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Every week, we sit down with an acclaimed and venerable songwriter to intimately discuss what happens behind closed doors in the music industry. There are millions of singers, thousands of artists, and only 40 top songs per genre at a time... this podcast is about the people who make them. Produced by Joe London & Ross Golan in association with Big Deal Music & Mega House Music. And The Writer Is... ™ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Songcraft is a bi-weekly podcast that brings you in-depth conversations with and about the creators of lyrics and music that stand the test of time. You probably know their names, and you definitely know their songs. We bring you their stories.
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Today’s guest journey to stardom began on the World Wide Web. At 17 years old, she was quickly noticed by fans and industry professionals alike. She has since accumulated over a billion streams, sold out her first headlining tour, spearheaded her beloved clothing line, and started her own podcast solidifying herself as a multi-hyphenate artist. Aft…
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Ep. 229 - DREW HOLCOMB ("American Beauty")
1:17:56
1:17:56
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Folkie Americana indie hero Drew Holcomb joins us to chat about the songwriting process and which of his songs he's not a fan of! PART ONE Scott and Paul debrief the experience of recently seeing the 74-year-old Bruce Springsteen perform with the energy of a teenager PART TWO Our in-depth conversation with Drew Holcomb ABOUT DREW HOLCOMB Memphis na…
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Today’s guest is a small town boy turned songwriting superstar. Hailing from Strafford, Vermont, our guest spent his life surrounded by profoundly beautiful nature, and a quaint, tight-knit community. This environment served as a source of inspiration for his introspective lyrics and homey folk melodies. After years of honing his craft in this spac…
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Ep. 228 - NICKEL CREEK ("Celebrants")
1:11:11
1:11:11
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Grammy winners and astonishingly fabulous musicians Chris Thile, Sean Watkins, and Sara Watkins of Nickel Creek join us to chat about their fresh approach to songwriting on their most recent album, Celebrants. PART ONE Paul and Scott chat about musical virtuosity, Beyonce, Ricky Skaggs, and the blending of musical genres. PART TWO Our in-depth conv…
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Ep. 227 - ALAN BERGMAN ("The Way We Were")
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Ninety-eight-year-old Songwriters Hall of Famer Alan Bergman chats with us about a wide-ranging career that started with Johnny Mercer and continues to today. PART ONE Paul and Scott talk about the Abba Voyage virtual concert and scare themselves with the possibilities of digital technology. PART TWO Our in-depth interview with Alan Bergman ABOUT A…
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Ep. 226 - NORAH JONES ("Come Away with Me") + profile on Tish Melton
1:30:31
1:30:31
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SUMMARY: Norah Jones joins us to chat about her new album Visions and the evolution of her songwriting since she took the world by storm in 2002. Afterward, stick around for a very special conversation with Tish Melton. The 18-year-old songwriter discusses her new Brandi-Carlile produced EP and more. PART ONE: Paul and Scott reflect on Norah Jones'…
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Ep. 225 - CHARLIE STARR of Blackberry Smoke ("Dig a Hole")
1:19:21
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Blackberry Smoke frontman and primary songwriter Charlie Starr goes deep on his music's Southern roots and wide-ranging appeal. PART ONE Paul and Scott talk Pearl Jam's new single, how travel defines fanhood, and why Blackberry Smoke are a force to be reckoned with when it comes to playing live. PART TWO Our in-depth interview with Charlie Starr AB…
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Ep. 224 - BOBBY RUSH ("Chicken Heads")
1:22:25
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90-year-old blues legend Bobby Rush joins us for a wide-ranging and revealing conversation about songwriting, music, life, and so much more! PART ONE: Scott and Paul chat about Scott's experiences at the Grammy awards, including running into Ted Danson, Jason Isbell, Verdine White, and others. Plus seeing the Killer Mike drama go down and getting s…
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Ep. 223 - DUFF McKAGAN of Guns N' Roses ("Civil War")
1:19:36
1:19:36
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Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Duff McKagan, best known as a member of Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver, talks about writing songs with his legendary bandmates, a few of his various side projects, and his genre-spanning recent album, Lighthouse. PART ONE Scott and Paul shout out some Patreon supporters and reflect on the small handful of artists who, l…
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Ep. 222 - AUDLEY FREED ("Peace Pipe")
1:31:34
1:31:34
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SUMMARY: Audley Freed founded the band Cry of Love before going on to become a well-known guitarist for the Black Crowes, the Dixie Chicks, Sheryl Crow, and many others. He sits down with Songcraft at his Nashville home to go deep on his own fandom, the kind of musician he tries to be, and how his riffs have kickstarted some great songs. PART ONE: …
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Ep. 221 - JD SOUTHER ("The Best of My Love")
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SUMMARY: Songwriters Hall of Famer JD Souther joins Scott and Paul for an in-depth interview to kick off the New Year! PART ONE: Paul and Scott welcome two very special guests (ages 8 and 5) to help set the tone for the new year. Plus they reveal the clever message a listener sent in to win the Stax Christmas LP from the last episode. PART TWO: Our…
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Ep. 220 - STAX CHRISTMAS with Deanie Parker, William Bell, and Carla Thomas
1:11:48
1:11:48
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SUMMARY In this very special holiday episode of Songcraft, we're taking it back to Christmas at Stax, featuring conversations with some of the luminaries of the storied Memphis label that dominated Southern soul music in the 1960s and 70s. You'll hear from Deanie Parker, William Bell, and Carla Thomas as we celebrate the season and close the book o…
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Ep. 219 - PETER CASE ("A Million Miles Away")
1:12:56
1:12:56
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SUMMARY: Two-time Grammy nominee and acclaimed singer-songwriter Peter Case joins Songcraft to talk about his wide-ranging career. PART ONE: Scott and Paul chat about instruments that are nearly as famous as their players. PART TWO: Our in-depth interview with Peter Case ABOUT PETER CASE: Two-time Grammy nominee Peter Case made a name for himself i…
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Ep. 218 - GAVIN ROSSDALE of Bush ("Glycerine")
1:23:51
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SUMMARY: Bush front man Gavin Rossdale joins to chat about the band's first career-spanning compilation as he looks back on all the classic songs. PART ONE: This is a long one that covers Scott's eyewitness account of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Paul's experience at U2's Sphere show, and the guys' thoughts on new music from the…
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Ep. 217 - DAVE BARNES ("God Gave Me You")
1:23:58
1:23:58
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SUMMARY: Grammy-nominated artist and songwriter Dave Barnes joins us to chat about his recording career, his hits for other artists, and his latest album that was inspired from an entire year listening to nothing but the Beatles PART ONE: Scott and Paul talk about concept albums and reveal their favorites PART TWO: Our in-depth conversation with Da…
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Ep. 216 - NATALIE MERCHANT ("Kind & Generous")
1:16:07
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SUMMARY: Celebrated songwriter Natalie Merchant chats about her songwriting, from her days fronting 10,000 Maniacs up to her most recent album, Keep Your Courage. PART ONE: Were the Lilith Fair-era 1990s the best time for women in music? Scott and Paul discuss. PART TWO: Our in-depth conversation with the legendary Natalie Merchant ABOUT: Natalie M…
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Ep. 215 - JOSH RITTER ("Getting Ready to Get Down")
1:25:13
1:25:13
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Summary: Josh Ritter, named one of the "100 Greatest Living Songwriters" by Paste magazine, dives deep with Scott on the evolution of his songwriting and the boundaries he pushed on his most recent album. Part One: Scott and Paul talk about politicians who play music. Because SOMEONE needs to talk about it! Part Two: Scott's in-depth conversation w…
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Ep. 214 - PAUL STANLEY of KISS ("Rock and Roll All Nite")
1:10:57
1:10:57
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SUMMARY: You wanted the best, you got the best! Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Paul Stanley of KISS joins Songcraft to talk about his long and diverse career through the lens of his role as a songwriter. PART ONE: Paul and Scott talk about musicians who adopt personas, how KISS seems to have the best timing of any musical group of all time, and their re…
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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Today’s versatile songwriting superstar earned her stripes touring with her family band. Originally from New York, this writer spend most of her childhood on the road, playing instruments, singing and writing songs. After the family band split up, she moved to Nashville where she dove into the songwriting scene. It took many years of grinding throu…
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Ep. 213 - DEANIE PARKER ("Ain't That a Lot of Love")
1:28:54
1:28:54
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SUMMARY Stax Records legend Deanie Parker talks about writing songs for Otis Redding, Albert King, William Bell, and Carla Thomas, dives deep on what made the Stax environment so special, and shines a light on the recently-released box sets of forgotten Stax songwriter demos. PART ONE Scott and Paul discuss the wild story behind the monumental box …
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Today’s guest is a songwriting legend who helped shape the sound of American pop music. Originally setting out to be a recording star, this guest became one of the most respected pop songwriters within the Brill Building complex of the ’60s. A struggling New Yorker, this writer’s fortunes changed considerably when he met his future wife and songwri…
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Ep. 212 - ZACH WILLIAMS of The Lone Bellow
1:16:37
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SUMMARY: Zach Williams of The Lone Bellow chats about his songwriting development and the band's latest album, Love Songs for Losers PART ONE: Scott and Paul dive deep on the evolution of George Michael's "Careless Whisper" and the role that production plays in presenting a great song. PART TWO: Our in-depth conversation with Zach Williams of The L…
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Today’s guest is a multi-talented writer, producer, music publisher and executive! He grew up in an incredibly unique environment, being the son of the legendary founder of Casablanca Records, which brought the world Donna Summer, Village People, Parliament-Funkadelic and Kiss. This musical upbringing prompted him to work in virtually every sector …
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Today’s guest wrote her first song when she was nine years old and quickly began honing her songwriting skills. After teaching herself guitar, this writer took to open mic nights and busking around West-Sussex, using the money to launch a YouTube channel. Over time, she began cultivating what is now one of the most dedicated fanbases in modern pop.…
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We’re excited to announce a special bonus interview with Alex Heiche, the CEO & Founder of our incredible supporters, Sound Royalties. Ross recently sat down with Alex to discuss the artist-friendly royalty funding services they provide. Read below to find out more about Sound Royalties and listen to this conversation on any platform you find your …
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Ep. 211 - RACHAEL & VILRAY ("Do Friends in Fall in Love?")
1:19:21
1:19:21
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SUMMARY: Lake Street Dive's Rachael Price and composer/guitarist Vilray discuss their dynamic duo that preserves the spirit of the Great American Songbook with original music. PART ONE: Scott tells a story about a bad demo that helped him learn an important lesson. Then Paul introduces a pop quiz to identify songs solely based on their drum intros.…
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Today’s guest is a bona fide hit-maker whose worked across all corners of the industry. Hailing from Memphis, Tennessee this songwriter got their start playing saxophone in church and with bands on Beale Street before being discovered by a talent manager. He soon signed a publishing deal and began his career as a successful songwriter and producer.…
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Today’s guest is a grammy award winning producer, songwriter and musician who has worked with an impressive and eclectic group of stars. He spent 11 years under the wing of legendary producer Dr.Dre and produced songs for Eminem, Carrie Underwood, NF, Fiona Apple, 50 Cent, Keith Urban, Twenty-One Pilots, Ed Sheeran, Gary Clark Jr., Regina Spektor, …
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Ep. 210 - ASHLEY GORLEY ("Last Night")
1:19:42
1:19:42
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SUMMARY: We chat with Ashley Gorley who, with more #1 singles than any writer in any genre, is the reigning king of country music songwriters. PART ONE: Paul and Scott discuss the state of contemporary country music, the way the genre has come to dominate the pop chart, and the rapidly-changing nature of what's the most popular song at any given mo…
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