Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters

Blackberry Smoke frontman and primary songwriter Charlie Starr goes deep on his music's Southern roots and wide-ranging appeal.PART ONEPaul 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 TWOOur in-depth interview with Charlie StarrABOUT CHARLIE STARRCharlie Starr is a guitarist, vocalist, and the primary songwriter of the Atlanta-based Blackberry Smoke. Building a dedicated fanbase over the past two decades, Blackberry Smoke has perfected a gritty Southern brand of rootsy rock & roll that crosses genres. Their commercial breakthrough came with the 2012 album The Whippoorwill, which landed on Billboard’s mainstream, country, Americana, and indie charts. Their follow up album, Holding All the Roses, produced by Brendan O’Brien, became the first independently released album in modern history to hit #1 on the Billboard Country Album chart. Both Holding All the Roses and the follow up, Like an Arrow, hit #1 on the UK Rock chart in addition to topping the US country chart. Their 2021 album, You Hear Georgia, topped the Billboard Americana/Folk chart, giving the band dominance in yet another musical category. Blackberry Smoke’s most recent release, recorded with the help of Grammy-winning producer Dave Cobb, is called Be Right Here.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 soaked in the biggest storm in recent Los Angeles memory! PART TWO:Our in-person an in-depth conversation with living legend Bobby RushABOUT BOBBY RUSH: One of the last of the golden era blues artists, 90-year-old Bobby Rush has been preforming professionally since the 1940s. After a stint traveling with the Rabbit’s Foot Minstrels as a teenager, he toured the juke joints of Louisiana, Arkansas, and Mississippi before settling in Chicago in the 1950s. Starting in 1964, he released a string of singles on seven different record labels before releasing his first album, Rush Hour, in 1979. Bobby has since amassed an impressive body of recorded work that covers funk, soul, blues, and other influences. Penning much of his own material, his standards include “Chicken Heads,” “Bow Legged Woman,” “I Wanna Do the Do,” “Sue,” “One Monkey Don’t Stop No Show,” “Big Fat Woman,” “Night Fishin’,” and “Down in Mississippi.” At the age of 83, he won his first Grammy award. Bobby is now a three-time Grammy winner (with seven nominations), is in the Blues Hall of Fame, and has won 16 Blues Music Awards. Rolling Stone magazine dubbed the charismatic entertainer ”the King of the Chitllin’ Circuit.” Also known as “the Funkiest Man Alive,” Bobby Rush shows no signs of slowing down. His most recent album is 2023’s Grammy-winning All My Love For You. Tags: Grammy nominee, Grammy winner, Blues Hall of Fame  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 ONEScott and Paul shout out some Patreon supporters and reflect on the small handful of artists who, like Guns N' Roses, emerged on the scene and completely changed the game. PART TWOOur in-depth interview with Duff McKaganABOUT DUFF McKAGANThough best known as the bassist for Guns N’ Roses, Duff McKagan wears many musical hats. He started his career in Seattle playing various instruments in various punk bands. Following a stint on guitar in the group 10 Minute Warning he moved to Los Angeles, and eventually ended up in Guns N' Roses. Starting in 1987, they released a steady stream of classics with songwriting credits to the whole band, including “Welcome to the Jungle,” “Sweet Child o’ Mine,” “Paradise City,” and “Patience.” As the 1990s dawned, the group released the albums Use Your Illusion I and II, which included Duff-penned songs such as “Civil War,” which he co-wrote with Slash and Axl Rose, and “So Fine,” which he wrote solo, and on which he performed the lead vocal. Following Duff’s first solo album, Believe in Me, in 1993, he formed the supergroup Neurotic Outsiders, which included Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols, John Taylor of Duran Duran, and Matt Sorum of The Cult and Guns N’ Roses. After departing Guns N’ Roses in 1997, Duff returned to 10 Minute Warning before forming a new band called Loaded. That band went on hiatus when he launched Velvet Revolver with Loaded guitarist Dave Kushner, Slash, Matt Sorum, and Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots. Writing the songs with the whole band, they found success with tracks such as “Slither” and “Fall to Pieces.” In 2016 Duff and Slash officially returned to Guns N’ Roses to headline Coachella. Prior to his return, he played with various groups, including a revival of Loaded, Alice Cooper’s band, Jane’s Addiction, and Hollywood Vampire. Since returning to Guns N’ Roses Duff has remained busy with outside projects. His solo album Tenderness, produced by Shooter Jennings, was released in 2019. He co-wrote five songs on Ozzy Osbourne’s Ordinary Man album, and co-wrote three songs on Iggy Pop’s album Every Loser. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer's  most recent solo effort, entitled Lighthouse, was released in 2023.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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:Paul and Scott geek out over the new Black Crowes single and review that band's role in their friendship, give some background on this historically unique Songcraft episode, and much more.PART TWO:Our in-depth conversation with Audley Freed  ABOUT AUDLEY FREED:Musician and songwriter Audley Freed launched his career with the band Cry of Love. Their debut album Brother, on Columbia Records, spawned two #1 and two Top Ten AOR hits, including the Freed co-written “Peace Pipe,” named by Billboard magazine as one of the “top 50 AOR songs of all time.” After a second Cry of Love album, Freed went on to join The Black Crowes. Spending three years with the band, he performed on the album Lions and the Gold-certified double live album Jimmy Page & The Black Crowes: Live at the Greek. He has toured as a guitarist with Jakob Dylan, Peter Frampton, Joe Perry, The Dixie Chicks, and many others, and has played on albums by Rodney Crowell, Alison Krauss, Kenny Chesney, and more. Audley has been a member of the bands Big Hat and Trigger Hippy, and has been a member of Sheryl Crow’s band for more than a decade. As a songwriter, his music has been recorded by Chris Robinson, Gov’t Mule, Kid Rock, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Allison Moorer, Train, Gary Allan, and Wade Bowen, among others.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 in-depth conversation with JD SoutherABOUT JD SOUTHER:JD Souther is perhaps best known for writing or co-writing ten songs recorded by the Eagles, including “Victim of Love,” “The Sad Café,” “How Long,” and the #1 hits “Best of My Love,” “New Kid in Town,” and “Heartache Tonight.” Another ten of his songs were recorded by Linda Ronstadt, among them “Faithless Love,” “Prisoner in Disguise,” and “Simple Man, Simple Dream.” The list of other artists who have drawn from the JD Souther songbook includes Bonnie Raitt, Rod Stewart, Conway Twitty, Glen Campbell, George Strait, Trisha Yearwood, Tom Jones, Roy Orbison, Raul Malo, Michael Buble, India.Arie, and Crosby, Stills & Nash. Additionally, JD co-wrote three songs with Don Henley on his End of the Innoncence album, including “Heart of the Matter,” and found success with the Dixie Chicks’ cover of his “I’ll Take Care of You.” As an artist, JD launched his career with the group Longbranch / Pennywhistle, which he founded with future Eagle Glenn Frey. Soon after, he co-founded the Souther-Hillman-Furay Band with Chris Hillman of The Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers, and Richie Furay of Buffalo Springfield and Poco. In total, JD has released seven solo studio albums between 1972 and 2015, and landed two Top 10 hits as a recording artist with “You’re Only Lonely” and the James Taylor duet “Her Town Too.” Souther was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2013.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

SUMMARYIn 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 on another year at Songcraft. PART ONEPaul and Scott reflect on 2023, talk Grammy nominations, and tease upcoming episodes for 2024.PART TWOInterview segments with Deanie Parker, William Bell, and Carla Thomas about their original holiday songs and what Christmas was like at Stax Records in the glory days.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 CaseABOUT PETER CASE:Two-time Grammy nominee Peter Case made a name for himself in the pioneering California power pop trio The Nerves before going on to form The Plimsouls, which made a splash with the single “A Million Miles Away.” Launching a solo career with producer T Bone Burnett in the mid-1980s, Case went on to earn a reputation as a songwriter’s songwriter with staples such as “Old Blue Car,” “Entella Hotel,” “Two Angels,” “Travellin’ Light,” “Dream About You,” and “Beyond the Blues.” His songs have been recorded by The Go-Go’s, Marshall Crenshaw, Goo Goo Dolls, John Prine, Robert Earl Keen, James McMurtry, Chris Smither, Robert Randolph, John Prine, Alejandro Escovedo, Joe Ely, Hayes Carll, Dave Alvin, and others. Peter’s most recent album, Doctor Moan, is his first collection of original songs in seven years.   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 Rolling Stones and the Beatles. PART TWO (28 minute mark):Our in-depth conversation with Gavin RossdaleABOUT GAVIN ROSSDALE:As the lead vocalist, guitarist, songwriter and founder of the band Bush, Gavin Rossdale has sold over 24 million records in the U.S. and Canada, garnered over 1 billion streams, and won the prestigious Ivor Novello Award for International Achievement in Songwriting. He and the band are responsible for a string of 25 consecutive Top 40 hit singles on Billboard’s Modern, Mainstream, and Active Rock charts spanning over 30 years. Seven of those songs reached #1, including “Comedown,” “Glycerine,” “Machinehead,” the Grammy-nominated “Swallowed,” and 2022’s “More Than Machines.” Rossdale has also starred in films such as The Bling Ring and Constantine, and has found success with his solo work, including the Top 40 single “Love Remains the Same.” Bush recently released its critically-acclaimed ninth studio album, The Art Of Survival. Gavin and the band’s latest project is called Loaded: The Greatest Hits, 1994-2023, and is Bush’s first career-spanning compilation.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 BeatlesPART ONE:Scott and Paul talk about concept albums and reveal their favoritesPART TWO:Our in-depth conversation with Dave BarnesABOUT DAVE BARNES:Nashville-based singer, songwriter, musician, podcaster and comedian Dave Barnes began his professional life as an indie touring musician in the early 2000s. After a couple of critically-acclaimed albums, he signed with Razor & Tie Records and released his third full-length studio effort, Me and You and the World. The follow-up album, What We Want, What We Get, included the single “God Gave Me You,” which became a Top 5 Contemporary Christian hit for Dave and was subsequently recorded by Blake Shelton. The cover version became a #1 hit on country radio, went five times Platinum, and earned Dave a Grammy nomination for Best Country Song and a CMA nomination for Song of the Year. He found additional success writing with and for other country artists, including Thomas Rhett and Maren Morris’s #1 duet “Craving You,” Carrie Underwood’s “Kingdom,” and “Like a Lady,” a Top 20 single by Lady A. The list of artists who have recorded his songs also includes Reba McEntire, Tim McGraw, and Christian artist Bethany Dillon, who scored a Top 5 hit with “All I Need.” Drawn to thematic projects, Dave has released two Christmas albums, two Valentine’s Day LPs, and an album paying tribute to the sounds of '70s Southern California called Carry On, San Vicente. To date, he has released over a dozen full-length studio albums. The most recent, Featherbrained Wealth Motel, came after a year Dave spent listening solely to The Beatles.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 MerchantABOUT:Natalie Merchant launched her career as the lead vocalist and primary lyricist of the band 10,000 Maniacs, which broke through with the double Platinum album In My Tribe in 1987. Subsequent albums Blind Man’s Zoo and Our Time in Eden spawned the Merchant-penned singles “Trouble Me” and “These Are Days,” respectively. Following an appearance on MTV Unplugged and a hit single covering Bruce Springsteen and Patti Smith’s “Because the Night,” Natalie departed the band to launch a solo career. Her debut album, Tigerlily, featured the Top 10 singles “Carnival,” “Wonder,” and “Jealousy,” and was certified five times Platinum. She has gone on to release nine solo studio albums, including the Platinum-selling Ophelia, which spawned the single “Kind & Generous”; Leave Your Sleep, which topped the US folk charts; and a 2014 self-titled release that reached the Top 5 on Billboard’s rock chart. Recent years have found Natalie rearranging her songs for string quintet and acoustic instruments for the documentary Paradise Is There, directing Shelter, a documentary on domestic violence, curating the 10-disc box The Natalie Merchant Collection, and spending four days a week working with children as an artist-in-residence at a non-profit pre-school. In November 2022, Natalie was appointed to a six-year term on the board of trustees for the American Folklife Center at The Library of Congress. Her ninth studio album, and first album of all new, original material in nine years, is the self-produced Keep Your Courage on Nonesuch Records.   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.