Songcraft: Spotlight On Songwriters

SUMMARYOur guest on this episode of Songcraft is Yola. The acclaimed British singer and songwriter has released two albums on Dan Auerbach’s Easy Eye Sound label, both of which were produced by the Black Keys’ frontman. She was nominated for four Grammy awards for 2019, including Best New Artist, and is a sometime collaborator with the supergroup The Highwomen alongside Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby, Marren Morris, and Amanda Shires. Yola joins us to chat about her life as a songwriter and artist. PART ONEPaul and Scott discuss the history of the Best New Artist Grammy category, including a few surprising tidbits of trivia.PART TWO Our in-depth interview with YolaABOUT YOLASinger-songwriter Yola made a major splash at the 2020 Grammy ceremony with four nominations: Best Americana Album, Best American Roots Performance and Best American Roots Song for her composition “Faraway Look,” and Best New Artist in the general category alongside Lizzo, Lil Nas X, and Billie Eilish. Dubbed by many as a "country soul sing

SUMMARYOur guest on this episode of Songcraft is Justin Gray, a songwriter, record producer, and music executive whose projects have sold in excess of 40 million copies, and earned more than eight billion streams worldwide. He’ll join us in a bit to talk about his day-to-day life as a songwriter-producer who has worked with Avril Lavigne, Mariah Carey, Glen Campbell, John Legend, and many others. PART ONEScott and Paul welcome Darrin Pfeiffer for a conversation about drumming, songwriting, and more. Darrin is a fabulous drummer (formerly of Goldfinger), the host of the Dangerous Darrin Show podcast, Scott's neighbor, and a heck of a nice guy. PART TWOOur in-depth interview with Justin GrayABOUT JUSTIN GRAYJustin Gray is a Canadian-born, Los Angeles-based songwriter, record producer, music executive and tech entrepreneur. His various projects have sold in excess of 40 million copies, and earned more than eight billion streams worldwide. He has collaborated with a diverse range of artists including Avril Lavign

SUMMARY:Our guest on this episode of Songcraft is genre-bending singer, songwriter, artist, and international sensation LP. She joins us to chat about everything from writing Rihanna’s double platinum Top 10 single “Cheers (Drink to That), to her own artist career which has yielded classics such as “Lost on You” (which reached #1 in 18 countries), to her much-anticipated upcoming sixth studio album, Churches.  PART ONE:Scott and Paul don't hold back on their feelings about Rolling Stone's recently revised "500 Greatest Songwriters of All Time" list. PART TWO:Our in-depth interview with LPABOUT LP:Born Laura Pergolizzi on Long Island, New York, the singer, songwriter, and artist now known as LP got her start with a pair of impressive independent album releases before landing a deal with Island Records. While that album was never completed, “Love Will Keep You Up All Night,” one of the songs she wrote for the project, was recorded by The Backstreet Boys on their Unbreakable album in 2007. Inspired to write for

SUMMARY:Our guest on this episode of Songcraft is musician, songwriter, arranger, and producer Van Dyke Parks. Best known for his work with Brian Wilson on The Beach Boys’ legendarily ill-fated Smile album, Parks has released a number of solo albums, scored several films, arranged countless sessions, and worked with a long list of artists, including The Byrds, Randy Newman, Harry Nilsson, Little Feat, U2, Fiona Apple, Joana Newsom, and many others. PART ONE:Scott and Paul chat about why they're approaching this episode a little differently than usual, the saga of The Beach Boys' Smile, and why Paul should stop checking stuff out from the library. PART TWO:Our in-depth interview with the legendary Van Dyke ParksABOUT VAN DYKE PARKSVan Dyke Parks is one of the more unique American musicians, songwriters, arrangers, and record producers to emerge in the 1960s. Born in Mississippi, he attended the American Boychoir boarding school in Princeton, New Jersey, in his formative years. His first career was as a child a

Thanks for checking out this very special bonus episode. Today we’re pleased to feature a great podcast called Basic Folk, by sharing one of their episodes in our feed. Fellow members of the American Songwriter podcast network, Basic Folk is a unique show that features honest conversations with a variety of musicians. The proceedings are anchored by public radio host Cindy Howes and guest host, singer/songwriter Lizzie No. They bring the warmth, the humor, and most importantly, insightful questions to a genre that is often misunderstood. Their definition of “folk” is extremely broad, so they’ve featured interviews with people such as Tom Rush, Jonatha Brooke, and even some past Songcraft guests, including Lori McKenna, Bridget Kearney of Lake Street Dive, and Emily Saliers of Indigo Girls. The interview we’re sharing with you today features Cindy’s chat with Wesley Schultz of The Lumineers. The two-time Grammy nominees have released three studio albums, starting with the triple platinum self-titled debut whic

SUMMARY:Our guest on this episode of Songcraft is Rami Yacoub, one of the most influential Swedish songwriters and producers of the last two decades. He joins us in a few moments to talk about his career, from early Britney Spears classics such as “Baby One More Time,” to boy band hits such as One Direction’s “What Makes U Beautiful,” to recent smashes such as Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande’s double platinum chart topper “Rain on Me.”  PART ONE:Scott and Paul chat with Nashville-based songwriter Arlis Albritton (cuts by Jamey Johnson, Luke Bryan, and others) about the upcoming St. Augustine Songwriters Festival, which Arlis founded. PART TWO:The guys pay tribute to a few recently-departed music legends: The Rolling Stones' Charlie Watts, Don Everly, and the great Tom T. Hall, who was a guest on the 67th episode of Songcraft - a conversation that turned out to be his final interview. PART THREE:Our in-depth interview with hitmaker Rami Yacoub. ABOUT RAMI YACOUB:As a songwriter and producer, Rami Yacoub has been i

SUMMARYOur guest on this episode of Songcraft is Poo Bear, who is known for his extensive collaborations with Justin Bieber, including the multi-platinum hits “Where Are U Now,” “What Do You Mean,” and “Despacito (Remix),” as well as for hits such as “Caught Up” by Usher, “I Can Transform Ya” by Chris Brown, and “10,000 Hours” by Dan + Shay. He joins us i to chat about his multi-platinum career as a behind the scenes writer, and his recent work as an artist. PART ONEScott and Paul chat about their elevator encounters with Ice Cube, Common, Kenny Loggins, Kelly Rowland, and Jermaine Jackson, and why random run-ins don't always result in amazing songwriting partnerships. PART TWOScott's in-depth interview with Jason "Poo Bear" BoydABOUT POO BEARSong of the Year Grammy nominee Poo Bear is perhaps best known for his collaborations with Justin Bieber, including the multi-platinum hits “All That Matters,” “Where Are U Now,” “What Do You Mean,” “Company,” “Yummy,” and “Intentions,” as well as “Despacito (Remix)” (wi

Part One:Paul and Scott pay tribute to ZZ Top's Dusty Hill, talk about bands with unchanging lineups, delve into the particulars of magnificent Songcraft beards, and take a closer look at Billboard's Christian music charts.  Part Two:Our in-depth conversation with David CrowderABOUT DAVID CROWDER:David Crowder is a phenomenally successful singer, songwriter, and musician in Christian music. He first rose to prominence with The David Crowder Band, which introduced church communities to songs such as “O Praise Him,” “Here is Our King,” and “How He Loves,” which has earned nearly 60 million streams on Spotify. The five-time Grammy nominee began a genre-bending solo career under the mononymous stage name Crowder in 2012, and has released four albums and a string of Top 10 singles including “I Am,” “Come As You Are,” “Forgiven,” “All My Hope,” “Red Letters,” and “Let it Rain.” Other staples from the Crowder songbook include “Open Skies,” “Everything Glorious,” “This I Know,” and “I’m Leaning on You.” Crowder has c

SUMMARY:Our guests on this episode of Songcraft are Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, best known for co-writing and producing nearly every Janet Jackson hit. They’ve worked with a who’s who of artists, earning them 26 Billboard #1 R&B hits, 16 Billboard #1 pop hits, more Producer of the Year Grammy nominations than anyone in history, and a place in the Songwriters Hall of Fame. We’ll chat with them about their varied career, and their new first-ever album under their own names, entitled Volume One. PART ONE:Fan mail and the hardest job in the world.PART TWO:Scott and Paul chat about the idea of the celebrity producer, and how Jam & Lewis might have set a new mold. PART THREE:Our in-depth interview with Jimmy Jam & Terry LewisABOUT JAM & LEWISWith 26 Billboard #1 R&B hits and 16 Billboard #1 pop hits to their credit, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis are perhaps the most influential and successful songwriting and production duo in modern music history. With a total of 41 Top 10 hits in the US, Jimmy and T

SUMMARY:Our guest on this episode of Songcraft is Georgia native and Best Americana Album Grammy nominee Brent Cobb. The self-described songwriter-singer joins us to chat about his dual career as an artist and as a behind-the-scenes tunesmith for Luke Bryan, Little Big Town, Miranda Lambert, Kenny Chesney, and others. PART ONEPaul and Scott dissect the difference between a guitarist and a guitar enthusiast. PART TWO:Scott's in-depth interview with Brent CobbABOUT BRENT COBB:Georgia native Brent Cobb began his music career in Los Angeles working with his cousin Dave Cobb and Shooter Jennings. He later found himself in Nashville where he landed a staff songwriting deal and started getting his songs recorded by artists such as Luke Bryan, Little Big Town, Miranda Lambert, Kenny Chesney, and many others. He eventually signed an artist deal with the Elektra Records imprint Low Country Sound, scoring a Top 20 country album with Shine On Rainy Day. The LP earned a Grammy nomination for Best Americana Album. His foll

SUMMARY:Our guest on this episode of Songcraft is Richard Marx, who is best known for writing and recording hits such as “Don’t Mean Nothing,” “Hold on to the Nights” and “Right Here Waiting.” But that’s only part of the story. As a songwriter, Marx has written #1 hits for other artists, ranging from Kenny Rogers to Josh Groban to NSYNC to Keith Urban. He’s sold more than 30 million albums as an artist, earned the Grammy Song of the Year as a writer, and, with the publication of his new memoir on July 6th, is now an author with many amazing stories to tell.    PART ONE:Scott and Paul talk about the new Songcraft T-shirts, and wonder if Richard Marx is perhaps in an elite club whose only other members are the Bee Gees. PART TWO: Our in-depth conversation with Richard MarxABOUT RICHARD MARXGrammy-winning performer Richard Marx has sold more than 30 million albums as an artist, but if you only know him from late 1980s ballads such as “Hold on to the Nights” and “Right Here Waiting,” you only know part of the sto

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 list

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 “D

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 Alter

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 Alb

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

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

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 f

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 Jea

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