Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters

SUMMARY:Our guest on this episode of Songcraft is musician, rapper, poet, activist, and singer-songwriter Michael Franti, who is best known for his work with his group Spearhead. He joins us to discuss the evolution of his music, the creation of hits such as “Say Hey (I Love You)” and “The Sound of Sunshine,” and his most recent album, Work Hard & Be Nice. PART ONE:Scott and Paul get into some serious grammar nerd stuff about implied punctuation in lyrics, how incorrect sentence construction often works better in lyrics, and what the heck Bryan Adams really had in mind when he wrote "Heaven."PART TWO:We chat about our friends at Pearl Snap Studios, address Scott's "Zoom yelling," and tee up for the main event...PART THREE:Scott's in-depth interview with Michael FrantiABOUT MICHAEL FRANTISocially conscious and genre-bending artist, musician, rapper, poet, activist and singer-songwriter Michael Franti launched his career with early groups such as Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, whose debut release was listed in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. He went on to form Spearhead, which evolved from hip-hop to incorporate influences including jazz, soul, funk, rock, reggae, and folk. The 2008 Michael Franti & Spearhead album All Rebel Rockers was his first to hit the Top 40 on the Billboard album charts on the strength of the single “Say Hey (I Love You),” which was also a Top 20 hit on the pop chart. He went on to release a string of albums that hit the Rock Albums Top 5, including The Sound of Sunshine, All People, and SoulRocker. His most recent album is called Work Hard & Be Nice, which was released during the pandemic in the summer of 2020. In addition to his work as an artist and activist, Michael is the owner of a yoga resort hotel in Bali called Soulshine, from which he joined us for this interview. 

Summary:Our guest on this episode of Songcraft is Marty Dodson, who has written #1 singles such as “Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven” for Kenny Chesney and “Must Be Doin’ Something Right” for Billy Currington. The Nashville hitmaker joins us to discuss his songwriting journey, and give us further insight into Songtown, the songwriter community he co-founded to provide quality resources for aspiring professionals.  Part One:Scott and Paul talk about their favorite music podcasts of the moment.Part Two:Our in-depth interview with Marty Dodson.About Marty Dodson:One of the rare Nashville songwriters who actually grew up in Nashville, Marty Dodson changed careers as a young adult to dedicate himself to his passion for writing songs. Much of his success came in the country world with singles such as Rascal Flatts’ Top 10 hit “While You Loved Me,” Carrie Underwood’s “Songs Like This,” Kenny Chesney’s multi-week #1 hit “Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven,” Charlie Worsham’s debut single “Could It Be,” Blake Shelton’s “Doing it to Country Songs.” and two Billy Currington chart-toppers, “Must Be Doin’ Something’ Right” and “Let Me Down Easy.” Never one to limit himself to a single genre, Marty has also collaborated with Tom Higgenson of the rock band Plain White T’s, which recorded two of his songs, and has had his compositions recorded by everyone from Joe Cocker, who had an international #1 with Marty’s “Fire It Up,” to Cho Yong Pil, a South Korean superstar who had a multi-week #1 with Marty’s song “Bounce.” In addition to his writing, Marty is the co-founder of Songtown, a creative community of aspiring writers that provides blog posts, webinars, podcasts, and even books, including two co-authored by Marty: Song Building: Mastering Lyric Writing, and The Songwriter’s Guide to Mastering Co-Writing.

SUMMARY: Bridget Kearney and Rachael Price of the band Lake Street Dive join us to talk about a career that’s earned them top 20 albums on the Billboard 200 chart, a half dozen singles on the AAA chart, massive critical praise, and a brand new album on Nonesuch Records called "Obviously" that elevates the band’s pop, rock, R&B, and jazz influences into a perfectly unique blend that's equal parts retro and contemporary. PART ONE:Paul & Scott read listener mail, talk Patreon perks, and tell you how to get your very own Songcraft T-shirt! PART TWO:Our in-depth conversation with Rachael and Bridget of Lake Street DiveABOUT LAKE STREET DIVE:Lake Street Dive’s tight harmonies and wide-ranging tastes in pop, rock, R&B, and jazz blend together to create a cohesive sound that celebrates retro influences with a contemporary attitude. Formed at the New England Conservatory of Music in 2004, the group has released seven studio albums, issued two EPs, and charted a half dozen singles on Billboard’s Adult Alternative Airplay chart including “Call Off Your Dogs,” “Good Kisser,” “Shame Shame Shame,” and “Hypotheticals.” The latter is off their most recent album on Nonesuch Records, titled Obviously. The group has appeared on Late Night with David Letterman, Conan, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and NPR’s Tiny Desk series. They’ve earned many millions of YouTube views with their innovative interpretations of covers songs, as well as with originals such as “What I’m Doing Here,” “You Go Down Smooth,” “Mistakes,” “Side Pony,” and “Bad Self Portraits.” Lead singer Rachael Price and bassist Bridget Kearney join us to talk about their songwriting process and the evolution of the band.  

PART ONE:Scott & Paul chat about making records, and dive way too deep on how every Songcraft guest is connected.PART TWO (30 minute mark):Our in-depth interview with Todd SniderABOUT TODD SNIDER:Celebrated singer-songwriter Todd Snider has continued the troubadour legacy of mentors like John Prine, Jerry Jeff Walker, and Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, while putting his uniquely clever, wry, sly, and often irreverent spin on folk, rock, country, and Americana. Launching his career on Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Records, Snider has spent more than two decades touring relentlessly, both on his own and with legendary artists such as Emmylou Harris. Along the way he’s made a splash with fan favorite songs such as “Talking Seattle Grunge Rock Blues,” “Alright Guy,” “Can’t Complain,” “Beer Run,” “Statistician’s Blues,” and “Play a Train Song.” He has released well over a dozen albums, including The Devil You Know and Agnostic Hymns and Stoner Fables, both of which were named to Rolling Stone’s list of the Top 50 Albums of the Year. He also formed the group Hardworking Americans, and published a memoir called I Never Met a Story I Didn’t Like: Mostly True Tall Tales. His songs have been covered by Garth Brooks, Gary Allan, Mark Chesnutt, Tom Jones, Jerry Jeff Walker, Billy Joe Shaver, Elizabeth Cook, Warren Haynes, Loretta Lynn, and Elvis Costello. His experimental new funk-influenced album is called First Agnostic Church of Hope and Wonder.

SUMMARY:Dan Nigro has already taken 2021 by storm as the co-writer and producer of Olivia Rodrigo’s global smash hit “Drivers License.” He joins us to talk about his development as a writer, his success with Freya Ridings and Conan Gray, and how he’s experiencing this moment as pop music’s new songwriting superstar. PART ONE:Scott and Paul chat about how oddly "adult" pop music was in the '80s.PART TWO:Our in-depth interview with Dan NigroABOUT DAN NIGRO:Songwriter and producer Dan Nigro is having a major moment. Olivia Rodrigo’s debut single “Drivers License,” which he co-wrote and produced, made her the youngest artist in history to debut at the top of the Billboard pop chart. A global sensation, the song not only stayed on top of the US chart for two full months, but reached number one in the UK, Japan, and more than 20 other countries. It set a new streaming record on Spotify with over 15 million plays in a single day. Prior to his years-long overnight success, Dan began his musical life as the leader of indie rock band As Tall as Lions before transitioning to songwriting and producing. His resume includes “Cameo Lover” by Kimbra, “Mercy” by Lewis Capaldi, “Castles” by Freya Ridings, “So Hot You’re Hurting My Feelings” by Caroline Polachek, and “Heather” by Conan Gray. In addition to those songs, which have nearly 300 million combined views on YouTube, Dan has written and/or produced for Sky Ferreira, Kylie Minogue, Billy Idol, Little Boots, Carly Rae Jepsen, Zella Day, Finneas, and many others. His latest single, Olivia Rodrigo’s “Deja Vu,” was released less than two weeks prior to this episode and is already a Top 10 pop hit, indicating that the team of Rodrigo and Nigro is here to stay. 

SUMMARY: Rock & Roll Hall of Famer and four-time Grammy nominee Nancy Wilson of Heart joins us to chat about self-penned classics such as "Crazy on You," "Magic Man," "Barracuda," and "Never," as well as her work scoring films, and her upcoming debut solo album, You and Me. PART ONE: Paul and Scott chat about demos, their friends at Pearl Snap Studios, the grand finale of their Women's History Month series, why Nancy Wilson paved the way for little girls to aspire to great guitar heights, and what one Heart song each of them plans to blast after the interview. PART TWO: 9:02 markOur in-depth interview with Nancy WilsonABOUT NANCY WILSON:Four-time Grammy nominee and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Nancy Wilson is best known for her work in the band Heart, which she and her sister Ann helped propel to rock superstardom in the 1970s, thanks to self-penned classics such as “Crazy On You,” “Magic Man,” “Dreamboat Annie,” “Barracuda,” “Little Queen,” “Heartless,” “Straight On,” “Dog & Butterfly,” and “Even It Up.” In the mid-1980s they reinvented themselves as mainstream radio hitmakers with a string of successful singles, including “What About Love,” “Never,” “These Dreams,” “Nothin’ at All,” “Alone,” “Who Will You Run To,” “There’s the Girl,” “All I Wanna Do Is Make Love to You,” and “Stranded.” Though she has sold over 35 million albums worldwide as a member of Heart, Nancy’s songwriting efforts extend beyond the confines of the band. She has written songs and scores for films, including Say Anything, Jerry Maguire, Almost Famous, Vanilla Sky, and Elizabethtown. She is also a founding member of the bands The Lovemongers and Roadcase Royale. Though she previously released a solo acoustic set called Live At McCabe’s Guitar Shop, Nancy’s debut studio album as a solo artist, You and Me, will be released on May 7th.   

Jackie DeShannon is best known for her hit records “What the World Needs Now is Love” and the self-penned “Put a Little Love In Your Heart.” The Songwriters Hall of Fame member and five-time Grammy nominee who won the coveted Song of the Year Grammy for “Bette Davis Eyes” joins us to chat about her remarkable career. PART ONEScott and Paul chat about their new theme song, Grammys lost and won, further reflections on Women's History Month, and why Paul's daughter is a little confused by Paul Stanley of KISS. PART TWOOur in-depth interview with the legendary Jackie DeShannonABOUT JACKIE DeSHANNONJackie DeShannon was one of the first women in pop music to write and record her own material. As an artist, Jackie is best known for her recording of the Burt Bacharach and Hal David classic “What the World Needs Now is Love,” as well as for her self-penned “Put a Little Love in Your Heart,” which was a Top 5 hit for her before being revived 20 years later to become a hit once again for Al Green and Annie Lennox. The five-time Grammy nominee who won the coveted Song of the Year Grammy for “Bette Davis Eyes” composed several classics, including “Dum Dum,” a hit for Brenda Lee, “Breakaway,” a hit for both Irma Thomas and Tracy Ullman, “When You Walk in the Room,” which was covered by The Searchers, and “Don’t Doubt Yourself Babe,” which was included on the debut album by The Byrds.Jackie appeared with The Beatles on their first American tour in 1964 and has collaborated with a wide range of artists including Randy Newman, Jimmy Page, and Van Morrison. Her songs have been covered by Marianne Faithfull, Ella Fitzgerald, Glen Campbell, The Everly Brothers, Cher, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Dolly Parton, Rick Nelson, Bruce Springsteen, Michael McDonald, and Taylor Swift. Jackie was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2010. 

Summary: Grand Ole Opry legend Jeannie Seely. a Grammy winner who placed nearly 30 singles on the Billboard country charts as an artist, joins us to chat about her craft as a BMI award-winning songwriter whose compositions have been recorded by Merle Haggard, Ray Price, Irma Thomas, Rhonda Vincent, Faron Young, Connie Smith, Dottie West, Willie Nelson, and others. She talks about co-writing with Randy Newman and Glen Campbell, shares her perspective on Nashville’s songwriting community as the former spouse of Hall of Fame songwriter Hank Cochran, tells us what she learned from Porter Wagoner, and sheds insights on the challenges women of her generation faced while making their way as respected country songwriters.   PART ONE: The guys chat about Paul's recent songwriting success with artist Lauren Daigle and look ahead to what they have planned for Women's History Month.PART TWO: Our in-depth interview with Jeannie Seely.ABOUT JEANNIE SEELY:Singer, songwriter, producer, actress, author and radio show host Jeannie Seely has been a staple of the Grand Ole Opry cast for more than five decades, and is now the Official Ambassador for the Opry. She rose to prominence with the #1 hit “Don’t Touch Me,” a multi-million selling single written by her ex-husband, songwriting legend Hank Cochran, that earned her a Grammy award and recognition from Billboard, Cashbox and Record World magazines as the Most Promising Female Country Artist. Earning the nickname Miss Country Soul, Seely placed nearly 30 songs on the Billboard country chart, including “It’s Only Love,” “A Wanderin’ Man,” “I’ll Love You More (Than You Need),” “Can I Sleep in Your Arms Tonight Mister,” the Grammy-nominated Jack Greene duet “Wish I Didn’t Have to Miss You,” and the self-penned songs “Farm in Pennsyltucky” and “He Can Be Mine.”Before she hit the charts as an artist, Jeannie found early pop songwriting success with “Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand),” a pop and R&B hit for Irma Thomas that she co-wrote with Randy Newman. Soon, country artists such as Connie Smith and Dottie West began recording Jeannie’s songs. Since then, her compositions have been recorded by Willie Nelson, Ernest Tubb, Ray Price, Little Jimmy Dickens, Tex Williams, Merle Haggard, Lorrie Morgan, Doyle Lawson, and Faron Young, who scored a Top 10 pop hit with “Leaving and Saying Goodbye,” which earned Jeannie a BMI award.  Recording for the Monument, Decca, MCA and Columbia labels, Seely is credited with breaking barriers for women in country music, and the four-time CMA Awards nominee hasn’t slowed down. She hosts her own radio show on Willie’s Roadhouse on SiriusXM, and co-wrote “Like I Could,” a recent bluegrass chart topper recorded by Rhonda Vincent. Her recent albums include Written in Song, which spotlights her own compositions, and American Classic, her most recent album which features “Not a Dry Eye in the House,” a duet with Willie Nelson that was released on Jeannie’s 80th birthday in 2020.    

Our guest is Diane Warren, an Emmy, Golden Globe, and Grammy winner with 11 Academy Award nominations for Best Original Song. The Songwriters Hall of Famer and ASCAP Founders Award winner is known for a long list of hits, including “Rhythm of the Night,” “Blame it On the Rain,” “Because You Loved Me,” “Don’t Turn Around,” “Unbreak My Heart,” “I Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing,” and “How Do I Live.” She joins us to talk about her wide-ranging career, and her upcoming first-ever studio album, The Cave Sessions, Vol. 1.   PART ONE:Scott and Paul chat about the Bruce Springsteen Super Bowl commercial, authenticity, Willie Nelson's reggae album, and Lady Gaga's meat dress. PART TWO:The guys pay tribute to Songwriters Hall of Famer (and former Songcraft guest) Jim Weatherly who passed away recently. Hear all about Scott's connection with the "Midnight Train to Georgia" writer that goes back many many years.  PART THREE: Our in-depth interview with Diane WarrenABOUT DIANE WARRENSongwriters Hall of Famer Diane Warren is an Emmy, Golden Globe, and Grammy winner (with a total of 15 Grammy nominations to her credit) who has been honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and is perhaps one of the most successful pop songwriters of all time. Her long list of Top-10 pop hits includes “Rhythm of the Night” by DeBarge, “I Get Weak” by Belinda Carlisle, “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” and “Set the Night to Music” by Starship, “Who Will You Run To” by Heart, “I Don’t Wanna Live Without Your Love” and “Look Away” by Chicago, “Blame it on the Rain” by Milli Vanilli, “How Can We Be Lovers” and “When I’m Back on My Feet Again” by Michael Bolton, “I’ll Be Your Shelter” and “Love Will Lead You Back” by Taylor Dayne, “If I Could Turn Back Time” and “Just Like Jesse James” by Cher, and “When I See You Smile” by Bad English.But those are just a few highlights from the 1980s. In the ‘90s she became a five-time ASCAP Pop Songwriter of the Year, and was named Billboard Pop Songwriter of the Year for three years in a row thanks to writing hits such as “If You Asked Me To” and “Because You Loved Me” for Celine Dion, “Don’t Turn Around” for Ace of Base, “For You I Will” for Monica, “The One I Gave My Heart To” for Aaliyah, “Unbreak My Heart” for Toni Braxton, “Have You Ever” for Brandy, “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” for Aerosmith, “I Turn to You” for Christina Aguilera, “Music of My Heart” for Gloria Estefan, and “How Do I Live” for LeAnn Rimes, which became the longest-running song in Billboard chart history. Warren has earned eleven Academy Award nominations for Best Original Song between 1988 and 2020, including “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now,” “Because You Loved Me,” “How Do I Live,” “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing,” “Til It Happens to You,” which was a collaboration with Lady Gaga, “Stand Up for Something,” which was a collaboration with Common and “I’ll Fight” from the film RBG. She has continued to have her songs recorded by a wide-range of artists in recent years, including “Born to Be Somebody” by Justin Bieber, “I Was Here” by Beyonce, “Only Love Can Hurt Like This” by Paloma Faith, and “To Get Here” by Willie Nelson. Other artists who’ve recorded her songs include Barbra Streisand, Johnny Mathis, Jennifer Hudson, Patti LaBelle, Dionne Warwick, Roy Orbison, Al Green, Rod Stewart, Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, Bette Midler, Lionel Richie, Faith Hill, Trisha Yearwood, Reba McEntire, Bon Jovi, Alice Cooper, KISS, Joan Jett, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, Jessie J, Demi Lovato, Carrie Underwood, Adele, Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin, and Whitney Houston. A recipient of the prestigious ASCAP Founder’s Award, Warren has recently completed her first studio album, The Cave Sessions, Vol. 1, which features John Legend, Celine Dion, Mary J. Blige, Jason Derulo, Ty Dolla $ign, LP, and Darius Rucker who performs the lead single “Times Like This.” 

In addition to his own albums and mixtapes, artist, songwriter, and entertainer Eric Bellinger has co-written hits such as Chris Brown’s “New Flame” and Usher’s “Lemme See,” as well as songs by Justin Bieber, Trey Songz, The Game, and others. Eric joins Paul to chat about his remarkable career that spans pop, hip-hop, and R&B. PART ONEScott and Paul talk about musicians who are also great athletes and theorize about the connections between sports and music, including Paul's tales of his days playing basketball with Brian McKnightPART TWOPaul's in-depth interview with Eric BellingerABOUT ERIC BELLINGERSinger, songwriter, and producer Eric Bellinger balances his career as a performer with a long list of behind-the-scenes writer credits on hits such as Chris Brown’s “New Flame,” which topped multiple Billboard charts, “Lemme See,” an ASCAP-award winning song by Usher that reached #2 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, the Top 40 “Right Here” by Justin Bieber featuring Drake, and the theme song of the hit film Think Like a Man, performed by Jennifer Hudson, Ne-Yo, and Rick Ross.The list of other artists who’ve recorded Eric’s songs includes Selena Gomez, Ashanti, Keke Palmer, Brandy, Fantasia, Trey Songz, The Game, Tyrese, Tank, and Teyana Taylor. In addition to “New Flame,” Eric also earned recognition for his contributions to Chris Brown’s Grammy-winning album F.A.M.E., which included the songs “Fine China” and “Love More,” featuring Nicki Minaj. With over a dozen studio albums, mixtapes, and EPs to his credit, Eric Bellinger the artist has released singles such as “Valet” featuring Fetty Wap and 2 Chainz; “Type a Way” featuring Chris Brown; “Moist” featuring K Camp, and “Enough,” which directly addresses racial and societal injustice. His most recent album, a duo project with Hitmaka called 1-800-Hit-Eazy, will be released later this month.