Packy Lundholm joins Korby Lenker for a deep musical conversation about taste, restraint, and how meaningful records actually get made.

Korby first took notice of Packy after seeing him open for Phil Cook at The Blue Room in Nashville—an immediately clarifying moment that revealed both his musical depth and quiet authority on the instrument.

The conversation then turns to What It Takes, Korby’s favorite record of 2025 by Mae Erlewine, produced by Theo Katzman. Packy breaks down how the album was made and why it feels different from so many modern studio recordings—less polished, more human, and deeply musical.

From there, the episode opens into a wide‑ranging discussion about tone, self‑editing, collaboration, and why the best musical decisions are often the ones nobody notices. If you care about making work that’s honest rather than impressive, this episode will resonate.

🎸 Live Performance: Packy performs “65 Deluxe,” recorded live on the podcast in Nick Drake’s CGCFCE tuning.

🎧 Watch the full episode on YouTube or listen wherever you get podcasts.📝 Paid subscribers can also read After the Conversation, a personal reflection from Korby on what this episode stirred in his own creative life.

In this week’s episode of The Morse Code Podcast, host Korby Lenker sits down with drummer, bandleader, and musical connector Jerry Pentecost. Known for his years with Old Crow Medicine Show and as well as touring with Bob Dylan, Jerry shares the unexpected path that led him from cover gigs on Printer’s Alley to the biggest stages in American music.

This conversation explores the tension between loyalty and growth, how Jerry found his voice as a musical director, and what it means to be a Black artist working inside the Americana scene. It’s also about doing the work — showing up, staying humble, and trusting the long arc of a creative life.

👉 Subscribe for bonus segments and reflections from Korby at morsecodepodcast.com

In this episode of The Morse Code Podcast, Korby Lenker sits down with Ron Pope for a wide-ranging conversation about longevity, independence, and what it actually takes to build a sustainable creative life.

Ron reflects on his early success releasing music online, the lessons learned from major-label detours, and how he and his wife Blair ultimately rebuilt their career on their own terms. The conversation explores the less glamorous but essential parts of being an artist: discipline, embarrassment, learning the business, and staying in the work long after the spotlight shifts.

They also talk about writing through grief, how parenthood has reshaped Ron’s relationship to touring and ambition, and why showing up consistently matters more than chasing moments. Toward the end of the episode, Ron performs a live acoustic version of “The Life in Your Years,” accompanied by Korby on baritone ukulele.

Topics include:

Building a long-term career outside the traditional music industry

The role of embarrassment, discipline, and resilience in creative work

Writing honestly through grief and loss

Balancing art, family, and sustainability

A live performance of “The Life in Your Years”

I think one of the reasons I started this podcast was to talk to people like Stacie Huckeba.

If you’ve been around the East Nashville creative scene for any length of time, you’ve seen her work — photos of Dolly Parton, Todd Snider, Elizabeth Cook, Jason Isbell, and countless others. What you may not know is that Stacie came into this line of work late, without a road map, and made a career out of instinct, trust, and relentless follow-through. And maybe the bigger surprise? Her photographs were just the start. She’s a storyteller, full stop — and in this episode, she shares some absolute gems.

Help me keep bringing these inspiring conversations to life by becoming a paid subscriber to the Morse Code Podcast!

We talked about the psychology of Todd — how he saw the world, how he needed to be seen, and how that understanding shaped their friendship. There’s a story about a backyard full of geese that’s as funny as it is heartbreaking, and there’s a moment toward the end — when she describes him waving at no one in particular — that might be the most tender thing I’ve heard anyone say about him.

If you can, watch this one on YouTube. Stacie brought a collection of never-before-seen photos from her archive, and the conversation hits different when you can see the moments she captured. That said, the stories are the real point — and if you’re just listening, you’re still in for something special. Toward the end, we shift gears and talk about what it’s like to build a creative life from scratch — without a pedigree or a plan. If you’ve ever felt like it was too late to start, or like you didn’t quite have the right credentials, Stacie’s story might change your mind. It definitely made me feel braver.

~ Korby

Allen Thompson joins Korby Lenker on The Morse Code Podcast for a conversation about the winding road of making music on your own terms. The two talk about Allen’s early years in East Nashville, the late great Todd Snider’s lasting influence, and what it takes to stay true to yourself as an artist—even when it doesn’t pay. The episode closes with a soulful live performance of “Foolish and Blue,” recorded in-studio with trumpeter Ben Klassen.

On this week’s episode of The Morse Code Podcast, host Korby Lenker sits down with genre-bending songwriter Aaron Lee Tasjan for a wide-ranging conversation about art, identity, and staying weird in a world that wants to put you in a box.

They talk about the challenges of navigating the music industry without losing your creative center, the unexpected gift of not fitting in, and how authenticity — even when it’s messy — can be a source of power. Aaron opens up about his journey from sideman to solo artist, how he’s learned to protect his inner world, and what it means to build a career on your own terms.

Stick around to the end for a stripped-down performance of Aaron’s song “E.N.S.A.A.T.” — a reminder that the real stuff is often what we try hardest to hide.

I didn’t know much about Jessica Willis Fisher before she came over to the studio. I knew she was part of the family band The Willis Clan, and I knew something bad had happened — but I didn’t know the shape of it. Or what she’d done with the pieces.

Turns out, she’s one of the most quietly courageous people I’ve ever sat across from.

In this episode of The Morse Code Podcast, Jessica and I talk about the long road from silence to self-expression — how writing became a lifeline, and how songwriting helped her reclaim her identity on her own terms. We talk about trauma, yes, but more importantly, we talk about what comes after: the craft, the healing, the stubborn hope of making something meaningful out of the mess.

It’s a conversation about boundaries and bravery — about telling the truth even when it’s costly. I think anyone who’s ever started over (creatively, emotionally, spiritually) will find something to hold onto here.

Stick around till the end of the episode for a live in-studio performance of her song “Seeds.” It’s spare and luminous and all the more powerful for what it doesn’t say. You can also watch the performance as a standalone video if you want to send it to someone who needs it.

~Korby

MORSE CODE (our award-winning 30 minute pilot) is now live! thanks for 8k views in 3 days, and many glowing comments, and a few hateful ones! This is the project that launched all the stuff I’ve been doing for the last several years.