, and more.

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Trailer

Thu, 02 Mar 2023 04:03:18 +0000

Podcast launches on March 15th with 5 episodes, and then continues weekly after that. Follow us on your social media of choice - @TheOther22Hours - for sneak peaks and guest announcements. Become a subscribing member on our Patreon to gain more inside access including exclusive content, workshops, the chance to have your questions answered by our upcoming guests, and more.