Épisodes

  • Episode 67: Soren Staff (Them Coulee Boys)

    Episode 67: Soren Staff (Them Coulee Boys)
    Jan 18 2026
    I had a great chat with Soren Staff from the Eau Claire, Wisconsin based band Them Coulee Boys. The band released their fifth full length album last year, “No Fun in the Chrysalis”, it’s an excellent record on which Soren really displays his songwriting skills. We discuss the creative environment that is Eau Claire, and how Them Coulee Boys, who are known for their raucous, fun and emotionally charged shows, work to involve their audiences in the live experience. We spend some time digging in the songwriting weeds - there is talk of complicated rhyme schemes (what rhymes with toothbrush?) and unresolved choruses. Enjoy this conversation and then spend some time with “No Fun in the Chrysalis”, both great listens.
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    52 min
  • Episode 66: Rob Miller

    Episode 66: Rob Miller
    Dec 4 2025
    I sat down with Rob Miller to discuss his new book “The Hours are Long but the Pay is Low; a Curious Life in Independent Music”. Rob was co-founder of the Bloodshot Records label here in Chicago, which featured independent artists that blended the spirit of punk and country music. Although Bloodshot nurtured unknown artists into grammy winners and sellers of hundreds of thousands of albums, Miller and the label remained fiercely independent for more than 25 years, helping build the music community in Chicago and prioritizing off-the-beaten-path showcases, indie record stores, and music venues like the ones Miller worked at in his boyhood city of Detroit as a stage manager, roadie, and end-of the-night custodian. It’s a great book that weaves a funny and compelling underdog story of the championing of music and musicians that would have otherwise likely fallen through the cracks of the corporate music complex; Rob was a fun guest with a fascinating tale to spin.
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    50 min
  • Episode 65: Tami Neilson

    Episode 65: Tami Neilson
    Sep 1 2025
    Born and raised in Toronto, Tami Neilson eventually made her home in Auckland, New Zealand, where she has become one of her adopted home country’s most beloved artists, with multiple chart topping/award winning albums to her credit. She has been making a bit of a stir here in North America as well, collaborating, touring, and hanging with Willie Nelson, and debuting on the Grand Old Opry in 2024. Tami’s new album, Neon Cowgirl, is an absolute blast of a record, showcasing not only Tami’s powerhouse vocals but also her deft songwriting skills that blend multiple genres seamlessly. A great conversation, we hear about songwriting superstar Ashley McBryde making her own custom Tami Neilson merch, how Tami naturally inhabited the role of Sandy Cheeks when writing songs for the Sponge Bob movies, using Legos and a stick as percussion, and how Vince Gill brought Tami a song in a dream.
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    54 min
  • Episode 64: Steve Poltz

    Episode 64: Steve Poltz
    Jul 26 2025
    I sat down with Steve Poltz at DelFest Bluegrass Festival in Cumberland Maryland, after his set on the main stage there, which was, according to Steve, the greatest show he had ever played. The next day I saw him play a completely different set at the festival, which was, according to Steve, even greater, making that the best show of his life. In between these great sets we had a wide (wide) ranging conversation. Steve told some tales, he talked about the art of telling tales, he broke down some Neil Young and Roger Miller songs to demonstrate their songwriting brilliance, ate some cookies, and talked about his upcoming Steve Poltz Song Factory songwriting workshop in August in New York State. We heard about the sound of breaking glass, how an overdose of weed brownies changed his career (for the better), and how he discovered a love for the Grateful Dead after successfully recovering from an on-stage stroke. Did I mention it was wide ranging? One of my most enjoyable conversations on the podcast ever.
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    53 min
  • Episode 63: Elizabeth Moen

    Episode 63: Elizabeth Moen
    Jun 12 2025
    I had a blast talking with Chicago based musician and songwriter Elizabeth Moen, she is funny, thoughtful, honest, and has an absolute overflowing reservoir of musical talent. As you will hear, Elizabeth was born and raised in Iowa but has made Chicago her musical home for a number of years. She has a few albums under her belt including 2022’s excellent "Wherever You Aren’t". She has been working on her highly anticipated next record with producer Spencer Tweedy, another member of the Chicago music scene; aside from his producing work Spencer is also the drummer for the music project Waxahatchee. Elizabeth’s talents have allowed her to write and perform songs that cross musical boundaries: folk, rock, blues, jazz and so on; her voice is a true instrument. You can hear some of the diverse nature of her work in just the few clips of the songs we discuss. But we hear about how her work with producing partner Spencer on the upcoming record has allowed Elizabeth to realize perhaps the true expression of her vocal talents. Also discussed: covering CeeLo Green in a high school talent show, finding the perfect chord with an accidental pinky, and Elizabeth’s tortured journey from mathlete to calculus cheater.
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    55 min
  • Episode 62: Mel Parsons

    Episode 62: Mel Parsons
    Mar 15 2025
    We sat down with New Zealand artist Mel Parsons at the 2025 Fok Alliance International Conference in Montreal in February. Mel is a deft and powerful songwriter, her lyrics are put together with wit and wisdom, and she plays a powerful guitar amid excellent arragements. Her latest album, Sabotage, is a real gem. We had a lovely chat, talked about not talking about songs, and creating from the unconscious. We also learned about the Time Ball in her current home town of Lyttleton, NZ, and how it might be the secret to that town’s artistic magnetism.
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    44 min
  • Episode 61: Twisted Pine

    Episode 61: Twisted Pine
    Dec 6 2024
    Twisted Pine is a boundary jumping string band; although based in bluegrass their music defies categorization in a joyous and exhilarating fashion. We sat down with Kathleen Parks, Dan Bui, Anh Phung and Chris Sartori at the Green Mountain Bluegrass and Roots Festival in Vermont. Topics include their wonderful new record “Love Your Mind”, late night bluegrass festival doings, shifting musical roles within songs, Tom Petty vocal influences, and much more.
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    56 min
  • Episode 60: Bob Sumner

    Episode 60: Bob Sumner
    Oct 22 2024
    We sat down with Canadian musician Bob Sumner at AmericanaFest in Nashville; we discuss his recent record "Some Place to Rest Easy", which has become one of my favorite releases of 2024. The musical vibes are lovely, echoing the sounds of my favorite Randy Travis records of the 90’s, but Bob also hits us with gut punch lyricism that brings to mind Townes van Zandt and Steve Earle. Bob is a wonderful conversationalist, there is a lot of great stuff in this one. We hear about how one positive comment from a high school teacher may have been a life changer, how he made a listener cry at his first open mic performance, what he learned from making music with his big brother for 20 years as part of The Sumner Brothers, and playing guitar and writing songs while (literally) driving his car as a food delivery person. Together we come to the realization that not only is Bob a great writer himself, but he has a gift for recognizing the perfect lines written by others (I look forward to discovering something witty I said to Bob appearing in one of his future songs). Check out the video for Bob’s song "Motel Room", he has some killer dance moves, and the song and video display the way Bob worked with both joy and sadness while putting this record together. This was one of my favorite discussions on the podcast, and I thank Bob for being so generous with his thoughts and for being such a great listener.
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    1 h et 2 min